Yu-Gi-Oh! (1999) Reviews

• Filler episode with production values

  FrungiFrungi2015-11-29

  This 30-minute movie is little more than a slightly longer episode of the first anime series, also known as "Season Zero." If you have never seen either series or read the manga, you have no reason to be aware of this movie's existence. A wussy kid obtains a super-rare card, and rather than using the card to help him win card games, he avoids playing because he's scared of failure. Kaiba tries to force him and Yugi to join a card tournament, but the kid manages to just sit in the audience and be wussy until Jonouchi (better known in English as Joey) convinces him to stop being wussy and tell Yugi to beat Kaiba. Short and pointless, this movie is just an excuse for another Yugi vs Kaiba duel. Themes of friendship pervaded the original anime series, but the closest this movie gets to any such thing is what amounts to an anonymous extra getting inspired to try playing games.

• I just can't take it seriously

  Horst_In_Translation2015-12-24

  This is "Yu-Gi-Oh!", a half-hour, animated short film from Japan that followed the short-running television series of the same name. I personally thought the animation was okay and the voice acting wasn't bad either, even if I totally needed English subtitles, but I just cannot deal with a film that shows us magic card battles are essential for finding your own courage. I mean I am okay with these gigantic monsters coming out of Pokeballs, but now cards? What is next? And apart from that, the story also had more major flaws. It says the blue dragon stands for victory and yet 3 of them cannot win against a dragon that stands for potential victory? Also the ending was far too expected, also with the red dragon making difference and it was also very abrupt. Not a rewarding watch, but I am saying this as someone who has not seen the series. Maybe you have to in order to appreciate these 30 minutes, this should never be the foundation for liking a film though. Not recommended.