Duel Masters

Duel Masters (デュエルマスターズDyueru Masutāzu) is a franchise based on a manga, an anime and a trading card game. The English-language version of the series made a 3-episode preview premiere on Cartoon Network's Toonami block on February 27, 2004 (although it was somewhat edited for time). The episodes then made their "official" premiere on March 13, 2004 on CN's Toonami spinoff block, the Saturday Video Entertainment System (also known as SVES or Saturday [the block is now cancelled]) with less edits as well as episodes 4 & 5. Toonami then moved to Saturdays and premiered the rest of the series from then on. "Season 2" premiered on March 26, 2005. Season 3 began production in September 2005. Duel Masters 2.0 will begin on January 28th in America. Duel Masters often jokes about typical anime conventions, such as split-screens and a missing father-figure. Frequent references are made throughout the show to pop culture phenomenon, often at random. As such, they even recur as running gags during the course of the show. While the storyline is technically dramatic, most episodes are punctuated by a comedic storyline mixed in with the serious storyline. There are also various references to classic music: For example, when the main character, Shobu, attacks with a creature called Rikabu's Screwdriver, he says "It's hammer time...I mean screwdriver time." It also makes references to other things, such as when one of the characters, Kyoshiro Kokujo, says "I am dark...I am the night...I am Bat-oh wait, wrong show." Duel Masters also has promotional gimmicks which depart greatly from the traditional fantasy flavors embraced in Magic: The Gathering.

The card game is made by Wizards of the Coast.

The Duel Masters manga is written by Shigenobu Matsumoto, and is published by Shogakukan in Coro Coro Comics. It has not been licensed for the U.S. (although there has been an American created comic book by Dreamwave Productions. The first season and Japanese second season are loosely based on the manga.)

Current English expansions are Base Set DM-01, Evo-Crushinators of Doom DM-02, Rampage of the Super Warriors DM-03, Shadowclash of Blinding Night DM-04, Survivors of the Megapocalypse DM-05, Stomp-A-Trons of Invincible Wrath DM-06, Thundercharge of Ultra Destruction DM-07 and Epic Dragons of Hyper Chaos DM-08, with Fatal Brood of Infinite Ruin DM-09 releasing in January of 2006.

Plotline

The anime is about a boy named Shobu Kirifuda (切札勝舞 Kirifuda Shōbu) who plays a game called "Duel Masters" (in the early manga, he plays Magic: The Gathering). In Shobu's world, the players can bring the monsters to life using a fictional martial art called "kaijudo" (actually a marketing term created to sell the game in America). Shobu aims to become a "Kaijudo master" like his father, Shori Kirifuda (切札勝利 Kirifuda Shōri). Shobu fights opponents from the evil temple run by the mysterious Master in Season One. In the American created Season Two, Shobu battles the evil organization P.L.O.O.P. and their plans to use monsters from the Civilization Realms to take over Earth. In Season Three, Shobu and Co. take on the Black Soldiers at a Duel Masters tournament.

Characters

• Shobu Kirifuda -The show's protagonist. He aspires to become a great duelist like his father. Shobu keeps a positive attitude throughout the series, insisting on dueling for fun as opposed to simply winning. He's brave, strong, and true- just like every other anime hero. He uses a Fire Civilization deck.

• Knight (ナイト; Naito) - Shobu's mysterious and soft-spoken mentor. His inner monologue is a source of much of the show's mature and subtle humor. Despite being Shobu's mentor, he is usually unable to assist his student in times of need due to either Shobu's stubborn attitude or Knight being unable to show up at the scene. Knight does not appear in the manga.

• Rekuta Kadoko (角古れく太; Kadoko Rekuta) - One of Shobu's close friends. Even though he's an expert at the rules of "Duel Masters," he's a terrible duelist, often going without a single win during a tournament. He's often seen with his portable laptop to keep track of important duels.

• Mimi Tasogare (黄昏ミミ; Tasogare Mimi) - Another of Shobu's posse. She appeared at first to be an inept duelist but was later revealed as a dueling temple guardian at the Junior Duelist Center and an expert player. Mimi is also an expert at martial arts and is incredibly smart and strong.

• Kintaro Nanba (難波金太郎; Nanba Kintarō) - Former gatekeeper of the Junior Duelist Center. He was fired from his job after losing to Shobu and became one of his friends. Nobody knows how old he is.

• Hakuoh (白凰) - As a child, he was a cheerful duelist like Shobu. Since then, Hakuoh has become a cold-hearted villain. Later in the series, he is defeated by Shobu and befriends him.

• Kyoshiro Kokujo (黒城凶死郎; Kokujō Kyoshirō) - A self-proclaimed "evil genius" throughout the series. Other characters make fun of his outlandishly styled long hair and all-black leather outfit. He uses a Darkness Civilization Deck

• Master (マスター; Masutaa) - Little is known about the leader of the evil temple except that he's is always seen in a hooded robe and most of his face is never seen. He is the main bad guy of Season One until Hakuoh was defeated,

• Boy George (called simply "George", or "Jōji" [ジョージ] in Japan) - Boy George is a midget in a bear suit and is always seen sucking a pacifier. He rides around in a motor baby carraige and uses a Water Civilization deck. His English dub name is an obvious reference to Culture Club lead singer Boy George (one of the dub episodes is called "Do You Really Want to Hurt Me") in season 3 he uses a Darkness, Water deck. In Japan, he is a possible reference to/parody of "Johji", Hiroto Honda's infant nephew in the Yu-Gi-Oh! manga.

• Dr. Root (Dr. ルート; Dokutaa Ruuto) - Boy George's boss, mad scientist, and expert duelist. He tends to extend some words long and has a deck of Survivor monsters.

• P.L.O.O.P. - An evil organization that plot to use monsters from the Civilizations of the Creature World to take over Earth. This organization is seen only in the "second season" that was created for America.

• Black Soldiers - A group of duelists that are the opposite form of Hakuoh's White Soldiers led by Robby Rotten.

• Robby Rotten - The current junior champion. He swore to get revenge on Hakuoh and Johny Coolburns for making him wear shorts. He uses a Light Deck.

• Johny Coolburns - The First of the 4 guardians. He uses a Water, Fire deck. He lost to Robby Rotten in season three.

• Akakhan - Robby Rotten's right hand man. He uses a Fire Deck. He dueled Boy George near the exit.

• Multi - Card Monty - A member of the Black Soldiers who uses a Water deck. He wins duels by telling his opponents stories that doesn't lead any where.

Duel Masters Facts

"Kaijudo" originates from the word "kaijū", meaning monster, and "dō", or "the way". Therefore "kaijūdō" means "the way of the monster."

The term "Kaijudo" is specific to North America. It is not used in Japan

The name "Duel Masters" is often believed to be a pun on "Duel Monsters" (the name used in the second series anime and English manga for a card game (also known as Magic & Wizards - that name is a pun off of "Magic: The Gathering") in the Yu-Gi-Oh! manga and anime series). It actually takes its name from Magic: The Gathering, which had Duel Masters as its codename early in development.

In the United Kingdom, Future Publishing publishes the Official Duel Masters Magazine.

The first English-language season of the TV series was produced by Plastic Cow Productions. The second season (that was created for the American market) was produced by Elastic Media Corp. The third season is being produced by Howling Cat Productions. In the UK, Duel Masters airs on Toonami and used to air on five. In the US it airs on Cartoon Network.

The ridiculous titles of the TCG expansion sets are named in parody of other TCGs with strange titles.

Differences Between Japanese and U.S. versions

The "Sacred Lands"/"P.L.O.O.P." storyline is not based on the manga and was created specifically for the American market. The Japanese version has a separate second season entitled "Duel Masters Charge", which is based on more of the manga and features characters that do not appear in the Amercan second season, including a character named "Great Baketsuman". It is unknown when or if the Japanese 2nd season will air in America. If the Japanese second season were to be broadcast in America, it would have to be changed to accommodate the American 2nd season. It is also unknown why a separate 2nd season was created for America in the first place.