When given free range of all the terrific shows Netflix has to offer, naturally the obvious choice is to binge watch all 49 episodes of the first season of Yu-Gi-Oh. I haven’t seen an episode in around 15 years or so and curiosity finally killed the cat. During the course of the week, I thought hard about appealed to me most as a kid and how has that changed over time. My goal in this piece is to take a deeper dive into a show that grabbed my heart again in new ways and reminded me that even in the most difficult of times we have people who can help us.
If you’re not familiar with the show or card game, I’ll give a quick explanation as best I can. Duelists face off in one on one card duels. Each card is either a monster, magic, or trap card. Players take turns implementing their strategies and the duel ultimately ends when one of the duelist's life points hit zero. The game is nationally celebrated, tournaments are televised and champions are celebrated, in the way that sports are.
In the show, Yugi is the main character, he has a millenium puzzle, more on that later, that was given to him by his grandpa. There are many of these millenium pieces that can bring great power to the one who possesses them. Naturally, those who know about them want them all. Pegasus, the creator of the game and the season’s main antagonist, invites a lot of duelists into a tournament he’s hosting on his island. With Yugi’s invite there is a videotape, that once played sends him to the shadow realm for a duel with Pegasus. Yugi ultimately comes close but loses the duel. Pegasus, being the nice guy he is, steals Yugi’s grandpa’s soul with his millenium eye. In order, to get his Grandpa's soul back Yugi and his friends set off on adventure to beat Pegasus at his own game.
Yu-Gi-Oh: Duel Monsters debuted in the USA in 2001. I was about 9 at the time and the thought of a more mature Pokemon with skeletons, demons, and big dragons was very appealing to me. Slowly, my friends were also making the transition to the latest card trading craze. Don’t get me wrong, Pokemon wasn’t abandoned, but it was put in the backseat while Yu-Gi-Oh took shotgun. I remember having trade circles where one would trade a Pokemon card for a Yu-Gi-Oh card, just to trade that for someone else’s Yu-Gi-Oh card. I’d spend time prepping my deck and playing exhibition matches by myself on the kitchen table while the soundtrack was blasting.
Flash forward 18 years I've dabbled with the card game here and there in very short spurts but it never stuck. When I saw Yu-Gi-Oh on Netflix I was bit with a curiosity bug. How does this show that I’d wake up early on Saturday mornings to watch hold up? Will this transport me back to those moments or am I wasting my time? How much money am I going to drop on cards after this? To my surprise, I couldn’t stop watching and next thing I know I’m done with the first season and making my way in season two. However, as I watched I noticed it’s not the same things my young mind fell in love with that kept me going. The duels and quips between characters are still entertaining. I will never get over the “OH MY GOD A TRAP CARD” reaction every time it happens or the insane ways that Yugi or Joey pull out win after win. That being said, the show has some surprisingly deep moments that resonated with me in ways I wasn’t expecting.
The characters are actually pretty well written and the lengths they go for each other is inspiring especially in today’s world. Right off the bat Yugi gives up one of his two star pieces (ten are needed to be able to face Pegasus and if you lose them all you’re out) to his best friend Joey so he can compete in the tournament. Joey’s motivation for dueling is to win the prize money that will pay for his sister’s operation. This selfless act is one of many that happens during the show. Friendship is a key theme of this show and as cheesy the dialogue gets during these moments ,it’s the acts themselves that speaks mountains.
As friendships blossom and enemies are made. Yugi and company continue their quest towards Pegasus. One thing I love about this show is how all the duels feel necessary and work to either build onto the story or resolve conflict. Whether it’s to help Joey build his confidence or Tae (Yugi’s friend) dueling to help win Yugi some star chips back, the duels don’t waste any time. One duel in particular I found noteworthy is the duel against Panik. Panik is an enforcer paid by Pegasus to eliminate competitors from the game by dueling them for all their star chips. Mai Valentine, an enemy turned friend, falls victim to his underhanded tactics. He uses fear and darkness to intimidate his victims into defeat. Yugi battles this bully head on and defeats him by taking him out of the darkness. Watching David defeat goliath is always satisfying especially as a victim of bullying. It’s inspiring to see, even if it’s a really nail on the head approach.
Later in the show, Yugi faces an interesting internal struggle when the other being inside his puzzle is willing to go to lengths Yugi isn’t. This results in a moment of uncertainty and contention within himself. Has he lost control of this guiding light? Does he really know who this spirit is? Although these are answered later on in the show it makes for a relatable and interesting short story arc. We’ve all gone through those moments where we question how far we would go to help the ones we love. What would we sacrifice in order to know that they are safe?
On this note, at the end of the show Pegasus’ true intentions are revealed in a journal entry he wrote. The love of his life had been taken away from him way too early. We see scenes of them being married and then her disappearing instantly. He tried to find new ways to cope no matter how hard it was. He lost interest in the hobbies that normally brought him joy. His pain eventually led him to creating duel monsters as a way of getting the power from the Millennium Pieces to hopefully reunite with his love. Again, I’ve never lost someone that close to me and I can’t imagine how I’d deal with the pain. The way he was willing to do whatever it took to have just a chance of bringing her back was intense and helped shed some light on his troubled character.
Nostalgia may have been what started my dive back into the world of duel monsters, but it’s much more than that that keeps me watching. I love seeing my favorite monsters back from the past, and of course the dumb (great) battles. The lore is surprisingly fascinating and is revealed in such small glimpses to the past that I look forward to more of these breaks from the main story. The touching moments and tackling of larger issues are what keep me repeatedly watching one more episode. I’m getting the same feeling I got oh so many years ago, but I’m also getting so much more. As I’ve grown and seen how terrible the real world can be, it’s nice to a group of friends pushing each other through the tough and being there for each other. In the dark no matter what it’s important to remember your friends and loved ones are the light in the dark tunnel.
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