Hellos!
I'm finally being able to speed up my progress on this project update old posts and bring new analysis to the early volumes, my intent is 2 posts per month, so I can be finished by July or August with Dark Side of Dimensions and it's prologue one shot.
I hope it will be this speed, which I think is the most realistic speed I can go with...
So stay safe and be careful because COVID-19 is still around!
Getting to the Plot Summary, since is the last post of Shadi's Arc.
Plot Summary:
The challenge was set and the time came for Dark Yugi at the roof of Domino University (yes, Domino as city has an university and museum, a fictional city, though), when he arrived, Shadi had everything prepared, the base rules are more or less this shadow game has 3 challenges with Anzu's life standing on plank hold through 4 ropes in hostage by 5 Ushebti statues, 4 of them are of Dark Yugi if broke weakens the hold of rope or lose all of it...and 1 of them is of Shadi and is tied to the millennium key, if Shadi's Ushebti breaks, the millennium key frees Anzu as puppet...
The 3 challenges are all in form of illusions, the first is zombie-like monsters crawling to Dark Yugi as he tries to solve the riddle given by Shadi, the 2nd challenge is Ammit holding Dark Yugi's arms where floor plaques in front of him to reflect Ammit as mirror, the first 2 challenges Dark Yugi solves it splendidly, the 3rd challenge proves to be difficult to test Dark Yugi's ruthlessness or strength of will, an illusion forms Jounouchi but how "Jounouchi" was before becoming friends with Yugi, to shake Dark Yugi's and Yugi's confidence and strength of will...which proves to be very challenging.
While Dark Yugi is facing these challenges, Jounouchi is busy to defend himself without harming too much P!Yoshimori, to a point he almost fell from the window but thanks to his excellent athletic abilities, he somehow pulls it off by holding himself to the outer wall of building as he tries to get away from the P!Yoshimori and seeing Anzu on plank in serious danger, so he tries to climb up in attempt to rescue her.
As it moves along between Jounouchi trying to reach the plank climbing up, as the only rope was holding the plank, while "Jounouchi" illusion disappears as Dark Yugi firmly believing in "Jounouchi" illusion even as an illusion, that illusion starts to disappear with his faith in Jounouchi, Shadi's Ushebti starts to weaken and the only rope holding the plank starts losing strength, the real Jounouchi on time holds the plank for as long he can while P!Yoshimori still following him, then Shadi's Ushebti breaks and millennium key slides to Anzu's hand, reverting her to normal, then Dark Yugi immediately comes to help in rescue Anzu and asks Jounouchi to pick the millennium key to touch P!Yoshimori so he can revert back to normal, somehow everyone gets safe and sound and Sugoroku already awoke catched up to them, Dark Yugi see and face Shadi, Shadi leaves the roof with parting words and giving clues to Dark Yugi...
Anzu and Jounouchi exchange whispering that they were under the impression that the "Yugi" wasn't Yugi...in order to confirm they approach "Yugi" as Dark Yugi to confirm, for a little bit was Dark Yugi when was about to turn around , when "Yugi" turns around completely, it was the Yugi who was taking over and not Dark Yugi and they start wondering if they kinda went crazy, all happy for all of them to be safe and sound as the millennium Key falls and goes back to it's owner...Shadi as he leaves the place.
Key Points:
About this scene in general, I'll say it, as "ruthless" as it sounds from Shadi, however to me is more reckless and irresponsible, because he could use illusion, one is the real Anzu and the other is an illusion, I think it would be more effective and soundly responsible...honestly he did some unnecessary set ups.
Dark Yugi here sounds more concern based on feeling responsible for her life, after all she is a childhood friend and crush of his "host" that he acts as spirit guardian, as friend and possibly thinking maybe crush on her because his "host" has a crush on her...because the romantic part at this time for me is always to I'm not sure if is the case or not, there are times seems more as friend and other times more influence of Yugi's romantic feelings for Anzu, even Yugi sometimes feels what Dark Yugi/Atem is feeling and vice-versa for being two different spirits/individuals sharing the same body.
If You Wish to Continue Reading, click "Read More" below:
"I don't know how you got your hands of the millennium puzzle...let alone how you manage to complete the puzzle that no one has been able to solve for 3000 years. You seem to think it is a coincidence...but that is wrong...the millennium puzzle chose you! After waiting over 3000 years...My bloodline too...has been chosen to wield the power of the millennium items."
What he is saying are hints and intel mixed in, however because there is mention about questioning how "he" got the puzzle and manage to solve it, this isn't really to Dark Yugi but to Yugi, he may want to test Dark Yugi but this is also a test to Yugi in making aware consciously of the existence of Dark Yugi and as "host" of the pharaoh soul, then comes Shadi mentioning himself that he and his bloodline has been "waiting" over 3000 years is to Dark Yugi, the nameless pharaoh they have been waiting, I think these are hints in how Takahashi-sensei wanted to develop, so there is a mix in between Yugi and Dark Yugi to whom he is addressing.
Here I'm going to touch on the consistency of the plot, here shows for the most part as consistent, but not 100%, there is some irregularities such like Shadi mention in how he got hands on millennium puzzle, I say this for multiple reasons:
- -for starters, it seems he didn't do a good job protecting Pharaoh Atem's tomb (the only place that it reveals his name behind the Altar of the millennium puzzle box) or not knowing that someone already took it...you know...Sugoroku Mutou;
- -Also mentioning the Tragedy of the Family Ishtar in what he said to the Ishtar siblings, the "inconvenient lies" he told to them about the tragedy they went through would imply that by that time he would have known;
- -But seems to be mostly not the case, because how could be the "will of pharaoh" if he was in pieces still with Yugi trying to solve the puzzle...?
There is many elements he should have known and yet seems not to know...or kinda knew and here is just kinda provoking...? He should have known at least someone already took the millennium puzzle and didn't go investigate it who did? He is kinda covering for his own incompetence in guarding the Pharaoh Atem's tomb by killing/ "punish" those who defiled the pharaoh tombs? (I'm also being sarcastic here 😒).
From Panels Ensemble on Right, It's rare to see Dark Yugi this nervous and in a rush, understandable, he is trying to look calm but not doing very good job in hiding it, this is when he should use and needs his "poker face" the most...still understandable, I think the few times we see him this actually nervous is against the criminal fugitive (he did better at hiding his anxiousness but he did sweat a little), the karaoke guy, in this moment against Shadi, against Kaiba, around Pegasus, against Pegasus, searching Jounouchi and B!Jounouchi in Battle City, against Yami Bakura in Battle City Arc and Memory World Arc.
Here we see Shadi is clearly provoking saying that he doesn't have to be afraid...
"Somewhere in your heart, you are afraid of that power. You fear the unknown power of the millennium puzzle!"
Then Dark Yugi gets nervous again, this is more doubts of his own mind, it's possible that Dark Yugi is subconsciously afraid of the truth of the millennium puzzle and the millennium items regarding his memories or lost memories possibly being there, however this is not the only reason to his fear he is currently feeling, the other reason relates to his fear of losing which brings up later and is noticeable in Death-T, Duelist Kingdom against Kaiba and against Mai and Pegasus, however this is the first time he is experiencing which relates to the power of the millennium puzzle and his fear of losing, for the time being and for quite some time Dark Yugi isn't fully aware of sources and reasons of his fear that he sometimes he feels...his Ushebti statue starting to crack.
From Panels Ensemble on Right, what Shadi says here is very meaningful even to the plot itself:
"Yugi...didn't you realize the game has already started...? The girl is standing on the bridge of life! It's supported by four ropes attached to four Ushebti. The Ushebti were buried to serve the pharaohs - their name means «those who answer». but these Ushebti are the reflection of your heart!"
Takahashi-sensei is quite sneaky and so is this character he wrote, starting with how Shadi sneakily started the game, his chatter about his fear and the millennium items was the "provocation", next up is this small trivia fact about the Ushebti, it's current name is apparently Ushabti, according to wikipedia, I will add a few more facts that relates to the plot about these statues, these statues were used for funerary practices, from commoners, administrative workers, government officials to royalty, pharaohs in particular had the most of these statues and were the most ornamented, these trivias just now is from wikipedia.
Comparing the wikipedia with what Shadi is saying, remember this manga and this chapter and arc in general was around between '96 and '97, wikipedia didn't existed yet, few people had internet, this trivia is accurate, Takahashi-sensei must have researched a lot on this through books, to get such refined detail about Egyptology.
The Ushebti statues Shadi is using are very ornamented, if we look at the previous post in one of the panels, to make it easier click in this link for the picture for better view...there were Ushebti statues less ornamented than the ones Shadi is using, which are very decorative with inscriptions and decorative drawings, the fact that even these statues were "buried" (funerary practice") served pharaohs and that they are the reflection of Dark Yugi's heart, Shadi was heavily emphasizing and implying with clues through trivia knowledge regarding Egyptology of these statues that Dark Yugi is a deceased pharaoh soul, he was directly addressing to Dark Yugi this time, stronger indications that Shadi during this game already knew who Dark Yugi was while aware Dark Yugi doesn't know and neither Yugi, this test is not for Dark Yugi alone.
I still think the way Shadi is doing is reckless and irresponsible.
The scene in this Panels Ensemble is pretty funny even how Jounouchi is interacting P!Yoshimori as well it conveys that somehow despite Yoshimori being "redecorated" as puppet, his core is somewhat there like when Jounouchi said "stop!! red light!! time out! pause the game!", the P!Yoshimori stopped for a moment, even Jounouchi was surprised (it's funny too 😄), then Jounouchi claims says he won't run away and fight him like men plus fair and square and P!Yoshimori follows him, then we see him pick up the extinguisher close by...to spray on him, which still doesn't work, that makes Jounouchi almost fall from the window...
In this Panels Ensemble, this challenge is Dark Yugi facing the "bully" Jounouchi from the past...as Shadi reveals to Dark Yugi:
I find interesting that despite Dark Yugi is mostly sure that the "past"Jounouchi is an illusion, he considers the chance that Jounouchi might be a "puppet" too, I would say is almost impossible, first what about P!Yoshimori? the "real" Jounouchi is already busy handling P!Yoshimori, it's kinda impossible.
We see once again, Jounouchi's impressive athletic abilities, these Panels Ensemble on the Left is right after Jounouchi was thrown out the window, he was able to pull off somehow at the edge of the window (his position is funny but makes sense from physics and logical standpoint, still funny though 😄), then he notices Anzu, well it's difficult not to notice anyway, it shows that either side is struggling, Jounouchi will have it more difficult, here may look of somehow to be able to save his life and maybe escape from the P!Yoshimori...is it really?
With the 3RD Panels Ensemble, that even after is side walking on walls, surprisingly P!Yoshimori is still following Jounouchi, I wonder if the P!Yoshimori knew Jounouchi was still alive? It makes me wonder, because supposedly it couldn't be "redecorated" to confirm if it was alive, right? It might relate to the millennium key being a powerful artefact that the "puppet" can sense if their "target" is alive or not? that's the only explanation I can think of.
It's after he cleared the first two challenges, Shadi praises Dark Yugi's progress for holding up so far but he is confident that his next challenge will shake all Dark Yugi's Ushebti...
Dark Yugi is still nervous (I mean he is sweating) while trying to keep himself calm by assessing the situation and focused at the task at hand while kinda getting irritated that Shadi seems to know his weak points and difficult to gauge him in weakness since he still behaves very confidently (it's more conceitedness and pride in my eyes 😛), so he can save Anzu from the "redecoration".
While Dark Yugi wondering if Shadi has any weakness and getting irritated for not finding it (he does have the same as Dark Yugi specifically), the curious part about this scene is what Shadi says:
"Heh heh...You can search my heart for weakness, but you do in vain...My heart's Ushebti is like unbreakable diamond...But your heart's Ushebti are like Alabaster, weak and easily broken! You will understand this in the next game!"
Did Shadi read Dark Yugi's mind? That's not exactly correct, Shadi is more of "he can read hearts" than "read minds", because there is differences being able to "read heart" and "read mind", reading hearts would mean in this case reading "emotions" and he guesses what thoughts might be connected to the emotions, from what we know of "Shadi Shin", he "existed" for thousands of years, so he has experience in using the power of the millennium items and perceiving their abilities, look around this game relates a lot to "control your emotions" or keeping them in check...
Shadi's analogies are pretty incorrect in this case because he is quite conceited and prideful, for him to easily claim "my heart Ushebti is like a unbreakable diamond", he may sound convincingly confident, but is actually blinded by his own confidence and pride, as for alabaster, well he is not far off when it comes to Yugi specifically while wrong about it as well, I just don't think Alabaster is not a good example, according to it's symbology relates with purity and innocence which may fit Yugi but Dark Yugi not that much however thinking about his current sense of justice as kinda black and white...is innocent, when we all know justice is a double-edged sword being inconsistent and grey, there is innocence as faith in his friends...which will be touch upon in the next point... however I still disagree with Shadi using Alabaster as an example, there is better examples, and his own representing Shadi himself is just as bad, he usually makes good analogies, this one I can't agree with.
In this Panels Ensemble, this challenge is Dark Yugi facing the "bully" Jounouchi from the past...as Shadi reveals to Dark Yugi:
"That image of your friend is created from a memory in the other yugi's heart. The "friend" who bullied you in the past has been reborn before your eyes! I caught a glimpse of those memories when I visited your soul. Even if you have forgotten, those painful memories always remain in your heart...no matter how much time passes."
It reveals some things, for starters it was kinda implied that and here is the confirmation that Shadi when he left Dark Yugi's room of soul, he took one more glimpse to Yugi's room of soul, this challenge isn't addressed to Dark Yugi really but more directly to Yugi, remember I said he wasn't testing Dark Yugi alone, he is also testing Yugi, shaking Yugi to make more conscious of Dark Yugi as well, for further proof is in the next two key points.
(Personally I agree with Shadi on this one about painful memories don't disappear, even if is hidden very deep or in the abyss of the mind, but is still there, it's a haunting and painful feeling too, no matter how much time passes, it takes time to accept and forgive)
I think the issue is that Dark Yugi doesn't like facing against Jounouchi even being an illusion, so he is trying to call out, however the objective of challenge according to Shadi is:
"Now, Yugi! Let me see you defeat that painful memory!"
That's not really how it really works, it's not being "ruthless", it's your memories in your subconscious, your psyche, you have to handle with delicacy not in a forceful and rushed manner, geez, but also again this is more of a test to Yugi than to Dark Yugi, a good portion, he seemed he was addressing to Yugi the boy than Yugi the young man/Dark Yugi.
The most obvious proof that Shadi is addressing Yugi from deep within as Dark Yugi is taking over...
The key point about this scene in general is going to get long, to summarize the scene, Dark Yugi is trying to call "past illusion" Jounouchi, then this I!Jounouchi says a very familiar line from the time Jounouchi picked on Yugi in the beginning of Chapter 1, this shakes Yugi from almost taking over or almost out of his body...
That's the real motivation and intent of Shadi doing this, to make Yugi be aware of Dark Yugi, because in this way Yugi can be conscious of what Dark Yugi is doing when he is taking over, so that later the two of them learn to work together, us readers who most of us watched the anime and read the manga before know this will take a long road for it to officially happen, which is the duel against Pegasus (it's a shame many people overlook the major importance of that duel), however Yugi after this shadow game, he is more or less aware and acknowledges the existence of Dark Yugi, but does he accept it and embrace it?
Character Development wise, this is pretty good is not just Yugi starting to be aware of Dark Yugi's existence, it shows what Jounouchi said back then at chapter 1 really stuck with him, it wasn't much "Jounouchi teaching him to be a man", but how the toxic masculinity affects Yugi's self-esteem and self-confidence for Yugi being generous, too kind, being against violence and fighting plus for having traits that society would consider feminine, it reflects deep insecurities Yugi have other than his height and child-like appearance, it says those words did hurt Yugi when Jounouchi said that on personal level (because he might have heard from other people, buit Jounouchi is the most and is currently his friend).
Additionally to Dark Yugi's character development, Dark Yugi does indeed see Jounouchi and Anzu as friends even if they don't know he exists, the scene alone of Dark Yugi trying to convince Jounouchi and not wanting to fight even an illusion of Jounouchi, Dark Yugi does have a deep fondness for Yugi's friends...
Interesting part in particular, I do like when we get to see these early moments how Dark Yugi's mind process actually works, because in the early chapters to portray his character as a mystery, we didn't get his "inner monologue", it started somewhere in the False Prophet chapter, but even after that was still rare, Chapter 7 we got a better glimpse, after that were glimpses to his thoughts, but during this whole shadow game is when we see his thinking process and inner monologues.
Dark Yugi's inner monologue is important to take into account:
".....! Good...one Ushebti is left! Jounouchi's words reminded my other self of the way things were in the past...that must be Shadi's intent...to shock the heart of my other self...If I show any more doubt I'll lose!"
We see more indications that Dark Yugi is vaguely aware as being an entity and identity of his because he always refers his host "my other self", only once again is in their duel against Pegasus that he refers his host as "partner", why is that? from the way he refers his host Yugi is separately in somewhat because he refer to the memories of "my other self" and awareness that isn't his own memories but his host's memories, the same can be applied to how he mentioned "to shock the heart of my other self...", once again there is awareness that Yugi is his own person to refer "heart of my other self" and himself Dark Yugi is his own person because he wasn't really shocked but Yugi did.
If Dark Yugi is vaguely aware that he is his own person, we can understand why he doesn't refer Yugi as partner, because they're not working together and only recently like with this "shock" Yugi is becoming aware more of his existence.
But why Dark Yugi refers Yugi as "my other self" and not "host" or "my host"? it might have been simpler, it might relate that he doesn't see Yugi as a "possession" to say "my host" or doesn't feel right, however he does refer him as "my other self", I think that his way of thinking "two selves sharing the same body", he sees as separate in entity and identity but the same for sharing the same body, that's must be the logic behind it, we can confirm that Dark Yugi is vaguely or already aware that he is his own person.
Thumbs up! 👍 For realising Shadi's true intent, even for Shadi may be for "noble" reasons to test both of them and make them work together (Yugi as the host of the pharaoh soul and Dark Yugi as deceased pharaoh soul that he has been waiting for to help him recover his memories and send him to afterlife), for Dark Yugi and his current situation and position isn't the case, however not realising Shadi's subtle and underlying clues about Dark Yugi's identity (he only does later understand his clues when he comments about Shadi knowing everything as he hears Ishtar Family backstory), with the situation at hand, it makes difficult.
Dark Yugi refuses to play an active game with the illusion of Jounouchi, so he passes his turns, Shadi is in disbelief even misinterpreting Dark Yugi's choice for giving up and admitting defeat, Dark Yugi explains that's not the case, simply he trusts Jounouchi even if is the form of an illusion, possibly because he feels he knows Jounouchi better than Shadi.
We have to remember Shadi didn't peek on Jounouchi's room of soul, so he doesn't know, despite early on Jounouchi behaved or acted like a bully, he wasn't a full blown bully but was close to become one, deep down he was someone with more integrity than it meets the eye and took care of younger ones on the gang from when he was delinquent, despite almost becoming one, he wouldn't ever put someone in life-danger, like he saw with Yugi when he took the beating from Ushio for him and Honda...Dark Yugi knows his backstory and understands Jounouchi better than Shadi, even for Dark Yugi comes from seeing him as a friend, while for me being the real Jounouchi would refuse doing this himself, there are boundaries Jounouchi respects even from his delinquent days, he does values life, to me is a miscalculation from Shadi.
Starting with what Shadi says in this scene:
"You trust...heh heh heh...Yugi it seems you are unable to defeat your past. You lose! What I was testing in this final game...was the weakness of your heart in trusting too much! Trust is more easily broken than Ushebti! In the end, friendship is nothing but weak hearts clinging together for solace. True strength of heart is the ability to believe in yourself...needing no one! If you had sent your friend to the pit, you would have gained true strength...(to Dark Yugi) Now throw the puzzle for the last time! End the game! (to I!Jounouchi)"
Shadi is addressing more to both Yugi and Dark Yugi for trusting too much, more strongly with Yugi because of his innocent and kindness to give second chances and the benefit of doubt in trusting others, Dark Yugi slowly getting influenced by Yugi's kindness, you can see his ruthlessness weakening too...
Now it enters my own observation and personal opinion, I can understand what he means to some extent but in a lot of ways he is wrong, specially about inner strength and how he perceives trust and friendship, friendship and trust mixed with Honesty and Communication is the foundation to any good and lasting relationship be it between friends, comrades, couple, platonic, family, etc, at first it may look like he described, it is like this in "social circles" or "social group", you know in "socialising", from my experience in "social circles" you don't find real and true friendship, while real and true friendship hits different from "weak hearts clinging together for solace" (that's social circles), in friendships there is sermons, communication, vulnerability, trust, honesty, intimacy, resonance, support, connection, the fun, the fights, the sad ones, to accept and embrace their strengths, weaknesses and their own individuality, it's a foundation of bonds that you build and evolve from both parties, does this sound like clinging together for solace?
Strength of heart....we can mean as inner strength...honestly, I do quite disagree with him to be believing in yourself not needing no one, he is being a little contradictory and hypocrite for someone who wants Yugi and Dark Yugi to work together... Believing yourself "needing no one" as true "inner strength" or "strength of heart", there is different kinds of "inner strengths"/"strengths of heart", it comes in different shapes and forms, to be honest I believe true strength it comes from individuality with sticking to their beliefs and have enough humility to be open to evolve and asking for help when you need it and trust to someone, because there are things can't be gained alone or be done alone, tasks or objectives or missions that requires teamwork, I may be an individualist but you have to admit the former.
This scene is after Shadi telling "illusion" Jounouchi to throw the puzzle, here is in disbelief for the illusion for not throwing the puzzle, it seems he isn't understanding why he isn't throwing.
Dark Yugi says there is no past or present in friendship and that if you trust your friends, they will trust you, he is mostly right (not 100% right, 75%, so 25% wrong 😁, personal experience, since friendship is a two-way street, he did kinda say that but in a more too simplified way), besides Dark Yugi understands Jounouchi's true nature than Shadi.
The reason why the "illusion" of Jounouchi isn't throwing and starts disappearing, it's not friendship alone, there is other elements at play here, remember this is a shadow game and from the accuracy of these millennium items in reflecting one's true nature, this "illusion" bases from Yugi's memory and the "illusion" Jounouchi can work as illusionary eco of the person, it shows Yugi despite that he had some bad memories with Jounouchi, Yugi did protect him and believed in him he was "trying to teach to be a man" to "stand up for himself", even back then Jounouchi meant that but wasn't doing it the right way, bullying or picking on someone doesn't help, it was a toxic way of doing it, since it reflects one's true nature even in form of illusion in shadow games, it does the same for Illusion!Jounouchi reflecting his nature, as mentioned before being someone with integrity and having his own principles.
That's a miscalculation on Shadi's part about this for not taking the magical abilities in reflecting one's true nature to consideration and not taking a peek on Jounouchi's room of soul to understand his mind and personality, his true character.
What's that, Shadi? With this disbelief increasing? So much for "weak hearts" seeking solace by gluing to each other as meaning friendship, heh? Friendship is what been mentioned a few key points ago, it's more layered and has more depth, I don't mean in a "power of friendship" cliché sort of way, this was teamwork and teamwork is also important in friendship, the situation alone on how Anzu's life was dealt irresponsibly and recklessly by Shadi alone in a shadow game, Shadi finally starting to understand there is more layers to friendship than he thought, it took thousands of years to understand that (since he seems kind of a spirit of sorts that some can and can't see him).
Quoting Dark Yugi:
"Shadi, you probably won't understand this but... True Strength of the Heart can't be gained alone! The power to trust your friends! That is the true strength of the heart!!"
I agree with "true strength of the heart" can't be gained alone, since there is a lot of contributing factors at play and the fact there is different kinds of strengths of heart basing on one's individuality and structures that build from the people you met over the course of your life and even close ones...then Dark Yugi comes with the cliche kind of "power of friendship" but based on the power to trust your friends, however he didn't say straight "power of friendship" but to "trust your friends", so it's meaning is a little different xDD, it is a kind of strength of heart, but not everyone's, to me is believing and faith in that power of trusting your friends is what is making the difference, he is saying more firmly, he isn't just defending his belief, as well he is defending Yugi's belief, specially Yugi's belief...I think it bases on Yugi's wish to the Puzzle, Dark Yugi knows it and later said to Yugi that he made into a reality on his own.
Yugi's wish was wanting friends he could trust and rely on and the same friends do the same for him...this goes perfectly what Dark Yugi has been saying to Shadi and that Yugi made his wish come true on his own by practice to trust his friends into gradually doing the same for Yugi, all of that came from his kindness, which is yet Dark Yugi to understand and comes way later in Battle City against B!Jounouchi.
I'm not going to quote anyone in this scene, it's easier to describe while analysing at the same time in this case.
Dark Yugi saves Anzu right on time, however she had a small glimpse, even to her "Yugi" looked different when Dark Yugi was taking over, then as Jounouchi was trying to figure out how to solve the Yoshimori "redecoration" problem, Dark Yugi talks to him, even Jounouchi in that quick moment noticed that "Yugi" looked different too as Dark Yugi was telling instructions in by saving Yoshimori.
You can tell Dark Yugi sweats a little and tries to act quick as possible due to emergency of the situation and more, remember Dark Yugi has been hiding his existence from Yugi's friends for his own sake of the possibility in fearing him while for Yugi to not have a risk to lose his friends, by acting fast can make Yugi then taking over and his friends not suspecting it...
Quoting Shadi...:
"I used the millennium items to show you illusions...illusions summoned from the shadows...and yet, to me...The image of you and your friends trusting and helping each other, here in this world, seems like an illusion... somehow, that seems sad..."
To be honest, I understand and can relate to an extent what Shadi said here, more in context of how seeing Dark Yugi and Yugi's friends helping each other, it was clearly real but seemed like an illusion, that almost doesn't feel real that he actual witnessed true friendship in action, to a point to him seems like an illusion and thinking like that seems sad ...in summary, he sounds like he have seen a lot of darkness in the world that for him witnessing something genuine seems unreal for him, this is another way of saying of how rare it is true friendship, genuine care for one another, etc, on the way seeing lot of darkness that he lost sight of what's important.
Also there is some regret, could be the way he taught to the "prana" or something related to the "prana" in Dark Side of Dimensions? or maybe not, but could be just that as mention before in this keypoint.
Dark Yugi is about to speak his own theory of the power of the millennium puzzle...
Quoting Dark Yugi from Panels Ensemble on the Left to the Right:
"No matter how far apart we are, friends always come together as one! We are small pieces that bind together to become an undefeatable power! Just like a puzzle! The Power of Unity! That is the Power of Millennium Puzzle!!"
As cliché it sounded, dissecting the cringy and cliché parts of what he said, he is technically correct, I may not to be found of "power of friendship" trope, but power of unity makes more sense to xDD, in fact is the kind I actually believe but is only effective if people are willing to, because it can be a group of different individuals with different strengths fighting for a common cause or teamwork or closed/loved ones coming together through difficult times, sense of community is important and being one of the elements of "power of unity".
Plot-Wise, he is also correct, because it relates to those he is connected to, be it his friends, the priests who served the pharaoh and lastly the Egyptian Gods (Horakhty towards the end of Memory World Arc).
After his shock to realisation then Quoting Shadi's answer:
"Yes...that is true...Yugi...You have passed my tests...I have been beaten but I am pleased....My bloodline has been searching for so long...for someone like you."
He is addressing to both but at the end when he mentioned my bloodline has been searching for so long someone like him is to Dark Yugi specifically not due to skills, Shadi is implying all the same that he knows for sure who Dark Yugi actually is, implications they have been waiting for him, the nameless deceased pharaoh, he kinda comes back but in form of Bobasa to Hassan to go back to Shadi in Memory World Arc, this indicates a lot that Takahashi-sensei had the general idea where was going, but where it became unexpected was the story main game to be trading card game instead of many different games.
Shadi's last words before he leaves:
"You may be able to open that door..."
As for this is addressed to both Dark Yugi and Yugi, however the ways to go through is slightly different, Dark Yugi is through an egyptian palette and Yugi inside Dark Yugi's room soul maze to enter the true room, I think Shadi was also testing Dark Yugi not just certify himself being the pharaoh as well being worthy of the three Egyptian Gods wielder that what confirms his title and identity as pharaoh...from the duels in the future he had go through to get them in Battle City.
By this time, Shadi had met Ishtar family and Pegasus.
I would say did Takahashi-sensei intended the Egyptian Gods to play a role in games in some way? yes, but would be in card games...? That is debatable. The middle part of the story seems to always be the tricky part, from patterns I have seen, a good chunk have a general idea where to begin and end, but the middle seems to be the most messy and difficult xDD.
The exchange between Jounouchi and Anzu commenting to one another and asking if they noticed the same thing being "Yugi" seemed a little different from normal and agreeing, from the sound of it, appearance wise, "Yugi" does look a little different when Dark Yugi takes over, even strangers noticed, so of course his friends would even for a small glimpse, Dark Yugi was probably listening to their "whispering conversation" while thinking about what Shadi said, the interesting part is when Jounouchi started to approach a little, Dark Yugi was still taking over when he turned around...then when "Yugi" fully turned around...
Yugi is now taking over, from the looks of it in the previous key point when Dark Yugi was starting to turn around then is Yugi who is taking over, I think even when Dark Yugi goes back to his "Puzzle" or his maze room of soul, it takes a bit of time as well from Dark Yugi to Yugi, not just Yugi to Dark Yugi, however Dark Yugi to Yugi takes less time than the other way around...lol, his friends reaction is pretty amusing though, xDD, they kinda blush for being embarassed that they may have got it wrong.
With this transition from Dark Yugi to Yugi taking over, it shows that Dark Yugi does hold a bit of fear that they might become scared of him...for Yugi not having the risk of losing his friends, I think Dark Yugi is waiting for Yugi to be ready as well to accept and trust him first as his belief described before, if Yugi trusts him and his friends will come to trust Dark Yugi too, it's probably among these lines.
The interaction between the gang and Sugoroku with his friend Yoshimori is funny xDD.
Panels Ensemble on the Right, this is when Shadi already left them but leaving the building, getting back his Millennium Key as it fallen to his hand...hmm interesting, seems a bit of lore at play, millennium items are attracted to their true wielders also not to forget that in his inner monologue he says that they will meet again...they do...in Memory World Arc but they hear about him mentioned quite often though, sneaky sneaky.
See Ya Next Post!
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