Once again, it took a bit of time 😒 for the same reasons stated in the previous post, the next post will take time too...
Plot Summary:
The last summary post ended with Jounouchi losing consciousness, friends and Jounouchi's sister shocked and in distraught finding out that he isn't breathing, later they take to the medical room in Battle Ship, and not having any reaction, in other words, clinically dead...Shizuka was crying, Honda not believing himself , Anzu was shocked and depressed, Ishizu being comforting to Shizuka, Dark Yugi is so deeply shocked that he is in a contemplative state of mind and tries to find sometime alone to sort his emotions and thoughts in deciding what to do now, suddenly ...as he is reflecting and feeling indecisive, suddenly he feels Jounouchi's presence at his side and this presence disappears, then the millenium tauk given by Ishizu which was supposed to be weakened after her duel with Kaiba starts glowing and shows a vision of a future after the tournament he sees himself preparing to duel against Jounouchi...this vision has given him hope to keep fighting and moving forward.
Dark Yugi comes back to Jounouchi's medical room and puts Jounouchi's duel disk on his arm, who hasn't given up on him yet and is aware Jounouchi is fighting too, as he walks away on the way to his fight with Kaiba, Anzu feeling distressed about the current circumstances about their friends (Mai, Ryou and Jounouchi) follows Dark Yugi and both have a very important talk, when Dark Yugi reaches the top of the Duel Tower, Kaiba still waiting for their duel and have a little discussion, their duel is about to start.
Key Points:
For everyone is a shock seeing Jounouchi unconscious, specially friends scared for his life due to the penalty game being death...even Yami Marik is shocked but not for the same reasons as the others...Kaiba may look expressionless but looking at his eyes...hmmm is not shock...
The art in this aftermath is quite impressive, I love the work from Takahashi on this break.
How rude 😠 ! and conceited plus arrogant, the major flaws of Marik's personality right there, his realisation of almost losing to Jounouchi makes him throw up a little... but then again treating Jounouchi as if he is a peasant and himself as if part of some nobility, I think that kind of mindset is the disgusting one, Jounouchi may not be born a natural for this kind of things, but he worked hard for it and earn it.
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Jounouchi not breathing, just from this...you can only assume that he is well...dead, but more accurate way would be clinically dead, but since they're young...they don't know really about Near-Death-Experience (NDE) and not much about the advanced medical technology at the time, maybe they heard stories of it, so they kinda think he might dead, permanently dead.
The lore aspects, I'm sure Kazuki Takahashi must have researched about NDE like with DID (Dissociative Identity Disorder) but how it applies here, we can confirm that through Shadow Game, the Phoenix Mode can put the opponent clinically dead, even if the player has LP left, remember this is over someone who was not chosen by a millenium item (but has enough physical resistance to almost fully stand up to the Ra's Phoenix Mode attack).
I'm not going to lie, I love the art in this scene, specially Dark Yugi, he is deeply shocked mixed with anger and not-knowing-what-to-do and of course very upset (it's uncommon seeing him showing such expressions), while Anzu and Shizuka is half disbelief and deep shock...
I'm not going to lie, I love the art in this scene, specially Dark Yugi, he is deeply shocked mixed with anger and not-knowing-what-to-do and of course very upset (it's uncommon seeing him showing such expressions), while Anzu and Shizuka is half disbelief and deep shock...
Now it comes the denial of someone close to them being dead (remember even during NDE's, the body is still technically dead), from the current characters perspective he is dead for not breathing (clinical death) and slowly accepting it, now what bugs me the most is Kaiba exaggerated standards when comes to Jounouchi is very unfair...:
"Jounouchi...you fought till the end. In death I accept you as a true duelist!"
By what I mean as unfair, it's obvious Kaiba sees Dark Yugi, Marik, Yami Marik, Yami Bakura, Ishizu, Mai, Rishid as true duelists except for Jounouchi and only accepts him as so in death...?
C'mon, why so stubborn...it can be really irritating.
Kaiba, seeing Jounouchi as a "worthy sacrifice"...it's no wonder Dark Yugi gets easily pissed when he starts insulting Jounouchi and also his standards are ridiculous, it's easy to tell there are views that both of them disagree and agree...
Kaiba warning Yami Marik he already has the card necessary to defear him and the duel shown all he needed to know...connecting to his hunch he had when he was studying Ra, The Sun Dragon.
Despite Kaiba's over the top confidence, standards, ego, pride, rude and mean, he can sometimes show a bit of kindness but in a weird way, he understood the situation Dark Yugi about Jounouchi's death, it could be related to little secretly deep down about the loss of his parents (the biological parents), it seems to be more of a delicate subject to him than Gozaburo, Mokuba can touch on the subject with the gang being slightly vague as revealed in Death-T according to what he knows and slightly remembers.
Well doctor if he stopped breathing, it means his heart stopped beating, They're all distressed, Dark Yugi is in some trance state as you see in his eyes, while Ishizu is comforting Shizuka, she notices this trance state he is in, even when she sees him leaving, it's interesting that Ishizu doesn't say anything but only comforting quietly Shizuka, she probably feels a bit responsible by how Marik have turn out being his older sister, even Yami Marik, because Yami Marik is still Marik but a fragmented Marik self...she can only pray for her little brother to be saved. 😢
Now as for Dark Yugi, at this time not remembering about NDEs cases or not heard it or not knowing, from everyone perspective, he is technically dead, Dark Yugi feels is facing a loss of a friend, Shizuka hasn't fully gave up, then he leaves the medical room to have a moment alone for reflection of this recent event...in effort to make a decision at such a crucial time...
He is losing his will to fight, even though he is clinically dead, but even NDEs is not well known even nowadays is not common to happen, so it's understandable he is feeling hopeless...as for his priorities in participating in the tournament...
Well, before Yugi registered the tournament, his main objective was and is still to regain his memories, but what he was most looking forward and excited about the tournament was to fight Jounouchi, even more than his "fated rival" Kaiba, like I have written in posts about the beginning of Battle City and the ending of Duelist Kingdom, deep down Dark Yugi watching over Yugi and friends, he was probably envious of Yugi who could play for fun with a friend (Jounouchi), seeing this way, remember the newspaper article scene in the hospital that Dark Yugi didn't know about because he wasn't present? it means he wasn't present when Yugi and Jounouchi were playing in the hospital...besides this fight with Jounouchi in Battle City might be his last chance before he regains his memory and go to afterlife...
He is somewhat giving up, even Yugi hasn't fully yet given up, I mean seriously, it bugs me a little, even here Dark Yugi is playing a bit of favourites, even though Jounouchi is clinically dead, he puts hatred on Marik for the state of Jounouchi and not really including Mai, it seems he forgotten about her because of the shock, but still bugs me a little, she still has chances of being saved just to not let another friend in the same state as Jounouchi...
He is right about one thing, fight based on anger and hatred yields nothing.
This is from Dark Yugi perspective, since he is a spirit of someone who died thousands years ago, he might sense a spirit of someone he knows well and has a strong bond with or a very strong spirit, but what is about Jounouchi perspective? In NDEs cases, sometimes a spirit of someone when clinically dead could watch was going on around whether as if asleep or outside of his body before was revived (there were cases for 3 weeks and so on), we can't say for sure in Jounouchi's case, but this scene might be the first clue that Jounouchi is only temporarily dead and his spirit is out of his body and in this scene in effort to encourage Dark Yugi to keep moving forward, the next curious part...
When the Millenium Tauk starts glowing after losing it's powers, then gives Dark Yugi this future vision. the funny thing about it, it was right after Jounouchi slight presence, it makes me remember how he could slightly predict the future with Gearfried The Iron Knight I mentioned in previous post, it's possible maybe Jounouchi have a bit of "seer" powers, as if with some help from Jounouchi - the millenium tauk, and vice versa has given a little preview into the future...Jounouchi will come back alive from his clinical death state...
Dark Yugi is surprised, but it ignites hope and his fighting spirit to fight until the end and moving forward to reach this future vision he just saw, it was necessary Jounouchi's presence and the Millenium Tauk to say to not give up hope...
Since the future vision restored his fighting spirit, but also inspired him to build stronger convictions about his own definition of a true duelist which will be approached in the next phase of panels...
It's amusing Kaiba referring to the cheering squad not being present, since it's a common sight whenever Dark Yugi duels, of course he has to give a cynical comment...and Dark Yugi replies for believing in Jounouchi as he is still fighting, they must have heard something about NDEs...Kaiba on other hand seems to think he is definitively dead...
According to what Kaiba is saying about what the doctors said, it's definitely classified as clinical death (there is different classifications of death), Kaiba being someone with a sceptical nature, he probably thinks NDEs cases are mumbo jambo and ridiculous...
But he admits Jounouchi lasted longer than he expected, it's saying something somehow (let's see what do you say when he comes back), then Dark Yugi responds, that's when the whole "true duelist aspect surfaces again...
"Kaiba...Batle City was like a road... We walked on the road of battle...Seeking what lies at the end... What is our final destination after all the fighting is done? Both I...and Jounouchi...are still looking for the answer..."
I don't know what to say to this...but I will try to be open minded about this...I would say the answer (in the series be the anime or manga, even spin-offs never answered to this question), in the end is up to the player asking the following question..."without any burdens, why do you play Magic and Wizards in the first place?", at it's core being a card game, it's mainly because is fun to play it, but it seems they tend to forget it, most duelists and professional players do...however so far from what we know...few of them don't forget the true essence (Yugi (I would say Dark Yugi isn't aware since he hasn't ever played for fun yet), Izayoi Aki, , Rua, Yusei, Judai, Mai, Marik and Ishizu).
Kaiba makes a curious reply:
"There is no "answer" for the fallen. Only shame...despair...and..."
One wonders where he speaks from? the death of his biological parents? in consequence their relatives stole the inheritance their parents left for Seto and Mokuba and forced to live in the orphanage? and Gozaburo Kaiba? probably they're all connected...
Dark Yugi is mostly right, generally of what he is saying about finding the answer, your attitude, posture in order to find them, how you chose to face those challenges and when it's done, what comes after..., but it seems they're not aware about the possibility of the answer being under their noses, so I do still stand for what I said above...
Kaiba's disagreement is so over the top, true to his own competitive nature, but he is among other duelists who has forgotten the essence I stated above, he is very passionate about games in general, specially Magic*Wizards/Duel Monsters and Chess, also he loves to compete, even this part is kinda forgotten in him, it seems Dark Yugi is the only one who can ignite this passion to compete to the max (remember Pegasus, Yami Marik, even Yami Bakura did a little, Ishizu too, but these mentioned examples are closest to the max that gets him very competitive).
In this key point, the first pack of panels in one the panel when shows the ECG (Electrocardiography) moving for a split second, Honda is an impressive friend, he hasn't given up, it's a shame when he tends to be an underappreciated character (he is pretty funny too), while Anzu is starting to think and reminding Dark Yugi coming back to leave Jounouchi's duel disk on it's owner arm and before leaving he says to the clinical dead Jounouchi to keep fighting too because himself will fight Kaiba in order to fullfill their promise...as a duelist (there is more to life than card games, it can be as duelist too, but don't leave as just that, also as an individual too).
Anzu, I don't censor her, but doing nothing and dwelling won't do anything either, besides Dark Yugi was in similar state as her, when he explains the reason why he is going to fight being because he promised to Jounouchi (giving indications that he believes he will come back, which if you notice, it has given her some hope about Jounouchi) and then he reveals to her that he had a vision of the future from the millenium tauk...this is when it gets more interesting...
It's this scene is how he phrases the fact he is very well aware that he is a spirit of someone who died thousands years ago and how he is still around and why, so he can find the answer about who he is, also he is indirectly indicating that he knows once his quest to regain his memories completed, he will go to afterlife, plus...
"As long as people seek answers, They have a reason to live! Jounouchi will come back...I know he will."
Dark Yugi is mostly right, except for certain circumstances (like when someone is murdered...), he says "As long as people seek answers, they have a reason to live!", even though Dark Yugi is a spirit of someone who is deceased, yet still around to complete his "unfinished business" , however what he just said a figure of speech to make it easier to explain his case and connecting to Jounouchi's NDE case, in practical terms, when someone have reasons to stay, no matter in which form, they will be around until it's solved and completed...
We're getting closer to the end of this post, once again is Honda is the first to take initiative to cheer for him to win, from Dark Yugi's reply, he is seeing that Honda hasn't given up on Jounouchi either.
Now the beautiful art on the side, Takahashi-sensei really gives special touches on shadows and shading when is to make an emotional scene like when Jounouchi was starting to break free from Marik brain control after when he was about to throw a piece of the millenium puzzle, Jounouchi and Shizuka reunion and now this with Dark Yugi's resolve restored.
Now the beautiful art on the side, Takahashi-sensei really gives special touches on shadows and shading when is to make an emotional scene like when Jounouchi was starting to break free from Marik brain control after when he was about to throw a piece of the millenium puzzle, Jounouchi and Shizuka reunion and now this with Dark Yugi's resolve restored.
This panel, I really wonder, the Jounouchi being seen by the readers behind Dark Yugi, is it the will of Jounouchi or his fighting spirit to make it seem Dark Yugi is carrying it or is a hint being the spirit of Jounouchi being there having NDE...? Only way to say for sure is to keep following the story...
Kaiba is pratically right, Dark Yugi did lost his will to fight for a few minutes, if wasn't for the vision from the millenium tauk and the spirit Jounouchi presence to give encouragement, he wouldn't have come, but my main point in focusing in these panels is this might be a confirmation from Kaiba understanding a loss may take away the will to fight...does it further confirm what I said above about the loss of his parents? he might have been there before about a loss of loved ones (his biological parents death, he is probably the only one who remembers his parents most vividly) ?
See Ya Next Post!!
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