#love this and his music not a complaint all this is lighthearted & goofy

[synthshenanigans]

I love trying to Jash people but MAN is it difficult tho

"Can i listen to them on Spotify?" Yea but the videos themselves are important as well plus he worked hard on them so you should watch them on youtube instead.

"Okay well what order do i watch them in?" *gives a list* this is the canonical order but there's 2 videos that have multiple songs in them. So you have to listen to a part of the video, leave, listen to other songs, and eventually come back to finish it.

"Okay but i should understand the lore very well at that point right" WELL YOU SEE THE THING IS-

[quarkie-blog1]

Reading YGO Zexal Critics

So I’ve been reading reviews and critics about Yugioh! Zexal after finishing watching it. And it seems like there’s a clear division of the YGO fandom, for the majority it’s either you love or hate it. There are a few recurring/interesting negative criticsms that I do want to comment on as someone who enjoyed most of Zexal. These are just my opinions and you’re welcome to point out any disagreements.

1. Yuma is annoying and is one of the major problems of the series. He fails at many things in duels and refuses to listen to other people’s advice. He can’t do anything without Astral.

(First off, not to offend anyone, but 13-year-olds can be like that. The writers were designing the youngest Yugioh MC after all… and they had to find something to balance him out…)

Some may have told you that he starts off as a noob but gets a rather steady progression in having one of the deadliest decks in the series. Given how consistent it was, the development of Yuma and Astral’s relationship was well-thought out. However, Yuma’s unlikable qualities are undeniable, I guess that’s just preference of what you can or can’t tolerate in a show. For you it might be “goofy, immature and stubborn” kids. But does that make Yuma a bad character? 

If we’re going by that, then I should confess: I’m not a fan of Seto Kaiba. His actions are heavily driven by his power-hungry goals. After what he did to Yugi’s grandfather, I just couldn’t like him even after notable changes. For me, disrespecting and taking something important from others (especially the elderly) is very unethical. But does that make him a bad character? Not at all. The series wouldn’t be the same without him and they gave depth to his character. He is one of the best duelists in the series but I can’t root for him nor do I have the love for him as a good villain. (This doesn’t mean I refuse to be friends with any Kaiba fans though, and blue eyes white dragon decks are very meta). 

In regards to Yuma losing more times than other Yugioh main characters, I actually find that makes me more focused on the anime. Everytime he’s dueling I feel like asking, “Is he gonna win? Is he gonna win?” and get more happy when he does. (And side note, Yuma actually has a good attitude when he loses. It’s a good lesson for everyone, “don’t be afraid of losing and keep persisting”). 

2. Yuma’s friends are annoying. They’re just cheerleaders but don’t really add anything to the plot. 

This is mostly referring to the general friends from Yuma’s school, including Kotori, Kathy, Tetsuo, etc. If you notice, Zexal spends a lot of time building up scenes towards their villains. I think this is why Yuma’s supporting friends, Akari, etc had the short end of the stick. I personally would have liked to see more of how Akari and Yuma got along, since the series does portray quite a lot of different family relationships..

I can understand why they did this. Relationships with siblings and friends are something even kids can understand. Making Yuma a relatable character, one can easily identify “Yuma cares about Akari but they often bicker.” from just a few scenes. But for the stories revolving the villains are more complex, and they decided to spend more focuses on that.

3.  It’s such a disappointment, after 5D’s female lead Akiza… that Kotori does practically nothing but stand and say “Yuma” all the time. 

Touche. Please see part 2. You’re right, though poor female lead character isn’t new in Yugioh series. Anzu and Asuka never won against main characters. Maybe if Konami sees how there’s a fair portion of female fans they might consider having a proper female main character. (Yeah, keep dreaming Quarkie >_>). 

This is why I like Hiragi Yuzu a lot. (I had high hopes for her development when she became the first female lead to beat the main character in episode 2).  

Though at the end of the day, this wasn’t something I was too bothered by, not when Zexal was placing so much complicated story plots in front of me. 

4. The sound and animation is weird. 

For sound, I meant voice acting. If you didn’t like the music that’s just your preference. (Haruto’s theme and Kaito’s theme were my favourite.) If you didn’t like Yuma’s voice in the dub then watch the sub. If you still don’t like it, then I guess it’s just a question of what you can and can’t tolerate, no one’s going to be angry at you for not liking a series. 

The animation is actually done better compared to other series. Even arc v, which I suspect was made while they were also doing the Yugioh movie. The summoning sequences are repetitive, but that’s the same for every digimon, shugo chara, magical girl series. 

Everything looks brighter and also clearer, which fits more for the audience (younger boys). I mean, after three series of rather dramatic Yugioh, isn’t it great that the younger kids can have one made for them?

5. Unlike the first three, it’s not connected chronologically. And the whole Zexal change thing… it’s like copying super saiyan mode from Dragonball Z. 

Sorry to hear that you don’t like it as much since it’s a little different. (No sarcasm intended). 

I actually didn’t realise about the similarities until someone mentioned on a critic. Fair enough, it is really different and it’s not as original. Keep in mind that it is not a major plot-driving device. It is focused at times, but I think relationships and revelation of memories were the most important driving force in the series. 

Also I liked DBZ, so if Zexal change is like a fan confession then I love it even more. 

6. The series has way too many fillers. The story doesn’t pick up until like Zexal II starts. 

Or when Tron family appears. Or whenever the series gets interesting for you. Kids are more easily entertained, and a duel with a less important character can probably be just as entertaining. Gauche, Esper Robin, Droite, Anna, etc. They don’t appear often, but anyone who has watched would probably be able to tell you one distinctive thing about that character and what Yuma experienced from there. 

While yes, worlds are in danger because of villains, but there is also the story of Yuma’s growth as a duelist. One thing that I am amazed by is how the story starts off with a “collect the numbers quest” and it continues to spiral downwards to something complicated, conflicting and dark. I feel like it starts already when we meet Kaito (not specifying due to spoilers), but a lot of the disturbing parts sprinkled throughout from the first half are hidden by the generally lighthearted tone of the series. And really, it’s hard to identify it until there is a turning point for Yuma and Astral. (I want to elaborate… but more spoilers. )

As for lots of fillers, I direct you to Yugioh GX. (Shout out to Yuki Judai fans xD). People have said the first half wasn’t that interesting with so many forgettable duels, but you don’t hear a lot of complaints about that. It’s just a matter of what keeps you entertained. 

Overall thoughts: 

Zexal does have flaws, and the different style might not be everyone’s cup to tea. It is made for the younger audience, and the most reliable way of measuring success is how they receive it. Just because it’s not our preference doesn’t mean it’s bad. I can understand that if you don’t want to spend the time watching it, there are plenty of “anime in the sea”. But it’s not really doing justice to other yugioh fans nor the producers if you are going to tell everyone it’s not worth watching. It's not really something we can decide for all fans out there.

If you actually read all that, thanks, and errr… sorry about some parts being so redundant.