Kazuki Takahashi

Kazuki Takahashi in 2005

Kazuo Takahashi (October 4, 1961 - July 4, 2022), known professionally as Kazuki Takahashi, was a Japanese manga artist. He made his serial manga debut in 1986, and is best known as the author of Yu-Gi-Oh!, published in Weekly Shōnen Jump from 1996 to 2004. The manga spawned a popular trading card game of the same name, which holds the Guinness World Record for the best-selling trading card game to date.

Quotes

Yu-Gi-Oh! tankobon edition

• I believe that "the other me" exists in everyone's heart. It may be your ideal self that awaits you to reach it.
  「もう一人の自分」は誰の心の中にも存在してると思ってます。それは理想の自分であり到達した先に待っているものかも知れません。
  • From Yu-Gi-Oh! tankobon vol. 9.

Yu-Gi-Oh! bunkoban edition

• It is said that everything that exists in this world is made up of two contradictory qualities. Darkness and light, outer and inner, good and evil, heaven and earth... Those are the themes of Yu-Gi-Oh!
  森羅万象、この世界に存在するすべてのものは、二つの相反する性質で作られていると言われています。光と闇、表と裏、善と悪、天と地、それらは『遊☆戯☆王』のテーマでもあります。
  • From Yu-Gi-Oh! bunkoban vol. 6.

• Moving on in time, if you look at today’s world, faith, religion, race, as well as due to territorial rights and various other reasons, among countries in mutual relationships, there are still wars or ethnic disputes. It is not rare that the Gods who are supposed to save people’s hearts have ignited the flames of war.
  今の世はどうかというと、信仰、宗教、人種、国家的利益など様々な原因で、国同士の戦争や民族紛争が絶えません。人々にとっての心の救いであるはずの神が、戦争の火種になっている事も珍しくはないのです。
  • From Yu-Gi-Oh! bunkoban vol. 14.

• So I went back to my atelier. As I was about to put it on my desk and restart it… “bzzzzzzt”. Frozen. “Maybe the one who is just not suited for CG… is me.” Restart! Frozen! Restart! Frozen! “This PC…!!” *screeching* When I kicked my computer, I sprained my big toe, and for three weeks, had to visit an osteopatic clinic. I’m not sure what I was sometimes thinking but there were times when I tried to dump my computer into the bathtub.
  再びアトリエに持ち帰り。机に座って起動させてみると……キュウウン。フリーズ。「ＣＧ、向いてないって事かな……オレ。」起動！フリーズ！起動！フリーズ！「このポンコツ！！」グキィッ！！パソコンを蹴とばした瞬間、足の親指を捻挫し、三週間の整骨院通い。時には何を思ったのか、パソコンを風呂に入れてみた事もあります。
  • From Yu-Gi-Oh! bunkoban vol. 15.

• A question that I am guaranteed to get asked when interviewed overseas is “What was the prompt that caused you to draw Yu-Gi-Oh!?”. And that sure is a troubling question. The response I usually give involves putting on a lot of air and saying “I wanted to work with a new perspective on games as a concept and write a battle story that had been unseen before and blah blah blah…” or something of the likes, but truth to be told, I myself don’t really know. It might have been “I just suddenly had the thought…”, or “I just wanted to draw the character Yugi.”… well, that also is part of it.
  海外でのインタビューで、必ず訊かれる質問に 「 『遊☆戯☆王』 を描くきっかけは？」 というものがある。とても困った質問だ。たいていはカッコつけて 「ゲームという斬新な切り口で、今までにない闘い…云々…」 などと答えるのだけれど、実際は自分でもよくわからない。 「たまたま思いついた…」 のかも知れないし、「遊戯というキャラクターを描きたかった。」 …それも真実だ。
  • From Yu-Gi-Oh! bunkoban vol. 17.

Studio Dice official website

The official website was opened on May 1, 2010. It served as the updates and fulfillments of Yu-Gi-Oh!: Duel Art drawing collections that requested by the fans, featuring Yu-Gi-Oh!, Yu-Gi-Oh! GX, Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's and Yu-Gi-Oh! Zexal series, and also his personal 3 episodes of science fiction short animation, Button. At the end of January 2012, the website went on hiatus as Takahashi decided to focus on his creative work.

• The homepage design concept is: "Let's roll the dice on a round earth without boundaries!" I just came up with this idea, and I will continue to work hard! Thanks to all of the staff.
  HOMEのデザインコンセプトは「国境のない丸い地球で、ダイスを振ってみよー！」と今思い付いたので、これからも地道にがんばります！スタッフ共々感謝いたします。
  • Blog title: Thank You Very Much! (ありがとうございます！)
    Taken on June 6, 2010.

• My computer sure has been in good shape as of recently! Usually anything electronic hates me and makes me want to give up. Even when I bought my phone, the camera function quickly stopped working and I couldn't use it. Or so I thought, as I gave it to someone and the camera suddenly worked again. Sort of! It broke again and the moment I brought it to the store, it fixed itself. Sort of! By the way, how about the iPad? I want it, but I have to make sure it doesn't dislike me!
  最近、パソコンの調子がいいなー！日頃、電子機器的なものに嫌われがちで参ってしまう。携帯買った時も、カメラ機能がすぐイカれて使い物にならなかった。と思いきや、人に渡すとカ メラ機能が突然復活。とか！またイカれて、店に持っていった瞬間直ってる。とか！ところでipadどうなのかな～？ほしいけど嫌われないようにしないとな～～～！
  • Blog title: Electronic Devices (電子機器)
    Taken on June 24, 2010.

• The other night, I was looking at the sky when 'whoosh' I saw an orange light! I thought that maybe it was a shooting star, but then I thought it'd be neat if it was the one in a billion chance that it was a UFO. Last year, I read a ton of books about UFOs and an unprecedented UFO boom swelled inside of me, so I thought, 'Maybe so!' for a split second....but maybe not. I want to spot one some day, but do you all believe in UFOs?
  先日、夜空を見ていたら、スーッとオレンジ色の光を見た！たぶん流れ星だと思うけど、万にひとつの可能性で UFOだったらいいなと思った。去年やたらUFO関連の本を読みあさって、自分の中で空前のUFOブームが来ていたので、もしかして！なんて一瞬思ったけど、、、ないか。いつか見てみたいけど、皆さんは信じます？　 UFO。
  • Blog title: UFO
    Taken on June 25, 2010.

• The OCG has gotten so complex that I can't keep up~! My memory has gotten so bad as of late that I can't even remember all the cards~! And the text is tough with these old eyes~! Still, simply hearing stories of everyone enjoying themselves dueling is enough to satisfy me! But, I'm not a quitter so maybe I'll secretly build a deck and challenge Kageyamacchi to a duel! Just kidding!
  • Blog title: Kageyamacchi (影山っち)
    Taken on July 14, 2010.

• Aah~(gazes longingly) Those were the days. Taking a look back--back when I was putting out Yu-Gi-Oh! as a weekly serial, on the reader approval surveys, my female reader approval rating was only 5% (among the 5 worst in the magazine), and my editor at the time would tell me to "Just give up on the female fans!"...
  あ〜（遠い目）思い返せば週刊で遊戯王を連載している頃、読者支持率アンケートでは女性支持率わずか５％で（本誌の中でワースト5位内）当時の担当さんとは、女性ファンはあきらめよう！などと話していたあの日、、、
  • Blog title: Thank You Very Much! (ありがとうございます！)
    Taken on August 17, 2010.

• A group of uncles with some ages were staring at the figure prototype that placed on the coffee shop table in a serious manner, and also discussing the perfect curves of the thighs and slender waist. It must be a rather weird scene to the people who sit next to them (Boom!)
  • Blog title: Figures.
    Taken on August 24, 2010.

• [The weather] suddenly gets colder. I visit Kyoto every fall, and I wonder about the autumn leaves this year. For the past few years, the leaves have not seemed to have the best coloring. I wonder if this has to do with the climate change...
  なにやら急に寒くなってきました〜。毎年、秋には京都に出かけるのですが、今年の紅葉はどうなんでしょう。ここ何年かは、葉の色付きが良くない印象があって、これも気象の変化が原因なんでしょうかねぇ。
  • Blog title: Drawings that Exercising.
    Taken on September 28, 2010.

• The threat of natural disasters is repeatedly shown on TV. Even though those images make me shiver, gasp, and freeze, I can still eat a decent meal and wrap myself up to stay warm. How valuable are these actions we do everyday? I wonder if, ironically, we won't even realize its value until we witness the death of people and towns.
  テレビで繰り返し流される自然災害の脅威。それらの映像に震え、息を飲み、身を凍らせようが、おれはまとも過ぎる食事を摂ることも、身を包み暖をとることも出来る。その日々あたりまえの行為がいかに価値あることであろうか。
  • Blog title: Earthquake (震災)
    Takahashi's thoughts on 2011 Tohoku earthquake, taken on March 15, 2011. [1]

Studio Dice Instagram

Originally known as @kazuki_yugioh, joined during May 2016 (after the release of Yu-Gi-Oh! The Dark Side of Dimensions anime movie). Later on May 2017, the account was renamed as @studio_dice. It served as Kazuki's very personal page of illustrations, ranging from Yu-Gi-Oh! to non-Yu-Gi-Oh! titles. The privacy setting was changed from public to only followers on March 2022.

• While I was in Spain, a terrorist attack occurred near my hotel! I would like to sincerely pray for the repose of the souls of those affected. Looking towards the future, we must never succumb to negative intentions! We must not lose to warmongers who stir up religious conflicts!
  スペイン滞在中にホテルの近くでテロが起こりました！被害に遭われた方々に心からご冥福を祈りたいと思います。 未来に向かって俺たちは決して決してネガティブな意思に負けてはならない！ 宗教対立を煽る戦争屋どもに負けてはならないのだ！
  • Takahashi's thoughts on 2017 Barcelona attacks.

Magazine messages and afterwords

Gō-Q-Chōji Ikkiman

• Nice to meet you. I am Kazuo Takahashi, the person who is having a comfortable life by making full use of my personal assets, in which my credit card installments are paid in 36 times. (!?) I'm very grateful and excited that I'm able to start manga serialization under the life that filled with uncertainty, such as blackouts, inability to make phone calls and other obstacles from everywhere.
  はじめまして。身の回りの財産はすべて３６回払いのクレジットをフル活用してゼイタク（！？）な暮らしをしている高橋かずおです。身の程をわきまえない生活をしているうちに、電気・電話を止められて八方ふさがりの時に連載を始められて感謝感激カンカン。
  • From Shonen Magazine year 1986, issue 19. [2]

Tennenshoku Danji Buray

• It was my first time I participated in the cover shoot for the new year's issue. I was nervous being surrounded by senior authors.
  新年発売号の表紙撮影に初めて参加。先輩作家の方たちに囲まれて、緊張しました。
  • Shonen Jump magazine - year 1992, issue 1,2. [3]

Yu-Gi-Oh!

• Modern science mentions that the “heart” resides in the brain. Am I the only one who finds it not boring?
  現代科学では“心”は脳の中にあるということらしいです。何かつまらなく感じてしまうのは私だけ？
  • Shonen Jump magazine - January 29, 1997, issue 7.

• Recently, it seems that more and more authors are doing color manuscripts on computers. When it comes to coloring time, I definitely want to try it at least once!!
  最近、コンピューターでカラー原稿を描く作家さんが増えているようです。今回のようなカラーの時には、ボクも是非一度やってみたいと思っています！！
  • Takahashi's thoughts on digital illustration. Shonen Jump magazine - February 24, 1997, issue 11.

• [My] assistants have been encouraging me to watch the well received Evangelion, but I just don't have the time to watch it. I've recorded them into videos, but... how annoying!!
  アシさん達から、話題の“エヴァンゲリオン”を見るようにすすめられているが、なかなか見るヒマがない。ビデオはしっかり録っているのにくやしいぜっ！！
  • Shonen Jump magazine - April 14, 1997, issue 18.

• I've got Digimon!! I've raised it and put it into a fight, and then it died. There's no one around me having it...
  デジモンを入手！！育てていましたが１度も闘わずして死んだ。まわりにもっている人いないんだもん…
  • Shonen Jump magazine - August 4, 1997, issue 34.

• Is there anything we can do about the excessive packaging of domestically produced CDs these days? I wish they could make it cheaper...
  最近の国産ＣＤの過剰包装はどうにかならないでしょうか。その分、安くしてくれたらいいのにな…
  • Shonen Jump magazine - October 6, 1997, issue 43.

• I'm currently obsessed with the yellow mouse. There are three large ones in my workplace. Very cute.
  今、例の黄色いネズミにハマってます。仕事場にも大きいのが、３つほどあります。とてもかわいい。
  • Takahashi mentioned of Pikachu from Pokémon. Shonen Jump magazine - December 8, 1998, issue 52.

• I bought the teddy bear that appears in Mr. Bean. It's the strange looking stuffed toy I talked about...
  Mr．ビーンに登場するテディを買ってしまいました。あの、みょうなぬいぐるみのことなのです…
  • Shonen Jump magazine - February 16, 1998, issue 10.

• In this series, I hope I can utilize the fun of orienteering that I experienced when I was in elementary school.
  小学生の頃に体験したオリエンテーリングの楽しさを今回のシリーズで生かせたらな、と思ってます。
  • Takahashi mentioned of Duelist Kingdom arc settings. Shonen Jump magazine - February 23, 1998, issue 11.

• I’ve visited the anime voice recording site and experienced the unity and enthusiasm of the voice actors and staffs!! It was definitely cool!! I’m very looking forward to it!!
  アニメのアフレコ現場を見学。声優さんとスタッフの結束と熱気を実感！！こいつはイケるぞ！！ボクも超期待しています！！
  • Shonen Jump magazine - April 13, 1998, issue 18.

• Recently, I bought a lot of imported board games!! However, when I look at the manual, it's all in English, so I can't play them!! I want to play them somehow. How troublesome…
  輸入ボードゲームをこの間たくさん買いこんでき ました！！ただ、説書を見たらすべてが英語 なので、遊ぶことができません！！なんとかして 遊びたいです。困ったな……
  • Shonen Jump magazine - June 22, 1998, issue 28.

• There are pros and cons to the American version of Godzilla, but personally I think the design sensibility differences between farming and hunting tribes is the cause.
  米国版のゴジラは賛否両論ありますが、農耕民族と狩猟民族のデザイン感覚の違いかな…と思います。
  • Shonen Jump magazine - July 13, 1998, issue 31.

• Apparently, a statue of Yugi will be erected at the Sapporo Snow Festival!! Hmm, I want to see it too!!
  札幌雪祭りで遊戯の像が立つらしいぞっ！！う～ん、僕も見に行きたいよ～～！！
  • Shonen Jump magazine - February 15, 1999, issue 10.

• I have Final Fantasy VIII on hand, but I haven't played Final Fantasy VII either. I want to try Final Fantasy VIII soon!!
  ＦＦⅧが手もとにありますが、Ⅶもやってません。速くⅧがやってみたいですっ！！
  • Shonen Jump magazine - March 8, 1999, issue 13.

• There’s a character called Blue is well known in the US. She’s adorable but unable to make it in Japan. I’m blue…
  ブルーというアメリカで人気のあった、かわいいキャラがあまり日本に入らず、ブルー
  • Takahashi mentioned of Blue from Blue's Clues. Shonen Jump magazine - April 3, 2000, issue 16.

• Unfortunately, my body fat percentage has entered the obese range!! I decide to go to the swimming gym again.
  まずいことに体脂肪率が肥満ゾーンに突入！！ またスイミングジムに通うことにしました
  • Shonen Jump magazine - June 12, 2000, issue 26

• The 21st century has finally come!! UFOs, supernatural powers, spirits, and cryptids should be clarified once and for all!
  いよいよ２１世紀！！今世紀こそ、ＵＦＯ，超能力，心霊，ＵＭＡ（ユーマ）をきっぱり解してくれ！
  • Shonen Jump magazine - January 17-22, 2001, issue 5-6.

• I went to the zoo for the first time in 10 years. I'm embarrassed to say but it was my first time seeing a panda...
  １０年ぶりに動物園へ行きました。恥ずかしなが ら初めてパンダを見てきました………
  • Shonen Jump magazine - July 30, 2001, issue 33

• I met the director of Final Fantasy by chance. Thank you so much for the signature!!
  偶然、ＦＦの監督とお会いしました。サインをいただいて、ありがとうございました！！
  • Shonen Jump magazine - October 15, 2001, issue 44

• Visiting Las Vegas is my dream. I would like to go there at least once. I wonder what kind of place it is. I'm feeling excited.
  「ラスベガス」というところに行く夢をみました。一度は行ってみたいものです。どんなところだろう。ワクワク。ドキドキ。
  • Shonen Jump magazine - April 22, 2002, issue 19.

• Recently, I've been listening to a lot of Western musics from the 80s. Tears For Fears is my eternal theme song!!
  最近、８０年代の洋学（楽）を聞きまくってます。「ティアーズ・フォー・フィアーズ」はオレの永遠のテーマソングだ！！
  • Shonen Jump magazine – April 29, 2002, issue 20.

• The other day, while I was taking a bath at home, the water supplement suddenly stopped working!! I was in trouble as my body was covered by bubbles. I realized the importance of water... and also the bubbles.
  この前、自宅で風呂に入っていたらいきなり断水！！一時間も泡だらけで困り果てました。水の大切さが身に沁みました。あと泡も。
  • Shonen Jump magazine – September 9, 2002, issue 39.

• When I returned home from my haircut and looked into my mirror, I noticed that the length of my left and right fringes were distinctively different. That was embarrassing... but no one noticed it.
  散髪から帰って家の鏡で見たららかに左右のモミアゲの長さが違ってた。恥ずかしい思ったら、誰も気付いていませんでした
  • Shonen Jump magazine – December 9, 2002, issue 52.

• I heard that sniffing lavender during insomnia can promote sleepiness. I gave it a try and it worked well. I also wonder about the nightcap.
  眠れない時にラベンダーの香りを嗅ぐとよく眠れると聞いたので試したらよく眠れました。でもその前の寝酒が効いたのかな
  • Shonen Jump magazine – January 1, 2003, issue 1.

• My very first Shonen Jump manga editor, Mr. Takahashi, passed away. How unfortunate. My condolences.
  ボクのジャンプでの最初の担当さんは故高橋編集長でした。残念でなりません。心よりご冥福をお祈りいたします。
  • Takahashi's thoughts on the manga editor of Tokio no Taka. Shonen Jump magazine – February 24, 2003, issue 11.

• It is said that the character of "people (人)" is made up of 2 strokes supporting each other, but it seems the shorter one supports the longer one, who is just chillaxing... Am I a twisted adult?
  人という字は互いに支えあっていると言われますが、短い方が支えて長い方が楽をしてるように見えるオレってひねた大人
  • Shonen Jump magazine – June 16, 2003, issue 27.

• I've attended the Tezuka Award ceremony and felt all the award winners' passion towards manga. Please do you best and give out your best for your creativity.
  手塚賞の授賞式に出席。受賞者の皆さんの漫画に対する熱い情熱をとても感じました。今後もいい作品を作って頑張って下さい。
  • Shonen Jump magazine – June 30, 2003, issue 29.

• In the past, I've always heard that aojiru is tasteless, but when I actually tried it... The latest ones are easy to drink and tasty. I'm addicted to them!
  昔からまずいまずいと聞いていた青汁ですが、実際に飲んでみたら…！最近のものは飲みやすくておいしいのでハマってます！
  • Shonen Jump magazine – July 7, 2003, issue 30.

• It's quite interesting to look at the American version of the Yu-Gi-Oh! comics' sound effects. For example, "Boom!" is translated as "CHOOM"!!
  アメリカ版の遊☆戯☆王コミックを見たら、効果音の表現がかなり面白い。ちなみに「ドン！」は「ＣＨＯＯＭ」なのだ！！
  • Shonen Jump magazine – July 28, 2003, issue 33.

• Due to the ramen restaurant war, two of my favorite neighborhood restaurants are gone! I'm against it!
  ラーメン家戦争のあおりを食らって、近所のお気に入りの店が２軒なくなってしまった！だから戦争反対だっての！
  • Shonen Jump magazine – October 10, 2003, issue 48.

• I've been receiving a lot of overseas fan letters lately, and it's quite fun to see all kinds of original monsters are coming out together. Children are all the same across the world!
  最近よく届く海外からのファンレターも、いろんな オリジナルモンスターを考案してくれて楽しいです。子供は万国共通だなー！
  • Shonen Jump magazine – December 1, 2003, issue 51.

• What! Inoki Festival, PRIDE, and K-1 will be broadcast simultaneously on all stations during this new year eve! As a martial arts fan, this is very troublesome!!
  なに！今年の大晦日は猪木祭・PRIDE・Ｋ－１を 各局同時放映～！格闘技ファンとしては非常に困る～～！！
  • Shonen Jump magazine – December 8, 2003, issue 52.

• I had nightmares three times...I got addicted to some scary games. I can't stop doing it.
  ３回悪夢を見ました…いえ、恐いゲームにハマっちゃったせいなんですけど。やめられないんですよね。
  • Takahashi's thoughts on Silent Hill and Resident Evil games. Shonen Jump magazine – January 1, 2004, issue 1. [4][5]

Others

• Actually, all of my works do share some core themes. Yu-Gi-Oh! is the story of Atem, whose soul was sealed in the Millennium Puzzle and later released. Drump is about the freeing of a dragon. The Yu-Gi-Oh! movie's plot involves Seto Kaiba's liberation from the soul prison. The Comiq is no exception. It ends with Baba acquitted of the frame-up and released from the prison. Sato's soul is liberated too (even if he's under arrested...) After years of control by the Pumpkim Princess. Then there's one of Sakamaki's final lines. "Welcome to freedom!" I don't know if true freedom can exist, nevertheless, in our own ways, we all seek spiritual liberation, aiming to be free of the overbearing constraints of society!
  • The Comiq afterwords.

• I really love Yugi but I wanted to be Joey, I feel that as I get older, I would be like Grandpa Muto.
  • Takahashi at the 2015 W:San Diego Comic-Con: San Diego. [6]

• I am drawn to unsolved mysteries and unexplained phenomena, but I believe that fear is merely a product of the human mind.
• I like Simon Bisley! I enjoyed the Spider-Man movie. Isn't it a prerequisite for today's superheroes to create justice while not forgetting their own humanity?
• Games should generally be played by one person sitting across from another, so they can compete against each other. I believe the fun lies in interpreting the opponent's facial expression and developing psychological strategies. Personally, I have an interest in online games, but they will not appear in my work.
• I am obsessed with Kaiba and maybe Bandit Keith. When creating villains, it's very important to incorporate some human traits so they don't appear entirely evil. Whether someone is evil or not is judged by others, and from their perspective, what's evil might also be seen as good.
• The theme of Yu-Gi-Oh! is the bond that connects one person to another, and I would be happy if you make even one friend through cards and games.
  • Takahashi in 2003 Banzai! interview. [7]