Thoughts&Observations | Mangá Vol.36 Part 2/3 (The Shadow RPG)

Entering volume 5 Part 2 of Memory World, this one is much more eventful, there is some complicated and confusing scenes. so it will be a little tough to explain it, because for many might have been a little confusing, to me it was in my first re-reads...so bear with me with some long texts in some key points.



Plot Summary:

Yami Bakura shadow spy explaining the situation in general while the eventual final betrayal of priest Akhenaden is starting to happen, plus the time has stopped moving, meanwhile Yugi and the gang are finding strange that the citizens of the city are not moving while they themselves can move...Yugi realizes that the world of memory is merged with a game world as he looks up to the sky, then transitions to Dark Yugi and Yami Bakura facing each other in a tabletop Shadow RPG, there is discussion about the rules and update on the situation with Dark Yugi and the gang is in and so the rules of the Shadow RPG, finally Akhenaden proceeds to his betrayal and putting the missing items on the tablet of the millennium items...


Key Points:

 

"«world of memory»? You mean...Bakura and Kalim are turning to sand...because this world isn't real?!"

Dark Yugi is being unexpectedly slow about this, it must be with so much going on inside his own memories and information absorbing that he is getting a little absent minded here, if is made of his subconscious memories, of course this dimension isn't real but the memories are, he isn't usually this slow at realizing things, but not that slow after Yami Bakura shadow spy making notice that the time has frozen, he does see that it really doesn't add up, if is a world made of memories, it would flow naturally without being interrupted and unchangeable plus the time wouldn't stop...

 

To make it stranger that time is frozen, Dark Yugi can't move but Akhenaden, also seeing his reaction to this betrayal from Akhenaden...

"Akhenaden! What are you doing with the millennium items? It can't be...!"

He did suspected for his father not knowing about the cost that has been omitted to the former king, it must have been conspirators/traitors within, so in this moment is not just shocked at this moment of betrayal but also that he was the traitor from the creation of the millennium items while being quite hard to believe, is it possible that Dark Yugi by this time knew Akhenaden was his uncle? who knows...


If you wish to continue reading this post, lick "read more" below:

 

This when the confusing and sometimes contradicting parts begins...Yami Bakura shadow spy thought:

"The almighty one, Zorc Necrophades, used his dark powers to stop time...only Akhenaden can move..."

In this part, we can't be sure which Zorc he is referring to, himself Yami Bakura or the Dark Akhenaden that claims is Zorc to hide Akhenaden's betrayal and the real zorc or both? How exactly is Akhenaden able to move, but is he the only one who can move for real? hmmm I wonder...

 

Yami Bakura shadow spy is "speaking" to Akhenaden as if he is his pawn or chess piece in a chess game, ready to make check to the king, the irony is also impressive that Akhenaden gets to betray a second time, but this time is almost shamelessly, what I find curious is how this moment happened without the time being frozen (since is clearly not part of the pharaoh memory, with only a small difference...), since we have confirmation that Yami Bakura is the real Zorc, so "resurrecting the evil god" is pretty much to restore most of his powers...

 

As he continues...

"Know this, pharaoh...In this world, you are nothing but a pawn driven by your own memories."

Dark Yugi's thought react is "A pawn...!!"

Yami Bakura shadow spy finally clarifies the general situation...

"This is all a game! Your memories created an illusionary world...An alternate reality! You should thank me for telling you! The other pawns don't even know!"

Going by steps in this interaction between them, Yami Bakura shadow spy is right that Dark Yugi is a "pawn" driven by his memories inside as he so correctly describes inside a illusionary world made by Dark Yugi's memories, as we already know, Yami Bakura shadow spy is telling the truth, but what a nerve of him saying Dark Yugi should thank him, when he is conveniently only revealing all this at a time when Yami Bakura is about to have most of his powers restored.

Dark Yugi is connecting the dots and becoming aware of the current situation by the "game" and gaming terms that Yami Bakura shadow spy is hinting at and understand what he means (we are about to get there 😏 and to the hard part😐).

 

I like this scene, the gang's perspective in seeing the time frozen, they give interesting observations to the current situation...

Jounouchi first...

"Hey you! But we're still moving normally...Everyone's frozen...They look like a bunch of dolls..."

It is quite strange why they can move around while the others aren't, including Dark Yugi (with few exceptions besides the gang such Yami Bakura shadow spy and Akhenaden), probably because the gang and Yami Bakura shadow spy are like ghosts in the world of memory and Anzu gives a sharper observation

"It reminds me of when we were turned into figurines...In Bakura's shadow game...remember?"

Nice catch, Anzu (her intuition is quite amazing and bit scary), Yugi must have thought the same with his "!!" reaction to the observation she has just given and started to think beyond it and connecting the dots as Dark Yugi did, by coming to a certain conclusion...

 

😆Exactly!😆 The readers now has a confirmation that a game world is merged with world of memory while making the transition from Yugi looking up to the sky with cards face up plus the millennium puzzle being in suspension somewhere to Yami Bakura thinking "yes..." he must have noticed by the timing and change of perspectives about the time being frozen, Yugi and Dark Yugi must have realized at the same time and much more with Yami Bakura continuing his thought...in response to his main enemies recent realization...

I love this two page double spread panel and in perspective with the nicely kept detail of Ancient Egypt "diorama", so cool 😎.

It's a shadow RPG, it's also a pretty cool and suitable idea that the final battle between Dark Yugi and Yami Bakura would be an RPG as to close the circle in story wise between these two spirits sealed in millennium items, but looking at the panel overall, it has pretty curious details, we see the corpse of Akhenaden when he was already the Dark Priest of Zorc (I wonder why is his corpse is doing here...), 3 hourglasses, millenium puzzle in suspension (in a very curious position) and cards (tabletop card game RPG kind? I'm not knowledgeable about this kind of tabletop game but I was always curious about it, after this key point is when it starts the hard part...

 

Okay, this part irritates me inside Yami Bakura's thought...

"The millennium items are ancient artifacts that transcend time...an eternal vessel for their wielder's memories and soul! Two souls were sealed into the millennium puzzle...and how both of them have been released into this world! Light and Dark....two souls and two sets of memories....The Pharaoh (Dark Yugi)...Zorc Necrophades(Dark Akhenaden)..."

Still trying with this play in his thought? if was he saying this to Dark Yugi, it would make more sense because he is trying to lie to Dark Yugi about it, but from the readers perspective, we know isn't really the case, as I have constantly point out why and evidence that really isn't the case.

We know Zorc Necrophades is Yami Bakura and not Dark Akhenaden confirmed by the gang, which makes Zorc sealed in the millennium ring as we always suspected not in the millennium puzzle and neither is Dark Akhenaden, his influence in the game is most likely from the corpse of the Dark Priest Akhenaden...

The only truth in his thoughts are two things Dark Yugi being the pharaoh soul sealed in the puzzle and current situation to be of two sets of memories but I would say from different sources...

I will try to give excuse with this half lie to try make it believable and convincing in his eyes of confidence to Dark Yugi...(or might be a mistake who might forgot to keep track on the story progress from the author's part).

This is Dark Yugi's reaction thought to this whole situation and I can't help find some contradictions in his thoughts about the recent events...from since he entered the world of memory to seeing himself sit in this tabletop RPG...

"This is Bakura's trap!! A shadow game to discover the secrets sealed within the puzzle!! It all happened in that instant...I was at the museum with my friends...when I brandished the three god cards in front of the stone slab, I was surrounded by a brilliant light! In that moment, my soul was separated from my partner ...and brought to this table..."

Dark Yugi could just admit he realised only recently were in Yami Bakura's trap and it eventually became a game 😑, him and his pride, it's clear the game world was a recent addition, it isn't your fault and most likely he couldn't prevent anyway since Dark Yugi had to go through the world of memory anyway with or without Yami Bakura's trap, Yami Bakura saw an opportunity and he took it, this when the confusing and hard part begins, he says it was in a instant he left Yugi and then he was brought to the table, that can't be the case as we see in the panel ensemble above when he remembered showing the three god cards, Ryou was still with the gang, even after Dark Yugi entered the world of memory, Ryou was still around, he only left when Bobasa said Ryou Bakura couldn't come along with gang to the world of memory because of wearing the millennium ring and Yami Bakura being the evil spirit sealed within, there is more evidences about the game world being a addition sometime after he enter the world of memory and Dark Yugi realizing just recently the world of memory merged with a game world as we go along this post and the next one...
Besides Dark Yugi got a bit distracted and became quite busy with thief Bakura and doing his job as ruler of Egypt while absorbing all the new information plus his recovery of his memories when he was alive at the same time, it's not a easy task to take all in at once, he did a splendid job, also he has to remember that he is not omniscient to know everything what is going on...

 

Yami Bakura does give some very amusing information bits to a point that one of them will become relevant in Dark Side of Dimensions movie...

"The father of my host Ryou Bakura owns this museum, after all..."

The mention of Ryou's father is very curious and interesting, Ryou did mentioned him before regarding the millennium ring in Volume Duelist 1 around the day after Dark Yugi duel with Pegasus in a TV, that his father bought the millennium ring from antique shop, anyone who watched Dark Side of Dimensions specially dubbed japanese knows what truly happened and Ryou lied or thought it was the case since it was a tragic event.

"That's right...We're still in Domino City Museum! We're in a hidden room behind the exhibit where they had the stone slab...This elaborate diorama we're using as a game field was made for the exhibit on Ancient Egypt...or should I say...I made my host build this in anticipation of our final duel. He did a good job, don't you think? After all...he is the destined host for our battle of 1000 years!"

Yami Bakura confirming they are still in the Domino City Museum, but the interesting part of this quote is in the underline that this hidden room was conveniently behind the wall that is holding the stone slab which Dark Yugi had to present his three god cards and made his host build the diorama for this shadow game without knowing it and thinking it was for an ancient egypt exhibit (honestly treating his host like a slave...disggusting), so looking back that Yami Bakura didn't knew of the world of memory and was in the puzzle, probably at the beginning when he was preparing this diorama and putting in hidden room behind the wall holding the stone slab, he must have thought that Dark Yugi's memories recovery would happen inside the stone slab and not the puzzle but thanks to his shadow spy, he was able to know the world of memory was inside the millennium puzzle and not  the stone slab, the stone slab was a gate for Dark Yugi to re-experience his memories and automatic entrance to the world of memory inside the puzzle without have wander around the maze inside the puzzle... (the gang had to search themselves).

Dark Yugi response to this...

"You fiend! You and your cursed ring! How much will you abuse Bakura before you're satisfied...?"

He is really angry, but I find amusing and interesting that for this moment he is addressing as "you fiend and your cursed ring", I guess he is already suspecting Yami Bakura is the real Zorc but from his standpoint (yeah, he didn't buy the "masked zorc" claims mostly), he doesn't have enough proof to confirm it yet and also the "cursed ring", he is starting to get irritated by fighting him again by now, since is the third time he is fighting him, it's like repeating the same boss in different times of the story with the gap difference have becoming stronger than the previous fight (I have been through recently playing Bravely Default 😒)...also he isn't the only one who feels disgusted in how Yami Bakura treats his host like his slave, use and control him as if Ryou is his puppet.

 

Yami Bakura asks if he remembers when they played Monster World RPG and replies yes followed by...

"And I remember the utter humiliation in your face when my friends and I joined forces to crush you!"

It's impressive how his role as pharaoh is more dignified, less smug and prideful with no big talk (just pretty words mostly plus actually following his principles more seriously) and his confidence was healthy and even much more humble than the modern-age Dark Yugi we see here, he still hasn't lost his cockiness and big talk despite after recovering his memories most of his past 😑, remember that Dark Yugi might have learn subconsciously this attitude from Sugoroku when he was younger as professional gamer and that I wrote about it in the prologue of Memory World post, he had his memories intact when millennium puzzle was still in pieces, even Yami Bakura finds amusing Dark Yugi acting smug, because is how he usually acts currently.

 

"Then what I saw before...were the souls of my friends! They risked their lives to enter this game world!"

When Dark Yugi remembered the time he saw his friends in the world of memory, Dark Yugi still hasn't become fully aware that in the beginning it wasn't an RPG shadow game then, when it was at a different time, just a little bit before Mahado's death...Dark Yugi shouldn't forget that they came to the world of memory not knowing it would eventually become a game world by Yami Bakura (Yugi recently realized too), but to primarily go find his true name inside the world of memory and he still hasn't all the facts neither has Yami Bakura given such yet...

The panels ensemble on the left when he is mentioning his closest ones, it's not done orderly exactly from closest to least close but them inside the coffins orderly assembled by Yami Bakura, so how did he bring their bodies to the hidden room and we don't see Bobasa's body anywhere...Yami Bakura must have used the ring powers by levitating them or something (you can have such powers with the Ring) and put them there while they were inside the world of memory (including Dark Yugi) and at the time the game field still hadn't fully merged with the world of memory...

 

Dark Yugi usually wears a poker stern or smug expression, yet I find always impressive and amusing when he makes various expressions, anger is usually common because is when he is facing his enemies and when he is taking over is often in this kind of situation, we could see him in more circunstances where he doesn't have to always watch for danger, closest to it was the "date" with Anzu.

Now Yami Bakura is willing to tell the truth but without confirming to him he is Zorc, I guess he noticed that Dark Yugi with "you fiend! you and your cursed ring" already implies he suspect Yami Bakura is Zorc, so no point in beating around the bush with him either and presenting to him his own partner, the corpse of Akhenaden and he does say something interesting and suggesting something...

"Let me introduce you... the last player in my little campaign ...my personal partner...this dried up husk... was once the high priest Akhenaden..."

If he says the corpse is a player, it might mean the power to reverse time might come from the corpse and his memories as well merged with the game world and world of memory, also you can tell there is missing the millennium eye in Dark Akhenaden's mask wears...

It's curious Dark Yugi was very surprised because his thoughts pretty much says "wait there was mummy of Akhenaden found? how he died?" and also recognizing the masked man claiming as Zorc(Dark Akhenaden), he might have suspected because of the millennnium eye, now here Yami Bakura is telling the truth...

"This game is a simulation, but it is based on the truth with a few minor changes, the events we've been playing really occurred! Now he's just a corpse on display...but 3000 years ago. Akhenaden placed the millennium items in the stone slab...and became the high priest of darkness through the power of the evil god zorc!"

If we take away the half lie, as I mentioned before he is mostly an honest villain but omits important information that would be helpful to his enemies if they knew and not to reveal his main intentions, plus he adds that Dark Akhenaden got power given by Zorc as Yami Bakura suggests...

 

With the basic rules explained, the most curious part about this explanation is how Yami Bakura has two playable characters cards representing the player Yami Bakura (Thief Bakura and Akhenaden) while Dark Yugi by the pharaoh card, why is the case? for three reasons, first, Akhenaden corpse since like Yami Bakura mentioned that the corpse was also a player, but since the corpse can't talk or anything, therefore Yami Bakura has the two cards representing himself, second is the parasite mind implanted in the millennium eye by thief Bakura, third being Yami Bakura is Zorc and Akhenaden is the creator of the millennium items and forged a contract with Zorc.

The other info in these basic rules, is that these characters cards that represents the players can act independently, in other words, even when the player isn't "inside them" or tell to do anything, they can act on their own probably because it will act following the memories from the past...

About how the cards work in this game is interesting...that each has a deck, it's probably mixed with NPCs, Ka and objects as every time the player draws a card to envision in formely blank card into picture with statistics and info.

 

Here is explaining the lore of this shadow RPG, most of it, the readers figure on their own that it cost Ba gauge to summon a Ka and as much to attack, as for when the players don't "command them" and not inside the characters cards they represent as I have said above, now the most little confusing part is when it says the following...in the narrative...

"The game also has seven millennium item cards...which start the game in the possession of the pharaoh and his priests...but..."

It's what I underlined that makes a little confusing and bit contradicting, it says the game started when the millennium items were in possesion of the pharaoh and the priests, it implies that it started before Mahado died, the gang wasn't even inside the world of memory and when Dark Yugi entered the world of memory, Ryou was still with the gang, however the time Ryou left and the gang plus Bobasa entered the puzzle, it was when thief Bakura was arriving the palace to challenge the priests and the pharaoh, but there is a gap between when thief Bakura arrived the palace and Mahado's death, it takes a good number of hours, also the moment when the gang entered inside the puzzle, their body must have fallen since their consciousness were somewhere else and by the time the gang entered the world of memory, Mahado's death was recent, it's possible Yami Bakura relied for a little while from the stone slab but was slightly limited? but it was when the gang went inside the world of memory and Yami Bakura shadow spy when entered, the game could start to expand in order to play it a bit more freely.

Now with Akhenaden being able to take away all the missing millennium items while the time has stopped and put the items on the table, even in the past when there wasn't the time power, Akhenaden must have used the millennium eye to temporarily paralyse them like the millennium ring and rod can do and took them.

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