In order to understand a cultural flow, we must first define the process of internationalisation. This is a term that Hesmondhalgh uses as a neutral determiner between the optimistic globalisation and the pessimistic cultural imperialism (Hesmondhalgh, 2013). In The Cultural Industries, he agreed with the optimists that late capitalism brought about an increase in cultural flows and an abundance of free trade agreements, but remained two-sided about whether these facets are harbingers of evil or bringers of prosperity (Hesmondhalgh, 2013). It is at this point that I should define what I mean by a so-called cultural flow. I will be working with Rodenthi Tzanelli's definition of the 'multidirectional movements and reallocations of human beings, artifacts, and ideas within the ill-defined sphere of “culture” in its global, national, and regional dimensions' (Tzanelli, 2011). In layman's language, a cultural flow is the transfer of culture from one place to another.
Before I go on applying this to Yu-Gi-Oh!, it is important to clarify that when I refer to Yu-Gi-Oh! Season 1 in the title of this essay, I am referring to what in Japan is considered to be Yu-Gi-Oh! Season 2. When English dubbing and distribution rights were given to 4kids Entertainment, it was decided to gloss over Season 1 of the original anime as it was considered too violent and adult to possibly edit; this series has since been referred to as 'Season Zero' by English-speaking fans of the franchise. To avoid further ambiguity, I will refer to the season I am applying this theory to by a name more commonly used by fans: the Duelist Kingdom arc.
Yu-Gi-Oh! started out as a manga series in the Japanese magazine Shonen Jump in 1996, written and drawn by Kazuki Takahashi. In short, it follows the story of a group of high school students who play a card game called Duel Monsters. The original series was adapted to anime between 1998 and 2006 and produced several spin-offs as well as a supplementary card game. The series I am analysing takes place on the Duelist Kingdom estate owned by game creator Maximillian Pegasus, who traps the protagonist's grandfather in a card and forces him to participate in a tournament in exchange for his freedom.
Yu-Gi-Oh! started out as a manga series in the Japanese magazine Shonen Jump in 1996, written and drawn by Kazuki Takahashi. In short, it follows the story of a group of high school students who play a card game called Duel Monsters. The original series was adapted to anime between 1998 and 2006 and produced several spin-offs as well as a supplementary card game. The series I am analysing takes place on the Duelist Kingdom estate owned by game creator Maximillian Pegasus, who traps the protagonist's grandfather in a card and forces him to participate in a tournament in exchange for his freedom.
One of the most obvious changes from the original source is that all references to firearms have been removed. An infamous example is in the episode Everything's Relative, in which Pegasus' henchmen break into the character Seto Kaiba's office and threaten him at gunpoint. In the 4kids dub, they are simply pointing at him, an art edit for where guns were supposed to be (4Kids TV, 2001). In the parody series Yu-Gi-Oh!: The Abridged Series, this joke is played up with the line 'don't move a muscle or we'll shoot you with our invisible guns' (Billany, 2009).
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| (4kids TV, 2001) |
The censorship arguably becomes confusing when the American character Bandit Keith later loses a duel and, in his anger, puts his finger against Pegasus' temple (4Kids TV, 2002c).
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| (NAS, 2000b) and (4kids TV, 2002c) |
Another example of 4kids censorship can be found in the Panik Attack storyline, which lasts for two episodes (4kids Entertainment, 2002a and 2002b). The arc begins when a large man named Panik is introduced and kidnaps the female character Mai Valentine. In the 4kids dub, this is portrayed as a simple theft of star chips, a far cry from the original in which Panik implies that he is going to sexually assault her (NAS, 2000a). The protagonist Yugi Motou, possessed by Yami Yugi, challenges him to a duel. Upon winning, Yami banishes Panik to the Shadow Realm, which is used throughout the 4kids dub as a euphemism for killing someone using magical powers. In this case, censorship makes Panik's banishment/death make less sense since his only crime was theft of a few gold trinkets.
Why was it felt that the series needed to be so heavily censored? Because at the time in which Yu-Gi-Oh! came to the West, anime had only been marketed in Western countries to children. The appeal of Pokémon and Dragon Ball Z with children in previous years (the latter of which was originally a much more adult series), combined with a Western ideal that cartoons- unless they were explicitly marketed otherwise- could only be for children, led 4kids to make sweeping changes when they received dubbing rights. Parini believes that this situation is gradually changing. As anime becomes a more accepted and well understood as a medium to Western audiences, series are now marketed towards teenagers and adults and are being broadcast in their original form in adult slots (Parini, 2012). Thus, it could be said that anime is more effective as a cultural flow than ever.
Why was it felt that the series needed to be so heavily censored? Because at the time in which Yu-Gi-Oh! came to the West, anime had only been marketed in Western countries to children. The appeal of Pokémon and Dragon Ball Z with children in previous years (the latter of which was originally a much more adult series), combined with a Western ideal that cartoons- unless they were explicitly marketed otherwise- could only be for children, led 4kids to make sweeping changes when they received dubbing rights. Parini believes that this situation is gradually changing. As anime becomes a more accepted and well understood as a medium to Western audiences, series are now marketed towards teenagers and adults and are being broadcast in their original form in adult slots (Parini, 2012). Thus, it could be said that anime is more effective as a cultural flow than ever.
SOURCES:
Billany, M. (2009). YGOTAS Episode 6 - Everybody Hates Mako - LittleKuriboh. [video] Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aSt1J_usLzQ [Accessed 21 Feb. 2017].
Hesmondhalgh, D. (2013). The Cultural Industries. Available at: http://www.amazon.com/Cultural-Industries-Prof-David-Hesmondhalgh/dp/1412908086.
NAS (2000a) 'Pitch-Black Duel! The Castle Hidden in the Darkness' Yu-Gi-Oh!, Series 2, episode 14, TV Tokyo, 25 July.
NAS (2000b) 'Travel Through Time! Red-Eyes Black Metal Dragon' Yu-Gi-Oh!, Series 2, episode 32, 28 November.
Parini, I. (2012). Censorship of Anime in Italian Distribution. Meta: Journal des traducteurs, 57(2), pp.325–337. Available at: http://id.erudit.org/iderudit/1013948ar.
Tzanelli, R. (2011). 'Cultural flows', in Southerton, D (ed.), Encyclopedia of consumer culture, SAGE Publications, Inc., Thousand Oaks, CA, pp. 385-386, 21 February 2017, doi: 10.4135/9781412994248.n145.
4Kids TV (2001) 'Everything's Relative' Yu-Gi-Oh!: Duel Monsters, Series 1, episode 8, Kids WB, 17 November.
4Kids TV (2002a) 'The Light at the End of the Tunnel' Yu-Gi-Oh!: Duel Monsters, Series 1, episode 14, Kids WB, 2 February.
4Kids TV (2002b) 'Winning Through Intimidation' Yu-Gi-Oh!: Duel Monsters, Series 1, episode 15, Kids WB, 2 February.
4Kids TV (2002c) 'Keith's Machination (Part 2 of 2)' Yu-Gi-Oh!: Duel Monsters, Series 1, episode 32, 7 September.
Billany, M. (2009). YGOTAS Episode 6 - Everybody Hates Mako - LittleKuriboh. [video] Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aSt1J_usLzQ [Accessed 21 Feb. 2017].
Hesmondhalgh, D. (2013). The Cultural Industries. Available at: http://www.amazon.com/Cultural-Industries-Prof-David-Hesmondhalgh/dp/1412908086.
NAS (2000a) 'Pitch-Black Duel! The Castle Hidden in the Darkness' Yu-Gi-Oh!, Series 2, episode 14, TV Tokyo, 25 July.
NAS (2000b) 'Travel Through Time! Red-Eyes Black Metal Dragon' Yu-Gi-Oh!, Series 2, episode 32, 28 November.
Parini, I. (2012). Censorship of Anime in Italian Distribution. Meta: Journal des traducteurs, 57(2), pp.325–337. Available at: http://id.erudit.org/iderudit/1013948ar.
Tzanelli, R. (2011). 'Cultural flows', in Southerton, D (ed.), Encyclopedia of consumer culture, SAGE Publications, Inc., Thousand Oaks, CA, pp. 385-386, 21 February 2017, doi: 10.4135/9781412994248.n145.
4Kids TV (2001) 'Everything's Relative' Yu-Gi-Oh!: Duel Monsters, Series 1, episode 8, Kids WB, 17 November.
4Kids TV (2002a) 'The Light at the End of the Tunnel' Yu-Gi-Oh!: Duel Monsters, Series 1, episode 14, Kids WB, 2 February.
4Kids TV (2002b) 'Winning Through Intimidation' Yu-Gi-Oh!: Duel Monsters, Series 1, episode 15, Kids WB, 2 February.
4Kids TV (2002c) 'Keith's Machination (Part 2 of 2)' Yu-Gi-Oh!: Duel Monsters, Series 1, episode 32, 7 September.
GLOSSARY:
Duel: In the manga and anime, a 'duel' is a game of Duel Monsters, the card game that drives the plot. In the real world, this term is used for matches in the series' accompanying card game.
Duel: In the manga and anime, a 'duel' is a game of Duel Monsters, the card game that drives the plot. In the real world, this term is used for matches in the series' accompanying card game.
Shadow Realm: An otherworldy dimension invented by 4kids to replace all references to Hell and, more generally, death in the anime. In the 4kids dub, Yami Yugi has the ability to banish evil people to this realm using his mind. In the original, he kills them.
Star Chips: In the Duelist Kingdom arc, star chips are earned by beating another person in a duel. If someone loses, the winner takes all of their star chips. The first four people to earn ten star chips gain a semi-final place in the Duelist Kingdom tournament.
Yami Yugi: Yugi Motou is occasionally possessed by the spirit of an Ancient Egyptian Pharaoh named Atem. This personality is often known as Yami Yugi (lit. 'Dark Yugi').
Yami Yugi: Yugi Motou is occasionally possessed by the spirit of an Ancient Egyptian Pharaoh named Atem. This personality is often known as Yami Yugi (lit. 'Dark Yugi').
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