Reviews

A lot of people tell me that the quality of the dub doesn't matter, but the criticism Yu-Gi-Oh has gotten is proof that this just is not true. Many of the critics of Yu-Gi-Oh bash it for reasons that apply only to the English version.

I know this for a fact, as I have seen both versions. I not only bear but enjoy the Japanese version, but when I see the same episodes in English, I quickly want to change the channel.

If there is a fault with this show, it is that you can't get the full story from the show alone. To do that, you have to read the graphic novels. This TV series skips right to the "Duelist Kingdom" story arc (which originally started in the seventh/eighth graphic novel, skipping 6-7 books worth of story), with some details filled in by flashbacks, and other story arcs from the comics being rewritten to fit into the revised storyline. The reason for this skip was twofold. First, the older volumes were handled by another "Yu-Gi-Oh" anime (which is owned by a different company and thus was not licensed for US distribution), and second, most of the early story lines actually did not involve the card game, whereas in this anime, the card game is the main thrust of the series.

Despite this, "Yu-Gi-Oh" is a good, fun show, albeit rather mindless at times. The main appeal of this series is simply in the suspense of the duels. Yes, the good guys almost always win (but to quell the critics, there ARE in fact times where the good guys actually lose duels), however because it's based around a fictitious card game, the duels could go any number of ways. Some episodes stick strictly to cards we've seen before, while others surprise the viewer (or make him feel cheated) by the surprise introduction of a never-before-seen card.

Complimenting this is the characters. The show involves Yugi, an inverted boy who, as the series goes on, becomes more confident in himself with the help of an ancient spirit trapped in a pendant Yugi wears around his neck. Early on, this spirit will take over Yugi's body in order to see him and his friends through dangerous situations, but later Yugi and the spirit begin to work together to solve problems. Yugi also has friends in the form of Jonouchi, Honda, and Anzu (known as Joey, Tristan, and Tea in the US version), and the friendship between them (particularly Yugi and Joey) is one of the central thrusts of the show--several times, these characters have to risk their lives or make huge personal sacrifices for each other, including events such as Jonouchi having to rescue Yugi from a burning building, or Yugi letting bullies beat him up so they'll leave his friends alone. Things like this are what makes the series strong.

However, most of this had to be either toned down or completely removed from the US version, leaving us with a mere marketing ploy that is devoid of most of its substance, though fortunately a few of these quality moments DID survive the transition.

4Kids recently allowed the release of three Uncut DVDs of Yu-Gi-Oh, DVDs which include the original Japanese episodes with an option for English subtitles. These DVDs cover the first nine episodes, and I strongly IMPLORE anyone who has a negative view of this show to watch these volumes and give the show a second chance before passing a final judgment.