Thoughts&Observations | Mangá: Vol.1-3 Part 6 - Shadi's Arc Part 2

let's go for small stories, it's not relevant to the main story of Yu-Gi-Oh!, but it's relevant to the characters development and their relationships with the other characters.
I will also indicate 2 characters that are extremely important to the story of Yu-Gi-Oh! that you meet between volumes 2 and 3.

Update 14/12/2020:

Hellos!!

This is one of the 5 posts that has gone through lot of changes because of how old it is and on it's early stages of this project of mine, after this one comes another "masterpost" being updated because the "new" posts about the early volumes is mixed with the old ones that are being rearranged and rewritten, the "new" are new thoughts and analysis so for me it feels more complete later, since I'll need to refer a lot from these posts of "Thoughts and Observations" in future, some of the text that was here was transitioned to the "new" in this case to "Shadi's Arc Part 1 other future post once I'm done with Shadi's Arc...like Mokuba introduction and episodic arcs coming back.

This old post will become "Shadi's Arc Part 2"!

Plot Summary:

After the mysterious man leaves the corridor of two rooms of souls (Yugi's and Dark Yugi's), he starts panting because he went through an intense experience while Yugi asks if the man is okay, he gives the Millennium Puzzle back to Yugi, they have an exchange about how the mysterious man is in debt for "other self" who had saved him, Yugi doesn't believe him and thinks he is joking, then he introduces himself as Yugi, the mysterious man realizing the boy named Yugi isn't aware of "his other self"/or spirit per say, explains a little more, as the mysterious man leaves, he reveals his name to Yugi being Shadi and inform the next thing Shadi will do...Yugi starts becoming more contemplative regarding Shadi's words.

At the evening of the same day of the visit, Yugi sees the news that Mr.Kanekura is dead and another man also dead being Mr. Collector, Yugi is shocked but not completely since he is holding some suspicions, thinking of visiting Prof. Yoshimori with his grandfather, then comes to school, his friends decided to come along, specifically Anzu and Jounouchi to cheer up Prof. Yoshimori.

Prof. Yoshimori is in his archaeology lab of Domino University pondering and worried about the deaths of the men he was acquainted with, specially of the man who funded his expedition and excavation, Mr. Kanekura, behind sneakily studying him is Shadi who is willing to give a second chance if there is regret or guilt over "trespassing" the Valley of the Kings goes inside Prof. Yoshimori's room of soul, as he was close to murder the man, he glimpses that this man will see Yugi's grandfather and Yugi plus the gang, he changes his mind so instead he "redecorates" Prof.Yoshimori to be a puppet in order to bring out "Other Yugi"/Dark Yugi" by strangling Jounouchi's neck...early on is failing to Anzu beating P!Prof. Yoshimori  (P!=Puppet) with an object to his head...so Jounouchi tries to become the distraction of P1Yoshimori to give chance of the others to run away while Shadi speaks to Yugi explaining his reasoning for his actions , since it wasn't sufficient for Shadi to bring out Dark Yugi, so he tries to make Anzu into a "nice" puppet, which it works to bring Dark Yugi but takes time, Dark Yugi is furious to being challenged to Shadow Game by Shadi which will start in 10 minutes...

Key Points:

 

The plot summary became smaller this time, I hope the same it can be applied to this post 😂, the last one was pretty long...

On the subject of this key point, as we see, the mysterious man is panting after getting out of one of rooms of souls that almost killed him, also interesting inner monologue from the mysterious man:

"I entered this boy's soul to test him but...I was the one who was tested!!"

That's for being so conceited and enters someone's personal room like that 😝, in all seriousness, he is not wrong though, the mysterious man was indeed being tested whoever was for different reasons, to measure what kind of person just barged in his room, intentions, drive, etc, also see his limitations as much to see if he could find the true room, possibly? 

I want to also mention regarding this quote that he intended to "test" the boy, how could that happen? initially was the boy in front of him "Yugi" or did he already suspected or kinda knew that maybe the soul being "sealed" away of a deceased pharaoh was there? Because at the Memory World Arc of when he wanted to test Dark Yugi/Atem to confirm if he was the pharaoh or not or the other "sealed soul" being Zorc? Remember Atem intended to seal his soul and Zorc's into the millennium puzzle, however instead Zorc went to the Ring and Pharaoh Atem still stayed in the Puzzle, the mysterious man probably only knew this much until he came to test Yugi and "Dark Yugi".

So we can presume Takahashi-sensei had an idea of how he wanted to write the mysterious man like this.

What Yugi says to him as he asks if he is fine:

"Are you okay? You look pale! You closed your eyes and stopped moving..."

This is interesting, we get the general idea of what happens to his "body" (if is one if most can't see him...) when he uses the millennium key, apparently his eyes closes and stops moving, then we see him here on his knees panting after the shock of Dark Yugi's maze room of soul that well the maze almost tried to kill him.

Then later we see him saying Yugi is a strange boy...I think meant not just the fact there is two minds sharing the same body (between us, secretly Yugi's hair which closely similar to Pharaoh Atem's and same in the stone tablet illustration and seeing it in person 😗), there was other reasons (the boy is pure and the other yugi is mysterious to him, then he gives back the Millennium Puzzle.

If you wish to continue reading, click "Read More" below:

 

As Yugi said thanks, the man told him that he did this because he was already indebted to him (also there is another reason, so he can have a second chance to test "Yugis" (the Yugi and the other yugi), Yugi wonders how the man is indebted to him then the man answer is:

"It was the other you."

This stands to question, does he really thinks this is the case or simply because at this time there was no quicker way of saying, like "spirit of the puzzle" or "spirit of your millennium item" or "the spirit guardian of the puzzle", would be too complicated and long in how to address it and so he gone to say "the other you", instead?

Also he might not be sure if Dark Yugi is or not who he could be...(Pharaoh Atem), so for now he sticks to this one...

Yugi's reaction to this is quite interesting, it's disbelief, for now he wasn't aware or thought of that possibility when it came to the blackouts which is the only strange thing he is aware of...until this person brings up.

 

 

The inner monologue of the mysterious man in this key point is in two parts...Part 1 of Inner Monologue:

"This boy...he hasn't realized the existence of his other self yet...?!"

I'm not sure if he really thinks is really "other boy self" or is more suspicions and unsure if is who might be...so he is surprised that he still he hasn't realized yet, which isn't surprising, Yugi being able to complete the puzzle is still recent, also now noticing his "blackouts" patterns, he still hasn't open to that possibility until this man brings up...

Here is a quote from Yugi that is pretty ironic when we compare to the end of the series:

"No Way! I'm me! I'm the only me there is!"

It's pretty ironic because at this time Yugi was still not aware of "Dark Yugi" , Dark Yugi/Atem says similar line at the end of the series before he leaves to Yugi being that is only one Yugi in the world, the irony of destiny, huh? It's food for thought, does that mean Dark Yugi watched this scene too ?:) I would say yes, that must have stuck with him, the mysterious man inquires about Yugi's name, so he answers his name.

Getting to the mysterious man Inner Monologue Part 2 of this key point:

"Two sides exist to this boy's personality but he has not realized it yet...when they join, the true power of the the millennium puzzle will be awakened!"

His understanding and perception about this situation is albeit confusing, because he thinks of "two side of the boy's personality" and "when they join, the power of millennium puzzle would be awakened", so this leaves to a lot of questions how he is perceiving, does it mean by thinking of possibly being "split personality" by "joining", that couldn't be really the case because "split personality" involves a lot of the conscious with subconscious a lot and very complex and as I pointed out before in previous post like Marik's case, so I would say this could be more the two individuals joining together to awaken the true power of the millennium power, while pondering of a "split personality" possibility, remember he isn't sure if Yugi and "the other" is the same person for now.

 

From the Panels Ensemble on the Left, the mysterious man does says some important hints about the plot the general, going through this by quoting him in this scene of this panels ensemble:

"Yugi...There is something you must do...you must discover your other self!! And you must solve the riddle of the true power of the millennium puzzle...the puzzle that was hidden for three thousand years!! That is the destiny of the one who solves the puzzle...that is their duty."

Looking back at this scene, what he just said was directly to Yugi only, he is not including Dark Yugi on this one, because when we look at the overall story of the series from beginning to end, Shadi must have understood that Yugi may have become the host of the pharaoh soul and also indirectly into the future in Memory World Arc.

Starting with him requesting in emergency tone that he should discover "his other self", he might look like at first that he does think he has other self, but then what he says further kinda hints that he suspects the "other yugi" is Pharaoh Atem and also I think the "true power" he is referring might be the true room (world of memories of Pharaoh Atem) and them working together.

From the Panels Ensemble on the Right, Yugi is shocked and hears this about "my other self?? the true power of the millennium puzzle, you can tell that mysterious man/Shadi was hinting at the fact that this "other yugi" and millennium puzzle also it's true power are related...I would say mysterious man/Shadi already suspicious or at this time he is confirming himself as informing to Yugi...

Lastly the reveal of his name, took long enough, the funny thing, is that Shadi never told anyone else, he also has two other names, in Memory World as "pharaoh soul guardian" is Hassan while in Dark Side of Dimensions he is known as Master Shin among the Prana, which makes his full name as Shadi Shin, so is interesting he didn't say his surname or full name just his first name, it shows his respect and certain fondness, also he never revealed to anyone else his first name, he says so himself at this panels ensemble...I think it kinda confirms as he leaves, he kinda knows what is going on already...

 

From Panels Ensemble in Left, so Shadi lastly says this to Yugi when he is leaving:

"There is one more person I must place on trial...one more man who defiled the territory of the Gods, the Valley of the Kings..."

So his "justice" agenda isn't over yet, if we look at what we have seen so far, technically from his standards about defiling the Valley of the Kings, the person in question must be Prof. Yoshimori, when reading for the first time one can guess, kinda easy to guess, even though Prof. Yoshimori is a pretty nice person and humble as not greedy.

Yugi's intuition is spot on in guessing they'll meet again, during Yugi's inner monologue and being comtemplative:

"Shadi...he said something about «another me inside of me»... and «the secret of the millennium puzzle»...I wonder what he meant..."

Okay, this is neat, Shadi more or less given him "food for thought" regarding "Dark Yugi" and even asking him to be aware of him, also "I wonder" doesn't mean "I don't understand", what I mean is that Yugi understood very well what Shadi meant, while at the same time he is considering that this might explain his "blackouts" but what is happening during those times he isn't sure, but is considering like the "air muscles sneakers" and the "temporary" moment he doesn't remember dealing with the sadistic teacher Ms. Chono, you know, connecting the dots and the millennium puzzle is related, Yugi starting to have some awareness and suspicions...

 

I believe this is all in the same day they visited the museum (it seems Yugi didn't changed at home, pfft), so on Sunday evening, the news on tv comes up announcing the death of director/Owner of the Domino Museum however as mysterious death, they can't find the reason of death other than the cause being by heart attack induced by shock, also there is the Mr.Collector's death as well, but what induced the shock to die like this is unknown those investigating, some presume is just the "mummy's curse" or even "tomb's curse" specially the media sensationalising it...however what Sugoroku says about some trivia facts regarding this matter that existed in the real world after Yugi asking his grandfather if curses exists:

"Well...When Tutankhamen's tomb was opened in 1923, there were the same kinds of rumors...some of the discoverers died mysterious deaths. But now it's thought that the «mummy's curse» was just a sensation stirred up by the media of the time. No one knows the truth...But that«s not what I'm worried about. I'm worried because there one more involved in the excavation...Professor Yoshimori!"

I liked that the author just thrown in there some trivia facts of the real world about "tomb curses" and the subject if curses really exists is a debatable matter, as Sugoroku said, no one knows the truth, I do think "curses" exists to an extent, there is "fake" and the "real deal" cases of curses...to me is something is best not to doubt or mess or take it lightly it's existence or it will bite back at you, hey, better safe than sorry, you know?

Also the other thing I find interesting, is that you can tell Sugoroku is omitting some things to Yugi that he "quickly" changed the subject and more prioritised concern being about his friend.

 Remember Sugoroku in the Prologue of Memory World" was and is somewhat involved, he did took out something from a pharaoh's tomb, as tomb curse goes, he wasn't affected but the grave robbers were, specially the last one, Sugoroku almost died not because of the curse but a grave robber who tried to kill him, nothing yet happened to him because he has connection with pharaoh's vizier Siamun who was not only a former millennium item wield (Millennium Key) and saved by Pharaoh Atem soul who was the previous wielder of millennium pendant (at the time), Sugoroku has connection to the millennium items, so he wasn't affected.

I find so adorable how Yugi trusts his grandfather insight on these matters, it's possible that he knows to an extent that his grandpa travelled around the world and his connections with historians and archaeologists and old gamers.

 

From Panels Ensemble in the Left, after Yugi's granpa said he was worried about his friend Yoshimori since he was involved in the excavation for this exhibit, Yugi's reaction from "!" * to "one more man....?!", he become suspicious that Shadi might come for Prof.Yoshimori, that was quick.

I find what Sugoroku says to his grandson pretty curious also kinda relatable:

"Anyway, Professor Yoshimori would be the last person to believe in curses. but still one of the people he worked with is dead! it must be hard for him. So Yugi...I'm going to his lab at the university to try and cheer him up."

Lab and university? curious, Sugoroku knowing his friend mindset in not believing in curses but can see the fact that a person worked with him is dead it can be quite disturbing, technically it is and can be applied to who who just met like his grandfather commented as depressing, it shows he is very close to Prof.Yoshimori as well that to cheer him up he wants to go his lab at the university he works for, that's pretty sweet.

Yugi has the wondrous idea to come as well,  in Panels Ensemble in the Right Sugoroku was impressed and thinking is a good idea and help his friend...the more analytical section here...Yugi's inner Monologue:

"There's something bothering me...the «one more man» Shadi mentioned probably isn't Professor Yoshimori, but...but...I have the feeling that I have to go see him...Somehow...something deep in my heart is telling me to go..."

Yugi may think "probably isn't", however he is considering as a possibility, he speaks of Shadi mentioned "one more man", which says that he is suspicious that was Shadi who killed Mr.Kanekura, his logic might around since Yugi perceiving Prof. Yoshimori as good person and wasn't ill intended and thinks Shadi won't go after him...however for him to ponder is that he is considering a possibility and go "just to be sure" while starting to "hear" and slowly becoming aware of Dark Yugi (Dark Yugi seems to be very sure since he is more cautious and doesn't trust easily neither to give the benefit of doubt) telling him to go as a way to interfere with Shadi in "killing" Prof. Yoshimori, it shows Dark Yugi doesn't agree the way and what Shadi is doing...(remember, for Dark Yugi, the only time he kinda killed someone, it was indirectly, not how he would prefer at the end of the day because even himself was between life and death - everyone was - because the criminal could have pulled the trigger at any time, it was legitimate self-defense one way or the other - accident or not)

 

This here is by sunset of the same day they visited the museum (hmmm, I would say, the season of Spring isn't far to end and thinking about the following arcs, specially after Death-T, makes sense).

This scene is when Yugi and his grandpa are staring to leave...Jounouchi and Anzu are already there to pick' em up, it seems they had the same idea to cheer him up, while Yugi is the one who feels suspicious, the important part of this key point is about their exchange when they said they're going with them...Yugi just felt something and advised them that would be best for them not to go based on his "intuition", then says sorry for acting weird...Yugi is already sure about the existance "the other me"/"Dark Yugi" and can "hear" him, Dark Yugi is being very cautious for many reasons (to not have the risk of Yugi's friends find out and not let Yugi losing his friends and putting them in danger).

 

Hey Shadi that's pretty haunting way of doing it...on the subject, there is something curious in how he treats Prof. Yoshimori, it's slightly different, because with Mr.Kanekura and Mr. Collector was straight away, but here there is some consideration even more now we know the powers of the Millennium Key, by reading Shadi's inner monologue on Panels Ensemble on the Right as he was about through his "agenda":

"By Anubis's will, I now put you on trial..Before you die, I will unlock the room of your soul with the power of the Millennium Key! Gods willing, I will find some shred of guilt..."

He is treating Prof. Yoshimori a bit differently even though he still intend to kill him anyway, probably because Prof. Yoshimori isn't greedy and neither a collector for the sake of it, he is humble too, however for him to mention "a shred of guilt" is because he senses from him? the question from Shadi's perspective for the right reasons, it could be for us and not for him and where it came from...

 

Before getting to this scene, I want to summarise Shadi's interpretation of Prof. Yoshimori room of soul when he enters, there is lots of shelves full of books about archaeology and artefacts related to it, he sees as someone with an obsession with the past in excess in his heart, his reaction is indifference but more towards understanding,  now this scene, I'll quote his "commentary" of both panels ensembles in this scene:

"In one corner, covered with dust, a picture of his family...he has neglected them because of his obsession...he regrets it...but it's too late now. The darkness of the room is proof of the anxiety and fear he is feeling...the museum owner's death must be the cause...hmm...In the darkness, a glimpse of light...this is the light of hope... ...I see... The man is waiting for his friends...that calms his heart and gives him a ray of hope...Who is he awaiting...?"

This whole section alone is interesting, because Shadi is taking a lot more time with Prof. Yoshimori probably because, there isn't greed or ill intent neither vanity, just his obsession for his job as he accurately describes as much his regret of neglecting his family and feels is too late, then the fact the room is dark as proof of anxiety and fear due to his colleague's death as the cause (his expression is interesting...feeling a bit guilty, I guess he can't really dislike the guy), I like the way is expressed despite that darkness around fear and anxiety, he sensed a glimpse of light and sees as light of hope, which is what usually hope is metaphorically - light in the dark - got the cause that he was waiting for his friends, yet he was interested who he was waiting for in specific...He really got into it in the room of soul of this man, we can say he must have found the individual interesting...then came the reveal it was Yugi with his grandpa and friends...

I find interesting is Prof. Yoshimori focus on Yugi, I guess relates to his regret of neglecting his family, he had a photo of his son when he was still a child...even before Shadi arrived, he mentioned his friend bringing his grandson....

 

From the Panels Ensemble on the Left, that was immediate xDD, also the fact that he distinguishes Yugi, the Yugi as the boy who solved the millennium puzzle, it may look for awhile that maybe still he thinks is the same person, but isn't, the exchange they had hinted that he does understand the situation and knows they are separate people, in some key points ahead, it will confirm further, so keep in my mind this panels ensemble on the left.

Circumstances wise became interesting to him, which as stated in his inner monologue, even if the guy was a good person, he was still intending to kill him anyway because of the crime of "defiling" a pharaoh tomb according to "Anubis's will", but that's his "justice agenda", he takes this chance to use "the criminal" that he was about to kill for his own "sense of justice agenda" to be a puppet in order draw out the millennium puzzle of not just Yugi the boy but also "the other yugi", hypocrite.

 

The Millennium Key power through "redecorate" the room of soul named "Marionette Design" as means to turn the person into a puppet of his, to be honest, I think that is just messed up, it feels quite wrong, because you're "redecorating" their personality without their permission, it's already kinda bad and very rude peeking into someone's room of soul without asking permission, he is not that different from the "criminals" he punishes, if anything is worse, but this also shows that Shadi is ruthless, very ruthless (he felt no regret or remorse on killing the "criminals") and in a bad way (yeah, there is a good way as much neutral way to be ruthless), it's not to protect himself or anyone but for the sake to test someone's strength in a rushed manner and no patience or not having delicacy either...there is more ruthless characters though(but Shadi is certainly ruthless, Dark Yugi can be ruthless, but there is more ruthless characters like Kaiba, Kaiba Death-T, Pegasus, Marik, Marik's father, Yami Marik,Yami Bakura and more).

The most interesting part to me is this one inner monologue of his on the panel on the right:

"Heh heh... and now, Yugi within Yugi...The second stage of our game!!"

I find interesting the way he says it, at first it seems that "Dark Yugi" as if the real Yugi, but isn't really the case, if read it a few times over, despite it clearly Dark Yugi is definitely another person and not "split personality" or "other personality", by this time when we still don't know Dark Yugi's name, how you were going to refer him as? the easy way out for us readers is Dark Yugi or Yami Yugi for shorter name, while for the characters is "other yugi", that's why at this timeline I don't censure them, just for the time being they refer the way they know they can refer Dark Yugi/Atem as...to make it easier to distinguish.

 

This is after Jounouchi that he came to express gratiude for showing around the museum but was taboo word, Anzu reminding him of it, this interaction alone is kinda funny, however Prof.Yoshimori, this ain't convicing at all as not being controlled or used as puppet, it certainly looks and moves like a puppet more..., not gonna lie, it's creepy but also doesn't look like Prof- Yoshimori, since he is more of a warm person, it was obvious that "Yoshimori" wasn't himself really to Sugoroku and Yugi&Co, hey, Shadi try a little better to be discreet, I guess he didn't had the intent in the first place...

 

This one of those scenes, no one can't see him except Yugi and Dark Yugi from the millennium puzzle, however last time, Yugi wasn't wearing the puzzle and was the only one who could see him...then Shadi points out that he is controlling Yoshimori as a puppet...the part to pay attention is the difference between his inner monologue and then what he says to Shadi:

Yugi Inner Monologue: "Why's the professor doing this...? It couldn't be...Shadi...!"

Yugi speaking: "Shadi! What did you do to Professor Yoshimori?!"

At first it may look like Yugi is being too trusting, but is more the "benefit of doubt" since came to asking what he did to Yoshimori, he is more asking why he is doing this...as if Yugi can tell he is not a bad person really and wants to understand his reasoning for doing this...

 

Before going to this part, if we look at these panel on the Left and then Right, is one of those "transitions" between two chapters end and beginning...where it also sometime expands the scene a little more.

On the subject of this scene, Shadi is revealing his reasoning for doing this, which is to bring out Dark Yugi, when I read this for the first time I thought he was underestimating Yugi, but after few reads and here, I'm noticing that he has others reasons, one of them is as well to make Yugi have more awareness of the existence of the "other yugi"/"Dark Yugi/spirit of millennium puzzle, there is also other reasons, obviously.

This a Panel Ensemble from those "transition" chapters, if we see, Yugi is thinking the same thing in the previous key point but was expanded, such Yugi's interpretation of whole scene happening of seeing P!Prof.Yoshomori as being brainwashed by turning him into a killer, also commented by Yugi's grandpa that his strength is "insane", well Sugoroku is already old but so is his friend Yoshimori, yeah...it reveals this is a abnormal phenomenon.

With this "transition" scene between chapters, we can confirm Yugi did suspect Shadi as being behind this but holds the benefit of doubt... It shows Yugi is very perceptive and quickly-learning what is happening...the differences between this and previous key point is underlined...also enhances the fact to a understanding to Yugi that Shadi was pretty serious about "the other yugi".

 

Okay, I'm not gonna quote his inner monologue, it's something way too redundant and obvious, my point is that he had a theory that this would make Dark Yugi appear or take over, clearly is not just to make Yugi aware of "other yugi"/Dark Yugi/another spirit for Shadi to be so desperate, obviously to test the "power of the millennium puzzle" and Dark Yugi specifically...one could presume is to get back at Dark Yugi and challenge him, since he was challenged by Dark Yugi and kinda lost to him...it could be a spark in rivalry...who knows...

 

The Panels Ensemble on the Left, this is after the middle part of his inner monologue, between the previous key point and this one, he was thinking in leaving the country once he punished the men who defiled the tomb in the Valley of the Kings and one of it's tombs, by killing them, then comes the following inner monologue...in the panels ensemble on the left...:

"But then I met that young man...since that time, the feeling of defeat shoulders in my heart...I can't leave this country...not with those embers still burning...I want to meet him again...I want to see the other yugi's power with my own eyes!!"

This inner monologue is very fascinating, Shadi without using the "other yugi", he sees Dark Yugi as a young man while the Yugi is as a boy, the boy who solved the millennium puzzle...when we think about it, before Mai, Dark Yugi is the most mature and wise in the gang, even when he was already a pharaoh, he was  mature emotionally and wise, it's not surprising, within royal family and nobility you're forced to mature fast, Atem was crown prince from the moment he was born, but he still makes mistakes that a teenager can make, specially when it comes to pride, people tend to overlook their own mistakes...

So Shadi is not for just to test the power of the millennium puzzle and make Yugi aware of Dark Yugi's existence, there is personal reasons such as pride and him being kind of a sore loser...😝

Also I think there is another personal reason...when he thinks to himself that he wants to see him again and his power with his own eyes...remember when I pointed out that he might have understood what is going on, is this...we have to remember he is a tomb guardian from many generations ago, waiting for the "nameless pharaoh" who sealed his soul in the millennium puzzle to save the world, for thousands of years to return so they can send the "sealed soul" of Pharaoh to his "eternal rest", afterlife...in other words, he wants to confirm if Dark Yugi is the "nameless pharaoh" who lost his memories that he has been waiting for...so he attempts to push him as far as he "thinks" he must...😒

 

I pick this Panels Ensembles with the intent to show Anzu has very cool moments like this one as well is one of my favourite moments of her, Anzu is quite resourceful, amusingly she asks forgiveness for hitting the guy, she wasn't happy about it, she did to save someone's life, for me it makes me remember what will happen later after Death-T, there are times she acts not so cool, one chapter she is a bit annoying...the other she was kind of a b1c7ch (can you decipher this? 😂), but other than those two chapters, she is fine with some very cool moments, her character development is very awkward, interestingly though.

Shadi decides to turn Anzu into a puppet, however the process is that he has to go through by entering her room of soul first, I have to say, Anzu's room of soul is quite pretty and whimsical, there is some interesting details and artistic choices from Takahashi-sensei when he draw this, a dance room, the ceiling being a sky, window, sun, trees and plants, the sofa with a frame, another one floating around with the statue of freedom of NYC...in general we can see she is positive and her dream to be a dancer and study abroad about dance, she also loves nature, ambitious, imaginative as much wanting to travel...now going to Shadi interpretation which is pretty interesting...

 

I'll quote his interpretation, since I find interesting:

"This is the room of her soul...  |  The walls are mirrors, like a dance studio...mirrors reflect one's own image. This is a symbol of confidence...or pride. This girl has strong beliefs.  |   And dreams...    |  A man without a face?! This means nothing to me...  | Heh...this girl is easy to like...  |  But the redecoration must proceed. I pity her...But I need to push the boy to his limit...  |  At least, I won't make her into a pitiful puppet like the professor... I'll make her into a pretty doll without memories or a voice... | Marionette Design!"

His interpretation of Anzu's room of soul is interesting, this is some of the reasons why I say her character development is very awkward, she has cool moments as well this kind of scenes that adds to her character, then after Death-T we start to see her flaws, she is very bold in a good way as much "not in a good way", is that level confidence of hers, pride...not really, it's more grounded, that's for sure, when Shadi thinks she is easy to like, not really, at least from the fandom for the most part (it's 50/50, me included, it took quite a few re-reads to grow fond of her character and her development, from YGO manga, she was some of the "least favorite character" to one of my top 5 favourite characters over the years, yeah, it took awhile.

For Shadi thinking, "not a pitiful puppet like the professor...", he didn't despise or dislike the guy, just following his own agenda or ideas of justice to punish him by killing him...(by the way, I'm being kinda cynical but about his hypocrisy and ruthlessness), as for Anzu to be a "pretty doll with no memories or a voice", that ticked me off...he thinks is handling with more delicacy than the professor, not really...it's disturbing, really through "redecorating" her personality...it's not okay, I'm already against the whole way he does things peeking on someone's room of soul, the disturbing power of "redecorating" someone's personality, as an individualist and even from psychological perspective.

Another tiny detail I want to mention is when Shadi is thinking "I need to push the boy to his limit...", the boy he refers to is the Yugi and not the other yugi, I just think is very amusing that it shows he can distinguish as not the same person, Yugi as a boy while Dark Yugi as young man. How come I didn't notice this tiny detail? 😄

 

This scene is funny and serious at the same time, the humour that Takahashi-sensei puts here, Jounouchi despite being a great character in terms of development and becoming a future duelist, he is also the comic relief, his writing is pretty well balanced, quite relatable, underdog-like that you want to root for and also very funny character, so he is the most easy to like character...we see Jounouchi doing selfless act to protect, help and save his friends...he is very loyal but Yugi's constant selfless acts, specially the one when it came to Ushio, it shows that Yugi was a huge influence in his growth as a person.

Even Shadi was quite impressed by Jounouchi's selfless act, coming from him is a huge praise.

Since Yugi became friends with Jounouchi, it starts a huge growth in both as characters in maturity and as a person, in turn Yugi becomes more courageous, Jounouchi becomes a better person, forming an unbreakable bond of friendship and trust.

 

Shadi is quite desperate...because he didn't really want to however he is more of ruthless and pragmatic character during this time, remember being pragmatic is more or less being practical but to the extreme, which honestly not fond of, extreme is not usually a good thing...the readers already knows he is quite desperate but this shows to Yugi and Dark Yugi on the inside that he is desperate to bring Dark Yugi out and make Yugi aware when Dark Yugi takes over...

 

I didn't show all the panels in this scene, I have to say, it shows Jounouchi is very athletic as Honda indicated in the Wild Gang arc that he has A+ in P.E., the P!Yoshimori getting a "power up" from the millennium key in getting "insane strength", Jounouchi punched him in the face and the "puppet" went flying, very impressive, Jounouchi.

I have to say the Millennium Key is very powerful because the puppet even after getting a punch that made him kinda flying against the wall and losing his teeth and still getting up...it was so nice of Jounouchi trying to help the guy while trying to protect others (also kinda funny, specially his inner monologue, "see, I'm really a nice guy..." xDD, as long fix and tame certain things, you're very nice ^_^).

 

The inner monologue of Shadi in this part I just noticed...an interesting analogy between Yugi and Dark Yugi and it shows that in fact by this time he already knows they are distinctive individuals...

"That's it...Anger! Hatred! Sadness! On the fair side of your emotions...like a runner waiting for the handoff in a relay...The other yugi is waiting!"

Why I say it regarding this inner monologue and to me his analogy he used to describe the state of their current connection as a relay race and emphasizing the importance of Yugi the boy to be aware of "the other yugi"/Dark Yugi/Atem/young man, Yugi's and Dark Yugi's connection is Dark Yugi knows of Yugi existence while not sure if he is really Yugi's other personality or someone else who doesn't know who he is, seems to know usually what's going on with Yugi like a spirit guardian and behaves as such, while Yugi doesn't know and has been only recently that he opened and became suspicious of this possibility if Shadi didn't bring up to him...it kinda says that Dark Yugi wants Yugi to be aware of him.

Possibly the reason is when you thinking about it for awhile, it takes longer for Dark Yugi to take over to a point that it needs for Yugi feel a sense of emergency or very strong emotions like this time, it actually takes awhile when it becomes faster, even after this arc is still slow but a little faster, however after Death-T, it gets significantly faster, after Monster World, you can see that it still needs a moment of emergency and same for Duelist Kingdom it has become faster, only after Pegasus duel is when it becomes "on the fly" (since they used mind shuffle a lot and could talk to each other after that).

Looking back it took longer for Yugi to be suspicious, becoming aware, accept it (that was longer), to be open to it (it took as long), to reach Dark Yugi when Yugi needed to speak to him because Dark Yugi ego and pride blocked it was even longer, when Dark Yugi took over, Dark Yugi wasn't aware that Yugi has been trying to reach him for a long time when he was taking over until Pegasus duel...many people underestimate the importance of the duel VS Pegasus...to me is one of the most important duels, I may go as far to say the most important duel together with the Ceremonial Duel.

One more thing Shadi must have look around more than he implies on Yugi's room of soul than just a quick look (not Dark Yugi's room, when he left Dark Yugi's room, it was only that, we didn't see him leave the corridors, my suspicions is he took one more look at the room of soul of Yugi the boy who solved the millennium puzzle for him knowing the "final trigger" he speaks of here with Anzu that if he tells her to die, she will die, it works (this is why I suspect he took one more look)...

 

Can I say the art on this scene is gorgeous?! 😍 Specially in Yugi and Dark Yugi/Atem, is so nice and clean, my favourite panel in these panels ensembles is the one on the right when Dark Yugi yells "Shadi" and is a stand out really, the transition from when Dark Yugi starts to take over...not only you see the differences in appearance wise, Yugi is more round like of a child, while Dark Yugi, well, appearance wise he looks older than Yugi for starters, it seems the quickest and first to change is the shape of his eyes and the extra hair appears and longer too, since it uses the millennium puzzle which is technically a magical artefact, it changes to an appearance to when Dark Yugi/Atem close to when he was alive, also we see how it happens.

I would dare to say, this is when Yugi kinda has confirmation there is "other self" or "other yugi", this is when he feels it happen consciously...I want to mention Dark Yugi is seriously pissed off...but when he yelled the man's name, I mean, Shadi did crossed the line

 

You know, I noticed in later volumes, this style of shading isn't around much unless is "illustration" or in artbook, but has improved a lot in "illustration" that we see in the bunkodan covers (is similar to an omnibus and 3-in-1 mangas we see, but is in Japan, the covers for those are beautiful) and one-shot manga that was released around the premiere of Dark Side of Dimension, what I'm trying to say that this kind of shading in chapters is rare besides in illustrations...this went in for artsy thoughts and observation (I just really like Takahashi-sensei art style, his has lots unique and interesting choices).

Quoting what Shadi is saying:

"Now that you're here, the time has come to finish our battle...In a Shadow Game! The last time we met, I searched the room of your soul trying to determine your power...but you forced me out...This time I will try your power in the real world! I needed to see you again, other yugi..."

I like the reference between room of soul and "real world", it's quite like saying the room of soul is the "inner/interior world" of an individual that each has one while "real world" is the exterior world,  or in psychological analyst terms to be internal reality and external reality, what I'm trying to say, just the rooms of souls as in another psychological term like the "inner garden", you can tell the author drew a lots of his ideas for some characters and magic system, lore and worldbuilding from psychology, the penalty games, shadow games being more of psychological and creating mental pressure, here about rooms of souls, Kaiba, Pegasus duel, Marik and Yami Marik, then we see in Memory World Arc regarding the Ka and Ba...

Shadi, is doing all of these he just said while having other hidden intentions, as you see in the previous key point, it was to make Yugi to be Consciously aware of the existence of Dark Yugi, but so his pride because he is a sore loser.

 

What Dark Yugi says here:

"Now that the shoe's on the other foot, I suppose I have no choice but to accept..."

That's an interesting choice of words, at first I didn't understood what he was saying, the saying itself, I thought it was just about Dark Yugi now has come out... when in fact, by looking at the definition of this "figure of speech" or expression, it means according to Cambridge Dictionary website, it seems to mean when the roles are inverted between who has the advantage and disadvantage, basically when Shadi was in the room of soul of Dark Yugi, Dark Yugi had the advantage over Shadi because he knew of his room of soul nature in the shadow game from Dark Yugi, while here in this situation is the opposite is Shadi having advantage over Dark Yugi and also because who is creating this shadow game is Shadi, remember whoever creates or initiates the shadow game has the advantage, even between millennium items wielders (Dark Yugi (he is no exception to the rule for the most part, because there were times even Yugi's life was in danger), Shadi, Yami Bakura, Pegasus, Marik, Yami Marik, Ishizu).

In this scene we see, Shadi does mostly the same thing as Dark Yugi when they initiate a shadow game, it's what is on their disposal such in this case with Shadi looking around for the materials needed for it... and says in 10 mins to meet him on the roof, the "game stage" if you will.

 

The last Key Point of this post, I love this inner monologue in this arc, because you get a peek of his mindset and personality plus his drive, and his own thoughts about what he thinks of himself while it shows he is quite different, being a resolute individual, so I will quote the whole inner monologue:

"Shadi...why is he so determined to test my power? Does his bloodline...whatever group he says he represents...want to use my power? or do they want to eleminate it...? The power of the Millennium Puzzle...even I don't know it's full extent! but it's there somewhere inside me...hidden in the true room of my soul...it pulses quietly, waiting for the right time! There's one thing I'm sure of, Shadi! The fact that you...are my enemy! I must win! No matter what game you challenge me to...For Anzu's Sake!"

It's pretty long, character wise is very telling, specially at his current state for Dark Yugi, as he questions Shadi intentions...you can tell he has his own doubts about his intentions, we can say that he suspects that Shadi isn't telling everything, he's not wrong, the way Shadi said it has double meanings, it relates to Dark Yugi's true room between using it or eliminate it....the most interesting part is that Dark Yugi admits to himself that he doesn't know it's full extent of the millennium puzzle and that he knows is somewhere "inside himself" hidden in the true room of his soul...this shows he is at least vaguely aware he is a different individual himself but knows only very little of it from what it hints and at the same time implying that even himself doesn't know where is the true room, which is confirmed later in Battle City Battle Ship Arc that he doesn't know where it is...

For him to decide in this moment to see him as an enemy, it means that initially he didn't see him as an enemy but more as someone very interfering and kinda not sensitive or not considerate, for Anzu's sake, this is what I meant as Dark Yugi being vaguely aware he is his own person/individual, because there is a chance that during this time that maybe Yugi having a crush on Anzu was possible Dark Yugi thinking he had the same as Yugi since it was in Yugi's body or genuinely saw her as a friend, since it was the same when it came for to save Jounouchi, it's difficult to tell at this time.

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