Kazuki Takahashi, the author and creator of the popular manga series “Yu-Gi-Oh!” has been confirmed dead today in Nago, Okinawa.
According to NHK Okinawa, On August 6, a man wearing snorkeling equipment was found floating off the coast of Nago City, Okinawa Prefecture. The body was found 300 meters offshore and was confirmed dead by firefighters on the spot.
The deceased was identified as Kazuki Takahashi, 60 Years Old, real name Kazuo, and creator of the shounen manga “Yu-Gi-Oh!”.
According to Yahoo News, Mr. Takahashi was on a sightseeing tour alone, and at around 9:00 PM on July 6th, a rental car company reported to the police that they could not reach him, and the Japan Coast Guard was investigating the body. According to the fire department, the abdomen and lower body were damaged by sharks and other marine life.
The coast guard station and the police are investigating the circumstances leading up to his death. No other information was provided so far.
Kazuki Takahashi made his successful debut in Weekly Shounen Jump Magazine in 1996, when he created the game Yu-Gi-Oh!, literally translated to “Game King”. The protagonist of the story, Yugi Moto had the power to summon an old Egyptian Pharoh spirit using his grandfather’s artifact, and together they would go on a journey to meet a lot of friends and fight many foes using duelling cards. The manga was an instant success, and later it was adapted into an Anime and a Trading Card Game that swept Japan and the whole world.
According to Kazuki Takahashi himself, it was just a simple card battle that he had thought of in one night when he was rushing to publish the story, but he didn’t expect it to be an instant success. The rules were very simple for the sake of advancing the plot, as many of us would remember, but he continued to develop and add depth to it after receiving many fan letters asking for more. Even when he wanted to stop making more anime shows after Yu-Gi-Oh! Gx, he got back into it for the sake of his friends and long-time associates. He was very dedicated to leaving a memory behind for everyone.
Last year was intended to be the year of Yu-Gi-Oh! Three new game titles were announced: Yugioh Master Duel, Yugioh Rush Duel, and Yugioh Cross Duel. Furthermore, Yugioh Duel Links was ready to receive the major update for the fifth season of the anime: Yugioh Arc V. Yugioh Duel Links has achieved 140 million downloads at the same time last year, according to Konami’s announcement, and players have engaged in six billion duels in just this game alone. Kazuki Takahashi was truly worthy of the International Inkpot Award, given to creators who made a significant contribution to the world of comics and pop culture.
“It’s my turn, Draw!”, “I open my facedown card!”, “Let’s duel!” These are all words we lived by in our childhoods, and even used to recite when playing other card games. Considering the series had an Egyptian theme, it was immensely popular in Egypt, the home of the writer of this news, and it was an integral part of our school experience. Even now there are communities all over the world centred around the love and passion for Yugioh. Kazuki Takahashi’s unexpected death sadly happened this morning, and it continues to be a very sad and tragic experience for fans all over the world on social media.
Mohamed Hassan
Mohamed (He/Him) from Egypt is Interested in gaming as a storytelling medium and how it can give shape to new emotions and life lessons. He is currently learning the Japanese language and is interested on learning more about the Japanese culture and other cultures and how they are represented in gaming. Also a Long term fan of JRPGs, Indie games and VIsual Novels.
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