Thoughts&Observations | Mangá Vol.12-15 Part 5 (Dark Yugi VS Kaiba)

Okaay, since the duel is very long, I'll do the same with the Meikyu Brothers, I'll just summarize the events, not including the details, so it won't be a long summary, I'll try make it short as I can...

Update (07/09/2018): This one took longer than I thought, I have been rather slow, I don't like it, I don't understand why is the case...😕, maybe my tiredness on this project is starting to catch up to me...



Plot Summary:


In the previous post, the scene left off from the gang meeting Kaiba again waiting for Dark Yugi to duel...Kaiba challenges him to a duel, the gang disagrees because now Yugi/Dark Yugi and Jounouchi has 10 stars to enter the castle, Kaiba was surprised Jounouchi was able to get 10 stars, point of promoting him from loser to deadbeat (pfffft), Jounouchi tries hard to hold his anger, Kaiba starts directing to Dark Yugi by describing their "fated rivalry" in a poetic way with thorns against each other, similar to how Pegasus described their rivalry.
Dark Yugi accepts the challenge, his friends aren't in favor but respect his choice, before the duel starts, Kaiba tells him, their duel will be using the duel disk prototype with a different mode used against Jounouchi, the Expert Mode, a mode which would require more on intuition and strategy, their duel start, Dark Yugi testing this different mode and learning it's requirements and rules, starts getting pumped, inspired if you will, right off the bat we see amazing combos card moves from both them, it gets more intense to a point when Kaiba is about to lose, realizing it, he is willing to take his life if he loses, he warns Dark Yugi of it, giving him the choice to win or to lose by resurrecting one his Blue Eyes heads (the one had just been cut comes back), Kaiba says this will be the test of his worth as a duelist and then he says something interesting (I will approach once I start writing about the most important points of the duel), Dark Yugi is morally conflicted in the beginning but...once he made the decision to go for it "I can't lose!" in his thoughts, it was then Yugi interfered Dark Yugi and said stop the attack to Celtic Guardian, Blue Eyes resurrected head attacked Celtic Guardian and takes away the rest of Yugi/Dark Yugi life points, the duel ends with Kaiba's victory and Dark Yugi/Yugi first loss, Yugi starting to cry... end...



Key Points:

So Dark Yugi was watching their duel and Kaiba "presentation" of his new invention to play this game anywhere, Duel Disks that uses holograms of the monsters and this kind of holographic to be called "solid vision" (it's kind of like unreal engine 4 graphics level in holograms if you will), which shows Dark Yugi as everyone else, he was deeply impressed and seems kind of excited that he gets the chance to try this Duel Disk Prototype, it's not just the technology of Duel Disks Protoype that will impress him...

Kaiba speaks that their duel won't the same kind he played against Jounouchi as he refers as "deadbeat"(pffft) - Jounouchi is still on conflict conflict about it, it's the "Expert Mode" being more to Kaiba's and Dark Yugi's skill level, we could even call "hard difficulty level"...xD.

I have to say this is really cool, holograms of the cards and not just monsters, it also make them look like wizards (well technically this TCG Magic and Wizards in concept are about the player being the wizard who uses spells and summons), as you see again, everyone was very impressed, during this time they were always surprised by Kaiba Corp or should we say Kaiba inventions, but in Battle City they aren't impressed but as something they already expect from Kaiba...but there is special rules to this "expert mode"...

 

Some of rules of the "expert mode" is that you can put 5 cards, one of them is the main card, the one you put at the centre of the disk, I think, according to it's design, you chose which is you "main card", more or less the one who will do the fighting, but also it means Kaiba can attack "sub stage cards" independently being magic, trap or monsters cards, making it requiring more intuition and strategic making it increasing the difficulty of the game, it's so Kaiba-ish because later he host a tournament that increases it's difficulty a lot more, Dark Yugi gets excited by these new set of rules, it also makes more to his duelling style, that is more around tactical and wits...



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Thoughts&Observations | Mangá Vol.12-15 Part 4 (Prologue to Dark Yugi vs Kaiba)

This time around, it's just before the intense duel that is coming to it, I will write a prologue about the events before the duel, the set up of the duel.


Plot Summary:

After they left the Maze room, and a little bit more ahead they find stairs taking to to the exit of this underground place and Dark Yugi speaks a little about getting much closer to enter Pegasus's castle...
While this happens, Kaiba already took over his situation, he is using Pegasus's butler as hostage with duralumin case with his head in between being cut off...with the case opened...then Pegasus's butler has a flashback of how he was put in this situation with his life on the line, it was after when he was about to guide Kaiba into the castle, Kaiba used his duralumin case aiming for the butler's jaw, strong enough to make him lose balance as one of the guard named Saruwatari was about to threaten Kaiba with a gun, Kaiba was quicker by pointing the gun he took from the spy to blackmail the guard...so the butler is begging inside his head for Pegasus to save him...
Pegasus was waiting for reports about Dark Yugi's progress in the tournament with now having it confirmed he has now 10 stars chips, the moment he was waiting for, through video chat between the monitor in where Kaiba is and Pegasus, they have a conversation about Pegasus abducting Mokuba and Kaiba rightfully demand in giving him back, then Pegasus show in the monitor where Mokuba is, inside the dungeons, for a moment is focused in Mokuba perspective about his hopes in Kaiba coming back to him then goes back to Kaiba and Pegasus, Pegasus gives a condition by dueling and winning against Yugi as the only way to get Mokuba back...
When the gang is climbing up the stairs towards the entrance of Pegasus's Castle, someone is blocking their way in, Kaiba Seto...
The gang meeting Kaiba again waiting for Dark Yugi to duel...Kaiba challenges him to a duel, the gang disagrees because now Yugi/Dark Yugi and Jounouchi has 10 stars to enter the castle, Kaiba was surprised Jounouchi was able to get 10 stars, point of promoting him from loser to deadbeat (pfffft), Jounouchi tries hard to hold his anger, Kaiba starts directing to Dark Yugi by describing their "fated rivalry" in a poetic way with thorns against each other, similar to how Pegasus described their rivalry Dark Yugi accepts his challenge.




Key Points:

Here's a interesting tip Yugi's grampa gives to Dark Yugi:

"To be a true champion, you can't be afraid of losing...only then can true strength be born."

Someone who would read it for the first time would think, he's giving this tip to Dark Yugi thinking he is talking to his grandson Yugi Mutou, but in fact as the result of a future duel, you understand who he was directing this message to, for anyone who has read it, if you have read also the past of Sugoroku Mutou of how he got the millenium puzzle, he knew all along about a spirit of a pharaoh inside the millenium puzzle, yes, it was at Dark Yugi specifically, he knew his weakness at this time.
However Dark Yugi didn't fully understood what Sugoroku meant, to Dark Yugi at this time meant differently from what he meant, the expression in this situation is "not talking in the same page".
Dark Yugi interpreted "you can't be afraid of losing" as in order "to win" shouldn't be afraid of losing, because Dark Yugi still haven't lost once yet, you can think it was exactly this Sugoroku meant, but there is more depth to it, it will be touched again, it will be then I'll explain further what he means, as to what truly means it is approached later (the duel between him and Mai and after the duel against Kaiba from Anzu)...
This panels ensemble is foreshadowing a result of a duel, a very important one, extremely important to 3 characters development, Dark Yugi, Yugi and Kaiba.




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New Yu-Gi-Oh! movie coming 23rd April 2016 - Yu-Gi-Oh! The Dark Side of Dimensions

I know I'm late on this, but the main reason doing this is because we had more reveals in the new trailer about the movie, which makes me want to advance my manga analysis faster and bring the subject up.

I'll start with the teaser trailer first...

Just the "Story - Script - Character Design - Executive Producer" and then "Kazuki Takahashi", the first time I watched it felt like a punch in the face when I read these words, anything about this movie throws at you is canon, official, it follows the original story of the manga (it means Pegasus is already dead, he's not alive like in the anime version and spin offs series)...it follows through 6 months after the Ceremonial Duel...

I'm not over yet...

The Newest trailer, let's call it trailer 2...

To me this movie seems to be a bit scary, I'm excited but also nervous at the same time for various reasons, I trust Kazuki Takahashi, I'm almost sure will be a splendid movie for big fans of YGO like myself, who've read the manga specially, this is a big deal, anyone who is still catching up with the spin-off series, it will change a lot in YGO! history forward after the events of this movie, even the trailer says itself, it's an original story, the development, writting, design by Kazuki Takashi, the creator of the original story of Yu-Gi-Oh!

We all know Atemu/Atem is coming back, the question is how?

 according to the trailers and  the plot synopsis:

"By completing the Millennium Puzzle, Yugi Muto awoke another personality inside himself, called “Yami Yugi”. Along with Seto Kaiba, the president of Kaiba Corporation, reigned as the pinnacle of Duelists, and their various friends and allies, both Yugis fought in many battles tied to the ancient past. Ultimately Yugi and Yami Yugi were forced to fight against one another, and in the end they bid farewell to one another as they walked their own separate paths… … …

Then, after their final Duel with Yami Yugi, Yugi and his friends returned to their normal lives.

But then a mysterious boy named “Aigami” appears before them.

As a series of cases of people disappearing happen one after another across the entire planet.And Kaiba single-mindedly searches for the Millennium Puzzle.

When all the pieces of the puzzle are reunited, the Duels shall begin again!"

We can assume and speculate, Kaiba because of recent mysterious events he searches for the Millenium Puzzle and seems Yugi completes the Millenium Puzzle, supposedly will bring him back and take over Yugi's body again and face this new threat, Kaiba and Yugi will duel against each other for the first time ever on-screen and Kaiba seems will have another rematch with Atem/Atemu. The question how Atem/Atemu comes back still stands, we all have seen for anyone who have watched episode 224 and the last chapter of the manga knows he did go to afterlife, so it's more complicated than it sounds, I don't think it's just completing the puzzle Millenium and is done.

I'm not sure according to the teaser and trailer 2 means, there were some analysis around the internet, tumblr specifically, in the teaser trailer and promotional images and some screenshots...

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Final Thoughts&Opinions on Yu-Gi-Oh! GX

I have watched all the episodes YGO! GX, it was quite long journey I must say, but enjoyable.

Like I said, I still have to watch YGO Zexal and Arc-V to fully compare them in terms of quality, it could have been better, much better, I think season 3 was the best season for me, NAS could do better job, it could be better than season 3, but it didn't, as YGO series, I think is lacking consistency, wasted potential on characters development, the plot is some parts, specially last season makes it look YGO 5D's last season a bit better, which says a lot, since I'm still angry at NAS about it's last season regarding certain plot holes and certain negligence to certain characters(in GX is bigger because it has so many characters)...NAS writers you're not good at creating completed stories with consistency, at last season is where you usually fail and that gets on my nerves.

Yeah, I didn't like season 4, sure sometimes made me think a little, but the forceful focus on Judai Yuki is a big problem in the series, I understand he is the main character, BUT there is something called balance, you can't focus so much on his character while the others are always in the shadows and play as supporting characters in most episodes instead of secondary characters.

Favourites seasons:
1. Season 3
2. Season 2
3. Season 1
4. Season 4

Top 5 favourite characters:
1. Majoume Thunder
2. Marufuji Ryou
3. Edo Phoenix
4. Marufuji Sho
5. Yuki Judai

These characters had some deeper impression on me.

Thoughts&Observations | Mangá Vol.12-15 Part 3 (Dark Yugi&Jounouchi VS Meikyu Brothers)

Okay, I'll try a different textual structure about Thoughts&Observations of the manga, I write a summary of an event, in this post will be about the tag duel I mention in the title, then the highlights of the event I'm writing, lastly will be me bring up points which caught my attention, this one will be a little difficult to me at the end of the summary, I still have some hard time to understand (the aftermath of the duel, how Dark Yugi outsmart the Meikyu Brothers).

(Update | 21/08/2018: This one took some time, because there was so few key points..., it will happen the same in the next two key points).


Plot Summary:

The duel starts, Meikyu brothers start to summon Labyrinth Wall to create a labyrinth to change the field, how many steps a monster can take is according to their star levels, before one of the Meikyu ends his first turn, he explains other conditions to this duel, even if they win, they would have to chose one of the doors and forcing on a riddle, Jounouchi being naive, he thinks it's mimic one other riddle about a villager and traveller, Dark Yugi explains to him the difference between the riddle Jounouchi mentioned and the one done by Meikyu Brothers is different and suspicious, it's not by asking questions but get through the Meikyu Brothers labyrinth of words which trying to push to a dead end, it's a mind game.
 The tag duel goes through a lot of trials to Jounouchi and Dark Yugi, but making it obvious how Jounouchi has grown, he does makes nice moves which I will highlight, Dark Yugi as usual he makes splendid moves where it showcases his capacity of thinking ahead of his opponent, he made 2 of my favourite combos of his, the Twins make interesting moves but summon 3 special summons that can only be revealed when all 3 are face-up but also our duelists takes their time to reach the end without some obstacles, when the twins finally complete the pieces, they summon 3 monsters, Sanga of the Thunder, Kazejin and Suijin, together making Gate Guardian, the process to defeat these 3 monsters is slow, they take down Suijin first to finish the other 2 since they're fused as well with Black Skull Dragon with a magic card Ryoku to power up the monster.
The duel ended but the mind game hasn't, I will have a hard time to explain this part, Meikyu Brothers keep fooling around to confuse the group, Dark Yugi is paying close attention to the twins, while the others are searching for a possible third door, while doing so, Ryou Bakura listen to the voice of the spirit of the Millenium Ring, Dark Bakura, it seems he was slowly reaching him, it did, so Ryou and Yami Bakura has a telepathic talk, also claiming being a thief, he persuades Ryou Bakura to take over to help his friends, the search ends (they had 5 minutes).
Here is the hard part, Dark Yugi saves them with some of his "mentalist" skills with some help from Yami Bakura distracting them, Dark Yugi was surprised by Ryou Bakura knowing it, he may pay closer attention to him after this event, once they get out, they find both door lead to the same path, Jounouchi is pissed at this, they finally reach the exit of the tunnel.
I'll end it here!
What a big plot summary -.-", I thought would be shorter than this...I even dismissed most details...good grief.


Key Points:

 

"The Meikyu brothers...If we can't beat them, we'll be trapped in this dungeon until Pegasus decides to let us out...which could be never! Everyone's life rides on this match!"

Even in Dark Yugi's inner monologue from his past experiences with player killers that reveals he has gotten used to Pegasus low tactics in this tournament that he ends up having a rather cynical view, which might as well be true, that is to show this tournament was rigged from the beginning.
Jounouchi understandably being still a beginner, he feels a different pressure from Dark Yugi, he has to actively supporting and helping Dark Yugi who is a much more skilled player, he can't let himself be a burden or holding Dark Yugi's back with everyone at stake, he has no choice but to catch up to his moves with the rule if one player from a tag team is the first to lose his LP, the tag team loses the duel automatically...
I find it cool that the number of spaces that a monsters card can walk in labyrinth depends on the number of stars (in other words, the monster card LV), the twins makes the statement even if they win there is another riddle they have to solve in choosing one of the two doors..., both the title names would look too suspiciously obvious such Kyu being "the door of the palace" and Mei as "The door of deception".



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Watching Yu-Gi-Oh! GX - (Episodes watched: 156)_Thoughts

As you can see from the title I watched 156 episodes, in other words, just finished season 3, soon to start season 4.
What thoughts remain and those changed? hmmm
Some thoughts still remain such YGO GX had a sloppy start, the story development in the first 2 seasons wasn't really good, just feels a bit forceful, specially the fillers, character development was fine though, like I said the strongest point were the characters and still is, but my main complain about the characters remains, too much focus on Judai, I really like the character, but is just a little bit unbalanced with the other characters.
Now let's focus on season 3, I must say the story development is really good, character development is good as well, except maybe for 4 characters whose wasn't as good as the rest, I mean Manjoume Thunder, Tyranno Kenzan, Tenjoin Asuka and her brother Tenjoin Fubuki, but since they were important for Judai Yuki character development, I'll let it slide, best characters development goes to Judai Yuki, Marufuji Shou (though he hadn't any duel, bummer, I really like his dueling style), Marufuji Ryou, Amon Garam, Austin O'Brien and Jim Crocodile.
Even though I get a bit annoyed with Judai having so much focus, I think his character development in season 3 was really interesting, it's not everytime we see the main character becoming a villain, though temporarily, but interesting nonetheless, we see a different contrast on Judai's character, I can even see some similarities with Atem and Yugi and it's closure of his character development in this season was good as well.
The introduction of new characters was good as well, from all the new characters introduced I liked were Johan Andersen, Yubel and Haou Judai (Supreme King Judai) - From Season 2 if interested was Edo Phoenix.
The duels in season 3 was fine, but my favourites were Marufuji Ryou Kaiser VS Yubel "Johan", Amon Garam VS Yubel "Johan" and finally Yubel/"Johan" VS Yuki Judai, basically Yubel duels =D.
I wouldn't say opinion on the series have changed much, but it has definitely evolved, which is kind of a good feeling some way, I'm enjoying the ride way more ;-), now if is the least or weakest of the YGO series, that I don't know yet, I have to finish YGO GX and Zexal (to me they're quite comparable in terms of quality, Arc-V seems close to the level of 5D's and DM).

Once I finish last season (Season 4), I will make maybe my Top 5 or 10 favourites characters of GX.

See ya Next Post!

Thoughts&Observations | Mangá Vol.12-15 Part 2 (Duelist Pride Part 2)

This entry, it won't be focusing on a duel so it may be smaller, it is in between the aftermath of JounouchiVS Kozuka and before the tag duel against the Meikyu Brothers.
It's focus will be about the "True Duelist" subject, not full on yet, it's just a reminder to pay attention, since is important to the main characters development, including secondary characters, their own interpretations, convictions, ideals and principles of what means to be a true duelist and being a constant topic being discussed between the characters.

Plot Summary:

After the duel, the gang discuss the result of Jounouchi winning on his own, Dark Yugi has his own interpretation, then have a talk with the ones who dragged about what means being duelist, as they leave, going through the way back from they come from so they can reach the exit, when they're in front of it, they see Bandit Keith and the others closing the entrance of the cave with a huge rock to block the entrance..., the gang are stuck in the cave, so they have to search another way out but as the millennium ring works for their way out with time finding themselves inside a maze, when they reach the exit of the maze, they enter into a room with a Battle Box Simulation in front of them, suddenly martial artists making a flashy "kun-fu" introduction being twins calling themselves as the Meikyu Brothers, they challenge Jounouchi and Dark Yugi with the condition in wager their star chips and play as a tag team, they both accept.



Key Points:

 

These are some of the panels always caught my attention everytime I read them, it starts with little humour from Honda, even though his friends thinks were mostly luck, Dark Yugi even though doesn't speak up about, he thinks wasn't really luck, but the desperation to win, the concern for his burden being the true strength of a duelist, I do understand and agree it wasn't solely by luck and Jounouchi's burden played a part (Jounouchi's sister), but desperation to win, hmmm I'm not so sure about, I can see where it comes from, I can't help but have negative thoughts about "desperation to win", just the word "desperation" has already negative implications.
 If someone's is "desperate to win" means generally to win at any cost, even if you have to trample over others or cheating or play dirty, I don't think it applies to every regular player/duelist, not even Jounouchi, I have already stated in the previous post, but I can add it was courage, guts and determination is what kept him going and fighting back, those are traits to describe Jounouchi and his strength of character.

There will be occasions when contradicts his view on the matter "desperation to win", it makes me wonder if was a mistranslation, I don't think it was, his actions in the future will prove it isn't a mistranslation, if was "determination to win" I would let it slide.

 

Jounouchi calls Bandit Keith with following reactions of Dark Yugi surprised the latter mentioned prize hunter by Kaiba, Jounouchi explains he was dragged by the three duelists in front of them and forced to duel one of them, Jounouchi calls out to Bandit Keith to play fair next time.
I'm very amused about a word in specific, I don't know if is translation directly from japanese, or an editing choice is how Jounouchi explains being kidnapped by them as "shanghaied" and later I researched being a method of kidnapping around the time when people were kidnapped, tricked, drugged and intimidated to be forced to work as sailors from America, France, Britain to China in Shangai, interesting finding, I didn't knew "shanghaied" was a word, at first when I read it I thought it was gangsters movement (due to him being a former delinquent and gangster with Hirutani), it must be a used term for gangster moves, then found there was a history behind this word, interesting...



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