Yu-Gi-Oh! fans were shocked upon hearing about the passing of Kazuki Takahashi due to drowning, back in July. Takahashi is the creator of the aforementioned card game. However, new information about the Japanese Manga artist has surfaced, which serves as a silver lining to his otherwise tragic passing.
According to Kotaku, the Department of Defense in the US claimed that the Manga artist bravely attempted to save those who were drowning but he himself perished instead. Bystanders even saw glimpses of Takahashi before the waves managed to pull him under.
Moments Before Kazuki Takahashi's Death
A riptide appeared on the shores of a popular Okinawa dive spot along with six-foot waves. This phenomenon immediately caused a whirlpool effect that has endangered swimmers on the beach.
Fortunately for the swimmers, 49 year old Major Robert Bourgeau, a trained scuba diving instructor, was at the beach. He spotted the two Japanese civilians and a fellow US soldier struggling to get out of the water.
He successfully saved the civilians after racing toward the dangerous waters. Unbeknownst to him, while he was rescuing the civilians, Kazuki Takahashi also dove in to help rescue the people in danger, according to sworn statements provided by the Army.
Takahashi, throwing caution in the wind, attempted to save the swimmers without no regard to his own safety, and drowned in the process.
Major Bourgeau was recommended for a Soldier's Medal for his bravery on July 4, at Mermaid's Grotto in the village of Onna, Okinawa. Bourgeau stated that Takahashi was "a hero" and that "He died trying to save someone else."
The Events After
Kazuki Takahashi was later found by the Japanese Coast Guard the next day. They spotted his remains 1,000 feet away, floating off the coast of Nago, which is located in the northern parts of Okinawa.
What to Know About the Japanese Manga Artist
Kazuki Takahashi was born on October 4, 1961. Not only did he create the famous Yu-Gi-Oh! card game, which spawned multiple anime adaptations and spin-offs like Yu-Gi-Oh GX, 5D's, Zexal, ARC-V, VRAINS, SEVENS, and Go Rush, he also created The ComiQ, a short murder mystery manga, according to TV Tropes.
In a Shonen Jump interview, he mentioned that AKIRA by Katsuhiro Otomo and JoJo's Bizarre Adventure by Hirohiko Araki are among his favorites. He has also made known that he was a fan of Hellboy.
According to his IMDB profile, he believed that he was a procrastinator. He enjoys games like Shogi, which is Japanese chess, and Mahjong, which is a Chinese tile game.
Initially, Yu-Gi-Oh! Was just a manga that had an in-universe card game called Duel Monsters. When the manga was adapted into anime 1998, it quickly gained a huge fanbase, and so Konami made the card game in 1999.
Since then, the Yu-Gi-Oh! Trading Card Game has sold over 22 billion cards since it was launched, making it a close competitor with the Pokémon Playing Cards.
