MARIAH's THOUGHTS on Yu-Gi-Oh!: The Dark Side of Dimensions (2017)

Genre:

Young Adult/New Adult
Action/Adventure, Game, Shounen

Rating:

PG-13 or older

Run Time:

2 hrs 15 minutes

Release Date:

April 23, 2016 (JP)

January 27, 2017 (US)

Directed by:

Satoshi Kuwabara

Character Design and Story by:

Kazuki Takahashi

Studio:

Studio Gallop

Producers:

TV Tokyo, Nihon Ad Systems, Shueisha, Konami Digital Entertainment

Synopsis:

Set six months after the events of the original Yu-Gi-Oh! manga, Yugi Muto and his friends are in their final year of high school and are talking about what they will do in the future. Meanwhile, Seto Kaiba has commissioned an excavation to retrieve the disassembled Millennium Puzzle from the ruins of the Millennium chamber. The item had previously housed the soul of his rival, Atem, whom he hopes to revive in order to settle their score. The excavation is interrupted by a mysterious man, who faces Kaiba in a game of Duel Monsters and steals two pieces of the recovered Puzzle. What is his ulterior motive? The stakes have never been higher; the rivalries never as fierce; the risks never so great.

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Cast:

Dan Green, Eric Stuart, Daniel J. Edwards, Tara Sands

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*My Thoughts*

It was more like a simple action flick but worth it for any Yu-Gi-Oh! fans. ~( ^^)~ I don’t recommend Yu-Gi-Oh! The Dark Side of Dimensions to everyone. Sure; there were a few drawbacks I could nitpick at, such as the cliché good versus evil theme or some friendship message, but it wouldn’t be the Yu-Gi-Oh! I know and love without those elements. With so much hype since I attended the Yu-Gi-Oh! Panel at SDCC, the trailers that have been released since then, I can say I wasn’t disappointed. Although predictable, I chose to pay attention to the journey taken in this movie rather than the result.

This was beautiful as I felt that The Dark Side of Dimensions was good for closure. “How’s Atem doing on his afterlife throne? What’s everyone up to these days? What are they doing with their lives?” As an excited member of the audience and a fan of the Yu-Gi-Oh! Franchise since I was a kid, it was fulfilling to see the first-generation characters finish their last year in high school and seeing how they had matured, even if it was just by a little bit. It may not have been much in terms of character development but I felt it brought Duel Monsters full circle and allowed the gang to (completely) move on from Pharaoh Atem’s departure, thus pushing them to seriously look at their futures. Except for Kaiba… because he practically has it all and he still wants to duel Atem… and satisfy his wonderfully inflated ego. No sarcasm intended.

Its drawbacks lie with the “good versus evil” theme and I’m pretty sure everyone can figure out the ending. I wish the villain had more depth but what can you do? There’s only so much Kuwabara and Takahashi can put into a 2 hour and 15-minute movie. Nevertheless, I was smiling the entire time. Probably because I was too busy focusing on Kaiba and the clean-cut imagery. The CGI for monsters was also a nice touch because it added extra detail onto monsters that the original anime did not have. The Blue-Eyes White Dragon was actually White! That’s always bothered me when I watched the anime.

Yu-Gi-Oh! The Dark Side of Dimensions was fast paced with vibrant animation, fan favorite characters returning, awesome duels, brilliant voice acting, and kick ass new monsters. More like kick ass new monster designs, but it’s still beautiful. A note on the monsters: effects and special summons for days. And are they actually playing by the real game rules? Shocking. It kept me on the edge of my seat seeing what cards will be played next and what effects would benefit the turn player while causing the opponent disadvantage.

My rating:

HIGHLIGHT: Spotlight on Yu-Gi-Oh and Creator Kazuki Takahashi Panel SDCC 2015

Spotlight on Yu-Gi-Oh and Creator Kazuki Takahashi

July 11, 2015, Saturday, 2:00PM-3:00PM

Room 7AB

Description:

Get a rare, behind-the-scenes look at the Yu-Gi-Oh! phenomenon and a sneak peek at the third Yu-Gi-Oh! feature film through the eyes of world-renowned manga artist and Yu-Gi-Oh! creator Kazuki Takahashi, and other distinguished panelists. Get the inside scoop on the brand, setting the stage for an all-new Yu-Gi-Oh! feature film in 2016.

Panelists:

*My Thoughts*

I think the only reason this panel was so loud and lively was because Kazuki Takahashi, the creator of Yu-Gi-Oh!, was there for his first US appearance. If Takahashi-sensei didn’t need a translator I would’ve completely forgotten there were other panelists sitting on the stage with him since he was the only one talking. He was so polite and friendly, I couldn’t meet him in person but he seemed rather reserved. So yes, a lot about the Yu-Gi-Oh! franchise: episodes re-released with subtitles, the card game, new games being created probably by Konami, and especially the new movie, Yu-Gi-Oh! The Dark Side of Dimensions that will be released in Japan in 2016.

Official Poster

Introducing the new movie, since I was never hyped up for Bonds Beyond Time, the new movie which centers itself around Seto Kaiba and Yugi Muto 6 months after Pharaoh Atem departs in the original manga, hopefully trumps its predecessors. The animation looks so eloquent, that’s definitely a turn on for me. Like anything that deeply takes your interest, you’ll recognize it immediately; despite old school characters in the new movie having slightly different designs, the art work is definitely his style. Kazuki Takahashi did many new monster designs, made the characters slightly older, and designed the new antagonist. Yugi: looking a little older and hopefully taller; maybe Atem was stealing all the height on purpose. Kaiba: still angry but determined. Tea/Anzu: I suppose she got “sexier” as the panelist put it but definitely the most matured appearance wise. And Joey/Jounouchi: while his appearance has change to be, what I would call, “pointier” but apparently didn’t mature personality wise. Takahashi-sensei also did a quick drawing of Yami Yugi in ten minutes that would have taken me an hour.

Included on the panel were questions asked by the fans. Some questions you could have looked up online and were simple like, “What was your inspiration” or “How did you come up with Yu-Gi-Oh!” The only one that I was most interested in was: “What character do you (Takahashi-sensei) most relate to?” Normally, I would think the main character which is Yugi but he would rather relate to Joey/Jounouchi. Seeing his personality during the panel, it would only make sense. The Q&A had simple questions yet deep questions that showed me that Takahashi-sensei did his research on Egypt to create the Yu-Gi-Oh! manga. I didn’t know games originate 5000 years ago in Ancient Egypt. Would I pay to see the movie: maybe; would I buy the DVD/Blu ray: yes; will I continue to play Yu-Gi-Oh!: yes. And finally, congratulations Takahashi-sensei for the prestigious Inkpot award!

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*My Reaction*

Yu-Gi-Oh! The Dark Side of Dimensions trailer

As Seto Kaiba stands in the center of the movie poster, I'm more excited to know that he'll be an important part of the next Yu-Gi-Oh! movie, hopefully more so than in Pyramid of Light. I'm more than happy to see old school characters face off against a more "modern" enemy, aside from Noah Kaiba and Zigfried von Schroeder. Little glimpses of the movie provide some hints for more dimensions in existance, other than the shadow realm or an after life. But more importantly better graphics than before. New monsters, new designs, and Yugi's newest opponent; I hope to see all my favorites along with a crazier yet meaningful plot. While I expect the same outcome for yet another one of Yugi's duels, I'd like to see his growth after 6 months of Atem's departure. But my first question, other than "How often will we see Seto Kaiba in this flick," is "Why does than new opponent on the movie poster look like Yusei from 5D's?"