Yu-Gi-Oh! (1998 TV series)

Yu-Gi-Oh! is a 1998 Japanese anime television series based on the manga of the same name written and illustrated by Kazuki Takahashi. It was the first anime adaptation of the manga series and it was produced by Toei Animation and directed by Hiroyuki Kakudō. The series tells the story of Yugi Mutou, who after solving the ancient Millennium Puzzle, awakens a gambling alter-ego within his body that solves his conflicts using various games. This series loosely adapts the first 59 chapters of the manga while adding original events and characters not present in the manga.

The series was broadcast on TV Asahi from April 4, 1998 to October 10, 1998 and was followed by a theatrical movie released on March 6, 1999. The opening theme is "A Yell of Thirst" (渇いた叫び) by FIELD OF VIEW while the ending theme is "Even if You Break Tomorrow" (明日もし君が壊れても) by WANDS.

Characters
The Toei series made Miho Nosaka, a minor character in the manga, into a main character.

Reception
Timothy Donohoo of Comic Book Resources characterized the series as "noticeably darker" compared to later Yu-Gi-Oh! series. Some violence was reduced compared to the original work.

The Toei series has a visual appearance that references the earlier manga volumes. Laura Thornton, also of CBR, described the art style as "extremely saturated and bright" although background imagery has a "notably muted palette with dull colors". Seto Kaiba has green hair in this show, although the sequel film associated with this series uses brown hair for Kaiba.