If there’s one thing that the original Yu-Gi-Oh! anime would master, it’s the art of making a swingy, broken card game feel as epic as a pro wrestling main event match. It’s got the iconic mic drop lines as early as episode 1’s entire “Draw your last pathetic card” exchange. The dramatic duels that come down to the wire like Joey Wheeler losing via physical exhaustion. The soundtrack that prepares you for the most epic moments and boss monsters being summoned. To someone who doesn’t get it, no explanation is enough. To someone who does get it, no further explanation required.
Synopsis
Bullies often target someone frail and weak—someone exactly like Yûgi Muto. He treasures his Millennium Puzzle, an ancient Egyptian artifact that was brought into his grandfather's game shop. Believing that solving the puzzle will grant him his wish, he completes the puzzle, unleashing a new personality within him, the soul of the "King of Games." The new personality named Yami Yûgi is the exact opposite of Yûgi. Upon any injustice toward him, Yami Yûgi takes over Yûgi's body and forces the opponent into a "Shadow Game".
Storyline
After solving the Millennium Puzzle, a timid boy who loves the Duel Monsters card game shares his body with the spirit of an ancient Egyptian pharaoh, causing the boy to adopt a fiercer personality.
TLDR
Where generations of starry-eyed children first believed in the heart of the cards.
What stands out
I believe that the OG anime is the biggest reason why the game is still in the top 3 TCG’s today. The current TCG as it is certainly isn’t helping things.