Yu-Gi-Oh! Capsule Monsters

Yu-Gi-Oh! Capsule Monsters
Genre	Adventure, Fantasy
TV anime
Directed by	Various
Studio	Studio Gallop, Nihon Ad Systems
English network	YTV 4Kids TV Nickelodeon, Sky One, CITV & NickToons Nickelodeon
Original run	September 9, 2006 – November 25, 2006
Episodes	12
Anime and Manga Portal

Yu-Gi-Oh! Capsule Monsters is a twelve-episode mini-series commissioned, produced, and edited by 4Kids Entertainment (much like Yu-Gi-Oh! The Movie - Pyramid of Light) and is part of the Yu-Gi-Oh! franchise.

Set before the end of the second Yu-Gi-Oh! anime series (Yu-Gi-Oh: Duel Monsters), between the Grand Championship and Millennium World, Capsule Monsters involves Yugi, Joey (Jonouchi), Téa (Anzu), Tristan (Honda), and Yugi's grandfather Solomon (Sugoroku) being pulled into a world where Duel Monsters are real. They find monster capsules that they can use to summon monsters. However, in this strange new world, they battle monsters and when their own monsters are attacked, they feel the pain.

Discovery and presentation

The first mention of Capsule Monsters came on the retailer website, Talkin' Sports in December 2005. However, this information was not at all widespread, and the existence of the project remained unknown to almost the entire fanbase until 30 January - 2 February 2006, when the Irish children's television strand The Den aired the first four episodes on RTÉ Two.^[1]

Historically, it was not unusual for RTÉ Two to premiere episodes of Yu-Gi-Oh! some time before other markets; for example, the concluding episodes of seasons 3, 4 and 5 all premiered on it^{[citation needed]}. However, the Den never actually promoted new episodes when they aired, and this held true for Capsule Monsters when it debuted after a re-run of the Grand Championship arc^{[citation needed]}. Like all the series' spin-offs, it was simply referred to as Yu-Gi-Oh!, lacking its subtitle, on the television programme listings of the 28 January - 3 February 2006 edition of the RTÉ Guide, meaning that it was unknown to viewers that it was airing.^[2] The third episode was accidentally stumbled across by a LiveJournal user who posted the news and screencaps to a LiveJournal community, Play the Damn Card. There was initial confusion amongst fans - particularly over the discovery of the series in such an unlikely place. 4Kids eventually clarified the nature of the show.

After the first four episodes of Capsule Monsters were aired, RTÉ Two went back to broadcasting Season 1 of Yu-Gi-Oh! GX. When the channel finished doing this on 20 July 2006, it aired Millennium World and The Ceremonial Battle. When that was done, the complete series of Capsule Monsters was aired in Ireland between 25 August - 19 September 2006.

Capsule Monsters then began airing on the British digital television channel, Sky One. 4Kids TV acquired the license to the Yu-Gi-Oh! Capsule Monsters Series for the 2006 US Fall Saturday morning lineup^{[citation needed]}. The first episode aired Saturday, September 9.[2]

Capsule Monsters also airs in Germany on RTL II.

Characters

Characters from the original Yu-Gi-Oh! series

• Yugi Muto (武藤 遊戯 Mutō Yūgi)/ Yugi Moto
• Katsuya Jonouchi (城之内 克也 Jōnouchi Katsuya) / Joey Wheeler
• Anzu Mazaki (真崎 杏子 Mazaki Anzu) / Téa Gardner
• Hiroto Honda (本田 ヒロト Honda Hiroto) / Tristan Taylor
• Sugoroku Muto (武藤 双六 Mutō Sugoroku) / Solomon Moto
• Shadi (シャーディー Shādī)

Characters exclusive to Yu-Gi-Oh! Capsule Monsters

• Dr. Alexander "Alex" Brisbane
• Alexander the Great

Capsule Monsters

Yugi's Monsters:

• Celtic Guardian (obtained in episode 1)
• Hinotama Soul (obtained in episode 2)
• Kuriboh (obtained in episode 4)
• Dark Magician (obtained in episode 4, evolved in episode 8)
• Magician of Black Chaos (evolved from Dark Magician in episode 8)
• Black Luster Soldier (obtained in episode 9)
• Blue-Eyes White Dragon (fused with temporarily in episode 10)

NOTE:Atem and Yugi is also capable of activating the power of his Duel Armor and fusing with the other dragons. He has fused with Red Eyes Black Dragon, Thunder Dragon, Seiyaru, Curse of Dragon,to form the Armor of Unity.

Joey's Monsters:

• Baby Dragon (obtained in episode 2, destroyed in episode 11)
• Flame Swordsman (obtained in episode 4, destroyed in episode 11)
• Red Eyes Black Dragon (obtained in episode 7)

NOTE: Joey is able to fuse together with Red Eyes Black Dragon when it was cursed with the Sword of Chaos in episode 7, just as he fused his Aura Armor Trap card with Lord of the Red. After the sword was removed he could no longer fuse with it.

Tristan's Monsters:

• Thunder Kid (obtained in episode 1, destroyed in episode 11)
• Thunder Dragon (obtained in episode 7)
• Shovel Crusher (obtained in episode 8, destroyed in episode 12)

Téa Gardner's Monsters

• Happy Lover (obtained in episode 1, destroyed in episode 11)
• Dark Witch (obtained in episode 4, destroyed in episode 12)
• Seiyaryu (obtained in episode 8)

Solomon's Monsters

• Summoned Skull (mentioned in episode 2, first seen in and destroyed in episode 4)
• Curse of Dragon (given by Alexander the Great in episode 9)

"Evil" Alexander's Monsters

• Seven-Armed Fiend (first seen in episode 11 and destroyed in episode 11)
• Reshef the Dark Being (first seen in episode 11 and destroyed in episode 12)

Alex's Follower #1's Monsters

• Garma Sword (first seen in episode 11 and sacrificed in episode 12)
• Makyura the Destructor (first seen and destroyed in episode 11)
• Dark Jeroid (first seen and destroyed in episode 11)
• Lekunga (first seen and destroyed in episode 11)

Alex's Follower #2's Monsters

• Total Defense Shogun (first seen in episode 11 and sacrificed in episode 12)
• Manticore of Darkness (first seen and destroyed in episode 11)
• Big-Tusked Mammoth (first seen and destroyed in episode 11)

Alex's Follower #3's Monsters

• Reflect Bounder (first seen in episode 11 and sacrificed in episode 12)
• Demoness Knight (first seen and destroyed in episode 11)

Alex's Follower #4's Monsters

• Firewing Pegasus (first seen in episode 11 and sacrificed in episode 12)
• Stealth Bird (first seen and destroyed in episode 11)

Episodes

1. "Getting Played"
2. "Divide and Conquer"
3. "Reunited at Last"
4. "Fortress of Fear"
5. "Eye of the Storm"
6. "Trial of Light and Shadow"
7. "Red-Eyes Black Curse"
8. "Fruits of Evolution"
9. "The Fiendish Five, Part 1"
10. "The Fiendish Five, Part 2"
11. "The True King, Part 1"
12. "The True King, Part 2"

Voice Credits

• Dan Green - Yugi Muto/Yami Yugi
• Wayne Grayson - Joey Wheeler
• Frank Frankson - Tristan Taylor
• Amy Birnbaum - Tea Gardner
• Maddie Blaustein - Solomon Muto
• Pete Zarustica - Dr. Alex Brisbane, Alexander the Great

Other Actors

• Eric Stuart
• Marc Thompson
• Matthew Charles
• David Wills
• Michael Sinterniklaas
• Sean Schemmel
• Tony Salerno
• Priscilla Everett
• Jason Griffith
• Suzy Goldish
• Marc Diraison
• Bella Hudson
• Kayzie Rogers
• Jessica Calvello
• Kelly Ray

Reviews

Emily Ashby of Common Sense Media posted a review of the edited American English language version of the Yu-Gi-Oh! Capsule Monsters anime on Go.com. Ashby stated that viewers who do not like the Yu-Gi-Oh! series will not enjoy the Capsule Monsters series^{[citation needed]} and gave the show two stars out of five.^[3]

Notes

4Kids TV released a preview for the Yu-Gi-Oh!: Capsule Monsters series during the premiere of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Fast Forward^{[citation needed]}.

A full length movie titled Yu-Gi-Oh!: Capsule Monsters was released on DVD in the United States on May 23, 2006^{[citation needed]}. This movie is a compilation of the first six episodes of the series, edited together to form a more seamless storyline. A second disc with the remaining six episodes was released later in the year. [3] 4Kids had hosted a free "screening" of the first disc on May 22, 2006 on the yugioh.com website. During the preview, the movie in its entirety was shown, with the six episodes lasting approximately 90 minutes. This movie has deleted scenes from the movie and extensions of some scenes during the movie^{[citation needed]}. The second DVD, part 2, was released on DVD on September 12, 2006^{[citation needed]}.

References

1. ^ "[1]" Yu-Gi-Oh! World. Retrieved 1 December 2010.
2. ^ RTÉ Guide, 28 January - 3 February 2006 edition
3. ^ "TV Review: Yu-Gi-Oh! Capsule Monsters," Common Sense Media on Go.com