Sad news as Kazuki Takahashi, the manga-ka behind the hit series Yu-Gi-Oh and its even more popular CCG, has died in what seems to be a tragic accident at the age of 60.
NBC News reports “Kazuki’s body was discovered about 304.80 m off shore” the coast of Okinawa, Japan. He was identified after local police found a nearby rental car that had been rented under his name. When found, Kazuki was wearing snorkelling equipment, and seemed to have been attacked by an unknown marine animal. according to the Okinawan Coast Guard.
Yu-Gi-Oh was first published in the weekly Shonen Jump manga anthology, quickly becoming adapted into a hit anime series in 1998, with a second, much longer series beginning in 2000. Several spin-off TV series were also made, as well as movies. But the series’ true legacy will be the real-life version of the manga’s fictional card game Duel Monsters. Over 35 billion Yu-Gi-Oh cards have been sold around the world, making it a nearly $US10 ($14) billion dollar-grossing industry.
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