Thoughts&Observations | Mangá Vol.8-11 Part 5 (Dark Yugi VS Ryota Kajiki)

Update: Wow, it had no introduction in this one, I'm surprised at myself...😲, I have been giving updates with some new key points (sometimes is 5 and other times are 7, for now is going to be like this, when the lot of text starts, is where I'm going to have less work I think...😕).

Plot Summary:

Jounouchi is very happy for having won his first official duel in a tournament, Jounouchi and Dark Yugi feeling motivated but it gets in the way is hunger from Jounouchi and asks if anyone brought food, Anzu brings up how much of an awful tournament host is, Jounouchi starts to smell food and follows the smell, what they found is smoked fish still being cooked in the campfire, but nobody is around, so he tries to sneak in to eat the smoked fish, Honda joins in, the others unsure if they go along with it or not, however when Honda and Jounouchi are about to start eating, they are interrupted by someone who looks like a fisherman accusing the gang for stealing his cooked fish, both noticed and impressed he is also a duelist for wearing a glove named Ryota Kajiki, he lets the gang eat the fish he caught, Ryota tells his reason to be in the tournament and discuss about it.

After they enjoy the meal, Ryota challenges Dark Yugi to a duel. the duel starts with Ryota being in the lead somewhere he has the advantage, Dark Yugi faces difficulties in defeating enemies he can't see being in the sea and feels like fighting sea with moves by a sea expert...Dark Yugi eventually turns the tables and wins the duel, both saying farewell on friendly terms.

Key Points:

 

Okay, last post, Jounouchi won the duel against Mai, so after the duel, Jounouchi is contemplating his stars chips from his first victory against Mai for 30 minutes, it's pretty amusing and very funny, so his friends reaction of this 30 minutes of contemplation, his first victory was against Mai, who was a strong duelist, technically stronger than him, that's why he is this happy while most of the gang are  impressed Jounouchi actually defeated someone stronger than him being Mai.
It's another example, how much of a terrible tournament host Pegasus is, as the gang noted not having any restaurants and had eaten all the snacks, so they start to get worried about how there is no way to eat in a island.


 

It's quite troublesome, when you arrive at an island for a tournament and some naively expecting they would be  fed...this subject will come soon... but either way, he could have a bazaar for food, honestly or some sort of cafeteria/ canteen specially holding a tournament, it's just unreasonable and very lazy too...I do quite agree with Anzu, that's the logic you would come when going to a tournament and is lovely to see her calling out Jounouchi's sexist behaviour sometimes, which sometimes the boys are, let's be honest.
A detail to note which doesn't seems to point out in his "character profile", in this kind of thing, usually has "favourite" and "least favourite", but with Jounouchi there isn't least favourite, you would think is because he is someone who loves to eat and he doesn't food he dislikes, while here in the panels ensemble on the right shows "no mushrooms", since is known to be many of them being venomous, but since there is plants like that as well, it's possible he doesn't like mushrooms or suspicious.


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Thoughts&Observations | Mangá Vol.8-11 Part 4 (Jounouchi VS Mai)

In this post about thoughts and observations, the stars will be Jounouchi, Mai and Dark Yugi.



Plot Summary:

After the duel of Dark Yugi against Insector Haga, Dark Yugi is now with 3 stars and Jounouchi with only one star, so next is Jounouchi's time to duel, Dark Yugi reminds him the rules and to make it work to his advantage and the gang advise him to fight a weaker contestant but then they hear a voice and laugh from a area close to them and recognising as Mai's laugh, Mai just won a duel and she already has four stars, Honda and Jounouchi are impressed by her progress in the tournament, the others more quietly impressed (specially Dark Yugi, Anzu and Ryou), she comes to them and have a small talk and challenges Jounouchi, everyone is surprised, Jounouchi was hesitant at first but willingly accepts and has Dark Yugi's encouragement as well.
The duel starts with Mai taking the lead and using her "psychic" tactics which distracts Jounouchi to be focused on the duel, when Jounouchi figures out her trick, he starts performing better during the duel, there is a bit back and forth, while showing Mai being the more experienced player, the duel ends with Jounouchi winning and leaving Mai with a riddle.



Key Points:

 

So Yugi/Dark Yugi has 3 stars chips and Jounouchi has only one, since he still hasn't duelled yet in the tournament,Ryou, Honda and Anzu are worried about Jounouchi that maybe he will not reach the finals for his sister because most participants in the tournament are strong, so it's harder to find someone to the same level as him, it's amusing the friends being more worrywarts than Jounouchi, Dark Yugi is just chilling, Jounouchi is focused but energetic (that's the way he is), they taking Jounouchi and his sister a little too pitifully and putting that kind of weight to Dark Yugi to help him, specially Anzu, but treat it as going blind is the end of world from their friends side (it's terrible and very scary the idea of going blind, if she did go blind, at the beginning would be very rough in getting used to it, the difference is that there 50% chance of preventing happening if the family has the necessary funds for it) , Dark Yugi and Jounouchi are dealing with it fairly better, because is have a fighting chance, better having it than none at all.

 

I like the cool reference from Jounouchi of the field spell card "Sogen", it's a pretty well known card and one of the classics when Yu-Gi-Oh! card games started being available to everyone, even in it's video games, for someone who is familiar with Yu-Gi-Oh! gets the reference right away...

On topic about their the exchange between Jounouchi and his friends is interesting, we see his growth that Yugi have been teaching him quite thoroughly recently that Jounouchi understood the rules at a good pace, even his friends are understanding the rules and give good advices and Dark Yugi reminds that by now the other contestants probably know the new rules, after all many duelists watched Dark Yugi VS Haga...

Despite Honda advise to pick a weak one, even though in the previous key point stated all contestants being personally invited to attend the tournament must be strong, for himself thinks to pick a participant that Jounouchi's current level is closest to (beginner against a intermediate would be wisest).



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Thoughts&Observations | Mangá Vol.8-11 Part 3 (Dark Yugi VS Insector Haga)

Last post about Duelist Kingdom in the mangá, was the end of the prologue, now the tournament starts, Dark Yugi plans to take Haga first, for what he did to his exodia cards of his grandpa (I think he sees as his own grandpa, it's not only that, you see it soon, later after Duelist Kingdom) and making it Jounouchi dive to try to catch, we can tell from this and previously, Dark Yugi is a bit sensitive and a bit hot-headed (if you mess with his guts bit much), some flaws of his we will see from him in here, this will be how much we learn about Dark Yugi personality traits.

Update: Scratch that, it makes a very confusing introduction o.o, I have been starting to make updates my analysis posts about the Duelist Kingdom Arc to restructure it into the same structure as Battle City Arc and Memory World Arc.

Plot Summary:

They arrived the Duelist Kingdom island, they walk a little and participants and the gang in front of a castle gate and at the castle's balcony to welcome them and explain the rules of the tournament in a very "battle royale" fashion around the island and the time limit of the tournament is two days (48 hours) and the contestants who have less than 10 stars can't go to the finals.
After the rules been explained, the gang explores a little of the island for Dark Yugi follow Haga's trail and Haga challenges Dark Yugi to a duel, he accepts by betting his only one star and his life as Haga betting his two stars, the duel at first takes initial lead on Haga, but the moment he turn the tables, the back and forth starts between Haga and Dark Yugi, it's not only the gang watching being the first duel, the other contestants are watching too and among them is Mai Kujaku as a commentator for the gang being a more experienced duelist...the duel ends with Dark Yugi's victory and Haga having lost both his two stars is the first to leave the island.


Key Points:

 

Dark Yugi worried about Jounouchi in possibly getting a cold and apologising, so sweet and is not often we see him doing so, even Jounouchi was kinda moved because he responded with "Aww, this is nothing!" and he is right about what ticks him off in throwing Yugi's cards (more technically Yugi's granpa, specially being Exodia, I would feel so bad and irritated, because it was of someone close 😖).

Regarding what Dark said to him and now thinking that he will taking him down first, he means in literal sense, he is determined in putting Haga out of the tournament first.

Then Pegasus starts announcing the rules of the tournament, he mentions they have to use official licensed cards of the game, I find it interesting and then advices the other duelists if they aren't satisfied with their decks, they trade with one and another... 

 

It was a very high risk to begin with just from Dark Yugi giving away one of his star chips, which implied that they would have to use it in some way, with these conditions explained, Dark Yugi and Jounouchi have to win their very first battles, but then when we think Dark Yugi giving one star to Jounouchi of his own accord to give him a fighting chance, it's only logical and fair having these kind of conditions.

 

After Pegasus, explains the rules, and mentions the battlefield it's around the island, "battle royale" style, being around the island, Dark Yugi starts questioning by what meant by that, from a participant's perspective since a card game tournament just need a room filled with tables and not around a huge area such an island for a TCG Tournament and quickly comes to the conclusion is related to the new rules, this proves his quick thinking, I wouldn't call just quick thinking that he does.

On the subject about the rules, Pegasus says there is a time limit to be 48 hours, in other words two days and to enter the castle, the participant must have 10 stars and moving to the semi-finals.

But one can keep wondering with this many contestants, is it two days even enough? I don't think it is, from how treated his contestants of not even providing a sleeping bag and force Yugi into this tournament, something fishy going on, the tournament won't be that smoothly as Pegasus make it sound and is more to say about how much of a awful tournament host he is...

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Official V-Jump wallpapers

there is a good amount of Yu-Gi-Oh Wallpapers from V-Jump, there is plenty new ones, recently is Yu-Gi-Oh! Zexal focused and now the current calendar wallpaper is of Yu-Gi-Oh and Yu-Gi-Oh Zexal...

pretty cool, huh? from the style, I can bet was Kazuki Takahashi himself or one of the artist(I'm pretty sure the art was the author)

Click Here to Download more in V-Jump wallpapers page

Thoughts&Observations | Mangá Vol.8-11 Part 2 (On Board to Duelist Kingdom)

NOTICE: You must have read manga Yugioh! Duelist 1. (if you don't have, you can read through my scan in the YGO Media, the first volume maybe some blurry in a corner and some cut in words, but it's readable, it becomes less blurry)

we stopped at some good amount of observation on Jounouchi character development.


Plot Summary:

After school, Yugi arrives home and finds an envelope stuck in the door with  cards inside...the gang appears at the entrance and Jounouchi reveals he also received a videotape of 8mm, asks if he can watch at Yugi's home since he doesn't have VCR, Yugi explains news about his situation about 5 cards he received as invitation cards saying the location being on a island called Duelist Kingdom and the meet up being at the Domino Pier to be on a ship, in order to the presented Tournament's location with some basic rules in other cards plus two honor cards (King's left (it's a blank card) and King's right (the prize money)).
After catching up with the recent news about the tournament, they watch Jounouchi's videotape, they were worried that it would be Pegasus but in the end, the person Jounouchi wasn't expecting to appear being his little sister Shizuka, she explains why she sent a video and her time to see his brother coming to a close, Jounouchi is feeling very down with this news and explains their situation, confesses his frustration on thinking he is not a good brother, then Dark Yugi takes over and cheers him up by giving one of the stars that came with glove from the package, so Jounouchi could have a fighting chance to help his little sister.
The day to come to meet at Domino Pier, Yugi and the gang arrive and and see a huge ship that will take them to the island of Duelist Kingdom, they see many contestants including the top and runner up in Japan and meet for the first time a beautiful woman, who is also a contestant and most of the boys (except Ryou Bakura) are amazed by her beauty, she introduces herself as Mai Kujaku and express her interest in seeing Yugi's skills for herself in the tournament...
The whole gang smoothly boards the ship, Yugi gets the chance to talk with the two top contestants from the national championship tournament, Haga and Ryuzaki,Jounouchi complains how everyone has to sleep common room with not even bunk beds, he is not the only one, Mai starts complain about how come there isn't a room for lady at least to take a shower with later revealed that the two top contestants from the national tournament gets suite rooms, so Mai uses her charms by getting closer to Ryuzaki, the runner up and is escorted to his room by Ryuzaki.
As Yugi and Haga continue their conversation then Haga brings his curiousity about Yugi's deck, specifically Exodia The Forbidden one and throws the 5 pieces of Exodia to the ocean and Jounouchi jumps to the ocean in attempt to save Exodia's cards but in vain, Haga leaves laughing claiming that now no one is a threat to him in the competition, Yugi launches lifebuoy to help Jounouchi back to the ship, while with Mai and Ryuzaki, she challenged him to a mini-game to see who could stay in the room and she won, she got his room.


Key Points:


 

I have to say, why didn't he had given the cards inside the package? It's a bit weird and creepy doing this way, specially seeing a sort of private or spy to leave the envelope and checking if Yugi picks up the cards, let's say is a bit unnecessary 😑, I understand is also a way to show Pegasus pays close attention in not just Dark Yugi but also Yugi.

 

The envelope given 5 cards, with the information about the tournament (the day, location, prizes), even though one of them is suspicious, such as the "Honor of the King" cards of Right and Left, the "Honor of the King's Right" being the prize money and "The Honor of the King's Left" being empty with "???", it's not difficult to guess what is for and it hints is not something good and shady, but who has saw the animated series and read the manga knows and who doesn't, knows well, what it is...

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YGO Media: Yugioh manga Duelist Kingdom completed

I will give here the full scans so far, which is Duelist Kingdom completed, so I will give you the full list:
it's also in YGO Media.
Edit (I changed the links downloads, MEGA included, their not in winrar anymore, just cbr files)
Manga YGO Duelist:

Volume 8 - Volume 1 Duelist

Volume 9- Vol.2 Duelist

Volume 10 - Vol.3 Duelist

Volume 11 - Vol.4 Duelist

Volume 12 - Vol.5 Duelist

Volume 13 - Vol.6 Duelist

Volume 14 - Vol.7 Duelist

Volume 15 - Vol.8 Duelist


to be able to read the cbr files, use cbr reader, I suggest to use CDisplay.

Click here to download CDisplay

Thoughts&Observations| Mangá vol.8-11 Part 1 (Duelist Kingdom prologue)

If you don't want spoilers of the mangá, read scans I'm sharing in YGO Media (Yu-Gi-Oh! Duelist 1-8 (8-15) or buy the mangá.
If you already have read it, you can go on....

Even though, I will be talking about the story, but the main focus will be the characters (Yami Yugi, Jounouchi and Kaiba specially), it will be divided in 3 or 4 parts.

UPDATE: In case you may not noticed, I have added a few key points and mostly remained unchanged during this polishing phase of the my analysis of the manga.


Plot Summary:

The beginning of Duelist Kingdom Arc, the gang at school with Jounouchi and Anzu playing Duel Monsters/Magic and Wizards as the rest of the gang and classmates watches them playing, Anzu has a very smooth win, Jounouchi is bothered because it isn't the first time he loses at this game, so Jounouchi asks for Yugi's help to improve in the game by hanging out at Yugi's home.
When the gang arrives Yugi's home, his grandfather is closing the shop, so he can go watch the Japan tournament finals of Duel Monsters/Magic and Wizards and he tells Yugi received an anonymous package addressed to Yugi, so they save it for later because they don't want to miss watching the tournament between the two finalists being Insector Haga and Ryuzaki, it ends with Insector Haga victory, as they introduce Pegasus to bring the 1st place trophy to Insector Haga, the creator of the TCG, he invites the two finalists to his own tournament that he is hosting.
They come back to the anonymous package opening it, inside it there is a mini-videotape, a glove, two stars, they put the cassete in the videotape player, Pegasus shows up and challenges Yugi to a duel in form of a shadow game, Dark Yugi immediately takes over to protects his host, the duel doesn't go well for the most part since it seemed Pegasus could read which card he was going to play, when Dark Yugi was starting to figure out a new way that could increase his chances in winning the duel, but it had time limit, Dark Yugi as he was close to win the duel, it reached the time limit, making a Pegasus's win and to force Dark Yugi to participate the tournament he is hosting by taking Yugi's grandfather soul as hostage inside a tv.
The next day, the gang are at school discussing about the recent events regarding the recent events and Yugi had been sensing Dark Yugi have been feeling bad, Jounouchi tries to cheer him up by screaming at the puzzle to not be dwelling on it, Yugi senses he needs a bit of lonesome time of fresh air...so Yugi goes to the rooftop of the school and Dark Yugi taking over looking at the scenery and reflecting on his duel and Sugoroku being held hostage and gaining his determination and motivated to duel against Pegasus again.



Key Points:

  

The story starts Yugi and co. at school playing Duel Monsters on recess, Jounouchi is trying to get the hang of it but no success, as Yugi check his deck, indicating the problem of Jounouchi dueling, his deck is solely made of monsters cards and tells him is important to have other kind of cards such as magic and trap cards to be able to create combos with other cards and so on which are important strategies in winning the game, Jounouchi begs Yugi to teach him more about Duel Monsters so he can become a better player, it's something to give credit to Jounouchi despite being implied that he usually loses the game with anyone but doesn't feel discouraged so instead he tries to look at ways to improve and asks the game expert, Yugi...
The other thing I want to point out is Anzu playing the TCG, it shows that she plays once in awhile and from the looks of it, she could become a very skilled player if she wanted to, since by this time Jounouchi's deck didn't hold any spell or trap cards back then and Anzu won against him easily and with a spell card combo.


 

After School, Yugi and his friends hangout at Yugi's home, to watch Duel Monsters Japan national championship final, to decide who is Japan's champion, while start watching it on TV, Jounouchi expresses his opinion that Yugi could easily win (it's true), but Yugi decided he will enter in a tournament to duel Kaiba but this time fair and square, that's the curious partm we don't know if he is speaking for Dark Yugi or himself, but I think is himself but senses Dark Yugi wants it too, and he says is his dream, around Duelist Kingdom might be but as a gamer and someone who could push him to the limits since he usually easily wins against everyone he plays with.
As Jounouchi still hasn't forgiven him for Death-T, it's funny because he will hold up to that grudge for a long time xD.
We get informed Kaiba still hasn't recover from his state, in another words, he was still reassembling his shattered puzzle of his heart, also interesting to note that Yugi did constantly visited him too and in the hospital? Which makes me wonder because later we see that it doesn't look like one...

This is when Pegasus was first introduced, he is presented as celebrity and also referred as genius game designer, I always think "genius" is going a little far in praising him, nonetheless still pretty good game designer, later we find out his inspirations in designing the card game.

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