If you ask anime fans about the first thing that comes to mind when they hear the name "Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's," they'll usually say some variation of "card games on motorcycles!" This borderline ancient meme came from a video made by Yu-Gi-Oh! Abridged creator LittleKuriboh, but has since become synonymous with 5D's and is often used to mock the show's premise. However, despite what the memes tell you, motorcycle dueling was actually pretty awesome, and 5D's was a fitting continuation of the Yu-Gi-Oh! legacy.
The second main Yu-Gi-Oh! a spin-off, Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's follows Yusei Fudo, a young man who lives in a dystopian future. In this setting, there are two main cities, the bustling New Domino City full of the rich and the disgusting island of Satellite, populated by the world's poor underclasses. Yusei builds a bike called a "Duel Runner" and heads to New Domino City to compete in Turbo Duels in the hope of defeating his friend-turned-rival Jack Atlas.
These Turbo Duels begin when a special spell-card is in effect, and some duelists can force players into a Turbo Duel without their consent. Once a Turbo Duel has started, a new selection of cards and strategies become available, including a totally new card type called "Speed Spells." This means that Yusei's style of dueling is almost completely different from that of former protagonists. In fact, Turbo Duels particularly suit Yusei's risk-taking personality. He seems exactly like the type of person who would see a dangerous sport packed with risk and dive in headfirst without a care.
On paper, dueling duel-racing seems really silly. But, in all honesty, Yu-Gi-Oh! is a franchise that has never tried to be sensible or follow the rules of reality. The original manga featured a massive death-trap-laden theme park, and anime Yugi once won a duel by dropping a castle on his opponent, breaking every single rule of the game in the process. In fact, compared to everything else in the franchise, motorcycle-based duels are on the low-end of the Yu-Gi-Oh! weirdness scale.
The introduction of Duel Runners and Turbo Duels gave Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's a distinct aesthetic that sets it apart from the other shows in the franchise. And the high-speed and high-danger nature of the races fit nicely with the show's dystopian sci-fi setting, making New Domino City feel and look unique within the world of Yu-Gi-Oh! This helps make the show really memorable, especially when coupled with its great selection of characters and well-told story.
The Turbo Duels also add a whole new dynamic to the fights as, by moving them out of the regular arenas and having them in motion, the animators are given a lot more freedom when it comes to set-pieces. Racing maneuvers like speed control, turning, dodging and overtaking keep the pace fast and frantic and present a new load of challenges for the competitors that radically change the flow of duels.
This is something that the Yu-Gi-Oh! format desperately needed, as while the stadium duel format worked, after two series, it was growing a bit stale as the animators had simply done everything they could do with the concept. On top of this, the stadium format often led to episodes having terrible pacing. Many episodes featured long gaps with little happening aside from monologuing as cards were set up and gambits prepared. While it works okay in manga or in a physical card game, it often became boring on-screen. The Turbo Duels mean that something is always happening, and when the card game aspects are slowing down, the pace can be kept up by introducing road hazards.
Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's fits perfectly with the rest of the franchise and is actually one of the better Yu-Gi-Oh! spin-offs, thanks to its unique setup. While some people may not be able to get past the weirdness of dueling and driving. Those who can ignore the memes and give the show a chance are treated to a unique spectacle. The fact that the Turbo Duels were reintroduced in Yu-Gi-Oh! ARC-V shows that while they might have their detractors, the franchise's owners, writers and animators enjoy the speed and chaos they bring to the table.