The BEST episodes directed by Katsuhiko Bizen
#1 - Dog Trainer
Cardfight!! Vanguard - Season 5 - Episode 37
Using the special bracelets awarded to them for winning the tournament, TRY3 infiltrates the United Sanctuary branch. However, a security guard mistakes them as native fighters and separates the trio. Tokoha is horrified by the harsh training programs of the branch and decides to confront Rin about it. Elsewhere, Shion is taken to a GIRS arena where he is challenged to a cardfight by that guard who is in fact Yuya as Shion had suspected. While battling against Yuya's new Shadow Paladin deck, Shion is forced to wear the bracelet which delivers physical pain to him whenever he takes damage. When Shouma appears to spectate the match, Yuya reveals how it was Shouma who invited him to the branch. Yuya eventually rose up the ranks and gained the position of Dog Trainer, a security personnel/disciplinary teacher who punishes losers and enforces the branch's mottoes of "winning is everything" and "weakness is a sin" to others. Offended and outraged upon hearing of the branch's morals, Shion swiftly defeats Yuya and then confronts Shouma. Meanwhile, Chrono meets with Taiyou again and tries to convince him that his current mentality of wanting to become strong is not right. As Chrono attempts to flee from the facility with Taiyou, Kouji stands before him.
Watch Now:Amazon#2 - Chrono vs. Taiyou
Cardfight!! Vanguard - Season 5 - Episode 44
The final game of the special match commences as Chrono fights Taiyou while trying to convince him that his current mindset is wrong. Unfazed by Chrono's plays and words, Taiyou calmly counters his moves and takes control of the fight. However, Chrono is cheered on by his friends and is reminded of the connections he made through Vanguard. Hoping to convey the message that Vanguard is more about fun and friendship to Taiyou, Chrono strides Chronodragon Nextage and wins the game, thereby winning the special match for Team TRY3. Before he and Taiyou could talk more, Kanzaki suddenly announces that he will fight against Chrono.
Watch Now:Amazon#3 - Unchanging Things
Cardfight!! Vanguard - Season 4 - Episode 20
Rati challenges Misaki to a fight where she reveals her past to her. When Rati was very young, she and her father traveled around the world selling doughnuts. In order to break Rati out of her shyness, her father introduced her to Vanguard. The more Rati became engrossed in her fights, she developed a strong attachment to planet Cray and its inhabitants. As a result of constant traveling, Rati realized that she never built any strong relations with any of her opponents and started to believe that bonds such as friendship never last. After the Link Joker affair, Rati became a Quatre Knight because Aichi saved her, and thus is devoted to him. During the fight, Misaki tries to convey her desire to become friends with her, but is ultimately rejected and beaten by Rati. In the end, Misaki loses her memories of Aichi and is sent back to Earth where she becomes saddened over forgetting something important.
Watch Now:Amazon#4 - A Night at Card Capital
Cardfight!! Vanguard - Season 5 - Episode 13
To celebrate Chrono's ascension to grade 2, Kamui, Team Trinity Dragon, and Shin throw a surprise party for him at the shop. After inviting Tokoha, Kumi, and Shion, everybody enjoys eating stew, playing table tennis, going out for ice cream, and playing in the park, except for Shin who fears Misaki's reaction to having a party in the store. After Kamui tells Chrono about the benefits that await him at grade 3, the group is motivated to play Vanguard for the rest of the night. Later, while Kamui and the others sleep, Chrono and Tokoha draw funny pictures on their faces and coax Shion to join them. The next morning, Misaki arrives and wakes up everyone, who have all had their faces drawn on. In contrast to Shin's worries, Misaki is happy after noticing how much fun everyone had.
Watch Now:Amazon#5 - Fake Fight
Cardfight!! Vanguard - Season 5 - Episode 21
Chrono, Tokoha, and Shion enter a team tournament in which the winner will gain enough points to ascend to grade 3. Things go swimmingly for them until Chrono spots one member of Team Trick Trick cheating and tries to call them out on it. However, Trick Trick's leader fakes getting hurt by Chrono and interrupts another cardfight in progress. Believing that Chrono resorted to violence, a judge tells him that he is to be stripped of his grade and banned from the tournament. After Chrono angrily leaves, Shion manages to expose Team Trick Trick's cheating methods. Ultimately, in a FIVA meeting led by Kouji, it is decided that Trick Trick will be banned from entering official tournaments for five years, and Chrono is penalized by losing all of his fighter points.
Watch Now:Amazon#6 - Again, The Wanderer
Cardfight!! Vanguard - Season 5 - Episode 28
TRY3's opponent in the second round is Team Wanderers led by Takeru Baba, which leads to a rematch between him and Chrono. As they have another intense cardfight, Chrono learns that Takeru fights for the sake of his sickly younger brother Hayato, which causes him to falter. But with some encouragement from Tokoha, Chrono regains his fighting spirit and wins the battle, thus advancing TRY3 to the third round.
Watch Now:Amazon#7 - The Connected
Cardfight!! Vanguard - Season 3 - Episode 59
The last fight between Aichi and Kai is reaching its climax. Despite the overwhelming Limit Break of Kai's Dragonic Overlord "The Яe-birth", Aichi nullifies most of its attacks. Kai insists on ridding himself from the world because of the sins he committed, but Aichi finally gets him to realize that he has and always will be there for him. Upon understanding that, Kai's Reverse is dispelled as well as the effects of Reverse that were still inside Aichi. They both continue the fight to the best of their abilities. In the end, Aichi defeats Kai with a final attack from Blaster Blade Liberator, the card that connects the two. Aichi and Kai then descend the Tatsunagi building and reunite with their friends as the gate above fully disappears. Some time later, life returns to normal as Kai walks to Card Capital, where he will play against Aichi, who he now recognizes as the strongest fighter and his best friend.
#8 - Leaders
Cardfight!! Vanguard - Season 4 - Episode 33
The graduation ceremonies are held for Kai, Miwa, and Misaki. Aichi has one more year left of school, but he delivers the good luck address for Misaki's class. After the graduation they all head to Card Capital for the shop tournament. On the way, Aichi and his classmates see Kourin along with the rest of Ultra Rare shooting a commercial for Ultra Water. Despite Kourin no longer having memories of Aichi, he and his friends are nonetheless content that she is doing well. Ultra Rare is hired after the current commercial to do a Cardfight commercial, and they appear to be given their original vanguard cards. The Capital Shop Tournament begins with many old friends and rivals participating, including Team Handsome,Team Caesar,Team SIT Genius, and Team Dreadnought. In the midst of all the action, Leon asks Aichi what he will do now. Although Aichi is undecided, he says that he will look at his friends for inspiration as he sees them all as his vanguard. The shop tournament reaches its climax with Aichi and Kai facing off in the final match. When Aichi asks Kai what he will do, Kai responds that he has accepted Gaillard's invitation to go to Europe. Even though Aichi and Kai both know that they will be separated, they remain confident that they will cross paths again as long as they continue playing Vanguard.
#9 - Smash Through Everything!
Cardfight!! Vanguard - Season 3 - Episode 46
Naoki uses Eradicator, Tempest Bolt Dragon to defeat Shingo, thereby freeing him of Reverse. Naoki, Naito, and Suwabe then take Shingo inside the school where he regains his senses. Meanwhile, Aichi thinks about what Leon said to him as he walks to Card Capital. Once there, he wonders where Naoki and Shingo are, and Misaki deduces that the two have gone off on their own to take on any Reversed fighters. Back at Miyaji Academy, Naoki remembers the secret room where he previously followed Maki to, and it is there that Naoki engages her in a cardfight while Shingo, Naito, and Suwabe watch. As the two wage battle, Maki reveals she knows about how Naoki was previously a loner like herself and further exclaims that he should embrace the darkness of Link Joker like she has. As Naoki gets caught up in Maki's image, Shingo reminds Naoki that he is not alone. Those words snap Naoki out of the image; he then goes on to beat Maki with Tempest Bolt Dragon. Her loss means that the last of Miyaji Academy's Reversed fighters have been dealt with, resulting in the gate floating above the school dissipating. Afterwards, Maki, no longer Reversed, regains consciousness under the care of Naito and Suwabe, both of whom discovering a new appreciation for Vanguard. Aichi and Misaki arrive and meet up with Shingo and Naoki, who collapses from exhaustion. When Shingo tells them about Naoki's reasons for doing all of this, Aichi finds the resolve to confront his other Reversed friends and starts heading towards Takuto's place.
#10 - The Leader, Kai
Cardfight!! Vanguard - Season 4 - Episode 8
Kai, Misaki, Naoki, and Miwa meet with Kamui at Card Capital and inform him about the Quatre Knights. To keep his mates from getting involved any further, Kai decides to go fight the Quatre Knights by himself. However, Kamui stops Kai by challenging him to a cardfight. During the battle, Kamui expresses how he and the others want to find Aichi as much as Kai does. After using his newfound Legion skill, Kamui defeats Kai. As Kamui explains, Kai is the vanguard of the group while he, Misaki, Naoki, and Miwa are the rear-guards who will support him no matter what. Kai realizes and acknowledges this, and so the group sets out to become stronger. Meanwhile, the Quatre Knights are making their next move...
#11 - The Announced Truth
Cardfight!! Vanguard - Season 4 - Episode 14
Showing to be allied with Gaillard, Kourin battles Kai in Gaillard's Holy Prominence Prison. Kai and his friends are further surprised when they see Kourin using a Link Joker deck. After many questions from Kai and the others asking Kourin's intentions, she finally reveals that everything from people losing their memories regarding Aichi to the Quatre Knights trying to stop them is all what Aichi wants. Although Kai and the others are first in disbelief, Kourin draws everyone into an image of Aichi himself telling Kai and the others to give up their search for him. After that revelation, Kourin proceeds to defeat Kai with a Link Joker Legion attack and then takes the Blaster Blade Seeker card away from him. Kai gets damaged from the prison as a result of his loss, and Kourin and Gaillard retreat through a portal, which breaks and therefore prevents Kai and his friends from following them.
#12 - Determination of the Bluish Flames
Cardfight!! Vanguard - Season 4 - Episode 27
Despite some of Gaillard's rear-guards being Omega Locked, he mounts a counterattack on Serra, who then declares "Final Turn". After locking another of Gaillard's rear-guards, Serra launches five attacks on him, but Gaillard manages to defend himself, thus thwarting Serra's "Final Turn". Having learned from Kai the importance of having mates, Gaillard defeats Serra on the next turn and then inflicts Judgment on him. Though it seemed over, Serra quickly recovers and uses his powers to create walls of ice, blocking everyone while he makes his way to Aichi. However, Rati and Neve use their powers to break the ice and stop Serra in his tracks. It is then that Gaillard points out that the brooch Serra wears, which serves as proof of his position as a Quatre Knight, has broken. With Serra no longer being a Quatre Knight, he is forced out of the sanctuary and vanishes. Soon after, Gaillard sets his sight towards Kai...
#13 - You Look Like You're Having Fun
Fruits Basket (2019) - Season 1 - Episode 12
It's the first day of the new school year, and the students of Kaibara High School gets their first look at Momiji and Hatsuharu's "unique" approach to school uniforms. Another member of the Soma family also pays a visit.
Watch Now:AmazonApple TV#14 - Perhaps We Should Invite Ourselves Over
Fruits Basket (2019) - Season 1 - Episode 6
On school festival day, the gang sells a ton of rice balls thanks to an innovative Prince Yuki marketing technique. Bonus: two other members of the Soma family come to the festival to introduce themselves.
Watch Now:AmazonApple TV#16 - Gohei Mochi and a Grand Adventure
Sweetness & Lightning - Season 1 - Episode 7
Oh no! Dad is sick! Tsumugi wants to get him something to make him feel better, and she's willing to brave fierce sharks, dark caves, and giant dogs to make her way to Kotori's house. But what will dad do when he wakes up and finds her gone? And what can Kotori do with this batch of rice she just burnt?
Watch Now:Amazon#18 - Order! Merge, Souls!
Big Order - Season 1 - Episode 6
Hoshimiya Eiji heads to Izumo along with Iyo, searching for the Order who can cure Sena, Kamimusubi. After playing with her and the gods of Izumo, they finally win her over, but they're forced to work together when PS6 agents attack!
Watch Now:Amazon#19 - We'll Have a Training Camp
Hinako Note - Season 1 - Episode 9
One day, Hinako returns from school to find a letter from her mother. In it, her mother says she'd be visiting Tokyo to see Hinako acting. But Hinako is worried that she'll get nervous and freeze up like a scarecrow if she knows her mother is watching, not to mention she hasn't appeared on a stage since the culture festival. She even gets embarrassed just being seen working at the Hitotose coffee shop. Then she finds out about a stamp rally event planned in the shopping district, and she suggests having their troupe perform at Hitotose for it.
Watch Now:Amazon#20 - Kourin
Cardfight!! Vanguard - Season 3 - Episode 53
Aichi challenges Reversed Takuto, who arranges for the Reversed Kourin to be Aichi's opponent and leaves. Misaki makes her way up to where Aichi and Kourin are having a high-stakes cardfight. It is revealed that Kourin (along with Rekka and Suiko) has no memories of her past because of Takuto, and she fears of losing her current memories if she is defeated. Through sheer spirit, Aichi stays strong and wins by using a card that was given to him by the real Takuto: Liberator, Monarch Sanctuary Alfred. Kourin is freed from the spell of Reverse and then faints. Intending to go face Reversed Takuto, Aichi asks Misaki to take care of Kourin, but they are all soon confronted by more Reversed fighters.