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Yu-Gi-Oh! Zexal #1
Yu-Gi-Oh! Zexal, Vol. 1
In a futuristic city, augmented reality Duels are all the rage. Duelists, using devices called D-Gazers, can interact with their environment and their opponents as never before! With more awesome monsters and unbelievable cards, the future of Yu-Gi-Oh! starts right here!
No one loves Dueling more than Yuma Tsukumo, but unfortunately for him, no one is worse at it! This isn’t going to stop Yuma from trying though. When Yuma calls on the memory of his parents during the Duel, a strange being called Astral appears, and the encounter is the start of Yuma’s amazing Duel journey!
No one loves Dueling more than Yuma Tsukumo, but unfortunately for him, no one is worse at it! This isn’t going to stop Yuma from trying though. When Yuma calls on the memory of his parents during the Duel, a strange being called Astral appears, and the encounter is the start of Yuma’s amazing Duel journey!
176 pages, Paperback
First published June 5, 2012
31 people are currently reading
397 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews
January 20, 2014
Yuma Tsukamo is a normal boy that goes to a normal school with normal classes, but one duel period. Duel period is a time were the students go out and duel one another with a game called Duel Monsters. Now Duel Monsters is a card game made for everyone of all ages anything can happen in a duel One day Yuma was out in duel period just to have fun and what he likes to say 'go with the flow' or 'hive-five the sky' when he saw on of his friends, Bronk, dueling the schools bully, Shark(aka Reginald Kastle). After the duel Shark won and took Bronk's deck saying the two bet on it saying the person who won would get the others deck. Yuma saw this. During the com Shark took a key that was around Yuma's neck and broke it in half and threw half of it away leaving a heartbroken Yuma on the ground with the challenged Shark walked away. That night Yuma thought about the duel on Saturday with Shark to get his friends deck back not knowing that a strange being will interfere with the duel.
January 2, 2015
I already thought pretty highly of Zexal's anime counterpart, but now I am totally convinced it's the best in the Yu-Gi-Oh! series.
Sorry Pharaoh, but you've got nothing on kattobingu Yuma.
Sorry Pharaoh, but you've got nothing on kattobingu Yuma.
November 24, 2017
I've never watched Zexal, by this first volume of the manga was pretty good. I'm looking forward to reading the next one.
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July 13, 2025I was saving this for the August read but then I remembered how fun Zexal was.
July 12, 2019
It does not make as much sense as the card game, but it did have a good plot line. The characters live interesting, unusual lives. I would recommend it.
October 7, 2023
Zexal's manga adaptation isn't afraid to have a slow start; introducing readers to all the concepts of dueling along with the new XYZ summoning mechanic. However their approach with making Yuma a goofy, inept protagonist does grow a bit tiresome when paired with the two well thought out but slow paced duels in this collection. Zexal opens up with Yuma attending school and confronting the class bully, Shark , who has taken his friends deck. During their duel, Yuma releases an entity known as Astral who bonds with him. However the powerful Numbers XYZ cards are thrown out into the world as well. We later see Astral bond with Yuma in a duel against a classmate; who resorts to tricks to try to become strong and popular. Thinking if he wins the duel he won't be looked down on anymore. Yuma helps him learn a lesson in this.
I thought this was a decent opening volume of a new Yu-Gi-Oh series. Yoshida is obviously writing for a younger audience and it works solidly when you keep that in mind. The rest of the cast we meet; Tetsuo and Kotori, are solid side characters. Yuma's sister and missing parents also play a role in things which is palpable. Naohito Miyoshi's art is also good and matches the Yu-Gi-Oh aesthetic perfectly. Overall while older YGO fans might find Zexal's first volume a tough read, having finished this series before I will say in advance that it evolves into an enjoyable story worth the time.
I thought this was a decent opening volume of a new Yu-Gi-Oh series. Yoshida is obviously writing for a younger audience and it works solidly when you keep that in mind. The rest of the cast we meet; Tetsuo and Kotori, are solid side characters. Yuma's sister and missing parents also play a role in things which is palpable. Naohito Miyoshi's art is also good and matches the Yu-Gi-Oh aesthetic perfectly. Overall while older YGO fans might find Zexal's first volume a tough read, having finished this series before I will say in advance that it evolves into an enjoyable story worth the time.
November 21, 2021
Not the biggest fan of Zexal as while the anime was ok but it was mostly Yuma who annoyed the hell out of me and honestly the Manga is not much better as it basically as the same opening as the anime. Which is weird since both GX and 5Ds have very different starts between the anime and manga so it was kind of weird to have the manga to start with the very same duel between Yuma and Shark then continue to have the same duel between Yuma and Flip.
May 12, 2017
The art is fantastic (a bit weird, but all YGO art is). My main problem was with the catch phrase "I'm gonna jet!" ... Are you kidding me? Seriously? That sounds... Ugh.
September 26, 2019
I liked this book a lot and it was entertaining so I recommend this book to anyone
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August 18, 2021It was an okay book. I didn´t like the book to much action.
May 15, 2021
Pointless rehash of the original series, this doesn't bring anything new to the table. Just copies everything about the original, some loser kid isn't very good at dueling until a spirit in his neckless helps him win a match. After that he thinks he's pretty hot stuff, someone a geek starts to bully him and he decides to befriend him.
Atem is replaced with a fart cloud, who has no personality and the duel monsters are forgettable. There is just nothing good about this, it's a copy of a far superior story.
Atem is replaced with a fart cloud, who has no personality and the duel monsters are forgettable. There is just nothing good about this, it's a copy of a far superior story.
July 25, 2012
I've put off reading this and watching the anime for months on end, expecting it to be terrible; the last three series all had awesome main characters (and in DM's case, villains), and then... there's Yuma.
I haven't actually yet been able to bring myself to watch the anime, but the manga was definitely nowhere near as awful as I expected.
While Yuma and Astral come off as "Yugi and Yami reincarnated" just a little too much, they're not too bad characters at all (Even though, to this day, I have no idea if that red spiky thing on Yuma's head is actually supposed to be hair or...).
The only thing I found amusingly bad is the fact they're using those D-Gazer things (Augmented Reality) in ZeXal, while they had flawless, full 3D holograms in Duel Monsters. Way to take a large step backwards in technology. |D
I haven't actually yet been able to bring myself to watch the anime, but the manga was definitely nowhere near as awful as I expected.
While Yuma and Astral come off as "Yugi and Yami reincarnated" just a little too much, they're not too bad characters at all (Even though, to this day, I have no idea if that red spiky thing on Yuma's head is actually supposed to be hair or...).
The only thing I found amusingly bad is the fact they're using those D-Gazer things (Augmented Reality) in ZeXal, while they had flawless, full 3D holograms in Duel Monsters. Way to take a large step backwards in technology. |D
February 28, 2013
The world of duel monsters has become a world game. With all new features such as the augmented reality duels can become real right before your eyes. But for one duelist who loves dueling the most is none other then, Yuma Tsukumo, a young boy who's in it to win it; of course he really isn't the best duelist, but nothing going to stop him from getting to the top. But when his whole life changes when a stange being named, Astral appears in the middle of a duel, Yuma goes on a journay that will help to the top.
January 14, 2013
Yuma Tsukumo is determined to be the champion dueler. Unfortunately, he's just awful at it. During one duel, he somehow summons Astral, a "ghost dueler" only he can see. Yuma and Astral team up to win several duels.
I didn't enjoy this manga at all. I just don't *get* the Yu-Gi-Oh card duels, so this made no sense to me. I'm sure for those who play the card game, this series will be fun to read. Otherwise, just skip it. C rating.
I didn't enjoy this manga at all. I just don't *get* the Yu-Gi-Oh card duels, so this made no sense to me. I'm sure for those who play the card game, this series will be fun to read. Otherwise, just skip it. C rating.
November 3, 2015
The Zexal series of Yu-Gi-Oh gives people who do not care for the show an alternate story line to follow with a unique line-up of characters not seen in the show. This particular volume starts off rather similarly to the show however, which might throw off people. This changes as time goes on, so give it a shot!
August 12, 2015
Nggak yakin bakal lanjutin ini. Saya sih nggak dapat charm tokoh utamanya ya. Beda dengan seri Yugioh yang sebelum-sebelumnya. Pertarungan dan desain monsternya juga nggak seberapa gereget.
Sejauh ini masih lebih suka GX daripada 5D's dan Zexal ini.
Sejauh ini masih lebih suka GX daripada 5D's dan Zexal ini.
February 2, 2016
One of my Twitter friends suggested that we order this for the library. The protagonist Yuma is adorable, and I didn't expect to be able to follow the card game as easily as this manga allowed. Recommended for kids/teens/anyone that's into card games or willing to learn about them.
September 12, 2020
My NFNT review is up here.
November 13, 2014
my first exposure to anything Yu-Gi-Oh!
I can see why the cards would be fun to play - it was a little hard for me to follow the play in the book, but I'm sure it gets easier if you practice.
I can see why the cards would be fun to play - it was a little hard for me to follow the play in the book, but I'm sure it gets easier if you practice.
October 22, 2013
Very funny and if you're a yu-gi-oh fan you got to read Zexal. :D
August 14, 2013
Great start to Zexal
although Yuma, really is quite bad
although Yuma, really is quite bad
September 29, 2013
After watching the TV show I decided I should try the manga. I didn't know what was going on at all and I think it was a poorly written manga.
February 12, 2015
A fun start to a fun series.
August 12, 2015
Versi Zexal ini cukup seru, ketimbang versi-duel-sambil-balapan... Pembukanya juga oke :)
Awalnya skeptis mau beli (dan baca).
Awalnya skeptis mau beli (dan baca).
December 31, 2015
Loved it
June 2, 2016
he is my favourite manga of all the time
May 18, 2017
Part of the reason I loved this book so much is because I play the card game. I recommend this to anyone that likes card games
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March 7, 2015yu gi oh zexal
October 26, 2017
I would read this book now!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews