EXCLUSIVE: Yu-Gi-Oh! Actor Dan Green On Why The Series Is Still Popular

06/26/2017 07:18 pm EDT

You may not believe it, but Yu-Gi-Oh! has been around for more than 20 years already. The series got its start in Weekly Shonen Jump back in September 1996, and its first anime debuted in 1998 under Toei Animation. Last year, te series celebrated the milestone with the release of Yu-Gi-Oh! The Dark Side of Dimensions. And, now, one of the film's voice actors is opening up about why the series is still so popular after all these years.

ComicBook is proud to bring fans an exclusive Q&A clip of Dan Green, the English voice actor for Yugi Muto. The actor answered a slew of fan questions to prepare for the U.S. Blu-ray and DVD release of the new Yu-Gi-Oh! film. When Green was asked about the longevity that Yu-Gi-Oh! has enjoyed, the actor said he believed the story's focus on friendship made it a universal series.

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"I think because at the very heart of it there's this devotion to friendship - which I know it sounds cliche. They literally state it in the show, but it's a part of it. I think, in particular, those characters are at an age we can all relate to. They're in high school, they're discovering who they are. That can be a very scary time. You don't know if you are going to fit in; You don't know if you are going to be accepted. I think people committing that sense of friendship to each other," Green admitted.

Yu-Gi-Oh! may use friendship as one of its fundamental pillars, but the story also relies on its tactical battles to keep fans coming back. Green knows fans of Yu-Gi-Oh! are a smart breed, and their interest in the series' trading card game has prolonged interest in Duel Monsters overall

"There's the heart of the show and then all of the fun stuff - the card game, the different monsters, the spells, the trap cards. When you go the tournament, these are super smart people playing these games," Green explained. "They tap into the audience by addressing something human first and then having tons of fun."

As for Green himself, the actor has said he was excited to return to Yugi after a prolonged hiatus. The anime's new film allowed the voice actor to slip back into the duelist one more time, and Green could put up with Kaiba's snark if it meant activating another trap card.

"It feels so good to come back after all these years, but it also feels like reuniting with old friends meaning the characters themselves," Green told fans during a recent Q&A. "Being able to give Kaiba a snarky remark or channel the Dark Magician or what have you. Yeah, it feels like returning to really good friends."

If you want to watch Yu-Gi-Oh! The Dark Side of Dimensions for yourself, then you will be able to soon. The anime film is slated to have its Blu-ray and DVDs go on sale tomorrow, June 27th. You can check out the movie's synopsis below:

"In Yu-Gi-Oh! THE DARK SIDE OF DIMENSIONS, the stakes have never been higher; the rivalries never as fierce; the risks never so great. One wrong move—one card short—and it's game over for good. A decade in the making, Yu-Gi-Oh! THE DARK SIDE OF DIMENSIONS features new designs and an all-new story from the original creator of the global phenomenon, Kazuki Takahashi. His masterful tale features anime's most beloved characters in their long-awaited return: Yugi Muto, Seto Kaiba and their faithful friends Joey Wheeler, Tristan Taylor, Téa Gardner and Bakura. It's the most highly anticipated re-YU-nion ever!"

More Yu-Gi-Oh!: Yu-Gi-Oh! The Dark Side Of Dimension Trailer / Yu-Gi-Oh!: The Dark Side Of Dimensions Banks Big At Japanese Box Office / Check Out A Yu-Gi-Oh! Cafe / Yu-Gi-Oh! Millennium Puzzle Jewelry

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