Thoughts&Observations | Mangá Vol.8-11 Part 5 (Dark Yugi VS Ryota Kajiki)

Update: Wow, it had no introduction in this one, I'm surprised at myself...😲, I have been giving updates with some new key points (sometimes is 5 and other times are 7, for now is going to be like this, when the lot of text starts, is where I'm going to have less work I think...😕).

Plot Summary:

Jounouchi is very happy for having won his first official duel in a tournament, Jounouchi and Dark Yugi feeling motivated but it gets in the way is hunger from Jounouchi and asks if anyone brought food, Anzu brings up how much of an awful tournament host is, Jounouchi starts to smell food and follows the smell, what they found is smoked fish still being cooked in the campfire, but nobody is around, so he tries to sneak in to eat the smoked fish, Honda joins in, the others unsure if they go along with it or not, however when Honda and Jounouchi are about to start eating, they are interrupted by someone who looks like a fisherman accusing the gang for stealing his cooked fish, both noticed and impressed he is also a duelist for wearing a glove named Ryota Kajiki, he lets the gang eat the fish he caught, Ryota tells his reason to be in the tournament and discuss about it.

After they enjoy the meal, Ryota challenges Dark Yugi to a duel. the duel starts with Ryota being in the lead somewhere he has the advantage, Dark Yugi faces difficulties in defeating enemies he can't see being in the sea and feels like fighting sea with moves by a sea expert...Dark Yugi eventually turns the tables and wins the duel, both saying farewell on friendly terms.

Key Points:

 

Okay, last post, Jounouchi won the duel against Mai, so after the duel, Jounouchi is contemplating his stars chips from his first victory against Mai for 30 minutes, it's pretty amusing and very funny, so his friends reaction of this 30 minutes of contemplation, his first victory was against Mai, who was a strong duelist, technically stronger than him, that's why he is this happy while most of the gang are  impressed Jounouchi actually defeated someone stronger than him being Mai.
It's another example, how much of a terrible tournament host Pegasus is, as the gang noted not having any restaurants and had eaten all the snacks, so they start to get worried about how there is no way to eat in a island.


 

It's quite troublesome, when you arrive at an island for a tournament and some naively expecting they would be  fed...this subject will come soon... but either way, he could have a bazaar for food, honestly or some sort of cafeteria/ canteen specially holding a tournament, it's just unreasonable and very lazy too...I do quite agree with Anzu, that's the logic you would come when going to a tournament and is lovely to see her calling out Jounouchi's sexist behaviour sometimes, which sometimes the boys are, let's be honest.
A detail to note which doesn't seems to point out in his "character profile", in this kind of thing, usually has "favourite" and "least favourite", but with Jounouchi there isn't least favourite, you would think is because he is someone who loves to eat and he doesn't food he dislikes, while here in the panels ensemble on the right shows "no mushrooms", since is known to be many of them being venomous, but since there is plants like that as well, it's possible he doesn't like mushrooms or suspicious.


If you wish to continue reading click "read more" below:

 

I find this scene very amusingly funny, the gang is surprised and impressed by Jounouchi's sense of smell (that can compare with to a dog), then we have have 2 panels where shows Dark Yugi making serious and concerned, funny expressions and also amused(it's quite funny because it's so rare of him make a funny expression), he tries to play cautious while being amused about Jounouchi and Honda not resisting to try to go eat smoked fish, of course this is a bait (however they don't know, they think it belongs to someone), while Jounouchi and Honda prefer to listen to their stomach, Ryou, Anzu and Dark Yugi prefers to play safe.
When Jounouchi and Honda was about to start to eat the fish, they were interrupted by someone coming out of the sea, yelling and accusing them for stealing his fish...and introduces himself as Ryota Kajiki, who claims himself as the duelist of the sea, Dark Yugi quickly glances his duelist glove, Dark Yugi is good at noticing details, specially when it applies to what he likes.

 

Dark Yugi was surprised Ryota who looks like a fisherman was a duelist that at first impression doesn't look like it so (we can notice Dark Yugi is a bit judgemental not in moral terms, but in stereotypical sense, but broadens his horizons).
This scene is also very funny interaction between Honda, Jounouchi and Ryota because of how hungry they are and starting to drool, it's to show Ryota is nice guy of giving them the cooked fish, once he allowed, the rest of the gang starts dig in, it's just because he is nice that he letting them eat...

 

Some points reveals a bit more of this character, such his strong connection or bond with the sea and experience, the reasons why Ryota is in the tournament is to buy a boat to go fishing, I think it's always a beautiful reason to buy something you love to do, it's humble, honest and admirable, even the whole gang seems to think the same and sympathise with him easily, when we think about it, Ryota is and was the first contestant in this tournament who is honourable and friendly.

Awww Ryota I know what you mean, when nature gets mad because we don't treat her properly and with gratitude, their reaction when Ryota told his story of why his dad and him lost the boat and why the "sea mood" change, it's a very apprehensive reaction(in a very cute way, no offence), I do relate a little with Ryota, it also implies he is very conscious about environmental problems, with few differences, I have a more cynical view about it.

  

Sooo once they start leaving, Ryota launches a spearfishing to challenge Dark Yugi, whom accepts but in a way that is willing and gladly to accept the duel, even though isn't obvious, but in a calmer tone than he usually does.
I have been wondering about something, how everyone recognize is Yugi and Dark Yugi as Yugi (since they are sharing the same name and identity) because these contestants didn't ever met him, even Haga, Ryuzaki and Mai in person before the tournament yet they noticed right away... it's possible some of them were spectators in Death-T watching their duel? I don't think is all of them, it's very possible because their appearance description is kinda easy to spot, specially the hair (even later Dark Yugi as pharaoh, they are still very similar), we know Yugi's hairstyle seems to always stand out since people tend to refer him as "star-headed", "big spiky freak", "star head punk", with word of mouth and isn't hard to describe him.


 

When the starts, Ryota proves to be quite a strong opponent since his deck and hologram field, it's perfect for his sea deck and Ryota's expertise about the sea...it's a good learning experience because his opponent, Haga had tendencies to rush his tactics so he didn't used his field advantage but this is the first time Dark Yugi is facing an opponent who knows how to use the field to his advantage to dodge attacks and make surprise attacks effectively.

The duel Dark Yugi is playing proves difficult for him, Jounouchi is the first to acknowledge Ryota skills, it's not just experience but skill, he comes very close or similar level as Mai, it's nice to see how much Jounouchi have learned from his experience dueling against Mai, it shows improvement in observing his opponents movements more attentively.

 

Ryota seems to be one step ahead of him in course of the duel, Dark Yugi is very confident until he sees Jellyfish monster card, he is confident but careful following his instincts (he has good ones for sure).

 

With this proves during this moment Ryota was one step ahead of him, I gotta say is not often we see a player who is good at predicting their opponent moves, you have to pay attention and very resourceful to outperform him, we have seen Jounouchi admitting Ryota is very skilled player...

 

It may not look like it, but Dark Yugi is actually someone hard to impress as Kaiba, he didn't thought this when fighting Haga, which shows how impressed he is by Ryota resourcefulness and intelligent use of the terrain and where his monsters can strive, Dark Yugi acknowledging the strength of water and the ocean, he is learning how to fight Ryota, a duelist who is more or less an advanced player...and deeper observation from Dark Yugi...

 

In the panels ensemble on the left, in his self-talk:

"All right!! Now that I'm in this position, my strategy will be to fall back as far as I can!"

To what happens after this scene in correlation with this quote, specially what is in bold, you would think it was a mistake because it empowered his, but still a very risky move...the other inner monologue he has...

"Ggk...My enemy this time isn't just monsters...It's the sea itself! In all it's elemental fury!"

This is a cool realisation and acknowledgement, he is not just fighting the monsters but the sea, one of forces of nature, you can't defeat it with monsters and magic cards combos alone, Ryota uses it so well because he has experience and knowledge with the sea to back him up while at the same time he expresses so much his respect, admiration, connection and love he holds with nature, specially the sea in his dueling style, I would say that's what makes him such a strong duelist, it's moving (it gets me a little teary when I think about it 😏).

You would think is crazy at first destroying your own spell card like this, despite later it reveals to be a cool idea but has it's risks to his recent play in playing the "Mystical Moon", which makes a very bold move overall... and here is Dark Yugi explanation as to why he played "Mystical Moon" and later destroyed it...

 

"The gravitation of the Mystical Moon raised the water level! Just like the real moon affects the ocean's tides! My moon card created a high tide, and improved your Leviathan's tidal wave power!"

According to Dark Yugi's explanation, the kind of "power" he used was the kind that can control the matter, motion, space and time of nature, the power of physics, who would have guessed Dark Yugi is a science boy with a good understanding of physics (since Dark Yugi during this time since Yugi completed the puzzle have been paying attention what happens around Yugi and even listen Yugi's interactions, I wouldn't be surprised if he payed attention to Yugi's classes in high school among other things (subconscious memories...😗).

 

Dark Yugi overcame Ryota, he is a bit rude doing so at the end...okay..quite rude with "Die, Monsters die!" (that's just very rude) - puting Dark Yugi rudeness aside, but you can tell they really enjoyed the duel, Dark Yugi though still has that big ego, there is some duelists that we know that will teach an important lesson and also for a change of kind of duelists, it was someone honourable and easy to get along, it ended in such friendly terms, for Dark Yugi even handshake expressing strong sportsmanship between them...

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