The Yu-Gi-Oh! ZEXAL Thread

[AzzyFox]

For those of you who aren't aware yet, a new Yu-Gi-Oh! series was announced earlier this month. A manga will be released in Japan this next spring along with an anime.

The main character is named Yuma. He looks about the same age as Jaden and is apparently a delinquent in school.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6yQS0EIX2u0
http://yugioh.wikia.com/wiki/Yu-Gi-Oh!_ZEXAL_-_Rank_001
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yu-Gi-Oh!_Zexal

Please do share your thoughts!

[EZE]

in space?

[Light_Kaiba]

He sounds a lot like Jaden; bad in school and he kind of looks like him? This is preposterous! I can't believe the creators would do such a thing.

I think the show will probably be liked less by American audiences less than 5D's, which is really saying a lot, regardless if the show is interesting or not. I think it might be good, but that's because I've given every Yu-Gi-Oh spin-off a chance and ended up liking them. Although, the card games in space thing does seem a little too ridiculous.

[AzzyFox]

He sounds a lot like Jaden; bad in school and he kind of looks like him? This is preposterous! I can't believe the creators would do such a thing.

I think the show will probably be liked less by American audiences less than 5D's, which is really saying a lot, regardless if the show is interesting or not. I think it might be good, but that's because I've given every Yu-Gi-Oh spin-off a chance and ended up liking them. Although, the card games in space thing does seem a little too ridiculous.

In space? I haven't heard of any sort of plot.

[Thiefshipper3]

What I've heard about the plot is that he plays card games in space to save earth from aliens. That's just odd lol.

[AzzyFox]

Don't always go from what you hear in rumors. =P

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ylnuRmRhKoo

There's no shred of footage that remotely resembles outer space in the trailers I've been seeing.

[LemonsWithHats]

*sigh* These spin-offs are really starting to annoy me. Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters was genius, but I feel these spin-offs are there only to keep up the production of the trading cards. >.>

[Light_Kaiba]

*sigh* These spin-offs are really starting to annoy me. Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters was genius, but I feel these spin-offs are there only to keep up the production of the trading cards. >.>

They probably are, but oh well. I like all the three series that they have made so far. So, I might just give this new one a chance.

[AsteriskRocks]

For those of you who aren't aware yet, a new Yu-Gi-Oh! series was announced earlier this month. A manga will be released in Japan this next spring along with an anime.

The main character is named Yuma. He looks about the same age as Jaden and is apparently a delinquent in school.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6yQS0EIX2u0
http://yugioh.wikia.com/wiki/Yu-Gi-Oh!_ZEXAL_-_Rank_001
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yu-Gi-Oh!_Zexal

Please do share your thoughts!

B-A-K-U-G-A-N character design.

*sigh* These spin-offs are really starting to annoy me. Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters was genius, but I feel these spin-offs are there only to keep up the production of the trading cards. >.>

Precisely.

[Hobo]

Aside from the supposed space theme, the dude made me think of Astro Boy for some reason. Maybe it's the hair. Whatever. I just don't like him.Precisely.Seconded.

[iJaden-Eph-Aster]

*sigh* These spin-offs are really starting to annoy me. Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters was genius, but I feel these spin-offs are there only to keep up the production of the trading cards. >.>

Why do they annoy you? All three series are good, I even thought 5D's had a way better plot than DM. Yes I said I think CARDGAMES ON MOTORCYCLES! has a better plot than Duel Monstes.

Thus, Zexal probably won't be crap if CARDGAMES ON MOTORCYCLES was amazing. But I can see why people won't watch it.

[AzzyFox]

Why do they annoy you? All three series are good, I even thought 5D's had a way better plot than DM. Yes I said I think CARDGAMES ON MOTORCYCLES! has a better plot than Duel Monsters.

I actually have to agree with you there; I enjoyed the plot for 5Ds much more than Duel Monsters. I love the first series but looking back on it, the so-called "plot" just kept being rehashed over and over.

Duelist Kingdom:
-New adventure, high stakes.
-Yugi, Kaiba, and Joey play some card games.
-Yugi moves on to face the villain.
-Yugi beats villain, who becomes good.

Battle City:
-New adventure, high stakes.
-Yugi, Kaiba, and Joey play some card games.
-Yugi moves on to face the villain.
-Yugi beats villain, who becomes good.

Waking the Dragons:
-New adventure, high stakes.
-Yugi, Kaiba, and Joey play some card games.
-Yugi moves on to face the villain (and Kaiba loses during the duel, what a shock).
-Yugi beats villain, who becomes good.

See the pattern?

No offense meant to the original series, but the same plot devices being reused left a lot of people begging for something different. Kaiba is easily the most annoying anti-hero ever conceived and Tristan and Tea were just a big LOAD. They rarely did anything useful or relevant to the story.

And then we got GX and it was gooooood. =D (Admittedly I haven't finished watching it but I have seen a few episodes and I like most of what I've seen thus far.) The only real problem I had with Jaden is that he stayed in Slifer Red when he dueled like an Obelisk Blue.

Overall I thought GX was a welcome addition to the Yu-Gi-Oh! franchise and when I heard about 5Ds during LK's abridged series, I was curious. Card games on motorcycles? Why not? We've already had card games on planes, card games on trains, and card games atop a canyon.

Really, it may seem like a silly idea, but those who pay attention know that Speed World is the real reason that the 5Ds characters duel on motorcyles; it grants players extra spell power. And I absolutely loved the story of 5Ds: Lone hero seeks freedom for himself and his friends, all the while trying to fulfill his destiny as a Signer. The story was darker, there were no silly friendship speeches... There was a lot to like about this show except for the 4Kids dub.
I loved the characters as well. Yusei reminded me a lot of Atem, except Yusei was far less hammy, which I liked. Jack pulls off the anti-hero role far better than Kaiba, in my opinion.

If you ask me, I'd say the shows have been gradually getting better, not worse. I have high hopes that Zexal will be a success, and whether my hopes fade or not, I'm going to give the show a chance and watch it, start to finish.

[iJaden-Eph-Aster]

The series is set in the near future. Yuma Tsukumo is the number one bad boy at his school. Something unexpected happens as Ryoga Kamishiro challenges him to a Duel. When the mysterious entity Astral appears before them a new legend begins.

I thought this was a funny thing off of Zexal's wikia page. The main character is a bad boy.

[SupermewX300]

I'd like to see a new series based around games.

Not card games, just regular games, like the first.
Or at least including games other than Duel Monsters.

[iJaden-Eph-Aster]

I'd like to see a new series based around games.

Not card games, just regular games, like the first.
Or at least including games other than Duel Monsters.

Kinda like in season zero?

[Light_Kaiba]

I actually have to agree with you there; I enjoyed the plot for 5Ds much more than Duel Monsters. I love the first series but looking back on it, the so-called "plot" just kept being rehashed over and over.

Duelist Kingdom:
-New adventure, high stakes.
-Yugi, Kaiba, and Joey play some card games.
-Yugi moves on to face the villain.
-Yugi beats villain, who becomes good.

Battle City:
-New adventure, high stakes.
-Yugi, Kaiba, and Joey play some card games.
-Yugi moves on to face the villain.
-Yugi beats villain, who becomes good.

Waking the Dragons:
-New adventure, high stakes.
-Yugi, Kaiba, and Joey play some card games.
-Yugi moves on to face the villain (and Kaiba loses during the duel, what a shock).
-Yugi beats villain, who becomes good.

See the pattern?

No offense meant to the original series, but the same plot devices being reused left a lot of people begging for something different. Kaiba is easily the most annoying anti-hero ever conceived and Tristan and Tea were just a big LOAD. They rarely did anything useful or relevant to the story.

And then we got GX and it was gooooood. =D (Admittedly I haven't finished watching it but I have seen a few episodes and I like most of what I've seen thus far.) The only real problem I had with Jaden is that he stayed in Slifer Red when he dueled like an Obelisk Blue.

Overall I thought GX was a welcome addition to the Yu-Gi-Oh! franchise and when I heard about 5Ds during LK's abridged series, I was curious. Card games on motorcycles? Why not? We've already had card games on planes, card games on trains, and card games atop a canyon.

Really, it may seem like a silly idea, but those who pay attention know that Speed World is the real reason that the 5Ds characters duel on motorcyles; it grants players extra spell power. And I absolutely loved the story of 5Ds: Lone hero seeks freedom for himself and his friends, all the while trying to fulfill his destiny as a Signer. The story was darker, there were no silly friendship speeches... There was a lot to like about this show except for the 4Kids dub.
I loved the characters as well. Yusei reminded me a lot of Atem, except Yusei was far less hammy, which I liked. Jack pulls off the anti-hero role far better than Kaiba, in my opinion.

If you ask me, I'd say the shows have been gradually getting better, not worse. I have high hopes that Zexal will be a success, and whether my hopes fade or not, I'm going to give the show a chance and watch it, start to finish.

Yes!!! An unignorant person that gives the show a chance. THANK YOU!

Also, Jaden/Judai stayed in Slifer Red despite his extreme talent because he just likes the color red, is lazy, and thinks it looks better on him than blue. Seriously, he said that in a subbed episode.

[Ishikawa Oshro]

^_^

[YaoiMeowmaster]

I'd like to see a new series based around games.

Not card games, just regular games, like the first.
Or at least including games other than Duel Monsters.

I MOTHERFUCKING A-GREE

The card games are just annoying now. All it is, is an excuse to produce more cards in the real world so people can sell them on ebay, collect them, play with them, fap to them AND ALL THAT CRAP. :rageface:

Yes!!! An unignorant person that gives the show a chance. THANK YOU!

I'm not giving the show a chance because it fails to look like an interesting show. And I especially dislike the art style. i.e THAT KIDS FACE.

[Light_Kaiba]

Man, the only thing I dislike so far about this new show is that it has put 5D's to an end! Why? This is unfair. Also, I think people may frown upon that show because it's coming right after 5D's, which is arguably the best Yu-Gi-Oh series. I think the creators messed up when they made it directly for kids. All the previous shows weren't so why start now? I don't know, I just don't understand why they would do something like that.

[Anreyla]

I actually have to agree with you there; I enjoyed the plot for 5Ds much more than Duel Monsters. I love the first series but looking back on it, the so-called "plot" just kept being rehashed over and over.

Duelist Kingdom:
-New adventure, high stakes.
-Yugi, Kaiba, and Joey play some card games.
-Yugi moves on to face the villain.
-Yugi beats villain, who becomes good.

Battle City:
-New adventure, high stakes.
-Yugi, Kaiba, and Joey play some card games.
-Yugi moves on to face the villain.
-Yugi beats villain, who becomes good.

Waking the Dragons:
-New adventure, high stakes.
-Yugi, Kaiba, and Joey play some card games.
-Yugi moves on to face the villain (and Kaiba loses during the duel, what a shock).
-Yugi beats villain, who becomes good.


While I liked 5D's, I don't think it compares to the original at all as far as plot or characters go. (And I just have this glaring assumption that you're a dubwatcher) If you really want to see how the plots of each season relate to each other, here:

Duelist Kingdom:
-New adventure, high stakes? Sure, why not, it's a lot of money on the line
-Yuugi, Kaiba, and Jounouchi play card games (well duh, it's a tournament about card games)
-Yuugi first faces Yami no Bakura who wants his Puzzle
-Yuugi then Pegasus, who wants to be able to bring back his dead wife
-Pegasus DIES [killed by Yami no Bakura in the manga]

Battle City:
-They basically join for fun, and because Kaiba taunts Atem/Yami no Yuugi
-Yuugi, Kaiba, and Jounouchi play card games (.. In a card game tournament)
-Malik wants to kill Yuugi/Atem because he thinks Atem was responsible for his father's death
-Yami no Malik wants to kill EVERYONE [Gets killed, basically, by Atem/Malik/Rishid]
-Malik becomes good because the Pharaoh saved his life

Noah/Big Five:
-Made up by the animators, whoo
-High stakes, sure, they could lose their bodies
-Big Five members die, I assume
-Gozaburo is defeated
-Noah realizes he's a human, not a machine, he dies

Waking Of The Dragon.. I assume that's the shitty fourth season the animators pulled out of their ass:
-Stupid made up crap
-Card gamez
-Atem/Kaiba face that annoying Dartz guy
-Some other shit happens, I don't really care, that season blew

Millennium World:
-Not really many 'card games,' they battle with Kas at this point
-Touzouku-ou Bakura (or in the case of the anime's fail, Yami no Bakura in his body) wants to kill Atem and revive Zorc to destroy the world
-Yami no Bakura is defeated
-Yuugi and Atem have their Ceremonial Duel, Atem's soul returns.

The obvious reason why some of these things are the same is because.. It's a show about card games. So of course there's gonna be card games throughout, that's just a given. But they're not 'exactly' the same, the characters are very deep and complex and really, I didn't see that same complexity in 5Ds, even if I did like it a lot. Yuusei is the main BAMF character who's kind, Jack is the one who betrayed his friends to become a King, Godwin was the big bad guy who was a bit fucked up in the head. Yeah, okay. The characters weren't terrible, but they could've been better.

As far as Yuugiou Zexal goes. Do not want. We've had enough already, 5D's was supposed to be the last Yuugiou.

[YamiNoBahamut]

Seriously guys, cut the bitching about it. If you don't want to watch it, fine. No-one's gonna force you. I'm gonna watch it 'cos I give every spin-off a chance. I don't care if it's shit, my interest in the Yu-Gi-Oh! franchise will still make me want to watch it.

On a side note, I bet half the people who have said they aren't gonna watch it actually will and no matter how good it is will bitch about it somewhere ¬¬

[Anreyla]

So now apparently stating my opinion on it is automatically 'bitching'? I thought 5D's would be stupid when I first heard about it, and then I watched it and ended up liking it. If I like Zexal, that's all fine and dandy, but we don't need another Goddamn Yuugiou series, they've nearly bled it dry as it is.

[SupermewX300]

Kinda like in season zero?

Yeah. Like Moster Fight, and Yoyos and stuff.

[ggbhtg]

*Witholds judgement until there are actual episodes released*

[Ishikawa Oshro]

Just go with it. The anime means more cards which means the card game lives on longer! I'm happy

Though konami has already shown they don't need the show in order to release new cards or archetypes. Aka lightsworns p.o.d etc etc

[Florence The Thief]

hmm, it might work. We'll just have 2 see

[cupcakesprinkles]

Don't always go from what you hear in rumors. =P

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ylnuRmRhKoo

There's no shred of footage that remotely resembles outer space in the trailers I've been seeing.

maybe everyone assumes it takes place in space because that one guy called astral is from another dimension? and i guess he kinda looks like an alien. i don't know

[Light_Kaiba]

Come to think of it, I don't even know where I had heard that it was going to take place in space. I just remember seeing someone freaking out about something and calling it cardgames in space. I hope they don't duel each other in little spaceship things they have on Star Wars. That would just be fail.

[Judai Yuki]

I, personally, think it looks just silly.
But I also thought 5Ds would be awful, and I'm quite enjoying it.
I'll probably watch it, though, and see how it goes.
I'm sure it won't be /that/ bad.

I think it'll be well liked by the younger fans who know dick all about the original series.
That's usually how it happens.

[Kiristo]

I just want to know what's up with his hair. Are those red spiky things hair or some kind of accessory attachment? They have an unnatural shine to them.....Seriously, I think his hair defies certain laws of physics.

[Chimeratech17]

...and that's odd for a Yu-gi-oh protagonist?

[ThiefShipping]

My first impression was:
HOLY CRAP! THAT KIDS HAIR MAKES YUGI'S LOOK LIKE AN EVERYDAY HAIRSTYLE!
But I have to watch the anime to see if its good :D

[AzzyFox]

Zexal Opening theme: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RTLSwBVLRbg
Zexal Ending theme: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0jMKcmtX2s4

Just watched Episode 1 unsubbed and I'm already impressed with the show.

[UsagiSquared]

Personally, I have high hopes and I'm waiting for the subs.

COME OUT SUBS...!! Until I get them, I can't say much else on what I think of it... (Looks good so far though... >_> Quite frankly I enjoyed the spin offs. Until they were dubbed. Did not enjoy that. :squintyface: )

[ggctuk]

One good point to this: it seems 4Kids won't get their grubby claws on this series.

[UsagiSquared]

Hear HEAR!

Now cross your fingers so that a really good company ends up dubbing it when it ends up at that point...

[Cardmon]

Subs are out! It looks kinda odd but that's what I said about 5D's too and it didn't turned out so bad. I still have a feeling this will be the worst Yu-Gi-Oh! spin-off.

[Chimeratech17]

...could I have a link to these subs please?

[ggbhtg]

Here's a sauce for ya.

http://www.watchanimeon.com/yu-gi-oh-zexal-episode-1/

Can't wait to watch myself...whenever that'll be. :V

[Chimeratech17]

Better link: http://www.goodanime.net/yu-gi-oh-zexal-episode-1

Sorry if it makes you feel redundant, but your link didn't work for me.

[Umbreon]

My first impression: "NUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU!!!!!"

[ggctuk]

And that was before you even watched the episode :D

[LordZorc]

Me like ZEXAL so far! :D

Also, I made this AMV:

ch10t_N6M-M

[KidsDR]

This Yu-Gi-Oh! series looks just plain weird.

It also completely throws off the story formula of Yu-Gi-Oh. It started out that the original Yu-Gi-Oh series was a trilogy (Yu-Gi-Oh!, Yu-Gi-Oh! Duelist, Yu-Gi-Oh! Millennium World), and then they added GX and 5Ds and it became a trilogy within a trilogy (yo dawg I heard you like trilogies). But now with Yu-Gi-Oh! Zexal, none of it makes any sense whatsoever. Although if they would just adapt Yu-Gi-Oh! R into an anime we might be on the right track.

Also, it bugs me that it's spelled Zexal but it's pronounced "Zeel".

[Chimeratech17]

They should make YGO R into an anime. Done by good dubbers.

[Boradis]

My first impressions:

Yuma = (Yugi Mutou - (0.75 * hair) - puzzle - leather pants + pleather (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pleather) vest + 70s medallion

Astral = Atem * (Marik - tan) * (Bakura) - (obvious) evil - gravity - any clothing

Shark = ((Kaiba - money) + rules) * (Mako Tsunami - actual ocean)

Fat kid = generic anime fat kid + hat

Girl = generic anime girl

[UsagiSquared]

It's a series where the protagonist is actually BAD at the game!

...I have to pity Astral as a result though.

Seriously all you doubting this show... Give it a shot; it's a lot better than it looks.

Particularly if I can get my nitpicky friend to watch it with a smile and admit this. (She's quite the critic.)

Not to say we didn't make any jokes throughout our watching. :thatface:

[ChaosVincent1]

honestly, fiery blood and idiocy tends to make better super robot protagonists.

[AzzyFox]

I'm digging the show thus far. Just watched Episode 11, which is a TBC, and I'm looking forward to seeing how it concludes.

I love Yuma; he loses all the time but he's not afraid to get back up and try again. Shark is a pretty cool rival as well and I'm interested to see how he develops. He's kinda taking an underground/Zane route right now, which is pretty cool.

I'm hoping Yumas' family, Kotori, Tetsuo, and other friends get a bit more focus. I've yet to see Kotori duel, and I hope she doesn't become another Teá. At the very least, she's not as dependent on Yuma as Teá was on Yugi.

[AzzyFox]

On another note, what do you think of Xyz (pronounced ik-seez) Monsters? These are the new Monster Cards that were introduced with ZEXAL.

http://images.wikia.com/yugioh/images/d/dc/No17ReviseDragonGENF-JP-UR.jpg

Xyz Monsters go in the Extra Deck and you can summon them by stacking the criteria cards on top of each other, placing the Xyz monster on top. Their abilities are used via these stacked monsters and can be used during either player's turn. You have to discard a stacked monster to the Graveyard to activate the effect.

According to Konami, the simplicity of their name is due to the simple summoning requirements. Some powerful Xyz monsters such as Number 17: Leviath Dragon require just two Level 3 monsters to summon. This could renew the usefulness of weaker monster cards that few duelists use.

Also, since Xyz monsters do not have levels, they are not affected by Gravity Bind or other cards that designate monster levels.

Share your thoughts!

[ggbhtg]

Uh, don't you mean "Exceed Monsters"? Yeah, that's what ya meant.

[AzzyFox]

Uh, don't you mean "Exceed Monsters"? Yeah, that's what ya meant.

"Exceed" was a translation error.
http://www.yugioh-card.com/en/products/starter2011.html

Might not be Card Games In Space but the monsters apparently are from space. XD

[ggbhtg]

Oh. Well that's a dumber name. :V

[UsagiSquared]

I LIKE EXCEED BETTER. SO I REFUSE TO CALL THEM ANYTHING BUT.

And why does Shark make me think of a bizarre mix of Jonouchi and Kaiba now? o3o

[ggbhtg]

SHARK HELP

[AzzyFox]

Shark is definitely an interesting character. I didn't like him initially, but after watching episode 12 of ZEXAL, he's starting to grow on me. He's definitely more of a complex rival character than Kaiba, which is good.

I also like his new Xyz Monster, Black Ray Lancer. It seems to be his ace monster, and it's nice to see that we have a rivals' ace monster card NOT have 3,000 ATK points this time. =P

[SiriWesen]

Well the character design looks a lot like beyblade to me, but the first episode does look pretty intresting.

I don't like the Character Design that well, but the mainprotagonist's girlfriend seems to be really cool.

OP and ED are okay, not the best, but at least not the worst. I'm a little irritated that Yuma does not know the rules to that games, but otherwise it seems the writers just made fun of the game. (according to LK no one knows how to do it... so maybe the writers thought the same...)

[AzzyFox]

I'm a little irritated that Yuma does not know the rules to that games.

We were all new to the game at some point. In a sense, we can relate to Yuma. I'm looking forward to see how he develops his dueling skills and structures his deck over time.

[ggbhtg]

So do I, but I can't see how he's been expecting to beat people like Shark WHEN HE DOESN'T EVEN FULLY KNOW THE GAMEPLAY MECHANICS. I know it'll probably ruin that part of his character, but I'm still hoping for an episode where he actually knows a part of the gameplay through prior study instead of facing everything in a duel firsthand.

[Tormented]

Watched 8 episodes before watching Gx again.

Xyz is a retarded name, but nevertheless... The show seems worse just based on the fact that Yuma is a dumbass who barely knows how to play. When I told my bro his name was Yuma, he said "Yuma? That's a retarded name." Or something to that effect. The show is silly, with each episode (so far) 2 parters. At least it's better than 5Ds English (as Japanese. When it goes to English, it'll probably be as bad as Pokemon Sinnoh).

[ggbhtg]

Sinnoh? You didn't give up at DP? I commend you, sir. One of the few times 4kids did it better. Though that may be the nostalgia, accustom-ness to the voices, and not knowing how bad 4kids was while growing up watching them talking. :V

[Tormented]

Sinnoh? You didn't give up at DP? I commend you, sir. One of the few times 4kids did it better. Though that may be the nostalgia, accustom-ness to the voices, and not knowing how bad 4kids was while growing up watching them talking. :V

DP is Sinnoh, lol. And yes, I watched all of Sinnoh, and all of Unova so far. God have mercy on my soul. But it's not nostalgia: it really was better.

And to make it stay on topic: Shark is similar to Paul, except he lost.

[ggbhtg]

See, that's how little I care. :V As for Zexal, my opinion may be too warped by seeing other users' posts to give a 1st impression. I do wonder WHEN THE MAIN VILLIANS WILL GET HERE, THOUGH.

[SiriWesen]

So i went on watching it .. have watched three episodes so far. My favourite character: That spirit. He's awesome. HIs observation comments on the human race.. just hilarious!

Yuma definitly has to learn the rules, he can't defeat his opponents by coincidence all the time. That's like.. screw the rules, i have stupidity!

So I'm going to watch more of it to find out. I hope it gets better...
But the thing with the spirit and that necklece reminds me of Yugi and his puzzle...

can't imagine why

[ChaosVincent1]

zexal has one major flaw where they should have learned from GX

The main character is not supposed to be the fiery-blooded idiot. Now, it will only work out if Yuma proves to be good at improvising.

If the show was about physical fighting, then yes, a fiery-blooded idiot is the ideal main character. Comparing this franchise to a typical shounen series is like comparing a real robot show to a super robot show.

[AzzyFox]

The show seems worse just based on the fact that Yuma is a dumbass who barely knows how to play.

I like Yuma because he's starting as a Duel Monsters noob. I want to see how he matures and becomes a great duelist.

I do wonder WHEN THE MAIN VILLIANS WILL GET HERE, THOUGH.

Watch episode 13; it just aired and has been subtitled. ZEXAL might be taking a darker turn in the near future.

[AzzyFox]

All right, it's time for a little recap of the story events taking place thus far:

Astral needs the Numbers in order to restore his memories, but if Yuma loses in a duel against any Numbers card, Astral will fade away.

An old man named Dr. Faker is seeking to use the powers of the Numbers for himself (though I cannot see why on Earth he would call himself "Dr. Faker" XD) and he's using a boy named Kaito Tenjo, a.k.a. the Numbers Hunter, to obtain them.

Kaito is being told by a man who works for Faker that by obtaining all the Numbers, Kaito's younger brother, Haruto, will be cured. Cured of what, I don't know yet, but there is something causing poor young Haruto to act insane and demented. I'm personally interested to see how this develops.

Kaito has the ability to freeze time, affecting all but himself and those who bear Numbers cards so that he may swiftly find his target. He uses a Light attribute deck which is based around quickly summoning powerful monsters in few turns. He can keep opponents from running away from the duel by binding them to himself. To top it all off, when he steals a Numbers card from his defeated victim, he accidentally extracts the victim's soul, causing the victim to age rapidly and become nearly lifeless.

Yuma nearly lost in a duel against Kaito but Kaito withdrew after sensing that Haruto was in pain.

Something tells me this show is going to get darker over time. Haruto looks like quite the tortured soul and Kaito's power of soul extraction gives me the heebeejeebees, particularly the aftermath. It hasn't been revealed if there is a way to reverse the aging effect, making a duel against Kaito very risky.

[Chimeratech17]

If it does go dark, I hope it does it right.

[AzzyFox]

Anyone catch the duel in Episode 20? Tetsuo has got some skills there. I wonder if he has a Wind-Up Zenmaister.

[ggbhtg]

One of Yuma's friends dueling for once? NO WAY. O:

[Logi]

I heared from this new show but didn't give it a shoot yet. So I will not judge it just from its look.

I could write why I like/dislike Yugioh DM and why I could like/dislike the new series and bitch around here, but since I'm pragmatic let my just ask one question:
What's your impression of the new series?

[Chimeratech17]

I like it. Nice premise, interesting cards, Xyz, and awesome graphics. Plus, the fact that Yuma isn't an uber card-playing god is an interesting twist, expecially shows against Shark and Kaito. And yeah, Kaito and Shark are BADASS.

...pity it seems a bit rushed.

[AzzyFox]

Of the three past series, it's most comparable to GX in that it's more humorous and light-hearted. Still, I'm really enjoying ZEXAL. I get a lot of chuckles out of it and I like watching the characters grow as duelists. Since Yuma is a novice duelist right now, his duels are going to be more unpredictable than a duel featuring Yugi, Judai, or Yusei.

I also admire the creators for designing main characters that DON'T look like eye candy; life isn't full of perfect bodies, something the original DM failed to realize.

On another note about the art style, I've noticed a lot of complaints about the hairstyles. Here's what I like to think:
Do we really know what the hairstyles of the future will look like? They may seem as bizarre as what we're seeing on ZEXAL, but I like that idea. ZEXAL is full of unnatural hairstyles but it's just a concept of how things may evolve in the far future.

Even though the show is more focused on the humor, the Kaito/Haruto plot seems quite dark and I'm interested in seeing how it progresses.

[ggbhtg]

> Complaining about hairstyles IN ANIME when they have an excuse for once

Well, that's dumb.

[DJ-Porcelain]

Is it me or is Ygioh turning into a model of dragonball ? With all the spin offs and such like GX, 5d's, Zexal, and am I missing some others??

[AzzyFox]

Wow, Yuma goes DBZ in Episode 24. He and Astral combine hairstyles and he dons some armor. I don't care how cheesy or lame people think this is; I LOVE IT. XD
Apparently this is the ZEXAL power which is said to turn darkness into light. In the episode, Yuma takes this form by using himself and Astral like overlay units for a living Xyz Summon, which is pretty awesome. Kind of like DNA Digivolution from Digimon Adventure 02, if you want another way of looking at it.
(Click the Spoiler tag below to see it.)
http://images.wikia.com/yugioh/images/9/95/ZEXAL_POWER.png
One thing I have noticed is that he looks somewhat similar to Paradox and Aporia from Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's in this form. Significance, I wonder?

[AzzyFox]

It's been confirmed that 4Kids is going to dub ZEXAL and we have a few cast members confirmed by Toonzaki on Facebook:

Yuma: Eli Jay
Tori (Kotori): Eileen Stevens
Astral: Marc Thompson
Shark: Gary Mack

[ggbhtg]

Inb4 4Kids goes 1-3 in unfinished YGO dubs. >_> By which I mean, the rest of 5Ds won't be finished.

[Chimeratech17]

I sincerely hope that 4Kids at least finish Zexal for those not able to view the original untainted Japanese. I'll argue for and against the GX dub forever, but the 5D's dub destroyed any and all my faith in them after a single episode.

[AzzyFox]

Thinking about it, there's not much in ZEXAL that needs censoring, so this series might be just what 4Kids needs to get their reputation back on track.
*crosses fingers*

[Chimeratech17]

Hopefully so, but I'm not holding my breath. Especially having seen their promo materials for the series already.

[ggbhtg]

Thinking about it, there's not much in ZEXAL that needs censoring, so this series might be just what 4Kids needs to get their reputation back on track.
*crosses fingers*

they HAD a rep?

[AzzyFox]

they HAD a rep?

Remember the late 90's when EVERYONE was into Pokemon? 4Kids may not have produced a quality dub but at least it was enough to capture the world by storm.

[ggbhtg]

oh right, true.

[AzzyFox]

Toonzaki unveiled the English theme song!
http://www.4kidstv.com/yugiohzexal/episode/yu-gi-oh-zexal-main-title/3931
It's pretty good if you ask me. Some of the lyrics are a little hard to distinguish but I have a feeling this song will grow on me.

There are also a few clips from the show. I like what I see thus far.
http://www.4kidstv.com/yugiohzexal/episode/zexal-001-clip-1/3933
http://www.4kidstv.com/yugiohzexal/episode/zexal-001-clip-2/3935
http://www.4kidstv.com/yugiohzexal/episode/zexal-001-clip-3/3937

Each character has a pretty fitting voice. My favorites are Yumas' and Sharks' voice.

[Chimeratech17]

Y'all ready to feel the flow?

[AzzyFox]

Y'all ready to feel the flow?

You know it! ;)

[AzzyFox]

Here are the clips on YouTube for those of you who can't watch them on 4Kids:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GH7O0I-k1RY
(The video is mirrored as well.)

[angel of darknezz]

Revive.

I've been watching this show a lot recently. I like it. My favorite characters? Kaito, and Yuma.

[AzzyFox]

My favorite characters? Kaito, and Yuma.

Mine are Kaito, Yuma, and Shark.

[Cardmon]

Tron is cute.

[SupermewX300]

I recently started watching the subbed episodes online, and so far I'm really liking it. I'm up to ep 18 now, and my favourite characters are as follows: 1) Astral; 2) Kathy (cat-chan); 3) Shark; 4) Yuma.
Some problems I have though, firstly, Yuma is the only one who duels EVER (so far at least). Secondly, Yuma is still a crap duelist. Now, this may just be logic talking, but surely by now (considering that Astral relies on Yuma winning to stay alive), Astral would have taught Yuma some strategy, or AT LEAST helped him improve his deck. Because right now it just seems like he's taking his own existence for granted, what with him basically winging it every duel and hoping for that one draw, almost constantly.

[AzzyFox]

Just watched Episode 33, and... Wow. IV creeps me the heck out. He's an awesome antagonist.

[AzzyFox]

4Kids is gonna hate Episode 41. Yuma actually kicks a man in the...where it hurts. XD

[SupermewX300]

Okay, so, wait. Did Yuma just go Super Saiyan?

[LordZorc]

http://yugioh.wikia.com/wiki/Yu-Gi-Oh!_ZEXAL_-_Episode_048

WUT.

[LordZorc]

My favorite characters? Kaito, and Yuma.

Mine are Astral and Shark.

[AzzyFox]

Ugh, III! I liked you! Then you turned into a big fat cheater! >_<

[LordZorc]

...

[AzzyFox]

Despite the cheating tactics, the duel between Yuma and III has been pretty spectacular.

[AzzyFox]

I can honestly say that the main factions of antagonists in ZEXAL are my favorite out of any antagonists in Yu-Gi-Oh thus far. They all have believable relationships with each other and its interesting to see them talk to each other.
III, IV, V, Kaito, Gauche, Droite. All of them are good characters. Tron creeps me out and I'm interested to learn more about him. I'm also looking forward to seeing V duel.

Also, prior to Episode 51...
CARD GAMES ON ROLLERCOASTERS!

[Emelinee]

I'm beginning to wonder if I should watch Zexal. Discussions on this site about GX and 5Ds have led me to decide to give them a chance in the future, but I'm still undecided on Zexal. I don't know what it is that puts me off, but this thread has somewhat persuaded me. How many episodes are already available online, subbed? Or has the dub started already?

[yaminokristie]

How many episodes are already available online, subbed? Or has the dub started already?

Most of the episodes are available subbed online about a day after being released in japan. And yeah, the dub has started already - it's up to episode 22 and there's a new one every Saturday morning. I started watching it a few months ago, mainly because I didn't watch 5D's and I wanted to give this one a try. I'd say it's an okay spin-off. You should definitely watch a few episodes to see what you think. Hope this helped :-)

[enaeem]

In the silence of the damp moonlight
sat alone the a hero in his own right
a person who had fought for everything
yet after it all having nothing
Sang he a solemn cry
as he stared at the starry sky
banished was he from all of them
Sat alone atem
As he condemned those spin off shows
Those vultures, those crows
For he does not want the fame
Nor does he curse or blame
He wants just one last card game

[ChaosVincent1]

i think rei shingetsu is a varian spy
Rio Kamishiro is dangerously close to Sue levels in terms of attracting males in the show... spared from this by the fact that the only regular character who likes her in that way is Tetsuo. Not gonna stop the fans from shipping her with IV.
Personally, I think IV crossed the insanity event horizon a while back.

[Cardmon]

I like Rio. And IV. Especially IV. And Accidentshipping(IV x Rio). Insane IV is the best IV.