Unlike Pokémon, the Yu-Gi-Oh! theatrical feature was not made for Japan initially.

Clearly, now is the time to take theatrical advantage of Yu-Gi-Oh!'s popularity. Since no Yu-Gi-Oh! theatrical exists in Japan for WB and 4Kids to license, they have arranged for the creation of one with the Japanese producers of the Yu-Gi-Oh! TV animated series, Studio Gallop in Tokyo (directed by Hatsuki Tsuji) and Gallop's subcontractor in Seoul, Dong Woo Animation Co. Ltd.

Yu-Gi-Oh! (translation: King of Games), created by cartoonist Kazuki Takahashi, began in Japan's Weekly Shonen Jump manga magazine in 1996 and is still running. It first appeared in animation as a 27-episode TV series from April 4 through Oct.10, 1998, produced by Toei Animation Co. The current TV series by Studio Gallop, titled Yu-Gi-Oh!: Duel Monsters in Japan, began on April 18, 2000 and is still running; episode #216 was broadcast on August 4.

The premise is that, 5,000 years ago at the dawn of civilization, supernaturally powerful Egyptian wizards held mystic battles called Shadow Games for world supremacy. These sorcerers’ battles escalated until they threatened to destroy the world. Finally the most powerful of the good wizards, the Pharaoh, defeated his enemy, Anubis, and sealed away the magic "for eternity" for the safety of the world. It was supposedly the dim memory of these events that led the Egyptians to call their future monarchs the Pharaohs, and name their Lord of the Dead, Anubis.

But "not even eternity lasts forever". Jump forward to the present. Duel Monsters, a new trading card-battling game, has just become the hottest fad with the world's youth. Players compete with cards of monsters and magic such as Summoned Skull, Blackland Fire Dragon and Mystic Lamp to win each other's "life points." Unknown to anyone, Duel Monsters is a reincarnation of the Shadow Games, and their ancient supernatural master-players are also about to be reborn.

Yugi Moto is a frail-looking boy whose grandfather owns the most popular gaming shop in the city. He has in his personal collection a rare ancient Egyptian game, the pyramid-shaped Millennium Puzzle. Nobody has been able to solve it until he gives it to Yugi, who becomes obsessed with it. His obsession for years gets him as reputation with his classmates as a nerd, until he finally solves it in high school. This releases the soul of the Pharaoh, Yugi's psychic double, which resides in the Puzzle.

Actually, that was not revealed until about two years into the series. For the first comic book stories and the original 27-episode TV series, Yugi's mystic alter ego was named Yami Yugi; Dark Yugi. Yu-Gi-Oh! was a schoolboy's revenge fantasy. Yugi's high school and neighborhood was populated with sadistic bullies. Yugi had the courage but not the strength to stand up to them. Dark Yugi would take over Yugi's body and challenge each bully to a game that required skill and nerve rather than strength. When the bully lost, a supernatural revenge would befall him.