Yu-Gi-Oh!: Bonds Beyond Time

Everything About Fiction You Never Wanted to Know.
(Redirected from Bonds Beyond Time)
"Friendship protects the world. Dueling protects the future. This is the power set toward our futures!"
—The movie trailer tag line
"Synchro what?"
—Dan Green

Also known as Yu-Gi-Oh! 10th Anniversary Movie: Super Fusion! Bonds That Transcend Time.

A movie special made for the tenth anniversary of the Yu-Gi-Oh! anime.

Featuring the three protagonists of the three series, they fight against a mysterious man, Paradox, who intends to bring the world down the path of destruction. He first steals Yusei's Stardust Dragon then travels back in time, piling up a good number of... questionable acts on his list in order to realize his goal. The three protagonists eventually get to him, challenging him to the ultimate duel.

The movie debuted in Japan on the 23rd of January in 2010. 4Kids! Entertainment announced their plans of dubbing the movie, and the English version of the movie premiered on February 26, 2011, under the name "Yu-Gi-Oh! 3D Bonds Beyond Time". An encore run of the movie was announced for Japan nationwide on that same date, as part of the Worldwide Anniversary. The Japanese DVD was released on June 16, 2011. The English DVD WAS set for release on July 19, 2011. But Wal-mart did not end up receiving copies of the DVD at the expected date. Now the release has been changed to a vague "December 2011". Never fear however, the UK release of the Blu-Ray/DVD is available 2D and 3D ready, and even contains the original Japanese version of the movie! Which is the first time Yu-Gi-Oh! has had such a release since the few Uncut DVD's 4kids released back in 2004.

Shin Yoshida, the screenwriter of the movie and one of the series compositors of the three series, stated that Paradox's true character will be revealed in the future episodes of 5D's. Paradox finally made a cameo in the main series, as of Episode 135 of 5D's.

Tropes used in Yu-Gi-Oh!: Bonds Beyond Time include:
  • 3D Movie
  • The Abridged Series: Little Kuriboh, creator of Yu-Gi-Oh! Abridged, abridged Bonds Beyond Time. With ShadyVox as Jaden.
  • After the End: The distant future appears to be like this.
  • All There in the Manual: The 10th Anniversary Animation Book answers some of the questions regarding the movie.
  • Amazing Technicolor Battlefield: Paradox's Sin World Field Spell turns the area into a purple space full of stars.
  • Animation Bump: The animation is much more detailed and fluid compared to the anime series. It helps that the animation director was Takahiro Kagami.
  • Anime Hair: Not only the movie has the three protagonists with their amazing hairstyles in one place, but Paradox's hairstyle takes this trope Beyond the Impossible.
    • Lampshaded by Jack in the dub while looking at a picture of Yugi.
    • "Doesn't really look like much of a challenge. Especially with that dated hair style."
  • Anti-Villain: According to Atsushi Tamura, Paradox's voice actor. He noted that he doesn't want people to consider Paradox as a typical villain, and that he also carries grief on his shoulders and has a peculiar reason to battle.
  • Apocalypse How: Paradox's future ranks as Class 4 or Class 5 - no seas, no forests, just rubbles with Paradox as one of the few humans remaining. After Paradox starts altering the past with time travel, this Trope is bumped up to Class Z due to reality disintegrating thanks to the changes he makes.
  • Arbitrary Skepticism:

Paradox: I come from the future.
Yusei (who comes from the future): What's that supposed to mean?

  • Author Appeal: Takahiro Kagami loves putting a lot of detail into hands.
  • Back for the Dead: Pegasus makes an appearance at an event, where he is killed by Paradox shortly after. Yugi's grandfather also suffers the same fate. Then again, this is a story with time travel involved...
  • Bad Future: Paradox's future.
  • Bat Family Crossover: Bringing the universes of Yu-Gi-Oh, Yu-Gi-Oh GX and Yu-Gi-Oh 5 Ds together.
  • Big Bad: "The most powerful enemy, Paradox"
  • Big Damn Movie: While the other series involved saving the world in several cases, the movie pushes it to a much bigger scale - now the entire timeline is in danger, and it requires three protagonists to save it.
  • Big OMG/Big No: Pegasus, right before his death.
    • Also, Yugi when he realises that his Grandpa is dead.
    • Dub Paradox, when Stardust Mirage is activated.
  • Bishonen: Paradox, of course.
  • Blond Guys Are Evil: Guess.
  • Boring Invincible Hero: By the second turn of the game, the protagonists are basically in control of the whole game, with Paradox not doing very much to bring them down.
  • The Cameo: Pegasus, Yugi's grandpa, Crimson Dragon, Jack, Crow, Leo, Luna, Akiza, Daitokuji and Yubel.
  • Captain Obvious: In the Japanese version, Pegasus gets a foreboding feeling while en route to his destination. That might have something to do with the fact that his helicopter is flying straight into a swirling vortex of thunderclouds.
  • Card Games: Of course! It's also responsible for the future's destruction.
  • City of Canals: Paradox attacks Jaden in Venice (more specifically, St. Mark's Square) when the latter goes there to investigate a local issue.
  • Combat Commentator: Daitokuji takes up this role during the Paradox vs. protagonists duel.
  • Combination Attack/All Your Powers Combined: Two of them - First by Dark Magician and Dark Magician Girl, then by the three protagonists' signature monsters. Both instances were explained by oddly specific spell cards.
  • Conspicuous CG: The Duel Monsters themselves and some of the scenery as well. The quality is generally better than in 5D's, although the scene with Paradox capturing Stardust Dragon can look somewhat jarring when viewed in 2D.
  • Continuity Nod: In-universe - The spell card "Ancient Rules", which allows high-leveled monsters (in this case, the Dark Magician) to be summoned without tribute, is a nod to the in-universe game before Kaiba's Battle City Tournament, which did not require tributes at all.
  • Cool Bike: Paradox's Duel Runner is capable of time travel and transformation. And it actually looks like something which would complain about being a motorbike in the first place.
  • Cool Mask: Paradox's mask. It gets even gets Glowing Eyes of Doom at one point.
  • Dead Hat Shot: Non-drowning example: Yugi finds his grandfather's bandana after the buildings collapsed on everyone.
  • Death Is Cheap: Pegasus and Yugi's grandpa.
  • Delayed Ripple Effect: Paradox's changes to the past cause reality to slowly fall apart.
  • Detached Sleeves: Paradox.
  • Dropped a Bridge on Him: More like an enormous building.
  • Dub-Induced Plot Hole: 4Kids completely passes over the events of GX's final season, which wasn't dubbed.
    • Unless you look at it from a diffirent perspective. Say, Jaden ended up in Venice fused with Yubel after the end of GX's third season?
  • Dying Race: Paradox is one of the few humans remaining on Earth in the future.
  • The End of the World as We Know It: Pick your choice: either by Duel Monsters or by the disintegration of the dimension.
  • Everybody's Dead, Dave: Yugi has one of these moments when he realizes everybody in Domino except himself is dead.
    • Effects in the actual duel both play this trope straight and invert it. Sin Truth plays it straight by destroying everything, and Stardust Mirage brings everything back.
  • Evil Laugh: Paradox, obviously. Some of his laughs make him sound like he's channeling Hiruma right there.
  • Evil Makeover: Paradox has the ability to turn the stolen monsters into "Sin" monsters.
  • Expy: Paradox gives Dark Marik vibes during the climax of the duel when he fuses with Sin Truth Dragon and makes distorted faces.
  • Fetish Fuel Station Attendant: Paradox. And how! To elaborate: Chest spikes looking very much like nipple spikes, armpits, he's a Bishonen, a rather good looking one for someone who lives in a desolated future, and has amazing hair.
  • Fish Out of Temporal Water: Yusei ends up in Jaden's time first, then both of them eventually wind up in Yugi's time. Jaden gushes at Yusei's Duel Runner, and later on both Jaden and Yugi are amazed at Yusei's Synchro Summon.
    • "Synchro WHAT!?" - Yami
  • Fridge Horror: Since Paradox is implied to have destroyed Domino City completely, that would mean that not only did Yugi's Grandpa die, but EVERY SINGLE ONE OF HIS FRIENDS as well.
  • Fusion Dance: Paradox with Sin Truth Dragon, after Sin Paradox Dragon is destroyed.
  • Getting Crap Past the Radar: Jaden provides a truly spectacular example, although the British audience would more likely get it. (For those not living in the United Kingdom, The Other Wiki has an explanation.)
  • Hannibal Lecture: Before the climactic duel Paradox gives the heroes one, stating that even before he began to change history there were 'contradictions' such as environmental destruction, war and human cruelty, and that their futures are not the right ones. Considering he comes from a Bad Future, it makes sense he feels that way.
  • Heroic BSOD: Yugi goes through one after he realizes that Grampa Moto is dead. Hence the Pharaoh taking over for the duration of the duel.
    • Yusei himself has a pretty bad one that pushes him to the brink of surrender, coaxed back only by Yugi and Jaden, it may or may not have to do with him seen struggling to be on the other side of Stardust from the 5D's openings.
  • Idiot Ball: Although he was never called on it, Paradox made a number of amateurish mistakes throughout the duel.
    • Fridge Brilliance: HE likely wasn't a very experienced duelist, due to what Duel Monsters did to his timeline.
  • I Never Said It Was Poison: Yugi activates a spell card that allows him to take control of one of Paradox's two dragons,. Paradox, in return, activates a trap to prevent it from working against Sin Paradox Dragon, the larger, nastier of the pair...just in time to find out that Yugi was going after the other one, Sin Stardust Dragon, the whole time. (Seems to be a problem a number of Yugi's foes run into!)
  • Ink Suit Actor/Lawyer-Friendly Cameo: The cast of Sakiyomi JumBANG! make an appearance as MCs, voicing themselves accordingly.
  • Keigo: Yusei, who usually speaks rather informally, uses this when talking to Yugi and Jaden.
  • In Medias Res: The movie starts in Venice, where Paradox is attacking Jaden with his dragons.
  • Late Arrival Spoiler: The trailers for the Japanese version of the movie spoiled for the dub viewers at the time that Jaden fused with Yubel and gained his/her powers and Yusei became the owner of the Dragon Head birthmark.
  • Leaning on the Fourth Wall: At the end of the movie, Pegasus says he has a special card for the children attending the tournament he paid a visit to and asks them to take one. People who attended the movie received Sin Red-Eyes Black Dragon, which was a limited edition card and could be obtained only that way (unless you bought the special movie packs).

Yugi: (to Paradox) We don't care about your Backstory!

  • Left Hanging: How the distant future Paradox lived in got destroyed and the true identity of Paradox.
    • Elaborated on in Episodes 134/135 of 5D's.
  • Le Parkour: Jaden, somehow managing to get from the top of a column in St. Mark's Square to the roof of a nearby building to avoid the attacks of Rainbow Dragon and Cyber End Dragon.
  • A Lighter Shade of Grey/Grey and Gray Morality: See Alternate Character Interpretation above, but this might be A Lighter Shade of Grey due to the bigger protagonist count.
  • Lyrical Dissonance: The ending theme, Makemagic, while it sounds catchy and all, the lyrics are about somebody describing their female lover, down to their lips and skin and wanting to embrace them. Its about as out of place as it can get for a movie aimed at young boys.
  • Make Wrong What Once Went Right: How the three protagonists view Paradox's goal.
  • Malevolent Masked Man: Paradox.
  • Meaningful Name: Paradox's name is a reference to the concept of paradoxes.
  • Meanwhile in the Future: After Paradox steals Stardust Dragon and travels back to time, Yusei and co. return to Poppo Time. Akiza shows them a photo of Stardust Dragon and Paradox in Venice, who is destroying the city.
  • Milestone Celebration
  • A Million Is a Statistic: The protagonists are upset by the deaths of Pegasus and Solomon Mutou, and to a lesser extent, everyone who died to Paradox's attack. To Paradox, on the other hand, the entire massacre was a trivial step to further his experiment. Considering he really didn't care about destroying Venice just to get Jaden, it's no surprise.
  • Name's the Same/In Name Only: The card Stardust Mirage shown in this film was known about before Shooting Star Dragon used an effect with the very same name in a later episode of 5D's. Their effects have NOTHING in common.
    • Not exactly. The way Yusei used both cards for the first time ensured that he can make up to five attacks in one turn.
  • Never Say "Die": The dub never says the word 'death' or 'die', but at least it does not try and make half-baked excuses for what happens when buildings fall on people. No death scenes are edited out.
    • Invoked with Sin World though. In the Japanese version, whoever loses the duel dies. In the dub, whoever loses 'lose their souls!'
  • No Export for You: Subverted; A&E picked up the rights to this movie just days after 4Kids lost them.
  • No One Should Survive That: Yugi, after Domino City is ruined thanks to Paradox. Everyone else is dead, or at least only their belongings are seen. Doubles as Plot Armor. Might count as Fridge Brilliance.
    • The Millennium Puzzle protects him against any cowardly attacks. Yugi simply can't be killed by a sneak attack or destroying a city unless he is defeated personally first.
  • Off-Model: Not present in the movie itself (which is animated beautifully) but 4kids did this with the English Blu-ray cover of the movie (hint: look at Jaden's legs).
  • Oh Crap: Pegasus, upon turning around only to see a whole building collapsing on him.
    • Also Paradox, right before his defeat.
  • The Other Darrin: Two characters had their actors replaced in the dub—Solomon Mutou (the late Maddie Blaustein to Wayne Grayson) and Yubel (Cassandra Lee to Eileen Stevens).
  • Our Time Travel Is Different: The Instantaneous Time Travel variety. It also seems to combine the Wormhole version.
  • Plug N Play Technology: Duel disks: ones made right before the end of the world in the distant future are compatible with the ones in modern day.
    • To a lesser extent, the three protagonists' Duel Disks. Yugi's Battle City disk, Jaden's Duel Academy disk, and the disk from Yusei's D-Wheel all work flawlessly with each other.
      • There's a simple explanation. We know the cards in-universe contain ID chips that the Duel Disks read, so all the Duel Disk needs to have are the rules of the game programmed into it. This makes even more sense when you realize that, with new cards being released, it would not only be nearly impossible to have EVERY Disk updated for the new cards, it would have to store all of the rules for each individual card as well as the 3D hologram data on an internal hard drive, which would be pretty much impossible with the amount of cards. It makes much more sense to assume that all differences in Duel Disks are purely cosmetic (How else could the Orichalcos Disks exist?) and that the cards themselves are what cause them to work.
  • The Power of Friendship: Going by the movie title, is this really a surprise?
  • Pre-Ass-Kicking One-Liner: When the duel begins in the English Dub each of the protagonists utter their respective catchphrase.

Jaden: (eyes glowing) "Paradox, get ready to get your game on!"
Yusei: (Signer Mark glowing) "Your twisted time crusade ends here. Let's rev it up!"
Yugi: (transformed) "I have just one thing to say to you, Paradox. It's time to duel!"

  • "Previously On...": The dub release begins with a recap of the three Yu-Gi-Oh series, including the basic setup and a few of the antagonists for each.
  • Product Placement: A newspaper in the movie shows an advert for Gold Series 2010, released on the same day the movie debuted in Japan.
  • Punny Name: The "Sin" theme (Malefic in the TCG). A number of kanjis can be read as "Shin" (which is the Japanese pronunciation of "Sin"), including 真 truth, 新 new and 神 god. Word of God says the theme is a clever combination of "sin" (罪 tsumi) and "new" (新 atarashii).
  • Race Against the Clock: The protagonists not only try to beat Paradox before Pegasus arrives at Domino City for his event after the Crimson Dragon gave everyone one more chance, but also before reality is destroyed.
  • Ragnarok Proofing: Utterly averted. There is literally nothing left in Paradox's world except himself and his allies, rubble, and an atmosphere that makes this planet look like Venus.
  • Rummage Sale Reject: Paradox's outfit is definitely an odd mix of clothes.
  • Set Right What Once Went Wrong: How Paradox views his goal.
  • Shameless Self Promotion + Doing It for the Art equals... Amazing chalk art?
  • Short Anime Movie: Only 49 minutes long, though both the dubbed version and the Encore run will be lengthened by 10 minutes.
  • Shoulders of Doom: Paradox wears them, although they disappear without explanation when the duel begins. Even more confusing because the official art shows Paradox without shoulderpads, and in another art they are bolted to his outfit.
  • Spikes of Villainy: Paradox wears spiky bracelets, has spikes on his shoes, even his hairstyle is a bit spiky. Then there are the... oddly placed spikes on his chest.
  • Spoiler Opening: Not the movie itself, but Yu-Gi-Oh 5 Ds during the period it promoted the movie with clips inserted into the OP and the ED. It spoiled quite a few things, such as Pegasus and Sugoroku being killed by the collapsing buildings, and Paradox summoning and fusing with Sin Truth Dragon.
  • Surreal Theme Tune/Thematic Theme Tune: makemagic. One half could be called as relevant to the movie, but the other half of the song is rather rife with romantic overtones, with the chorus being about the singer wanting to take someone in their arms. It is an especially odd case because Atsushi Tamura himself mentioned that he deliberately wrote the song to be in vibe with the movie.
  • Technology Porn: Paradox's D-Wheel during its transformation into a flying machine, with close-ups included, showing all the details. Even the protagonists are amazed at the entire sequence.
  • There Is No Kill Like Overkill: Paradox encounters Pegasus in Domino City in the midst of an event Pegasus is taking part of. What does Paradox do? Blow up the entire city, of course!
  • Time Machine: Paradox's D-Wheel.
  • Time Master: The Crimson Dragon aids Yusei with time travel, and later on Yugi as well.
  • Time Travel: Paradox is capable of this, and Yusei goes through a time slip during the course of the movie. It was the Crimson Dragon who helped him do so. It also brings Yugi back in time after Sugoroku and Pegasus die.
  • Time Travel Tense Trouble: Yusei telling Jaden what's happening right now in the future. The three protagonists are also confused when all three of them come together.
  • Timey-Wimey Ball: The rules of time travel in the movie are very difficult to place. Jaden's trump card, Elemental Hero Neos, disappears when Paradox jumps back to Yugi's time, presumably because Paradox prevented the future in which Neos would exist. Without having stopped Paradox yet, Jaden gets Neos back by jumping to a time before Paradox changes history, despite the fact that Neos (and the bulk of Yusei and Jaden's cards) wouldn't have existed in that time anyways.
    • Actually, if you look at it from another viewpoint, it makes sense. They traveled back in time to a point before the timeline changed, so their cards returned to the way they would be created as the original history states.
  • Theme Naming: Sin Paradox Dragon, Sin Paradigm Shift, Sin Truth Dragon. May count as Fridge Brilliance due to a paradox turned into truth upon changing viewpoints (i.e. paradigm shift).
  • Transforming Mecha: Paradox's bike transforms into a floating machine before the final duel.
  • Unusual Eyebrows: One of Paradox's eyebrows is rather bizarre, which appears to be half a tattoo and half his eyebrow.
  • Updated Rerelease: The theatrical dubbed release and the Encore run of the movie in Japan are planned to have additional footage added in. The Encore run will feature a special 10 minute extension in 2D.
  • Watching the Sunset: Paradox does this in the distant future.
  • Well-Intentioned Extremist: Paradox wants to save the future by experimenting with history in order to find the best possible outcome. He almost ends up destroying reality doing so. He also has a Humans Are the Real Monsters attitude.
  • What Happened to the Mouse?: Only Stardust Dragon's capture was shown on-screen, how Paradox obtained the other dragons was never shown. Jaden calls out Paradox on stealing Rainbow Dragon from Johan, but the plot point was never elaborated on, and the fate of the cards' original owners is not known. When one considers Paradox's methodes, it couldn't have been very pleasant.
    • Additionally, ZONE, Antinomy, and Aporia are nowhere to be seen in Paradox's future. While this may have been justified in the theater release due to spoilers for 5D's, it doesn't for the DVD release.
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