Yu-Gi-Oh! Zexal
Synopsis
In the bustling and futuristic city of Heartland, a young boy named Yuuma Tsukumo has a dream that everyone his age wants to achieve—earning the title of the greatest duelist! Sadly, due to his lackluster dueling skills, this dream is far from achievable. But when the school bully, Ryouga "Shark" Kamishiro, splits the key given to him by his father into two pieces, he inadvertently sets Yuuma on a collision course with his dream. Retaining one half of the key, Yuuma begins a duel with Shark, but soon realizes that his inexperienced skills are no match for him. In a sudden turn of events, Yuuma's key repairs itself, and the "Door of Destiny'' appears before him. Using the key to open it, Yuuma is greeted by an alien by the name of Astral—a being only he can see. The bewildered Yuuma soon learns that his memories have been divided into 100 "Number Cards," all of which he must retrieve. However, he is also not the only one looking for them. Bombarded by these revelations, Yuuma, alongside Astral, must defend the world from the upcoming threats that loom over Heartland City—regardless of any divine intervention that may occur. [Written by MAL Rewrite]
Audience Consensus
Audience sentiment towards Yu☆Gi☆Oh! Zexal is divided, with many finding the initial episodes slow, childish, and uninspired. However, a significant portion of viewers find the later story arcs, character development, and soundtrack to be redeeming qualities. There is a strong suggestion to persevere past the initial episodes to experience the more rewarding aspects of the series, particularly Zexal II.
Strengths
- Soundtrack is excellent and fits the mood well.
- Some character designs are memorable and unique.
- Later episodes become engrossing and fascinating.
- Character development is surprisingly deep, especially for Yuma, Shark and Kaito.
- Story becomes more focused and serious as it progresses.
Weaknesses
- Slow start with many filler episodes.
- Yuma's companions, aside from a few, lack development and are unlikable.
- Childish tone and simplistic plot can be off-putting.
- Inconsistent animation quality, with some episodes appearing lazy.
- Repetitive 'villain of the week' format in the first season.