Manga Yu-Gi-Oh!

[Rachmaninoff]

For starters, I ran into this series last year when one my cousins, who is much younger brought it with them when they visited. I was not terrible impressed and I didn?t even realize it was actually an anime show until much later.

Then because in the last year I?ve started watching anime I got curious but I was still not impressed. That is until one of my friends dared me in a conversation to read the manga. And being the fool that I am, I took that dare.

A dare that I am glad I did. The manga of this series is nothing like the anime show. It is not for kids at all. From threats to fighting and life threatening games it?s dark and disturbing on some level. [spoiler] the section where Yugi?s rival is sentenced to experience death in the cards was completely unexpected. As well as the section where he attempted to kill Yugi by forcing him to play in a lethal game in a mad desire to get revenge on him for winning. [/spoiler]

It has a very strange style of art in how simple changes in how Yugi?s hair and facial expressions are drawn to indicate whether he is the [spoiler] regular Yugi or the alternate personality he gained when he solved the puzzle. [/spoiler]

So it?s safe to say that I am now collecting this series as it has pretty much sucked me in completely. So now the question, since I didn?t find a previous thread on it, who else is into this series and what is your take on it?

[SunfallE]

[COLOR=RoyalBlue]Yu-Gi-Oh was the very first manga I ever read. For the simple reason that I caught part of one and the thought that went through my mind was it can?t possibly be this stupid can it? It also had points that really looked like they had been edited or changed. So out of curiosity I picked up the first couple of volumes and I?ve been hooked ever since. ^_~

It definitely has a much darker feel to it like you have mentioned and they way the story started where even Yugi was [spoiler] not aware that he had a second personality or second soul from solving the puzzle is excellently done. [/spoiler] It?s really kind of sad to watch the anime since so much of it was ruthlessly butchered and altered to make it more kid friendly.

But the manga is another story altogether, which reminds me that I haven?t picked up any new ones in a while, I should fix that. ^_~[/COLOR]

[kalon]

It made me so disappointed when the original darker stories gave way to card matches like the anime. the sotry was still pretty good, and I love the art style, but I've terribly missed the earliest volumes when there was still the psychological horror aspect. I swear, [spoiler]killing gang members by dropping a tazer in a puddle of water and electrocuting them[/spoiler] was one of the cruelest deaths I've ever seen. I don't care for any heart of the cards compared to Yami's practically evil original personality.

[Horendithas]

[COLOR=DarkRed][quote name='kalon] I swear, [spoiler]killing gang members by dropping a tazer in a puddle of water and electrocuting them[/spoiler'] was one of the cruelest deaths I've ever seen. I don't care for any heart of the cards compared to Yami's practically evil original personality.[/quote]Not all of them [spoiler] died, the leader of the gang survived and shows up again later in the manga. [/spoiler] And I wouldn't say the other personality is evil, I was thinking along the lines of it being a more [spoiler] ruthless alter personality in that those who ended up dead deserved that punishment. [/spoiler]

I rather thought the whole Death-T aspect was downright chilling. Now the creator of that was evil until [spoiler] Yugi's alternate personality crushed the dark part of his mind. After all he was willing to drive Yugi?s grandfather insane and his own little brother as well.[/spoiler]

And the way they turned Joey into a whiney annoying brat in the anime grates on my nerves, He's a hundred times more interesting in the manga.

I?d have to read the card battles again, but I was thinking even they still had a bit of a more ruthless edge to them that was not only stretched out but made more gentle in the anime. The heart of the cards, in spite of being picked on as a silly aspect of the show/manga, was an aspect of the series from the very beginning.

After all in the manga, Seto first got his hands on one of the Blue Eye's White Dragon Cards by [spoiler] stealing the one from Yugi?s grandfather when he wouldn't sell it to him. And when Yugi challenged him to a game to get it back it refused to attack Yugi since in the shadow aspect of the game, it?s heart did not belong to Seto.[/spoiler] A concept that I thought was rather interesting. [/COLOR]

[Kei]

[color=darkblue][size=1]I wouldn't necessarily call Yami's personality early on evil. Taking into account the things that are revealed later on in the plot, his actions would probably have been unwittingly inspired by past events.[/color][/size] [spoiler][size=1]They did have some pretty brutal punishments in Ancient Egypt, lol.[/size][/spoiler]

[color=darkblue][size=1]In terms of the series itself, I've always found it very interesting. Obviously, I appreciate it more than the 4Kids adaptation, so I'm very interested in seeing the original version (whatever happened to 4Kids releasing the uncut versions, anyway?).

My favourite series thus far would have to be Millienium World, simply due to the fact that one of my favourite characters gets so much back story development.[/color][/size] [spoiler][size=1]Bakura for the [i]win[/i]. <3[/size][/spoiler]

[Aaryanna]

[COLOR=Teal][quote name='Kei][color=darkblue][size=1]I wouldn't necessarily call Yami's personality early on evil. [/color][/size'] [/quote]If any of the alternate personalities could be considered evil I would have to go with Bakura's alternate personality. It's been a while since I read it, but I remember what happened when he was introduced to the story. His alter personality [spoiler]nearly killed everyone when he tricked them into being turned into figurines for a game, and even then if Bakura hadn't risked destroying his own soul they would have died. [/spoiler][/COLOR]

[SunfallE]

[COLOR=RoyalBlue][QUOTE=Kei][color=darkblue][size=1]In terms of the series itself, I've always found it very interesting. Obviously, I appreciate it more than the 4Kids adaptation, so I'm very interested in seeing the original version (whatever happened to 4Kids releasing the uncut versions, anyway?).

My favourite series thus far would have to be Millienium World, simply due to the fact that one of my favourite characters gets so much back story development.[/color][/size] [spoiler][size=1]Bakura for the [i]win[/i]. <3[/size][/spoiler][/QUOTE]I think they quit making it. >_< I managed to collect a few DVD's but that was it, and even then they started with the duels and not the very beginning where Yugi first [spoiler]solves the puzzle.[/spoiler]

I haven't read all the duel manga part but I've already started on the Millennium World arch. I have the first three manga's to that part and I intend to get the rest as soon as I can afford it.

I'm loving how it's set in [spoiler]Ancient Egypt and how it gives a lot of background info on other things in the series, like how the Dark Magician came about and the Blue-Eyes White Dragon. In addition to the back story on Bakura. [/spoiler][/COLOR]

[Kei]

[spoiler][size=1]Yes, it is safe to say that Yami Bakura is pretty much evil. The events of the fifth volume of Millennium World pretty much cemented this fact. Also, Vol. 5 = MINDBLOW. ._.

As far as the setting goes, I also like it a lot. You can tell that Takahashi researched a lot books about Ancient Egypt when he created it, as it doesn't really seem all that two-dimensional like some other manga do. It really does suck you in.[/spoiler][/size]

[Rachmaninoff]

[quote name='Aaryanna][COLOR=Teal]If any of the alternate personalities could be considered evil I would have to go with Bakura's alternate personality. It's been a while since I read it, but I remember what happened when he was introduced to the story. His alter personality [spoiler]nearly killed everyone when he tricked them into being turned into figurines for a game, and even then if Bakura hadn't risked destroying his own soul they would have died. [/spoiler'][/COLOR][/quote]I'm in complete agreement as I just finished reading the two volumes that had that story in it. His alter ego was not only evil, but vindictive and cruel. The way he was willing to [spoiler]kill everyone, including himself to keep them from escaping was downright chilling. [/spoiler]

Now on to the next part of the story!

[Haibara]

After reading all these responses I now feel I have to check out the manga, it sounds really interesting. I don't like the 4Kids version and have been trying to find the show subbed with no luck.

I do however like the original Yu-Gi-Oh that is known as Season Zero or the lost season. It's a bit more violent and I guess darker but thats what I like about it.

[Rachmaninoff]

[quote name='Haibara']I do however like the original Yu-Gi-Oh that is known as Season Zero or the lost season. It's a bit more violent and I guess darker but thats what I like about it.[/quote]Now that I would like to see as I would imagine it follows the manga instead of being so butchered like the show here is. I haven't watched very much of it because it was so obviously edited into a kiddy show instead of the psychological dark ride that the manga has been so far.

I've run out of volumes to read at the moment since the online stuff I found is not translated and I cannot read Japanese. So as soon as I get the chance I will definitely be reading more of this series.

I can tell you this much, there just isn't any comparison on some levels, the TV version may as well be a different series altogether, it is that different. At least out what I have seen and read so far, so it will be well worth your time to pick it up and read it.

[Kei]

[color=darkblue][size=1]Mm, I wouldn't say that the original version of the anime and the manga differ all that drastically. The "lost season," as it's been dubbed, does actually follow the very beginning of the manga series, which give you a lot of background on Yami and Yugi's relationship, as well as some of the other main characters, i.e. Jounouchi and Honda. It's really good, actually. (Although there are those random filler arcs that introduce weird characters that no one likes, as per all other anime that are long enough. Bleh.)

Now, when 4Kids got hold of it, that's when things went way south, as everyone here can probably attest to. They had started releasing the unedited DVDs some time ago, but apparently stopped doing so after the second volume for whatever reason. I personally would have liked if they'd have continued, but eh. 4Kids is past all explanation already, so it's not surprising.[/color][/size]

[Rachmaninoff]

Has this 'lost season' ever been out in the US? Because when I was saying they are so radically different, the only version I have ever seen is the one by 4Kids. Which makes it look like they skipped the first part of the entire series altogether.

Admittedly I have watched so little anime and only within the last year so if the 'lost season' was ever aired here I did not see it. If my assessment of them being so different is off it is only out of my own ignorance as to what is actually out in regards to this series.

I only know that what I have read in the manga is quite different from the version by 4Kids. ;)

[Haibara]

No, the "lost season" has never been dubbed but you can find it subbed online. I've been watching it on youtube.

[BlueMoon]

[QUOTE]No, the "lost season" has never been dubbed but you can find it subbed online. I've been watching it on youtube.[/QUOTE]

I take it you mean the season that's somewhat poorly drawn and where Kaiba has green hair, ne? That season isn't out, true, but it also wasn't true to the manga, either. It did add some random things, like the character Miho, and generally didn't seem to have had much effort put into it.

YGO was one of my first fandoms where I really dove into it. My favorite character is Dark Bakura. What can I say? The guy is psycho and twisted. I like that. He's still my favorite character and the Memory Arc in Egypt with [spoiler]Thief King and Zork[/spoiler] only made me love him more. I really ought to start collecting it again.

I was wondering if anyone remembers the manga that Takahashi started after he finished YGO? It was some sort of remix of the manga and all I remember is it started with Jounouchi and Yugi and Pegasus.

[SunfallE]

[COLOR=RoyalBlue][quote name='Kei][spoiler][size=1]Yes, it is safe to say that Yami Bakura is pretty much evil. The events of the fifth volume of Millennium World pretty much cemented this fact. Also, Vol. 5 = MINDBLOW. ._.[/spoiler'][/size][/quote]o_O Well having finally got volume four and five. I have to say... evil doesn't even begin to cover it. Finding out how [spoiler]the Millennium items were made was quite the revelation. o_O[/spoiler] And the twist where it was also a [spoiler]gaming world[/spoiler] caught me by surprise as well. Now I have to wait for the next volume when I want to read it now! :animesigh [/COLOR]