Thoughts&Observations | Mangá Vol.20-26 Part 15 (Battle Ship Break Part 3)

I will focus on two things in this post, Jounouchi and the reveal of the eighth duelist...
This post will be quite small, even the summary, covering volume Duelist 19 (volume 26 in japanese print) for 3 posts, this one and the next two (Ishizu VS Kaiba and The Tragedy of Family Ishtar), then will go to the finals, we're getting closer to the end of Battle City Arc.

*/: I mean Dark Yugi and Yugi , it takes long and the html goes weird when I do this: "&"

Plot Summary:

While Dark Yugi/Yugi* are unconscious (It's still Yugi's body that was hit), Yami Marik asks the referee to declare him the winner since he won the duel, after is done, Yami Marik goes to Mai, Jounouchi in effort to stop him and can't move by Yami Marik through his millenium rod claiming he will deal with Yugi (in general) when they have their shadow game and continues to move closer to Mai to give her penalty game from the shadow game.
The Penalty Game Yami Marik gives to Mai is inside her mind with Hawai-like place in a beach and Mai's self imprisoned inside a hourglass with a god card blocking something from flowing down, when he removes the card, some weird scorpion shaped creatures with an eye symbol on top starts flowing over Mai, Yami Marik tells her she will have a slow death, in 24 hours she will die...and he leaves.
The moment Yami Marik left Mai's mind, shadow game is lifted, Mai falls, immediately losing consciousness with her eyes open...Jounouchi noticing Yami Marik put Mai under a Penalty Game and asks what he did to her, Yami Marik replies if he himself isn't killed or defeated in 24 hours, Mai will die, Jounouchi feeling angry and claims he will defeat Yami Marik.

Dark Yugi/Yugi  recovers consciousness and asks if Mai is okay, Jounouchi replied Yami Marik put her under a penalty game however didn't say it's details, so Dark Yugi and Yugi doesn't know about the 24 hours time limit to save her...and Mai was sent under medical care.
Kaiba gets himself ready for his duel in the Duel Arena waiting for his opponent in the Semi-Finals...the eighth duelist revealing itself to the other contestants and spectators being... Ishizu Ishtar.



Key Points:

I find this scene kinda funny, you can tell the judge was a bit disturbed by what he just saw, even Yami Marik had to remind him to announce the winner being him.

 

This is the next setup for Jounouchi character development and improvement on his skills and he got for the first time the scent of facing the power of a millenium item individually while in general he experienced for the first time was in group.
As for Dark Yugi unconscious when is Yugi's body...one would think, if Yugi's body hit to a point it would knock someone unconscious, because it was Dark Yugi taking over, it would switch to Yugi, but it didn't, it applies to Yugi as well since it was his body...

What Yami Marik is creating a setup in this story arc, Yami Marik VS Dark Yugi and their duel will be a special kind of shadow game and the last one...Yami Marik states because Jounouchi doesn't wield a millenium item or connected to them, so he doesn't see him as a threat.

Anzu being very conscious and aware that Yami Marik is very dangerous, also having a good intuition can sense he is quite twisted, she is feeling protective and concerned for both Yugi and Dark Yugi, she knows Yugi's tendency to be selfless, someone who is selfless usually gets to be the most hurt, now Dark Yugi is following his example mixing with his protective nature with selflessness, you see she worries a lot when she sees people making selfless actions.

 

There is some interesting details to note just in this panel, Takahashi-sensei puts some interesting attention to detail in a symbolic manner, Yami Marik states this space is inside deep in her mind, it indicates the millenium Rod is similar to the power of millenium Ankh, the differences are the access in different spaces of the individual self, the Rod gives the access to the mind and manipulate it, while the Ankh is access to someone's room soul and manipulate it's room, but the process is what makes it similar.
Mai's mind reflects her lifestyle and the past she left behind, at the top of the hourglass you see Casino references from the time representing her former job as a Casino Dealer and at the bottom you see a tropical beach with a sloop in it's background, mirroring her love to travel and specially to tropical places, with no buildings, she likes calm and relaxing places plus the sea along with a little adventure.


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I think this is the last we see of Penalty Games in the series, as we remember Dark Yugi's penalty games were softer than the others millenium wielders who applied penalty games, the only exception was when the fugitive burn himself up by choosing to pull the trigger of the gun, after Dark Yugi, who is the softest...I would say Yami Bakura if means to create pawns and use them for his goals and gather info, then is Pegasus, the least soft, it's of course Yami Marik, who is the most twisted.

Penalty Games have different levels, there is temporary ones which has no intention to kill but to punish for a little awhile, in other words, prison of illusion, the maximum limit seems to be 24 hours depending on the intention of wielder who is casting the penalty game, Dark Yugi's penalty games were usually temporary, Yami Bakura, it varies like I said, if who he is casting a penalty game can prove useful, he will give a soft one like he did with Ryou's former school friends and P.E. teacher plus Yugi's gang mixed with some death ones, Pegasus was harsh (soul prison (still on risk of death for the soul being separated from it's body for too long with no food or water) and Bandit Keith death), Yami Marik is sadistic and twisted with intention to kill.

A little off topic here, this duel now finished, I think it was cleverly done, it did three things at the same time, it has given story development and character development to five characters even to one of them not being exactly present, Mai, Yami Marik, Marik, Dark Yugi and Jounouchi, mostly three characters as main focus being Mai, Yami Marik and Marik, not many storytellers can accomplish this, I do consider quite an impressive feat.

Even Mai put up a good fight against Yami Marik and the Shadow Game despite not being someone who isn't connected to Millenium Itens.

 

This section of panels is a obvious set up of who Jounouchi is gonna fight next and highlighting huge character development for him coming soon, after this moment only Anzu and Jounouchi listened and knows of this Mai's condition, also Jounouchi seeing that Dark Yugi and Yugi is always trying to protect him, he wishes to do this himself for them, starting to step up more for his friends and himself to his enemies and opponents.

Another observation to take into account regarding Jounouchi, most of the time when it comes to the most skilled duelists, he wants to defeat those more skilled than him but stays quiet most of the time which shows a lot of humility and respect, but when he feels the need to raise his voice and stand up for himself and friends, he will (Bandit Keith was his first step in this regard).

 

For a moment we see Dark Yugi making different expressions, since he is serious most of the time, the other emotions most common is being surprised and acting smug plus anger, seeing his expression being scolded by his friends for risking his life was adorable, besides this is a first time we see Dark Yugi being scolded, so is pretty amusing and he comes back acting smug...mixed with his competitive trait about Jounouchi acting first in protecting a friend...interesting.

For the last section, you see Dark Yugi didn't hear any of the specific and peculiar penalty game condition she is in due to being unconscious, but Jounouchi or Anzu hasn't said anything about it yet either.

Their reactions to the reveal of the eighth duelist/contestant is amusing, Kaiba has the funniest one, Kaiba was extremely shocked as is displayed in his background panel, while Dark Yugi is shocked but is more inclined in being very surprised and recognising her in a instant like Kaiba, but the way he refers to Ishizu as to what made her stand out to him, the museum due to the important talk about his identity, tournament and the millenium item...

I think there is more to Dark Yugi's reaction, I think there is Yugi's reaction there subconsciously as well  mixed, because of the words and lack of space in the panel that sometimes happen, I say this because Ishizu's name stayed with Yugi, while Dark Yugi not as much, since he spoke quite rudely to her *sigh*.

 

This part is important, this shows how Marik is feeling deeply affected and starting to become more aware and knowing the existence of his split personality and the moment he sees her older sister, his eyes begs for her help, as been showing only Rishid and Ishizu knew...Yami Marik is disturbed by this because just Ishizu presence was enough to shake off Marik and Yami Marik and weakened a little Yami Marik dominance over Marik, which is why Ishizu entered in the tournament, she is conscious she has a small chance of saving his little brother.

Even though Dark Yugi was conducted by her revelations and predictions which turns out to be quite on point, he is reminding what she said what will happen in the future is quite right and now is the present he is experiencing...

 

I find this scene very funny, as expected Kaiba's reaction is a bit over the top, even though he laughs, reminding her who urged him to host battle city to disband the ghouls and now claiming she is going to beat him, then he states:

"You are quite bold...You make a good first impression...Ishizu."

If you look at his eyes, it's full of fighting spirit already, the fact he says this, it's a huge compliment from someone who is hard to impress or surprise him and has high standards, he liked her boldness and is calling her who is clearly older than him by name - remember with Mai was her full name, in this instance, and is emphasised her name only, only her name, coming from him is a compliment, if you look through the manga, Yugi's friends, he never referred them by names or surnames like Anzu and Honda, Jounouchi was a nickname "deadbeat", doesn't call him by name or surname, sometimes in thoughts by surname, the only ones he call by name and full name is Yugi (Dark Yugi and Yugi), Marik(Yami Marik as well), Mai Kujaku (by full name) and Ishizu plus Yami Bakura (remember he was very impressed by his skill), they are all high level players, best way to interpret is those who are worthy opponents for him and has high expectations, worth of his recognition and attention, Jounouchi is on it's way.

You see she is quite determined, Jounouchi reaction is so funny, while Dark Yugi is vigilant noticing for her to make such bold claim as being very confident, however making such a claim with a very serious, calm and composed expression,it's clear she is serious about it, also not taking it lightly along with deeper meaning which consequently Dark Yugi wonders about her true objective...

 

He's so pumped, he is already on board in his hype train =D, so funny and amusing, he even startled the referee, hahaha, so funny!

What is paraphernalia? it seems to do with artefacts for a peculiar use in this case, this word quite the tongue twister, let's see if you can spell it 3 times fast =D.

Kaiba is making a "pun" joke about fate, so amusingly over the top.

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