"Any card—so long as it exists—has a power that is needed."

homura-bakura:

One year ago today, Yu-Gi-Oh! Arc V came to a close.  One year ago today, it we had reached the end of the first show I had ever followed so closely, the only show that I stayed up until 3 or 4 in the morning to watch it air without subtitles in Japan, the show that, to this day, I still say with no exaggeration probably saved my life.

I had had other big favorite shows before Arc V.  But none of them have stayed as long, or as deeply, as this one.  This was the first show that grabbed me by the heart and refused to let go, the first one that gave me characters that I resonated with so deeply that I knew I’d never untangle myself.

So here’s to you, Arc V.  It’s been a year, and I still miss the rush of excitement that came with waiting for each Sunday for whatever would come next.  It’s been a year and I still haven’t let go, and I don’t think I will.  It’s been a year and I still find myself coming back every single day and finding something new, still finding something that even in my lowest points makes me want to get up and keep walking.

Here’s to you, Yuya, the first character that I felt such a deep kinship with; you suffered with so much of the same feelings that I did, and your journey was one that gave me the strength to believe that I could make it through, too.

Here’s to you, Yuzu, you’re still my favorite female protagonist, and your determination and initiative inspired me to believe in myself, too.

Here’s to you, Reiji, you’ve become one of my ultimate favorites in such a deep way over the last few months and seeing you try so hard during every rewatch while knowing what you’re going through in full, now, is something that won’t leave me.

I wish I had the time and breadth for a personal remark on every single one of these characters, because there’s barely a single one that didn’t reach me right down to my heart and leave me changed.  So here’s to every one of them, I love all of you and what you brought to the story.

Here’s to the writers, who put their all into creating such a long, single story arc that all came together in such a beautiful way by the end.  For giving us characters that were so artfully and subtly made that even without direct screentime, so much of who they were could still be understood.

Here’s to the character designers, who left us with my favorite aesthetics and designs in anything I’ve every enjoyed, characters so distinct and beautiful that I can’t forget even one of them.

Here’s to the animators, who worked so hard and created some truly stunning episodes and sequences, even with the added stress and obstacle of the other problems in the studio and the extra work that had to be done on multiple projects.  Your hard work truly shines through.

Here’s to the voice actors; this show had some of the most raw and emotional voice work I’ve heard, and every character felt so real.  Your love of your work and your characters were visible.

Here’s to the composers, Arc V’s music touched me so deeply and there are still tracks I can’t get out of my mind.  I’m looking forward so much to the release of Sound Duel 4 and Vocal Best, and I can’t wait to have the fruit of that labor in my hands.

And to everyone else who put their time and hard work into this project, here’s to you, too.  Something so big as a long series anime takes so much effort and teamwork to pull off, and something truly beautiful came of everyone working together.  Even if it’s just the job, something truly incredible was made here, something that transcends the glorified card commercial that the franchise could have been.  Every Yu-Gi-Oh has been such a labor of love that I never would have expected from a franchise made to sell trading cards, and yet every time I’m blown away by the extra effort that every part of the production process puts into it.

And finally, here’s to you, the friends and people I’ve met through or because of this show.  Staying up on steams with you guys, circulating speculation posts, crying and loving our faves together, making content and sharing the love for everything this show was for us, I wouldn’t trade it for anything.  Your enthusiasm and love helps mine never flag, and all troubles that plague every fandom aside, I wouldn’t trade y’all for anything.  Thank you <3

Arc V was the story that I wanted and the story that I needed, and I legitimately don’t know who I’d be without it.  It’s become so much a part of me now.

So thank you, Arc V.  I wasn’t going to make such a long, sappy post, but I can’t help myself. and once I started, I just couldn’t stop.  There will probably be another on the anniversary of your airing, but for now, here’s this one.

It’s been a year since you ended, but I don’t feel that it really ever ended.  Thank you, and here’s to every year after that I’ll still be here, loving every bit of Arc V. <3