Summary
- Yu-Gi-Oh! Started as a horror manga with a darker theme focusing on games with high stakes consequences, before evolving into the card game we know today.
- Season 0 delved into heavy topics like abuse and drug use, featuring a "shadow game" where cheaters face a "mind crush" punishment.
- The legacy of Yu-Gi-Oh! Continues despite the creator's passing, with the possibility of the lost series resurfacing in the future.
On September 30th, 1996, Yu-Gi-Oh! Made its first official debut in Weekly Shounen Jump, which tells the story of a young boy named Yugi, who enjoys playing all kinds of games. Though he doesn't have a large friend group, and is frequently bullied, he has a close friend, Anzu (or Tea), and his grandpa, who he's close with.
One day, he's given a mysterious puzzle that's said to be impossible to solve, but will grant the wish of whoever solves it. In a moment of turmoil, Yugi finally completes the puzzle and another spirit inhabits his body, who then challenges and "punishes" his aggressor. But because of Yugi's kindness in helping his peers, he gains his own friend group. Sounds a bit different from what we're used to, doesn't it?
The Original "Shadow Realm"
When Yu-Gi-Oh! Began its serialization, it was originally intended to be a horror. A regular boy harbors an ancient spirit inside of him that challenges wrong-doers to games, where their safety is on the line. Should they cheat, they will face a punishment. Over time, the manga evolved into a story that focuses on card games. In April 2000, an anime adaptation that focused on the card game aspect of the manga was released; the one we know as Yu-Gi-Oh! (Or Yu-Gi-Oh!: Duel Monsters in Japan). But before the mystical prowess of the Millennium items and Pot of Greed, there was another adaptation that never made it overseas. Its unofficial name is Yu-Gi-Oh! Season 0.
Season 0 is known for its darker and heavier themes, involving child abuse, drug use, bullying, and more. Side characters' backstories are delved into, such as Jounouchi's (Joey) alcoholic father, which explains his aggressive tone of voice and blunt personality. Each episode begins with a standard day, a problem, confronting the culprit, and a "shadow game".
While the original Yu-Gi-Oh! Didn't have the "Shadow Realm" altogether, Season 0 incorporates a similar concept. Should a player cheat, they will receive a "mind crush", which puts them in a mental state of disarray, and indefinitely trapped in their own mind.
Every Yu-Gi-Oh! Anime, Ranked
Numerous Yu-Gi-Oh! Anime have been released over the years. Here's each one, ranked.
Who's The Bad Guy?
We're meant to root for Yugi and his friends, but the dangers of having another self are not just glossed over. Yugi blacks out whenever the other spirit (Yami Yugi) takes over. His friends bear witness to the change, but it reaches the point of questioning whether the spirit inhabiting him is a friend or foe. Does it care for Yugi's friends? Or is it simply defending its host? Familiar characters such as Kaiba and Bakura make their own appearances, the latter of which traps the main group in a game similar to another scene in Yu-Gi-Oh!: Duel Monsters. It's at that time Yugi discovers his other self.
The mystery of the Millennium items remains shrouded in mystery until the middle of the season, which is good to build up suspense as well as the mystery of Yami Yugi. Though this is an adaptation of the first section of the manga, some stark differences are of note.
It's not uncommon for anime to drift from the manga and take its own liberties, but a side character, Miho, is worth mentioning. She only appears briefly in the manga, but in Season 0, she plays a larger part as Anzu's (Tea) best friend. What's more, unlike Duel Monsters, characters are seen actually attending class. An ongoing joke among avid watchers of Yu-Gi-Oh!, is that the main characters are always skipping school. Even LittleKuriboh's Yu-Gi-Oh!: The Abridged Series lampshades over it.
The Legacy
Unfortunately, on July 4th, 2022, the creator of Yu-Gi-Oh!, Kazuki Takahashi, passed away; so it's unlikely that the lost series will ever be brought overseas. Even so, the legacy of Yu-Gi-Oh! Continues to live on, and there's always a possibility this ancient treasure will be brought back, just like Yugi's Millennium Puzzle.
- Release Date
- 2000 - 2004-00-00
- Network
- TV Tokyo, TV Osaka, TVh, TSC
- Directors
- Masahiko Watanabe, Naoki Hishikawa, Kimiharu Muto, Yasuhiro Minami, Kenichi Kasai, Hiroaki Shimura
- Writers
- Shin Yoshida, Atsushi Maekawa, Akemi Omode, Junki Takegami, Yasuyuki Suzuki, Masashi Sogo, Tadashi Hayakawa, Akihiko Inari
Cast
-
Hiroki TakahashiKatsuya Jonouchi (voice) -
Maki SaitoMazaki Anzu
