The late manga artist Kazuki Takahashi's masterpiece, Yu-Gi-Oh!, hit its 25th anniversary last year. To this day, it remains an absolute titan in the card game world, with duelists flocking from every corner of the globe, proving its magnetic appeal extends far beyond Asia.
Many former players might have stepped away from the game, only to stumble upon their old card collections and wonder: "Are these worth anything now?" Japanese comedy duo Kaminari (Manabu Takeuchi and Takumi Ishida) recently uploaded a YouTube video documenting their quest to get Manabu's long-forgotten, first-generation Yu-Gi-Oh! cards appraised. The outcome left them stunned, and the hilarious results quickly captured the attention of countless viewers.
The idea sparked from a video they shot in January. While rummaging through Manabu's childhood home for "adult videos" (as one does), they unexpectedly unearthed a binder crammed with Yu-Gi-Oh! cards. A brilliant (or perhaps delusional) plan formed: sell the cards, fund a round-the-world trip, starting with Sydney, Australia. With grand ambitions, they declared, "Our goal is 2 million yen!" Manabu, ever the pragmatist, quickly chimed in, "More like 20,000 yen, tops!"
The duo hauled their precious cargo to Surugaya in Akihabara, Tokyo, for an appraisal. According to the store clerk, "Only cards that are both old and well-preserved have a chance of fetching a high price." As they waited, they browsed the store's impressive collection of Yu-Gi-Oh! cards, spotting some priced at tens of thousands of yen. Takumi's excitement soared: "These should sell for a decent amount, right? Maybe some are even worth over 10,000 yen each!"
However, as they began to review the appraisal results item by item, they quickly realized reality was far crueler than their wildest dreams.
"Slifer the Sky Dragon": 1,000 yen
"Skull Servant": 30 yen
"Negate Attack": 50 yen
"Gaia The Fierce Knight": 50 yen
"Valkyrion the Magna Warrior": 150 yen
"The Winged Dragon of Ra": 1,800 yen
Not a single "over 10,000 yen" card was in sight. The grand total? A paltry 3,155 yen (roughly $20 USD), a universe away from their 2 million yen goal. Takumi instantly collapsed in despair, yelling, "Are you kidding me?! And we were going to travel the world!"
Faced with the tragic appraisal, the duo had a sudden stroke of genius: "Let's do something fun with 3,155 yen!" They promptly blew all their earnings on a claw machine filled with prize tickets, showering it with coins until they snagged a massive pile of tickets.
They excitedly ripped open the tickets, and despite the low odds, they managed to score some sweet loot: Animal Crossing amiibo cards and a Pokémon card collection box. It was a hilariously bittersweet end to their "card-selling adventure."
▼ Watch the full video below!
It just goes to show: imagination is a beautiful thing, but reality can be a cruel mistress. That old Yu-Gi-Oh! binder from the family home only fetched a little over three thousand yen, but the entire escapade made for fantastic content, with many netizens praising the duo's wildly creative approach.