Yu-Gi-Oh! GX

'''Yu-Gi-Oh! GX, known in Japan as Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters GX''' is an anime spin-off and sequel of the original Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters anime. The series is produced by Studio Gallop, and directed by Hatsuki Tsuji. Scripts are prepared by an alternating lineup of writers–Shin Yoshida, Jun Maekawa, Akemi Omode, Yasuyuki Suzuki–with music arrangements by Yutaka Minobe. Takuya Hiramitsu is in charge of sound direction, supervised by Yūji Mitsuya. Character and monster designs are overseen by Kenichi Hara, while Duel layout is overseen by Masahiro Hikokubo.

The "GX" in the series' title is short for the term "Generation neXt". "GENEX" was conceived as the series' original title, as can be evidenced in early promotional artwork. It also refers to the GX tournament that takes place between episodes 84 and 104. The series aired in Japan on TV Tokyo between October 6, 2004 and March 26, 2008, and was succeeded by ''Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's''. Yu-Gi-Oh! GX follows the exploits of Jaden Yuki and his companions as they attend Duel Academy.

The series premiered on Cartoon Network's Toonami block in October of 2006.

Plot
Ten years after the original Yu-Gi-Oh! series, Yu-Gi-Oh! GX follows a young boy named Jaden Yuki who, along with his friends, attends Duel Academy, a special institute founded by Seto Kaiba, in the hopes of becoming the next King of Games. Using his Elemental Hero deck and a Winged Kuriboh given to him by Yugi Moto, Jaden faces various challenges against other students, teachers and other mysterious beings.

Characters
Yu-Gi-Oh! GX sports many different characters. The principal cast is composed of the series' hero Jaden Yuki, the passionate Alexis Rhodes and her brother Atticus, the easily discouraged but determined Syrus Truesdale, elitist Chazz Princeton, the analytic Bastion Misawa, the strong-willed Tyranno Hassleberry, and the love-struck Blair Flannigan.

Supporting characters often have connections to the educative or professional dueling worlds, and include Obelisk Blue professor Vellian Crowler, duelist-turned-Industrial Illusions designer Chumley Huffington, and professional duelists Zane Truesdale and Aster Phoenix. A group of foreign duelist champions, consisting of Jesse Anderson, Axel Brodie, Adrian Gecko, and Jim Crocodile Cook, along with the new professor, Thelonius Viper, would also find a place in Duel Academy's student body in the third year. The vast majority of said characters are either friends, rivals or enemies of Jaden Yuki, who seems to attract both friendship and trouble.

Antagonists of the series range from elderly Kagemaru and the enslaved Shadow Riders, the manipulative Sartorius, the deranged Duel Monster Spirit Yubel and the terrifying Nightshroud.

Episodes
Yu-Gi-Oh! GX is a 180 episode Japanese anime series produced by Studio Gallop and aired in Japan on TV Tokyo between October 6, 2004 and March 26, 2008. It was subsequently licensed by 4Kids Entertainment and adapted into English. The series was picked up by Cartoon Network and 4Kids TV in North America, where it is was also distributed by Warner Bros. Television Animation. The series appeared on Cartoon Network's Toonami block from October 28, 2006 to August 4, 2007.

Like previous 4Kids adaptations, several changes were made from the original Japanese version, including the names and personalities of characters, the soundtrack, the appearance of visuals such as Life Point counters, and the appearance of cards. The story and some of the visuals are also edited to remove references to death, blood, violence and religion in order to make the series suitable for a younger audience. These edits are also used in various localizations of the show in countries outside of Asia where 4Kids had distribution rights.

Dubbed episodes were available on 4Kids' YouTube page until March 29, 2011, when Nihon Ad Systems and TV Tokyo sued 4Kids and terminated the licensing agreement for the Yu-Gi-Oh! franchise. The fourth season has not been dubbed, as it was replaced by the North American airing of ''Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's'' in September 2008.

Only the first 52 episodes of the series have been released on DVD in the United States. The release in America was the 4Kids Entertainment dubbed version that was aired on American television on Cartoon Network, 4KidsTV, and on Canadian television on YTV. It is released by Funimation Entertainment.