OpenTube

The Peak of Yu-Gi-Oh | A Yu-Gi-Oh 5D's Retrospective

Foxcade

1,097,383 views

I never thought I'd say that my favorite Yugioh is the one about motorbikes, sinister gods commenting on the evils of classism, and robots sent from the future, so instead I made an entire video essay about it.

Twitter: Twitter: SuperFoxcade
Patreon: Patreon: Foxcade

Thanks to Sylphy for various art assets
Twitter: syl_phy

0:00 Intro
4:46 Card Games on Motorcycles
10:34 4Kids Dub
18:47 World Building
27:19 Team 5D's
31:47 Dark Signer
35:46 Missed Potential
42:25 World Grand Prix
50:11 Time Travel
57:12 Ark Cradle
1:05:30 Epilogue

20 Comments

@Zac_Frost 4 years ago

"And anyone who's late will be disqualified. Mokuba, make sure Wheeler's late."

20 years later, and that STILL gets me lol.

@troggdorthesecond 4 years ago

"No one cares if Jaiden beats the monkey. It's, what the monkey represents."

That is simultaneously the most ridiculous and profound line I've ever heard anyone best describe Yugioh's insanity with

@JustSoji 4 years ago

5DS is when young me really understood how much 4kids had scrubbed the series. When Yusei loses, falls off his bike and has to go to a doctor, my child brain couldn't process the protagonist having bloody shrapnel removed from his stomach. But at the same time it made me like the series even more.

@robbyrhodes4572 4 years ago

Rest In Peace, Kazuki Takahashi. Your masterpiece will NEVER be forgotten. #RipKazukiTakaHashi

@ndbringer96 3 years ago

I think 5DS is my favorite Yu-Gi-Oh series, it’s the type edgy that never feels too overbearing.

@ab2aasd 4 years ago

Fun fact: Junk Warrior and Red Dragon Archfiend's last face-off is referenced in the art of Scarlight Red Dragon Archfiend from ARC-V, where its right arm and horn are damaged from the encounter, even though Yusei doesnt canonically appear in that world

@theotherjared9824 4 years ago

Something I appreciate about 5ds is that it felt like the writers actually played the card game. They weren't afraid to let characters use wierd strategies and gimmick decks. I specifically remember an episode where Yusei tricked his opponent into thinking he was bad by throwing away just about his entire deck, only to play blasting the ruins and end the game that turn.

@lamcb.9476 4 years ago

Jack is such a comedic treasure. Him being so stuck up his own ass, after being dethroned and abandoned and having no finances, still drinks is over priced Blue Dragon coffee and actively works himself into debt with his expensive taste. I love the hubris of his character

@vanixiii5657 4 years ago

"He has some brusing on his abdomen"
"Is he gonna make it doctor?"
"Its a long shot"
Damn 4kids really teaching kids bruises are life threatening

@chicken29843 1 year ago

Dude it's actually amazing how kaiba's voice actor in the dub managed to completely save a character that was otherwise butchered in terms of the plot and characterization.

@mildwasabi998 4 years ago (edited)

5ds is indeed peak yugioh. Mature plot and themes, dragons, evil cults, darkness, edge, all in a cyberpunk setting. Definitely my favourite yugioh series.

@chronenojysk5107 4 years ago (edited)

The Child: Screaming in Agony while being electrocuted

“Don’t worry, the child is not in pain, he is actually creating the static through telekinetic”

@bocodamondo 4 years ago

5ds ost will always be my favorite of all yugioh shows

@dylian407 3 years ago

I still remember thinking how Akiza trying to start turbo dueling was such an amazing idea for her character

@nordinreecendo512 3 years ago

5Ds felt like Yugioh had grown up with its audience. It was in that early, almost cringey phase of young adulthood where it tries to be fun with its children's card games, but using it as an opportunity to tell a story about class warfare and police brutality.

@jjp123456789 4 years ago

"The fact that the Clear Mind insert song was removed from Shooting Star Dragon's first summoning is war crime that some former 4kids producer will answer for someday"

I'm glad to know I'm not the only one that feels this way.

@ralman88 4 years ago

5D's ending was one of the rare instances of a Shonen anime leaving the viewer learning a mature lesson. Bonds are what you lean on, but you have to learn to break away and forge your own path. It only took basically another watch over to get this message way after the series long ended, back then I was only in it for the duels and the cards.

@DefinitelyNotReal627 4 years ago

I don't know that it's physically possible for a real human to have less chill than Kaiba had. Mans was on that salt and savagery 100% of the time.

@ItsRllyEndeR 4 years ago

5ds will forever be one of my favorites in the yugioh anime series. R.I.P. Kazuki Takahashi. Thank you for creating my childhood and changing my life.