The BEST episodes directed by Junichi Takahashi
#1 - Psyqualia
Cardfight!! Vanguard - Season 1 - Episode 42
After easily blocking Kyou's quadruple attack, Aichi declares 'Final Turn'. Though it seems his plan is going to be defeated, thanks to a Stand trigger, Aichi manages to deliver the finishing blow using Young Pegasus Knight. It is determined by Suiko that Aichi possesses the ability PSY Qualia, which they seek. Kyou has a vision of planet Cray, where he is slashed down by Pegasus Knight, and collapses, obliterated. Similarly, an exhausted Aichi falls in Kai's arms, and he is brought to the infirmary. The second match between Misaki and Team Avenger's second member begins. Aichi is visited by Emi, who claims Aichi looked scary during his fight, though Aichi doesn't notice anything different. Misaki wins her fight, though Suiko and the others decide she doesn't possess the ability PSY Qualia. Aichi is visited by Kai, and although he seeks his approval for becoming stronger, Kai calls him weak, and abandons him and Team Q4 after Aichi challenges him to a fight in order to prove his strength. Kyou continues seeking his revenge, until Team Brilliant Stars appears, ordering Kyou and the others to be arrested.
#2 - Battle! Nova Grappler!
Cardfight!! Vanguard - Season 1 - Episode 19
Surprisingly enough, Nagisa steps into the fray as the first fighter of Team Handsome, resulting in Kamui being in a desperate situation as she declares that Kamui has to marry her if she wins. Kamui answers back by declaring that if he wins, then Nagisa will leave him alone. Both parties agree to these terms and then start their Cardfight. Using a Nova Grappler deck like Kamui, Nagisa proves herself to be an excellent fighter, fighting toe-to-toe with him. Though it seems that the agonizing Kamui can make a reversal using Lion Heat, Nagisa is able to fully negate his attacks and finish him off using her own Lion Heat and Magician Girl, Kirara with a "Wedding Hold" during the next turn. After the match, as per agreement, Nagisa gets dressed in a wedding gown and is ready to marry Kamui, who tries to run for his life.
#3 - Kioku no Sakin
Cardfight!! Vanguard - Season 1 - Episode 25
Emi visits Card Capital, worrying about the depressed Aichi. She encounters Misaki, who claims not to know anything - but the manager pushes the two into a cardfight using the new trial decks that just arrived. Going along for Emi's sake, Misaki uses the new Nova Grappler deck, whereas Emi uses the Oracle Think Tank one. Already having memorized all effects of the cards with her perfect memory, Misaki easily defeats Emi, but in doing so, she remembers the fun that Vanguard used to be for both her and her parents, and realizes that they would not want her to feel sad about the game. Receiving a key from her uncle to unlock the box with the deck her parents made for her, she rejoins Team Q4 to Aichi and Kamui's joy, who feel terrible about what had happened, and easily beats every regular customer of the shop.
#4 - Awakening of Twin Blades
Cardfight!! Vanguard - Season 1 - Episode 65
After calling out 'Final Turn', Ren fails to defeat Aichi as Aichi miraculously draws a Heal Trigger. Aichi then realizes his true self as he summons Majesty Lord Blaster to get Ren out of his PSY Qualia addiction. Majesty Lord Blaster's skill shocked Ren as Majesty Lord Blaster could get an extra 10000 points and an extra critical by adding both Blaster Blade and Blaster Dark in the Soul. In the end, a good ending started with Phantom Blaster Overlord defeated.
#5 - The Lion That Surpasses the Limits
Cardfight!! Vanguard - Season 2 - Episode 7
Kamui has won his match, so now it's up to either Aichi, Misaki or both to best their ninja opponents, who are much more worldly than Team Q4. What effect will Aichi's new card have on the match?!
#6 - Strongest Tag Fight!
Cardfight!! Vanguard - Season 2 - Episode 23
The tag fight between Q4's Aichi and Misaki versus Lao's Terence and Felix continues. After Misaki's attack on Felix, he strikes back with Tyrant, Deathrex to put Team Lao in the lead. Then, wanting to make up for Misaki, Aichi rides a new ace card, White Hare in the Moon's Shadow, Pellinore. With its Limit Break, getting two drive triggers, and multiple superior calls from his deck, Aichi tries to finish the game with powered-up attacks. However, Terence manages to survive with support from Felix's tag guard. On Terence's turn, he also activates Limit Break, retiring his own units to increase the attack power of Military Dragon, Raptor Colonel while also superior calling more units from his deck. Aichi defends with all of the cards in his hand, and Misaki uses the extra cards drawn from her previous turn to tag guard with him. She anticipates Terence getting a drive trigger, which he does but her tag guards nonetheless successfully block his attacks. It is then that Aichi discovers what roles he and Misaki have during tag fights. With little cards left on Team Lao's side, Misaki wins the match on the following turn, thus making Team Q4 the victor. Afterwards, the Lao brothers praise Aichi and Misaki for their victory and newfound teamwork. Now, Team Q4 is one step closer to winning the Hong Kong Stage and having the chance to meet Takuto...
#7 - Challenge from the King
Cardfight!! Vanguard - Season 2 - Episode 32
It's Team Q4 against Team Unknown in the last round of the Japan Stage. Aichi's opponent, King Z, is revealed to be Jun Mutsuki, the King of Underground Fights, although Aichi does not immediately recognize him. Meanwhile, Misaki battles Queen Y and sees through her disguise. Queen Y is actually Yuri Usui from the defunct Team Caesar, and Yuri now uses the deck she originally had before joining Caesar: Oracle Think Tank. As for Kamui, he has not realized who Joker X is. As they battle, Joker X's voice and style of play with Dark Irregulars slowly remind Kamui of a certain someone. Aichi and Jun conduct their cardfight. Jun's "dark hero" Dimension Police units decrease the power of Aichi's vanguard. Because of this, he is forced to either take damage or use a lot of shields to guard. Even though Aichi loses Blond Ezel, he remembers his reasons for fighting and stays resolved. Using Psyqualia to gain an image of victory, Aichi superior rides Pellinore for a comeback. Afterwards, Jun leaves and has a short reunion with Kai. Now, Aichi awaits the results of Misaki's and Kamui's fights.
#8 - Kai's Shadow
Cardfight!! Vanguard - Season 3 - Episode 8
Aichi faces Morikawa in the last fight of this intramural match. Although initially mad with using Kai's Kagero deck and not his own, Morikawa nonetheless puts a great amount of pressure on Aichi. All the while, Kai watches the fight as an opportunity to see if his Kagero deck is strong enough against the current Aichi, who strikes back with the Break Ride of Solitary Liberator, Gancelot to empower itself and his rear-guards. Morikawa defends and makes it to his next turn, in which he rides Dragonic Overlord the End. Pairing its Personablast with the Break Ride effect of Dauntless Drive Dragon, Morikawa attacks Aichi with the End three times in a row. Determined to win for the sake of the Cardfight Club, Aichi withstands the onslaught and then uses Gancelot's Break Ride again on the following turn to land a final blow. Aichi emerges victorious over Morikawa, meaning that the Miyaji Academy Cardfight Club wins the intramural match. Aichi and his friends are then congratulated by Hitsue Vanguard Club, with Kai coming to the conclusion that Aichi has indeed grown stronger, perhaps moreso than himself. In spite of being irritated by the Cardfight Club's victory, the Miyaji student council president allows the club to become official and also provides the club with a faculty advisor: Mr. Nakamurabashi, who is clueless about Vanguard. Nevertheless, now that the Cardfight Club has been made official, Aichi and his fellow members look forward to what the future holds for the club.
#9 - Exciting School Festival
Cardfight!! Vanguard - Season 3 - Episode 14
The Cardfight Club is forced by the Miyaji student council to take the main stage on the day of the academy's upcoming School Festival. The student council hopes to use this chance to embarass the club and tarnish its reputation. Despite the daunting task, the club decides to do a stage play using one of Shingo's prewritten scripts and with costume help from Emi and Mai. The script is loosely based on The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter but with Vanguard units; Aichi is given the role of the bamboo cutter (Little Sage, Marron), Misaki is the heroine (CEO Amaterasu), Naoki is the villain (Eradicator, Vowing Sword Dragon), and Kourin is the hero (King of Knights, Alfred). Although Kourin is seemingly busy with her job as an idol, Misaki notices that she is in fact preparing for the play. However, on the day of rehearsal, Kourin does not show up, which leads the club (except Misaki) to think that she is not serious about the play and that Aichi should take the role of Alfred. The day of the School Festival finally arrives, and all of Aichi's friends have come. Unfortunately, Kourin is not at school. To make matters worse, the club is informed by Suwabe that the club's time of performance is actually an hour earlier than scheduled. As the club hastily sets up for the play, Misaki learns from Akari why Kourin did not show up for rehearsal. The play then goes underway with Shingo narrating the story. But when the time comes for Kourin's scene, Naoki accidentally destroys the set and his costume, causing the audience to grow angry. Before the play is totally ruined, Kourin appears in her costume and saves the show when she declares a new adversary for her to face: the legendary fighter Daigo.
#10 - A Windy Day
Cardfight!! Vanguard - Season 3 - Episode 21
After reporting to the student council president about the Cardfight Club's loss at the Kanto regional tournament, Suwabe moves on to his next plan of terminating the club. He gets the Paranormal Power Research Society, a group of delinquent-looking students who are interested in supernatural forces, to challenge the club to a cardfight on the rooftop of the school. However, instead of the Cardfight Club, Leon and Team Dreadnought appear and accept the challenge. Nonetheless, Eru Nakagami, the leader of the Research Society, engages in a Vanguard fight with Leon. Nakagami uses his Dark Irregulars deck and also unleashes his sealed paranormal powers to push for victory. Regardless, Leon defeats Nakagami by putting him in a no-win situation with Last Card, Revonn. All the while, the Cardfight Club enjoys lunch along with Takuto.
#11 - The One Who Cuts Through Chains
Cardfight!! Vanguard - Season 3 - Episode 52
Takuto faces off against his Reversed self while outside, Aichi is being protected by his friends when they get surrounded by other Reversed fighters. Takuto uses Salvation Lion, Grand Ezel Scissors to unlock his rear-guards from Reversed Takuto's lock effects, but he responds with Star-vader, "Omega" Glendios. Reversed Takuto uses its Limit Break to permanently lock all of Takuto's rear-guards one by one while also preventing him from using Ezel Scissors's skill to unlock them. After locking all of Takuto's rear-guards, Reversed Takuto activates the Ultimate Break of "Omega" Glendios to automatically win the fight and then absorbs Takuto into his body. Soon after, Aichi appears before Reversed Takuto.
#12 - The Man They Call
Cardfight!! Vanguard - Season 1 - Episode 56
Aichi battles Kenji the Emperor for the right to face Team AL4 in the finals. Can Aichi defeat his strongest opponent yet without relying on his PSY Qualia?
#13 - Stand Up the High School!
Cardfight!! Vanguard - Season 3 - Episode 1
Months after the conclusion of the VF Circuit, Aichi enters high school as a freshman at Miyaji Academy. However, he has trouble adjusting to his new school life due to the academy's heavy emphasis on studies. After school, Aichi goes to Card Capital while being tailed by a classmate, Naoki Ishida. There, he sees the many customers playing Vanguard, which Naoki has no knowledge about. He spots Aichi conversing with Team SIT Genius in the back of the shop. Curious by how different Aichi's behavior is in the card shop compared to how he acts at school because of a card game, Naoki becomes intrigued to Vanguard. And so, Aichi teaches Naoki about Vanguard through playing an actual match, with the latter being lent a new Narukami trial deck to use from Shin. As they cardfight, Naoki slowly gets immersed into the game. After Aichi eventually wins, Naoki buys the trial deck and hastily leaves in a frustrated manner, which worries Aichi. But he is later comforted by Kai who tells him that Naoki has in fact taken an interest in Vanguard. The next day at school, Aichi is shocked when his class gets a new transfer student: Kourin Tatsunagi from Ultra Rare.
#14 - Kai's Battle
Cardfight!! Vanguard - Season 1 - Episode 49
Kai heads to the Underground area to await his fateful match with Aichi. Back at home, as Aichi reviews his Shadow Paladin deck, he receives a Psy Qualia induced summon from Ren who is waiting for him at Card Shop PSY. Aichi, led by Ren's Psy Qualia summon reaches as far as outside the Card Shop when Kourin suddenly rides up throws him a helmet & tells him to come with her. Back at the Underground area, Miwa shows up with Misaki & Kamui who both implore Kai to face Aichi in a Vanguard fight and help bring him back to normal. Just as Kai informs them that that is exactly why he is here, Kourin immediately arrives with Aichi. Miwa, Kourin, Misaki & Kamui clear the area to watch the fight from a distance. Kai upsets Aichi when tells him that he still thinks he is weak & Aichi vows to prove his strength to Kai as they get ready to begin their fierce battle. Aichi is startled when he realizes Kai is going to fight him with his former Royal Paladin deck. Kai vows to show Aichi the "true power" of the deck that he threw away which rattles Aichi even more. Aichi goes first & uses his units' skills to add Blaster Dark who he refers to as his avatar from his deck to his hand. Kai has a flashback of losing his parents 4 years ago & meeting Ren from his new school & later Tetsu (after he leaves town to live with his uncle). Tetsu loses to Kai in a Cardfight & he and Ren tell Kai of Foo Fighter. They recruit Kai & they have a love of fun until one day Ren's Psy Qualia powers awakened. He beat Tetsu repeatedly claiming that he was now the "strongest fighter" ever. Ren abandoned the idea of him, Tetsu & Kai being Team Foo Fighter & has construction begin for the new Foo Fighters Headquarters where only the best fighters would be selected. Kai realizes that Ren has become obsessed with power and refuses to go along with his new plan & quickly challenges him to a card fight. The match is fierce and as Ren announces his "Final Turn" he taunts Kai but before he can claim victory his o
#15 - Beautiful Assassin
Cardfight!! Vanguard - Season 1 - Episode 31
Though Kai won the first match of the team battle, Misaki is challenged by Asaka Narumi, known as the "Assassin". Asaka skillfully uses a Pale Moon deck, and though Misaki tries to fight by reading her opponent's moves, Asaka plans further ahead and cripples Misaki's strategy while preparing her field. Using an unavoidable three-pronged attack pattern coupled with a Draw Trigger, Asaka delivers the final blow to Misaki. This leaves both teams with a single match won, and it is up to Aichi to determine Q4's fate against Tetsu, the General of AL4. Tetsu, using a Dark Irregulars deck, deals 3 damage to Aichi in his very first turn - however, Aichi has a plan.