5 Surprising Manga that Inspired Yu-Gi-Oh!

[@joshuadavis9850]

RIP to the legend Takahashi, my childhood would not have been the same without him

[@DestinyZX1]

RIP to Kazuki Takahashi. I love YGO and its a part of my life that I will always cherish. Forever. Long live the true King of Games.

[@ynraider]

Kaiji & Squid Game(based on Kaiji!)

[@user-wp1il8zo6z]

I feel you

[@candide1065]

This was easily the most informative and interesting anime-video I've seen in a long time and I'm watching anime stuff all day. Btw, Kaiji can never be mentioned often enough. Someone should just do a long analysis video on Kaiji.

[@MercuryFalcon]

Its my favorite anime 11 years running.

[@elijahguest1885]

@@MercuryFalcon Lets hope this most recent arc of Kaiji picks up soon I love the slice of life adventure but I am itching this point for another gamble.

[@absoljaloni9001]

Wow Kaiji immediately reminds me of Animal World

[@MercuryFalcon]

@@absoljaloni9001 isn’t that the film adaptation of Kaiji? Like it’s literally credited as Based on Ultimate Survivor Kaiji in the credits?

[@absoljaloni9001]

@@MercuryFalcon Still wouldn't have known without seeing this video 👍

[@Vitz_atelier]

I give you props for recognizing the creativity behind the duels in Duelist Kingdom early fights. I thought I was the only one who saw the tabletop rpg elements added to Magic & Wizards to make it more interesting. Also your ability of recognizing the context of many of moments in the series is unmatched in the videos I've seen about Yugioh. Most people talking about the original series and manga always tend to fall in the same typical talk you see from the fandom.

[@therealwinston3634]

about the tabletop rpg part read once that Takashi is a fan of them (and games in general) which I wonder, imagine something like Yugio, but instead a card-game, there is a Tabletop-game (like Warhammer, or Infinity, or Warmahordes)

[@Harry_11]

This is what bothers me about the “Yugi cheats in Season 1” memes and complaints among the Yugioh fandom. Most clearly don’t understand that Duelist Kingdom and even Battle City use a completely different rule set to the TCG, with the former being a card game D&D RPG hybrid. Yugi isn’t making up effects on the fly - it’s just a different game. The OCG even used similar rules early on until “expert rules” came out under Konami and even then it took a few years to phase out the Duelist Kingdom rule set (minus the D&D elements which to my knowledge never existed in either Bandai or Konami OCG’s game).

[@namoma4922]

@@Harry_11 Also people act as if Yugi was the only one given "admin rights" while the more narrative driven logic was used abundantly by his opponents, if not more than him. And if the TGS series "can x have beaten y" series is anything to go on, even when the rules got more stable, the writers evidently wrote more in the idea of creating a narrative rather than a duel simulation, which is for the best(though it doesn't have to be antithethical)

[@FleshToDust]

In season 0, it ends with a tabletop rpg fight against evil bakura so duelist kingdom taking on the form of tabletop strategies is a definite.

[@residentgrigo4701]

The early 90s OVA adapted the Darby card game very faithfully. The best part of the OVA, outside of the showdown at the end.

[@MercuryFalcon]

I own the OVA series on DVD and 100% agree, even with the awful dub I watched those episodes a ton as a teen.

[@tedjomuljono3052]

It's even an actual minigame on the PS1 port of Capcom's Jojo game, so yeah, pretty memorable

[@juliagoodwin9510]

Watching this after hearing the news about Takahashi sensei's untimely passing. He will be missed.

[@nekonekopanicnekonekopanic7335]

The original concept of Yu-Gi-Oh was so much fun would love to see an other manga take on a similar concept

[@Ramsey276one]

I had a similar idea, and it’s inspired a spiritual successor in my OC canon “Evenly matched. Blind run. Fair play. Prove yourself, here and now.”

[@cajs100]

Kaiji is Yugioh-0 without the magic

[@ivanjefferson6344]

Hell girl is about punishment and revenge but without games

[@LegendStormcrow]

Several did. It was a whole subgenre of anime for awhile.

[@sboinkthelegday3892]

Majin tantei nougami Neuro Phi brain Death note

[@ChryI]

Die hard fan of Yu-Gi-Oh! ever since the games, show and TCG released overseas, die hard fan of JoJo even before the modern anime series. Yet I've never noticed the similarities between it. Devilman, Third Eyed One and DNA² being direct influence is so obvious now. I knew about the Legendary Fiend being a reference but that's about it. Great video, incredibly insightful!

[@1dbad]

Mitsume Ga Tooru explains why there's such a disconnect between Japanese and non-Japanese fans when it comes to the first seven volumes/Toei adaptation. Most English speakers LOVE it because they had never seen anything like it, but Japan was unphased because it reminded them of an already existing Tezuka series. That's why they found the card game portion of the series a lot more novel - it was more distinct to them. Fantastic video essay, btw! We need more Yu-Gi-Oh! video essays like it.

[@adriannaranjo4397]

I wish we'd gotten the final arc of Yu-Gi-Oh the way Takahashi intended/not rushed due to health concerns

[@nellewoodruff6337]

I also wish those story ideas he had weren't stolen from him

[@verdantViridity]

YuGiOh's one of those anime I'd like to see return to the classics with a reboot, like, even just a polished release would be nice. TCG marketing might've been necessary to become successful, but as an anime, YuGiOh's really suffered from the constant production of new cash cows. With every new show past GX, the more I'm turned off from playing again. I dunno how they expect to continue attracting new players when they keep making Duel Monsters harder to play. I just wanna see it return to its roots.

[@evanchismark3092]

@@verdantViridity not sure if this counts but yugioh sevens and go rush are sort of made to be soft reboots of the card game.

[@minicle426]

​@@verdantViridityI don't really want another train wreck of a cashgrab like Sailor Moon Crys-Ter-Mos myself...

[@moonlusterblack]

21:53 I understand this was supposed to be a joke, but in actuality this is Jounouchi trying to support himself and his drunken, abusive father (which is showcased very briefly in the manga and in the Toei anime. He takes on a part-time job as a newspaper deliverer, which he had to get a sign-off from the school to do because otherwise it's against the rules) so I suspect that's why he doesn't have much money left. Just thought I'd add that tidbit for anyone who wanted to know! Excellent video, by the way! As a longtime fan who's been heavily inspired by it for my own work, it's nice to see the old adage "Nothing is original, everything is borrowed" come to life again in my favorite media. Now I feel compelled to look at some of the inspirational sources (never would have suspect JoJo but at the same time I'm somehow not surprised).

[@ElEscolta]

Never knew about that Jojo connection but it makes so much sence, even seeing how every sequel kinda follows jojo way of new characters and setting but with our protagonist sharing the same "name" (Jo and Yu) Makes me wish for a 100% manga adaptation of Yugioh by David Productions, feel like that be absolutelly beautifull.

[@ArkUmbrae]

This is such a great video, but I want to point out one more non-manga influence that I'm surprised you didn't mention - the Hellraiser movies. Kazuki has openly mentioned the influence, and even referred to Red Dragon Archfiend (a card from 5D's that he designed) as "one of his Hellraiser pieces". The other ones would be cards like Jinzo, Dark Necrofear, and pretty much the whole BDSM / torture device aesthetic of Bakura's and Marik's decks. And also, in Hellraiser, a character summons an ancient leather-clad punishment-inflicting demon by solving a Middle-Eastern puzzle, just like how Yugi summons the Pharaoh.

[@ghoulchan7525]

Yugi's bondage fashion was also inspired by Edward Scissor hands.

[@couchpotato3197]

I remember seeing him draw fanart of Hellboy and Mignola drew Yugioh fanart back or something maybe someone remembers better

[@glassofgas8631]

@@couchpotato3197 yep, that's right. Even tho Mignola drew Hellboy with millennium eye on his shirt which is pretty lazy

[@BruceLeon83]

I.. cant.. believe.. there's still yugioh content I haven't discovered. Well done.

[@mafeuk]

Rest in Peace, Takahashi Sensei

[@duffer3062]

Lack of blood in Zorc's design? I think all the blood just went downstairs

[@Ramsey276one]

O M G XD

[@duane_313]

Omigoooood Osamu Tezuka really invented EVERYTHING godfather of manga for sure. Holy crap I never knew about this!!!

[@JeffyLB]

21:46 Clearly adjusted for the differing costs between the Japanese and American healthcare systems

[@zingstar57]

Great research. Most creativity is just a reformation of earlier things. But the inspiration from Tezuka is a bit too close on those panels. No wonder Takahashi doesn't mention these influences! Some of it can be from having to churn out manga at a cruel pace

[@binkelderg7409]

I don't think there's a problem with that, though.

[@zingstar57]

@@binkelderg7409 with what

[@Gloomdrake]

@@zingstar57 with the reformation, I'd hope. Ideally they aren't condoning the crunch culture

[@zingstar57]

@@Gloomdrake not sure what this means

[@namoma4922]

Honestly Tezuka was such a pioneer that being influenced by him in one way or another is nothing shameful at all. He just carried the art that much

[@kakizakichannel]

I don't know how different Dark Yugi is from Tezuka Krillin, but I've read the first volumes of Yugioh and Dark Yugi is an absolute psychopath in those.

[@SlapstickGenius23]

Do you mean Sharaku?

[@kindlingking]

Unhinged and savage* He doesn't necessarily take pleasure in hurting others (he's often shown to be disappointed with his opponents cheating) and he can still display emphaty and form connections with people (mostly his/Yugi's friends). Still the best version of Atem.

[@kakizakichannel]

@@kindlingking Dark Yugi lights a dude on fire for trying to rob a cafe. Guy had it coming but Dark Yugi really got off on that.

[@kindlingking]

@@kakizakichannelbut the guy REALLY had it coming (being an jerk, taking hostages and all that). And honestly brought it upon himself. Dark Yugi just gave a way out to that guy's inner darkness.

[@kakizakichannel]

@@kindlingking Yeah sure but he's still fucked up for doing that

[@KudoTsurugi]

7:36 To add on to the VA trivia, from Battle City onwards, Bakura is voiced by Rica Matsumoto, the Japanese voice of long-running Pokémon protagonist Ash Ketchum. This change was made due to unfortunate circumstances. Inoue was diagnosed with lung cancer in 2001, and later passed away in 2003.

[@cohenmarioman]

RIP Takahashi, his work was so amazing but he rarely spoke about his inspiration 😢

[@AkaiKnight]

Really insightful vid, tons of anime/manga history. Really gave me an "OOOOOH!" moment when you pointed out that early duel monsters was more akin to tabletop RPGs than the yugioh we know of today(because It was still prototypical) and that makes a TON of sense, especially when you recall capsule monsters, as well as dungeon dice monsters.

[@zenmastakilla]

Holy moly this is an underrated channel

[@greggpeterson2443]

R.I.P. kazuki Takahashi

[@onionlamento]

The amount of research here is staggering! What I'm surprised about though is the VA change for Yo Inoue after duelist kingdom not being brought up. She passed away in 2003 from cancer if i recall correctly and got replaced by Rica Matsumoto. (aka the voice of Ash/Satoshi from pokemon)

[@pnyhmsmx]

What character was voiced by Yo Inoue?

[@docthe10th]

@@pnyhmsmx Inoue is probably best known as Sayla Mass from Mobile Suit Gundam.

[@rob19ny]

The most important thing that should have been brought up is the fact Bakura's first seiyuu is Tsutomu Kashiwakura from the original 1998 anime. It went against the "Bakura looks feminine" point he was making because she was the 2nd seiyuu to voice Bakura.

[@rob19ny]

@@pnyhmsmx You can literally google her name.

[@tessfabled4115]

YES HOLY FUCK SOMEONE ELSE IN THE ENGLISH FANDOM ACKNOWLEDGES THE BAKURA/SATAN CONNECTION THIS HAS BOTHERED ME FOR LIKE FIVE YEARS...!

[@NotTheWheel]

I can tell you put a lot of effort into this and I really enjoyed every minute of it. Normally videos this long are a slog but you kept me interested and transitioned very well both visually and through your narration to keep me a person with crippling attention span problems interested. Well done! :)

[@nekonekopanicnekonekopanic7335]

Honestly man your content is so informative and it talks about things that are reliably unknown in the west thanks for all the hard work making these videos

[@MercuryFalcon]

Thank you!

[@Noobclock666]

My respect for gaming would never happen without Kazuki Takahashi. I like to image him leaving this world the same way as Dark Yugi with a thumbs up.

[@Cipher42069]

i've been a massive fan of ygo and some of the other series you've mentioned in here and i feel silly for not making these connections until now! DNA2 being brought up made me choke on my drink though, i remember watching it in 07 at the height of my ygo phase and thinking junta looked like yugi/yami back then too pffft. great video :D!

[@Lagbeard]

The Yugioh (Duel Monsters) anime, the game was much more of an actual full game, with all sorts of mechanics and an actual "world" inside the duel rather than being just a simple card game. Which did lead to some absolutely special moments, like the oh so famous attacking the moon bit.

[@weridplusho]

When I first clicked this, I wasn't expecting it to be interesting. But, _hoo boy_ you proved me wrong within 4 minutes. How well you managed to figured out the similarities and compile them is hella amazing and enthralling. I'm now interested in reading/watching every reference you mentioned.

[@MercuryFalcon]

Always happy to hear from someone who went into a video skeptical and came out enthusiastic. Genuinely makes me feel like I did a good job, thanks!

[@obscurebandfan]

Great video. I was a first gen western Yu Gi Oh fan back in 2001 when it was first broadcast on Kids WB. I kinda stopped caring about it a few years later, got into heavier anime titles like Big 0 and the Gundam franchise. Around '04 I discovered the manga and was blown away by how dark it was as opposed to something made to sell trading cards. I'm 28 now and recently have kinda been revisiting it. I discovered there are hidden depths to it and your video really highlights some of them.

[@obscurebandfan]

@Rainbow Rose Princess Mishti Yeah I find myself doing that more and the closer I get to 30.

[@obscurebandfan]

@Rainbow Rose Princess Mishti tell me about it. Cool to see the younger generation following people like MercuryFalcon and becoming hip to the old stuff. When I was literally your age I can remember watching anime on KZbin and all the episodes were divided into three parts and super grainy video quality. Such fun innocent times!

[@rob19ny]

5:46 LMAO The Japanese scene was even altered from the manga. Yugi says "Other self... It doesn't matter where you came from. What matters is that I'm glad you're here. You mean a lot to me.. and they all feel the same way! *shows Anzu, Jonouchi, and Honda arguing*" Yami Yugi and Yugi smile at each other. Why did Yugi say this? Because in the manga, when Yami Yugi defeats Pegasus, he tells Pegasus to explain everything or he'll send him to oblivion. Pegasus explains his backstory and tells Yami Yugi that the items have an evil intelligence in them. The next chapter (final chapter of DK) has Yami Yugi questioning who or what he is. Jonouchi says he was surprised Yami Yugi didn't give Pegasus a Penalty Game and that he would have slugged him. Anzu says that Yami Yugi couldn't because that would only prove Pegasus was right. Yami Yugi stops using the power of the power. He still has the death mentality as shown in his manga duel with Pandora. He was going to let him die (Pandora started the Death Game so he should abide by his own rules as the loser) but Yugi took over and saved him several seconds after the saw cut his leg good.

[@MazinGo-1972]

Good video. I occasionally stumble upon podcasts that discuss YuGiOh as yet another Pokemon clone and it's nice to see something with more thought put into it.

[@Gloomdrake]

People will look at any game that has unique collectible monsters and call it a Pokemon clone, even if they have nothing else in common

[@mintss]

I'm so so happy that someone made a video talking about this topic. Very nice!

[@xblade149]

Love your research on this series

[@thehornswoggler4619]

I wasn’t expecting DNA2 to make an appearance here, but when you explained it I could see the connection. They only released two years apart in Jump so it’s not unlikely Takahashi was reading it while trying to break into manga

[@congrilla-]

A further connection off of that is that the transformation gimmick in the manga was not only based on the SS transformation in Dragon Ball (SS2 Gohan's hair specifically), but it was one actually suggested by Toriyama himself because he was friend's with DNA2's creator.

[@LikaLaruku]

The first time I saw DNA Squared I thought "This is literally Ecchi Yugioh." I thought Yugioh was the older series though. I wonder if Sazan Eyes (3x3 Eyes) might have taken a little inspiration from Mitsume ga Touru.

[@designatedred]

What a rollercoaster ride of info! Love it! Great work!

[@bigfish5544]

I'm an all time yugioh fan, and I managed to learn more from your video than in my last 10 years of weird hairstyled-card game addiction. This was a honestly amazing video, and I couldn't agree more withe everything that you said

[@cubivores]

this video rules, thanks so much for making it edit: RIP Takashi...

[@correction64gay74]

I don't know where I heard it but I heard one of he's influences on yu gi oh is hell boy comic

[@MercuryFalcon]

Takahashi said his favorite comics were Hell Boy and the works of Moebius but he never said they influenced yugioh so I omitted those although the Moebius influence can be seen in the maze of stairs inside the millennium puzzle.

[@chibiNATHA]

This was super informative and it made me want to read both the Yu-Gi-Oh and Kaiji manga. Great stuff all around man. Keep the good work ❤️

[@rob19ny]

4:32 - 4:41 I have to correct you on this (and I don't know how you messed this up if you read the manga when the anime changed the events and removed important scenes) because Yami Yugi does have a STRONG motivation for saving Sugoroku. The chapter after Pegasus sealed Sugoroku in the video, Yugi and co. were at school. Yugi says he's ok while he says his other self isn't because he can sense what he's feeling. Yugi guesses that it's because Yami Yugi lost to Pegasus. While everyone is talking, Yugi gets up randomly and starts walking away until Anzu asks whats up. Yugi says Yami Yugi wants to be alone for a while. Next scene on the roof shows Yami Yugi grabbing the fence and yelling Pegasus in anger. Yami Yugi says that it's his fault Sugoroku is like that (stuck in the video). He punches the fence then resolves himself that he will beat Pegasus and save Sugoroku. After that, he was on a mission to save Sugoroku and no one was going to stop him. Yami Yugi had the strongest motivation out of all the characters. That's why he envisioned Sugoroku and attacked Kaiba because if he doesn't he can't save Sugoroku. There wasn't a chance to think of alternative aside from winning because his mind is only processing that if he loses this game then its game over. Luckily for Yami Yugi, Mai owed him for saving her against the Player Killer and gave him her extra star chips. But no one saw that coming. At this point in the story, Yami Yugi thought he was Yugi and vice versa (Note: This is why Anzu was fine with kissing normal Yugi even though she loves Yami Yugi), hence why he calls Sugoroku grandpa. Obviously, Yugi wants to save his grandpa, so his goal and Yami Yugi's goal were always going to be the same no matter what. The difference is Yami Yugi has the stronger motivation and his way of doing it is different from Yugi's. Yugi would rather take the L than let Yami Yugi, who was on a mission, to win and kill Kaiba.

[@MrChiron12]

Super happy to see a video from you about Yu-Gi-Oh

[@candiigurl7893]

I just finished watching YuGiOh in it's entirety last month (haven't seen the show since the 4kids days) so this video was perfect timing. This was so informative and well done overall I'm kind of shocked at how much I took from it. Nice job!

[@rob19ny]

You should have read the manga. It's the true story envisioned by Takahashi. The anime changed the story so much that it contradicts the manga.

[@a-dub6434]

that is the best video on yugioh ever and the fact that joey has a drug problem is icing on the cake

[@Deoxys911]

Awesome video! I love how much research went into this beyond the standard details people usually talk about. I think "The Inspirations Behind [Popular Japanese Media Franchise]" could make for a great series if this is the standard of quality.

[@ChocolateBar999]

Fantastic video! It's funny how so few videos go into YGOs influences like you do

[@moço_aquele]

I've always found early Yu-Gi-Oh to be very reminiscent of JoJo Part 4, Diamond Is Unbreakable. Mostly the overall vibe, but also Yugi reminds me of Koichi and Terunosuke Minamoto looks like a Yu-Gi-Oh character.

[@Yomi2012]

after duelist kingdom...Bakura's voice is done by Rica Matsumoto (same voice actress as Ash of pokemon) due to Yo Inoue Dying Prematurely from illness. which IMO Rica matsumoto does a waaaaay better job in grasping the pure evilness of Yami bakura

[@rob19ny]

What you failed to state is that Bakura's first seiyuu is Tsutomu Kashiwakura in the original 1998 anime.

[@PhilipMurphy8Extra]

This is such amazing research, Worth a KZbin recommendation that is for sure.

[@thatskybzstar5263]

YuGiOh is also heavily influenced by Doraemon and Mataro ga Kuru. It's mentioned in YGO Duel Art interview. YuGiOh has a heavy concept of darkness and light (mentioned in YGO bunkoban message), and then Doraemon and Mataro ga Kuru were done by the darkness and light of Fujiko Fujio. While Doraemon influenced YGO's themes of daily lives and friendships, Mataro ga Kuru gave the impact of unusual darkness to beat the enemies. Also, while Kazuki was in his 20s, he went for Tezuka Productions background artist interview, but he wasn't chosen (mentioned in old Studio Dice blog, nowadays it's in Twitter that controlled by a bot). He also thought that his art was crappy at the moment lol. I never see him mentioning Tezuka Osamu in any interviews... However, I can sense he's inheriting that manga god's huge part of spirit. He also became a committee member of Tezuka Award in 2010s (mentioned in Japanese Wikipedia), and also the creation of YGO Dark Side of Dimensions involved the members of Tezuka Productions.

[@charlotterobey8029]

Amazing analysis! 👏

[@ShadowRealmZ373]

Amazing video as always, love how in depth they are, I love Yu-Gi-Oh but didn't know the parallels or direct inspirations of so many other series.

[@TheSliferSlacker]

I know more about this franchise and it's history than... any human being probably SHOULD, but even I learned a thing or two from this I hadn't ever heard before. That's insanely impressive, kudos.

[@Miwu]

A very enjoyable video. Was super interesting to see these connections being made. I've never read or watched Kaiji but I kinda feel like it now.

[@MercuryFalcon]

Its my favorite anime

[@Fae2705]

Now I know why I love Jo-Jo so much! Crazy how a lot of this video's info was just sitting in my subconscious!

[@kimberlybogert7031]

This was all pretty interesting Nice to hear all these different things that and could have inspired for Yu-Gi-Oh 😄

[@mattwo7]

8:43 I know you said you weren't going to talk about GX but there's a character literally named Amon (Adrian Gecko in the dub) who goes insane after obtaining the spirit of Exodia in the third alternate universe, Exodia being an insanely powerful demonic being that was sealed away.

[@maserpatrol8716]

It's funny; I knew about every title that was referenced but never put the pieces together quite like you did. Almost like assembling a complicated puzzle....(cue dramatic music)

[@noneofyourbusiness4616]

24:15 - seems ironic that a Japanese cartoon would be about the problem of future over-population, given the nation's future would go the opposite direction

[@LogicLupus]

That is some amazing research. Loved every second of the video, dude. :D

[@cantrip7]

Excellent video as always. I've seen Kaiji multiple times, read the manga, and I never made the YGO connection even though the star chips are RIGHT. THERE.

[@yuukisama2001]

This was a great break down. There's always an influence somewhere. But it seemed Takahashi-sensei was about "those odds". Making deals with the devil and deals you just can't lose. But the thing that shocked me was how DNA2 was tossed in there. I was like how is this gonna fit?

[@VJFranzK]

I was also thinking "The 3 Eyed One" was an influence on Jojo, particularly part 4 Morioh, and the 90's anime "3x3 Eyes" is almost a reboot of it.

[@MercuryFalcon]

Funny enough Tezuka said Sherlock Holmes was a huge influence on The Third Eyed one, hence why he named the characters Hosuke Sharaku (Sharaku literally just means Sherlock) and Chiyoko Wato (Watson). Araki said Sherlock Holmes inspired part 1s setting and the way characters use their pre-existing knowledge of weapons or their environment in combat to outsmart their enemies so there is a common thread there.

[@VJFranzK]

@@MercuryFalcon Interesting! (So that's why he briefly wears that hat.) and of course, Rock! from Metropolis, and several other series is named for SherLock holmes. (And perhaps Rockman who looks like AstroBoy, is named after Rock? as well as the musical style.)

[@BeatEngine-qr7if]

This inspired Yugioh yeah, but also looked into Mattoru ga Kuru! (“Mattoru WILL Come Back!”) which was a manga by the author of Doraemon in the 70’s about a very bullied shy boy who gained the powers of darkness, and would get revenge on his bullies using the same ways they tortured him. It’s a dark manga that goes into the human psyche. Kazuki Takahashi himself said that this work was heavily influential to Yugioh and it was noticed by many Japanese readers way back in the day.

[@raveast]

Correction: That name is Mataro ga Kuru! (Mataro is Coming!). That manga is mostly made by Abiko-san, who made Ninja Hattori manga series.

[@KingofSevens-zs1fq]

Bakura's character design could have also been inspired by Dio because they both have a cursed artifact from an ancient civilization that gives them a dark spirit and the power to control zombies/ghosts.

[@LinkEX]

16:15 Funny, I just now realized why seeing Darby turning people into poker chips felt familiar. Way earlier as a kid, that ability of Pegasus being able to trap people inside cards left an impression on me.

[@erickpuma1202]

Excellent video. I expected a dub reference galore, but instead was pleasantly surprised with a well thought out content 👍🏼

[@solovinn9435]

Such a good video! Fantastic job and very informative. Also for someone whose favorite tournament arc is Duelist Kingdom, 22:00 - 22:58 felt sooo good to hear!

[@JCperfection]

First time watching your video and already I'm impressed with the amount of research you've done! You had to read Season 0 and watch all the anime and then provide your comparison. Subscribed!

[@cannolidaddy]

The glaring rip is Duel Monsters just being Magic the Gathering but Japanese.

[@KhayJayArt]

"Duel Monsters is a Japanese ripoff of Magic the Gathering" 🤓🤓🤓🤓🤓

[@Charlestouchdown]

Duel Masters you mean

[@Kuikkamies]

You're missing the Japanese TCG Monster Collection from that equation.

[@DarkonFullPower]

While Yu-Gi-Oh the anime and the card game need no introduction, very few people know how different the manga is. The manga being more than just Duel Monster is foreign to many. Good call with the recap.

[@ThePalacios123]

Incredible research that you did, I never would have imagined the influence of those other mangas

[@land3021]

24:18 oh WHAT?! Damn obscure one there... honestly never thought I'd hear about DNA squared ever again since watching it due to its obscurity, the only thing leading me to it being that it was made by studio deen who created the 2006 Higurashi No Naku Koro Ni anime adaptation.

[@taka-yuki-mh]

Excellent job on the video! I loved how you really researched into some of the series like Tezuka's which I haven't heard of. Also, thanks for pointing out the dub and sub comparisons because it happens so much. When companies localize shows, they tend to rewrite and cut dialogue out and sometimes make scenes completely different or confusing. This was also done with Beyblade and Bakugan.

[@namoma4922]

It was a very complete video and great recomandation list incidentally. I don't know if takahashi played it, or if it even existed back when he wrote yu gi oh, but the Persona series also have a lot in common with the yugi/yami yugi duality, with the personas being the part of themselves people either project or repress to show to the worlds, and in particular the first 2 personas having a lot of "darker, stronger, more bloodthirsty" imagery

[@kakizakichannel]

>ay-mon Please be a Key and Peele reference

[@CrispusGames]

Very interesting theories! In particular I like the design references and inspirations. I wish Takahashi would be more open towards his inspirations. His monster designs are still a big riddle to be tackled. Ever since I've known YuGiOh I've been wondering how Takahashi came up with so many (seemingly) original and creative designs for the cards. The facts that 1) the card game wasn't even a focus of the early manga and 2) that the internet wasn't the great, endless source of inspiration that it has become now, make debates on card design even more fascinating. Most likely the answer lies in the (popular) visual culture of the 80s and 90s in Japan, but for me that's an unknown territory. Some keys could also lie in the pre-modern Japanese culture, where monsters are very much present. I would love to see someone with that knowledge analyzing the card artwork aspect. I doubt that a Japanese manga artist of the 90s could have seen much of obscure western art. However through my exposure to it, I think I have some theories on the source of inspiration for Relinquished and Thousand-Eyes Restrict that I would like to share with anyone interested. :)

[@billtrent6520]

25:53 God I remember playing the flash game since man made for that show years ago.

[@roninzero12]

I like how you noted all the subtle details about Yugioh's characterization and the animes it took inspiration from.👍

[@christhechilled]

Great video. I've been a fan of Yugioh since Duel Monsters. Gonna get back to playing cards in Master Duel and irl. Yugioh is dumb fun after all these years.

[@thecharlierealz]

This was outrageously well done!!!

[@kusodm2347]

When Duel Monsters started out it really was trying to be JJBA with card games. It felt a lot like some kind of wizard battle but with this aspect of luck and having a deck to draw from to make it more believable that things could happen in the way they would.

[@caseynw]

This is interesting that stuff like this which is too obvious that it isn’t brought up in Japan, is explained in English overseas. As a Japanese kid back then it was pretty obvious to me too that YuGiOh was inspired by Mitsume Ga Toru. I recall Even my Japanese dad noticing the similarities.

[@dejiko]

Also the Famicom Tooru game is absolutely fantastic, a late era FC title with great graphics and tight controls

[@armyshope]

Exactly the game is good

[@dominikamimari427]

As a young wannabe manga artist myself, i just love and be thrilled to hear other successful manga artists inspiration, even on my story I'm looking at most of my inspiration on what makes me want to make the comic and story But also even though i wasn't into yu gi oh a lot i just love to hear more about the art and artist on this just love hearing more successful people

[@lainhikaru5657]

I wonder if Tezuka took inspiration from yoruba mythology to make his 3 eyed boy. The weapon thingy and clothing is quite similar to what some forms of exus have , and some havr a trickster nature as well.

[@observadorcritico8572]

24:36 that sounds just like the bullets theme of the dying will from Katekyo Hitman Reborn, Junta is basically Tsuna

[@AlexB4tman]

Love your channel, it changed me this past few months thanks alot

[@MercuryFalcon]

Damn, thanks

[@LowellLucasJr.]

Yugioh has always mentioned Jojo's Influence to its overall narrative, right down to ' my other self' being a part of the story early. Its incredible to see the other influences of Yugioh as many gaming manga like Kaiji are fantastic stories in their own right.

[@LowellLucasJr.]

Btw during Kaiba's 2nd tournament, have you noticed of the the 3 hitmen Kaiba hired to play Laser tag, one of them was a clear nod to Golgo 13?

[@kakizakichannel]

Aside from D'Arby, the way characters and cards are connected mechanically is pretty similar to stands as far as storytelling goes.

[@LowellLucasJr.]

@@kakizakichannel Too true, and let's not forget the whole travel to Egypt 🇪🇬 arc and ties to the Ancient Gods...Anubis anyone?

[@Mike-xh2vm]

The last arc where they fight by summoning the monsters using their life energy and receiving damage when the monsters is damaged is like stands in JOJO.

[@LowellLucasJr.]

@@Mike-xh2vm that and more. Even when dueling, whenever a Monster received damage so did the player ( shadow game, kaiba's virtual duel, etc) !!!

[@Basu770]

Great video. Your channel clearly as much potential.

[@Mr.Trollins]

This was really well done

[@dumpsterplayer5133]

Kazuki Takahashi's art in recent years has taken a very Araki-vibe (take a look at the bunkoban release covers) as well, its clear Jojo and Araki was a very big influence on him in general

[@Cindy67917]

I didn't expect something like this like. But I was maybe expecting separate videos on the making of Yu-Gi-Oh! Season 0 and/or the making of Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters, probably.

[@chaleeman]

12:00 this is what mostly influenced Yu-Gi-Oh! even the egyptian themes talking about Yugi's design, I think Magical Taruruto kun anime design looks like a lot of characters from Yugioh 24:14 well the joke may come from, I may be wrong, but I think Dr. Slump started with character that looks goofy and then looks cooler when showing some confidence

[@animeking1357]

The battle with Darby is easily one of my favorite fights in Jojo so far. Stuff like this and many moments in the series Ultimate Survivor Kaiji show that you can make a high stakes battle without a single punch being thrown. Glad to see you actually did mention Kaiji. It's great. Wish they had continued the anime. Wonderful video man!

[@PAPA_CEO_PUMA]

This was really interesting thanks!