Yu☆Gi☆Oh! The Dark Side of Dimensions

I don't see any reviews here so I'll make one. This is my first, so please excuse any mistakes. This is a long review, so please bear with me.

First of all, the animation is so outstanding. It's really high quality and during certain scenes in the movie you may think that it's real life scenery instead of 2D/CG. I couldn't believe my eyes watching it, 'cause usually Yu-Gi-Oh! didn't have that high quality animation (except for Zexal). Even Arc-V has meh animation. The animation is so constantly beautiful you can't take your eyes off the screen. This, I think, is one of the gems in ... this movie. Oh, and the characters' faces look beautiful all the time you may turn homo (jk). Kaiba looks like Light Yagami but with a gravity defying jacket.

Let's talk about sound next. There's not much to say here. The movie uses a few of the soundtracks in the original Duel Monsters series like Passionate Duelist and Wrath of God but with different arrangements of course. The nostalgia is so real when you hear them playing. Most of the soundtracks sound orchestral and it's awesome but I give an 8/10.

The original Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters didn't do a good job with characters. Everyone but Yugi, Jounouchi (Joey) and Kaiba were cheerleaders. Anzu and Honda remain useless even in the movie, and Jounouchi is too. Jounouchi has no real purpose in the movie but they give him more screentime than Yugi. He and Honda only serve as comic relief characters.

The original characters aren't developed well in the movie, except for Yugi, Kaiba and Bakura. Yup, Bakura. Bakura has an importance in the movie that connects to Aigami's backstory and that is a job well done. I really like what they retconned to the story, it gives more depth to both Bakura and Aigami.

Kaiba had always been an asshole with a surprisingly good side. At first you'd think Kaiba is the protagonist for this movie, but then you'd think he's actually the villain. Kaiba's character is complex yet simple, for he only wants to defeat Atem but he'd do anything for it. I can't say much about him, but he's my second favorite character in the movie even though I hated him in the original series. His character in the movie is very well written.

Yugi is supposed to be the protagonist? I think he has less screen time than Aigami or even Jounouchi. Yugi has grown, sure. But his character is still shallow. It'd be great if the movie goes deep into his character of a loser who gained strength or focusing on his growth, but even in this movie, he doesn't feel like the protagonist to me. I still can't like his character.

The mysterious beutiful kid Aigami is the best character ever made in the entire Yu-Gi-Oh! franchise imo. His character is so well written and lovable, he should be considered as the real protagonist for this movie. His motivation and backstory is deep, not what you'd expect from a yugioh (especially the original yugioh). The depth of his character really surprised me.

As for the story, it's really unlike what you'd expect from a yugioh. 5D's had a great plot, Zexal II's and Arc-V's were good too. But the original? Not really. DM had a shallow plot. But they expanded it in the movie. The movie answers a few questions people may have for DM, regarding Shadi. Aigami has a bitter backstory, and the plot revolves pretty much around him. The plot for me, is the best thing in the movie. It really surprised me for being deep.

In terms of enjoyment, I give it 9/10. At first I was like "the hell is going on? I don't get it" and there are scenes that feel kinda out of place, but that still didn't stop me from enjoying it. It's not yugioh without children's card games, so of course there are duels in the movie. The movie is 2 hrs 10 mins long and it has a lot of story to tell but they still included a few duels in it. So the duels feel kinda rushed, and I couldn't really pay attention to them 'cause they were so fast-paced. It's not like Bonds Beyond Time where they explain every card effect and stuff or whatever move they make. In my personal opinion, they should have made only one duel towards the end of the movie so that more time can be used for the story. The movie has a few pacing issues, but that still won't kill the awesomeness.

The best anime movie I've watched thus far was Gintama but this just surpassed it. I don't judge based on bias just because yugioh is my favorite anime. Heck, Gintama is my least favorite anime but the movie was so great I rated it as the best. The Dark Side of Dimensions however, is a real masterpiece, especially for a yugioh anime. I think it's appropriate to give the movie 9/10.

To put this simply - This film is not for people that play the game, because you won't be finding much of that here. Instead this is a film of pure nostalgia and progression.

The story is nothing much to speak of, a slotted in bad guy with the wrong intentions and then another "bigger" villain. The heroes then all come together to save the day. But like I said, this film is about character and that's where it shines - Because this film is for Kaiba.

They knew perfectly what people love about Kaiba, his sass and utter fire that he talks. His personality is better ... than it's ever been, it was all tuned up to 11 for this film as Kaiba does everything WAY over the top, and it's beautiful.


((( WARNING FOR SPOILERS AHEAD)))


But Kaiba's comedic ways aren't the only thing shown from him, we get to his his acceptance of the past. He refers to Yugi as Yugi and Atem as, Pharaoh. Kaiba isn't in denial anymore and we get to see this, but what's more is that we see him missing his greatest rival. His passion to defeat his rival is so great that he invents the worlds most advanced holographic systems and then even later on, breaks the barrier between dimensions.
Kaiba is having a struggle, because while everyone else accepts their loss, Kaiba for once is the one character that has completely refused to give up on someone.
He is the driving force for this movie, he sets up all of the plot and shows he's more than capable of crushing anyone in his path even if they possess magic.

On the other end we have Yugi. Having parted with the Pharaoh and grown up a bit, he feels as if a bit of him is missing but has chosen to move on. There's really not much else to say for this, Yugi is simply here within this film. He's here for Atem to have a single second of spotlight.
Speaking of which, Atem does show up and in the most glorious of fashions. A golden light suiting of his majesty, a draw of a single card that allows him to win, to prove his might. It was something that got the cinema cheering in a situation that should be silent.
Buuuut then everyone's spirits were crushed because in the three instances Atem has, he says NOTHING. I'm not sure what they were thinking with all this because it pissed a lot of people off, there wasn't a single "It's time do duel" or "You've grown" Or ANYTHING - But anyway.

Visually the film is stunning, probably the best YuGiOh has ever looked, they perfectly evolved the style whilst keeping it nostalgic. And the masterful use of CG models (Which doesn't have a frame lock) were perfect for a lot of the mechanical designs.

Duels are swift and don't give the intense nature or dramatic effect of the series duels, or Pyramid of Light. Because this isn't a dueling film, this is a presentation of character - And as I said before Kaiba is that driving force. So if you're wanting a nostalgic duel, you'll get the monsters, but not the feeling tactics or display. Because most of the film is taken up by showing where the characters are now and what they're up to. (But mostly Kaiba)

For villains and side characters it can literally be summed up with.
(( Friendship powers go - Random bad guy that comes out of nowhere, and is completely slotted in - Sad backstory for those villainous agenda's - loads of cliche crap ))
But Téa's new design is hot asf.

Overall I came out of this very upset with the ending, villains, plot, even some of the new monsters (Mainly those damn cubic things). But there are some characters in this film, that simply carry it all and put a smile on your face.

Also it's nice to see Takahiro Kagami's name as character designer, he was the best animator on the original series and his style has become a staple for YuGiOh to this very day.

To preface this "review" some pointers:

- There will be SPOILERS. If you haven't seen the movie yet, don't read this review if you don't want to be spoiled. Definitely do come back after to share your opinions. I would love to hear what you guys thought of the movie. Am I in the minority?
- I am perfectly fine with nostalgia bait. The problem is when producers think that a show can succeed based on nostalgia alone.
- I am aware that this is a sequel to the manga and not the anime, accounting for some of the discrepancies. Yet, some of the characters actions ... were just bizarre, in my opinion.
- Finally, please do not let my opinion of the film ruin your experience with it. This is my personal opinion and my opinion alone.

Alright... Here we go. I do apologize for the stream-of-consciousness ranting. It's like my mind is actively trying to erase the movie from my memories.

First off, it started off well enough, with the reintroduction of the characters and what they were up to after all the time. I particularly liked how they framed the story with Anzu's dream of going to New York. However, that's when things started to go South.

Essentially, to sum all of the problems up into one word, it was contrived... and rushed. Sorry, that was two words. In my opinion, everything that happened in this movie happened because they needed it to happen. They needed new monsters - insert a hundred different variations of the Blue-Eyes White Dragon that had no build-up, reason for existing or proper differentiation (more on this later). They needed a new enemy that had to be related to the cast somehow to make him relevant - shoehorn in some subplot was never hinted at or talked about in the original series so it felt like it came out of nowhere. They needed Atem to appear again and appear he did EVEN THOUGH IT DOESN'T EVEN MAKE ANY SENSE!

Urgh... the plot. Don't even get me started. I've already talked about the shoehorned-in villain, but boy does it get better. The plot was unnecessarily convoluted and yet still managed to be contrived and seem like it came out of nowhere. What in the world was with this collective consciousness nonsense? Why is it important and how does it relate to anything? Why was Kaiba's Duel Disk perfectly equipped to combat his powers? Seriously, it could have been anything else and have been much better explained and understandable. How could Kaiba pull out a God Card from the ground and play it with his virtual system?

Speaking of Kaiba, that subplot with his obsession was really at odds with Aigami's plot. There was hardly any correlation. Not to mention, sure he was obsessed with Yugi, but they really pushed his obsession a little too far in this one. Though, I have to admit, that would have been a compelling enough story in and of itself if they had taken their time to expand on it. At the end of the movie, people were actually LAUGHING at his hyperbolic obsession with Atem. Going back in time to duel Atem? Yeah, that's not obsessive at all. Seriously, Javert he is not. Also, Kaiba removing the Millennium Puzzle from the crypt and actually solving it with technology was kinda cool, but it completely ruined the mystique of the items. Wouldn't it have been even cooler if his high-tech machines failed to solve the puzzle?

That climax... Oh God. Remember how I was talking about them introducing new monsters for the sake of it? Well, screw duel tactics and anything of the sort, the ending was just a monster spam that got boring after the 100th "HERE'S A MORE POWERFUL MONSTER THAN YOURS". Seriously, if I have to sit though another Cubic monster and Blue-Eyes iteration that has zero differentiation from one another... This was obviously because they were rushed for time. They had a quota of monsters to push and there was no way they could dedicate 30 minutes to build up a single monster.

Also, the GOD DAMN CG. Why are some monsters like the Black Magician and the Black Magician Girl in normal 2D, simulated-cel animation while many of the other monsters were rendered in 3DCG? Seriously, STICK TO ONE. It's horrendous enough that they used CG, but if they had made ALL the monsters CG, there would have been at least a point! You know, creating a disconnect between the real and the virtual? But no, we can't have our Black Magician Girl be polygons, can we?

This is a perfect example of an unnecessary sequel that was made for the sake of being made. Regardless of what the creator said, I felt zero passion from this project and everything was paint-by-numbers and forced. For a fan, I really don't think I would have missed out if I hadn't seen it. Personally speaking, the ONLY good thing that came out of this was seeing Anzu actually fulfilling her dream. Anzu is adorable. Oh, and the bonus card and goodybag as well. That was pretty good.

Maybe I'm exaggerating. Maybe I just need to calm down and watch it again. And watch it again I will, because as a Yu-Gi-Oh! fan, I'm willing to give it another chance. But at this moment, while I'm a Yu-Gi-Oh! fan, I am not a fan of this movie.

The film sequel no one asked for but delivered on every single level. Yu-Gi-Oh! The Dark Side of Dimensions does something I've rarely seen in anime: it caps off a 20 year old franchise with a movie that fits perfectly in the original series canon. It was announced out of the blue with characters from the original series that haven't been on a television screen in over a dozen years, yet never seems out-of-date or as just a simple cash-grab.

Story: 9/10

The setting takes place one year after the Ceremonial Duel that sent the Pharaoh spirit within the Millennium Puzzle to the afterlife. Yugi, Tea (Anzu), ... Joey (Junouchi), Tristan (Honda), and Bakura are all ready to finish off high school and become something in the world. But before that, they're met with an unprecedented foe with the power to erase both people's memories and the physical world as we know it. All the while Seto Kaiba has gone out and put the Millennium Puzzle back together in order to finally get his rematch with the Pharaoh. Both these plot lines meet and the end results have twists and turns that anyone can enjoy!

Art: 10/10

I'd give this score a 15/10 if I could. The visuals and animation throughout the entirety of this movie are such eye-candy and an absolute treat. Updated character models of both people and duel monsters are a feast for the eyes, especially during duel action sequences. The combination of regular 2D animation and CG animation for the monsters don't hamper the viewing experience in any way, but instead give it a sense of wonder and awe.

Sound: 10/10

The voice acting, oh how I've missed the voices of these characters. Every original series voice actor is back to give life to their characters from the Duel Monsters series. I watched this in English, so to hear Dan Green and Eric Stuart return as Yugi and Kaiba respectively is an absolute nostalgia bomb. The sound effects for the duel sequences are top notch and the music is superb, blending a mix of orchestral tunes with the music from the original series that I never knew I needed.

Character: 8/10

Everyone is back and it feels so good to see them grown up a bit. Yugi has matured from a timid child to a competent and mature gentleman. Joey is still a goofball. Tristan has become a more dependable young man around his friends. Tea is more outgoing and is ready to study abroad to become the dancer she always wanted to be. Kaiba is as awesome and egotistical as ever (and it's amazing). Bakura is shy and heartwarming (especially without the Millennium Ring around his neck). Characters from the TV show such as Mai Valentine or Rebecca Hawkins don't make an appearance, but instead are replaced with the villain and his compatriots that have quite a bit of depth and a surprising connection to the original series.

Enjoyment: 10/10

Maybe is just nostalgic value, but I enjoyed every moment of this film, especially the final act and the closing minutes. The animation, the music, the characters, it was all a treat that I personally missed seeing on my screen. So much so that I was never bored at all during all 2 hours of this movie. Grab a seat and grab your favorite Yu-Gi-Oh! cards because it's time to duel!

Overall: 10/10

You almost never come across a sequel movie that caps off a series as good as this one does, especially one that comes out 12 years after the original series ends. This is one of those rare occasions that does so with interest. If you're a fan of the Yu-Gi-Oh! franchise in any way, this is a must-see. Though, it might be best if you watched Seasons 1, 2, latter half of 3, and 5 of Duel Monsters before watching this.

Before starting this review, I must first say I'm not being able to judge this movie properly. But I don't think it can be judged as any other movie, because it's, just like Digimon Tri, a movie about nostalgia, unable to be understood by people who didn't watch the original TV series. That is why it's impossible not to compare it with the Duel Monsters TV show. Yes, this might have more to do with the manga than the TV show, but still as an animation it has obvious ties to the old series, also, obviously, an animation.

With that out of the way, I must ... say I was disappointed with this movie. But I'll start with the good. The characters and their interactions are spot-on, they are the same characters we know from before, and act accordingly. Though they are a little older now and, with the many advancements in storytelling that anime has suffered from then to now, this is definitely better written than the original show. It feels more mature whilst maintaining the original's edginess, necessary silliness and dark undertones. Another nice thing is the pace of the duels, they are fast and furious, but there's where we find the first mistake. It's too fast so they can't explain exactly what's happening and the duels use slightly different rules than before. Yes, it's a movie, so it can't waste time, but still it is a mistake.

Okay, now that I have nothing good more to say, to the bad we go. The visuals, although definitely boasting bigger budget than the TV shows, are uglier! They use a lot of extremely ugly and excessive 3D animation for the monsters, and a excessive color filters that leave everything lifeless. I don't know how could they fail so big. Another misdeed is the story, which, although touching on interesting subject matters, still fails to make sense and is devoid of explanations in all of the key moments. It's like it wasn't even meant to make sense, to begin with! Last but not least, Yami Yugi, the main character of the show and the manga, appears only at the last moments of the movie and, after all the hype for his appearance throughout the whole 2-hour duration of the film, he doesn't even have dialogue! It's super underwhelming and disappointing.

For all of this I'd say this movie was a waste of time and is totally unnecessary.

This film is a treat for fans of the original Yu-Gi-Oh!, but will likely have limited appeal to others.

While any attempts to play the game itself quickly devolve from pseudo-strategy to enough shouting to do the cast of Dragonball Z proud, they look as gorgeous and classy as the rest of the movie. On the audio side of things too, things are good, and there are a lot of classic Yu-Gi-Oh! tunes to be heard by nimble-eared fans.
Seeing the characters back in action again is delightful, even if many serve little purpose in the plot itself. Kaiba, especially, is a riot in the film, playing ... up his Kaiba-ness to the degree that one might just think they've stumbled upon something written by LittleKuriboh.
The plot is solid, and ties into the lore of the franchise well enough. Character motivations aren't exactly complicated, but there are enough conflicting forces to keep things somewhat unpredictable, and the sleak pacing won't let you get too comfortable once things get moving. You'll either love or hate the resolution for doing or not doing what you thought it was going to do.

Ultimately little more than a fun romp in a beloved franchise, but a very well excecuted one.

I'm writing my review a little later than some, but hopefully its useful to potential viewers.

When Dark Side of Dimensions was announced in 2016, many people were very excited at the prospect of another Yu-Gi-Oh movie and some were little apprehensive as the franchise's movies tend to be a little underwhelming and even cringey. Dark Side of Dimensions is a step-up from that, but it's not perfect.

Story: The story is pretty basic and uniform for Yu-Gi-Oh. Good guys are having a good time, bad guys show up and it's up to the good guys to stop them, oh and Seto Kaiba has his own ... motives as usual. It's not a bad story, but for how much this movie was hyped up, I was personally expecting something a little bigger and bolder. The plot is a little similar to Bonds Beyond Time in my opinion, but it's not awful. Western viewers will also be surprised that the English dub is entirely uncensored and there's actual guns. I honestly think the story could have done with more than just the good vs evil trope, but it definitely wasn't as bad as i thought it could have been.

Art: The animation is fantastic and a real step up from the original series. No more pointy chins! The art flows smoothly and definitely shows how much animation has come from the early 2000's. It's bright, has depth and looks amazing both on laptop and television screen.

Sound: Again, the sound is fantastic. It's clear, crisp and the voice acting for both sub and dub is great. The original voice actors are welcomed back and reprise their roles and it's wonderful to see how much the dub voice actors have improved in particular. As in Bonds Beyond Time, the late Maddie Blaustein's role of Sugoroku Mutou is given to Wayne Grayson who does a very good match of Maddie's voice. The dub has a few corny jokes as usual, but it's very faithful to the sub. The original soundtracks from both the sub and dub also play through the movie, but sadly the Western release is mostly stuck with the 4kids music.

Character: All the original characters return for this movie, bar a few. The movie tends to focus on Seto Kaiba more, where we see huge character development - something which is very overdue. Like the original release, the characters boast the same personalities we knew and loved and it's a nice slice of nostalgia. There's also new characters introduced and we get to see the backstorys of a number of characters. I do feel that some characters were left out of the story as usual (notably Otogi/Duke, Honda.Tristan, Anzu/Tea and Ryo Bakura) and that some characters needed more character development, but as per the series the movie focuses more on the main character. I also feel that the main villain of the movie was also quite generic and there wasn't a lot of character development.

Enjoyment: If you watched the original series or read the manga, you will enjoy this movie. I wouldn't say it's fantastic but it's definitely better than the other movies. it's great for nostalgia and you may even find yourself watching to fetch out your old Yu-Gi-Oh cards.

Overall: Overall, I give Dark Side of Dimensions a 7/10. The animation, sound and characters are great but I felt that the generic plot let it down a little. However, it was still a huge improvement on the past movies (Yu-Gi-Oh 1999, Pyramid of Light and Bonds Beyond Time) and I do feel that it's a good adaption. With a little more story, less generic good vs evil and more character development this could have been a great movie.

It's been a really long time since I've written a review but I haven't been able to stop thinking about this film since I saw it and so I'm going to jot my thoughts down here :)

Yu-Gi-Oh! The Dark Side of Dimensions is the perfect sequel to an already perfect ending. If you're like me, you were probably worried that this film would undo the great and satisfying ending of Yu-Gi-Oh: Duel Monsters, however I'm pleased to say quite the opposite is true. The film treats itself as an epilogue right from the start as we get to see our heroes 6 months after ... the events of Duel Monsters. The characters we've grown to love have started to grow up and are thinking about their futures.

Yugi has still retained the lesson he learned but of course he misses Atem the pharaoh, his dear friend. Meanwhile Seto Kaiba has a score to settle and won't take the afterlife as no for an answer. By the way, Seto Kaiba is by far the best part of this film. He's badass, he's got the coolest gadgets, the best lines and the coolest monsters. But does Atem make an appearance in this film? Well, I'll leave that open ;)

The story isn't really anything original but it keeps the magic of the original series very much alive whilst also progressing a plotline that is both exciting characterwise and rich in lore for the egyptian whacky stuff.

The Yu-Gi-Oh franchise has never looked better. The animation is crisp, the CGI is well integrated and the sound design is perfect. Solid 10 in this category.

Honestly my only gripe is the duels themselves. Because the plot has so much content and we want to see a lot of duels, they have been dumbed down to season 1 levels of ridiculousness. They're very pretty to look at, but a lot of the time you will be thinking "That card is BS!" or "How the hell did you do that?!" If you're into the actual card game, this will most likely bug you to no end.

Overall this film satisfied my childhood on a level I didn't even know I've wanted. This movie didn't just satisfy the fan inside me. It made me as a person happy :)

So for that it gets a solid 9/10

(Ratings are given solely on enjoyment factor)

. The animation was flawless, if you like anime and great graphics this film really is for you.
The character development was also worth mentioning, especially with the antagonist, I felt as if they really built up a good background for this character and usually this is a rare thing to find. They tied up a lot of loose ends too, mainly concerning Bakura and even Shadi, so this was very satisfying to me after the original series had left a lot of questions.
The humour was well placed and not too overbearing, Kaiba had the most laughter inducing comments though with Joey a close ... second. Triston, Duke and Tea (although seen) did not play huge roles but that was expected. I was however, very pleased with the amount of screen time for Bakura- in the original series his character was usually very overshadowed. Yugi really proved how strong he has become as an individual in this film, it was marvellous to see this development.
My only criticism would be the clarity of death within the film. People were disappearing left, right and centre only to appear later completely fine. I couldn’t tell what was going on in that regard to be honest.

I usually don't write reviews cause I suck but I still wanted to write a review for this movie...

Story:
The plot was absolutely garbage. I gave it a 3 but I feel like that's still to much. It kinda felt like the same plot from Yu-Gi-Oh: The Movie (which also sucked).

Art:
The art was absolutely fantastic. Can't say anything bad about it to be honest.

Characters:
It was such a nice feeling to see all the older characters back. Kaiba is still that douchebag, Joey is still a dork, etc. I feel like they should have used characters like Joey, Tristan and Thea more though.
The villain ... on the other hand was horrible :/

Enjoyment:
Sadly, even though the characters were great to see again, it didn't make me enjoy the movie more.

So overall, I give it a 5. So I guess it's not THAT bad, I guess I just expected more. From the three movies Yu-Gi-Oh has, it still only has one good movie so far. Maybe when they wanna make movies, they should focus on new characters instead of characters from the series?

Overall this is just another Yu-Gi-Oh! Movie. I came into this movie thinking it was going to be really good, but the dimensional summoning that was introduced really turned me off. I felt like it wasn't really explained that well and it was really confusing at times at what was going to happen when a monster attacked or a card was activated. For most of the duels involving Aigami was really confusing when he was fusing his monsters and attacking multiple times on one duel. They made the main antagonist really overpowered and Konami had to dig themselves out their own hole. This ended up ... some really stupid card combos to defeat him.

TL;DR: Movie was ok, some stupid card combos, don't go into it expecting a lot

This would be my first review so forgive me.

Right, so let's jump in with the plot. I watched this in the Japanese version. The story itself was not related to any of the current series, but more after the events of the original series. The story itself didn't make a great deal of sense to me, but I had watched the final part in English also and they seem to be a lot of dialogue change to fit the English story, o it may have a slightly different story depending on the language.

the animation is amazing, and a mix of 2 and 3d, with ... a lot of effects used for duels themselves. beautiful.

The characters are from the original series and set a bit later, IT was great hearing the original characters voices in the English version (I did not watch the show in Japanese and so can't compare). But Kaiba is the star of the show, Back bigger, badder and with awesome new tech.

Overall this is a nice watch for fans of the original series definitely. MAybe not the story, but to relive some nostalgia when you see and hear the original cast again. See some awesome animation and slight evolution of even some classic cards and the main characters alike. So if you're a fan of the old show, give it a go

In this movie you join Yugi and his friends as they try and stop the antagonist Diva from stealing pieces of Pharo's enchantment item. Seto Kaiba had nearly collected all pieces to summon Pharo for a duel but Yugi and Diva's sister had the last two pieces, they need to settle the argument with a duel! who will win? I think that this anime was very interesting but the duels got very repetitive and it was really predictable. The animation was very clean and the sound/voice actors were almost perfect. I would recommend watching the anime before watching the film to understand the backstories ... of characters.

Despite the convoluted plot, a poorly written antagonist, and nonsensical duels, I'd say the ending is worth watching the movie for. Unlike the original TV series, the Pyramid of Light movie, and the numerous Yugioh incarnations since then, this movie feels like one of the most in-depth character pieces I've seen from the franchise, and that was honestly shocking. I appreciate how the writers gave serious thought to providing closure for all the characters, but I was disappointed in how the story got bogged down by the need for spectacle, a villain, and an evil plot.

As many others have stated, Kaiba is the star ... of the movie and is indeed fleshed out very well, but I'm not sure if everyone will truly appreciate the amount of development he gets in this movie. Serving as a somewhat "coming-of-age" finale for the characters, we discover at the beginning of the movie that Yugi and all his friends have moved on with their lives since the days of Atem and Battle City, and that they all have plans for the near future. Kaiba, the Pharaoh's rival and most distant "friend", is ironically the only one who has not been able to move forward with his life. The development of his Solid Vision duel disk and his tireless effort to reassemble the millennium puzzle further evidences his obsession with the Pharaoh.

*Spoiler*
Kaiba's acceptance of "magic," and his desire to resurrect Atem, who he acknowledges as both a rival and finally as a friend, was very touching. For me, the final moments of this movie are even more fitting that those of the TV series because it brings the story full-circle, ending with Kaiba confronting Atem instead of Yugi. For some, this difference might not hold much significance, but if we recall the first major duel in the series, it was Kaiba losing to the Pharaoh, not Yugi. So for me, this effort was the director's way of telling us that Kaiba and the Pharaoh are the true protagonists of the series, and that their rivalry has been the instrument propelling the story this entire time.

Story: 4
Art: 10
Sound: 8
Character: 9
Enjoyment: 6
Overall: 6

Despite the somewhat low grade I'm giving this movie, I would still recommend it to anyone who is a fan of the original series and wants to see some justice done for the characters they have grown up loving as I did. I believe this would have been a MUCH better movie if the villainous subplot and the notion of "Dimension Dueling" were scrapped,but the creators were obviously trying to sell some cards... A much better idea would have been to just use Kaiba's tournament to give the viewers a chance to see the entire cast back in action, but unfortunately the duels were limited to only Kaiba, Aigami, and Yugi. Since I liked the ending enough, I do consider it canon in my mind, and hopefully others who read this review will as well, given their appreciation for the characters over visual effects and action.

(This review was written on October 24, 2024)

You know what? 10 out of 10! I'm serious! Despite the manga already having an incredibly satisfying ending, this movie was the perfect conclusion for the series as a whole. Every original thing that was introduced in this movie pays off, fitting in perfectly with everything that has already been established to bring the overall narrative to a tight conclusion. Every character is handled beautifully in a way that captures the growth they all experienced in the manga while more than hinting at the wonderful opportunities the future holds for them. Every plot-point is wrapped up perfectly in ... an incredibly satisfying way that ends the story on a beautiful note, even if it hurts a bit that this is truly the end. While it may seem like I'm just checking off a list of things the film does right in order to justify it as an ending to the story, there is one thing I need to talk about in detail. One character to be precise.

Seto Kaiba. This guy is easily one of my favorite characters in all of anime and manga, and this film truly concluded his arc better than I could've possibly hoped. I won't deny that I actually had some nervous curiousity about how his character would be handled in this movie, seeing how well his character arc concluded when he made his exit in the manga. However, while the manga did wrap up the character arc that he had been going through since the start, it did leave the door open for a continuation of his rivalry with Yugi and "the other one" (spoilers!) Thankfully, this film takes that somewhat loose-end of his character in the best and most over-the-top direction they could! I won't give any details away, but as far as his relationship with Yugi goes, this film epically concludes and I couldn't be happier for my boy!

Talking about the film from a technical perspective, it's amazing! The animation is simply excellent, whether it be the beautiful and sharp 2D animation of the characters, or the impresively detailed yet sleek designs of the monsters that are actually given incredible CG treatment! I knew ahead of time that Takahashi actually personally animated the shot of Yugi putting on the new duel disk for the first time, and seeing it made my heart so full. The sound design is on point with an amazing score (for the subbed version anyway) that made all of the extremely hype moments as impactful as possible!

It actually breaks my heart that Takahashi is no longer with us, having tragically passed away in an accident just over two years ago, because I genuinely would've made an attempt to let him know just how much this series had an impact on me and how I'll always cherish the story and characters that he created. I'm at least glad that he was able to write this film to finally conclude the amazing story he started in 1996, as it shows just how spectacular he was at what he did. Rest in Peace, Takahashi. Thank you for everything.

Yugioh Dark Side Dimensions is a movie that by all impossible odds should not exist, but it does. A movie that breaks the cliff ending tropes most franchises and anime shows end in. This is the Yugioh movie to satisfy all Yugioh fans of the original story.

If this movie came out in the 2000's, it would be a cult classic. But because it came out in 2016, it does both good and bad in it's modern upholding, though surprisingly, it's flaws don't have anything to do with the actual lore itself, but the direction that the new movie plot went.

This movie, if you asked a ... real Yugioh fan, would be easy to list the see the wrongdoings.
-absurd main villain with plot armor powers and convenience.
-a lack of actual dueling throughout most of its screentime.

Like most people say, if you skip through the main villain scenes that were red con placed in for plot armor sake, you would get a very enjoyable movie that looks like a good length film about the original Yugioh cast and their motives.

But instead, you get the main cast always being under shadowed by what the main villain and his absurd god powers are doing.

So, the pros are:
-awesome part in the story that helps finish the main anime of the original cast
-awesome modern designs and fan favorite monsters get their movie fan fare
-awesome animation and aesthetics overall
-awesome first fight between Kaiba and the main villain
-awesome tension about Yugi being asked to do the impossible
-awesome ending fights and plot reveal

Sins:
-absurd villain with plot armor
-every scene around the main villain is boring, including Joey and Bakura
-not enough dueling

Overall, the pros greatly overmatch the very horrible cons. Thus, when you watch this movie, just like in the 2000's you would love the overall movie. Big monsters, huge tensions, amazing art and sound.Compared to the older movies, this was a 2 hour love letter despite its huge mistakes. Someone out there really understood the main cast. Bravo.

Fun movie that doesn't interfere with the canon too much and when it does, it is minor enough to pay respects to the original. The CGI and animation is really great which compensates for the lack of time which made the duels in the original series so epic and great. The lack of time is a huge limiting factor for a series like Yu-Gi-Oh where the series has already ended. A movie can only bring further closure to an already finished series and the side-story about Tea is really nice and all the gang(yugi, joey/jonouchi, tristan/honda, tea/anzu, bakura) graduating was cool. Kaiba was his typical ... blunt and sassy-self with a kick of extra sass(inspired by little-kuriboh probably). The plot isn't really great and it was quite identical to marik and ishizu/isis. Ultimately, there isn't much they could do in this department plot-wise other than to make a fun movie with updated character designs and animation to the beloved original series within 2 hours of time. The duels aren't great compared to the original but its a movie so thats expected ig. Recommended for any Yu-Gi-Oh fan, the original series is far better than the shitty stuff they make these days, especially with the upgrades that 14 years has to offer. Also on a side note, Tea has a nice side story and an even better character design, ifykyk.... Thanks for reading if you made it this far, -nashy out!

I generally think most battle Shonen works best in movie form. Establish the stakes, establish your broad characters, they fight, good guys win, and everyone goes home happy. If you can do it in under two hours I won't feel like I wasted my time, and this movie accomplished exactly that.

Does it make sense....sure..... I do fully believe Seto Kaiba would invent time travel as a means to satiate his own ego after the end of the original series. Do I care about the villains plan? Their motivations? Their name? Nope, I just needed them to stand there, twirl their mustaches and laugh outrageously as ... they detail how they're going to take over the world using the power of their millennium box? Cube? Macguffin that I don't care about?

The fan service was the exact amount that I needed to have a good time as someone who hadn't engaged with the franchise in probably fifteen years, other than abridged.

However, if you don't have any nostalgia for Yu Gi Oh, avoid this like a plague. Its kind of a piece of shit.

Holy shit. My expectations must have been really low without my realizing it, because I was really surprised when this movie ended up being really good. Basically, this was everything I could have wanted out of a Yugioh! movie.

To start, this plot was just so... Kaiba. After everything they went through to get the pharaoh's soul to rest, Kaiba is going to go to any lengths necessary to resurrect Atem and finally beat him in a duel to prove he's the best. Which is so over the top and ridiculous... though I can't say I'm surprised. But we're given a bit of a twist ... with this movie's villain. At a glance, he seems generic enough. He's got this vague power to alter reality and is aiming for a world of peace but has been corrupted by his own abilities... nothing we haven't all seen before. What made this interesting was that this power was conditional. It was granted when Atem's soul was finally laid to rest and would be taken back if he were ever to return. So for a good chunk of the movie, our villain was fighting to do what's right while simultaneously trying to destroy the world.

It was interesting to me. But mostly, I just feel like they went above and beyond what I expected from an anniversary movie. Of course there were the given nostalgia kicks. It was nice to see the old, familiar characters in this shiny new animation. (I was particularly fond of how realistic the cards looked during the duels.) The main characters all got their Moment, when they're first introduced in the movie and it's like everything just freezes for a second, allowing the audience to take them in and accept them back into their lives-- presumably after years of separation. (But I like to think I was still open to that feeling, even though I had just finished watching the series in its entirety literally the day before.) But what I really mean is that the movie worked to expand on things that were kind of skipped over in the actual series.

We finally get a real purpose for Shadi. Yes, it's a purpose that's really only relevant in the context of this movie's plot, but you know what? I'll take it. In the series, he was this mysterious figure, guiding things from the background. Except Ishizu was basically already doing that. I kept expecting for something more to be revealed about Shadi, for him to play a bigger role. But then his spirit is laid to rest with the pharaoh's and it's just left at that.

But that's nothing compared to what this movie did for Bakura. I'm glad I watched this so soon afterwards, because I almost left a lengthy rant in my review for the actual series about how Bakura was such a wasted character. At first, I was actually surprised to see him playing any sort of prominent role in this movie. I mean, I know they SAY Bakura was always one of their friends, but it's definitely not portrayed like that. He's in their class, but he's not really part of their little group. And honestly, he's only ever really important because he happens to be the host body of the final villain. Bakura himself doesn't do a whole lot. And at the end of it all, it's not totally clear whether he was even aware he was possessed by an evil spirit all this time. This movie finally gave Bakura a bit of a backstory, the Millennium Ring makes a reappearance, and it's strongly implied that Bakura IS aware of all he's done, but for the most part those memories are something he's purposely repressed. Honestly, Ryo Bakura deserves, like, his own spin-off show, but this was a good start.

But the most important thing this movie added to the Yugioh! experience was a feeling of closure. So much of the final episodes of the series is spent on the duel that I'm not sure they really got across the point they were trying to make-- that Yugi has grown to be able to stand on his own without Atem. That's definitely a sense I got here, from start to finish.

This movie wasn't just a celebration of what Yugioh! had been. It continued to add to the story, padding the areas where the original series fell short. I wasn't expecting anything great when I decided to check it out, but I was left with the urge to immediately watch it again once I reached the credits. This movie is definitely worth watching for Yugioh! fans.

(And I never really got into the Yugioh! shipping game, but I'll be damned if his obsession with Atem isn't the Seto Kaiba version of a crush.)

Nostalgia Bait Gone Wrong!

This movie was made to cash in on my childhood, and it failed miserably since I outgrew Duel Monsters years ago.Today I decided to review a movie that I've had a visual loathing problem with since its inception back in 2016. I need to go into more depth because I can't simply ignore it.I have finally decided to review Yu-Gi-Oh! The Dark Side of Dimensions and its mixed reception at the box office. There's a lot to talk about with this movie, and I hope I can cover it all since MyAnimeList has a limit on the amount of text and characters ... I can use.I am also going to explain two major topics. One is about production problems and nepotism, and the other is about reception and box office gross.

Oh god, this movie is going to suck, isn't it? Oh, wait. It is!

In The End It has to be this way:
To me, Dark Side of Dimensions will always be the movie that killed my interest in Yu-Gi-Oh! anime, despite it being the third movie primarily focused on Duel Monsters. Let's delve into a bit of history regarding the Yu-Gi-Oh! movies. Firstly, there was the Toei Yu-Gi-Oh! movie from the late 90s, which was never released on DVD or Blu-ray, either because it was non-canon to the story or simply never considered canon. It's never been explained why it wasn't released on DVD. Then, in the early 2000s, we got the first movie for the Gallop Yu-Gi-Oh! series, Pyramid of Light, which received mixed reception. In its defense, it was created to rival Pokémon movies, but unfortunately, it didn't succeed. This led to the fandom's first uproar, with some blaming Takahashi for it. However, Takahashi wasn't responsible for it; it was actually 4KIDS who commissioned it from Japan. It's surprising that people are still misinformed about this in 2024. Next, we had Bonds Beyond Time, which was the only good movie in my opinion. And then, we have this disaster I'm reviewing.

Two Birds and One Stone Troupe:
Now, let's delve into two topics I want to cover simultaneously: Animation and Directing. I'm going to be quite salty about this one. You see, one of my pet peeves is the apparent nepotism and the overemphasis on pretty colors and stereotyping in this movie, which I strongly oppose. This isn't me being biased or offering subjective criticism; I detest the prioritization of 'pretty colors' over substance. In today's media landscape, there's a tendency to mock older shows for not being 'flashy action,' 'self-inserted,' or 'well-made.' People often jump on the bandwagon and promote fake agendas like 'nepotism,' which is another problem I need to address. You cannot judge a movie solely based on animation. This isn't just the recurring issue with My Hero Academia and its animation; it's a problem I like to call the Yugioh Zexal fiasco.Animation production is expensive and often costs way too much. Despite how much money a show or movie makes, its value is ultimately determined by its reception at the box office. Personally, I disliked My Hero Academia because its cinematic animation received more positive reviews than its main series did. It felt like MHA was using the movies as a platform to showcase better fights because the main series itself seemed lazy and uninteresting. So, what does this have to do with the review? Well, people tend to be aggressive towards the media and often blame anime studios for being outdated or lazy. Studio Gallop was never a mainstream studio nor was it financially stable. The Yu-Gi-Oh! anime and movies had above-average production quality before the Zexal era, but then it shifted towards flashy visuals and over-the-top animation, which I found to be a mishap of nonsense. In fact, this movie is why I've disliked its production since 2014 because Konami seemed to be on a death wish to produce another movie that would likely result in financial losses. The movie was primarily focused on impressing the audience, trying to position itself as a 'savior,' but it ultimately failed miserably since people could see the excessive cost of production. The biggest problem with the movie lies in its direction, which was mediocre and poorly choreographed. To make matters worse, it was helmed by the same director I loathe, Satoshi Kuwabara. His tendency for poorly paced animation hiccups makes him a prime example of how not to hire a good director. Kuwabara comes off as lazy and immature in his approach to production. However, Yu-Gi-Oh! fans seem to get upset when his work is criticized, even though it's riddled with flaws. People often only point out issues with localization, blaming the wrong sources. But in reality, the direction of the movie was mediocre at best. He was responsible for the previous screw-up known as Yu-Gi-Oh! Zexal and its mixed reception in the West due to the disaster of the anime. He was in charge of that series from day one. What I found particularly strange is that he never gave interviews or tried to explain what was even happening in the show. He appeared mostly lazy and inconsistent, in my opinion.

Nepotism Is as it's peak:
This section is about Takahashi, who didn't understand his own logic in the first place. While people defended the movie for its flashy animation and nostalgia bait, Takahashi received universal criticism because he is solely at fault for this movie's failure. In the 2010s, people didn't blame him enough for Zexal, but he was blamed for this movie being a total disaster. It focused on stereotypes, dehumanizing the first Yu-Gi-Oh! show by portraying the characters as nothing more than jerks, and in the process, proving the critics right. In fact, this movie catered to those wanting another political card game war, leading to many people being divided due to his ego once again being involved.

Nepotism characterized the movie, with character assassination and story points being dropped in favor of it being a love letter to Yu-Gi-Oh! Season 6 that never happened. This whole movie is just Pyramid of Light recreated with dumb animation borrowed from Yu-Gi-Oh! Arc-V's production, solely to improve the movie and divide the fans once again. He tried to cover the movie's tracks under the rug because he couldn't take the fact that he knew personally if he stole animation or writing budgets from another ongoing Yu-Gi-Oh! project, it would lead to fandom wars.

Many Yu-Gi-Oh! fans know that he screwed up big time and never apologized for the movie's faults. People are split because of Takahashi's opinions and his ego regarding how Yu-Gi-Oh! Zexal turned out to be a disaster, as he was involved in that series but left at some point to start early production on Dark Side of Dimensions. Many fans say that Takahashi wasn't very involved with the series, but for reasons he doesn't want to take part in a show. The reason for this is that Takahashi has an ego that lets him anger the fandom because the story wasn't in favor of anything but solely overpowering the show's credibility and creating a dumpster fire, just like how Zexal became that way.In short, he is the reason why Yu-Gi-Oh! is doomed. He can't seem to improve the story and let it progress, as his original anime, Duel Monsters, was never fully adapted. The manga was left with plot holes and a lack of depth due to arcs being cut too soon. In short, Yu-Gi-Oh! was doomed because any show past 5D's became unlikable and disrespected. This man wanted to push an agenda, much like how Zexal was supposed to be Duel Monsters 2.0.

We hated ARC-V for this?
That brings me to the production itself, which was undermined by his lackeys and others who tried to make this movie happen. The movie was made sometime between 2014 and 2016, and it's largely at fault for stealing the budget from shows like Arc-V. I'm not one to just jump on the bandwagon and start supporting a movie because someone told me to. There is no movie in the whole universe I have ever been hyped about just because many people tell me to support its production rather than focusing on the actual story and characters.Studio Gallop was never a mainstream studio like Studio Mappa or Studio Bones. Gallop was a studio meant to handle shows made for children, not mainstream abominations that performed terribly at the box office. These movies were universally panned because their stories were either handled poorly in the manga or never completed. The studio often misled their fandom, promising that the movies would be gold standards, but this was a lie. The movies were more meant to be tie-ins rather than delivering what the fandom demanded.

The Box Office Disaster
The movie was a box office disaster, failing to recoup its production costs and falling short of expectations. Despite the hype and nostalgia surrounding the Yu-Gi-Oh! franchise, The Dark Side of Dimensions couldn't draw in enough viewers to be profitable. This was partly due to the overly ambitious budget that prioritized flashy animation over a coherent and engaging story. Fans were left disappointed, and critics panned the movie for its lack of depth and substance, leading to its poor performance at the box office.

The Duels
The duels, which should have been the highlight of the movie, were also a letdown. They were poorly choreographed and lacked the strategic depth that fans loved in the original series. Instead of thrilling, intellectually stimulating matches, the duels in The Dark Side of Dimensions felt rushed and overly reliant on flashy visuals. This focus on style over substance left many fans feeling cheated. The duels failed to capture the essence of what made Yu-Gi-Oh! great in the first place, ultimately contributing to the overall disappointment with the movie.


Overall
The movie is just nostalgia bait 101. You can't tell me that many people have a bias for it just because of the animation and pretty colors. In fact, people hated this movie because it was made with money taken from another project, which left their fandom unhappy. If you tell me that I'm being negative because I prefer 5D's, which was universally better than this movie, it's only because you refused to watch 5D's. I'm starting to believe that Konami never planned for this movie; it was a last-second attempt to make money.