You could assume I put Yugi VS Atem at random, but it wasn't, in this duel I always feel Yugi being the protagonist of this duel, Atem is an obstacle Yugi has to surpass in order to accomplish his duty as pharaoh's host...which has a more "hero-ish" feel to it.
Plot Summary:
The rite of the duel starts, there is a lot of back and forth between them since they are on the same level trying to surpass each other and is also more clear the difference in their duelling styles, the witnesses comments their duel, some undecided who to root for, others feeling neutral about, others hoping for the best for both of them and noticing they are both going all out and understanding the reasons behind both players for going all out, the duel ends with Yugi winning the duel...
(wow, that's the smallest plot summary I ever wrote...😆)
Key Points:
There is some interesting points in Atem's thoughts here 😮 and others not a fan of 😑...
"Partner...I thank you for taking on this challenge but I am a duelist!! No matter what the cost , I will put everything into defeating my opponent! That is my pride!"
I do like his first line of thought that he is grateful of Yugi taking on this challenge, a part of him deep down prefers the route to afterlife, happy he gets to duel against his partner which is a one of a kind chance and also moved that Yugi is taking seriously his duty and responsibility, the "but" following that he always gives his all to any opponent in front of him and is his pride (being one of his principles as a duelist would define this serious trait of him better than pride, honestly and more dramatically).
I won't quote Yugi for being similar thoughts when he was in a inner place to not see Atem building his deck, so I already approached that part, with one difference in Yugi self-talking that he has to be strong, but still bothers me the "other me" and the "never be free from my heart" as if he is immortal when it wouldn't be just that, Yugi knows this much, so is related more to his selfish wish while determined to do the right thing, so it's a mix of happy seeing Yugi being quite serious about his duty and duel while feeling determined to go all out.
Jounouchi and Honda being the ones in the gang (Jounouchi, Honda and Anzu) that best understand their situation by their expressions and struggle who to root for as Jounouchi comments:
"Oh man! I don't know who to root for...! If Yugi wins, the other yugi will leave us! If the other yugi wins, then nothing changes! we'll still be friends like always! But...but then Yugi will never stand alone!"
I like seeing Jounouchi understands and accepts the situation pretty well despite the struggles regarding the right thing to do, the attachments and also both being his friends, it's a tough call, but is curious that when it comes the right thing to do, he focuses on his worry about Yugi gaining his own independence and not always reliant on Atem, finally it irks me that Jounouchi is not even trying to call Atem by his name and instead "other yugi", it's just that to me there is no excuse anymore as passed 1 month for them to get used to...
I commend Anzu for trying to address Atem even in her thoughts by his name:
"Other Yugi...No...Atem...I want you to stay with us...I can't to see you go..."
Anzu was one of the most conscious at distinguishing (even to develop a crush on Atem) besides Yugi, Kaiba, Yami Bakura, Marik, and Ishizu that Yugi and Atem are two different people most clearly, that's why is least difficult for her than the gang (including Yugi) in addressing him by his name, even the readers and viewers of the anime thought as kinda obvious (that we didn't call as other yugi or other me but Yami Yugi), I find it very moving her growth of her friendship with Atem, it started from being her first crush to seeing him as a friend, a true friend while the little crush on him still there but starting to fade bit by bit.
Ishizu has a very neutral and understanding view about the rite of the duel:
"This trial will decide both their fates...because their two souls have always been joined in one heart...They are the only ones who can find the answer."
I like what she says here, from previous post we know what she thinks what is best for them since she always implied as such, but understands the bond shared between Yugi and Atem for sharing one body and wisely knows and has faith in them that they will find the answer what is best for both on their own and all of those who are witnessing and connected to Atem and Yugi.
I do like her so much, she is a very wise and mature independent woman who has such a deep understanding of life and death based on her experiences and staying faithful to her Egyptian culture and heritage.
If you wish to continue reading this post, click "read more" below:
As it's obvious, after all his growth in maturity, wisdom, humility, he even gain some grace fitting to someone raised as royalty, who was "crown prince/pharaoh heir" to becoming pharaoh (he does move around much more gracefully and not rough of how he was initially when introduced) and yet his cheesy smugness and cockiness plus big ego still remains (which is always a turn off for me and makes me cringe sometimes 😑, I'm still suspicious he gained this kind of trait from when Sugoroku was younger...(we have seen a glance of how he was younger, even in his late 30s or early 40s was bit cocky and prideful, as he aged, he must have become more humble), also to take to account Atem's age of when he died was 15, supposedly when you die, you don't age, so he is a soul of a teenager, a cocky teenager).
Before getting to analysis, these two panels ensembles happens in the same page, so it's interconnected, once I quote Yugi's thoughts in two parts of this key point, you will understand...
"Look at me...I'm trembling...but not because I'm afraid...I'm so happy that you're taking me seriously!"
I love Yugi's duelling posture (it's not my most favourite but is close - my most favourite is Izayoi Aki from Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's), it's humble, pure and innocent and he plays with love due his love for games, Yugi's response to Atem's move in overcoming Yugi's move, it's slightly ruthless...it shows Atem is being serious, he is always serious in practically everything he does, Yugi is happy about it (you can tell his attitude towards duelling is different).
"Other me...If you win, you stay here in this world...if I could put the feelings behind your deck into words...you don't want to lose the bonds between me and our friends...you'll be so sad without them! I feel the same way...! But..."
Even though it irks me Yugi in his mind addressing Atem as "other me" but I give credit that Yugi understands Atem's feelings since is both similar but is the same for the gang who are already attached to him as well, but is unknown to them that even after death and going to afterlife, they don't really leave us, even if someone who doesn't believe in it, they truly won't leave as long you remember them and were important to you in your course of life and also, in thinking on afterlife in this story, even separated as long their bond is strong, they are always connected...but they will eventually understand...deep down they know that.
Even though it irks me Yugi in his mind addressing Atem as "other me" but I give credit that Yugi understands Atem's feelings since is both similar but is the same for the gang who are already attached to him as well, but is unknown to them that even after death and going to afterlife, they don't really leave us, even if someone who doesn't believe in it, they truly won't leave as long you remember them and were important to you in your course of life and also, in thinking on afterlife in this story, even separated as long their bond is strong, they are always connected...but they will eventually understand...deep down they know that.
It's really nice to see that Yugi isn't easily discouraged, but instead feels more motivated to fulfil his duty, now as for Atem...
"I'm sorry...partner...but you cannot surpass me!"
It could be interpreted with Atem perceiving as still on the same level and not quite yet able to surpass him, but the "I'm sorry..." connected with "but you cannot surpass me", rubs me the wrong way 😒, well this presumptuous trait attitude of his comes into play when it comes to duelling or gaming, besides he is judging the duel way too soon, this is just the early start of the duel, at best since it was their first moves, it's more of a warm up before the build up without reaching it's climax, but could be his determination in not letting Yugi surpass since a part of him wants to stay with his partner and his friends, but I will bet more towards inclined his big ego and slight overconfidence (he was more overconfident than in this duel though).
This is after Yugi take a strong blow from "Obelisk The Tormentor" by Atem on his Stronghold The Moving Fortress and lost 1000LP (3000LP to 2000LP) and Yugi responds with a smile, most of them are confused about Yugi can be happy after losing 1000LP, even Atem doesn't understand at first and Anzu starts to think that maybe Yugi wants to lose..., then Jounouchi is the only one who gets it and makes clear what is going on...
"Nobody would grin when he's about to lose! Yugi's not that kind of duelist! He's...havin' fun , that's all....the other yugi's goin' at him with all he's got...and our Yugi can't get enough!"
We can confirm with this, Atem is going all out and taking Yugi seriously coming from his principles and doesn't like being half hearted and always serious, but there is something mostly unknown to him for most of the time he was fighting/duelling for serious and personal reasons, it is to play a duel for fun and heart's content, the only one time was with Jounouchi after battle city like Yugi here.
Jounouchi is the only one who understands him, why? The person who plays this TCG the most with Yugi is Jounouchi, so Jounouchi knows by experience when Yugi is having fun, and not just TCG Magic and Wizards but also other games as well with him, usually when he is like that, his real strength truly shines.
Now on Yugi's perspective, remember about the "high" that Yami Bakura shadow spy spoke about? I mentioned even Yugi has his own but is revealed more towards the end of the manga series like this moment here, it shows for Yugi that Atem is a worthy adversary and also fun to play against, it just made him not just more motivated but also stimulated, it's not over yet, not even Jounouchi's explanation...
Then Jounouchi continues his explanation...
"This is the first time they've faced each other as rivals...face to face...heart to heart...Our Yugi was always following behind the other yugi...but now...they're coming at each other head-on!"
Everything he said is right except refering Atem as "other yugi" when he had 1 month to get used to, no excuse, I would add a few things, not just as rivals but as adversaries, because they have been building the deck together and now is different as he described.
Anzu's reaction to Jounouchi's explanation in the key point above, she was reminded of not just when Yugi is having fun to play a duel like he always does and now he has a chance to do so with Atem then this next explanation when Jounouchi referred that Yugi had always followed Atem behind watching and dependent on him too, then she understood "Oh, Yugi...", she didn't remember that despite Yugi would have wanted Atem to stay, he wants to become independent and in order to do so, Atem has to go and Yugi has to prove himself to Atem that he can stand on his own not just to send Atem to afterlife because he has to.
Then to Jounouchi became clear who he should root for, for the best for both of them...
Jounouchi is starting to incline himself in supporting Yugi, because he is slowly realising that is a fate he has to learn to accept of Atem go to afterlife and rest in peace and Yugi becoming independent...
Now as for Atem...thinking...
"Bring it on! My partner!"
I think there is a important detail to remember, Atem does listen often to the gang's conversation and discussion during the duels, he must have heard what Jounouchi explained to the others and remembered that Yugi is naturally this way and when he shows having fun is when Yugi's real strength comes to the surface and I think Atem knows about the "any duelist gets a high when they face a worthy duelist" since he does experience this with Kaiba very often, with Jounouchi in a tag team duel, so he is readying himself, even Atem is starting to get a high because Yugi is now coming at him in full strength.
Honda is shocked but Jounouchi is more shocked, it's not any player who can defeat a god without using a god, by the way we have seen another one, who didn't had a god by then, Atem when he defeated Slifer The Sky Dragon (as for Kaiba we didn't ever seen him doing so without using a god), once again puts them still on the same level, because of this Yugi thinks...
"I still haven't surpassed you! Not yet...!!"
Yugi feels is not quite there yet, there is still more to come, he knows this is still evidence they are still on the same level and is aware there is still more to come from Atem against him...
It's very interesting what Anzu is thinking in perspective of Atem while Honda and Jounouchi are impressed by both Yugi and Atem not holding back against each other...
"Yugi's getting stronger and stronger...I wonder how Atem feels watching him...is he happy ...or is he sad...? as the other yugi...I'm sure he's happy...but as Atem...maybe he's sad..."
I like to see that she makes an effort in referring Atem as Atem, I commend her for that quite highly 😊 because the others (the rest of the gang) aren't even trying 😒, then she wonders about his feelings fighting Yugi and what would mean, she thought about Atem seeing him as his partner from sharing his name as happy while as his own identity by what it means if Yugi wins being sad that he would have to leave and holds no reasons to keep protecting him...
This key point will be a little long...
Yugi self-talking...
"Think, Yugi...we were together in the same body for so long...but now we're facing each other in a duel...what would I do if I were you? How would I think...how would I fight?"
Yugi has an interesting process of thinking, because Yugi is kind, a pacifist and compassionate, so he is more focused on how the other person is currently feeling and what Yugi himself has to do, the questions he makes of Atem's mindset of what he would do is usually what very skilled and elite duelists do, being good at predicting cards of your opponent.
As he continues his inner monologue:
"If I were you, I would be afraid to lose...and be separated from my friends...it would be too painful...to go that place alone...So you can't lose! You're stack your duel with your strongest cards! Of course, you would include the god cards and your most trusted servants..."
Yugi understanding Atem's feelings well due to Yugi's kind nature, he is very right too, from Atem's perspective and even for anyone when it comes the subject of death and afterlife, what await us when we die is unknown, even going to afterlife... where we go when we die? what place it takes when someone goes to afterlife? Atem thinks he will face it alone even Yugi does think it so (but is it really?), it's natural for Atem to be scared (there is a reason why so many people are scared of death) and even more being separated from his friends.
As expected Yugi already predicting a certain duo for "most trusted servants" (Mahado/Black Magician and Mana/Black Magician Girl, his childhood friends, albeit rude to refer them as "servants", sure by social rank status, they were servants but more importantly his friends too).
The following Yugi's inner monologue:
"I have to defeat the me that's in you!"
The meaning behind this thought is that as a reminder, Atem interacts with the gang and partner through Yugi himself, he means by that sense, so Atem doesn't have "lingering" reasons to stay in the world of the living and also for Yugi to get free from his dependency on Atem in order for himself to become independent.
Atem has his own self-talk:
"Get ready, partner...I'll use my full power and dominate this duel! But if you win somehow...and take my sword...then you must stab my soul without mercy!!"
That's some fierce determination and confidence "use my full power and dominate this duel", he is still a little overconfident but more humble over the course of this duel with the "but if you win somehow" then he goes for dramatic words "and take my sword then you must stab my soul without mercy!!" which relates with his prideful trait, he needs to chill a little 😑, Yugi isn't someone who intends to send him to afterlife so violently, it's even against his principles, if he is going to do it, he will do it the right way.
But the "take my sword", he means by inheriting his will if he goes to afterlife...
But the "take my sword", he means by inheriting his will if he goes to afterlife...
I don't need to quote it since his words inside his inner monologue from this panel is very visible and readable, if he is going to win. he has to prove himself in "taking his sword"/to inherit his will and he is serious in not letting Yugi "take his sword"...
He is right now very neutral, becoming less afraid to lose and accepting the chance he might lose while challenging Yugi to fight not to just for to send him to afterlife but also fight for to inherit his will.
I find it intriguing when Atem is looking at Yugi's spell card activated in sealing a card called Gold Sarcophagus of Sealing (the card that is sealed in this spell card can't be used by neither player), this spell card is presented as a box very similar to Yugi's puzzle box as mentioned by Anzu, I think Atem thought the same...he probably knows of this card.
This part is very symbolic of Yugi sealing a card inside this spell card, they didn't know what card Yugi has chosen to seal by this time, she sensed there is a special meaning behind this peculiar move...
"The box that held the Millennium puzzle...the box of friendship that brought Yugi and the other yugi together..."
This is other characteristics of Yugi's style is that is can be very personal and metaphorical, it's not often we see this kind of depth in dueling styles and decks (the ones that always stood out to me between players/duelists who hold this characteristic in their duelling are Ishizu Ishtar, Izayoi Aki (YGO 5D's), Fudou Yusei (YGO 5D's) and Yugi (we have seen before this one, in his duel against B!Jounouchi, even his deck with "silent swordsman" and "silent magician"), I always hold special fascination with players with this kind of characteristic, Atem does too and it's more clear in this duel because it was his first deck he built of his own choosing, so is slightly underdeveloped because he didn't had much chances except this one so far...
As for Anzu with mentioning "the other yugi" you can tell she is referring Atem in a different meaning not because in making an effort in calling Atem or other yugi, but that the friendship between Atem and Yugi was built from Yugi becoming pharaoh soul vessel as Yugi and " The Other Yugi" plus Atem and Yugi sharing the same name and body for a long time since they didn't knew Atem's real name back then and as she is smart girl even Atem must already suspect it, it is a message that Yugi is saving to convey to him...
Again it shows how much on the same level these two actually are in terms of skills yet trying to surpass one another for each having only one card in their hand, it's exciting to watch 😎.
The panels ensemble on the left top is hinting at the readers is that he already pretty much predicted Atem's next and last card at the top and the bottom panel of this panels ensemble followed by the one on the right Atem thinking...
"Partner...your card of sanctity-silent magician combo was perfect, but you made one mistake, you filled my hand as well...I'm sorry, partner! Return to Life!"
How much he wanna bet it wasn't a mistake? 😃 he shouldn't have forgotten the unknown card that neither player can use that Yugi chosen, plus the card(card sanctity) he just used brings advantages to both players and the previous such "magician's circle" trap card was the same, the same can be applied in disadvantages such the Gold Sarcophagus and Mystical Rift Panel, that's his style giving equal chances and restrictions to both players who are facing each other when the rest is up to skill and choices in how you put yourself into battle, it's very intelligent.
Atem is very surprised the card Yugi sealed, it wasn't just because Yugi predicted Atem would attempt to use the monster reborn to summon Slifer The Sky Dragon for one turn, as he process this move...
For the readers and viewers must have understood right away the true meaning of this Yugi's move (including myself), it's so symbolic that it's clear what Yugi wants to convey to Atem...
As Yugi explains the effect that neither of them can use the "monster reborn" and therefore Slifer's attack is negated, Monster Reborn that Atem used since spells cards has effect on god cards for one turn, there is a contrast about the duality in their moves...it's symbology, it is very beautiful (I'm sorry I'm such a sucker for these kinds of things when comes to symbology and metaphors), Honda and Jounouchi are shocked, Atem just closes his eyes thinking...
"My partner...predicted my last card...you've...surpassed me..."
It's Atem gracefully accepting his loss and understanding the fullest what Yugi wanted to convey to him... (the meaning will be explained in the next point with Ishizu), huge individual growth in Atem over the course of the duel as he became less arrogant, cocky and overconfidence into solid confidence, becoming more humble and not just that (approached on the next key point).
Jounouchi and Honda make the observations about Yugi sealing the "Monster Reborn", First Jounouchi:
"Monster Reborn could have helped Yugi...but he sealed it away..."
then Honda "Yugi could have used Slifer for himself...!"
That's all true, it could have but this is Yugi in depth duelling style, symbolic and very personal that represents Yugi for who he is, also impressive that Honda realised Yugi did predicted Atem would attempt to reborn or summon a god card in some way...Anzu with her hand in her mouth meant her shock in understanding the meaning behind this Yugi's move...
Ishizu in her inner monologue confirms to the readers and viewers what Yugi wants to convey in a very wise and poetic way...
"This is Yugi's message...to the pharaoh...the souls of the dead must not linger in the world of the living...At last the king must travel to the afterworld...Yugi's trump card...was also his way of saying goodbye..."
It's pretty much this, I want to add a little more detail, look at the Monster Reborn cards (of Yugi and Atem) and Slifer fading by negating Slifer and a successful summon as if negating Atem to stay in the living world...with Gold Sarcophagus disappearing looking like his puzzle box to say goodbye to Atem as Ishizu explains above in her thoughts..
Ishizu is such a wise character, despite her expression is mostly taciturn and neutral but she is slightly glad about Yugi choosing what was right while understanding how difficult must be for Yugi to do this as he is steeling himself to make his final and finishing move...
Atem already understood Yugi's message to him in both these panels he appears from readying himself for Yugi final attack to already prepared to take it seeing him as partner who he shared body and name and as friend...Anzu since she already undertood Yugi's message in general, she feels so sad for Yugi and thinking how hard must be for Yugi to do this, what is right, in sending a friend who he have been sharing a body and name for a year and an half, being someone who died 3000 years ago to afterlife and himself ,who was with his burden of this duty as vessel of the pharaoh soul building up to eventually this moment...It's so sad when we think about it, I don't censor Yugi for crying as he sends his direct attack on Atem with Silent Magician, I don't...😟
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