Mar 1, 2014
Right, so before I write anything, I'd like to say one thing:
Before you watch this Anime, you need to get past the fact that pretty much 70-80% of people who have watched the original will say that GX is terrible.
Obviously reviews are very much subjective; I am writing my opinion of the show here, and other people's views may differ. This is just my view.
Okay, so GX is obviously the follow-on series to Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters, and is set just after the events of the first series.
STORY: 7/10
It follows a new protagonist, Jaden/Judai Yuki, in his adventures at Duel Academy, a school where students
...
are sorted into different three houses depending on their skills as a duelist and their time at the academy, and study Duel Monsters essentially.
Now off the bat you're probably thinking 'This is the corniest thing I've ever heard', but don't let that deter you! GX, past the first few episodes and admittedly getting past a few irritating characters, is quite a strong series with a good story and overall very enjoyable. At first the story follows Jaden and his friends mostly getting into all sorts of trouble at school, mostly centered around his rival, Chazz Princeton, and a professor at the school Vellian Crowler who is determined to expel Jaden by all means necessary. However, past the first few episodes the story begins to darken slightly, as the protagonists are faced with a threat to the school and the dueling world itself. It's down to the protagonists to save the dueling world as they know it. I would be more specific as to what this threat is, but that'd ruin the plot.
One problem admittedly with the story is that initially it does take a while to get into this interesting plot line mentioned above, and this time beforehand could be enough to convince the viewer that this show is really bad. But I would heavily suggest sticking with it, because it does get better.
ART: 6/10
The artwork in the show is very similar to that of Duel Monsters, and for an anime that was produced in the early 2000's, I'd say it's quality is pretty fair. At times it's obviously a bit shoddy, but otherwise it's rather decent animation and artwork quality, and it doesn't tend to give you a headache like other animes out there.
SOUNDTRACK: 8/10
This might just be me, but I couldn't get enough of the OP. The lyrics admittedly, are INCREDIBLY corny, but the music in the opening is just very up-beat and lively, and it sets the tone for the whole of the series really; light-hearted for the most part. And the music within duels is very true to most animes in the way it tells you what's about to happen. There are various soundtracks which scream 'THE PROTAGONIST IS ABOUT TO WIN', in which you prepare yourself for some epic combo which you could only dream of pulling off in reality, that is if you have any interest in the card game. What is disappointing, however, is that I can't find any of the soundtracks anywhere on the internet.
CHARACTERS: 6/10
I myself will admit, there are a fair few characters in GX which you just can't stand, and it varies for a lot of people. My favourite character is Chazz, mainly because I find it hilarious how overwhelmingly cocky he is, and his deck is pretty funny also. But additionally he has a fair bit of character development; playing the anti-hero for the most part, he goes from being an enemy of Jaden's to an ally, and from there swaps roles rather frequently sometimes; and it turns out that he's not so much of a bad person as you'd think. However I understand that a few people probably find Chazz incredibly irritating, just as I find Chumley incredibly annoying, which is why I rate the characters 6/10; while you will love some characters, you will not be able to tolerate others at all.
OVERALL: 7/10
This anime's intended audience is obviously with the younger children, but honestly it can be enjoyed by just about any anime fan I'd say, even if they have no interest in the card game itself. A fair warning though: this anime does contain a fair amount of 'the power of friendship', so if you're one of those people who is physically ill every time you hear some longwinded speech of how he's come so far because of his supporting friends, then I wouldn't recommend any Yu-Gi-Oh! series to be brutally honest. If you honestly don't mind about the friendship power however, then I would recommend this anime if you want something to watch. It's got an engaging story, mostly enjoyable characters, and some of the soundtracks will stick in your head like glue.
Reviewer’s Rating: 7
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