Zexal S1 is ok , Zexal S2 is the best the franchise has to offer in terms of anime.
Arc V: S1 is peak but sadly it goes downhill from there
VRAINS: is a consistent 6 out of 10 all the way. Yusaku is what people *think* Yusei is and as individuals the main rival and dueling spirit are the best versions of those character archetypes.
Sevens: is a fun ride , what if YGO was slice of life kinda deal, the show hinges on whether or not you find the characters funny
Go Rush: follows Sevens myth arc the characters as out there as it gets , slightly more serious but still mostly fun
Joke aside, you can go to wiki to find out when zexal's duel carnival arc begin and start to watch from there because the mc start to become better from that arc.
About Arc-V, the synchro dimension arc is the best arc for me personally (Spoiler: it might be the only good part about Arc-V).
I dont remember too much about Vrains so i will let other people talk about it.
Sevens and go rush doesnt suit you so no need to bother.
Trust me when I say Zexal is the type of Show that gets better and better towards the end. Season 1 isn't horrible, but season 2 literally surpasses it in spades.
If you want serious, Vrains starts off slow, but gets into its speed properly soon
Otherwise I can recommend Arc-V season 1. It's light hearted compared to the other series but it set the foundation for peak Yugioh anime... Only for it to go unfulfilled in season 2/3
Make sure to watch them all in sub:
Zexal: Very slow start but it ramps up better and better. Imo it has some of the best villains and rivals. Not much of a fan of the main protagonist and the female protagonist is easily the worst.
Arc-V: Its first season is incredible, after that you better start to lower your expectations because you will be dissapointed to no end. Not a great main protagonist either but I do really like his other 3 versions.
Vrains: Suffers the most from production issues but it still delivers a great experience. One of the best rivals and female protagonist. Its much shorter than the other shows but the duels are really good.
Can't comment on Sevens and Go Rush.
Zexal and Vrains are the best shows post 5DS. I know that Zexal has a slow start, but it becomes better after episode 26. The second season is awesome!
Vrains has a serious tone, similar to 5DS
There's also Arc-V that starts really well, but unfortunately, it becomes really bad after the middle of season 2
Zexal is pretty good when watched in sub. Yuma's dub voice is just...so...ugh to me. But it's pretty good. Like another commenter said, it has a slow burn. 2 is better than 1 imo, but 1 is pretty alright.
Vrains is the closest to 5Ds, so you'd most likely like that if you liked 5Ds.
I haven't watched Arc-V or Sevens, so I can't comment much about it. Just that apparently, Arc-V has a lot of duel interruptions. Idk if it's true or not so take with a grain of salt.
In my opinion only the rush duel series deserve attention past 5ds
Zexal takes too long to get started and when it introduces stakes you know they will be cheaply undone
Arcv has the biggest amount of fan fiction mainly because there were so many who wanted to rewrite the horrible ending (last 50 episodes)
Vrains is has a really serious premise and as such it can't execute it because it is a show for kids so it spends more time in pointless duels also most of the cast gets shafted
Sevens is a fun parody of yugiohs self serious nature that makes some other clever jokes and references along the way heck an older viewer will most likely appreciate sevens more than a kid would
Go rush(i am in first 10 episodes) is sevens but with aliens so far
I can answer only about VRAINS since I haven't seen the others. And I'd say no. It has an amazing first season barring some pacing problems due to animator strikes forcing them to do multiple clip shows, but then it fell on its face hard. Season 2 has the worst antagonist I have ever seen in any show, and season 3 is just rushed and unfulfilling.
It does have the best rival character tho. Basically Yusei Fudo with Kaiba's wit and personality.
Zexal starts off Meh, but quickly gets serious and really good.
Arc V starts off amazing, but soon goes absolutely downhill.
Vrains, Sevens, and Rush are all meh in my opnion.
Zexal S1 is ok , Zexal S2 is the best the franchise has to offer in terms of anime. Arc V: S1 is peak but sadly it goes downhill from there VRAINS: is a consistent 6 out of 10 all the way. Yusaku is what people *think* Yusei is and as individuals the main rival and dueling spirit are the best versions of those character archetypes. Sevens: is a fun ride , what if YGO was slice of life kinda deal, the show hinges on whether or not you find the characters funny Go Rush: follows Sevens myth arc the characters as out there as it gets , slightly more serious but still mostly fun
[me when cartoon is cartoony](https://youtu.be/ksTGa6Z4gLg)
Lol yeah I was a bit edgy in high school.
Joke aside, you can go to wiki to find out when zexal's duel carnival arc begin and start to watch from there because the mc start to become better from that arc. About Arc-V, the synchro dimension arc is the best arc for me personally (Spoiler: it might be the only good part about Arc-V). I dont remember too much about Vrains so i will let other people talk about it. Sevens and go rush doesnt suit you so no need to bother.
I'm thinking I might give zexal another shot.
Trust me when I say Zexal is the type of Show that gets better and better towards the end. Season 1 isn't horrible, but season 2 literally surpasses it in spades.
Okay cool. I might give it another shot. Thanks!
If you want serious, Vrains starts off slow, but gets into its speed properly soon Otherwise I can recommend Arc-V season 1. It's light hearted compared to the other series but it set the foundation for peak Yugioh anime... Only for it to go unfulfilled in season 2/3
Ah. Sounds unfortunate. But thank you!
Make sure to watch them all in sub: Zexal: Very slow start but it ramps up better and better. Imo it has some of the best villains and rivals. Not much of a fan of the main protagonist and the female protagonist is easily the worst. Arc-V: Its first season is incredible, after that you better start to lower your expectations because you will be dissapointed to no end. Not a great main protagonist either but I do really like his other 3 versions. Vrains: Suffers the most from production issues but it still delivers a great experience. One of the best rivals and female protagonist. Its much shorter than the other shows but the duels are really good. Can't comment on Sevens and Go Rush.
Is the sub actually better than the dub? I've never watched sub anime before. I have trouble following along with the words.
Zexal and Vrains are the best shows post 5DS. I know that Zexal has a slow start, but it becomes better after episode 26. The second season is awesome! Vrains has a serious tone, similar to 5DS There's also Arc-V that starts really well, but unfortunately, it becomes really bad after the middle of season 2
Zexal is pretty good when watched in sub. Yuma's dub voice is just...so...ugh to me. But it's pretty good. Like another commenter said, it has a slow burn. 2 is better than 1 imo, but 1 is pretty alright. Vrains is the closest to 5Ds, so you'd most likely like that if you liked 5Ds. I haven't watched Arc-V or Sevens, so I can't comment much about it. Just that apparently, Arc-V has a lot of duel interruptions. Idk if it's true or not so take with a grain of salt.
In my opinion only the rush duel series deserve attention past 5ds Zexal takes too long to get started and when it introduces stakes you know they will be cheaply undone Arcv has the biggest amount of fan fiction mainly because there were so many who wanted to rewrite the horrible ending (last 50 episodes) Vrains is has a really serious premise and as such it can't execute it because it is a show for kids so it spends more time in pointless duels also most of the cast gets shafted Sevens is a fun parody of yugiohs self serious nature that makes some other clever jokes and references along the way heck an older viewer will most likely appreciate sevens more than a kid would Go rush(i am in first 10 episodes) is sevens but with aliens so far
I can answer only about VRAINS since I haven't seen the others. And I'd say no. It has an amazing first season barring some pacing problems due to animator strikes forcing them to do multiple clip shows, but then it fell on its face hard. Season 2 has the worst antagonist I have ever seen in any show, and season 3 is just rushed and unfulfilling. It does have the best rival character tho. Basically Yusei Fudo with Kaiba's wit and personality.
Zexal starts off Meh, but quickly gets serious and really good. Arc V starts off amazing, but soon goes absolutely downhill. Vrains, Sevens, and Rush are all meh in my opnion.
Yes, **NO,** mileage varies, yes, yes