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Grab your costume and three shades of hair dye, Yu-Gi-Oh! fans!

While it probably won some new fans for the anime franchise, it’s pretty clear that the primary goal of the recently released Yu-Gi-Oh! theatrical feature, The Dark Side of Dimensions, was to provide a package of concentrated nostalgic fun for the series’ most ardent supporters. Factor in the fact that the film debuted over two weeks ago, and it’s safe to say that most people still buying tickets are hard-core fans going in for a repeat viewing, and so a handful of Japanese theaters are offering a special screening that’s sure to be very different from the mainstream movie experience in Japan.

As we’ve talked about before, Japanese theater audiences tend to be extremely quiet. Not only are you unlikely to hear any of your fellow theater-goers talking during the movie, you probably won’t hear them applaud, gasp, or laugh at the story’s emotional peaks and valleys either, so as not to disturb the viewing experience of others in any small way. But on May 13, fans attending the special “Ovation” screening of The Dark Side of Dimensions are expressly encouraged to let their voices be heard and cheer their heroes on to their hearts’ content.

In addition to sounding like a fan, it’s OK to look like one too, as cosplay is also being allowed. The theaters do ask that you make sure your outfit doesn’t block others’ view of the screen, though, so you might want to keep your Yugi hair spikes to a moderate level. Cosplayers are also asked to change into their costumes before arriving at the theater, and to not tie-up the restrooms by using them as a staging area.

And if you’d rather come in your regular, non-anime-inspired attire, but still want to visually show your love of Yu-Gi-Oh!, you can bring some glow sticks, ordinarily frowned upon in Japanese theaters, but perfectly acceptable during these special screenings.

In Tokyo, the screening will be held at the Shinjuku Wald 9, Shibuya Toei, and Cinema Sunshine Ikebukuro theaters. The participating theaters outside the capital are:

● Yokohama Burg 13
● Umeda Burg 7 (Osaka)
● 109 Cinemas Nagoya
● T Joy Hakata (Fukuoka)
● Sapporo Cinema Frontier
● Movix Saitama

Specific times for the Ovation screenings, vary by theater, so be sure to check with the theater’s schedule, lest you end up bringing a backpack full of glow sticks all for nothing.

Source: Yu-Gi-Oh! The Dark Side of Dimensions official website via Anime News Network
Top image: Yu-Gi-Oh! The Dark Side of Dimensions