Yu-Gi-Oh! (遊☆戯☆王 Yūgiō, meaning "King of Games") is the title of the first anime series based off of the Yu-Gi-Oh! manga.

The series is not connected in any way to the Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters series (known internationally as simply Yu-Gi-Oh!), which was made by Nihon Ad Systems and aired on TV Tokyo; both anime series are based off of the same manga series.

Fans of Yu-Gi-Oh! may use the fan name "Yu-Gi-Oh! A Shadow Game" to refer to this show, or they may incorrectly use "Yu-Gi-Oh! first season" or "zero season" to refer to this show.

The 1st series, which aired on TV Asahi from April 4, 1998 to October 10, 1998 for a 27-episode run, was produced by Toei Animation. Manga plots were re-written so that they could take up an entire episode time. Also the level of violence was reduced between the manga and the anime, and a minor character in the manga, Miho Nosaka (Melody in the English Dungeon Dice Monsters game), became a main character in the first series along with Yugi Mutou (Yugi Moto in the English Duel Monsters anime), Katsuya Jonouchi (Joey Wheeler), Anzu Mazaki (Téa Gardner), and Hiroto Honda (Tristan Taylor). Characterization was slightly modified. For instance, Yugi is at the top of the class in Toei's anime while he is at the bottom of the class in the manga. Also, Honda is Jonouchi's verbal sparring partner instead of his crony in Toei's anime.

New characters and plots, such as those relating to the four game masters, were added, and there are more occurrences of Seto Kaiba and Magic and Wizards (Duel Monsters) than in the parts of the manga that the Yu-Gi-Oh! first series show covers. The card game is not entirely the focus of the series in the series one anime. The last episodes of the series focus on the battle between Yugi and Dark Bakura (Yami Bakura in the English Duel Monsters anime). The first Japanese series had different voice actors and different character designs than the second series (e.g. Seto Kaiba's hair is green in Toei's anime). The series has not been licensed by a company that would release the anime in English.

Seiyū

• Yugi Mutou / Dark Yugi (Yami Yugi) - Megumi Ogata
• Katsuya Jonouchi - Toshiyuki Morikawa
• Anzu Mazaki - Yumi Kakazu
• Hiroto Honda - Ryotaro Okiayu
• Ryo Bakura / Dark Bakura - Tsutomu Kashiwakura
• Seto Kaiba - Hikaru Midorikawa
• Miho Nosaka - Yukana Nogami
• Mokuba Kaiba - Katsue Miwa
• Sugoroku Mutou - Takeshi Aono
• Shizuka Jonouchi (a.k.a. Shizuka Kawai or Serenity Wheeler) - Michiko Neya
• Miyuki Sakurai - Yuri Amano
• Ryuuichi Fuha - Ryo Horikawa
• Tetsu - Nobuyuki Hiyama
• Kageyama sister C - Konomi Maeda
• Dragon - Nobuyuki Hiyama
• Kaoruko Himekoji - Yumi Touma
• Pokii - Konomi Maeda

See also

• Yu-Gi-Oh! main characters
• Yu-Gi-Oh! minor characters

External link

• Toei Yu-Gi-Oh! first series page
• Toei Yu-Gi-Oh! first series property information page