Yu-Gi-Oh! GX Volume 8 cover image is courtesy of barnesandnoble.com.

Rated “T” for “Teen”

When 10th grader Yugi Mutou solved the ancient Egyptian Millennium Puzzle, the spirit of Yu-Gi-Oh, the Kings of Games, entered his body.  Together they fight in “Duel Monsters,” the most popular collectible card game in the world.  Yu-Gi-Oh! GX is set 10 years after the original Yu-Gi-Oh! and is also the sequel to Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters.

Years after Yugi Mutou’s legendary battles, the game of Yu-Gi-Oh is so popular that special institutions dedicated to the art of the Duel have been opened around the world.  Duel Academy is one of those institutions; set on Duel Academy Island, this school is where the next generation of duelist trains.  Yu-Gi-Oh! GX focuses on Jaden Yuki, a boy who attends Duel Academy.

As Yu-Gi-Oh! GX, Vol. 8 (entitled Masked Hero vs. Vision Hero!!) opens, the “Exchange Battle” between Duel Academy students and several representatives from American Duel Academy continues.  Jaden takes on Aster Phoenix, a powerful American student who is also already a pro duelist.  Meanwhile, the menacing Mr. Mackenzie and his ominous dark aura watch in the background.  And American duelist Adrian Gecko fights for more than just victory.

THE LOWDOWN:  I am not a Yu-Gi-Oh! fan, and I cringe whenever VIZ Media’s press representative sends me a volume of a Yu-Gi-Oh! manga for review.  First, most of the Yu-Gi-Oh! are based on anime, and I’m not a fan of anime-to-manga.  Secondly, it usually takes me a few chapters to grasp the characters and conflicts of a Yu-Gi-Oh! series that I’m reading for the first time.  However, I’m sometimes pleasantly surprised and end up enjoying a volume, making my cringes unjustified.

It didn’t take me long to grasp Yu-Gi-Oh! GX.  It’s pretty simple:  students engage in duels, while evil guy hovers in the background.  Naoyuki Kageyama, who produces the story and art for this series, does a good job in creating a simple straightforward story with duels that manage to be understandable even with all the card-tossing.  Besides, if nothing else, I at least have a good graphic novel to give to my nephew.

[This volume includes a free “Barbaroid, the Ultimate Battle Machine” card and an index featuring every card played in this volume.]

POSSIBLE AUDIENCE:  Anyone who has been reading the other Yu-Gi-Oh! manga series will want Yu-Gi-Oh! GX.

B