Like many of you, Yu-Gi-Oh has had a huge impact on my life, and it saddens me that on the same week I self-published Yu-Gi-Oh Case Law, the creator of Yu-Gi-Oh, Kazuki Takahashi, passed away. By the time I knew about this, the first edition was already sent to Amazon, so I decided to post my dedication here.
I learned about what happened to Kazuki Takahashi as I was going to work at my dad’s summer camp, Ithaca Media Arts. I wasn’t a super fan that knew a lot about him, but Kazuki Takahashi was a bit of an idol for me because I knew he enjoyed many different games and I shared a similar interest in many games growing up. I’ve even designed a few games of my own. I had a fantasy of meeting him and showing him some of the games I created, but that will never happen. My username is “cardgamechampion” on various platforms because growing up, I learned to play around 15 different trading card games, most of which aren’t sold anymore. I still enjoy learning new games to this day, from trading card games to video games.
I hope Konami keeps Kazuki Takahashi’s wishes in check; to never have cash prizes. It would be nice if Konami releases some sort of memorial set to honor him, perhaps a product like Duel Devastator that includes all the cards guaranteed. Maybe it could be a set with some of the cards he drew, that would be awesome!
I also hope this game continues for a long time, with unique card designs to keep us duelists interested. Both the inside jokes and memories we have with our dueling friends and external jokes/memories within the community will always be with us. Yu-Gi-Oh has created so many friendships, and just like the anime, the game will survive through this by the power of friendship! It’s time to d-d-d-ddddDuel!