Yu-Gi-Oh! ARC-V

Please note: this review uses the MAL scoring and rating system, because this was copied from the site.

I finally finished Arc-V with an odd taste in my mouth, the last few episodes felt very pulled out of the ground with a dusting of an attempt to give a sense of finality to the show as a whole. It took me from April to September, with a break in-between because the series was a bit draining for me to watch. I rather enjoyed it when I started, but a friend gave me a warning about the end, how it wasn't very climactic, and they were right in the sense of the word.

Story -- 4/10
Going into the show, I'd say I gave the story about a 5-6 with Yuya being introduced, and the plot falling into place with a deep gloss over of the deeper side of the bigger plot that tried to be a plot. Then, everything went into fairly good pacing and I was feeling good about things. The duels were nice and spread, the new characters were nice to get introduced to, and then a few arcs later the story took a bit of a shift. The shift that happened is why I gave the story a 4.

Frankly, I didn't enjoy the Synchro Dimension Arc as much as I should have. Sure it was great to see a few Legacy character make an appearance in their Arc-V versions, but it was dragged on for too any episodes in my opinion. Though I know a good chunk of the plot focused around the invasion of that dimension, I felt they could have sped it up by not doing the long tournaments.

Then, the whole meat and potatoes of the show, The Academia Arc, the realization of what Yuya and Yuzu were. That part was rather enjoyable, and seeing all the bonds Yuya made with the characters, Legacy or otherwise, just made me smile. The story itself fell through at the final episodes. Seeing what happened for the awkward yet somehow viable reason was a bit over the top in a dislike-able manner for me. They could have just ended with the Zarc defeat and leave it, but they wanted to milk it by adding on episodes.

Art -- 6/10
As far as Yugioh shows go, they have pretty amazing art in terms of style and animations for the cards and effects used in duels. In first watching it, I had given it, in my mind, an 8 for the art. The one thing that brought it down to a 6 now, was that annoying use of CGI with Yuya and his monsters, namely Odd-Eyes Dragon. It was subtle I guess, but I caught it every time it happened and it made me stop watching for a few seconds to even a few minutes till I could recognize or try to wrap my head around WHY they had made that move ONLY for Yuya and not anyone else. (I don't know any time when any other duelist had CGI for an entrance or attack, correct me if I'm wrong.) It just felt really out of place with the usual animation of the show.

Everything besides that was great.

Sound -- 8/10
Okay I enjoy a good OST, and all the Yugioh series before have had great OSTs, Arc-V is no exception in the slightest. There were a few specific tracks I really enjoyed as I watched, two of them being centered around Gongenzaka, and his Steadfast Dueling. Every time I heard either his character theme or duel music, I was pumped. (and jus not because he's my favorite character which I'll get to later.) The other track that played and I was on the edge of my seat was a specific track for when there was tension around characters and a duel, though mostly focused on Kurosaki, another character I like. That track just had me bouncing toward the end and I love the atmosphere it brought to the scenes.

As far as OP/ED songs go, I'd have to say my favorite OPs were "Hanate/Unleash", "Kibou no Hikari/Light of Hope, and "Kirifuda/Trump Card" and ". "Hanate" just got me so pumped to watch and I was singing along when I got the lyrics down. "Kibou no Hikari" was just so moving for the arc it was used with and made me really feel for the characters and the struggles they were facing. And last but not least, "Kirifuda" was another one I enjoyed quite a bit and I got excited when I kept hearing the word Kirifuda spoken in the show. And as for ED it'd have to be Future Fighter. Hearing Yuya and Reiji's VAs singing together was so cool.

Characters -- 6/10
Now there were TONS of likable characters in Arc-V, some good, but also some bad.

Yuya and the other three Yu-boys were interesting, Yuzu and the other girls, not so much. Yuzu was so flat and all she ended up being was a huge plot device and constant damsel in distress, and her being so pertinent to the overall plot was not a reason to make her like that. Serena didn't get too much development, but she was made to be headstrong and able to bend things to her own path. I hated that Rin and Ruri got next to no development at all. I feel like they should have, since their respective saviors each got a chunk.

I didn't like Yuya at the beginning, he was way too childlike, though he's 14 his personality didn't remind me of the other protags. Yugo was so real and able to be understood in his showing, and the same went for Yuto in my opinion. Yugo did have a real one-track-mind, but he was focused on his goal which made for a great character always striving to do right and reach his goal. Yuto was a very fate driven character, as he and Kurosaki suffered at the hands of the enemy, seeing their dimension crumble. His bravery in the face of hardship made me like him so much more than Yuya. And Yuri, a real good show of a crazy character, but his sly viciousness was a likable trait as he worked for the enemy.

Another enemy I had a love/hate relationship with was Roger. He was such a good fit as a villain to try and control the dimension and thwart the Lancers. He had things going for him, though he gradually descended into madness as was seen later on in the Synchro Arc. In all the series I've seen, Roger takes the #2 cake for best villain, the #1 going to the Three Pure Nobles from 5Ds.

Now onto my favorite character, Gongenzaka. He stood out to me the moment he was introduced. Possibly because I have a fondness for straightforward yet manly characters, and he really fit the bill. His dedication to being steadfast and unmoving for the most part, and being highly supportive of Yuya and others just made him my favorite all the more. Also, his footwear was a thing in itself. The guy wore sandals made from cinder blocks, how is that not badass?? And his eventual release from his Steadfast Dueling toward the end with his increased desire to see his best friend succeed and save the world was so moving.

Enjoyment -- 7/10
I really enjoyed the show as a whole, with the good and the bad, so I gave it a 7. The OST was lovely, the duels were enjoyable for a time till they got redundant and boring. The character development and things they all went through was so amazing to see, the good and the bad. I was constantly on the edge of my seat when watching several episodes in a day and having to stop at a cliffhanger!!

Overall -- 6/10
I have to give the overall score here of 6. It was a real roller coaster of a show, it took my heart and mind on separate trips, broke and repaired them, made me laugh, and made me cry. It wasn't the best, but not quite the worst Yugioh series as people make it out to be. Would I rewatch it? Maybe, just to see my man Gongenzaka. Would I buy the DVDs to collect, YES.

Yugioh Arc-V was an experience.