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.

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.

"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.

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.

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.