by Jayden Leggett, Editor

What is it with kids these days, with their swag and their “YOLOs” and their ridiculous taste in horribly irritating music? While humanity may possibly never come up with the answer to this age-old question, one thing remains constant: kids love to collect stuff. Pokemon, comic books, action figures: you name it, they want it. So, should it come as any surprise that a new anime based on trading cards (one of the most collectable things in the world) has made its way to Australian shores? No, absolutely not. Ergo, I present to you Cardfight!! Vanguard – Part One.

Taking place in Japan, (where apparently the card battling scene is so big that it is even taught at schools), we are introduced to Aichi Sendou, a shy loner who is secretly harbouring a rare and powerful Vanguard trading card but is too timid to use it. After having his card stolen by a cowardly bully, Aichi luckily gets the chance to win it back in a battle. Unfortunately, the battle is against none other than Toshiki Kai, a legendary player who has never been beaten. What hope could Aichi possibly have of winning his first ever Cardfight!! Vanguard battle? As it turns out, quite a bit.

From this point on, we follow Aichi’s quest into the world of Cardfight!! Vanguard battles as he is taught the rules, acquires new cards and befriends a misfit cast of characters as he journeys deeper into this fun and exciting fantasy world. What I found to be incredibly interesting was the fact that I actually enjoyed watching an anime about a bunch of kids playing with trading cards. I mean seriously, it’s not exactly the sort of thing that sounds like it should be entertaining, and I am one of the last people in the world who can even memorize a ruleset as robust and in-depth as that of the rules of Cardfight!! Vanguard, but there is just something about this show that is so damn endearing.

You can’t help but sympathise with Aichi, a kid who is infinitely fascinated by the card game yet too shy and self-conscious to even have the confidence to participate in a battle. The former bully Katsumi Morikawa soon becomes a companion to Aichi, and the mysterious but wise Toshiki Kai constantly left me questioning what sort of a person he really is: helpful mentor, or sinister douche bag?

It’s not just the characters that help make this show so intriguing. The way in which new elements of the game are gradually introduced via characters that Aichi meets gives a really nice sense of flow to the pacing of the series, and the different towns and “arenas” that the card fighters visit are like characters themselves.

Likewise, the audio and visuals are also of an excellent standard. Many anime series I have come across tend to feature particular voices that either irritate or enrage me, but I truly appreciated the variety and character depth that was brought to life by the talented vocal cast. The music and sounds effects too are great: quirky tunes play in the background as some of the zanier characters are performing their antics, and the sounds of battle are wonderfully large and energetic.What’s that? Actual battle sounds? Yes, you read correctly, for whenever two people battle in Cardfight!! Vanguard, part of the fun lies in the fact that each player must visualise themselves actively participating in this make-believe fighting arena. As such, the viewer is rewarded with the effects of each turn of the game being acted-out between each fantasy creature. Similar to making your selection in a turn-based RPG and then being rewarded with some slick combat animation, Cardfight!! Vanguard’s fight visualisations further contribute towards making this cartoon so much more than simply watching two kids take turns to flip over a bunch of cards.Cardfight!! Vanguard – Part One was somewhat of a rarity for me… a teenager-orientated anime, and about trading cards, no less. Yet despite the fact that A: I have never played a trading card game in my life, and B: I am not what you would call a rabid anime fan, I found a heck of a lot to love with this series. And the most shocking thing of all? Because my DVD came with a bonus starter deck of Cardfight!! Vanguard playing cards, I may just start playing the game for reals. I guess miracles really do happen…ComicsOnline recommends residents of Australia and New Zealand purchase their copies of Cardfight!! Vanguard – Part One directly from the Hanabee website by following this link.

Rating:

ComicsOnline gives Cardfight!! Vanguard – Part One 4 out of 5 school teachers disguised as ninjas.

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