Cel Shaded Jason Yadao

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‘Yu-Gi-Oh!’ duelists set to throw down

Several "Yu-Gi-Oh!" collectible card game players will meet their doom this weekend at the Blaisdell Center ... and it will be an immensely satisfying feeling for them.

That's because this isn't just any old flavor of doom we're talking about here. Rather, it's "DoomCaliber Knight," a "Yu-Gi-Oh!" card that will be awarded to the top three competitors (and one very lucky person) at the two-day "Yu-Gi-Oh!" Shonen Jump Championship, hosted locally by Da-Planet Honolulu and officially sanctioned by card co-manufacturers Konami and Upper Deck. The Honolulu event will be held Saturday and Sunday at the Blaisdell's Hawaii Ballroom .

The top 16 players will win lovely tech toys including iPods, Nintendo DS Lites and Nintendo Wiis. The champion carts off a laptop computer and a spiffy trophy. The top eight players also will receive invitations to the 2009 National Championships.

The registration cost for the Shonen Jump Championship is $20; those who pre-register by Thursday either online or in person at Da-Planet's retail store at 2615 S. King St., Suite 312, will be entered in a drawing to win a Wii. For the last-minute procrastinators, registration will also be available Saturday starting at 8:30 a.m.

There will also be "Win-A-Lotta-Packs" events, with an entry fee of $10, all weekend long, and a regional tournament held Sunday starting at 10 a.m. with an entry fee of $15. The top four contestants in the regional tournament also will be entered into the National Championships.

For more information or to register, visit www.sjchawaii.com ...

Pups on the road

Audra Furuichi and Scott Yoshinaga, co-creators of the online comic "nemu*nemu," will continue visiting libraries this week as part of the state library system's Teen Summer Reading Program. They'll be offering a 45-minute presentation on the process of creating and posting comics online at the following locations:

» Salt Lake-Moanalua Library: Tomorrow, 5:30 p.m.

» Hawaii State Library (young adult section): Saturday, noon

» Kaimuki Library: Sunday, 2 p.m.

'Totoro' in town

Just before I was ready to let this column pass from the friendly confines of the office into public view, word came of another event taking place this weekend.

I'll have more information about the rest of the "Four Classic Films by Hayao Miyazaki" lineup at the Honolulu Academy of Arts' Doris Duke Theater in next week's column. This week, though, I have just enough space to tell you to go see "My Neighbor Totoro," screening on Saturday and Sunday at 1 and 7:30 p.m. Don't ask why. Just go. Trust me on this one. It's really, really cute.

Cost is $7 for general admission, $6 for senior citizens, students and the military, $5 for Art Academy members, and $3 for children under 12. Tickets are available 30 minutes before showtimes.

For more information, visit tinyurl.com/6aed5z ...