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Yu - Gi - Oh!is one of my early anime fixations from childhood , a brilliantly entertainingShonen Jumpseries from before the days of the Big Three . I followed it religiously , collecting its notice and becoming an experient role player . I ’ve long since fallen off the hobby , though , and look back , I was irked by how its series touted yet broke its prescript . While theYu - Gb - Oh!card game is implausibly fun to dally , but in the anime adaptation , especially the original story , ruined its appeal withegregious , unneeded cheating , namely in Yugi ’s Battle City bout with Seto Kaiba .
While plot armour and various thrilling tress are enough need to divulge the convention occasionally , it felt particularly bothersome in the Battle City Arc when the series seemed to signal it was more attentive to these tenets . Instead of the shenanigans and incoherent gameplay register in the first time of year , TV audience like myself were lure into a false premise , only for its protagonist to be written out of losing many times over .
However , my autopsy of the first series , without plunge into its seven spinoffs , originates fromone blatant wander incident involve the Flute of Summoning Dragons in Yu - Gi - Buckeye State !
Custom image by J.R. Waugh
These Yu - Gi - Oh ! anime decks were consider at one point in time the best strategies in the real life game .
Yami Yugi Stole the Match Against Kaiba in Battle City
A Clear Case of Rules as Written Being Ignored
Many articles talk over Yugi Mutou and his pharaoh companion , Yami Yugi ( or Atem ) , cheating inYu - Gi - Oh!largely to generate plot twists and for the primary characters to survive . However , to simplify , Kaiba make a relatively textbook play featuring two cards from his Starter Deck : Lord of D and the Flute of Summoning Dragon cards , bringing him the rest of his three Blue - Eyes White Dragons . It ’s a classic Kaiba play using his fantastically powerful cards , which , while not his most innovative , backs Yugi into a recession as he ’ll lose , but then has an objectionable " Heart of the Cards " second .
Kaiba ’s two key bill of fare in this instance are :
Yugi abruptly realizes , even after Kaiba has made his move and is about to aggress , that he can summon his Red - Eyes Black Dragon and utilise it alongside a circle of gob cards to imbibe the brunt of Kaiba ’s assault . This rule - breakage does n’t end the plot , simply push Yugi closer to the brink and temporarily setting Kaiba back . It ’s an absurd font ofYu - Gi - Oh!establishing a vindicated pillowcase of Rules as compose in the tabletop biotic community , trump Rules as Implied , as the Flute of Summoning Dragons is mean only for the user;YamiYugi is a cheater .
Battle City Reminded Me That Yami Yugi is a Munchkin Protagonist
Winning at All Costs is Not a Good Look
I loveYu - Gi - Oh!‘screator Kazuki Takahashi , and revere him as a poor boy , specially in light of his tragic fate of drowning while saving others , accord to People Magazine . His fictional franchise has created a global phenomenon . However , the gambling biotic community would call Yugi Mutou ’s Atem alter ego a " munchkin " who ruin the plot and plays to gain at all costs . There are many part of the franchise where he can make headway through sharp strategy or feat of skill , but often , he breaks the rules at the perfect time to win , yetYami Yugi and other characters have done worse .
In the manga predating Duelist Kingdom and Battle City , Yami Yugi makes up biz at numerous points in echt spirit - or - death scenario , including one called " One Finger BATTLE ! " where Yami Yugi dictates the biz ’s linguistic rule , so players can only use one of their ten finger’s breadth . The convict chooses the index finger of his manus holding the pistol . Still , while stream his vodka , Yami Yugi chooses his thumb , alight the convict ’s cigarette for him , then place the lit zippo lighter on the back of the convict ’s hand , making him unable to move . Despite zippo lighters in all likelihood lasting up to ten minutes before the fuel exhausts itself , the convict panics , dropping his cigarette and immolating himself . When backed into a corner , Yami Yugi will make up any rules to get out alive .
Yami Yugi ’s remorseless power gamingwas always manifest before Battle City , with derisory cases arrive at a fever pitchwhen he uses Living Arrow while using Polymerization to flux Mammoth Graveyard to Kaiba ’s Blue - Eyes Ultimate Dragon . This becomes instances where it ’s even less strictly a munchkin and just a child making up linguistic rule as they go along , as there ’s no Fusion card conjoining the already - conflate Blue - Eyes Ultimate Dragon with Mammoth Graveyard . But it ’s a play made to essentially attach the victory , which , to Yami Yugi ’s credit , is rank , yet a more crucial move than in Battle City .
Still , plenty of aggravating incident subsist beyond this , including destroying the background beneath the Egyptian God Cards , which is n’t in the rules . One instance of cheating inYu - Gi - Oh!includes Yugi attacking a field card and having his Giant Soldier of Stone attack the Full Moon card in the " Attack from the Deep " installment . ultimately , Yugi ’s Deus x Machina moments admit change essence of cards on the fly , like the Multiply card , which bring forth " one thousand " of Kuribohs in multiple instances despite only being able-bodied to summon a uttermost of five – Yami Yugi makes thing up to win .
Yu-Gi-Oh!’s Rules Are Part of the Problem
The Manga and Anime Change the Card Game Rules A Lot
For those who receive into the series when the Duelist Kingdom Arc began , the card biz was hitting its pace in the West , shortly to become the highest - selling card game . Yet , the linguistic rule hardening was antiquated in the manga and gum anime , with no tributes needed even for high - grade teras , no ability to attack enemies ' Life Points , and LP being set low at 2000 . Everything was set up to produce thrilling duel between monster and for couple to be concise inYu - gilbert - Oh!,but cheat and guile have long since been a major issue of which many graphic symbol are guilty .
By many account statement , Battle City ’s ruleset was like a distilled version of the received rules , which featured 8000 L-P , albeit without ridiculousness like Obelisk the Tormentor ’s anime power to make headway infinite flack detail after sacrifice two fiend .
The card secret plan was known at the time in - universe asMagic & Wizards , with veneration for a combination ofMagic : The GatheringandDungeons & Dragons , and evolved . In Battle City , Life Points were further to 4000 , Effect demon became the norm , and mates countenance players to attack opponents directly . By many accounts , Battle City ’s ruleset was like a distilled version of the standard rules , which sport 8000 L-P , albeit without fatuousness like Obelisk the Tormentor ’s anime ability to gather infinite attack points after sacrificing two colossus . The rules , or understanding thereof , inYu - Gi - Oh!are part of the problem .
Yu-Gi-Oh!’s Card Game is Less Fun to Watch Than to Play
While execute substantial , legitimate play inYu - Gi - Oh!can be thrilling for a player , watcher may have a dissimilar experience , so perhaps making up ruler or cheating is an escapist measure for players in the hearing . When I execute the game , I work up my favorite deck using lynchpin from the " Legacy of Darkness " and " Invasion of Chaos " set . I built a formidable Chaos deck featuring Yata - Garasu , Black Luster Soldier — Enjoy of the Beginning , andKaiba ’s Chaos Emperor Dragon — Envoy of the End . However , the rule as Written for these three cards border on oppressive .
While executing impregnable , legitimate shimmer inYu - Gi - Oh!can be thrilling as a player , spectators may have a different experience , so perhaps making up rules or cheating is an escapist measuring for participant in the audience . For instance , if Magic Cylinder ’s burden were the same as in the substantial card game , Yugi would have won fair and square against Kaiba without using the Red - Eyes Black Dragon .
Essentially , the " Chaos " material body I had would guarantee that I could merchandise 1000 LP to discard as many cards in the resister ’s and my hand , deal 300 LP damage to my opposer for every card , and prevent them from draw more . Black Luster Soldier would deal with any stragglers , being able to attack again if successfully destruct a monster in fighting . It was a nasty play , but it was permitted briefly before being ban . Crucially , it was grant , and this sort of gameplay , along with far more advance plays , is still pervasive decades after inYu - gilbert - Oh !
Source : People Magazine
