TLDR;
This video explores an early Yu-Gi-Oh episode that parodies Digimon and Tamagotchi, highlighting its surprising prescience in predicting future Digimon plot lines. It discusses how this early parody presented ideas, such as Digimon consuming data and a Digimon Emperor-like villain, years before they appeared in the Digimon anime. The video also examines the timeline of the episode's release in relation to the development and release of Tamagotchi and the Digital Monster V1, suggesting that the Yu-Gi-Oh creator may have had insider knowledge of these digital pets.
- Early Yu-Gi-Oh episode parodied Digimon and Tamagotchi.
- The parody predicted Digimon plot lines, like data consumption and an Emperor-like villain.
- The episode was released close to the development of Tamagotchi and Digital Monster V1.
Episode Review [0:00]
The video begins by establishing that early Yu-Gi-Oh, before it was known as a card game anime, featured Yugi and his friends playing various games. It references manga chapter 21 and anime episode 7, which centered around battling digital pet monsters, clearly parodying Digimon and Tamagotchi. In the episode, students are consumed by digital pets that evolve and battle, with a competition offering a trip to Australia as the prize. The episode introduces characters like Honda, who initially hates the pets but trains one to win Miho's affection, and two key side characters: Hayama and Kuji.
The plot thickens when Yugi notices a suspicious exchange between Kuji and Hayama. Kuji is portrayed as a bully who forces others into pet battles and has his pet eat the losers. Yugi has a digital pet named Yugi Two. The episode takes a dark turn when humans start disappearing, and Hayama is revealed to be the villain, controlling Kuji. This plotline is compared to the Digimon Emperor, but is considered even darker. Yugi and Yugi Two battle Hayama, with Yugi Two evolving into a darker form. Yugi then forces Hayama to experience an illusion of being eaten by his own pet, teaching him a lesson about responsibility and care. The episode is surprisingly respectful towards virtual pets, acknowledging their appeal without cynicism.
The Timeline [4:00]
The video emphasizes the close timeline between the Yu-Gi-Oh episode and the release of Tamagotchi and Digital Monster V1. Tamagotchi was released in Japan in November 1996, followed by Yu-Gi-Oh Chapter 21 in Spring 1997, and the Digital Monster V1 in June 1997. The anime adaptation of the chapter was released in May 1998. The video suggests that Takahashi, the creator of Yu-Gi-Oh, likely had insider knowledge of the development of these digital pets, as they were in the works for years before their public release. Despite the close timeline, the Yu-Gi-Oh episode successfully told a Digimon-like story before the first Digimon anime. The video concludes by suggesting that Yu-Gi-Oh episode 7 should be recognized as the first Digimon anime.