Thoughts&Observations | Mangá Vol.20-26 Part 11 (Battle Ship Break Part 1)

Sorry for taking long to post anything, I have been a little busy, because I moved to a new home, house to an apartment, it's quite tiring and I didn't had internet for a week and a few days more, but I used the days without internet to still write a draft for the blog in document text :p.
This post will be relatively small, compared to others, specially the plot summary, I will be covering volume duelist 17 (japanese print volume 24 and bukodan 14 or 15?)
The first semi-final break, it's actually quite small but the duel that is about to come will be huge (be ready for the next post...)

Plot Summary:

After Ryou Bakura to be sent to his room and being under medical care, Dark Yugi has a moment of reflection about the recent match with Yami Bakura, noticing similarities between them, feeling down about himself while Yugi heeded this, he recalls Dark Yugi their differences in their circumstances despite being almost the same which helped Dark Yugi's mind feel more at ease and they switch minds.
Yugi rushes to Ryou's room to see how he is going, there is an important discussion between Yugi and his friends about the recent duel and how intense it was for Dark Yugi, as the referee calls the players to go to the meeting room for the lottery who will be playing in the next match...
The next duel will be between "Marik"Rishid and Jounouchi...


Key Points:

 

In this moment of reflection, Dark Yugi thinks he is no different from Yami Bakura when it comes to protect their hosts, he starts to doubt himself and starts feeling a bit down, what he doesn't realize there is huge differences, Yugi points out their similarities which amounts to two same circumstances, two minds in one body and the spirit protecting their host, Yugi thinks it's a little different...

 

Reminding him that Yugi helps Dark Yugi of his own volition for himself to becoming more independent and stronger and for Dark Yugi to not spend an eternity in the puzzle.
However there is more differences that overlaps with the similarities, for starters Dark Yugi does protect his host because it's a responsibility he takes very seriously and guided by his sense of justice and this was before he knew he was a spirit who lost his memories, even though he knows he needs Yugi's help to regain his memories, his sense of responsibility as spirit guardian still remains and he doesn't do it selfishly and there is genuine care in protecting his host and respects his host decisions, while Yami Bakura, he only protected his host for selfish goals and doesn't care much for his host unless is close to die or when he can still be a convenient tool.
Next section of differences, Dark Yugi and Yami Bakura have very different personalities except maybe their big ego, conceited and tend to be overconfident, but how they direct these personality traits are different, Dark Yugi ego and overconfidence is usually displayed during duels, the conceited part sometimes but mostly bases on his righteous trait, while Yami Bakura is more egoistical.
The most glaring one besides the one Yugi mentioned is the bond between the spirit and the host is huge, Yugi and Dark Yugi case is a very strong bond because there was a lots of trust building to a point that they became a team and very close friends (if they were a tag team, I think they would be pretty much unbeatable), for Yami Bakura and Ryou Bakura case...Ryou is clear he is very attached to the millenium ring but not to the evil spirit that resides within, however Ryou only give in to him when Yami Bakura persuaded him to help his friends to get out of the maze in Duelist Kingdom, so he could take control over Ryou again...
Now as for this scene itself, I really like it, you see when Yugi reminded Dark Yugi what makes the difference in their case, cheered him up greatly and also when Yugi tells him to rest, you see the "heh..." with an expression of relief probably starting to realize he relies on Yugi's kindness and glad that he isn't alone in his quest to regain his lost memories.


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Thoughts&Observations | Mangá Vol.20-26 Part 10 (Dark Yugi vs Yami Bakura)

This post will make the transition from Volume Duelist 16-17 (Japanese print version from 23-24, Bukodan from the covers is volume 14?).
I'm getting closer and closer to finish it, even though I'm starting to write my thoughts and observations plus interpretations about the semi-finals, I went far, however even if I finish the whole manga series, I will re-edit the first volumes thoughts and observations, it needs some changes...
You may be wondering why I call one Dark Yugi and the other Yami Bakura, when both mean the same thing (dark and yami), it's a way to distinguish them better.

Plot Summary:

The duel between Dark Yugi and Yami Bakura is about to begin, when they shuffle each others cards, they share a few words before they play.
The duel starts, at first Dark Yugi and the audience underestimate Yami Bakura skills and looks like Dark Yugi is dominating the duel, but Dark Yugi is a bit suspicious since it were strange tactics putting in attack mode and not putting any defense and magic or trap cards...when these tactics were meant to mislead the player's judgement and make the player let his guard down bit by bit and it works well for Yami Bakura, from then on, Yami Bakura dominates the duel.
Dark Yugi is cornered through Yami Bakura strange tactics and unusual duelling style, the moment he turns the tables, Yami Bakura was able to turn around to his favour again thanks to a bit of Marik's advice, which leaves one option to Dark Yugi, to summon his god card, since monsters effects and traps doesn't work on gods cards and magic cards only last for one turn, the moment he is able to summon it, Yami Bakura is the one who becomes in deep trouble and Marik interferes suggesting to let Ryou Bakura taking over, who is severely injured so Dark Yugi would hold back and forfeit the match, it almost works but since Yami Bakura still needs his host to fulfil his goals, he chooses to take over to protect Ryou from god's card attack and tells Dark Yugi to attack.
The duel ends with Dark Yugi's victory and Ryou takes over and sent immediately under medical care.

Key Points:

At least Dark Yugi suspects that maybe have been for longer time, probably suspects since Duelist Kingdom when trying to solve the riddle of the doors, due to Yami Bakura help up a bit against the twins.

Now as for the friends, they should have realized way sooner, Dark Yugi and friends should have suspected just by the fact Bakura entered the tournament and how he got the duel disk in the first place for someone who isn't an active player in TCG Magic and Wizards, Yugi was the first to suspect it, though.

Jounouchi is half right and half wrong, let's say he is not being very clear, it's just from what he understands, the fact some people who have millenium items develop a split personality, I think he is referring the items containing evil intelligence, I say this because when someone develops a split personality, it's usually because of personality and mental disorders or traumatic experiences, there is a character who did truly develop a split personality without a millenium item...


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Thoughts&Observations | Mangá Vol.20-26 Part 9 (Prologue of the Battle Ship Stage)

It's technically a break but is a prologue to the semi finals as well, also the breaks between duels will change a little in the sub-title from "battle city break" to "semi-finals breaks", I will cover the small break/prologue in Volume Duelist 16 (volume 23 in japanese print, Bunkodan would be between 13-14 at least according to the covers arts).
Another note, 3 sections of panels I will cover, I believe it will link to Yu-Gi-Oh! Dark Side of Dimensions movie about Kaiba and Yugi (who are the main focus of the movie), I haven't watch yet, I will only be able to watch when the DVD/Blu-Ray in Japan will come out in 8th March this year, where I live the movie won't be available in the cinemas, so I have to go with this method.

Plot Summary:

Just when Jounouchi puts back the Millenium Puzzle on Yugi, Anzu is back to normal but still in Marik's mind control, Dark Yugi has a moment of reflection and final thoughts about the recent events, finally the rest of the gang (Mai, Honda and Otogi with Shizuka) arrives.
Jounouchi is surprised seeing Shizuka with them and gets angry but more to himself because he felt ashamed of what he was about to do to Yugi while being controlled by Marik and still feeling a bit disturbed by the recent events, Mai and Honda scolds for his behaviour and attitude whose feeling like a failure as big brother, friend and duelist plus as an individual, Honda informs Jounouchi that his sister Shizuka is there to give him courage too to keep moving forward and play in Battle City Tournament and with this Shizuka takes off the bandages, the siblings finally reunited.
When Kaiba is about to go to his helicopter, he calls Yugi and tells something related to the discussion he had with Dark Yugi (which will be approached, I'm looking forward to it).
The gang leaves the pier with Mai's riding to Domino Stadium Construction Site, the meeting place of the tournament semi-finalists.
Marik and his servant Rishid have already arrived and they have an important conversation about the pharaoh soul and his memories along with the darkness sealed in the millenium items and the other special conditions.
Kaiba arrives and so does the gang, later other finalists are revealed to the main characters, one of them being Bakura through Yami Bakura and Marik, Marik to keep with his "revenge" plan, he still remains disguised and named Namu to the gang while introducing himself to Yugi, while Rishid plays the Marik's role, since the last contestant is taking a bit of time they enter inside a huge plimp called Battle Ship, then lastly the missing finalist arrives and the readers recognise immediately being Ishizu.
There is some conversation going on before they go to their room preparing their decks and take a break before the first duel.
The first duel of the semi-finals about to happen, it will be between Dark Yugi and Yami Bakura...

Key Points:

When Jounouchi is thinking in following quotes:

"Thank you, Yugi...You risked your life to save mine..."

You see Jounouchi seems to feel always in debt to Yugi's kindness and selfless, he isn't the only one...

"The life of some idiot who nearly threw away our friendship...into the bottom of the ocean..."

It says lots of things, the motion when he was about to throw the piece of the puzzle, deeply affected him and is an image and body motion deeply stuck in his mind, besides he's not giving himself enough credit, no normal person can break free from a mind-control from a magical artefact, it resisted well too, Jounouchi has a very strong heart, also it was Marik's mistake for controlling Jounouchi to throw the piece and made it remember what created their friendship along with the guilt Jounouchi felt back when they weren't friends yet in how he behaved with Yugi, guilt is a powerful emotion and feeling indebted to Yugi's kindness.

Now on Yugi's standpoint, we see in the panels that he is glad and happy that he succeeded in his plan and achievement, he gives credit to Jounouchi's amazing efforts to resist and fighting against Marik's mind control and self-acknowledges that was mostly him, learning to give himself a bit more value.



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