Cardfight!! Vanguard: Divinez Deluxe Kesshou-hen

This season is kinda iffy and uninteresting, to say the least. The main plot is predictable with most of the main cast being uninteresting to watch.

As it stands, this is essentially a season that aims to bring back old characters from the overDress era and have them fight with some of the cast, namely those who haven't gotten as much time to shine. In that regard, they did a pretty solid job, bringing some cool matchups that would've seemed like a pipe dream back during season 2. They did a solid job with it here, but nothing really adds to the plot in a substantial ... way that defines the tone for the season.

Most of the main cast at this point are kinda there to do their cardfights before moving on. Not even the main character, Akina, is really getting development anymore; he's basically just a main character who's defeating the obstacles in front of him, with not much more. The only character that is getting decent development is Erika, but even at this point, her character arc seems to be wrapping up (if it hasn't already wrapped up in the first place).

With the list of events basically being blatantly put in front of us, it's hard to recommend this season, especially when it feels like the primary stakes of the show are gone for the main character. They probably could have fleshed it out way more using this season's structure, but it ends up being the crew being dragged around to different places to fight the old cast. They probably should have set a roadmap for character development across the entire Deluxe arc instead of cramming most of it into season 3. Animation is still pretty good though.

My opinion of the last season of Divinez Deluxe was a decent ending but without surprises since a lot of character development was sacrificed to reach that ending. I know this was a tournament arc, but for God's sake, improve your writing for the future saga, we can't fall into these bad comedy mistakes. Stop introducing so many cliché characters, developing more of the world's cry, and allowing new characters to be imposed, claiming they are the best of the best in the series, only to see them lose badly instead of giving good development to the existing characters. This is due to the inconsistent ... writing that this anime has today, for example:

1- Our protagonist Myoudou, Akina, asks the questions she was searching for out of passion with the Vanguard, had already obtained the answer in the Gabwelius tournament, there was no need to go back to that question, what should have been done was to reaffirm her decision to be a professional and develop her relationship with Inabe, Nao.

2- Why did they introduce the new characters Rokuouin, Suzune, and Miyako, Ruka? First came Rokuouin, Suzune and was introduced as one of the strongest professionals to later lose in the rankings was just the rich girl's toy who had no opinion in her family and Miyako, Ruka the first captain of Blackout who is not mentioned in the first seasons of the saga here they do not force them in to make us believe that everything was planned of course they were bothered with a chapter to mention her story with Blackout to make us believe that she is a mysterious and strong character that no one ever reads won of course because in all the time of the story she spent wandering throughout Asia, this is just an annoying and sanctimonious character who only knows how to say that her lifestyle is good

2- I liked that all the characters were reunited in this closing of the saga, the battle of Myoudou, Akina and Kondou was interesting, Yu-yu was somewhat predictable but it is understandable that Kondou, Yu-yu won because she has more experience, the only thing I did not like was the treatment they gave to several characters, some were Forgotten and others did not have a good development this season like Kondou, Yu-yu everything that happened in the previous tournament for him not to be a professional in the European league is understandable given the personality I would like to have another job but I couldn't be both professional and fashion designer and Ookura, Megumi was left as the weakest leader Blackout with the weakest forgettable development this season

3- I hope that next season has a better development of the world's lore since it is becoming common to see many contradictions like why Myoujou, Erika says that her time to become a professional is running out due to an age limit if there are professionals older than her like Kiyokura, Taizou

Cardfight Vanguard was previously renown as THE card game anime all about nice character interactions and "real feel" of characters playing at a local to tournament level.

Unfortunately the D series Deluxe arcs are not that. And this one in particular cause theres no fantastical cult subplot this time, it wants to be a tournament arc so bad. But it is way WAY below the standard. And unfortunately unlike what the fandom usually says, the change in episode count per season can't really defend against recycled plot points, flanderization, and barebones storytelling, being beat out by anime of similar episode count within the same ... season.

What was the point of Deluxe? Well first of all, it was for Akina to discover what Vanguard means to him. Totally not a a question thats been asked to other major characters in this era before. So Akina has his answer already, and has his little forced ship with the barely written but highly popular Inabe Nao, and so we know hes guaranteed for the finals.

Ok so what then, this is a tournament right? What about the other combatants. Surely theres some draw. I mean we knew μ's would be winning the Love Live in season 2, so the show has to be carried by the storytelling to the top, that's what DivineZ Deluxe would do right?

Nope.

The new character is just kind of boring despite being the new "super secret strong cardfighter" overtaking Kagetsu, and the returning cast? Regressed for forced drama and "comedy" because what is character growth and moving characters forward? And finally Megumi once again is going to job because Kinema Citrus has nothing else for her in all 9 seasons of this show thus far. And we aren't at the halfway point yet. In a finale of a tournament arc.

There is neither an engaging story to follow because our mc has his answer already, nor entertaining fluff from your favorite side characters which is a shame cause THAT WAS WHAT STOOD OUT ABOUT DIVINEZ WHEN IT STARTED AS THE FIRST SEQUEL ANIME SINCE VANGUARD G!!! The quality drop from DivineZ season 1 to now is INSANE. I'd rather watch Battle Spirits Burning Soul, that show is bad for being all fights and not much else in terms of character writing or plot. But at least it knows what its doing and can sell me on conflict and cards.

The fact this is the only card game anime airing this season as Yugioh stopped airing too at the time of writing, it just feels like kind of a depressing time for card game anime. DivineZ concludes at the end of the season and no card game anime news for a while. Well maybe news for Vanguard be it a clean slate and wiping away the "DZ" set numbering for something new again or somehow managing to hold onto Akina for another story.