Well, I got into YuGiOh when I saw an ad for the dubbed anime (yeah, I know XP) on TV circa 2000, when I was 22 (yes, I'm an OLD anime fan!). The idea of an Ancient Egyptian pharaoh's soul being sealed away in a pendant and then possessing the body of a young boy in the modern world was just interesting enough to grab my attention. When I laid eyes on Yami no Yugi's angular face and sharp, narrow eyes, I was hooked.
So, I watched the anime till about halfway through season 4. Then real life intervened and I lost track of YGO for a few years. Later on, I came across the manga and read the first seven volumes. Let's just say the differences between the characters I'd loved in the dub anime and their rawer portrayal in the manga addicted me all over again. It was just so cool to see the heroic pharaoh as this total sadist, going around blowing people up, driving them insane and even getting one guy stung by a scorpion, if they f'ed with Yugi or those he held dear.
Duelist Kingdom and Battle City were mostly the same. Still enjoyable, but with a somewhat regrettable emphasis on Duel Monsters. Still though, the theme of friendship (Yujou) remained and sustained the characters throughout what might have otherwise been another forgettable shonen arena story.
What I love about Yugioh is the relationship between Yugi and his Other Self.
Mutou Yugi is an average tenth graders who's a bit on the small side. With his large lilac eyes, funny starfish shaped hair, short stature, and babyishly round face, he's a frequent target for bullies. This all changes when he solves the Millennium Puzzle. The bullies start dropping like flies and Yugi quickly realizes that the Puzzle is somehow causing him to have blackouts and do things that he wouldn't normally do.
Enter Yugi's Other Self (Mou Hitori no Yugi), frequently called Yami Yugi (Dark Yugi). For those who have only known Yami Yugi from the Duel Monsters dub, the difference between that and the early manga is quite jarring to say the least. Yami Yugi is dark, wild, angry, and more than a little dangerous. He seems to take great pleasure in playing Dark Games against anyone who crosses Yugi or those he holds dear, then subjecting them to penalty games when they lose or break the rules.
Then we have a well rounded cast of supporting characters: Jounouchi Katsuya and Honda Hiroto, Mazaki Anzu, Bakura Ryou and even... Kaiba Seto, after he stops being a prick, at least. Ahem! Jou and Honda actually started out as bullies to Yugi, especially Jou, who said that Yugi acted like a girl and pissed him off in so doing. It was rather a jarring change from the Joey Wheeler of the anime dub, who was always Yugi's best buddy. But it was interesting to learn their backstory. Anyway, after Yugi stood up to a bigger bully who wanted to beat up Jou and Honda, Jou changed his tune and became Yugi's best friend, hence the play on their names, Yujou (friendship).
At any rate, the stories themselves are pretty formulaic shonen, but it's the amazing characters that I described above and that oh, so sexy Yami Yugi/Atem that keep me coming back for more. I just love how they go from Yugi being afraid of this dark, wild spirit that resides in his Millennium Puzzle to weeping as they're parted forever. The progression is gradual and believable, being driven along by their adventures together, such as Yugi having the Puzzle stolen and having to reassemble it and then Yugi and the spirit beginning to speak to each other, duel together, etc. The change in their relationship is best shown by the spirit going from calling Yugi "mou hitori no ore" (my other self) to calling him "aibou" (partner).
Also, the Ancient Egyptian setting of Yami Yugi's backstory is really cool. I love ancient civilizations and Egypt's about as old as they come. The Millennium Items date back to the 18th dynasty and bespeak a darker time when people used spiritually charged games to decide the fates of criminals and kings alike. How does the amnesiac Yami no Yugi tie in with this and what will be his, Yugi's and the others' ultimate fate as they unravel the mysteries surrounding the Millennium Items and Duel Monsters card game?
In conclusion, it’s the characters rather than the story arcs that drive YGO. Friendship, romance, games, and character development (mostly) in balance leave this a memorable story.
#MyYuGiOhLife
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