I was the lead script editor and QC on this one! The Toei Yu-Gi-Oh! series is an interesting beast, and, as we say in this release post, it's honestly not the best adaptation. There are absolutely strong episodes, and the animation is often striking and beautiful, but it feels like this writing team signed up for the horror and wasn't really prepared to make the games interesting, especially when it comes to Duel Monsters. They do hit more of a stride later in the season, so please try to stick with it until the end. Highlights include the adaptation of the Ferris wheel bomber plot from the manga, and the anime-exclusive, season-spanning arc of Yugi vs. Kaiba's Four Game Masters. The last two Game Masters are a delight in particular, and some of the best actually exciting gameplay in the series comes in these episodes. If you watch any part of "Season Zero", make it those episodes.
Another highlight is Miho, a Toei-exclusive addition to the main friend group. At first, she comes off as a flat, vapid addition to the main cast, but she actually gets enough development to actually become one of my favorite characters in the series.
If you're here for Death-T or the original introduction of Bakura, though? You're better off reading the manga, no question.
