According to local news reports, Kazuki Takahashi, the creator of the?
Yu-Gi-Oh
manga, has died. He was sixty years old.
A passing boat found his body off the coast of Nago in Okinawa prefecture on the morning of July 6, 2022, and alerted the Japanese Coast Guard. He was wearing snorkeling equipment at the time. His identity was confirmed on July 7, 2022. Police and the Japanese Coast Guard are still investigating the exact circumstances of Takahashi’s death.
Check out a news report broadcast by the
NHK
below.
Also known as Kazuo, Kazuki Takahashi began his career as a manga artist in 1982. His debut manga,
Tokiou no Taka
(
Fighting Hawk
), published in 1990. His breakout work was the?
Yu-Gi-Oh!
manga, which went to print in 1996. The series told the tale of Yugi Muto, a kind young man who solves the ancient Millennium Puzzle. The act causes him to become the host of the spirit contained within the puzzle, a former Pharaoh from ancient Egypt. This ghost came to be known as “Dark Yugi” or “Yami Yugi”, and showed himself whenever Yugi and his friends were threatened by those with darkness in their hearts. Together they also played dangerous “Shadow Games”, risking their lives and souls to help Dark Yugi recover his memories and challenge various trials.
The?
Yu-Gi-Oh!
manga inspired the creation of a trading card game based on the series, which became the most famous incarnation of the franchise. It continues to this day, with various manga, anime, and
video game
spin-offs in operation.
Kazuki Takahashi received recognition for his work, including the 2015 Inkpot Award from Comic-Con International. Besides the?
Yu-Gi-Oh!
manga, he also also created works like
The Comiq
, a celebration of
Weekly Shonen Jump.?
His latest work was?
Marvel’s Secret Reverse
, a one-shot comic featuring Marvel superheroes Iron Man and Spider-Man.
The?
Yu-Gi-Oh
manga is published in English by Viz Media, and the card game is managed by Konami. Its anime spin-offs can be streamed on various streaming services, including Crunchyroll and Netflix.