Yu-Gi-Oh Creator Settles Score Between Anime and Trading Card Game

You might not think it, but there is more of a rivalry between Yu-Gi-Oh fans than many would expect. The franchise is one of several which helped bring anime to the West, but two fandoms emerged from the series. For some, they preferred to watch the anime while others went all in on the trading card game. While these fandom often overlap, there are those who staunchly championed one medium over the other, but the creator of Yu-Gi-Oh doesn't see why the two cannot live together.

Recently, Yu-Gi-Oh fans came together on Reddit when a comment from Kazuki Takahashi surfaced. The artist shared a comment in the series' manga about the trading card game, and it was there Takahashi said card collectors should not get angry over the anime.

After all, there is only so much a manga or anime can do with a trading card series, and Takahashi had to take liberties with battles where he could.

Some folks should remember this when watching any of the anime. from r/yugioh

"There's one problem when trying to express the fun of card games in manga form. In a real card game, the closer the players' skill levels are, the more fun it is. But in a manga, you need to tip the power balance to show how the main character can beat overwhelmingly powerful opponents," the artist explained.

"So don't be mad if the scores or effects of the cards in the manga are a bit different from the official card game version!"

For fans, this advice helps them remember how to approach both mediums. In many ways, the Yu-Gi-Oh trading card game is just like any other out there, but the anime is different. After a handful of series, each TV series introduces a new concept, and its cards continue to get more powerful. In fact, fans have long noted the anime's power-creep, and some card collectors have complained about how incongruent the mediums are with one another. However, when you realize the show is just a regular-old shonen series, things begin to make more sense. In the same way Naruto has jutsu and Goku has ki, Yugi had Duel Monsters cards to battle with, so they would need to be a little bit overpowered.

So, what do you make of this Yu-Gi-Oh comment? Let me know in the comments or hit me up on Twitter @MeganPetersCB to talk all things comics and anime!