Yu-gi-oh! Your Move!
By Kaity Tsui, Special Contributor

Everyone knows about those Saturday Morning Cartoons – the ones when you were a kid and you’d wake up about the crack of dawn just to stare at the TV for, oh, let’s say about five to six hours straight. Every Saturday morning comes one of those unique cartoons that you can’t keep your eyes off, and on the Kids’ WB! such a show is Yu-Gi-Oh! Catering to children ages 7 and older, this popular television series has made a huge phenomenal impact on older children everywhere.

Yu-Gi-Oh! is about a Japanese boy named Yugi and his friends who are obsessed with a card-battling game called Duel Monsters, in which players use different mystical creature- and spell-cards to play magical duels. The show deals with giant monsters, powerful magic and ancient Egyptian legends. And the real adventures begin when the mysterious creator of the Duel Monsters card game, Maximillion Pegasus, kidnaps the soul of Yugi's grandfather and Yugi is drawn into a Duel Monster's competition that Pegasus arranged. Now Yugi must duel his way through a tournament and defeat Pegasus in order to save his grandfather. How will Yugi do it? Will the help of his friends, his belief in the heart of the cards and the mysterious power of his magical Millennium Puzzle be enough? It is his move.
The show, drawn with the vivid colors and stylized imagery of Japanese animé, follows Yugi, who is transported by an ancient Egyptian artifact into a realm where the Duel Monsters card game springs to life. And so, the adventures begin in Yu-Gi-Oh! as players compete to become the strongest duelist in the world. Battling for cards and experience in the Duel Monsters card game, players must think strategically to build an unbeatable deck.

Based on trading cards made up of monsters and magic, one must not forget its famous and celebrated philosophy – follow the “heart of the cards”. The show attempts to give its viewers life’s lessons as well as serving as entertainment. For example, one of its basic themes is that friendship is essential. Even as they dual one another, they respect each other so much that, despite who wins or loses, they promise to keep their friendship intact as they dual their best. Meet Yugi, and his best buds, Joey, Tristan, and Téa. They share a love for the newest game that's sweeping the nation: Duel Monsters!

Another theme is the faith they put into their cards. It’s amazing how many times they reiterate this in their belief system that it’s bordering between the lines of inspirational and corny. However, the show can be entertaining as well. Its tendencies to mix between make-believe and reality have made this show truly fantastic. Enter the Shadow Realm!

What’s in the Cards on TV and on the Shelves for Yu-Gi-Oh!? Its franchise has certainly been successful, and its merchandise includes home videos, CDs and DVDs, video games, trading game cards, comic books, toys and apparel. In addition, Upper Deck, renowned trading card company, has announced exclusive rights to market and distribute the latest Japanese trading card craze in the U.S. Wildly popular in Japan, Yu-Gi-Oh! is finally on its way to the U.S. Backed by multi-million dollar marketing campaign, Upper Deck will ship the first edition trading card game to retail stores on March 1st. “The look and attitude of the property is edgy and cool, with a myriad of monsters with magical powers, this is the ultimate trading card game,” said Upper Deck Founder and Chairman Richard McWilliam.

Moreover, the three main characters of Yu-Gi-Oh! - Yugi, Seto Kaiba and Marik - were each featured on one of the cover newsstands on TV Guide’s cover in its February 1, 2003 issue, a great accomplishment and honorable recognition for Yu-Gi-Oh! creator Kazuki Takahashi!

Thanks to Takahashi, who started drawing the comic book series of Yu-Gi-Oh! in 1996, its debut in television in 2000 has not only been in Japan, but other Countries around the world.

In an exclusive interview with TIME, one of the best qualities about Yu-Gi-Oh! and its card-game nature is that kids can’t play by themselves. It’s interactive, and that’s how the word, as well as the number of friends to play with, spreads. He says, “As far as the manga story goes, I think all kids dream of henshin -- the ability to turn into something, or someone, else. Yugi's henshin into a savvy, invincible games player is a big appeal (to children). There's also the mystery surrounding the games and the characters on the cards. Kids like that, too.

Yu-Gi-Oh! also had a movie made based on the show, which just goes to show how successful the series has been. Directed by Hatsuki Tsuji, it premiered in late August of this year. In addition, the show now has much more airing times as well as expanded by airing on the Cartoon Network. It’s Time to Duel!

Overall, Yu-Gi-Oh!’s influence in American culture has certainly acknowledged Asians. It attracts, appeals and responds to such a wide audience because, like its predecessor Pokémon, Yu-Gi-Oh! has proved itself as its genre of Action and Adventure, Fantasy, and Animation, as well as offering a strong sense of friendship among the characters in the story, which has grown extremely favorable and embraced in the U.S.

And now, the international community has recognized Yu-Gi-Oh by having licensed television broadcast rights for it in major international markets. For example, YU-GI-OH! recently began airing in the United Kingdom, and it was expected that in 2002, YU-GI-OH! will debut “in France, Germany, Italy, Spain and Latin America”

More Animé is sure to come, but for right now, stay tuned to catch the most exciting new show!