This is more like it.
After the really disappointing second season, I was very happy to see that this episode took us straight back to the feeling that the first season had, even mimicking the setup that the very first episode had in some respects. You get a good feel for how far things have come along, yet other aspects still haven't changed. Since this is the third time around the block (has it really been that long?), a lot of it is routine, like the tutorial battle that takes up most of the episode. However, most of the episode trends towards a more realistic approach, or at least as realistic as a show like this can get.
The story story starts several months after the abysmal end to season two. Main character Aichi is starting high school, but an international Cardfight title hasn't done much for his shyness in school. He hasn't made any new friends since it's a college prep academy (focusing on "globalization") so almost no one knows or cares about what Cardfight is. Stating his hobby in front of the class only results in his teacher telling him that he should focus on his studies more. However, since this is a card game show, one of Aichi's classmates, a redhead named Ishida, follows him to the card shop one day after school and catches Vanguard fever as well.
There are a lot of little moments that make this episode more relatable and realistic, like the moment when Ishida walks into the card shop and he's twice the height of the majority of the kids there. There's also more of a willingness from the series to laugh at itself. In the past two seasons, there've been many moments when the characters physically recoil from an attack or take on the stance of the cards they've just called. The show has tried to play this off as part of the "imagine" bit of the game, but it's hard to get around how silly it is. In this episode, there's a moment where Ishida calls a dragon and then roars in real life. The other characters just laugh awkwardly and go back to what they were doing. The fact that this season is willing to point out its silly moments is a big step forward.
I only have a few complaints about this episode. First, idol character Kourin transferring into Aichi's class was really cliched, plus the fact that the last two seasons led me to believe that she was much older. Unless we're having a Tsuritama moment, of course. Also, it made little sense for the class to know who she was, since she's a Cardfight idol and the class made it clear that they don't care about the game. Second, the OP and ED as well as a short scene in the episode makes it clear that this season is going to be focused around forming a club, unless I've got it wrong. If it is, I hope that this show doesn't take the stereotypical route, since the industry has been flooded with school club stories over the last few years.
So far though, it looks like fans of the series have little to worry about from this season since it looks like a return to form. If you've been interested in the show but haven't gotten a chance to watch it yet, this looks like a good time to jump in.
Images from Crunchyroll.com.
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