Thoughts&Observtaions | Mangá: Yu-Gi-Oh! Vol.1-3 Part 3 - Episodic Arcs Phase 2

hehehehehe 

Long time no see

Yeah, I will be trying to spend as much time as I can to finish this project as soon as I can 
while trying to create my own job , because the money I have save up won't last forever 😒... so it's more or less jungle around with these.
But what matters is that now I have more time to focus on this...
The episodic arcs will still remain focused for awhile before Shadi's Arc, because I noticed that there is still a lot to work on, this post is about around chapter 5-7.

Plot Summary:

Chapter 5 - False Prophet
It starts with Jounouchi and Yugi going to school together talking about the start of the day and discussing regarding their luck, Jounouchi comments that he has been unlucky recently.
They arrive to their class, there is a lot of buzz about a "psychic" named Kokurano who can predict the future at school from class A of the same year grade, Jounouchi wants to have his fortune told since he believes he has been unlucky...dragging Yugi and Anzu to come along, however when they arrive to his class, there is even more buzz with lots of girls from other classes and year grades to get their fortune told and and small seismic happens and...Jounouchi feeling embarrassed being mostly girls asking for their fortune, Jounouchi bluffs by putting on Anzu who wants her fortune told, Kokurano attempts to "show" he knew Jounouchi was the one who wanted to get his fortune told (Jounouchi is pretty loud, they are class B, so Kokurano it's next door class, anyone could listen very well) and takes a paper from his jacket saying there would be an earthquake based on the small seimic happened a awhile ago he predicted, so Kokurano offers himself to read Anzu's future, through fondling Anzu's hand,Kokurano gives his "love related prediction" while Kokurano is with a plan in his head, then Jounouchi comes, Kokurano quickly discards him saying Jounouchi's bad luck is written all over his face, then Kokurano asks Yugi if he wants his fortune told, Yugi reveals his own suspicions on Kokurano about his "future reading", Kokurano feels "triggered" and makes "calamity prediction" to Yugi. Jounouchi and Anzu are concerned about Yugi, Yugi eases them that he doesn't believe in Kokurano but sees more as a puzzle and hears some strange rumours about Kokurano prediction.
Kokurano sets up a "trap" to harm Yugi in the library, Yugi realizes on time and dodges a grave injury with Dark Yugi taking over, Kokurano enters to Yugi's class with Anzu alone waiting for Yugi, Kourano makes another "love prediction" and uses chloroform to make her unconscious..., Dark Yugi challenges Kokurano to a game, Anzu recognizes the confident man voice and tries to stay awake but to no avail, the game starts, Dark Yugi wins and recovers Anzu.

Chapter 6 - Into The Fire
The chapter starts with Yugi's class deciding what they're doing for the school festival, everyone gives their suggestions, they agreed on Yugi's idea, Carnival Games, everyone take their part and were able to get a popular spot, it's progressing smoothly, they were almost finished until a third year class D trample on their spot for their own activity to make okonomiyaki by Goro Inogashira, Yugi was harmed to be taken to the infirmary for trying to protect his class spot, Yugi's class are pretty down, specially Yugi and Anzu, Anzu cries as she is about to leave, Yugi noticing it then Dark Yugi takes over, Anzu turns around and sees Yugi is gone, Dark Yugi challenges Goro to a game, Dark Yugi gets to win but it was a close call, Goro come to be unconscious due to a sort chemical they were used as hockey ball...so Yugi's class after recovering their spot, they re-do their Carnival Games all-nighter, the Carnival Games by Yugi's class school festival was a huge success.

Chapter 7 - The Face of Truth
It begins with Yugi leaving school, Jounouchi and Honda approaches Yugi, Jounouchi asks him to help Honda in confessing his feelings to his crush, Yugi suggests in asking his grandfather for advice at his shop, they agreed on but Honda is reluctant and doesn't fully trusts Yugi, so they arrive at Kame Shop (the name of the game store Sugoroku owns), Sugoroku suggests a blank puzzle and write the message, Honda likes the suggestions but asks Yugi to write for him, then later together they hide on Honda's crush desk, later one of their teachers , Ms. Chono, she is famous for expelling students, on the inside she has a wicked nature, she starts her class by inspecting their students, Honda's gift is found out in Miho's desk (Honda's crush) by Miss Chono and starts ripping the wrapping paper and finds is a puzzle with a written message...however Yugi, Jounouchi and Honda feeling quite nervous, the teachers tells aloud the message as she solves the puzzle, Miho feeling embarrassed, Honda is about to reveal it was him to Yugi interrupting to say he was the one wrote the message, then Jounouchi who hid the gift, later Honda, but the teacher ignores and continues until the name of the person in the message is about to be revealed, Dark Yugi temporarily takes over to turn the puzzle game into shadow game as to make it disappear Miss Chono "make-up", revealing her true face, Miss Chono is taken aback and runs away and ask the students not to say anything about her real face.
Honda confesses to his crush in person behind the school building and is rejected, Yugi and Jounouchi to cheer him up, they pay for his burger on the way home, Honda becomes a new close friend to Yugi.



Key Points:

Chapter 5 - False Prophet

 

This exchange between Yugi and Jounouchi is very interesting and funny, because they have different perception of what being lucky is and their standards when comes to luck, it does reveal a bit about themselves and life regarding luck and maybe self-esteem...for example how Jounouchi explains how he got the injury in his face from a fight with some delinquents, they were 4 and he got one punch from one of them, which I have to say is very impressive, this more or less shows Jounouchi is very skilled and talented in fighting, but here is the thing, Jounouchi thinks he has been having very bad luck lately for getting hit once in this fight, while Yugi thinks inside inner monologue that "against four guys and getting hit once is lucky", this means for Jounouchi usually doesn't get hit once, while Yugi seems to really have bad luck from what kind of trouble he attracts...Ushio, Director tv, Sozouji, the criminal fugitive picked Yugi to hand him vodka and cigarettes, when we look at it, Yugi has really bad luck in daily life wise, if it weren't for the millennium pendant/puzzle with Dark Yugi taking over with some shadow powers to solve the problems of his bad luck...which is to show where Yugi succeeds is more or less pure raw natural skill and talent...
Then comes something very heavy that almost hits Jounouchi, Jounouchi yells "more bad luck" while Yugi thinks in inner monologue "that was close...", it's very funny 😂.




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

This is after Anzu told Yugi and Jounouchi about the student in the class next door who is a psychic with the power to predict the future, Jounouchi being suspicious of his own bad luck, dragged Anzu and Yugi to see this "psychic"/"fortune teller" student (which I suspect is a chunnibiyou case and so are the girls with those weird circlets), however upon their arrival, the ones going to see him are more or less girls, making Jounouchi feel very conscious being the only boy interested, because of his "manly insecurity" or "challenged" :p (more less caused by toxic masculinity, created by culture wise by men), so it starts with Jounouchi "obvious" bluff pinning on Anzu about dragging them to hide the fact he was the one who did it and is interested in getting his fortune told... , Anzu quickly gets mad by emphasising who dragged who (Jounouchi), while Yugi apoligising for their noise as the mediator...

This Kokurano person is attending is saying something redundant using misleading words to convince the girl he is predicting the future (idiot...anyone who isn't dying can continue to live 😒).

This is more less furthering progressing Yugi to be the mediator when his friends are arguing or making noise...

 

This is after how Kokurano claims to predict the future explanation that he isn't a fortune teller despite the methods in existence such as feng shui, palmistry, astrology and chi reading are methods of the past, it's that he is a psychic with premonition powers (chunnibyou case 😒, the difference is sometimes he is well aware he is pretending to have powers and sometimes he thinks he actually have powers, popularity got to his head to a point that sometimes he believes in his own lie), on the panels ensemble on the left, the panel of Yugi on right, his expressions tells he has been suspecting of something for awhile, then Anzu proceeds to her turn, now he is holding Anzu's hand, remember the girl he attended before Anzu, he wasn't holding the girl hand, but Anzu he did, as you can see he doesn't just holds Anzu, he fondles her hand (yeah, "other intentions"), yeah, I would say for a psychic who said didn't used palmistry and is fondling someone's hand, usually is just looking at the palm of the hand also premonition doesn't come by fondling someone's hands - it's unprofessional, you can easily see that he is using this "fortune told" on Anzu as excuse to fondle her hand, yeah, this can be and is inappropriate as and certainly is sexual harrasment, Yugi quickly was able to tell Kokurano's other intentions...

On the panel ensemble on right, we pretty much have the confirmation that was indeed the case...from his thoughts and inner monologue

"Heh heh heh...Anzu Mazaki...I've admired her from afar for so long. can't believe I can touch her like this... This feels good...These attendants are starting to bore me. I'm gonna seduce her...It'll be a cinch if I use my powers..."

Despite the disgusting inner monologue, it more or less, he is an admirer...for a long time apparently, I guess counting Jounouchi pervy things and this guy, the basketball in the first chapter, we can assume Anzu is pretty popular around the boys, but is she fully aware? she isn't, I guess these "subtle" inappropriate touching made not be aware in this moment, but later she will...

Now continuing with these other details about Kokurano creep, now in the last panels he is willing to discard his attendants who are clearly his classmates and believes by "using his powers" he can make Anzu his attendant, what an idiot...chunnibyou creep case...I really hate this chapter so much because of this Kokurano character, there is a few other chapters I hate too though...ugh.

Here is "Kokurano's prediction" for Anzu:

"I see a wonderful man appear before your eyes! He's someone close to you already! You will fall so deeply in love that you will swoon before him."

He is obviously referring to himself, he seems to be planning something...as for Anzu inner monologue response to this "prediction":

"Huh...A wonderful man...I wonder if it's that voice, the man who said «let's play a game...»"

It's pretty obvious she is thinking of the man with a voice similar voice to Yugi but a very confident one...Dark Yugi, I am indirectly implying something I'll mentioned later.

When Jounouchi came to him, Kokurano said automatically that he had bad luck and Jounouchi thinks he got right, but Kokurano just skip it to "next in line", you can tell he usually discards boys and how he knew, well Jounouchi is loud and he was talking about recently he has been having bad luck on the way to school, so yes, I think Kokurano must have heard, but I don't think it was only because Jounouchi was loud...

 

This is one of the moments that shows that Yugi is in fact very smart and perceptive, Yugi had no interest in going and was suspicious of him in not just his "other intentions", in fact for awhile even before Anzu got her fortune told, but was encouraged by Kokurano while as Jounouchi was leaving starting to hold a grudge (lol).

Their exchange is interesting, specially Yugi's perception regarding super/psychic/magic powers, Kokurano hold interest on Yugi for "other reasons", he noticed Yugi had no interest, so here is Yugi's explanation about his hesitation:

"I hate to be rude, but... I'm sure psychic powers really exist, but...I get the feeling most psychics are fakes...or maybe...um..."

I find this view of him on psychics  interesting, usually when people think "psychics" are fakes usually straight out don't believe in them or claim they don't exist as fact, while Yugi is neutral by being open to the possibility of existing psychic powers, maybe because of the millennium puzzle/pendant due and "blackouts", at this time he might have started suspecting about the "other yugi", there must be some factor behind for him to be sure psychic powers exist however suspects most "psychics"are fakes...because it was put into question Kokurano "powers", Yugi replies that he saw a trick like this on tv, then Kokurano went into panic, Yugi further explains in more detail:

"Just for example, you know...! If you wrote «earthquake today» and other predictions on note cards and hid them in your clothes, that wouldn't be a real prediction..."

Yugi is more or less indirectly exposing Kokurano "psychic powers", Kokurano feeling threatened through being exposed by him...he makes his own prediction to Yugi, with him swaying around and claims:

"I can see! I can see! I see your future! Countless letters will fall from the heavens and bring disaster upon you!"

To be honest, when a "psychic" does this, to me makes less likely to be the "real deal", because it feels awkward and off, it sounds the "psychic" is sending ill wishes to someone...or when is something that someones wants to hear or misleading words...

Lastly, the way he was theatrical and specific about "countless letters" to fall on him, it seems he was planning something...or was for sometime since he started this "psychic"...(what I'm trying to say he has a thing against Yugi not just based for his powers being doubted but more because he is envious of Yugi being Anzu's childhood friend, it's pretty obvious after all that Yugi and Anzu are childhood friends).

 

On the Panel Ensemble on the Left, Jounouchi tries to cheer him up because him and Anzu are seeing him that he is looking down, when in fact Yugi is more on the contemplative mood, Anzu explains about a rumour regarding Kokurano and how he became famous:

"But I heard this rumour...Kokurano's power became famous after this one prediction came true...apparently he predicted a fire at student from class A's house, three days before it happened...luckily the student survived, but he's still in the hospital!"

Okay, I want to point out a lot of strange things I want to point out about this rumour, for starters Kokurano became famous after he made a prediction to student from Class A, by the way, that's Kokurano's class, the prediction of the fire at the student's house happened three days after his prediction, this student despite surviving and he is still in the hospital, however what happened to his parents or his siblings if has some? I think this one part was not well thought out, next is odd that the police didn't went to investigate it, because a fire just don't start at random without even investigate the cause at all, there could be a perpetrator or not (likely in these situations are) or was an accident, it just plain weird that seems there was no investigation about this fire, sequences are weird...no questioning it either about the cause...the police would immediately find Kokurano as possible main suspect because of his "prediction"...

These part of the "prediction" and "event" wasn't well thought out if it seems wasn't even investigated...sorry Takahashi-Sensei...

So Yugi claims he doesn't believe Kokurano's "prediction" for him to his inner monologue contemplative mode:

"But...I wonder what «countless letters» mean...?!"

Yugi saw more as a riddle to solve instead like a game in a way, because he is sure that Kokurano is a fake psychic, so is more about figuring out Kokurano "trick" to make his "prediction become true...you know, discovering behind the magic trick but can tell he has a bit of a bad feeling...

 

So here, Anzu told Yugi she doesn't have part-time job on this day, so she will go with him home on the way, you see Kokurano creeping around planning something😒...ugh I hate this guy 😠, Yugi finds a book on his desk, funny enough it was on his desk, it seems, this alone is already suspicious and you had to deliver it on the day..., so Yugi being a kind person and tries to see the best in others, doesn't give much thought but was surprised...

 

In the Panels Ensemble on Left, at the panel on superior right, Yugi position was in front of 3 bookshelves lines, the first line starts falling over the second line, immediately Yugi realises the meaning of "countless letters", then looks behind to confirm something not just about the sound of bookshelves crashing but also the "countless letters", then Dark Yugi speaks to himself:

"One more moment to figure out «countless letters» and I'd be dead...but now I know! Kokurano is a menace who makes his predictions come true!!"

It has been a little obvious it was Kokurano "making the predictions come true" with complete disregard to the individual safety like the fire and attempt to "kill" Yugi...
It's possible Yugi was a little suspicious of Kokurano, but Dark Yugi being someone who is more suspicious and cautious of others as someone who doesn't easily trust others, Dark Yugi must have been suspecting this for longer than Yugi, to him this was a confirmation, but not only that, he is becoming aware that Kokurano if continues, he is on the path on becoming very dangerous...

Dark Yugi quickly realising Kokurano creep motives about Anzu "meeting the wonderful man", this more or less implies Dark Yugi did saw the creep abusing his "psychic" and popularity....to fondle Anzu's hand with whom he never interacted with until this day...you could tell he had pervy intentions...
Then the lower panels we see, Kokurano creeply sneaking with a Chloroform, despite it's common use to leave a person unconscious in media cliché, I will go in further detail, in the next key point...
Here is Anzu waiting while finding strange as why Yugi is taking so long, Yugi was here awhile ago in this classroom then did go put the book he found in the library...

 

This exchange despite being with Kokurano creep, but Anzu reactions are interesting in this moment about the "wonderful man", he says the "wonderful man" won't come and an "even more wonderful man" will appear, her immediate reaction is, she turns away and says:

"What do you mean, Yugi won't come! (turns away) That can't be true."

So for her the "wonderful man" for her she thinks is between Yugi and her mysterious rescuer (Dark Yugi), it shows due the mysterious rescuer as she remarked in her inner monologue that her mysterious rescuer has similar voice to Yugi, as I pointed out and later, her crush on Dark Yugi is mixed with her idealisation of Yugi/confident Yugi and being really attracted to Dark Yugi.

Then the creep uses chloroform to put Anzu unconscious...

The media tends to be inaccurate (like the middle ages when comes to medieval clothes and literacy which makes to create misconceptions in a lot of subjects) in a lot of things, this is one of these examples, just so you know, the compound he uses in rag is actually mostly not executable because it would take 5 minutes to work, even more holding the victim, because 5 minutes is more than enough for someone to wrestle and get away, also this compound can be lethal, the criminal use is not often used, but if used is not through this method...now as to what he was going to do after this...for sure is nothing good 😠.

 

Panels Ensemble on Left, so before getting to the main topic of this key point, the game was about removing the sheets of paper under the bottle of chloroform without touching the bottle by each of their turn, so as the turns came along, it came to a point where these panels are after one of Dark Yugi's turns, the bottle is at the edge of the desk, then Dark Yugi incites Kokurano to prove he is a psychic by levitating/telekinesis, then Kokurano being swayed by Dark Yugi's provocation in proving himself, he tries it.

Panels Ensembles from Left to Right, we know Kokurano is a fake, to an extent he knows he is fake, but as you have seen from his lines saying his prediction will come true and are infallible, besides making his own predictions and "cheating", he came to believe in his own lie, as we see specially with Kokurano trying to levitate the bottle with his "mind"/imagination...further on...

 

We can confirm he is also a chunnibiyou case...at the same time, because of the popularity he got by pretending to be psychic by making his own predictions and using misleading words, it got to his head in believing his own lie while trying to deny the truth that he is a fake psychic when he asked Dark Yugi to look at the bottle floating in the air, when the bottle is still clearly sitting in the desk that Dark Yugi pointed out that was his own imagination, yet he kept denying and denying to a point that he pushed the sheet of papel and the bottle fallen to him...then he lost consciousness, idiot, he could admit his loss and he was fake, but nope, just so you know, chloroform can be quite lethal even to kill... and cause of other diseases like cancer, heart attack...

So here some interesting lines from Dark Yugi (it will be kinda big):

"In their own imagination, anyone can be psychic...It takes courage to recognize when you've been pushed to your limit, but...In the end, you didn't have that courage! Well, well...look at all the predictions in your cloak...You probably won't wake up until tomorrow. By that time, everyone in school will know the truth about your psychic powers, I doubt you'll remain popular after that. heh heh..."

Dark Yugi did say some wise things that rings with truth, but the way he expresses his wisdom shows Dark Yugi is actually more mature, I guess I said something similar above by being descriptive and analytical, the most interesting parts besides my own agreement with his wisdom, I found amusing Dark Yugi's reaction with the confirmation Yugi was right all along when Yugi indirectly exposed Kokurano, the other interesting about these lines is that Dark Yugi saw through Kokurano motivation in pretending to be a psychic in order to be popular...even though Kokurano didn't say anything about it, Dark Yugi is very good at reading people and he was watching the whole thing unfold, possibly knows about Yugi's surroundings that Yugi himself is not aware, probably.

Next tidbit detail wise, Yugi figuring out Kokurano paper notes tricks, "fondling Anzu hand", noticing in time about "countless letters", Dark Yugi figure out Kokurano's aiming for Anzu, using what was around for the game and his motive pretending to be psyhic, it shows that even indirectly and subconsciously, Yugi and Dark Yugi were working together as a team, the differences are where their strengths lies and that Dark Yugi is aware of their teamwork but Yugi isn't, for a long time Yugi isn't aware.

What a cheesy thing to say, Dark Yugi 😩, I do agree she is good-looking, to be honest, by this time early on, Dark Yugi himself thought he was really "the other yugi" and felt as Yugi did for Anzu,probably then came to a point that himself started to suspecting and realising he wasn't "other yugi", I think suspicions started much earlier than we think...


Chapter 6: Into The Fire

 

So here is the school festival classic manga/anime trope, since is pretty much an annual event in most japanese schools, included nursery schools and universities, one of it's main intents is that it works like a "open day event" so people who are interested and families go to see how the school is like, showcase of artistic achievements, it's pretty much a collective effort.

Into the details, of the set here we get to know Anzu is the class rep, also apparently apparently one of the school committee members for the school festival, it shows that she is a responsible and smart girl as it been implying, so this is the suggestions part, most of them is the common we see in mangas and anime, then Jounouchi...says something like a "high school girl cabaret" ridiculous idea, Jounouchi, kids will visit the school, stay family-friendly, idiot, of course, then the girls in the class throw him school utensils and books, you will never get popular or taken seriously at this rate 😒.

In this panels ensemble I chosen this one because of Hanasaki, since after a certain time, Death-T specifically he didn't ever appeared again, I like his little character development in the manga series, too bad Takahashi-sensei didn't touch on this character again, I like his character not just his development.

These exchanges, you can tell the class is pretty excited about it from the constant suggestion all at once....(I think I would be one of those people that wouldn't get excited about this), but here is as Anzu being fair person most of the time, she asks suggestion from Hanasaki after she wrote her other classmates suggestions, Hanasaki suggests gag manga, despite the most class reaction as not well received idea, honestly is not a bad idea, at least is more open to creativity, Anzu being a sensible girl most of the time she puts his suggestion anyway :).

As for Hanasaki, you can tell that besides Yugi being more of a game nerd, Hanasaki is the "comic/manga" nerd, personality wise he is a social awkward and shy (I relate to that, when you quickly kill the mood if you say something unusual), I'm sorry for your pain being mostly surrounded by normies, making it hard to find someone you can relate at least a little 😢.

 

This is one of the instances, or could be said when it hints that Yugi besides being very smart, he is also very creative, his suggestion is Carnival games, the kind of games you see on festivals, it's not only the best idea but also the kind got everyone excited, I think Anzu being Yugi's childhood friend and favour the nerds a little like this case (because they would get the unusual and creative ideas), I would say Anzu suspected Yugi would come up with something good with him being quite creative and would probably choose games, which would probably interest everyone as you see their reactions, because I can guess what were in their minds, from "you mean like those games you see on festivals?" to "this could work" to "it sounds fun and interesting", 😆, yeah I think is very amusing this part, then the class...ABOARD THE HYPE TRAIN, more or less, 😆.

 

This when the conflict of this chapter appears, Goro Inogashira, Senior Class D, for him to say "each year", and being a senior class D, we can quickly assume this class and "class D rep" are third years, I say this way because Yugi and his class are first years, 2nd years could be very well be considered upperclassmen to first years, so that's why I wanted to emphasise this Goro and his class from their claims about "each year" being their "space" as them being third years...Goro looks kinda silly wearing such a long school jacket 😄.
Besides them being third years and claim they do Okonomiyaki each year. so by their first two years, but there is something odd, according to Anzu, usually is decided through lottery, Yugi's class won this place through lottery, so the draws on the lottery is based on luck, I don't think this 3rd year class D won twice on the lottery for this space, they may have got it the first time, but the 2nd year did it by force like they are attempting to do here...
Anzu proves once again that most of the time she can stand up for herself, Yugi who still has low self-esteem senses danger like a "prey", yeah, when I think about it, most people who have been threats to Yugi saw him as "easy target" and "prey" due to his reclusive and timid demeanour, also taking to account he is a pacifist who hates fighting, more specifically violence, so I find these kind moments to take notice, but next few key points prove something similar while is something else that is very characteristic of him.

As much I hate to point it out, Jounouchi being helplessly stuck conveniently on the barrel of the bluebeard pirate game, this is plot convenience, it implies not only Jounouchi could beat this guy with no problems in a fight, probably effortlessly, as a way to be Dark Yugi to solve the problem later...it could have been a cool opportunity for this character to shine before the big character development in a few chapter around volume 2, so I feel kinda sorry for him in this scene and other previous moments (ex: burger world, the director, etc).

 

Once again Yugi makes the selfless act of trying to protect his class hard work by being "human shield", because what the 3rd years are using is more or less a huge grill brigade that looks more like a huge iron plate and using like a battering ram for stomping Yugi and his class work, there is hard work, which I must say is very mean and just plain bad and act as if they own the place with authority,  I wonder what the teachers and the principal and director were doing...plot convenience to create conflict.

This chapter in particular, does have a lot, the previous had one, while other previous chapters there wasn't as much, I guess it would make this chapter longer if they put teachers and the principal...I mean aren't they seeing a third year class making this ruckus...now as for the other students. well the usual "I didn't see anything" pretence.

 

As we see in the previous key point Yugi was knockout by the "iron plate" grill brigade, so he is in the infirmary, the school such the teachers and principal still did nothing about these third years, for real? plot convenience, this chapter has lots of it, or the school really neglects their students 😑.

Anzu as any person would cry over hard work being stomped or being destroyed (the hard work on the panels of the first volumes I lost, yeah I cried, I have to re-do them all over again, I'm still salty about it), so I understand it, it was something she was looking forward too.

Yugi is more or less actually very perceptive of people's emotions and feelings to realising rather quickly she was crying even though she wasn't showing from the front, also Yugi slowly gaining confidence that even after being knockout that he still intends to retrieve back their space because technically belonged to them in this festival which they won fair and square not by force and violence.

Next up,it's the moment Dark Yugi takes over, you see when it "hits" is usually after Yugi take the blow or gets in danger or like this moment when Yugi sees their friends upset or in trouble, it's amusing Dark Yugi took the chance when Anzu  had her back turned, here is the mysterious part of Dark Yugi, he acts always on behind the scenes when Yugi's friends  aren't looking, Dark Yugi was possibly concerned about what they would think of "the other yugi", later we find out Yugi shares the same concern, but during this time Yugi isn't aware yet of "the other yugi", it's later, what means Dark Yugi during this time having this concern? that could be that deep down, Dark Yugi is aware that he isn't "other yugi" but he is his own individual but that would raise questions he wants to avoid...

 

Goro came to school and said:

"So you're the Yugi who called me out! You've got some guts! So...What did you want to say about the festival?!"

I quote him because when you think about it like Ushio, Goro was also called out, the question is how Dark Yugi calls someone? with a letter at their house? calling to his house? then how he would get his house number?(at this time cellphone wasn't common or easily accessible)

This is at night...could it be Dark Yugi the method he used was leaving a note in Goro's shoes locker... , also the first person to not notice the difference in behaviour, I mean Director-san saw Yugi once and could tell the difference when Dark Yugi took over...this guy didn't apparently, he must do this every year the "iron plate" thing and go with it whatever not caring who he stomps on, rude! 

The next part to mention is how Dark Yugi states:

"You have trespassed in the souls of each member of my class!"

This is curious, sometimes he will say lines like these for quite sometime even after Death-T, he makes it sound when someone throws stones and causes ripples in the water, while the stone drowns deeper that reaches the depths...I think is in this sense, that Goro caused ripples that reached Dark Yugi, which implies that he hears and watches quietly but if causes disturbances in Yugi and his surroundings, his sense of justice and responsibility in protecting his host won't allow go unpunished.

Goro was knock out after the challenge because the game was table ice hockey with a sort a chemical inside the "hockey ball" that could explode like a soda if you agitate too much in a bottle, so Dark Yugi make it explode closer to Goro, he just left the guy unconscious but here his last line after getting back Yugi's class space...

"Just remember this! Those who trespass in others' souls...will always get burned in the end!"

He is speaking more from his sense of justice than actual truth because in this mortal world, "justice" isn't always well practised or most of time isn't, it's a double-edged sword...



Chapter 7 - The Face of Truth

 

The last chapter for this post, Jounouchi with Honda comes to Yugi in order to ask for advice to help Honda, I'll say that I find a bit strange Honda behaviour with Yugi of not finding him trustworthy to help him, because Yugi tried to protect them from Ushio, it's true Honda was unconscious but I'm sure Jounouchi told him about what Yugi tried for them, there is the school festival when Yugi tried to protect their class's spot, unless deep down he feels guilty and thinks Yugi would take advantage of a personal weakness of Honda, there is no way Yugi is like that and as Jounouchi assures that he can trust Yugi and that Yugi wouldn't, Yugi is no blabbermouth as Honda is worried about...

Going into the quotes that are important, Yugi's inner monologue when he is going to help Jounouchi's friend, Honda (now is more Yugi helping a friend of friend, in Burger World chapter was Anzu and Jounouchi into becoming friends, here is Honda and Yugi):

"Honda always makes me carry his stuff and buy dirty magazines for him...I don't really like him that much..."

Hey Yugi aren't you kinda pervy yourself, :p, now in all seriousness, Honda making Yugi carry his stuff that's plain bullying...the more curious part is Honda asking Yugi to buy Honda's dirty magazines, it's part of bullying however is more commonly practice with younger kids/younger studentds or when older brothers ask their younger ones to buy their magazines, but here is the thing Yugi and Honda are about the same age, but since Yugi looks like a child because of his child-like face and height of a elementary schooler and other reason, which will be discussed much later...

Honda suspecting and not trusting Yugi says to Jounouchi:

"Just you try asking Yugi! You know he's gonna tell everyone! He's got a grudge against me!"

Honda in whatever he asked Jounouchi's help doesn't trust Yugi and thinks will tell everyone based on the fact he got a grudge against him....he is way more off the mark, Yugi didn't ever saw them as bullies, at least not in a literal sense, Yugi probably thought that they just like to mess around with him so he doesn't hold a grudge, he just doesn't like how Honda treats him, Yugi is not a spiteful and he doesn't hold a grudge.

I do find strange as to why he doesn't trust Yugi from his actions in chapter 1 because I'm pretty sure Jounouchi told Honda, also Yugi tried to protect their class's spot in the school festival, he thinks Yugi is blabbermouth...c'mon Honda, Yugi isn't Jounouchi (when comes to friends, Jounouchi isn't a blabbermouth)...also as for the grudge...Honda...if he really had grudge against you he wouldn't be so fiercely against Ushio beat you up (when he was still a little conscious) and Jounouchi up, c'mon Yugi is way too soft hearted to hold a grudge which is obvious from the beginning...

To me is more is that deep down Honda knows but doesn't want to admit it yet, but he has been and still is a bit of a jerk on how he treats Yugi and feels low-key guilty and another thing and other (that deep down Honda is actually a sensitive guy).

 

So Jounouchi asks Yugi to not tell anyone the subject they're going to reveal to keep it a secret...

Honda has a big crush on Miho Nosaka from their class who is shy and is the student librarian and nickname is "Ribbon" given by her friends because she is always wearing a ribbon, from the sound of it she is slightly popular.

Now with some reactions observations because quoting won't be necessary for this panels ensemble, when Jounouchi revealed to Yugi, the sequence is pretty amusing, Honda feeling very embarrassed (remember I pointed out that deep down he is rather quite sensitive, but you know...toxic masculinity and more... I will approach in Death-T arc), Yugi didn't have much of a reaction other than the "...", which to say it wasn't a big deal, he wasn't surprised or anything but on tone "oh I see", Yugi himself has a huge crush on Anzu, so gets where it comes from...yet Honda wrongly presumed Yugi laughed, when is obvious he didn't, Honda is just embarrassed that someone else other than Jounouchi knows he has a crush...that's Honda, who gets easily embarrassed by cringy and corny, anything that feels and looks embarrassing 😐.

Besides Jounouchi's description of Miho, the girl Honda is crushing on, sounds as if she is fairly popular, however the added information from Yugi saying "that's why her friends call her «ribbon»!", this kind of info is not just by figuring out but getting confirmation from the source, so kind of implies Yugi knows Miho friends, it's possible Anzu is one of Miho's friends, this indicates that if we look through the chapters 1 to most recent, we can see overall even though Yugi isn't aware, he actually gets along with his class just not to the point of considering each others as friends, but as classmates, while at this time Yugi sees only Anzu and Jounouchi as friends.

 

Their idea was to go to Kame Game shop, Yugi's grandpa game store for some inspiration to help Honda express his feelings and since Sugoroku's store has and is known for having unusual games not just your average tabletop, board games and playing cards, it's pretty diverse like the "sound pierrot" in chapter 3.

The tidbit here about Yugi's grandmother, for Yugi currenly living only with his grandfather from the father side apparently and mother, we haven't his father anywhere not in the future, but as I later mentioned around DDM arc, in a interview, Yugi's father works overseas, and we know nothing of his grandparents from the mother side, while this moment and from Yugi's home environment we don't see his grandmother, Sugoroku's wife, so it implies she passed away and confirmed later that's the case in the aftermath of Duelist Kingdom, so Sugoroku tells his grandson was how he got together with Yugi's grandmother of what he was about to show to Yugi,,,Yugi got curious...

It's a Blank Puzzle, in these you can write a message and draw and colour it, Yugi's grandpa suggestion to Honda was him writing a message in the blank puzzle as a romantic way to express his feelings...

Yugi and Jounouchi expression are pretty amusing, Jounouchi being usually rather insensitive, he laughs it off, Yugi who is sensitive and just feels awkward of not sure is a good idea or not, as for Honda...he accepts it and further into it...

 

Honda loves the idea and considers himself a romantic, like I said he is pretty sensitive and gets easily embarrassed, he is also quite awkward and he buys it, once again the reactions of Honda pretty content with the idea and buying the blank puzzle is very amusing to be very nervous, Sugoroku happy for having sold a game, Yugi is surprised to see that Honda is actually a romantic while Jounouchi is just embarrassed and awkward for Honda being a romantic, in summary for them was unexpected...

Honda being sensitive, easily gets embarrassed and very awkward boy, asks Yugi to write a message for him then send the puzzle to the girl he is crushing on to the point gets super nervous and embarrassed by the idea of writing a love letter, asks Yugi to write for him, put Yugi's hand to his chest, claiming it shouldn't be hard to describe his emotions from how his heart beats...the words Honda says, he could write himself...and asks Yugi to send to Miho...Honda could give himself, I mean he was the one who did go with the idea...while Yugi asks why him, my speculation would be is that Yugi is clearly sensitive and creative but here is the thing, he is not creative with words but on the "inventing" side and relates with his interests such games...

 

This is more less after the reader knowing she has the habit of expelling students, one of co-workers asked how did go her Omiai (formal Japanese "date" to find a marriage partner), then sometime later we see her true sadistic nature, yes, she is sadistic, as you can see her face is actually twisted as to show her that those "good looks" is make-up with the intent to mask her true nature, to make it easier for her to trample indirectly or in another way, as it reveals in her monologue to inner monologue...

Monologue: "I can't stand that bald idiot! How dare he ask me about that! He had to remind me! That stupid-!"

Inner Monologue: "That worm! I was going to turn him down anyway...Dating is my greatest pleasure! It's my hobby to trample the hearts of the drips in the world!"

Here is, I can have a guess in how she does this, probably meeting the guy, acts nice, bit by bit turns him down out of enjoyment and she be the one to turn the guy down, from the way she expresses in her monologue, it sounds that her recent omiai, it was the guy who turned her down not the other way around...but to her inner monologue is her hobby to break hearts, it says a lot...but her sadistic method in trampling in the hearts of others is more indirect and hidden through dating...but she also has a direct approach, expelling students is a hint...as we see in the panels ensemble on the right she is going to blow off steam...where to I wonder...

 

This is after their teacher, Ms. Chono announces is inspection time as if it's official from school thing when it isn't a day of inspection but "surprise inspection" like "surprise tests" I presume, but abusing her power as a teacher, Yugi, Jounouchi and Honda get nervous, specially Honda to depressed...even more Miho finding it, going into Ms.Chono inner monologue:

"Oho ho ho...This feels sooo good! One word from me and look...the students are terrified! I can just see the guilt eating away at them! Despite that, they act all sexy out of class! The little brats! If their parents only knew...Let's see what you have! Cigarettes? Lipstick? Condoms?"

But you can see she loves to feel power over others out of enjoyment to feed her ego, her sadistic nature doesn't stop here with a more direct approach...

 

As we see the way she rips the wrapping paper, there is a difference when it means to hurt, to be delicate or of excitement, here is clearly meant to hurt, she proceeds to humiliate the student was responsible, for now is anonymous whoever wrote it or delivered it, when the message is being read alound,  you can see Yugi is embarrassed and scared, Jounouchi feeling extremely awkward, Honda anxiety and awkwardness increases, she is not only sadist but also quite malicious, you can tell she builds it up so the humiliation and her bullying continues for enjoyment, I say this, because she could just inspect and confiscate it and leave in the teachers room until known who is it and then call the student in question to the teachers room, that's the normal procedure, not downright humiliate them and bullying in front of the class, "the wicked witch of expel", she is a wicked b*tch.

 

Their teacher was closer to reveal who is the responsible for the gift, Yugi did wrote Honda's name, so to prevent from Ms. Chono reveal being Honda, Yugi confesses he was the one who wrote it, Honda finally sees it, Yugi is quite loyal and also the pinning moment from here on out Honda considers Yugi a friend he can trust and rely on, then comes Jounouchi confessing that himself put in the desk, even though the whole class is laughing, but in effort to protect Honda, Honda moved by their gesture, Honda instead goes forward as the one responsible for his friends not to be expelled...
It takes a lot of courage to step up to confess in front of a class for the sake of each other and the teacher who is humiliating to satisfy her sadistic nature whoever is responsible for the gift in her desk continues.

 

Honda preparing himself to be expelled, Yugi very concerned for Honda, the curious part comes when Dark Yugi quietly and smoothly takes over, it's like the class slows down a little, don't forget despite the millennium items is used for illusions mostly, they are still magical artefacts, I think Dark Yugi slows down the time and environment on purpose, so that no one notices Dark Yugi taking over Yugi's body, we see Dark Yugi consciously hiding himself from others, including Yugi, he is even trying to make Yugi not noticing...the questions why he does it? could it be he was worried and hold some fear that if Yugi and his friends was aware they would be scared of him? Yugi would be wary for Dark Yugi to be able to protect his host, he is more or less acting as spirit guardian, it's possible that what Dark Yugi thinks of himself initially instead of "other yugi"? Maybe this is a slow process from after being through a "reset", at first Dark Yugi may have thought he was "other yugi", but as he spent more time and did more behind the scenes, that he might think he could be a spirit guardian of some sort like the millennium puzzle and act as one...?

So I have always find this scene to until Dark Yugi goes back to his millennium puzzle.

 

This is after she completed the "message puzzle" and about to reveal the responsible, going into Dark Yugi inner monologue:

"Ms. Chono! I've removed the makeup of your soul! That is your true face! No matter how much makeup you pile up, you can't cover your ugly nature!"

Even though I didn't show the panels "during" the process in turning the puzzle game she was doing into shadow game, but because I knew this post would get this big, I had to make sacrifices, so I will summarise one of Dark Yugi inner monologue before this one, it bases on the fact that gift to Miho was an effort between friends in other to deliver the feelings of one his friends to the girl he had a crush on, feelings of liking or crush on someone isn't easy to express so they keep it secret like many people have their own secrets in their hearts towards someone even themselves and the teacher humiliate those secrets without their consent and hurting for her own enjoyment, I think when he had this inner monologue it concerned him and is a touchy subject for him for how he helps them behind the scenes and quietly like this time in secret.

From what can be observed in the drawings of the panels ensembles, Dark Yugi used the millennium to remove her makeup, even though his inner monologue he thinks metaphorically to describe the "shadow game"x"penalty game" at the same time, the interesting part is that there is something that differs in this shadow game from the others, he didn't challenge her, he just quietly turned into a shadow game and given her "penalty game" at the same time since it was conditioned with time before she could revealed the name of the responsible she was about to expel, my guess he couldn't stand her sadistic and malicious ways and prevent Yugi and his friends involved from being expelled.

Can this be enough or fair for this teacher, I guess, yes it is fair with the circumstances, because after her makeup was removed, her students commented, kinda rudely about her face, but fair enough with what she was doing, he exposed how her real face looked, it's very different from the makeup...her reaction is kinda anger, surprised and panicked "shoot, my makeup is gone and how that happened"...

Based on what she says:

"Aaagh! This class never happened! You reveal my secret and I'll get you!! I'll be back!I won't forget this!"

We can conclude that she used makeup for a very long time, since when? From how cynical and hypocritical she sounds behind the smile hiding her sadistic and malicious nature, I bet since High School if she has such a huge complex about her face, she must have been trying to hide for a long time or is because when she uses makeup that changes her face so much that her real face is very different, I say this because I don't think her face is ugly and not pretty either, it was what we call average, for her to have such a complex but has natural face that's doesn't look approachable, the problem is that her "makeup face" is very different from her "natural face", also she has a slender body, from what I can tell she has a huge complex, also I think most of the students in the class were shocked and creeped out of how different is her real face is without makeup...Jounouchi thinks this much but just relieved they weren't expelled, while Yugi was wondering "what happened? is class over" because he just had a blackout, it shows he isn't still aware, despite he was just took over by Dark Yugi, the same happened in Burger World, it will take time...it's a certain character who will bring it up...

In the last panels ensemble, Honda gathered the courage to ask her out and was rejected, which from the sound of the first panel was quite a blow for him, Yugi, Jounouchi and Honda left school, Honda was crying saying his friends names, as I have said, Honda is very sensitive person, doesn't look like it...while Jounouchi trying to cheer him up that he'll buy burger for them, Yugi accompanying him worried about Honda, it ends interestingly with Yugi as narrator, the last panel "narration":

"But something changed between us three after that..."

With the way both of them were willing to risk being expelled from school for the sake of each others, they didn't just became friends, they became comrades.

See Ya Next Post!