#then playing ygo duel links some more

[icantalk710]

🚆

[bestygogirl]

BEST YGO GIRL: Round 3, Group B

Match 3

please use this as an opportunity to say why you like a character, not why you don't.

Propaganda under the cut!

Aoi Zaizen

The show hates her but she is a very good character. Trickstars and Marincesses are both hella cool decks.

Aoi’s parents died when she was around 6 and she was mostly raised by her older brother. She’s the 2nd best Duelist in the VRAINS at the start of the series and over the course of the first season goes from being rather shy and only putting on a happy facade to a determined Duelist willing to risk her life to save the world. She even puts a stop to a virus that’s leaving people in comas.

Aoi gets two more avatars (Blue Girl and Blue Maiden) and also obtains a semi-magic AI named Aqua as her partner.

She never lets her trauma keep her down and was a huge inspiration for me in high school!

AOI ZAIZEN IS THE BEST GIRL! She's gonna sweep this whole tournament and here's why:

Is the peak YGO Girl who Deserved Better from the writers

Just a normal everyday girl IRL who secretly turns into an ultra bubbly sweetheart idol who everyone absolutely loves when in the virtual world.

Her VRAINS persona is extremely popular, and none of her fans know that she's just Some Girl.

Plays an idol deck with Trickstars (toxic meta combo not included)

Is sheltered by her overprotective older step-brother/guardian, but very quickly stands up for herself and what she believes is right.

Mutual protection with said step-brother is the sweetest thing ever, I love Aoi and Akira moments so much!

She does NOT fall head over heels for the main protagonist, but they do share a nice conversation and handshake as they become friends IRL (one of the best VRAINS scenes, honestly)

Absolutely wrecks Soulburner for like 99% of their duel, and only loses because the writers don't understand how to move a plot along if Soulburner doesn't win as many duels as possible

Duels two seasonal antagonists, and completely destroys them both before losing thanks to an OP anime card that will never see the light of day, and a one-off card made specifically to counter her strategy and have her lose.

Her first virtual avatar, Blue Angel, is inspired by the main character from her favorite childhood book. That's adorable!

Her main summoning chants are all about hopes, dreams, and believing in yourself.

In the English dub, she says "I could so swipe left on you right now" implying that Tinder exists in the Yu-Gi-Oh universe.

Never got the Magical Girl transformation sequence she deserved because the writers apparently were not aware that Yu-Gi-Oh VRAINS is a Magical Girl show, despite the two main dudes getting that special treatment.

AOI ZAIZEN DESERVED BETTER! Give her what she deserves!

AND SHE'S A TRANS LESBIAN

Condemned Darklord

She literally could not catch a break during the forbidden items line of cards, but at least she has two gfs to match with her link form stole from God Himself FOUR times. iconic behavior honestly

[offlineblues]

When did you first get into yugioh? I hope you're having a nice day! <3

thank you for your well wishes! i too hope you had a pleasant day!

let's see... to answer your question... it's a little bit of a long story, so i'll make a read more! (there is a TLDR at the bottom if you want)

in late 2017, twitch was broadcasting a marathon of Duel Monsters. at that time, my partner, Jamie, was getting really invested into it, since he had mentioned how he liked it when he was younger. for me, i had heard of YGO on TV when i was younger too, but i felt like i couldn't get invested in it, so i never kept track of it. i was vaguely aware of YGO's continued spin-offs, but i never gave it a chance.

so, after a few weeks, his passion about the show and how much he loved Atem made me want to try giving it a shot, too. because of Megumi Ogata's Yugi Mutou, i was interested in starting from the Very Beginning with the Toei season (season 0). i was curious how subbed YGO might be.

so, we watched all of the Toei season together. i came to really love Yugi the most, as he is a very kindhearted protag (my favorite type of protag) as well as Jounouchi and Kaiba. i was surprised at how the story was about our connections with others. i really loved how different it was compared to what i expected or remembered about the series from the past. the focus on games in general as a medium for the story was really good.

i was hooked on it and respected it. i finally understood the appeal. i wanted to jump into Duel Monsters (sub) right away. and we did! we watched it all together, starting in early 2018.

it took several months to watch, and i enjoyed it! i remember feeling shocked and kinda sad that "the shadow realm" wasn't real, lol. i didn't realize it had been a show that was censored like that. we even watched the DSOD movie after. it was really cool... Yugi really is a character i adore!

for about about a year or so after, i was really invested into puzzleshipping. i didn't draw very much at the time because of my severe untreated carpal tunnel though, so there aren't much past works from me, nor did i ever make any ship art.

Jamie got invested into the spin-off YGO and started watching VRAINS while it was airing after seeing a post about Yusaku/Playmaker on here. i gave it a few episodes, and immediately gravitated to liking Ai. but, i was going through a tough time personally and felt a little fatigued (in general) and of YGO because it was such a long series. i didn't think i could do another 150+ anime. so, i dropped it after 3 episodes and did other things for a few years.

he would talk to me about how much he loved how VRAINS was going and about datastormshipping, and i happily listened even though i didn't understand. it was nice to be a support at the time when i felt too tired and stressed to participate. this went on into 2019 as it finished, and well after into 2020. though, it shifted into aiballshipping, but he kept me safe from spoilers.

on a whim, in the middle of 2022, i suggested we watch VRAINS together because i felt up for it again, and i wanted to watch an anime together. i was excited to learn about Ai more, as i saw some vague spoilers here and there about him. i immediately grew to love Yusaku and Ai a whole lot! i was excited every weekend we could watch together. it only took 3 months to watch all 120 episodes because i was that invested. i again felt like a fool for not continuing in the past...

...and you know the rest. it's impacted me a lot. i haven't stopped thinking or talking about them for nearly a year now. i'm even more impacted by their story than the Toei season or DM. i like the characters and story a lot more for VRAINS, so it's my favorite. i even picked up Duel Links because i wanted to learn how to play (i'm kind of bad at it). i'm currently in the middle of ZEXAL now, but i want to check out all the others eventually, too. exciting!

TLDR:

i got into it in 2017 because of my partner's influence. watched season 0, DM, and DSOD and loved it. fell off for personal difficulties in real life and fatigue with long series. picked up VRAINS again in 2022 after dropping it in 2018 after 3 episodes. am now insane (positive) and invested in YGO because it's so fun and good. i'm happy to be here and hope i can be for a long time

[raintides]

Out of curiosity which ygo series have you watched already and what are your opinions of them ?

OOPS i completely missed this ask but i've watched gx and i'm 2/3 of the way through vrains! i haven't watched enough of the other series for anything in-depth, so i'll just answer it for these two!

gx: for such a huge main cast, i was surprised by how much all the characters grew on me. even the one-off side characters are memorable (abidos the third, i'll never forget you). i also love how stupidly ridiculous some of the episodes get? it never fails to make me laugh

judai is also one of my favorite characters ever. i love dumbasses with hearts of gold. i love his single-minded passion for dueling. i love his fearlessly endless optimism, his unfaltering determination, and the way he naturally brings people together by just being himself. he gets more jaded later (his depression era) but he manages to rekindle his passion for the things he loves while still retaining everything he learned through those life experiences and i'm just. ugh. i love him

vrains: this series is what got me back into the actual physical tcg (salamangreat represent!!!) (i play rikka sunavalon now but salads are forever) so if anything it'll have a soft spot in my heart because of that. i'm around episode... 80ish right now? so i haven't gotten to The Major Stuff yet (soon). but i really like it so far!! i'm the kind of person who gets into things primarily because i like the characters and vrains 100% nailed that. I LOVEEE TAKERU this is a soulburner appreciation page. yusaku and ryoken are also my babygirls

characters aside, my favorite thing about vrains are the duels??? they're so fun??? yusaku pulling off an extra link was legit one of the most hype moments in the entire show. on that note, i'm personally offended ghost girl didn't win more duels? her deck is atrocious (i am saying this positively). she runs imperm?? this girl plays meta. i cant believe she lost to mirror force. i think i actually laughed so hard i cried when revolver revealed his ultra powerful secret card and it was mirror force

[riddlerlesbian]

ygo oc week day 7

my obligatory "series i made up" protag, Yuval Elkayim

picrew link

Duel Monsters being able to be used as a power source has been incredibly helpful in space exploration. Small communities live on asteroids, which have been terraformed to harvest crops. Yuval grew up in one of these and eventually found a way to play Duel Monsters that made the game pace a bit longer and steadier, which made a more efficient stream of energy. Because of this, ze was selected for a larger program on a small planet nearby, working to connect the small enclaves scattered about the planet with an rail infrastructure, while having to deal with various environmental hazards.

@ygoc-week

drabble under cut

Yuval hadn’t expected much to come of zir innovations on Dueling. When ze shared it with the commune on the next asteroid over, it was because it was something that would help them, not something ze wanted recognition for. But then Yuval got a message from the System Authority that zir new Duel style–the Level Ramp–was perfect for the infrastructure project on the nearest planet.

The planet was large and the terraforming projects were going very slowly, so there were several cities and enclaves scattered about the planet, but traversing between them was impossible. Yuval’s Level Ramping could change that by making it possible to build railways connecting the cities. It was surreal. It felt like ze had won a competition that ze hadn’t entered in.

And that was before Yuval found out that there had been a contest, pitching solutions for this problem. Zir work was submitted on zir behalf and Level Ramping had won. Yuval would be more excited by that if it weren't for the harsh looks ze received when meeting the rest of the group.

“The thing is,” one of them was nice enough to explain, “when we submitted ours, we were also training to go on this expedition. It's pretty annoying that someone from a farming asteroid gets to come along without enough knowing what you're doing.”

“I had to come along in case the Duel Disks need maintenance. I'm a quick learner, so I won't be any trouble.” But she clearly still has her doubts. Yuval will have to prove zirself in some other way over time. Words are easy after all.

[lyricalchrysanthemum]

Sorry to hear you're feeling bad, I hope you feel better soon. :( I'd like to ask more about Piper in a YGO setting if it's alright! What are his favorite cards of each category (Normal, Effect, Spell, Trap, etc.)

HII I'm home and I'm tired but I am feeling better. Thank u ^^

His favorite YGO cards hmmmm

Normal - this one is just vibes i think. he likes this one a lot. i can see it being like a first card given to him as like a good luck charm for him to achieve his dreams. he has a fondness for it when he reads the card text.

Effect - IGNORING THE OBVIOUS. I'd say Nibiru the Primal Being for this one. I think he's very fond of hand traps in general but Nibiru SPECIFICALLY is satisfying for him to play. Getting to tribute your entire opponents field away in favor of a giant rock. Making them waste resources. It's entertaining

Spell - AS SOMEONE WHOS GONE ON SAYING HE WOULD TAKE DELIGHT IN GISHKI FTK. I think Piper would be pretty fond of Mystic Mine when its legal. Like its the ultimate "don't play" card. Combine that with stategies like Mine Burn and I think he'd be living for it. Super poly is another card that comes to mind. but i think mystic mine just sticks out to me a lot.

Trap - This is another. Piper really likes being annoying at the game. And also another hand trap. I think he finds it especially funny when he goes straight to battle phase IMMEDIATELY and he sees his opponent openly displeased at what he's pulled.

Fusion - I think Piper in general goes for decks of all playstyles in general (jack of all trades. master of none.) and i think the type of win con chimeratech overdragon enables is very much something up his alley. Combine it with powerbond+limiter removal and piper is gonna blast u

Synchro - this one i dont really have much of a reason for imma be honest. i just think he'd really like adamancipators.

XYZ - i think outside of NC piper would find this card insanely fucking funny. if only because i remember when this win strat was all over master duel and was botted. and i think yeah piper would use a strat like that at some point. if not this i can see him being pretty fond of either zeus or galaxy eyes after glow dragon.

Link - this card is like evenly and nibiru where its like. everywhere. and is so good u cant really play the game without it. but idk i just look at the monster design and think "awe yeah this is pipercore". plus its like a lot of his other favs. tried and true.

[queeriboh]

YGO ask game - 13, 21, 31?

13. Favorite deck archetype

Red Eyes /: /: /: but when I told some dudes at work that, they started like. literally teasing me over it. and I think they were trying to be playful about it but hearing over and over that the thing you were proud of is apparently terrible in another version of the game (which you don't play) when you're already stressed at work is. not fun

so idk apparently it's bad but I have fun when I use it in Duel Links

second is aromages!! idk what people think of that one lol

21. Which Millennium Item would you want and why?

the Puzzle probably, it doesn't really have any drawbacks or uses beyond Friend

31. Favorite duel (because they are often a series of episodes)

the Yu/Jo duel!!!!!!!!!!!!!! from getting to see Yugi not only duel for himself but also STAND UP to Yami and insist on it, to Yugi putting the Puzzle on Joey, and the "I love you Jounochi." it's so so so SO good. I tend to skim over a lot of the Duels but that one holds my attention from beginning to end. I love how you get to see a different side of Yugi. I think the dub kind of waters down how Yugi stood up for himself when he takes off the Puzzle and makes that decision seem more mutual than the manga does. it drives me crazyyyyy the amount of character that gets shown in that match

[nettleshuttle]

I'm gonna ask for a character too! Who?

My girl Akiza! :)

ooh very gladly, one portion of thoughts on aki coming right up! (disclaimer: i’ve watched up to 80 eps of 5ds until now, so that’s the scope of my opinions)

how i feel about this character: if my tumblr layout wasn’t enough of a hint, i really love aki. she’s definitely the best love interest in ygo, both in terms of my personal favs (though asuka and yuzu are neat too) and, like, objectively (as in best written, most complex). she’s got some great tropes in her character, fantastic intro and development and her relationship with yusei makes me tear up at every duel they play. also her design and deck make-up are just >>>

all the people i ship romantically with this character: yusei. i’m so glad this is a canon ship because this content brings me undue amounts of happiness. the start of their relation was what particularly hit me, with their initial duel and the one in the hospital, then how he consoled her after the whole thing with divine, taught her to ride a d-wheel (built one for her??) — yusei’s as precious as can be and she deserved someone like that so bad. as an optional no. 2 in this short list i’d put sherry — their ship appeals to me far less, but, y’know, lesbians on motorcycles. i’m a weak human sometimes.

non-romantic OTP: hmm. actually, i feel like aki has little to no relationships apart the one with yusei — she was deliberately isolated from others by divine, then when he died yusei seems to be the only one she really trusts. crow and jack appear really distant from her, although they are friendly towards one another — it struck me when crow specifically mentioned how aki hangs out with the signers not so frequently and i just get the impression she doesn’t fully consider them as her friends. i’d put sherry here because they’d have a nice vibe also as besties on motorcycles and also maybe rua and ruka? aki taking care of them is really nice and though, of course, they won’t be her friends the way a person her age would be, it’s still a good relationship.

unpopular opinion about this character: i wrote that i like the make-up of her deck, so, to clarify: black rose dragon is just great and the overall aesthetic of the cards fits her perfectly, but the way it’s constructed, game-wise, is absolutely garbage. why does she have a plant based deck and plant effects for a non-plant ace? why are her best tuners suited to a different star rating than 7? why does she not have cards that would alleviate black rose’s self destruction? i play rose dragons in duel links and it makes me just livid how stupidly this all was planned out because it doesn’t make sense even with adjustments that konami introduced later — and, consequently, they’re making her play some really bad duels in the show. i mean, she could be so damn strong if they admitted her some properly designed cards? i get that she’s one of the more powerful love interests anyway, but, come on, asuka could have gotten a playable deck and not aki?

also idk if that’s unpopular, but i want to say it: she’s probably the only character in the whole series whose psychic powers feel justified and make sense. they have more downsides than anything else, but they’re still ironed out into a real strength in the end, they add a lot to character, her personality is built accordingly, everything clicks together.

one thing i wish would happen/had happened with this character in canon: apart from giving her a better deck and a chance to kick some ass with that? definitely a better ending to her relationship with divine. yeah, he was a toxic, manipulative bastard who fucked her up bad in the head, but he was the single most important person in her life for so long (if not forever, before yusei) that randomly killing him off feels so unsatisfying. let her defeat him in a duel? let her break free of him on her own? the guy caused her so much trauma, she should have had the chance to overcome that (and him) on her own, instead of such a bland resolution.

[blueeyeswhitegarden]

Day 29: Into the Games! @arcvmonth

I wanted to have more proper Arc V video games so badly back while the series was running. I would have paid some good money for a 3DS Arc V game. I'm not surprised that didn't really happen. While I liked a lot of the DS era YGO games, I suspect that they weren't selling well in either Japan or the U.S. So the Arc V World in Duel Links is probably the closest we'll get for a Arc V video game and I really love it. I had been waiting for years for that update and it was worth the wait. Honestly, I was just happy to get new artwork of the characters and lines recorded by the cast. That has always been one of the selling points of Duel Links in my opinion, along with the character interactions.

I adore seeing the new artwork for the characters. I love that their victory and defeat poses often are references to poses they made in the anime too. I love getting to hear the voice actors record new dialogue for their characters. Getting to hear Yuya and Yuzu perform an Action Duel chant while loading up Duel Links is a thing of beauty. I do wish that there were more dialogue reactions when they face off against a new character, but that's been a bit of an issue with Duel Links for awhile and they'll still have some unique reactions when characters duel each other. I adore getting to hear new lines for all of the cast, but especially Yuya and Yuzu. Hearing their unique lines when they duel each other is so sweet. I love getting new music for the characters. Getting mew mats and sleeves based around the Arc V cast and their cards has been really fun too. I loved the Action Duel events. Getting to hear different characters perform the Action Duel chant has been great and I love getting to see some of the Action Fields. The Action Duel event with chibi Yuya riding on Odd Eyes Pendulum Dragon was really cute too. I love that the Arc V cast is included in the Riding Duel Tournaments. Having a few more characters and skills as options really made getting to the end of that tournament actually doable for me. I love the Tag Duel Tournaments featuring the Arc V cast teaming up together. Seeing different team ups between different characters is really fun.

Getting to unlock the first few characters shortly after the update when live was so great. I love being able to play as the Arc V characters. I finally got to use Pendulum cards for the first time. I don't play the game outside of video games, so this was my first experience with actually using the summoning method and it was so great. I love being able to use both Performapal cards and Odd Eyes cards. Yuya's current skill to get Odd Eyes Raging Dragon is so cool and probably a bit too overpowered, but I love power decks, so getting an easier way to summon his new Dragon is pretty cool. I love playing Melodious cards as Yuzu and this is where my desire for Pendulum support for that archetype started. I really love playing Reiji's D/D/D deck. It has been a huge help in every Riding Duel Tournament since they started to include Arc V characters. Getting to play Superheavy Samurai with Gongenzaka at last was so great too. I'm still getting used to Raid Raptor cards with Shun, still don't have a lot of cards I need for Yuto's Phantom Knights deck and haven't done much with Sawatari's decks yet, but I've enjoyed playing with pretty much every character. I'm trying to get Sora's skills while getting used to his Frightfur deck. I need to work on Yugo's Speedroid deck since the one I used during his event was really good too. I'm looking forward to getting Serena later this month since I'll be able to use Lunalight monsters with her too. I love a lot of archetypes introduced in Arc V, so finally getting to use them has been a lot of fun. So far, I've only fully leveled up Yuya, Yuzu and Reiji, but I'm also trying to just enjoy dueling as the Arc V cast instead of just level grinding them like I do with most of the other characters in different worlds.

The character interactions and events have been really great too. Sometimes Duel Links will provide interactions for characters you never thought of bringing together. I think Yuto not having memories when he first arrived made a lot of sense given he was the first to merge with Yuya. Sora apologizing to Yuto was also really nice. While I don't like that Shun's event kind of fueled the notion that he was sad and alone post finale, an interpretation that I strongly disagree with, his reunion with Yuto was still nice too. I loved getting to see Yuya and Shun interact again too since I liked their friendship. Getting to see Yuya and Yugo interact was really fun too. Honestly getting to see Yugo in general interact with the cast was fun. I never really had a problem with how isolated he was from most of the cast. I figured that was kind of the point given that he and Yuya meeting each other could have led to Zarc's revival even sooner. While I don't consider this a canon continuation of the anime, it still provided some interesting ideas like Yuzu having some memories from other other counterparts and that merging instantly allowed the Dragon Boys to understand each other. I think that those are cool concepts for this post-canon AU setting for the characters

I prefer the implication that Yuto, and by extension all of the counterparts that will appear in Duel Links, recreation based on memories instead of actually unmerging with Yuya and Yuzu. I think that makes more sense within the lore of Duel Links, it's what they heavily implied at the end of the Yuto event given that Yuya felt that Yuto was still a part of him and doesn't negate the anime's ending. I actually like the ending, so while I can understand why fans want the counterparts to get their own bodies back, I'm a bit to burned out by that premise after all these years to really get behind it at this point. Although, I'm positive that they're using the counterparts appearing less as a means to change the anime's ending and more so to buildup to future events, especially Zarc. It seems like they've been hinting at Zarc's inevitable arrival in Duel Links since the end of the Yuto event. It seems like they've been acting as if they have really unmerged starting with the Shun event, but I don't know if that's a translation issue or just an issue with how it's framed, especially with my interpretation of the characters and ending in mind. I'm also probably really over thinking things about a mobile gotcha game designed to eat our money, but it has admittedly kind of upset me with the last couple of events, especially when I'll see comments using Duel Links to further complain about the anime. It doesn’t sour the events for me fortunately, but it is a bit upsetting to say the least.

Given the lore behind Duel Links itself and some of my issue with the characterizations or framing in mind, I still think it makes more sense to see the Arc V World as basically a post canon AU fan fic rather than a continuation of the anime, or at least I think it makes more sense that way. I'm still happy to have new Arc V content and getting to play as the cast has been something I've wanted to do for years, so I'm more than happy that it exists.

I also want to give a mention to Cross Duel. I love getting to see 3D models of the Arc V cast and new dialogue as you level up your friendship is wonderful too. I really liked the Sawatari event too. It made him more endearing than I thought it would. I don't dislike Sawatari, but he just came off as more likable than I was expecting, especially when it seemed like he was more genuine about Entertainment Duels. It was a nice surprise and a fun event that turned out to be the only Arc V event for Cross Duel. I still need to unlock all of Yuya's lines at least, but it is a shame that the game couldn't even last a full year. I'm not surprised since the gameplay itself is really not fun. It's rather tedious and relies too much on gotcha luck and skill mechanics for the monsters. Honestly, they should have leaned more towards this being the friendship/dating YGO simulator fans have always wanted since that was the main selling point of the game. Either that or just make it a Tag Force mobile game featuring characters from across the franchise since fans would have been all over that too. I still really love getting more Arc V content from this game as well and I hope that those resources can be somehow used in future games. Getting the voice actors to record new lines and animating the 3D models probably wasn't cheap, so hopefully they can be used again in the future at least.

[cyberdragoninfinity]

Ruka/Luna for the character meme, if you're still doing it?

YESSSS I LOVE LUNA

favorite thing about them: Luna is my top favorite yugioh girl as of right now i love her so much!!!!!! I love her bond with Leo and I love just like...her character concept?? Girl falling into the Monster World via her brain when she was itty bitty and then a giant dragon told her it was her job to save and protect everyone. Luna had Undertale happen to her when she was like 4 and we just have to live with that and she just has to live with that too.

least favorite thing about them: unfortunately, she is a girl in a yugioh series. DOUBLE UNFORTUNATELY she is suffering from Girl In the Back Half of 5D's Disease. like i will go to bat for a lot in s2 of 5ds but MAN. THE GIRLS PROBLEM. luna's concept (the fucking fact she can talk to duel spirits!!!) is so cool and the show does barely anything with it except for that agonizing Monkey Miniarc during the dark signers. sad!!! LET HER DO MORE!!!!

favorite line: I can't think of any lines from the show proper off the top of my head but i Love if you play as leo in duel links and challenge her she says something like "Duel you? No way! You always complain when you lose!!"...i just love their dynamic so much ;__;

brOTP: HER AND LEO OF COURSE i love ygo siblings and leo and luna are my favorite 5ds characters (despite. my madnesses.)...their bond is just so so sweet and i love that you can tell even though leo's so rambunctious and obnoxious sometimes (a lot of the time) she still loves him so much. Also I'm insane and have been lost in the gx/5ds post canon crossover AU that exists in my brain where teenage luna is friends with 40-something year old chazz. one day i will talk more about this. i also have a lot i could say about Aporia and Luna having a dynamic but that would take another 3 paragraphs so I will restrain myself for now. <3

OTP: i dont have one. shes 12.

nOTP: if you ship her with any of her older/adult friends i am going to rip your bones out.

random headcanon: Trans girl, has had an on/off childhood attachment to maybe being a veterinarian when she grows up, collects books of old fairy tales, occasionally has nightmares about leo dying. :( cuz...you know. tbh luna is turning a bit into a ygo girl im just making shit up about but they forgot to give her much so im just filling in the gaps.

unpopular opinion: her and leo aren't annoying and their place on team 5D's is meaningful and sweet!!!!!!!!!

song i associate with them: It's a little bit of a 5D's on the Whole song for me but Daniel in the Den by Bastille has some big luna vibes for me primarily via "and you thought the lions were bad/well they tried to kill my brothers".....thinks about a certain leonine looking guy who did. in fact. try to kill her brother. twice. <:)

favorite picture of them:

sorry it's a group shot but i love whenever the twins hug yusei ;__; hes their fuckign DAD!!!!

[http-caedis]

SWIM (yeah right) is ready and rarin' to accept all manner of makeouts~

[Is there a totally cool and intelligent chill way to express grabby hands??]

If I were legit intelligent and smart I would know how to play the actual YGO card game by now... woops. I'm just pulling ideas out of my very fine butt over here.

SO on that note:

My first inclination would be to say that any monster or god card with a second-tier merge option would have to be established beforehand. "Combine Obelisk + Blue eyes = ____(double merge into Godly Blue Eyes or w/e)__." "Combine Obelisk + Mega Ultra Chicken = ___(double the god stats, double the fun?? rotisserie style)__." But maybe there are also some monster/god cards that can't be merged at all?

I'm also very tempted to say that with moves on the table like Tier Two Merge or whatever you want to call it, there should really be some built-in mechanic that makes the regular cards play some part in facilitating or deterring certain merges. Kinda like what I said before... if each regular turn has a chance to give you the right kind of attributes/power/stats/idk to initiate the first merge, then the game would sort of guide you toward which merges were possible based on your draws. Then, once again, you'd have to build up some power or something with a few regular game turns before you even think about trying to execute a Tier Two Mere.

...wow I really hope any of that was even halfway coherent. :'D

It's hard to say if the game would run more smoothly or way slower than necessary after adding in the "build up" part of the normal rounds. That's have to be tested a few times to see if it's realistic.

MEGA ULTRA CHICKEN 🗣️🗣️‼️‼️

Oh wait rq are you speaking for like the actual card game? Bc I meant the characters like design wise and everything 😭😭😭

I mean it can totally apply to the card game as well, but I’ve been talking about like each individual character and them merging with thE monster, similarly to Jaden and Yubel :3

But no I totally think like you said the double monsters should have a mixed name! Like Blue Eyes the Tormentor,, or Obelisk the White Dragon? Pretty epic sounding no matter how it’s put together 🙏

Going off of Duel Links and the anime, another combination could be Bakura and Dark Necrofear? How they’d look could be a slightly more feminine, androgynous build and becoming ball jointed, yknow what I mean? Like I’m using polymerization to combine a character and a monster 😭 There’s some interesting cases though, like Jaden, who eventually merges with Yubel, but can see and talk to monsters… there’s also Noah, who is literally ai 😭 I haven’t seen much of zexal, so I don’t really know the whole deal with Yuma and Astral, which can maybe interfere with the whole merging concept,,

If ur more knowledgeable on zexal than I am, explain those two to me bc what iS Astral lmao

[krawlernyannyan]

YGOMD 12-14-23

Finally playing some duels today! Haven't been able to fit time in for MD in my schedule the last couple of days but I'm back at it again in Ranked. Starting today at Silver II.

1. Labrynth vs Raidraptors. This one took like 25 minutes but fate be praised this one was a rush.

They made me go second and my only point of interaction was a Chandraglier in hand and a Lady, and I had to hit both of those early because Ultimate Falcon has a "no more playing" effect on it. I drew into Arianna, which made them proc a Fog Sword to negate her, I try and use Big Welcome to bounce it back to hand and get the effect off, but they activated a Set Infinite Impermance in the same column to make sure I couldn't use her search, but THAT just let Lady Set a copy of Daruma Karma Cannon. At that point I had no other plays so I had to pass it back to them.

At that point they did nothing but Set another Fog Blade and go to battle, at which point I activated the Daruma Karma Cannon to flip their entire field down and get rid of the Ultimate Falcon. My board's also face-down at this point but I had a Welcome available to get a Lovely out, and she got to pop the Fog Blade. They've only got three Xyzes that do basically nothing at this point, so on my turn I just ram into all of them and clear the board by battle. They finally scooped after they tried to revive the Rusty Bardiche that got sent to the GY from the Karma Cannon but I hit 'em with Ice Dragon's Prison to steal it from their GY.

Extremely long game but it's so satisfying to win these. Especially when you rank up to Silver I out of 'em!

2. Labrynth vs Dragon Link. Put up a good fight here but they Ashed my only Welcome and I just couldn't get the resources together to deal with their follow-up. [Surrender]

That's actually all the time I have today, that Raidraptor match ate up SO much of my allotted YGO time.

[authoratmidnight]

Potentially controversial YGO fandom opinion but...

Yu-Gi-Oh Sevens is good actually. In fact I think I might have to put it as one of my favourites.

Now that it’s over (alas) I wanna ramble about it. Cause it IS good. It’s fun and entertaining. Yes it is aimed at a younger audience than some of the past series (like VRAINS) but that doesn’t make it bad. And yes, the animation is different since it’s by a different studio and different animators but, again, that doesn’t make it bad. The art style works and it looks just fine imo. (Also Gallop ain’t coming back to do ygo again, fuck I don’t think they’re even doing *anime* any more period, all the animators are spread out to the wind to other studios. save for like, one long running show that’s been going since like 1996 so)

But I digress.

Honestly, it gives me early GX vibes with the zaniness and off the walls weird shit it does (which is a lot). But it works! And the foreshadowing and set up, is great! Like, probably better than a lot of the past series if I’m being honest. Stuff that you thought was a one off-throw away gag suddenly returns and you’re like ��holy shit it was important!’ And I love that shit! And the characters really do capture the essence of being a bunch of cringey, excitable tweens. Cause that’s what they are. And it’s great.

Also on the topic of the characters. Do you like girl characters who DO things? Who have good win rates? Who can and do beat the boys and not just the other girls? Well boy does Sevens have those for you. In spades. Like I know the bar for YGO ladies is literally on the ground but I think these are, probably some of the best handled female characters we’ve had? I love them, they’re great.

I actually like the concept of Rush Duels and introducing a whole new type of duelling instead of trying to come up with a new Extra Deck summoning method for the already massively bloated Extra Deck. Plus it’s FUN. It looks like a lot of fun with it’s new rule set and playstyle!

(Side note but, you also gotta remember, YGO is and will always be a glorified 25 minutes card game ad so it’s all about shilling the new format-which from what I hear is selling *really* well in Japan-and making money)

Plus, it’s really good for beginners/ppl who want to play Duel Monsters but find the TCG far to complicated to get into and play (which it is. it really is). Cause it’s not just a smaller field and deck like Speed Duels/Duel Links, it is a whole new format with it’s own cards and everything.

When it was first announced I was apprehensive, especially since I was still coming off the abrupt ending that was Vrains and the hurt from that. But I told myself I wasn’t going to judge based on the promo alone(since it was an early promo and the first ep was like 6 months out), and I would at least watch the first episode and judge for myself. And I did. And it was really fun. 

Yu-Gi-Oh! Sevens is a damn good show and I’m not afraid to say it.

[zeravmain]

Do you have a favourite YGO archetype in terms of design and or gameplay?

if we're talking design as in card art i could go over so many examples like aromages solfachord darklord dinorphia ghostrick rikka weather-painter subterror exorsister zoodiac zefra evil-twin nekroz and even some single one off archetypeless cards like apollousa underworld-goddess ip:masquerina some choice spirit monsters etc so many cards have very good designs to them due to the fact that them being static trading cards lets artists go off and i love the recent trend that we're actually getting the concept art for a good chunk of these monsters with the more recent archetypes like the albaz storyline and other set releases

theres genuinely so much thought put into the design philosophy and artwork of these cards and i really wish more people would take note but then again it is kinda hard too bc its only recently that konami is actually releasing the concept art for these esp when they aren't like anime famous cards

in terms of gameplay im waaay into pend magicians bc they're just so fun pendulum unironically revitalized the game back when they dropped in 2014 and ever since links released we got the Really Bad 1 turn combo spam into unbreakable board decks that most people associate with ygo today. that said much of casual play for it unironically is Not That, those types of combo spam vids you'll see are from pro players who get lucky hands (ygo is heavily balanced around drawing cards and having hand advantage, makes you wonder why they banned pot of greed when no one knows what it does) and more often than not cards that make decks too consistent (where a deck can create a board state you want no matter what hand you draw) with their plays are heavily nerfed with banlists and rulings (the reason zoodiacs were banned was bc their gimmick of xyz summoning into eachother made the deck too consistent so they banned the key cards that let it happen). that said i also heavily enjoy gimmick decks more than consistent decks, aromage-rikka is a favorite hombrew of mine bc plant support is kind of busted, i also like subterror bc theyre like the only good flip monster deck. i hate stall decks but more specifically stuff like exodia decks bc the match is just "opponent activates 20 cards to try and draw exodia and then nothing happens" and like its not fun for anyone, control decks are better bc they are slower paced dueling like stall but theres actual player interaction and not just "ill activate as many stall cards as possible". overall if theres anyone who'd actually be interested in playing ygo and properly learning the rulings and stuff i would recommend master duel since its a recent release entirely f2p and teaches you very easily all the rules and slowly gears you into playing the game

[keithhoward]

Links for mobile:

ABOUT RULES MUN VERSES

Follows back from acidrp-followblog 

If links aren’t working, info is also under cut:

Name: Keith Howard

Age: 29…ish (His driver’s license may disagree, but he doesn’t count the months he was dead)

Nationality: American

Sexuality: Gay

Height: 6’3

Weight: ~180lbs

Personality: Post-possession left him completely burnt out. He still has a short fuse, but is more subdued than he was in Duelist Kingdom and YGO R. This doesn’t mean he’s any nicer- still blunt and abrasive as ever, and not making any great efforts to be polite- but most of his violent aggression has dissipated without any evil gods or evil rich guys (or drugs or alcohol) to fuel it.

He is affected by the events of the manga, but carries himself like he doesn’t care or even that it’s funny. Any feelings beyond that he directs into being pissed off. Sad or terrified or flustered or whatnot is very, very hard to get out of him, especially in front of other people- he can keep his shit-eating grin on through a lot. He’s also aware his flippancy towards some of his relevant topics can get uncomfortable for others, but he doesn’t really care.

Keith would much rather talk about the things he can do over himself as a person. He’s a perfectionist and ties probably a solid 90% of his self worth into how good he is at things he likes… so add mostly retiring from Duel Monsters to the Whole Being Dead Thing, and he is not doing so hot right now. He has been picking up various hobbies the past couple of years but tends to quit anything he isn’t good at right away.

He holds industrial strength grudges, but it’s hard to actually get on his shitlist. Doesn’t forget any kindness extended towards him either- he knows he’s not an easy person to be nice to. Metaphorically and literally, by default, he will not hold the door for you, and expects the same outta you. If you slam it on him, he'll slam the next one back. If you hold it for him, he'll throw the next one open hard enough that you should have plenty of time to get through. If it's the subway emergency exit, well, that's just gonna get opened for fun B)

Note: Will be initially less hostile to Yugis and Jounouchis due to the events of YGO R, regardless of canon. Their friends are.... fine, by association, but on thin ice.

Background: Keith will openly talk about his Duel Monster career if prompted, which started when he was 23. Getting anything specific about him before that is like pulling teeth, but he’ll make the occasional vague or loaded statement or two. He comes off as an open person, and he is in some ways, but he’s surprisingly private.

With respect to that, his background outside of canon won’t be provided here- it’ll come from interactions with Keith himself.

YGO R Recap: Got brought back from the dead via Evil God Magic and the wonders of technology, for Pegasus’ adopted kids to test how to bring Pegasus back to life.  Was subsequently possessed by aforementioned Evil Gods and proceeded to lie, cheat, and cause life-threatening problems for everyone, including himself. The Evil Gods’ hold over him seemed to dissipate with their defeat and the destruction of the cards.

Post-R to now: Lives in Maine, and lives off of “sorry about the unethical human experimentation” hush money from the Tenma twins- officially, he’s on the I2 books as an employee. Also has to regularly check in to stay on the payroll, because no one really knows the long term effects of necromancy, and now there’s only one way to find out. No longer plays Duel Monsters and doesn’t own any decks anymore, but is a sort-of mentor for Jounouchi so he still keeps up with the game. Has a few attempts at sobriety under his belt, still working on it. Mostly he lays pretty low and hasn’t been up to much lately.

Note: I won’t force the mentor thing on anybody, and unless asked otherwise, I’ll drop that part of the backstory by default with Jounouchis/Joeys.

Misc:

Three pets:

Barry (Barrel Dragon): Great Pyrenees, goes with him practically everywhere.

Stu (Stupid Piece Of Shit): Stray cat he fished out of his truck engine one winter.

Brandy (Brandy Alexander): Someone’s outdoor cat he liked and so he stole it.

Almost always calls them by various nicknames, rarely ever their full names

While currently in Maine, it’s not like he’s doing anything so he can be elsewhere for whatever reason to meet characters. Pets not likely to travel with him out of the country though.

This is strictly mangaverse, so Keith’s knowledge of Battle City is limited, as he was a little dead during it. He won’t know about any anime-exclusive plotlines either, like DOMA or KC Grand Prix, but it's fine to cross verses. He is DSOD-compliant but wasn’t present for the events of it and isn’t aware of most of what actually happened. Honestly, he doesn't know what most of the plot of YGO DM is even for the parts he was alive for.

The shades are a must, but the American flag bandana has been retired and replaced with regular or no bandanas.

----

RULES

21+ to Follow/RP (RP Blogs only)

The usual no godmodding/forceshipping/etc. 

I don’t care about response length as long as there’s something to work off of (I lean more to long or mid-length responses). Icons are fine in posts as well.

I really like plotting and threads. If a longer thread reaches an agreed conclusion, I'll add some art at the end.

This blog is low activity. If I haven’t responded in like a week or two feel free to ping me, but I try to respond to everything I get eventually.

Dupes and alt dimension/multiverse stuff is fine, I recognize YGO R is in kind of a weird place in canon. Feel free to dm me to figure out how it’s gonna work beforehand if you aren’t sure or had something specific in mind. I can budge on some things.

Don’t reblog rp threads you aren’t involved in, headcanon posts, non-RP asks, or art posted on here. Any art I post here especially, I’d prefer to keep it here in its original RP blog context.

Muse =/= mun but I’m an apologist when I think it’s funny.

Muse =/= mun 2: I don’t know how to play Yugioh, I will not learn, and I will avoid the technical side of it IC as best as I can.

Muse =/= mun 3: Keith is mean and difficult. I try not to be. Nothing he says, thinks, or does represents my personal feelings.

If you're expecting hardened criminal Bandit Keith, then sorry, but that’s not here. If you’re wanting the Duelist Kingdom characterization (as in, that level of unhinged), see the R Verse. 

Any shipping will be very limited. Character needs to have been over 18 during the original canon, no exceptions. We also need to have interacted IC a few times prior. Beyond that, DM if interested, but I’ll be concerned about your muse’s standards.

OCs and cross-fandoms are tentative. Other YGO seasons are fine but I have extremely limited knowledge of them. Mutuals only.

CONTENT WARNINGS

This is the manga/R-verse of Keith so, canonically, he’s shot himself and died (but got better). Please anticipate going in that this and death in general is a subject that will crop up often. 

On that note, anything that feels tagworthy will get a “______ cw” tag. If there’s something you need tagged, ask me. I don’t need anything tagged myself.

NSFW/suggestive content will also be tagged accordingly but we are probably not gonna post anything too risqué here on David Karp’s Tumblr.

----

VERSES:

Any AUs I think would be fun or interesting to write for go here. Feel free to ask for a specific one. Feel free to ask for one not on here too, if I can make it work, I will!

Teen Verse: Everyone’s favourite bandit, pre-Bandit. Keith is 16 here, and can be his actual past self or a Duel Monsters-playing AU version depending on what you prefer. More lighthearted than the main verse.

R Verse: Unfortunately magic has consequences, and if you use demons to resurrect a guy they may linger around in his soul after. Keith’s gone and got himself possessed again in this verse, getting him back to his old Duelist Kingdom self (but worse!). With less of a solid object of vengeance to drive him, he’s more like a rabid animal in this state, ready to bite anyone who gets too close. 

Due to the Eraser's nature, it's also trying to kill its' own host. The longer Keith's possessed, the more he deteriorates. Nothing gets magically unrestored if/when unpossessed. 

Pokemon: Coming soon! ...Eventually.

----

MUN:

I’m Acid, I’m in my mid-20s, and I read Fight Club at a very formative age.

[blueeyeswhitegarden]

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My Top Posts in 2022:

#5

Thank you for responding to my ask, and for that answer, Really, I mean it. I've dealt with bad fandoms before, but the majority of the YGO Community is probably the one that would drive me insane the most. I can understand where they are coming from and why they are upset, like Zuzu not getting her own Pendulum Monsters (Which I'm still confused over because logically, it doesn't make sense for her not to have it. Then again, I don't know when she would get them, maybe Synchro?).

But that doesn't make it less painful. I'm a late newcomer to the series, I only just started getting into it 2 years ago around this time, so I wouldn't know any better about this stuff, especially YGO"s weird, and quite frankly, unnecessary female duelist problem. Like this shouldn't be an issue in the first place, yet it is. But, Arc-V, despite not exactly fully delivering, was a step in the right direction.

You're welcome! I've been familiar with the YGO fandom for a long time and I saw a lot of Arc V hate as the series progressed. People insulted me, as well as my friends, for still liking Arc V before and after it finished, so I can definitely emphasize with how bad and insane the fandom can be. There are a few reasons as to why I try to avoid the online community as much as I can and that is one of them.

I would have loved for Yuzu to get Pendulum cards, but I can see why that didn't happen. In-universe, the only way she could have gotten Pendulum cards was from Reiji and I don't think he would have made Pendulum cards for her deck. She wasn't officially a Lancer, even though he did say that her skills where on par with the other Lancers during the Synchro arc, and considering they didn't know where she was or how long it would take to find her, I don't think it would have made sense for Reiji to have Pendulum cards for Yuzu on standby. That being said, I am baffled that Konami hasn't made Melodious Pendulum cards yet. Her deck relies on her monsters being special summoned and having Pendulum cards would really give her archetype a much needed boost, as well as a couple of more Fusion monsters. I don't know if they'll do that when I'm not sure how popular Melodious monsters are in the OCG, but I love playing Melodious monsters in Duel Links as Yuzu, so giving her archetype some much needed love and support would be so cool.

To be fair, it isn't a problem exclusive to YGO in regards to their female duelists. It's more of a problem in shonen series since female characters in general typically aren't given the best writing or treatment. One could argue that this has been improved upon over time some of the more popular shonen series, but by how much is pretty debatable. Still, I'm not surprised that people see this as a YGO problem considering that there are questionable to sexist writing throughout the franchise for its female characters. It's been a pretty big talking point about the series pretty much from the start. Although, I've also seen plenty of sexist reactions from the fanbase towards the female leads too. It's kind of a complicated topic because there are plenty of issues with how the franchise as a whole has handled its female characters and plenty of ways for it to improve, but at the same time, I do think that the fanbase can be much harsher towards the female characters compared to male characters. With Yuzu in particular, I still remember seeing people wish for her to get hit or hurt because she stopped the Dragon Boys from merging in Synchro. Even before then, people were upset that she kept Yuya and Yuto apart for so long, despite how she wasn't doing that on purpose and there was a really good reason why they didn't meet for awhile. That isn't to say that there aren't any valid criticisms from fans, but just that I've noticed that some reactions over the years can also give off some sexist vibes.

I do agree that Arc V was a step in the right direction in regards to female duelists. I still think that the franchise has a complicated issue with female leads based on the series following Arc V, but ideally, they can continue to improve in the future.

4 notes - Posted September 3, 2022

#4

🔥

The Synchro arc was a good solid arc. I've rewatched Arc V a few times and while I love every arc, which in itself is probably also an unpopular opinion, this one is still my favorite. The world building was great and made the Synchro Dimension feel distinct from the other Dimensions. The pacing was solid. Every episode was important from a story and/or character perspective. Little, if anything, could have really been cut out or reduced. I loved how Jack and Crow were handled. They were prominent supporting characters as opposed to taking the spotlight away from the Arc V characters. Plus, they were incorporated into the Arc V universe extremely well without making people feel like they had to watch 5D's first. Knowing their characterizations and history from 5D's definitely added to their personalities in Arc V, but it wasn't a requirement.

The Friendship Cup was a great tournament arc. There were plenty of great duels. As much as I missed the unique Action Fields, getting to see Riding Duels again was great and they worked extremely well with Action Duels. Yuya, Sora, Reira and to a degree Shun had some terrific character development. While I do wish that they got to duel more, Yuzu and Serena's personalities shined nicely with their duels too. Serena understanding more about enjoying duels even after losing to Yugo was especially nice. Yuya vs. Jack round two is easily my favorite duel in the entire series and there is a lot of competition for that considering how many good duels there are in Arc V. They was quite a bit of foreshadowing with Zarc from how close the boys were closed to merging together and even Yuya's first duel in the tournament was extremely similar to how Zarc started to become a more violent duelist.

The backlash during and after the arc finished always seemed way too extreme to me. I can understand not liking it. I think that the world building is great and engaging, but I can understand not liking it or having a tournament arc. Dismissing the arc as filler, saying that the series was in a 5D's fever dream or claiming that they wasted time with 5D's fanservice just makes me roll my eyes and think that people really missed a lot of key points of this arc. It doesn't help that there are other arcs with much worse pacing issues, including in other series I like, and there are far worse tournament arcs in this franchise too. I just find it baffling that people still get so up in arms over an arc that, in my opinion, was pretty great.

Thank you for asking. ^_^

5 notes - Posted May 16, 2022

#3

Plenty of people have talked about what Kazuki Takashi and the Yu-Gi-Oh! franchise as a whole have meant to them over the past couple of days, but I figured that I’d try my best to convey my feelings into words.

I woke up yesterday morning to the news of his passing and it still feels unreal to me. Just the shock of seeing the headline on ANN and processing it throughout the day was just so overwhelming that I didn’t know what to say or do. It was just such a tragic and sudden passing.

I’ve been a fan of the Yu-Gi-Oh franchise since the DM dub. I had seen a few episodes early on in season one, but the Blue Eyes Ultimate Dragon duel, particularly its ending, grabbed my attention and I’ve been hooked ever since. This series has been such a huge comfort and constant presence for me for years. Arc V is my absolute favorite series in the franchise and it, as well as all of the other spin-off series, would not exist without the manga. I do have a lot of nostalgic fondness for DM too. As much as I do like Atem, Yugi being the shy kid who loves games and just wanted friends was a lot more relatable to me and I’m sure to other fans as well. The DSOD movie was such a terrific anniversary movie and a great way to send off the DM cast. It lead to so many good scenes that I just adored like Yugi and his friends talking about their futures and Yugi’s brief reunion with Atem. I didn’t know I needed that extra bit of closure until I watched the movie in theaters. The whole movie made me happy that I’ve been a fan for all these years. While he hasn’t been too involved with the franchise since DSOD, it was still nice to see him occasionally post some new artwork. Seeing his artstyle evolve over the years was impressive. Knowing that he won’t be able to do more drawings, something he clearly loved to do, is quite sad too.

I’ve made so many wonderful friends through this series. I met my best friend in middle school not too long after the DM dub started and we still talk with each other all the time. I’ve met even more people over the years through this franchise. I think that’s one of the reasons why his passing has hit me so hard. Without the Yu-Gi-Oh! manga, I wouldn’t have met so many of my friends and I would be a much more unhappy person as a result. Knowing that the person responsible for creating the franchise that has brought me so much joy and comfort over the years and has allowed me to make many dear friends is suddenly gone is just heartbreaking.

This quote from one of the manga volumes has been going around since the news broke out: https://twitter.com/danajiru/status/1544966774130544640?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1544966774130544640%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=

I’ve seen that quote before over the years, but reading it after trying to process the news for awhile finally made me start crying. Just the thought that people becoming friends through his manga brought him the most joy felt so bittersweet to me. I have jokingly say that “friendship is magic” is the theme of the franchise, but it’s true. The power that comes from forming friendships has always been a central theme of the series. I think that’s a big part of its appeal. The characters creating strong lasting bonds with each other can make it easier for the audience to be invested in them and having the cool and dramatic flare of duels with monsters on top of it can be a good hook.

I truly hope that Kazuki Takahashi knew how much his work meant to people, that it did allow many people to form friendships and that it continues to make people happy. I wish I could thank him for creating the manga, for allowing me to meet so many wonderful people and for all of the precious memories I have thanks to this franchise. I’ve been struggling to find the best way to convey how much this franchise means to me for days and I’m still not sure if I pulled it off. For now, I think this is the best I can do. I hope that Kazuki Takahashi is at peace and his family and friends will be okay as well. Thank you again for everything.

11 notes - Posted July 8, 2022

#2

Howdy. I don't know if you still do asks, but I gotta try. I saw some of your comments on Pxiao's posts and I agree with a lot of what you say. But I'm curious: Why don't you think Zuzu (Yuzu) is a plot device? I'm not asking because I disagree, I just want to know you're reasoning is. On the surface, it looks like that's the case for Zuzu and the other Bracelet Girls, especially Rin and Lulu (Ruri).

[quote=]I know you said Zuzu was the only one able to reach to Yuya, but unfortunately that doesn't exactly help that argument as it only insinuates that Zuzu only existed just to fuel Yuya's motivation at the end. I know that Zuzu, Celina (Serena), and the others could be given more screen time. That is an objective flaw of Arc-V. But even then, I like Arc-V and I'm sick of seeing so much hatred and disappointment for it, even if the other series have the same flaws that are just as bad or even worse.

I hope I'm not bothering or upsetting you by asking this. I'm not asking to be mean or patronizing, I'm just genuinely curious (Also, sorry for the long asks, not much I can do with the text limit)[/quote]

You're not bothering me and the text limit on asks can be tricky, so it's okay. I still do asks as you can tell and I'll try to explain myself as best as I can.

I don't think Yuzu is a plot device because she doesn't just exist as motivation fuel for Yuya. He clearly wants to save her and spends most of the series trying to reunite with Yuzu, but that isn't her only impact on the plot or even her only important relationship. Her friendship with Sora played a key role in his development. Yuya's first interaction with Sora in Synchro started that development in motion, but I don't know if that would have been enough to make Sora change sides without his meeting with Yuzu, especially when he was trying to help protect Yuzu and somehow stay loyal to the Professor at the same time. Their conversation was pretty vital for making him understand that Academia would be endangering more innocent people. Without Yuzu's intervention, Serena wouldn't have learned the truth about Academia and most likely would have been captured during the Battle Royal. While they don't have a relationship, Shun would have been carded by Sora if Serena didn't show up, which would have been bad given the role he had for the rest of the series. I'm not sure how Yugo would have reacted to seeing Yuya in the Synchro Dimension if he didn't meet Yuzu. He could have been more of a wild card without knowing about Academia or that Yuri was the one who kidnapped Rin. As much as people wanted Yuya vs. Yugo after seeing the third opening, that would have been pretty bad considering that regardless of the outcome, they would have been 3/4 Zarc and Yuya was struggling with being 1/2 of Zarc for most of the series. Even her relationship with Shuzo was pretty vital considering he was the first one to remember her after Standard had been transformed into the Pendulum Dimension.

Yuzu also really does not get enough credit for effectively saving the universe twice. The first time was unknowingly when the Dragon Boys were about to merge in Synchro, but knowing what we know about Zarc, Ray and the original world, it would have been game over if they had merged during the Synchro arc. They would have had no knowledge about Zarc, Ray or the original world. There would have been no way to revive Ray and they would have had fewer allies to help fight against Zarc. Yeah, she was focused on Yuya, but considering what her bracelet lighting up usually meant, it was not unreasonable for her to be worried about her friend. Yuzu was the one who was finally able to reach out to Yuya when Zarc had revived. Because they had been shown throughout the series as inspiring each other, Yuzu calling out to Yuya wasn't Yuzu being motivation fuel for him at the end. It was about how two people cared about each other so deeply that their souls were crying out to each other even after they had merged with their counterparts and been revived as their original selves.

Basically, I think Yuzu has too much of impact on multiple characters, not just Yuya, and too much of vital role in the storyline to be labeled as a plot device. I wouldn't consider any of the Bracelet Girls plot devices either. While they aren't as fleshed out as Yuzu, I think that still ignores a lot about their personalities. Serena doesn't have a lot of connections, but she still gets some solid development, so she isn't just the basis for Reira's development or extra motivation fuel for Yuya when she is captured by Academia. While we see Rin through flashbacks for most of the series, we still learn that she is smart enough to make a D-Wheel with Yugo and she wanted to defeat Jack, which at least shows that she has goals outside of being Yugo's friend. Ruri is probably the least fleshed out of the Bracelet Girls, but she still had other relationships besides Yuto and Shun and being the first one interested in Yusho's dueling philosophy, even if it was through Sayaka instead, showed her own personality and interests. Yuzu herself wants to be an Entertainment Duelist just like Yuya too. While this doesn’t get as much attention given that Yuya has more emotional conflict with his goal over the course of the series, it still shows that Yuzu has her own goal too.

I'm sadly not surprised that some people see the Bracelet Girls as plot devices. I think that is a poor surfaced level reading of their characters that is a massive disservice to them, especially Yuzu and Serena, as well as the storyline for Arc V as a whole. There are valid criticisms as to how they were handled, but most of the complaints I've seen throughout the years with them, especially with Yuzu, usually feel like missing the point or misreading their characters. Yuzu in particular is often reduced to being Yuya's motivation fuel or that her entire world revolves around Yuya. I adore their relationship, but there is more to Yuzu than just her relationship with Yuya and there is examples of that throughout the series.

I've been sick of Arc V hate for years, so I empathize with that. I would have hoped that it had cooled down over the years, but it probably hasn't. I still adore Arc V, it is my favorite Yu-Gi-Oh! series and Yuzu is still my favorite female lead in the franchise by far.

14 notes - Posted September 2, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

It’s 2022 and I’m still seeing people treat DSOD as a scapegoat for their problems with Arc V. Unbelievable. As both a bit of a vent and a possibly futile way to combat misinformation, the writers for Arc V were not working on both the show and the movie at the same time, at least not as far as I can tell. According to Anime News Network, Kazuki Takahashi, Satoshi Kuwabara and Masahiro Hikokubo were in charge of the script. Hikokubo was the only person from Arc V out of the three and he’s done the duel layout for everything since DM. There may have been people from Arc V working on the animation or other production aspects for DSOD, but as far as the writing goes, they had mostly different people working on it.

To be clear, I’m not saying that DSOD couldn’t have had an impact on Arc V’s production. Given what happened with My Hero Academia’s third movie during its fifth season, it probably did to some degree at least. My problem comes from how people have acted for years that every problem they had with Arc V was due to the movie or that the series would be drastically different if they weren’t working on DSOD. Since Arc V had the same head writer for its entire run and they had a lot of foreshadowing for major reveals from pretty early on, I highly doubt that the series would have been drastically different without DSOD. If people didn’t like the decisions and directions Arc V took, that’s fair, but treating DSOD as their scapegoat like that just has always bothered me. Spreading misinformation about the writers putting more focus on the movie instead of the show when none of the writers from Arc V were involved with DSOD is also pretty annoying.

23 notes - Posted May 9, 2022

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