If you're reading this, then you're probably someone who has watched Yu-Gi-Oh back in the day and wants to know how VRAINS holds up. Well, you have already seen my rating for this show. I think that it's great, but still has some minor issues. But, if you're willing to look past its flaws, then it really is better than the previous sequels (specifically two) that came before it. That being said, as someone who has given up on the series for a while, I have no right to give VRAINS so much praise. However, I still feel like I'm entitled to express my opinion now that I have finished binge-watching the entire show myself.
First of all, if you were expecting VRAINS to be another run-of-the-mill, kid-friendly show, then you'd be wrong. VRAINS actually delves into to some pretty deep subject matter, such as industrialism, humanism, and psychology. Not to mention, they explore the various concepts of Sci-Fi and virtual worlds. Which may sound like too complex of a show at first, but it's actually quite interesting and well-executed.
The characters are also very unique and well-developed, even if there are a few stereotypes here and there. A lot of these characters definitely have stories to tell. So check them out for yourselves if you're interested.
All the duels in the show take place in a virtual-reality network system, known as Link VRAINS. A setting like this leads to a lot of cool, action set pieces and dangerous situations you would normally not find in a typical standing duel. They also have Speed Dueling, which is reminiscent of Turbo Dueling from 5D's, except it's on hoverboards instead of Motorbikes. It's pretty much the same gimmick, but still makes dueling feel more fast-paced and exciting.
While I do believe that VRAINS is underrated, it still has those narrative issues that I mentioned earlier. As the show progresses, there a ton of unanswered questions, missed opportunities, and plot holes that I'm pretty sure all animated shows go through. The main setback for me was that constant inclusion of recap episodes. They were major pace-breakers within the story. But you could easily just skip them, and nothing would change. So, while they get in the way at times, they're not too annoying.
In conclusion, there's still plenty more to this show than everything I just mentioned, so I won't explain anything further. Additionally, if you're going to watch this show, I recommend watching it in Japanese with English subtitles. If you're a fan of the Yu-Gi-Oh anime, then I don't need to explain why you should probably avoid the English dub at any cost. That is all. Thank you for your time! Into the VRAINS!
