Yu-Gi-Oh!

Created by Toei Animation off the manga of the name name by Kazuki Takahasi, this Yu-Gi-Oh! Likely isn't the one you remember, if of course like me you grew up with the classic Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters, its pseudo-successor / revamp which was to launch a few years later in 2000. Originally starting that newer more recognizable version of the series, I eventually got very bored during mid-3rd season and decided to switch to this series instead. Again we follow the similar tale of Yugi, a freshman in highschool who solves his grandfather's millennium puzzle and unlocks the spirit of the shadow games within. Unlike the other, we focus much more on games generally, rather than the custom card game we all know, created for and marketed by that later show. Only a single season, we meet a lot of familiar characters and end up in similar locations. There's some surprising swearing, at least in the subbed version I was watching, which caught me off guard, but otherwise is generally the same kind of tamer kids anime. All in all, much like He-Man's predecessor Blackstar, as soon as some cartoon execs realized they could use a show as marketing material they decided to rebuild an existing trademark from the ground up as essentially promotional material. That said its something I fell for hard as a kid, I spent way too much of my parents money on Yugioh cards, and again still have so much nostalgia for now that I can't help but love it a little bit. Unless you've already watched other Yugioh series to death then certainly check this out, but probably wouldn't generally recommend, and honestly I don't think I'd recommend any other Yugioh save for the first couple season of Duel Monsters generally. Its fine, was fun, but nothing great.

While this show can be very "monster of the week" it's formula is satisfying, and its characters and plotlines are quite charming. I don't think traditional Yu-Gi-Oh fans will get a lot out of it, but for people who found the other series dull or two repetitive, it can be quite fun.

Yu-Gi-Oh! (1998) is the first anime adaptation of the popular manga by Kazuki Takahashi. Many fans call this series "season zero" even though it actually has nothing to do with the second series anime (the one 4Kids dubbed) other than sharing the same name and characters. This series essentially adapts the first 7 volumes of the Yu-Gi-Oh manga, before it became only card game oriented. Manga readers be warned, this is not a 100% faithful adaptation, there are quite a lot of differences such as Miho being a primary character and Kaiba having green hair. Story elements are changed and some chapters from the manga don't make it into the anime. However, despite these flaws, this is still a very enjoyable and fun adaptation. It keeps the soul of the manga intact and has fun with the changes. For one, Honda (Tristan) is a much more funnier character in the anime than he is in the manga. Anyway, I don't know if this really counts as a review, it's more a random assortment of my thoughts of the anime vs the manga, the manga is better overall but there's a lot of welcomed changes in the anime, making it a superb adaptation. 9/10.

The Yu-Gi-Oh anime adaptation from 1998 that isn't well known is way different then what people know about Yu-Gi-Oh. This series has a way darker tone and instead of being only a card anime it actually has different games that Yami make (even though it also has the famous duel monster) that are made from the victim's sin. The lore is decent, but the way it was executed made it look cliche and stupid (like the really irritating power of friendship thing that we are tired to see). The characters are so so, Miho is just a girl who is too innocent made for fan service and comic relief, Anzu is the girl that is cold but friendly and has some lore involving her atleast, Honda is the second comic relief in love with Miho who just see him as a friend, Kaiba is the main villain who has a past story to not make him just a villain, Yumi is the typical innocent boy who is 100% good but has a dark side which is Yami (the best character by far) and Jonouchi which is comic relief with some completely forgotten lore.

The only thing that makes me want to rewatch it is Yami to be honest, his games are all so cool and explore the personalities of each victim.

While Yu-Gi-Oh is still going strong with the card game still ongoing and new anime series being release, it's interesting that I one day learned of this incarnation of Yu-Gi-Oh! Basically, the series we Americans started out with was not the first anime series for the franchise that would be one of 4Kids' popular dubs (as well as the one that got into legal trouble and eventually into bankruptcy), but this is the first one, an anime that was never dubbed, and for good reason.

This anime (referred to by fans as Series 0 or Season 0) is based more on the manga, as the card game the franchise is known for is not the main focus. Instead, it is about Yugi building the Milennium Puzzle, but in doing so, he awakens the spirit of a pharaoh who takes over his body when he or his friends is in danger to challenge bullies and criminals with Yami Games, where losing or getting caught cheating is punished by a grim fate (although the grim demise is actually an illusion that ends up breaking the villain of the episode mentally). Yeah, this is reason why this anime was never localized: other than not dealing with the Duel Monsters card game that the franchise would focus on (even though it featured in some episodes), the anime was dark and violent to the point where 4Kids probably decided that no amount of editing can tone it down for the company's target audience of kids like Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters was, despite the fact the series' violence was already toned down from the manga it was adapted from, as here, Yami Yugi is more of an anti-hero who punishes people instead of the noble pharaoh who, in the 4Kids dub, would lecture some villains about the folly of their ways and the heart of the cards, although he does change his ways near the end of the series.

While the anime is good, it does have some flaws when compared to the manga. Being at only 27 episodes, most chapters are not adapted, and a minor character from the manga, Miho Nosaki, who was only in one chapter, was promoted to a main character here, and sadly, some people has claimed her to be annoying and only being there to mess up, so chances are whether or not you'll like the character will be based on how you can handle her actions. While the series was never localized, Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters did adapt some scenes for flashback sequences to explain some events (with some stuff changed), but this is a neat curiosity to check out.