VRAINS marked the beginning of a Dork Age. You can say ARC-V started it, but ARC-V at least just had Troubled Production issues. VRAINS had that and more, and it's worse should YGO 7 continue in it's footsteps.
The pacing sucks. Most of the plot is a mile a minute. Everything influences the plot and there is little filler, which is needed in a darker work. Yusaku always wins thanks to Plot Armor, and Takeru's one lose is thanks to the plot.
The cast is underdeveloped. Outside of Yusaku, Takeru, Ai, and Ryoken, they don't develop, and even Yusaku has issues.
Yusaku having PTSD makes a good backstory, not a character. He's anti-social and emotionally stunted, making him feel like a robot. His duels get predictable and boring, and he only avoids being Yusei 2 by having DRAWS. His behavior makes it impossible for character interaction, reducing their presence in the process.
Aoi is treated worse than the other females sans Kotori and Anzu. Development is set up, but is ruined by giving her The Worf Effect.
Go is ruined in S2 and his redemption is off-screen.
The Ignis sans Ai die with little development, or anything for Real!Windy.
Only Yusaku and Takeru matter among the victims. Spectre's real name is unknown, and is Killed Offscreen as his VA was busy. Miyu and Jin barely exist, and Windy's origin has no name!
The Villains sans Ryoken suck. Kogami is an unsympathetic idiot, Lightning is boring/annoying, and Bohman is barely a character.
Ending at 120 makes S3 feel more like S2.5, since it just continues S2 and rushes things. The ending segments also feel unearned for everyone but Takeru and Kiku, and Ai's sudden revival is given no explanation, making it an Ambiguous Ending. Yusaku doesn't even show up until the final 5 seconds, and most we know is just that he vanished for 3 months without any idea what he was doing.
VRAINS' problems are opposite to of ARC-V, like they over-corrected and ignored problems.
Too much plot, no filler.
Less characters, but still little development.
Main character never loses and is introverted.
Main fem is in most of the story, but does less.
There is some good though:
Takeru feels more like a Main Character than Yusaku. He's charismatic and has equally valid reasons for being in the plot, actually develops from his experiences, and unlike Crow, doesn't retcon the story by existing.
Ryoken is to VRAINS what Bruno is to Vento Aureo. Even if Yusaku is the MC, its more Ryoken's story. His redemption, his warming up to Ai, his final duel with Takeru giving them closure. He isn't the MC, but this is his story.
Ai was a lovable dork. Seeing his close bond with Yusaku and watching him loss his kin, Ai was a nice Tragic Hero.
VRAINS is worse than ARC-V, since ARC-V had potential and failed due to production issues, VRAINS had promise from the start, never realized it, and production only added on to the other issues.
Anime The Beginning of the Dark Age (Edited)
VRAINS marked the beginning of a Dork Age. You can say ARC-V started it, but ARC-V at least just had Troubled Production issues. VRAINS had that and more, and it's worse should YGO 7 continue in it's footsteps.
VRAINS' problems are opposite to of ARC-V, like they over-corrected and ignored problems.
There is some good though:
VRAINS is worse than ARC-V, since ARC-V had potential and failed due to production issues, VRAINS had promise from the start, never realized it, and production only added on to the other issues.