The King of Games Knows That Cruelty to Animals Is No Game!


The anime craze is sweeping the nation ... actually, the globe. In fact, you can't go anywhere these days without seeing the hugely popular Yu-Gi-Oh! character, who was first brought to life in Manga comics by SHONEN JUMP, published by VIZ, LLC. Now our hero is featured on trading cards, has his own TV show, and even starred in the summer blockbuster Yu-Gi-Oh!: The Movie.

Once the shy, mild-mannered Yugi–until he solved the Millennium Puzzle, that is–this wild-haired avenger of justice now steps in and kicks butt when evil rears its ugly head. And that's no small feat, considering that he's still just a kid ... you try sportin' neck gear that's as big as your head (that's the Millennium Puzzle around his neck, by the way). Yugi sets a good example for all of us by standing up to the bad guys and making the world a better place, so be like Yugi and do your part by speaking up for animals. And always report any acts of animal abuse that you hear about or see.

Check out our interview with Yu-Gi-Oh! creator Kazuki Takahashi!

Q: What is your favorite animal?

A: I like horses.

Q: Why?

A: Their appearance when they run is beautiful, so I like them. I like dogs, too. I love dogs. Because I had a dog a long time ago.

Q: What kind of dog?

A: A mix, a mutt.

Q: Can you talk about why Yugi is kind to animals?

A: It's all the same life. If there were another living creature in front of you, if you feel that the same life is dwelling inside of him, you probably couldn't be mean to him.

Q: In Yu-Gi-Oh!'s story, there's a lot of battling against injustice and evil. What sort of relationship do you think exists between injustice and animal cruelty?

A: Violence toward somebody else actually is violence toward yourself. That's what I think cruelty is. It's very difficult to explain, but I think cruelty is trying to gain satisfaction by hurting others because of something that is lacking inside yourself.

Q: So, you mean that when you hurt somebody else, you're hurting yourself at the same time?

A: That's right. Inflicting violence on another means you don't love yourself.

Use the form below to send a Yu-Gi-Oh! e-card to your friends to encourage them to be kind to animals. And don't forget to download and print your very own Yu-Gi-Oh! poster, exclusively designed for TeachKind and PETA by Kazuki Takahashi.