Line #122 Anime/DuelMasters


1	-> ''GET IN THE BATTLE ZONE!''
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3	[[quoteright:320:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/duel_masters_9351.jpg]]
4	[[caption-width-right:320:''[[LampshadeHanging Who's the kid with]] the [[SpikyHair spiky hair]]?'']]
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6	Following the original ''Franchise/DuelMasters'' manga, which used cards from ''TabletopGame/MagicTheGathering'' instead of the ''Duel Masters'' cards (which were created for this series, thus explaining the similarities), the anime is what helped the Duel Masters franchise to hit the mainstream.
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8	As explained on the Duel Masters main article, the anime is completely different whether you are looking at it from the Japanese version or the North American version. While the former is a serious series about a children card game ([[Franchise/YuGiOh not unlike the series which inspired it]]), the latter is the UrExample of TheAbridgedSeries in all but longevity.
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10	The story revolves around Shobu Kirifuda, an enthusiast of the titular card game who is exposed for the first time to a higher level of play (referred to in the North American release as Kaijudo, literally "the way of monsters"; in the Japanese series, it was called "Duel of Truth"), in which actual monsters serve the will of their summoners. As his father had mastered the game before him, Shobu [[ToBeAMaster feels a certain need to live up to his family's reputation]].
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12	The series consists of the following seasons. Note that after the first two seasons, the anime was discontinued in America. The Japanese version, instead, continued to run for many more seasons with ToBeAMaster as a central point. Shobu was later exchanged as a protagonist with his younger brother and later his nephew.
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14	!!! Original series (Shobu Era - 1999-2010)
15	* ''Duel Masters''
16	** Shobu, a young duelist with high prospects, is visited by the mysterious [[TheObiWan Knight.]] who introduces him to The Temple, an organization that trains duelists such as himself. Shobu's desire to duel The Temple's top duelist, Hakuoh, leads him to fight against the four guardians and eventually learns a secret conspiracy involving his role.
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18	* ''Duel Masters Sacred Lands'' (Exclusive to America)
19	** After his loss against Doctor Root, a confused Shobu is troubled by nightmares and his emerging kaijudo abilities, which allow duelists to summon creatures into their plane of existence. After getting out of his funk, he finds his missing father's diary and embarks on a journey to the five civilizations, lands populated by creatures being threatened by the '''P'''owerful '''L'''oyal '''O'''rder '''O'''f '''P'''rinces. Due to it's nature, the information presented in this season is [[CanonDiscontinuity non-canon.]]
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21	* ''Duel Masters Charge'' (The first 26 episodes were edited down and presented as the final 13 of the American series)
22	** Shobu and his friends enter the [[TournamentArc Duel Masters Battle Arena]], A regional tournament where they hope to prove their skills after three years of training with Doctor Root. Unfortunately for them, two individuals have their eyes set on disrupting the tournament for unknown reasons...
23
24	* ''Zero Duel Masters''
25	** [[WhatIf In an alternate universe]] where Shobu lost against Hakuoh at the end of season 1, he receives a deck that turns out to be an invitation to a tournament. When Shobu and Rekuta enter, they learn that Hakuoh is also participating.
26
27	* ''Duel Masters Flash''
28	** A spinoff set in [[WhatIf an alternate future]] where Shobu no longer exists. Teru Yuemi, his older sister Cocoro, and his friends help Rei Kukami and her family guard a mysterious pendant that holds the Great Spirit of Duel Masters. Card battles in ''Flash'' are done in an advanced virtual reality system.
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30	* ''Duel Masters Zero''
31	** Continues the storyline after ''Charge''. Shobu continues his fight against the Fua Duelists.
32	* ''Duel Masters Cross''
33	* ''Duel Masters Cross Shock''
34	** Shobu and his friends use new legendary cards to fight against Diabolos Zeta, Temporal Ruler, who wants to destroy the creature world.
35
36	!!! Victory (Katta Era - 2011-2013)
37	* ''Duel Masters Victory''
38	** The first Duel Masters series to feature Shobu's brother, Katta Kirifuda as a protagonist.
39	* ''Duel Masters Victory V''
40	* ''Duel Masters Victory V3''
41
42	!!! Versus (Katta Era - 2014-2016)
43	* ''Duel Masters Versus''
44	** Two years after ''Victory'' V3, Katta has lost his passion for battling. He gets back in the game after an encounter with Hokaben, an expert baseball player, and reuniting with his childhood friend Lulu Takigawa.
45	* ''Duel Masters Versus Revolution''
46	** Katta finds himself involved in a conspiracy involving a mysterious team of duelists and a legendary card when he visits the Duel Masters Land theme park.
47	* ''Duel Masters Versus Revolution Final''
48	** When Katta's V-shaped seal on his head is opened, mysterious events start happening like the appearance of a transfer student group called the Rare Hunters and hamsters like his pet, Hamukata, starting to talk.
49
50	!!! Joe Era (2017-2022)
51	* ''Duel Masters (2017)''
52	* ''Duel Masters!''
53	* ''Duel Masters!!''
54	* ''Duel Masters King''
55	* ''Duel Masters G''
56	* ''Duel Masters King MAX''
57
58	!!! Win Era (2022-)
59	* ''Duel Masters Win''
60
61	Please note that most (though not all) of these tropes are either common to both versions or are otherwise based on the North American version. The original Japanese, while still having comedy, played it straight for the most part.
62
63	----
64	!!List of tropes used in the anime:
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66	* ActionGirl: Mimi. Sometimes even PlayedForLaughs, see CharlesAtlasSuperpower.
67	* AllCGICartoon: Beginning with Zero, the series exclusively used CGI animation until Versus. The show falls under TwoDVisualsThreeDEffects otherwise.
68	* AllWomenAreLustful: The number of times Saiyuki and Mimi don't instantly fall for a hot guy at a drop of a hat can be counted on one hand.
69	* AnimatedActors: Appears in a gag dub, particularly in a notable scene where Shobu asks Mimi and Boy George if they'll make any more appearances that season.
70	* AnimeHair: Referenced in the dub's theme song and the subject of many a LampshadeHanging, though Shobu's hair could probably support an ''actual'' lampshade. Hair is SeriousBusiness second only to the card game itself, especially among Shobu, Hakuoh and Kokujo.
71	* AntiHero: Kokujo is a Type V.
72	* AwesomeYetImpractical: Kokujo's shoes, apparently. [[RuleOfCool But they make him look so cool]].
73	* BackToBackBadasses: Shobu and Kokujo; in a children's card game, no less.
74	* BadassAdorable: Mimi - super adorable, super badass.
75	* BadassInANiceSuit: Hakuoh and Kintaro.
76	* BadassLongcoat: Kokujo.
77	* BaitAndSwitchComment: Kokujo chastises Shobu for calling him a bad guy due to his evil laugh. Shobu asks in confusion if that means Kokujo isn't a bad guy, and Kokujo points out that of course he is.
78	* BecomingTheMask: [[spoiler:Mimi is TheMole, don't you know.]]
79	* BrainwashedAndCrazy:
80	** Yu Fua, also known as Yumama in the GagDub. [[spoiler:Later, Hakuou in Duel Masters Charge, when he became "White" and joined the Fua Duelists, lead by Yu Fua's older brother.]]
81	** Mimi gets hypnotized by the Master partway through her duel with Shobu.
82	* BreakingTheFourthWall: Being a GagDub, it comes with the territory.
83	* BreastExpansion: Mimi's breasts get larger from episode to episode in the first season. The American first season actually ''toned this down''. By the way, she's underage. Though the dub did make reference to it in a late first season episode when, as the girls were expressing relief that [[BreakingTheFourthWall a possible cancellation of the series]] had been averted, Mimi commented that she was enjoying her new curves. To a lesser extent, Sayuki also gets noticeably bigger as the series progresses.
84	* CanonForeigner: Sayuki was not in the original manga, and is thus anime-exclusive.
85	* CardCarryingVillain: Pardoning the pun, Kokujo is a self proclaimed "Evil Genius" in the dub.
86	* CardGames: Of course.
87	* {{Catchphrase}}: Anything about "owning the zone", as well as a number of overused traditional Japanese phrases.
88	* CharlesAtlasSuperpower: Mimi demonstrates on several occasions that she is quite proficient in martial arts and far stronger than she looks.
89	* CheatersNeverProsper:
90	** In their first duel, Jamira swaps his shuffled deck with a pre-arranged deck that he knows the order of so he'll always get good draws. In their second duel, he tries to hypnotize Shobu so he'll fall asleep and lose by default. Shobu beats him both times.
91	** Benny Haha uses cameras to spy on the cards in Shobu's hand and predict his moves. Shobu figures it out and manages to confuse him and get an advantage, then Mimi destroys the cameras. When Shobu is about to win, Benny claims that his sister is sick and that he needs to remain undefeated so that he can pay for her treatments, but Mimi tells Shobu he is lying and he finishes him off. In the dub, ''Mimi'' is Benny Haha's sister, and so this ploy works even ''less'' well for him since Shobu clearly can tell that Mimi isn't sick.
92	* CombinedEnergyAttack: In the American-only second season, the five creatures Shobu recovers are invoked by his friends to defeat the P.L.O.O.P.
93	* CulturalTranslation: The GagDub, as well as the North American-only second season. Eventually, later card game expansions started using flavor text based on said GagDub.
94	* CrossOver: The Duel Masters movie (''Curse of the Death Phoenix'') saw a release in tandem with the Anime/MegaManNTWarrior movie (''The Program of Light and Darkness'') ([[NoExportForYou only in Japan]]). In ''Program'', Netto and company are at an expo, where they catch Shoubu summoning the Bolmeteus Steel Dragon; in ''Curse'' the same crew are in the tournament stadium, cheering him on more directly. While in the movies themselves only contained brief snippets of the other's footage, both Shobu and Netto (as Rockman R) worked together in the opening cinema. Also, VideoGame/MegaManBattleNetwork 5 saw a set of Giga Chips with the powers of the Eternal Phoenix (just named "Phoenix" in game) and the Death Phoenix, whereas [=Forte.EXE=] got a pair of cards in the [[http://duelmasters.wikia.com/wiki/Forte,_Brave_Fear_Lord DM game]]. (Same card, different artwork, technically).
95	** Here, [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ojmRCBvwOY educate yerself]].
96	* DeadpanSnarker: Knight and Kokujo.
97	* DeconstructedTrope: Of CharacterDrivenStrategy. Shobu largely relies on fire based monsters for the early arc, which allows him to get by for the most part. Once he makes it to the big leagues, however, his strict adherence to this strategy causes him to go on a major losing streak once his deck becomes public knowledge and people start actively making decks to counter his strategy. Part of his CharacterDevelopment is learning to branch out and not stubbornly stick to one strategy or theme.
98	* DefeatMeansFriendship: Every protagonist except Sayuki and Mimi. Rekuta's been defeated enough times to be Shobu's best friend. Averted hilariously by Kokujo in episode 20.
99	* DidYouDie: In a flashback, Shobu loses a [[strike:Kaijudo]] duel, and possibly dies. In the dub, the person listening to his story wonders if he might be a zombie.
100	-->'''Shobu''': What do you want me to do? Not eat a brain?
101	* DisappearedDad: Shori Kirifuda. It turns out [[spoiler:he's the guardian of the Fire Civilization]].
102	* DisproportionateRetribution: Benny Haha claims this when Mimi destroys all of his equipment...all because he cheated at a card game.
103	* DistressedDude: Hakuoh, as shown in 'Duel Masters Charge'. Also Rekuta throughout the subsequent series.
104	* DoorRoulette: A sequence with Mimi walking through the temple became this type of scene in the dub.
105	* DownerEnding: [[spoiler:Charge ends with Shobu losing the final duel, Zakira obtaining the awakening cards, and Hakuoh now part of the Fua duelists.]]
106	* EvilSoundsDeep: Mimi has a voice modulator that lets her do this. When the Master hypnotizes her, she doesn't need it to do this.
107	* EvilTwin: Subverted and lampshaded; both twins are evil, and both try to convince Shobu that the other is their evil twin.
108	* FigureItOutYourself: Lampshaded by Knight in the dub. "That will keep him guessing."
109	* {{Foreshadowing}}:
110	** The room where Shobu and Kokujo duel in the Temple is pretty large for a basic card game...
111	** Scarlet Skyterror being key to defeating blockers.
112	* FunWithAcronyms: The antagonists of Sacred Lands, the Powerful Loyal Order of Princes.
113	* GagDub: It's hard to tell sometimes, as it does try to tell a story, but still.
114	* GamingAndSportsAnimeAndManga: Although when Shobu tries soccer after getting depressed over losing, it doesn't work out so well...
115	%%* GettingCrapPastTheRadar: Please check the trope page to make sure your example fits the current definition.
116	* GirlfriendFromCanada: Benny Haha claims before his duel in the temple that he has a girlfriend — but the other characters have never met her because she lives in Canada.
117	* GirlyGirlWithATomboyStreak: Mimi, who is super-girly until it's time to throw down, [[CharlesAtlasSuperpower which she does quite proficiently.]]
118	* {{Gonk}}: Benny Haha; particularly since the dub has Mimi claim that he had plastic surgery to make himself look the age he thinks he is (in reality, he's a preteen).
119	* GratuitousJapanese: The dub keeps some actual Japanese phrases in the script, presumably because they sound cool.
120	* HeroicBSOD: After [[spoiler:Dr. Root defeats Shobu]].
121	* HopeCrusher: Kokujo enjoys handing his opponents such traumatizing defeats that they never want to duel again. This fails to work on Shobu.
122	* HotBloodedSideburns: Mikuni, later renamed Johnny Coolburns in the dub's third season.
123	* HumongousMecha:
124	** Used by Benny Haha. During an escape sequence in Charge, he builds a miniature mecha [[ThisIsADrill with a massive drill]].
125	%%** Dr. Root also has one of these.
126	* IAmNotWeasel: In the dub, Fritz the bitter goblin is not a squirrel.
127	* IconicItem: No matter how many times Shobu changes his deck, he is always associated with the Bolshack Dragon.
128	* IdiotBall:
129	** Kokujo stresses Shobu out so much in their first duel that Shobu makes a horrific misplay that pisses Kokujo off so much that he cancels the duel and leaves immediately.
130	** Shobu and Rekuta go on a quiz show about Duel Masters cards. Shobu gets nearly every question wrong, even on cards that he ''owns''.
131	** In the Sacred Lands season, there's a part where Shobu is extremely reluctant to play Water cards, preferring to stick with his Fire cards, which nearly leads to his defeat. It isn't until he is lectured on how his father made a similar mistake that he starts using them. Earlier in the season, he had no problem using Light cards, and he had used a Fire/Water deck in season 1.
132	* InvincibleHero: Averted. Despite the jokes about it, Shobu actually loses quite a lot.
133	* KnightOfCerebus:
134	** Kokujou and Hakuou both elevate the seriousness of the show rather startlingly.
135	** Creature example; Ballom, Master of Death. While Kokujo did previously summon Trox, General of Destruction, into reality, it's this creature that really causes the cast to realize that they're now dealing with real creatures.
136	* LaughingMad: Kokujo descends into this when [[spoiler:Shobu beats him for the first time]].
137	* LightheartedRematch: After Shobu defeats Hakuoh.
138	* LikeFatherLikeSon: Shobu and his father Shori. They even have the same spiky hair and clothing.
139	* LittlestCancerPatient: Parodied ([[GagDub like everything else]]); Benny Haha uses this as an excuse to trick Shobu into forfeiting.
140	* LoveMakesYouCrazy: Mimi is a Hakuoh fangirl, and Sayuki a Knight one.
141	* MagicPokerEquation: Jamira using this clues Rekuta into the fact that he's actually cheating. Shobu tries to point out that he does the same thing, but Rekuta gives a HandWave since Shobu is the hero. In the end, they use video evidence (and Mimi paying attention) to get proof (sorta).
142	* MeaningfulName: Shobu (勝負) means "challenge" or "game"; Kirifuda (切り札) means "trump card".
143	* TheMentor: Knight, though the dub lampshades that he's not as good at it as he'd like.
144	* MundaneMadeAwesome: Shobu often draws his big final card with a "flaming hand up in the air".
145	* MusicalEpisode: Dub-specific. Kokujo is nonplussed.
146	* MusicalSpoiler: The dub is the source of the page quote. Shobu's first clue that Kokujo isn't who he seems and is in fact leading him into a psychological trap is a change in the backing score.
147	* TheMusicMeister: Remarkably for a Japanese work (where {{Musical Episode}}s are uncommon in the first place), ''Duel Masters Victory V3'' has an episode about a wannabe singer whose magical companion causes others to break out into spontaneous shouts, and eventually, singing and dancing. The main characters even sing the jingles during the eyecatches.
148	* MyGodWhatHaveIDone: Shobu is so LockedOutOfTheLoop when it comes to a Kaijudo duel, that he doesn't realize the ramifications of winning one - attacking the opponent directly with a very real creature. It's certainly not helped by the fact that his victory against [[spoiler:Kokujo]] is done with [[MoreDakka Armored Blaster]] [[ThereIsNoKillLikeOverkill Valdios]]. Subsequently, he tries to avoid attacking directly in a Kaijudo duel and convince his opponents to surrender.
149	* NoFourthWall: The Gag dub, of course.
150	* NoSuchThingAsBadPublicity: Kokujo cites the trope word-for-word when Knight comments that he's been getting a lot of negative attention in the dueling community.
151	* ObfuscatingStupidity: Mimi and Rekuta.
152	* ObviouslyEvil: Kokujo. Naturally, the GagDub lampshades it.
153	* OurDragonsAreDifferent: And since Shobu specializes in the Fire civilization, we get to see most of them.
154	* ParentalAbandonment: Again, parodied in the dub:
155	--> '''Mimi:''' We have parents?
156	** Despite the heavy use of DisappearedDad, Shobu's mom and Rekuta's dad are regular characters.
157	* PoorPredictableRock: Shobu ends up on the receiving end of this during an arc where he ends facing off against a bunch of professional players who actively mix up their decks due to them all studying each others decks frequently to make counters for them. Once the cards in his deck became well known, he ends up going on a massive losing streak due to everyone having a counter to his deck. It's ultimately what convinces him to start shaking up his deck and adding new cards on the regular.
158	* PublicDomainSoundtrack: In the dub, Fritz's choice of karaoke. Lampshaded in a few episodes, including one instance where he couldn't get the rights to a song he wanted to do.
159	* TheRival: Redeemed rival Hakuoh, dark rival Kokujo, and wannabe rival Jamira.
160	* SeriousBusiness: Especially once the P.L.O.O.P. organization gets involved in the American season. Haircare is a close second to card games.
161	* ShoutOut:
162	** In the dub, one of the kids trying to gain entrance to the Temple is a boy with black hair and glasses. He's named "[[Franchise/HarryPotter Potter]]" in the dub.
163	** Even in a GagDub, no one expected Series/GregTheBunny to cameo. ''Ever''.
164	** In one episode, a villain stalls for time by reciting [[Recap/TheSimpsonsS4E17LastExitToSpringfield Grandpa Simpson's "Tie an onion to my belt" rant]] from ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons''. Word for word. Another character even calls it the "Simpsons trick".
165	** Mimi says during her duel with Shobu: [[Film/WhoFramedRogerRabbit ''I'm not bad, I'm just drawn that way.'']]
166	* SoLastSeason: Shobu is a chronic deck changer once he's convinced to do so in the first place. Also lampshaded in the dub when an antagonist mocks Mimi's new voice.
167	* StopCopyingMe: Mikuni throws Shobu off his game and defeats him by copying both his words and his moves until Shobu gets confused and makes a mistake. During their rematch, Shobu does the same thing to him and throws him off his game.
168	* StylishSunhats: Karen wears a white sunhat in the ''Win'' series alongside her default pigtails.
169	* SurprisinglyRealisticOutcome:
170	** You know how the imaginary shields shatter? What do you think happens when they become real?
171	** Takeshi uses slow, powerful creatures against Shobu, who uses a speed deck. Shobu baits him into summoning his ace monster, and then breaks all of his shields at once.
172	** When Shobu orders his final attack on Kokujo with the bristling Valdios - why of course it opens fire on him in reality.
173	* TakeThat: From the dub: "[[Anime/YuGiOh That show with that Egyptian guy]] is so lame!"
174	* TermsOfEndangerment: Kokujo calls Shobu "sweet boy" and "schoolboy".
175	* TimeSkip: Charge picks up after a three year gap. Not that [[NotAllowedToGrowUp Boy George got any older.]]
176	* ToBeAMaster: Shobu wants to be the best duelist in the whole world. In the English dub, they translated that as to become a true "Kaijudo" master.[[note]]The term "Kaijūdō" is not used in the Japanese anime series. Kaijudo duelists are referred to as "True Duelists" and Kaijudo battle as "Duel of Truth".[[/note]]
177	* ATwinkleInTheSky: A running gag with Rekuta. Plastic Cow's [[GagDub localization]] also takes this to some illogical conclusions.
178	* WalkingShirtlessScene: Kokujo in Season 1, where he wears a BadassLongcoat open over his chest.
179	* WhiteHairBlackHeart: During his tenure as the temple champion in the first season, Hakuoh sports bluish-white hair and a very sour attitude. [[spoiler:Once he undergoes a HeelFaceTurn, his hair shifts to blond.]]
180	* WildTake: Baby-like George actually has to change his diaper after every surprising twist. Several dub seasons edited this character quirk out.
181	* TheWorfEffect:
182	** Toru - who had previously lost to Kokujo - flattens Tsuyoshi, who gave Shobu a hard time.
183	** Just in case you didn't realize that Kokujo was bad news (after all, he'd beaten Shobu twice), he curbstomps Aizen, the Fourth Guardian.
184	** Second Guardian Mimi is beaten to emphasize that Boy George is quite the duelist.
185	* YouKilledMyFather: When [[spoiler:Zakira reveals to Shobu that he had fought and killed Shori Kirifuda.]]

Context Anime / DuelMasters