Trying to recommend people watch Yu-gi-oh is always an insane pitching experience because the basic premise, what the show's about, and the actual meat-and-potatoes plot mechanics are all extremely different from one another.
The premise for DM is that some kid has an amnesiac ancient egyptian ghost haunting him and various billionaires are going to try to divest him of his jewellery. What DM is about is platonic devotion, staying true to your friends, the all encompassing power of love, and the eventual burden of moving on from death. This entire thing is painted in the aesthetics of 90's punk and visual kei.
The premise for GX is a kid attends card game high school and goes on wacky adventures. What GX is about is growing up, about seeing the world get more and more dark as you get older until you don't think you are the same person anymore, and having to hold onto the things that make you you. The later seasons draw heavy inspiration from lovecraftian cosmic horror.
The premise for 5Ds is a street punk has to team up with new friends and old enemies to fight on behalf of ancient south american space gods. What 5Ds is about is classism, and tools of oppression in a hi-tech futuristic society that is literally powered by magic. The visual language ping pongs between classic cyberpunk grunge and ultra sleek hypermodern.
The premise for Zexal is a different kid with a different amnesiac ghost that lives inside his necklace team up to find his memories. What Zexal is about is human connection, about reaching out a hand into the dark, about not being alone, and the pointlessness of war. This entire thing is themed with elements of the christian bible.
The premise for Arc-V is a theatre kid who travels the worlds spreading cheer and smiles with his circus performances. What Arc-V is about is child soldiers, and indoctrination into the military industrial complex, and the emotional dissonance that forms between events of trauma and day-to-day survival. One of the characters is inexplicably a traditional japanese shinobi.
The premise for VRAINS is a depressed highschooler cybercrime-ing his way through the internet so he can find answers to why he was kidnapped and tortured when he was 8. What VRAINS is about is the future of corporate greed, about healing, about what makes a consciousness, and the poisoning power of hate. A solid 50% of the story is just really good goofs on modern internet culture.
But if you just throw on a random episode of any one of those, the actual construction of any given one are going to be pretty much the same: It's all Card Games babeeeey
