Yu-Gi-Oh! (manga)

'Yu-Gi-Oh! (遊☆戯☆王, Yū☆gi☆ō) is the origin of the Yu-Gi-Oh! franchise. The manga was conceived, written and drawn by Kazuki Takahashi and was published in Shueisha's magazine Weekly Jump from 1996 to 2004. The series amounted to 343 chapters, which were released in 38 volumes. The series was then reprinted from April 2007 in the bunkoban releases. Yu-Gi-Oh! literally means King of Games.

Plot Summary
Yu-Gi-Oh! follows the life of Yugi Mutou, a reserved young boy with a passion for games. Although at first Yugi has trouble making friends, when he solves a mysterious Egyptian trinket known as the Millennium Puzzle which he found in his grandpa's game store, Yugi's life suddenly takes a very different turn. With his loyal companions Anzu Mazaki, Katsuya Jonouchi and Hiroto Honda at his side, Yugi must face countless dangers as the secrets of the Millennium Puzzle are exposed, along with the nature of the 3000-year-old spirit who dwells within. When Yugi's life is in peril, the spirit emerges from the Puzzle in the form of Dark Yugi, the 'Other Yugi', and initiates the Games of Darkness - dangerous battles where the players must put their very lives on the line. Whether it be cards, dice or role-playing board games, Dark Yugi is the King of Games and will take on all competition! Standing in the way of the destinies of both Yugi and Dark Yugi are Seto Kaiba, the insanely rich teenage CEO of the Kaiba Corporation; Pegasus J. Crawford, the genius inventor of Magic and Wizards; Marik Ishtar, a murderous member of the ancient Tomb Guardians and Ryo Bakura, a boy whose soul is intertwined with a spirit of great wickedness. Yugi and Dark Yugi must use all their skills to defeat some of the greatest gamers on the planet at some of the deadliest games in order to unravel the secrets of the Millennium Items and find the lost memories of Dark Yugi once and for all. Game Start!

Main Cast

 * Yugi Mutou
 * Dark Yugi
 * Katsuya Jonouchi
 * Anzu Mazaki
 * Hiroto Honda
 * Ryo Bakura
 * Ryuji Otogi
 * Seto Kaiba
 * Pegasus J. Crawford
 * Marik Ishtar
 * Shadi

School
The story begins with Yugi's daily life at Domino High School, and introduces many of the long-running characters of the series. After solving the Millennium Puzzle, Yugi unleashes Dark Yugi for the first time and the criminals of Domino begin to feel the wrath of the 3000-year-old gaming vigilante.

The Man from Egypt
A strange man named Shadi who wields the newest two Millennium Items appears at Domino, and brings his own form of judgment upon those who have defiled the sacred tombs of Egypt. When Shadi encounters Yugi and the Millennium Puzzle, he puts them to the test to see if they are truly worthy.

Death-T
Haunted over his Magic and Wizards defeat and penalty game at the hands of Dark Yugi, Seto Kaiba sets into motion his ultimate plan to get revenge: Kaiba Land theme park, the home of Death-T - the world's first theme park of death.

Monster World
Another Millennium Item appears, wielded by a new exchange student in Yugi's class called Ryo Bakura. Unfortunately, inside the Millennium Ring dwells an evil spirit who turns his foes into dolls to play parts in the popular role-playing game Monster World. Bakura invites Yugi and his friends to role-play with him at his apartment, but it it not long before the evil spirit of the Ring gives the game a dark twist.

Duelist Kingdom
The creator of Magic and Wizards, Pegasus J. Crawford, hosts a tournament of specially-selected duelists at his own personal island, Duelist Kingdom. Pegasus forces Yugi to enter by stealing his grandpa's soul with the power of the Millennium Eye. Yugi's friend Jonouchi also finds his way into the tournament, bent on winning the prize money in order to pay for the eye surgery that his sister Shizuka desperately needs. However, the Duelist Kingdom tournament is more than it seems

Battle City
After discovering the existence of the most powerful Magic and Wizards cards in the game, the God Cards, Seto Kaiba announces his own tournament in the city of Domino. Duelists play with his own specially-manufactured Duel Disks, and Seto's plan is to draw out the God Cards and the criminal organisation known as the Ghouls. Dark Yugi learns that the secrets to his memories lie with the God Cards, and enters the tournament. Meanwhile, the leader of the Ghouls, Marik Ishtar, has his own vendetta against Yugi.

Memory World
In the final stages of regaining his true memories, Dark Yugi is transported into the World of Memories, where he relives his own 3000-year-old past. In this world he battles the distant ancestor of Bakura - the King of Thieves and the monsters are very real and very dangerous. The only thing he still does not remember is his true name, the key to defeat evil once and for all.

Ceremonial Duel
The final step, Yugi and Dark Yugi must separate their bodies and duel one last time for the battle ritual which is required before Dark Yugi can finally pass on to the afterlife. Can Yugi defeat the King of Games?

Differences From the Anime
Overall, the plot of Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters (fillers excluded) follows the manga closely in terms of major events, even though some rather dubious changes were occasionally made in the transition from manga to anime. Perhaps the best way to put it is that the mood of the manga is different to that of the anime, even though the key protagonists and events remain the same, at least for the most part.

Staff

 * Kazuki Takahashi -Creator
 * Keiya Kiyotaki -Staff
 * Naoyuki Kageyama -Staff
 * Akira Itou -Staff
 * Masashi Satou -Staff
 * Ryuji Goto -Staff
 * Hidenobu Isayama -Staff
 * Akihiro Tomonaga -Staff
 * Toshiro Ishii -Staff
 * Yoshio Higasa -Staff
 * Yoshiaki Nishizawa -Staff
 * Yu Maekawa -Staff
 * Yoshihisa Heishi -Editor
 * Hisao Shimada -Editor
 * Toshumasa Takahashi -Special Thanks