Bonds beyond time was a work of art bc it showed us this version of Judai we never see before. One that has matured and learned from his experiences, at the same time a competent adult with the knowledge and sense of responsibility to do what he has to, yet also not entirely consumed by his guilt and depression as he was in season 4. He isn’t “cured” but he also isn’t hopeless, he’s regained his sense of joy and excitement even in the sense of terror, the things that made him Judai.
A lot of ppl fixate on Judai in season 4. He’s brooding and serious and standoffish and, to them, this makes him a cool protagonist. Never mind that he is also, at the same time, neglectful, tactless, and above all, deeply hurting. He attempts to vanish from his friends’ lives multiple times, he blames himself for everything and refuses to let others in as to his struggles, handling it all himself. He’s an emotional ticking time bomb. He is serious only bc he has no other way to be. And sure, in a shounen anime, that can come across as cool, but they weren’t exactly trying to make the negative effects of his adulthood depression known.
BBT is wonderful in the way it shows us how he’s moved on after that final duel with Yugi. He’s learned that while yes, as an adult and a person with responsibilities, there are some things he can’t neglect, some things he has to take seriously and put serious effort into, but he’s also learned that he doesn’t have to lose his sense of joy while doing it. There are so many moments in BBT where Judai will go from seriously analyzing a situation to smiling and laughing. It proves he still has the tools and understanding to handle and analyze a situation seriously, while also not letting that rule him. The way he fights fiercely as he know he needs to but still grins and jokes and laughs all the while- that’s the real Judai, the one that was lost in his depression during season 4.
This is also exemplified by his relationship with Yubel. I was always sad that Yubel didn’t appear in season 4 until near the very end, but I think if I give the writers more credit, it might have been intentional. Yubel ends up being the perfect counter to Judai’s newfound cynicism and seriousness. A snarky, sarcastic spirit who back-sasses him as he makes his plays, who knows their role to protect him and assist him but also doesn’t let that duty get in the way of who they are, the personality and the little light sense of humor. In BBT we see them desperately calling out to Judai during the duel, warning him about attacks, while also giving him occasional compliments, comments, or snide remarks. It’s possible to be this way because they have a bond now- a unique understanding, both of them, of their duty and ability and their role, but also an understanding of one another and their personalities, and they feed off it. It’s like two coworkers who have known each other a long time- they have in-jokes, their personalities mesh well, and even in the most serious of times they’re able to keep their uplifted demeanor, they still joke with each other even as things get serious, because they know how to work together.
I think a lot of ppl miss the point with Judai’s character, and the arc he experiences. One of his major flaws during the first 3 seasons is that he does not understand or take seriously the gravity of the situations he gets into- he treats them all as a game. This finally catches up to him in season 3 where his actions have real, genuine consequences. And realizing that is emotionally devastating for him. In season 4, his own PTSD about his situation has turned him into who he is. He’s under the impression now that he needs to take every situation so seriously that he cuts himself off from others and loses the parts of himself that made him who he was, his joy is gone, his humor is gone, all bc he feels that’s what he has to do. And that depression absolutely destroys him, it’s draining to live that way.
What we see in BBT isn’t a Judai who has been fixed, but who has recovered. He hasn’t reverted back to who he was in S1, carefree and without concern, but he hasn’t clung to the mindset he had in S4 that was eating away at him. He’s learned from his experiences and healed, and become a more rounded person because of it.
I can’t help but look at him among the 3 protagonists lined up there and think of how much development he went through, how much he changed. It’s something we don’t see much in Yugioh, bc doing that with a protagonist can be a risky gamble. It can change them from what made them so likable to begin with.
But with Judai, I think it really is perfect. And I’m happy we got to see a glimpse of what he’s like after recovering.
