News

Yu-Gi-Oh! Zexal to Premiere on Toonzai on October 15

The North American media distributor 4Kids Entertainment announced on its Facebook page and YouTube channel on Tuesday that it will begin airing Yu-Gi-Oh! Zexal on the CW4Kids Toonzai on Saturday, October 15 at 9:30 a.m.

Yu-Gi-Oh! Zexal premiered in April in Japan. The near-future story revolves around Yūma Tukumo, a 13-year-old rookie duelist, and Astral, the mysterious lifeform from a parallel world who suddenly appears before Yūma. A manga version already launched in the February issue of Shueisha's V Jump magazine.

4Kids is involved in a court battle with the Japanese licensors of Yu-Gi-Oh!, ADK's Nihon Ad Systems (NAS) and TV Tokyo. Both Japanese companies intended to cancel their contract with 4Kids Entertainment due to allegedly fraudulent underpayment. 4Kids then filed for bankruptcy but it continues to operate in the meantime.

ADK and TV Tokyo then planned to pitch Yu-Gi-Oh! Zexal themselves at the Licensing International Expo, but 4Kids filed a legal motion against this. In June, Judge Shelley C. Chapman of 4Kids' bankruptcy case ordered a stay, barring ADK and TV Tokyo from selling the license to another company until the case of fraudulent underpayment is resolved. 4Kids then promoted Yu-Gi-Oh! Zexal in a Las Vegas event in June attract potential merchandise producers.

Thanks to ravegrl and Jonathan Andrade for the news tip.