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Yu-Gi-Oh! is popular around the world and the manga, anime, and TCG have been translated into many different languages. However, did you know that the artwork for the TCG cards often has to be adjusted for different countries? There are a few reasons for this, although nudity and depictions of weapons are the most common.
Some of the censorship is easy to understand, while other choices make you question either the original, or the re-interpretation. There’s a whole wild world of alternative Yu-Gi-Oh! artwork out there which some countries deem not suitable for players.
14 Water Omotics
The Water Omotics card actually has several different versions of its artwork used across different media, but the common connection is that some have the nudity censored.
The Japanese version has a topless woman, albeit a nippleless one, while the international versions clothe her. All other elements of the artwork are the same. It’s just the boobs that are deemed to be for the Japanese market only.
13 Lesser Fiend
The original Japanese Lesser Fiend with its large wings, pointed horns and tail, was considered too demonic for a wider audience and was edited. The international version is also much shinier.
The face is softened slightly, and it all feels less natural with the skin tone being full vibrant yellow instead of more peach-colored. It’s good to see that he gets to keep his six-pack though.
12 Infernity Randomizer
I expected the face and hands on the Infernity Randomizer, which feel like they have a voodoo-inspired style, to have been changed here, but it’s just the guns. The black pistols are replaced with some weird phallic-looking lasers instead.
It’s apparently very important that there are no guns and violence in Yu-Gi-Oh internationally. It’s also important to know that presumably, space guns don’t count. So if you can find some, I assume they are non-violent. Maybe they are all set to stun.
11 Foolish Burial
The Foolish Burial artwork has a couple of variants for different media, but the commonality is always that the Japanese versions have a cross-shaped tomb, while the international ones do not.
So, either it was decided that, since curved tombstones are more common outside Japan, the design would be more recognizable. Or, maybe someone decided that a cross was heretical. This is censoring here, so your guess is as good as mine.
10 Harpy Lady
This Harpy Lady has clearly been embracing the 1980s roller derby look as she sports a purple outfit with green wings and pink hair. It screams ’80s neon and her pose just makes it look even more like she’s skating off somewhere.
However, in the Japanese version she appears to have lost her top, and is only wearing the suspenders which may well be holding those trousers up. Oops!
9 Psychic Commander
The international Psychic Commander points into the sky as he moves forward through the swirly green spiral in his ship that looks far too small for him to fit inside.
In the original artwork he’s saluting, but if you look at the gesture for longer than a split second, it appears to be very similar to a gesture used in Germany during a certain time period. You’d think this one would have been caught before going to print, but apparently not.
8 Mist Valley Shaman
The Mist Valley Shaman is clearly meditating, kneeling on the floor perfectly balanced as she inhales and exhales while surrounded by some kind of smoke or vapors.
The original version not only has her showing a large amount of cleavage and the bulk of her thighs, but it also appears she’s inhaling and exhaling the smoke, and the connotations of it being drug-related, rather than incense-related, are easy to spot. Here the reason for adjustments is clear, regardless of if you agree.
7 Barrel Dragon
The Barrel Dragon was clearly too much of a violent threat when the guns on the fictional creature were black, and vaguely resembled actual guns. Much better that your dragons are given those space guns we know and love.
Space-gun-based dragons are presumably less threatening, and definitely more visible in the dark. This makes them much safer for an International audience.
6 Ring Of Destruction
The Ring Of Destruction causes chaos with its tiny little flames. The thick chunky metal ring looks dangerous for sure but at least vaguely like it could be a wearable ring. The Japanese version? Not so much.
This ring is surrounded by grenades, which really screws up the scale, and makes us wonder how you would even use it. Is there some kind of trick to pulling all the pins out at once?
5 Soul Release
Soul Release is another card where the nice lady in the artwork has been covered up to spare the blushes of a wider audience. Originally a tasteful nude, with carefully placed hair and arms, the censored version includes a white dress.
Her main issue now is that she won’t be able to attend any weddings dressed like this, since that’s the most eye-catching vibrant white dress I’ve ever seen in my entire life, and she’d be a social outcast for sure.
