Yu-Gi-Oh!

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This article is about the original manga series and franchise in general. For other
uses, see Yu-Gi-Oh! (disambiguation).

Yu-Gi-Oh!

Manga volume 1 cover, featuring Yugi Mutou

遊☆戯☆王
(Yū-Gi-Ō!)

 Adventure[1]
Genre
 Science fantasy[1]

Manga

Written by Kazuki Takahashi

Published by Shueisha

English publisher NA

Viz Media

Imprint Jump Comics

Magazine Weekly Shōnen Jump

English magazine NA
 Shonen Jump

Demographic Shōnen

Original run September 30, 1996 – March 8, 2004

Volumes 38 (List of volumes)

Anime television series

Directed by Hiroyuki Kakudō

Written by Toshiki Inoue

Music by BMF

Studio Toei Animation

Original network TV Asahi

Original run April 4, 1998 – October 10, 1998

Episodes 27 (List of episodes)

Anime film

Directed by Junji Shimizu

Written by Yasuko Kobayashi

Music by BMF

Studio Toei Animation

Released March 6, 1999

Runtime 30 minutes

Novel

Written by Katsuhiko Chiba

Illustrated by Kazuki Takahashi

Published by Shueisha

Imprint Jump J-Books

Demographic Male

Published September 3, 1999

Anime television series

 Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters

Films

 Yu-Gi-Oh! The Movie: Pyramid of Light

  Yu-Gi-Oh!: Bonds Beyond Time

 Yu-Gi-Oh!: The Dark Side of Dimensions

Spin-offs

 Yu-Gi-Oh! R

 Yu-Gi-Oh! GX

 Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's

 Yu-Gi-Oh! Zexal

 Yu-Gi-Oh! Arc-V

 Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS

 Yu-Gi-Oh! Sevens

Other media

 Video games

 Trading card game

 Anime and manga portal

Yu-Gi-Oh! (Japanese: 遊☆戯☆王, Hepburn: Yū-Gi-Ō!, lit. "King of Games") is a
Japanese manga series about gaming written and illustrated by Kazuki Takahashi. It
was serialized in Shueisha's Weekly Shōnen Jump magazine between September
1996 and March 2004. The plot follows the story of a boy named Yugi Mutou, who
solves the ancient Millennium Puzzle. Yugi awakens a gambling alter-ego or spirit
within his body that solves his conflicts using various games.
Two anime adaptations were produced; one by Toei Animation, which aired from
April to October 1998, and another produced by NAS and animated by Studio
Gallop titled Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters, which aired between April 2000 and
September 2004. The manga series has spawned a media franchise that includes
multiple spin-off manga and anime series, a trading card game, and numerous video
games. Most of the incarnations of the franchise involve the fictional trading card
game known as Duel Monsters, where each player uses cards to "duel" each other
in a mock battle of fantasy "monsters". This forms the basis for the real life Yu-Gi-
Oh! Trading Card Game. Yu-Gi-Oh has become one of the highest-grossing media
franchises of all time.

Contents

 1Plot
 2Development
 3Publication
 4Other media
o 4.1Yu-Gi-Oh! R
o 4.2Anime
o 4.3Novel
o 4.4Other books
 o 4.5Films
o 4.6Spinoffs
o 4.7Trading Card Game
o 4.8Video games
 5Reception
 6References
 7External links

Plot
See also: List of Yu-Gi-Oh! characters
Yu-Gi-Oh! tells the tale of Yugi Mutou, a timid young boy who loves all sorts of
games, but is often bullied around. One day, he solves an ancient puzzle known as
the Millennium Puzzle (千年パズル, Sennen Pazuru), causing his body to play host
to a mysterious spirit with the personality of a gambler. From that moment onwards,
whenever Yugi or one of his friends is threatened by those with darkness in their
hearts, this other Yugi shows himself and challenges them to dangerous Shadow
Games (闇のゲーム, Yami no Gēmu, lit. "Games of Darkness") which reveal the true
nature of someone's heart, the losers of these contests often being subjected to a
dark punishment called a Penalty Game (罰ゲーム, Batsu Gēmu). Whether it be
cards, dice, or role-playing board games, he will take on challenges from anyone,
anywhere. As the series progresses, Yugi and his friends learn that this person
inside of his puzzle is actually the spirit of a nameless Pharaoh from Ancient
Egyptian times, who had lost his memories. As Yugi and his companions attempt to
help the Pharaoh regain his memories, they find themselves going through many
trials as they wager their lives facing off against gamers that wield the mysterious
Millennium Items (千年アイテム, Sennen Aitemu) and the dark power of the Shadow
Games.[2]

Development
In the initial planning stages of the manga, Takahashi had wanted to draw a horror
manga.[3] Although the end result was a manga about games, it was clear that some
horror elements influenced certain aspects of the story. Takahashi decided to use
"battle" as his primary theme. Since there had been so much "fighting" manga, he
found it difficult to come up with something original. He decided to create a fighting
manga where the main character doesn't hit anybody, but also struggled with that
limitation. When the word "game" came to mind, he found it much easier to work
with.[4]
When an interviewer asked Takahashi if he tried to introduce younger readers to real
life gaming culture referenced in the series, Takahashi responded by saying that he
simply included "stuff he played and enjoyed", and that it may have introduced
readers to role-playing games and other games. Takahashi added that he created
some of the games seen in the series. The author stressed the importance of
"communication between people," often present in tabletop role-playing games and
not present in solitary video games. Takahashi added that he feels that quality
communication is not possible over the Internet. [5]
Takahashi had always been interested in games, claiming to have been obsessed as
a child and is still interested in them as an adult. In a game, he considered the player
to become a hero. He decided to base the Yu-Gi-Oh! series around such games and
used this idea as the premise; Yugi was a weak childish boy, who became a hero
when he played games. With friendship being one of the major themes of Yu-Gi-Oh!,
he based the names of the two major characters "Yūgi" and "Jōnouchi" on the word
yūjō (友情), which means "friendship". Henshin, the ability to turn into something or
someone else, is something Takahashi believed all children dreamed of. He
considered Yugi's "henshin" Dark Yugi, a savvy, invincible games player, to be a big
appeal to children.[6]
Takahashi said that the card game held the strongest influence in the manga,
because it "happened to evoke the most response" from readers. Prior to that point,
Takahashi did not plan for the card game to make more than two appearances. [7]
Takahashi said that the "positive message" for readers of the series is that each
person has a "strong hidden part" (like "human potential") within himself or herself,
and when one finds hardship, the "hidden part" can emerge if one believes in
him/herself and in his/her friends. Takahashi added that this is "a pretty consistent
theme."[7]
The editor of the English version, Jason Thompson, said that the licensing of the Yu-
Gi-Oh! manga had not been entirely coordinated, so Viz decided to use many of the
original character names and to "keep it more or less violent and gory." Thompson
said that the manga "was almost unchanged from the Japanese original." Because
the core fanbase of the series was, according to Thompson, "8-year-old boys (and a
few incredible fangirls)," and because the series had little interest from "hardcore,
Japanese-speaking fans, the kind who run scanlation sites and post on
messageboards" as the series was perceived to be "too mainstream," the Viz editors
allowed Thompson "a surprising amount of leeway with the translation." Thompson
said he hoped that he did not "abuse" the leeway he was given. [8] In a 2004 interview,
the editors of the United States Shonen Jump mentioned that Americans were
surprised when reading the stories in Volumes 1 through 7, as they had not
appeared on television as a part of the Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters anime. Takahashi
added "The story is quite violent, isn't it? [laughs]"[7]
English release by 4Kids have been subject to censorship to make it more
appropriate for children', for example mentions of death or violence were replaced by
references to "being sent to the Shadow Realm". [9]
The 遊戯王 (Yugiō), which is stylized 遊☆戯☆王, means "king of games". The word
遊戯 (yugi, game) is also the name of the protagonist. Kazuki Takahashi has also
stated[citation needed] that the character names "Yūgi" and "Jōnouchi" are based on the word
友情 (yūjō "friendship"). This pun was represented with a Yu-Gi-Oh! Trading Card
Game card known 友情 YU-JYO (Yūjō Yūjō; in English, "Yu-Jo Friendship"). Yūjō is
pointed out by Jōnouchi to Yūgi at the end of the first manga chapter, as "something
visible yet invisible" (what's visible is the two of them, what's invisible is their
friendship), as a way to tell Yūgi that he wants to be his friend.

Publication
Main article: List of Yu-Gi-Oh! chapters
The original Yu-Gi-Oh! manga by Kazuki Takahashi was serialized
in Shueisha's Weekly Shōnen Jump from September 30, 1996 to March 8, 2004.
Unlike most other media, it features a variety of different games. The plot starts out
fairly episodic and the first seven volumes includes only three instances of Magic &
Wizards. In the sixtieth chapter, the Duelist Kingdom arc starts and instances
of Magic & Wizards becomes fairly common, and after the DDD arc, it reappears
again and becomes part of an important plot point during the Battle City arc. The last
arc of the manga focuses on a tabletop role-playing game that replicates the
Pharaoh's lost memories, in which the battle system is based on an ancient Shadow
Game played in his kingdom (stated in-series to be the precursor of Magic &
Wizards and the indirect precursor to card games in general). The editors were
Yoshihisa Heishi and Hisao Shimada. Kazuki Takahashi credits Toshimasa
Takahashi in the "Special Thanks" column. [10]
The English version of the Yu-Gi-Oh! manga was released in the North America
by Viz Media, running in Shonen Jump magazine between 2002 and December
2007. The original Japanese character names are kept for most of the characters
(Yugi, Jonouchi, Anzu, and Honda, for instance), while the English names are used
for a minor number of characters (e.g. Maximillion Pegasus) and for the Duel
Monsters cards. The manga is published in its original right-to-left format and is
largely unedited, although instances of censorship appear such as editing out the
finger in later volumes. Viz released the first volume of the Yu-Gi-Oh! manga up to
the end of the Monster World arc under its original title. Starting from the last chapter
of the seventh Japanese volume, the Duelist Kingdom, Dungeon Dice Monsters, and
Battle City arcs are released under the title Yu-Gi-Oh!: Duelist, while the Memory
World arc was released as Yu-Gi-Oh! Millennium World.[citation needed]

Other media
Yu-Gi-Oh! R
Main article: Yu-Gi-Oh! R
A spin-off manga titled Yu-Gi-Oh! R was illustrated by Akira Ito under Takahashi's
supervision. The story is of disputed canonicity and takes place in the original
manga's universe, between the Battle City and Millennium World arcs, where Yugi
and his friends must stop a man named Yako Tenma who plans to use Anzu
Mazaki's body to revive the deceased Pegasus. [11] The spin-off was serialized in V-
Jump between April 21, 2004 and December 21, 2007 and was compiled into five
tankōbon volumes. Viz Media released the series in North America between 2009
and 2010.[12]
Anime
Anime franchise overview

Originally
No. Title Episodes aired / Director Studio Network
Release date

April 4, 1998 – Hiroyuki Toei

1 Yu-Gi-Oh! 27 TV Asahi
October 10, 1998 Kakudō Animation

Movi
Yu-Gi-Oh! March 6, 1999 Junji Shimizu
e
 Originally
No. Title Episodes aired / Director Studio Network
Release date

Yu-Gi-Oh! April 18, 2000 –

Kunihisa TXN (TV
2 Duel 224 September 29, Gallop
Sugishima Tokyo)
Monsters 2004

4Kids
Movi Yu-Gi-Oh! The Movie: November 3, Entertainment
Hatsuki Tsuji
e Pyramid of Light 2004
Gallop

Yu-Gi-Oh! October 6, 2004 TXN (TV

3 180 Gallop
GX – March 26, 2008 Tokyo)
September 9,
Yu-Gi-Oh!
2006 – 4Kids
4 Capsule 12 Eric Stuart 4Kids TV
November 25, Entertainment
Monsters
2006
Yu-Gi-Oh! April 2, 2008– TXN (TV
5 154 + 1 Katsumi Ono
5D's March 30, 2011 Gallop Tokyo)
Movi Yu-Gi-Oh!: Bonds Beyond Kenichi
January 23, 2010
e Time Takeshita
April 11, 2011 –
Yu-Gi-Oh! TXN (TV
6 73 + 1 September 24,
Zexal Satoshi Tokyo)
2012
Kuwahara
Yu-Gi-Oh! October 7, 2012
7 73 + 1 TV Tokyo
Zexal II – March 23, 2014
Yu-Gi-Oh! April 6, 2014 – TXN (TV
8 148 Katsumi Ono
Arc-V March 26, 2017 Tokyo)
Movi Yu-Gi-Oh!: The Dark Side Satoshi
April 23, 2016 TV Tokyo
e of Dimensions Kuwabara
Masahiro
Hosoda (#1–
May 10, 2017 – 13)
Yu-Gi-Oh!
9 120 September 25,
VRAINS Katsuya
2019
Asano (#14–
120)

Yu-Gi-Oh! Nobuhiro
10 TBD April 4, 2020–[13] Bridge
Sevens Kondo
April 4, 1998–
Total 1011 + 7 -
present
Yu-Gi-Oh! (1998 TV series)
Main article: List of Yu-Gi-Oh! (1998) episodes
The first Yu-Gi-Oh! anime adaptation was produced by Toei Animation and aired
on TV Asahi between April 4, 1998 and October 10, 1998,[14] running for 27 episodes
and one theatrical movie released on the 6th March, 1999. This adaptation was
never released outside Japan.
This series is heavily abridged from the manga, skipping many chapters, and often
changes details of the manga stories it does adapt, featuring several key differences
from the manga. It also adds a new regular character to the group, Miho Nosaka,
who was originally a one-shot minor character in the manga. This adaptation is not
related to any other works in the franchise.
Duel Monsters (2000 TV series)
Main article: Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters
Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters, known outside Japan as simply Yu-Gi-Oh!, is the second
adaptation of the series. It was produced by Nihon Ad Systems and TV Tokyo, while
animation for the show was done by Studio Gallop. Loosely adapting the manga
from chapter sixty onwards, the series features several differences from the manga
and the Toei-produced series and largely focuses around the game of Duel
Monsters, tying in with the real life Yu-Gi-Oh! Trading Card Game. The series aired
in Japan on TV Tokyo between April 18, 2000 and September 29, 2004, running for
224 episodes. A remastered version of the series, focusing on specific duels, began
airing in Japan from February 7, 2015.[15]
In 2001, 4Kids Entertainment obtained the merchandising and television rights to the
series from Nihon Ad Systems, producing an English-language version which aired
in North America on Kids' WB! between September 29, 2001 and June 10, 2006,
also releasing in various countries outside Japan. The adaptation received many
changes from the Japanese version to tailor it for international audiences. These
include different names for many characters and monsters, changes to the
appearance of the cards to differentiate them from their real-life counterparts and
various cuts and edits pertaining to violence, death, and religious references to make
the series suitable for children.
An album containing some tracks from the English dub music entitled Yu-Gi-Oh!
Music to Duel By was released on October 29, 2002 on DreamWorks
Records on Audio CD and Compact Cassette.[16]
An uncut version, featuring an all-new English dub track and the original Japanese
audio, began release in October 2004, in association with Funimation Entertainment.
Only three volumes, comprising the first nine episodes, were ever released. 4Kids
would later release the uncut Japanese episodes on YouTube, in May 2009, but
were forced to stop due to legal issues with ADK and Yugi's Japanese voice
actor, Shunsuke Kazama.[17][18] Meanwhile, a separate English adaptation, produced
by A.S.N., aired in South East Asia. The names were also Americanized, but the
series setting and the original music remained intact.
On March 24, 2011, TV Tokyo and Nihon Ad Systems filed a joint lawsuit against
4Kids, accusing them of underpayments concerning the Yu-Gi-Oh! franchises and
allegedly conspiring with Funimation, and have allegedly terminated their licensing
deal with them.[19] This led to 4Kids filing for protection under Chapter 11 of the U.S.
Bankruptcy code.[20][21] Although 4Kids had managed to win the case in March 2012,
[22]
 they ended up selling their rights to the franchise, among other assets, to Konami.
Konami currently distributes the series and its spin-offs, in addition to producing
English dubs through its renamed subsidiary, 4K Media Inc.[23][24][25]
A complete DVD boxset, including all English episodes and the Bonds Beyond
Time movie, was released on July 15, 2014 via Amazon.[26] On July 11, 2015, 4K
Media began releasing subtitled episodes to the Crunchyroll streaming site monthly.
[27]

Capsule Monsters
Main article: List of Yu-Gi-Oh! Capsule Monsters episodes
Yu-Gi-Oh! Capsule Monsters is a twelve-episode spin-off miniseries commissioned,
produced and edited by 4Kids Entertainment, which aired in North America between
September 9, 2006[28] and November 25, 2006. It is set before the end of Yu-Gi-Oh!
Duel Monsters, apparently somewhere between episodes 198 and 199, and involves
Yugi and his friends being pulled into a world filled with real Duel Monsters they can
summon using capsules. It is similar to the Virtual RPG arc in many respects, but it
does not seem to have anything to do with the early Capsule Monster Chess game
featured in early volumes of the original manga. It is currently the only animated Yu-
Gi-Oh! media not to be released in Japan, though it is referred to as Yu-Gi-Oh!
ALEX. A DVD containing a condensed version of the Capsule Monsters episodes
was released in May 2006.[29]
Novel
A novel adaptation revolves focuses on some of the beginning parts of the manga
and the Death-T arc, written by Katsuhiko Chiba (千葉 克彦 Chiba Katsuhiko). It was
published in Japan by Shueisha on September 3, 1999 and has four sections.[30] The
fourth section is an original story, occurring only in the novel. Two weeks after Yugi's
battle with Kaiba in Death-T, Yugi gets a call from Kaiba, who tells him to meet for a
game at the top floor of Kaiba Corporation. Yugi accepts, and when the game
begins, they use a special variation of Magic & Wizards called the "Bingo Rule,"
which prevents the used of a specific card in each player's deck. Mokuba stumbles in
on them, and tells Yugi that Kaiba has not yet awoken from his catatonic state. It
turns out that the Kaiba that Yugi is playing against is a "Cyber Kaiba", controlled by
the KaibaCorp computer, using all of Kaiba's memories.
Other books

The Gospel of Truth series guide for the manga.

Yu-Gi-Oh! Character Guidebook: The Gospel of Truth (遊☆戯☆王キャラクターズガ
イドブック―真理の福音―, Yūgiō Kyarakutāzu Gaido Bukku Shinri no Fukuin) is a
guidebook written by Kazuki Takahashi related to characters from the original Yu-Gi-
Oh! manga universe. It was published in Japan on November 1, 2002
by Shueisha under their Jump Comics imprint and in France on December 12, 2006
by Kana.[31][32] The book contains profiles for characters, including information which
has never been released elsewhere, including birth dates, height, weight, blood type,
favorite and least favorite food. It also contains a plethora of compiled information
from the story, including a list of names for the various games and Shadow Games
that appear in Yu-Gi-Oh! and the various Penalty Games used by the Millennium
Item wielders.
An art book titled, Duel Art (デュエルアート, Dyueruāto) was illustrated by Kazuki
Takahashi under the Studio Dice label. The art book was released on December 16,
2011 and contains a number of illustrations done for the bunkoban releases of the
manga, compilations of color illustrations found in the manga, and brand new art
drawn for the book.[33] It also contains pictures by Takahashi used for cards with the
anniversary layout, pictures he has posted on his website and a number of other
original illustrations. Udon Press published an English version, translated by Caleb
D. Cook.[34]
The Theatrical & TV Anime Yu-Gi-Oh! Super Complete Book (劇場&TV アニメ『遊☆
戯☆王』スーパー・コンプリートブック, Gekijō & TV Anime Yūgiō Sūpā
Konpurītobukku) was released in May 1999 following the release of Toei's Yu-Gi-
Oh! movie earlier that year. The book includes episode information and pictures
regarding the first Yu-Gi-Oh! anime and movie, some pictures with the original
manga with a section covering the making of certain monsters, and interviews
regarding the first film. It also features an ani-manga version of the Yu-Gi-Oh! movie
and is the only supplemental work released for Toei's version of the anime. [35]
The Yu-Gi-Oh! 10th Anniversary Animation Book (遊☆戯☆王 テンス アニバーサ
リー アニメーション ブック, Yūgiō! Tensu Anivāsarī Animēshon Bukku) is a book
released to celebrate the tenth anniversary of the NAS adaption of the anime (as
opposed to the manga), released on January 21, 2010. The book features scenes
from the crossover movie, Yu-Gi-Oh! 3D Bonds Beyond Time, a quick review of the
three Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters series, character profiles, duels and interviews with
the staff of the movie. A fold-out double-sided poster is included with the book. [36]

 Yu-Gi-Oh! Official Card Game Duel Monsters Official Rule Guide — The
Thousand Rule Bible - ISBN 4-08-782134-X, This is a rule book and
strategy guide for the Junior and Shin Expert rules. This also has a Q & A
related to certain cards, and the book comes with the "multiply" card.
 Yu-Gi-Oh! Official Card Game Duel Monsters Official Card Catalog The
Valuable Book - This is a collection of card catalogues.
o Volume 1 ISBN 4-08-782764-X
o Volume 2 ISBN 4-08-782041-6
o Volume 3 ISBN 4-08-782135-8
o Volume 4 ISBN 4-08-782047-5
o Volume 5 ISBN 4-08-782053-X
  Yu-Gi-Oh!: Monster Duel Official Handbook by Michael Anthony Steele
- ISBN 0-439-65101-8, Published by Scholastic Press - A guide book
to Yu-Gi-Oh! cards and characters
 Yu-Gi-Oh! Enter the Shadow Realm: Mighty Champions by Jeff O'Hare
- ISBN 0-439-67191-4, Published by Scholastic Press - A book with
puzzles and games related to Yu-Gi-Oh!
Films
Four animated films based on the franchise have been released.
Yu-Gi-Oh! (1999)
Based on the Toei animated series, the thirty-minute movie revolves around a boy
named Shōgo Aoyama, who is targeted by Seto Kaiba after obtaining a powerful rare
card; the legendary Red-Eyes Black Dragon. The movie was released by Toei
Company in theaters on March 6, 1999 and on VHS on November 21, 1999. [37]
Yu-Gi-Oh! The Movie: Pyramid of Light
Main article: Yu-Gi-Oh! The Movie: Pyramid of Light
Yu-Gi-Oh! The Movie: Pyramid of Light, often referred to as simply Yu-Gi-Oh! The
Movie, was first released in North America on August 13, 2004. The movie was
developed specifically for Western audiences by 4Kids based on the overwhelming
success of the Yu-Gi-Oh! franchise in the United States. Warner Bros. distributed the
film in most English-speaking countries. Its characters are from the Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel
Monsters anime. In the movie, which takes place following the Battle City arc, Yugi
faces Anubis, the Egyptian God of the Dead. An extended uncut Japanese version of
the movie premiered in special screenings in Japan on November 3, 2004 under the
title Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters: Pyramid of Light. The movie was then aired on TV
Tokyo on January 2, 2005. Attendees of the movie during its premiere (United States
or Japan) got 1 of 4 free Yu-Gi-Oh! Trading Card Game cards. The cards were
Pyramid of Light, Sorcerer of Dark Magic, Blue Eyes Shining Dragon, and Watapon.
The Home Video Release also gave out one of the free cards with an offer to get all
four cards by mail (though the promotion ended in December 2004). In
Australia, New Zealand, Germany and the United Kingdom, free promotional cards
were also given out, however, they were given out at all screenings of the movie,
and not just the premiere.
Yu-Gi-Oh!: Bonds Beyond Time
Main article: Yu-Gi-Oh!: Bonds Beyond Time
10th Anniversary Yu-Gi-Oh! Movie: Super Fusion! Bonds that Transcend Time, is
a 3-D film released on January 23, 2010 in Japan. The film was released in North
America by 4Kids on February 26, 2011 under the name Yu-Gi-Oh! 3D: Bonds
Beyond Time with additional footage, where it also received an encore screening in
Japan.[38] The movie celebrates the 10th anniversary of the first NAS series (as
opposed to the anniversary of the manga) and features an original storyline
involving Yugi Mutou, Jaden Yuki from Yu-Gi-Oh! GX, and Yusei Fudo from Yu-Gi-
Oh! 5D's, fighting against a new enemy named Paradox.[39] It was first teased with
short animations featured at the start of episodes of Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's during episodes
65–92. The film was released on Blu-ray Disc and DVD in July 2011, with the UK
release by Manga Entertainment being the first bilingual release of the franchise
since the Uncut Yu-Gi-Oh! DVDs.[40]
Yu-Gi-Oh!: The Dark Side of Dimensions
Main article: Yu-Gi-Oh!: The Dark Side of Dimensions
4K Media announced that a new film was in development in Japan, celebrating Yu-
Gi-Oh's 20th anniversary.[41] The film features an original story by Kazuki Takahashi,
set six months after the events of the manga,[42] depicting a duel between Yugi and
Kaiba,[43] as well as a new adversary.[citation needed] The film was released on April 23, 2016
in Japan[44] and had an international release in late 2016. [42] The film released on DVD
and Blu-ray on March 8, 2017 in Japan, and included the two part manga prequel
called Yu-Gi-Oh!: Transcend Game.[45] The film was released in the United States on
January 27, 2017, and was made available on DVD and Blu-ray on June 27, 2017.
Spinoffs
Yu-Gi-Oh! GX
Main article: Yu-Gi-Oh! GX
Yu-Gi-Oh! GX, known in Japan as Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters GX, is the first spin-off
anime series produced by NAS which ran for 180 episodes from October 6, 2004
and March 26, 2008. Taking place a few years after the events of Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel
Monsters, the series follows a boy named Jaden Yuki as he attends a Duel
Academy, built by Seto Kaiba, in the hopes of becoming the next Duel King. Like the
previous seasons, 4Kids Entertainment licensed the series outside Japan and aired
it in North America between October 10, 2005 and July 12, 2008, though episodes
157–180 were not dubbed.
A manga adaptation by Naoyuki Kageyama was serialized in Shueisha's V-
Jump magazine between December 17, 2005 and March 19, 2011. The manga
differs from that of the anime, featuring new storylines and monsters, as well as
some personality changes in some of the characters. The series is published in
North America by Viz Media.
Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's
Main article: Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's
Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's is the second main spin-off series also taking place in the 2000
universe, which aired for 154 episodes between April 2, 2008 and March 30, 2011. It
was later licensed by 4Kids and aired in North America between September 13,
2008 and September 10, 2011. This series focuses around a motorcycling duelist
named Yusei Fudo and introduces new concepts such as Turbo Duels, duels which
take place upon motorbikes called Duel Runners, and Synchro Monsters, which
were also added to the real life trading card game.
A manga adaptation by Masahiro Hikokubo and Satou Masashi began serialization
in V-Jump from August 2009 and, like the GX manga, differs from the anime in
storyline and characterization. The manga is also published in North America by Viz
Media.
Yu-Gi-Oh! Zexal
Main article: Yu-Gi-Oh! Zexal
Yu-Gi-Oh! Zexal is the third main spin-off series, which aired in Japan between April
11, 2011 and March 23, 2014, which aired for 146 episodes. [46] The first series aired
between April 11, 2011 and September 24, 2012. The story revolves around a boy
named Yuma Tsukumo who, joined by an interstellar being known as Astral, must
gather the 100 Numbers cards that make up his memory. The series adds yet
another monster type, Xyz Monsters, which were added to the trading card game.
4Kids licensed the series and began airing the series in North America on The
CW's Toonzai block from October 15, 2011.[47][48][49][50] After a legal battle with TV Tokyo
and NAS caused 4Kids to file for bankruptcy, Konami received the rights to the
series. The series aired on Saban's Vortexx block, with production done by 4K Media
Inc..[51] A second series, titled Yu-Gi-Oh! Zexal II, aired in Japan between October 7,
2012 and March 23, 2014.[52]
The manga adaptation written by Shin Yoshida and illustrated by Naoto Miyashi,
began serialization in the extended February 2011 issue of Shueisha's V
Jump magazine, released on December 18, 2010.[53]
Yu-Gi-Oh! Arc-V
Main article: Yu-Gi-Oh! Arc-V
Yu-Gi-Oh! Arc-V is the fourth main spin-off series, which aired for 148 episodes
between April 6, 2014 and March 26, 2017, following Yu-Gi-Oh! Zexal. The series
focuses on a new protagonist, Yūya Sakaki, who participates in the world of Action
Duels, in which enhanced Solid Vision systems give substance to monsters and
environments. The series introduces Pendulum Monsters and Pendulum
Summoning, which were added to the trading card game. [54]
Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS
Main article: Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS
Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS is the fifth main spin-off series, which aired for 120 episodes
between May 10, 2017 and September 25, 2019, following Yu-Gi-Oh! Arc-V. The
series follows a new protagonist named Yusaku Fujiki who engages in duels on a
virtual world under the alias "Playmaker", determined to take down an elusive group
of hackers known as the "Knights of Hanoi". The series introduces Link Monsters,
which are also added to the trading card game. [55][56]
Yu-Gi-Oh! Sevens
Main article: Yu-Gi-Oh! Sevens
On July 21, 2019, it was announced that a new anime spinoff would premiere
sometime in 2020.[57]
On December 21, 2019, the title of the series was revealed to be Yu-Gi-Oh! Sevens,
in addition to staff and casting. It premiered on April 4, 2020. For the first time since
the 1998 Yu-Gi-Oh! series, the anime will not be animated by Gallop,
with Bridge taking over as head studio in animation production. [58]
Trading Card Game

A group playing the Yu-Gi-Oh! Trading Card Game.

Main article: Yu-Gi-Oh! Trading Card Game

The Yu-Gi-Oh! Trading Card Game is a Japanese collectible card battle game
developed and published by Konami. Based on the Duel Monsters concept from the
original manga series, the game sees players using a combination of monsters,
spells, and traps to defeat their opponent. First launched in Japan in 1999, the game
has received various changes over the years, such as the inclusion of new monster
types to coincide with the release of new anime series. In 2011, Guinness World
Records called it the top-selling trading card game in history, with 25.2 billion cards
sold worldwide.[59] As of January 2021, the game is estimated to have sold about 35
billion cards worldwide and grossed over ¥1 trillion[60][61] ($9.64 billion).[62]
Video games
Main article: List of Yu-Gi-Oh! video games
There are several video games based on the Yu-Gi-Oh! franchise which are
published by Konami, the majority of which are based on the trading card game, and
some based on other games that appeared in the manga. Aside from various games
released for consoles and handheld systems, arcade machines known as Duel
Terminals have been released which are compatible with certain cards in the trading
card game. Outside of Konami's titles, Yugi appears as a playable character in the
crossover fighting games Jump Super Stars, Jump Ultimate Stars, and Jump Force.
[63][64]

Reception
The manga has sold 40 million copies. [65] In December 2002, Shonen Jump received
the ICv2 Award for "Comic Product of the Year" due to its unprecedented sales
numbers and its successfully connecting comics to both the television medium and
the Yu-Gi-Oh! collectible card game; one of the top CCG games of the year. [66] In
August 2008, TV Tokyo reported that over 18 billion Yu-Gi-Oh! cards had been sold
worldwide.[67] By 2011, it had sold 25.2 billion cards worldwide. [59]
John Jakala of Anime News Network reviewed the Yu-Gi-Oh! manga in 2003 as part
of reviewing the U.S. Shonen Jump. Jakala said that while the commercials for the
second series anime made the anime appear "completely uninteresting," the comic
"is unexpectedly dark and moody." Jakala added that at one moment the series
"reminded me of Neil Gaiman's work: Yugi finds himself drawn into a magical world
of ancient forces where there are definite rules that must be obeyed." Jakala
concluded that the fact the series uses games as plot devices "opens up a lot of
story possibilities" and that he feared that the series had the potential to "simply
devolve into a tie-in for the popular card game." [68]
Jason Thompson, the editor of the English version of the manga, ranked Yu-Gi-
Oh! as number three of his five personal favorite series to edit, stating that he thinks
"the story is actually pretty solid for a shonen manga" and that "you can tell it was
written by an older man because of the obsession with death, and what might come
after death, which dominates the final story arc," enjoying all the RPG and card
gaming terminology found within the series. [8]
At the time when the manga series started to garner more popularity among
Japanese children with the second series anime, video games, and trading card
game, because of its somewhat "dark story lines, leggy girls and terrifying monsters",
the series was not popular among Japanese parents, who believed that Yu-Gi-
Oh! was more meant for teenagers than the young kids that make up the audience
for franchises such as Pokémon.[69]
Yu-Gi-Oh! was used by Bandai as part of their Candy Toy toyline.[70][71][72]

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