Yu-Gi-Oh!

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.

"Yu-Gi-Oh!" is a thrilling anime that takes us on a captivating journey into the world of card dueling and ancient mysteries. The voice acting is both intense and heartfelt, making Yugi and his friends feel like lifelong companions. The film editing keeps the duels fast-paced and suspenseful, although the repetitiveness of certain episodes may be seen as a weakness. The music adds an extra layer of excitement, enhancing the intensity of the battles. The show's strength lies in its message of strategy, friendship, and the importance of believing in oneself. While the cinematography isn't groundbreaking, it effectively captures the energy and strategy involved in each duel. With an 8/10 rating, "Yu-Gi-Oh!" is a beloved classic that continues to enchant fans with its dueling magic, offering a thrilling ride filled with heart and strategy.

Yu-Gi-Oh! (1998) has carried on more than kansas iconic song wayward son, oh on means of how much the story development is. I try to pick apart this show but it's somehow that good actually. 1998 is seamlessly one of those years where movies, shows, content, etc. Cannot age well, although upscale this shows more and this is on rotten tomatoes. I've ignored some of the, oh it's so dark, yet proving to me on saying this show berserks, with platinum rating, including fans critics and people around the world alike making this show very of it's manga adaption only so making it more popular than calling it a abandon show. Honestly I think it's good, but i'll accept other peoples opinions. Besides this proves dragon ball's long story arcs with no development sucks! Yu-Gi-Oh! (1998) oh hell to the yes!

And the reason for the comparison is simple: by watching this series it becomes clear-as-day that the original manga work that this series adapted was, like the comic runs I'm referring to in the title of the review, something that the original mangaka had not fully grasped in its entirety so he made stuff on the spot, stuff that is more or less entertaining to a certain degree (something that the Larry Lieber era of Thor and the Siver Age run of Silver Surfer by Stan Lee weren't, not even by an inch) but it's not particularly interesting except for showcasing the incredible talents involved, meaning the talents of the 100% certified Dramaturge and Shoujo/Sukeban girl lover Toshiki Inoue (the main writer of this series) and the amazing voice actress Megumi Ogata, the one behind the voice of the main protagonist (there are other people like Kaneto Shiozawa involved in here, but they last very few episodes). The problem is, no matter how much these people are EXTREMELY talented to begin with (which they absolutely and totally are), they can't elevate the failing source material, hence this series unfortunately has no real value whatsoever outside the showcasing of said talents and some glimpses at their previous/future work (I'm referring to the previous and future work of Toshiki Inoue in the likes of Ranma 1/2, Changerion, Cutie Honey the live and Death Note), utterly wasted for no reason whatsoever. I just hope for both Inoue and Ogata-Sensei (whose A M A Z I N G musical albums I would suggest you to listen to instead of watching this series tout court) that Toei gave them a good compensation for their work in due time, otherwise unless you're a Die-Hard Yu-Gi-Oh fan that must watch every single Yu-Gi-Oh series ever produced I wouldn't bother.

I watched the popular 2000s series before watching this one, so it was a bit of a shock. This series feels like it has a lot more variety of games and stories. For that reason, it is less focused and has less overall arcs. At the same time, it is a bit more grounded and the characters are less cheesy. Viewed as a prototype of the main series, it is interesting and strange.