Drama digest:
The story is about a shy teen Yuyu, who’s introduced to the world of Vanguard by some people. Yuyu has faced confidence issues all his life but does joining the world of vanguard change it all?
The feel-good factor:
All the characters are decent. The friendship of the vanguard group is something to look out for. They help each other like nobody and become lifetime-bosom friends. The animation and sound effects of the series are appealing. The series looks pretty realistic.
The disappointing factor:
Later in the story, some new characters are introduced. But there is no proper or appropriate information about them. Even though it’s a cardfight series, there are an awful lot of card-fight scenes which seem boring to watch as the show progresses. Some physical fights take place totally out of context for the series and are unnecessary.
In-depth analysis:
Yuyu Kondou, the protagonist of the series is a shy teenager. He has a pushover personality. He has lived most of his life under the influence of other people. He has three elder sisters, who have bullied him for his entire life, which has led to his scared, conservative, and no self-esteem personality. One fine day, Yuyu’s sisters force him to wear feminine clothes which breaks Yuyu. He’s no more able to take the bullying. Due to this, he runs away from his house. After running away, he encounters a friendly girl Megumi Ookura, who introduces him to a gaming group called Cardfight Vanguard. Megumi is a part of the group itself. The other members are Danji Momoyama, Zakusa Ishigame, and Tomari Seto. Everybody is a different personality and Danji is the leader of this group. This group has a nice little hideout where they casually meet, hang out, and play card games. As Yuyu starts getting closer to the other members of the group, he starts gaining confidence and self-esteem. He becomes a much braver version of himself than he’s ever been. The series focuses on its leading topic, vanguard gaming, as well as everything that happens around it.
Star power:
The lead of the series, Yuyu, can be called the star of the show. As he had been a low-self-esteemed guy most of his life, he may seem like he doesn’t care about anything. But instead, he’s a caring guy who values relationships. His growing obsession for card-fight games does not take over his love for his friends, which is heartwarming.
Overall opinion:
Being a vanguard series, it has done a decent job. It takes time to introduce the characters, their backstory, and their personalities. It balances the dramatic aspect of the series well. It can be called a 50/50 show in general terms.
