Yu-Gi-Oh! SP and Yu-Gi-Oh! SPZ are two fanfiction stories written by author Aarikku on the well-known card game forum Pojo, based on the Yu-Gi-Oh! card game moreso than the Anime or Manga, as it features none of the original characters, and is set in what is basically a version of our world... with more card games.
Yu-Gi-Oh! SP is set in the Victorian era, and features pro duelists Ray Ashford and Lilith Huron teaming up under the orders of Julian Nobel to collect a playset of extremely rare cards called Eldricytes. Hilarity Ensues.
Yu-Gi-Oh! SPZ is a sequel series set in the same Universe, about five years after the events of SP. It tells the story of Lance Lawrence, a bored Ridiculously Average Guy who works at a card shop and just wants to get some excitement into his life. He gets his wish when the Black Widow, a famous card thief, steals a valuable card from the shop. She challenges Lance to duel her at the end of the team-based World-Wide Grand Tournament.
SP is a short story of 10 chapters, while SPZ is updated weekly and is currently on its third arc. The author generally assumes that the reader is at least familiar with the rules and cards of the Yu-Gi-Oh! card game and only provides deep explanation on the effects of fan-made cards, so a potential non-Yu-Gi-Oh! familiar reader should get informed about the basic rules and real-life cards. If the reader gets past this, however, they'll be rewarded with a story full of self-depreciative humor and interesting characters.
Both stories can be read here
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Note: Any spoilers up to and including SPZ Chapter 12 are unhidden.
This Fan Fic provides examples of:
- Freudian Trio: With Ray as the Id, Lilith as the Superego and Julian as the Ego.
- Gotta Catch 'Em All: Eldricytes, in this case.
- Psychic Link: Soul Pact. Ray and Lilith gain this power, as do Nephele and Demetria.
- Solar and Lunar: Ray and Lilith's Decks. Ray plays Solanimus. Lilith plays Lunanima.
- Bilingual Bonus: Several of the main character's cards include this:
- Jack's Tenor Narwhal Blaora comes from the Icelandic word for balloon.
- Linlan's Armored Panda Zhuxiong comes from the Chinese word Zhu Xiong, which means bamboo bear, or panda.
- Kevin's Warlock Octopus Samudra is named after the Telugu word for sea. The Giant Tentacle monsters are named after the eight Hinduist tantric chakras (Sahasrara, Ajna, Vishudda, Anahata, Manipura, Swadisthana, Muladhara and Bindu).
- Several of Cassandra's phoenixes include Gratuitous Spanish. Her ace card is Evanescent Phoenix Escarlata.
- Heroic Resolve: Turned into a FRIGGIN ENERGY SOURCE. During the five year gap between SP and SPZ, scientists discovered that human willpower, called Resolve, could actually be used to generate electricity (usually when dueling). It's actually what powers a great deal of the Steampunk in the series (although it's made very clear that Resolve engines are a rare luxury at best).
- Psychic Link: Soul Pact again; this time between Kevin and Cassandra.
- Theme Naming: The four mecha cards' names come from a portmanteau of a famous sword and their respective elements: Thunder Mech Excalibolt (Excalibur), Ice Mech Arondrift (Arondite), Lava Mech Galatinder (Galatine) and Earth Mech Damocliff (the sword of Damocles).
- Tournament Arc: After the first arc, the entire story is one giant tournament arc.
- Color-Coded Characters: Happens to several characters, in both series.
- In SP, Ray is a Hot-Blooded Fiery Redhead with a Sun-based deck, while Lilith wears black clothes with Raven Hair, Ivory Skin who plays a Moon-based deck.
- In SPZ:
- Lance plays a Thunder deck, and is blond.
- Linlan plays a Nature deck and usually wears green.
- Kevin plays a Water deck and has blue hair.
- Cassandra plays a Fire deck, and she's another Fiery Redhead who also wears a red dress.
- The Black Widow plays a Dark deck
- Red Oni, Blue Oni:
- In SP, Ray's the red to Lilith's blue. The Ambrosia sisters can also count, with Nephele being the red to Demetria's blue.
- In SPZ, Cassandra's the red to Kevin's blue.
- Steampunk: Robots, motorcycles, computers and all sorts of modern-age technology in in the 19th century? Sure, why not.
- World of Snark: Seriously, try to find a single character that doesn't indulge in some snark from time to time. Good luck on that.
