First Impression – Cardfight!! Vanguard

Metanorn’s Loli and Trap Ep 1: CARDS > LOLStory

Ness: Nobody wanted this Yu-Gi-Oh! Ripoff, so the almighty Kyokai called for some brave souls to step forward. This trap and the loli mustered up the courage to tackle this yet another card battle anime.

Captain: Man, this really brings back memories. The times when I used to be a Yugioh fanatic. Card games, demons, and monsters. Seeing that none of our seniors really wanted to review this, Ness and I have taken it onto our hands to have a first impression post! Heehee! To animated / imagined card battles! Here we go!

Ness: Clash! We have what appears to be a card battle but the battlers are taking in the form of their cards (which is misleading). It’s a cocky Juggernaut versus the overpowered dragon thing. As the Juggernaut is about to get owned, we have our awesome j-rock opening theme.

The battle ends and we see the actual card players in a card store. As the loser Morikawa (Sugiya Noriaki – Fate/stay night: Shirou Emiya and Naruto: Uchiha Sasuke) whines, Kai (Satou Takuya: first time in lead role) the winner of the battle starts to leave but only to be stopped by a friend named Miwa (Morikubo Shoutaro – Bleach: Tensa Zangetsu, Hakuouki: Okita Soji, and Naruto: Shikamaru) who makes it known to everyone that Kai is the best player in the store after confirming it with the uninterested shop girl that there’s no better regular members. After Kai exits the store, we get the usual “how boring, aren’t there any strong players around” kind of thoughts.

Cards have become a natural part of peoples daily lives that in class the teacher is lecturing about the Sengoku period using cards as props. The instructor asks a question and calls on our potagonist, Sendou Aichi (Yonaga Tsubasa – Ookiku Furikabutte: Mihashi Ren and MM!: Himura Yukinojou) who’s shy response makes the class laugh. After taking his seat, Aichi brings out his precious card Blaster Blade and daydreams. A few seats behind, Morikawa opens up a new card packet with useless cards and start to rage over it until he sees at the Blaster Blade card Aichi is holding.

After lessons, Aichi is in a secluded area of the school with Morikawa who bullies Aichi into showing his Blaster Blade card which (of course) gets taken. Morikawa runs off to have a rematch with Kai but Aichi runs after him saying that the card is important and given from ‘someone special’. Morikawa trips Aichi and continues on his way.

That’s right beg! Beg like the weak little boy you are

Arriving at the shop, Morikawa challenges Kai who refuses until Morikawa puts the Blaster Blade on the line. Meanwhile Aichi is dragging behind in search of Morikawa. (Off note rant: WTF Mihashi voice, go away!!) As Aichi arrives, Morikawa already lost and Kai is in deep thought about the card. Aichi’s world is shattered upon Kai’s refusal to give the card that he won to Aichi.

The guys around the table start to feel sorry for Aichi as Kai explains the situation. Still Aichi wants his card back and Kai explains that a card lost in a Vanguard fight can only be taken back by a Vanguard fight. (FIGHT NOT DUEL!HAH). So of course, Aichi challenges Kai who agrees. Aichi is a noob to playing the game but has a deck just in case.

Kai generously decides to explain the rules of the game as they play and even loans the Blaster Blade card to Aichi because the deck would be incomplete.

“Picture it in your mind, the two of us in spirit form on a planet similar to Earth called Cray” – WTF, I’d rather not.

“We each draw five cards from our deck” – Oooo the scholar guy looks cool!

“And there’s a second power given, the ability to possess units with our spirits, called ride. The units that we possess are called our Vanguards.” – Digimon transformation GO GO!

The card fight continues on with more explanations of the rules and I refuse to go into detail on it.

Eventually when we think all hope is lost, Aichi draws his next card, embracing it to his chest, Aichi expresses his enjoyment mentioning Kai’s name which surprises the guys in wonder on how Aichi knows Kai’s name. Aichi then says how he’s always wanted to fight Kai and yahari~ “You are Sendou Aichi”, says Kai. Aichi confirms and reveals the card that Kai gave him in the past. Aichi then plays the Blaster Blade card and… to be continued.

Deleted Scenes from the not produced Yu-Gi-Oh! Alt Retelling:

Obligatory Duel Pose…

GO! RED EYES BLUE MECHANICAL DRAGON!!

Trust in the heart of the cards!~

*Sweat drop* I SUMMON this Barbie Dog!!

End Thoughts:

Ness: Woooo Captain, my first tag team with you. Exciting~

Captain: Haha! Yeah! Exciting it is~ Alright, let’s get started then 😀

Ness: Yeah, so Cardfight!! Vanguard?! The opening had me going “…” and then they showed the opening theme which wasn’t too bad.

Captain: It kinda brought back memories for me xD You know, the Yugioh stuff and all. I was SUCH a fanatic.

Ness: I wasn’t a fanatic but yes, I did like Yugioh! But when I saw the guy who won the card fight, I was like “That ain’t no Seto Kaiba! GTFO”

Captain: TRUTH!

Ness: But the cards that they showed in the opening was kinda cool looking.. a mix of like digimon and pokemon looking hah

Captain: Oh yes. I kinda want those cards now >u> The picture covers most of the card! HOW COOL IS THAT?!

Ness: Yeah! So how about Sendou Aichi? Think the creators are aiming for a timid, no self-confidence but if pushed can do it kind of character.

Captain: Actually, throughout the episode.. I think Sendou Aichi could do quite well off in a yaoi anime. I mean..he makes quite a lot unnecessary noises. But yeah, I have this feeling he’s going to be something like that.

Ness: Well that and it’s the same seiyuu that plays Mihashi from Ookiku Furikabutte><; Totally ruined my image of Mihashi now even though it’s a different anime. Mihashi had low self-esteem too! But still he was funny and cool with pitching hah.

Captain: Yep yep! ..so I guess the voice actually fits Aichi xD

Ness: Anyways, also what the heck is with that teacher?! He’s lecturing using cards as a prop!

Captain: I didn’t actually realize that they were teaching about the Sengoku period at first! I was like, “Seriously, a card school?”

Ness: I know! I thought it was a card school too at first. But those cards looked kind of cool too, such nice art for a card.

Captain: I REALLY WANT THOSE CARDS. I hope they’ve been released already.. Geez, I’ll have a deck in a week if they are.

Ness: Hahah, yeah maybe for where you are you can get a hold of them XP

Captain: So far the character art isn’t too bad either. Not pointy like Yugioh xD But well, the card art owns everything..

Ness: Yeah, the card art makes up for the non-creative character designs. Also, WTF with Aichi showing that Morikawa loser his card. Totally knew he was going to get mugged.

Captain: Aaaaaand Morikawa runs off with his Blaster card. Poor guy. I’m betting Morikawa loses — Yep. I was pretty amused when Kai called him a dog at the start of the show though xD

Ness: Haha, yeah and Aichi has to win back his precious card but doesn’t know how to play the game! But we got to see even cooler card art then :3 The magician looking guy looked cool!

Captain: COOL CARD ART. That’s the best thing of this show to me! It’s fun to see how different the magician guy looked when Aichi summoned him and how he looked on the card.

Ness: Yeah! So what did you think of the actual battle? I think the card rules aren’t too bad it was cool how somehow the card changes while you play to tell you your results. But that whole play in your mind in a world called Cray stuff was like.. WTF?!

Captain: The card rules are, well, easy to remember. But I swear, I wouldn’t imagine Cray while playing AT ALL. Especially if I’m going to get blown of my own seat like Aichi did if I do xD It’s a cool game.. OH MAN, I REALLY WANT THOSE CARDS. *spasm*

Ness: Hahah yeah!! Also, I think the board for the cards is pretty cool, all glowy and when you place a card over the previous it changes.

Captain: Despite being just a piece of paper. I WANT THAT BOARD AS WELL.

Ness: HAHAHA! So I guess it’s different from Yugioh and Battle Spirits in the sense that the cards don’t project onto a screen but maybe they do but we haven’t seen it yet?

Captain: IF PAPER COULD GLOW LIKE THAT, I’D USE IT FOR MY HOMEWORK!

Ness: HAHAH Me too!

Captain: I think they’ll save it for later, heehee. I hope they don’t do that, I mean.. it’s kinda overused.

Ness: Yeah it is. So next episode, think Aichi will win?!

Captain: Probably, yes! Okay, maybe not.

Ness: I wasn’t surprised to find out that Aichi and Kai knew each other in the past

Captain: I think there shall be a miracle win, like in every show, now that he’s got his special given-to-him-by-Kai card out…You know how Aichi said that the card was given to him by a “special person”? AND KAI IS THAT SPECIAL PERSON? Special person..really?

Ness: YOU CAN BE MY SPECIAL PERSON CAPTAIN! We can collect the cards TOGETHER FOREVER.. Just like Aichi and Kai~

Captain: OH MY, I’M SO FLATTERED! And we shall..trade cards..somehow. Through air mail, perhaps? We’re so off topic xD

Ness: Hehehe~ But anyway, I think that I’ll watch the next episode but doubt I’ll continue reviewing it.

Captain: Probably..yes. Should be the same with me. I mean.. I’d stop watching it too. OR PROBABLY CONTINUE BECAUSE I WANT THOSE CARDS.

Ness: HAHAHA, watch it and make a list of what cards you want. YEAH YEAH

Captain: WELL I WANT THAT DRAGON / WYVERN ONE FOR SURE. It. Shoots. Bullets. What dragon shoots bullets, hey?

Ness: Uhh it was kind of a mechanical type dragon, so I think it’s ok. IT SURE WASN’T NO BLUE EYES WHITE DRAGON LOL!

Captain: OH YEAH, THAT DRAGON! I know I don’t want the dogs, though. They look..stupid. And pretty useless even though they’re not. I want the magician too :>

Ness: Hehehe, well good luck on collecting those cards!

Captain: And good luck to you on watching it! Other than that, though.. if the cards ARE released, anyone willing to trade with me? Heehee!

Preview: Though I don’t think that we’ll be covering Cardfight!! Vanguard, here’s a preview of the next episode. The card fight continues on and we learn more about Aichi and Kai’s ‘special’ relationship.

About Tag Team

We live, laugh, enjoy and strictly believe on "more the merrier". When together, we usually come up with very chatty, conversation-based episodics and interesting posts.