Yu-Gi-Oh!

The year was 1999. The 90s were making their final rounds in television, spewing out franchise after franchise to weather the storm of the 2000s. But out of all the shows created in these times, only two have withstood the test of time: Pokemon, and Yu-Gi-Oh.

But why was Yu-Gi-Oh so successful? I mean, it was just a card game, right? There were plenty of other franchises that existed to sell toys: Transformers, G.I. Joe, Pokemon, Star Wars (you know, the prequels), etc. So what made Yu-Gi-Oh any different? Because, dear friend, while other shows' merchandise remained simple merchandise, Yu-Gi-Oh took a Japanese card game and turned it into A BATTLE OF GOD-LIKE ENTITIES, HERE TO RECLAIM THE WORLD THEY RULED SO LONG AGO.

Seriously, if you knew the card game, then you knew NOTHING about the show. It managed to tie this simple game to Egyptian rituals, malevolent spirits, dark magic, action, peril, souls being bound to items of immeasurable power... Does this bone-chilling stuff sound ANYTHING like a children's card game to you?

That's not to say that the show is dark; most of the time it's quite upbeat and focuses on the card game. But when the dark powers appear before us, you can FEEL the grandiose nature of their presence OOZING out of the screen. You can feel the fact that there are greater forces at work at all times; always lurking in the shadows, always calculating their next move, and the only ones that stand between us and their demented plans are Yugi Moto and company.

Now, I know a lot of people like to complain about how 4Kids took out a lot of the violence, the nudity, the use of guns in certain scenes, and... Honestly, I'm glad they did. This show doesn't NEED violence; it doesn't need a lot of the more adult content that the Japanese include in their kids shows. By taking a lot of those elements out, they made the show more about what it SHOULD focus on: the mysticism and the card game. Putting in guns, violence and other "questionable" content only serves to bring the show closer to reality, the exact opposite of magic. Yes, the first few episodes are pretty dumbed down and the first arc holds little basis in the actual rules of the game. But once it got past that stage, it turned into a really fun, really enjoyable experience, with the exception of some painfully obvious censorship here and there.

So if you love magic, mystery, secrets, dark realms of evil power, and 2D animation that still holds up today, check out this incredible show. It is AWESOME, man!

Yu-Gi-Oh has to be one of my favorite cartoons since Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. It's about a boy, Yugi Moto, who must save his kidnapped Grandfather from an evil millionaire. How is he to do it? By playing Duel Cards on an island tournament, thats how. Each person he duels has their own motive for winning, whether it's to save a loved one (like his friend Joey), a personal vendetta (like Kaiba or Bandit Keith), or if they just want to buy more 'accessories' (Mia). I think seeing each character's personality, and how it reflects on their card playing, is one of the best aspects of this show. (especially Joey, he's so damn funny!)

This ain't no Pokemon folks, It's time to duel!

It took me a while, but I finally got my hands on originals! All that was cut out; all the unanswered questions, all the cute sight gags and jokes! Why?! Okay, maybe a little mature for the American standard of what a cartoon is supposed to be, but... all they did to it here is turn it into a 20 minute commercial for the game! Come on people! There is so much more to the story! How Yugi met Joun... (cringe) Joey, and Hon... (double cringe) Tristan. How he got the puzzle. How Joey got the Red Eyes in the first place. Where Mai really comes from, why she _really_ duels... I'm not going to answer any of these for you, you just have to find it yourself. I don't know the policy for leaving urls here, otherwise I would tell you >

Yu-Gi-Oh! not only entertains with a wide range of animated monsters and clever strategies but also takes us into a world where those who battle for for the ones they love and for honor DO stand a chance against the powerful and corrupt. As the series continues so does the story gain in depth and interest dispelling any scepticism that can be experienced watching the first few episodes alone (which are really a gentle introduction into how the duel monsters realm works).

Yu-Gi-Oh! can be confusing to those with slower mind-speeds. The duels like all plot devises, are used to progress the plot and even develop the characters, and in an effort to do so, may annoy, frustrate, or even confuse some members of the audience unfamiliar with the game strategy and cards(effects). However, the these duels are essentially not difficult to follow.

The overall plot of the series is complex and very entertaining. Of the main characters, and aside from Yami Yugi, the villains are often the most compelling. The most interesting, and charismatic of these "villainous" characters being Seto Kaiba(thanks to the paragon voice-work of Eric Stuart), with Ryu Bakura, Maximillion Pegasus, and Marik Ishtar following close behind.

This series, unlike many others, requires the audience to possess functioning memories in order to recall the mythology. The plot is intriguing for those who enjoy mysteries and suspense(although watching YU-GI-OH! one need never fear the hero will be anything other than victorious).

Yu-Gi-Oh! is an excellent choice for children in order to instill morals and values; most importantly honor, courage, loyalty, and confidence in oneself.

Grade: A