As batshit crazy as the Yu Gi Oh series has got in the past (from the start it was like HP Lovecraft and Clive Barker had teamed up to make a kids story about gaming) this takes up another notch. You see, Yu Gi Oh 5D’s involves people playing card games on motorcycles. In a dystopian future.
Playing card games on motorcycles…
The main influence so far seems to be Battle Angel Alita/GUNNM, with the duels slightly reminiscent of the motorball sport, but moreover the heroes live among junk, and are considered second class citizens. The backgrounds could easily have been pulled out any late 80s/early 90s “cyberpunk” anime. Which mixed with a show designed to sell a CCG gives it a rather odd taste, even for Yu-Gi-Oh. Animation and character designs are a step up from Yu Gi Oh GX, with the surreal monster designs still the high point of the show. Best one this episode is a Dragon/Handcuff chimera.
