Yu-Gi-Oh! (I) (2000–2006) User Reviews (70)

A good story butchered by 4Kids Censorship

[AlecWingerd · 7/10 · 24 November 2006]

Bear with me on this first, okay? I think Yugiô, or Yu-Gi-Oh, is great. It's fun to watch. The story can be engaging at times, and even the voices of the dub can be enjoyable from time to time as well...

...but then in comes snake in the grass 4Kids. It thwarts the nature and goals of the series' baddies and censures countless scenes out of the original version. It is true that you can expect nothing less from a broadcast for kids, but these guys have taken the renewal of this series to unpleasant heights. Where in Japan you saw once-up antagonists get drunk in a bar, enticing clothing, semi-revealed body parts, several cases of nudity, wicked tongue action from... you know who if you are a fan, and some mild harsh language, 4Kids removes scenes, dresses the 'Black Magician Girl' up in a dumb pair of pink trunks, digitally embellishes the 'horrors of combat', dumbs down some dialogue, digitally removes some female characters' cleavages and simply makes the entire experience of watching this a lot more bland.

I dare any of you to watch the very first dubbed episode, and then watch a dubbed episode from season two and three and you see how 4Kids struggled with this show. Where they started out using phrases like 'super awesome rare' and with a character representation about as shallow as those in Toddler oriented Nick Toons, they 'got their game on' in order to show a slightly more grown up struggle along the way. It is commendable that 4Kids have kept it from becoming a total farce, but that brings one to the real problem.

It is sometimes hard to confide in a series like Yu-gi-oh, because almost every single conflict from beginning to end plays out in a children's card game. Subliminal messages throughout the series, or at least the dub, entitle the gamer's philosophy, that is to say the 'Heart of the Cards'. Of course, if they were just playing a friendly game all the time, this premise and the continuous and sometimes absolutely nauseating friendship skits would all be meaningless. But then, after having wagered one's soul over a dozen time in perilous 'shadow games', these guys do need a philosophy to survive the onslaught of all these card games.

Many people already start to get me wrong here. I like this show, even the dub, but where it really sets off is in the last two seasons, where characters really start developing, and the world really starts turning. Where the still ever-present pep talks and friendship speeches blot out the ever-mounting stakes in the dub, the original version can be very touching at times, and some duels in this late stage of the show do seem very meaningful (My favorites: Both duels between Mou hitori no (Yami) Yugi vs. Raferu (Raphael)). And that is why I think it has the potential to be this good; because while being fully aware that good guy and bad guy are resolving their disputes by playing a children's card game, one can forget that they are actually playing a children's card game at times.

Of course, the card games are just the means to every end and the story does not necessarily revolve around the duels per se. The storyline of the ancient Pharaoh sealing himself and his memory away in order to stop (at first rather generic) evil, as well as some of the Egyptian themes within the series are quite engaging and interesting, although it must be admitted that after all the time that this mystery remains sealed (the first four seasons, in fact), its resolution can be really underwhelming. Also undeniable; the fourth season, where the cast takes on an ancient free mason like organization called Damu (Doom in the dub, I think) is one of the, if not the best and most introspective story arcs. It is a shame that it destroys the pace, and is the main reason why the conclusion is slightly underwhelming and detached.

Do yourself a favor. If you go and watch this series, watch the Japanese version. The dub is okay (I give it a 5 thumbs up out of 10), but the Japanese version is great (9 kawaiis out of 10). Plus, the Japanese soundtrack is much more better.

An Experience Like no Other: Complete series Analysis

[amiranda-39274 · 8/10 · 1 February 2019]

If you are reading this then that means you have just become interested in this show or you have watched it since the beginning, and now it owns your SOUL(evil laugh)....ahem, sorry for being over dramatic but that's what Yugioh is all about. Ever since i can remember this anime has been apart of my life, and actually got me into anime entirely, this show is about a card game that originates from ancient Egypt, where sorcerers used monsters for battling, and now in modern times it has been converted to a card game, that everyone, and i mean everyone takes it absolutely serious. Does this make the show cheesy, probably an entire cheese mountain as a matter of fact, but this adds to the charm of the show and keeps it from being too dark. And you better believe this show can get dark, with scary visuals and talk of peoples souls being stolen, the show maintains a dark atmosphere throughout. But what probably makes the show so enticing are the duels, which can range from being laughable to completely bad-ass, either way you will always be entertained while watching any duel, and you will never get tired of it, with a variety of amazing looking cards with different abilities, and trash talking between duelists, so much trash talking! Another thing that makes this show great are the characters, who are all very complex,interesting, receive excellent character development, and are all pretty likeable. The main character is named Yugi, a teenage boy who finds an ancient artifact called the millennium puzzle ( which is apart of a 7 piece set), inside of it lives the spirit of an Egyptian pharaoh, whose destiny is to save the world from all evil, and through his power he posses yugi and helps fight for him. Yugi's main group of friends are named Joey, ( who is probably the funniest, most relatable, and my personal favorite character in the show) Tristan, Tea, and bakura, who literally follow yugi everywhere, cheer for him, and give him strength through the power of friendship. This is used so much throughout the show, you better just start to think of friendship as a super power. And of course every anime hero needs a rival, and oh boy is Seto kaiba the best rival ever made, he is a teenage genius, billionaire, and the owner of his own gaming company, and is considered the best duelist in the world ( until Yugi beats him), he is shown to be very hostile, arrogant, and can be quite a dick grayson, however he is still a jerk with a heart of gold, super cool and has the most badass voice ever! I have just binge watched the entire show and to give you a taste of the awesomeness awaiting you, i will quickly summarize each seasons arc and grade them individually.

Season 1; Duelist Kingdom: Let me make one thing clear, in this season there are no rules for the actual game, instead so much stuff is made up, you wont be able to understand who is actually winning, and it can become hilariously bad, however it is still so much fun to watch! This season is still necessary to watch to understand all of the characters, and wrap your mind around the concept of the game. After defeating kaiba and his beloved blue eyes white dragon, yugi becomes the best player in the world. he is soon invited to a massive tournament on a island owned by the creator of the game, Maximillion Pegasus, who serves as the first villain of the show and posses the millennium eye, which he uses to start stealing peoples souls, including yugis' grandpas, this motivates yugi to enter the tournament, and defeat Pegasus and save his grandpa, alongside yugi, his best friend joey also enters the contest to win the prize money, and pay for his sisters eye operation, this provides both characters with excellent growth and motivation and makes it so hard to watch when they duel, especially with the heart wrenching song, "no matter what" playing in the background. kaiba also joins the frey, when his little brothers soul is also stolen. The villain proves extremely hard to beat, especially with his adorable toon cards, we also learn why hes stealing souls, and why he created the game, which just enhances this entire season. Despite its weirdness, it still remains a fan favorite. 5/10 Season 2; Battle City: This time kaiba starts his own tournament, with new rules ( the actual rules for the game), and with the awesome new "dueldisk", which allows duelists to play wherever they want. However a dark conspiracy is happening behind the scenes, a new villain named Marik, who posses the millennium rod, which gives him the power to control peoples minds, wants to gain the Egyptian God cards ( the most powerful cards in the game), and steal the pharaohs power. This season really establishes both the lore of the show and the actual game, and provides some of the best duels in the show, and you can certainly feel an increase of dread in the air. It also provides excellent foreshadowing of season 6 from exposition from Ishizu who is the owner of the millennium necklace, and mariks sister, she explains how the fate of the world rests in yugis hands. 8/10 Season 3; Virtual World: This season interestingly cuts in the middle of the battle city arc, but still pleasantly. On their way to the finals of battle city, Yugi, kaiba, and all their friends are somehow teleported to a virtual world that kaiba made, which they have visited before in late season 1. The villains are known as the big 5, which were kaibas business partners who attempted to take over his company by trapping his mind in the virtual world and accidentally got theirs trapped instead. This leads them to duel every one of the main characters, even the non duelists, for the right to leave the virtual world. The big five take the forms of monster cards, which makes the duels more interesting, also it brings home the fact that despite being virtual, everything in this world is real. In this season we learn more about kaiba then ever before, including about his evil stepfather and stepbrother. 8/10 Season 4; Waking the Dragons: In this season a ancient evil from Atlantis is unleashed, and old and new arch enemies of all the main characters begin fighting them using a cursed card call the seal of Orichalcos, which provides the player with extra power, but the loser will lose their soul, also the card comes with a badass theme. In this season Yugi is mentally, physically, and spiritually challenged, but luckily with the help of three legendary dragon cards, the tables are balanced, and it is just amazing to watch. 7/10 Season 5; The Tournament: After all the insanity of the last season, a break is welcomed. Again kaiba hosts a tournament in his own theme park! This is a good season, with the main characters dueling regular people. The only villain is an old rival of kaibas, who is just trying to publicly and corporately sabatoge him, you know simple stuff. 7/10 Season 6; Capsule monsters: This season gets us back to the weird, when again, yugi and his friends are sent to a bizarre world with real monsters. this season feels like a tabletop game, and despite being interesting, it still feels too bizarre, even for yugioh. 5/10 Season 7; Dawn of the Duel: The final season, is the perfect unification of all the lore established in the previous seasons. At long last the pharaoh and yugi learn of his ancient past and the ancient evil he fought. Again they are teleported to a strange land, this time Ancient Egypt, where we learn about the origins of the millennium items and the pharaohs destiny. Despite resembling a table top game like the previous season, this season proves to be far more interesting, so much i wish it was its own show! This seasons more interesting because of its end of the world feel, making it more darker, the addition of so many interesting new characters, including kisara, a girl with the spirit of the Blue eyes white dragon living inside of her. Also we learn more about a recurring villain named bakura, who is an evil spirit possessing one of yugis friends, and has been causing him trouble throughout the show, turns out to be the greatest villain of them all. The only way for yugi to defeat the evil once and for all, is for the pharaoh to learn his true name. This season certainly has the most impactful plot line, with the grim in the air and one of the most sad goodbyes ever, this is certainly one of the best seasons. 9/10

If your still reading this, then that means you love this show as much as i do, to this day my siblings and i are still obsessed with the game and with this delightful anime. The dialogue is probably the most hilariously bad thing about this show, even from a devout fans perspective, whether its the trash talking, the friendship rants, or the exposition, honestly i feel some of the dialogue was taken from a bad soap opera, but who doesn't like a bad soap opera. Yes, all the talk about friendship and the heart of the cards is corny and can become obnoxious, but it is still a great message for kids and adults as well, some of the dialogue will leave you feeling enlightened. Not to mention the intentional jokes are just golden! The voice acting is terrific, most of the time. This show also posses a kick ass soundtrack with great intro songs, and the background music is just to die for. The Mysticism, lore and world building is just fantastic. The animation will just blind you with awesome visuals everywhere, however many shortcuts were taken, including recycling older clips, and flashbacks( so many flashbacks). Is it true this show is only meant to sell trading cards, absolutely, in fact i wouldn't be an avid player of the game, if it wasn't for this show, in fact this is currently the only card game my siblings and i ever play. This show is indeed a feast for the eyes, ears, body and soul, and i promise you will be wanting to play the actual card game in real life by the end of it. And if your ready,Its time to DUUDUDUUUEELLLLLL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Surprisingly Complex Characters/Plot

[ajolipa · 9 December 2002]

When my brother started watching this show and I heard bits of it in the background I thought it sounded like the stupidest thing ever--I heard bits of dialogue along the lines of "Oh, yeah! Well I attack with my dark magician!" or "Now I shall harness the power of all millennium items and rule the world!" or "Ha ha, with the power of our friendship we will defeat you!" However, after I had been forced to actually watch several episodes and began to actually follow the plot and character development, I discovered to my surprise that this show, while it is basically just a marketing ploy to sell trading cards, is actually a complex and fascinating story with well-developed and multi-dimensional characters and relationships.

Now, granted, you have to have certain tolerances to enjoy this show: you have to accept the world in which the characters live, in which for some reason everything seems to ride on this certain card game, Duel Monsters, and in which there exist ancient items with various spirits trapped inside them. If you're inclined to dismiss the premises of the plot as stupid, then this show is not for you. Secondly, you have to tolerate the fact that much of the show consists of duels, in which the characters themselves compete in the card game that the show is designed to market. It helps if you're a 6 to 12-year-old boy (or anyone else, I suppose) and are actually into playing the card game yourself. Or, like me, you can simply realize that the game actually is quite interesting and complex, and in the show is used to advance the plot and character development, and just accept it. Finally, you have to tolerate a certain amount of sappiness--the main characters do often take the time to go on and on about the importance of friendship and courage and standing up for yourself, etc etc...however, I personally find this somewhat refreshing after watching my brother play countless video games where the main message seemed to be Kill Anything in Your Path if It Will Give You Energy Points or some such advantage. And the character relationships are complex enough that these speeches, when they occur, are actually meaningful and sometimes (at least to me!) quite touching.

The point is, don't dismiss this show. The animation is crisp and nuanced (except for occasionally when they decide for some reason to switch to exaggerated, cartoon-like animation, particularly with Joey--those moments are probably my least favorite aspect of the show!), and the characters are real, touching, and very entertaining. Suspend your cynicism and just let yourself enjoy the show--it's actually quite worth it!!

Even With The Nostalgia Goggles Off, It's Still Entertaining

[ikrani · 10/10 · 27 February 2014]

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!

I actually like it.

[Walter_Skinner · 6/10 · 8 August 2011]

Long before Little Kurbioh started making his videos I watched the original series of Yugioh and it's spin off Yugioh Gx. Even though I'm fully aware that it's just an excuse to sell cards of a trading card game I actually think the series has a lot of charm to it. The villains are all either scary or just plain funny, the duels can sometimes be exciting, and Yugioh is the only show I can think of that actually has great filler. In fact some of my favorite seasons of the show (The Noah Virtual World saga and the Waking the Dragons arc) While the dub by 4kids is littered with horrible voice acting, lame jokes, and plenty of cringe worthy moments the original Japanese sub had amazing opening and closing credits and adds a lot of substance to the story.

Really great but not perfect. I will review every arc without spoilers under here

[enricoshapka · 9/10 · 12 April 2022]

After a lot I finally watched it all. First of all, watch the original not censored version, since half of it was cut. Second of all, Duke and Serenity are some of the most dull and bland characters ever, you even forget they exist after a while.

People who played the Nightmare troubadour game will love this anime, since it follows exactly the same story. In my opinion this is the best yu gi oh when it comes to timeless monsters and characters designs. (I do recommend to watch half of Yu gi oh season 0 if anyone wants to actually see how yugi and friends met)

Ep: 1-49 The characters are well presented. There's the most iconic ones: yugi,tea,joey,seto,mokuba,bakura,marik,ishizu,pegasus,mai. This arc is one of the worst ones, rules do not exist and some cards don't either so I wouldn't take it seriously at all. 5/10

Ep: 50-97 This is definitely the best arc. The duels start to have actual rules and 4000lp but some cards are still too op unlike real cards, like joey dice cards. The story begins, rare hunters, Egyptian gods, and the millennium items appear. 9/10

Ep: 98-121 The submarine arc is pretty good since it explains kaiba real story. Doesn't contribute to the story but I would watch it. 8/10

Ep: 122-144 The previous story continues. 9/10

Ep: 145-184 This is the most boring arc of the series. I never cared for Atlantic theme and another forgettable enemie. The Egyptian gods disappear until the end which is lame. I would just skip this. 4/10

Ep: 185-198 Just a tournament, it's an ok arc. 6/10

Ep: 199-224 This is definitely the 2nd best arc. The actual Evil of the anime finally reappears (I thought they forgot about him) and it's not Marik. It explains the actual past of the pharaoh and the origin of his enemie, the 7 millennium items that are never taken in consideration until now and how thanks to them duel monsters was born, the origin of Seto's past and his dragon, dark magician and dark magician girl who were actually reincarnations of important figures in the characters lives. 8/10.

Plain storyline with poor execution - didnt age well but definitely something nostalgic for me

[sisubalan · 6/10 · 4 February 2023]

Unrealistic gameplay and nothing like their card games. Simple plotting but terrible execution - the flow was awful. Ridiculous scenes and sudden changes on characterisation, poor motives on certain characters. Same formula used as in all of the duel - the power of writing to make it convenient for the main characters to get the card they expected right on time lol. Awful voice casting especially pegasus sounds like a white washed robot. Just overexaggerated performances/execution overall.

P. S. Yugioh have changed a lot drastically over the past. It is much more competitive and relevant compared this terrible adaption.

Probably the cheesiet anime that i ever revisited. Used to watch it like a lot on tv when i was kid. Even the remastered version cant safe this season. The intro commentary was very memorable and both the intro & outro song was very nostalgic for me. Some unnecessary characters and unnecessary dramas. The characters design were considerably okay since it was an old & classic anime (Big eyes and big head was pretty common back in those days lol).

Now that i rewatched it i dont think that i will ever watch it again in future & definitely not something the newer generation would watch this. This doesnt age well.

The best Manga series there is!!

[Muggen85 · 8/10 · 27 November 2006]

I don't know why so many people doesn't like this show, it's got everything you can wish from a good cartoon show. The excitement, humor and the fight against good and evil. And when they are taking most of the story from agent Egypt It's get more and more exited.

I had never enjoyed a Manga series this much, except from Sailor Moon. But this series is the best when it comes down from it's category. But it's too bad that the cards you can buy from the series is to expensive, but that doesn't stop me. I got almost a hundred, and more is going to be.

Yu-Gi-Oh is the best cartoon show I had ever seen and the movie is so god that I can watch it over and over again. THIS IS ABSOLUTE GREAT!!!

Classic and a great introduction to anime

[squirtlepenis · 7/10 · 8 February 2020]

If one of the first animes you ever see is Yu-Gi-Oh, you made a great choice. The first rendition of this series is great for all ages and is similar to other titles like Pokemon.

Good protagonists and evil but enjoyable antagonists with their own story and motive, lots of magical prophecy and world changing powers are all focused on a card game (to promote the actual card game). Behind the promotion is a well written story and unique characters that have to this day influenced many animes and mangas.

A descent anime that introduces a millennium of power and destruction

[sadik35 · 5/10 · 29 August 2006]

Yu-Gi-Oh is a fair enough cartoon with it's own clever plots. The main plot is one of a fantasy series that focuses both on the adults and children's. But most of the plots that are impressive, overdoes the childish behavior. The drawings are okay. Yu-Gi-Oh's drawings are normal just like any other anime.That is the human drawings. But the monsters are in good shape and have the potential destructive power whether tiny or huge in size. The characters have different qualities that make the show good but some of them spoils it and makes it useless to the series. Character development in the other hand is way better than Pokemon. The battling is clever and very impressive. It takes a lot of skills to play in order to be the victor. That must be the main reason I like Yu-Gi-Oh. The introduction is good and bad at times. The villains are very persuasive. Yu-Gi-Oh is recommended for boys from the age of 6 to 17. But the fans should not attempt to view because it is a disgrace to fans all over the world.

it was pretty good, but was violated by 4Kids

[dannyvegan · 8/10 · 9 June 2015]

It was a pretty good show, I enjoyed it very much. The plot was very well, very interesting. However, when I found out how much it was censored, I was kinda disappointed It was not good in the sense it was changed to be made for kids. I would highly suggest reading the manga instead of watching it. However, the subbed version is fine.However, it is agervating to read the subtitles.In the dubbed, English version,To much is censored, such as guns, violence,blood, and so called sexual content.Also, the religious symbols.I think the original names for the Egyptian god cards made way more sense, and we're fitting for the names of gods.I think the stupidity of censoring out hexagrams is too much.It could of been way better if it was uncut.The penalty games often happened in the original uncut show, which were censored:(.That is kinda retarded.But let me tell you this; it was okay I guess for 4kids company.

One of the better Japanese cartoon monster animes

[Keyan-the-Eagle144 · 7/10 · 23 March 2018]

After Digimon and Pokemon I was wondering what other anime would come into American culture. Then there was Yu-Gi-Oh. There's a lot of interesting things in there, including battles between good and evil, Ancient Egypt, creatures that would make Ray Harryhausen proud (some of which can be a little disturbing), and a good cast of characters (some of whom you can relate to in real life). I know some online people who love this show and while I'm not a big, huge fan, I thought it was entertaining. I never collected the cards (I'm not big on card games, though I did collect some of the Decipher Star Wars CCG line) and I'd never even heard of Yu-Gi-Oh until I watched the show in the early 2000s. I haven't seen so much creature action since the Harryhausen films, or should I say Digimon and Pokemon?

You go, Yu-Gi-Oh! Go away, that is.

[Torgo_Approves · 2/10 · 30 October 2006]

(r#97)

There is one good thing about this poor man's Pokémon (make of that what you will): the opening theme. It has to be the coolest theme music of any sloppily dubbed Japanese made-for-the-consumers-oops-I-mean-the-young-fans anime TV show. Unfortunately there was need to add some sort of show after the opening theme. And they just couldn't come up with something more interesting than people arguing loudly about whose cards are better than the others' cards. Freud would have a field day, unfortunately I can't imagine why any kids would want to sit through a show where dialogue written by a thousand monkeys in five minutes takes up 98% of the running time.

"My Uber-Fantastical Doomsday Creature of Ultimate Doom will take your measly Pyramid Diamond Animal in a single strike! Can't you see that you have no chance of winning this battle, you fool?! HAHAHAHHAHHAHA!"

"Oh yeah? Well watch this! I am about to use my Destruction Force Delta Times Pie Card which eradicates every single one of your Power Munchers and renders your Uber-Fantastical Doomsday Creature of Ultimate Doom's Destroy Beyond all Significance Attack useless! I bet you didn't see that one coming!"

Seriously, that's all they ever do in this show, talk. Whereas in another crappy kids' show I used to watch, namely the commercial phenomenon Pokémon (every soccer mum's pet peeve), at least the monsters had the courtesy to duke it out every once in a while, "Yu-Gi-Oh" is just, in the quiet words of Roger Ebert's A Clockwork Orange review, "plain talky and boring". Not to mention long-winded (I realize I'm being hypocritical here considering the sentence I just wrote).

This show goes on forever. I don't know if there's any plot, and the static monsters have none of the character of Pokémon. Even when not compared to my fave cartoon as a kid, this show sucks. It's unintentionally funny, but not funny enough to be worth seeing. Bye bye, sleep tight, dream wet dreams.

Far superior to most

[b4i8 · 19 August 2003]

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

One of the best Animés Of All Time, Way Better Than Dinosaur King

[kiti22 · 9/10 · 15 July 2012]

If you Get Pokemon and Magic the Gathering and Combine them you Get Yu-Gi-Oh!

I know, right? Yu-Gi-Oh! is still one of the best Animes ever made, Yu-Gi-Oh! hypnotized an entire generation with its stylized animation, surreal humor, and dramatic turns.

But I don't know why so many people doesn't like this show

Yu-Gi-Oh was One of My Favorite Animé series Next to Pokemon and Digimon

I used to watch "Yu Gi Oh" for the 1st time when I was 11 or 12

it's a good show but not bad as Dinosaur King, Duel Masters (a Copy of Yu- Gi-Oh) and Battle B-Daman But it was awesome it has manga books, cards, video games, videos, DVDs and Movies

The Animation was great and the Voice Acting was Awesome

My Favorite Characters from this Series are Yugi and Kaiba

Season 1 is where the yu gi oh story begins It has a Few Memorable Duels

Season 2 Was Great But Not the best of the series but Joey was a bit annoying but Marik was a Pretty Cool Villain and the Egyptian God Cards was Awesome not even ash could face those Egyptian God monsters

Season 3 was part 2 of the Battle City Arc The VR World story arc was not that bad using any monster card as a deck master was not that bad but Noah was a little bit annoying than Mai a lot of People really Hated the Virual World Arc but i think its Okay but the Abridged Version of the Virtual World Arc was a Little Offensive as the Abriged version of the Battle City Arc

The Final Face-off Parts 1,2,3,4&5 is Epic the Waking the Dragons arc was good The Legendary Dragons are Awesome and Dartz was a Great and Solid Villain (Still better than Team Rocket from Pokemon and Super Buu from DBZ) and Dartz's Motercycle Henchmen are Awesome and the worst part about season 4 was Mai she was very annoying since season 2 i hate it when Mai calls joey names Season 5 was the Final Season of the Original Yu Gi Oh But I never Watched the 5th Season of Yu-Gi-Oh! The Only Season 5 Episodes i've Watched are the Last 4 Episodes the Final Episode was Great but the yu-gi-oh duels are pretty long because it takes 6 Episodes or 5 episodes or 4 episodes or 3 episodes like the dragon ball z battles The Sound Effects from American Cartoons are A Bit Useless and it's a Bit Like Watching an Episode Of Pokemon or Watching an Episode of the Funimation Version of Dragon Ball Z The Dialogues from the 4Kids dub of Yu-Gi-Oh! are a Bit Corny at Times (Well like Most 4Kids Dubbed Animes)

but Saddly when they made the gx series and the 5ds series and the Zexal series, It would just never be the same. GX is not the best series yet No Yamis, No Marik (Make way for Pegasus and the paradox brothers), Alexis was one of the most annoying female characters ever (even worse than Mai), No Bakura, No Musics from the Original (the Rock Musics from GX is the Only Plus point in this spin off) They Got Rid of Yugi and Kaiba and Joey and the other yu gi oh characters from the original yu gi oh in 5ds But i never watch 5ds because Card Games on Motorbikes is a Stupid Idea how come 5ds has the highest rating than the original?

I heard that A Few People Really Hate Zexal As for Arc-V, I Never Watched Them Yu-Gi-Oh the Movie was not Bad but it's a Must See for any Yu Gi Oh Fans The Duels Are Epic, the animation was great and the All-New Blue Eyes Shining Dragon was awesome!!!! and I'm a bit shocked at the negative reviews and the low ratings for this movie Well Still Better than Son of the Mask Yu-Gi-Oh the Abridged Series and the rest of littlekuriboh's videos are so Funny Martin Billany aka LittleKuriboh has a fantastic voice talent, great editing, and he perfectly represents the characters with hilarious lines and Pop-Cultral references. But if you like this show or not, you will love Martin Billany's successful Parody i wish littlekuriboh will win the awards Bottom Line i Really Enjoyed Yu-Gi-Oh But it has a Few Flaws But its Still Awesome And Its Way Better than Phineas and Ferb, way better than Dinosaur King and Way Better than Duel Masters I Have the Cards and the DVDs and the Toys and the video games

I only liked the original Yu-Gi-Oh, but none of the Yu-Gi-Oh spin offs/sequels such as GX and 5Ds and Zexal. I found the following Yu-Gi-Oh spin offs/sequels to be Stupid Because it won't be the same as the original. I give the Original Yu-Gi-Oh 9/10 stars and all of the following Yu-Gi-Oh spin offs/sequels such as GX and 5Ds and Zexal 2/10 stars. Sorry GX fans and 5Ds fans the Original Yu-Gi-Oh is the best of the Yu-Gi-Oh Series

Jakie's Uncle: One More Thing To all Yu-Gi-Oh! Haters out There Don't Call Yu-Gi-Oh! a Pokemon Copy nor a Commercial

Japanese Version worth checking out

[k_yasin · 10/10 · 2 April 2019]

First of all the whole Yugioh Story is Epic, however I later realised after watching the German and English Version, that it's not the whole Story. The Japanese Version of Yugioh is more brutal, dark and dramatic in its whole concept. Characters and cards are different of course and most important some dialogues are total different.

For me a good storyline is important but most importantly is the Music, although the western Version has also beautifully composed Music, the Japanese is more touching and even romantic at times.

In usual anime's are in japanese and they are best suited to watch in subs, rather dubbed..

Surprisingly still good for older, grown up viewers

[verdantetoile · 10/10 · 21 August 2017]

I was in middle school when Yu-Gi-Oh first appeared on US TV and unfortunately only watched about 3/4 of Battle City tournament (not due to lack of interest but because of strict parents). Well, 15 years later and in my late 20's, I just randomly thought about this anime and decided to finish watching it, mainly out of curiosity on how it all ends for Yugi and his friends. To my surprise, I enjoyed watching it more so as an adult than when I was a preteen. I watched the 4Kids version due to nostalgia and familiarity but despite all the backlash and criticism it appears to receive from viewers who prefer the Japanese original, I still think the dub is satisfactory, esp. the last few episodes when...um...anyway, I became so attached to the characters I didn't want it to end :( Most of all, I love the card game and cannot stop playing Yu-Gi-Oh Duel Links on my smartphone!

It's just a commercial for itself...

[raven_blood88 · 1/10 · 6 February 2007]

I really did like this show, once upon a time. That is, until I realized all the faults in it. It's so unrealistic. I know it's fiction, but it isn't even the slightest bit believable. Here's why. **Spoilers ahead folks...** Are we really supposed to believe that a kid like Yugi would be descended from a Pharaoh of ancient Egypt? C'mon! He's the biggest nerd on the face of the Earth. And what's up with the Pharaoh (a.k.a. Atem and/or Yami's) hair? Last I checked, Pharaohs were shaved (except for a small bit of hair atop the head) and wore fancy hats.

And, are we supposed to be convinced that an evil wealthy boy genius, named Seto Kaiba, can legally run a successful business while still having time to go to a shoddy little school like 'Domino High'? Puh-leeze! First off, he'd have to legally be an adult to run a company. And that would make him not really all too much of a boy genius, since he'd be the only adult in his class. And second off, why would he attend a school like 'Domino High', when his business is clearly successful enough for him to attend a fancy snobbish academy? Plus, the side plots with his little brother are so sappy and lame. Every time you turn around, that kid's been kidnapped by goons for the baddie. *yawn* Nothing new, nothing new.

Joey is the poor kid, who lives with a good-for-nothing father. It says that Joey earns all the money to attend his school, because his father's an alcoholic, but you never once see Joey do anything that resembles work. He doesn't even mention work. And his sister Serenity is a complete moron. Why would she choose a snob like Duke (who dressed her brother in a dog costume and publicly humiliated him on television) over a nice guy like Tristan? Is she really that clueless? Various characters throughout the show, get possessed by demonic forces, get their souls stolen by demonic forces, and fall prey to mental illness. (Oh, that's child-safe, NOT.) Tea is the typical girl-next-door type, whose only purpose is to be Yugi/Yami's girlfriend. And while she has some cool points to her, she just doesn't have enough time to shine as a main character.

The animation is simply awful. All the characters look sickly and anorexic. The perspectives are terrible (especially when they do close-ups of somebody's hand) and the colors look good, but not stellar.

But the worst plot hole to the series was the fact that Yami says that his Millennium Puzzle can send souls back to their bodies. If this was so, how come he didn't save Yugi's Grandpa in the first place, when Pegasus stole his soul, and save himself the trouble of getting it back?

All it really is, is a commercial for itself. The only plus side to it is "Yu-Gi-Oh: The Abridged Series" by LittleKuriboh.

Please. Do something more worthwhile. Like, watch the Abridged version.

1/10

Could have been the best

[therubixtheory · 8/10 · 21 March 2008]

I cried during the final episode of this series, it really touched me to think that it was all over.

a few people i used to know made fun of me for liking this series, well they never bothered watching did they or even picking up a copy of the manga.

I must admit i'm seriously disappointed with what 4kids turned this show into, it's just another shining example that they should leave animes undubbed and subtitled, i know Japanese voices can seem to some to be irritating but they have more emphasis and no one makes them say stupid phrases like they do in the English versions, it dumbs down the whole experience.

Boring long running anime

[langsts21 · 2/10 · 1 January 2011]

I gave this anime 2 stars because I use to like it a little bit. Now, I don't like it at all. There is one thing that's worse than a slow movie and that thing is a slow series. Each season is very slow. The reason why I think that it moves so slow is that Yu makes moves very slowly in the card game. I don't get how this holds so many peoples' interests especially little kids. My reasoning is that it takes episode after episode to finish a card game. Yu thinks for the longest time about each possible move. Whenever I watch it, I think make a move already. I don't want to sit through an episode when the main character makes three or less moves an episode and the bulk of each episode is him debating which card to throw down to attack his opponent's monster.

I'm a huge fan!

[khelek · 5 March 2003]

OK, I'll admit it...I am a sucker for the "30 min. commercials". I have been ever since I was a kid back in the, uh, 80's. I would go out and buy all the brand-new cool Transformers featured in the cartoon. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles?...I was there. I am every toy manufacturers' ... dream. Yu-Gi-Oh is the continuation of my bizarre fascination with cartoons.

What's so great about this cartoon. Honestly, I can't say what it is I like. OK, I lied. I absolutely love the duels! I'm not a huge Anime fan, so that really does nothing for me. The constant babbling about "friendship" and "love" I can certainly do without. Not that those are bad things, and it's good that kids are taught these values while being brainwashed into buying the game, but it can be *awfully* sugary-sweet, especially when you're, um, <mumble> twenty-eight </mumble>. But I really enjoy the duels and it makes me want to go out and buy the cards and play with other people. Unfortunately, I have no friends, and my wife doesn't have any interest in dueling me. Fortunately, there's Game Boy Advance. I was given Dark Duel Stories for Christmas and recently bought Eternal Duelist Soul...both great games, though EDS is definitely closer to the original game than DDS. The point being, this tv show is really nothing more than an avenue for advertising their games...and I love it!

Now, what I'd like to see is how well Yugi fairs against someone who has some really nasty cards in their deck....how would he handle having Raigeki and Dark Hole being smacked down on his Dark Magician and Summoned Skull????

Nostalgic and I love it!

[Lukasmj · 9/10 · 6 January 2023]

"Yu-Gi-Oh!" is about a boy named Yugi, who gets the mysterious millennium puzzle as a present from his grandfather. In this is the soul of the pharaoh Yami Yugi, into which Yugi turns from now on when he plays the card game "Duel Monsters". Yugi and his friends Joey, Tea and Tristan have to go through many adventures throughout the series in which Yugi faces off against the forces of evil.

Probably due in large part to nostalgia, but I love Yu-Gi-Oh!

The thrill of when Yugi is about to lose a match and somehow still manages to defeat his opponent is still the same today as it was then.

Sadly the franchise was rode to death for the profit, after this series.

Fun to watch despite the heavy censorship

[elonmusk-is_a_moron · 9/10 · 14 February 2022]

This show clearly had a lot of censorship and missing episodes (For starters, this series seems to be a sequel, hence why we never have a proper introduction of the main cast) Despite that, I enjoyed watched this. It is a fun series, and the card game is fun too.

I am not familiar with the sequels, but the "original" Yugioh anime (Well, the second one actually) was a highly entertaining series.

The dub shown in my country actually had a great cast with excellent voices. (Tristan was voiced by the same actor that dubbed Fry from Futurama!) I guess that factor might have contributed to my enjoyment.

Phenomenal Show!!

[cuzzinman · 10/10 · 21 September 2018]

This show is phenomenal with great character development, a great plot, and great philosophical messages!! It is a renowned and fantastic show!! I highly recommend this show to everyone!!

DON'T WASTE YOUR TIME

[sapowrcompleto007 · 1/10 · 17 March 2019]

Back when I was a kid I used to like Yu-Gi-Oh, despite never having seen the whole series thoroughly. I guess I just enjoyed the ideia of awesome monsters getting head to head in duels. Anyway, I intended to watch it now, but couldn't stand more than 1 season. Childish story (even for a 6 yo), never-ending lectures about the power of friendship and characters as deep as a spoon make the whole thing almost unbearable to watch. As if it was not enough, there are a lot of plot holes that require a tremendous effort to overlook. To sum it up, it's just a huge waste of time. If you like monsters battling each other, just go play the game (or any other card game, for that matter).