TV Tokyo, Nihon Ad Terminate Yu-Gi-Oh! Deal, Sue 4Kids

[Velotix von Skruviktorrius]

Really, it is a licence that has run its course, more or less, and 4Kids more dedication towards it was really the only reason the show had the presence it had anymore.

That and the card game the show was plugging was actually decent and is still played and collected today, which has also kept interest in the franchise buoyant.

(people who say it's better than Magic: the Gathering though are LIARS - LIARSITELLYOU)

[Tornado]

Perhaps. The correlation between the popularity of the merchandise and the popularity of the show isn't nearly as direct as it is for, say, the Pokemon anime.

[Velotix von Skruviktorrius]

[obvious comparison to Pokémon]

That comparison isn't fair either as if anything the anime is the merch in that franchise due to the games being the original product, although I know what you were driving at.

[Kevin]

Ouch! That's a big punch to 4kids! Since they were having some financial problems in the past and were recently considering putting itself up for sale, I'm curious to how this is going to affect them both in the short and long run. If this really hits them financially, then I wonder what impact it could have on their CW4Kids block since it's the last real Saturday morning cartoon block on broadcast TV here.

[Tornado]

That comparison isn't fair either as if anything the anime is the merch in that franchise due to the games being the original product, although I know what you were driving at.

Season 0 of Yu-Gi-Oh never made it out of Japan, so the comparison is almost exactly the same thing. As far as the West is concerned, the card game is the original product.

[goku262002]

Ouch! That's a big punch to 4kids! Since they were having some financial problems in the past and were recently considering putting itself up for sale, I'm curious to how this is going to affect them both in the short and long run. If this really hits them financially, then I wonder what impact it could have on their CW4Kids block since it's the last real Saturday morning cartoon block on broadcast TV here.

Well they always got sonic x to promote over and over and over and over again.

[The Tenth Doctor]

Ah 4Kids, this is a blow. I find it hard to imagine the Yu Gi Oh series if it wasn't 4kids though (Lets not think Season 0 here.) I would have more sympathy if 4Kids disn't only limit the viewings on Youtube to America.

Just to point out about YGOA it has its own website, hence it can survive despite Youtube flaggers.

[Detective Shadzter]

Looks like YU-GI-OH! 3D Bonds Beyond Time is still getting released in UK cinemas. The BBFC's rated the cinema edition yesterday They rate it PG.

http://www.bbfc.co.uk/AFF278372

Also, Zavvi has the box art for the DVD and Blu-Ray versions now, so it appears those are still getting released, too. They're down for May 30th.

http://www.zavvi.com/dvd/yu-gi-oh-the-movie-beyond-the-bonds-of-time/10387031.html

http://www.zavvi.com/blu-ray/yu-gi-oh-the-movie-beyond-the-bonds-of-time/10387033.html

Anime News Network backs that DVD and Blu-Ray release date up and says it will hit cinemas May 14th:

http://www.animenewsnetwork.co.uk/news/2011-04-01/yu-gi-oh-3d-film-to-be-released-in-cinemas-and-on-dvd

EDIT:

Manga UK's Twitter feed announced it:

We are releasing #YuGiOhTheMovie3D in theatres across UK 14th May. Blu-ray and DVD 30th May.

We are releasing #YuGiOhTheMovie3D in theatres across UK 14th May. Blu-ray and DVD 30th May.

— Manga Entertainment (@MangaUK)

April 1, 2011

Found this, too:

Manga Entertainment UK has confirmed via their Twitter account that the "Yu-Gi-Oh! Bonds Beyond Time" Movie will be released in the UK on May 30th 2011 on both DVD & Blu-Ray.

The film will also premire in cinema's across the UK on May 14th for a limited time.

However the fun does not stop there, as not only will both the Blu-Ray & DVD include a FREE Malefic Red Eyes Black Dragon Trading Card, but the Blu-Ray edition will include both 3D & 2D Versions of the film.

The only questions remains is that will it be a "Stereoscopic 3D" such as Tron 3D, Despicable Me (etc), where a 3D Ready TV, 3D Glasses & 3D Ready Blu-Ray player is required to play it in 3D or will it be the standard Anaglyph 3D, where all you need is a pair of Red & Blue Glasses - which is commonly used with previous 3D Releases, but surely the answer will come soon.

Yu-Gi-Oh! Bonds Beyond Time is available to pre-order from Amazon UK & HMV - and over the next few days pre-orders will open up for other online stores such as Play & Zavvi UK.

http://animeblurayuk.blogspot.com/2011/04/mangauk-confirms-uk-release-of-yu-gi-oh.html

[jennytablina]

4Kids Files for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy

Apparently this means it's not QUITE over for 4Kids yet - Chapter 11 means your company stays in one piece for the meantime and continues as normal, though any major decision made has to be approved by the court while people come in to assess your debts. The good news for 4Kids is that this apparently stalls any action on that lawsuit for the time being. The bad news is if they find themselves in deep dodo financially then the company is one step closer to being liquidated.

[Tornado]

Well, so much for celebrating Sonic's anniversary.

[Kevin]

4Kids Files for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy

Apparently this means it's not QUITE over for 4Kids yet - Chapter 11 means your company stays in one piece for the meantime and continues as normal, though any major decision made has to be approved by the court while people come in to assess your debts. The good news for 4Kids is that this apparently stalls any action on that lawsuit for the time being. The bad news is if they find themselves in deep dodo financially then the company is one step closer to being liquidated.

That's quite a blow to 4kids, although I'm not surprised they filed for bankruptcy since they were having financial problems, and this just puts them deeper in the hole. The question is, who gets their properties if they're forced to liquidate.