But more on the guilty side than the pleasure side. I should note that I am an on-and-off fan of the Yu-Gi-Oh franchise up until the end of 5Ds, so this is coming from the viewpoint of someone this movie was aimed at.
I hate to draw comparisons in reviews, but Pyramid of Light honestly was a stronger movie than this. The first thing I feel is worth bringing up is that this movie, while a crossover, is very much a 5Ds movie in story. Most of the focus is on Yusei, with Jaden and Yugi practically reduced to Character Of The Day roles. So if you want to watch for one of those two, then be aware that this is Yusei's story.
Secondly, and most importantly, for a 10th Anniversary, the duel was honestly one of the worst in the franchise. With a heavily hyped 3-on-1, you'd expect Paradox to be an extremely clever opponent, constantly making the protagonists second guess their moves, while wondering what their teammates are capable of. Nope, the protagonists have immensely co-ordinated teamwork, considering that this is their first meeting, and Paradox, despite having a heavily broken deck, is easily dispatched, and he also misses out on a move that would have won the duel for him. The protagonists finishing blow was also a giant Ass Pull. ("I have this card that increases our Attack Points." "What a coincidence, so do I.") Simply put, it's a big disappointment after Atem Vs. Kaiba in Pyramid of Light, a much stronger duel altogether, with proper strategical plays to keep it even.
It's a great pity that Paradox was put into this movie. He definitely had an interesting story behind him, and extremely powerful cards, yet the only other appearance by him is in some flashbacks during the final 5Ds arc. It's like they wanted to go somewhere with him, but wrote themselves into a corner. At least he got that hilarious cocky quip in. ("I'd say you put up a good fight, only you didn't.")
Simply put, if you like Yu-Gi-Oh, including 5Ds, then maybe this will do something for you, even ironically. If not, then you needn't bother. Again, I hate to draw comparisons, especially when Fandom Rivalry can be involved, but I'd stick to the Pokémon movies for Merchandise-Driven anime.
Anime I'd say it's a Guilty Pleasure...
But more on the guilty side than the pleasure side. I should note that I am an on-and-off fan of the Yu-Gi-Oh franchise up until the end of 5Ds, so this is coming from the viewpoint of someone this movie was aimed at.
I hate to draw comparisons in reviews, but Pyramid of Light honestly was a stronger movie than this. The first thing I feel is worth bringing up is that this movie, while a crossover, is very much a 5Ds movie in story. Most of the focus is on Yusei, with Jaden and Yugi practically reduced to Character Of The Day roles. So if you want to watch for one of those two, then be aware that this is Yusei's story.
Secondly, and most importantly, for a 10th Anniversary, the duel was honestly one of the worst in the franchise. With a heavily hyped 3-on-1, you'd expect Paradox to be an extremely clever opponent, constantly making the protagonists second guess their moves, while wondering what their teammates are capable of. Nope, the protagonists have immensely co-ordinated teamwork, considering that this is their first meeting, and Paradox, despite having a heavily broken deck, is easily dispatched, and he also misses out on a move that would have won the duel for him. The protagonists finishing blow was also a giant Ass Pull. ("I have this card that increases our Attack Points." "What a coincidence, so do I.") Simply put, it's a big disappointment after Atem Vs. Kaiba in Pyramid of Light, a much stronger duel altogether, with proper strategical plays to keep it even.
It's a great pity that Paradox was put into this movie. He definitely had an interesting story behind him, and extremely powerful cards, yet the only other appearance by him is in some flashbacks during the final 5Ds arc. It's like they wanted to go somewhere with him, but wrote themselves into a corner. At least he got that hilarious cocky quip in. ("I'd say you put up a good fight, only you didn't.")
Simply put, if you like Yu-Gi-Oh, including 5Ds, then maybe this will do something for you, even ironically. If not, then you needn't bother. Again, I hate to draw comparisons, especially when Fandom Rivalry can be involved, but I'd stick to the Pokémon movies for Merchandise-Driven anime.