In 2011, cumulative sales surpassed 25.17 billion cards. It was certified by Guinness World Records as the 'best-selling trading card game in the world,' and in March 2013 it was also certified as the 'trading card game tournament with the most participants.'
As of 2019, its media mix had recorded total worldwide revenue of over 2.7 trillion yen, making it a mega-hit franchise. That's the Yu-Gi-Oh! OCG.
The Yu-Gi-Oh! anime first aired in a Toei version (on the TV Asahi network), with Megumi Ogata voicing Yugi Muto. However, the ratings struggled to grow and it ended in cancellation. After that, on TV Tokyo, the cast and staff were completely overhauled and it was reborn as Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters, centered on this Yu-Gi-Oh! OCG.
Even after the main series finished airing, it has continued to this day, changing protagonists and settings and shifting titles to 'GX,' '5D's,' and so on.
The story's synopsis: Upon learning that Sugoroku Muto—the grandfather of 'Yugi Muto'—possesses the rare card 'Blue-Eyes White Dragon,' of which only four are said to exist in the world, Kaiba acquires the remaining three copies, challenges Sugoroku to a duel, wins, and tears up the Blue-Eyes White Dragon card. Entrusted with Sugoroku's deck, Yugi challenges Kaiba to a duel. This duel is conducted under the so-called 'Kaiba Special Rules.'
Some time later, a video letter arrives for Yugi from 'Maximillion J. Pegasus (Pegasus J. Crawford),' the creator of Duel Monsters. The Pegasus who appears in the video letter suddenly announces a duel, and Yugi begins the duel by placing his cards in front of the TV. But Yugi's every strategy was seen right through by Pegasus. When the video runs out of time, Yugi is treated as having lost, and as a penalty game, his grandfather Sugoroku's soul is sealed inside the video. Finally, Pegasus reveals that he possesses the Millennium Item 'Millennium Eye' and vanishes. To save Sugoroku, Yugi resolves to take part in the dueling tournament 'Duelist Kingdom,' the condition Pegasus laid out. Meanwhile, Yugi's best friend 'Katsuya Jonouchi' also says he wants to enter this kingdom. His goal is to win the prize money and save his younger sister Shizuka, who suffers from an eye disease. (Partially excerpted from Wikipedia.)
Let me introduce the composer: Shinkichi Mitsumune. He's a well-known composer among anime fans who go way back—works like 'VS Knight Lamune & 40 Fire,' 'Revolutionary Girl Utena,' 'Akihabara Dennou Gumi,' and 'Nurse Angel Ririka SOS' are all titles that any otaku who spent their youth in the late '90s leaned on at least once.
Let me introduce some of the score.
Maybe because this is the first original soundtrack, there are a lot of tunes you'll recognize, but here's one of them.
'Passionate Duelists.' Anyone who watched the TV anime knows this is the BGM that leads into a dramatic, game-changing decisive move.
Next is 'Soar.' I haven't actually heard it played in context, but it's a piece that fits perfectly as a duel theme for Mai Kujaku, who wields a Harpie Lady deck.
To close, let's part ways with the trailer for 'Yu-Gi-Oh! THE DARK SIDE OF DIMENSIONS,' which depicts the aftermath of the final episode.
Quoted from the official site https://www.tv-tokyo.co.jp/anime/yugioh-dm/
