Yu-Gi-Oh! Zexal (partially found unreleased alternate English dub of anime series; 2012)

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Yugiohzexaladk.jpg

Title card from the unreleased English dub

Status: Partially Found

Yu-Gi-Oh! Zexal is the third anime spinoff series in Kazuki Takahashi's Yu-Gi-Oh! franchise. The story focuses on a young boy named Yuma aiming to restore the memories of a mystical being that resides in him. Produced by Gallop and Nihon Ad Systems, the show ran for 156 episodes and 2 specials between April 2011 and March 2014 on TV Tokyo in Japan.

Following their involvement with the prior Gallop/Nihon Ad System Yu-Gi-Oh! series, New York-based animation distributor 4Kids Entertainment produced an English dub that debuted in October 2011. After the company's assets were sold in a bankruptcy sale in June 2012, production and distribution responsibilities shifted to Konami's (the company behind Yu-Gi-Oh! trading card and video games) newly formed 4K Media.[1] [2] The English dub continued with the same production crew and completed its run in February 2015.

The event that triggered 4Kids' bankruptcy was a lawsuit filed by Nihon Ad Systems and TV Tokyo in March 2011.[3][4] It alleged the company hid revenue generated by the Yu-Gi-Oh! franchise and sought to revoke their license to the property.[5] In the midst of the legal battle and bankruptcy proceedings, Nihon Ad Systems' parent company, ADK, solicited international sales for Yu-Gi-Oh! Zexal.[6] This was found to be in violation of the bankruptcy court, which required the companies to act as though the license dispute wasn't taking place.[7][8][9] The courts later determined that 4Kids was still entitled to the Yu-Gi-Oh! property.[10] The lawsuit was settled in March 2012, with ADK/Nihon Ad Systems and TV Tokyo paying 4Kids $8 million.[11][12]

Unbeknownst to 4Kids and while the court case was ongoing, ADK/Nihon Ad Systems and TV Tokyo had proceeded to produce their own English dub of Yu-Gi-Oh! Zexal over a 6-8 month period from June 2011. Contracted out to the Los Angeles-based Bang Zoom Entertainment, 26 episodes of the series were fully localized, including the addition of a new musical score, comedic sound effects, and retouched animation. The latter was done as the English production crew was given unprecedented access to the animation files.[13] Two more episodes were in the early stages of production but were abandoned after it became clear the project wouldn't be allowed to see the light of day.

The only footage of this alternate English adaptation to surface has been clips shared through an Armageddon Expo panel hosted by voice director Kristi Reeds in October 2012.[14] In late September 2016, a user on the Neo Ark Cradle forums discovered a demo version and the finalized opening theme song for the show uploaded onto some of the music crew's Vimeo accounts.[15] Johnny Yong Bosch, who had been cast as the lead Yuma, performed the track.

Cast

  • Johnny Yong Bosch as Yuma
  • Vic Mignogna as Shark
  • Richard Cansino as Bronk

Cassandra Morris, Sam Riegel, and Liam O’Brien also held roles.

Surfaced Content

Kristi Reed's Armageddon Expo 2012 panel.

Opening Theme Demo.

Final Opening Theme.

Compilation of clips.

See also

References