Yu-Gi-Oh Manga: 080 The Man Who Came With the Night

That's right, the sun was setting at the beginning of the previous duel. That's kind of worrisome, isn't it? All these kids, staying outdoors alone at night on this strange island. Our protagonists have no food, no water, and I'm guessing none of them thought to pack a tent or something for shelter either. What if it rains? Or what if some local predator finds them? Of course, I haven't SEEN any wildlife so far on the island except for those fish that Ryota caught, so maybe that particular danger they could avoid pretty easily.

At least, the four-legged kind of predator.

Why in the WORLD would Pegasus have needed to set loose a massive man to terrorize tiny gamers?? And I know it was Pegasus who orchestrated this, because the gloves this monster is wearing have spaces for plenty of chips, and who the hell else would have manufactured something like that for him? Especially when this tournament is supposed to be hush-hush? I would assume this is another of those inexplicable assassins trying to take Yami out and defy all the logic of Pegasus trying to get Yami into the castle, but the guy's talking about ALL the duelists, so I don't know.

Anyhow, let's get back to our heroes, shall we? One of them is howling through the trees that they're hungry, and I bet I know which one. Jonouchi asks what time it is, and Bakura answers that it's just past eight at night. Yuugi marvels at how fast it got quiet and dark. Honda remarks upon the fact they haven't seen many duelists out recently, and Jonouchi tells him that there aren't many who would duel when it's all dark out like this. Then he complains that he's still hungry. Called it.

Jonouchi stands up, raises his fists, and yells at the moon that he's more interested in food than star chips at this point. Yuugi is quieter when he agrees, saying he'd much prefer potato chips to star chips now. Anzu admits that she's dreaming about a bath right now, thinking about how much suckier this place is compared to the resort fantasies she was having about it before they got there. That's where high assumptions get you, Anzu, remember that.

Jonouchi kneels on the ground to pick and eat a mushroom he sees and his friends all clamor to stop him, as a figure approaches their circle.

Those are starving CHILDREN you're mocking there, Mai. I hope you're proud of yourself.

Jonouchi flies into an angry tirade, asking Mai what the fuck she thinks she's doing there. She doesn't answer, just gushes about how good her chocolate bar is, and how she'll trade it for Jonouchi's star chips. He yells that the star chips are his life, so he'd never do that, and Mai winks, assuring him she's only joking. She says if she was really that low down, she wouldn't have made enemies of them in the first place. Jonouchi scoffs and mumbles at her not to fuck with him. Mai's still winking when she tells him not to look at her with his starving expression like he's going to bite her, this time with the other eye. Jonouchi is not amused with her unfunny cannibalism joke and gives her THAT look.

Mai is STILL WINKING when she asks for a truce for the night, saying that they're all adults duelists here and they need a break every once in a while. You're the one who wandered into their group being a snarky bitch, Mai. Seriously. Yuugi amiably says that she's right and they ARE pretty tired as Jonouchi looks on with disdain. He's thinking that trusting Mai doesn't really feel right when Mai takes off her backpack and offers them the variety of food in it, some of which can be cooked if they get a fire going. Yuugi is super excited by this prospect as Honda leans in for a closer look at the bag, looking ravenous.

The bag is dumped and it does indeed contain a whole ton of things. Jonouchi's tune has changed pretty quick, declaring it all awesome. They list a tent, a lantern and the food and announce that she has everything. Anzu asks her if she really brought all this herself and Mai responds that it makes sense for her to bring this much because all the duelists are strangers she can't trust. She follows this up by telling the boys that it's their job to cook, like she's TRUSTING them to do a good job or something. Yuugi enthusiastically agrees, but Jonouchi looks ruffled in the background.

Bakura tells them that he's pretty good at cooking, so he can take it from here. That does make sense for someone who lives alone. Mai tells Jonouchi to fetch them some water, and Jonouchi flinches over the bucket he's got, grumbling about having to take orders from Mai. Honda reminds him that they're doing this for food, and tells him to just fucking chill. Yuugi talks excitedly with Bakura about how awesomes their camping adventure is going to be as they do the prep work. Mai is off to the side, observing with some confusion how different Yuugi seems from the rumors and how he looked that afternoon.

Anzu glares at her from behind, suspicious about how different Mai is acting as well. She asks her why she's being so nice to them, and after a short stare, Mai giggles and says she's a girl too, and 24 hours goes by pretty fast. Anzu stares in surprise, and Mai turns back to the commotion the boys are making. She's dumbfounded that she's the only one astounded by the fact that these little twerps were so quick to accept her into their fold. She's always been alone until now.

She tells Anzu that they're a strange bunch, and asks why she hangs out with the boys. Anzu doesn't understand why Mai calls them strange, but answers that she hangs out with them because they're all friends. Mai seems almost disappointed by this response, but doesn't press Anzu. Instead, she confirms Anzu's name, and tells her that she's welcome to take a shower with the private tent and shower head once Jonouchi and Honda come back with water. Anzu thanks Mai with enthusiasm and Mai says there are some things only women understand.

I guess I'm womaning wrong, then, because I've gone a few days without showering and been absolutely fine before. Granted, I was in field school, and the option wasn't really available, but, you know...

In the shower, Anzu ruminates on how nice this is of Mai. At first, Anzu thought of Mai as just a pain, but it seems to her that even SHE has a split personality, like Yuugi. Mai, meanwhile, stands guard outside, telling the boys they won't get dinner if they even THINK about peeking on Anzu. Jonouchi sits at the recently started fire moping and telling himself to just deal with it a little longer. What's your problem, Jonouchi? Were you planning on violating Anzu's privacy? Why would you be pissed that anyone's telling you not to??

Bakura calls bon apetit, and everyone compliments him on the meal, which he thanks them for. Mai encourages everybody to eat up for energy in dueling tomorrow, and Honda is only too happy to take the order. Jonouchi reminds him that he doesn't even play the game, and he just laughs in response.

Yuugi turns to Mai, saying that since she already has eight chips, she might be the first to reach the castle tomorrow. She takes the friendly small talk to a serious place when she states that she'll eventually fight Yuugi too. Yuugi looks slightly put off by this threatening comment, and Anzu tries to suggest Mai forget the dueling for now. Mai refuses, though Anzu reminds her that they're under a truce right now. She doubles down, saying being a duelist means that everyone is an enemy in the morning.

Jonouchi glares at her over his plate as he chews and Yuugi gives her a mildly consternated expression. Mai stands up and turns around to leave, thanking Bakura for the food. She pauses to invite Anzu to bunk with her in her tent, because you never know what will happen with dudes all over the place. Jonouchi is again irritated by her statement, and presumably the implications. Jonouchi, you once stalked Anzu to her secret job because you thought she was prostituting herself to old guys, so you don't really have any room to be indignant that anyone might suspect you of impropriety here.

Yeah, so annoying for offering another girl a safe place to spend the night in the midst of a group of guys she doesn't know wouldn't pull something gross when she's asleep. I assume Jonouchi is one of those guys who assumes that women go to the bathroom in groups because they want to gossip rather than live by the adage that there's safety in numbers.

It's about 10:00 pm, Mai's tent is quiet, and the boys sit some ways down the hill. Jonouchi lays down at the base of a tree because he's stuffed, satisfied and can sleep anywhere now. Yuugi takes out the digital camera that holds his grandfather and tells him about how he managed to get 6 chips today. Sugoroku congratulates him on a job well-done. Yuugi goes on to tell him that tomorrow is the last day and he'll get into the castle, beat Pegasus, and save Sugoroku. Sugoroku wishes him a good night's sleep, Yuugi tells him goodnight, and then puts the camera back in his pack.

Yuugi is the worst grandkid! Sugoroku must have been bored as FUCK in that bag all day and he'll be bored as FUCK the whole night! Dammit, at least set him out so he can look at the scenery or something!

Yuugi looks over and sees that Honda and Jonouchi are already passed out, and says to himself that he's pretty tired too. He yawns and stretches as Mai is walking by, apparently on her way back to the tent. Once she's inside, Anzu asks her if she's always worked with cards. Mai tells Anzu that she was once a casino dealer on a world-traveling cruise ship, seeing rich opponents with cards, experience, and a desire to make a quick buck. They all fell for her aroma card trick, and she eventually came to hate people, who always seemed to be motivated by greed and money. Given her previous confession that she was in the tournament for the prize money, Mai must be operating under a pretty intense self-loathing too.

Anzu looks surprised by Mai's comments but doesn't say anything, allowing Mai to drop the real reason she came to the island. She wants to restore her pride as a duelist and a woman and also rediscover something that used to be important to her. I don't know if you're going to restore your woman pride by manipulating post-pubescent boys over a trading card game, girl, but whatevz. She says that looking at Anzu and her friends has her strangely reminiscing.

Face red, Anzu asks Mai the same question I am; what the hell does that have to do with anything?? Mai says that her woman's intuition is never wrong. Is this part of her woman's pride? Who knows. But I'll tell you what's NOT part of that woman's pride: minding her own damn business. She says to Anzu that she already told Yuugi while she was passing earlier that Anzu wanted to meet him at the cliff nearby and talk. Anzu looks mortified and asks Mai to wait a second while Mai is encouraging her to go through with the set-up and asking her if she wants some perfume.

Anzu finds herself giving in and walking out of the tent while Mai lays out the front of it to remind her of one more tiny thing.

Mai, I have no words to describe your level of creepy.

Anzu slouches off toward the cliff, muttering about how unbelievable it is that this serious conversation is going to happen and she can't think of a single thing to say. She fails to notice the mountain of a man approaching the tent perpendicular to her, wearing his huge boots surrounded by that spectral fire that usually shows determination.

Mai scratches the back of her head in the tent, admitting that she almost feels bad for making Anzu blush like that. She supposes that back in the day she might have reacted in a similar way. But then...

WRONG! IT'S SCHWIFTY TIME TODAY!!

I'll be playing Mr. Bulldops today, guys.

Cut to Yuugi walking along the cliff, wondering what Anzu wanted to talk to him about. She emerges just then from the trees, waving and greeting him sheepishly. He asks her what the deal with calling him out there was, and she's blushing hard when she stutters that she just wanted to talk about old times.

Sorry not sorry, because this picture is way adorbz.

Anzu asks if Yuugi remembers when they met in elementary school. She says that he gave her a video game that she was no good at and she got so frustrated with it that she broke it. Apparently, this was funny to even minier Yuugi and he bought her an easier game the next day. That is the cutest freaking story and I can't even with it.

Present Yuugi is looking down at his knees, though, not responding. Anzu asks him what's wrong, and he says it's how she feels about Yami, claiming it's okay and he gets it. Anzu looks shocked, then Yuugi winks and says that he'll call Yami out from his heart so Anzu can talk to him instead. Anzu goes from shocked to heartbroken while Yuugi grows silent in an effort to call out Yami. She grabs hold of his shoulders and tells him that it doesn't matter which Yuugi it is. It's Yuugi's turn to look shocked. She says while it HAS been that way, she doesn't want Yuugi to think it actually matters which Yuugi it is because they're both Yuugi.

I feel like I should be warming back up to Anzu with this, but I don't know... seems like she's that friend who always tells you that it's fine doing anything, but actually has a very specific other thing in mind...

They hear a scream from behind them and Yuugi identifies the voice as Mai's. She's in a booth with the asshole who burst into her tent earlier, mourning the deaths of her harpies by an attack called "Death Silent Burn". Her opponent laughs, saying that his monster is invincible when hidden in darkness. Mai's life points are down to zero and she can't believe she lost. So much for women having the advantage in any game played at night, eh Mai?

Smirking, the guy she's playing ruminates on how darkness gives his cards power, and Mai thinks about how the darkness hides his monsters and makes it impossible attack. Sounds an awful lot like another duel strategy that we saw earlier in the day... Her opponent demands all of her star chips because it's the rule. She's disqualified.

Mai squeezes her eyes shut and refuses to believe it, just as Yuugi and Anzu run up, calling her name. Mai's lumbering opponent pushes himself up from the table as Mai calls back to Yuugi. Yuugi wonders who the opponent is, and he laughs, pronouncing that his orders to beat Yuugi at all costs will be easy to fulfill. Mai warns Yuugi that the guy is another of those player killers whose job is to go around stealing chips from duelists. Yuugi repeats the term in his head, looking at the man in open-mouthed shock.

Putting Mai's chips in his oversized cuffs, the man demands a duel from Yuugi as well, convinced he'll eliminate him just like Mai. Yuugi and Anzu look devastated at Mai's disqualification while Mai hangs her head and confirms that this is as far as she goes and talks of dropping her dream of dueling Yuugi. Yuugi stares open-mouthed until the player killer orders him to get in the battle box and Yuugi turns a glare on him instead.

OOOOH! Snap! Better bring an extra large paddle to this party!

So, what did I think of this chapter overall? I really enjoyed watching Mai and Anzu interact outside of the dueling context. They are probably the only two women on the island, and seeing them bond a little is a treat. Anzu's suspicion of Mai dropped pretty fast, but it was in a realistic way, because Mai answers her suspicion with the simple fact that underneath it all, she's a girl. They're able to talk to each other on that level from that moment on, because Anzu isn't an opponent. She doesn't play the game. This makes her the perfect person for Mai to spill it all to, because she doesn't have to view Anzu as a threat so much as an adorable little sister.

This chapter also clears up Mai's motivations a little bit more in some subtle ways. It appears to me that this new information points to her just saying that her goal was the prize money to begin with because she thought that's what everyone else was in it for. Her game is playing to expectations, as she's done before with her femininity. She let's others expectations of her (being girly, unable to put up a good fight, superficial interests and shallow personality) be their downfall. They underestimate her, and she walks away with a win because of it.

But when Jonouchi asked her why she was in the tournament, it was a question she was surprised to be asked, so we can deduce that she's never had to answer a personal question like that before. Since she's so guarded already, she doesn't want to tell him the truth, she just throws out the most common motivation there is because she's expecting him to fit into that mold as well. When he doesn't, tells her that her reasons are shallow and lets her know why he's there, she's miffed because she doesn't like being thought of in the terms she sees everyone else. More importantly, though, she loses to him due to her every assumption about him and how he operates being false, just like how others lose to her. That's why she's so obsessed with the riddle he posed to her at the end of their duel, because it makes him seem stranger and less shallow than he first appeared to her.

Regarding the moment between Anzu and Yuugi, it left me WANTING to be back on Anzu's side, but there's something about her wording that seems more like not wanting to hurt Yuugi's feelings than how she really feels. Granted, she told that story from elementary school with a lot of fondness and she wasn't even the first one to bring up Yami, so it's not like this is damage-control or something. Still, her saying "it has been that way" gives me the distinct impression that she WOULD actually prefer Yami romantically and is just settling for Yuugi by saying he's "okay".

There may be another interpretation of that, but I'm not seeing it. I suppose it's possible that there's more context and meaning behind those words in the original Japanese. It just seems a little "meh" to me is all.