(risky trope) A show changes genres mid way

[u/ErlikHan6]

The 100: the show starts as a somewhat grounded post apocalypse where humans who have taken refuge in a space station return to earth after it has become inhabitable again and resources on the space station run out. At first the show is about survival in a hostile environment. It slowly introduces more and more sci fi elements. At first, it's an Aİ that wants control over humanity. Towards the end of the show, the main characters have traveled throughout the galaxy, met humans from other planets, some of which have settled among ruins of ancient alien species, where they try to contact more advanced alien species in order to achieve "transcendence": rid humans of their physical bodies and become a more advanced lifeform.

AOT: this one is less gradual than the 100 and the change comes after a massive plot twist. The first 3 seasons of the show are about a relatively primitive society of humans who live inside humongous walls. Outside the walls are titans: giant monstrous creatures which hunt and devour humans. After a big plot twist and reveal, the society finds out that there is a whole bigger world out there, and the rest of the world is plotting to genocide them. They quickly industrialize after this discovery and wage war against other countries.

[u/thenerfviking]

The games get pretty lazy too. One is just called “Fire maze” and it’s just him setting a warehouse on fire.

[u/Kilroy0497 → u/thenerfviking]

Funny thing is, it wasn’t even the first time he did exactly that. Early on he also just lit a lighter on an inmate that was drinking vodka, he left the lighter on the inmate’s hand, grabbed Anzu, and let nature take its course.

[u/AzureValkyrie → u/thenerfviking]

While the initial premise sounds better, things like that makes me think that it was better for the long run to focus on the card game.

Like, realistically how many interesting games could the author come up with until YamiYugi says "We are playing the SharkJumping game, we will jump sharks with jetskis until one of us wipes out!"

[u/thenerfviking → u/AzureValkyrie]

That’s 100% why they switched. The gimmick was he’s the King of Games (that’s literally what Yu Gi Oh means, it’s like if you had an American character who was good at Bowling and his name was Roland Balls) and each issue is a different game but there’s only so many games you can make into a cool magical Shonen anime thing. Especially when it’s a serialized thing and you have to introduce the game every issue which is naturally going to eat up a lot of print space so you’re even more constrained.

[u/Lansha2009 → u/thenerfviking]

Ah yes a maze…a warehouse which would have a like maybe a turn to get to the exit.

[u/thenerfviking → u/Lansha2009]

In his defense iirc (it’s been like 25 years since I read this) it’s like an evil gang warehouse full of stolen goods and 80s action movie style piles of boxes.