[The weather] suddenly gets colder. I visit Kyoto every fall, and I wonder about the autumn leaves this year. For the past few years, the leaves have… - Kazuki Takahashi

Actually, all of my works do share some core themes. Yu-Gi-Oh! is the story of Atem, whose soul was sealed in the Millennium Puzzle and later released. Drump is about the freeing of a dragon. The Yu-Gi-Oh! movie's plot involves Seto Kaiba's liberation from the soul prison. The Comiq is no exception. It ends with Baba acquitted of the frame-up and released from the prison. Sato's soul is liberated too (even if he's under arrested...) After years of control by the Pumpkim Princess. Then there's one of Sakamaki's final lines. "Welcome to freedom!" I don't know if true freedom can exist, nevertheless, in our own ways, we all seek spiritual liberation, aiming to be free of the overbearing constraints of society!

Aah~(gazes longingly) Those were the days. Taking a look back--back when I was putting out Yu-Gi-Oh! as a weekly serial, on the reader approval surveys, my female reader approval rating was only 5% (among the 5 worst in the magazine), and my editor at the time would tell me to "Just give up on the female fans!"...

It was my first time I participated in the cover shoot for the new year's issue. I was nervous being surrounded by senior authors.