Yu-Gi-Oh Manga: 064 Fate on the High Seas!!

All of these exclamation points are really starting to lose meaning for me. They always seem to come in pairs, and are always denoting a sense of excitement that is only actually there some of the time. If the exclamation isn't saved for for places where it's appropriate, I start believing that the writer of the exclamation is just trying to trick me into being excited about something instead of actually putting in the substance to back it up.

Either that, or Takahashi is just always really excited about literally everything.

Aaaaaaaaanyhow... among a collection of warehouses at the docks, someone says it's cold out there. Bakura says it's also pretty quiet. Jonouchi asks if there's really supposed to be a ship out there this late at night. Yuugi glares at his Duelist Kingdom ticket he got in the last chapter and says that the date and time on it point to tonight, so there can be no mistake. They step out from the alley they were traveling, Yuugi and Jonouchi looking up at something looming in front of them in awe.

Yup, there it is! And there Sugoroku is still clipped to Yuugi's backpack strap. I'm guessing Yuugi's mom only let Yuugi go if he took his grandfather with him? Or does she even know about this outing at all? Does she even care? Why did Takahashi introduce a mother if she's not going to be of any help or hindrance to future gaming endeavors?

Who wants to bet that Takahashi forgot she existed?

Bakura points out a hug group of kids milling around the side of the ship, looking at and trading cards with each other. This is DEFINITELY the right place. I was worried for a moment this was all an elaborate prank. Bakura also points out that they have cards, uselessly, and Yuugi surmises that they're all duelists that have been invited to the tournament just like them. Yuugi, sweetie, no one in your group was invited except for you. You're basically that asshole who brings a whole bunch of his friends to a birthday party that the birthday kid doesn't know but now has to share their cake with.

Jonouchi corrects Yuugi in his head, thinking they're rivals instead of guests, and sporting a somewhat constipated look. Yuugi points to where he sees people he recognizes.

They look SUUUUUUPER friendly, don't they? Jonouchi thinks they'll be tough nuts to crack, and Yuugi seems to agree.

Yuugi recalls that they spent the whole week training at their card strategies, playing against one another and testing their decks. They both put together the strongest decks they could with what cards they had, Jonouchi's focusing on his monsters with basic magic cards thrown in, and Yuugi's with Exodia and other cards he got from his grandfather. He uses the word "inherited" here, which reminds me of that joke about how Yuugi made it sound like Sugoroku was dead in the first chapter.

Man, good times.

Yuugi is glaring at his deck now, thinking that they have to win, because everything rides on their decks. Heh.

Looking up, Yuugi sees a silhouette coming forward on the deck of the ship. Heh, there it is again. A man with a single point of hair sticking up at the front calls for attention from all the duelists, which we have never heard before ever. Nuh-uh. He says that Industrial Illusions (Isquared for short) welcomes all of them to the event. Everyone murmurs in response.

Vlad the Hair Impaler says that the duelists below him have been hand picked based on the results of their duels, even unofficial ones, and have been deemed the best in Japan. He goes on to say something about a star of glory or something and he's being WAY overdramatic considering this is just a damn card game. He encourages them to reach for the light of the star when they travel over the sea to Duelist Kingdom. Everyone cheers, but there's some lighthearted laughter in the crowd as well, right behind Yuugi. Jonouchi stares at the voluptuous chest of the speaker as she says it's like she attended a little baby pep rally, though she does immediately admit that there are mostly children there.

Yuugi, Jonouchi and Honda all take on a heavy blush at the sight of Mai, contracting a heavy case of the not-gays. I believe it when Honda says that he thinks she's super cute, but I'm not sure about Yuugi and Jonouchi. What about your declaration that you should mate forthwith in the tamagochi chapter? Didn't that mean ANYTHING to you??

Yuugi seems surprised that she could also be a duelist, and something about his persistent blush and agape mouth tells me he's not thinking she's too OLD. What, are looking pretty and card games mutually exclusive interests or what?

She spots Yuugi too and leans down, asking if he's that kid Yuugi everyone talks about. Yuugi stutters, not quite able to get out an answer, but she doesn't seem to need one. She's impressed that such a little boy could beat Kaiba, and I don't know why. If it was a game of basketball, I could understand her surprise, but cards aren't exactly something that someone needs to be tall and a man to do well.

Anyway, she tells Yuugi that he's famous, and he stutters out a thanks for her astute observation. Or, at least, that's what I'm GUESSING he's thanking her for. Certainly not poking him in the face in the next panel, though he does seem to like it inexplicably. You know who DOESN'T like it though? Anzu, who is fuming and asking who this woman thinks she is. Probably someone who wouldn't deliberately put herself in danger and act like an asshole to get a guy's attention, which automatically makes her a better person than you, Anzu.

Honda and Jonouchi start vying for a chance to speak with the lovely new acquaintance of Yuugi, but she brushes them off with a comment about how she just doesn't care about them. As she's walking away, she says she doesn't give a crap if her duel opponent is a child, she's determined to crush any man that stands between her and winning.

Yuugi and Jonouchi are still blushing, but looking a little unsettled by her talk of crushing them. She introduces herself as Mai Kujaku as she also excuses herself from their presence, saying she'll see them later. Honda mumbles about her being quite the woman while Jonouchi and Yuugi sniff at the air to catch a liberal whiff of her perfume. Yup, definitely a HEAVY case of the not-gays. Anzu barks that they're all idiots, clearly jealous.

Oh boy, THIS is going to be a fun subplot, isn't it? *gag*

Yuugi tells them with a determined look that it's time for them to get their asses on that ship, and Jonouchi agrees in look and word. At 9:30 PM, the ship begins moving, and each of the five friends stands at the railing to watch the launch. How did the three non-duelists get on board? Whatever. The horn blows and they begin their journey to the kingdom with high determination! That's all that matters!

Here's that obligatory reminder of what our heroes are fighting for! Just in case you forgot.

Vlad the Hair Impaler returns to address the crowd of kids on deck, telling them he'll show them to their rooms. Jonouchi assumes the size of the ship indicates some really high-class digs as they file along with the other children inside the boat. In the moving crowd, someone else recognizes Yuugi - someone he also recognized earlier. After Yuugi's confirmation that he's indeed himself, he identifies Haga and Ryuzaki from the finals again.

Yuugi congratulates Haga for his win in the national tournament and Haga says it was nothing, as Ryuzaki claims that Haga only won because he let him. Haga ignores this trash-talk, telling Yuugi he's looking forward to dueling him on the Duelist Kingdom island. He also says that the national tournament didn't mean much to him, since he hasn't really proven himself until he beats Yuugi and Kaiba. At the sound of Kaiba's name, Yuugi becomes morose.

Haga interrupts Yuugi's reminiscing on Kaiba's face with his news that there will be new rules introduced with the special tournament they're attending. Yuugi is surprised by this information, and so am I, because I thought all the info came in those cards he was sent by the guy in the swank hat. Haga says he doesn't know details, but just knows that there's supposed to be more strategy. Oh great. More "strategy". Good.

Ryuzaki isn't concerned with the hype of new rules, just the survival of the fittest fundamentals. Yuugi looks around when he hears an angry shout to his right.

Jeez, Jonouchi, I didn't peg you for a diva. Apparently he's not the only one, though, because Yuugi and Honda join him in his indignation, fists raised as if ready for a fight. Yuugi is angry that they don't even get beds, and Jonouchi goes ahead and blurts out that he expected and wanted a room like they give to rich people. The indifferent man they're complaining to says that only the finalists from the national tournament have been given rooms.

Ryuzaki looks back at them with a smug grin, mocking their tough break and rubbing it in their faces that he and Haga get the rooms. Haga glares, and I'm not entirely sure if it's at Ryuzaki or not. He does go up to Yuugi and explain that sleeping in the common room may be a better deal than rooms technically, something that the sponsors may have been aware of when they assigned rooms. He tells Yuugi to look over at his fellow competitors, and when he does, he notes that everyone is trading cards with each other. Haga states smugly that the competitors in the common room get to trade cards, improve their decks, and maybe even get a peek at the kinds of cards they'll be playing against and update their strategies accordingly.

Yuugi thinks it's quite impressive that Haga saw all of that with just a glance, but I'm not the most observant person and I saw that shit right away too. Maybe you just don't use your eyes, Yuugi. Haga draws Yuugi's attention to how Jonouchi's already forgotten his beef with the boat staff and is asking about another kid's cards to fit right in. Yuugi is now impressed with Jonouchi's ability to adapt to even situations that suck, and while I did roll my eyes at how he's impressed with literally all the things, I have to admit he's right about this one. Jonouchi never DID hold on to grievances very long.

Ryuzaki just doesn't care about anything, because he says that if someone's deck isn't perfect by this point, they won't have a chance in the tournament. Why is he even HERE? Just go to your dumb room, asshole. He takes my advice, but not before he insults everyone else further by wishing them sarcastic luck at improving their decks and tells them he's going to be chilling in the honeymoon suite. Probably hanging in the hot tub and drinking champagne with his waifu or something. He is SUCH a basic bro. Haga excuses himself too, with less douchebaggery.

Now, THIS diva performance I buy. The staff guy there looks a tad more uncomfortable being yelled at by a woman than the three boys who were complaining before. Good thing he's not that guy from The Frighteners.

Yuugi recognizes her too, which means good things for the functioning of his short term memory. Honda is annoyed by how loud Mai is as she asks to speak to whomever is in charge of the ship while the staff-member she's yelling at meekly tells her that she's subject to the rules like everyone else. Ryuzaki, STILL HERE, BY THE WAY, tells her to quit pissing and moaning before they throw her off the ship.

Mai knows he was the runner up in the national tournament, and thinks the male ego is STRONG with him. He confirms this when he gives her a grin and offers to share his room with her, completely unprompted. She puts on a grateful act, leaping into the air and thanking him, calling him sweet and all that junk. He's blushing as she suggests they go back to his room, and he chuckles, agreeing. Looks like his waifu is sleeping on the couch tonight!

Jonouchi and Honda are hunched with their fists raised and teeth grinding, thinking about how damn lucky Ryuzaki is. Honda, weren't you JUST complaining about how loud she is? Why would you want to share a room with her? OTHER than having delusions that it means you might have a shot at boning her, because even YOU know that's a long shot, admit it.

Meanwhile, Mai and Ryuzaki arrive in Ryuzaki's room, and he's bragging about how choice it is. Mai thinks it's really great, a lot better than sleeping in a common room. She goes on to engage Ryuzaki in conversation about how high she's heard his skills at cards are. He tries to be humble by just saying he guesses others might think so. Mai gets her flirt on, giggling that she likes strong guys, but only as long as they're stronger than her. Did George RR Martin write her character or something?

Ryuzaki immediately drops all pretense at humility and tells her she happens to be talking to one of the national finalists, and he thinks he could beat her no sweat, and no offense. Dude, ALL the offense. Mai seats herself in an armchair and asks if he wants to test that thought with a challenge. She says if he wins, she'll do whatever he wants all night. That's... kind of creepy, Mai. How OLD is she? I remember Ryuzaki being somewhere around 14 or 15, according to the tournament announcer, so she could be going into statutory rape territory...

And before anyone comes into the comments to inform me that Japan's age of consent is 13, no. Most provinces bump that age up to 16, so you're wrong and everything about you is wrong and you should be ashamed.

Anyway, despite all of my ick-alarms going off, Ryuzaki blushes and chuckles. Mai asks him to shuffle her cards before they get started, and flusters him even more by suggesting that they might be doing a "body shuffle" later on. Ew, ew, ew, woman that is disgusting and wrong and I'm sorry I ever said you were a better person than Anzu because you're both awful in different ways.

Ryuzaki shuffles Mai's cards, all the while thinking that all those cards he bought are going to be worth it tonight. YOU ARE A CHILD!!! YOU NEED AN ADULT!!! He gives Mai back her cards when he's done shuffling, but Mai doesn't take them. Instead, she instructs him to hold onto the cards while she closes her eyes and names them in order from the top. Ryuzaki doesn't think there's any way she can pull that off, but when she says the first card is "The Alluring Shadow" and he draws the card, he sees that she was right. She names another string of cards and is right every time, perplexing Ryuzaki.

Mai opens her eyes and explains that she knows her cards top to bottom and her talent is always being able to draw what she needs. She asks him if he still wants to duel her, and throws in the stipulation that if she wins, she'll kick him out of the room. He's still all for that fantasy she planted in his head to come true, so he agrees to the duel. Mai giggles.

Outside the ship, Yuugi and friends are getting some fresh air on deck, Yuugi praising the cool ocean air. Sugoroku, on his camera screen, says that something has been bothering him. He wonders why Pegasus has gathered up all these duelists together, and something about it doesn't seem right. Yuugi agrees, but he reminds Sugoroku that he has to go, in order to win and put Sugoroku's soul back in his body. He tells his grandfather not to worry.

Sugoroku says that someone is walking toward them. A certain silhouette with flashing glasses and a bowl-shaped head. Yuugi greets Haga as he steps up to the railing next to him, and Haga admits he was getting bored sitting in his room, so he came out to get some air. Haga asks Yuugi if he made any good trades in the common room, but Yuugi says that he had his heart set on dueling with the cards he picked out before. Haga had thought as much, and surmises that they're the Exodia cards he used to defeat Kaiba. Yuugi jokes that Haga seems to know all of his moves already before Haga requests to see Exodia, since he's never seen that rare five-piece monster. Yuugi hesitates, though he's holding his deck, but decides that because Haga already knows about them that there's no harm.

Yuugi, you really need to stop being so trusting.

Haga looks over the cards in silence a moment, eventually telling Yuugi that he had thought long and hard about how to beat the cards in his hand, but not coming up with anything. He says he's finally found the answer though. Yuugi asks if that's so, and then...

What did I say, Yuugi? What have I been saying since forever??

Yuugi watches his cards flutter down toward the water, devastated. Jonouchi, a short distance away sees the cards falling and mounts the rail.

NOOOOOOOO! JONOUCHI, IF YOU DIE WHO WILL BE MY FAVORITE???

As he's falling, he shouts that he'll retrieve the cards. After he splashes into the water, Yuugi shouts to someone to grab the rescue equipment, and then to Jonouchi to ask if he's okay. Jonouchi comes back up sputtering and looking for those damn cards. Jonouchi, they're just CARDS, dude! A life preserver is thrown down next to him, but all he can think about is cursing himself for only being able to find two of the pieces of Exodia.

On deck, Haga is chuckling, thinking beating Yuugi will be a cinch now. Yuugi looks pissed beyond all belief at Haga before Yami comes out to tell Haga he's coming for him first at the island. Haga grins, and dares Yami to try in his head.

A couple of boxes describing the quiet gliding of the ship contrasted with Yuugi and friends' churning propeller hearts are laid over Yami and a wet Jonouchi glaring into the distance. Meanwhile, Mai is kicking Ryuzaki out of his room and saying that men are too easy to manipulate. Yeah, I guess it helps if they're not even technically men at all but fifteen-year-old boys, you creepy pedo.

The next morning, LAND HO!

So, what did I think of this chapter overall? It wasn't particularly long, but the copious amounts of dialogue made it seem like this review took YEARS. It's like every panel had to have someone saying something, and it really dragged with no action to move it along. It basically consisted of character introductions.

I like Haga as a competent villain though. He was just a tad too wordy in his explanation about how Yuugi and friends could trade cards in the common room, but otherwise I thought he was very sneaky. He palled up to Yuugi so much more effectively than Kaiba did, being so much more casual and appearing more laid back and chill. I expect to see this kind of style in his duel with Yami too.

I also liked Jonouchi in his usual, endearingly stupid way too. He's fun to read about because he just puts all his big emotions out there and goes all out with whatever he does. Yuugi's assessment that he's highly adaptable is spot on, and this could be because he's got such a short attention span that any problems he has with his environment is like water off a ducks back. That being said, jumping off a boat into the ocean is a bad idea in the DAYTIME, and at night it's lucky anyone was even able to see him to throw the life preserver in the right place. Given how fast that boat is probably moving, it was a miracle he wasn't left behind entirely before anyone could throw it to him. That he was able to be rescued isn't IMPOSSIBLE, but it was IMPROBABLE enough to crack my suspension of disbelief a bit.

Lastly, I could REALLY have done without the creepy pedo shit from Mai. It doesn't say in the chapter how old she is, but on the Wikia, it says she's 24. Even without that information, it's clear that she's older given how she's always calling everyone else a kid. And yes, I understand that she knew she was going to win and that she wouldn't actually be sleeping with a 15-year-old, but a grown-ass woman propositioning a teenage boy for ANY reason is nasty and shouldn't happen, especially in a comic book aimed at that demographic. Boys - any grown woman who is coming on to you, no matter how attractive, is a predator and you need to find help IMMEDIATELY.

This has been a public service announcement from People Against Grown Adults Preying on Children.

Fuck.