Yûgiô: 5D's

I may be biased here, but I am a lover of the original Yu-Gi-Oh! series. I loved the mechanics of duelling and the links to ancient Egypt. Yu-Gi-Oh! GX was OK, but I felt the story was a bit too light and lacklustre. After I saw the love that this series got, I felt I had to watch it.

Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's is set in a dystopian city, with the "Satelline" (equivalent to a deprived region of a city) being the main setting for the story. The main protagonist, Jaden Yuki, is a great character and you really do get to understand his back story and motives. The other main characters in the series are equally as likable, albeit for different reasons. What I liked about this series is its dark nature and the story of someone rising from the slums through the means of duelling.

Now, on the subject of duelling...this is where I got a bit annoyed. The concept of speed duelling was introduced whereby everything the governs a normal duel was present, except duels are now conducted on super-fast motorbikes. Maybe its my age (I'm 25), but I just don't get it. Aside from the motorbikes being redundant to the concept of duelling, I felt it made duelling a restricted sport. In the era of the original series, duelling was something everyone could do. All you needed was a deck. Now, duelling is something only those with motorbikes could do. There were some standalone duels off the bikes, but it seems they were just not done anymore. I enjoyed the new format, but my rational brain just felt it unnecessary.

If you enjoyed the original series, this may be something worth watching. The characters are deep and interesting, and the story is great. Just don't be prepared for a rational explanation as to why duelling must now be performed while racing.

Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's is a lackluster addition to the beloved franchise that fails to live up to its predecessors. With its uninspired storytelling, inconsistent character development, and dull gameplay mechanics, it falls far short of the excitement and charm that fans have come to expect from the Yu-Gi-Oh! Series.

One of the most glaring issues with Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's is its weak storytelling. The plot feels disjointed and poorly executed, lacking the depth and complexity that made earlier seasons of the franchise engaging. The narrative attempts to blend card duels with a dystopian setting, but the combination feels forced and fails to create a cohesive and compelling story. The attempts at political and social commentary come across as heavy-handed and superficial, detracting from the overall enjoyment of the series.

Furthermore, the character development in Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's is sorely lacking. The protagonists and supporting cast are one-dimensional, with little growth or depth throughout the series. The characters lack the charisma and relatability of previous Yu-Gi-Oh! Iterations, making it difficult to invest in their journeys or feel any real connection with them. Their motivations and backstories are often brushed aside, leaving them feeling hollow and uninteresting.

The gameplay mechanics in Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's also leave much to be desired. The introduction of the motorcycle duels, known as Turbo Duels, is meant to inject excitement into the card battles, but it ends up feeling gimmicky and poorly executed. The focus on speed and mechanics specific to the Turbo Duels detracts from the strategic and tactical elements that made previous duels in the franchise engaging. The card effects and deck strategies feel unbalanced, resulting in repetitive and predictable gameplay that quickly becomes monotonous.

In terms of animation and art style, Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's falls short of the standards set by its predecessors. The character designs lack the distinctiveness and iconic appeal of previous Yu-Gi-Oh! Series, and the animation itself often feels stiff and lacking in fluidity. The action sequences fail to evoke any sense of excitement or tension, further contributing to the overall disappointment of the series.

In conclusion, Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's is a disappointing entry in the franchise that fails to capture the magic and excitement of its predecessors. With its weak storytelling, shallow character development, lackluster gameplay mechanics, and subpar animation, it is a lackluster addition that pales in comparison to earlier seasons of Yu-Gi-Oh!. It does little to advance the franchise or offer a compelling and enjoyable viewing experience. If you are a fan of Yu-Gi-Oh!, it would be best to stick with the earlier seasons and avoid wasting your time on this lackluster installment.

If I could summarize this anime down to one sentence it would be "Poverty-stricken man beats literally everyone at a children's card game"

Perfect.

The Best Yu-Gi-Oh! serie. With great characters, dark history, epic soundtracks during duel cards, this anime is very great.

The Duel Cards take place in D-Wheels (motorcycles), but is fun and good (I wanna a D-Wheel). The Synchro Summons is great, the strategies in duels is intelligent and epic.

For me, all protagonists are the best. Yusei is Master of Strategy, Jack is King of Duels, Aki is sexy and OP woman duelist, Crow is funny, Rua and Ruka is kawaii.

History is the more dark and best in Yu-Gi-Oh! series. I don't wanna to give a Spoiler. Watch Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's.

This is my little review.

Yu-gi-oh 5d's is much better than the first one. Not to say the first one was all that bad,but this spin off is just more intriguing than the first one. It is easier to relate as well because it has a lot to do about making choices and the difference between good and evil. Once again not to say the first Yu-gi-oh didn't this series just deals in a stronger more direct way. This series is very strong and direct and really re-enforces positive values contradicting what some people say such as show like this just have to do with devil worship. Sure their is some mythical view points but it is just a cartoon and cartoons are for fun right? Well, this cartoon is it will keep you laughing wondering and excited all in one episode.