As an anime, you could say there are better than this, well of course, thing is, if you've played YuGiOh in some way for a long time, playing against many decks, you eventually get into the playstyle a lot, and I mean a hell lot into it. This will perform a good effect while watching the anime so you start making up some lore of the cards that are written in their effects, other cards, etc. This specially happens during the final 20 episodes or so. Plotwise it has few unnecessary arcs but before the last main arc you are going to get the worst thing ever made in YuGiOh, with a bad animation, plot and basically everything, even though the previous arc to this is also another fill, but unlike last mentioned, this one had marvelous music and great animation at peak points, which made the arc more than bearable (talking about doma/atlantis/dartz arc).
Now, about the characters, I really couldn't imagine myself liking Jonouchi, he seemed like a dumb duelist headed to failing always, BUT, he has a great development, such a great development that he's my second choice for best character in the anime. First place? MOTHER FUCKING KAIBA SETO, simply perfect, looked like a Vegetta character, but he's flawless, you always to see him struggling over his defeats, himself and the world, even if I thought he couldn't be improved, as the episodes went on, he kept improving, GOD, how much more perfect can he get?!
My favorite villain ought to be Bakura, even though Marik seemed lame, he improved decently and became a nice villain, but Bakura is another level, he's the best kind of villain you could ask for this show, he's very well defined even through his deck's strategies and theme. That's another thing amazing about this anime, every character is reflected in their own deck, doesn't matter if it's someone only focused on brute power, dark low tricks, constrictive strategy or whatsoever, no one has two exact decks.
About music, GOD DANG IT IT'S AMAZING, throughout the anime you get to listen to some "key songs" that may or not repeat depending on the episodes, but the thing is that the song that inspired a frightful feeling 3 episodes ago, now it's EPIC and it doesn't feel wrong at all because they know how to use and the exact frame when to use it. 10/10 simply.
Now, suming up, this anime has some unnecessary arcs that may be dull sometimes, but everything (or almost imo) is made up for something in particular, so, I would strongly recommend this anime if it's for someone who's a true and veteran duelist, not for any regular anime watcher, being able to play the cards, know their mechanics, effects, and mostly important, to let yourself be carried by the story, it's a magnificent choice.
P.D: NEVER go for the dub, it's incomplete and it censors many things, so it's more a children friendly anime when it's not AT ALL.
