Colloquially known as Yu-Gi-Oh! Season 0, this show loosely follows the plot of the original Yu-Gi-Oh! manga, which was actually a horror series that focused on villain-of-the-week stories and all manner of games, not just Duel Monsters. Yami Yugi is a dark, imposing figure here, who doles out punishment games to anyone who wrongs him, shattering their psyche and leaving them a shadow of their former selves.
Your enjoyment of this show will almost entirely hinge on your feelings towards the rest of the Yu-Gi-Oh! franchise. If you love Yu-Gi-Oh!, there's probably at least some entertainment to be gained from this show for you. To someone like me, who's been a Yu-Gi-Oh! fan their whole life, it's incredibly charming. If you hate Yu-Gi-Oh!, you probably won't enjoy this. The tone is different, there's less focus on The Power Of Friendship, but it's still very clearly a Kazuki Takahashi production, so if you simply can't stomach the way he writes, then this show isn't for you. Still, if you like darker shows and games of all kinds(from cards to puzzles, all the way to laser tag) and don't mind watching something that's a little rough around the edges, Season 0 is a little hidden gem that stands on its own two feet just fine without any propping up form the later seasons.
STORY: 7
Not much cohesion from episode to episode, mostly content to tell standalone stories that can frequently venture into the realm of the ridiculous, it's hardly a masterpiece of modern storytelling, but I find myself interested and intrigued by each new game, the motivations of the antagonists, and how Yami will defeat them. Kazuki Takahashi's passion for all games shows, and it makes for a show that manages(to me, at least) to be somehow endearing and dark all at once.
If you're a person that loves dark media, though, be warned that it isn't really that dark to a seasoned veteran. Despite more adult themes and horror-esque elements, it still manages to be mostly kid-friendly, even though it's not made for children.
ART: 5
It's okay. It serves the purpose. You probably won't be confused by what's happening on screen, so it manages to convey that much. It very much looks like a cheap anime from the era. I like the color choices they make and it can definitely have nostalgic appeal to you stylistically, which bumped it up from a 4 to a 5 for me, but I'd be lying if I tried to claim any more than that.
SOUND: 6
I never noticed anything explicitly bad about the sound design of the show. I think it's a solid 5 in that it wasn't bad and didn't detract from the show at all, but I really like the opening theme so I decided to be generous and bump this score up as well.
CHARACTER: 7
This and the enjoyment section are probably my strongest biases. The characters, if you're looking at this as a standalone product, probably aren't that great. But I love, love, LOVE season 0's Katsuya Jounouchi. I love how he's a shitty little delinquent punk, I love the decision to make his father an abusive drunk(not a spoiler, revealed fairly early on and mostly only mentioned in passing. It serves its purpose of explaining how Jou-kun became who he is, though). I also love this series's darker Yami, how tough Anzu is, and Honda is just a little better fleshed out to me. If you've never watched Yu-Gi-Oh! and decide to watch season 0 and nothing else, the characters would maybe be a 5. Possibly even 4, since the focus being on VOTW doesn't always leave time for the characters to grow all that much. Returning fans, though, will most likely find these takes on beloved characters refreshing and interesting.
ENJOYMENT: 9
It's just fun! It doesn't actually take itself all that seriously, the villains can actually get pretty out-of-the-box, Kazuki Takahashi managed to find obscure games that I've still yet to see gain any exposure, making their involvement in the show really shine, and it doesn't drag on and on like other seasons of Yu-Gi-Oh!. If you dislike Yu-Gi-Oh! because of its length, this is sort of like a darker, more condensed version with a slightly different focus. If you just don't like Yu-Gi-Oh! at all, you'll probably get a lot less enjoyment out of it than I did, but I loved it from start to finish.
OVERALL: 7
All around a fairly appealing and fun little romp through the darker side of the meadow. Well, slightly darker. Shaded, maybe. Like, under a tree or something. Still, it's appealing and short and worth your time if you're interested in it.
