Yu-Gi-Oh! Creator Kazuki Takahashi Died Trying to Save Lives
"He's a hero. He died trying to save someone else."
In a selfless act of heroism, Yu-Gi-Oh! Creator Kazuki Takahashi jumped into turbulent waters near a popular dive spot in Okinawa, Japan in an attempt to rescue three people from a riptide on July 4.
According to a report by Stars & Stripes, the well-known Japanese manga artist aided US Army officer Maj. Robert Bourgeau in the rescue attempt but drowned in the process. Several witnesses at the scene said they caught glimpses of Takahashi until he disappeared beneath the waves.
"He's a hero. He (Takahashi) died trying to save someone else," said Bourgeau, who was nominated last month for the Soldier’s Medal, which recognises acts of heroism not involving actual conflict with an enemy.
Takahashi's body was found two days later about 1,000 feet offshore in Awa, Nago city, and his rental car was later found at Mermaid's Grotto.
During the ordeal, Bourgeau managed to pull ashore a Japanese woman and her daughter, who were sucked into the rip current. The rescue was made even more difficult by incoming six-foot waves, which created a whirlpool effect.
In danger of drowning himself, Bourgeau was able to direct a third victim, a US soldier, out of the whirlpool and onto the shore.
Takahashi is best-known for creating Yu-Gi-Oh!, which originally centered around numerous in-universe tabletop games, a testament to Takahashi’s own love for tabletop and card-based games.
While Takahashi was a manga artist since 1982, he only found success through Yu-Gi-Oh!, which came as a surprise to both the mangaka and the publisher Shonen Jump. Initially conceived as a horror manga, Yu-Gi-Oh! Soon became one of the most popular shonen manga of all time.
With Takahashi creating his own in-universe card game, known at the time as Magic and Wizards, Shonen Jump fans began asking about the game. This led to the creation of the Yu-Gi-Oh! Trading Card Game and its use as a central plot device in the anime and manga.
Initially based on Magic: The Gathering, Yu-Gi-Oh! Trading Card Game has since kept the brand going, even after Takahashi moved to a supervisor role for the franchise. Each subsequent entry in the Yu-Gi-Oh! series has kept the card game in the spotlight.
There have since been eleven incarnations of the Yu-Gi-Oh! franchise, with the current season being known as Yu-Gi-Oh! Go Rush!! The card game has also seen continued success in video games, with Yu-Gi-Oh! Master Duel enjoying success on PC, mobile, and consoles.
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