Yugioh is a franchise that, whether it be through the anime or through the card game of which I have dedicated a significant portion of my life, I will always be connected to in one way or another. Of course, we are talking about the anime in this post, and for a good reason. As well as for its nostalgic value, Yugioh remains entertaining anime for the idea of settling conflict with a card game. It is definitely still as stupid as it sounds, but in the end becomes a worthwhile way of developing the loveable goofballs of the series and its further incarnations, although some are better than others. *cough cough* Zexal *cough cough* For a bit of a change of pace, I thought it would be fun to recommend other card game anime because there are actually a few good ones out there.

Cardfight Vanguard

Vanguard is a show I discovered while watching illegal uploads on YouTube, and have loved it ever since. The show’s first few seasons center around Aichi Sendou, a middle schooler who hasn’t had the easiest time fitting in. One day, after being bullied by a dude named Morikawa, Aichi ends up in a local card shop where he rediscovers the game of Vanguard, and plays his first game ever against one of the best players around, Kai.

The show has a really good first few episode, with each of the first five explaining a different part of the game. This makes it so that the viewer knows everything they need to to get invested in the matches.

One of the things worth mentioning that I suddenly remembered while writing this is the music, which is actually surprisingly good considering the audience the show is supposed to be aimed at.

Future Card Buddyfight

Buddyfight, while being somewhat similar to Cardfight in terms of how its game is played, has a much different atmosphere. Whereas Cardfight leans into relatively darker territory, Buddyfight largely remains kid-friendly, but even that can be fun.

Centered around Gao Mikado, Buddyfight centers around a world where players of the card game Buddyfight often find themselves choosing a buddy, or a companion from another world to serve as their most powerful monster. Gao meets Drum, a dragon who eventually becomes his buddy, and although the two get off to a rocky start, they eventually start working together to rise to the top.

The show does something similar to Cardfight in that it introduces the game in its opening episodes, although not as quickly. The game of Buddyfight, as it is used in the show, is actually a lot more interesting. The idea that monsters come from other worlds and form bonds with humans creates an interesting setup and leads to a lot of fascinating side plots, as well as fairly decent antagonists.

What other anime remind you of Yugioh? Are they better? Worse? Let me know in the comments below. Thanks for reading and bye for now, Friendos!