SHONEN JUMP:

Where did the original idea of Yu-Gi-Oh! come from?

Kazuki Takahashi:

When expressing the notion of Shonen manga (boys' comics) = battles, I wanted to create a story using the rule of battling without causing physical injuries. That led to my coming up with the idea of battling within a game.

SJ:

Where did the idea of Elemental Heroes and Neos come from?

KT:

Since most of the Yu-Gi-Oh! monsters back then were founded on fantasy, I wanted to introduce something more real, more life-size. That's when I thought of heroes in American comics. Based on the life-size presence of American comic book heroes, I created Elemental Heroes and Neos.

SJ:

Why did you base your theme on Egypt?

KT:

It was a way to incorporate "mysticism" into my manga. Whenever I thought of something mystical, I always envisioned Egypt.

SJ:

Are Yugi and Anzu going to be together in the future?

KT:

Anzu is now in America, studying dance. If she still feels the same when she comes back to Japan, or she feels more than she did before toward Yugi, the two may even get married! [laughs]