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Kazuki Takahashi

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For other people named Kazuki Takahashi, see Kazuki Takahashi (disambiguation).

Kazuki Takahashi
Takahashi at the 2005 Leipzig Book Fair
Born
Takahashi Kazuo (高橋 一雅)

(1961-10-04)October 4, 1961
Tokyo, Japan
DiedJuly 4, 2022(2022-07-04) (aged 60)
Nago, Okinawa, Japan
OccupationManga artist
Years active1981–2020
OrganizationStudio Dice
Notable workYu-Gi-Oh!
Japanese name
Kanji高橋 和希
Transcriptions
RomanizationTakahashi Kazuki
Websitestudio-dice.com
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Kazuo Takahashi (Japanese: 高橋 一雅, Hepburn: Takahashi Kazuo, October 4, 1961 – July 4, 2022), known professionally as Kazuki Takahashi (高橋 和希, Takahashi Kazuki), was a Japanese manga artist. He is best known as the author of Yu-Gi-Oh!, published in Weekly Shōnen Jump from 1996 to 2004. The manga spawned a trading card game of the same name, which holds the Guinness World Record for the best-selling trading card game of all time.

Early life

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Kazuo Takahashi was born in Tokyo on October 4, 1961.[1] In his childhood, he drew artwork of manga he enjoyed such as Tiger Mask, Ultraman, Space Battleship Yamato, Mazinger Z, Devilman, and Kamen Rider.[2] He also played tennis in his youth.[3]

Disinterested in his studies,[3][4] Takahashi was shamed by his homeroom teacher as "the poop machine that knows nothing except eating, sleeping and pooping" in front of other students. Angered by the humiliation, Takahashi decided to become a manga artist.[5] In his second year of high school, he also sought to be a background animator of Tezuka Productions. He planned to drop out of school if he passed the recruitment exam, but he failed as his drawing skills were not yet up to industry standard.[6] Takahashi gave up on his goal of becoming an animator, instead becoming a designer of corporate logos and banners, which included making designs for pachislot panels.[4][7] It was at this time he started submitting his manga to publishers.[3][2]

Career

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In 1981, at the age of 20,[2] Takahashi's one-shot manga Ing! Love Ball, submitted under the pen name "Hajime Miyabi (雅はじめ, Miyabi Hajime)", won the Shogakukan New Comic Award and was published in Weekly Shōnen Sunday in the same year.[1] His serial debut was in 1986 with Gō-Q-Chōji Ikkiman, an adaptation of the TV sports anime of the same name, published in Kodansha's Weekly Shōnen Magazine.[1][3] In the meantime, Takahashi explained that he experienced extreme poverty as his home lacked electricity and he made thirty-six times of credit card installments in the magazine.[8] George Morikawa, author of Hajime no Ippo, described his living place from that time as "dilapidated Showa era wooden apartment that people immediately thought of".[7] Because his early works were unprofitable, Takahashi switched his direction to Shueisha.[7] In 1990, his one-shot Tokiō no Taka was published in Weekly Shōnen Jump.[9] Another manga, Tennenshoku Danji Buray, was published in the magazine from 1991 to 1992.[3][10]

In 1996, Takahashi launched Yu-Gi-Oh! under the pen name "Kazuki Takahashi" in Weekly Shōnen Jump, where it was serialized until 2004.[11] The series became a huge success and has sold more than 40 million copies. It has also received several media adaptations, notably an anime television series and a trading card game developed by Konami,[11] which holds the Guinness World Record for the best-selling trading card game in history, with more than 25.1 billion cards sold as of 2011.[12] Following the end of the original manga's serialization, Takahashi would supervise adaptions made by his assistants, such as Yu-Gi-Oh! R by Akira Itō, Yu-Gi-Oh! GX by Naoyuki Kageyama and Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's by Masashi Sato.[7][9] He was also involved in the animation production of Yu-Gi-Oh! Bonds Beyond Time and Yu-Gi-Oh! The Dark Side of Dimensions.[2][7]

In 2013, his one-shot manga Drump was released in Weekly Shōnen Jump.[13] In 2015, Takahashi received the Inkpot Award from Comic-Con International for his outstanding contributions to comics.[14] In 2018, Takahashi published the limited series The Comiq in Weekly Shōnen Jump.[15] Takahashi also wrote a two-part manga, titled Secret Reverse, for the Marvel × Shōnen Jump+ Super Collaboration, which was released on Shōnen Jump+ in September 2019.[16]

Style

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Takahashi's early art style was comical gekiga and influenced by traditional anime. Some illustrators such as Drew Struzan, Alphonse Mucha, and Norman Rockwell had a tremendous impact on Takahashi's later art style. His choices of traditional art tools were g-pen, watercolors and Copic markers, whereas Adobe Photoshop and Painter were the art programs he used during post manga serialization.[3][2][4]

Personal life

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Takahashi enjoyed playing games such as shogi, mahjong, card games, and tabletop role-playing games.[3][17] In an interview with Shonen Jump, Takahashi stated that his favorite manga from other authors included Akira by Katsuhiro Otomo, JoJo's Bizarre Adventure by Hirohiko Araki, and Dragon Ball by Akira Toriyama.[18] He also enjoyed reading American comics[3] and stated that Hellboy was his favorite American comic book character.[19] His pet dog, a shiba inu named Taro (タロ), was the basis for the Yu-Gi-Oh! Trading Card Game monster card Shiba-Warrior Taro (柴戦士（しばせんし）タロ); the card's artwork was personally drawn by Takahashi.[20][21] Takahashi also enjoyed sea diving and visited Okinawa seaside each July.[22][23]

Takahashi occasionally expressed his political views in his art, such as when he posted a drawing on Instagram of Yu-Gi-Oh! characters criticizing Shinzo Abe's government and asking his followers to "vote for justice" in the 2019 House of Councillors election. He later apologized.[24]

Death

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On July 6, 2022, Takahashi was found dead in the water 300 meters (980 ft) off the shore of Nago, Okinawa, by Japan Coast Guard officers following a civilian report from a passing boat.[25] He was found wearing snorkeling gear, and his cause of death was determined to be drowning.[26][27]

It was subsequently reported, first in the American military newspaper Stars and Stripes on October 11, that Takahashi had died in the afternoon of July 4 while assisting in the rescue of three others who were caught in a rip current.[28][29]

Works

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As Hajime Miyabi

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  • Ing! Love Ball (ING!ラブボール) (1981; one-shot, published in Shogakukan's Weekly Shōnen Sunday)
  • Kyōgaku Sensen SOS!! (共学戦線SOS！！) (1982; one-shot, published in Shogakukan's Weekly Shōnen Sunday)
  • Ano Ko ni Scramble (あの娘にスクランブル) (1982; one-shot, published in Shogakukan's Weekly Shōnen Sunday)
  • Yū Yua Yū (勇ユア優) (1982; one-shot, published in Shogakukan's Weekly Shōnen Sunday)
  • Hajimemashite Ran Desu!! (はじめまして蘭です！！) (1983; one-shot, published in Shogakukan's Weekly Shōnen Sunday)

As Kazuo Takahashi

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  • Gō-Q-Chōji Ikkiman (剛Q超児イッキマン) (1986; serialized in Kodansha's Weekly Shōnen Magazine)
  • Tokiō no Taka (闘輝王の鷹) (1990; one-shot, published in Shueisha's Weekly Shōnen Jump)
  • Battle Mind (バトルマインド) (1991; one-shot, published in Shueisha's Weekly Shōnen Jump)
  • Tennenshoku Danji Buray (天燃色男児BURAY) (1991–1992; serialized in Shueisha's Weekly Shōnen Jump)

As Kazuki Takahashi

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  • Yu-Gi-Oh! (遊☆戯☆王) (1996–2004; serialized in Shueisha's Weekly Shōnen Jump)
  • Drump (2013; one-shot, published in Shueisha's Weekly Shōnen Jump)
  • The Comiq (2018; serialized in Shueisha's Weekly Shōnen Jump)
  • Secret Reverse (2019; released on Shueisha's Shōnen Jump+)

Others

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  • Button (2010; released on Studio Dice official website)
3 episodes of anime shorts made by Takahashi.

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c 『遊戯王』の作者・高橋和希さんが死去。沖縄県名護市で遺体となって発見、海上保安署と警察が死亡するまでのいきさつを調査中と報道. Den Fami Nico Gamer (in Japanese). July 7, 2022. Retrieved July 23, 2022.
  2. ^ a b c d e "Duel Art, Kazuki Takahashi Yu-Gi-Oh! Illustrations". Internet Archive (in Japanese). Shueisha. December 21, 2011. Archived from the original on December 21, 2011. Retrieved July 24, 2022.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h "Die Welt von Yu-Gi-Oh!". Banzai!. No. 23. Shueisha. September 2003.
  4. ^ a b c US Shonen Jump Magazine (February 2003). Archived in Taretare 和希の素　語録.[1]
  5. ^ Yu-Gi-Oh! tankobon vol. 28
  6. ^ Original from Studio Dice blog, now deactivated. @Kazuki_bot_ygo (March 5, 2022). 実はオレ高校生ん時、アルバイト雑誌に載っていた手塚プロダクションのアニメ背景スタッフの募集広告見て... (Tweet) (in Japanese). Retrieved March 5, 2022 – via Twitter.
  7. ^ a b c d e @WANPOWANWAN (July 8, 2022). 「高橋かずお」と「高橋和希」は貧乏か金持ちかの差でしかなく中身はほぼ同じだ。... (Tweet) (in Japanese). Retrieved July 8, 2022 – via Twitter.
  8. ^ Shonen Magazine, year 1986, vol. 19. Archived in Taretare 和希の素　語録.[2]
  9. ^ a b 遊☆戯☆王. Comic Natalie (in Japanese). Natasha, Inc. April 21, 2016. Retrieved July 7, 2022.
  10. ^ 天然色男児BURAY. Media Arts Database (in Japanese). Agency for Cultural Affairs. Archived from the original on July 8, 2022. Retrieved July 7, 2022.
  11. ^ a b 「遊☆戯☆王」の高橋和希が60歳で死去. Comic Natalie (in Japanese). Natasha, Inc. July 7, 2022. Archived from the original on July 8, 2022. Retrieved July 7, 2022.
  12. ^ Loo, Egan (June 14, 2011). "Yu-Gi-Oh! Sets Guinness Record with 25.1 Billion+ Cards". Anime News Network. Retrieved July 23, 2022.
  13. ^ Sherman, Jennifer (October 17, 2013). "Kazuki Takahashi Draws 'Drump' 1-Shot 9 Years After Yu-Gi-Oh's End". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on March 28, 2022. Retrieved July 7, 2022.
  14. ^ Ressler, Karen (July 13, 2015). "Yu-Gi-Oh! Creator Kazuki Takahashi Receives Comic-Con Int'l's Inkpot Award". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on January 22, 2021. Retrieved October 9, 2020.
  15. ^ Hodgkins, Crystalyn (October 5, 2018). "Yu-Gi-Oh! Manga Creator Kazuki Takahashi Launches Short Manga in Shonen Jump". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on January 24, 2019. Retrieved January 24, 2019.
  16. ^ Pineda, Rafael (September 3, 2019). "Yu-Gi-Oh's Kazuki Takahashi, Other Jump Artists Draw Marvel Superhero Manga Shorts". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on April 9, 2022. Retrieved July 7, 2022.
  17. ^ "SHONEN JUMP". SHONEN JUMP. Archived from the original on April 12, 2008. Retrieved June 4, 2019.
  18. ^ "Kazuki Takahashi interview". Shonen Jump. Vol. 1, no. 20. Viz Media. August 2004.
  19. ^ "When Yugi Met Hellboy...". Shonen Jump. Vol. 2, no. 9. Viz Media. September 2004. p. 330.
  20. ^ 「柴戦士タロ」があ出頭え!? [Shiba-Warrior Taro appears!?]. ジャンプSTUDIO発掘隊 [JUMP STUDIO FINDING CORPS]. ジャンプ流！ [JUMP-RYU!] (DVD付分冊マンガ講座 [magazine bundled with DVD containing some of the same content in video format]) (in Japanese). Vol. 8. Shueisha. April 21, 2016. p. 7.
  21. ^ @jc_jumpryu (April 22, 2016). vol.8好評発売中！... (Tweet) (in Japanese). Retrieved July 13, 2019 – via Twitter.
  22. ^ "Banzai! On Tour, Buchmesse Leipzig 2005" [Ich tauche gerne. Leider war ich in den letzten Jahren zu beschäftigt, aber in Zukunft möchte ich gerne wieder häufiger tauchen gehen.]. Banzai! (in German). Shueisha. May 2005.
  23. ^ @studio_dice (July 29, 2020). オレは毎年7月に沖縄に行っているけど、今年は行けないのがツライぜ.... Retrieved July 29, 2020 – via Instagram.
  24. ^ Loveridge, Lynzee (July 16, 2019). "Yu-Gi-Oh Creator Kazuki Takahashi Apologizes for Political Statements". Anime News Network. Retrieved July 13, 2022.
  25. ^ Tolentino, Josh (July 7, 2022). "Yu-Gi-Oh! Manga Creator Kazuki Takahashi Has Died". Siliconera. Archived from the original on July 8, 2022. Retrieved July 7, 2022.
  26. ^ サメのかみ傷は死後 「遊☆戯☆王」作者の死因は溺死と発表 12キロ離れたビーチにレンタカー. Okinawa Times (in Japanese). July 12, 2022. Retrieved July 12, 2022.
  27. ^ Dooley, Ben (July 7, 2022). "Kazuki Takahashi, Yu-Gi-Oh! Creator, Dies at 60". New York Times. Retrieved November 2, 2022.
  28. ^ Burke, Matthew M. (October 11, 2022). "Army officer recognized for rescuing three people from riptide that killed 'Yu-Gi-Oh!' creator". Stars and Stripes. Retrieved October 12, 2022.
  29. ^ Ives, Mike; Ueno, Hisako (October 28, 2022). "A Celebrated Japanese Artist Died Trying to Save Others From Drowning". New York Times. Retrieved November 2, 2022.
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