Yu-Gi-Oh!, Vol. 1: The Millenium Puzzle

遊☆戯☆王 [Yu-Gi-Oh!] (Original Numbering) #1

by Kazuki Takahashi

10th grader Yugi spent most of his time alone playing games... until he solved the Millennium Puzzle, a mysterious Egyptian artifact! Possessed by the puzzle, Yugi becomes Yu-Gi-Oh, the King of Games, and challenges evildoers to the Shadow Games... weird games with high stakes and high risks! These graphic novels contain new stories not seen in the anime, including the origin of Yugi and his friends!

Genres: Manga, Fantasy, Graphic Novels, Comics, Fiction, Shonen, Young Adult

200 pages, Paperback

First published March 4, 1997

About the author

Takahashi (高橋和希) started as a mangaka in 1982. His first work was Tokiō no Tsuma (闘輝王の鷹), published in 1990. One of his earliest works was Tennenshokudanji Buray (天然色男児BURAY), which lasted for two volumes and was published from 1991 to 1992. Takahashi did not find success until 1996 when he created Yu-Gi-Oh!

Reviews

[Marissa_san121 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Who here thinks America should have done season 0? *raises hand* Who here thinks that we would have messed it up?*raises hand*...Curse you 4kids. All in all, one of the best eva!

[David Dougall · Rating 4 out of 5]

Yugi has no nose. But Yami has a nose...I don't really get it.

[Sarah ♡ (let’s interact!) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Let’s play a game
Decided to read this old childhood favourite before bed and it must have comforted and relaxed me that much that I fell asleep lol 😅
The original YuGiOh is not the best Manga series I’ve ever read. Nor is it the worst. I’m not sure whether to continue on with my re-read or watch the anime again for the nostalgia! I much preferred this when I was younger. Just saw it as an option on Shonen Jump and thought why not?! I really want to get up to GX, that’s my fave! So I might read some more in the future 🤷‍♀️

[Sophie Crane · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book shows never-before-seen story-lines. This book comes before the Duelist manga series.
Many yu-gi-oh fans would say this is the manga version of Season 0 (Forbbiden season) as season 0 never aired outside of Japan.

[Ashley]

i'm very upset about takahashi's passing so here's a story time of what i was thinking as i re-read this for the 100th time:

when shonen jump magazine was announced to get released in america in november 2002, i begged my mom to get a subscription and the main reason was due to yugioh, which was one of the lead titles. when you're a kid on the internet in the 00s and love anime and live on censored anime dubs, you fall into a hole of what's happening in the original work AND THEN you learn about the differences between the anime adaptation and original manga.

so i learned about how yugioh originally wasn't a pure card game manga. it started off with horror elements and was included multiple games, whether that was gambling with the high school bully, explosive ice air hockey with the rival upperclass man, and eventually, before we head into duelist kingdom, dungeons and dragons. also dark yugi started off as an evil spirit with no more morals who set people on fire before he became nicer due to yugi's influence. also neither of them had a nose at the beginning. for art purposes, not like krillin from dbz. that was fascinating to me and i just had to see it for myself and that's how my mom became a paying customer of 'jump street' (her words, not mine). and it still kept those early elements even when the primary form of battle conflict became centered around the card games. but it was also incredibly bright and kind when i thought about it more beyond the main method conflict.

us shonen jump went up to the duelist kingdom arc and then jumped ahead to the final arc of the manga. unfortunately, that's i stopped getting subscriptions and i never actually read to the end and the anime had fillers after battle city so i never followed up. i wish i finished prior to today because now that'll be bittersweet.

i don't talk about yugioh as much as i do dbz and sailor moon in terms of staying power/franchises, or yu yu hakusho in terms of writing quality, but it truly holds a special place in my heart and takahashi was truly a once in a life time talent. thank you.

[Jerry (Rebel With a Massive Media Library) · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Good: I used to watch Yu-Gi-Oh! on Kids' WB when I was in high school; however, this manga shows the origins of the characters, something that was never revealed in the American version of the anime. It's fun to see the early years of Yugi, Tristan, Joey, and Téa, and the artwork within this volume is well done. It even features fun bonuses such as a maze and two picture puzzles. Fans of the cartoon will find plenty to enjoy about this, but...

The Bad: This isn't quite the franchise as we've come to expect it. While Duel Monsters and similar games were the main focus of the anime, that's nowhere to be seen here, which may disappoint some fans.

Content Concerns:
• Sex: Two brief crude allusions. 4/5
• Nudity: Girls in short skirts; a girl in a midriff-baring outfit. 4/5
• Language: A stray profanity or two, alongside usage of words such as "crap" and "darn" and some name-calling. 3/5
• Violence: Multiple duels of sorts that always end in someone's death; no blood or gore, though. 3/5
• Drugs: A man mentions smoking and drinking, and later does both; however, that ends up being his downfall. 4/5
• Frightening/Intense Scenes: Some freaky visuals; a scene or two of bullying; a girl is abducted, but later rescued; at least one or two of the villains could be scary for some kids. 2/5
• Other: Usage of magic. 4/5

Conclusion: This first manga outing is good for what it is...but it isn't quite what we've come to expect from the Yu-Gi-Oh! franchise. It's almost like watching Pokémon without the "pocket monsters"; still, fans might enjoy it, anyways.

Score: 3/5

[灰 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ah, Yugi, you little perv, how dare you make me laugh this much?

[Ben · Rating 3 out of 5]

Reread of a childhood favorite. Definitely outdated in some ways (mostly how it portrays women) but the art is still fantastic and it's stories are simple with a good morale

[Auwies · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lot of death and torture threats for a teen manga

***This is for the 7 volume series before they focused on the card game***

[afra · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rate: 5/5⭐️
Genre: Manga
Comfort read. Loved and enjoyed. Highly recommended.

[Gus · Rating 4 out of 5]

--- Yu-Gi-Oh! 1-38---
Plot: Ala komik cowok, antara ringan dan normal-- tapi menyenangkan untuk saya^^
Gambar: Ok
Penokohan: Ok

....Saya masih agak bingung tapi baiklah, meski sedikit malu-malu-- tapi saya akan jujur kalau saya menikmati membaca komik ini. Saya menikmati betapa klise plotnya kadang-kadang sampai entah mengapa saya malu-malu sendiri membacanya dan... pokoknya saya menikmatinya. Saya membaca komiknya saat saya masih kecil (apa SD-ya? atau SMP?), dan saya menikmatinya sampai sekarang. Lagipula selain dari plotnya, saya juga menikmati permainan kartu-nya dan bahkan mengoleksinya dulu (sekarang sudah dimana koleksiku ini ya?^^).

Mungkin ini termasuk "cangkir komikku". Saya mentolerir segala klise yang bisa membuatku malu-malu sendiri membacanya. Tapi komik ini tetap menyenangkan di jalan yang menyenangkan. Rating di bawah ini telah masuk hitungan 'nilai tambahan untuk memori masa kecil' dan... ya begitulah.
[8.5/10]

[Zach Beachy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Blue eyes white dragon isn’t even in this 5/10

[Cassiopeia's Moon · Rating 4 out of 5]

A few months ago I started watching Yu-Gi-Oh! the anime, both the original one (which follows the manga) and the the one mainly about Duel Monsters, and I thought "This anime is good, I want to read the manga." So now I've finished the first volume.

In this first volume we get to know the main characters and get a glimpse of what the Millennium Puzzle can do. This is the back story you don't get by only watching the "Duel-Monsters-Yu-Gi-Oh!".

>>SPOILERS<<
The story is sweet and tells you again and again that being nice isn't a disadvantage. Yuugi's humble soul and brave heart is a main theme and creates a good contrast to whom Yuugi become when the Millennium Puzzle takes over. In the anime though, the contrast is clearer (thanks to sound and color).
The supporting characters (mainly Anzu and Jonouchi) give color to the story and makes it a bit more believable. Yuugi is more good hearted and braver than most people, almost unbelievable sometimes. They(Anzu and Jonouchi) bring something to the story and are characters of their own. The have a purpose. In the final chapter Honda joins the group of friends and I can't wait to see in which way their friendship will evolve (it is different from the anime so I'm curious).
It is also drawn in a way I personally like. (I read two volumes of Trinity Blood, Vol. 1 a few days ago and didn't like the way it was drawn, the style felt wrong. (And the characters felt weak.)) For me that is a huge thing. Great picture style makes the reading more fun. And honestly, could you read something where the pictures just disturb you?

I recommend this to everyone who grew up with (I did) or have seen the Yu-Gi-Oh! anime, and to everyone who want to read some great manga.
I want to read the next volume now!

[ExterminationXIII · Rating 4 out of 5]

Yu-Gi-Oh! Volume one is about the adventures and strugles of a boy named Yugi and his friends, Jonouchi, Honda, and Anzu. This series is also a japanese (not released in america) T.V. series. It doesn't have much dueling (card game), like the american version does. This book is the first of seven Yu-Gi-Oh books. The eigth is a whole new series, Yu-Gi-Oh Duelist, which is more like the american Yu-Gi-Oh T.V. series.

The author's purpose was to show that even the wimpiest of kids can be heroes (that is, if they find the right stuff!). I gave this book a 4 out of 5 because there is little if any storyline, just little short stories. However, the Yu-Gi-Oh Duelist series does have a storyline.

[Keith Alverson · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had an old yellowed copy from about 15 years ago when our kids were young. Pretty uninteresting set of 7 little stories about a geeky little kid who gains great power magically. There was some content giving a bit of insight into Japanese culture, such as the rather awkward sexism.

[Tabi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not my 14 year Old selfs obsession I am proud to say I do have some blue eyed white dragon card tho hehe🤣

[Jade Ratley · Rating 1 out of 5]

Oh wow this was not one for me, not at all what I was expecting it to be. I was never a Yu-gi-oh kid, and it doesn't look like I'll be a yu-gi-oh adult either...

2.00 on CAWPILE

[James D · Rating 5 out of 5]

The story starts off with the main character, Yugi Mutou, trying to solve a 3,000 year old puzzle from Egypt called “The Millenium Puzzle”. No one has ever been able to put the puzzle together in 3,000 years. While Yugi had the box that contained the puzzle, two people named Jounouchi and Honda took a piece of the puzzle, after they were teasing Yugi. Yugi then got a bodyguard that he didn’t want, but soon after finds out the bodyguard was beating Jounouchi and Honda to death. Yugi then stops him from continuing to beat them and claims they are his friends trying to make Yugi a man (They were throwing his box around while saying they are going to make him a man by standing up for himself). The bodyguard then wants a lot of money that Yugi doesn’t have, but soon after Yugi works on the puzzle and finds one piece missing. Later, Yugi’s grandpa gives the last puzzle of the puzzle (Grandpa got the piece because Jounouchi gave it back). Yugi solves the puzzle and blacks out only to be controlled by a different Yugi named “Dark Yugi”. Dark Yugi then comes forward to the bodyguard and asks him to play a game, The bodyguard exempts. (The game is where you have a stack of money on your hand and you hold a knife stabbing through the money hoping not to hit your hand, the person with the most money wins and the loser plays a penalty game) The bodyguard’s greed gets over him, but then tries to kill Yugi. Instead, Yugi doges and gives the bodyguard a penalty game. The penalty game is an illusion in which the bodyguard see’s trash and leaves as money.
Then the original yugi goes back to school with his new friends and is unaware of this other Yugi.
I think that you should read all the volumes of Yu-Gi-Oh and I’m really hoping this can get you or other people hooked, too.

[Nouru-éddine · Rating 2 out of 5]

Here I'm stepping back to one of my childhood fantasies. Yu-Gi-Oh was my ultimate world, where I found the realms I was in lack of by then.

The story begins with a mysterious puzzle, no one managed to solve.

What a struggle:






***


Here we go:






***

Abnormal gifted hero kid:





***

The DARK SIDE has just shown up:





***

He seeks:





***

That's for who stumbles into his realm of influence:





***

A really gifted kid even in romantic affairs:





***

GOD PUZZLE:

[Phantom_Redux · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this a lot. This started one of my favourite franchises and card games that is still being played till this day. But the story didn't start with the card game initially, but with various games with high stakes.
Yugi, the main protagonist, solves the Millenium Puzzle that supposedly grants him his wish - to have true friends. But the puzzle also came with an Ancient Egyptian spirit that takes control of Yugi in times of need when he or his friends get in serious or deadly trouble. I liked to follow this side of story before I get to the actual card game in future volumes. It's refreshing in a way and also a bit disappointing that various other games were dropped as the card game gained on popularity, but for now they are here and I enjoy it as much as the card game that is a very big part of this series and will be heavily present throughout the future volumes.

[David Valencia · Rating 3 out of 5]

*Same magic, different story.

From someone who grew up on the show and card game, Yu-Gi-Oh!'s manga provides a familiar yet refreshing adult spin on Yugi's story. Truly, I would have loved to give this manga 4 stars, however, its unnecessary ridiculousness in addition to the parts of the story that are dated and did not age well (for example, the childish and casual nature of the sexual harassment and assault without narrative weight towards Anzu/Tea) keeps my nostalgia for the series in check and permiting me to rank it higher.

This is not diswaying from reading on however, because the darker more adult character of the narrative outside of the aforementioned drawbacks is too alluring to go unread/unexplored.

[Mel · Rating 3 out of 5]

I remember watching the anime as a kid with my mom. It was one of our favorite things to watch together, and we never missed an episode.

This volume and following ones in this series was never shown in the anime outside of Japan, and it's essentially the origin story of Yugi's friendship with Joey, Teá, and Tristan.

I thought this volume was entertaining for the most part, but it began to feel a bit formulaic with the playing game parts. It made this volume feel longer than it was.

I also was uncomfortable with how perverted it got at times. Like why was Yugi's grandpa checking out Teá's (a minor) bust?

I did like the puzzle every few chapters, like the maze and the spot the difference.

overall, this was ok and I appreciate seeing how the gang first got together.

[Melos Han-Tani · Rating 3 out of 5]

this is actually just reviewing the first volume. the plot here, even the 'game' gimmicks - are... not much to talk about, the humor is crude, but the corny, theatrical style of how Yugi makes these contrived games is pretty inspiring. He's like "you've done a Bad Thing! Now enter my zone where I'll teach you about my morality, and then render upon you some kind of terrifying mind-torture for an indeterminate amount of time." It's entertaining, kind of ridiculous, dramatic. Obviously the manga couldn't keep doing this formula, and in the later volumes (so far) the story evolves a bit more towards regular shonen, with 'fairer' mind games. And presumably, eventually the card game arcs lol

[Zaira's Bookshelf · Rating 3 out of 5]

After watching the anime for most of my life, I’m finally picking up the manga and… I’m dying—this is so weird and creepy and hilarious (especially when it’s not trying to be.) Definitely side-eyeing those pervy scenes from my fave main characters, but what did I expect from a 90s shonen? Poor Anzu becomes a damsel in distress every other chapter. But Yami Yugi going full-on evil on bullies and other creeps makes up for it 😂

[Arthur P. Aquino · Rating 5 out of 5]

um começo incrível para o mangá, com certeza um dos meus mangás favoritos da vida, sem zoeira! A história cativa pra saber quem é o outro eu do yugi e a construção dos capítulos são bem fechadas e estruturadas, adoro isso!

[Andrew Basurto · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting to see the difference between the manga and Season 0.

[Robinsky_ · Rating 2 out of 5]

Warummmm ist es so sexist oh GOTT
aber ngl es gibt so viel story die ich nicht (mehr) kannte also hat spass gemacht zu lesen

[Recep · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

[Burberi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Abit boring *yawn*

[HeroicToonz · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love seeing the early art of the series. And the real start to the series will always be so fun to me