Can you feel the Heart of the Cards? Well, if there was ever a day you tapped into that power, it would be today. After all, Yu-Gi-Oh! is celebrating its anime's 20th birthday, and fans have a lot to say about the nostalgic milestone.
When it comes to Yu-Gi-Oh! and anime, fans will most likely know its 2000 take, but that was not the first adaptation. In 1998, Toei Animation moved forward with its adaptation of Yu-Gi-Oh! The series is often called Season 0 by fans, and its distinctive style has made the show a cult favorite within the anime fandom.
Commonly known as Yu-Gi-Oh! A Shadow Game, this first anime adaptation opened the door for Yugi Muto and his Duel Monsters. The landmark season may not connect to the more popular Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters anime, but its 27-episode run paved the way for what the second series would do. Everything from Duel Monsters to the Millennium Puzzle got their anime debut in this 1998 debut, and Studio Gallop expanded on the franchise's overall lore when its first adaptation came two years later.
Today, fans are paying homage to Yu-Gi-Oh! and its little-known anime origins on this anniversary. As you can see below, netizens have taken to Twitter to celebrate all things Duel Monsters through cosplay and fan-art. So, if you want to feel the Heart of the Cards for yourself, it is time you posted your own tribute to the anime.
For those unfamiliar with Yu-Gi-Oh!, the series was originally created by Kazuki Takahashi. It ran in Shueisha's Weekly Shonen Jump from September 1996 to March 2004. The series follows Yugi Mutou, a young boy who solves an ancient puzzle and is possessed by the spirit of the Egyptian pharoah. Being skilled at deadly games, the Pharoah goes on to create and solve problems for Yugi based on deadly games of chance.
Can you believe Yu-Gi-Oh! is this old already? Let me know in the comments or hit me up on Twitter @MeganPetersCB to talk all things comics, k-pop, and anime!