Cardfight Vanguard Legion Mate End: Final Turn [Final Impression]

This is it: The finale of Legion Mate. Not just that, this season is the finale of the continuity we know. Aichi will no longer be the main character and the rest of the cast are minor parts at least. I’m going to give G a shot, but who knows if I’ll cover it. Without the same feeling as the show I know, who knows? So let’s take this time to look at the final episode, and at the same time, look at all of Vanguard.

For the most part the final episode is what you’d expect. It’s people graduating, people talking, reminiscing. A lot of it was as dull as I thought it’d be. It’s hard to talk about something when it’s an epilogue episode. However there are some touching moments, like Misaki saying her thank yous and goodbyes. Then…Kourin shows up. And she doesn’t remember, but everyone seems to connect with her for a moment.

THEN REN. REN. Okay he’s not there for long, but the day everyone meets up at Card Capital comes. Kai..EVEN THANKS KAMUI FOR CONGRATULATING HIM OH GOD! Then the Card Capital Tournament begins and OH GOD OH GOD REN IN HIS VILLAIN OUTFIT MY FUCKING HEART SHIT /explodes///

I HAVE SO MANY FEELINGS. EVERY SINGLE CHARACTER APPEARS TO GIVE A CAMEO IN THIS TOURNAMENT. If you see the entire series it’s refreshing to see how everyone has grown…except Nagisa who sucks. Honestly I wish they spent less time on the graduation stuff and more on this. Ren v Kai . . . Ren talks about his outfit and teases Kai. HNGGGGGGGH

Leon gives Aichi a speech about how his friends are all supporting him now. . . and then asks him what he will be doing. Aichi says he doesn’t know yet, but he knows he can do something too with all of his friends as his Vanguard.

We cut to far away where Gaillard is, and his whole family at the orphanage is happy to see him. Then we see Neve, who is living off the land and got a letter from the circuit that his animal friends protected (neve = snow white). Then Rati is shown appreciating the Earth as it is and talking about sending a letter to Aichi. . .

The tournament comes to it’s final round…Aichi vs Kai. Kai will be going to Europe to Cardfight, and says they won’t be able to fight for awhile. Aichi says he is sure as long as they keep playing, they’ll definitely meet again. ‘Picture it Kai. . our future!”

Stand up. . .( the )Vanguard!

We leave not knowing who the victor is. . . and that ends the original series of Vanguard. (I’m fucking crying) the preview shows years from now, with a new character, and Kamui..as his freakin’ senpai?!…AND HE’S HOT?!!!

Series overview:

Wow, this show has been a long ride. Most of the time people saw the concept and went, oh another Yugioh, but this show was really good from the getgo. It’s sad so many, including myself, don’t pay attention to it! The first season alone did everything card game anime tends to do wrong. When you compare the end of Arc 1 of YugiOh to Vanguard, where Ren has importance in other ways but is not discarded. Easily for me the best villain is actually Ren, because he is extremely fun. It would have been fun to see Aichi stay evil more than a few episodes every season, but what can you do? The guy loves his friends. Characters: A Plot: B+

The card game is the big thing about this show. Did the story manage to sell it ? HELL FUCKING YES. I play this game! I bought like 5 of the original booster boxes and I wish I still had the money to do it. While some updates, like locking, seem tedious and like an attempt to add on to the series, this is my favorite card game! I play Oracle Think Tank so the only disappointment I truly felt was when Misaki went “naaaah I’m good” I just want my fucking Scarlet Witch Coco shit you bastards! Selling Points: A

This show had phenomenal music, too! A cardgame anime has no right being so musically perfect. Seriously. . .what?! It really got me going, especially the openings. God, the openings were fantastic! FINAAAAAAL TUUUUURRRN!!!!!! Music: A-

The art is one thing, sometimes it’s weird. . .but the cards from the game (which are used in the anime) are GORGEOUS. Some characters are wholly unaesthetically pleasing, like Kamui..his hair just bothers me…GET SOME BANGS KID! But the animation kept oddly consistent, even if there were some derps. Art: B

So how does this show hold up? It makes me cry. A card game anime shouldn’t make me tear up and feel things. So many times I had doubts and didn’t feel that cards should freaking matter this much, but the character’s got so into it I could believe it. Maybe Link Joker couldn’t destroy the world for us, but it would for them! I loved this show. While it’s hard to watch it one at a time, I’d recommend it to ANY fan of card games.

Good work Bushiroad. Now don’t fuck it up with your new main character.

Oki’s Rating: PLEASE DON’T THIS FINAL TURN MAKES ME CRY / 10