Manga Review: Yu-Gi-Oh! R GN 1

Yu-Gi-Oh! R volume 1
Authors: Akira Ito & Kazuki Takahashi
Viz Media
216 pages

A Wicked Shadow! It's been many duels since Yugi defeated Maxmilion Pegasus, the super-rich designer of the collectible card game "Duel Monsters." But Yako Tenma, Pegasus' protégé, has never forgiven Yugi for his master's horrible fate. To draw Yugi out, Yako kidnaps Anzu Mazaki and takes her to the heart of the Kaibacorp building, guarded by dozens of the world's most dangerous gamers! But Yako's true plan for Anzu is much worse than mere revenge... (Source: Viz.com)

If you are a Yu-Gi-Oh! fan - if you spent your early otaku days watching the 4Kids dub on the WB, bought all the Shonen Jumps to get the extra trading cards at the back of each issue, actually went out and saw the Yu-Gi-Oh! film in theaters, own all 38 volumes of the original manga from Viz (some with super shiny covers!) - then you should probably not read Yu-Gi-Oh! R, not if you want your love of adults playing children's cards game with all the seriousness of stopping an impending apocalypse into deep seated loathing of the very franchise. This is from someone who genuinely loves Yu-Gi-Oh!, being one of the first anime I ever saw on television (2001? Yikes) and one of the few trading card games I ever bothered attempting to play.

R, however, is no Yu-Gi-Oh! of mine. It's quite forgettable in how ridiculous and mindless it is, and that's compared to the Dungeon Dice Monsters story arc (although Ryuji Otogi is oddly attractive, streaky eyeliner and all). And the worst part? It stretches on for another four volumes.

PR: The Bakuman Finale & A Special Yu-Gi-Oh! Card In WSJA

BAKUMAN。© 2008 by Tsugumi Ohba,
Takeshi Obata/SHUEISHA Inc.

VIZ MEDIA OFFERS NEW AND EXISTING

WEEKLY SHONEN JUMP ALPHA MEMBERS A SPECIAL YU-GI-OH! TRADING CARD PREMIUM

This Week’s Issue of North America’s Leading Digital Manga Magazine Features Series Conclusion Of BAKUMAN｡ And Interview With Manga Creator Takeshi Obata

Leading manga publisher VIZ Media continues to offer a plethora of fan-favorite, must-read manga (graphic novel) content along with exclusive creator interviews and a special collectable trading card premium for WEEKLY SHONEN JUMP ALPHA members throughout the month of May.

Current WEEKLY SJ ALPHA members, as well new subscribers that secure an annual membership to North America’s premier digital manga magazine, are encouraged sign up at http://www.sjalpha.com/sign-up before June 22^nd, 2012 to receive a special limited edition collectable – a Slifer the Sky Dragon YU-GI-OH! promo card! Fans of the print SHONEN JUMP magazine have already been treated to two previous God Cards (Obelisk and Ra), and the trilogy is now complete with this release. Just like the other God cards, each Slifer the Sky Dragon has Kazuki Takahashi Sensei's printed signature!