Yu☆Gi☆Oh! Duel Monsters

Yu-Gi-Oh! is one of the big three in the marketing of anime for american children. You got Pokemon and Digimon in the early 90's and then Yu-Gi-Oh! in the late 90's. Just like Pokemon and Digimon, Yu-Gi-Oh! has its own card game, toys etc. But in terms of enjoyment level Yu-Gi-Oh! is by far the worst of the three. Probably because the concept of the show is so unbelievably stupid. The story is of a boy named Yugi. He and his friends play a card game called Duel monsters, one day Yugi's grandpa is kidnapped by the ruler of duel monster island, Pegasus. How can Yugi save him? with a power full puzzle piece that turns him into a a more mature version of himself called Pharaoh. Now with that power and the power of friendship provided by his friends and the mysterious Keiba (who is no friend of Yugi's.) Yugi and friends sets out to duel monster island to defeat anyone who stands in their way in order to save his grandpa. The story of Yu-Gi-Oh! is a lot different then other kids anime. Its got a darker tone to it and the charters are drawn to look more mature then the other shows. But just the idea of it, once they start dueling is when it gets ridiculous. Monsters coming out of cards when activated on a board. Its not the same as Digimon or Pokemon. With those you get the feeling of the trainers training their creatures and befriending them. Yu-Gi-Oh! doesn't have that appeal to it. Don't get me wrong I watched it as a kid. I had to, all my friends were and I needed something to talk to them about! I guess that just goes to show you that Yu-Gi-Oh! is not a serious, well made anime series. But just a franchise to follow then like a piece of chewed gum, throw it out after its lost its taste. Take care everyone.

I Must Listen To The Pharaoh In My Head Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters is a card game show where you don't have to be good at card games, you just have to believe in the heart of the cards and have friends on your side. The first season is so hard to care about, because there are no rules, it was made before the trading card game had them, so it's just nonsense contently happening, and people explaining why they now are awesome and cool, because they just got the right card. The 4Kids dub actually helped the show, because it makes it so much more entertaining than it should be, the weird voices and localization where they try to make it child-friendly, but makes it more grim and absurd is just great. it's fun to watch with friends, if you're in an altard state, but watching it alone and trying to follow, what is happening, is a mind melting the boring experience where they just keep saying, I have the better card, No I have the better card, no I have the better card, until the end of the universe. Does Yu-Gi-Oh give strong nostalgia? Yes, absolutely. is it entertaining to watch? absolute no.

This is my first review for an anime on this site, so bear with me. I won't break down the anime categorically like many other reviewers have already. This is just my honest review and assessment. A year ago, I watched this entire anime dubbed in 2 weeks. I loved it that much. I watched some episodes when I was a kid, so watching this as an adult I got that nostalgic feeling that many other people have. The pros of this anime are that the characters are all likeable for the fact that they are all competing for someone or something, the duels are interesting in that it shows what the duelists are thinking while each match plays out, and lastly for the message that it tries to convey throughout all the episodes: the importance of friendship. The only cons that I can think of are it is at times repetitive, the villains are a little lackluster and almost every duel has a predictable outcome (except for that twist in season 4). Overall, I give this anime a 10/10 for personal enjoyment and the fact it became popular here in the United States. I still know people who play the card game religiously. I am not one of them, although I wish I was. Anyways there is nothing more for me to say, I hope my review was enough for you to give this anime a chance.

Well, this will be my first ever review so here it goes. Yu-gi-oh! Duel Monsters is a commonly known anime from many, mostly for its dubbed works and its airing on Saturday. So I have decided to give both the subtitles/Japanese and dub a try. Overall the story is alright, you have the main Yugi and his "other self" with his friends playing the card game duel monsters while going on adventures. Each season has a different villain and plot towards it, so reason why I gave it a 6 is because its constant changes. Never really attached me towards the story because it feels like it was dragged then rushed towards the finish. The art, a solid 6 because for me it's not the best styles out there up for grabs but flexible. The sound in the English dub version is flat along with it not fitting many situations as to comparing the Japanese version. The characters don't really improve towards the series, the only major character changing is Yami, Yugi, and Joey/Jonouchi. Most of the other characters usually then don't do much to help out the series, or make an appearance then leave for many episodes later to finally come back. Most of the characters are just side-line 'cheerleaders' or minor plot fillings for an episode. The enjoyment is a 6 because, there was way beyond level of fillers in this series. I would have given the enjoyment an 8 if it wasn't for all the drawn out duels/talking and plot filling. Overall the series is a 7 because of the story, enjoyment and sound, also in reminder its an anime directed more towards a younger viewer.

After pokemon and digimon, this was a favorite of my and my cousin. We always played the card game of it with our friends. This was a good show but what was kinda annoying to me was the symbolism of friendship was over used, I like how they had the great bonds as friends, but it was too much and I kinda got annoyed of it. Over all though, I loved the battles and the characters like Atem, Kaiba, Yugi and Joey and the plot was very good to understand

This review contains general spoilers. ⠻⣦⡈⠛⢿⡌⢆⢂⠹⣿⣧⡄⡄⠹⡄⢆⡟⢄⠉⢟⣮⣷⢄⠐⢤⡤⢤⣬⣭⣭ ⣷⣤⠙⣶⣦⠙⡌⢻⠂⠘⣿⣷⢹⠄⢳⠘⣿⡟⣿⡄⢳⡆⢳⠛⢢⠈⠉⠛⠛⠛ ⢿⣿⣷⣀⠈⠓⠌⠂⠘⢆⠈⢙⣎⢣⠘⡆⢣⡛⣿⡇⢀⡙⠚⠶⠶⠿⠷⠶⠒⠒ ⣾⠿⣿⣿⣦⣄⣁⣀⣠⡀⠡⠄⠳⡛⢆⠱⠈⢧⣿⡇⠸⠟⠉⠐⠠⠄⠄⠄⣼⣿ ⣿⣷⣬⣉⣛⣛⠛⠿⠿⣧⣷⣦⣄⠘⢿⡆⠡⠘⣀⡇⢠⣶⣷⣮⣤⣤⣴⣿⣿⣿ ⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣷⡀⢿⡀⠄⠉⡇⢸⣿⣿⣿⣉⣉⣉⣉⣉⣰ ⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⡏⣿⣦⡙⠄⠄⠁⢸⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿ ⣿⡙⠿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⠿⠁⣿⣿⣷⣌⠄⠄⠘⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿ ⣿⣿⣦⣀⡨⣝⡻⠿⣻⣿⣧⣄⠄⠄⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣦⡀⢻⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⡿⠿⣿ ⣿⣿⣿⣿⡇⢿⡛⢿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣧⠘⣿⣛⣻⣿⣿⣿⣿⣤⡿⢿⠿⣛⡃⠄⣸⣿ ⡹⣿⣿⣿⣿⣼⣷⣶⣝⢿⣿⣿⣿⣧⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⡿⠟⣿⢇⣈⣼⣿⣿ ⣿⣜⢿⣭⢻⣿⣿⣿⣯⢧⠙⢻⠛⣛⣛⠛⠛⠿⠿⠟⣛⣥⣶⣼⢏⣾⣿⣿⣿⣿ ⣿⣿⣎⠿⣇⢻⣿⣿⣿⡌⢷⣆⢭⣓⣒⣒⣛⣣⣶⠞⣵⣿⣿⣿⡿⣱⣾⡟⣵⣿ ⣿⣿⣿⣤⣻⡘⣿⣿⣿⣷⡜⢻⣮⣛⣛⣟⣫⡿⣛⣴⣿⣿⣿⣿⢃⣿⣿⣷⣿⣿ ⣿⣿⣿⣿⣷⣣⢹⣿⣿⣿⣿⣯⡙⠛⠛⠛⢛⣺⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⠇⣼⢫⣵⣿⣿⣿ Yu-Gi-Oh! is your classic 00's anime: good story, characters with spiky hair, cool music and overextended episodes with annoying filler. STORY and ENJOYMENT: 7/10 ********** It's the first time I've watched a story about Egyptian mithology mixed with trading card games, and even though it has some big errors (such as almost no character respecting Duel Monsters's rules), I've enjoyed it to the fullest. Well, except for the filler arcs, which are all boring and provide nothing interesting to the series. Also why are so many flashbacks bro, you have to see almost 2 per chapter... ART: 6/10 ******** While the art is usually good, there are some chapters in which the characters look poorly drawn or even deformed. SOUND: 8/10 *********** The OST is fascinating. But it can't be called a masterpiece, because most of the "epic orchestrated songs" that play when something crazy is about to happen last for 45 seconds and then loop, which makes these songs very repetitive. CHARACTER: 2/10 ************* I hate every single one of them except Kaiba. Yugi is a horrible person that calls his best friend, Katsuya, by his surname, something that doesn't do with the rest of his other friends who, by the way, don't contribute almost in any way to the plot. Katsuya is an obsessed gambler addict that needs more medical attention than his sister. Pegasus's (the first villain) way of speaking gets me on my nerves... And then we have Seto Kaiba. The Bruce Wayne of anime. He is the best character because, unlike the rest of them, he doesn't want his Duels with other people to be constantly interrupted by characters explaining their 2-episode flashback backstories. OVERALL: 7/10 ************ This anime is good, but you should definitely avoid filler arcs. It also will make you want to play the real card game, which I personally recommend to all of you to play it. I give this anime 2 Blue-Eyes White Dragon out of 3.

The key takeaway about this series is that is essentially a very traditional heroic epic in which the battles are fought not with sword or lance, but through trading cards. This caveat is enough to ensure that some people will never give this series a chance, but for those who can, they will find a quintessential shonen series that succeeds at its mission of telling the hero's journey in a unique way. Yugi is the hero of the story, and he is blessed by the gods (or destiny, fate, the universe, the heart of the cards, whatever term you prefer) for exhibiting the virtues of friendship, trust, loyalty, etc. Hence, the gods grant him providence by giving him the cards he needs to defeat his enemies and achieve his goal - helping the soul of the ancient Egyptian spirit in his Millennium Puzzle find his true identity, and eventually rest in the afterlife. Yugi and the Pharaoh both represent traditional heroic archetypes. Yugi represents the boy who grows into a man as he journey progresses, becoming braver and more assertive until at the journey's end he is finally ready to stand on his own as an adult. The Pharaoh on the other hand is more in the style of an ancient hero like Aeneas or Perseus - he is a master of war who exemplifies the virtues that Yugi is striving for. The Pharaoh is sort of a father or older brother figure who Yugi must surpass by the story's end despite the love they have for each other. The other two main characters are Seto Kaiba and Katsuya Jonouchi/Joey Wheeler in the dub. Kaiba is the archetypal shonen rival, and besides Vegeta may be one of the defining ones in the genre. Although Kaiba has numerous connections to the gods/magic/Ancient Egypt due to his lineage, he consciously rejects them in favor of technology and futurism. He presents a compelling foil to Yugi, who is seeking truth from understanding the past. In contrast, Kaiba wants to destroy his own past and leave a lasting legacy for many reasons. Of course, he is extremely arrogant and wants to leave his mark on the world, but simultaneously Kaiba is also philanthropic and generous to children, wanting them to grow up in a better world. It is worth noting that Kaiba is the one who develops most of the dueling technology in the series. He also goes on to create Duel Academy, paving the way for the sequel series Yugioh GX, which I already wrote a review on. Essentially, while Yugi acts in accordance with the will of the gods and is rewarded as a result, Kaiba represents the absolute upper limits of the power that can be achieved through earthly means (money, status, power). He's a dope character and the anime staff was wise to give him greater focus in the anime compared to the manga. Joey, on the other hand, essentially represents the abstraction of Fortune, and is a wild card of sorts. A blue-collar duelist, he truly lacks any magical lineage or favor with the gods, and yet he journeys from a novice to a truly powerful fighter through luck, grit, and the Victorian English quality of pluck. Interestingly, Joey accumulates powerful cards from the rivals he defeats over the course of the story - not because he steals them, but because his opponents have to give them up due to the tournament's ante rules. Gaining cards like Graverobber, Red-Eyes Black Dragon, Jinzo, and so on, Joey's growing experience is directly shown by his ever-increasing arsenal. The villains in the series are your usual anime villains - sad backstories that have led to a tragic, warped worldview. Charisma and arrogance. Cool Dark Superpowers. I would not say the villains are the best part of the series at all, but they serve their key roles well enough and are more memorable than many anime villains. Yami Marik was probably my favorite since the animators broke out some freaky animation and made him as over-the-top nightmarish evil as possible. Episode 140 is wild lol. The battles in the series are very melodramatic, over-the-top, and replete with rather obvious themes. It's the nerd's counterpoint to the WWE, and if you happen to enjoy pro wrestling, you'll probably enjoy this series and most shonen anime in general actually. Viewers who enjoy the card game and the strategy behind it will definitely get more out of the dueling scenes, although it's worth noting that many people have watched and enjoyed the show without touching the card game. Me personally I played the card game before watching the show, and I enjoy the game more than the show. One thing to consider is the wildly long episode count. About a third of the series is filler, probably closer to 40%. Regardless, the series is very slow-paced and there a few duels that last five, six episodes. You'll know in the first few episodes if this works for you. Also, I would say that the Orichalcos filler arc, which lasts from like episode 145 to 180 is one of the better filler arcs I've seen in anime. It's quite good compared to how horrible some of the Naruto or One Piece fillers can be at times. If you watch one filler arc, that's the one to see. Overall, this show is dogged unfairly for two reasons - the core concept of battling with cards (because battling with ki blasts or elemental powers is for serious adults and battling with cards is way different, apparently), and the kiddy dub done by 4Kids. This series is definitely better in Japanese, but if they ever did an uncut english re-dub that would be dope. If you look at the meat of the story, it's a well-done traditional hero's epic. Yugioh GX on the other hand is a deconstructionist narrative, so the two shows are quite different and pair well. I will say that this is a pretty weak 8, bordering on a strong 7. But believe it or not, this show is pretty good and I would recommend it.

First long anime I've watched completely so far, and that's my reason for writing this review. Warning that it might potentially contain *spoilers* so be careful, I'm not going to hold back. As an anime, you could say there are better than this, well of course, thing is, if you've played YuGiOh in some way for a long time, playing against many decks, you eventually get into the playstyle a lot, and I mean a hell lot into it. This will perform a good effect while watching the anime so you start making up some lore of the cards that are written in their effects, other cards, etc. This specially happens during the final 20 episodes or so. Plotwise it has few unnecessary arcs but before the last main arc you are going to get the worst thing ever made in YuGiOh, with a bad animation, plot and basically everything, even though the previous arc to this is also another fill, but unlike last mentioned, this one had marvelous music and great animation at peak points, which made the arc more than bearable (talking about doma/atlantis/dartz arc). Now, about the characters, I really couldn't imagine myself liking Jonouchi, he seemed like a dumb duelist headed to failing always, BUT, he has a great development, such a great development that he's my second choice for best character in the anime. First place? MOTHER FUCKING KAIBA SETO, simply perfect, looked like a Vegetta character, but he's flawless, you always to see him struggling over his defeats, himself and the world, even if I thought he couldn't be improved, as the episodes went on, he kept improving, GOD, how much more perfect can he get?! My favorite villain ought to be Bakura, even though Marik seemed lame, he improved decently and became a nice villain, but Bakura is another level, he's the best kind of villain you could ask for this show, he's very well defined even through his deck's strategies and theme. That's another thing amazing about this anime, every character is reflected in their own deck, doesn't matter if it's someone only focused on brute power, dark low tricks, constrictive strategy or whatsoever, no one has two exact decks. About music, GOD DANG IT IT'S AMAZING, throughout the anime you get to listen to some "key songs" that may or not repeat depending on the episodes, but the thing is that the song that inspired a frightful feeling 3 episodes ago, now it's EPIC and it doesn't feel wrong at all because they know how to use and the exact frame when to use it. 10/10 simply. Now, suming up, this anime has some unnecessary arcs that may be dull sometimes, but everything (or almost imo) is made up for something in particular, so, I would strongly recommend this anime if it's for someone who's a true and veteran duelist, not for any regular anime watcher, being able to play the cards, know their mechanics, effects, and mostly important, to let yourself be carried by the story, it's a magnificent choice. P.D: NEVER go for the dub, it's incomplete and it censors many things, so it's more a children friendly anime when it's not AT ALL.

Yugioh! has always held an interesting place amongst my childhood anime. It wasn't one of the ones that stuck fast once I found it, but it wasn't that I was disinterested or that it completely passed me by either. Yugioh! was one of those shows that I came back to periodically throughout my younger years and which I loved each time. After rewatching it now, I was surprised at just how much of it was familiar; I must have seen nearly all of it in bits and pieces throughout my childhood. I liked how high the stakes were. I prefer that in kids shows-- the heroes having to save the world from some great threat or something equally dramatic. It makes it feel like the writers are taking their audience seriously, which earns it a lot of points with me. There's nothing I hate more than seeing a work of fiction underestimate a young audience. In that sense, I feel like Yugioh! was balanced very nicely. The stakes were high enough to keep its audience engaged, but it was still extremely heavy handed with the power of friendship and that aspect of the story. (In fact, it was only that side of the story that kept me from being totally convinced that Yugioh! wasn't supposed to be a kids show at all. That and the very marketable card game it was centered around.) Yugioh! feels like a show that had a lot of really good ideas... that just weren't executed very well most of the time. Ancient Egyptian spirits occupying the bodies and minds of modern day teenagers? Great. The card game could have been interesting. And personally, I've always liked stories about prophecies and destiny and the power of friendship, cheesy as they can be. Unfortunately, as I've seen pointed out plenty of times before, the card game isn't handled all that well. Forget just strictly following the rules-- which I suspect they don't do, but which I never really paid close attention to anyway. The strategy involved just never felt all that impressive. I got the definite impression they were inventing cards as they went along-- not to mention all the special effects that always did exactly whatever the heroes needed to escape teh sticky situation at hand. It was just a little too deus ex machina-y. (And this is coming from someone who was willing to accept that the bond of their friendship could overcome just about anything, dark magic included.) Maybe these moments were especially a slap in the face because when they did rely on actual strategy, it was usually executed pretty well. At the end of it all, I think my favorite duel is still Yugi vs. Pegasus. They couldn't rely on some all-powerful or perfectly-timed card to get around Pegasus's mind-reading. Yugi and Atem had to instead finally use their connection and continuously switch out who was in control without sharing their individual strategies-- Pegasus's abilities were of no use to him if the mind in control didn't know what card the other had just played. Not to mention, this was also the culmination of Yugi's personal struggles this season-- finally realizing there was another spirit inside of him and learning to trust it. In fact, season one was a really good introduction in general, considering the entire show would come to be about uncovering the pharaoh's lost memories. So sometimes this show was really on point. Unfortunately, it derailed into filler a little too often for my liking. About once a season or so, Yugioh! would decide it didn't want to be about a card game after all, and the characters would get sucked into an alternate (or virtual) universe that usually held no bearing on the actual story. I actually liked the little arc about Noa and Gozaburo. I think that one was really important to understanding Kaiba's character and why he's so desperate to maintain his power and control. (Of course, I would have liked it a lot more if it hadn't interrupted that season's tournament right before the final duel, but I did say there were problems with the story's execution.) Long story short, Yugioh! was one of the better shows from my childhood. (I've just realized that I've given it the same score I gave the original seasons of Pokemon, which doesn't feel quite right... I suppose it goes back to Yugioh! often feeling like it wasn't exactly a kids show. I try to judge shows based at least a little on their intentions. Yugioh! felt like it was trying to be something more... it just didn't always succeed.) Yeah, the dub could get a little ridiculous sometimes. It's often remembered as one of those shows that got the worst of the localization/absolutely-no-violence-allowed treatment from 4Kids. But it had one of the better, more complex stories out there. Unless you're a neurotic completionist like me, you really only need to see (most of) seasons 1-3 and the last 1/3 of season five. But it is worth seeing if you missed it during your own childhood. (Fair warning, though, the first episode is bad. Llike, really bad. Everywhere I looked, it said that watching season zero-- the original Yugioh!-- was unnecessary because the stories weren't connected, but I got the definite impression that you were expected to be familiar with the characters and game already. So much of the rest of this show is dependent on Yugi defeating Kaiba in episode one. But someone watching Yugioh! for the first time with no prior knowledge of the story and characters probably wouldn't understand why this was such a big deal. Also, the pacing is just really bad.)

Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters is one of the best anime ive seen. Its called "Childish". This is a anime that is NOT childish. Sure the 4kids dub is,since 4kids always changes things from the original Japanese version. This Japanese version with subtitles its different from the 4kids dub. It has stronger words like bastard,damn,and dumb ass. Its much more dark then the 4kids dub. But the overall series is amazing. Storyline9/10-NO SPOILERS. Yugi Moto is a 10th grade student. He comes across a puzzle,puts it together,and finds out that a 3,000 year old spirt is in it.(5,000 in the dub). Yugi and his friends Anzu(Tea in the dub) ,Honda(Tristian in the dub),and Jonouchi(Joey in the dub) work together to find the turth be hide the spirt,since he lost his memory. They go around dueling everyone,with the poplaur game,Duel Monsters. They learn the spirts name is Yami,and he is supose to save the world.(Most of the arcs involved Yami,Yugi,and friends trying to stop evil villains,saving souls,etc). While most of it is great and VERY enjoyable to watch,it has flaws. Like there is a long filler arc(well,it seems like a filler). About Kaiba's stepbrother,and how he wants to rule Kaiba corp. Its awful boring and really has nothing to do with the storyline. The storyline itself isnt like a masterpiece or anything,but it's still really good to watch. It is great,but not anything amazing. Characters10/10-The characters in this anime are amazing. They are all very enjoyable, and very good character devlopment. There is a large amount of characters,and they all have deep feelings. Some like Kaiba,just seem like bastards,and are just plain nasty. This isnt true,because Kaiba matures a lot,and learns to like Yugi and his friends. They are all wonderful and non of them are boring. Soundtrack8/10-Well,the soundtrack is good,its not perfect. While the opening theme songs are great,and are very good to listen too,it isnt perfect. The soundtrack itself isnt bad. Its good. But its nothing wonderful. The english dub opening theme song is great. But the Japanese one arent bad. So,there good,but again,not a masterpiece or anything. Art5/10-I didnt like the art. It is pretty much decent. Yugi's hair is so wierd looking. The way the art looks isnt anything great. It isnt that good. Its not that the art is bad because its old,I just dont like the way it looks. Enjoyment10/10-I really liked this anime. Its one of the most enjoyable anime ive ever watched. There has never been a anime like this one. Its so different,so thats one of the main reasons why i enjoyed it so much. The characters are also a main reason why I enjoyed it so much. The storyline, of course,is very enjoyable. There arent many anime that ive watched that is enjoyable as this. Overall10/10-While it has flaws,it is still amazing. I really liked this anime. I recommend this anime to anyone. For anyone who likes card games,watch it. But watch the Japanese version with english subtitles. Its much better than the 4kids dub. The dub version isnt that terrible,it still isnt as good as the original version.

Oh boy; here we go, Yugioh! I will not deny it, I'm not only a huge fan of this franchise, but I'm a big time card player that this show is based off of. Well, not a real big time player since there isn't any card shops around my area that hosts tournaments and stuff, but I love playing the game, hence why I'm almost online all the time playing it. The first season of Yugioh was not only great, but will probably always be the best, with its great characters, uniquely well written story, some of the best music that I've ever listened to, some of the best art work ever, and just that fun to enjoy. I also really enjoyed the comedy in this show, there were a lot of good jokes, and some of the characters who acted comedic were very funny. One of them being Joey Wheeler, who is by far; my most favorite character in all of Yugioh and always will be. The villians were great too, except for a couple, Marik being my most favorite of them all. What really made me love this show was not just the characters, and etc., etc., but was also the monsters that they dueled with. The one that really pulled me into both; the anime and the game was the Blue-Eyes White Dragon, which to this day is still my most favorite card, especially; for this season. Well else can I say? I still love this show, I still love playing the game, and will continue to do so. As Yugi boy would say, "It's time to duel!"

Ever since Yu-Gi-Oh! The Abridged Series by LittleKuriboh came out, it seems like every semi-popular anime has to get an abridged series eventually. Unfortunately, I think Dragon Ball Z Abridged laid out a really cringe, loud, unfunny, tryhard humor style template that basically every abridged series since has followed. I will always maintain that LittleKuriboh’s wit and dry British humor is the whole reason abridged series even work. Making fun of the silly stuff that happens in the show he’s abridging works because the actual show is hard to watch—especially these days. In theory, this Yu-Gi-Oh! anime is supposed to advertise the cards so Konami can jip people out of their money while hopefully having good characters and a solid story. Well… they did succeed in making the cards look cool when they’re on the field. There’s a reason that, despite all the meta changes, people always find a way to casually play Dark Magician or Blue-Eyes White Dragon decks, and they continue to get a ton of support from Konami in both the trading card game and the anime. For better or worse, Yu-Gi-Oh! is a kids’ show that gets surprisingly dark at times. People who grew up with the 4Kids English dub will make fun of things like the Shadow Realm, especially because of the abridged series, but anybody with a brain knows this whole story is literally about people willing to kill others through Egyptian artifacts and a card game. That just creates a hilarious secondary layer of ironic entertainment, after the cool trading card monsters of course. As the abridged series has consistently pointed out, there’s a lot of cheesy power-of-friendship stuff, which isn’t unexpected from a shounen. But in the original show, some of it does kind of hit emotionally, since there are a few cases of actual interesting character development—mostly related to Joey/Jonouchi and Mai. Unfortunately, this Yu-Gi-Oh! series fumbles in a lot of important ways, which makes it hard for me to recommend in its original form, whether that’s the Japanese version or the English dub. Since the anime was meant to sell the trading card game, you’d think it would actually follow the rules—but instead, the characters constantly do things that you can’t do in the real game. The first arc, Duelist Kingdom, is the worst about this. It had some weird beta version of the rules where you could just summon any monster at any time, you apparently couldn’t attack life points directly, and the characters just randomly making up monster rules on the spot. It created a lot of hilarious scenarios, but none that reflect what you can actually do in the trading card game. The second arc, Battle City, finally lets the series use a sort of version of the official rules, but even then, some abilities are way more overpowered in the show—like everything related to the Egyptian Gods and the Seal of Orichalcos. But given this was before broken mechanics like Synchros existed, the way characters got powerful monsters on the field was just way too convenient. So many characters also just used straight-up bad cards that it’s really hard to watch. While I mentioned that a few characters like Joey and Mai get decent development, the vast majority of the cast just isn’t that interesting. Yugi/Yami Yugi is your typical overpowered shounen protagonist, Téa/Anzu and Honda/Tristan are literally just boring cheerleaders, and Kaiba and Yami Bakura are funny mostly because they’re cheesy over-the-top antagonists. Everyone else is either forgettable or annoying when you strip away their Abridged personalities. The show is over 200 episodes, which is rare. Only a few long-running series stay consistently entertaining—stuff like DBZ and One Piece. Meanwhile, Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters Season 1 is not consistently entertaining. Sure, there are some hype duels, usually in the climatic ones in each major arc, but so many side duels are either pointless or focus on antagonists or side characters no one cares about. Plus, there’s way too much filler slice-of-life episodes, weird side plots, or even entire filler arcs (Noah Kaiba’s arc was especially egregious since it literally interrupted the Battle City finals, one of the few consistently good arcs in the series). I’m all for series not taking themselves too seriously, but Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters Season 1 constantly mixes serious psychological character development with cheesy friendship speeches and crazy magic… all for a trading card game. It’s really hard to take seriously, especially with how ridiculously slow-paced some episodes and arcs are. LittleKuriboh’s Yu-Gi-Oh! Abridged didn’t help, but these days, it’s hard to unironically enjoy the original show. It’s so slow, has too many boring characters, and the novelty of recognizing certain cards and cool attacks only goes so far. At best, this is a series for hardcore Yu-Gi-Oh! fans only. Casuals would probably have a better time with later Yu-Gi-Oh! series that actually follow the game’s rules and have faster-paced, more interesting stories. If you just want to see how ridiculous the plot and characters get, just watch LittleKuriboh’s Yu-Gi-Oh! Abridged on YouTube. He somehow still hasn’t finished it as of 2025, and at this rate, he probably won’t finish the entire series until the 2030s. But it’s a much quicker and much more entertaining way to enjoy the trading card game monsters aspect of this show.

A battle shounen with card games as its battle system, the one that started it all. I should note my review is based on the japanese version as the 4kids one is awful, and as i said before this series diverges enough from the manga that it becomes its own thing, to the point it becomes its own timeline with spin of series, so this series is not a substitute for the manga. Its a long running series that adapted the manga while running alongside it, so pacing isn't that good and as with every such series animation will range from bad to good. The story also differs from the manga in many way despite sharing arcs, like how characters are characterized between versions and many plot points are delivered, and it has anime original arcs as well. If you are interested in seeing how one can make card games look good then this series should catch your interest as characterization is done well between the 3 main characters and the villains, with the plot being above average for kid's show standards, otherwise battle shounen card games may not be for you and you will probably not like the other yugioh series anyways.

I grew up on this like many people. The quality and writting of the show might not be the best. I have alot of nostalgia for the show and good memories of watching live episodes on tv after school. I've rewatched it many times over the last 16 years and its fun every time. It got me into the game as well that I played for many years and met manny friends playing together. The yugioh community is very strong and welcoming for the most part and as one of the first anime I've ever watched in sub it opened up that world for me and I hope it does with many other poeple too.

I'm writing this review because I just finished rewatching this anime series (the first time I watch it, the english subtitles were god awful, and so I have to make do with my own interpretations back then). This was a good enjoyment overall, with the impressive duels here and there coupled with outstanding OSTs. Art and animation was also good, especially within the first few episodes, some of the major duels/battles throughout the series, and the last few episodes in every story arc, but for the rest of the episodes the art and animation had a noticable degrade. For the story, the connection between the past elements and the present world were truly interesting. Lastly for the characters, it was nice to see that Yami Yugi can lose in a duel, which shows that he isn't a gary stu. For the most interesting character/s, I guess I would hand it over to Yami Bakura and Pegasus; Pegasus because of his 'engrish' and Yami Bakura because of being a recurring villain coupled with his overly-confident and narcissistic attitude. If you're wanting to watch some good old shounen anime, then this anime would be a nice pick.

Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters this anime series got me into the card game, hooray! I really enjoyed this anime series and the card game is great as well. Some of the arcs were masterpiece level others were just okay. The majority of the episodes were very good or better. Yugi Muto's summoning his big hairy balls and Mai Valentine's got herpes. But seriously, Joey Wheeler's git game, then Kaiba makes a grand entrance. That's what's great about fast Joey Wheeler he doesn't quit and the power of friendship! Yujo means friendship in Japanese and it's no coincidence that the two main characters are named Yugi and Joey. The story is good, but its weakness perhaps is that it revolves solely around a card game. This was a smart move from a financial aspect, but it's still a card game right, right!! In Ancient Egypt there existed a force so powerful, it had to be locked away for a millennia. Now one boy has released that power! It's time to duel! Yu-Gi-Oh is an excellently constructed series and what really shines is the characters. There's an awful lot of characters and they are all well written, adding depth to the story. The story drags a little at the end as the main antagonists are Reshef: The Dark Being and Dark Master: Zorc these are Ritual monsters from the game, I believe Yami Bakura is controlling them, but who cares when it takes up so many episodes. The final duels are good and it brings some solace, but the episodes before these drag it down a bit, in my opinion. All in all it was a fun series. A card game to decide the fate of the world? Interesting though and worth a watch, even if you never play the card game.

This is one of the few shows I have ever watched more than once. Usually, its once and I'm done but I have watched the entire series at least 3 times and loved it every time. All of the characters are so individual and strong characters too they all command each scene without overpowering each other which is beautiful to see. By far my favourite character is Kaiba, always willing to do anything it takes to win even if it doesn't always pan out the way he wanted it to he is a force to be reckoned with and never loses his spirit. I cant fault the story line, usually after watching a show there is a bunch of things I see that I would have changed (many of them quite drastic changes) but with this show I wouldnt change a thing. The sounds are very well thought of especially for its time, even modern day shows would struggle to compete with another series of Duel Monsters! The whole show takes me right back to being a kid, after watching this series on TV my friends and I would often solve our disputes with a duel.

Before modern card game anime became common, Yu☆Gi☆Oh! Duel Monsters introduced a concept that turned simple games into dramatic battles of strategy and willpower. At the center of the story is Yugi Muto, a kind and somewhat timid boy who solves the mysterious Millennium Puzzle and awakens another spirit within him, the ancient Pharaoh known as Yami Yugi. From that moment on, ordinary games are no longer harmless competitions. They become high-stakes battles where courage, intelligence, and the heart of the player matter far more than the cards themselves. As the story progresses, the series gradually shifts toward the card game that would ultimately define the franchise. The narrative becomes especially iconic during the Duelist Kingdom Tournament, where Yugi and his friends enter a dangerous tournament organized by Maximillion Pegasus. This arc firmly establishes many of the elements that make the series memorable such as intense duels, creative strategies, and the importance of trusting your allies. Rivalries also play a major role, particularly with Seto Kaiba, whose pride, ambition, and obsession with proving himself create some of the most iconic confrontations in the story. The series is particularly entertaining because of how it transforms a simple card game into dramatic storytelling. Duels are not just about winning or losing. They often reflect the personalities, fears, and determination of the characters involved. The famous idea of believing in the “heart of the cards” might sound simple at surface, but within the context of the story it becomes a recurring theme about confidence, trust, and perseverance in the face of overwhelming odds. Even people who are new to card games can easily get caught up in the tension of match. From a production perspective, anime adaptation of the entire Yu☆Gi☆Oh series clearly reflects the era in which it was made. The animation can sometimes appear stiff compared to modern standards, and certain duel sequences rely heavily on dialogue rather than fluid motion. However, the direction and character expressions still do a strong job maintaining the excitement of each confrontation. The series understands how to build suspense, often stretching a single duel into a dramatic battle of wits. Another strength of the series also comes from its sound design and music. Despite being an older anime, the soundtrack, opening themes, and ending songs remain surprisingly memorable. The music frequently elevates the tension during key duels and helps dramatic moments land with greater impact. At the same time, the series is not without its flaws. Early duels occasionally ignore the official rules of the card game, with characters inventing strategies that would not always work in real gameplay. The pacing can also feel repetitive at times since many conflicts are ultimately resolved through duels. In some cases, victories rely a little too heavily on dramatic luck rather than careful planning, which can make a few outcomes feel less convincing. But even with its imperfections, Yu☆Gi☆Oh! Duel Monsters remains one of the most influential anime of its era. It helped popularize the Yu☆Gi☆Oh! Trading Card Game worldwide and introduced most people to the thrill of strategic card battles. Beneath the duels, it ultimately tells a story about friendship, courage, and discovering one’s true identity, proving that the most intense battles can begin with nothing more than a deck of cards. For additional context, before Yu☆Gi☆Oh! Duel Monsters there was an earlier adaptation, Yu☆Gi☆Oh!. That version focuses more on different kinds of games and darker psychological challenges rather than card duels. It also provides additional background for Yugi and the origins of the Millennium Puzzle, although it is not strictly required, as Duel Monsters works well on its own and establishes most of the elements that made the franchise famous. The story most people recognize today largely begins with Duel Monsters. Anyway, keep in mind that no opinion is ever purely objective, and every perspective remains open to discussion. Even so, each viewpoint still holds its own value. If you happen to see things differently, simple mutual respect is more than enough. That same respect is the spirit behind this reflection as well. Wishing everyone a peaceful day ahead, and thank you for taking the time to read.

Look I know this show is bad but god dammit I love it with all of my heart and soul. If you somehow don't know this show is it's essentially 1 third sports (it's a card game but it's treated like a sport) 1 third soap opera and 1 third ancient Egyptian black magic trying to kill everybody. If that sounds insane it's because it is. Yu-Gi-Oh is camp. pure heartfelt camp that doesn't care if you think it's stupid. we need more of that sincerity in the world. when it's dark, its really dark (for a kids show) when its saccharine its really saccharine, when it's good it's amazing and when it's bad...oh boy. this show's 2 major filler arcs drag like absolute hell. The card games usually go on for an hour or more but it's not as boring as watching real sports (sorry sports fans) because of all the theatrics. I mean who doesnt want to watch 2 people be drama queens about 2 holographic monsters slapping each other. The best part of this show is it's Villains. Kaiba is a sympathetic rich asshole that feels a little to close to a real person for something this over the top, Pegasus is hilariously effeminate while being genuinely menacing, Marik wants to strike out on his own but In the worst way possible and Bakura? well I'll let you figure that one out. Even the filler arc Villains are a lot of fun. unfortunately most of our mains don't have very striking personalities. aside from Yugi, the most wholesome protagonist in the universe, his more confident alter ego, and hotheaded joey everyone else is just kinda there. The plot is predictable in a lot of ways but I don't feel like that really matters, if it matters to you keep it in mind. Speaking of which as you may have expected from this being a children's anime this is a massive morality play about friendship. it's cheesy yes but more then it seems. It goes the next step to show what happens to people who are unloved with the villain's backstories. this hits hard for people of my age group who are becoming adults because it's like the Pharaoh is Yugi's dad guiding him through the show so he can be strong, and that it's not weak to rely on others. sorry for getting sappy, I gave this a 6 because as I mentioned it's very spotty but in a way that just makes it more endearing. if you want something both wholesome and utterly insane this is the show for you.

I don't know where to start describing. Yu-Gi-Oh is perhaps the reason for some Turkish youth like me to go back to anime eras or watching anime. We used to be locked on the screen, we used to buy cheap cards from the grocery store, so-called gifts. Some of those cards still exist. Anyway, without further ado, let's get to the anime. The rating I give to the anime is purely for its value in my eyes. Too many errors and absurdities, as well as inconsistencies. This score will stay the same for me even if I sit here and eat for rows. I will never get tired of searching the net for yugioh card sleeve every time I watch it. This anime will remain on the throne in our hearts as one of the animes that everyone knows and loves, along with "Pokemon, Captain Tsubasa, Bakugan, Beyblade", which I call the "Big 5" for Turkish anime watchers.