Thoughts&Observations | Mangá Vol.20-26 Part 7 (Battle City Break Part 5)

We're getting closer to one of the most important duels in the series...but let's focus on the little break first before the duel.
We are still in volume Duelist 15 (volume 22 in japanese print version).

Plot Summary:

In the previous post summary, when Kaiba and Dark Yugi just won the tag-match against the Masked Ghouls, but as soon as the duel ended, Marik mind controlled Mask of Light and started talking to them through him, Kaiba was surprised as he noticed the voice was different and the body language was different and weird.
Dark Yugi informs Kaiba that it's Marik talking through Mask of Light, Leader of the Ghouls and owns the third god card.
Marik tells Dark Yugi that everything is ready for him to try to save his friends or not and to Kaiba claims Ra, the Sun Dragon is a god card more powerful than Obelisk...and leaves Mask of Light body, Kaiba and Dark Yugi discuss about this situation, as Mokuba appears in a helicopter and affirming that Kaiba's company has found Jonouchi and came to pick them up and take them to where Jounouchi is, their conversation prolongs in the helicopter as Kaiba tries to gather more info about Marik.
When they arrive at the location where Jounouchi is, Dark Yugi immediately recognises the place, the pier from when they went to Duelist Kingdom, once Dark Yugi reaches the ground, he sees Jounouchi but he looks different being already brainwashed/mindcontrolled, Dark Yugi isn't shocked but panicked and later is revealed to Dark Yugi that is not just Jounouchi who's been brainwashed, Anzu as well which comes as a big shock to him and feeling more fearful for his friends, Marik blackmails with Anzu's life for Dark Yugi to duel against brainwahsed Jounouchi (b!jounouchi) in a life and death match.
The duel is about to start...

Key Points:

I agree and disagree with Kaiba here, Kaiba acknowledges teamwork can be important but only when is truly necessary, let's say he will only use it as a last resort and still goes by his loner principles, and also you can only trust yourself and other people get in the way, to me depends, if it's you and the society, yes, it's best trusting yourself only, but if it's you and the people you care about and care for you back, I don't really see a problem, as  I think is important to be independent because you're still an individual, also Kaiba believes he is alone, when he really isn't, he has Mokuba and the current Kaiba Corp employees seem very loyal to him.

 

Their conversation gets more interesting from here, Dark Yugi being in a hurry and rightfully so to find his friends as Kaiba presents the place where it will hold the finals to Dark Yugi and Kaiba, Dark Yugi is reminding Kaiba that he should already understand why Dark Yugi is in such hurry, Kaiba knows since he fought to save Mokuba and his company and thinks about what he just said, but Kaiba being naturally inquisitive, he still has some questions about the subject...


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

 

Kaiba is already presenting a very likely hypothesis of a future event with a very difficult question to answer, specially to Dark Yugi, he is worried and knows is very likely what Marik prepared for him with life and death at stake, Dark Yugi displays not just worry but also sadness if is that to happen, he doesn't know the answer, if he was in this situation, he is not just thinking about regaining his memories and also his friends, Dark Yugi is also including Yugi's safety, he considers his host as a friend as well and he doesn't want to face the similar situations he experienced in the duel against Kaiba (when he was almost about to trample someone's life to win and move forward) and Pegasus (Yugi's safety), but Dark Yugi says he knows where he will find the answer, the interesting, funny and extremely ironic is the person who will give the answer not just to Kaiba but also to Dark Yugi, now who is that person...

 

Rishid, one of the most pivotal characters in Battle City story arc and to Marik's character as well, you see an interesting contrast between them by the introduction of this new character, it's clear is between Master and his servant, from the tattoos with egyptian hieroglyphs on his face says he is part of the tomb guardians, specially servant of the main family who holds the other half of the requirement to regain pharaoh's memories and unleash the power of darkness, Rishid displays a very deep loyalty to Marik.

 

Kaiba, Kaiba, stop teasing and playing sceptical, you know it's true, you experienced from Dark Yugi twice and 3rd time from Pegasus with one shadow game (which shadow game inspired you to create the experience it in battle box to duel disks) and three penalty games (I have to say it's quite impressive), he knows, he is just teasing, while Dark Yugi points out this is a serious matter.

Kaiba got most things right in what he is saying about the subject, but if you remove the mind-control/brainwashed, it wouldn't be a dilemma but a friendly duel, but it's not the case in this situation he is referring, Kaiba is presenting a very likely scenario, but not considering an even more dangerous scenario even though is a possibility he is including, however it doesn't change what Kaiba is saying, death match or not, dueling against your friend being brainwashed, what good will do the power of unity help in this situation? because it has to come from both sides individually, because teamwork and unity still depends in one's individual conscious choice to cooperate...since one of them is being brainwashed and make it cooperate in unity? it's a dilemma and problem and Kaiba adds his personal opinion...

Dark Yugi doesn't say anything, because he doesn't know how to answer to it and knows Kaiba has a very valid point.

This is when I disagree with Kaiba mostly, I understand people who has this kind of passion of winning for the reasons he stated (even though I consider as very vain and shallow reasons to fight and passion of winning), I don't think every human fights for passion of winning, it depends on the situation, if is war it goes for some being greed, vanity, others for protection and others for survival, if is a competition is a bit different, each individual has different weights of their own since each individual is different, passion of winning and attempts for self-love as reasons to fight doesn't apply for every single person, Kaiba... -.-

In the last panel, what is funny, Kaiba, isn't Dark Yugi who will give you the answer and is someone you wouldn't expect :p...

It might not seem an important detail that Dark Yugi remembers this place, but it gives an interesting detail, this is Dark Yugi P.O.V. on this memory, remember who was taking over in this moment was Yugi and at this time Yugi and Dark Yugi couldn't talk to each other yet, Dark Yugi watched this moment from the perspective is showing in Dark Yugi's memories and not Yugi's memories, it shows he has been watching over Yugi and friends for a long time like a spirit guardian, when he is in contemplation, he is in the millenium puzzle and it's when he doesn't know what's going on like the newspaper article Yugi didn't told about and didn't knew.

This is a pretty amusing detail from Shizuka about Jounouchi, he didn't used to be good at cards and now recently he is intermediate level from gaining experience and getting sharper, however in his defense previous to become friends with Yugi, Jounouchi didn't had a favourable environment for his studies at school and development (an alcoholic father, part-time jobs to pay for his father's debts, he had his delinquent days as well), after becoming friends with Yugi, Jounouchi progressed much faster thanks to Yugi's influence, he became smarter and sharper as well with good intuition.

To Kaiba from the first three panels...speak for yourself, Kaiba, didn't Pegasus didn't blackmail you in similar situation if was your terms using Mokuba?
He really doesn't have much right to criticise it, he is right and wrong, depends of the point of the duel, if is to have a friendly duel with your friend is with the purpose to have fun, while in this circumstances, well, you have to fight your brainwashed friend, but do so is not by crushing them to move forward, Kaiba, this duel will require special methods, it's true talking alone won't do it, they have to duel to go bit by bit to free Jounouchi from Marik's brainwash...

Kaiba thinks Dark Yugi should get rid of the sentimentality, friendship and unity to get through this, when they are key elements to do so but can't be done in a traditional way, it has to be done in a very special, different and specific manner, the question is Dark Yugi up to it to find it or to the task?
For anyone who has read it knows...and Kaiba expects is Dark Yugi who will give the answer,..and Dark Yugi expects he will give the answer, they are so wrong in their expectations, it's even very funny.

 

I find this scene sweet and sad at the same time and kinda moving, we know when Dark Yugi speaks of his feelings is always very honest, that's how important it is for him the duel against Jounouchi for the reasons stated in this post and this post (sorry for the repeat of words "this post" , but they are different posts to point out the reasons to remember why is important for him this duel), Dark Yugi says he wouldn't go this far in the tournament if wasn't for their promise, to be honest, it is one of the reasons but is connected to his main reason, regaining his memories, Dark Yugi probably suspects he will go to afterlife after regaining his memories and thinks this might be his last chance to duel against Jounouchi and doesn't want to miss it and for the first time for fun as well, a memory he is determined to bring with him.

Even though Dark Yugi is saying in a very cheesy manner:

"I want to fight you in Battle City from the bottom of my heart! But...I want us to fight as true duelists! We should fight our pride in the line...not our lives!"

In other words, he wants to duel against Jounouchi as the real Jounouchi and competitors and without their lives at stake, also as friends, a friendly rivalry, also he was really moved by when Jounouchi asked him by his own initiative in a tone not just as a fellow player, competitor and rival but also as a friend, it shows to Dark Yugi that Jounouchi recognizes Dark Yugi as an entity of his own, not just someone he shares a name with with his best friend.

 

You can see by Dark Yugi's expression he was very surprised that Anzu was mindcontrolled, I want to tell you another thing, it seems there is a clear difference the way Marik is controlling Anzu and Jounouchi, Anzu is behaving more like a doll as very similar to when Shadi controlled her, while Jounouchi is a brainwash, as if using some memories with Dark Yugi to his advantage like the promise they made, only in Jounouchi's memories with Dark Yugi, focusing only on Dark Yugi, just from that is a colossal mistake on Marik part, as for the reasons will be shown in next post.

I think this scene is portrayed in a very dark manner and looks bit scary, you worry for the character in danger.

 

Mokuba disagree with this straight away, Kaiba is shocked, now here's another interesting development in Kaiba since Death-T, he says even at his worst, he wouldn't do this, Kaiba is conscious he was pretty terrible and is still a bit and he is quite right is pretty sick, Kaiba's didn't ever forced 2 friends fight a deathmatch, Kaiba is blackmailed as well with Mokuba's life at stake as well, this shows some growth on him, the events of Duelist Kingdom also deeply affected him as well.

 

I understand Dark Yugi having a sentimental intense way of thinking regarding Magic and Wizards, it can't be only just that, not even just the card, he believes it will require is his "duelist honour" and his favourite card, it's true Red-Eyes Black Dragon is the most important card and is pivotal for the duel that is coming and duelist honour, but isn't the most important important keys to free Jounouchi from Marik, there is something much more that will be required...it isn't Dark Yugi who will figure it out ;)... it will be the major focus on next post.

See Ya NEXT Post!!