Cardfight!! Vanguard (カードファイト!! ヴァンガード Kādofaito!! Vangādo) is a franchise that first started with an anime series, it has since been adapted into a manga series, a trading card game has also been released. The franchise is owned by Bushiroad a major collectable card game company in Japan.
This story takes place a little further in the future—
There are now millions of card game players in the world, to an extent where card games have become a necessity, a part of our lives.
Aichi's World
This is Earth, but a little further in the future from the one which we live in. Card games have spread far and wide, to the extent where they are even used in school lessons and major advertisements.
The most popular of them all, is known as "Vanguard".
The protagonist of this story, Aichi Sendou, is a timid boy in his third year of middle school. He had been living his life looking backward, trying not to stand out. However, he had one thing that kept him going – the “Blaster Blade”, a card from a game that was given to him when he was little. That card is the reason why he begins to engage in Card Fights, something that opens his world. The name of the card game is “Vanguard.” The game takes place on a different planet called “Cray”and due to a never before seen play system, it becomes popular throughout the world.
Aichi, immediately attracted by Vanguard, finds his confidence, and begins to broaden his horizons, making friends such as Misaki Tokura and Kamui Katsuragi, and even a few rivals, at the local card shop: ‘Card Capital’. Through friendly rivalry with them, Aichi slowly begins to understand himself. Aichi, however, has a goal: to once again battle with a Vanguard Fighter by the name of Toshiki Kai. Toshiki Kai is an aloof and cold-hearted high schooler, who has outstanding abilities in the world of Vanguard, and is the reason why Aichi started playing the game. For him, Kai is the person who saved him and introduced him to Vanguard. In order to get better at Vanguard, Aichi puts his soul into it every day. He wishes that one day, he’ll be able to battle Kai on equal ground, and have him recognize his ability.
Now on his journey to earn Kai's recognition, he finds himself walking two different paths. One is the path of PSY Qualia, a dark and powerful supernatural phenomena, which is also being used by Ren Suzugamori. An addictive path that corrupts the user. The second path is the path of the Fighter, where belief in oneself, and their strength alone is what will come out on top. This is the path Kai walks, and in fact, the path Kai wants Aichi to take, to prove to the world and Aichi, that the power of PSY Qualia is not the strongest. That hard work, determination, and believing in oneself is the only way to improve.
Confronted with these two paths, Aichi has a choice to make, to become more powerful than he's ever felt in his life, or climb to the top to stand by his idol.
The Planet Cray this is the stage for the card game Vanguard:
It is a place similar to our own planet, but unlike planet Earth, Gods and Demons, Dragons and other mythical creatures still roam the land. It is also a world where both Magic and Science have advanced hand in hand. Nations with advances in different fields and cultures rule over different parts of the planet Cray.
On this planet there are many different Clans and each of these Clans have different Races of creatures with all sorts of abilities and powers. These are then used in planet earth in the cards game Vanguard where players imagine these mythical creatures and use their power in a system of the game. Together with these creatures, the player battles their opponent and fierce fights to win the match and aim to become stronger.
On TV Tokyo, this series would air alongside Yu-Gi-Oh! Zexal from 2011-2014 every Sunday.
In episode 3, there are posters of the Pokemon Trading Card Game and Air (the anime series from Kyoto Animation) in the background. Furthermore, the Air poster has cards resembling those of the Yu-Gi-Oh! Trading Card Game on them.
In episode 13, around 16:27 into the episode, cameos of Cordelia Glauca, Nero Yuzurisaki, Hercule Barton and Sherlock Shellingford from Tantei Opera Milky Holmes can be seen walking outside the card game shop, Card Capital.
In episode 14, at 4:33 into the episode, Cordelia Glauca, Nero Yuzurisaki, Hercule Barton and Sherlock Shellingford from Tantei Opera Milky Holmes can be seen walking next to Kamui Katsuragi and Aichi Sendo on the bridge.
In episode 15, at the end of the episode right before the ed song, cameos of Cordelia Glauca, Nero Yuzurisaki, Hercule Barton and Sherlock Shellingford from Tantei Opera Milky Holmes can be seen standing right outside of Card Capital.
In episode 16, around 4:35 into the episode, Cordelia Glauca, Nero Yuzurisaki, Hercule Barton and Sherlock Shellingford from Tantei Opera Milky Holmes can be seen on the floor above Team Q4 in the bottom right corner.
In episode 20, around 6:40 minutes into the episode, Sherlock Shellingford from Tantei Opera Milky Holmes can be seen watching the card battle between Kai Toshiki and Kaoru Komatsubara.
In episode 25, around 4:40 minutes into the episode, Hercule Barton from Tantei Opera Milky Holmes can be seen outside Card Capital, most probably talking through her phone.
In episode 36, around 22:08 into the episode, Cordelia Glauca and Hercule Barton from Tantei Opera Milky Holmes can be seen walking outside of Card Capital.
In episode 41, Cordelia Glauca and Nero Yuzurizaki can be seen in the background around 10:07 into the episode in their school uniform.
In episode 45, around 20:21 to the episode. Cordelia Glauca from Tantei Opera Milky Holmes can be seen behind Ultra Rare goods stand, working part-time.
In episode 46, at 7:20 into the episode where Katsumi was confronting Miwa, Cordelia Glauca from Tantei Opera Milky Holmes can be seen at the back at the front row seats.
In episode 59, at 10 minutes into the episode, the back of Yuzurizaki Nero can be seen standing in front of Ultra-Rare good's shop.
In episode 65, at 20:55 into the episode, Yuzurizaki Nero, Sherlock Shellingford, Hercule Barton and Cordelia Glauca can be seen standing behind Sendou Aichi in the distance, watching him run.
