Sorry for the lack of content. All there seems to be time for is the weekly VRAINS review. Here ya go.

Akira vs Playmaker resumes. Akira has Playmaker’s options completely locked down as he goes in for the final blow. Of course the duel does not just end a minute into the episode, though. Playmaker still has a trick up his sleeve. Many tricks, actually. While they do border on very gimmicky and situational cards (How many cards does he have that prevent effect damage?) they still don’t feel like absolute deus ex machina cards like the ones Playmaker used against the AI did. They’re still something satisfying about them, and the strategy he uses to turn the tide is actually interesting, if not predictable. The episode lacked much tension, making it pretty obvious what the outcome would be (not that there could have been another outcome). Still, it was a fun ride, if not a particularly exciting one. I did have some nightmares when I saw Bitron again, though. Thing still gives me Link spam flashbacks to when the Link summoning animation took up more than thirty seconds each time.

The animation is pretty muted this week, but Firewall Dragon’s attack looked pretty sweet, so it’s not a total wash. Like usual, there’s nothing wrong with the animation. It just tends to be kind of bland and standard in terms of its angles and actions shown.

In the end, Yusaku and Shoichi uncover the truth about the Hanoi Project, including who oversaw it. And what they learn has got to mildly disappointing for both of them. The guy’s been dead for some time, which does put a damper on Yusaku’s revenge plan. Unknown to them, though, is the guy is mysteriously alive (oooh, spooky) and working with the Knights of Hanoi to eradicate Link VRAINS. It’s still nice to see the pieces coming together, but the fact of the matter is it is still absolutely unclear where both SOL and Hanoi stand on everything. That’s not a bad thing, as it gives the show some room to flex its writing muscles. And what information we’ve been given is enough to satisfy for now.

I’m not sure where the show will head next, but I’d bet Akira and Aoi are out of the picture for a couple episodes.  (I’m totally only saying this because my bets tend to not come true, and I like seeing them on screen.) I hope we’ll get to see Go and Naoki again in this upcoming plotline. While both are far from my favorite characters, I never like to see characters just disappear completely.  So I’ll welcome them back and give them a chance to prove their characters have something to contribute to the show. Until then, though, the preview makes it seem like we’ll get more steamy artificial intelligence innuendo. My favorite kind of innuendo.

Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS - Episode 20

7.7

Writing

8.0/10

Visuals

7.5/10

Enjoyability

7.5/10

Pros

• Duel still enjoyable despite flaws
• Ignis was actually hilarious
• Playmaker and Firewall Dragon do have moments of splendid animation

Cons

• Animation is mostly cookie cutter
• Duel is predictable

Watch Now on Crunchyroll

DaCrowz

Founder of Cards on the Table, DaCrowz continues to profess that his opinions on manga, movies, and shows are somehow in good taste despite the fact that he would likely give an "A" rating to the Prison School anime. When he is not being mistaken for Nicholas Hoult in public, he puts most of his energy into convincing the Yu-Gi-Oh! community that Volcanic Scattershot is staple for any deck.