Yu-Gi-Oh Manga: 343 The Journey of the King

I... I'm not going to lie. I'm kind of freaking out a little.This chapter is labeled the FINAL DUEL. The next chapter on the Viz website is just a small afterword from KT. I still plan on covering both Transcend Game chapters and Dark Side of Dimensions, as well as writing up an overall impression/final thoughts/general overview (including impressions from that afterward I just mentioned), so I'm not DONE with Yu-Gi-Oh just yet. but there's a finality here that is hitting me HARD in my sentimental core. Things might get emotional.

... Here we go.

Yuugi doesn't look the least alarmed faced with Slifer. Not even a little uncomfortable. In fact, this just validates what he knew all along, that if he were Atem, he'd summon a god. Granted, given what he'd been theorizing before, no doubt he thought it would be Obelisk, but validated he is nonetheless. Yuugi announces that he's now breaking the seal on that Sarcophagus card he'd played before. Atem seems taken aback at the comeback of that card, implying he'd forgotten about it, but I won't fall for THAT trick again! 

The box pops open to reveal it was holding inside Monster Reborn all along, bathed in light, much to Atem's sweatdropping amazement. Yuugi explains that because he put that card in the Sarcophagus, neither of them is allowed to use it in this duel, so since Slifer was brought back with it, its attack is negated entirely. Atem's own Monster Reborn card, the projection of it on the field anyway, starts to disappear in tendrils of digital smoke, while Jonouchi and Honda draw attention to what's happening to Slifer itself, mouths agape.

Not to mention he's defeated two out of three god cards with nary a problem. Frankly, it's the far more impressive feat here.

Jonouchi is aghast, commenting on how Monster Reborn could have helped Yuugi, but he sealed it away instead, while Honda reiterates how Yuugi COULD have used Slifer for himself and Anzu just stares with a hand over her mouth. Ishizu, however, looks on with a mild expression, secure in her certainty that Yuugi's message to the pharaoh is that the souls of the dead must not linger in this world. Yeah, tell that to the ghost on my ceiling, buddy. Ishizu thinks that at last, the king must travel to the afterworld, adding to herself that Yuugi's trump card was also his way of saying goodbye. 

With Yuugi at 1000 points, Atem at 2500, and Silent Magician still sporting 3500 attack points, Yuugi hangs his head slightly, mouth screwed up in a trembling expression. Atem, however, is looking straight ahead, the slightest of encouraging smiles on his face. Ryoji remarks on how "the other Yuugi" doesn't have any monsters for defense, Bakura adding that the duel is over if the Silent Magician attacks. Sugoroku is speechless, intent upon whatever will result. Anzu stares with overflowing sympathy to Yuugi, who is growling frustration over a tear emerging in his eye just out of frame. 

But Atem is still smiling at him, urging his friend and partner either aloud or mentally, to strike that final blow. Yuugi at last looks up, determined eyes brimming with tears, and commands Silent Magician to attack the other player directly.

During the flash, Anzu squeezes her eyes shut to block out the final move. By contrast, Jonouchi's eyes are wide open and his teeth clenched. Honda and the others are in various iterations of gaping, save Ishizu and Rishid, who are either more than prepared for this eventuality, or they're just a little bored. 

After a few more wisps of smoke clear around Atem and he stands up straight again, his life points have dropped to zero. He looks placidly on, but Yuugi dropped to his knees, sniffling miserably.

I'm not too far behind him, truthfully.

Atem walks over and gently says that Yuugi did it, he won, but Yuugi remains hunched and gurgling through his tears, not even replying. Kneeling next to Yuugi, Atem tells him to stand up, because the winner shouldn't be on his knees. He smiles, his hand on Yuugi's shoulder, and says he wouldn't CRY if he were him. Of course you wouldn't dude, because if YOU won the duel, you wouldn't be saying goodbye to anyone!

At last, Yuugi speaks up, stuttering that he's too weak, that Atem was his HERO, his GOAL, and he wanted to be strong just like Atem, and that's all there is to it. Atem assures him that he NOT weak, and he's always had a power that no one could beat. Giving Yuugi a soft smile (with the reader looking back at him through Yuugi's eyes, it should be noted), Atem informs him that he learned the power of kindness from HIM, his partner. 

Oh, I knew I wasn't too far behind Yuugi - the tears have begun. 

But Yuugi's tears seem to have stopped for the moment, as he looks up at Atem with astonishment.

HE'S SO BRAVE WHY CAN'T I BE????

Yuugi calls Atem his "other him" again, but Atem at last corrects him; he tells Yuugi that he is no longer the other him, and that Yuugi is no one else but himself. Atem declares that Yuugi Mutou is the only Yuugi Mutou in the whole world. They're two separate people, and they may as well acknowledge it. Though Yuugi still has tears in his eyes, he's no longer bawling, and he agrees with pep that he is his own individual person distinct from Atem. I wish I could say the same for myself. 

Atem turns now to the door next to them, and the eye on it glows in response. Ishizu explains that the Eye of Wadjet guards the door to the afterlife, and it's seen the truth of the pharaoh's soul through the Rite of the Duel they just did. She says that he's finally going to be welcomed into the next world after being lost in the living world for the past 3000 years. As if this is news to them, Jonouchi, Honda and Anzu are gasp and gape at this declaration. Guys, I know every moment of this process is a fresh knife in your guts, but come on, it's hardly SHOCKING at this point.

Ishizu instructs the soul of the pharaoh to say his name to the Eye of Wadjet. Atem looks up at the glowing carving, silent a moment. 

The door slowly opens, casting a bar of light from the great beyond over Atem as he regards it seriously. He's about to take a step forward when his friends call out to him, as YUUGI again, though he just got done with a speech about how he and Yuugi aren't the same. He stops dead anyway, looking a little shocked. 

Honda is now the one bawling, trying to stem the flow of his tears with clenched fists as he asks Atem if he's really going to go, if he REALLY has to go to the afterlife, and ending with a plea not to leave them. Jonouchi grunts through clenched teeth, he and Anzu both have their eyes closed as if not wanting to watch. Ryoji and Bakura look on in grief, one of them calling out to "Yuugi" once more. Yuugi's waterworks have started back up, Anzu is also starting to cry, while the Tomb Guardian siblings regard the scene with varying degrees of acceptance. 

As Atem continues to stand in the doorway's light with his back to them and Yuugi wipes his fresh tears with a sleeve swiped over his eyes, Jonouchi at last starts to cry too. Anzu hangs her head, but speaks up, first calling Atem "other Yuugi" before correcting herself. She says she knows he has to go to the other side of the light facing him, but she frets that he won't get to come back once he does.

Oh, sweetie, as long as there is a corporation that can profit off of him coming back, that is NO guarantee. ;)

Anzu wants to know WHY. She opines about how they've been friends for so long and now Atem is just going to leave, and she just doesn't GET IT. With his eyes shadowed by his hair, and a thumb in his waistband to insert some casualness into his grief, Jonouchi tells Anzu she doesn't HAVE to get it, she just has to ACCEPT it. And he wisely advises her to burn these memories of the time they've spent with Atem, the feelings, so that she never forgets. Anzu's head continues to hang, but there's an exclamation point coming from her - perhaps she's surprised at how sage Jonouchi is being at the moment, because Jonouchi encourages her to see him off to his future right with the rest of them. 

Atem's chin hangs low too, and he thinks on Anzu and Jonouchi. Anzu promises that she'll never forget anything about Atem. Jonouchi shouts "Yuugi" again at Atem's back, declaring with a grin and eyes brimming with tears all in one that Atem is always "Yuugi" even if he's king, and they'll still be friends even if a thousand years pass. Not even death does friendship part, apparently! 

Atem's eyes widen, and finally, he twists to look back, smiling in shared affirmation. Yuugi also smiles, also declaring that they'll never forget him. 

Hitchhiking for the afterlife.

As Atem walks, he silently thanks his partner and his friends. His jacket transforms into a cape, ankh earrings appear on his ear lobes, and he is decked out in the attire he wore inside the Memory World. Although, it strangely looks like he has socks on too...

Otherwise, a perfectly respectable outfit to meet all his former buds in the thereafter. 

The door shuts completely, and everyone kinda stands around for a moment, wordless in their grief. But a crack resounding through the chamber comes from beneath the Millennium Tablet and shocks them out of their momentary stupor, Jonouchi and Yuugi gaping at the tablet in alarm and the former wondering aloud what's going on. They all follow an encouraging cry to look at the tablet, deep cracks spreading into its heart from the edges. 

The group recoils when the tablet breaks apart entirely and caves in on itself, the golden items in it tossed out of their crumbling beds. Ryoji exclaims that the slab is falling into the depths of the earth, and Bakura motions for everyone to get the hell out of there. Indeed, the priceless Millennium Items fall into a pit beneath the chamber, and Yuugi hesitates for a moment, trying to draw attention to them as they disappear into the dark. Jonouchi and his granfather both grab him by an arm and urge him to get going, but Yuugi takes one more split second to bid farewell to his Millennium Puzzle. 

Ahh, how fitting that Shadi should be left behind at the crumbling door to the afterlife. Should I feel good or bad about the fact that he's staying in the living world? I mean, on the one hand he's not in there mucking up Atem's afterlife, and on the other he's free to keep mucking it up for the living characters...

The group runs up the stairs and out of the chamber as a couple of the columns around where the tablet was collapse as well, sending up a cloud of sandy dust. Once they're outside, they all stare at the entrance to the chamber, which has a little dust issuing from it in a somewhat final manner. No one's going back in THERE. Ishizu explains that since the pharaoh's soul has been delivered to the afterworld, the role of the Millennium Items is done, and the door to the beyond has closed for good. Imagine your purpose being opening a door for a ghost, lol.

The gang just zones out, staring out across the Eyptian dunes, Honda breaking the silence just to marvel about how that was it and Atem's just gone now. No one says anything in answer. They all gaze at the distant horizon, sun high over them as if Ra himself is looking after them. What do you know? We saw him one last time after all. 

Hold up, what are the Kaiba brothers doing here? Did they just show up, or what?

... Was a sequel coming all along???

So, what did I think of this chapter over all? Honestly, I'm finding it difficult to fully articulate my thoughts about this one, given that it's the final chapter. I definitely feel some melancholy, the water-works were going for most of the goodbyes, and the rest of the chapter was full of sniffles. But this was a very gratifying ending to me as well, because not only was the mourning vibe you got from the characters dealing with the departure of their friend palpable and REAL, the reactions were of a varied solemnity, but also there was a note of hope and wisdom in all of them that made it easier to process. 

Jonouchi was the best at expressing this; death isn't something you COMPREHEND so much as ACCEPT. It's difficult to wrap your brain around never seeing a loved-one again, but it's a reality for all of us that must be faced sooner or later. This is why cherishing those memories, again as Jonouchi said, is so important - they help us hold onto that person we lost while we process their absence, and even though we never quite get over it, it becomes easier to live with as time goes on with those comforting memories there to make us feel like the crossed-over are never REALLY gone. They've just gone on to exist in our minds and hearts exclusively, almost, in a much less overt literal way, sharing our bodies as we continue to go through life without their physical presence. Because Atem was always technically a spirit in Yuugi's body, this was already some part of the reality for Yuugi and friends, so it might be a little easier for them to cope knowing that their relationship with Atem already spanned many centuries and miles. That's part of the reason why Jonouchi's final assurance to Atem that they would still be friends no matter the time elapsed or castes between them rang so true. If they already touched each others' lives over thousands of years and enormous distance, what's a little more?

I'm not sure how to feel about most everyone continuing to refer to Atem as "Yuugi" through the chapter. He asserts that he is not the "other Yuugi" anymore himself, but other than Anzu, no one really corrects themselves when they're referring to him as "Yuugi", and Atem still answers to the name. I'm not saying that Atem should be offended by this or keep correcting them or anything, because we know they mean well, and "Yuugi" is how he was known to them for so long that it's understandable for them to keep using the name. Still, it seems to undercut the will expressed by Atem to assert that Yuugi proper is the ONLY Yuugi Mutou in the world now. He no longer has to share an identity with Atem, as Atem and he are separate and whole people in and of themselves. I don't know, it's not grating on me, just makes me cock my head in question as to what the point is in asserting this when everyone is still just going to call Atem "Yuugi" until the very end, lol!

I think Ishizu's analysis of how Yuugi was communicating the message that the dead must not linger in the living world by putting Monster Reborn in the sarcophagus was just a tad blunt for my tastes. It's kind of like having to explain your own joke and making it not funny in the process. But maybe that's just because I've made it my business to read into these things myself and I get a little annoyed when I'm not given the chance to come to my own conclusions. I think audiences are a lot more capable of interpreting a story themselves than is believed, especially nowadays, and handing them a blatant explanation holds something of a patronizing air. But, again, this is just me, and I don't think that the message conveyed is a bad one on its own. I just think it could have been conveyed with more subtlety is all. 

But it wouldn't be possible for me to gush enough about how PERFECT the goodbye between Yuugi and Atem was. Atem is gentle and encouraging as he implores Yuugi to stand proud in his victory, displaying the very power of kindness he tells Yuugi that he learned from HIM. It's not hard to believe, either, because we all remember that murder!grin he used to wear regularly - the guy seemed to kind of get off on being cruel to people who had shown Yuugi and company cruelty before. But he got mellower and more compassionate as time went on, nabbing himself great relationships with once-enemies like with Kaiba and Marik. Without Yuugi's influence, his strength of kindness, there might never have been reconciliation with these characters. Atem acknowledging that and SHOWING Yuugi just how powerful an influence he's been on him was a thing of pure beauty. I couldn't think of a better way for Atem to reassure Yuugi that he was going to be alright without him, and express the strength Yuugi possesses to be a positive force in the world. Just... wow. 

I'm only really confused on ONE thing: why was Kaiba in the desert there in the end? Was that just a projection of one of those with their stories regarding Atem, to imply that Kaiba was kind of there in spirit, or did he really just... show up at the last second? I don't have a CLUE. 

Anyway, stay tuned for the first chapter of Transcend Game!

Yu-Gi-Oh Manga: 342 The Last Gamble!!

Taking a leaf out of Jonouchi's book, are we? Not that there's much choice after a certain point - Yuugi and Atem only have the cards they've drawn, and as the saying goes, you've got to make the most of the hand you're dealt. I can imagine that being left with little choice but to take a large risk is a quite frequent occurrence in this game. Being left with several cards that simply don't work very well together would be MY luck, but then again, I've never been much of a strategist in the traditional sense. Not like these two, who literally built these specific card decks around what they imagined their mind twin would do. 

Took a while for one of them to have the other on the ropes like this, for how well they know each other.

Jonouchi curls up a fist in front of him, hunched and tense over how even Yuugi's secret weapon Gandora couldn't beat DM, and now Yuugi doesn't have any monsters to defend himself. Honda is standing a little straighter and looks more subdued in his disappointment when he says that when the Dark Magician attacks on the next turn, it's all over for Yuugi. Anzu just thinks about Yuugi with a worried look. 

An observation is made by one of them that Yuugi and Atem each have one card left in hand. Not sure who it is, but Yuugi speaks next when he pulls the final card from his fingers to play face down and end his turn, naturally. Not really much else he can do. Atem updates the observation from before - now Yuugi has NO cards in his hand. Does he have no cards left in his DECK, since he didn't draw a new one? Or is he just voluntarily making this is last turn? I can't really get a good look at that Duel Disk, so I'm not sure.

Atem, however, DOES draw a new card, and assesses the two face down cards Yuugi placed, as well as the gold sarcophagus box that contains the secret unusable card from the last chapter. 

 I should HOPE not. What, do you expect him to go to the afterlife in your place if he loses or WHAT??

Atem declares (whether silently or out loud is a little unclear; I'm guessing the former) that he will ALSO fight to the end, as if he has ever NOT done that. Then he plays a card face down as well, and Yuugi notes the single card left in Atem's hand with a sharp look. Still has a pretty fat stack in his deck to draw from, though, from what I can see. 

Throwing out his hand, Atem orders DM to attack Yuugi directly, much to Jonouchi's distress. As the Dark Magician approaches Yuugi with staff raised, ball of energy charging at its tip, Yuugi poop-faces the coming attack head-on, but Sugoroku and Ryoji are kind of freaking out about how bad this is and declaring it's all over, respectively. 

If you smirk on the next page, Atem, I'll... well I can't actually do anything, but I'll be very displeased!

Yuugi says that this card allows him to summon a magician of his very own when a magician attacks HIM, and Jonouchi cheers that he's not out of the game just yet, Honda looking astonished in the background. The gears are turning in Sugoroku's head, though, and he's wondering if Yuugi KNEW that Gandora wouldn't destroy the Dark Magician, if his grandson is really thinking THAT far ahead. Pretty impressive, if so. 

Yuugi slaps down Silent Magician, Level 0. Atem scoffs, but he doesn't SMIRK, at least not that we can see, so I guess I can't get upset with him, technically.

What is this POSE??? 

You know what, it's time I just accept I won't ever get it. I'm not a het dude, I just won't ever get it. 

Although, het as Yuugi has been established (to an extent), he's not looking pleased, but rather a little horrified. Atem asks if Yuugi WASN'T aware that Magician's Circle applies to both players when it's played, so he also gets to summon a magician, and says he's glad for it. From just the eyes that we get to see in his extreme close-up, Yuugi is quite alarmed. Atem reveals his own face down card, "Magicians Unite", the card text stating that Atem's two magicians can combine their power for 3000 points of attack when more than two spellcasters are out and about. 

Now it's YUUGI'S turn to wonder if ATEM was thinking so far ahead that he knew Yuugi would be playing a magician of his own, given that Magician's Circle only works when MORE than two spellcasters are on the field. Can't share a head with a guy for a few years without him being able to pull one over on you at the most inopportune time! Jonouchi and Honda are blown away by the 3000 points between DM and DMG, the former lamenting that Silent Magician just has 1000 points of attack. He says the two against one odds are too unfair and he can't watch. His eyes are wide enough that he may not have a choice, though. 

The Dark Magician and Dark Magician Girl fly at Silent Magician, but Yuugi throws out his hand to put a halt on the attack, activating another of his face down cards called "Card of Sanctity". Atem gapes at the announcement, trailing in a thought about what that means, and Yuugi finishes that thought by stating plainly that they both draw cards until they have six in their hand. So I guess Yuugi DOES still have cards, he just wasn't drawing them on purpose? I'm focusing on entirely the wrong part of this, because Atem looks almost mortified while Yuugi continues to explain that Silent Magcian's attack goes up by 500 for every card they draw, and they have to draw quite a few. He invites Atem to look at Silent Magician now, with the card power-ups they gave her. 

Oooh, buddy, that hat is fucking SICK. I said it before: conical hats are best hats. 

Silent Magician throws out her arms and a sphere of power radiates out from her, which blows away Dark Magician and Dark Magician Girl. Atem's magicians are defeated, as Yuugi notes from the spectral smoke they leave behind, and Atem has his jaw clenched while his points go down by 500. Everyone stands in silent awe as the rest of the smoke clears. Atem, in particular, looks a bit miffed. He ends his turn. 

Yuugi announces his turn and draws a card at last, thinking at Atem that this is it - their last turn. Atem himself appears moody, noting the six cards in his hand, then smiles a little, declaring mentally at Yuugi that this is his final gamble. Ooooh, SO close to getting that title.

The tension isn't anything to scoff at. 

With an expression of determination, Yuugi orders Silent Magician to attack Atem. Honda's the only one who can pry his jaws apart enough to declare the obvious, that if this attack works, then Yuugi wins. Atem doesn't seem very worried at all, not so much as a sweatdrop to indicate nervousness. Sugoroku thinks that there's only one thing that Atem could do to block this upset, and wonders if Yuugi did anything to prepare for it.

Yuugi is still considering what he would do if he were Atem, while Atem has to admit that Yuugi's Card of Sanctity/Silent Magician combo was just about perfect, with just the TINY little flaw that it filled ATEM'S hand too. He makes an apology to his partner, while we get a good look from a low angle at the card he has face down, an ankh with a brilliant backlight. 

Atem orders something back to life. 

... Do you though?

So, what did I think of this chapter overall? First and foremost, I have to ask, can it be a part of one's strategy in this game NOT to draw a card at the beginning of a turn? I had to go back to the previous chapter to see if he had stopped drawing cards and I just didn't notice, but he seemed to be drawing them like normal, so this was something of a new development in this chapter. And one that didn't have ANY attention drawn to it too - none of the characters comment on this or say anything referring to it, except to state how many cards are currently in Yuugi's or Atem's hands. I certainly don't have anything against this being treated as normal, considering that as a part of the strategy it IS pretty subtle and so comes off as an interesting surprise if you're not paying attention (like me, lol). Still, I can't recall if I've seen this before in duels leading up to this one, and it seems to have come a little from nowhere for me. Let me know if I'm just a little blind in the comments! I can totally see something like characters quietly NOT drawing at the start of their turn totally escaping me before because it just wasn't really part of the resolution of the duel or something. Scratch that, it turns out that I had completely failed to register that the chapter started in the MIDDLE of Yuugi's turn, after he had already drawn his card! See comments below!

That aside, I think it's interesting that Yuugi did some overlooking of his own here; he assumed that Atem wouldn't put more than one god card in his deck because they require too many sacrifices, but failed to remember that there might be OTHER ways gods can be summoned. And I went back a few more chapters still just to refresh my memory - I had completely forgotten that Atem had indeed put a card in the graveyard before summoning The Tricky on his first turn. The audience even got a pretty clear view of Monster Reborn in his hand at the time. GREAT setup and payoff, in addition to the fairly solid logic from Yuugi to throw us off the scent a little. Is it weird that I like being deceived by writers when it's done well? 

But more than that, Yuugi's little mistakes in reasoning and strategizing are really compounding at this point. His use of Magician's Circle, his assumptions that Atem wouldn't put more than one god card in his deck, his lack of caution around Atem's face down cards, have all allowed Atem to gain a prominent lead in the duel. It's keeping the tension high, but at the back of my mind, I'm still not trusting that all of these are necessarily "mistakes". After all, Yuugi has referred back to his "if I were you" train of thought many times, and there's still that sarcophagus box to contend with. There's obviously no doubt in my mind what the ultimate outcome of this duel will be, but I'm just anxious to see how Yuugi makes the turn-about happen. 

Finally, I just want to point out the universal loser's declaration that Atem makes at the very end of the chapter there. Always a mistake to declare a win before its time in a story. But he certainly doesn't look happy about it, and that's very striking to me. When he thinks that he's won, his reaction to this thought is at best stoic. There's no emotion behind it, not even smugness, and you just get the impression that his winning has become so uninteresting, even to himself, that he's almost uninvested. It's another day ending in "y".

Further driving home why this "sword" of his needs to be TAKEN from him. It's his instinct, nature, to use his deck not just to fight obstacles, but to reinforce his own place in the grand scheme. It may be holding him back, but he can't let it go willingly because of how integral to HIM that it's become. So, though it's not helping him, hindering him at this point, he's just kind of going through the motions. The lack of JOY at his thought of winning, though it would mean him getting to stay with his friends, is fucking BLEAK. 

Shit dude. Making me depressed.

Yu-Gi-Oh Manga: 341 The Master of Servants

This is an... awkward chapter title. The existence of servants kind of implies a master, but the way this is worded without any kind of article suggests that the master is for ALL servants, not specific ones. I don't like the concept of servants and masters in even the kindest of interpretations, but there's something even MORE sinister about the sound of this phrase. Should we imagine that servants as a whole have some OVERLORD master that can command them all? Is this some kind of essentialist rhetoric that speaks of naturally servile entities that are beholden to the commands and whims of a natural master? 

Or was this just a really unfortunate translation compromise? Only one way to find out I guess.

Well the duel isn't over yet. Maybe we should be a little patient, hm Yuugi?

After both big bad monsters dissipate into tendrils of smoke, Atem scoffs, thinking that his partner has grown quite a bit. Jonouchi admits on the sidelines that he'd thought Atem (the OTHER Yuugi as he says) would dominate this duel, but neither player is giving an inch in this one. Honda agrees, adding that all they can do is watch, not that someone suggested they interfere with the match in the first place. Anzu thinks about how Yuugi's gotten stronger and stronger, and wonders how Atem feels watching him - happy? Sad? A little hungry? She's certain that Atem is happy as "the OTHER Yuugi", but as Atem, maybe he's a little sad. A very intriguing line of thought, to be sure.

Yuugi notes the face down card as he declares the start of his own turn, marveling at the fact that they were together in the same body for so long, and now they're facing each other in a duel. He urges himself to think about what he would do if he were Atem, closing his eyes in concentration on how he would think and fight. The first thought in his mind is that if he were Atem, he'd be scared to lose and be separated from his friends, and it would be too painful to go to "that other place" alone. Looking at his own deck of cards in the Duel Disk on his arm, Yuugi draws the conclusion that Atem CAN'T lose, and will have stacked his deck with the strongest cards, the god cards and his most trusted servants (read: monsters). Given Yuugi has JUST faced one of the god cards, this isn't exactly a stretch of a conclusion to draw. 

But he knows that the god cards need sacrifices, and it's risky to fill one's deck with too many low-level monsters for that purpose. So, Yuugi is thinking that Atem would only include ONE god card in his deck. Getting a bit riskier in his logic now, I like it. From there, he thinks that since Obelisk is now in the graveyard, after a short pause, Yuugi thinks he would play a CERTAIN card next. 

Now thoroughly inside his conception of Atem's strategy, Yuugi plays two face down cards, and then summons Marshmallon in defense. Excuse my flinch of horror at this smiling squishy psycho. Yuugi ends his turn here, again closing his eyes and thinking at Atem that he KNOWS all this sorrow must hurt, because he knows he's got some pretty painful feelings himself and they must be experiencing a pretty similar emotional reaction right now. And this is why...

That meek defenseless kid doesn't really exist anymore anyway. Your definitions are outdated, Atem.

Atem starts his turn with a declaration, thinking at Yuugi that he'd better be ready, because he's going to use his full power to dominate this duel, as he draws a new card. A bit late for that resolution - you've already been playing this thing for a while now, dude! Not to mention, his full power is expressed in this turn with a play of Jack's Knight in attack position and then the end of his turn. It's not BAD, per se, but I don't know if I buy it's turning the power up to 100%.

It's Yuugi's turn again, as he announces, and he summons a Lego monster in defense called Blockman, which ends his turn too. They are REALLY moving along here. Atem says it's his turn again, thinking that if Yuugi DOES win somehow (he's still in denial about Yuugi's badassery, apparently) and takes his sword, it's his wish that Yuugi stab his soul with it without mercy. Please no, Atem, PLEASE don't bring back the abuse of metaphors. I BEGGING you, dude. 

He sacrifices both his monsters.

There he is! This just wouldn't feel right without him.

Somehow, Yuugi looks shocked at DM's appearance, but while Jonouchi's posture suggests alarm, his statement proclaiming that "the other Yuugi's" partner is here suggests he was expecting DM. Atem would probably contest the claim that DM is his partner, though, because he's more in the habit of using that term for Yuugi. Regardless, Honda declares that Dark Magician is Atem's best servant, and has gotten him out of all kinds of scrapes. Jonouchi is convinced this means Atem is SERIOUS, because summoning the god before wasn't serious enough for him.

With a combative expression, Atem silently urges Yuugi to just TRY and take his sword, asserting that his grip is firm and his aim is true. Not as bad as the other metaphor, but maybe you should just lay off the damn sword imagery, Atem. He commands the Dark Magician to attack, who points his staff at Marshmallon and blasts it right apart. As it goes "splat", Atem narrates its death. 

Yuugi raises his arm against the digital smoke remains of his monster, realizing that OF COURSE Atem knew that Marshmallon could only be destroyed by magic. He's not the only one who can get into his opponent's head, lol.

Shit, DM, no need to give Yuugi the stink-eye.

Yuugi silently admits that it was comforting having DM on his side in the past, but there's no stronger opponent. Clearly, Obelisk was just chopped liver in comparison. Yuugi's not exactly stoked to have to defeat DM, but he knows he has to, otherwise this whole match is hopeless. 

Atem continues his turn, not QUITE finished yet, by placing a card face down, as one does. THEN he ends his turn. Yuugi responds with an uncertain-looking acceptance of the announcement, but he's pretty certain in his mind that he'll have to take a chance here, one that will lose him the duel if he fails. Jonouchi asks how Yuugi's going to beat the Dark Magician rhetorically, and Honda adds that this is a critical moment for Yuugi, win or lose. 

Yuugi plays a spell card from his hand, called Gold Sarcophagus of Sealing. It looks VERY SIMILAR to the box that once housed the Millennium Puzzle, and its text says that any card placed in it will be immune to magic effects and cannot be used by either player. I assume until certain conditions are met, at least. 

Atem ponders the box critically. Jonouchi wonders aloud what card Yuugi chose, while Anzu points out what I just did, that it looks just like the puzzle box, and Honda agrees. Anzu has an extended thought about the actual box that held the Millennium Puzzle, what she considers a symbol of friendship that brought Yuugi and Atem together. She seems to be picking up what Yuugi's putting down, huh?

After a panel showing the floating digital box Yuugi summoned, Yuugi declares he's going to do one more thing: he activates Bockman's special ability, called Block Release. All the Lego pieces pop apart, which appears to shock Atem a little, or at the very least gives him a gape. Yuugi explains that Blockman can break into the same number of Block Tokens as the number of turns passes since its summoning. The blocks have rearranged themselves into two smaller kinds of little Lego robots, a move that makes Grandpa Sugoroku proud because now Yuugi can sacrifice them to summon a high-level monster. 

Indeed, the smaller Block Tokens are already surrounded by those familiar sacrificial whirlwinds, and Yuugi is sure he'll defeat the Dark Magician with their replacing monster. He announces it's on its way.

That dragon is the bomb. Don't give me that look.

Atem looks pretty nervous about Gandora, sweatdropping about it and everything. Yuugi shouts that Gandora's special power is to destroy all the monsters out and about, no matter their level of strength. Acknowledging that Yuugi has a chance at winning if he can destroy the Dark Magician, Jonouchi leans forward, gaping at the scene in similar fashion to Honda next to him. 

Yuugi calls for Gandora to do its thing.

Damn your impossible poker face, Atem.

Atem reveals a trap card he'd laid - classic ol' Mirror Force. Wide-eyed and lock-jawed, Yuugi seems to realize he's in it deep. Atem narrates the transparent bubble that appears around Dark Magician as a holy barrier that reflects the Giga Rays, which bounce off DM at close arcs, slamming right into Gandora instead. As a somewhat douchy flex, Atem declares that Gandora has killed itself.

Gandora explodes and yet again Yuugi doubles over behind his arm in the waves of virtual fallout, groaning. When he looks up, one eye still screwed shut, he's got just 1000 points left. Jonouchi panics about how bad it is that Yuugi doesn't have any monsters left, and either he or Honda makes the observation that if the Dark Magician hits Yuugi, he'll lose. While the smoke is still clearing, we get a view of Atem. 

That's an... expression.

So, what did I think of this chapter overall? This one is actually pretty straightforward, so there's not a LOT for me to say. I thinkYuugi's statement that he has to defeat the "him" that Atem has in his head is a particularly sharp point. As we discussed in the comments of the last chapter's review, it's clear Atem's construction of Yuugi in his mind is still pretty weak and defenseless, not to mention relatively incapable of fighting for himself or his friends. This is something Atem can be kind of forgiven for; to some extent, we've all got to build SOMEWHAT inaccurate ideas of the people in our lives, because there's no getting into their head to see what they're REALLY like. The problem here is that Atem's image of Yuugi in some ways casts him as a fragile extension of himself that requires protection constantly in order maintain it, simultaneously giving him anxiety over both what happens if Yuugi is left without his aid and is hurt, AND if Yuugi doesn't actually need him anymore and can function just fine as an autonomous person. These are both fears of Atem's ego, and split as that ego is between Yami the other Yuugi and dispenser of justice through games and Atem the pharaoh embodiment of the gods and light in his own time, only one of these definitions of himself is rooted in the conception of Yuugi and company as fragile. Defeat that conception, defeat the "other Yuugi" Yami concept as well, leaving just Atem without any excuse to avoid stepping into that great unknown that we all must one day.

I WOULD be more nervous about all of Yuugi's attempts to gain the upper hand in the duel here failing miserably if that mystery card in the box wasn't still hanging out. Also, the fact that KT has laid out a string of failures before the ultimate success in duels before. The try-fail cycle is a very effective way of raising the tension in a match as well as making the audience more sympathetic toward the protagonist, so that the win in the end feels more "earned". I love me a good try-fail cycle (one of the more prominent reasons why Jonouchi is my favorite character), but sometimes it is just a TAD obvious after more than 300 chapters of its employ. 

Still having a blast, though, I can't deny that!

Yu-Gi-Oh Manga: 340 The Ties That Bind

Being all tied up in something can be a bit of a double-edged sword. On the one hand, being bound can provide a sense of stability and security, and on the other, it can be restricting as hell. Trying to find out where you feel the most of the former and least of the latter is tricky, because while we can't avoid ties altogether (no matter what all those "freedom" evangelists might claim in all their hypotheticals), knots are hard to untangle in the cases where you've made a pretty big mistake or it's time to move on. You don't want to tether yourself to the first thing that offers you a fair amount of security and then be stuck watching it deteriorate around you like a melting glacier you depended on to keep you cool and collected. That's an untenable position.

... Not that I'm having that problem right now or anything.

At least you're not surrounded by talk about a monster-recession too, Yuugi. 

Jonouchi comments seriously on what a close match this is, but acknowledges that Atem is still thinking one step ahead. Ishizu thinks on how Atem is like an iron fort, and the outcome of the fight will depend on whether or not Yuugi can breach that fort. I should note that both of them keep referring to Atem as the "other" Yuugi or self. Just to draw some attention to how reluctant everyone STILL is to separate the two even mentally.

Yuugi's eyes are closed, and he thinks about how he's trembling, but not because he's afraid. His eyes open again, and he's adopted a small determined smile when he thinks about how happy it makes him that Atem is actually taking him seriously. Again, Yuugi reiterates in his mind how his "other him" winning means he stays here in this world. He starts to interpret the deck that Atem has chosen for this duel, translating it into a nonverbal expression of the sad feelings he would have if he has to lose the bonds he has with Yuugi and his other friends. I'd say it's a bit of a stretch, but Yuugi's had this dude sharing intimate mental space with him for literal years by this point, so it would be weird if he WASN'T able to accurately read Atem's emotions through any number of small cues. 

Inclining his head in a somber expression, Yuugi knows he feels the same way, but when he looks back up with full poop-face on, he is certain Atem has to return and that he HAS to defeat him. He announces that his turn is over aloud, after all that internal dialog. 

Uhhhh, excusez-vous? This shit opinion only exists because you didn't see Yuugi absolutely SPANK asshole!Bakura before. 

Atem demands they all behold his spell card, "Tricky's Magic 4", which comes as a surprise to Yuugi, who is in disbelief that Tricky can use different spells. Apparently this one is a cloning spell, because Atem explains that since there are three separate gadgets fastened onto Stronghold, Tricky can split into three identical monsters as well. As it proceeds to do so, Yuugi's mouth hangs open in further disbelief, and no doubt we can ALL predict what's coming next.

Yup, Atem announces his intent to sacrifice them.

Oh boy, I think Atem might be taking Yuugi a little TOO seriously, lol!

Yuugi gapes up at Obelisk in terror, sweatdropping and generally looking a little ill about it. Its own expression can't really be read - it looks kind of like some sort of giant Cenobite with its perpetually exposed teeth and gums. Jonouchi and Honda look up with alarm at the god Atem summoned, concluding that this perfect, incredible deck was built to blast Yuugi away and he's not showing the least bit mercy. Anzu is speechless, though her shock is somewhat less pronounced than the others'.

Atem commands his Obelisk to strike. 

I think the seriousness has calcified.

As Yuugi doubles over, digital smoke wafting off his back, Ryoji comments in awe about how that one attack took out all of Yuugi's monsters, and Bakura says that Yuugi will be finished off with a direct attack next turn if he can't do something on this next one. Meanwhile, Atem plays a single card face down and ends his turn, of course. While Yuugi and Atem continue to stare down one another across the manufactured distance between them, Jonouchi shouts at Yuugi not to give up (I guess this looks an awful lot like it to him), though Honda points out that the Swords of Revealing light are still out there and asks how Yuugi can possibly defeat a god. 

Yami is still peering at Yuugi across the way, and for a moment Yuugi's face looks kind of shadowed. But then...

Would you prefer he CRY? Because I would. But then again, I'm not a badass, so...

Everyone's sort of nonplussed by Yuugi's little smile here. Ryoji says Yuugi's name with shock, Bakura wonders aloud if Yuugi has some sort of trick up his sleeve, and Sugoroku answers that Yuugi is IN FACT quite cornered and there's no turning back for him, but he too is perplexed as to why he's wearing this weird expression. Anzu suggests that maybe Yuugi is expressing some happiness because he wants Atem to stay, but Honda snaps at her not to be so stupid, and Jonouchi insists that NO ONE would grin when he's about to lose, adding that Yuugi isn't that kind of duelist. The kind that Jonouchi doesn't think exists anyway. Cool. 

Jonouchi's explanation is far simpler: haltingly, he says Yuugi is just... having fun, much to the further confusion of Honda and Anzu. He elaborates that right now, in this duel, Atem is throwing everything he can at Yuugi, and Yuugi himself is loving it. Anzu looks at him with a dawning realization as Jonouchi further explains that this is the first time these two have faced each other as rivals (not to mention PHYSICALLY), and while Yuugi has always been kind of following along in the shadow of Atem, they're coming at one another head-on. Anzu considers the words "always" and "following", and she looks a little ashamed here, gazing at Yuugi as if she's JUST noticed that he's also going through some shit.

Jonouchi recalls on the boat when Yuugi confessed that there was something he hadn't yet told his "other self", and Jonouchi silently encourages Yuugi to make that leap.

And hey, Atem seems to be down with this too, thinking at his partner to bring it on. 

Yuugi begins by setting a card face down, then brings out little Silent Swordsman, Level 0, into the fray, at 1000 attack points. I don't bother to mention defense because Yuugi has indeed summoned it in attack position. Yuugi just keeps mystifying everyone today - Atem is in a little disbelief over the questionable move, and Marik openly questions why, since Obelisk will be dealing a whopping 3000 points of damage if it attacks, bringing the duel to a swift end. Jonouchi grinds his teeth with anxiety.

But Atem seems to be working out what's going on here. He thinks that Yuugi must have Time Jump hidden among his face down cards, and when he activates it, it'll bring Silent Swordsman's level up with the 3 turns it blows over. However, the attack strength would STILL only be up to 2500 at that point, still far below what is needed to defeat Obelisk. Atem assumes that this was some sort of attempt to scare him into holding back, instead of working out that there's probably ANOTHER piece of this move that he's not quite grasping yet. 

Atem calls out the start of his turn, quickly summoning Big Shield Guardna for backup defense, as you do, and commanding Obelisk to attack. As the giant fist is coming in for a mean punch to the diminutive Silent Swordsman, Yuugi throws out his hand to trigger one of his face down cards, Time Jump, just at Atem had supposed. Atem is secure in his reading of the situation, and his knowledge that Silent Swordsman still doesn't have the power to survive Obelisk's attack. But when Yuugi announces that this isn't ALL, Atem is taken aback once again. 

Yuugi plays his SECOND face down card, Crumbling Axe, the text of which instructs the player to lower the selected monster's attack by 500 points each for every turn it was hanging out face down. Yuugi reiterates that Time Jump raises Silent Swordsman's level (so he's all grown up now and his massive hands and feet are much more proportional to his body now), and Crumbling Sword lowers Obelisk's attack points. 

Well, if Yuugi wasn't having fun before, he sure is now.

So, what did I think of this chapter overall? It's a good thing that Yuugi's here to do some interpreting on Atem, because to me, his opinions/feelings in this duel are kind of erratic. Half the time he's thinking that Yuugi can't surpass him or that Yuugi is trying to scare him into going easy on him or something, and the other half he's summoning gods and encouraging Yuugi to bring it in a genuine way. He's so all over the place that I'm having a lot of trouble getting a read on the guy. 

But since this is my blog, and I really should TRY to come up with an analysis of viable motivation that covers all of his contradictory statements/actions, I'm thinking there's a contrast being drawn here between Atem's repeated attempts at seriousness and Yuugi's almost laid-back taking the whole experience in stride. As Jonouchi said, it's clear Yuugi is having FUN here - he's treasuring what could potentially be his last minutes with someone so close to him and at the same time using them to express himself and his feelings about the situation and their face-off. In a way, Yuugi is MAKING this the conversation that he admitted he wanted a couple of chapters ago, saying what he's wanting to say, which is that Atem doesn't have to be concerned about how things will turn out when he has to go, because Yuugi is a capable and strong individual in his own right.

But Atem isn't using the duel as a medium like Yuugi is. Beyond Yuugi's observation that the deck Atem put together is a statement on his fears about severing ties with all his friends in going away, Atem appears to be trying to dissociate himself from the intimate nature of this duel. He's trying to treat it like one he might have with any of the antagonists they've met from the beginning, as an exercise of his judgment with a just outcome. Whether he feels good or bad about it (which seems to shift every second), he's already drawn the conclusion that Yuugi CAN'T win this duel, and he's going to be staying. Atem clearly doesn't think Yuugi is bad, but he has assumed that Yuugi is WRONG, and this needs... correcting, just like the other wrong-headed folks he's dueled. So, Atem's treatment of the duel as a cold hard judgment of skill leaves him missing a lot of what Yuugi is trying to SAY with the moves he makes, including the pretty obvious stuff.

But hey, maybe now that Yuugi has taken down Obelisk, he's going to get wise and start paying a bit more attention. One can only hope.

Yu-Gi-Oh Manga: 339 Yuugi vs. Atem!!

The "how" of this upcoming match is still blowing my mind a bit, because it occurs to me that the solidification of a split shadow is an interesting way to manifest another body for one of these souls. In the beginning of the story, Atem as the spirit of the Millennium Puzzle was aligned with the dark, doling out punishments and judgments against wrong-doers in a distinctly spooky/shady manner. He even seemed to take pleasure in some disturbing retributions really early on. As the story progressed, his orientation shifted more toward the light side of the spectrum, the traditional alignment for a "good" guy in most fiction. The polarity was pretty fully flipped, but now, with the split shadow, Atem seems to have been identified by the "shadows" again. So, the question is: could all the references to light of the heart and casting of shadows in the painful metaphorical discourse between Atem and Zorc have had another layer? Was Atem REALLY ever the "light" side that was being talked about, or was it actually YUUGI, whose shadow he's been living as for the vast majority of the story?

Or am I thinking too hard about all this and should I just accept my whiplash with grace?

Either way, we get a recap of the ritual instructions over the image of the Millennium Tablet complete with all the items and a light emanating from the cracks around them, and the Door to the Afterlife. It might be a little like putting together Ikea furniture, folks - insert Millennium Item into corresponding slot, say the name of the pharaoh, and the door will open to welcome him, AFTER the Wadjet Eye judges the pharaoh's worth and someone takes the pharaoh's sword to quiet his soul. Not complicated, but still somewhat... challenging.

I'm feeling SO weird about this. 

While he's inserting the deck he just made into his clone Duel Disk (or is Yuugi's the clone? *shrug*), Atem silently thanks his partner for accepting this challenge, but since he's a duelist, it's his pride to put EVERYTHING he has into beating his opponent no matter the cost. Clearly he's not planning on just handing this one to Yuugi. Yuugi too is inserting his newly-made deck into his Duel Disk, thinking at his "other him" that he has to be strong, because otherwise Atem will never be free from his heart. He vows once more to defeat his "other him". 

How funny would it be if they accidentally chose each other's decks? I mean, I know there's no chance of that, since Yuugi's was in the puzzle box and everything, but it might break the tension a little if there was a silly little mix-up. Or it might just make everyone more upset, now that I think about it...

While Yuugi and Atem stand to face off against each other, the peanut gallery is very anxious. Jonouchi and Honda are clenching their teeth and their fists are raised, the former complaining that he doesn't know who to root for. He reiterates that if Yuugi wins, the OTHER Yuugi will leave them, and if the OTHER Yuugi wins, then nothing changes and they all get to stay together. Put that way, it sounds like a no-brainer, but Jonouchi adds that the second outcome would also mean Yuugi never gets to stand alone. No doubt that adventure in the Memory World was a one-off deal and Yuugi won't get another chance at independence like that again, so, fair.

Anzu frets silently, correcting her brain when it also tries to call Atem the OTHER Yuugi, and just wanting him to stay with them. She's coming down firmly on the side of wanting him to win it seems, just because she would HATE to see him go. Ishizu dispassionately explains that this trial will decide both their fates, since their souls have been joined in one heart for so long and they're the only ones who can find the answer. 

Atem shouts at Yuugi an invitation to get this thing going, and Yuugi nods in agreement. 

Are they doing that d-d-d-d-d-duel thing? That thing I hear all the time on YouTube?

Atem declares he's taking the lead, choosing a card from his hand to put in the graveyard with the accompanying explanation, and uses it to special summon something called "The Tricky" in attack position. It's got question marks on both its blank head topped with a jester's hat, and its torso, which reinforces the mystery of how its card doesn't appear to have any other tidbits about what it does than how to summon it. Atem then plays a card face down and ends his turn. 

As Yuugi carefully considers how Atem immediately special summoned a 2000-point monster, he announces his own turn and then slaps down Swords of Revealing Light, which appear all around The Tricky in order to hold it in place. Jonouchi marvels at how Yuugi used Swords of Revealing Light on his first turn and he's not messing around, and at last, Atem cracks a smile at Yuugi, appearing pretty impressed himself. 

Man, they're just CRUISING right along, aren't they? I guess these can go fairly fast absent the trash-talk.

After Atem says it's his turn again, he does some thinking about the basic strategy Yuugi is using - protecting himself from Atem's monsters until he has enough monsters out there to sacrifice for something high-level. But Atem, without any kind of mirth, thinks at Yuugi that he should know Swords of Revealing Light can't block ALL attacks. He holds out a card he's plucked from his hand, announcing it's a spell card he's playing. Yuugi seems astounded that Atem has THAT card: "Rebellion", which makes Green Gadget whirl around and prepare to attack Yuugi himself, per the text on the card and Atem's statement to as much. His own monster lunges for Yuugi, eliciting a worried, uneasy response from Marik. 

But Yuugi smiles and says he knew Atem would do that. Atem looks on in shock and disbelief as Yuugi reveals the trap he laid, "Stronghold", and it rises behind Yuugi like a cross between a massive server machine, a power plant, and kin to the exposed gear creature he summoned before. Atem leans forward as if he has to get a better look to really accept the "hidden fort trap" that Yuugi has played. Yuugi confidently awaits Green Gadget's molasses approach.

Not quite so BASIC as you thought, huh Atem?

Sugoroku acknowledges Yuugi's good move, narrating how Rebellion was negated and Yuugi's points remain intact, and the still conflicted Jonouchi mumbles good luck to BOTH the players. Fair, because after what we've seen both of them do, Atem's certainty that this will be his toughest challenge is probably an understatement. 

Atem ends his turn, straight-faced and serious. No other moves or ANYTHING. Yuugi declares his turn and draw, looks at the new card critically, and silently warns his "other him" that he's already got all the cards for a special combo in his hand, so he'd better be ready. Yuugi first plays a spell card with a price of 1000 of his points, called "Ties of the Brethren" which allows him to special summon a couple of monsters of the same type as the one he already has out there. He pulls the ones he wants from his deck, Atem looking on in alarm again. Yuugi calls for the gadgets to come to him, overly dramatic, but effective. 

No blue gadget? I guess primary colors can't ALWAYS be included in everything.

At last, Atem actually SPEAKS to Yuugi about what he's doing, and his assessment isn't very generous. He points out that the three monsters Yuugi has managed to get out there cannot be used for attack or sacrifice, and advises his partner that he can't be defeated through puny defensive tactics like Stronghold or his defense monsters. Uh, Atem seems to have traded the memory of certain game aspects for the memory of his name and past, because he's forgetting that a lot of these mech/robot monsters like to COMBINE. 

Indeed, Yuugi tells him his monsters AREN'T for defense, and are actually different steps to a whole attack strategy. Atem gapes again in disbelief while Yuugi shouts that they're doing this, and commands his gadgets to become the gears in that big fort behind him. They fly up to the empty slots on the Stronghold and rings of flowing air surround them as they get into position, which just seems to confuse the shit out of Atem, because he's perplexed as hell about what's going on here. So Yuugi explains that the three gears on the gadgets' backs fit into the Stronghold, and they turn, all while precisely this is happening.

Seriously, THIS should not be blowing your mind, Atem. 

Although it IS pretty massive, and Atem has to lean his head way far back to look up at the fusion attack he's identified. Yuugi asks if Atem is GETTING now that the usual field-card Stronghold can join with the gadgets and become Stronghold the Fort Monster at 3000 points of attack. I don't know, Atem is being awfully dense at the moment. Might not sink in until that walking fortress whaps him upside his cloudy head. Jonouchi, Honda, and Anzu all gape in various degrees of distress, but the dialog is more of awe that Yuugi's got this game going now. 

Yuugi demands that his Stronghold get Atem. 

Oh good, it's not that he's being DENSE, it's that he was using that IMPOSSIBLE poker face mind of his again. 

So, what did I think of this chapter overall? On the one hand, I appreciate the effort to show Atem's transition from mild skepticism of Yuugi's efforts at the beginning of the duel to his amazement at them. It makes more than enough sense that while he's proud of Yuugi for stepping up to take on this responsibility of his duel to end all duels, he might doubt that Yuugi can bring himself to put all his effort into the duel. Looking at this from Atem's perspective, I can see how Yuugi's moves for a minute MIGHT have come across as overly shy or like he was holding back, so his mini lecture about how Yuugi can't beat him with defensive moves is understandable. 

But, on the other hand, Atem being repeatedly taken-aback by the mechanics of these cards that he really should have predicted was a little grating. It didn't convey that his awe was in regards to Yuugi showing concerted effort, or being a little more in the game than he had assumed at first - it just made him look ridiculously dense. And the about-face at the end of the chapter where Atem shows he was in control all along just comes across as an over-correction for how stupid Atem was being written before. I've commented before on how Atem appears in both face AND thought to be on the ropes in a match, and then the next panel he's confident again when it's revealed that he had a countermeasure for whatever move he was reacting to in the first place. It seems disingenuous and like there's an effort to have it both ways: having tension built into the narrative while ALSO having your cool main character never REALLY be vulnerable or uncertain. In this particular case, there's also the impression KT might have pushed Atem's awe a little too far, and had to swing him back to a place where he's still in the competition. It's not great.

Otherwise, there's just a general melancholy to the start of this duel. The characters are expressing confusion at the situation, perplexity at how their friends ended up being on OPPOSITE sides of duel, and discomfort at what BOTH outcomes could mean. It is no wonder to me that, whenever Jonouchi in particular is depicted, he's got this sort of... lost expression, like he's totally unfamiliar with where he's at and he's failing to get his bearings. It's a little unsettling, but rich in emotion. 

And of course I can't deny that I'm feeling the impending ending a little more intensely with every subsequent chapter I recap/review here. It's getting WEIRD, and I don't even have a clever little countermove to the discomfort written for me like Atem does. I just have to DEAL.

Yu-Gi-Oh Manga: 338 The Rite of the Duel!!

Exciting as this and its stakes sound, I am DESPAIRING of sitting inside reading about "the Rite of the Duel" at the moment. It's been raining nonstop since yesterday with more rain on the way, I haven't gotten out to get the rest of the stone for my herb spiral yet, and I didn't get to ride my bike this week like I'd grown accustomed. I'm feeling a little bit of cabin fever, and despite having plenty to do indoors (including this review), I can't help but feel a bit bored and bummed by it all. Normally the rain feels cozy here, so I don't know what's changed. Perhaps I'm longing for summer and sunshine more than I've ever done before. Perhaps I just need a little vacation.

But if Yuugi can keep truckin' with his somewhat painful duties to Atem at this bummer of a time for him, then my task of reviewing them is relatively small in comparison. 

He sits back in his chair, surrounded by piles of odd cards that didn't make the cut for the deck he just finished, some of them trailing out of his back haphazardly. He starts looking through his chosen cards again, mumbling that the balance isn't quite right, considering out loud some more traps, and saying that there's too many monsters. He thinks about how before now he always built his deck with "his other self" (except for that one time where he had his dream deck in the Memory World RPG, but perhaps he doesn't count that as "building" per se) as he makes the changes he was muttering about before, eventually giving his choices more notes of approval. He acknowledges that this time is different, though: this is his OWN deck, to duel the "other him" specifically. Can't let him have the advantage of seeing what he's up against beforehand, after all.

Over an image of the ship moving along the Nile, Yuugi also notes that they'll be arriving in the Valley of the Kings in just a few more hours, where the Shrine of the Underworld is, the arena for their duel against one another. At last, Yuugi decides to stop fussing over the deck and says that's it, stashing it away in the Millennium Puzzle box until the duel. Once Yuugi has closed the box and has taken it off the table, possibly to put it in his bag, Atem appears in spectral form beside him, asking if he's finished up building that deck yet. Yuugi responds to his "other him" in slight alarm, asking where he's been this whole time, saying everyone was worried about him.

Atem apologizes, claiming that he had to sleep to minimize the risk of seeing Yuugi build the deck for his duel with him. Yuugi assumes Atem must have heard the news then, to which Atem responds that he indeed was at least around to hear Marik's explanation about the Rite of the Duel, and he in turn assumes that Yuugi's accepted the responsibility of giving him his final test. Yuugi kind of hangs his head in morose silence, Atem waiting patiently for Yuugi to look up again and affirm that he'll use all his skills to duel him. Atem says he knows, so Yuugi launches into an excited declaration that it's his turn to build his own deck, urging him not to forget that he knows all the weaknesses of the current deck, his new deck has ways to beat the classic Atem strategies, and he shouldn't be underestimated. 

Atem doesn't respond. Yuugi hangs his head again and repeats that it's his turn.

Does their shared BODY ever get to rest? 

Inside, Yuugi is no less obviously unhappy about the course things have taken. He's got his spectral fists all balled up, his head inclined, his shoulder tensed up around his ears. He states in no uncertain terms that he doesn't really want to fight his "other him", as if he's talking straight to him. But he acknowledges that if he doesn't Atem won't ever be free, and will always be trapped in his heart. Heart-prisons have become something of a recurring idea, haven't they? Yuugi again looks back up with determination and insists that it's his duty to beat Atem, that he HAS to. 

Since they don't have much time, Yuugi would REALLY like to spend what they have left talking to Atem, but he's made the decision to fight as a duelist, so he resolves to keep silent. Toxic positivity switched out for a little of the toxic masculinity, I see. Although, I do agree that Yuugi should probz show Atem the same courtesy shown to himself and NOT interrupt him while he's building a new deck.

Would hate to break THAT intense concentration.

Thinking on Kaiba, Marik, and Pegasus, Atem acknowledges how he's fought many enemies on his journey, but he's convinced this Rite of the Duel will be his hardest challenge yet. He considers how willingly Yuugi took on this duty to fight to determine his fate. As he sifts through the cards from Yuugi's bag, it's clear to him that the trial isn't just his, looking at the puzzle box with Yuugi's deck sitting inside as a vessel for his hopes and dreams. He asserts to Yuugi (hypothetically, since Yuugi's removed himself from any possibility of conversation) that he also has hopes and dreams, and he'll put them ALL into his new deck. 

Over a panel of some ruins that we can assume the ship is passing at the moment, Atem thinks about how the stone slabs of 3000 years before have been reborn as cards in the modern day, and the cards he's choosing hold his soul as a duelist. A succinct summary, I like it. And the boat continues to chug along the river.

With the certainty that this duel will determine where he spends ETERNITY, staying in the modern day if he wins, and going on to the next life if he loses, there's no pressure or anything. Yuugi's image is superimposed on the puzzle box as Atem issues his challenge to his trusty partner. I would be looking a little sick, but Atem looks as composed and determined as ever. 

The ship approaches a mooring cleat at the edge of the river, and Atem sees from the window, supposing that they've arrived. He stashes the puzzle box with Yuugi's deck inside into the backpack, Presumably doing the same with his own deck, but I don't know how - there are SEVERAL stacks of cards in there otherwise, and I hope the damn thing doesn't get jostled and lost. 

The gangplank is lowered to the dock that where it lands and Atem arrives with the backpack slung up on one shoulder, and alone. He looks a bit shocked when he sees what's waiting for him. 

He was taking his sweet time in there, I guess.

Atem smiles at all of them warmly, and the ever impatient Jonouchi suggests that they all get going. Not that he's looking at all irritated about it - he seems to be rather gentle in his expression and tone right now. Atem inclines his head in agreement and they all take a walk among the rocky outcrops in the Valley of the Kings. At some point they descend a set of stairs, and once more Atem widens his eyes at the view at the bottom.

Everyone looks around in curious wonder, Jonouchi muttering about THIS being the Shrine of the Underworld. Ishizu gestures the folks standing at the head of the shrine to Atem, who approach him and kneel with the final two Millennium Items presented on a tray and dark altar cloth, telling him how they've been waiting for him. The man raising the tray makes the unnecessary comment that they have the last two items right here, and while Ishizu silently takes the tray off him, Atem turns silently to look at the tablet with all its very specifically-shaped indents. He opens up the backpack where the rest of the items are stashed. 

Ishizu instructs him to insert the items in their slots. Anzu watches Atem do so, addressing him silently in her increasing misery. The puzzle is the final item he puts in the tablet, right at the top in the chest of the pharaoh figure that the tablet is fashioned after. Atem stands back while light starts to shine out of the edges of the slots, and the Door to the Afterlife beyond shines from the eye set in the center top. Jonouchi observes this with alarm, and Ishizu explains how the Wadjet Eye will be judging the truth here, and this is how the Rite of the Duel begins. 

Atem raises his arm, Duel Disk clacking into shape, and behind him, Jonouchi points and makes an unneeded bid for them to look, Honda looking pretty stressed with his clenched jaw and sweatdrop next to him. 

That's something you don't see every day.

They're like twins, standing next to each other in a similar battle stance, though Yuugi appears just a bit more perplexed than the stoic Atem. Relatable, especially considering even the DUEL DISK has been cloned up. Jonouchi is astonished by Yuugi being split in two like a frickin' amoeba, but Honda blurts that their duel is about to start, as if THAT'S the most amazing part of this whole deal. Weird comment, dude. 

With Atem asking if his partner can surpass him, Yuugi determined not to lose to his "other him", and the onlookers running the gamut between anxiety, gaping, and stone-cold concentration, they're ready to face off. 

This is some Twilight Zone shit.

So, what did I think of this chapter overall? There are a lot of emotions here, and a part of me is almost grateful that it's a little rushed, because I think KT could have gotten LOST in how many there are throughout many chapters. I certainly would have. As it stands, half to three-quarters of a chapter was a good amount of time to scratch the surface of the massive OCEAN that is these two trying to distance themselves preemptively. It's downright heartbreaking that Yuugi is struggling with sacrificing the goodbye he WANTS for the goodbye he thinks both he and Atem NEED in order to properly challenge each other. The fact that he feels his urge to communicate with Atem is incompatible with their trial is a bit of a tragedy, especially since Atem isn't exactly contradicting that perception. His wordless response to Yuugi's attempts to express excitement and encouragement came off as ice-cold, so it's not really a surprise that Yuugi came away with the conclusion that he had to try to be just as expressionless.

That's not to say I'm not sympathetic to Atem's reaction to this ordeal. It's not out of the ordinary to have an emotional deep freeze in stressful situations, where one tenses and clams up, unable to find the proper enthusiasm to match what's being expressed by others. Atem's certainty that this will be his biggest challenge speaks volumes about why he couldn't join in Yuugi's attempt at manufactured happiness. This one duel determines his future, and both outcomes could be a tad bit of a bummer, no matter how bubbly Yuugi tries to paint it.

These are just two different reactions to the same stressful stimuli, and unfortunately they clash pretty hard when they come in contact with one another. It highlights HOW different Yuugi and Atem are as people, despite how well they've worked together over the majority of the story, and the friction that can cause when they're FORCED to be opponents. It's... fucking weird. 

Not as weird as them splitting in two so they can make this whole thing physically WORK, of course. But on second thought, it's not all THAT surprising that the onlookers weren't too hung up about it. Marik, Rishid, and Ishizu have literally been preparing for this moment their entire lives, Ryoji was well acquainted with the Millennium Puzzle and primed for the weirdness before he even MET Yuugi, Sugoroku experienced his own weirdness when he first got the thing, and the main friend group has just been through a ridiculously bizarre adventure that is at least somewhat on par with watching Yuugi's body replicate itself before their very eyes. When dealing with the Millennium Items, one comes to expect every level of fuckery, I'm sure.