The appeal and evaluation of the third installment of the "Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's" series

"Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's": A new story of future cities and duels

"Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's" is a TV anime series that aired from 2008 to 2011, and is the third installment of the "Yu-Gi-Oh!" series, originally created by Kazuki Takahashi and Studio Dice. This work is set in a futuristic city that goes one step further than the previous "Yu-Gi-Oh!" series, and introduced a new format of riding duel using the evolved form of the Duel Disk, the "D-Wheel," providing a fresh surprise to viewers.

Story and setting

The story is set in Domino Town several decades after the time of Yugi Muto. The town has been transformed into a futuristic city called "Neo Domino City" with a hierarchical society. The protagonist, Yusei Fudo, rides his D-Wheel from the lower area to the upper area and races to the Duel Stadium where his former rival, Jack Atlas, is waiting. Yusei's goal is to retrieve the Stardust Dragon, a card that is important to him and his friends, and in the process, he will face various challenges with his friends as a Signer with the "Dragon's Mark".

The story of Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's revolves around the conflict between the Signers and the Dark Signers, and the epic tournament known as the World Riding Duel Grand Prix (WRGP). Guided by the Red Dragon, the Signers are plunged into a battle to protect the future. The story explores the theme of carving out the future through duels, depicting friendship, bonds, and the growth of each individual character.

character

The main character, Yusei Fudo, is a young man who looks smart and cool, but also cares for his friends and has a passionate heart. He is dexterous and can assemble the D-Wheel himself. Jack Atlas is a duel king with a noble spirit and genius dueling skills, and chooses to walk the path of walking with his friends rather than being a loner. Crow is a foul-mouthed but passionate person who cares for children and friends, and inherits Yusei's birthmark and becomes the fifth Signer. Aki Izayoi awakens to her powers as a psycho duelist at a young age, and begins to open up under Yusei's influence. Ryuya and Ryuka are twin siblings, with Ryuya being active and clumsy, and Ryuka being quiet but making sharp remarks. Carly Nagisa is a newspaper reporter who came from the countryside and dreams of success, and has a crush on Jack. Mikage Sagiri and Tetsu Ushio are members of the Security Special Investigation Division, Mikage has a crush on Jack, and Ushio is devoted to Mikage. Placido, Luciano, and Jose are the new chiefs from Iliaster, each with a different personality.

Production and staff

Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's was a co-production between TV Tokyo and NAS, with animation produced by Gallop. The series was directed by Katsumi Ono and Naoki Hishikawa, with Katsumi Ono as general director, series composition by Atsuhiro Tomioka and Shin Yoshida, and duel composition by Masahiro Hikokubo. Character design was by Shuji Maruyama and Kenichi Hara, monster design by Futoshi Higashide, and mecha design and mecha animation direction by Yuji Kokai. Music was provided by Wall 5 Project, Yutaka Minobe, Yasufumi Fukuda, and Masatoshi Moriwaki, with theme songs and insert songs also provided by various artists.

Theme songs and music

The five opening themes were "Kizuna" by Kra, "LAST TRAIN -New Morning-" by knotlamp, "FREEDOM" by La-Vie., "BELIEVE IN NEXUS" and "Going my way!!" by Masaaki Endo. The five ending themes were "START" by Masaki Nakagawachi, "CROSS GAME" by Alice Nine, "-OZONE-" by vistlip, "Close to you" by ALvino ~ALchemy vision normal~ and "Mirai Iro" by Plastic Tree. The inserted songs were "You say...Tomorrow" by La-Vie., "Clear Mind" and "YAKUSOKU NO MELODY" by Masaaki Endo. These songs effectively express the development of the story and the feelings of the characters, and play a role in drawing out the emotions of the viewers.

Evaluation and impact

"Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's" was praised as a new attempt that distinguished it from the traditional "Yu-Gi-Oh!" series. In particular, the introduction of the Riding Duel created a visual impact and succeeded in increasing the sense of speed and tension of the story. In addition, the grandeur and depth of the story, such as the conflict between the Signers and the Dark Signers and the development of the WRGP, were also praised. There were also many episodes depicting the growth of the characters, friendships, and bonds, which moved the viewers.

This work also influenced the later "Yu-Gi-Oh!" series, and especially "Yu-Gi-Oh! ZEXAL" and "Yu-Gi-Oh! ARC-V" introduced new elements to the duel format and story development. In addition, related works such as "Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's Evolving Duel! Stardust vs. Red Demons" and "Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's Jump Super Anime Tour 2009" were produced and became popular among fans.

Recommendations and how to watch

"Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's" is a work that depicts a story that paves the way to the future through duels, and there are many episodes that depict friendships, bonds, and individual growth, which will impress viewers. In particular, you can enjoy the visual impact and depth of the story, such as the speed and tension of the Riding Duels, the conflict between the Signers and Dark Signers, and the spectacular development of the WRGP. Possible ways to watch it include purchasing the DVD or Blu-ray, or using a streaming service. In particular, streaming services allow you to watch the entire series at once, so you can enjoy following the flow of the story.

"Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's" was praised as a new attempt that distinguished itself from the traditional "Yu-Gi-Oh!" series, and it influenced subsequent series. It is a work with many appealing features, including episodes that move viewers and duel scenes that have a visual impact, so be sure to give it a watch.