Yu-Gi-Oh!

Happy Birthday, Kaiba Seto!!

2023-10-25T23:02:00.001+00:00

🎲Happy Birthday, Kaiba Seto!🎲

Now is Kaiba Seto's turn for a little analysis, I have always intended it but kept delaying it, last year I was still in the dumps about the loss of Kazuki Takahashi.

I will summarize, Kaiba Seto to me was and is a character went from one my favourites to feel pretty neutral, I don't dislike him and his writing is great, however I will say that I think he is one of the most important and influencial characters in the series as well in the franchise itself.

Kaiba's character introduction is very interesting, I do like these kind of introductions in a story to be honest, when you read the two chapter when he was introduced (volume 2, chapter 9-10), when you think through about this scene in particular, it sounded like he came to the store with a different purpose since it seemed like it was the first time, also Kaiba initiated talking with Yugi first and treated as if the others didn't exist...

And later with Mokuba introduction, Death-T arc, the lengths that he goes to get BEWD as well to be the best gamer, to prove himself as such, he must have heard rumors of Yugi and Dark Yugi, as well tracking down the other BEWD, by this time I would say Kaiba already saw Yugi as a rival even before meeting Dark Yugi.

Before getting to the highlights of his character development and particular details about his character, this one of those, Kaiba's character bases on a real person, a random person that the mangaka's friend met behaved in similar manner as seen in this panel above, said something along the lines "we'll talk once you get 1000 cards", Kaiba still has an elitist atitude and kept at it for a long time, even in Dark Side of Dimension, it still hadn't toned down much...

If you wish to read more click "Read More" below...

When you put these scenes together, it's curious the first two panels ensemble is the end of arc of Blue Eyes White Dragon, the last panels ensemble is from the ending of Death-T arc, I wonder if was intentional...to explain why he went insane levels to create Death-T and the penalty game was replicated from his experience of his first penalty game fro Dark Yugi, if we think about it, Dark Yugi went too far with "sensation of death" illusion as penalty game to a point that became nightmares, nightmares aren't easy to recover from, in fact quite hard...it further strengthened his own traumas...that "losing means death", which is why his obsession with winning among other things.

I won't explain his past a 2nd time, since I already did on Death-T arc in 3 parts analysis, the main point, this is from Mokuba perspective, Kaiba at the beginning since him and Mokuba were sent to the orphanage, Seto was focused on survival to protect himself and his little brother Mokuba, Kaiba Gozaburo's abusive "education, reinforced the belief of winning is survival, Seto who is very vengeful, he outsmarted his foster father and took over the company and became obsessed in being the best in games...I think the time when his parents were still alive, I am pretty sure he loved games genuinely like Yugi still does nowadays, but circumstances made obsessed with games related to winning, in a way was a refuge and it wasn't...it became complicated feelings.

This penalty game on Kaiba is different from all the others that Dark Yugi has made, it was more or less force Kaiba to reconstruct himself by "removing" the roots that was making acting a little too extreme, even Dark Yugi does express in his face that he has some regret over his previous penalty game, later he does have more after fighting Pegasus (because of "Dark Intelligence" in the millennium items), it was a little careful, it was heavy but careful.

Even after Seto got out of his trance/coma, he wasn't fully "reconstructed" yet, since there was still his "missing piece", being Mokuba, speaking of which...

If you noticed between ending of Dark Yugi VS Mokuba is very similar to this trance vision Seto has during the duel against Dark Yugi in Duelist Kingdom, in another words he saw Dark Yugi saving his little brother from Seto's mistake in putting through "sensation of death", the whole of him being in panic and Seto inner child looking at him in disapproval, I will say, Kazuki Takahashi did a splendid job in showing Seto's guilt, probably what he feels most guilty about, it's not just regret, he is carrying around that very heavy guilt.

Even though Kaiba is a character whose growth is about a lots of steps forward with a few steps back, here we see, deep down we see Kaiba knows that the almost "suicide attempt" that he did in Duelist Kingdom was kinda stupid (because if Mokuba was saved by Dark Yugi and Honda + yami bakura, he wouldn't want to Mokuba wake up if he was saved by Dark Yugi knowing his big brother commited suicide), for him changing his mind to help Dark Yugi (eventually Yugi as well), because deep down Seto is grateful to Yugi from stopping him of commiting suicide, now he is willing to help so that someone else won't do the same what he almost did...

If we notice, this is the only time Seto mentions his bioligical parents and is very vague and refer to his uncle and aunt as filthy adults, and Gozaburo as his stepfather of "monster of a father", he is aware that he was quite abusive, the reason he might mention vaguely his parents to himself, probably is a block and causes him too much grief, like memories locked in a chest very tightly, not to be touched...then all the other ones that came, in these panels ensembles is the lots of steps forwards with few steps back.

Seto Kaiba took a long road of growth, a very long one, lots of steps forward with few steps back due to his stubborness, extremely prideful, vengeful, big ego, extremely competitive to a point of obsession with his his rivals, specifically Dark Yugi/Atem...yet has hidden soft side that shows to Mokuba mostly and only a little to Yugi (not much to Dark Yugi/Atem, this one is obsessively competitive with), maybe because Yugi's personality and his love for games reminds him of his younger self before losing his parents and little of Mokuba, perhaps...Yugi is also someone he highly respects as gamer and rival, but is different from Dark Yugi, I may write about this one day more...

4 years after the graduation ceremony

Happy Birthdat, Kaiba Seto!

Thank You and Rest In Peace, Kazuki Takahashi

Happy Birthday, Atem!

2023-07-26T19:57:00.003+00:00

🎲 Happy Birthday, Atem!🎲

Atem/dark yugi/yami yugi analysis is completed now, so now this time will wallpapers I have designed of Atem... (you just have to click the pictures)

Mokuba Kaiba and Fudou Yusei, Happy Birthday! (July 7th)

2023-07-07T07:00:00.011+00:00

I couldn't do last year a profile like post on the characters birthday of Mokuba last year because is when I got the news that the creator of this character passed away, I did two more (Atem and Anzu, stopped all of a sudden...I was still feeling quite down about it...this time around I'll do it.

Mokuba is one of the few from the supporting cast that good character development and over the course of the series, he started as a ruthless brat trying to get his big brother attention and following his bad example to become a very emotionally mature character.

Mokuba is also one of my favourite characters in the series due to his wonderful character development, I like him more than Seto Kaiba...

I'll go by stages of his Character Development, from his introduction and the Highlights moments that shows his growth as character...

Mokuba's character first introduction, he had his "little gangsta kids" with stun guns and knives, you can tell Kaiba was quite the role model for him...at this time, Kaiba was a ruthless teenager, will to cheat and violence...ruthless...even being a sore loser, Dark Yugi also went quite soft on him with his penalty game because it only lasted a few hours since he was a child when you compare to other that lasted for few days or a whole night, or to their death in legitimate defense with the criminal fugitive...also Mokuba took after Seto with being a sore loser.

A little focus on Death-T...

Just so you don't forget, this kid was willing to commit murder with poison that kills you in 30 minutes, he created penalty game himself, not Dark Yugi, since Mokuba is kinda of cheater he probably he had an extra antidote for himself just in case, you can tell he didn't really learnt his lesson, he still doesn't understand that what he doing was quite severe.

In this scene of Death-T where we see the motives behind it of Mokuba's actions who is trying to prove himself to his big brother to get his brother's love and attention, his sole guardian as well and only family he has, the kid is desperate, bit by bit, you start feeling a little sympathy for Mokuba...he was following a very bad example...however on a slightly defense of Seto Kaiba, Seto did not approve of Mokuba being part of Death-T and only let it be by Mokuba's insistence, a part of Seto Kaiba at this time was concerned subsconsciously for him not wanting him involved in anything dangerous...

Seto Kaiba was quite cruel, cold and ruthless in this scene, he was willing to give the penalty game that could drive someone mad permanently by "experience Kaiba's penalty game from Dark Yugi" - "the sensation of death" on his little brother, a child, that Dark Yugi thought Seto was going way too far to do this to his own little brother, Dark Yugi went ahead to save Mokuba from this "penalty game" (it shows even character development on Dark Yugi, he learns to become more compassionate for saving a child that was going through a "penalty" based on the one he gave to Seto)...

But when you think about it, before Seto Kaiba got his "mind crush" and in come, this was the last time he saw and heard Mokuba, which explains Seto moment of trance in Duelist Kingdom against Dark Yugi when Blue-Eyes was melting and hallucination of Mokuba stuck in there and asking him to save him, Seto did and probably still does feel a lot of guilt, I think this was the main reason Seto was willing to commit suicide...probably for "atonement" for what he almost did to his little brother Mokuba.

In this scene we see so much character development from these two characters, you see how Dark Yugi treats Mokuba much more kindly and compassionate, his influence is Yugi's friends and Yugi into accepting him, expressing what he learnt to Mokuba, it's moving when you think about it this way...Mokuba looking at Dark Yugi as mix of gratitude with trust.

Looking at this way, we see character development on 3 characters (Mokuba, Dark Yugi and Kaiba), mainly Mokuba, Mokuba after being saved he wanted to owe to him by saving his friend Honda, it's from Dark Yugi trying to reassure him what is going on with Seto Kaiba now, it's from as he cares for his big brother that Mokuba starts to mature emotionally and fast.

Thinking back again is the same in Duelist Kingdom.

Look at how much this kid has grown 😢, I love his character development so much, in every re-read I came to like his character more and more, I like his character more than Seto Kaiba (his case was less and less, I don't dislike him though, his overtop and obsession just doesn't help), Mokuba was the one who had to call him out (Mokuba did agree with Dark Yugi), I would dare say...Mokuba is more emotionally mature than Seto, I've wrote it.

Mokuba has it rough for having such a reckless highly obsessive competitive big brother, that sometimes is his little brother taking care of his big brother recklessness.

For Fudo Yusei, it's also his birthday today!

⭐Thank you and Rest in Peace, Kazuki Takahashi!⭐

One Year After Since Kazuki Takahashi Passed Away

2023-07-06T18:28:00.003+00:00

Even though most of us got most news of death on the next day, July 7th but it was technically July 6th 2022, 3 months later we got to know the cause of his death being from a riptide because he helped in rescuing three people...

https://www.stripes.com/branches/army/2022-10-11/okinawa-riptide-rescue-yu-gi-oh-7646714.html

I have been re-reading the manga slowly, I'm still not finished because I took a break of 3 months (personal problems going on), I am now at Memory World Arc, my favourite arc of the series, I love the premise, the art, I was and still am always impressed of how he kept the details of the outfits, specifically Pharaoh Atem in his royal outfit because is very beautifully detailed and was consistent about it too, which is quite hard for any artist, I am at volume 33 (Volume 2 of Millennium World), I came to notice, the art in his panels in this arc contains a lot warmth, specially when came to Pharaoh Atem/Dark Yugi and the main cast, you can feel the love and care he had for his characters soon to say goodbye...as if preparing for a soft landing and safely.

It still feels unreal sometimes that he really passed away, with my collection of the manga and movie YGO:Dark Side of Dimensions, you feel what he left behind...

You can always go see his instagram where he posted his art...

Kazuki Takahashi's instagram - Studio Dice

A curious fact about Yu-Gi-Oh! Dark Side of Dimensions, he wrote and storyboard director of the movie and he animated one scene only, this one scene:

⭐Thank You and Rest in Peace, Kazuki Takahashi⭐

Happy Belated Birthday, Yugi Mutou (4th June)

2023-06-05T16:23:00.000+00:00

To be one day late...which usually I'm not, I do still feel down about Takahashi-sensei loss more than I thought...

I have already an analysis of Yugi's character, I would like to mention of an interview with Takahashi-sensei about his interpretation of Yugi's strength in Yu-Gi-Oh! Gospel of Truth, translated part 3 by shinroko:

https://shinhoroko.livejournal.com/11454.html

I will share some of the wallpapers that I have made and posted on my theotaku.com account (it's pretty old too)

Thoughts and Observations Yu-Gi-Oh! Manga and Dark Side of Dimensions Movie Page Repost

2023-05-06T12:10:00.004+00:00

Since the page still doesn't appear, the one that gives links to my analysis posts of the manga and movie.

Here is the link:

Thoughts and Observations of Yu-Gi-Oh! **(Mangá, Transcend One Shot and Dark Side of Dimensions Movie)**

So that more people can read it with more easy access my own observations and thoughts about the manga series.

You may have noticed, I have been on "pause" for a long time, I will come back eventually, I don't know when.

Recent News About Kazuki Takahashi cause of death - Rest In Peace Kazuki Takahashi.

2022-10-18T16:50:00.006+00:00

For these last few months, we weren't sure about the cause of death of Kazuki Takahashi, bite of shark, or attacked by some ocean creature or something, recently it was found in this article from US military journal here:

source: https://www.stripes.com/branches/army/2022-10-11/okinawa-riptide-rescue-yu-gi-oh-7646714.html

If click the picture, it does give you the article, I'm still processing, but this news that he died drowning from trying to rescue people from a riptide, it makes his death hits even harder, specially when you look at his work, specifically Yu-Gi-Oh!, the messages he wanted to express, it was always noticeable that he was sincere in his work and messages, interviews, he died a hero.

He wasn'r afraid to lose his life if meant saving someone else or attempting, which always reminds like how Yugi and Jounouchi were willing to give up their lives to save each other, like Pharaoh Atem who put his whole existence in the line to save his own country as it's ruler, lost his memories and forgot his own name, or when Yugi wasn't afraid to lose against Kaiba or kept trying to fight Pegasus with Dark Yugi until he lost consciousness, I could go on and on, Kazuki Takahashi standing for what he preached, convictions, his messages in his work, yet...is so heartbreaking for such a loss, selfless and kind.

In his memory...I will select panels that potrays these messages...

Kazuki Takahashi was always my favourite storyteller of all time, this story he shared with us, Yu-Gi-Oh! is also my favourite story of all time, his messages in his work given me advice when I needed the most, you can say he "gave up" his life to save someone else...the right way of putting is that he "was not afraid to lose" his life whether it would happen or not happen, even though is heartbreaking yet heroic, he did it for he stood for, he knew the risks, he is also very courageous, it's interesting that he kind of embodied Yugi and Atem in someway, the kindness, the courage, capable to do selfless acts to save and protect someone...the sense of justice as well...

Rest In Peace Kazuki Takahashi and Condolences to his family...

and Thank You So Much for the Stories you shared with us and the legacy you left...

Happy Birthday, Anzu Mazaki! (18th August)

2022-08-18T22:32:00.007+00:00

It has been awhile, I came to realization that I passed by Mokuba, but his birthday is in 7th July, on this day we received the news about author Takahashi-Sensei passed away...so I will do Mokuba Kaiba together with Seto Kaiba whose birthday is in November...

Now is Anzu's turn, when the Yu-Gi-Oh! anime dub reached my country, I wasn't fond of her character, she sounded a little too corny for my taste, as the anime dub progressed, I liked her less and less, when I read the first 7 volumes, made it even worse, before I had the whole mangá, specially certain chapters like the amusement park (chapter 45) and the love tester one (chapter 41), those are her worst chapters, she was a b!tch to Yugi, once I got the rest of the mangá, it's when I started to like her character bit by bit, took years and years to come to really like her character, she grows on you as you re-read the mangá (it took 10 years xD, she isn't easy to like at all).

(I really like seeing her hair tied like that in the movie, very good)

The introduction of Anzu Masaki, it's a good one, it would give a good impression, but it's made quite obvious she is quite gutsy, confident, pushy and sharp, she won't stay quiet about any pervy business either 👍! She is Yugi's childhood friend and his crush, Yugi opens up to her about his millennium puzzle, in fact she is the one whom Yugi tells the story of how he found the puzzle...

She had good introduction, her character development was fine in the beginning, we got to know her ambitions and dreams which is to study abroad in New York to become a professional dancer...

The Panels Ensemble on the Right, I think this scene was one of her most brave moments, she was in a very terrifying situation, she was very scared too, but the moment the criminal said "wussy little one", there were children there, but knew was Yugi right away the criminal was calling, even though Yugi is very short and looks like a child but his hair alone makes him stand out , Yugi stood out to the criminal, but Anzu, with no hesitation told Yugi not to come because it was too dangerous and stood up despite knowing it would endanger her own life, it shows Anzu can be quite protective of Yugi, she stood up to him when Honda and Jounouchi bullied Yugi...

This is when it starts...the awkward bumps in her character development, it relates to her "idealization of Yugi" in Dark Yugi mixed with being attracted to this "confident voice" as well his looks once she gets to know "the owner of the mysterious confident voice" in Death-T, it shows her more "negative traits", when she is very pushy to the point of acting like a b!tch, that she can be manipulative, however in her defense, she certainly learned her lesson in the amusement park in chapter 45, because after that chapter, she stopped being "pushy", she understood that "Dark Yugi" won't come out when she wants to and also she was being quite inconsiderate to Yugi as well, he only acts as a guardian, even after this "Dark Yugi" started being distant and awkward with her when they were alone (yeah, he sees her more as a friend while being aware that she had a crush on him), Yugi as well came to realize Anzu had a crush on "the other yugi", this might what have started Yugi inferiority complex with "Dark Yugi", or one of the reasons, but not the main one.

The Monster World arc is where it sets the gap for Anzu, the clear distinction between Yugi and Dark Yugi as much as her idealization as well.

Before getting to her character arc, I want to point out some "trivia" scenes that many may have overlooked...regarding Yugi.

On the Left, when looking at Yugi's digital pet, Anzu says "EEE! It's so cute! So, pets do look like their owners!", we can quickly assume, Anzu thinks Yugi is very cute (who wouldn't?), this is before Death-T, by the way.

On the Right, in Duelist Kingdom, Jounouchi vs Ryozaki, in order for Dark Yugi and Yugi help Jounouchi not to be too reliant on Yugi's advice and Dark Yugi, Dark Yugi steps away to the puzzle, Anzu gets surprised and blushes a little seeing Yugi, to see it better, click here , after such a long time spending time with Dark Yugi with the gang, it's when Dark Yugi started to feel more as a friend than as crush to Anzu, the distinction becoming clearer while avoiding it, the reason became less of "idealization of yugi" disappearing, but meant admitting losing a friend that will never come back once goes to afterlife...

Anzu's character arc is very very awkward, specially in the beginning, but as the story progresses, it starts getting smoother and gets better, for those reasons I find her character development and arc as very interesting in the manga, the anime doesn't do justice...her main character arc is this...:

It has been implied that her biggest fear in going to study abroad to become a dancer, it's friends going their separate ways never seen them again, going on their own lives and their friendship disappear, afraid it won't be the same anymore, here with Atem it's like voicing her own fears and facing them, just her calling Atem by Atem says a lot that shows she sees separately and seeing her friend go to a separate place that won't allow him to never come back...it's also grief, this isn't a normal goodbye after all...make an effort to learn to accept that he has to go to afterlife...

The other elements of her character arc other than learn to say different kinds of goodbyes instead of avoiding them, it was her know the differences between "idealization" and the "real" Yugi as well Atem regarding her own romantic feelings, there was indications of this progression, how she always ended up prioritizing in the end was Yugi...like Duelist Kingdom how she agree Yugi straight away with Yugi in his duel with Kaiba in surrendering (stopping Kaiba from doing something stupid, in Kaiba's case, it's very stupid and irresponsible), the same with Yugi&Dark Yugi VS Pegasus, VS Dark Marik, bases on this simple feeling..."her Yugi" is the "real Yugi" she known since childhood...Yugi Mutou.

I will end this post with my favourite moment of Anzu Mazaki (it was this moment that I saw her in a better light and started to like her bit by bit, I think currently she is one of my favorite characters):

Happy Birthday, Anzu Mazaki!!

Thank You and Rest in Peace Kazuki Takahashi...

Happy Birthday, Atem!

2022-07-26T00:12:00.010+00:00

It's ironic and strange now, Atem's arc being about self-discovery and go to afterlife...while the death the storyteller who wrote and draw his character passed away this month, also went to afterlife...

I started with Yugi to celebrate Takahashi Sensei's characters on their birthdays, Yugi was in 4th June, today is Atem according to Gospel of Truth in Ancient Egypt calendar as well, 26th July is Pharaoh Atem's birthday.

The introduction of Atem (AKA Yami Yugi, Dark Yugi, the other yugi) is quite distinctive, he started as his identity was "reset" from the moment the millennium puzzle was completed, he forgotten all his memories from the time he was alive as when he was in his tomb when saved Sugoroku, therefore becoming more susceptible to the "evil intelligence"/"dark intelligence" influence, since he was first introduced as this "mysterious and sinister" Yugi other self, to later as we go along the story bit by bit suspecting something, possibly most of us knew or suspected he was a deceased pharaoh...as it was eventually confirmed in Battle City.

It was always very clear that Atem wasn't "other yugi", it was always heavily implied that he was spirit of pharaoh that died thousands of years ago...

There is discussion if "Dark Yugi" was an evil character in the beginning, was it though? Even after he lost his memories, being more vulnerable to "evil intelligence"/"dark intelligence", he still retained his sense of justice, punish those who harm his host, friends and the defenseless, acted as a guardian spirit, whoever doesn't change the nature of the power of the millennium puzzle being a millennium item that used shadow games and penalty games, it was always from a dark source...other wielders did it, even one who did hardly used was still tempted (yes, Ishizu), even though "Dark Yugi"'s penalty games and shadow games were mostly soft in comparison to others who were much worse, even for punishment - such Shadi and Pegasus.

The only time when you could say "Dark Yugi" kind of killed someone, it's the criminal fugitive with a gun pointed at him, it was legitimate defense and more of the criminal own doing who could take out the gun and pick up the lighter...it was an accident and it wasn't, if it wasn't, it was legitimate defense.

Now that his "main introduction" is out of the way, his character development, some elements of his personal growth are easily overlooked by most people, he was introduced as sinister to becoming less sinister for spending time protecting Yugi and his friends, then the "evil intelligence" influence become weaker, like someone with no memories lost in the darkness and Yugi and his friends was that light that guided him and banished the darkness that surrounded him...bit by bit, going through self-discovery to becoming his loving and caring true self.

Personality wise, he was always the most mature of the gang, he was also quite wise and confident (maybe too much ;), protective, caring, considerate, mostly a softie, strong sense of justice ), however he could be quite cheeky, arrogant and very prideful, a little too "self-righteous" sometimes, and way too considerate to a person's feelings that he cares about if it somehow was damaging for him (he hold back a lot when wanting to know who he was for Yugi), he has his strengths which are mostly "heroic virtues" and some of his flaws (common to see in "hero characters" xD), his personal growth is about to become less overconfident into having a more solid confidence that is stable and learn the importance of humility, overcoming his fear of losing and how pride ends up being more damaging, he learns from his mistakes, from ruthless to becoming more of selfless protective and caring nature that was always inside him...

In Atem's character arc, which was more or less self-discovery jouney in identity and entity, to finish unfinished business about himself and his past, learns parts of himself that he even in personality that he didn't knew, to find his own peace and thread his path to afterlife since he is a soul of someone who died long time ago.

This scene is still my favourite scene of all time, the growth on both these characters shows right here...You can tell how grateful he is that he met Yugi who taught the power of kindness, how much it can extents even making difficult decisions such as this one, so Atem wouldn't spend eternity inside the millennium item for the rest of his existence, while the others would live and go to afterlife, Atem would be the one truly be left behind, which is worse and Yugi sending Atem to afterlife was kindest and courageous thing he did, guaranteeing him that Yugi was not ever weak.

I have coming to notice that Atem didn't cry, also we didn't ever seen him cry, he always tried to keep a brave face like Mai, but this time is so that he wouldn't hesitate as well deep down, very deep down since Yugi completed the puzzle, he always suspected he is a spirit of someone who died and that one day this day would come eventually, discovering his identity further confirmed him that one day he would have to go to afterlife, he is very grateful for the special friend and friends he made along the way to this point.

Even in Afterlife, Atem still watches over them...in times of need, he tries to give a helping hand when he can...

Thank You, Kazuki Takahashi for sharing these characters's journeys, thank you so much...!

Rest In Peace!

Rest In Peace, Kazuki Takahashi...

2022-07-07T18:38:00.003+00:00

How to start...I woke in the morning and the first news on twitter that I got was Kazuki Takahashi passed away at 60 years old...it took time to process still is, the whole day was me digest this terrible news about a terrible loss, that left a legacy and messages in his mangá.

Kazuki Takahashi was a mangaka that loves mangas, making them, loved games very much, so much so that he wrote and draw a story about games, Yu-Gi-Oh! which technically translates King of Games where the main concept of the mangá was about battles through games instead of fighting and physical violence, with it's unique and distinctive art style.

The main story was more than one story...a freshman high school boy named Yugi that looked like a child and avoided in engaging with the class and was shy, whose classmates were Anzu - his childhood friend who dreams to study abroad to become a dancer, Jounouchi and Honda who were initially bullies, Jounouchi was a former delinquent due to his family problems, Honda had his own, became friends with Yugi, he awaken an ancient spirit from completing a ancient puzzle to later be discovered he was a deceased pharaoh who lost his memories to then start a quest to recover his memories, Kaiba Seto and Mokuba lost their parents and sent to an orphanage to later be adopted by an abusive foster father Gozaburo Kaiba, even more came and had their story...Mai, Hanasaki, Ryota, Marik, Ishizu, Pegasus, just to mention a few...

The manga ended with Atem, the deceased pharaoh, who moved forward into afterlife...Yugi moving ahead forging his own future.
The Story ended in Dark Side of Dimensions on similar note.

The legacy we see in spin-offs, the trading card game Yu-Gi-Oh!, that many still play today, part of childhoods, adolescence as well that touched the hearts of many, including mine.

Even after when he was finished, he still made games, wrote and draw "The Comiq", he draw a graphic novel of Spider-Man and Iron Man called "Secret Reverse".

It's pretty obvious that I am a big fan of Yu-Gi-Oh! or else I wouldn't be willing to create this blog to eventually make analysis of the manga, the franchise is my favourite, the manga is my favourite of all time, the anime as well (I got to know through the portuguese dub on a kids show in the beginning of my adolescence, when I was 14), Kazuki Takahashi is my favourite mangaka, artist and storyteller of all time...so...

Thank You and Rest in Peace, Kazuki Takahashi...

Happy Birthday, Yugi Mutou!!

2022-06-04T19:20:00.002+00:00

Last time I didn't do much, this time around, it's a post to celebrate him as a character.

He went through so much growth from a shy and reclusive freshman in High School, with an appearance of a child that could fool an adult if wasn't for his school uniform and also very short into become a very mature and wise young boy about to become an adult.

I want to start with the evolution of Yugi's character art from Kazuki Takahashi-sensei, not only is noticeable the art evolution from rough and whimsical to a more straight and consistent style.

You can see the differences and how it gradually the lines become more straight and much smoother and more clean..., it also shows to some extent his physical growth too, to the most recent ones:

It's the last panels more or less, looking at his eyes and eyelashes, we see that Yugi is getting to look more how he looks like in Dark Side of Dimensions, speaking of which:

This is one is directly from the Instagram of the mangaka, Kazuki Takahashi, if you click in the picture, it will get you straight to his instagram, it's worth to follow, because he post his art there.

If you wish to continue click "Read More"

We seen from the visual aspect, now getting to his writing and profile of the character, the main theme of his character arc, self-confidence, self-esteem, independence and himself learning his own biggest strength which is kindness, that it may look weak and easily overlook, but teach us that kindness is a strength, like we see in Duelist Kingdom as someone who wasn't afraid to lose and prioritized someone's safety over gaining a chance to save a loved one, sometimes because he shows kindness to others because he wants to and not expect anything in return, if it touches someone, the person will be willing to help him (like Jounouchi, Atem, Anzu, Honda, Mai, Mokuba, etc) and wanting to learn from him as well.

Yugi learning to have confidence in himself from Atem, Mai, Kaiba and Anzu, courage and guts from Jounouchi and Honda, from Otogi and antagonist that made push himself in overcoming his own weaknesses from good and bad examples, he learns to draw the line within his pacifist principles and as someone who feels very strongly against violence.

Regarding Yugi's intellect, I have written in my analysis of how extremely intelligent and a fast learner, potential to be the best gamer in the world when comes to skills, but what always held him back was always his low self-esteem, comparing himself to Atem, as well the lack of willpower to get better (as shown his 0 effort and motivation on his studies in the early chapters and against Pegasus - when he was starting to have willpower, but since was in early stages, he didn't last long in the shadow game), in against Otogi in DDM, it is when it pushes him in working that field where he lacked, but got him motivated in getting better, which did happen eventually and polish his skills with more willpower and motivation.

Lastly, we're getting to his dream:

Yugi's dream is to be a game designer, not video games per se, but board games which can be transcribed later in video games, he is started working in this creative endeavour since the beginning of the series in how he is constantly inventing games in the early volumes, he was practicing it, to later when he graduated participate in this contest of gaming design, the question is did he won? in the movie Dark Side of Dimensions didn't give any indications if he won or not, it left pretty much ambiguous.

However in one of Takahashi-sensei's artworks displayed in his instagram (Studio Dice):

We can easily assume from the picture above alone, that not only he won the contest, he got a sponsor being Kaiba Corp and put his probably Kaiba's IP "Duel Monsters in the mix (even though is never explained later, but it seems Kaiba owns a portion of Duel Monsters IP with Pegasus's apprentices (if we consider Yu-Gi-Oh! R as canon), getting Kaiba's acknowledgement to this degree is a pretty big deal, being Kaiba who is very selective, picky and has extremely high standards.

See Ya Next, Post! (which will be in Atem's Birthday, 26th July)

Is the Early 7 manga volumes to be the most dark and edgy volumes?

2022-01-08T16:29:00.006-01:00

Hellos! Long time no see!

This will be some of those random posts with thoughts and observations about the mangá and the fandom community, the manga and anime community and the medias itselfs and so their industries related to YGO! or Random rants.

As can be hinted by the title, that's the subject of this post, over the years, including while I was making analysis of the mangá, I have been noticing some misconceptions of the mangá that may some of it's readers stating that the early 7 volumes are the most dark and edgy ones of the series, I have to disagree to an extent, if there is something I have been implying, is that the manga in comparison to anime, including the japanese adaptation, the mangá overall is actually a lot darker, it's not just because "the early 7 volumes", if we look over, Duelist Kingdom like how Kaiba used his "aluminum briefcase" and cards as weapons and make demands in a rather violent manner, it was actually changed in the anime, yes the japanese one (they censored some scenes from the manga and changed)

(Note: reference to Yu-Jyo.net and violent version in the manga)

By taking a look at the mentioned scene example between the anime and manga of how Pegasus and Kaiba "negotiate", the anime (Season 01, Episode 21, towards the end of episode), Kaiba actually does better choices except one thing, I'll get there, Kaiba infiltrates the place stealthy to go immediately rescues Mokuba, Pegasus actually goes to Kaiba in person with Mokuba already sealed in the card in the anime version to force Kaiba to play agaisnt Dark Yugi or Yugi...while the mangá there is some distinctions, one more glaring than the other, the mangá is something like this:

The anime version, including japanese, there was no guns, a guy's head close to be chopped by a duralumin case while still holding a gun, once again Kaiba using his case to hit someone in the face...it's still not over the differences...

Pegasus never did go in person even more with Kaiba holding a gun and survived "2 penalty games" from shadow games, what Pegasus did to kill Bandit Keith wouldn't work on Kaiba, Pegasus is well informed on these matters, even more with Kaiba holding a gun, the other difference is Mokuba wasn't sealed in card yet, it would be later (Pegasus VS Kaiba).

One version or another, Kaiba is still Kaiba being a prideful individual, and goes to his enemy terms anyways due to pride.

Click Read More if you wish to continue....

Pegasus Backstory is particularly very dark from how he got the Millennium Eye, saw someone die just by wielding the Millennium Ring 👉 click here

The scene with Pegasus getting the Millennium Eye in specific wasn't changed in the anime, except the "the thief" who tried to rob the Millennium Ring and he wore it, he died, that part of the Millennium Ring was cut from the anime, yeah, the japanese one.

Now the other is Dungeon Dice Monsters Arc, the anime version is very different from the manga, the only part is the same is how the they introduce Otogi Ryuji at school, the rest is different, I'm not into ranting about the criminal changes when comes to Yugi has plays against Ryuji (not Dark Yugi like in the anime), also the manga version is darker too, specially Mr.Otogi and Sugoru Mutou's past and how Mr.Otogi drags forcefully Yugi to the same game he played against Yugi's grandpa (in the anime version they cut off all of that and changed it drastically even Otogi's motive to challenge Yugi, geez), even story wise they changed, fire was in this arc not after, I could go on and on complaining how this arc was adapted in anime, it's one of my faves in manga, Yugi has an amazing character development in this one too.

👉 Click Here (DDM Part 1)

👉 Click Here (DDM Part 2)

I have become lazy now with this pictures, but you're getting the gist, then we have Family Ishtar backstory which is one of the more disturbing ones, interestingly enough is one of the most popular posts of this blog, which is a bit more "gory" than the anime version and needless to say the comparison from Mai's "Penalty game" anime version with the manga:

Let it be clear, graphically speaking is different, instead of sand was insects, however there is a small difference, in the anime version, the gang was there as trying to portray they're having fun without her, but here in the manga is none of that, it's an illusion that reflects her mind, even at the top of the "hourglass" thing are casino symbols because she worked at casino in her past, it merely expresses that she is someone who likes to travel a lot, these disgusting weird insects are eating her...even her duel in manga is quite well expressed in a darker manner too.

I can always mention how Bandit Keith died:

There is more examples, they are too many.

This is just to say, just because most of the manga is about card games, don't take for granted in the manga that's all there is, don't even think the "dark and edgy" stuff from early 7 volumes is the only the section, it was not ever absent in the series overall in the manga, the anime version, they toned down quite significantly.

Because guess what? the card games were targeted at kids and pre-teens, not just teenagers.

Lastly, there is more to a story than just "dark and edgy", I think is pretty much common sense by now.

hmmm is it today September 14 or 30 to be Yu-Gi-Oh! Manga 25th anniversary?

2021-09-14T21:17:00.003+00:00

You may be wondering about the title. it's because on VIZ Media twitter says is today September 14th 2021 that the manga series makes 25 years, however according what I researched, suggests otherwise, because it's original run in weekly shonen jump was in September 30th 1996 Issue no.42-1996, then technically would be in September 30th 2021 that makes 25 years...
however, from further research, the release date of the magazine was 14th September which is today, while cover date is 30th September... but I don't understand the difference between any...it seems to according to this website:

https://www.kanzenshuu.com/manga/weekly-jump/

The differences are that the issue date is supposedly from what I understand, the issue date/cover date is 30th September but the "sale date"or release date is in 14th September?

It's very confusing for me, it seems to be related to the 2 holidays in September 1996 (3rd Monday of September was on 16th September 1996 while there was another in 23rd September, and both were on Mondays) however, when in Japan when a holiday falls on Monday, Weekly Shonen Jump releases on Saturday, 14th September 1996 was on Saturday...

So what does it mean a cover date?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cover_date

I get it better, it seems, that cover dates are meant to make "magazines still feel recent", it's actually a common practice worldwide, despite it was released a few weeks before...we can conclude that today is the 25th Anniversary of the manga series.

Today was a more trivia+research about the manga series, I got to learn new things, like holidays in japan, this "cover date" practice in magazines is not the actual release date of the magazine, interesting.

So...

Happy Birthday Yu-Gi-Oh! Mánga!

My manga collection on other hand is around 10 years old xDD

Monthly Posts and Atem's Birthday

2021-07-26T20:50:00.005+00:00

This is how is going to be, more or less, this will be monthly posts now, what I wanted to do in this blog for me is already done, instead will be monthly posts of small mentions and curious observations or even suggestions, sometimes sharing wallpaper I edited like today...

Regarding Atem's Birthday which is Today!!

Not many don't know or is aware Pharaoh Atem's/Yami Yugi's Birthday is Today, in 26th July!

It's in the Gospel of Truth book of Yu-Gi-Oh!, in the character's profile, I believe it was in Ancient Egypt calendar which based on the farming and harvest seasons, I believe, which fallen into 26th July...for source: click here

👑🎲Happy Birthday, Atem!🎲👑

Thoughts and Observations of Mangá and DSOD Movie - Yu-Gi-Oh!

2021-06-04T19:06:00.002+00:00

That's right...however is by giving a link to a "page" of this blog that for some reason isn't appearing in the website?

This "Hidden Page" has all the links to my analysis of the 38 volumes, Transcend Game One Shot (DSOD prologue) and Dark Side of Dimensions.

**Click Here**

Don't worry, there is no ads, except the ones with "widgets" that you can just ignore, there isn't "skips seconds link" either, it's so this post doesn't get too big with the links of analysis, to make it easier.

One Last Thing...the date of this post is 4TH June...so...

🎇🎲Happy Birthday to Yugi Mutou🎲🎇

Thoughts & Observations: Dark Side of Dimensions Movie

2021-05-14T22:37:00.004+00:00

Hellos!!

This is the last post of analysis/Thoughts and Observations, I'm not gonna lie, it feels quite weird that is ending, I have been writing it for 8 years with hiatus mid-way through, what I have been writing for so long out of my own enjoyment because I love analyzing and to be about my favourite story of all time, one may think why I did this? At first was to show traits about characters that were overlooked or ignored or underestimated even among the fandom like Yugi's intelligence, the duels that I always thought that was crucial to character's growth, relationships and interesting story details that ended up into make it more thorough, also because I wanted to analyse a story as a stimulating way for me to keep my mind sharp too besides I learned a lot about some historical facts and games as much for my own personal growth, it was a non-profit project with it's own personal and learning benefits.

(warning: the plot summary will be huge)

Plot Summary:

The movie opens with Kaiba looking at a holographic image of the Millennium Puzzle in his "space tower" (satelite-like tower) into an excavation being proceeded in the Shrine of the Former Village of Kul Elna close to or around the Valley of the Kings, to search for the millennium puzzle to be overseen by Mokuba.

Yugi is about to leave his house for school to meet with Anzu, Jounouchi and Honda from a different route goes to school by bicycle and Ryou had arrived already...when they have their lunch together in the rooftop, they discuss about their futures and dreams...

They go back to their classroom and seem to not recognize a classmate of theirs but yet suddenly remembering as being his name "Aigami"...when school was over, they discuss about Atem...then they heard someone needing help about to be bullied by a gang who are considered dangerous, Jounouchi comes to be willing to help the person in question being "Aigami".

In an abandoned building, "Aigami" goes to the meeting place with the Kudaragi's gang, "Aigami" summons a cube that allows him to summon the Prana and making the whole gang disappear to a "lesser dimension"...

As the movie moves along with Kaiba being unsatisfied with the simulation of "Dark Yugi" to feeling the need of the millennium puzzle and getting call that pieces of millennium puzzle was found, as the pieces are being 3D-scanned, learn about "Aigami" true identity as his name being Diva and his cube with dimensional powers, Dimension Cube, Kaiba and Diva have a duel to not being proceeded as Mokuba leaves the shrine with the millennium pieces, but two of them is stolen, which Kaiba later finds out, one of the Prana being Mani finds the Millennium Ring.

Diva observes Yugi and Ryou as he discusses with Mani and later his sister Sera about his revenge on the responsible for someone's death and eliminate Kaiba and Yugi to stop pharaoh Atem to be revived so they can move to their next dimension.

Diva approaches Yugi and hangs out with him and friends to decide having a small tournament at Yugi's house of Magic&Wizards on Sunday.

The day comes, but his friends haven't arrived yet as he is visited by Sera about himself, Shadi and Atem, during that time, "Aigami" and Ryou with Jounouchi discuss about their own egyptian artifacts, Ryou is hesitant to go further but Diva sends Jounouchi to another dimension, their past is discussed between Ryou and Diva regarding "Shadi's death", Ryou's father and Yami Bakura, Diva starts becoming reluctant to revenge on Ryou.

Mani appears in Diva's and Ryou's dimension to learn Mani is being controlled by the Millennium Ring, who tries to kill Ryou, Diva tries to stop Mani as Mani himself stops himself but gets affected and "disappears" to another dimension and so does Ryou.

Yugi, Honda and Anzu look for Jounouchi and Ryou, Diva appears before them and summons the Prana around them, Jounouchi surviving one of dimensions inside the Dimension Cube to be saved by Atem in going back to the "original dimension" with his friends...Diva disappears to being captured by Kaiba and his Dimension Cube taken.

Diva and Yugi are forced by Kaiba to participate in his selective tournament, Yugi VS Diva first and learning about Diva's harsh childhood, Yugi wins, then Kaiba VS Yugi discussing the truth about the Millennium Puzzle and Atem, Diva in his own dimension finds the millennium ring that was left in the dimension where Mani disappeared, Diva and Dimension Cube gets controlled by the millennium ring.

Kaiba VS Yugi close to end by one turn, gets interrupted by Yami Diva (Zork-Diva), with Dimension Cube being corrupted, people start to disappear including the Prana, Kaiba and Yugi are the only ones still standing tag duel against Zork-Diva, Kaiba loses and starts to disappear and makes Yugi wear the Millennium Puzzle, Yugi tries to stand as he was almost about to lose consciousness, Atem from "netherworld" or "spiritual dimension" to take over through the Millennium Puzzle to save Yugi and everyone involved. including the Prana, Yugi and Atem go separate, say their farewells as the millennium puzzle disappears first and Atem goes back to "Netherworld" or "spiritual dimension".

The Graduation Ceremony comes to an end, the gang and prana go with their life towards their future, Kaiba going to Atem's dimension through the help of "copy" of Diva's Dimension Cube, challenges Atem again to a duel.

Key Points:

That's how kinda gonna look like, but this is a "Vertical Screens Ensemble" (that's the name...instead of Panels, it's Screens with "Vertical" and "Horizontal"), there is Horizontal Screens Ensemble which will be in next key point, I have to say, it was very hard to make these screens ensembles.

This scene is after the opening of the movie, we see them excavating in a shrine where lied the "Tablet of Pharaoh's Memories" and technically was the Tablet of the Millennium Items, where they were forged and happened the Rite of the Duel between Atem and Yugi, this excavation was ordered by Kaiba (of course), even one of his agents is overseeing with a photo of Yugi when he had the millennium puzzle.

What got my most attention from this was the "Door" to the "next world" was still intact, from where Atem left to afterlife, probably won't open again, since "most" of the millennium items are "gone", to be opened again, you need all the millennium items.

If you wish to continue reading, click "Read More" below:

It will have this kind of set up with the Screens Ensembles, some times both Horizontal as much Vertical and mixed.

From Top Screens Ensemble dialogue between Yugi and his grandpa is curious plus Yugi's reaction and expression 😏:

Sugoroku: "Umm, well, you see..."

Yugi: "Hey, I'm kind of in a hurry here."

Sugoroku: "Well... I've been noticing Anzu-chan hasn't been coming by to walk with you to school lately."

Yugi: "Huh?"

Sugoroku: "Well, you know. You two always used to go to school together..."

Yugi: "And here I thought it was something important...That kind of stuff is out of style!"

The moment he mentions Anzu to Yugi not coming with him lately to pick him up, Yugi is actually blushing all the way through as he is about to leave after the conversation with his grandpa, for better view-> click here.

Taking into account his somewhat secretive nature, he is hiding something, to get to the Bottom Screens Ensemble, Yugi and Anzu meeting up at a street staircase even Anzu asks if he has been waiting long, they have been meeting up in secret, the way Anzu comes to Yugi is very cute (NOTE: animated gif), Yugi goes a little "m-morning!", it seems to imply they are already dating and from the sound of it is pretty recent too if Yugi seems to haven't got used to it, Anzu is the more bold one so she is already comfortable with it.

Something very important, a very important detail, YUGI'S HEIGHT!! He has grown up a lot that he is almost Anzu's eye level, they're almost the same height, finally the puberty has done it's job, it took awhile.

Congratulations, Yugi! You won't be mistaken as elementary schooler or middle schooler anymore! *claps*claps*

As a reminder from previous posts it was implied, this is what Anzu wished for a very long time, even before Dark Yugi appeared, Yugi didn't have to be taller than her, just at a physique, height that Yugi wouldn't be mistaken as elementary schooler anymore and looks like his actual age, which he does recently, Yugi is way more mature even in looks while still keeping his kindness, fun-loving traits.

I like this scene as well, seeing these characters going on their daily lives like this, Yugi, Anzu, here Jounouchi and Honda riding on Jounouchi's bicycle, his bicycle must be recent buy by over a year, Ryou part with him being surrounded by his fangirls (poor boy), Yugi and Anzu had already arrived but reacted like this "😅", feeling sorry for him, so Yugi calls Ryou, then Ryou finds the chance to greet them, it seems that is usually has to be Yugi, well it seems he isn't just the mediator between the gang, but as much Ryou's fangirls and the gang...Ryou and Yugi have it rough, but I think there is more reasons like if was Anzu to call Ryou, the girls would get jealous and resent, if was Jounouchi (we all know how it would be...), Honda would be similar but more being ignored, while Yugi is pretty well-liked even the girls and more of a "peacemaker", I can easily imagine he is the mediator around the class as well somehow.

Since they are close to graduate, they are discussing about their futures, for the time being, focused on between them regarding Anzu, Ryou, Honda and Jounouchi, quoting their interactions:

Jounouchi: "Are you serious, Anzu? So, you're gonna go study abroad after you graduate after all?"

Anzu: "I'm going to get out there on my own and just wing it, you know?"

Yugi: "Well, it's been your childhood dream to perform in a musical, after all."

Ryou: "Wow, going abroad with all your hopes and dreams in tow, huh?"

Honda: "I sure am envious. Only thing I'll be doing is taking over my pop's factory and slaving away day in, day out."

Jounouchi: "Hm?—Don't be silly, Honda, That right there is a great job that'll help support......the glorious nation of Japan! Why, I still haven't......got a damn thing lined up for myself, y'know!!"

[---]

Anzu: "What happened to all those reckless dreams of you becoming a pro duelist?"

Jounouchi: "Make no mistake, yours truly has improved his dueling skills. First, I'll win the neighborhood tournament!"

I find this part that we see, Anzu, we already know but she is the most bold even when comes to her dreams, it's like she said, even though she is going to study abroad to become a dancer and to be in a musical was her dream since childhood, she going abroad on her own, making these kinds of decisions like study abroad is not easy and to adapt, but as been noted even by Shadi, she is confident and a bold person, the friends reaction is admiring her boldness and pushing forward towards her dream (which is admirable, I agree).

Ryou, from how he reacted to Anzu's dream, you can tell himself has yet to decide, but since he has love for games, board games specifically, it might be something related and since he makes RPGs campaigns on tabletop RPG meetings, it's not just with his friends, it might be something related to that.

Honda, it's what interest me here the most, he is going to fill his father's job in his father's factory, his father seems to be the director of a factory, but factory of what, his name is Honda Hiroto, in our world, Honda is a very famous motor company, but in this fictional work, who knows...it might be related to that somehow, it explains why Honda had a cellphone in Death-T when at the time wasn't available to most public unless you were well-off somehow, from Jounouchi's reaction, it seems to be the case, for how Honda complains about "slaving away", so kind of a salary man in a way...this might be why he was a former delinquent, inheriting and having a job already decided by the time he was born...as if was decided for you...I guess that's understandable.

Jounouchi is well...obvious, he wants to be a pro-duelist, but that will be difficult, since he would have to gather points to rise his rank, he wants to start small first, that's good thinking, since he has to put food on the table, being a "pro-duelist" is a bit unstable, his financial state is struggling...therefore the many side-jobs he has.

Before getting to the reveal of Yugi's dream, I want to point out, in the previous Screens Ensembles as much in this one, the placement of where and how they are sitting is interesting, Yugi and Anzu, side by side sitting like a couple, Ryou is sitting on a bucket while Jounouchi and Honda on the floor, they probably wanted more as form of a circle to eat together, the social language in this part says a lot from how and where Yugi and Anzu are sitting kind of implies they are dating, Ryou sitting on bucket was probably initially he was about to sit on the floor but probably one of his fangirls given him a bucket to sit (it's very likely that's what happened) which leaves Jounouchi and Honda sitting on the floor.

Quoting their interaction of Yugi's dream (career, job wise):

Anzu: "Yugi? Why don't you let everyone hear what your dream is?"

Yugi: "Oh, mm-hmm...I want to create a new kind of game while helping out back at the shop. Also, you know, there's this game contest in Germany every year. I was thinking it'd be great to win it!"

Ryou: "Wow, that sounds interesting!"

Jounouchi: "Okay, then! When the game you make gets to be number one in the world, let's all meet up and play it."

Honda: "Now we're talking!"

Ryou: "Uh-huh, let's do it!"

Yugi: "Hold up, guys!"

Anzu: "Don't you worry. Knowing you, Yugi, you're bound to make your dream come true!"

Yugi: "Mm-hmm. We'll do it, then. Count on it."

In summary, Yugi wants to become a game designer, as in board or table games, like we have seen in early 7 volumes, there was a chapter that implied Yugi invented games, as we can see in chapter 41 "Let's Find Love", he invented small games to train himself for this, Yugi before seeing Pegasus as an enemy, he did look up to Pegasus as game designer, he admired Ryuji for being the creator of DDM, there was always indications as such.

It seems Anzu knew about it probably since their childhood, feeling confident he will win knowing him also one of the few who didn't ever underestimated him, he knows him since childhood, Yugi as implied seemed to make games since he was a child as part of his daily life, not just playing games.

Jounouchi with his time spent with Yugi is confident as well he is going to win, he was even the first to say, since him and Honda played his games like the Bingo Achievement Test Scores and probably more, Honda as well, Ryou as someone who also loves board games is interested, but he also must be familiar like Anzu, Jounouchi and Honda that Yugi makes games in his free time besides playing them, because they think it suits Yugi and know he is more than capable to achieve his dream and very supportive that they plan playing the game when he wins the game design contest (Jounouchi's idea), Yugi is the one thinking "don't put the cart before the horse" 😂 and deciding more firmly to win.

Once they enter their class, they see this boy sitting by the window, they don't remember who he is (chill, you have +20 classmates in your class, it's not like you can remember all of them), however is because they can sense something is off, but if you notice, no matter how you look at it, the boy stands out (his hair for starters)...them not remembering at first, some of them would likely remember, then Honda is the one who reminds them, Yugi not remembering as someone who has impressive memory (over the manga seems to know all his classmates's names)...it's possible that Yugi feels something is off, Ryou, Anzu and Jounouchi seem to subconsciously sense something is off for not remembering (Jounouchi claims to have a good memory), everyone in class is just ignoring as if nothing happened while the gang are the ones who questioned themselves if he was always in their class...there is a lot of meaning to this than it looks, the boy's name is supposedly "Aigami".

I'll mention again...Yugi's Height!! Yugi is slight over Jounouchi's and Ryou's shoulder, but at shoulder's Honda, well Honda has always been the tallest of the gang, such a leap! 😃

There is a slight inconsistency in the first frame from the Left, Yugi's height..that's not his height anymore...the second frame corrects it.

The subject of Atem is brought up, when they're speaking of Yugi/Atem's deck and Yugi feels somehow it isn't his deck but more of Atem, since he was the one who played most duels, Yugi still refers to him as "other me"...they're close to graduate, which means is almost Spring break, the Rite of the Duel kinda happened during August or September, so it passed 1 year and a half since Atem left to afterlife, Yugi is still not quite over Atem leaving, what's more or less, what he is going through is similar to grief over a loss of someone dear to you that passed away, but Yugi still refer him as "other me" instead his name, still bothers me, as understandable as it might be.

Jounouchi gets him and tells him that he hasn't to force himself to forget him to "get over it", but Yugi is more towards himself thinking that he isn't trying to forget him, it's more what he doesn't want to say it not even to himself, that he misses his "other me" - Atem, it's normal to still miss them even when they passed away or went to afterlife (it takes years, sometimes), Atem was for almost 2 years part of his daily life, to Yugi feels something is missing without Atem/other me.

I don't like this scene as much I like this scene, what I don't like is the leader of the gang, Kudaragi, he was filming "Aigami" without his consent yet the bastard says "not doing anything", filming someone against their consent is a crime, dude, the only thing I agree with him...is "Aigami" is a good looking fellow (the rest of Kudaragi is gross) - that I found strange there weren't girls over the boy, maybe because he looks "foreigner", japanese are usually very shy about foreigners.

The part I like are the details, for starters, the design of the gang, you can tell it was Takahashi-sensei who designed them, that's his style when comes to antagonists like these, we have to remember this is still the late 90s, despite already existing tablets and smartphones, but since Kaiba Corp is more or less the pioneer of advancing technology thanks to Kaiba Seto, he advances technology to an amazing speed that makes it excusable.

Among other details that I like, it's that it retains Jounouchi's experience as a street fighter and as former delinquent characteristic, in the anime adaptation they kinda removed this part of Jounouchi's character, the moment the gang sees them, specially Kudaragi goes "tch", Jounouchi is still renowned and infamous around gangs as a fighter and about his former delinquent days.

Kudaragi's gang are willing to fight, but Kudaragi knows better so he tells them for them to go but he whispers a threat to "Aigami" to to a meeting place..., when they left, Jounouchi says the following to "Aigami":

Jounouchi: "Hold on. Those guys are a bunch of notorious thugs around these parts. If you're being blackmailed or something, then let me..."

"Aigami": "No, really, I'll be fine."

That's some interesting information about Kudaragi's gang is that they're "notorious thugs", does this mean in this section of Domino City? I think of Hirutani's gang which is clearly the more dangerous one, however according to the school he attends "Rintama High School", it would be a little further way from the "Domino High School" (Domino High is more towards the centre of Domino City), the "thugs gang" of Domino High School would be Kudaragi's gang, it makes me wonder how Hirutani is fairing...he might be in jail.. or hospital, who knows.

This scene, it has been already implied his real name isn't "Aigami", then when "Aigami" asks Kudaragi and his gang if he resides in their memories, then Kudaragi asks that "he is Aigami, right?", there might be something off...

One can wonder what Kudaragi was thinking of doing it...from the way he mentioned with a camera on hand and what he was doing awhile ago with the smartphone said, 2+2, your guess.

Then comes the supernatural part, when he summons this cube with a "millennium eye" mark that is common to see in millennium items, it was already implying of a possible "8th millennium item" from the beginning, basically what "Aigami" does with this cube, let's call it "Dimension Cube", it just fits, he summons the "Prana", the mentioned individuals with "superior consciousness" from Transcend Game, it's not here in the screenshots of this key point, in next few key points will be there to both of them and "Aigami" who is also a "Prana" to send Kudaragi and his gang to a "lesser dimension" (they didn't died by the way).

The other curious detail, is that Kudaragi's camera was still filming, "Aigami" leaving to come back, takes away the camera, so there is no trace to be tracked of what happened here...

For Kaiba still referring to Atem as "Yugi" ("the other yugi"), it's not just Yugi who isn't over it, Kaiba isn't either but for competitive and obsessive rivalry reasons for being an extremely single-minded individual, despite all of this, he does have some interesting analysis about Atem, I have to say, it can be quite accurate, during this simulation of "other yugi" duel, his own inner monologue:

"Yugi...Your moves always go well beyond your opponent's expectations...Your strategies employ instantaneous analysis of their tactics during battle, allowing you to read what's up their sleeve and beyond. Even faced with absolutely unfavorable odds, you have come out victorious in numerous battles, even cracking a smile all the while, and while you assume that you've subjected me to disgrace as well...Behold.Our battle is going to evolve."

That's a very interesting analysis of Atem's duelling style, it's spot on too, despite still refer to him as "Yugi" (other yugi) - yeah, it bothers me even more, as someone as supposedly rational as Kaiba - but shows that Kaiba is more connected to his emotions than he looks, besides if he were to refer the "Other Yugi" Yugi as Atem, that would be admitting that he really he was gone...for further proof what he says to Dark Yugi's simulation at the beginning of this simulation:

"...after you went into hiding without a trace and took victory with you. But now, I finally have you! And the embodiment of my tenacity being this new Duel Disk of mine!"

This is the beginning of the simulation, he isn't over it, there is more to it...he knows his name is Atem. The interesting part is that this "Dark Yugi simulation" is a bit different, there is no millennium puzzle and has those arm bracelets...then at the end of this simulation he says:

"So, nothing more than a miserable clown wrought from my memories after all, are you? Be gone, Yugi!"

He knows he isn't him, but is interesting, that this simulation comes from his own memories, even though he beaten "Simulation Dark Yugi", it's just isn't the same, Atem isn't actually there, it just bases from his memories...but there is other interesting analysis he makes about Atem to his researchers:

"Indeed, the new Duel Links Solid Vision System is capable of duels far and away greater than anything played before. With the cards serving as your deck not actually existing, the data for every card in the world is transmitted into all Disks via the Crystal Cloud Network, with quantum information linking with one's cerebral memory banks...,turning any and all dueling data, into neuro-images which then visualize themselves into any free space. By analyzing my extensive memory data on him and linking it with my cerebral nerves...I was successful in perfectly materializing Yugi Mutou.

While it's true that in terms of deck construction, strategic characteristics and even his penchant for getting under others' skin, he was indeed a living copy...However...However, he was nothing more than an image produced by my memories.

What point is there in victory over some vision from my past!?"

Kaiba really hates the word "past", huh? xDD

Other than the extremely advanced neuro-science technology involved here with Solid Vision System to test the new duel disk. Kaiba is impressive, but it doesn't look like that accessible in monetary-wise, just looking at it, you can tell is going to be very expensive.

But Kaiba's analysis slightly extended about his "penchant for getting under other's skin" is amusing, he is speaking that he has a sassy side or provoking your opponent, his cheeky attitude, he isn't over it, because he isn't willing to accept that he is gone and won't come back...therefore he still refers Atem as "Yugi".

Lastly, Mokuba and the excavation team has found Millennium Puzzle Pieces, look at Mokuba!, So grown up, he looks very good in that suit!

From Top Screens Ensemble, Yugi seems to have a tablet, it seems even more advanced than the ones we have (in comparison, makes ours look like bricks), but since Kaiba influences in advancing technology, the rest of the world follow suit, I would even dare to say, Kaiba Corp by now is a multi-millionaire corporation or became technically a multi-millionaire conglomerate...Yugi before wasn't that much getting these kinds of technologies, but recently he has been (at the time, when cellphones, started to become common in Battle City, Yugi didn't have it), nowadays he has it, I believe the biggest motivation are games. Yugi was reading a news article about the recent disappearance of Kudaragi and his gang and among other people...Yugi has always been paying attention to these things, but before he would be easily distracted...Ryuji also have been catching up through the internet as well with the news saying that it has been happening around the world...

While Ryou speaks up that he has been feeling someone watching him, Anzu points out his fans, he just sighs (xDD), but he isn't wrong, he didn't meant in that sense, though...

Kaiba then makes a big announcement of his new duel disk model...that there will be a new tournament soon, Jounouchi feeling down in the dumps seeing the new model and with him working his butt-off on many side jobs (it seems his father problem hasn't been solved yet, poor boy), so he tries to make Honda pay or buy a new one while at the same time eats Anzu's ice cream like that (JOUNOUCHI! If it were me, I would have put the rest of the ice cream on his face!), then Mr.Otogi makes an appearance...firing Jounouchi for his behaviour...I would be pissed too.

Then we see "Aigami" watching them from afar, however while he is there, he is also at the same in some dimension, I'll call "Special Dimension", for the time being we still don't know what is going on...but...there is a inner conversation "Aigami" has with himself:

"When all seven of the lost items are assembled, the Pharaoh will travel to the netherworld. Even souls of the wicked shall revert to light and the gateway of a new dimension shall be open. Eventually, the new world rendered in the light of order shall be ushered in by the souls of a higher plane."

These people who are Prana were in this dimension, there is some unusual revelations here, like the one saying here, doesn't make sense, because the pharaoh soul already went to "netherworld", so why they still haven't gone to higher plane as is claimed here? Apparently, "Aigami" is holding it back by his hatred and something, then Sera comes in, who debuted in Transcend Game as one of test subjects of Kaiba's VR Links World system, she tries to warn "Aigami" by his real name, Diva, the following:

Sera: "Diva...The energy wave of your hatred is causing your own wavelength to drop, throwing off the harmony of everyone else as well. That energy wave will soon come to split off our synchronous energy wave pattern."

Diva"Aigami": "I know that."

Sera: "We must abandon this world just as Shin-sama has told us...and go to a new world of a higher plane."

Diva "Aigami": "I know that. Yes, I know that! Still.. Still, that guy is in Japan...in Domino City...That is where he is!"

Sera: "You mustn't go, Diva!"

From the conversation, we can guess that he wants revenge for "Shin-sama" and seems from how he focus looking at Ryou and Yugi, it means these two are somehow involved, as Sera is saying, it seems Diva is holding them back to go to a "higher plane"...do they understand the true meaning of it? I wonder...higher plane, means beyond the "mortal plane", it's similar to spiritual and physical evolution from 3D to 4D, which is why the "Dimension Cube", it seems Takahashi-sensei took interest in this subject about spirituality and metaphysics on it's own, there was with characters going through PVS and NDEs and their "spiritual presence" like in "miniatures", during duels or after a duel, etc.

Sera isn't the only one trying to warn Diva to not get swayed by thoughts of revenge, Mani, who is also one of the Prana, but he is one of the closest to Diva, Mani and Sera (his little sister), it seems Diva is aware that they are holding back, but to something that happened in the past...it's lingering on him as much Mani saying Kaiba is making his move (towards the millennium puzzle).

Only after rewatching this scene for many times (for screenshots) that I noticed this detail as Diva was watching Ryou and Yugi, I guess he was kind of amused by Jounouchi in a way too, because this part alone with Mr.Otogi pick him up and juggling around Jounouchi, which Jounouchi tolerated and as he was about to punch Jounouchi, Jounouchi just did "locking" move. It's so funny 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😁. It seems Jounouchi can't stand anyone punching him or let anyone do so, really...that's quite amusing.

Starting this key point with Seto and Kaiba conversation about the Millennium Puzzle:

Mokuba Kaiba: "But, Brother? They say it took Yugi eight years to complete the Puzzle the first time."

Seto Kaiba: "A result of his child-like intellect, no less."

This small conversation, child-like intellect doesn't mean the person is stupid, in fact it commonly means that he is very intelligent but is immature, he isn't completely wrong, honestly, for quite some time despite being very intelligent, he didn't took school seriously and always prioritized the games and gets easily distracted...also a bit childish in behavior, however from Mokuba's expression...he doesn't mean just the 8 years, but the other rumours (if they aren't the chosen, the millennium item will try to kill you)...he is concerned for his big brother.

Kaiba senses a presence that wasn't meant to be there, "Aigami" or as his real name being "Diva", how Kaiba does know all of this, first he knows of the Prana already in Transcend Game, he has all over most Domino City under surveillance, the technology used for this is from Kaiba Corp after all, that's how he knows...but what Diva says to Kaiba here is intriguing:

"Kaiba Corporation, the company which rules over Domino City...To think that you cannot even register as a resident unless you also register your dueling deck...You are indeed one mad dictator."

That's very crazy, Kaiba...I don't agree 100% with Diva about Kaiba being a mad dictator, but he is a bit of a "control freak" (this is more accurate), a duelling deck register as resident of Domino City...he is way too obsessed with this card game...in a very controlling way...that's a bit extreme...

Diva summons his Dimension Cube to gather the Prana to make ready to release their powers as he is explaining:

"What they call «the collective human consciousness»? The collective human consciousness ensures that all happenings in the world...are unconsciously determined via a neurological network. In short, the fact that you rule in Domino City as a dictator, is something that the inhabitants of the city, and even......the people of the world have determined via their collective consciousness. You are simply being allowed to play the part of conqueror. All for the equilibrium of a distorted and foolish world whose creation was made possible by the synchronization of all humans. That dangerous [thing] - the guard with a gun] which just disappeared has moved to a dimension with a minutely different energy wave pattern via the collective consciousness of our allies gathered from all over the world. To a dimension which is visible to neither of us yet exists here."

That sounds very neurosciency, but the best way for me to describe in a more short-term and easy to understand is collectivism, in collectivism there is a leader or those organizations that control how groups or society or civilization works and people follow along, more like a herd of sheep, if you will.

In the Bottom Screens Ensemble, Diva attempts to send Kaiba to a "lesser dimension" (as Diva calls it, that's arrogant), but thanks to results from Kaiba's research in Transcend Game from VR system, his newest model of Duel Disk can reflect and materialize one's willpower and "higher consciousness" or other way of saying such "spiritual energy" of anyone who wields it, therefore it protected Kaiba from being sent to a "lesser dimension", They go start with Dimension Duel, but since the ambience changes like a shadow game, it's technically a shadow game but as "Dimension Duel" (that's the name I call it), they were kinda sent to "another dimension".

The Screens Ensemble on the Left, the duel is almost ending, Kaiba's inner monologue before starting to consider what to do next while refusing to lose to Diva:

"In no way is defeat a permissible option in this place. The one who should have put the nail in Yugi's—no, in Atem's coffin...was none other than me. And, in my subconscious, having failed that task, his ghost continues to wander around, even to this date. Yugi..."

This says a lot actually, Kaiba is in between admitting refer Atem as Atem and refusing to accept he is gone by Yugi "other yugi", Kaiba feels irritated that Yugi got to defeat Atem first than him and send him to afterlife, which was what he wanted (the battle city tournament to feel he conquered "Duel King"), in his inner monologue, says of Atem as ghost still wandering in his subconscious, I would say he doesn't want to admit that he actually misses battling duels with him...to him, Atem was a real challenge to him and a rival...inspired him to evolve the duels and the card game Magic&Wizards, Kaiba does hold grudge to both of them, Atem and Yugi...

The Screens Ensemble on the Right, the part when Kaiba completely slaps Diva in a very satisfying way, due to his "dimension monsters", Kaiba was having a hard time, since his deck is a "power-deck", very focused on monsters with high ATK, Diva more or less did block his "power-deck", Kaiba came up with the idea and sensed, since Kaiba is connected to the millennium items and one of the few who can summon the Egyptian Gods, he summons Obelisk in "Dimension Summon" (also Atem had given permission to summon it xD), yeah, when Kaiba uses the "infinite ATK" effect of Obelisk, Diva while panicked claims his monsters negates all monsters effects, but Kaiba corrects him, "It's no Monster. It's a God!", in technical terms, it is a Divine-Attribute card, which means, any monsters effects from the player or opponent is useless against Divine type of Attibute, to Diva's expression that screams "I'm f@cked" xDD.

It's so cute Mokuba jumps over the box with the pieces as a way to protect it while despite Mokuba looking more mature and responsible, he still does the "kid" methods and even on a suit (by the way, he looks great), Diva teleport stopping his duel with Kaiba to prevent them from taking the pieces of the millennium puzzle, the reason they are doing this is to prevent Kaiba from "reviving" the pharaoh so Prana can go to a higher plane, but is still stupid because Pharaoh has been gone to afterlife over a year and half ago, there is no excuses, they could have gone by that time, Diva is the one holding it back for revenge...

Diva is actually successful in getting two pieces before Mokuba headbutt him, Mokuba is so reliable, Kaiba says their duel has been postponed, hmm, he was enjoying it, it seems.

Another detail, it's not here, after Kaiba took off after excavating and taking the millennium puzzle pieces, one of the Prana and close friends with Diva called Mani, went to see something further down was shinning...the Millennium Ring.

I love this scene 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂. It's so funny, very funny, it's a hilarious dream, that's gold comedy right here, Jounouchi like Kaiba can be quite prideful when they don't admit they want something or stubborn about their real feelings...but what makes it hilarious in this scene is it shows Jounouchi's impression of Kaiba, I would have to say is slightly off the mark but very funny nonetheless, there were expressions that were slightly exaggerated, some are very Kaiba-ish but others is more Jounouchi...

First starting with Yugi in this key point, Yugi making the speech for the graduation ceremony and from how he has buttoned his uniform, this means, usually in anime or manga, it's usually the ones who make the speech of third year is best student or top student of his year and school, you know what this means? Yugi has grown up in taking his studies seriously, Yugi was always very intelligent but didn't took studies seriously as long was something he was interested, but since it was games for him, he didn't really study during his freshman year, I would dare to say it was in 2nd year of high school, he started to take it seriously, a fast-learner too, with just a bit of effort from his part, he could easily be the top student, here is happening, his mother would be so proud. Can I say that bow from Yugi was so graceful!? He is growing up...😢

Regarding the interaction between Sera and Diva:

Sera: "You fought with Kaiba, didn't you?"

Diva: "Yeah, the Millennium Puzzle is in his clutches. If it should ever be put together...And, if that should happen, we'll never carry out Shin-sama's prophecy, and we will find ourselves bound to this dimension."

Sera: "Diva...That's why I'm telling you to give up on this selfish sense of vengeance now."

Diva: "As for the revival of the Pharaoh, all we need to do is eliminate the vessel."

Sera: "No, Big Brother! I have a terrible feeling about this. Something that could be irreversible...Big Brother, please believe. There are those in this world, as well, who will be on your side."

Diva: "On my side...?"

Diva is quite similar to Kaiba in not taking seriously their younger siblings advice and making excuses for their stupid choices, 😑, specially when they're the ones being quite sensible, Sera in this case is more or less saying about stop making excuses, so he can do his revenge and making other people involved that got nothing to do with it...besides according to the prophecy, they should have gone to the "higher plane" by one year and half ago (that's when the pharaoh already went to netherworld), why they didn't? Is Diva aware him "eliminate" Kaiba and Yugi to prevent the pharaoh from being revived are just excuses to prolong his real target of his revenge? they could have gone to the "higher plane" for quite a long ago, it makes me wonder what they have been doing all this time? gathering more "Prana", so Diva could do his "revenge" or help more people from unjust suffering? (the reports of some people that have disappeared become part of "Prana" and others sent to "lesser dimension") That's hypocritical of Diva, keep lying to himself the most, honestly.

Sera implies that they can trust Yugi...Diva entrusts one of the millennium pieces to Sera (since he has stolen two).

Since there is a lot of unnecessary dialogue lines about science that I don't understand for most of it, but from what could be understood, since the millennium puzzle is highly complex that in order to be solved, you have to look from all the angles of the mechanisms of each piece in how they piece up together, Kaiba programmed a 3D-scanner in a zero-gravity to make a very complex 3D-scanner for it to solve it (as expected of Kaiba, that's genius mind for you), however for the AI 3D-scanner take 6 hours to complete...that's a long time...

Why Kaiba isn't solving it himself...? Taking into account the rumours and facts about millennium items and millennium puzzle and how Mr.Otogi almost died to solve the millennium puzzle for not being "the chosen one"...it would still be risky even for Kaiba...he isn't the "chosen" vessel for the pharaoh either...

The scene when Jounouchi whose curious asks about Diva's cube:

Diva as "Aigami": "This? I guess it's like a deck case."

Jounouchi: "Uh-huh... Pretty uncommon look for one."

Ryou: "Is it an antique or something?"

Diva as "Aigami": "Mm-hmm... Straight from Egypt. I received it from someone very dear to me."

Ryou: "That makes sense. My dad is an antique salesman, you see, and he's traveled all over the world a lot of times, so I was in Egypt before I transferred to my current school."

Diva as "Aigami": "Egypt, huh? Wow. I sure would like to hear that story..."

What took my interest as much with Diva as "Aigami" about Ryou's father, apparently he was an antique salesman, similar to Mr.Kanekura, the former director of Domino Museum, who currently now is Ryou's father, which makes a lot of sense of him becoming the "curator", from the sound of it, since his father traveled a lot around the world, Ryou and his family did so, it was often as well, but was probably the "strange incidents" with Ryou about Yami Bakura and RPG tabletop, Ryou started to distance from his family and living on his own...by this time now, the millennium ring isn't with him anymore he might be living with his family now.

Before getting analytical, Yugi looks great on black shirt 👌, too bad we haven't got the chance to see Atem wearing it except on fanarts, but would be very nice in a official art.

Sera explains Prana to Yugi among other things that has been mentioned briefly:

Yugi: "This is my treasure and, right now, I'm storing my really important cards in it..."

Sera: "...and those cards are also the cards beloved by the Pharaoh that resided within your heart. Long ago, there was a monk who served the Pharaoh. His name was Shadi. Shadi Shin. That person's mission was to collect all seven Millennium Items to the Tablet of the Pharaoh's Memories and send off his spirit to the netherworld. And then, there's you, Yugi Mutou-san, the one and only chosen vessel for the Pharaoh's spirit in this world. You continued on your path and protected the Puzzle."

[Sera shows the Prana Dimension, ancient scriptures and symbols, the Prana in front of it]

Yugi: "What is that?"

Sera: "It is where we of Prana assemble."

Yugi: "Prana?"

Sera: "We are now the inheritors of the late Shin-sama's will. The travelers to a new dimension. And, Yugi-san, you are like us in that you possess a similar energy wave."

Yugi: "Who are you?"

Sera: "I am Sera. Come with us to a new world. You are of the chosen, just as we are."

The dialogue is interesting, we even get Shadi's full name being Shadi Shin, the one that Diva is attempting to revenge for is Shadi, it's interesting that he was monk, I didn't knew there were monks in Ancient Egypt, in Asia, yes but not Egypt.

Sera explains more or less that they know already that Yugi did his duty as vessel of the pharaoh to send him to afterlife "netherworld", which happened ones year and an half ago, I ask again why? why would Diva try to eliminate Yugi thinking Yugi might revive Atem if from his own volition send Atem to afterlife? his logic is so flawed...or excuses, he is just postponing to do his revenge...

The more curious part since when did they met Shadi and how come he is "dead"? Considering of what we know about Shadi...The Prana are inheritors of his will? Travelers to a new dimension...the higher plane...she says Yugi is similar in energy wave....

But the Travelers to higher plane, if we think through about the mentioned from 3-D to 4-D, from the sound of it, if they would go to "higher plane", would that mean in gaining somewhat abilities to travel between worlds or this new dimension would be reserved to Prana who have the same wave energy...the question is why they are into it but yet is being posponed thanks to someone who wants revenge, Diva, since he is the one wields the Dimension Cube, he is supposed to be the "leader" to guide them to a new dimension - the higher plane.

When Sera left invites to come with him as she leaves, she entrusts the missing piece she has been holding to Yugi.

This happens while Diva as "Aigami" sends them to a different dimension to have a more "private talk" when he asks Ryou what he remembers - since Ryou mentioned that had before one, or the time spent in Egypt with his father...Ryou is hesitant:

"Well, it's not one I really want to remember, but...It was when my father heard that a certain antique that he had spent many years searching for...was located in the Valley of the Kings. And in order to obtain it, he set off on his own. For whatever reason, I was intrigued and trailed him in secret. Why? Why bring this up!? I don't want to even remember what happened on that night!"

During this cutscene of him remembering, his father as we see here, was riding on a boat or ship, because it looked like more a yacht (those are expensive, that means his father was wealthy), if he was obsessed with an antique that he has been looking for, remember he is an antique salesman for a reason, it's not just to sell them like those really expensive ones, collects them as well, I wonder what antique Ryou's father was so obsessed with...Ryou trailed his father in secret since he was intrigued for seeing his father going on his own...since he was trailing his dad, he must have thought it would be safe...from the sounds of it, Ryou actually has trauma that he blocked away, we know his father is alive (he is the current curator of Domino Museum).

Jounouchi seeing Ryou distressed as realizing they were in a different dimension...getting the cause is Diva as "Aigami" who is provoking it, here is their interaction:

Diva as "Aigami": "The sight you are seeing now...is that of your usual tree-lined avenue. I have gone ahead and slightly altered your neural information of it with my powers."

Jounouchi: "Aigami...What are you talking about?"

Diva as "Aigami": "Jonouchi...I have some business to attend to with Bakura. Hate to do this, but I'm going to have to make you disappear."

[...]

[Jounouchi grabs Aigami by the collar]

Diva as "Aigami": "Resorting to violence, are we? As I suspected, such low class."

Jounouchi: "What!?"

Diva as "Aigami": "Allow me to now show you the truth of this world. Where do you people get your visual information from? Is the information that always goes through your eyes the truth or not? Am I truly being seen by your eyes? Safe travels...To the world of truth. [...] Here, no one notices you. [...] I will tell you something, Jonouchi. The world that your eyes usually see is not a world composing of you alone. The temporal and spacial frequencies the brain perceives are shared with the inhabitants of your world. It is commonly referred to as «collective consciousness». Simply put, in your world, your school, your city, and even your friends' faces...All those who perceive the same frequencies in your world unconsciously confirm them with one another to establish...a hologram-esque world constructed in a domain of time and space. The world you are seeing now is made from your neural information alone. In other words, it's a world barred from accessing neural information with anyone other than yourself. You are lost in a world all of your own—one which is isolated from the collective consciousness. [...]Herein lies the game. A neural image escape game.[...] Jonouchi. In order to make it out alive, you need only rely on the memories within your brain. Now, remember! [...] Do you get it, Jonouchi? Even if you do exist within this world, unless the inhabitants around you have memories of you in their subconscious, you will not be able to exist. [...] Farewell..."

That's a long quote, the last time was with Mokuba explaining his and Seto's backstory...since will be brought up at the end...to make it easier to understand is putting the collectivism concept as a separate reality from individualism which is where Jounouchi is inside...the "individualism" dimension if you will, isolated from "collectivism" on his neural information...

I really don't like his attitude with Jounouchi, I'm just not fond of "too entitled characters" as antagonist is irritating for me, because you see them everywhere...I'm with Jounouchi in punching his face, I wouldn't feel sorry on his pretty face 😊, I usually would, but his ego and entitlement is too annoying, but I guess there is more creative ways to piss Diva off. 😒

Starting with the screenshot on the Right during the movie of this scene, looking at the Tablet of the Shrine <---click here for better view of the image (because with "Pharaoh's Memories" is long), in this tablet was where the millennium items were forged...the items missing are obviously the Rod, Tauk (necklace), the Puzzle (formerly Pendant), Key is the one Shadi is currently wielding, the other missing is the Eye, which means, Pegasus by this time already has the Millennium Eye, the ones still on the Tablet are the Millennium Ring and Scales...

Shadi is giving teachings to the Prana:

Sera: "Shadi-sama, why must people persist in conflict?"

Shadi: "For conflict exists within all of our hearts."

Sera: "With our hearts?"

Diva: "But, none of us have ever fought before. Conflict exists in us, regardless?"

Shadi: "Why, yes, Diva. So long as fear exists in the hearts of any and all."

Mani: "Fear...sir?"

Shadi: "All conflict spawns fear. The fear of loss...Be it one's life, one's loved one, one's land, or one's country...The fear of loss extends to many things..."

Diva: "Then, what about those who rule? Rulers who have nothing to fear, exist in this world and take so much away."

Shadi: "Whose who take something away, are ruled by the fear of something being taken away. A constant pattern now...and into eternity."

Diva: "I am not afraid. Not ever since you saved us that one time, Shadi-sama. And not as long as I can be with you and everyone else, Shadi-sama!"

Shadi: "That is fear, Diva!"

That is an interesting idea about where conflicts comes from as being from fear, despite disagreeing with most of it...conflict comes from more than just fear, as an example greed can become insatiable like an addiction, abuse of power, as long revolves around money and power, fear is one of the elements that spawn conflict, however I agree with Shadi when Diva stopped being afraid since Shadi saved them from something...Shadi indicated to him that is fear...having things for granted might create a fear of loss of what took from granted, for Diva his and peer's safety, if they don't have Shadi, they aren't safe, that's fear of losing their safety...time and course of life is always constantly moving, anything can happen...However he says other interesting stuff:

"Everyone, listen well. Once all seven Items are assembled in the Tablet of Pharaoh's Memories housed here, the doors to the netherworld shall be opened, and the spirit of the ancient Pharaoh will pass on. Once that happens, the door to a wonderful new world devoid of borders, race, conflict and even the barriers of language shall be opened, and the chosen ones shall be led to that world. That is all of you. However, you must be cautious. Should the Pharaoh that has passed to the netherworld be resurrected in this world yet again, you all will be bound to this dimension and the door to the future shall never be opened again. Remember this well. Fear renders all to nothing."

The way Shadi explained makes more sense, even so that doesn't explain why from the moment Atem went to afterlife, why they didn't go to this "higher plane", it happened 1 year and an half ago, I'm just saying, it's because there is something holding them back, that is Diva on his quest for revenge.

Then comes Ryou's father like a crazy man asking for the Millennium Ring, while Shadi warns him the following:

"I am afraid to say, this ring already has an owner set in line. I also have heard that a evil spirit is sealed within this. It is better for you not to be involved with it."

Shadi knows the nature of the millennium items in choosing their wielders, if you're not chosen by it, you die or harm you very severely, also the fact he warns of an "evil spirit" (Zork), Shadi actually knows the name, but since people aren't aware or knowledgeable of the history behind these millennium items, he explains in a more simple way, you can tell he is saddened by this man's insistence, he may be thinking that he might die like the thief that Pegasus witnessed...he let be...

Ryou's father wields the Millennium Ring for almost killing him, he didn't well...hum...unlike the thief got the "needles" of the Ring inserted, because Ryou is the chosen wielder, who had the "needles" inserted and even...urgh...attached to Ryou's chest? Poor child, when those needles were about to insert in his chest, Ryou was very scared, it seems this event scarred him...then comes Yami Bakura and "kills" Shadi (or thinks he did), this is when some lore and worldbuilding between Shadi and Zork (Yami Bakura) comes into play, this is after Pegasus got his Millennium Eye, however here is another interesting reminder is before Yami Bakura&Main Marik VS Yami Marik -> click here , in a few years later, somewhere around in three years, Shadi appears in front of the Ishtar siblings and later meets Yugi when he is 16...Shadi wasn't ever dead, but seemed he wasn't alived either if he could still wield millennium items, Shadi is a special case...those symbols of 3 upside down triangles in his forehead he isn't a normal individual...that he usually hides with his turban (how curious).

Later Shadi gives the Dimension Cube to Diva and says the following:

"One day, the seven Items shall be gathered in the tablet. However, out of all of them, three stand for justice while three hold a wicked consciousness, with the final Item having sides of both sealed within it. [...] The boy serving as the vessel who will resurrect the Pharaoh's spirit...He is the same as all of you..."

Hmmm, that explains a lot, according Ishizu and the prophecy on the Nameless Pharaoh memorial where his name was scratched and Marik's back speaks of a prophecy, but not all the content, the Ishtar family had the conditions to revive Atem's memories, while this is the other part of the prophecy, which speaks of the vessel, that's Zork-Ring knew about the "the other boy with the millennium item" in Monster World Arc, in another words, he pretty much knew the spirit sealed in the millennium puzzle was the pharaoh soul, but Yami Bakura (Zork-Ring) didn't knew if was already "awaken"...the other curious part is when he says how three of the millennium items stand for justice (Key, Scales and Tauk) and three other for wickedness (Eye, Rod and Ring) and lastly is the Millennium Puzzle (formerly Millenium Pendant) represents both sides being sealed within...the opposite numbers that end up between the Puzzle and the Ring? I guess, it is the case. It's very interesting nonetheless.

Because the Prana inherit his powers, more technically his "dimensional abilities", the most curious part for me is that Yami Bakura just left everyone lying around, including Ryou's father, who didn't die clearly but left lying around too, his money must have been stolen though, he brought a lot of money just to get the Millennium Ring...but only his son was the chosen wielder and become a "permanent host" of Zork Necrophades who claims that will put this world into darkness...then we see Diva awakening his powers...probably swearing revenge...speaking of Zork and Millennium Ring...

From the Screens Ensemble on the Right, between Ryou and Diva as "Aigami" interaction to observe after Diva tell him what happened:

Diva: "So? Remember now, Bakura?"

Ryou: "Did I really..."

Diva: "I have been waiting forever for this. For the moment I take vengeance with my own hands!"

Ryou: "No, I was being controlled, by that wretched ring..."

Diva: "Silence, you! Show me your true form!"

Ryou: "There is no true form! Everything is that ring's doing...But, as for me, As for me, I did something that cannot be undone to a person near and dear to you, by my own hands, didn't I?"

Diva: "Bakura..."

[...]

Ryou: "Aigami-kun, forgive me."

Diva: "Silence. Not another word!! I will enact my revenge on you..."

You can tell Diva is hesitant because he has been wanting this, all that was necessary was to send him to "lesser dimension", yet he isn't for many reasons...Ryou explains it was all due that Millennium Ring, deep down Diva knows this or else he wouldn't ask "to show his true form" and the real "revenge" is on the Ring that should be aimed at, since Ryou as Ryou he sees he was another victim of the Ring like Shadi and even Ryou's father and many others....Ryou from the tone on how he explained it, he was scarred by it (I mean he was abused by it through manipulation among other things like physically harm his host for his own gain), he called it "wretched ring", in another words, he is actually glad that hasn't nothing to do with the Ring...he doesn't feel attached to it anymore either and prefers to be far away too...you can tell Ryou was scarred, Ryou doesn't excuse either it was still his body that "killed" Shadi (Yami Bakura thinks he did), which is why he cries as much he is scarred by the Ring....

Then Mani comes along clearly controlled by something and asking why Diva is hesitant and pick Ryou by the collar like we see in the screen ensembles and reveals he has the Millennium Ring, we have to remember...Zork didn't go to netherworld like Atem did...which means Zork is still there in the Ring but was severely weakened, remember...as pointed out from behaviours...Zork functions like a parasite and absorbs and uses people's darkness to get stronger, he was controlling Mani to get to Ryou and Diva, since Mani is a Prana with dimensional abilities, he was useful temporarily.

The interesting part is that Mani wasn't wielding it but was holding in his hand, Zork was "crawling" to take control over Mani, he probably want "his host", but as you can see, Ryou even being held by a collar as Zork powers were over Mani and Ryou, Ryou wasn't just fighting to live from being held by a collar, but as much resistant against the Ring, this shows Ryou's character development...he was severely weakened after Monster World Arc, so he was easily abused by Yami Bakura/Zork with almost no break to recover, now that 1 year and half separated from the Ring, it made a huge difference that he is far more resistant...since Ryou was resistant, the Ring using Mani abilities sent Ryou to a "lesser dimension" (we have to remember Yami Bakura was willing to impale Ryou's left hand, so Ryou wouldn't interfere with his plans in Monster World Arc and kill him too).

Diva tries to stop Mani, to Mani trying to stop himself from doing anything else and warns Diva of how dangerous the Ring is, it absorbs his darkness as much make it more powerful...such hatred and make it consume you...then they are weakened, Diva sent them both him and Mani to another dimension - Desert Dimension - Mani was still holding the Ring trying to resist it but since the Ring already did use his "dimensional powers" on Mani - it was sent to a "lesser dimension" slowly since he was a Prana.

Diva is saddened and starting to feel confused about his goal of revenge...after he witnessed of how dangerous the Ring is that he could fall victim like Mani did and use his abilities to listen Yugi calling for Jounouchi from "original dimension".

For a better view of the middle screenshot--->> click here

Diva reveals his real identity to the gang looking for Jounouchi and Ryou, while this happens, Jounouchi in "isolation dimension" (separated from "collectivism reality"), Atem appears in that iconic place with the "Park Clock Fountain" of Domino City in "isolation dimension", in this time it was really him, you can tell, he wasn't wearing the millennium puzzle plus how he is dressed that is familiar to Jounouchi is the way Kaiba simulated him without the Millennium Puzzle...Kaiba was actually closer than he thinks...Atem saves Jounouchi from the "isolation dimension" and sends him back to "original dimension"...

When Jounouchi comes back, Diva is surprised because he should have been a pile of particle in a far side of dimensions, then Jounouchi does give him a splendid comeback answer:

"Our bonds, y'see...are always connected, transcending dimensions!"

Honda, Yugi and Anzu feeling inspired by his speech, what Diva doesn't know, these bonds with his friends doesn't just include Honda, Yugi, Anzu and Ryou, Atem is part of it too. 😀

Diva doesn't know it was Atem who saved him...supposedly was in the netherworld, so why he appeared right? According to what I heard when comes to souls of the dead have "moved forward" towards afterlife, their interference and help is temporary and small as much quite limited with the mortal world if you will...

Also, since the gang were all in sync and inspired, it affected the "collective consciousness" powers of Prana, it's simple, they aren't sheep collectively in a herd, they are forging their own paths and pursuing their own dreams and yet remain connected to their shared bonds and difficult and good and chill moments, work together and still retaining their individuality, that's unity for you, also is what makes their bonds stronger too.

Another reason he is surprised, Jounouchi still resisted for a long time, because he said that should have been for quite some time already to be piles of particles, but he wasn't...he was full body.

From the moment the gang, "the main gang" got in unison as expressed in the previous scene in the previous key point, it affected as shown in Top Screens Ensemble that it confused the "Prana" and it's power comes from "collective consciousness" like a herd of sheep, while their friends in sync deflected it instead since their union drives from their friendship while retaining individuality, it's when "collectivism" and "individualism" work together if you will, therefore it confused the Prana's mind, who simply has collectivism more evolved than your average human...it was unusual for them...well, true friendship is rare, the gang have that, since Diva saw something outside of the usual pattern around "collective consciousness", the gang has but they retain their individualism at the same time, Diva understood this much but still limited-view, he got curious.

The Bottom Screens Ensemble, after Diva and Prana, a little after Honda and Anzu left as they were about to split up to search for Ryou...Jounouchi tries to say something to Yugi:

Jounouchi: "Say, Yugi. You see, I...I...Nah, it's nothing."

Yugi: "Jounouchi-kun..."

Any watcher can guess what he was about to say...he was about to say that it was Atem who saved him and may want to mean that even when he is in "afterlife", Atem does watches over them...something like that, that they are always connected independently where they are, that's also what Jounouchi meant with their "bonds transcend dimensions"...Yugi's reaction to it was, he knew what he was about to say and suspects it was Atem, remember...Yugi has the missing piece of the millennium puzzle, he already knows something...regarding Atem...

As can be viewed from the left, 1st screenshot, Diva's expression says "having doubts" about what he knew and believed...since he had his guard temporarily down...Kaiba captures Diva and successfully blocking his abilities and removing his Dimension Cube from his hands...of course, Kaiba will scan any intel about this "Dimension Cube" for future reference...

While Diva was captured, which isn't shown here (due to constraints of number of Screens Ensembles...), there is an interesting interaction, Diva makes an interesting comment about Kaiba:

Mokuba: "Once we scanned this baby, it showed us that there was a piece of the Puzzle inside it. So, the problem we face is how to open it, which..."

Diva: "Can't quite do it by your ability alone, can you? It is true that your older brother, Seto Kaiba possesses an unparalleled intellect. However, even with all the cutting-edge technology of the Kaiba Corporation at your disposal, it is impossible for you to tread into a dimensional domain. Not to mention, you've managed to confirm that I ran away with two of the pieces, have you not?"

Diva is mostly correct about the domain of dimensions in using technology, no matter how advanced it is, in fact to an extent I do agree with him (which is rare, btw), however I do like when characters even as entitled as Diva admits that Kaiba Seto is indeed someone who has a genius mind, here says "unparalleled intellect" in the translation while the DVD copy I own (Manga UK) says he has indeed a genius mind, that's a huge compliment for someone as prideful and entitled as Diva (entitled individuals have a hard time recognizing others abilities...other than their own) and even think is admirable, he was able to block his abilities in such a short amount of time...

Summarizing the rest of the conversation, about the missing pieces is that is hidden within him...from the Dimension Cube, but is one, while the other he entrusted to Sera (which and who Kaiba already knows as one of his test subjects) whom entrusted to Yugi (Kaiba knows this as well because Kaiba is a control freak with the whole city under surveillance using his technology), however Diva doesn't know Kaiba knows all of this...

To summarize the Top Screens Ensemble is Kaiba saying Yugi's participation in his tournament is imperative, so that Yugi finish the puzzle and have a duel battle again against "Dark Yugi - you know...Kaiba's stubbornness, Yugi even tries to explain, but then continues that "Aigami" will participate in the tournament, that's Yugi complies, Kaiba leaves, then the cars start going and Yugi sees his Puzzle Box (where the other missing piece is), however is close to the edge of the road between the street walkway, Yugi almost died from having a "truck-kun" accident (Kaiba. you jerk and control freak 😠), Sera saved Yugi right on time, however she asks Yugi to make the right decision, if "pharaoh is revived(again), Prana would be bounded by this dimension" and not able to go to the "higher plane"...this part doesn't make much sense, it's not that simple...the Prana still don't understand that and they could have gone already to this "higher plane" 1 year ago and Atem isn't bounded by the mortal living, when supposedly go to afterlife, you are quite limited when comes to help in the mortal world...but Yugi already knows something about that matter...

This Tournament Event between only 3 people that he selected, Kaiba himself, Yugi and Diva "Aigami", that looks more like a gladiator coliseum dragging others into his stubbornness for battle...but his speech in his opening event as theatrical as might be, still holds some interesting details:

"I ask all of you! What does it mean to do battle!? The moment man is given life in this world, they harbor a soul within the vessel known as the body, in other words, the body is but a prison for the soul! A prison that does not permit one's soul to leave until they expire!

And, in time, the body will take up arms to defend that soul! Is your threat your mortal coil!? Is your threat some one other!? Is your threat some place other!? We battle for the sake of those we wish to protect! We battle with those of differing ideologies!

Due to the foolish bloodsport known as war, the history of battles have been forever repeated! However, ironically, not even the victors are allowed to escape their prisons! Until now, ladies and gentlemen! This next generation of Duel Disk will help to set our souls free! We will escape our prisons, ushering in the era where we all coexist via a network spanning the globe!

Boundaries, race, ideals, language—By transcending any and all discrepancies, we will go headlong into a new future! May the next generation of Duel Disk harbor the spirit of battle! The arms you take up...will be your cards! Now, the time has come to show yourself, O mighty duelists!

On this stage, with the eyes around the world watching, I will take the mightiest duelists handpicked by me and pummel them into the dirt!! there is this golden puzzle in which the proud title of champion is sealed! However, it is short just a few pieces! The remaining two are being held by the two duelists I have invited here! [...] I will trounce these two individuals, attaining the title of strongest...[...blah blah]"

😑😑😑😑 Honestly, I would sleep halfway through Kaiba's speech, it's ridiculously long 😪, he is so "dramatic" - "theatrical", you could mistake for a long monologue of a play...however during this speech it shows some of his growth regarding things he didn't believed before but is more open minded to the subject thanks to some results of his research, while admitting and not admitting about Dark Yugi as an individual of his own due to his stubbornness believing that if Yugi just wear the millenium puzzle, Atem will just come back and take over Yugi's body just to duel against him, because Kaiba were to accept that Atem is Atem and not "other yugi" as is own person would mean his rival is somewhere that can't be reached...Kaiba is so contradictory.

There is a conversation during this Kaiba's boring monologue-ish speech between Sera and Diva between the "original dimension" and "desert dimension" (it seems the desert dimension is reserved for private conversations and "alone time") about Diva being aware that Sera was safe all along while noticing Yugi had the missing piece he had entrusted to Sera, she explains she felt was the only way to help Yugi get Diva to his senses, since she had a bad feeling where her brother was going with his hatred and grief over Shadi's death...

After Kaiba's speech, Kaiba intended first starting with Diva for dueling but Yugi interrupts him, to tell it will be him having a duel battle against Diva to save Ryou, since he was sent to another "lesser dimension", Kaiba at first didn't, but Yugi insisted in his willingness, Kaiba "authorizes" Yugi's request but will be watching in silence their duel...(he does).

Summarizing the duel itself Yugi is surviving Diva's attacks while preparing the necessary cards for his real comeback and wins the duel, while this happens, Diva comes to tell how the Prana lived before they met Shadi and become Prana, the kids who lived with him, his sister Sera and Mani, they were ordered to steal from people, specially tourists by a man, a adult, as you can see, if they didn't collected enough money, they wouldn't have meal (the bastard), the way Shadi came to them to help and save them from this bastard whom he sent to a "lesser dimension"...the movie shows Shadi's origins, Shadi came from the stars, we know he is the "spirit of the tablet" with other name as "Hassan", from the moment the tablet broke...Shadi went away..., we can conclude Shadi since he is a "monk" and taught the kids and made them become Prana and teach about going to a "higher plane", it's implied that Shadi is a "higher plane being" or a 4D being, it's just a theory but we can conclude this much...

Yugi learning of their past before meeting Shadi and meeting him, Yugi being Yugi, who is an empath, as much feels a lot sympathy for him and the Prana as much is kind...

There is some highlighted quotes between Diva and Yugi:

Diva: "Your consciousnesses are mismatched and distorted. All foolish, ugly, and weak. This world is too warped and has no desirable future. I know you feel it to be so as well. Shin-sama said so himself. That you are a similar entity to us. Surrender now and hand over the piece. Then, why not join us? To a brilliant dimension...To a future meant solely for us....The world we Prana shall go is a world of a higher plane. An ideal world with neither strife nor hatred nor fear with all of its people in sync with one another."

Yugi: "I can't go. Aigami-kun, hatred yields nothing."

Sera [watching from afar]: "Brother..."

Diva: "You...You wouldn't understand. The peaceful day-to-day existence all of you live and take for granted...The fact remains that it's only made possible through the sacrifice of something else."

This is the first part of this interaction quotes, I agree with Diva to an extent, when you think about it, Diva's hatred is more towards the world (I can relate to an extent), however even his own and the others are a bit distorted for wanting leave this dimension for a world with no fights or anything that brings no harm, sounds idyllic at first...but there is some stuff lacking...however the last quote is interesting regarding the peaceful day-to-day of Yugi was made possible through sacrifice of something else, because is actually true, no matter how you look at it, even what we use on our daily lives, it's exactly that, clothes, electronics, even the laws the way the world is divided, the cultures..etc.

The next highlighted quote is from Shadi when he saved the children with Diva:

"During reincarnation, those who will be Prana choose harsh environments for themselves. But, all will be well now.[...] I am he who travels dimensions, Shadi. [...] You shall all meet in the same place..."

Then sends the guy to another dimension...What Shadi says is interesting, even though the reincarnation part pisses me off, it's not they chose themselves harsh environments...situations outside of their control...most of the time, in this case for these kids...but they could have gone to an orphanage, to an extent Shadi is a bit right, however interests me that he says he is a traveler between dimensions...in a sense he is a "4D being" (according to his explanation, that is)...

Second part of the interaction between Yugi and Diva:

Diva: "We are the chosen entities, Prana! We shall cast aside this contaminated world and even «being human» to travel to a new dimension! [...] Once you are gone, Kaiba's scheme to resurrect the Pharaoh will also be a bygone memory. And then, us Prana will travel to a new dimension!"

[...]

Yugi: "Aigami-kun, you said all of you are going to open new doors and travel to an ideal world in a higher plane. Our world may indeed be one distorted from your perspectives. But, this world also has a future. I have friends near and dear who live here. And, all of us believe in our futures!!"

I can agree to an extent except his overconfidence and entitlement on his principles, but there is a lot of fallacies, even Yugi agrees to an extent but with some differences, their world has a future in a sense that each of them are forging their own paths towards their own futures, hopes and dreams which they have in their world...more or less one way or another, be it in another world or other dimension (or other worlds/dimensions) or their world, independently where your future is...you fight for your own future and dreams...as much not decided by someone else but you.😊 (it was for Sera and Prana too)

By the way, Mokuba was quite relived that Yugi won (aaaww, he was cheering for him, described the duel and turns to Seto, he is just very quiet looking at Yugi).

This duel...was...EPIC...I love it so much, I have been wanting one duel between them for so long, not Dark Yugi/Atem VS Kaiba, but Yugi VS Kaiba, just One Problem...the duel DIDN'T GET TO THE END BY ONE TURN! Dang it...I was betting on Yugi's win 😗, Kaiba had 100LP (Yugi had 400 or around 1000, but Kaiba had 1 card face down and Yugi had 2 or 3.

Enough of my own personal thoughts, When Kaiba said the opponent he needed to defeat wasn't him (Yugi), we know he wanted was "the other yugi", how he avoided saying "Yugi" to Yugi, it would mean he had to accept that Atem is really gone from this world...when Yugi tries to explain...Kaiba interrupted saying "Enough Talk!" to getting ready to duel the Yugi in front of him (refer him as "Yugi, The Vessel", That's RUDE! 😠), the duel had a lot of back and forth...in midway through as Yugi had the advantage, they have this conversation:

Kaiba: "So, you intend on being a constant thorn in my side, do you? Yugi!"

Yugi: "Kaiba-kun...The reason I came here...was because I had something I felt obligated to tell you..."

[Yugi towards the unfinished puzzle]

Kaiba: "Yugi!"

[Yugi puts the missing pieces, then clicks the "Eye", nothing happens]

Sera [shocked]: "The Pharaoh... isn't reviving!"

Yugi: "Atem is no longer within this Millennium Puzzle. I had come to realize that fact, the moment I took the last piece into my hand. And you calling me so that you could fight Atem is something I, of course, knew. But...But, this is...the truth."

Kaiba: "I refuse."

This conversation is happening while something else is happening, we get there next key point.

I love this scene so much? There is a lot of character development between these two characters during this duel and even Sera who is watching.

Starting with the meaning of Kaiba saying to Yugi intending to be his constant thorn on his side, in a irritated tone...Kaiba means from the moment Yugi was able to tell the card he had "given back" of Blue-Eyes White to Yugi was a fake...Kaiba knowing full well his skills since he saw the duel Yugi VS B!Jounouchi, another one being Pegasus VS Yugi&Dark Yugi was live and recorded (so Kaiba knows, thinking through of him being a control freak we have seen so far, he knows a good portion, Yugi did it, he was the one who defeated "the toons" theme cards of Pegasus while Dark Yugi was the "millennium" theme cards - Yugi defeated the "toons" that Kaiba couldn't), Yugi defeated Atem first than Kaiba...that's what he means...by Yugi being his constant thorn on his side...Kaiba during Death-T does see Yugi and Dark Yugi/Atem as threats to his title of best gamer in the world, which as we see here, he still sees this way...even if he defeated Atem, there is Yugi he has to defeat (since he defeated Atem first)...

As for Yugi, during this duel, he has grown a lot - before their duel started, Yugi refer to Atem as "other me", while here making Kaiba facing reality by refering Atem as Atem...it was also himself facing it...accepting it that Atem is no longer in the mortal world and went to afterlife as much there is only One Yugi and no "other yugi/other me", he felt if he didn't take this step, Kaiba wouldn't move on either...you can tell it was very difficult for him, it was a truth that it hurt him and so it does to Kaiba...(you can tell from their expressions), even the gang's expression was shown as they listened there is grief in their expression as much thinking how hard must have been for Yugi to say this himself and they relate to his feelings as well because Atem was their friend too. Kaiba still intends to be stubborn.

Yugi knew this since he got the missing piece, even by the time Jounouchi was back and trying to say something to Yugi and Sera asked Yugi to make the decision for them...Atem wasn't there and suspected it was Atem who saved Jounouchi, since by that time the puzzle wasn't completed either...also Yugi had this puzzle for 9 years and half (8 years solving, 1 year and half wielding it - freshman year and half his 2nd year), he knows the millennium puzzle better than anyone else.

Sera and the other Prana shocked that Atem wasn't revived...it was as Yugi explained, there is more to it.

This happens during the conversation mentioned in the key point above this one which had gone quite long, since this scene will involve lore and the worldbuilding, I kept it separate.

The scene might have to take back where Mani was sent to a "lesser dimension" from the powers the Ring absorbed...I would say a dark dimension because of the the colours is different from when Prana uses which is red and gold (therefore the title of the movie 😂), remember how Mani was still holding the millennium ring in the "desert dimension"? Diva goes back to the "Desert Dimension" however this dimension is starting to disappear, Diva is holding his Dimension Cube, emotionally vulnerable and questioning himself about his actions and emotions...then finds the Ring...remember it has Dark Intelligence, Zork is still sealed inside - he didn't went to netherworld, remember that in true nature of Zork Necrophades is that he is technically functions like a parasite, a parasite spirit, depends on "people's darkness to get stronger" and needs a "host" as well and absorbs from it's host to become distorted or a manifestation of people's darkness...The Ring has been in this "Desert dimension" for some time too....

Diva when sees the Ring, he isn't attracted to it, he is scared of it, because he saw how much it affected a dear friend of his, Mani...since the boy is the wielder of the Dimension Cube and he is emotionally vulnerable, the Ring/Zork goes at full force and takes the chance...as he starts to take over Diva, Diva begs for Sera and Shadi to save him 😟 and genuinely scared.

In the Top Screens Ensemble, When the duel of Yugi VS Kaiba was interrupted by one turn (dang it...), the Diva's Dimension Cube falls all of a sudden, then illuminates with the mark of the Millennium Ring since the Ring is inside....then coming outside of it, comes off a weird monster...it has a slight Diva consciousness that has been "warped" by Zork, but only a little bit, so call it Zork-Diva, if we look at the monster and compared to parasitism...is not different, in fact is very similar what does fungi parasites to arthropods, parasites to humans and social parasite, kleptoparasite, the patterns from Millennium Ring-Zork functions like a parasite, I would call this one as mentioned before in the post---> "Vol-37 Part 3 Pharaoh Lost Name" ----- a spirit parasite is more accurate, it more or less absorbed the Dimension Cube powers and it's wielder as a host...

There is a line in this scene around between Zork-Diva and Sera:

Yugi: "Is that really Aigami-kun?"

Sera: "Big Brother! Big Brother, what in the world is this!?"

Zork-Diva: "Aah, is that you, Sera? So pure...Immaculate, consciousnesses linked together...But, behold! At this abhorrent yet beautiful form! Our desire is that of a world of a higher plane! However, the price to do so is this! I shall now open the doors. I shall drag everything into a dimension of darkness!"

Sera: "Big Brother! Don't tell me...! That cube is the door to a dimensional domain. An eighth Millennium Item!? Shin-sama had to gather the seven Millennium Items and send the spirit of the Pharaoh to the netherworld in order to activate the power of the cube. So that this sullied world would dimensionally shift and we would build up a brand new world...Yes, that cube...was the door leading to a utopia for the chosen people and them alone."

Zork-Diva: "Precisely, Sera. But, should so much as a drop of the beautiful impurity known as hatred mixes into the dimensional domain...!"

Then Zork-Diva sends Sera to a dark dimension, here we have the confirmation that the Dimension Cube was a millennium item all along, but how, it relates to Shadi...remember he is not only a monk 4D-being, he is still is the "spirit of the Tablet of Pharaoh's Memories", for him to become so and protect Atem as the "Will of Akhenamkhanen" (Atem's father) and a new millennium item was forged...remember how the millennium items were created was using sacrifices...it was something similar, but as has been pointed out, all the millennium items have a "Dark Intelligence" hidden within, there isn't exceptions, just some are more balanced than others (Tauk, Scales and Key - but both are capable of summoning "dark powers" like shadow games, even Ishizu used her item to cheat a little in her duel against Kaiba), the 8th millennium item - the Millennium Cube/Dimension Cube isn't an exception to it either...then implement this with the Millennium Ring which has parasite abilities and Zork as parasite spirit is still sealed within since it didn't went to netherworld...then all of this explanation with half-truths and half-lies from Zork-Diva falls into place.

Even Yugi suspected that Zork-Diva wasn't really Diva (he still calls Aigami, basing who and how he met him was as Aigami, him being japanese, it's easier for him say Aigami than Diva, from what I heard, Japanese do struggle with foreign names, specially the western ones)....Yugi is familiar with the Millennium Ring nature and was the first to notice the symbol as well then we get to the Bottom Screenshot of Zork-Diva saying to Yugi:

"Take upon you the iron blow of the Dark Lord!"

That pretty much confirms is Zork Necrophades, because that's how he claims as or as "Dark/Evil God" or "Dark Lord".

Kaiba took the blow instead to protect Yugi (that's noble, coming from him 😌) , yet he still believing Atem would come by giving the millennium puzzle to Yugi, Kaiba as last resort or "last hope" as a channel for Atem to save or help his "former host" and believes Atem wouldn't leave Yugi "dying", amusing enough...he was right.

As can be seen in the Screens Ensembles and the animated gif above, it's pretty clear, Atem just came from "afterlife" or "netherworld" or "spiritual higher dimension" (because he came in gold aura) and see those " golden rings"? it's like the millennium puzzle was the "channel" for Atem from whatever "spiritual dimension" to come "save" and "help" Yugi, it may look it was "rescuing", but not exactly...when Atem came and "cleansed" the "dark particles", just interesting details, from spiritual and metaphysical perspective...another one is from Zork-Diva:

"I-Impossible! The Pharaoh of the Netherworld..."

This is very intriguing, since "Zork Necrophades" technically came from the "next world" door in front of Tablet of the Shrine and was sealed in the Millennium Ring, when the door closed after Atem left, the pieces of Millennium Puzzle and the Millennium Ring was still there too...one of the Millennium Ring abilities, they can sense things from a distance like "tunning to radio news" plus the Dimension Cube gives some news...but not without it's own fallacies due to being an millennium item which means it has "Dark Intelligence" hidden within too, it can't be 100% trusted.

Regarding as to why he states as Atem being "the pharaoh of the netherworld", the time Atem spent in the netherworld taking into account how much he has grown and restored his true caring protective nature, considering the nature of "netherworld" where independently of someone's "moral compass" (be it "evil or bad", rotten, grey, neutral, good, innocent, pure, naive, wise or enlightened), some stay permanently and others don't, Atem may have tried to help and attempted to protect the innocent and those who needed protection, since he has good leadership skills and charisma, those innocent, wise and protective nature helped him...however according to what I have researched, there is so many variables, with what coincides...those who are more enlightened, wise and learning and improve themselves...don't stay in the netherworld for too long, it's temporary, it's when you reach "ascension" if you will is when you leave, which might be the case for Atem which would explain why he was able to come like this with "gold aura" and "cleansing dark particles", just saying..it seems to imply as such, but during Atem's whole scene, he doesn't say anything...he is speaking with his actions.

Starting from the Top Screens Ensemble, I noticed while taking consecutive screenshots of this scene I noticed...the interchanges between Atem and Yugi as Atem took over channeling his energy and helping Yugi, it was Yugi and Atem who saved the day because Yugi was conscious and aware since Atem when channeled has given a "boost" to Yugi while taking over, because they are so in sync since they shared the same body for almost two years, Yugi isn't the vessel or host here and Atem is neither the spirit of millennium puzzle, the best way to describe is Yugi and Atem were "temporarily fused", the millennium puzzle was the "channel" between the mortal dimension or 3D dimension and spiritual dimension, besides there is their special and unique bond and connection.

Yugi and Atem "temporarily fused" summons "Mahado" to "cleanse" the Dimension Cube, since Mahado was a "former wielder of the Millennium Ring" and was able to keep the powers of the Ring in check, the Millennium Ring went away together with the Dimension Cube and Mahado is a powerful mage/sage...taking into account as a reminder of the lore in Memory World Arc between the time Mahado sacrificed his life to fuse his "Ba" and his "Ka" becoming Black Magician, his time spent in "afterlife" did made him more powerful to be able to help Atem against "King of Thieves Bakura" at Tablet of the Shrine....

Revisit as reminder if necessary, these two posts:

It also helped "cleansing" Diva to later...come back with the other Prana...

Since they don't say anything, they are communicating in "collective consciousness" xD, in all seriousness, they were telepathically speaking, I can summarize it which makes it shorter.

Observations to make is how Atem and Yugi "defuse" - defusion, since they "separated" before the Rite of the Duel started, it was done in a similar way here, however Yugi isn't wielding the puzzle, so Atem took it, however interestingly to note is that Atem dissipates the millennium puzzle first then he leaves...why is that?

Here an hypothesis, the millennium items were made from sacrifices of people, when the "millennium items" cease to exist. it's possible that it "frees" or "break free" those souls of people who were used as sacrifices, Village of Kul Elna became a haunted village for a reason...we can suspect that's what Atem did here, he even did so gently, then he left to the "spiritual dimension" that he came from, it shows that spirits of the dead can't be revived, but their interference is limited with the mortal world or 3D.

What intriguing is that Atem leaves differently from the millennium puzzle, there is this light and energy that is gold and fire like the sun going into space - "spiritual dimension", after he leaves, there is a triangle inside a circle trace...hmm, the triangle follows the "millennium puzzle" position, both these symbols have spiritual/metaphysical meanings...the circle is wholeness and triangle is "trinity" or "third eye", but since the triangle follows the "puzzle position" and not the traditional one, which expands to "circle" wholeness, Atem from former wielder of millennium puzzle as pharaoh and former resident of a millennium puzzle as his "portable tomb"(the triangle) and to "ascension" (the circle).

As we see, the Prana is back but they lose their powers, but there is interesting characters development for them...

Diva: "Sera, what happened to me?"

Sera: "Big Brother, our power is no longer..."

Diva: "Sera..."

Mani: "Diva..."

Diva: "Mani."

Mani: "It's for the best. This is all for the best."

I'm with Mani, I guess the other Prana told Mani about Yugi's speech about the future, forging their own futures, they must have been moved by his speech, Mani may have agreed with them with what he has learnt these past few days that now they lost their powers, they have to forge their future, learn to believe in them...also Diva doesn't remember anything after the Ring started taking over him, it was a spirit parasitism alright that used his memories and collective consciousness and warped it and he was cleansed from it...that's why he doesn't remember.

Since "pharaoh was revived", not really, channeled would be more accurate, now they are bound to this dimension...the question is why during Yugi VS Kaiba duel, Atem wasn't "revived" but "here" was? We can presume the prophecy was wrong, but prophecies can have different interpretations...it's possible that the Prana misinterpret it in a literal way...Atem being "revived" was a time limit was over for them to leave the current dimension to a higher plane, since Zork was still in the millennium Ring and the "opposite number" millennium item- the puzzle which represents both light and darkness, was what "maintained" the portal open in the Dimension Cube to "higher plane", Shadi warning them to not provoke circumstances that would make the Pharaoh be "revived", the circumstances that made Atem being "channeled" was things going "out of control", that's also very Atem, he comes to help and rescue when is truly necessary and times of need of his intervention, which also explains why Atem didn't channel during Yugi VS Kaiba because it wasn't a time of need, Atem is in a position as "spirit" who isn't in the living world anymore can't just come when someone wants to...Yugi understood that too, Kaiba was stubborn to "not understand and accept".

Quoting this whole interaction first:

Jounouchi: "Yugi, did you manage to see him?"

Yugi: "Mm-hmm, I even talked to him, albeit briefly."

Anzu: "—Was he doing well?"

Yugi: "—Mm-hmm!" [yeah! or "yup!"]

Jounouchi: "As it happens, I met him too!"

Anzu: "Wha!?"

Honda: "—Really!?"

Ryou: "I'm envious."

Yugi: "I knew it!"

Seto Kaiba: "I see. Seems as though he did come here, didn't he, Yugi?"

Yugi: "Kaiba-kun! I was on the verge of giving up, but you believed, didn't you?"

Seto Kaiba: "I have to wonder about that. Farewell, Yugi. You, too, have been a proud duelist. See you around."

Yugi: "Kaiba-kun...Thanks you, really."

Awwww 💖, I love this interaction so much - it's so cute.

The gang saw him briefly quick, Jounouchi was the first to ask, we get the confirmation they did speak telepathically despite it was brief and Anzu asks like a friend how is been doing, Yugi confirms to everyone that he is fine, it kinda gives the confirmation to them that no matter where they are each of them, they're always connected, Jounouchi also confirms now to the others that he met him too now that Yugi said it himself, despite Ryou being a little envious, there is reasons, the dimension Ryou was sent was of a different type that Jounouchi was in....

Then Kaiba comes up, Kaiba did hear their conversation and confirmed a few things, when Yugi says that when himself was on the verge of giving up and Kaiba still believed Atem would come...however his answer was quite curious, "I have to wonder about that.", which means that even himself wasn't sure, it was a "gamble".

It's nice to see Kaiba saying "farewell", since farewell is in a sense of seeing you next time, then Kaiba pretty much gives to Yugi the biggest compliment one could receive from him that Yugi is too has been a proud duelist (only a few he gives that level of compliment...Atem, I would say Mai as well (he refers to her by name+surname, which is unusual from him, now Yugi) ...coming from Kaiba, that is a lot then says "see you around"...heh heh heh, it means he does intend to challenge him eventually to settle the score xDD, Yugi and the gang smiles(Jounouchi has a more stoic expression) because they know from Kaiba, it means a lot.

The Ending is quite bittersweet initially, the graduation ceremony, Mani saying farewell to Sera and Diva, each going their own paths, while Diva and Sera being siblings they go together - Sera is still a child but very wise for her age that Diva trusts her advice and wisdom and since Diva is the older brother feels responsible to take care of her (Their siblings relationship is quite interesting).

The gang accompanies Anzu to the Airport to say farewell, but there is a small "mind talk" between Yugi and Anzu before they make high five - almost holding hands (yeah, they're dating, planning to meet in New York xD).

Getting to Kaiba stubborness:

Mokuba: "Brother, are you really going?"

Seto: "Once this is complete, the curtain will rise to a new kind of duel."

Mokuba: "But, testing that prototype is far too dangerous! We have no idea how dangerous of a system the Dimensional Domain Emulator can be!"

Seto: "Mokuba, I leave the rest up to you."

Mokuba: "Brother... Make sure you come back."

Seto: "Duel Dimension System, activate!!"

Looking at this interaction, the ending collage of this particular scene and the animated gif above, Kaiba doesn't know when and how to give up, huh? He is as stubborn as a bull...*facepalm* Kaiba did have a lot of character development, but since he is very prideful, big ego and stubborn, there is a lot of moving forward with some steps back..., Kaiba has so much trust on his little brother...still irresponsible...leaving the company to a child who is his little brother if he doesn't come back and and concerned for him like that...Mokuba, you have it rough...

The main question is...is the person in front of him really Atem? Kaiba made a replica of the Dimension Cube, however according to the patterns we have seen is more towards "neural information", "collective consciousness" in one's subconscious, since the Dimension Cube is a millennium item...inside the Millennium Puzzle there was a dimension that reflected Atem's memories...my take on this is a Yes and No, from what we saw awhile ago in the movie how he came to help Yugi and rescued Jounouchi, might mean something different...this system was said to be an "dimensional domain emulator", it emulates "dimensions", but this dimension...doesn't look like a netherworld to me...if you look at the top when Kaiba walks the desert, you see mirrored Atem's palace upside down, Atem is wielding the millennium puzzle but the other priests aren't there (the other wielders of millennium items in Atem's past) plus his millennium puzzle dissipated first and then Atem left the mortal world, we can conclude the dimension is emulating Atem's subconscious or reflects his subconscious, or closest to or it is a reflection of Atem's spiritual dimension...or the real deal...who knows, because of the millennium puzzle dissipating and here he is wielding it, I'll bet on reflection of Atem's subconscious.

Kaiba does come back though...look below "The End" 😉 (the instagram shared post below is from the official Takahashi-sensei Instagram) - Kaiba and Yugi seems to be playing the game Yugi must have designed...(it kinda fuses Magic&Wizards and chess, which are Kaiba's favorite games, ironically).

THE END

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Thoughts&Observations | Mangá One Shot: Transcend Game

2021-04-30T15:48:00.004+00:00

Hellos!!

Just recently, I published the last part of Monster World, Transcend Game will be the last post with panels ensembles, it's the prologue to Dark Side of Dimensions.

Honestly speaking of the movie, I don't know if Dark Side of Dimensions will be divided in two parts or not, because it's always in movement, it's trickier, it will be rare using animated gifs since they're kinda heavy on posts to be readable, it will be mostly screenshots, a bulk focusing on the same scene, the duels will be "cut", parts of the duels is when is relevant to character development and to the story to be observed and my own personal thoughts (including scenes I find funny as also finer and amusing details where the characters are at).

It will take longer with Dark Side of Dimensions, possibly by mid-May.

Wish me luck!

Transcend Game || Prologue of Dark Side of Dimensions Movie

Plot Summary:

The one-shot two chapters starts with two paged coloured scene of Kaiba pursuing something...with his Blue-Eyes White Dragon...Pharaoh Atem...

Another colored page is Kaiba talking with his investors and members of the company discussing about a new product by the company...Kaiba passes by the displays of his accomplishments in technology for gaming, specifically Magic&Wizards - his prototype duel disk, the duel disk, and egg-shaped VR headset, he stops there looking as seeing the huge potential yet to be unlocked, then he is escorted with his employees researchers seeing the progress of the research of the egg-shaped VR headset, Kaiba passes by a inner building room bridge over a million of test subjects from all over the world playing Magic&Wizards in VR.

Inside the VR game of Magic&Wizards, the rules are slightly different, it relies on "higher consciousness" level (to me looks like more willpower measurement :p), they formed guilds based on themed decks and archetypes decks, they were challenging one and another...one guild was trying to "take over"...but someone which has a "superior consciousness" defeated them all since the game was getting out of control, Kaiba mentions those "rumoured superior consciousness" that has a level beyond a normal human being call themselves "Plana"/Prana, after an "avatar" player with "superior consciousness defeated the other test subjects, removes the VR set, indicated a little girl in traditional clothes from far away.

Kaiba continues researching on his own at his house in his own laboratory, from behind him as he turns around sensing a presence, the same little girl he saw removed the VR headset was in front of him, they have a discussion about Kaiba making incredible advancements in technology that helps people experience "higher consciousness" and this discussion leads to "netherworld" (the other common name as abode of the dead) and the little girl leaves, but Kaiba immediately go after an unknown consciousness that has been detected...he attempts to do it, the little girl tries to stop him but in vain...Kaiba stubbornly follows through and sees a glimpse of Pharaoh Atem but is then blocked by a "woman figure" in white light to Mokuba sensing danger of his big brother having higher risks of dying, then he turns off the lever to save his big brother, Kaiba comes back with heavy breaths but feels assured that he did saw Pharaoh Atem there.

It ends with the same little girl whose name is Sera reading a book, then a mysterious boy comes closer and comments Kaiba will be difficult to illuminate.

Key Points:

This is the beginning of One Shot, in chapter 1, the art style of Takahashi-sensei is gorgeous as always, seeing colored like this, he is an artist, he tried digital colouring, the shading here is quite interesting, it's almost leather, bit rubber with metal yet with a more dark and lighting tone...

Why Kaiba is saying "infinite darkness over there" while the "there" is light...the universe?....he knows isn't the case but is just him forcing things to the way he wants...like always 😒.

The beginning of this chapter, it's funny that starts with the "ending" of chapter 2 of Transcend Game...but not without some curious inner monologue from his on the Panels Ensemble on the Right:

"The name of the pharaoh showing up in my eyes...Atem!!"

At first in this scene may look like he didn't knew about about his name...but he actually did know or else he wouldn't trouble himself for this anyway, in fact as we knowing later at the end of the post, the world knows now the "nameless pharaoh"'s name that was scratched but not in his tomb and chronology of dynasties documents...regarding his tomb, his name was it's depths of the bridge, no one could cross over to see the name to confirm, I guess today now the pharaoh Atem went to afterlife is accessible to scholars of pharaonic history or Egyptology.

The title of this chapter is very funny though:

"That man still even now, gazes at a single point-!!"

It's a very accurate description tunnel-vision of Kaiba Seto, he is very narrow, closed minded person to a fault, that sometimes he makes unnecessary decisions, that can be more harmful than helpful...it's important to stay focus on your goal, but is also important to broaden your horizons (Kaiba is a snail when comes to that and personal growth) as much to know when to have fun and relax (he seems to be more of a workaholic...honestly).

If you wish to continue reading this post, click "Read More" below:

One thing is undeniable about Kaiba, his genius mind and he does explore to it's potential to the max to the extent that might affect his physical and mental health (as admirable I find someone exploring their full potential to their best, let's not exceed the limits), Kaiba advances the technology over the world, he is really the pioneer of different kinds High-Tech, look from the Panels Ensemble on the Left, "hologram calls"! We only see them used more common in cellphones to the public in Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's, here he is exploring the potential of VR system with the project called "Operation Neurons", where it uses a VR headset that can read the neurons, however the timeline of this scene sounds like a bit of a ending or the still "ongoing" project of the VR system...because of his inner monologue says:

"The test version of the neurons VR system is right now scrap in a garbage pile! But...it's a failure with an overabundance of unlocked potential!"

He is looking at like a "prototype" version duel disk before the "final product" of duel disk came to the public, this VR is the same thing, looking at the displays, we see the "prototype" and the "final" of duel disk, then comes this VR, this is a potential that is still going under exploration...while Kaiba also receives medical reports about his test subjects, which is to say he kind of cares, I would say is more from a business perspective, trust between both parties is important after all.

We look at this, it's in similar concept with Yu-Gi-Oh! Vrains however, in the spin-off series is produced by "SOL Technologies" not "Kaiba Corp" (I still haven't watched, I have yet to watch Zexal), Kaiba did the same similar fashion when he worked for his foster father for military purposes such for simulator in "Fighter Aircraft" in form of VR, whether the spin-off is canon or not, Kaiba is the pioneer of this concept as we see here and Kaiba is someone way ahead of his time in technology engineering and development...you can tell his researchers do admire Kaiba from this kind of standpoint, he is admired over the world anyway.

Interestingly enough, the players as test subject created guilds, some seem to play RPGs, apparently, Kaiba is so admired over the world, that the test subjects volunteered free of charge to participate in his project, that says a lot, it's not surprising giving his gaming skills and being "elite" level as duelist and considering his genius intellect, advances technologies very quickly, on the surface level, there is a lot to be admired.

Starting with Inner Monologue of Kaiba Seto:

"The attack power of the monster data summoned from the crystal cloud server is determined by the value of their brainwaves and thought signals. The power of their consciousness is the key to making monsters even stronger! The hardest thing to modify in any game is maintaining «order»...but...one could say that order being destroyed is the way of the world...elements with overwhelming power will appear and encroach."

This is when some players in Duel Links world was starting to get out of hand, like guilds, in this case was "dragon knight guild" or something (that had dragon themed decks) and starting ideas of "conquest"...there is always a more toxic individuals here and there, I find interesting how Kaiba says that the hardest thing to modify any game is to "maintain order", because it reminds me of the "mods" and "patches" when people cheat or overpower others with certain abuse of power...however here as he stated with overwhelming power is when started to appear and to intrude in these disputes which has higher consciousness.

From the description of Kaiba about the ATK power of the summoned monster relies on brainwaves and thoughts signals of the player, to an extent measures "willpower", to me looks like more willpower than "higher consciousness", because this "high consciousness" is way too "power-based", higher consciousness is something more towards enlightenment not power...

Continuing Kaiba's inner monologue:

"That person will have a brainwave frequency that transcends that of a normal man! And they will destroy everything ...is obliterated! The appearance of a dangerous element is extremely delightful to me, but...from a business perspective, it's a presence I can't let go unchecked...they've called themselves «Plana»..."

The word "Plana" is the english dub while in the japanese is "prana", prana is a real word that comes from Hindu philosophy which applies to yoga, indian medicine, indian martial arts, it's a cultural and spiritual practice, specially with Yoga being it's core, since is constantly mentioned, Prana in Sanskrit language means "breath" as in sense of "life force", "vital principle", it's more of a spiritual matter.

Why the english go with "plana" when seems to indicate "prana"? It's possible since is the dub, they did censure it, the reasons might relate to "cultural appropriation" or "cancelled culture", to avoid that...but from what it explains with terms with "higher consciousness", it seems to be prana to me the right word here with it's significance being prana permeates in reality in all levels even inanimate objects (that is according to wikipedia, so the accuracy might be a little off, but research a little is not that little off) .

It seems when he saw this girl, you can tell he sensed something, call it intuition, after his experiences with penalty games - twice from Dark Yugi and one from Pegasus - his duel against Ishizu and Dark Yugi has given him quite "phenomenon" experiences (that can considered spiritual), he already can tell when there is something supernatural since he became accustomed to...then when he coup himself in his own house and in his laboratory researching (this guy is quite the workaholic...) and all this for a single goal (single-minded as always), he was thinking to himself that he will become and rule as king (in the dueling world, his obsession is very concerning to his health), then the little girl calls to him saying that he won't become king...she said on purpose because she knew that would pull the nerve due to his prideful and power-hungry traits...

This entering the chapter 2 and last chap. of this one shot, I want to focus because of the titles describes Kaiba perfectly...

"Only go forward. With your convictions in tow."

That's Kaiba, alright. It's more or less a mindset of someone who is single-minded, because is someone who only focus on their goal first and forehand while keeping his beliefs and principles in check, unwavering them stubbornly, takes time to broaden their horizons unless has to be "seeing with fresh eyes" experience...

From the Panels Ensemble on the Left, it's funny the little girl doesn't introduce herself (bit rude, to be honest), she says is one of the test subjects that is going to "help shape the world" (with VR, yes...the world of technology, which I'm not too fond of it, too much is not good or healthy), Kaiba being Kaiba goes on max guard asking what she came here to do from him...she says only to come to say thanks...it's interesting, her point of view about this "VR system", quoting their conversation in the Panels Ensemble on Right:

Kaiba: "Thanks, you say?"

Little Girl: "The Duel Links World assembles the consciousness of duelists...as a truly ground-breaking system that give it's players a new stage of battle...now, if there was is an individual with a superior consciousness that transcends human wisdom in the mix..."

What she says here is interesting, she is actually giving small suggestions about the way around it, she is implying that an individual with superior consciousness that transcends human wisdom...because someone with "superior consciousness" already means someone with consciousness that surpasses the one of a normal human, but adds one that transcends human wisdom in the mix...which is to say there is it's own limits even for someone with "superior consciousness", involving wisdom that transcends "human wisdom", that is more towards enlightenment.

Kaiba early on still suspicious of her intentions doubting her sincerity in saying thanks, well he isn't completely wrong but neither is right...it's complicated in her case.

Continuing quoting their conversation:

Kaiba: "Superior consciousness..."

Little Girl: "In the dimension, founded in the basis of disorder, high levels of consciousness gather and unite, allowing access to an unknown dimension. There lies a place that transcends the realm of the living...The netherworld? or maybe...a world of greater dimensions...I have heard a voice...the voice of an extremely important person in the links world...That person no longer exists in this dimension...a resident of the netherworld..."

Kaiba: "Netherworld...!!"

Little Girl: "If you sync with this limited superior consciousness...you too could, right now, even...!"

Kaiba: "!!"

Kaiba...Kaiba...honestly, you get swayed a bit easily if aligns with your goals...you can tell she is manipulating him a little...

Anyway, the little girl (I know her name, but I like to refer to their names in their right time...most of the time), when speaks of netherworld, first things first, making it clear, the netherworld is the "realm of the dead" or "abode of death", similar or the same or is Sheol, it's intended to be a dimension of where the "dead"/"fallen"/"deceased" go after leaving their body behind, even those who are "good" and "well-intentioned" go there as well but stay there temporarily, however this place there is no rules or is gloomy or is a depressing place...we see mentions of this place in many religions (including the bible) as much in mythologies, what also takes interest in me is "the world of greater dimensions" (is the between worlds or something similar? very possible from her description).

The readers (including myself at the first two times until I reached a certain page) and Kaiba thinks she is mentioning only Pharaoh Atem, since she doesn't say the name, it's to push the buttons on Kaiba...

The little girl just supernaturally disappeared without trace in front of him, Kaiba was shocked (c'mon she just entered your laboratory, clearly by similar means), however there is other reasons as to why she disappeared since then came this sudden news about that test subjects neuro-signals being drawn to a specific spot as unknown consciousness, apparently this spot is called "dimensional ascension" by Kaiba and thinks this is exactly what he has been looking for, if we look at the spot, it's the same place Kaiba is going to at the beginning of the movie Dark Side of Dimensions.

In the Panels Ensemble on the Left, as you can see the test subjects were super excited after seeing Kaiba's "battleship" (of course is shaped like the Blue Eyes White Dragon, he really loves that dragon, huh? Obsession is more accurate) but Kaiba as well sure loves to rush things...when comes to his goal...the avatar "prana" comes to stop him or try it...they have started their duel about "atk power" (boring).

Then comes the Bottom Panels Ensemble, I have to say that I really like how Kaiba was drawn in the top panel, then comes Kaiba giving his own criticism to the "avatar prana" dueling:

Kaiba: "If I were to give you a criticism on your dueling...it would be that you put in no consideration..."

Avatar Prana: "a trap..."

Kaiba: "Perhaps you're still a child...you should learn how to control your consciousness better..."

To be honest, I don't often agree with but sometimes I do, but he is right on this one, which implies that he knows how to make a normal state of consciousness of himself to make his opponent leave their guard down to then...

It shows Kaiba can hide his level of consciousness, if you notice it came from 3000ATK to 5900ATK↑ "Pulse" then to 19900ATK "Pulse", according to the little girl is that Kaiba was able to control his own "thought frequency", if look at the patterns with this word "pulse" being used, Kaiba is a genius, genius are individuals that uses a good portion of their brain capacity over the average, besides Kaiba is a single-minded focus on his goal, despite being single-minded, but he can learn from his experiences, he can broaden his mind but only when he feels is a necessity (ex: his coma, his own inner child guiding him to Mokuba, the visions of his past ancestor/priest Seth from the last battle and Kisara's death vision, when he could read the hieratic text due to his connection to the millennium items), with the examples mentioned, it isn't surprising that he can over power her monster, but there was some effort on him, besides the little girl says there is no "turning back" and Kaiba says is well aware in his inner monologue is to face Atem again on a duel.

So the little girl liked her avatar which looked like a grown up woman and she has a body of child...you want to grow up in size...

The patterns as well that these "thoughts frequencies" and "pulse" relates more to willpower, that is something Kaiba has in abundance...

The little girl kind of guides him, while Kaiba in his inner monologue:

"And deliver the final blow on the deceased king!! Come alongside with me!! My faithful, Blue-Eyes!! If that's the infinite darkness over there...I'll illuminate it!"

This is getting where chapter 1 begins..."the infinite darkness" is not being darkness in itself but more the universe since is unknown and kinda dark despite being around with stars and galaxies with stardust...but darkness also means "the unknown".

He refers Atem as "deceased king" in this moment, he knows his name, he is referring to him by "title"...he starts to see a glimpse of him...

As we look at the double spread pages in the Top Panels Ensembles, Kaiba was starting to see a glimpse closer that he refers to him by his name:

"Here...I come...Atem!!"

We can confirm the world already knows about Pharaoh Atem by this time...Kaiba is really obsessed, it's not good when single-minded goal turns into obsession...

As the man who is overseeing the experiment warns Mokuba (one of his lead researchers) that Kaiba is in danger, Mokuba tries to call him out, then Blue Eyes White Dragon as seen in Top Panels Ensemble on the Right but then a different figure starts to appear to Kaiba seeing as a woman figure, who obviously is Kisara, Kaiba almost gets mesmerized as if the dragon changed into Kisara's image, then Mokuba just stops and turns it off the whole thing to save his brother (honestly, I can't help but consider that Mokuba is more mature than Seto...since Seto can be this reckless).

The interpretation you can get of this scene is that Kisara tried to halt Kaiba in moving forward since he would die at this point, Mokuba being a more grounded and responsible than Seto, he saved his life, literally...Mokuba has it rough...in taking care of his brother's recklessness 😰. Just leave the poor deceased soul to rest, Kaiba, geez...but this is Kaiba, he doesn't listen to anyone, he always learns thins in a more harsh and dangerous way.

The device was turned off, Kaiba seems to have had an astral projection of some kind, but it was forceful through this device, that's not good, if we look at the body reaction, it's like when you wake up from a very intense dream and just came back to your body (Takahashi-sensei drawings in this part is impressive too), I think Kaiba realizes that he almost died, but then wonders if that was hallucination to be confident that Atem was really there, I think it was but not really for you, he was with his eyes closed...we could say he was kinda resting or "meditating" or "watching over" since the unknown consciousness was found in Japan...but Kaiba being as single-minded and obsessed to have one more duel with Atem...dude. 😑

The ending of chapter 2 and the last of this one shot manga as prologue to the movie Dark Side of Dimensions, we get to know the little girl's name for now...as Sera then comes a mysterious boy...

His lines is to consider:

"You were very close...Sera...Seto Kaiba...He's not someone we can easily eliminate...heh."

Confident, huh? or overconfident and entitled? I love his character design (and his motivations are somewhat relatable) but his attitude ticks me off (over the movie does too 😒), I like Sera's design too.

She was trying to kill or not kill him, because she tried to stop him but as much not, the motivations are more complicated for them, the same applies to the mysterious boy (however he is more close-minded than Sera, you can tell she is more open-minded, yeah, I kind of like her).

See Ya Next Post!!

Thoughts and Observations of Yu-Gi-Oh! Manga Series Masterpost Updated Ver.3

2021-04-27T19:03:00.005+00:00

Update 27/04/2021: We almost finished now, only missing Transcend Game and Dark Side of Dimensions Movie (it will be below Memory World once the "masterpost" is "completed" :p).

-------------------------------------

Since there is many posts of my analysis over the course of 5 years and 5 months, I think is around hundreds... I'm starting the process of organization, re-arrangement, reformulation of most posts...

As I re-upload images to the currently image host I'm using in the missing Battle City Arc posts, DDM, then will be Duelist Kingdom and lastly the early which more episodic arcs, as I do this, I will keep post links, including updated ones, but only in this post, you will be able to tell when is new updates...The orders of the links of the posts will start from Memory World Arc and upwards, the new ones will always be above the previous posted links.

You might wonder why I'm troubling myself with this, it's because before I go into analysis of Transcend Game One Shot and Dark Side of Dimensions movie, I want my analysis of the manga to be polished first since my manga analysis posts will be constantly mentioned, specially the movie (so yeah, the Transcend Game and the movie Dark Side of Dimension is literally the expansion of the manga).

Thoughts and Observations of Yu-Gi-Oh! Manga Series Links

The Early 7 Volumes:

The Episodic Arcs Part 1

Shadi's Arc

Episodic Arcs Part 2:

Thoughts and Observations | Mangá: Yu-Gi-Oh! Vol.1-3 Part 8 - Episodic Arcs Phase 4

Death-T Arc:

Episodic Arcs Part 3:

Monster World Arc:

(The next update is starting about the early volumes posts, the new extra post for this will be starting consisted of the episodic arcs only before Shadi's character debut arc)

Duelist Kingdom Arc:

↑The Updates are starting↑
(It's worth a re-read for the first post of Duelist Kingdom Arc)

(The next updates will be coming as I complete the "editor cut" and restructure them of Duelist Kingdom Posts then the Early Volumes

Dungeon Dice Monsters Arc:

Battle City Arc:

Memory World Arc:

Thoughts&Observations | Mangá vol.4-7 Part 8 - Monster World Part 2/2

2021-04-27T18:30:00.001+00:00

Sorry for taking so long, scanning vol.1 Duelist took longer than I expected, it will come out Duelist vol.1 for now, hope you don't mind, but next 3 volumes will be coming soon.

Update 23/04/2021: This is an very old post, it's 8 years old...ha ha ha, this one has some proper key points, some of them I'll keep and of course renew it at the same time with panels ensembles that weren't here and remake some of them, it's mostly new.

Despite all of this, this is the last one about the 38 volumes, the last post of this "remake" of the analysis of the early 7 volumes, which means next up is Transcend Game One Shot (the Dark Side of Dimensions), this one gonna take less time since is two chapters and doesn't have the same number of pages as chapter 1 of Yu-Gi-Oh!, it's actually pretty small, the real challenge for me is the movie Dark Side of Dimensions, I have been making of the manga so far, it's a lot easier to refer the quotes, but the movie is everything always in movement...sometimes there will be animated gifs (I will try as little as I can) with screenshots. It will be quite tricky and challenging...

Plot Summary:

As it was left off, Dark Yugi just took over Yugi's body as the game continues and throws the dice making Honda's attack and to be successful at full force attack at Zorc's left hand...as Yami Bakura is assessing the situation about Dark Yugi, Yugi and Dark Yugi talk with each other for the first time, they both discuss in how to defeat Zorc and Yami Bakura...

They go through a lot of challenges, when Yami Bakura believes he has the upper hand, something else other than the gang did got in the way, Ryou Bakura was controlling his own left hand in parallel to Zork's lost left hand as a way to fight against Yami Bakura to attempt to help and protect his friends, for the most part Ryou is successful, which Yami Bakura struggles to keep control of things, since it's shown in his expressions sometimes where Yami Bakura is having problems in remaining calm and trying to block Ryou from interfering in his plans, Yami Bakura takes a drastic measure by impaling the left hand of Ryou's and mentions "Ryou Bakura" name, from this moment the gang realize the "Bakura" in front of them isn't Ryou Bakura, but someone else controlling his body.

After they figure it out, they decide to "brainwash" Zork's left hand to save Ryou's consciousness with Beast Tamer adventurer Yugi, they get the desired result and emerges the White Wizard Bakura who is Lv13 while the others are Lv1 or Lv3, which makes them gain a reliable ally.

Once again they face more challenges in defeating the final boss, the last throw of dice leaves the Ryou Bakura soul to break the dice of Yami Bakura's and sacrifice himself, so his friends would be victorious, they defeated Zork and Yami Bakura with the Millennium Ring fallen from Ryou's neck, however the gang is very saddened by Ryou's self-sacrifice and see it as unfair, the white wizard Bakura reminds them the miniature that represents Ryou soul and there is part of it says that he could use his healing magic to heal Ryou's consciousness and rest of the soul but the white wizard would restart over with his friends at the same level as them...Dark Yugi gives the final throw to get critical to heal Ryou, they felt that it would get critical and save Ryou Bakura with everyone else...

The next day, the gym teacher is back, Ryou Bakura joins the gang and shows them something, a diorama of him and his friends holding Dark Yugi with the dice as a reminder of their adventure.

Key Points:

This part follows the panels where it left in the previous post in the same page, I find amusing that Dark Yugi just continued as if nothing happened but seeing Yami Bakura didn't expected him, he takes the chance with his guard down, gets to have Honda Magic Gunman to shot at Zork's left hand, this is important later because it influences the story and the game a lot, Zorc losing his left hand becomes an important loss later in this arc.

If you wish to continue reading this post click "Read More" below:

If we think about it, after what Honda says:

Honda: "I told you, horn face...with my friends helping me out...who'd be afraid?"

Dark Yugi: "Don't worry guys! Your lives are in my hands! And starting now...so is Zorc's!"

Looking at what Honda says with Dark Yugi giving a super critical attack for Honda, in a way it was Dark Yugi standing up for Honda from his courage being questioned and called a coward with action as if Dark Yugi was saying "don't you dare call my friends cowards", Dark Yugi just rolled a critical like that...

As for Yami Bakura inner monologue, this is a transition scene between chapters:

"[Chapter 53] Another Yugi...! [Chapter 54] Yugi...?No! He's not the same person! It's another Yugi!!"

This is very fascinating because Yami Bakura is more or less as he wondered first but then quickly knew it wasn't "Yugi", but someone else entirely, however he refers as "another yugi", but he assessed this much more accurately regarding Yugi and Dark Yugi, he even noticed this to himself knowing as fast that is "not the same person", he quickly knowing "yugi" in front of him isn't yugi, there is a difference in noticing and knowing it, Yami Bakura didn't just notice, he quickly understood and got to know what was in front of him, we'll get in detail of this soon, but refer to himself as if was a "clone".

From someone who re-read this manga many times, this is probably one of the most important moments of the story and between the protagonists of the story, this is the first time they meet each other face to face and talk to each other between the host and the spirit.

I love this scene so much, it's so cute for the reasons just stated, in terms of character development and the growth in their relationship between host and spirit is so important too, remember Yugi may have been solving the puzzle for 8 years but is recent he started to wear the millennium puzzle, but even after this, it is not that simple for them to talk, it's only Dark Yugi being able to reach Yugi during the duel between Jounouchi VS Ryuzaki in Duelist Kingdom and not the other way around which only happens during and after the duel against Pegasus, because there is different circumstances from when they started to talk each other as if is a daily thing, Yugi is able to talk to Dark Yugi for this moment...for the time being.

Quoting their very cute interactions:

Yugi: "! So that is... the other me...This is the first time we've met..."

Dark Yugi: "Yes! That courage brought us together! You put your life on the line to fight with your friends!"

Yugi: "Yup!"

Aww, anyway, their reactions before they talk to each other...Dark Yugi knows how Yugi looks like since he watches over him so he wasn't surprised but Yugi was surprised, he might have thought that he might look scarier and wasn't expecting that he looked kinda "pretty" (he was kinda awe), but didn't for him besides since Death-T that has been noted that recently he has been watching Dark Yugi's battles from Dark Yugi's POV and his back, therefore Yugi didn't knew how Dark Yugi looked like when he took over, this is the first time.

When Dark Yugi responded to Yugi's talking to him, his expression says it all, he understood what Yugi meant with this decision, that Yugi saw him as friend too, he was happy and moved his host did saw him as a friend and wanted to fight with him and the gang as a friend, genuinely speaking this is when their friendship starts.

Dark Yugi to think "I must save my friends!", he sees his host as friend and as kind of "roommate" which he later calls "partner" during the duel against Pegasus...(yeah, this duel is that important).

Yami Bakura inner monologue after this:

"So you're the spirit of the Millenium Puzzle...my opposite number..."

Yami Bakura is the first and maybe the only one who comes to the realization in this way, from a logical standpoint (it's annoying that is the main antagonist who uses the right terms), that's how fast Yami Bakura assess and understanding the situation, to make it more curious, he says Dark Yugi-the spirit of the millennium puzzle is his opposite number, in mathematics (I don't get much) but it relates between two extremes opposites from a continuum numbers between positive and negative numbers, Yami Bakura for thinking he is his "opposite number", by this time he must be "realizing" that he is facing the pharaoh soul who still doesn't know he is a pharaoh soul, Yami Bakura being someone who likes to omit info when it feels convenient, he won't say anything...for now, until is convenient for his enemy to know, by his expression you can tell that realization which won't be that simple to get all millennium items if he has his "main obstacle/opposition" in front of him - the pharaoh soul.

This story arc will move the main story, the main story will start taking it's real shape and at the same time this RPG tabletop battle is very symbolic in many levels towards it's closure, I'll focus in this matter fits more ahead in the story.

From the Panels Ensemble, quoting Yami Bakura:

"So, «other yugi»! From now on, you'll throw the dice and control the entire adventuring team! But if the player characters's hit points reach 0, your friends's souls and bodies will die!"

I want to start how Yami Bakura after assessing that Dark Yugi is the spirit of the millennium puzzle and his opposite number (pharaoh soul), he addresses Dark Yugi mockingly as "other yugi", Dark Yugi did had a silent reaction...Dark Yugi understood the meaning knowing that Yami Bakura is aware he is not "yugi" but someone else, while feeling suspicious of something (kinda like Shadi)...

On to the telepathic discussion between Yugi and Dark Yugi:

Yugi: "We're playing right into Bakura's script! We really are stuck in his game world!"

Dark Yugi: "You're right! Bakura made Zorc appear when the adventurers's guard was down, then he was able to seal your souls into lead figures! Everything's gone according to his plan! He's a game master to watch out for!"

Yugi: "And when Bakura rolls the dice, he always gets a critical! Is there any way we can win?"

Dark Yugi: "There is!"

This discussion between host and spirit reminds me of their duel against Yami Marik, here we see Dark Yugi who has idea in how to prevent Yami Bakura getting his way while when was against Yami Marik is Yugi who has the idea to turn around, it's interesting in that sense.

The other cool part of this discussion is how Yugi has been understanding that this game was rigged since the beginning and noticing Yami Bakura has been cheating with the dice rolls to always get critical...not knowing how is he cheating...Dark Yugi for having an idea is because he knows how Yami Bakura is cheating the dice roll and how he can turn around into a more fair game.

After few criticals, Yugi made his ideas using his ability as beast tamer to "convert" monsters enemies into allies, which was a dragon, to prepare entering the castle of Zorc and himself believing in Dark Yugi to stop Yami Bakura run of criticals (he knew he was doing something similar to Yami Bakura but with the intent to make Yami Bakura stop cheating) as we see Dark Yugi reveals his criticals are a cheat trick called Double Hit like Yami Bakura's Run of Criticals...Yami Bakura is surprised that Dark Yugi knew about it, at first you would think because of Yugi for knowing this and Yami Bakura presuming Dark Yugi didn't knew based on his "lost memories", but that's not the case exactly, it relates to his lost memories but in his subconscious...

As you can tell, Yugi didn't know about these "cheat" dice techniques, it's one of those examples of things Dark Yugi knows but Yugi didn't (like dice origins, yo-yos and the shell game in DDM arc), but Dark Yugi and Yami Bakura knew, there is many factors, Yami Bakura's side is that Ryou has been wearing the millennium Ring for 8 years with the "blackouts", Yami Bakura seemed well versed in computer, he might have researched, Dark Yugi has Sugoroku knowledge when he watched over when the millennium puzzle still in pieces and had his memories as in his subsconscious.

However these dice rolls can be and still is used sometimes in casino, since the dices goes way back in ancient times, these tricks may come back from this time, besides Tabletop RPGs main inspiration come from strategy games like chess and wargaming, in fact you can use chess to play tabletop RPG, you can just change the names, these dice "tricks" might come from this time and is in Dark Yugi subconscious memories and Yami Bakura would apply something similar (but it seems, since Yami Bakura didn't have smashed to pieces and reset, he might remember from his own memories for the most part).

It's quite amusing seeing Dark Yugi bluntly saying "if you cheat then so can I", Yami Bakura is quite irritated, that was the intent of Dark Yugi, if both cheat, it reaches an impasse between them, therefore forces Yami Bakura to play fair, then Dark Yugi does as well.

As expected, Dark Yugi is pretty smart but when he is nervous or cornered and he is in doubt, that's something similar to Yugi in a way when comes to dealing with pressure, with their faith in him, allowed him to solve the problem of the puzzle.

What is taking my attention is the "flash" thing from the puzzle while Yugi is inside his miniature...power of unity or spirit and host in "sync" in thoughts maybe, who knows...the irony of all in this is the correct answer was "33", in symbolism is a powerful spiritual number...was that intentional or not? I get that feeling that either 0-3-6-8-9 would do, it had to be two of these numbers and even repeating them would be fine.

Jounouchi's inner monologue is pretty funny..."Even with spikes in our heads, we believe in you!", they believe in him because Dark Yugi have been helping and rescue them a lot of times, because they know they can trust him and see him as a friend.

I feel so sorry for Ryou, who is the bigger victim, the gang believing the "Bakura" in front of them is Ryou Bakura, not guessing some "other party involved" from Ryou's warning.....

Going into their thinking:

"Bakura, we agreed to play this game because we thought you were our friend! But not only did you betray us, you turned us into this!!"

Honda: "Let me kill him! I'll never forgive you in a million years! I'll put a hole in your brain, Zorc!"

They are quite blinded by their anger for the time being, yes, blinded...because Ryou did try to warn them before they even come to their house, when he was leaving school for their own safety...the strange incidents, as blinded they are for their anger and forgot about Ryou's warning...I'm just saying...the weird patterns specially noted by Yugi but they are all are blinded by anger during this time so they're not thinking quite clearly or not seeing the bigger picture that the person in front of them is someone else not Ryou yet, being blinded by anger can do that to you.

Yami Bakura, of course has his own other means to win, since the gang have roll dice to their "power of unity" and "faith", Yami Bakura uses the means from his own Millennium Ring from sealing souls into objects to make results to how he wants them too, with this in Zorc's turn, he gets critical on the gang, they barely survive with 1HP....that reminds me so much of JRPGs, despite the game being in Yami Bakura's favour for being rigged and the adventurers be at Lv1 (I did find odd there wasn't any "level up" in the first battles with monsters, honestly).

But what stands out in this scene for me, it's certainly Dark Yugi's reaction seeing everyone did survived the blow, his inner monologue:

"I knew it! I knew they'd be okay...and my other soul couldn't be dead! Even when our souls are separated, we're never apart! If my other soul died, my soul would die too! The game isn't over yet!"

Yugi: "Yup!!"

This is a growing friendship between them, bit by bit, you can tell when comes to his friends and host, Dark Yugi's complexion becomes a lot softer...regarding the terms, they might be aware this is a shadow game or be considered as such, according to it's rules if we remember Pegasus duel and Yami Marik duel, it's in that sense of what it means, besides the soul doesn't really "die", soul is a form of energy, you can't destroy energy, but it can be severely weakened, put more in this sense.

This is a transition scene between chapters, when the next chapter extends the same scene a little, this is close to end in Chapter 56...according to Yami Bakura's explanation with his left hand moving on it's own... to take from the Monster World Game progress, Yami Bakura being the Dark Master(Game Master) controlling Ryou Bakura's body and since Zork represents the Dark Master, the moment Honda shot Zorc left hand awoken from deep down Ryou Bakura being able to control his left hand.

There is some interesting detail regarding this Yami Bakura's observation about his left hand...in his inner monologue:

"Could it be...?! My own soul is linked to the Zorc miniature in the game world! But Zorc's left hand was cut off when the adventures caught him off guard! It's impossible...But it's real! Ryou Bakura is controlling my left hand!"

The more curious detail is that Yami Bakura's thoughts is that Zorc is linked to his soul, it's pretty low-key from Takahashi-sensei, to the readers it implied that Yami Bakura's real name isn't "Bakura" from "Bakura king of thieves memory world" (like Ryou...he was also a puppet of Zorc) but Zorc...

I love this moment of Ryou, in fact is my favourite, because this is when he truly shined in the series, the irony is how Ryou says "I am Ryou Bakura", it's not just Bakura, but he includes his personal name too, another way of saying he is his own person and willing to fight back.

From the Bottom Panels Ensemble, that's some impressive entitlement to think "you're doing a favour" in letting them live as miniatures... you call that "being nice"? Now he is willing to killing them all...good grief, he technically he was giving them a "slow death" from being in PVS anyway, where is the difference?

This scene is from Chapter 56 to 57, the extension of the same scene, the "left hand" is explained again, Ryou Bakura added more words...it's similar to what he said before, I have to say, it shows how smart Ryou actually is, he finds a way to fight back, Yami Bakura getting irritated tries to stop Ryou's intervention to make the portable pc away from the left hand (hmmm, a portable pc at this time was pretty expensive...this chapter was already '97 or '98...but these many expressions from Yami Bakura's reaction to Ryou's intervention won't go unnoticed...

After Yami Bakura laughing at his left hand as we see in the Panels Ensemble on Left, after his put away the portable pc from his left hand...Dark Yugi is observing all these changes of expressions...with his inner monologue:

"Bakura's changed when checked the game data on the computer...what in the world is going on? I know he made some kind of miscalculation...maybe that's the key to defeating Zork!!"

Since Dark Yugi is good at reading people's emotions and change of patterns in behaviour, he was able to tell from recent unusual behaviour from Yami Bakura, there was more than miscalculation on Yami Bakura, remember this is him still thinking the "Yami Bakura" is "Ryou Bakura", he is starting to suspect there is more to what is front of him and might be the way to defeat him, Dark Yugi can be quite intuitive too.

I have to say, not only Ryou is smart and intelligent as much as sharp but he is capable to be very resourceful, using his knowledge on RPGs tabletops with his left hand, when looking at this, Ryou is more or less outsmarting Yami Bakura, which is downright impressive, it's not easy, using his left hand to hold the brainwashed dice and make normal dice close to his "right hand" so that Yami Bakura would mistake for his brainwashed dice.

Dark Yugi with his sassyness again repeating what Yami Bakura said before, standing up for Yugi in the beginning when Yugi asked Yami Bakura what he did to the dice, Yami Bakura said "the dice don't lie", which shows again, Dark Yugi watches over his host most of the time.

If we look at what the "dice" is saying, it was Ryou in the dice saying it, which means, Ryou somehow transferred himself to the brainwashed dice...going to Yami Bakura's "monologue" but is more "talk" to his "host" Ryou:

"Urrrgh! This...this blasted left hand!! (impales Ryou's left hand) H-Ha ha...H-ha ha ha ha! How do you like that, Ryou Bakura?! How does the «durable polyresin» feel?"

Dark Yugi's inner monologue: "What? Did he just say «Ryou Bakura»? It can't be...!"

Yami Bakura wasn't just pissed seeing his host outsmarting him, he was supper annoyed and furious, Yami Bakura cares so much for his "master" that he impales his left hand...it looks terrible...

Dark Yugi on the other hand, he was surprised while figuring out what is going on when he heard "Ryou Bakura", because is odd "Bakura" calling his left hand "Ryou Bakura", right?

But the "it can't be" must be more related of a possibility of Ryou being a "millennium item wielder" and the one in front of him is a "spirit of the millennium item" like himself, since it sounded unlikely but the "shadow game" (miniatures talking) and "penalty game"(mind doll) style miniature are patterns used to someone who wields a millennium item and this moment indicates to be the case.

Can I say when Jounouchi said:

"He looks terrible! I'm almost sorry I hit him in the face!"

It's very funny? like the "even having spikes in our heads we still believe in you!", the "durable polyresin" was funny, Takahashi-sensei does seem to have a bit of dark humour, sometimes it shows like these moments and the one in the beginning of Yami Bakura VS Yami Marik, Yami Marik calling main Marik a "father killer" and Yami Bakura joining the joke (pfft), "the yo-yos is a dangerous weapon in the hands of an idiot", sometimes low-key and other times not so low-key.

Regarding the gang figuring out as well the whole situation too, Yugi noticed after Dark Yugi figuring out what was actually going on, then the rest of the gang caught up, finally understanding this "Bakura" wasn't Ryou Bakura (it took awhile), but after this the gang (including Dark Yugi) come to trust their instincts and intuition more.

I cut some panels after this part, as Yami Bakura stated in the Bottom Panels Ensemble, it was "beast tamer Yugi" 's turn now, then we see them believing in Ryou after realizing the situation, after this they were all in sync (including Dark Yugi), and knew what needed to be done, so Yugi "beast tamer" uses his ability to "brainwash" the destroyed left hand of Zorc to rescue Ryou Bakura...

The "representative of Ryou's consciousness" is a NPC named White Wizard Bakura with Lv13 when Ryou plays as the game master...Yami Bakura is shocked not that he didn't knew of this NPC but how and why did the NPC appeared as "representative of Ryou's consciousness", it actually makes sense, when Yami Bakura isn't the game master, Ryou is the game master, since Ryou is the host of Yami Bakura/Zorc, these are linked, "sharing" the same body and both play "game master role".

A small detail that I liked is when the White Wizard Bakura introduced himself:

"I'm the White Wizard Bakura! I'm an NPC, a «a non player character» created by Ryo Bakura! Please let me join your party!"

I like that Ryou's NPC/representative emphasizes with Ryou's full name as "Ryou Bakura", this might indicate Ryou actually wants his friends to call him by his name not surname.

His NPC basing on his own (Ryou Bakura), White Wizard Bakura coming out of Zorc's left arm, even though Yami Bakura and Ryou Bakura are connected because both one is the vessel/host and the spirit, they act independently and opposite and quite an complex situation, Ryou Bakura being good-natured and kind while Yami Bakura is manipulative, sneaky, no qualms.

There is some interesting relationship differences and similiraties between millennium ring wielder and millennium puzzle wielder, their conditions are the same, even though the personalities of both wielders are very similar and they even share the same love for games (not video games, outside of video games) and talented in gaming, the difference between the spirits sealed in the millenium items is huge in personality and have the abilities to release the powers of their millennium items even though is a bit different even how it manifests their main powers.

Since the NPC White Wizard Bakura is Lv13 and is white wizard class, so what he just did is a common abilities from white wizard class in RPGs, specially in JRPGs such lowering the defenses of the enemies, increasing ATK of the party members and "light magic attacks" plus "revive" and "restore" spells, Lv13 ally in comparison to Lv1, makes a huge difference, it makes White Wizard Bakura as considered by Dark Yugi being a powerful ally (coming from him, it says something, like Kaiba, but Dark Yugi is more low-key to be hardly impressed too)...besides in more detail since this is a transition scene between chapters, it always extends the scene with WWBakura (white wizard bakura) saying he is a NPC created by another "game master" named Ryou Bakura, as implied in the previous key points...

Yami Bakura's reaction is seeing that the game is getting more fair and the existence of his host's NPC as game master allows the gang having more chances to defeat Yami Bakura/Zorc.

I find very cute the "poki" monster by the way, he was willing to sacrifice himself, it shows as been noted before when comes to shadow games, your true nature comes up, since the gang are quite caring specially when comes to friendship, it influences their allies monsters too like "poki" in acting on their own, but the gang aren't willing to sacrifice any of their allies or friends that fought alongside them (comrades in arms, not leave their fellow soldier behind).

Awww, so sweet, "Poki" was so moved by their gesture and willingness in not sacrificing anybody, including their monster ally/friend that he got teared eyed.

Yugi is slowly becoming confident and courageous, while Dark Yugi with his complexion becoming softer and less sinister, even when he is determined...when you think about to how he was when Dark Yugi was alive as Pharaoh Atem, he was honorable, protective, caring and capable of selfless deeds, while in the beginning after he was "resetted", he was a lot sinister and twisted even though it was to "punish" those who harm his host and friends with his penalty games be mostly temporary, Dark Intelligence did influence him for sometime, even Dark Yugi later admits it in Memory World, but the gang and Yugi was a huge influence in "restoring" Dark Yugi true self and becoming a better person all the same.

There is a contrasting differences here in this scene between the gang and Yami Bakura, as well a difference in attitude in the beginning of this post.

Starting with the difference between in the beginning when they thought Yami Bakura was "Ryou Bakura" they channeled anger into the dice and was blinded by anger and didn't see clearly it wasn't Ryou who was in front of them, while here, they aren't channeling anger but faith instead, it shows growth, how seeing things with clear mind and truth, makes the difference, the way Dark Yugi does, it has a "roarrr" effect, which reminds me of a lion as king who shoulder his people's and country's will, it fits so well too (trivia fact, according to egyptian calendar to our current calendar, Dark Yugi/Atem Birthday is 26th July, making Dark Yugi/Atem Zodiac Sign to be Leo), the power of unity as well, it is one of the powers of the millennium puzzle.

Regarding the difference between the gang faith energy all together "Power of Unity" while Yami Bakura as can be noted he likes to work alone (having puppets, it's still alone, he wants to be in control of everything), with malice and ruthless way...

Mentioning Yami Bakura/Zorc, his inner monologue is interesting too (for lore and worldbuilding):

"It's useless to struggle...you will die in this world, along with Zorc! Even if my avatar dies as long the Millennium Ring exists, my soul will live forever! And now with the Millennium Ring, I'll take the step I can only take once!! I'll seal a part of my own soul into these dice! I'll call them...the doppelganger dice!!"

Yami Bakura is well aware who and what he is, since he didn't went through the "reset" process like Dark Yugi did, he remembers his past with Pharaoh Atem, besides as he stated in his inner monologue, he is confident about it because even if his avatar dies, he still exists in the millennium ring, since he is a sealed soul, however the other part is when he seals part of his soul into the dice, since was into dice he called "doppelganger dice", but the name of this ability is "parasite mind", which is how he technically functions....while Dark Yugi is similar but with some differences....

Yami Bakura is Zorc Necrophades, the millennium items when created and intent was to "summon" Zorc from the "door to next world", Yami Bakura/Zorc existence are connected to the millennium items, Dark Yugi on the other hand, as Pharaoh Atem sealed Zorc and himself into the millennium items, it was intended to be both in the millennium puzzle, but Zorc slipped away to be sealed in the millennium ring where darkness/negative energy was stronger, Dark Yugi is connected due to his past when was alive but technically his existence is mostly independent but as Yami Bakura stated before in previous post that the millennium items work like "portable tombs", the millennium puzzle for Dark Yugi/Pharaoh Atem is technically a portable tomb, since he didn't wear it when was a crown prince or child, he is mostly independent until he became a pharaoh and was inside a "portable tomb" which lasted for 3000 years, then he came his time to afterlife to be free from it...

The scene is when Ryou sacrifices the rest of himself-soul to save his friends, remember as stated before, Ryou Bakura consciousness went to the "brainwashed dice" in his own -left hand-, Yami Bakura may think it was when he sealed part of his own soul, but Ryou was already there long time ago, he has been outsmarting Yami Bakura for awhile...great thinking ahead, then he looks at his friends and says:

"Yugi...everyone...thank you for believing in me..."

I find this scene a bit heartbreaking for me...with what he says and the gang reaction including his "representative", you see there is some regret for not believing in Ryou from the beginning and now that they were fighting together against their enemy, Yami Bakura and that he helped so much and willing to sacrifice himself, as being very unfair...of course, not wanting to lose a friend.

Dark Yugi still senses Ryou soul somewhere, not just in the dice (like stated, soul is energy, technically energy can't be destroyed but it can be severely weakened), it's still impressive that Ryou as noble sacrifice was yet he was able to shatter the dice...then Anzu gets her shinning moment, Anzu did get get a lot of moments to shine in this arc...

After they defeated Yami Bakura, the Millenium Ring had an interesting reaction, the rope holding onto Ryou's neck broke, however as Yami Bakura said before, even if his "avatar" dies (Zork), he won't disappear because he is sealed in the millennium ring, therefore he didn't disappear while implying that he will come back but certainly was severely weakened, he wasn't the only one....

Dark Yugi thinks he is dead (that's too soon), he thought himself that he still felt Ryou soul somewhere in the previous key point, this is when White Wizard Bakura comes:

"No...Ryou Bakura soul is still alive...Inside of me...The master created me into this world and through his adventures made me grow. Over time, I became a level 13 white wizard. And now I can pay my master back."

He is the "representative" of Ryou's consciousness, that is why is still around too, Ryou was severely weakened from his sacrifice, he went from Zorc's destroyed left hand due to Ryou got control of his left hand, there is other factors as the WWBakura said through his adventures, he had grown, in more lore and worldbuilding aspects, taking to account Ryou has been wielding the millennium ring for 8 years while playing these RPGs with this NPC as game master and millennium ring ability to seal a part of soul into an object...Ryou might have done it subconsciously into his NPC WWBakura...that's why a part of Ryou is in this NPC miniature.

When Ryou Bakura did the selfless act as much he put part of his soul in the white wizard, which allows him to be still alive, even Ryou Bakura has his own strengths similar to Yugi, kindness and selflessness.

Quoting the full line of White Wizard Bakura:

"Since I'm level 13, my healing magic should be strong enough to transfer my soul back to the master! But I'm a lead figure in a game world...I can't move without the will of a game master or a player. So, Yugi! Throw the dice for me! Make the roll to do my magic! The next time we meet in this world I too will be a level 1 white wizard without any experience...Farewell...everyone..."

In other technical terms, White Wizard Bakura was more or less saying that he as part of Ryou soul, he will come back to his body "transfer my soul back to the master", however it has it's own cost, such that next time Ryou plays this NPC at Lv1 White Wizard, another way of saying, since Ryou sacrificed himself, only a part of him will come back, so Ryou soul is severely weakened and will take time to restore and heal...

Judging from Dark Yugi's expression it was soft while somewhat concerned but understood everything what WWBakura meant as stated before and promises to be successful on the dice roll to get their friend back, the gang were confident that the dice roll would be a "critical" and both successful.

I find interesting since they don't know Dark Yugi's name, even Ryou+WWBakura calls him Yugi too, Ryou also kinda admires Dark Yugi as well, however it just feels weird seeing call him Yugi, with Yugi in miniature there...just saying >_>".

Here we are, close to the end, so WWBakura was one of those "pretty" and detailed figurines, I wonder when it happened and how the whole gang coming back to their bodies, it's possible since from this point on, the shadow game was over, so they could go back, so now Yugi is taking over, it's interesting Yugi describing their miniature as "motionless" but looked happy, might be because both left the miniatures with a smile, let's say is an "adventure" they will remember.

The biggest shame for me is that after this Ryou doesn't have big moments because well, Ryou soul is still weakened after this event, with Yami Bakura abusive and manipulative and coming back, Ryou didn't had much of a break, poor boy...until after got separated permanently from the Millennium Ring (which was after Memory World).

Ryou Bakura is also a cinnamon roll too, aww, this was a very sweet gesture, I like this scene a lot because his diorama is so nicely detailed, he even made Dark Yugi miniature holding the dice, you can tell that he can see that the "two yugis" - the "real yugi" and the "other yugi" were different people from one another, he even added the "gold lightning" upwards hair shape from Dark Yugi and Yugi has the "little" golden bang hair at front, Ryou also put colour to the characters eyes (Dark Yugi, WWBakura, Yugi and Anzu) except Jounouchi and Honda remain mostly the same with more detail in their outfits, Ryou even added "Poki" and the "little dragon", I think I made it obvious that I love the diorama? I just love the detail so much in the art of the diorama, it's so cute.

The diorama memento represents many things, it's a symbol of their friendship and their battle together expressed by Ryou, very interesting enough is the first time ever, when they were all fighting together like this, the spirit of the millennium puzzle together with his host and friends, it will happen in the future something similar.

See Ya Next Post!!

Thoughts&Observations | Mangá: Vol.4-7 Part 7 - Monster World Part 1/2

2021-04-22T20:55:00.004+00:00

Hellos!!

Finally reaching in updating and expanding the Monster World Arc, technically is called Millennium Enemy, but the name is long and trickier...so I went with a more practical, smaller and quicker to write name.

This part is more Yami Bakura and Ryou Bakura focus, with some highlights of character development on Yugi, Anzu and Honda, some that are easier to overlook (Honda's and Anzu's specifically, it's fair since previous post, Jounouchi had a lot of focus).

For reaching the Monster World Arc, it means this project is closer to end, thus meaning by the end of April I might publish Transcend Game One Shot and in mid-May will be Dark Side of Dimensions Movie.

Plot Summary:

A new transfer student coming to Yugi's class, he is named Ryou Bakura with shoulder length hair, who quickly gets girls attention for his pretty looks, Jounouchi is a little envious but also very welcoming to him that he invites him to the seat that is close to his and introduces to his friends who gets to know that Yugi and Ryou have the same hobbies as both being gamers and not in a competitive sense, but most girls of the class wants the new student's attention and touring the school for him, Ryou feels uncomfortable around the girls, the Gym teacher called Mr.Karita (I don't like him, so I'll refer as Karita or gym teacher), scolds Ryou for having too long hair for a boy and tells him to have his hair cut by next day (doing it out of spite for being popular with girls for Ryou having pretty looks), then Ryou asks the girls to let him go to the restroom, he wonders about what he felt when he saw Yugi's pendant and being similar to his own pendant, the millennium Ring and starts hearing a voice...

As Ryou is leaving school, Yugi and the gang approach him ask him if they could play the game Monster World adventure RPG with him, but Ryou is concerned due to strange "rumours" about him, the gang says that they don't give importance to the rumours and want to spend time with him as friends.

Ryou arrives home, writing a letter to his sister (apparently) then starts hearing the same voice, that voice responds to him, having talk and claims he is a soul residing within the millennium Ring and claims he is a thief who robs tombs, Bakura (but is easier to refer and distinguish him as Yami Bakura) and sharing some info about the millennium items, takes over Ryou's body forcefully to "punish" his gym teacher.

The next day, Ryou was absent, the gang concerned about him went to visit his apartment to see what is going on...and go play with him...they arrive, Ryou tries to warn them to not come but is interrupted by Yami Bakura taking over...Yami Bakura invites them over acting as a "Ryou"...Yugi notices the slight difference...

The game starts with like tabletop RPG, the gang create their own characters as adventurers and start playing with "Ryou" as Dark Master (Game Master or Dungeon Master, but main role in this one is to act as an antagonist to the adventurers), strange hints starts to come up, such the figures seem to talk on their own...then to "penalty game" on Anzu becoming a figure, the gang gets worried, this is not normal, to Jounouchi having the same "penalty game" to Honda, Yugi on the other hand asks Yami Bakura before comes his turn to making him become into his own figure with the intent in permitting Dark Yugi to take over and help them to rescue them, Yami Bakura fulfilling his request...to his surprise from the moment Yugi becomes his own figure, Dark Yugi is now taking over Yugi's body.

Key Points:

Ryou Bakura's debut appearance and becomes part of the gang, he was a transfer student, this is pretty common in mangas, who very quickly get attention from the girls and think he is very pretty, the fat girl one comments that he is "high level all right", as if they kind of already have one however this "other high level" in terms of looks, it's still growing and is very short 😏 (he is never been "pick on" or bullied by girls, in fact he seems to get along pretty well, Anzu thinks Yugi is very cute, which might be kinda common knowledge, even Jounouchi secretly thinks so, the digital pet episode implies this much plus Yugi knowing Miho's friends), since Ryou Bakura is taller than the girls and is considered pretty good looking, he gets popular with the girls (poor boy, I feel sorry for him in that aspect).

If you wish to continue reading this post, click "Read More" below:

This scene is quite interesting but more about how the girls perceive Jounouchi, after their teacher pointing out the seat next to Jounouchi:

Jounouchi: "That's me! Over here!"

F!student A: "Eww! Be careful, Bakura!

F!Student B: "Don't let Jounouchi pollute you!"

Jounouchi: "Me pollute him?! Why I oughta---"

It's simple, Jounouchi, they're worried that your pervert ways and sometimes sexual harassment on your female classmates and female students will influence Ryou, they might say that because of Yugi hanging out with you, but since he is gentleman...that's why them saying be careful and the "pollute"...let's say Jounouchi doesn't have a good reputation with the girls and Jounouchi doesn't understand why (why he doesn't? because he is the kind of person who is not good at reading the room/atmosphere and still hasn't learned his lesson, it takes experience for him...), as much it shows Jounouchi is a natural when comes to take initiative and socializing without even knowing it.

The scene when Jounouchi introduces Ryou to his friends, it's interesting that he took interest in Yugi due to his store being a game store that his family runs, they relate to each other immediately that both love games, the more traditional ones that isn't videogames and both don't see it in a competitive way, theirs is a more pure and innocent love for games, Yugi doesn't have favourites in particular and loves them all (there is a reason why...looking around "Let's Find Love" chapter, Yugi invents or creates games and in Dark Side of Dimensions we get to understand that better) and Ryou's favourites are more tabletop RPGs and board games, specially Monster World....then Yugi is quite interested about Ryou's favourite and specially coming his favourite be board games.

Yugi explains to his gang what the game is, Yugi explains very well, detailed and highlighting in what makes fun to most who plays and even for him and the way he explains it makes it sound fun too, as being a mix of adventure game with tabletop RPG, it's an adventure RPG.

What gets me the most is Ryou being impressed with how knowledgeable Yugi is about games (it was even in bold), Yugi goes modest with a "Naaah..." while feeling flattered, so Yugi knows he has lot of talent in gaming but doesn't boast or anything, he just loves games and is a fellow gamer.

The game sounds fun too.

Jounouchi, that was fast! way too fast! Suggesting to play next day, I can somewhat understand the excitement about the game (I have always been interested but didn't ever got the chance), Ryou was worried about something, Yugi noticed his expression as "not really into it" and reluctantly accepted the idea...there is more meaning to it, Yugi.

Ryou didn't just became interested in Yugi to be a fellow gamer and his family run a game store, but his millennium item, the millennium puzzle, their interaction in this moment on Panels Ensemble on the Left is quite interesting...:

Ryou Bakura: "Um...by the way, there's something I've been wondering about...where did you get that pendant, Yugi...?"

Yugi: "Oh, this? It's called the Millennium Puzzle! It came from the tomb of an Egyptian Pharaoh!"

The more curious points is how Ryou mention his millennium puzzle as "pendant" being in bold, before Pharaoh Atem smashed to pieces to beme the millenium puzzle, it was previously "Millennium Pendant", it's possible it came from "something else".

The other interesting part is how Yugi said that it came from a tomb of an egyptian pharaoh...which means he paid attention and heard this detail by his grandpa, is it possible Yugi was starting to suspect "the other me" was an egyptian pharaoh but tried to deny it all this time?

It's brought up in Duelist Kingdom when Yugi is thinking to himself as much in DDM Arc and after DDM arc in the hospital and then Battle City...it was probably a "lingering thought and suspicion".

The sharp pain in the chest Ryou felt, what could it be...for future reference...

I feel so sorry for Ryou, honestly, that looks so troublesome, Jounouchi may think he has all the luck...you're not missing out on anything in being "popular with girls", there is a lot of downsides in being popular than upsides, specially when is based solely on your looks, or they get away with a lot of things or think all you have is good looks, there is also attracts trouble like stalkers, clingy people like the ones above and talking over you to get your attention on them, envious people, opportunist people, the burden and responsibility that people make you have just for being born with good looks, since Ryou has a very passive personality (even more than Yugi), he has problems saying "no" which doesn't help either, Yugi can say "no" a lot of the times and capable to stand for his principles and more for himself recently.

Besides, Jounouchi the reason you're not popular is your perverted behaviour/sexual harassment with your female classmates, maybe if he stopped treat women less like an object and more like a human who has their own agency and desires and boundaries like yourself, maybe you wouldn't suffer much from their incessant criticism because of your pervy actions...^_^. To be honest Jounouchi has potential, he has good looks, it's just his behavior doesn't help (even if you're good looking but behave like he does with the girls in his class, you don't get away, if anything it can be like this as well)...to make it more obvious, when the girls approach the gang, the girls call out on Jounouchi only, Honda participated before but he stopped, so they don't call out on Honda too (the Miho's incident really stuck with him), not on Yugi and Anzu since they are well liked by their class and year, which leaves Jounouchi who kinda are on bad terms with most girls due to his pervy actions.

Ryou thinking is not good with girls, he just not good at dealing to be in the spotlight and being "surrounded" like walls of girls...not good at saying "no" and being way too passive.

Yugi really wants to play with him a lot for thinking "we'll have to play monster world sometime", it shows is very important for Yugi to find friends he can relate to and are gamers like him that isn't in a competitive way and more creativity inclined like Ryou,

The gym teacher...(Mr.Karita, I don't like him so I'll just refer to him as gym teacher), from how he treats him, you can tell he doesn't like he is popular with girls (remember about pretty people attracting envious, spiteful and bitter people, here is a fine example of such), this is not what bugs me the most...

"However, there's rules at Domino High, mister! like this hair!! Long hair for boy is against the rules! Listen, mister fashionable! Or should I say «little miss fashionable»? I want you to have a crew cut by tomorrow! Then I'll treat you as a student of this school! Bwahaha!"

Tch, that's toxic masculinity. There is this silly dressing codes, dressing codes can be quite stupid most of the time, in all honesty, regarding Ryou's hair is something you can let it slide, I mean look at Yugi's spiky star-shaped hair, it's natural, this teacher wanted to find something to nag about him due to Ryou's popularity with the girls, he would like to have and he doesn't and he even brings up "problems" Ryou had in his school, it comes from envy and malice, at the end of the day.

If Ryou likes having long hair for a boy (it's medium length for a girl, these "genders standards and expectations" pisses me off), leave it be. it's someone's hair.

Here we get to know that Ryou has a millennium item too and a wielder too (he would have died if he wasn't), curious this time around "my pendant" is the "my" that is in bold...Ryou as can be noted that he is sharp and good at deducing things, he found the similarities between his "pendant" and Yugi's "pendant" and suspect that they might be connected.

Regarding the voice of Yami Bakura he starts hearing, Ryou can hear the spirit of the millennium Ring earlier than Yugi's millennium item, there is many factors.

The Gang approaches Ryou initiated by Yugi if they could play the Monster World with him while Ryou reluctantly refuses, Yugi wonders if is because he doesn't wantn to, then Ryou's answer:

"No, that's not it! I want to play the game with all of you! The thing is...At my last school, I used to get together with my friends to play Role-Playing games...but when I did, a strange thing would happen...People who played games with me would lose consciousness. They're still in coma in the hospital...You may not believe me, but it's true...That sort of thing kept happening, so people started avoiding me...that's why I kept changing schools...Now I'm living in an apartment by myself, away from my family...I want to be friends with you! And I want to play games but...I made a decision...I don't want to lose any more friends...so you shouldn't get too close to me...well...I'll see you..."

That's a long quote. 😅

On topic, there is some interesting facts that can be observed about Ryou Bakura, it seems that he lives by himself and had RPG's campaigns with his friends that wasn't just Monster World and happened with other RPG games that these strange things happened, also the other things is that like Yugi before, he had and has "blackouts", the reason he lives by himself and away from his family, it's so his family wouldn't get involved and be in a coma too 😟, he must have been quite lonely, these strange incidents with his friends being coma is clearly a "penalty game" by the voice Ryou heard awhile ago.

Also the result of this "penalty game" is that people in coma who suffered it...aren't dead yet...

Yugi's inner monogue:

"People going into comas because of a game? That can't be possible...can it?"

Yugi is kinda suspicious but it's more recognizing the pattern and feeling familiar with this pattern, like his "blackouts" plus the strange things that happened to the ones who harmed him and his friends, however this case involves genuinely innocent people and friends with Ryou...no "grave invaders" (Shadi's), no "malicious and ill-intent people" (Ushio, Karaoke guy, Director guy, criminal fugitive, poison man, etc).

Before going to the important part of the this key point is Ryou writing a letter to his sister, remember because of these strange incidents, he has stayed away from his family fearing it would happen the same as it did with his friends before...being in coma, despite being away from his family thinking for their own safety, he still writes letters to his family.

He starts hearing the same laugh again and asks "who's there?!", the voice responds like this:

"So...you can hear my voice now, can you? I guess from now on, I'll be able to speak with my host...truly a day to remember! h-ha ha ha...and yes...something else worth remembering...I've finally met him! The other boy with a millennium item...after 3000 years...The millennium items must be resonating with each other to produce some kind of field...and that's why you can hear me now..."

The bold placements in this talk is interesting as much relevant, for starters is that Ryou now can hear and "speak" with the spirit of the millennium Ring, Yami Bakura, the fact he says that is truly a day to remember that he can speak with his host, which implies that it applies the same for Yugi and Dark Yugi, IT'S IMPORTANT WHEN IT FINALLY HAPPENS!! (I'm just emphasizing of how important it is Dark Yugi and Yugi VS Pegasus duel, this duel is so overlooked and forget after this duel is when Dark Yugi and Yugi, spirit and host start speaking with each other like we see here between Yami Bakura and Ryou).

The question is why now? Yugi and Ryou had their millennium items for the same amount years, 8 years, they were both 8 years old too (same for Marik with the millennium Rod)...according to Yami Bakura's explanation, their millennium items are resonating...however here is the thing...it didn't happened with Shadi or Marik in that sense...so why?

It relates to Millennium Ring abilities...it's attracted to the millennium items and can also sense something is happening like a magnet, therefore the whole "produce the field", so why isn't affecting Yugi and Dark Yugi? Yugi for 8 years spending time to "solve" the puzzle, it's still very recent Yugi "wielding" the millennium puzzle while Ryou has been "wielding" the millennium ring for much longer...for 8 years (if look at Ryou's backstory in Dark Side of Dimensions)...also because Yami Bakura was overexcited.

The other interesting placement of what got my most attention is when Yami Bakura said "I've finally met him! the other boy with a millennium item after 3000 years", what does he mean by that? does that mean that he knew someone was solving and was successful and wanted to meet the person who solved it..."the other boy with a millennium item" and "finally met him!"...I think Yami Bakura meant in Japan, since Ryou and Yugi live in the same country and were nearby by taking into account to Millennium Ring abilities.

This will be a long quote and long text about it too...:

"Who am I? I've been with you for a long time...hiding within you...and within the ring of wisdom. The Millennium Ring...H-Ha ha ha...Now you can't take me off...because of you, I've finally found the bearer of the millennium puzzle...I've decided to keep you as my permanent host! Now, now...Don't be so cold, believe me when I say, it feels good in here! In you! And instead of paying rent, I grant your wishes! Why, I've granted them almost every day...Didn't you think this when you were playing those games...? «How fun this is»! «I wish I could play games with my friends forever»...!I granted that wish for you! [Ryou Bakura: Wh-What are yo talking about...Y-...You can't mean those...] Well...You'll realize soon enough...In any case, this is my chance to get my hands on the Millennium Puzzle!! If I let this opportunity go by, I don't know how long I'll have to wait for another one...The millennium items are relics that houses souls from the past...like memorial stones or portable tombs...However...if there is a guardian of the tomb...there must also be a thief to rob the tomb...!H-Ha ha ha...!"

There is a lot of pivotal information here, specifically in terms of worldbuilding and lore, becomes more significant as the plot moves along, just like we have seen in his methods, Yami Bakura says mostly facts or half-truths while omitting things at the same time, he does in a passive-aggressive manner too, manipulative too...

As for the intel...Yami Bakura emphasizes a lot on Yugi when comes to millennium puzzle, in the previous key point "finally met him! the other boy with a millennium item" and saying thanks to his "host" for finding the "bearer of the millennium puzzle", he explains as the millennium items are like portable tombs or memorial stones...he says "there is a guardian of the tomb", then remembering what Imori said being whoever solves the puzzle becomes the "guardian of darkness", it seems Imori misinterpret it, since Yami Bakura said that the bearer of the millennium puzzle and millennium items are like "portable tombs", Yugi is the "guardian of the tomb", since the millennium puzzle was in a egyptian pharaoh tomb...but he is in a rush and the whole "not knowing how long next time"...there is a lot of possibilities considering everything that was already pointed in the previous and this key point. Yami Bakura ability through the millennium ring that he sensed "other boy with a millennium item", it was nearby and the millennium puzzle being solved and was recent...millenium items being relics that "houses souls from the past"...by this time, Yami Bakura must already knew that the millennium puzzle "housed" the "Pharaoh soul", he thought maybe the "pharaoh soul" may haven't emerged yet...or hopeful about it to be this excited and in a rush, like Shadi was in a rush too...how curious, how very curious.

As for the "rent" with "wishes" mixed in with millennium items being relics that houses souls from the past, he makes it sound that Ryou's body is like a house to "pay rent" through wishes...😑, he has a messed way to "pay the rent", of course, he does have other intentions, they're preparations for something...it may started since he "sensed" the other boy with a millennium item.

I have to say, Yami Bakura is very intelligent (methods, acts, highly intelligent, he is interesting as a villain but to me he falls flat when comes to his motivations), he can read the situation and gather intel very quickly too, he was always watching and gather intel even at the time when Shadi was "alive", if he was even alive or dead for that matter and the time when the millennium ring was still guarded by Shadi.

The other interesting to note, when he says that the millennium items are relics that "houses souls from the past", as we know overall the series, only the Millennium Ring and the Millennium Puzzle "houses" souls from the past, they're souls that were sealed in these items, but is not reserved only to the sealed souls but as well to the souls and life energy of people that were sacrificed to create these items (Akhanaden, you bastard).

Also kudos to Ryou for realizing who has causing the "strange comas" to his friends...

Quoting the whole interaction and his monologue:

Yami Bakura: "Now...Since I'm feeling good tonight, let me pay my «rent»..."

Ryou Bakura: "Wh-What are you up to?!"

Yami Bakura: "H-Ha ha ha...So you want a crew cut? You may not believe it, but I care for my master...that gym teacher swore at you, didn't he...?"

Ryou Bakura: "!! Don't...!"

Yami Bakura: "Sleep, Ryo Bakura, sleep..."

Here comes the "blackouts", while here Yami Bakura is passive-aggressive even when taking over as forcing his "host" to "sleep", he is quite abusive...while how differentiates with Dark Yugi, looking around, it was always when Yugi was anxious or angry or unfairly or sad with the drive and desire to change something or taking action, Dark Yugi felt similar or the same, when the emotions from Yugi and Dark Yugi were in sync, while at the same time it took longer too, it was when Dark Yugi felt was necessary his intervention and Yugi could hold him back for the most part, besides Dark Yugi's penalty games were mostly temporary while as we see here with Yami Bakura...after given the "penalty game" to the gym teacher by sealing the gym teacher soul into a miniature...which would explain Ryou's friends still being in coma, it has an permanent effect instead until he is defeated, of course, while implying as he did with gym teacher...these "miniatures" of his friends and now the gym teacher's are preparations...

When he says that he cares for his host "master", he means for his own convenience when he needs to play low-key, gather intel, etc...

The gang is quite a stubborn bunch, xD, they've always been, how they got their address? As Yugi mentioned, Ryou didn't come to school (this is next day), since it looks like when a student gets sick and at home, one of his classmates might pass by to give him notes of the classes, it was through that way...

Ryou's apartment is quite something, in the 90s, it lives someone who is well off...Getting into their interaction:

Jounouchi: "This is the apartment where he lives! We all know what the plan is, right? Bakura must staying at home, down in the dumps!"

Yugi: "Yup!"

Jounouchi: "Lucky for him Bakura's our friend! We're going to go play games until we prove that those people going into comas was just a coincidence!!"

Anzu: "Did you hear that Mr.Karita was taken to the hospital in a coma? Isn't that weird?"

Jounouchi or Honda: "That stupid P.E. Teacher?! Serves him right!"

That gym teacher isn't popular with the students, surprise, surprise...Anzu is sharp as always, how do I know is Anzu saying about their gym teacher going to coma and kinda fitting with the rumour..., Yugi probably would say "PE teacher" or "prof.Karita", Anzu when comes to school she refers the teacher in a more formal manner...Anzu is the most on guard, the others are the more optimistic.

Trivial observation, when they came, Ryou calls Yugi first then "guys...", I guess for being a fellow gamer as much being knowledgeable did stuck with him, huh? Yugi is really looking forward to play the game...

Ryou tries to warn them to not come inside to being interrupted by Yami Bakura pretending to be Ryou to invite them to come over....when they enter, Jounouchi comes in first...then Yugi, then Honda and Anzu is behind a door (she is on guard...), Yugi looks like it isn't...but...looking at his inner monologue:

"...[inner monologue: Did Bakura's expression change all of a sudden...?] monologue: must be my imagination..."

Yugi starts getting on guard...

Jounouchi being impressed by his apartment from what it looks like it in decoration and having a "game room", Yugi forgets for a moment when he saw his game room, which is pretty big, again is very impressive, this means his parents have good salary and well off (Ryou's father becomes the director of Domino Museum after Mr.Kanekura's death, they are somewhat wealthy and well connected).

The Monster World is a mix of adventure board game with tabletop RPG, traditionally in tabletop RPG we have the "players" and Game Master (Dungeon Master in D&D) who plays the storyteller and "guide" the players and as stated by Yugi, according to the players "characters profiles and backgrounds, there is a slight difference in Monster World with it's main concept being that the Game Master plays as the Dark Master to stop the adventurers (the players) to reach their goal, Dark Master's role is to be the "antagonist" or "villain" in the game.

I love the reference to RPGs video games and difference to tabletop RPG with this interaction between Yugi and Anzu:

Anzu: "«role-playing game»? You mean like video games?"

Yugi: "Video role-playing games are more common today...but the original role-playing games were played around a table."

This is trivial detail but judging from their interaction, Anzu plays video games to an extent and board games with Yugi, while Yugi as we have seen in arcade and how he explains about the original RPG came from tabletop RPG , you can tell he likes playing video games but clearly he prefers board and table games over videogames.

I have always been interested in tabletop RPGs, usually you need to find people to play with...

From Yami Bakura's reaction to Yugi's explanation, "That's right!" to then ask what is the true meaning of role playing to them...you can tell he appreciated that Yugi is a very knowledgeable gamer...

I find Yami Bakura's explanation of "true meaning of role-playing" interesting:

"Playing a role! You have to become the character! By getting inside the mind of the character and acting out your part, the players can enter an imaginary world! It's the original virtual reality! That is the true beauty of this game!"

Hmmmm, for once...I can understand and relate to what he means but as someone who enjoys daydreaming to be in imaginary worlds but more in a "avatar"-ish sense, representation of yourself as an adventurer, very few games and platforms gives me the experience that he just mentioned, I'm talking about video games, light novels, mangás, fantasy literature where the fantasy world feels almost tangible and sparks one's imagination, after all the main concept of an RPG is the Game Master and campaigns are the "storytellers" but the players are the "characters in the story", as interactive story.

He isn't wrong but his explanation doesn't apply only in "role-playing" or RPG, but in literature, movies, wherever there is a story, but to him there is more meaning to what he explains (as game master, it's where he can have control over be it the world, the characters, everything in it, like a puppet master creating a "play", being the one who pulls the strings).

Yugi's reaction to his explanation:

"Bakura seems different from yesterday..."

Look at that, Yugi keeping his guard up again, Yugi is quite sensitive to notice these small changes and when his intuition tells that something is off..

What final touches does Yami Bakura means, this is when the gang haven't noticed that this boy isn't Ryou but someone else...for the time being, it's going to take awhile for them to notice the person in front of them isn't Ryou but a malicious spirit if you will.

Is it just me or does the eyes of Honda and Jounouchi look the same...? While Yugi and Anzu has a more "cute" and "pretty" look and also have more detail? It's on purpose...even to Yami Bakura aesthetic sense he thinks Anzu and Yugi are pretty or easy on the eyes, he isn't wrong anyways but I think Jounouchi does to an extent has good looks in aesthetic considered by society aesthetic standards, therefore the detail on his hair...

Jounouchi was impressed by the details of the figures (he thinks the same huh?), the reasoning for Yami Bakura make the figures so similar to the players is he claims that he prides himself on attention to detail (I admit that I relate to this too, tch, well Kaiba is the same, Dark Yugi too, Shadi and Pegasus, Ryou is the same, I think).

What Yami Bakura does later in the computer, it's so that the computer does the combat tracking makes a difference in critical fights during the game, there is software on PC as much apps on tablets and smartphones that does these things by implementing the data character sheets of the players as to make it easier to oversee the game and the characters progress.

Anzu's suggestion in going to town to gather intel in an RPG and makes reference to tavern which is the more "common" way to get info, Yugi quickly agreeing, yeah, she plays Video RPGs once in awhile, doesn't she? It's pretty smart though, the irony of it is that in Memory World in the Shadow RPG that closes the circle of this story with the main antagonist, Yugi remembers the same thing in gathering info around "town" in a tavern (royal capital in Ancient Egypt of the Dark Yugi's Memory World).

Yugi and Jounouchi are quite impressed by the details in this game, Jounouchi as commented by Honda in the Bottom Panels Ensemble that he is really into it (it's so funny because is true 😂), if you notice the old man character moved on its own.

😁😁 The friends commenting that this game brings Jounouchi's bad side is pretty funny....

The cooler part though is Anzu pointing out a detail...in this interaction with Yugi:

Anzu: "Hey, Yugi...is there a speaker in there? it sounds like the old man's really talking ..."

Yugi: "No, no...In a tabletop RPG, characters other than the adventurers are acted out by the game master. They're called «Non-Player Characters»."

Anzu: "Then Bakura must be throwing his voice..." (glances sideways at "Ryou's Yami Bakura with suspicion)

Yugi: "I guess..."

That's my girl! she recognizes patterns when is out of place, moments like these she shines as well, this observation did stuck with Yugi...with the "I guess...", that he also growing suspicious too, he started awhile ago...things are getting more off with this out of place pattern...Yami Bakura with a darker expression as if thinking "these two are sharp, my acting might get caught eventually" and irritated too.

Honda's and Jounouchi's reaction to a figure miniature that looks closely to their gym teacher as hilarious is funny, then the miniature gym teacher started speaking, it's curious that he calls to Jounouchi and Honda for help, Yugi and Anzu isn't included...I guess he deals with them all the time, once again pointed by Anzu (creeped out this time), by that miniature did seem that it really talk, Yami Bakura came all menacing to the miniature gym teacher and threatening him telepathically...due to his abilities for sealing the gym teacher soul in the miniature figure...Yugi's inner monologue:

"That villager miniature really seemed like it was talking...almost like it was alive..."

This time Yugi is agreeing with Anzu on the inside, but this time having a bad feeling about it, not only keeps getting suspicious, his guard more up and can't pretend to himself anymore, he gets more attentive from here on out.

These are the more common dices used in tabletop RPGs, apparently you use them once in a area where there is more chances of monster encounter, but you also use it in your battles and choices in certain circumstances, these 10 sided dices, in a literal sense would be a lot longer such "pentagonal trapezohedron dice", but it has it's own acronym being "D10 dice", sounds a lot more pratical and easier to say and refer.

Summarizing this scene, they see an NPC lying down, Yugi is the most suspicious about the NPC due to it's main objective of the Dark Master VS the adventurers (Players), Honda and Jounouchi are on the fence, Anzu feeling they shouldn't ignore...they decide to give the benefit of doubt and go for the treasure to get "the sword" that defeats the main villain "zorc"...

They finally meet Zorc, the irony of all this is that since this time, Yami Bakura's real name is Zorc, Zorc Necrophades also this form of Zork is also close to the later Zork we see in Memory World Arc...It's revealed in by revisiting one of Memory World Arc Observation and Thoughts posts:

Thoughts&Observations | Mangá Vol.35 Part 1/4 (Reversal of Time to the True Course of Events)

It confirms that Takahashi-sensei knew how it was going to end, the middle part of the series, it's when the cards games took over most of the story and is where it went off the rails 😂, since it was intended to be more about different games, it was this way initially but the card game was so popular and requested that became more about "card game battles" besides the card game would have more spotlight anyway because of Kaiba's character...it was somewhat unavoidable the card game get the most spotlight or taking over the story.

It's very impressive that the gang realise from this game and remembering this Monster World game during Memory World Arc that Yami Bakura's like Dark Yugi's have his real name too, since the gang's quest in Memory World is finding Pharaoh/Dark Yugi's true name, they made the correlation that it applies the same way to Yami Bakura.

Usually and commonly the storytellers know how is going to end, undecided how to begin but the middle part is where it gets always tricky and off the rails sometimes 😂.

It's interesting that Yami Bakura wanted to start with the more perceptive and clever ones, he wanted to target Yugi after Anzu originally, but Jounouchi and Honda went forward with it first because they were so mad...probably he wanted to started with clever ones before they would realize he was cheating or the game was rigged...

For him to start with Anzu first, he must have felt quite the grudge against her for always pointing out what was "out of place", like the miniatures seem to actually talk...Yugi is concerned and the "RMB" is starting...

Regarding Anzu...she got knock out unconscious with the "Mind Doll", this scene alone explains why the strange rumours happened, when we think about it, being in coma for a very long time (Persistent Vegetative State - PVS), it can be considered worse than death...if there is higher chances of recovery, it's not that bad, but if there isn't one...which always challenges morally from a medical and ethical standpoint many times, in this case, Yami Bakura did this to many innocent ones, here again is doing the same, if is for several years or months or weeks it can lead to death...a slow death, it makes sense, the body can't stand for too long in coma or the body will start to decompose and stop regenerating.

The scary part of this situation taking into account PVS and their souls being sealed in miniatures, if their body dies, you would be a miniature forever...if your "miniature" gets destroyed with the soul sealed in "it", you would die as miniature and body, that's just awful...and scary...giving some food for thought.

As for their reactions overall...Yugi confirms he wasn't hearing things and Jounouchi points out being Anzu's...but the more interesting ones are Anzu's and Yugi's, from Anzu's perspective she sees everyone so big (including Yugi) and when she realizes her situation then immediately calls out for Yugi's help and the other two boys, this is the first time Yugi is taller than her...(after the amusement park chapter and this, she doesn't chase or pursues Dark Yugi anymore) is not just this moment in situations of real stress and emotionally, she seeks Yugi but there is more factors from this arc that makes Anzu goes towards Yugi...we'll see it soon in the next post.

As for Yugi, he uses technical terms of RPGs observing Anzu's situation as turned into a "lead figure", which is interesting that he uses these gaming technical terms, the "RMB" is appearing again...Dark Yugi is extremely willing to help and cooperate but also very angry...

I skipped Jounouchi's because it was the same way with Anzu...Yami Bakura wanted to get at Yugi, but Jounouchi rushed on the attack...pinpointed this part more because of Honda's reaction when Yami Bakura said that "Honda's character" was scared and cursed his cowardice, while Honda is super angry not only feeling his courage and guts is being questioned to a point he felt insulted, while Yami Bakura claims the dice don't lie irritatingly...

Yugi found it that Yami Bakura was cheating and asks what he did to the dice, because getting "super critical" in a row was way too odd (because results of a dice relies on luck and probabilities, it shouldn't be possible getting criticals in the dice rolls consecutively), but Yami Bakura continues "claiming" that dice don't lie...bullshit to your rigged game, Yugi wasn't fooled, he noticed (he's smart, after all).

I love this scene and the next one. 😄 There it is the "RMB" again, which is the the "vibrating" sound effect in comics, however there is a new one..."Rumble", according to researching it means a "resonant sound", it would probably mean Yugi and Dark Yugi are starting to get in "sync", but the "RMB" is for a long time, it's after Duelist Kingdom (in another words, after their duel against Pegasus) when it disappears, because there is some blocks of their own they have to overcome themselves, they already did the first step in Death-T.

Yugi asking before his turn comes up to turn himself into a miniature too, the others are shocked, but the ones most shocked are Yami Bakura and the boyz, this was a courageous choice and decision, there is a lot more meaning to this decision, his trust in Dark Yugi but there is more to it as well...

Starting to quote Yugi in the Panels Ensemble on the left:

Yugi: "I'll fight together with my friends on the board! If they're putting their lives on the line, then so will I!"

Yami Bakura: "Yugi... it would be easy to grant that wish...but if you the last player becomes a miniature, who will throw the dice?"

Yugi's inner monologue: "The other me!" [sfx: Rumble)

He put his life on the line to fight with his friends and allow his "other yugi" to throw the dice, he thought some steps ahead, he already put element of surprise against Yami Bakura, that's some considered thought, he didn't mentioned anything about who would throw the dice or the other Yugi, your high intelligence and quick-thinking and deduction skills was proven many times, if you notice, Yugi is becoming more confident and releasing more of his potential bit by bit...

After Yugi's experience with Death-T when for the first time he remembered all game battles, including when Dark Yugi's took over from Dark Yugi's POV and watching his back for a long time, it was very important for him, he wishes to do the same here, this is a big step for Yugi, his growth shows here since Death-T, he is becoming more decisive...as much his growing and unwavering trust in Dark Yugi, it might also mean, it's not just his friends on the board...going to his inner monologue being Dark Yugi/the other me to "throw the dice", he wants to fight with him too, this growing trust on Dark Yugi is Yugi also seeing and trust Dark Yugi as a friend (I would say as well he might be curious how he looks like when Dark Yugi takes over), I think they all understood but both are very protective of Yugi, they think is too risky.

I wish I could have shown more but would be too many panels, but I had to cut.

The time came around Dark Yugi taking over it was immediate and quick, Dark Yugi was preparing himself and when Yugi soul was transferred to his miniature...Dark Yugi already took over...since they were "sync", it was somewhat fast this time, it's not often for awhile for them to be this "in sync", Yami Bakura received another shock seeing Dark Yugi...

See Ya Next Post!!

Thoughts&Observations | Mangá: Vol.4-7 Part 6 - Episodic Arcs Phase 7

2021-04-13T21:32:00.002+00:00

Hellos!

Another post, this one will be the last about episodic arcs, the last mini-arcs, I like these ones, great characters development on Yugi, Dark Yugi and Jounouchi are the special highlights...

The Panels Ensembles are all done except for the One Shot Prologue of Dark Side of Dimensions - Transcend Game, but the manga overall of the 38 volumes is done now, now is smooth sailing for awhile on the weekends.

Plot Summary:

Chapter 46-47 || The Evil Dragon Cards

At the Kame Game Store present Jounouchi, Anzu and Yugi with his grandfather, Sugoroku provides some educational information about the history of games that dates back since ancient civilizations, the highlight being Ancient Egypt.

A boy enters the store who is at the same class as Yugi and Co., his name is Imori, he brought with him an artifact from Ancient China about a game with a seal, Sugoroku warns Imori as being dangerous and to never break the seal while explaining why.

A few days later, still around the summer, the students have P.E. in the swimming pool, Imori just watches his classmates, then "swimming pool time" is over, Jounouchi and Yugi go to their lockers to change, however Yugi finds his millennium puzzle missing and a message left for him from the "thief" to go meet him and the mentioned meeting place...in the classroom "C" (theirs is "B"), Yugi in a rush went to the meeting place to find Imori waiting for him wearing the millennium puzzle, Imori forces Yugi to challenge him to a game from the game artifact of "Evil Dragons Cards"...

The game consists of decks of cards of Dragons with the 5 elements in Feng Shui in different levels, whoever lost the game, loses the soul and gets inside the "game artifact" jar to be fed to the evil dragons, Imori clearly studied and learned in books, while with Yugi sudden and no time for preparation, Yugi lost the game and just in time, he touches the millennium puzzle Imori was wearing to help Dark Yugi to take over and have more chances to win against Imori.

Dark Yugi took over and challenges Imori to a rematch, Dark Yugi plays better (since he watched the previous match), he ends up winning against Imori who loses the soul, while Dark Yugi recovers Yugi soul back to Yugi's body, Dark Yugi put the seal back to the artifact thinking it should stay at a safe place and hidden.

Chapter 48-49 || Jounouchi! Soul Battle!

Yugi and Jounouchi are showing "Super Yo-Yos", which have new mechanical design to make it easier to use (supposedly), Jounouchi shows an old trick with a slight different name, while his classmates are laughing, Jounouchi getting irritated and uses irresponsibly and dangerously that could hurt others, a classmate of his called Nezumi calls Jounouchi out and expresses how much he hates yo-yos, according to him, some gang cornered him with Yo-yos close to his face to steal from him, Jounouchi offers to help the boy against this gang, Yugi was asked to come along by Nezumi, Honda offered himself but Jounouchi feels confident that won't be necessary...

Nezumi guides Jounouchi and Yugi to an abandoned warehouse, Yugi and Jounouchi immediately recognizes as the "hideout" of Hirutani to realizing it was a trap planned by Hirutani with Nezumi as the "bait", he orders his minions to grab Yugi and "hang" him through the millennium puzzle he is wearing using the lifting hook of the abandoned warehouse, for Hirutani blackmail Jounouchi to join his gang (and something else), Jounouchi refuses and goes to rescue Yugi, with some many yo-yos at them, Jounouchi uses his body to shield Yugi then to ask borrowing Yugi's millennium puzzle as centrifugal force to stop the yo-yos and hang the owners of the yo-yos to the lifting hook, Jounouchi gives back Yugis puzzle and Dark Yugi takes over by splitting it up, Dark Yugi takes care of the minions and Jounouchi VS Hirutani.

Dark Yugi creates a trap of his own around the annex roof of the warehouse, Jounouchi and Hirutani fight in another annex roof...both win their battles and come leaving and asking where Nezumi is...

Key Points:

**Chapter 46-47 || The Evil Dragons Cards**

Starting to quote Sugoroku explanation and the interaction:

Sugoroku: "I'm going to show you something different today! This is an Ancient Egypt game, two players race their pieces around the board shaped like a frog."

Jounouchi: "Ancient Egypt, huh....that sounds familiar...So they even had games way back then..."

Sugoroku: "The history of games goes back 5000 years!"

It's very fascinating when we get these trivia facts about games in this series, too bad later, it started to disappear from the moment the card game took over, it was something very rare.

It's not surprising, look at Go board game it was around 4000 years ago in Ancient China, well they have to find a way to kill time when they had free time, in Ancient Egypt was commonly used as it was mentioned in Vol.1 Chapter 2 "Lying Eyes" by Dark Yugi to Mr.Director saying that they usually invented games to stake their fate, sometimes to even decide the criminal's fate like we saw with Shadi to the former director of Domino Museum, Mr.Kanekura and grave robbers.

And Jounouchi thinking in how it sounds familiar, I guess he subconsciously remembering the Millennium Puzzle.

If you wish to continue reading this post, click "Read More" below:

We are introduced to this character named Imori and is in the same class, Yugi seems to know all his classmates...even the ones in the same year as him, that's some impressive memory, I say this because each japanese class is about 30 or 40 students...that's a lot, I'm used to have like 20 each...

The character has an interesting design, too bad he is an antagonist that behaves like a kid with dangerous ideas, what he suffers at the end is what he brought to himself, honestly.

According to Yugi in his inner monologue:

"I haven't spoken to Imori a lot, but...if he's coming to our store, maybe this is my chance to make friends with him!"

Yugi did spoke with him sometimes, in fact it seems Yugi talks with almost everyone (I say this looking around the chapter, including "Miss Chono" chapter, Yugi knew Miho's friends and her nickname that her friends give her), where is gloom part, Hanasaki? he may be reclusive and more timid before, as he becomes less timid thanks to Jounouchi and Honda's influence, he became easier to talk as Yugi felt more comfortable to talk with others...

Of course, Imori came with other intentions relating to what he was holding, he wanted the game shop owner to have a look at it.

There is this sealed jar and box with rope strings, Jounouchi and Yugi are curious and wondering...while Sugoroku is shocked as recognizing what it is, then Imori explains how come he has this:

"My grandfather picked it up when he was in Manchuria in World War II! My grandfather was a game collector, the other day I discovered this jar in the shed...I thought Mr.Mutou might know what it is...so that's why I'm here!"

From the way he was calm and pick out of all games collections, he picked this one with seals, which means is dangerous from Ancient China, I think he wanted to confirm a few things but already knew it (it kinda indicates that, it's suspicious too), Yugi thinks it doesn't look like a game while Jounouchi to him seems it looks like urns where you put people's ashes but are both curious, Jounouchi asks permission if he can open it (Jounouchi has learned some basic manners, finally after that Hanasaki's garage kit xDD) and Sugoroku...

"DON'T OPEN THAT!! I'm sorry for yelling at you...but you mustn't break this seal! This is an ancient chinese game called «Dragon Cards»! I've heard rumors but this is the first time I've seen it..."

This is quite fascinating, despite Sugoroku seeing it the first time, he still knew what this was and from rumors and recognized immediately, it shows that Sugoroku is very knowledgeable, it's not just in games alone, remember this is someone who travel around the world for games, the reactions of the boys was interesting due to Jounouchi's and Yugi's was separate from Imori in panels wise, I say it was intentional, Jounouchi and Yugi could be in the same panel as Imori and give more space to "Sugoroku panel" looking at the jar+box seal...Yugi had a "drop sigh", it's most likely as "it's really a game then"...Imori meant something else, I think he was impressed that "Mr.Mutou" knew what it was.

Starting off with Sugoroku's explanation:

"It's written that the dragon cards were used by a taoist master as a final test for Feng Shui students in China! Feng Shui is a form of magic that uses the energies of nature! It's been gradually systematized since China's Golden Age, four thousand years ago. You know about the concept of Yin and Yang in chinese philosophy...Yin means shadow, and Yang means Light...in other words everything in the world is a balance of Light and Dark! Right now, these dragon cards are Yin Shadow! The seal surrounding the dragon cards is Yang Light - creating a balance! If the seal on the dragon cards were broken, the yin and yang would clash creating a warped power! Imori, was it...?These dragon cards are sealed away along with the power of the shadows! Promise me! You must never break that seal!"

That was quite informative, to be honest, Sugoroku explained so well, I don't need go in detail and is well known, however over the course of this mini-arc we might get some details about the Feng Shui that uses the energies of nature, however is implemented in Taoism with concept belief of Yin and Yang as explained by Sugoroku, it shows that he is quite knowledgeable, as a gamer who travelled around the world and even considered a legendary gamer, which explains his expansive knowledge, from Imori reactions was more being impressed with Sugoroku's knowledge (I consider the possibility that if his grandfather was a collector gamer then must have known or about Sugoroku, as later we find in DDM that he was a legendary gamer, which is to say that Imori's grandfather must have known and told about Sugoroku and may have been admirer of his, Imori may have shown this jar to "test" Sugoroku's knowledge) while at the same time confirming as we see at the last panel in the Bottom Panels Ensemble, he was confirming the information from an experienced and knowledgeable gamer as Sugoroku, because from how Imori explained about his grandfather, it sounded as if he passed away...which means Imori was digging things he shouldn't be touching...or his grandfather is alive and is doing this behind his back, because is considered as collecting forbidden sealed artifact.

Yugi being Yugi, he is curious about the game, he might have thought if it could be "replicated" or "recreate" in a way so it wouldn't be harmful to players, Jounouchi being Jounouchi when comes to this kind of supernatural related to curses gets scared and super cautious (xDD), Anzu have recently getting irresponsible ideas like here but she is a bold person, who may not look like it but she does have an adventurous spirit (she is having part-time jobs without permission so she could save money to study abroad in NY in USA, the way she is making her decisions to follow her dream, shows she is pretty bold and adventurous even without the dangerous idea of going to a danger zone with bomber around...I'm just saying), this time around is not to make Dark Yugi to take over, but relates to her bold nature...Imori is just a boy who thinks "the power of shadows is cool", Yugi was like that at the start of the series too then the "blackouts" started to happen, not so cool anymore xDD.

As a little break from the seriousness, specially after this, it will get a lot serious.

It's some interesting observations we can make, it's small hints of character development on Yugi and Jounouchi in daily life, I think I remember in summer, students can go swim freely at school in it's own days, Jounouchi doing his perverted actions (this is the main reason why you're not popular, Jounouchi and he needs to stop doing them too, which is why he isn't in my top 3 or 4), the more curious part is that Honda isn't mentioned, Honda did participated before with Jounouchi in his pervert endeavors (I call that sexual harassment), it seems Honda himself has stopped doing it, I would bet was after the Miho's incident, Honda on this matter had personal improvement, Jounouchi needs lot of work, Yugi is only recently experiencing from beginning of freshman year, Yugi is a little pervy and does it discreetly but is a gentleman, Honda is still a perv but has become more discreet and respectful about it by using some common sense, he has an elder sister, a friend who is a girl, Dark Yugi...I just don't know, he is pretty ambiguous, he certainly can feel some aesthetic attraction, from how he described Anzu and Mai good looks before (he has aesthetic sense, by looking at his fashion sense, you could say he does).

The comments between Yugi and Jounouchi when going back is also interesting, we can see Jounouchi likes doing exercise, but Yugi never seemed into it and him being short gives disadvantage to him in sports, but Yugi commenting that it felt good, which means, Jounouchi has been a good influence on Yugi in seeing sports that it can be a fun activity.

Is it me or Yugi is starting to get a little taller? ;)

Of course is Imori, is there anyway to leave your personal belongings locked at this school? because lockers would be useful, just in case.

Yugi seeing he had received a message and went to check the meeting place, what is interesting is what he says in the bottom panel to him:

"Y'know, Yugi...I've been interested in you for a while...heh heh don't worry not in a weird way...You could say I look up to you..."

...does he mean not in a creepy way...(he means not being gay or something, I don't know or in admirer sense, who knows), I think he became interested in Yugi since he got the millennium puzzle, from he was hiding himself all sneaky like when he stole the millennium puzzle, what isn't to say that Imori already knew Yugi was trying to solve the millennium puzzle before was solved, remember Yugi did in secret or tried to solve it in secret at school except at home...., it's possible that he knew by back then...so comes the "look up" to him and both being gamers, Yugi alone (even without Dark Yugi) is well known for being skilled or gifted at games...

Starting to quote Imori in the Panels Ensemble on the Left:

"You used to be bullied by everyone but one day you got this millennium puzzle and gained the powers of darkness. Isn't that right, Yugi? My grandfather left me all sorts of books about games...and books on Ancient Egypt...At first I didn't think there was any connection...but then I found the secret of the millennium puzzle! It was written in that book...«the one who solves the millennium puzzle...shall gain the thousand ways of the shadow games and become the guardian of darkness..."

This is the first part, another one who presumed that Yugi was bullied by everyone...most of the time wasn't the case at all, from Yugi's class he was picked on only by Jounouchi and Honda, who were close to become full bullies, but few would pick on Yugi as an easy target because he looked like a "wimpy kid" to them like the karaoke guy, mr.director and the fugitive criminal, he was hit in the face by unstable individuals, a sheep and gangster (Ushio, Kaiba, bruce lee wannabe, the assistant director and gangster beanie boy) mix with abuse of power...

Regarding his intel about the millennium puzzle, in terms of plot, it's a way for the readers to not forget despite Dark Yugi using it's powers to punish those who harms his host and friends as well protecting them, it doesn't change they are "dark arts" being used, also the mention of guardian of darkness, it's not only applied to the millennium puzzle, the millennium items works the same way with the other wielder, as if to help to keep the "darkness" sealed away, but also deeper implications of "Dark Intelligence" as well to be mentioned, the other interesting part is that in these books, millennium puzzle is mentioned, which means the time Sugoroku picked the millennium puzzle, he let experts to evaluate the artifact, they tried to solve it but all in vain, it seems even Sugoroku tried but was unsuccessful, also does that mean that Shadi knew that someone had picked up and tried to solve but just didn't knew who currently possessed? it might be the case.

Next quote from Imori from Panels Ensemble on the Right to Bottom Panels Ensemble:

"I swore to myself! I'd defeat you, Yugi...and take your place as the guardian of darkness! To get the millennium puzzle back, you have to defeat me! In this Shadow game!! After my visit to your shop, I did some research on the dragon cards...in a text about Ancient China! According to it, once the seal on the dragon cards is broken, a shadow game must be played or the people on of that land will suffer eternal disaster! There is only one way to replace the seal on the dragon cards...the loser of the game must offer his soul to this soul-eating jar to calm the wrath of the cards! YUGI! DON'T TRY TO BACK OUT! YOU CAN'T ESCAPE THE DRAGON CARDS!!"

The thing is, even though he claims that he did his research after visiting Yugi's grandpa shop, the truth is that he already did it before...there were was a "few days later" gap, later we see is that he did research deeper on these dragon cards with the intent to how he claims that he swore he will defeat Yugi and takes his place as the guardian of darkness...So why now all of a sudden is aiming for Yugi, is it because he thinks is weaker and doesn't have to face Dark Yugi, or does he think Dark Yugi is a split personality, some of his actions feels unclear...he wanted to be like Yugi and wanted "shadow powers" too? He doesn't understand that these magical items chose their wielders...

Touching on lore and worldbuilding of the series of the dragons cards, as we can see, there is genuine magic in this world, but it's system rules are different from what commonly known, most of the time involves around psychology, spirituality and philosophy to most extent, Feng Shui relates to that, how the shadow games from millennium items works in similar ways as well and with "mind games", it revolves around a lot on games as form of magic too, technically these dragon cards shadow game is a card game but has different rules from Magic&Wizards.

My biggest pet peeve from Imori is coming...

According to the rules, it sounds fair and relies on luck a lot, right? As for according to Imori's inner monologue in the Bottom Panels Ensemble:

"Heh heh...I've studied this game thoroughly, I know all the ways to win! Without the millennium puzzle, as your plain old self, there's no way you can beat me!"

For someone who studied thoroughly and researched the game and the ways to win (like looking at a cheating guide for a video game or when you study to become a professional player at one of board games like chess, Go, shogi, poker) and didn't give any time for Yugi to learn within the same time as him, that's some entitlement, Imori pretty much cheated! he says Yugi as his "plain" self couldn't beat him?! F@#$ off! He knows if given to Yugi the same resources and preparations plus same time, Yugi would win for sure against him and would lose his own soul! 😠 Playing something this dangerous with staking the soul on the line because he wanted to be a "guardian of darkness"...is he an idiot?

That's my biggest pet peeve!

Imori who have studied and researched this card game, despite confident, he prepared everything so he could win at any cost, Yugi didn't had the chance to learn the inside and out, he had to learn on the moment with no preparation and suddenly at that, it's a complex card game, remembering all the Feng Shui nature rules too and forced Yugi to play with no choice with the dragon already released, with no time to prepare, Imori clearly cheated and did it unfairly!

Yugi, despite have lost and learn with no preparation, he quickly understood what did go wrong in this turn and why...Besides something important to observe, here is where Yugi starts his development as a gamer, before it was more for fun, here Yugi for the first time he has to take on someone on his own sometimes, although not successfully, it isn't to say he can come with other "solutions".

We see Yugi stretching his left arm to reach something in the Panels Ensemble on the Left, in Panels Ensemble on the Right, he had already reached the millennium puzzle the time the dragon attacked him to Bottom Panels Ensemble when Yugi did indeed had his hands on his millennium puzzle, this shows Yugi having quite a lot of quick-thinking in here to see other solutions even after he lost the game and right before losing his soul, he grabs in time to grab the puzzle, so the spirit of the millennium puzzle would come out to help him as much his growing trust in Dark Yugi and he is building some dependency on Dark Yugi...rely on him too much (remember Yugi's arc is to become more independent, it's not just mentally, intellect, psychologically, it's to become emotionally independent, he becomes aware of this problem on his own).

I'm going to say, there is something that Dark Yugi said to Imori which kind of bothers me a little:

"Just in time...Imori...Next I'll stake my other soul!!" (Chapter 46)

"Just in time...If I hand't snatched back the millennium puzzle, my soul would be entombed in the shadows forever!" (Chapter 47)

These lines are "transition scenes" between chapters, ending old chapter to beginning new chapter...There is also additional lines, they both matter, going to where it bothers me, the one in chapter 46 doesn't bother much, him saying "my other soul", he doesn't mean himself, he means Yugi, my problem comes when he says if "himself" hadn't snatched back the puzzle, when it was Yugi not Dark Yugi, it kinda looked he took credit to himself on this one... he might speaking for Yugi since they're sharing the same name and body.

But the more interesting part is when he says if Yugi didn't snatched back his puzzle, he said his own soul would be "entombed" in the shadows forever!Why is it interesting? It indicates further evidence that Dark Yugi knows he is his own person and if Yugi didn't touched the millennium puzzle, Dark Yugi would be forever inside the millennium puzzle never knowing who he is (in the shadows forever).

The most intriguing is that he used the term "entombed", as if his millennium puzzle is his "eternal tomb", does that mean that he knows that he is a soul of a deceased? Possibly suspecting to be a pharaoh at this time and that mural was confirmation of what he wasn't sure of himself of who he is.

Dark Yugi is becoming more protective of Yugi, not just being his host, but for his host entrusting him to save Yugi as much caring for Yugi too.

As for Imori inner monologue in the Bottom Panels Ensemble:

"Shoot...Yugi's soul is like two sides of a coin! I defeated the «front» Yugi on my own...I was just about to become the new guardian of the darkness...but I awakened the other yugi..."

He is an ignorant boy who doesn't know what most didn't understand...if the individual who wields is not the "chosen" wielder, the individual is going to die, later is mentioned in Pegasus's backstory and Yami Bakura called Otogi Ryuji that he couldn't because he wasn't a "chosen" wielder, if he tried to solve or wield it, he would die, these are some of the rules of the millennium items to be one of their wielders "chosen".

His interpretation is pretty flawed, it's phrased as if Yugi and Dark Yugi are split personalities, but it's visible even deep down to this boy, they're not split or "other personality", just two minds sharing the same body and name (temporarily until is "uncovered"), for him think that "he did it and defeated Yugi on his own" as if was a big accomplishment, it means he knew he would lose to Yugi if Yugi had the same preparations in the same fairness, tch, still a cheater.

The character who truly has this nature of "front light" and "back shadow" is Marik due to his PTSD and DID.

Imori, it was already kinda stupid for him to make this dangerous shadow game and cheating (prepared and researched while Yugi the opposite, did on purpose, so he could "easily" win against Yugi), him wanting shadow powers and be the guardian of darkness is kinda ridiculous already without investigating anything more such it's history inside the pharaoh tomb about the millennium puzzle...who would stake for their own soul to gain shadow powers, I'll never understand the characters for these or anyone, so he could feel he has some "power", is he the kind of the weak who seek power and believe in a "lie" they took power for himself and convincing himself that he earned it like a sheep pretending to be a wolf.

In the Bottom Panels Ensemble, we have this interaction between Dark Yugi and Imori, I think we should observe:

Dark Yugi: "But..will I get my soul back even if I win?"

Imori: "Heh heh...are you worried? The soul of your «front» self is still sealed in the soul-eating jar...But there's nothing to worry about! This jar takes three months to digest one soul. If by some extraordinary fluke you actually manage to win the next game. You'll get your spare soul back good as new!"

Dark Yugi worried and wonders if he wins he can get back Yugi soul...it's a pretty valid concern even from a logical stand point for how the "jar" works, because there could be a possibility of there wouldn't be any garantee that if he won, Yugi's soul would be free, according to Imori's explanation, the jar can only take one soul at a time and takes three months to digest a soul, therefore if Dark Yugi wins, he would get Yugi soul (rescue Yugi) but the loser soul (Imori) would be the one in the jar, instead(which is what will happen).

Imori's behaviour from the first two panels there is a lot of reticence regarding seeing Dark Yugi ("back" Yugi) worried about his host ("front" Yugi), which is to say that Imori actually aware Dark Yugi being a spirit of the puzzle (therefore his reasoning of having to defeat "both yugis" to become a guardian of darkness), he is using different terms between "host"(front) and spirit"(back) and noticing that the spirit (Dark Yugi) is genuinely concerned for his host (Yugi) and wanting to save him, because usually the spirit would take "advantage", right? But Dark Yugi doesn't, he is really concerned about him, which shows that Dark Yugi already has a soft spot for Yugi (his host), becoming protective of his host.

For Imori feeling this confident that he will win because he "studied" and "researched" and didn't give the chance for Yugi to do the same...cheater, but isn't aware or didn't consider the possibility of Dark Yugi did watched (or else he wouldn't go around challenging others to shadow games and giving penalty games if he didn't) therefore he would be more ready.

In summary of this scene, Dark Yugi has already understood how to play in more detail by watching Yugi VS Imori match, getting to that detail later in next key point, what I want to give more attention is more towards when Dark Yugi starts making a comeback at Imori, but the line of what Dark Yugi says:

"You can't get me with the same trick twice, Imori!"

Dark Yugi also thinks what Imori did forcing Yugi to a match with no preparation chance for Yugi, while as someone as Dark Yugi who can read people so well, he noticed Imori had researched and studied and say that he can't use the same trick twice on him, the "trick" was this, it's how Imori cheated, Dark Yugi watched their match, he is more prepared than Yugi.

It took awhile for Imori realise that Dark Yugi pretty much understood how it works, put Imori did put up a good fight since he studied and researched, while as for why Dark Yugi, like Yugi, he also learns very fast but he is more attentive than Yugi (Yugi kinda has short attention span...from how he easily gets distracted), specially when comes to details, he is resourceful, very smart and intelligent as he is pretty well-known , Dark Yugi is also very good as been shown to be very good at reading people's from emotions, recognizing patterns habits, good investigative skills, besides as at the beginning of DDM arc, Dark Yugi knew of games and other things that Yugi didn't know himself (Monster World Arc is one of them), it's possible in Dark Yugi's subconscious that he has Feng Shui knowledge as much through watching and learning from Sugoroku (remember the prologue of Memory World Arc, Sugoroku could see and hear pharaoh Atem, when Atem saved him) as much from the time he was alive as Pharaoh Atem.

The reasons why Dark Yugi's intellect doesn't have as much focus as on Yugi's intellect is because in the media, fandom and part of the plot intent is overlooked, only a few characters sees through, some take time learn it...Dark Yugi is one of those takes time to learn it.

In the Panels Ensemble on the Right, Dark Yugi says something funny and sassy:

"Imori! Here's your penalty game! Normally I try to come up with something original, but... Now it's your turn to feed your soul to 25 ravenous dragons!"

😂😂 That one of "normally I try to come up with something original", that's amusing that he tries to be creative with his penalty games, well he is usually creative with his games challenges, it's also another way of saying that Imori brought this to himself, endangering his host, whose soul was indeed go to the jar, now is Imori...basically the karma did the job for Dark Yugi...karma is a b*7c@, I feel sorry for Imori but at the same time not really, he was being quite irresponsible after warnings and ignored it, the dragon cards thing wasn't produced by Dark Yugi's millennium item, but the Evil Dragons Cards don't care if you're good or bad or neutral or innocent or guilty, lost the game, go to the jar, I have to say this Ancient Chinese Evil Dragons Cards game is dangerous, ruthless and merciless.

But is this game Evil Dragons Jar more dangerous than the millennium items? That's debatable, since millennium items depends on the wielder's agency of how dangerous can be, but nonetheless they are both dangerous artifacts.

In summary of Dark Yugi's monologue (in a monologue, it's like talking to yourself) as I stated a few points back, that Imori more or less implied that the jar can only hold one soul at a time...it's Dark Yugi understand why it works that way...the more important part is Dark Yugi's Inner Monologue:

"Thank goodness...I got my soul back! Dragon Cards...This is a terrible game that brings disaster...this seal must never be broken again!"

Awww, the way he expresses such a huge relief for rescuing his host, take note for future reference in Monster World as to why Dark Yugi mentions Yugi soul as "his other soul" being related to how two minds sharing the same body and name...there is more emotional attachment and soft spot for his host.

I wonder where and how Dark Yugi took this Game Jar Dragon Cards, theory time, Dark Yugi still taking over, he given this "jar" to Sugoroku to hide away this game, as he rightfully thought as very dangerous, that's not to say some of his weren't dangerous at all...in retrospect of the series, there is even more dangerous games by more dangerous individuals...as been stated, Millennium Items can be extremely dangerous depending on it's wielder's agency.

Chapter 48-49 || Jounouchi! Soul Battle!!

These are some Yo-yos, this is the late 90s, I remember playing them in '93 to very late 90s, I lived the 90s all the way through xDD, so this stuff hits me in nostalgia, it's interesting because it goes with the time, Yu-Gi-Oh! Manga in Japan started to be published in Weekly Shonen Jump in '96, this chapter must be around late '97 or early 98 (the yo-yos were popular back then, kids at my school back then had them, even myself), with their uniforms, Summer is over, it's already Autumn.

In summary to what is going on this scene, they are showing off, but I say is more Jounouchi who presented the Yo-yo to Yugi, because Jounouchi said "hottest street item", that's more of a Jounouchi thing, Yo-yos point is to make tricks with it like the string tricks (which were popular in mid-90s, but you can make mini-games out of string tricks), Yugi explaining in simple manner that is easy to understand, Jounouchi tries to show off his "new" trick that he learned, it's actually a pretty old one, "walk the dog" but with a different name "parade the pooch", the boys of his class laugh hard for this very reason, they're not making fun of Jounouchi, is just that they think Jounouchi is very funny, he doesn't try it, Yugi and Honda are the only ones who are not laughing...Jounouchi feeling embarrassed about it and tries something crazy and harmful like the one we see in the Bottom Panels Ensemble, even Yugi and Honda are running.

In summary of this interaction, Nezumi, one of his classmates, he sounds like he is dramatizing a little too much (he is a little to a point that it feels forced), he explains his "grudge" against yo-yos (which is a bit silly), Nezumi has a bruise in his cheek from a Yo-Yo gang attack where they use yo-yos as a weapon at someone's body and face instead the ground, the kid was mugged by this gang, therefore Nezumi's "grudge" against Yo-Yos, it's plausible gang use yo-yos as weapon that looks mostly harmless and cheap being more accessible...but there are some made of stainless steel and aluminium that could hurt a lot if throws at someone's body and face...

First I want to mention the best line of this scene, being from Honda:

"In the hands of an idiot, a Yo-Yo is a dangerous weapon..."

😂😂😂😂 Honda's dry comments always hit the spot 😆😆😆😆, this one in particular is very funny while Yugi in his pacifist principles mindset (as someone who is against violence) and being an empath..., Jounouchi offers to help Nezumi to revenge on the gang, Jounouchi feeling impressed that Nezumi is willing to "show" him where they are because usually they wouldn't want to come back to the same place after being mugged...it may seem normal so far...Honda invited himself to help, but Jounouchi feels confident that he can take care of them himself, then Nezumi asks for Yugi's company...that starts being suspicious already...(That one of Jounouchi "Those who laughed at Yo-Yos...will cry at Yo-Yos!" 😂😂😂 this is also very funny), Yugi seeing where Nezumi is guiding not having houses or shops as scary neighborhood, that's pretty suspicious, what the kid was doing passing there in the first place? suspicious...as we see in the Bottom Panels Ensemble, in the middle bottom panel, we see Nezumi is indeed up to something no good...

Jounouchi may be starting to get suspicious of this place...from Nezumi's description, they have good aim with the yo-yos using as a weapon, truth to be told, you would have to have good aim and somewhat skilled in the Yo-Yos to have a good aim, however the way he describes it felt forced and a bit cheesy...

They reach the place, that being an abandoned warehouse and familiar too, Yugi is the first to recognize as the "torture chamber", funny that Jounouchi remembers the name Hirutani given to this place himself..., Jounouchi thinking he has a bad feeling, you should have had from the moment Nezumi was guiding to a "neighboorhood" with no shops or houses, that is suspicious alone...it means is a place that if got injured even with no one beat you up, forget asking for help unless you have a cellphone and if it is a place with no mobile network, that's even worse (it's similar to abandoned towns), places like that are quite dangerous to be alone or with someone.

Then comes the gang attacking, Jounouchi impressively realizes it was a planned attack, it was targeted at him and Yugi...Jounouchi does have street smarts.

Hirutani is the mastermind, to be honest I'm impressed, like Honda stated before that Yo-Yos can be a dangerous weapon, specially in the hands of an idiot (pfft, I won't forget that one), it makes an efficient and cheap weapon with those are skilled with it and depending on the material like stainless steel and aluminium, it's a cost-effective weapon (😂 , it's true though but also funny 😂), however what is important here is their interaction:

Hirutani: "See, Jounouchi...I'm the persistent type... I want you in my gang and I'm not going to stop 'till you're in it. I'll do anything it takes."

Jounouchi: "Grrr..."

Hirutani: "It's not like I'm making you one of my henchmen, you know. You'd be my number 2! Second in Command! How about it? Does it sound good?"

Jounouchi: "Sorry to disappoint you, boss monkey! I don't think I'd like it in your cage!"

Initially when he says he is the "persistent type", he make it sound as if he is infatuated with Jounouchi, his last mini-arc sounded similar too...sometimes I wonder if he is gay or bi, I wonder, it wouldn't be ridiculous, he wants him be his right-hand man, or another way of saying and asking Jounouchi to be by his side...it wouldn't be far-fetched 😕, I wouldn't be surprised if it was actually the case.

As for how Jounouchi response...Jounouchi has a wild personality, it can be said that he isn't someone who can be tamed, being wild is part of his strongest characteristic and trait, I think it has been obvious that he isn't someone to follow orders or doesn't like being ordered around.

Then Hirutani calls out Jounouchi as warning and showing that Yugi has been taken as hostage, it makes me wonder why Dark Yugi still hadn't take over, I guess, it doesn't feel practical to do so or isn't in a situation where he can't do much (he isn't a martial art expert or can't do much if his movement is locked like this case for Yugi, he is waiting for the right moment)...but there is more to it as taking Yugi as hostage...

Hirutani could have done this in different ways for example hanging Yugi by the collar...but he wanted Yugi as hostage and Hirutani aimed for the Millnnium Puzzle at the same time, I mentioned before in his previous arc that seemed he didn't noticed the difference between Yugi and Dark Yugi but he is like Kaiba that seemed didn't noticed, but Hirutani noticed, therefore so Dark Yugi couldn't take over, in another words, he sees Dark Yugi as a threat while at the same time blackmailing Jounouchi to join his gang with taking Yugi's life as hostage, this was a very smart tactical move from Hirutani, he is a pretty smart antagonist who doesn't get enough credit for his smarts, honestly (I see the other villains like Pegasus, Marik, Yami Marik and Yami Bakura, even Akhanaden as someone can be easily hated).

Here they find out Nezumi did betrayed them and was part of the plan...well, it was suspicious from the beginning anyway, but can see in his expression that he doesn't feel good about it, despite he was grinning awhile ago.

This scene is one of Jounouchi's biggest moments in his character development that anime viewers only will never get to experience, manga readers does get, it's so crucial to his growth, shows his massive willpower, strength of character, how protective Jounouchi had become of Yugi too, his growing loyalty too...what moves me the most besides this display of loyalty...it's his inner monologue in the Bottom Panels Ensemble:

"Anyone who stands still and watches a friend die...doesn't have a right to live!"

I have to 100% agree, to me it just doesn't apply to a friend, watching someone die can become a trauma or wound or sight that you can't never forget...Jounouchi when came to rescue Yugi, he did it quite gently as if holding something fragile that can break at any moment while asking him to take the hook off his neck, Jounouchi is capable to be quite gentle if is someone he deeply cares about like here with Yugi and also in DDM arc and Battle City, with Mai too (like we see bit in convincing her to take Dark Yugi's offer of the stars coins in Duelist Kingdom and using himself as shield against Ra's Yami Marik attack, wanting to challenge and win against Yami Marik to save Mai), when comes to his little sister Shizuka.

Nezumi was so shocked by Jounouchi's display of loyalty, Hirutani was but with a "tch", is that jealousy, Hirutani? (I think so, he wishes Jounouchi could be this loyal to him and not to Yugi).

Jounouchi affirming and explain why he did such a bold choice to Hirutani:

"Hirutani...the pain of these bruises...is nothing compared to pain of betraying my friend!!"

I can somewhat relate to what Jounouchi says, in these situations is crucial, specially when your friend's life is in danger, but it's not to say that Jounouchi later in the series also become very protective and even somewhat sheltering Yugi as well into growing independent, right now is a good example of being a friend in times when we most need it as there is many other times.

Jounouchi is also indirectly calling out Nezumi as well.

Hirutani is doing the "tch" again, yep, is jealousy.

When Yugi stand up for Jounouchi for his trust and faith in him, you can see for a moment Jounouchi was moved for Yugi's faith and trust in him, then he emphasizes to Hirutani saying that's what a real friend would say, something happened in the past for Jounouchi to say "real friend"...does that relate to Jounouchi almost going to jail, is it linked to Hirutani? hmmm, very likely, it's possible Takahashi-sensei had this idea but never got the chance to explore it and could have Hirutani appear again in the series, it doesn't happen since later becomes a focused card game battle manga series...

I do like it a lot when it shows his street smarts but also his intelligence (being smart is more about using tools at your disposal be it practical or cognitive while intelligent is more about absorbing information and learning), may not be smart and intelligent as Yugi, Atem or Anzu or Kaiba, but not far off if he puts the effort, now recently getting better environment for studying thanks to his friends, remember what he used here is what you learn in science and physics, this idea he got on his own as much him being quite resourceful.

Why only now does Dark Yugi take over? It's possible the events happened so fast there wasn't enough time, remember during this time, it still takes time for Dark Yugi to take over, then comes the "RMB" with only one touch, against Imori, took a little while but here was faster, but still has the "RMB" and "Flash" effect xDD, it means it takes awhile, he straight away said "it's payback time!", he didn't like what they did, Jounouchi's reaction is still the "oh the cool looking «yugi»" appeared xD.

Something curious to note is how Dark Yugi knew how to use the Yo-Yo, Yugi was starting to get into it as it shows in the beginning of this arc, there is no way he could have learned these tricks that fast, besides Yo-Yos is a tricks/performance-oriented toy not a game (Yugi is game-oriented), how come Dark Yugi knows and Yugi doesn't? I would think maybe since Yo-Yos is a toy that goes back in ancient times, the first mention is in 500BCD in Ancient Greece disk, by that time period the Ancient Egypt was gone and Persian Empire took over, however the Yo-yos is said to be originated from China, the earliest most powerful Ancient Civilizations were Ancient China, Ancient India, Ancient Egypt and Mesopotania...there is thoughts that these ancient version of these toys appears in drawings in Ancient Egyptian Temples, what I'm trying to say, Dark Yugi knowing how to use them so skillfully means it may come from his subconscious memories from when he was alive still a "crown prince" or "royal prince" (I can imagine once you become a pharaoh, you have to stop playing with toys) and couldn't be from Sugoroku for the same reasons as Yugi as someone more game-oriented.

Here comes "the rules are simple" xD, Dark Yugi's expression is already up to something...so Dark Yugi is in charge of Hirutani's minions, the Panels Ensemble on the Right are the more interesting in the interaction between Hirutani and Jounouchi after Jounouchi said "let's settle this once and for all!" then Hirutani responds:

Hirutani: "Heh heh...I've heard you say that before...back in middle school...at the start of our beautiful friendship! Remember how we used to fight until we were both on the ground? Nobody won..."

Jounouchi: "That was before you were so screwed up in the head...Today, I'm not holding back!"

Hirutani: "heh heh..."

That's a very interesting conversation here, since you learn some facts about their past friendship...fighting wise they were on the same level and were always fighting and ended on a draw...yeah...he wants Jounouchi by his side...(I just suspect it and wouldn't be surprised if was actually the case), however is how Jounouchi emphasized this time period was before he got "screwed up in the head", he thinks Hirutani gone crazy (lol) but also it might kinda confirm that the time Jounouchi almost went to jail might be connected to Hirutani, Hirutani might have been the one who end up in jail while Jounouchi almost went to...and how Hirutani might got screwed up in the head in prison 😕, this might be Jounouchi indirectly saying that, honestly I'm quite interested in Jounouchi's story in his delinquent days, I wish I could get to know more about it as much Hirutani as a villain.

Going back to Dark Yugi, in the Bottom Panels Ensemble, he is completely calm and composed after using Yo-Yos on the ground to make holes surrounding the minions, the minions thinking that they got him cornered, even the last panel his expression says "everything is set and ready".

As expected from Dark Yugi who is very resourceful using the environment as "weapon" for the roof being rusty and old, it wasn't the yo-yo really as weapon, yo-yo was to set up the "weapon", and noticed they aren't really bright, in fact kinda dumb, to him this was easy, a walk in the park.

To me the most amusing part is Dark Yugi's lecturing the minions:

"You don't aim Yo-Yos at people! You aim them at the ground! Think about that...in the hospital!"

Did Dark Yugi took Honda's dry comment with him? Yo-Yos is a dangerous weapon at the hands of an idiot...these guys were idiots for not realizing his trap earlier...it was a bit obvious, but the way this line was phrased, it's just kinda funny, because is more or less the gang who uses physical violence with hand-to-hand combat, stun guns and now yo-yos, so their penalty game is to be in the hospital 😏, usually he uses "the illusionary" that last for few hours, it's usually one person when comes to "illusionary penalty games" not multiple with exception of the criminal fugitive and poison man...the more dangerous ones were in situations when life of his host and friends were in danger or get very physically injured and be in the hospital.

I think is kinda funny because is rare him saying it like that, I'm quite amused. 😃

I'm not gonna pretend that Hirutani's tactic is low using breaking glasses and throw at someone's face specially after someone being out of touch or got rusty on fighting, but is a smart move to protect yourself yet low in conduct, but this is more or less how street fighting is...there is no rules but survival, technically.

From someone who is pretty smart that was pretty stupid move, walking on the glass, however I think eventually would give him away to Jounouchi due to the rusty metal roof would start to creak...but this shows Jounouchi has experience as much having good hearing and sense of smell while at the same time is smart, Jounouchi has implied that he actually has good memory, remembered where the glass that Hirutani when he tossed at his face in that quick action moment, it's impressive.

Are these Yo-Yos slightly heavy? to make it like that or did make Hirutani's fingers just lose balance? I'm just questioning the physics of this scene of a fictional work, it's interesting despite his wild and sometimes boasting personality that makes him do something stupid, he has a more humble side that he doesn't show to others and seeing him admitting he is practicing the other tricks, it's not often...

Bottom Panels Ensemble is an adorable interaction between Dark Yugi and Jounouchi, first confirming each other if they're alright and relieved all the same... then spoke of Nezumi to a subject to be about their friendship:

Jounouchi: "Hey, where did that little rat Nezumi go, anyway?!"

Dark Yugi: "Good question..."

Jounouchi: "When I find him I'm going to kick his butt! I'm sorry, Yugi...Getting you caught up in my problems again."

Dark Yugi: "Your problems are my problems...Jounouchi..."

It's so funny about Nezumi 😂😂😂😂, Dark Yugi wondering where he did go, did he wanted to give him a penalty game...? maybe he didn't...Jounouchi on other hand was pissed, rightfully so, but then comes the heartwarming part, Dark Yugi does have such a soft spot for his host and friends like this shown in here as much in the previous mini-arc (Evil Dragon Cards) and that is mutual.

See Ya Next Post!

Thoughts&Observations | Mangá: Vol.4-7 Part 5 - Episodic Arcs Phase 6

2021-04-02T20:15:00.000+00:00

Hellos!!

I'm getting so much faster, not without going full force sometimes, of course xDD.

I like being on a roll and there is times when I rest, I don't write in full-time, only when I can (I'm still unemployed, it's chores that can keep you busy).

So this post will have Monster Fight mini-arc then the amusement park chapter, not really looking forward to that one for sure, however I will explain what I mean why Anzu besides being attracted and crushing on Dark Yugi mixed with her idealisation of "grown up Yugi", but the main focus is the "idealisation", it's going to be awkward road for quite awhile for her character development from here on out...

Plot Summary:

Chapter 43-44 || Monster Fight!!

Yugi and his grandfather Mutou was introducing to Jounouchi a new "game toy" called "Monster Fighter", using with two monsters fighting one another through mechanical and technological arena that allows you to control the monster, this arena is in half "disc" with the monster, when joining to two monsters, makes a complete arena in form of a disc, so Yugi and Jounouchi show to their classmates at school during recess, the students become interested and buy them, quickly becomes popular at their school, because it became a hit, someone called Koji Nagumo calls Yugi...there is rumours about him that he steals the "monsters" from his opponents...Nagumo challenges Yugi to a "Monster Fight", Yugi was close to win until Nagumo cheated by punching Yugi, almost knocked him out, Nagumo steals Yugi's monster...Yugi went to Jounouchi and asked him to borrow his...Nagumo is "reselling" the monsters from "Monster Fighter" he had stolen, Dark Yugi already took over and challenges him to a Monster Fight...it becomes a shadow game...it's similar, the wielder of the monsters take the damage instead of the monster, but because Nagumo continues cheating...Dark Yugi gets mad and serious that he made the shadow game where Nagumo would be unable to cheat the game, through the illusions of the monsters he stolen, including his own grabbing his legs, the monster Nagumo was using became to have his face....Nagumo loses the game and receiving the penalty game as Dark Yugi leaves taking back Yugi's monster.

Chapter 45 || 13 O'clock Terror!

It starts Anzu and Yugi walking together to an amusement park, but Yugi is distracted reading a newspaper about a bomber who challenges the police through using a playing card deck...(of course, it relates to games), Anzu getting a little irritated Yugi getting easily distracted with games after her effort to make time for only the two of them going together to hang out ("date").

They reach the theme park, going through the entrance, Yugi is mistaken by the receptionist for a child and Yugi refutes that's not the case (pfft, it gets funnier once we get to the scene, honestly is the best scene of this chapter xDD), during all this time is Anzu who is crushing on Dark Yugi to make him appear using different methods to a more drastic and desperate method...putting herself close to the danger, as there was a warning of the Bomber Playing Card is around...Anzu went to the ferris wheel, Yugi trying to find her and noticed where she was, the policeman chief was asking for help if there was a gamer to help them fight the bomber, Dark Yugi takes over and offers to help, the game between Dark Yugi and the bomber starts, to quickly realise there is bombs in the cartwheels of the ferris wheel except one to Anzu's shock to become worried about her safety...Dark Yugi was able to pull it off by reaching the 4 "kings cards", saved Anzu and figure it out where the bomber was and told the police, then Anzu crosses his arm with hers to continue their "date".

Key Points:

**Chapter 43-44 || Monster Fight!!**

To explain in more simple manner, it's similar to the game "Rock'Em Sock Em Robots" Boxing Game Toy but a portable version like this with a "collectible" feel to it since there is a 100 kinds of these monsters...interestingly enough there is another reference to these kinds of boxing games toys in a very famous video game franchise, in Kingdom Hearts 3 in Toy Box World. It's pretty cool when Takahashi-sensei makes some references and inspirations on real games toy in real life like the Pop Up Pirate in chapter 1 and Carnival Games (School Festival) chapter, Toys with Sound Sensor (Sound Pierrot), I always find interesting, it's a shame that the series became more revolved around card games than other different kinds of games.

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Despite Jounouchi having fighting experience (instincts, reading feints) and has good reflexes besides he is pretty athletic, however Yugi wins against Jounouchi, because Yugi has nimble fingers and is quicker as much there is his quick thinking at play, Jounouchi in wonder and amazement that Yugi never loses when comes to games, because Jounouchi actually put a good fight from his experience but since he isn't the one giving the punches or anything but the monster, it would require quick reactions on your fingers, which is important in some video games, games (even shell games require quick nimble fingers), Yugi has way more experience on that department when comes to "quick fingers" as a gamer than Jounouchi.

As it can been seen, the Monster Fighter was a huge success, this all started with Yugi and Jounouchi playing at school, his classmates became interested, something to note is they get along with their class, it was kind of implied that they liked Yugi, it wasn't just for his kindness, but Yugi was more reclusive and here he is getting better at interacting with them, he doesn't act timid or reclusive anymore, socially speaking Yugi is improving, Jounouchi is also getting better at getting along with his classmates (the female classmates not so much xD).

Yugi is sharp minded and intuition is sharp as well, starting with the Panels Ensemble on the Left after his classmates ask him if his grandpa store has more "monsters fighters", so Yugi commented the following to Jounouchi:

"We're still sold out at our store. And it's the same everywhere else, too! Grandpa was happy because the store made a lot of money but...it's almost like it's too big a hit...[after his classmates asked about the Monsters Fighters] That's the 100th time I've been asked today..."

The detail to pay attention is what is underlined, these "monsters" to be sold out everywhere and the being strangely being too big of a hit...so Yugi felt something was off, with the success and not meeting the demand and is within school and other schools, to a point that is strange...where I have seen this pattern...in real life that is...hmmm where...I wonder...

Then we get to meet Kohji Nagumo, his classmate warn about Nagumo who wanted to talk with Yugi regarding there is rumours that he is good at games but he steals from others...

As we see a classmate did warn him, Yugi is well-liked among his classmates to a point that another classmate warn about Nagumo out of concern for Yugi...to an extent I disagree with Jounouchi that people took advantage of him, that isn't the case as can be verified in chapter 1 and here and there, that's not the case really, they may abuse a little, but he wasn't ever mistreated or bullied by his other classmates, only Honda and Jounouchi did pick on him...

Nagumo came to his class to challenge Yugi and then take him to the rooftop (apparently), however he says there is a rule in "fighting" him, the opponent has to give in his "monster" to him if he loses...Yugi disagreed with him but was kinda forced, Yugi was about to win his "fight" but Nagumo cheated by punching Yugi in the face (again, how many times will he punched in the face before the author is satisfied? 😑 give him a break!), this guy still cheated...I can't stand this way, I'm sure this only happened to Yugi, because they said Nagumo is good at games, it's possible against the other students he didn't had to cheat to defeat them, because his classmate didn't say anything about him cheating and we don't see his classmates with a swollen or "beat up" face like Yugi here, but since Yugi was clearly a more skilled gamer than Nagumo, Nagumo cheated here.

When he said he will get serious next time he fights him, he means he will cheat even more "dirty" than this one, which he kinda does against Dark Yugi...

Oh, Look! the "RRMMBB"!

Between this talk about "Monster Fighter Hunters", apparently there have been victims in the school (I guess is that their monsters being stolen) and Honda comments that then later they sell in the Black Market...(that sounds similar to scalpers...😒 - except for stealing or not that different, I bet they bought at stores until it sold out so they could resell them, that's why they're always sold out, it's not that different from scalpers, scalpers "steal" the chances of a customer buy a product in a retail store at retail price...the scum.).

Yugi listen to their conversation and went ahead asking Jounouchi to ask for a favor (that being to borrow his "monster"), oh I see, Nagumo...you haven't challenged Jounouchi because Jounouchi can actually fight outside of Monster Fighter, a former delinquent, because he wouldn't be able to cheat against Jounouchi...I see what he did here...Yugi can't fight but is a more skilled gamer, so he cheated that way with punch or "violence".

Yugi trusting Dark Yugi to solve this problem of this scum, because Yugi knows now that all those strange "solved" incidents was Dark Yugi...Yugi does seem to allow Dark Yugi interfere unless he feels is necessary, but it creates a bit of an dependency...

Tch...not really different from scalpers..., Nagumo thinks he is a brilliant entrepreneur by stealing products and "resell" them? Dude, that's crashing the market into chaos, idiot...doubling the price, stealing products to "resell" and the companies who create these products will lose more, because resellers are making more "profit" what should be rightfully for the company and the stores (they can lose credibility to their customers, etc), etc, there is more "market" terms involved, more or less is that it gives more damage than benefit to the market...

Dark Yugi sure likes to makes a stylish entrance and make it look like a "secret agent" in the shadows, jokes aside, he is saying that he will challenge Nagumo in a Monster Fighter in Yugi's place...

Nagumo from his shocked expression and reticence between his sentences, I would say he noticed the difference but didn't say, as if kinda confirming rumours he heard about "the other yugi", since by this time where is already starting to be spread the rumours "Yugi becomes another different person when he games"...

He tries to cheat with Dark Yugi like he did with Yugi, Dark Yugi does warn him it was after he gotten him in the face getting cracked, to make him pay for the punch to his host (Dark Yugi is getting tired of it too, huh? his host being constantly being punched or hit in the face) , it was shadow game, he ignored the warning, in this game you take the damage instead of the monster, but not for long, because Nagumo will try to find a way to cheat against someone more skilled than him.

Despite the shadow games being consisted of illusion, but what you feel from these illusions are real like this punch he received from Dark Yugi/Jounouchi's Monster and left a crack...beside it seem to have hurt a lot...

That is a new low, if he couldn't get any lower...that cheater, that was quite a kick on the side, ouch, that must have hurt to then get the "triple punches" from Nagumo's monster...Dark Yugi is very rare for him to say:

"Nagumo...Now you've really...made me... mad..."

He is saying he won't be easy on him anymore...he didn't meant in skill...he meant for something else, Nagumo still cheated with a shadow game and ignored his warning..., luckly those punches weren't over the puzzle (because it would have hurt way more...maybe even bleed, since you know...the millennium puzzle is kinda pointy...).

Regarding this line, what he usually says "I won't forgive you/I will never forgive you" or barking "you're dead", but here him saying that he made him mad (really angry and irritated) with his constant cheating, "I'll make you wish you won't cheat again" or make sure using shadow game so that Nagumo won't be allowed to cheat anymore.

Was it necessary to remove the shirt right now? was it needed to show you were serious...? I'm just saying 😅...However I find interesting is that when Dark Yugi takes over, his head changes considerably (extra hair with lightning shapes, his eye shape changes to more "rectangular horizontal", since Yugi's eye shape is more in form of an "arch"), it seems the muscles and torso changes a bit (the torso gets a bit wider and the arm muscle a little "fit"), so far in the early volumes Dark Yugi didn't took off the jacket or the white shirt ever, (Duelist Kingdom during his duel against Mai and Pegasus, in Battle City he takes off the jacket off more often and even make it work as a little cape), I have always wonder why he does this, maybe is when he gets pumped or anxious or getting "serious", who knows...

The more important part of this scene is regarding the shadow game, he said he was going to rise the shadow game to Lv3, the one they were currently playing was Lv1, it would mean that Pegasus's, Shadi's, Yami Bakura's and Yami Marik's is higher level when considering the stakes, the one's Dark Yugi's creates usually does, the stakes usually are lower except when it endanger Yugi's and Anzu's life (against the fugitive criminal) and Kaiba's special kind of penalty game (the stakes were higher for Dark Yugi, Yugi and friends, Kaiba kinda "tried to kill them"), when the stakes are specially high, he raises the difficulty...here, because the cheater was physically harming his host and even him during a shadow game then he raised the difficulty, but the intent in raising the difficulty was to Nagumo not being able to cheat, Nagumo didn't take it seriously...

When Nagumo was about to cheat again with a kick, since if he goes for a punch, his face will be cracked or face damage somewhere else, so a kick was more "reachable", now that the monsters grabbed his legs, he can't move his legs to cheat and as Dark Yugi warned him that this time he won't be able to cheat in this "set", according to Dark Yugi in previous key point, he raised the levels of this shadow game that would reveal his true nature, not just being unable to cheat, as we see in the Bottom Panels Ensemble, Nagumo himself became the monster in the illusion, which is another way to display his twisted nature...a form where a monster with his face and arms, that's kinda heavy...so Dark Yugi wins but here is the thing...

Here is some monologue to inner monologue from Dark Yugi:

"A person can change their soul into any kind of monster...[but in the end...the shadows always eat them alive!]"

This may sound like he just "killed" him, but he didn't because Nagumo does appear again in the series...in Battle City Arc, he hadn't changed much either, he was about to cheat again until Mokuba and Seto comes along...yes, he appears again and didn't changed much 😑 even after this shadow game...which means, Dark Yugi was medium on him with the penalty game, but still lighter than others, because this "penalty game" may have in duration until next day...

**Chapter 45 | 13 O'clock Terror!**

Yay!! Getting to my least favourite chapter of the manga, it's gonna be fun 😀!! (😛😒)!

I may not like Anzu's behaviour for most of this chapter, there is small bits where I see where she comes from and kind of agree, this scene here in particular is one of such examples in this chapter.

Yugi is reading and commenting the newspaper about a bomber and playing card (of course, it relates to games) and not paying attention to whom he is walking with (that's rude, Yugi), as can be clearly be seen, it's on summer vacation, then comments even louder, you can tell she is a bit irritated...then he asks if there is something wrong and Anzu answers:

"If the morning paper is so much fun, why don't you read it all day? [Geez...It's summer vacation, and the one time I ask Yugi out...]"

Yugi being quite clueless in his behaviour in prioritising games even subconsciously on his "love life", you can tell Anzu was being cynical for reading newspaper which he usually doesn't read, since is about games, he does but could be reading at home and not bringing with him and not kind of ignoring Anzu...that's rude to someone who invited you, Yugi! Be it a date or not, later even after Dark Side of Dimensions when is already implied they're dating, there is an interesting art by Takahashi-sensei in his instagram, there is still this same problem we see here.

That's why I'm with Anzu on this one why she gets a bit irritated or sometimes actually irritated, he needs to pay more attention, the linked image speaks for itself...

In this key point, starting with the funniest part, Yugi finally starting to pay attention...then he asks Anzu if is a date, but they're getting to be checked by the receptionist and they get interrupted...so he never gets to really confirm it...but the interaction between the receptionist and Yugi is so funny:

Recceptionist: "Hey kiddo! This is a high school ticket. You're still in grade school, right?"

Yugi: "Urk...E-excuse me! I may not look it, but I am in high school!"

Anzu: ".........."

😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😆😆😆😆😆😆😆

I usually not into these kind of jokes about a character being short and mistaken to be a elementary schooler, because for me they may be short but their "appearance" don't look like a "child", while Yugi has the "Height" and "Face" of a child, sometimes even behaves like a "child" without realising it, he actually looks like a child/little kid but his age is a teenager, Yugi being aware, pretending to be clueless about it, he wears his high school uniform on weekends during school periods, so they don't mistake him as a child, here we are Yugi embarrassingly admitting that he knows he "looks" like a child and informing the receptionist that he is a teenager and in High School 😂😂😂😂, it's just too funny.

While Anzu feeling awkward and sorry for Yugi, because her reaction implies that this happens quite often, there is even a drop sigh from her, she knows is not Yugi's fault for his puberty being so slow to do it's job, she thinks is kinda funny but as somewhat conflicted, blushing a little (remember from few posts ago in "Digital Pet" chapter, that is implied, she thinks Yugi is very cute), she thought this little moment from Yugi was cute too (yeah, funny and cute 😏😆) - this is one the reasons where her "idealisation of grown up Yugi" on Dark Yugi comes from.

This amusement park has also "water theme park" as much rollercoaster and ferris wheel...that's impressive.

It may look like a normal hang out beach between Yugi and Anzu, Yugi is really short that he is being held by Anzu, but is more because Yugi is feeling kinda dizzy and blushing madly after seeing Anzu in her swimsuit...normal, it's what society would say "he is a healthy boy" (lol), as we find out later...there is other motives from Anzu.

First focus on Anzu's inner monologue as she sees a "slight mirage" of Dark Yugi:

"It's so bright...hmmm...Yugi...?! The other one...!![a kid just uses water gun on Yugi's face, he went after the kid] Just my imagination...the ordinary Yugi is like a little kid...what can I do...to make the Yugi I want appear? [a guy just start hitting on her] I know! Maybe he'll appear if I'm in trouble!!"

For a second she thought Dark Yugi was taking over...but that was her wishful thinking, Yugi when was bothered by the other kid, I bet the kid thought Yugi was a kid as well and wanted to play with him...(lol) As can be read, Anzu does think Yugi looks like a child.

Her thinking about what she can do to make Dark Yugi take over or appear, in the previous key point would indicate she tried to "seduce" or "awaken" pheromones (did Takahashi-sensei read D.N.Angel? because what she tried before in the water pool ride was what would be effective in D.N.Angel but here isn't, who knows maybe it was a slight reference, Anzu read the manga and tried, but failed, jk).

Paying more attention to between how she sees the Yugi she knows and thinks he looks like a child, Dark Yugi looks more like a boy of her age or young man (as Shadi refered to him as before), a version of a "mature yugi" with a deeper voice while finding "Dark Yugi", this different "yugi" that is similar to her Yugi as very attractive who is now subconsciously and aware is not the same person, this further proves this crush on Dark Yugi is mixed with a idealisation of a "mature yugi" (doesn't look like a child anymore), also comparing these observations and the scene with the one in Duelist Kingdom between Yugi and Anzu...

As much it doesn't feel right herself doing this, for herself, for Yugi and Dark Yugi, but we can't censure that with the link given in this key point, Anzu when she met Yugi, may have liked Yugi a little like that, they were kids, expecting they would look the same age as they grow...growing up seeing Yugi's physique still looking like a child as if he didn't age at all, while hers was, that romantic small like she felt when they were kids started to fade bit by bit...if Yugi isn't wearing his high school uniform, most people mistake him for a child, for them to be a couple would be difficult at this time...unless he grows a bit taller and puberty do it's job with efficiency, which does...eventually.

Dude, you kinda appeared right after Yugi left chasing the kid...as if he was kinda waiting and asked her if she was alone...for reals (you kinda knew she wasn't, for you to appear when Yugi left), truth to be told Anzu took the chance to look like she was in trouble - she kinda was...but took advantage, however other guys came straight away to help, lol, still Anzu starting to get some irresponsible ideas, young lady, she even thought that wasn't enough, while taking the chance to leave those guys...

The Security and Police gives the warning to the visitors about them receiving a Bomber threat...Anzu getting desperate and irresponsible ideas in commenting to find this situation exciting, Yugi for once is the alerted and responsible one 😓, she uses the run stampede to make Yugi lose her, going to the ferris wheel, making Yugi notice her to get him anxious so it would increase the chances of Dark Yugi appearing where the Police warn and to be considered a danger zone...she is being smart and stupid at the same time...how is that possible? It's when someone is getting desperate...one of my biggest bother is that she is also making Yugi worry and anxious on purpose while knowing Yugi has feelings for her and making all this so she can see the "other yugi", I remember after reading this chapter for the first time, it took so long to come to like her character, it took re-reads and this analysis project.

This is when sometimes we see she crushes on Dark Yugi individually, despite there is a mix with idealisation of "Yugi" (she can distinguish them and see as separate people while kinda denying it at the same time).

Of course, the bomb is in the ferris wheel, honestly is not a bad spot, exactly where Anzu is, at this time she doesn't know there is a bomb in the ferris wheel, only Yugi got to know since he asked due to his friend Anzu being in one of the ferris wheel rides...

The Bomber Playing card guy said there is 10 minutes time limit but is by playing a card game, what I found amusing is how the police is asking if there is a gamer around...xD as if asking if there is a doctor, amusing, I guess policemen wouldn't have much basic gaming knowledge, oh look who is appearing to take over...the "RMB" is happening...(xD, I'll mention it whenever it appears).

Dark Yugi imediatelly offering himself to help, he is doing it for his host, but this shows that Dark Yugi wants to helps unless someone close to his host or his host is in danger like these occasions, if Anzu was not in the "danger zone" like she is right now, Dark Yugi wouldn't take over and help, he only helps if he feels is truly necessary...the way he express it is regal.

I find it so funny, even though when Dark Yugi takes over, he gets a little taller, but he is still short in comparison to the police guy because Yugi is so short 😁, despite his more "mature" face, the police guy noticed the slight difference in appearance with the "huh? you're that boy..." and Dark Yugi just plainly asks since this is an emergency...the interaction between the bomber and Dark Yugi is curious:

Dark Yugi: "Hey! I'm here. What are we playing?"

Bomber: "keh...a kid, very funny...all right...the game is..."

It may look like it was from his voice that the bomber thought Dark Yugi was a kid, but if Anzu later in Duelist Kingdom perceived as a deep voice, it can't be from his voice, since a deep voice is when someone already hit puberty, it must be for some other reason...

Anzu happy seeing Dark Yugi taking over, she still doesn't know is because there is a bomb in the ferris wheel...(Anzu if the police considers danger zone is for a reason, you know...?)

To summarise the game itself, you have to put the cards in a certain order within the requested time limit, following the shape and carts placement of the ferris wheel in front of them, if they get the "4 same cards" like "4 cards with number 5 (ace, cups, wands, swords)" the #5 cart will explode, in this case as we see in the Panels Ensemble on the Right, it happens with #4 cart...seeing it is really the real deal, we assume there is a bomb in all of them...

What is Anzu's reaction in seeing cart close to hers (she is in #3 cart)...

Dark Yugi has to be doing this as he draws cards as well, there is a lot of luck to be relied in this game, Anzu does get terrified what she put herself into (sometimes she can be like a toad jumps into the water, it gets warmer and warmer...sometimes until she realises the danger and gets difficult to get out of it, like this case) to become hopeful that he can save her...

Dark Yugi is also noticing that for the bomber to know the cards and which cart number is because he is watching him from somewhere high as Dark Yugi starts to suspect...

Dark Yugi barely won (it was a close call, honestly), to me the more pertinent part is the one on the Panel Right, when Anzu calls to Dark Yugi after she left the ferris wheel, Dark Yugi is looking at her side ways and slight blush plus he isn't smiling, he knows, he knows why she did this, that she put herself in danger on purpose so he would come out, Dark Yugi is a sharp young man, he feels slightly flattered but that doesn't mean he agrees and liked or approved this behaviour from her, because after this, he actually acts more distant with her, it gets most noticeable in the prologue of Battle City at the beginning of "set up date" by Yugi (he wasn't happy at all), he will still see her as friend though.

Yugi after this noticed Anzu crushing on Dark Yugi and Yugi later reveals to Anzu in Duelist Kingdom that he knows she has been crushing on Dark Yugi for awhile, Yugi starts getting on guard a little with Anzu too (still likes her but not as hopeful) .

For a better view of Dark Yugi's drop sigh and blush click here- > Panels Ensemble on Right

Dark Yugi informed the policemen where the bomber was, which he was spot on (you know, he could be a good detective too).

He still treats Anzu as a friend...but Anzu has other plans, I mean, she got what she wanted...(rewarded for doing something stupid and irresponsible that endanger her life) but there is something interesting she said here though:

"Hey! Let's get back to our date!"

She really intended even the real Yugi as kinda their date, remember she mixes with crush on Dark Yugi and idealsation of "grown up Yugi" and the Yugi she knows since childhood as into "one Yugi", she is aware they're separate individuals while denying it at the same time they're different people, if she would accept that, it would mean to accept Dark Yugi would have to leave one day...and looking at it overall, comes the time she is forced to accept so becomes more a friend she doesn't want to lose than seeing as a crush...it's gradual, though.

As for Dark Yugi's reaction, uncomfortable and funny at the same time, so it's conflicting for me...Dark Yugi being or acting usually confident and can be sassy at times, you would think he would be smooth with the ladies, when he is actually awkward to the point that is entertaining 😏, I remember someone commenting like this before on tumblr (there is another one which is similar but can't find it).

See Ya Next Post!!

Thoughts&Observations | Mangá: Vol.4-7 Part 4 - Episodic Arcs Phase 5

2021-03-26T20:38:00.004-01:00

Hellos!!

I'm getting quicker with this, I'm on a roll recently, thankfully, I might finish this sooner than was planned and honestly I don't mind!

Getting back to Episodic Arcs heavy posts for awhile before getting to the Monster World Arc (which is honestly one of my favourites arcs in the early 7 volumes together with Shadi's and Death-T, Monster World is my top), I want getting into some characters development, one of them will now get into the "awkward road" of character development (Anzu's), as much characters that don't appear often but is always nice to see them, getting to know better Jounouchi's character and his circumstances (this post, Phase 5), next post Anzu's awkward road character development and Yugi's character (Phase 6 post) and last episodic arcs will have heavy focus on Yugi's, Dark Yugi's and Jounouchi's characters developments (Phase 7).

Plot Summary:

**Chapter 41 - Let's Find "Love"!**

It starts with Anzu studying and thinking of Dark Yugi as she develops a crush on him to a following day starting with Yugi's mother in wonder why her son still hasn't come for breakfast, she goes to his room and find his son in front of socks scattered around the floor, then Yugi turns two socks and both of them being a pair with the same symbol, Yugi explains this is a game he made up to train your gaming's"sixth sense", his mother gets pissed and scolds him to use that energy for his studies/school, tells him that Anzu is waiting for him to pick him up.

After Yugi was done with his preparations, he walks with Anzu to school, Anzu reminds him about the achievement tests results that will be posted on the hall as she isn't looking forward to it while Yugi is excited about it because of a game he made up by using this achievement test results on the school hall, since Yugi spoke of games, Anzu gives Yugi a heart-shaped digital device where you put your birthdate and blood type, etc where it supposedly reads "bio-rythms" (that makes so much sense, being sarcastic here) from these kind of data and makes "beeps" sounds to say is compatible with someone who has the same device and close by...Yugi is very excited that his crush has given him a gift and disappointed that doesn't give *beeps* sounds, Anzu tries to cheer him up...

They reach school, Yugi, Jounouchi and Honda come close to see the test achievement rank results, taking notes, this is a bingo game involving the test results with numbers and colors...then the guidance counselor, Prof. Tsuruoka appears smugly and humiliate Yugi, Jounouchi and Honda about their own test results in front of the school and takes Yugi's digital device keychain and about to smash Yugi's heart-shaped digital device and Dark Yugi takes over to stand up for Yugi and friends, the teacher challenges Dark Yugi to a game in finding Yugi's heart-shaped digital device, they start looking and Dark Yugi suspects that is with the teacher, since he can't touch it, Anzu borrows her own heart-shaped digital device to Dark Yugi, they go to the teacher's office...the "beeps" sound come up...revealing Yugi's heart-shaped digital device was hidden under the teacher's wig who was bald and begs Dark Yugi and Co. to not tell anyone, Dark Yugi gives back Anzu's heart-shaped digital device.

**Chapter 42 - Get The Million!**

Jounouchi announces to his friends that he will participate in a TV Show game where you have chances to gain prizes, his friends will come to root for him...The challenges seems to go well in Jounouchi's favour, Yugi went to the restroom to find out that the challenges were rigged for Jounouchi to lose at the last challenge, him winning was just helping to increase the ratings of the show, so Dark Yugi takes over and challenges the producer of the show to a game with the risk of Dark Yugi revealing the truth and the game consists of pushing one of the strings that might pull a bucket full of paint..., the producer order his assistant to pull for him, then the bucket of paint and falls onto the assistant's head and splashes to the buttons used to "rig" the spin wheel, including the one that would make Jounouchi lose the challenge...Dark Yugi has given to the producer a penalty game and Jounouchi wins the fortune wheel challenge to then revealing that the whole show was lying and there was no prize at the end, since then the show was cancelled and bankrupt, Jounouchi didn't get anything in the end.

Key Points:

**Chapter 41 - Let's Find "Love"!**

Ah! This is the time when Anzu's character development gets to an awkward road, she is not easy to like, it takes time to continue liking her character or you get starting to dislike her, or were already indifferent and then to dislike her...to be honest I was one of those people, after some re-reads and analysis, come to like her character, she grows on you, it's just that her character development is very awkward, for noticing that, I came to like her character, truth to be told she has some relatable moments when she crushes on Dark Yugi, a little, only a little.

Regarding the Panels Ensemble in question, starting with "before she thinks of Dark Yugi" 😑, what she wears at home while studying and her bedroom is quite interesting, slight look to her habits, she is studying which is to say she is diligent on her studies, she has a small bookshelves, a very economical desk (Yugi has a pretty good room, with lots modern takes at this 90s time to 2000s style, he even has tv in his room, well his father works overseas and his grandfather owns a game shop and was professional gamer, including in Poker, no surprise there), it shows Anzu has a more practical mindset, what she wears at home is different from what she wears when she hangs out with her friends, which is more baggy or slightly oversized clothes, once again she does have a more practical mindset, she prefers wearing something comfortable and easy to move around, despite her décor is more practical than cute décor, as girl she could have, probably in allowance wise she saves up money for her to study abroad and buy some clothes she finds cute.

Anzu's thoughts...she certainly feels a crush on Dark Yugi...getting into inner monologue first:

"Wh-what am I thinking? I was thinking about «Yugi» again....no...not him...the other yugi..."

*deep sighs*The more important part of this inner monologue is that Anzu was more aware they are two different identities, but since she doesn't know his "name", then is "other yugi", later she didn't want to admit she was aware because would mean that one day she had to accept he had to "leave", for awhile she did had a crush on Dark Yugi, I would say attracted and infatuated, there is reasons, for starters, Dark Yugi is a very attractive young man/boy and has a more mature behaviour with a deeper voice (apparently, revealed later in Duelist Kingdom from Anzu) mixed with her idealization of a more "grown up Yugi" (a confident and mature "Yugi"), there is more reasons as to why she implements this "idealization" of Yugi on Dark Yugi, which will be in next post.

If you wish to continue reading this post, click "Read More" below:

It's the first time we see Yugi's mother, unfortunately we don't know her name, since I don't want to mention her as just "Yugi's mother/mom" then I'll mention her as "Mrs.Mutou" or "Mama Mutou", to make it easier...I like her character, too bad is very rare for her to appear.

I find it funny that Mama Mutou, she calls to her son and warning him that he will be late then the "stomping" for climbing the stairs and enters his room, we see Yugi doing whatever this is, from the sound of it is kinda often Yugi has some of his own weird quirks, however it usually relates to gaming like we see here, Mama Mutou asks Yugi what he is doing, he replies to not interrupt him as if what he was doing was very important...you see Yugi is very comfortable in interacting with his mother.

Their interaction is so honest and cute 😂, according to Yugi's explanation, this is a "concentration game" by using white socks pairs and putting symbols on it in pairs - you can clearly see Yugi invented this game and made it, interestingly it was with "hearts" which fits the title of this chapter 😑 , where I wish to focus is their last conversation before Yugi leaves:

Yugi: "I'm training my sixth sense for gaming!!"

Mama Mutou: "Why don't you train your mind for school first?! Never mind that! Anzu came over! She's at the front door!"

Yugi: "Huh?!Anzu?! Mom! Why didn't tell me that first!! Geez!!"

Mama Mutou: "You told me not to talk to you!"

Yugi: "See you later!!"

It may not look like it or is easily overlooked, but is actually relevant to Yugi's habits when comes to school and studies in comparison to gaming...even "love life" to an extent, like we see the moment his mother mentioned Anzu, he asked her to tell about Anzu's first and as rightly his mother said...he told her not to talk to him or not interrupt him because of his concentration game.

Overall we can observe Yugi consciously as subconsciously, Yugi prioritizes games over almost everything even replacing lunch or lunch time as Jounouchi mentions later in DDM Arc to a point that it starts being concerning, the way she phrases her concern is "it's okay to love your games and if you have the smarts to make these games, prioritise school first, then you can have your games", we have seen Yugi's intellect that he is very smart and intelligent but as we have seen from his mother talking about it and their interaction, he doesn't take his studies or school seriously...he needs to be more focused not just on games, his daily life and school as important, it will take this chapter for Yugi start to take seriously his studies, "love life" a little more.

It indicates that his mother knows her son is very intelligent but only uses it for games, she wishes for him to use on school first, at least.

Seeing them with summer school uniform indicates that summer is very close or has already arrived, as it haven't been obvious enough that Yugi has a big crush on Anzu, possibly since childhood, she brings up to Yugi that this day at school will be annoying because of achievement test scores have come up, it's classic like we see in anime and manga, where they also see their ranks at school and is published the results on a Student Notice Board, there is nothing good about it, an attempt to instigate motivation to improve? through competition or public humiliation...? This kind of method doesn't work with everyone.

While Yugi is pretty excited about it, I wonder why as explained, Yugi is playing a game with the boyz based on the achievement test results...Yugi...you need to sort your priorities a little...Anzu is not surprised, which seems to know that Yugi is always making games...his head revolves around games...which "reminds" her of something (so sneaky, she knows Yugi so well and knew Yugi would bring games in the conversation eventually).

Ugh, Love Tester...it's funny how Yugi wonders if is a "new keychain game" (like the digital pet one), Anzu explains is not exactly a game but is a "portable love tester" called "Lovely Two" (even the name is lame 😑) and all the girls have them, apparently you input your data like your name, birthday and blood type (Japan gives a lot of importance to the blood type for some reason), she doesn't know how the program works but it's intent is to create a "special waveform" from your personal data...if you press a button on the "love tester" device together with someone with a love tester and if makes the same "ringing" sound means they are perfect for each other, that makes so much sense...😒, Yugi is slightly disappointed that it isn't really game 😏.

The more curious part is that Anzu had two and is giving one of them to Yugi (she planned this...sneaky), Yugi's reaction is what perks my interest after Anzu said he could keep it:

"Really!? It's mine?! All Right! 💓 [Inner Monologue: Anzu gave me a present! Could this mean...]"

They are supposedly childhood friends...it's surprising Yugi is surprised that Anzu has given a gift as if it was the first time ever she had given, which is weird, it's not uncommon for "childhood friends" give gifts on their birthdays and even obligation chocolates on Valentine or souvenirs gifts, since Japan has this very strong "giving gifts" culture...It might that their friendship since childhood wasn't as strong as recently have been since Jounouchi and Yugi became friends, it gradually became stronger.

However after Dark Yugi«s existance reveal to his friends, makes very suspicious if she didn't given him a gift before...it takes awhile for Yugi to realise...since he has a crush on her...it's not just crush, I think he really liker romantically...but Anzu is complicated to explain as stated in the beginning, but you can tell she is being quite sneaky...

It didn't ring (of course, it didn't, I think the program plays at random :p), Yugi feeling disappointed that it didn't ring, he was hoping for it (yes, it shows he has a crush on her and like her romantically), the bothersome part of her character development getting awkward is that Anzu knows Yugi holds romantic feelings for her, here is the sneaky in a bad way of her character, that's a more unpleasant trait of her, she is more or less using Yugi's feelings for her to an extent to get closer to Dark Yugi, she even does "the cute/pretty smile" (it isn't genuine, it can be pity to cheer him on or something, I don't know, I just don't trust these kind of smiles)...she also has hopes, remember she is crushing on Dark Yugi subconsciously and consciously and mixing with her "idealisation of grown up Yugi" while hoping Dark Yugi has feelings for her like Yugi does, as "Yugi"...that's why I say is complicated and her character development is so awkward...😩

I'm sure is some of the reasons why manga readers aren't fond of Anzu and neither Peachshipping as much Revolutionshipping, using someone's feelings for you to get closer to someone is not okay.

It took very long for me to even appreciate Peachshipping due to it's weird and awkward development, it grows on you.

This "Achievement Test Bingo Game"...clearly it was Yugi who invented it (and the author as well), from the rules, the game seems really complex to invent it, because the test achievement results are organised by rank, to be honest, I don't understand half of the rules...to make it this way, shows that Yugi creative intelligence is pretty high and also very smart, we have seen these moments showing of how clever and intelligent Yugi truly is, the potential for him to be a "Top Student" is there but for someone who prioritises almost everything on games over studies (mentioned by his mother), lunch time (Jounouchi in DDM Arc) and subconsciously his "love life" (yes, he does slips sometimes on this one, when comes to Anzu), he easily gets distracted with games...I wonder what kind of results does that give to Yugi for not sorting his priorities...

Professor Tsuruoka, who is according to Honda, he is the guidance counsellor at school or in their class, you can tell from the way he acts, he is pretty arrogant and prone to humiliate the students that apparently don't take school seriously (or should I say, who he considers lazy to become drop outs or NEETs, you know societal expectations in Japan) and plus he likes to use his power as a teacher.

As much I don't agree with his arrogant, abuse of power and his method to humiliate students who don't take studies seriously, he is not wrong about the fact they didn't took the achievement test as important and seriously (it's similar to national exams) as they should and them making a game out of it, it's a mockery to the students who take it seriously and the achievement test itself.

The boys were embarrassed, rightfully so, a guidance counsellor should call them out about their grades on the teacher's office not in front of the other students.

My most confusing part is the "out of 400", does the school has 400 students? There is no way, the average is usually more than 1.000 students, 400 is almost half of the student body, so is kinda confusing, unless this is Top 400 students? If that's the case, there is less reason for him to humiliate them, they may be at the top bottom, it's not that bad, this is almost half of the student body, to be honest Yugi is the one who needs to "step up his game" in studies...specially with his dream job (revealed in the Dark Side Dimensions movie - ~~g-me----d---g--r ,~~ it would require some degree of mathematical knowledge and little on business side, due to find the publishers...having good grades would increase chances in getting approval, since the standard in Japan in academic is very high, almost everywhere...), Honda would need it too, Jounouchi who is at most disadvantage in financial and familial circumstances, Anzu as she takes it seriously, we don't have to worry, she is a responsible girl on these matters (irresponsible on "other matters", getting part-time job without school permission), probably to get a scholarship for when she studies abroad.

Dude...that's going too far! picking that...he wrongly presumed it was a game...the other girls have, so it should be fine, take as something decorative, it's harmless.

A small cute detail is where his love tester keychain was, it was in a pocket, but is the pocket on the chest, which stays on the left side, by the way, that's where the "heart" is 😏, what a sweet boy, he could have put in his pants pockets...quoting him standing up for himself:

"Hey! Wait---! [The love tester Anzu gave me!!] Please Give it back! It's not a game! It's very important to me!!"

It may not look like it, but this is huge coming from Yugi, who is usually timid and sometimes passive, seeing Yugi standing up for himself to protect what was very important to him (a gift from the girl he likes romantically), against a teacher, no less, that's character development right here, he may be nervous but was still standing up for himself, I think that slight moment of Anzu was she might have noticed the small detail and blushed a little (she was moved by it for sure).

Does this kind confirms this was Anzu's first gift or is because she is giving him outside of his birthday? (looking at their uniforms, summer uniforms, it might passed June 4th already - Yugi's birthday), that's might be why he was surprised, it was gift/present besides his birthday, then thinking being chances of maybe Anzu liking him or not...

After Yugi standing up for himself, his friends Honda and Jounouchi stand up for him too, then this teacher (I hate him):

Tsuruoka: "Unskilled slackers like you have no right to talk back to a teacher!"

Jounouchi: "Grrr...whaddaya mean «unskilled»?!"

Tsuruoka: "Education is a noble profession! We teachers have the right to do anything to slackers like you! I could even...SMASH THIS THING!"

That's abuse of power! Education is a noble profession as long is meant to share knowledge! That's why is a noble profession! It isn't noble acting like a dickhead and abusing the power of a teacher!

The teachers don't have the right to do "anything" to "slackers" or students for that matter, besides that sounds wrong saying it like that, no offence...you thick eyebrows teacher! A teacher attempting to smash student's belonging is not an "exemplary teacher" should do and humiliating the student! It's confiscating it discreetly!

That was fast for Dark Yugi to take over...I guess since Yugi trusts him now, the "mind shuffle" is faster now, but still has the "flash" thing xD, it's during the duel against Pegasus that starts to disappear, it's one of those times that Dark Yugi's sense of justice starts to come up as much is the "spirit guardian" standing up for his host like Honda and Jounouchi did, however the way he defends Yugi is a bit wierd … but makes it more relevant later on his fear of losing, Dark Yugi believes in his own abilities as a gamer that "he never loses a game" as much in Yugi to an extent (since he underestimate him quite often).

As for Anzu's reaction, she blushed a little with Yugi having the "love tester" closer to his "heart" (the pocket on the chest), but she blushed more when Dark Yugi appeared...(remember she is crushing on Dark Yugi and infatuated but is also mixed with the idealization of "grown up Yugi").

Of course! A game is the challenge or else wouldn't be Yu-Gi-Oh! (which means king of games), it's similar to a "hide-and-seek" game but finding an object, it starts 30 minutes later, the time limit is 1 hour...sounds fair so far and the condition, he'll give back the keychain but if he loses, he is expelled, that's some serious throwing power around.

There is a line I always find it amusing when it appears, when the challenger initial line starting to explain the rules, which is "the rules are simple", even Dark Yugi says it a lot, just an amusing trivial fact.

A drop sigh from Dark Yugi! 😮😂 I'm sorry is just so rare of him making these kinds of expressions, Kaiba is even more rare that I would be willing to throw a party (there was this one time in Duelist Kingdom when Kaiba watched Pegasus duel, Pegasus started to promote his card game, Kaiba drop sighed, it's still funny 😆).

You know what I find interesting is Dark Yugi mentions the gift given to him and Yugi...he says "Anzu's game", while Yugi is "the love tester Anzu gave me", it shows the difference in feelings that Dark Yugi and Yugi holds for Anzu, apparently he sees her more as friend while Yugi has a crush on her.

There is might be another "drop sigh" besides the one Dark Yugi made with Honda and Jounouchi (Panels Ensemble on Left (for better view)), there is this "drop sigh" and blushing a little when Dark Yugi is trying to find the "love tester" in the Panels Ensemble on the Right, at the corner left panel (for better view click here), Dark Yugi is sensing Anzu staring at him and blushing a little, feeling awkward, huh? We can assume by this time, Dark Yugi already noticed her crush on him...sharp as always, well, it's a bit obvious, Yugi isn't seeing yet... but he will figure out.

As much I'm not a fan of Anzu's behaviour in this chapter, I'll give credit to her in considering the one she owns might help, well she is smart, sometimes she uses the right way and other times doesn't >_>".

To be honest, I don't censure her getting all timid and unsure around her crush (I would run away or being very stiff 😩, coming off cold that others misunderstand 😞), so sometimes for me is conflicting...

Dark Yugi, you can tell he noticed, because that "Anzu...", it could have been "you're willing to give away...your spare", technically she has given to both "Yugi"s, Yugi, she had given to him with confidence while here is more timid and shy, with Yugi feels more "sharing a heart", here is "giving her heart". The question does it make the "giving her heart" as stronger and more important than "sharing a heart"? From my experience in different kinds of relationships, be it friends, family and couples I am acquainted to, "sharing" is more enduring and you're not really losing if is shared plus feels more balanced, while "giving a heart", like giving so much of you but that can make you lose balance, amusingly enough in later chapters and in sense she loses a bit of balance but recovers again later.

Sometimes the things you want are not the things you need.

It means as well that Dark Yugi did watched Yugi's and Anzu's interactions and knows the "love tester" beep sound thing, hey it's missing 3 minutes.

From Tsuruoka's reaction when they entered the room to Dark Yugi confirming his suspicions by judging the teacher's reaction, does that mean he has been suspecting for awhile but was looking for another "love tester" to ring at random? If that's the case, as expected of what has been showing so far, he is good at reading people, he explains his reasoning to Tsuruoka:

"I thought hard! Where would I hide it if I were you! First, I would use the privileges of a teacher!! Students can't hand to a teacher...they can't even touch a teacher! In other words, the safest place is on your own body!!"

So it was for awhile for thinking hard, he got to the right answer, he checked the teacher's desk and his entrance shoes locker, so he knew it would be inside, around when was missing 45 minutes was vague, 20 minutes he must have the answers, he was fast figuring out, the problem was how to make it reveal itself if is somewhere you can't touch? That's why when Anzu's "love tester" would help in this situation but that would require luck for it to randomly ring...missing 30 seconds.

I think this kind of school or education system is giving too much power to a teacher...there needs to be balance and boundaries, so the teacher won't be tempted to abuse it's power.

😂😂😂😂😂😂 Professor Tsuruoka has a superiority complex 😛, in case you don't know is a an attempt to look "powerful" and "using that power" to hide his own insecurities for being bald and using a wig to hide it 😁.

As for the whole scene, the group is quite lucky, more specifically Anzu, why I say this? Usually when she goes in this kind of "prayer mode", it usually works, she is always the first to do so like in Death-T, here, Duelist Kingdom (strongly when Dark Yugi and Yugi against Pegasus, which blocked Pegasus Mind Scan when Yugi and Dark Yugi couldn't use mind shuffle since the shadow game deeply affected Yugi), this might be implications that Anzu may have subconsciously strong affinity to spirituality, she is very intuitive too, I would say even more than Yugi, Dark Yugi and Kaiba, because sometimes her intuition can predict the future sometimes, like the "love tester", learning to accept Dark Yugi going to afterlife one day, the cartouche in Memory World, among other times I can't remember.

I find it so funny how Honda and Jounouchi from the moment they figure it out it came from the head, they went for it, Dark Yugi was just watching the whole thing 😄.

😂😂😂I'm sorry, it's just so funny, even after finding the "love tester", they were so surprised that it was inside the wig, because they just witnessed something unusual while their teacher begging to not say that he is bald and wears a wig 😆.

Dark Yugi is just happy that he got it solved and celebrating the victory, then came this moment after Jounouchi has given back Yugi's "love tester", Dark Yugi who is still holding Anzu's "love tester" and Yugi's "love tester" in his right hand, then given Anzu's to her, but...

"Thank you...Anzu!"

Dark Yugi is blushing slightly is that, yes he already knows Anzu's crush on him at this time, but he feels a bit awkward about it, it's that feeling of embarrassment in a "shy" sense while feeling flattered that someone holds a crush on you, remember he wasn't sure if Yugi's friends would accept him to be their friend and one of them has a crush on him, it's very flattering while feeling awkward, there is a chance he maybe had something for her or wasn't sure or really sees her as friend but moved that she had crush on him, so far not sure.

Putting Anzu's cheesy inner monologue crushing on Dark Yugi aside, that's a pretty good shot of Dark Yugi.

Reminder, there is something similar happens, in Memory World Arc, however at the time, Anzu's crush on Dark Yugi is disappearing and sees more Dark Yugi as an important friend, Dark Yugi knowing his name as Atem sees her as very dear friend that the cartouche she had given him for him to put his real name was big help, if anything was what saved them, it's a closing circle of their "awkward friendship" xDD.

**Chapter 42 - Get The Million!**

This whole section is a good way to understand Jounouchi's character more and his familial situation, starting to quote the gang interaction and Jounouchi's inner monologue:

Jounouchi: "Heh heh heh! After this, I won't have to work my butt off at part time jobs anymore!"

Honda: "Hey, you haven't won the money yet!"

Jounouchi: "Grrr! I've gotta win it! My days of struggling are over! [inner monologue: If I win, I can pay off my old man's gambling debts and liquor store tab! I won't have to run from the collection agencies anymore! It's gonna be a new life!]"

Anzu: "You've been working to put yourself through school for a while weren't you, Jounouchi."

Honda: "Remember that paper route in middle school? Everyone called him the «lone paperboy»."

As we can see from overall from their interaction, Jounouchi has special permission by the school to work in part-time jobs because of his financial situation from his father's debts and abandoned by his mother, in consequence Jounouchi had to fend off for himself for a very long time, which makes me wonder again about the social security system in Japan, or at least at this time, he might receive a pension but might not be enough due to his father's debts, living expenses and school to a point he has to run from debt collectors, Jounouchi has it very rough for a very long time, it's quite unfair to him, it's already impressive that he is barely scrapping by.

As for between the producer of the tv show and his assistant or secretary, from his assistant:

"We've done a through background check on him. His father is an unemployed alcoholic with gambling addiction! The boy works part time to pay back his father's debts! He's honest to goodness, 100% poor!"

We already knew Jounouchi's father was alcoholic and later in the beginning of this chapter is heavily emphasised about his gambling addiction, but he is also unemployed...basically Jounouchi is paying everything by himself, for a 16 year old teenager that's way too much burden, he shouldn't be the one to pay his father's debts at least...

I hate when companies uses other people's misfortunes to get more money for themselves, when could be given to these with more misfortune, obviously the game challenges are rigged, specially the last one.

This is before the final challenge which is in a spin wheel, Jounouchi's inner monologue is the more important part in this Panels Ensemble here:

"Pop...if I win the million yen...I'll put all of the past behind us, we'll be a real family again! Just you wait!"

Of course, "Pop", he is referring to his father, to be honest, I don't think it would work if his father is alcoholic and has gambling addiction, it would repeat all over again, however where it hits the string is when he thinks to himself that he would put the past behind them and be a "real family" again, looking into Duelist Kingdom when Jounouchi revealed about his mother and sister...it's possible that Jounouchi was hopeful that this money would "fix" his broken family, Takahashi-sensei may already have done all Jounouchi's background for quite some time when he was create the characters, family must be very important to him, from childhood is very important for the family be active, it will affect later, specially into adulthood.

I'm with you, Yugi! But the way is phrased in Yugi's inner monologue about Jounouchi as being "desperate hopes", clearly he sees what Jounouchi goes through is very unfair and hearing people using his misfortune to get money for themselves, money they don't need, it's rotten greed.

Dark Yugi goes "let me take care of this!" and takes over and he was angry, but he approached who he wanted to punish calmly and confidently...from that moment he had the game already planned...

Dark Yugi just starts explaining explaining the rules of the game, but the producer refuses until Dark Yugi warns him that he could tell the public about the rigged spin wheel as a way to convince the producer to play his game (which is more or less blackmailing the guy and still giving the guy the chance cover it up), the producer wonders how he did knew, dude, when you left the restroom at the same time as Yugi, you were speaking loudly about it when someone was just leaving at the same time as you...usually if you don't want anyone to find out, speak somewhere private and empty, no?

The producer asks his assistant to do it for him, the assistant makes his choice and Dark Yugi goes with the rope that was left (since it were two), they pull the ropes...

That's some amazing luck, the bucket paint not only went to the assistant's head and splatter over the buttons to "rig" the spin wheel...this guy...calling Jounouchi a shiftless bum when he is the opposite, the producer is the one who is shiftless making others do the dirty job for him like rigging the game, picking others to chose a candidate and their backgrounds...

Going into this guy's penalty game called "mind on air", his eyes looks almost like is poping out, it doesn't pop out really...what will actually do is the following...

This guy ends up showing his true nature in live public, the show host of the show commenting that they're done for...lol, sucks to be you and your career hanging on the balance as tv show host 😛...

Dark Yugi says something interesting:

"Apparently true poverty lives in the soul! Isn't that right...Mr. Producer?!"

He is being quite cynical by telling the truth, it's not often we see this side of his, it's those poor of spirit, it's not only greedy people like the producer here, there is different kinds of people from different backgrounds and circumstances while still being poor of spirit (even the poor can be poor of spirit), it depends on your attitude with life and community.

Several days later, it was revealed that the tv production company was a fraud and went bankrupt...then Jounouchi has their check as a worthless piece of paper, he is even crying...😢 He really doesn't have much luck! 😟

See Ya Next Post!!

Thoughts and Observations of Yu-Gi-Oh! Manga Series Masterpost Updated Ver.2.0.1

2021-03-22T10:18:00.001-01:00

Thoughts and Observations of Yu-Gi-Oh! Manga Series Links

The Early 7 Volumes:

The Episodic Arcs Part 1

Shadi's Arc

Episodic Arc Part 2:

Thoughts and Observations | Mangá: Yu-Gi-Oh! Vol.1-3 Part 8 - Episodic Arcs Phase 4 (NEW)

Death-T Arc:

(The next update is starting about the early volumes posts, the new extra post for this will be starting consisted of the episodic arcs only before Shadi's character debut arc)

Duelist Kingdom Arc:

↑The Updates are starting↑
(It's worth a re-read for the first post of Duelist Kingdom Arc)

(The next updates will be coming as I complete the "editor cut" and restructure them of Duelist Kingdom Posts then the Early Volumes

Dungeon Dice Monsters Arc:

Battle City Arc:

Memory World Arc:

Thoughts&Observations | Mangá: Vol.4-7 Part 3 - Death-T Arc Part 3/3

2021-03-19T14:52:00.001-01:00

Hellos!!

The speed is getting good 😜, I'm getting back to my pace when I was writing about Battle City and Memory World, I think is thanks to my a new strategy I have implemented recently, when there is more key points with 3 panels ensembles, which before usually was 2 or 1 and 3 was very rare, I have to admit, it helps a lot more in getting to the point as building up the hints to the main point of the hints.

Last time the "old version" of this post had little focus on Kaiba's backstory (the siblings and Gozaburo), I do regret it for focusing so little, this time with the "new version" there will be a lot of emphasis on their backstory, Dark Yugi's and Yugi's character development will also be one of the highlights.

The plot summary will be small though.

Plot Summary:

Dark Yugi and Kaiba is heading towards Stage-5 for their rematch, the duel starts with them testing the waters to Kaiba trying to crush Dark Yugi with one Blue-Eyes White Dragon, then comes the 2nd, Dark Yugi is more or less barely dodging and defending, he has moments of almost losing hope to regain his composure and find a way to defeat Kaiba and his three Blue-Eyes White Dragon by summoning a miracle in this game, Exodia The Forbidden One, he was successful and Dark Yugi has given a special "penalty game" named "Mind Crush" by removing the "bad seed" to Kaiba, after this Honda is back because Mokuba rescued him and explains their past and how they come to own Kaiba Corp, Dark Yugi explains the intent of his "penalty game" to have to restructure himself in coma state, Mokuba is willing to wait for his recovery.

After Death-T was over, Yugi and friends leave Kaiba Land and building and decide to go the hospital to visit Yugi's grandpa.

Key Points:

I find amusing a lot of things in this scene, starting with the audience getting very excited to watch Kaiba vs Dark Yugi duel...looking at the series overall in the manga, Transcend Game One Shot, Dark Side of Dimensions, fans of Magic&Wizards (Duel Monsters) come admire these duelists and look forward to their duels, because duels shows their more advanced and closely matched skills.

The next amusing thing is Jounouchi just casually takes this guy's cellphone who is making Yugi's friends hostages with the bald guy, the guy didn't even noticed xDD, so Jounouchi seems to be good at "thieving", however there is a small detail when he uses the guy's cellphone to make a call:

"The hospital where they took Yugi's grandpa! No one could go with him, so I asked Hanasaki to check on him!"

It's very interesting because honestly I wonder how he got the time to call Hanasaki for this, maybe before Death-T attraction, I guess, but shows Jounouchi does have a responsible and reliable side to him.

Curious fact, these panels where Hanasaki appears is the last time we see of him...literally.

Getting to the talk during the call, Yugi's grandpa is in critical condition as Yugi have been feeling it for awhile, but he is going through emergency surgery? O.o that's very serious...! Jounouchi asking Hanasaki to keep watch...it's so nice to see how their friendship with Hanasaki goes as far in entrusting him into getting news of Yugi's grandpa, mentioning Yugi's grandpa, the way Hanasaki refers to Yugi's grandpa is "Grandpa Mutou", that's so sweet 😊, it means he has a lot of respect for Yugi's grandpa and Hanasaki is also a cinnamon roll.

Jounouchi then tries to call Honda, it seems Honda has a cellphone...? Well, according to Dark Side of Dimensions, Honda will continue helping his parents's business and eventually inherit it, it might be why he does have it, I think cellphones available to the public was still recent in the late 90's and a bit expensive (which is Yu-Gi-Oh! Timeline, but Kaiba Corp usually eventually makes more advanced technology very quickly thanks to Kaiba Seto), it's a bit odd Honda did had a cellphone during this time.

If you wish to continue reading this post, click "Read More" below:

From Panels Ensemble Left to Right, we see Dark Yugi preparing himself for their rematch, of course, the line "heart of the cards" coming up...I want to go around Dark Yugi's inner monologue:

"Kaiba...You hurt my friends and my family...I'll never forgive you even if you beg for mercy!"

There is a lot of interesting takes on Dark Yugi's thoughts, for example how he refers to "my family", he is thinking of grandpa as "representative" for the time being...does it include Yugi and someone else or in getting a member of Yugi's family involved? We have to remember Dark Yugi as indicated in Shadi''s Arc Part 3 post that he is aware he is his own person but like two selves/minds sharing the same body, summarising he sees Yugi's family as his family too to an extent, friends it was obviously implicated that he saw them as friends...as for him not forgiving Kaiba even if he begs for mercy...to be honest, he actually kinda ends up forgiving him.

Getting into Kaiba section, starting with what he says to his opponent:

"heh heh...words means nothing to us any more...what will decide our fates...are the cards!!"

This Kaiba's mindset still remains...specially in Duelist Kingdom...as much it shows his obsession with cards games, Magic&Wizards in particular...getting into his inner monologue:

"mheh heh heh...I congratulate you on getting this far...it's almost a shame that this where you'll probably die...I have in my deck three of the strongest cards in the world, the unfathomable rare Blue-Eyes White Dragon! No card exists that can defeat them!"

😓 Keep thinking like that Kaiba with that overconfidence of yours, either way...Kaiba at this time doesn't even consider there could be more than 4 Blue-Eyes White Dragon, for them to "stop production" for being too powerful, there is probably some more amount like 30 over the world most likely, it's still ultra rare out of millions of cards...those 4 it was people who owned them...there is a difference...Kaiba isn't considering anything at all of other chances...even if is small, there is different ways to defeat powerful monsters.

The other part I want to bring up is Kaiba inside him that he is impressed that Yugi and Dark Yugi with his friends was able to get this far, despite some of the games he rigged plus his little brother..., this says he was impressed with Yugi as much as Dark Yugi when they were at big disadvantages.

The kids watching the game already remembered Yugi's name, that was quick, on to the main subjects for this key point, I wanna start that Dark Yugi when is cornered, he usually have huge fear and doubt...as have been mentioned many times...The other more interesting part when Dark Yugi thought of Yugi's grandpa as his grandpa... and:

"I...I won't give up! I'm not fighting this duel alone!!"

I have my own theories about this scene during this time, as many times mentioned in many posts about Memory World Arc Prologue and it's important detail as much during Memory World Arc when Yugi and Co. were inside Dark Yugi's "maze", his subconscious...the Chapter 1, before Yugi solved the puzzle and even maybe even before Yugi found it in the shelf, Dark Yugi did had his memories plus Yugi's grandpa could see and hear Atem when he saved Sugoroku, what I'm trying to imply is that they may have talked before Yugi discovered the puzzle and sometimes while Yugi was solving it...with this scene this might relate to Dark Yugi's memories subconscious from before he solved the puzzle to have this much attachment to Sugoroku of not just being Yugi's grandpa and someone he come to know as well being familiar (since Sugoroku and his vizier Siamun from when Atem was alive being quite similar), Dark Yugi feeling is not fighting alone thanks to Yugi's grandpa, it wasn't Yugi's friends, but Sugoroku, this may relate to Dark Yugi's own subconscious memories that he isn't aware himself after the puzzle was solved (since he forgot everything or most everything due to his gaming knowledge that even Yugi didn't know).

Lastly, I want to mention the art in Panels Ensemble Top Left? because is so clean and beautiful...there is certain kind of grace...so clean.

Ta-Dam, the Power of Draw of Destiny! The series may call power of "the heart of cards", I call draw of destiny xDD, which honestly makes the most sense in the story, which is more or less, "calling" the card you need the most at the right moment...this is first mentioned in YGO GX by Manjoume Thunder (Manjoume Jun) in season 2, I believe, because it happens quite fairly often, however is "plot" related power xDD, speaking honestly, we all know realistically, the chances to get the right card at the right time is unbelievably slim, for the plot to move forward, however is also to show that Dark Yugi hasn't give up.
Kaiba is quite annoyed...and kinda shocked at his luck...it's too soon to give up, besides you might as well finish what you started :p.

The first part of this scene, this moment is very important as it is intriguing, starting with the Panels Ensemble on Left, from a story stand point we can tell the current cards in Dark Yugi's hands is trying to say something, the answer to defeat Kaiba is right in front of him but he hasn't realised yet...they are mostly pieces of something, at first he thought was useless, I guess when he was this cornered, Dark Yugi can't think straight as he could...

The most intriguing part is in the Panels Ensemble in the Right, from how Dark Yugi is feeling cornered and in doubt, passing to Yugi's perspective, this is when we see Yugi this time around is watching Dark Yugi's battle, you can tell he is worried, not exactly give up as Dark Yugi feels about to or close to, he is worried about Dark Yugi in how he is feeling, then we see Yugi thinking and reflecting how he can help "his other me"...Yugi's grandpa appears, I would say that his grandpa is going through a NDE ((near death experience), it's sometimes briefly happening in the series with some characters even after Duelist Kingdom Yugi's grandpa said he saw his wife when he came back to his body (Yugi's grandmother, who passed away)).

As we see, Dark Yugi is so cornered and due to his ego and pride, he isn't aware Yugi is now watching this battle, his expression isn't afraid neither of losing, yet Dark Yugi he feels cornered and more afraid than Yugi...it's the contrast in these moments that we see their differences as individual people...and indicates when Yugi stops being afraid of Dark Yugi and getting to trust him, it's then he was able to watch Dark Yugi's battles from here on out, I would say it started with Mokuba in Death-T stage 4, here we can confirm...it shows Yugi's growth in a very subtle way here or is easily overlooked.

I really like this spiritual conversation between grandfather and grandson, they are very close, their interaction is important...:

Sugoroku Mutou: "Yugi...have you given up? That's not like you..."

Yugi Mutou: "But what can I do...?"

Sugoroku Mutou: "Yugi...Not too long ago you were suffering. Remember how you got over it that time..."

Yugi Mutou: "huh...?!...The millennium puzzle...I completed the millennium puzzle!"

Sugoroku Mutou: "Mmm...You put each piece of the puzzle in its place...You didn't give up...You believed in yourself and completed the puzzle, even though it took you eight years!"

Yugi Mutou: "Yup!"

Sugoroku Mutou: "Yugi! There is nothing meaningless in this world! like pieces of a puzzle. The cards as well..."

This was an important piece of wisdom, in the european portuguese dub it had similar message but regarding your identity, as putting it's pieces to make the big identity, it was something like that among the lines, here Yugi's grandpa might mean something similar to Yugi overcoming obstacles and not giving up, as Dark Yugi...how bit by bit growing and maturing like finding pieces and putting in its place then making a more whole identity like Yugi did with the millennium puzzle and it applies to cards as well...as Dark Yugi quickly realises...Exodia...Sugoroku was very subtle, this advice even in card game stuck with Yugi and Dark Yugi, it affects their playstyle and each in their own way, Dark Yugi is more tactical (when looking how in Duelist Kingdom made him develop his own style and his duels against Player Killer Darkness, Kaiba, Mai, once he started to catch up, how he used Mamoth card and kuriboh, catapult turtle, etc) with Yugi (how he beaten Pegasus's cartoons, against Otogi, etc), this advice did stuck with them more consciously to their subconscious.

To summarise this part, Dark Yugi realises that he had the cards he needed to defeat his Blue-Eyes White Dragons, by collecting all the pieces of Exodia by remembering a conversation between Yugi and his grandpa, these cards of Exodia in 5 "cards" as parts of his body and has unusual summoning method as well being experimental, but is difficult to pull it off.

What interests me the most in this scene is how Dark Yugi came to recollect this information, at this time according to the panel where it shows this memory, it might be Yugi remembering and helping Dark Yugi or Dark Yugi's perspective remembering as he watched Yugi happenings, since he pays attention and watches or both.

As for Kaiba noticing the change of expression in Dark Yugi, Kaiba can detect these changes but due to his big ego, pride and overconfidence, he thinks is something not to worry about...*sighs* Suit yourself, Kaiba, he learned to trust his intuition in the hard way, which is actually this duel, because his next duel after this, he trusts his intuition and instincts way more.

In these Thoughts and Observations (analysis) project, I rarely focus on the subject of the card game itself, it's nice to see when the game has these kind of realistic observations from the protagonist, in this case a co-protagonist (this series technically has two protagonists, Yugi and Dark Yugi, who have the same goal while in retrospect it highlights their different flaws and struggles), he was finally able to get 4 cards but is missing one and he has one more turn, as stated in his inner monologue and even by Sugoroku, the chances to get all 5 in a duel are very slim, so slim that would take almost or a miracle to make it happen, even Sugoroku wasn't able to pull it off...it's very understandable that Dark Yugi was in such deep doubt of himself and very afraid to lose...It's possible it was in this duel that Dark Yugi gained this fear of losing, this duel deeply influenced him, against Shadi was just a build up, but here he feels more on the surface...

We see Yugi's friends cheering on Dark Yugi, giving the emotional support, I would say he is hearing them, but for the time being in this moment, his fear is almost getting the best of him, the fact that he is afraid of drawing the last card, his last chance of winning the duel. at this time he doesn't realise is related to fear of losing, what other reason would you be afraid to draw the last card...if not of this.

Kaiba has an interesting inner monologue:

"That's it! Draw the last card and rest-in peace! Rest for eternity in blackness of death!"

Did Kaiba may suspect for the way is phrased in his inner monologue that Dark Yugi is indeed a spirit of a deceased like a "ghost of the past" as later we find out, that he is pretty sensitive about it...in Battle City, he believed that defeating Dark Yugi would mean defeating his past...if that's the case, Kaiba might have known, but him being a prideful and stubborn individual when comes to his single-minded principles, attempted to pretend to himself not knowing anything.

This will get difficult to explain from Dark Yugi's perspective, I think hearing Anzu's and Jounouchi's cheers (emotional support), despite being far away, he could still hear it, it also means what Anzu said in the "cubes" game have stuck with Dark Yugi as much Yugi, remember how Yugi is watching Dark Yugi fighting, this also could be Yugi trying to remind him and giving his own emotional support? It's that the emotional support made his fears slipping away and face what's ahead of him...encouraged by his friends, Dark Yugi may not have realised that this might have been Yugi in giving his emotional support too, since Yugi was able to watch Dark Yugi's battles, he has been trying to call Dark Yugi for a long time until Pegasus Duel.

I think this was a different way for Yugi to reach out to Dark Yugi and at the same time Dark Yugi hearing Yugi's friends cheering and realising that they accept him as their friend too, he wasn't alone anymore in these battles, it may have been a huge relief as made him happy and becoming hopeful and have faith in what's ahead, not just drawing the card but also after this battle.

As for Kaiba, he thought Dark Yugi was just accepting his fate...Kaiba, not everyone you meet is the same...after this, Kaiba does stop thinking this way, also the fact Dark Yugi guessed right in his thinking and answer to his thinking, yeah, he is good at reading people, not "psychic ability to read minds", he captures well behaviour, expressions, patterns and habits, to be honest, Dark Yugi/Atem could do very well as a very skilled mentalist if he wanted to.

Kaiba was at first when heard Exodia was "....what...?", what with that stupefied reaction!? 😆, either way, the reticence indicate that he heard of it or is processing the name and knowledge of the card game he has...I will quote two versions of translation of Kaiba's inner monologue:

The Digital version (Panels Ensemble on the Right):

"It can't be...The Exodia cards...They really exist...where did he...where did get them?"

Print Version (second printing, October 2004, my own copy, yeah, it's very old xDD):

"It can't be...He used Exodia cards...but the chances are...the chances are..."

I find quite curious why there is such slight differences in translation, the digital version and more recent print copy version (probably has the same) from an older print version, as we have seen over the course of this battle, both make sense and is valid, because as indicated by Sugoroku, these cards are extremely rare, first for being experimental and the chances in getting all 5 parts besides even if you have all 5 in your deck, so the chances of summoning is still difficult and very slim, both these translations would be considered valid since it doesn't contradict the story and Kaiba's character, but makes me wonder, I looked around old scans translation from himitsu project which tends to be more towards the "digital version" translation than the "old print" version, we can assume the more recent prints has improved translations.

These transition chapters pages between the end of chapter 39 and beginning of chapter 40, as stated before, sometimes transitioning of the same scene between chapters is that they always add a few more details.

The Panels of Ensemble on the Right, the end of chapter 39, Kaiba is in complete shock that he lost and that he defeated the three Blue-Eyes White Dragons...but what interests me is what Dark Yugi says to him:

"Your Blue-Eyes White Dragons were powerful....but even weak cards can join together sometimes and together, they can create an infinite power which can defeat any enemy!"

That's kinda rude, saying weak cards...join together...to me there isn't weak cards, what is important is the matter of application of different kinds of cards and each has their own weaknesses and strengths and if it fits your playstyle or not, Dark Yugi may be thinking like this for a little awhile, but later we see that he doesn't see as weak cards joining together but coordinating their strengths like how he uses Kuriboh card many times and saved him many times and is "considered" as weakest card...but he is emphasising the "power of unity", but that way of describing is a little...as I stated before, each has their own strengths and weaknesses, etc.

Panels Ensemble on the Left is the beginning of chapter 40, ignoring the "heart of the cards" thing, what interest me is what was added in Kaiba's inner monologue:

"He had Exodia?! He summoned Exodia?! No...No! That would take a miracle!"

This pretty much confirms, even by Kaiba standards, Exodia is very rare (specifically in getting all 5) and the chances to summon are slim, to Kaiba is more or less like he witnessed a miracle, even Dark Yugi thinks it was a miracle because of the slim chances as way to say that miracles can happen...but later they come to rely a little too much on the "heart of the cards" (to be honest, I kinda consider cheating but is more "plot convenience" or "plot device"), this scene would be more convincing in that sense if it weren't for the constant "miracles" that happen later...

So this time Dark Yugi's time penalty game on Kaiba is called "Mind Crush", we see a visual representation, it's as if "crashing the millennium puzzle" inside Kaiba...according to Dark Yugi's explanation:

"I've destroyed the part of your heart that was filled with evil!"

It seems Dark Yugi given a "special" penalty game to Kaiba, he says he destroyed "a part" that was filled with evil, I prefer to say that it was corrupted and twisted..."evil" is such a cliché and black and white word for me, what Dark Yugi just did is way more complex, it involves psychology, we will get there once we're done with Kaiba's backstory, it's when Dark Yugi further explains in more detail what this penalty game is.

This how in the gaming world and those familiar with high-tech companies got to know about Yugi as well "Dark Yugi" if we remind ourselves when Mai watched Dark Yugi dueling for the first time (against Insector Haga that she did heard rumours that Yugi did "turn into a different person" when he plays, she confirmed while she watched it, since then Dark Yugi became the "ideal rival" and "true duelist" ideals to Mai).

Going into the more important parts of this key point, starting with Anzu's inner monologue:

"Yugi...or the other yugi? No...it doesn't matter which one...You're the scared little boy you once were!"

I'm pretty sure she did recognised the voice of her "saviour", however from the way she phrased she clearly could tell they were different people and then for a moment went to put the "two of them" into "one", she recognises Yugi's growth (remember she was moved by the boys talk in the cubes scene, it wasn't just from Jounouchi and Honda, Yugi as well, the fact she is happy to see Yugi starting to mature...while mixing a little with Dark Yugi's (since he is most mature until Mai comes along), you don't fool me, Anzu.

Regarding the Bottom Panels Ensemble with Johji starting to wake up and sees the gun and "plays dead" 😂, this scene is pretty funny, once again we see that Jounouchi is pretty reliable and not that reckless as he might appear because he is confident he can take these guys but because they are also taking Anzu and the baby hostage, he is trying to figure out what to do...

Can I say they are an impressive team when comes to fighting? Jounouchi noticed his friend's presence first and confirm after Honda hit the bald guy, then because the "other guy" got distracted with Honda's arrival, Jounouchi took the chance and then both of them take "the other guy" out...I love their friendship, you can tell they have been friends for a long time and have the "comrades in arms" vibe.

So how Honda "survived"?

The bald guy furious was hit in head but hey, dude, you were take them hostage, it was legitimate defense, no matter how you look at it, then Mokuba ordered them to stop since the game is over, in the first place, Honda asks about Mokuba to reveal that the kid saved Honda, Mokuba acts like a prideful brat and claims he did saved Honda because he owes Yugi a favor (for saving him), Jounouchi is surprised and amusing to know that Jounouchi thinks Seto and Mokuba as creeps for the literally "deadly games".

But look at that, we see again a genuine smile and happy one too from Dark Yugi that Honda had survived plus at the end, he speaks for himself as well for Yugi, he was moved to see they had given him the emotional support.

The amusing part is when Honda does notice that "Yugi" looks different:

Honda: "...?! Is it just me, or does Yugi seem different....?"

Jounouchi: "Yugi is yugi!"

Honda was a bit worried at first, even though Jounouchi said the way he said it, translating what he means with it is "don't sweat over small details, we can trust him and is our friend too", I guess Dark Yugi was moved that Jounouchi vouched for him that he is a friend and trustworthy with what he says later expressing his gratitude with a soft expression.

Starting with Anzu and Mokuba interaction on Top Left Panels Ensemble, Anzu asks why Kaiba did go this far for this revenge (it seems Yugi, Honda and Jounouchi told her everything what happened), her asking and later we see, Anzu is the one who treats the kid most kindly and Mokuba responds to that, he did the same in Duelist Kingdom with Anzu because she asked him kindly...also one more thing after she asked, Dark Yugi turned around, that would say he is interested and wants to know why Kaiba is the way he is, these two (and Yugi watching from Dark Yugi) to understand Kaiba's behaviour, Mokuba starts to tell their story:

"It all started with that chess game...when brother was ten and I was five...we had already lost our parents...mother died soon after I was born...father died in an accident when I was three...our relatives used up our inheritance, then left us in an orphanage!

«Kaiba: Mokuba...don't cry! I'll make a good life for us someday! Listen to me! If you show weakness, it's over! Don't trust anyone!», my brother was always saying that...but life at the orphanage wasn't all bad. Seto taught me chess. We lived to play each day...But that time...when that picture was taken...was the last time I saw my brother smile. Not long after that...he came to the orphanage...to adopt an heir...Gozaburo Kaiba...Seto knew he was the president of Kaiba corporation...and a world grandmaster of chess. My brother challenged him-"

This quote is quite big and this is just the first part of this scene, even with this much, this key point will get long...

With this much explanation, this is the beginning of their backstory, they were quite young when they lost their parents...when Mokuba was born and their mother died, Seto was 5 years old (according to their ages from Mokuba, it's 5 years gap between the siblings), they lost their father when Mokuba was only three years old, then Seto was 8 years old, Seto as the eldest must have the most vivid memories of their parents and he lost them when you can still remember things pretty well, at least vaguely at 5, certainly at 8...besides is clear he had a genius mind or extremely smart, remember mentioned before in Duelist Kingdom, Seto might have been the most affected because he remember it the most, also these relatives Mokuba mentions that stole their inheritance gets mentioned again but by Seto in his duel against Dark Yugi in Battle City inside his inner monologue, but we see Seto holds a huge grudge, hatred and anger against their relatives who left them in the orphanage as much Gozaburo, it's interesting because Mokuba could see the bright side (since he didn't hated living in the orphanage) but Seto didn't...it shows their contrasting differences in personality and resistance to negativity and toxic environments.

However I would like to inform that on Himitsu Project scans, the translation is a little different about Gozaburo Kaiba, which implies he knew of Seto and was interested in adopting him...the rest of it is pretty much the same...(we can guess, some parents may have been interested in adopting Seto since as we have seen onward during the series, he was clearly a gifted genius child)...

Continuing quoting Mokuba telling their story:

"Gozaburo Kaiba: «HA HA HA! What did you say?»

Seto: «If I beat you in chess, I want you to adopt me and my brother!»

Gozaburo Kaiba: «heh...You're an interesting kid...»

and Seto won...but he won by cheating! And so our last name changed to Kaiba...but the life we began that day was the opposite of what we had hoped for! That man Kaiba was monster. He put my brother into a special accelerated school program. Day in and day out forced him to study foreign languages, social studies, economics, game strategy...It was endless torture...But what he didn't realise was that he wasn't creating his heir...he was creating a powerful enemy!

Six years later [Kaiba Corp. Board Meeting]"

It seems Mokuba is the one who has been keeping his core when he mentions that their last name changed to Kaiba, which means he still remembers it, but Seto seems to keep that "tightly shut" when looking at his inner monologue in Battle City against Dark Yugi, that he only briefly mention his biological parents, so their "Kaiba" surname is not their original surname because they were adopted, I have always wondered what their last name were to be honest, I'm so curious, unfortunately we'll never know.

Gozaburo Kaiba was their adoptive father, Mokuba thought he was a monster, Seto does think the same but also sees him as "father", a monster "father" in the name of "education", he was very abusive father, if there is something that we often we see in this manga is horrible fathers, absent fathers (both fine but their lack of presence influenced their children growth, Yugi's and Hanaski's fathers) and 1 good father (Dark Yugi/Atem's father).

Seto does sees everything negatively but only the matter of his parents is "tightly shut", while Mokuba not as much because he might have vague memories of their biological father but he cherish them.

It is as Mokuba explains, Seto ended becoming an enemy to Gozaburo instead of an heir and also interesting fact is that Seto won against a world grandmaster chess by cheating...I think Gozaburo noticed that Seto did cheated and liked that about him since it showed Seto was willing to use any means necessary to get out of the orphanage and give a "good life" to him and his little brother...

Getting to the six years later...

Seto is around 16 years old in this current timeline, this event in the panels happened 6 months ago, as we see, Seto became the president of Kaiba Corp. and called Gozaburo as "Kaiba", the more important part being Gozaburo Kaiba committed suicide after he said this:

"Seto! I lost my game with you! Burn this into your brain! this is what a loser deserves! Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha !"

Basically, Gozaburo was even more messed up than Seto, but since it was this messed adoptive "father" did "raise" Seto then comes, Seto inner monologue:

"heh heh heh...to lose means to die...thank you...for teaching me..."

The result from being "raised" by an adoptive "monster father", it also explains why Dark Yugi's penalty game "sensation of death" affected Seto so much that he became obsessed with taking revenge and as well his rivalry against Dark Yugi, belief that defeating Dark Yugi means defeating his "own past/ghost" since his adoptive "father" made him think that way, which also explains why Kaiba being willing to commit suicide in Duelist Kingdom against Dark Yugi if he lost since his "father" did the same as following his example of this moment, which is to say that Seto did saw Gozaburo to an extent as a "father", it distorted his notion of "family" and real meaning of family as "tightly shut".

After Mokuba tells their story starts to cry for missing his big brother from how he used to be, the photo he holds so dear from the time he still smiled, 😢, sadly he won't be able to be what he used to be, but he can become a better person if he puts effort, Dark Yugi felt sympathy for the kid, despite being a brat who was trying to imitate his brother to get his big brother's attention, he is still child who wants love from the only family he has and who is also currently his guardian (a bad one initially, he slowly gets better after Duelist Kingdom) which is very important to their growth.

Then Dark Yugi starts to explain the effect of his "penalty game spell" he put on Seto:

"Right now, Kaiba is picking up the pieces of his heart in the darkness..."

This is the beginning of his explanation, as we have seen in the previous keys points when he did the "mind crush" it happened like the millennium puzzle being smashed and putting back it's pieces, when you think about it, it's similar to what happened to Atem and now as Dark Yugi....it's similar but not the same...going further with his explanation...

Quoting Dark Yugi the continuation of his explanation:

"He's reassembling the shattered puzzle of his heart! One piece at a time, with his own strength...so that this time he won't make any mistakes."

Looking through his explanation about this "penalty game", it's a special kind, removing the more rotten part of Seto, Seto's heart or mind had to be shattered, basically Seto is restructuring himself from scratch the pieces from himself, even in psychological terms in form of therapy that is done in a natural way takes a very long time, it may take years, with Seto was 6 months...Seto is doing this through magical means from Dark Yugi, he is more or less giving a chance to Seto.

When Mokuba asks if his brother will come back or recover from this state...Dark Yugi answers:

"Yes...someday...when he completes the puzzle...he will return..."

Dark Yugi is a aware is gonna take a while, because even in psychology takes awhile, what I find most interesting is that Seto is going through something similar that Atem went through for how he died, the pendant then still shattered in pieces, once pendant into puzzle become completed, Atem had to restart again to eventually to be on a quest to recover his lost memories, in that sense Seto and Dark Yugi are similar in their quest of self-discovery.

Mokuba is willing to wait, that kid deep down has a big and strong heart and still believing in his brother, I love his character and his growth.

Quoting Jounouchi:

"Hey, Yugi!! I just got a call from Hanasaki at the hospital! Your grandpa's surgery went great! They he's the healthiest collectible card game player they've ever seen!"

The last time Hanasaki is mentioned in the manga, yeah, I won't this go...😞, onto the main scene, the scene is very nice, it's like after a very hard work day and shows despite the deadly challenges, it made them become closer as friends as well stronger and very happy for Yugi that his grandfather is well and Yugi feeling relieved, I find so amusing of how happy they are for Yugi that Jounouchi spins Yugi as if dancing, of course we have the baby getting into and breaking the mood with his perv mind...the more fascinating part would be when Jounouchi wonders when Dark Yugi went inside "his room" and Yugi taking over, he even blushed a little, it's like seeing a "cool boy" turning into "cute kid" xDD, jokes aside (that might be the case though xDD), it shows Dark Yugi is quite smooth when changing and also considerate to Yugi to celebrate their victories with his friends and grandpa.

Jounouchi was about to ask something and then says nothing but Yugi understood by quoting his inner monologue:

"I knew right away what Jounouchi tried to ask me...after all...Today, for the first time, I can remember all the battles we fought together..."

Yugi isn't just including Yugi and his friends only, he is also including Dark Yugi, it means that he knows he can trust Dark Yugi too, a huge growth between them, host and spirit as much their friends trusting Dark Yugi too and see him as a friend too, however despite the growth and much needed one between Yugi and Dark Yugi as host and spirit, there is still work to be done at this time.

See Ya Next Post!!