Kazuki Takahashi's Yu-Gi-Oh! is celebrating its 30th anniversary, and a special music video has been released to commemorate the occasion.
On Thursday (May 21), Shueisha's official manga YouTube channel premiered a video that combines new animation with "OVERLAP," the fifth and final opening theme from the original TV anime. Singer KIMERU, who performed the song during the anime's original run, returned for the tribute.
The visual showcases important dueling moments from across the manga's storyline, depicting iconic characters Yugi Mutou, Seto Kaiba, Katsuya Jonouchi, Anzu Mazaki, and Hiroto Honda with fan-favorite monsters like Dark Magician, Dark Magician Girl, Blue-Eyes White Dragon, and Red-Eyes Black Dragon.
The manga's official 30th anniversary will take place in September 2026, and the celebrations extend beyond the music video. Takahashi's first-ever public exhibition showcasing his original artworks is planned for this winter as part of the milestone commemorations.
Back in March, the company behind Yu-Gi-Oh! spoke out after the White House used a clip from the anime to promote U.S. military activity in Iran.
On March 6, the manga’s protagonist, Yugi, was posted by the White House saying: "Now end this." Underneath the video, which was wrapped with an illustration of the White House with the Mortal Kombat soundbite "flawless victory," the caption read: "JUSTICE THE AMERICAN WAY."
Yu-Gi-Oh!’s X account posted a statement condemning the White House for involving it in its promotional clip, and stressed that the company has no ties with the U.S. government.
"It has come to our attention that a post on the White House's official X account used footage from the anime series Yu-Gi-Oh!," the statement read. "This was made without any authorization from the rights holder. Regarding this matter, no one associated with the manga or anime had any involvement, and no permission was granted for the use of this intellectual property."
