Yu-Gi-Oh Manga: 046 The Evil Dragon Cards, Part 1

The mention of dragon cards in the title is making me nervous. Has Kaiba returned to the waking world for more unnecessarily complicated and cruel revenge? I hope not, because I'm not ready to meet that guy again for a while yet. I know he's supposed to be a sympathetic anti-hero at some point, but I'm not sure if I'm prepared for my opinion of him to be reversed just now. My head is still reeling from the downturn in my opinion of Anzu from the last chapter. No mas.

At least not right away. Sugoroku starts us off by showing the kids something rare - what he describes as a bullfrog game from ancient Egypt, that's essentially a race with points. It doesn't look like a bullfrog so much as a hippo, but maybe "bullfrog" is the official name, and it can take any shape.

Five thousand years is probably a good estimate for the oldest games that are still played today, like backgammon, but it's not likely that it was the beginning of game play for humans overall. That would be a crazy conservative estimate indeed.

The door to the shop opens, and Sugoroku greets a new customer that Yuugi seems quite surprised to see.

That hair has some serious volume, kiddo. Yuugi thinks that Imori's visit might be a good chance to get to know him a little, because he's never talked with him before. Imori explains that he wanted to come to the shop because he'd heard that Yuugi's family owned it and he had something to show to a game expert. Couldn't be that neat little package you have in your hands, could it? Yuugi and Sugoroku both look intrigued.

Imori sets the jar and box he has on the counter. Yuugi and Jonouchi lean in for a closer look, commenting on how odd and mysterious it seems, but Sugoroku adopts a look of shock as he thinks he knows what it is. Imori states that his grandfather collected games and must have brought this oddity over from China after the war, since Imori recently found it while rummaging through his basement. He was hoping Yuugi's grandfather would be able to identify it.

Yuugi says it doesn't really look like a game, and Jonouchi compares it to an urn instead. He picks it up and asks Imori if he can untie the string holding it all together, and Imori is cool with it, though he hasn't bothered to try himself. I don't believe that for a second, dude. Aside from your Addams Family glare, the FIRST thing you would have done as a kid sifting through things that don't belong to you is open the mysterious thing. I remember being a little shit like that too.

Jonouchi prepares to tug the string away, but Sugoroku shouts at him not to. Sugoroku apologizes for yelling at Jonouchi, but he explains that the seal shouldn't be broken as his hands hover around the jar resting again on the counter. He tells the kids that these are "The Dragon Cards," an ancient Chinese game that he's never seen personally before, though he's heard a lot about them. Yuugi, Jonouchi and Imori all appear perplexed.

Sugoroku goes on to say that if he's not mistaken, the cards were used to test Feng Shui masters' skills. Anzu asks if Feng Shui could better be called magic, Sugoroku neither confirming or denying this. He says that Feng Shui is an art that uses the energy from the surrounding environment and has a four thousand year history behind it, since China's first emperors. Anzu asks why there's a seal on the cards.

Jonouchi doesn't look very thrilled about this information, does he? Sugoroku hands the jar and box back to Imori with the express instructions not to ever open those cards, or the power of their darkness will be unleashed. And then, he'll have to hire a Feng Shui master to put everything back in balance again and it will be prohibitively expensive! That's just my interpretation of all this, anyway. Imori agrees not to open the sealed box and jar, as Anzu mutters that she's only more curious about what's in there now. Jonouchi glares at her, calling her stupid for wanting to curse them all.

Trust me, Jonouchi, that's not the dumbest thing she will have done within the past forty-some chapters.

Although, Anzu isn't the only person in the room who has a dangerous fascination with the old game.Yuugi is also wondering about what it would be like to play with those dark cards. Imori is grinning at the box and urn in his arms, thinking about those dark powers...

A few days later, Jonouchi and Yuugi are preparing to jump in the pool at school with enthusiasm. Someone complains to the teacher that Jonouchi is following them under water, and he is reprimanded, which is I think the first useful and just thing a teacher has ever been known to do in this school. Imori is just sitting by the fence, staring wordlessly at his classmates as they swim.

Jonouchi and Yuugi march back into the locker room afterwards as Jonouchi sings the praises of swimming in the summertime, how good it is for their bodies and eyes. Yuugi just says that it felt great. Thankfully, we're spared looking at Jonouchi's bare ass after he's removed his suit and is toweling off his hair by some other guy removing his pants in front of him. Yuugi is still in his trunks in front of a cubby when he notices that his Millennium Puzzle is gone.

A note has been put in its place, penned by someone who calls themselves The Messenger of Darkness. They demand that he come alone to Classroom C and tell no one about it or else he will lose the puzzle forever. Yuugi wonders who would steal the puzzle, and Jonouchi notices his forlorn expression. He asks what's wrong, but Yuugi says that it's nothing to comply with the note. Imori smirks from across the room.

Yuugi shoves open the door to Classroom C to find Imori sitting at a desk with something covered in a cloth in front of him. He says he expected Yuugi to come, which is easy to do when you steal something of his. The puzzle is now around Imori's neck instead, and he chuckles as he cradles it in his hands. Yuugi demands his puzzle back, letting Imori know that this is not a laughing matter. Imori doesn't move to return what he stole, requesting that Yuugi tell him it looks pretty good on him instead.

Usually if you have to say that you haven't been watching someone in a "weird" way, it's probably still pretty weird. Imori may not be sexually interested in Yuugi, but that's not the only STRANGE look you can give someone, you know?

Imori recounts an observation that he's made; Yuugi was weak until the dark power of his Millennium Puzzle augmented him. Yuugi just stares in shock, so Imori goes on to state that his grandfather left him some books about games, one of which was a book from ancient Egypt. At first, he wasn't sure how games and the puzzle connected, but he thinks he's uncovered the secret now. What he read in the book was that the one who solves the Millennium Puzzle would inherit powers of darkness and become a shepherd of such.

So, Imori's grandfather had this book lying around that came straight out of ancient Egypt and he could read it? Somehow? Did his grandfather have it translated? What's going on here?

Yuugi's mouth is still hanging open as Imori states that he has sworn to beat him in order for the Darkness Shepherd title to pass to him instead. As he uncovers the object in on the desk, Imori tells Yuugi he will have to accept the challenge and beat him in the game in order to get the puzzle back. The game, of course, is the Dragon Cards, which Yuugi has to gasp through a still agape mouth. Imori grabs the end of that string, prepared to break the seal.

Something like steam issues from the jar and box, and Imori says the darkness is being released with a grin. Yuugi is too late when he tells Imori to stop what he's doing and that he can't break the seal. Imori laughs, the smoke spreading around them both, saying that he read yet another ancient book about the Dragon Cards. How many languages does this kid know?? The book said that there has to be a shadow game after the seal is removed to prevent a curse settling on the land and all its inhabitants. Great, this little shit is more careless than Anzu was in the last chapter. Fantastic.

Imori identifies the jar as a Shin Tsuen Fu, which will eat one of their souls once the game is over to reseal the cards and pacify the dragons themselves. This is sounding less like a game for masters of Feng Shui and more like an internet demon ritual every second. Imori tells Yuugi that there's no way he can get out of this now as he opens the box with the cards inside. They sit across from each other at the table, Imori looking maniacal and Yuugi looking faint.

Okay, six cards for each player, they have to get three of the same card in order to get two dragons, and those dragons fight the two opposing ones to win. Gotcha.

Imori points at Yuugi and declares the game has started. He repeats that they each draw six cards as he draws his, but Yuugi remains silent, only able to think about how Imori stole his precious puzzle. Because he doesn't have access to it, he can't access Yami either, so he has to rely on himself in this game. Imori is thinking that he's studied this game from top to bottom, so he has the strategic advantage in this one and he can't lose, especially when he has the puzzle.

Imori announces that he's drawing a card and peers at it a moment, noting that he's already gathered two of the three level four water dragon cards needed in order to summon it. Out loud, he tells Yuugi he's discarding a card that he's deemed useless, and that when a card is discarded, it's placed in the pile face up. Imori compares this component to Mahjong, in which you can watch your opponent for a reaction to your discarded hand to figure out which cards they have. If that card was a card that Yuugi was hoping to draw at some point, Imori should be able to see that.

Assuming that Yuugi doesn't have a killer poker face, anyway. Judging by how he's sweating on the other side of the table, though, I'd say those chances are slim. Imori tells Yuugi it's his turn now, and Yuugi reaches out to grab a card with a trembling hand. He breathes a sigh of relief when he sees it's a card that he can use, then he discards one that he doesn't need. With this play, Imori knows which elements and levels Yuugi's trying to gather already.

This was a VERY important rule for Imori to leave out of his explanation earlier. I guess it can be argued that it's obvious for each element to have a weakness in the previous one, but often "obvious" things are overlooked, especially if the elements we're talking about aren't literal.

Imori and Yuugi continue to draw cards and discard them while Imori chuckles. After a time, Yuugi announces that he's assembled the cards for two dragons and commands them to appear before him as he slaps said cards on the table. Imori does the same, and the ethereal smoke of their shadow game curls around them again with Yuugi staring at it, amazed.

Well, I guess Yuugi DID figure out that rule about elemental weaknesses all on his own. A little late though, and it looks like he's quite thoroughly fucked. Imori calls for the dragons to do their thing, some attack he calls "Water Drain" that looks a bit like a hurricane? Kind of? Imori declares that his water dragons beat Yuugi's all at once. It hits Yuugi that he lost with an expression of pure shock, and Imori tells him that as a penalty game, Yuugi's soul will be snatched. Yuugi begins to say something, but before he can get out more than one syllable, one of the winning dragons thrusts a fist into his stomach. It draws out what looks like a ball and retreats back into the jar with it. Imori doesn't NEED to narrate this, but he does it anyway.

Yuugi's body collapses onto the table with wide, blank eyes, and one arm extended out in front of him. Imori is gloating to what he thinks is a soulless body that he doesn't even believe can hear him, but looks down to see that Yuugi's hand had at some point grasped the Millennium Puzzle. As he wonders when this happened, Yuugi's eyes blink back the listlessness.

Oooooh, he did the thing!

So, what did I think of this chapter overall? It was really good! I like the fact that a game from another ancient culture that has a rich history was incorporated into this one, and a game that looks really cool to boot. This seems like the kind of game that I would really like to play, because it's not too complicated or too simple, seems very quick to play, and has a very organic and timeless lore behind it. The shadow game part isn't appealing, of course, but looking at the game itself, it looks fun.

I also really liked Imori. He's obviously a mirror on Yuugi - he's small, physically unimpressive, interested in a variety of games, and had a grandfather who was a bit like Sugoroku. He has a ton in common with Yuugi, which puts his comment about looking up to him in perspective. Imori is probably plagued with a lot of the same problems that Yuugi was in the first chapter, like loneliness and bullying. Imori sees how Yuugi's life changed so drastically when he solved the puzzle, seemingly overnight, and is bitter that something similar can't happen to him, until he comes across this game boasting dark powers in his deceased grandfather's basement. His grandfather left him a bunch of books too, one of which describes the Millennium Puzzle, and these things in combination set Imori on his current course. He's jealous that Yuugi was able to rise out of his situation, but more than that, he's fuming about how Yuugi is so special as to be chosen by this artifact to be a shepherd of darkness. He's driven by defeating Yuugi and proving that he's more worthy than him of the title, as well as reaping all of the benefits of this that he's seen in Yuugi's situation.

The end of this chapter was also very interesting to me, because Yami couldn't come out until Yuugi was touching the puzzle in some way. There have been instances where Yami has come out and then separated from the puzzle, like in the Cruel Gang chapters, so it's not as if he's attached to the puzzle indefinitely and needs contact with it all the time. He clearly only needs the puzzle to INITIALLY manifest. After that, he can maintain his presence on his own. This seems to support that thing that Shadi said way back when, that Yami is a part of Yuugi that just couldn't come out until the power of the puzzle made it possible to manifest both personalities. That's only how it seems right now, though, and only time will tell if any of this means anything.

And, last but not least, Kaiba did not return with his Sinatra-themed dragons in this part. What a relief!

Yu-Gi-Oh Manga: 045 The Terror of Thirteen!!

The thirteenth chapter was pretty terrifying, sure, but we wait until Chapter 45 to address the terror of the number itself. It does have quite a history of being somewhat taboo among some cultures, particularly Western ones. In Christian cosmology, Jesus's last supper consisted of thirteen individuals, one of which was to betray him, which may have started the Friday the 13th superstition among cultures deriving significance from Christian sources. Monks also had a hard time with thirteen full moons in a calendar year, so it was considered unlucky. The story of the Jersey Devil states that the devil was the thirteenth child of Mother Leeds, who cursed it as she was giving birth. The number even has an official phobia dedicated to it: triskaidekaphobia. What a mouthful.

Somehow, I doubt this chapter will have much to do with anything listed above, though.

Well, there you have it! Thirteen cards to each suit, and some douchebag is using those cards to leave hints to his bombs. But do you know what the most interesting part of this is? Do you see down there in the lower right corner of the newspaper cut off by the edge of the panel? Is that a reference to a department of some kind? A POLICE DEPARTMENT???

I thought they didn't exist! Everything in this comic up until this point led me to believe that Domino City, and possibly the WORLD, was devoid of any law enforcement! But they exist! They really exist!

.... Someone tell them to get their asses in gear and do their JOBS. Some poor tiny high schooler has been doing it for them for the past forty chapters!!

Anyway, Yuugi looks out from behind his newspaper, trying to get Anzu's attention so he can tell her more about the elusive bomber as she looks off in a different direction with a miffed expression. He notices this and asks her what's wrong, and she says that it's nothing, except that she doesn't want to be out until dark just reading the morning paper. I don't think it takes quite that long to read a newspaper, Anzu. She's irritated because she practically had to drag Yuugi out of his house just to have some summer fun, and that took long enough without him holding them up with his paper investigation.

Yuugi points something out to Anzu; an actual amusement park that is outdoors and not built to terrorize and kill them! Yuugi is happy, because this must have been what Anzu had dragged him outdoors to see. He's blushing as he thinks about what this might be, but the question is coming out as a stutter, because he can't quite get out the word "date." Before he manages to actually ask Anzu if they're on one, the lady at the ticket booth asks him if he wouldn't like an elementary school ticket rather than a high school one. Yuugi gets even more flustered, telling the ticketer that he's actually a high schooler despite how he looks, thank you very much, and he would appreciate it if she wouldn't be so rude. Anzu watches this exchange with a blush of her own and crossed eyes.

Yuugi jumps around like the little tyke he resembles once inside the park, asking Anzu which of the many rides they should go on first. Anzu looks at the sky to note that the summer sun is quite hot, so she suggests that they go...

To the water side of the park! All the better for Yuugi to ogle her. He so busy staring that she has to pull him along to get back in line for the slide, asking why he's stalling. He thinks that the card bomber doesn't have half the explosive power of Anzu's dynamite bod, practically comatose from viewing it. Where'd you get that comparison, Yuugi, the 1970's? And dude, be careful not to "explode" in that pool, okay? Other people have to swim there too.

Later, after they've had enough of the slide, they lay out on lawn chairs to soak up a little color. Yuugi peering over at Anzu as though he's getting away with something. Men. Anzu shields her face from the bright sun, but something else catches her eye. Yuugi sits up and it's not clear if it's the lighting or her imagination, but Anzu thinks he looks a bit like Yami for a moment. The illusion only lasts until some kid comes up to Yuugi and shoots him in the face with a squirt gun. Yuugi chases off the little brat, asking what that was for as he shakes his fist and the kid just runs laughing.

Anzu is perplexed at first, as she thinks that usually, Yuugi looks just like a child. She wants to see the mature, cool Yami instead, and wonders how she can coax him out.

No. No. No. This is such a bad idea on all levels. First, her thoughts about Yuugi are really disrespectful here. She's not satisfied spending time with Yuugi as a friend, and just wishes he would turn into Yami, which makes her no better than a "nice guy" type who pretends to be friends with women in order to make them feel like they owe him sex. Second, putting oneself in a compromising situation in order to get attention from someone is juvenile, petty, and disempowering oneself in the worst way. If Anzu goes that route, talking about how immature Yuugi looks is going to seem pretty hypocritical. Third, what if this guy doesn't do anything untoward and just wants to hang out and maybe grab Anzu's number? Is she just going to just make trouble in order to get Yami's attention? That's horribly unfair to this random stranger who did nothing wrong except approach someone who caught his eye.

Anzu is the WORST right now. I kind of hate her.

Surprise, being a horrid person didn't have the desired result, so she sulks as Yuugi pulls her toward a spinning ride. He pauses when he sees something strange and points it out to a puzzled Anzu. There are police - actual POLICE - standing around, and Yuugi wonders what they're doing at the park. One of the policemen tells an underling to get on the PA system and tell the guests to leave the park immediately. Another junior officer comes up to him and tells him that their search hasn't turned up anything suspicious so far.

The chief isn't convinced, though. The Card Bomber has used all his usual methods to point to the park as his next location, and the time he specified is ticking ever nearer. The chief knows there's a bomb in the park. The PA system crackles to life as per his direction, telling the guests there was something dangerous brought into the park, and asking them to follow the nearest officers to the closest exit. Odd that they would outright say there was something dangerous in the park, because usually they would just make up something not to cause panic.

Yuugi is concerned at the news, wondering if the Card Bomber could be there. He urges Anzu to leave with him, but Anzu is still mulling over what he just said about a bomber. Then she smiles and says this could be quite exciting and interesting while Yuugi asks her what the hell she's talking about, because they should just go home. Anzu can only think that this is the perfect chance for her to see Yami.

Anzu is acting like such an idiot here, I can't even. I just can't.

Everyone else is running for the exit, shouting that it must be that bomber and screaming while an officer requests unsuccessfully that they all remain calm. See? This is exactly why the park should have made something up and closed it down normally. Yuugi is looking to join the chaotic wave toward the exit, but notices that Anzu is missing.

Meanwhile, the police chief is reminded by an officer that there's only five minutes until the appointed time by the bomber. Just then, the chief's phone buzzes. He answers it as the head of the bomber investigation and a man on the other end taunts him with a promise to give away the secret location of the bomb soon, telling the chief that three people are in its direct range. The chief concentrates on the bomber's call as he begins to divulge that the bomb is...

Yuugi is running around the park, calling for Anzu. She answers him from bucket number 3 on the ferris wheel. She's actually HOPING he's worried at this point, and I don't have the patience with this shit to explain all the reasons why that's fucked up. All she cares about is the possibility of Yami coming out if Yuugi gets super worried. Yuugi calls up to Anzu as the police run up and note that there are people in buckets 1, 3, and 13. The chief growls before Yuugi tells him that his friend is up in number three and asks what's happening.

Instead of telling Yuugi to get out of the park while they take care of it, the chief goes ahead and tells Yuugi that there's a bomb on the ferris wheel. No wonder no one calls the cops in this city, they're the most incompetent and blabby officers to ever exist. What is Yuugi going to do with this information other than fret? He does just that, staring open-mouthed at Anzu's bucket.

The bomber is still on the phone, apparently, because he calls the chief the idiot he is as he asks if he brought the prop asked for. The chief confirms that he has the deck of cards, and the bomber proceeds to tell him that the ferris wheel will explode in ten minutes after a full spin, but he wants to give the police a chance to stop that from happening. He asks the chief if he wants to play a game in which the lives of the passengers are determined by his luck.

The chief growls, telling the police gathered around that the bomber challenged him to a card game and asks if anyone is really good at them.

That's right Anzu, with your persistent stupidity, you've gotten Yami to come out. I hope you're happy with yourself. It's also incredibly lucky that this police chief is so incredibly unprofessional as to let some random brat play this game in his stead, because otherwise Yami wouldn't have been doing a damn thing and would have been out and about for no reason.

Yami asks the bomber what game they're going to play, and the bomber seems hesitant to play with a kid at first. He gets over that pretty quickly and announces that the game Yami will be playing is called "Clock Solitaire."

Yami starts the game by turning over the card on top of the center pile and sees it's a 3 of spades. He slides it under the "3 o'clock" pile on the far right, face up. Then, he draws the card from the top of the "3 o'clock" pile, a 4 of hearts, and places it under the "4 o'clock" pile. From that pile he draws the 10 of diamonds, placing it in its proper place, then draws another 4 (diamonds this time), and notes that the "4 o'clock" pile now has two face-up cards in it. Eventually each point on the clock will be represented with four cards of each suit.

Yami wonders how this game relates to the bomber's plan as he plays. He draws the last 4 card and places it in its proper place, the first point on the clock to be assembled.

Well, I guess that answers THAT question. Flaming debris rains down on Anzu's bucket as it shakes. By her look of open-mouthed terror, I think she might be beginning to regret how stupid she's been until now. I hope she is, at least, and learns that seeing Yami is not worth putting herself in danger in the future.

Yami realizes that his completion of each pile sets off a bomb in each of the buckets. Curious: how did this guy set up these bombs? Did he go on the ferris wheel multiple times? Did he have accomplices that set up the bombs for him discretely in order to avoid being recognized by the person running the ride? Did he stand behind it and stick the explosives to the bottom as it rotated by? These aren't critical questions; I just happen to be interested in these kinds of things.

Yami reminds himself that Anzu is in the third bucket and growls, because her pile already has three cards face-up and only one more needs to be drawn in order to complete the set. Anzu presses a hand against her bucket window, silently begging Yami for help. Yup, she's definitely no longer having fun being self-damseled. I guess I should be grateful that she's not so thrilled to see Yami that she hopes the danger lasts as long as possible in order to keep Yami out and visible for longer. I wouldn't put it past Takahashi, honestly.

Yami thinks that he has to save Anzu, as the bomber who's still on the phone commands him to keep playing, asking if he'll be able to end the game. Yami deduces that the bomber has to be nearby in order to see the cards he's completed, and wonders where he is. On the ferris wheel, obvi. Probably in bucket thirteen, because it's another play on the title in addition to the number of card piles. Just a guess.

Continuing the game makes Yami sweat. Another draw completes the pile of eights, and the eighth bucket explodes accordingly. One of the officers is nervous that one of the passengers on the wheel will be blown up at this rate while the chief asks just how Yami is supposed to win. Yami has figured out that the only way to end the game is to complete the pile of king cards, since he started from that pile and has to finish with it. It's also the pile that represents that thirteenth bucket - isn't that interesting? He already has two cards gathered there.

As he continues to draw cards, Yami knows that if he draws the last three, Anzu's bucket will explode. Instead, he draws the last two and the corresponding bucket detonates. Yami growls in frustration again, but keeps the game going despite his pouring sweat. He draws another king card and is relieved that he only needs one more. But one of the officers announces that there's only twenty seconds until the whole ferris wheel explodes.

Unfortunately, the next card Yami draws is an ace, and he puts it in its proper pile before hurrying to draw the next card, hoping very much that it's the one he needs. Do these cards have a soul too? Dude! Believe in the soul of these cards!!

He did it! And look at that glare in Anzu's direction as she calls out to him. Oh, man, I hope he gives her a talking-to...

Seriously? That's it? No, "What the hell were you thinking running off to the ferris wheel while everyone else was being sensible by getting out of this stupid park you are the worst and how can I even trust you after this youcan'tpossiblyexpectustobefriendsafterthisbullshit!!!"

Apparently not, because he just turns around and suggests they get out of there. Before they actually leave, though, Yami addresses the chief, telling him he knows where the bomber was hiding. He tells him to take a good look at the passenger in the thirteenth bucket, because it didn't explode when he assembled the corresponding cards and he could see what cards Yami was assembling from his vantage point. He disguised himself as an innocent hostage despite how safe he was.

Called it!

After telling the incompetent chief how to properly investigate, Yami is seized by the elbow by Anzu, who tells him that they have to continue their date. He looks flustered by this suggestion, and I like to think it's because he's wondering how to tell her it's not him, it's her deathwish.

So, what did I think of this chapter overall? Well, I know how I'm playing solitaire from now on! Just if I have time to kill, not bombs to waste. I'm still very curious as to how the ferris wheel was rigged, in a frequent-watcher-of-various-crime-shows way. I know this isn't one of those, so I didn't expect to get an explanation of exactly how he did it, but I did note that there are possibilities, so my imagination is going wild right now.

As I said above, the police were so ineffectual and bad at every aspect of the job they performed here, I'm not really surprised no one thinks to call them anymore. The fact that their message to leave the park was so inept as to CAUSE panic rather than prevent it would have been enough, but they couldn't even solve the simplest of mysteries. I mean, I'm not a genius by ANY means, and I was able to figure out where the bomber was. Yami telling them at the end wasn't a credit to his intelligence so much as an indication to how ridiculously stupid the police are.

And then, of course, there was dear Anzu, whom I said I didn't care enough about to care about her interest in Yami in the last chapter that featured her. She was just cast as a girl, not a person, so I had no idea what to make of her as a character, and therefore her crush on Yami didn't have much substance. So, thank you Takahashi, because my opinion on her is no longer a mild disinterest. I know exactly what I think about her now.

She is SLIME. She has become persona non grata to me. Yami and Yuugi should reject her outright, because her behavior in this chapter was unacceptable and VILE. Not only did she deliberately accuse an innocent man of being a predator, but she put herself in danger to seek attention and fulfill some regressive "being rescued by a handsome prince" fantasy. If she pulled that shit with me, I would have told her in no uncertain terms that we are no longer friends until she can prove to me that she's grown up and not going to pull literal stunts to worry me anymore.

Of course, I don't even KIND OF resemble a prince, so I don't think Anzu would care about getting attention from me in the first place.

What bugs me the most about this, though is that my opinion on her didn't change because of new personal information about her and her character. She's still just a GIRL, with all of the most horrible stereotypes that come with the role. There's no individuality there, just a bunch of "women, amiright?" jokes that congealed into a curvy female form. I'm even starting to believe that Takahashi gave her a dance dream simply because giving her a hobby that was more related to the overall plot wouldn't have been girly enough, and we have to hit you over the head with the fact that she's a girl, right?

Ugh... shoot me.

Yu-Gi-Oh Manga: 044 Monster Fighter, Part 2

How are those posters coming along? Informative and provocative as well as aesthetic, right? Anyone update the social media pages? We need to get the message out on Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, and all those other places I don't pay attention to! The Monster Fight with Monster Fighter toys has already begun between Yami and Nagumo, and we haven't even unloaded our protest signs out of the animal justice van yet!! Hurry it along people! Do you know how much suffering those poor monsters have to endure as we speak??

Unless... Yami already took care of that problem for us. I forgot for a moment how much of a proponent for monster rights Yami was. He has been known to apologize to the ones he's sacrificed before.

As Nagumo grabs his defeated monster from the floor, he warns Yami to prepare himself, because he's about ready to make him pay. He's pretty flippant about those cracks in his face. I'd be asking how Yami managed to make that happen at the VERY least. He just repeats that it's Yami's turn to get cracked next. Yami reminds him that their game is best two out of three, and he's already lost the first one.

Nagumo assures Yami that he's a gamer too, and now he's serious, so he's ready to play fair and square as much as it pains him to say it. Because it's not so much about his aching jaw as it is about ethics in Monster Fighter games. That's right, I made that joke. Fight me.

Just in case you forgot how these little guns work, here's a schematic showing how everything functions.

Man, he's REALLY trying to convince us that he's a REAL gamer, yo. Right down to the phony psychological claims. Dude, you don't hit anyone with anything except your fists, you failure.

Someone calls out the start of their second round, and Nagumo starts by calling out the high kick his monster is doing, despite the fact that he says it's also supposed to be a feint. You're not supposed to let your opponent know about those pretend blows, Nagumo. Yami has to block the kick anyway, so I guess it wasn't a feint? Is this another strange translation? Nagumo throws a right punch and is blocked again, and gee I wonder why when he has to tell Yami everything he's doing. It's almost as though he thinks the drawings aren't enough to convey action to the presumed idiot audience.

Ahem.

Nagumo's spider kicks low, is blocked by Yami's monster, which punches. Nagumo is on the offensive like woah with his left hook, but Yami's defense keeps his pace. At least, at first, because Yami notes the left hook swings back around and was actually a distraction. Good job to Nagumo for not giving that one away with extended dialogue this time. The spider's punch pulls back in only for the other arm to punch straight out, and because Nagumo can't keep his mouth shut for long, he blurts this out as he presses the button. His monster's glove is coming in fast and Yami doesn't have time to guard.

With Yami's last attack, he knocked Nagumo's monster off balance so the attack sails right past his. This is according to Nagumo, anyway, as he also notes that Yami's monster is coming back up from a slumped dodge. Yami's monster throws a couple of punches and a thorax kick that Nagumo has to scramble to guard. Unfortunately, he blocked the wrong place, because it was a true feint in which Yami aimed a bit higher with some readjustment.

Yami hits a weak point and Nagumo's gun starts vibrating too hard for him to control, and his monster is stiff for two seconds. Goodness, that joke is right there. I don't even have to make it. Nagumo knows if Yami pulls the trigger now, he's done for, and grinds his teeth at how much of a brat his opponent is. But he's still got one trick up his sleeve.

What happened to playing fair and square? Oh, yeah, that's only for when it's convenient and you're not losing. Got it. Yami groans from the kick, and Nagumo just dismisses it as his play style. All's fair in love and war, but this is neither, Nagumo. He laughs at how the tables have turned, and admits he's been waiting to kick Yami for a while now.

Two seconds came and went and now that the spider isn't frozen in place, it's crawled under Yami's monster's chest, with a little help from Nagumo's narration. He tells Yami that his monster is hurled into the air by the spider, and it's now caught in the web. Nagumo's spider launches his combination punch on Yami's monster, a series of rapid hits that land in Yami's chest and stomach as his monster is knocked out of its ring.

Yami doubles over onto the floor while Nagumo laughs, saying the score is tied. Yami tells himself to hold on as he gurgles, clearly pretty hurt by the punches. In spite of the foul move Nagumo pulled, Yami just has to hold on. I'm guessing this is because there was nothing in the shadow game rules that disqualified Nagumo for doing something like that. There should have been, though.

Nagumo yells at Yami to stand up, because it's time for their final match. While he chuckles, Yami glares at Nagumo and tells him that he's been pushed too far, undoing the buttons on his collared shirt. Nagumo's face drops into confusion at the strip tease.

Well, that wasn't much of a payoff for the fangirls, was it? The sight of the dents in Yami's vest thing cause Nagumo to smirk. Yami informs him that their Monster Fight was only a level one shadow game before, but he's raising the darkness level to three for their last match. Oh come on, there are "levels" now? What is this, World of Warcraft? Sheesh. Nagumo doesn't seem to be taking this any more seriously than I am, chuckling while he thinks he won't be fooled by that kind of bluff. You weren't fooled by the last one either, Nagumo, and that's how you got that Arizona Sun crack on your face. I can afford not to be impressed, because I have no horse in this race.

As the Millennium Puzzle glows, Yami thinks that this game will reveal the ugly nature of Nagumo. Much like the previous game, I think it's unnecessary at this point, because Nagumo has already revealed all that ugliness unprompted. Darkness swirls around the two competitors, with Yami looking languid with his free hand stuffed in his pocket, and Nagumo peering around at the changing atmosphere. Yami tells him that he won't be able to use his usual methods during this round, and Nagumo smirks, saying that Yami shouldn't be so sure because he's determined to win on his own terms.

They start their final match, and Nagumo's monster throws a right straight punch right out of the gate. Yami guards, Nagumo executes a few more moves, and all of them are blocked. Nagumo growls out of frustration because Yami is keeping up a good defense. What did you expect? That he'd just let you win? It's Yami's turn to throw punches, and while they don't land, his second has Nagumo flustered enough. Yami's monster kicks at the spider's thorax and Nagumo blocks it, along with two punches. With a low kick, however, Yami manages to push Nagumo's monster off balance. One more punch paralyzes Nagumo's spider as it hits a weak point, Yami telling him as much. I'm sure he knows, Yami, with that vibration mechanism alerting him and all.

Nagumo thinks once more that if Yami pulls his special move trigger, then it's all over. So he shouts at Yami that he'll repeat his actions from the last round and win that way. Saying that, in addition to Yami's announcement, would have taken longer than two seconds, but Takahashi never did have a good understanding of time.

Two seconds being long gone aside, though, this is a Toy Soldiers level of creepy here. I'm kind of amazed that they're strong enough to hold this muscle head's foot down, though. I guess he doesn't spend as much time on his legs as he does his arms.

Looking down, he notices that among the monsters holding his leg in place is the Wild Spider, and he's confused, because it's still frozen on the field. Yami tells Nagumo that none of his monsters are enabling his douchebaggery any longer. As Nagumo continues to wonder how the Wild Spider could be in two places at once, Yami continues his lecture with a speech about how Nagumo has betrayed his monsters, and now his only ally is the monster that he himself is.

EW! EW EW EW! CREEPY TO THE MAX!

Yami's finishing move is "Space Cannon," which blasts right through the nasty reproduction of Nagumo on the field. Nagumo screams, and as Yami says Nagumo chose to become the monster he was, we get a view of Nagumo's legs as he lies motionless on the floor with the light from the doorway. Yami says that the darkness consumed him in the end. Is that the END end, Yami? You did say earlier that he would die if he didn't pay attention, so I'm not sure if I should go with the generous assumption that Nagumo is just taking a little nap there...

So, what did I think of this chapter overall? The passage of time was a bit wonky there for a moment, but otherwise, I loved it. It was pretty much pure action, and the horror elements were spot on at the end there. I love me some horror, and this really hit a good note with me. The line of reveal was fantastic, from Nagumo's realization that he couldn't move his leg, to seeing the spider holding him, and to the logical conclusion of the point that they were taking damage for their monsters. Essentially, Nagumo was only hurting himself the whole time, with his theft and resale plot as well, and this was a great way to visualize this.

The only other thing I have to complain about were how the characters were so apt to say what they were doing all the time. It drove me crazy in the beginning because feints are supposed to lead the opponent astray, but by saying what you're doing it kind of makes the whole point moot. Otherwise, this chapter had a satisfying use of visuals and was a lot of fun.

Things are looking up!!

Yu-Gi-Oh Manga: 043 Monster Fighter, Part 1

Monsters, monsters everywhere you look! You'd think there would be a limit to how many games were based on battling with these things, but I guess on the other hand there's a lot of design and marketing potential of these types of creatures. A lot more than with human characters, anyway. Still, there has to be a limit to the appeal to cock-fighting with mythical creatures. At the very least, there should be a monster rights movement, because they must be in AGONY.

Hmmm, this scanlation style is a tad different than that of the other chapters. I think we might be dealing with a new scanlator here.

Jonouchi isn't sure what to make of this gun-like thing he's holding, but is quickly told to think of it like a mixture of arm wrestling and "beat 'em up" games. Jonouchi goes from confused to excited as he grins at the gun, and Yuugi says everyone will be playing them pretty soon. Yuugi explains that you start by finding a monster to put on the platform, out of 100 different types with different abilities. Jonouchi picks out one called "Killer Emaada."

Just like Yuugi, right? That horse corpse is starting to become unrecognizable, Takahashi. You should probably put down the stick.

I find that this game reminds me of something. What was it...?

Oh yeah! Although, these were entirely mechanical, whereas the ones in Yu-Gi-Oh are digital. Yuugi tells Jonouchi that a chip with special attack data can be put onto a sensor on the back of the gun and it can help put that extra oomph into your monster's fighting style. Each monster has a few different chips you can choose from, but the most basic attacks can be located on the gun. There are buttons to kick, punch and block, and the trigger is for the special attack. Assuming you have a chip in the reader, I guess.

Yuugi also emphasizes the importance of watching your opponent, and winning by knocking the opposing monster out of the ring by attacking weak points or just being a heavy-handed button masher. Once all the rules are laid out, Jonouchi wants to learn by doing, and have a fight with Yuugi. Their monsters are already connected at the platform anyway, so what the hey. Yuugi agrees.

Yuugi's monster kicks Jonouchi's in a weak spot and Jonouchi's gun starts vibrating. Must... resist... making dirty joke... Sugoroku says that attacking a weak spot makes a monster immobile, so he tells Yuugi to use his special attack to finish Jonouchi off. Yuugi follows his grandfather's advice and pulls the trigger, allowing Arti to unleash a "Mega Tornado Punch," knocking Jonouchi's monster off its platform.

Yuugi cheers his win while Jonouchi wonders if Yuugi can be beat. No, dude. Honda's caught on to that fact, so you need to get with the program already.

Sugoroku asks Jonouchi how he liked it and he gives the monster fighter game rave reviews. He suggests to Yuugi that they show it off at school tomorrow, and Yuugi is delighted with the idea. The next day, Jonouchi gets his ass kicked by Yuugi once more, and can't believe he lost again. Get with the program, Jonouchi. Seriously. He and Yuugi are surrounded by kids asking what the game is and if they can have a go at it, and Yuugi explains the Monster Fighter game to the crowd eagerly. His promotion of the game is going so well he should be on the marketing team, because everyone thinks it looks great and wants to buy it.

In fact, in just a short week, Monster Fighter has taken the school by storm. Everyone's playing it during recess and in the classroom, gloating at wins and whining at losses. Jonouchi is surprised that it became so popular, and even Yuugi is amazed by his sales skills. He says it's sold out at most game shops, including his grandfather's, and wonders if Sugoroku didn't have them promoting it to help his bottom line. Well, if it hadn't been Jonouchi's idea to show Monster Fighter off at school, I would definitely be pretty suspicious myself.

A couple of kids wander over to Yuugi and ask him if the game is sold out at Sugoroku's shop, and Yuugi confirms this, saying he doesn't know when the next shipment will arrive either. As the kids walk off in disappointment, Yuugi estimates that this is possibly the 100th time he's been asked the question.

And this isn't the last time he's going to be approached today.

Who the fuck is this, and why isn't he in uniform?

He finds Yuugi's classroom and opens the door, asking the first kid he sees which of his classmates is Yuugi. The kid walks over to Yuugi and points out Mr. Spider Muscle Shirt. He warns Yuugi that the guy is known as Nagumo Koji, who's good at Monster Fighter, but others have accused him of cheating too. Yuugi stares, and the next thing he knows, he's on the roof of the school face to face with Nagumo, and alone.

Why? How? Nagumo not only didn't just go into the damn classroom, but he took Yuugi all the way to the roof? And in the time that must have taken, Yuugi never questioned the motivations of Nagumo, because he immediately starts repeating that his grandfather's shop is sold out of the Monster Fighter toys. Kid, your naivete never ceases to amaze me. And not in a good way.

Nagumo cuts Yuugi's default answer in half, because he already knows that Yuugi's shop is sold out. He takes out a Monster Fighter gun, having wanted a match. Yuugi seems excited to hear that Nagumo plays the game, even though he was told on the previous page that Nagumo is pretty good at it. And that he cheats. Yuugi needs to stop forgetting these things. Nagumo tells him he's been searching for him because he was sure he had to have a Monster Fighter gun too. Yuugi takes his out as well, although I'm not sure from where he pulled it, and looks down at it with a concerned face.

Nagumo says that's good, because he's heard that Yuugi's unbeaten and wants to challenge him. He asks Yuugi if he wants to play, and Yuugi's answer is about as clueless and optimistic as ever as he thinks that Nagumo is okay if he was just looking for someone to play with. They connect their monsters' platforms.

Immediately, Nagumo starts off by making fun of Yuugi's monster and calling it a loser just like its owner. Uhhhh, didn't you seek out Yuugi because he WASN'T a loser? That's what you just said, Nagumo. He goes on to say that his monster is Wild Spider, with which he's never lost. Yuugi apparently doesn't have anything to say about this contradictory trash-talk, because next thing the reader knows is that the game is starting.

Both competitors are pushing buttons like crazy, and Nagumo admits that Yuugi's play style isn't bad. He has a special rule to the game that he forgot to divulge before starting the match, though, an aside that causes Yuugi some confusion. Nagumo explains that the loser has to give the winner his game, monster and all.

Well, while it was UNETHICAL to wait until you two were already playing to state that he's taking your game if you lose, he clearly CAN do it. And it explains why everyone is still clamoring to buy more of these toys when they're so popular everyone in the school should have one by now. Why you didn't see this sort of thing coming given what you JUST heard about Nagumo is beyond me.

As Yuugi picks himself up off the ground, Nagumo declares Yuugi's loss and his claim on Yuugi's toy. He states that he's got to get back to his shop, and drops a little comment that maybe next time he'll play fair before walking off laughing. Yuugi grits his teeth.

Back in the classroom, Jonouchi is livid at the story he's hearing from Honda. Honda tells him that the thief has stolen Monster Fighter toys from kids in Domino High and other schools, and sells them on the black market. I don't think Honda knows what that term means, because the black market is for items that are ILLEGAL, not stolen toys. Jonouchi demands to know who's doing it as Yuugi pokes his head back into the classroom. Jonouchi and Honda see him with his forlorn look and bloody lip and call out to him.

Jonouchi asks Yuugi what happened, putting his hands on his shoulders. Honda might be asking the same thing, but I can't tell because his speech bubble is blank. Yuugi looks up at Jonouchi with his eyebrows at an angle, and I'm guessing he doesn't have to poop. He tells Jonouchi he has to ask him for a favor.

Behind a house, or another building of some sort, a kid is cradling a Monster Fighter gun like it's his first born child and thanking the person who sold it to him. That person is, of course, Nagumo, sitting on the ground in front of a selection of guns and monsters and a sign advertising their sale for 30,000 yen. He looks forward to his scheme making him a millionaire, because when he sells all of his goods, he only has to go beat up more kids for theirs for free. He seems to think this makes him a salesman.

Seriously, where the hell are we? I thought Nagumo was outside before, but it looks like he's inside now because of that doorway?

Okay, I guess we're actually inside, despite how bright the panel of Nagumo sitting with the toys was, but I suppose... WAIT. Yami, what is a "revance??" You mean rematch? Revanche? No, this isn't political... What in the world...? I don't think I'm much of a fan of these new scanlators...

They stick those platforms together to form their ring, revealing that Yami's monster has been borrowed from Jonouchi, which must have been the favor he asked earlier. Nagumo notes the new monster before asking if Yami remembers his extra special rules. Yami proposes a set of best two out of three, and announces that he's introducing his own rule as well. He and Nagumo will be playing a shadow game.

Nagumo says whatever, not bothering to ask what a shadow game is, because it looks like he's come up with his own explanation of what that might be. He thinks he'll show Yami a "dark" game as their match begins.

I can't get over these silly boxing gloves on these silly little creatures. I've been giggling through this whole chapter, no lie. Nagumo tries to kick Yami's monster in the middle, but Yami blocks. Then Nagumo tries a one-two punch and Yami tries a... drop kick? Was the opposing monster picked up? Drop kicks generally depend on DROPPING the object being kicked... Nagumo is mentally encouraging Yami to continue concentrating really hard on the game, in which their monsters are well matched with punches and defense. As Yami stares at the monsters in combat, Nagumo thinks he's become all but invisible to him. Nagumo pulls back his fist and thrusts it at Yami's face, thinking Yami is just no match for his surprise punch.

Whoops, looks like Karma really got you there, Nagumo. Nagumo curls up on the ground clutching his aching chin and screaming like a little baby. Yami explains that in this game, their monsters don't suffer because their damage is transferred to the player. Nagumo's mandible sports a grand radial crack from the point of impact. Yami warns him if he fails to take this game seriously, he'll die, because they've still got two rounds to go in their set, and Yami claims victory in the first.

So, what did I think of this chapter overall? The beginning dragged for me a bit. It's difficult to say why that was, but I think it might have something to do with how the popularity of the game was built up. Yuugi and Jonouchi went on a mission to make the game the talk of the school and then blamed Sugoroku for their combined efforts to do so. Sure, I don't think Sugoroku is complaining about how successful they were, but he wasn't the one who suggested they bring the game to school and promote it. Jonouchi was.

I felt an interlude of annoyance with how abrupt the meeting on the roof was. Takahashi wanted Yuugi and Nagumo to be alone, but he didn't want to take the time to actually make that plausible. He just teleported them to the roof within the space of a single panel, and it left me dazed and confused.

But the rest of the chapter had a fair amount to admire. The antagonist was justified in his actions, and by that I mean he had reasoning behind actions rather than simply going along with the plot for the sake of it. He's not so shallow that he's villainous just for Yami to have someone to punish, but shallow enough that he doesn't come to the level of interest that Kaiba introduced. The only thing I'm wondering about him is if he actually goes to school at Domino High. If he does, why is he allowed to wander around without a uniform? If he doesn't, why is he allowed to wander around at all?

There's always a teacher handy when some authority figure needs to abuse their power and hide a stolen toy under their hairpiece, but never one around when some weirdo is harassing students and snagging their belongings.

Just like real school!

Yu-Gi-Oh Manga: 042 Get A Million Yen!!

To pay for the therapy, right? Yeah, Yuugi and pals seemed fine in the last chapter, but they must be repressing some serious trauma from Death-T. Unless, of course, trauma only exists when it's convenient for the plot and the heroes have better things to do than dealing with their emotions around a day at a park designed entirely around trying to murder them. Who has time for that? There are games to play!

Ahem. Yes, I would LOVE to get a million yen, though it wouldn't quite pay off my student loans. But I have a feeling this opportunity isn't being offered to me. Who's the lucky contestant who gets to try? Why, it's...

That's right, Jonouchi is about to take part in a game show! I'm actually surprised this plot hasn't come up before, considering the constant references to "penalty games" this manga has. Game shows are the ones that pioneered Yami's grand punishment strategies, so it's nice to see credit given where is due.

Jonouchi is already dreaming about living a life free of part-time jobs when Honda reminds him that he's not even at the starting gate yet, let alone the winner of the race. Jonouchi is determined, however, because his father is a gambler as well as a drinker, and they've been running from debt-collectors for a while now. Jonouchi looks forward to a swift end of that pitiful existence.

Anzu exposits that Jonouchi has been working for his own living expenses for a long time. Honda talks about how Jonouchi is famous for having his paper route regardless of the school rules Anzu was scared of when keeping her Burger World job a secret. Famous? Really? Maybe more infamous?

Just like this clunky exposition. Can't find a better way to get us this information, Takahashi?

Anyway, Jonouchi calls the person who picked his application for the show a god, and Yuugi suggests they all go to the television station to watch the show. I recall that you're especially familiar with the parking garage there, Yuugi... Jonouchi is grinning as his brain is stuck on a loop fantasy of having a million yen.

At the station, behind a door marked "program creation," someone asks who's going to be on the show today. Jonouchi's application picture looks surly, in spite of the person who drew it stating that his application was very eye-catching in rainbow colors. That's actually a really good strategy, Jonouchi. They always recommend making resumes stand out in bold new ways too.

Gee, can you tell he's a villain?

Later on the set of the show, the game is starting, and as the announcer welcomes the audience to live television and their show, Jonouchi awkwardly hovers half-concealed behind a divider on the set. When he comes out the announcer introduces him as their sixteen-year-old challenger. He waves to Yuugi and Honda in the crowd, and his friends wave back, Honda encouraging him to go for that million.

The Producer sits behind the control center operators as they switch to Camera 2. He commands them to put his application information on the screen, and the guy in front of him complies. The Producer is convinced the ratings will rise from people relating to such a pitiful situation.

The Announcer tells Jonouchi and the audience that it's time for the first game.

Well, that's quite the generous shot they're giving him, isn't it? What's with those chicks dressed in bunny costumes, though? Is that a very removed reference to a lucky rabbit's foot? Otherwise I don't know how those costumes could possibly relate to the show unless it was produced by Hugh Hefner.

Headcanon.

Yuugi and the others cheer Jonouchi from the stands, and Jonouchi is confident that they can count on him. Jonouchi throws the dart while he compares the game to pie, in simplicity, though the board looks an awful lot like pie and I'm hungry. The dart is embedded in the board while it's spinning, and when it stops, it's shown to have landed JUST outside the "loser" slice. The Announcer declares a pass on the game as Jonouchi sweats about how close he was to losing. But he's soon to perk up when he notes that he's got one hundred thousand yen so far, and he's more cross-eyed than ever. Yuugi and Honda are cheering again from the audience, Honda calling Jonouchi the best in Japan.

The announcer says that their next game is for five hundred thousand yen just before he explains it.

Well that escalated quickly. Is Kaiba still in his coma, because if not I'm inclined to believe he's the mastermind behind this one. Only if there's one million volts in those wires, though. The Announcer calls for the game to start and Jonouchi tries to hurry through the maze while still careful not to let his helmet touch the wires. He motivates himself by reminding himself that five hundred thousand yen is on the line, even though he gets nervous about the time ticking down. All the same, he makes it to the goal without getting shocked and wins the money. One of the Playboy Bunnies puts a medal around his neck representing the additional yen he's won while the Announcer shouts the fact over his microphone. Jonouchi looks more cross-eyed the more ecstatic he becomes.

The audience is jubilant at his progress too, especially his friends who shout that he's doing great. Honda says he only has one more game to win until he wins that sweet million. The Announcer calls for a commercial before the final game and Jonouchi has time to reflect on his progress. He's lost in the fantasy of what winning the million yen will mean for his relationship with his father, imagining that the two of them will finally get along and let go of all the nastiness of the past. Jonouchi is so optimistic, it's kind of making me tear up.

Yuugi says the game is so tense that he has to pee before the final round and leaves Honda and Anzu talking with each other animatedly. In his search for the bathroom, Yuugi thinks he could meet an idol, considering this is a TV station. Don't make me think about Chapter 2 anymore, Yuugi, we agreed it was a horrible mistake that should never have happened. Yuugi passes the Producer as he and a lackey are speaking about the current show. The Producer asks how the reception to Jonouchi is and his assistant says it's great. Then he asks for confirmation that there's no way Jonouchi can win his final game, and the assistant answers in the affirmative.

Yuugi freezes and turns to watch the two men walking away. The Producer just continues talking loudly about how the audience will be devastated when Jonouchi doesn't win, and that unhappiness brings in ratings. He then laughs at the notion of actually giving money to a pauper like Jonouchi, because their goal is to be capitalists, not philanthropists.

Staring open-mouthed at the retreating retro villains, Yuugi thinks that if they're being truthful, then Jonouchi has been set up to lose. He grits his teeth while thinking there's no way he's going to let them get away with that shit.

The Announcer speaks to the audience again, reminding them that if Jonouchi clears the final game, he'll win one million yen.

"Scar," "tissue" and "trash" are some odd words to put on that roulette board. And I'm beginning to wonder if Jonouchi's eyes are trying to look at each other through his nose when Jonouchi thinks about that money and promises that he'll definitely win. Honda and Anzu cheer Jonouchi on, seemingly not noticing that Yuugi still hasn't come back from the bathroom. The Bunnies spin the wheel and the Announcer says that once Jonouchi calls for it to stop, it will do so. Jonouchi's heart pounds as he watches the spinning board.

From behind one of the stage backdrops, the Producer and assistant watch Jonouchi watching the board. The Producer reminds his assistant to press the button his finger is hovering over when Jonouchi says the magic word.

Both of you know this, so why are you bothering to say it out loud? It's almost as if you have to let the hero know what your evil plan is so he can thwart it! Clumsy exposition is clumsy.

Speaking of the hero, he's conveniently standing right behind the Producer in order to hear the conversation they would never be having if they were halfway decently written. He's holding two ropes tied somewhere out of the upper right side of the frame when both Producer and assistant turn and look at him. Did he make a sound that would make them do so? Not that I can see.

The Producer tells Yami to get out of there because this area is for authorized personnel only. No ancient Egyptian revenge spirits allowed! Yami just chuckles, asking if those punks feel lucky and want to make his day. The Producer asks what the hell he's talking about and Yami directs his attention to where the ropes he's holding leads. There's a can of paint on a scaffold above them, which has one of the two ropes tied to it. How... did he have time to set that up? For that matter, how does he have time to be having this conversation? Shouldn't Jonouchi have called "stop" by now? I can't imagine why he would be standing there for minutes upon minutes without someone telling him the show only lasts so long. Also, Yami would have had to have been REALLY quiet to set that up right behind the Producer and assistant without them noticing if we ignore the time issue...

Balls, it's just wrong, everything about this is wrong and impossible.

Except for that, of course. I'm always down with antagonists having a viable reason to be invested in agreeing to Yami's games. The Producer growls about how Yami knows their secret, though I don't know how they could justify calling it a secret when they speak so openly about it all the time. Anyhow, he's in a hurry and has to stop Yami from telling, so he commands his assistant to take one of the ropes.

The assistant is shocked at first, but agrees, standing to take the right rope while Yami takes the left. They each tie a rope to their wrists and get ready, set... The paint bucket is pulled off to the right!

Now he doesn't know which switch to push because they're all red. He assumes that if he doesn't fix the game, Jonouchi will win and he'll have to pony up the dough. I don't know man, there's still a chance the wheel won't land on the slice for a million yen. It's still not a sure thing.

Yami states that it's time for some judgment, because his true nature has been revealed. I would argue it was pretty clear before you even played the game, Yami, but okay. Pointing, Yami says the name of the penalty game is "Mind on Air." Yen signs appear in the Producer's eyes as he screams, a sound that apparently no one hears only a few feet away on the set. The Announcer tells Jonouchi to call out "stop," so I guess he was waiting for a while. He's praying for success as he calls for the roulette board to halt.

Looks like the Announcer is sweating a little as he presents Jonouchi's check to him, so he may very well have been expecting Jonouchi to lose as well. Jonouchi is oblivious, staring at his check with admiration, and crossed eyes. Jonouchi grows confused, though, when he hears someone shout to stop broadcasting because something strange is happening. Someone in a headset asks what's wrong while the Announcer points off-panel at something.

The Producer is demanding money from the paupers at home while grasping at the lens of a recording camera. The Announcer laments that their show just went straight down the tubes as various stage hands try to pull the Producer away from the camera. Yami supposes that the only real poverty was that of the Producer's mind, and asks him for confirmation of that, knowing full well that he can't answer.

Weeks later, Jonouchi is crying and cursing. Honda asks why, and Anzu tells him that due to the production company's bankruptcy, the check they gave him bounced. I'd cry too, Jonouchi.

So, what did I think of this chapter overall? It was too reminiscent of the type of poor quality I thought we had left behind already. The dialogue of the antagonists was especially painful, because all that was missing was the literal mustache-twirling. And I get it, okay? Money is the root of all evil. Kind of picked that up after a couple of chapters, so we don't need beat that horse into a pulp. By far the biggest problem I had, though was the blatant exposition regarding how the roulette wheel was rigged. Takahashi didn't even ATTEMPT to disguise it or give it better context for existing, he just threw it in there like people tell people about things they already know all the time.

Speaking of time, Takahashi's weird lack of regard for how it actually works came back in this one. Sure, this game doesn't take long to play, but Yami would have had to set it up by climbing up a rattly scaffold, and if they weren't to hear that, he would have had to have known where they were heading and get there before him. Unless everything was already set up to begin with, in which case, wow, that's a bit of serendipity for Yami, now isn't it?

Lastly, I feel like making fun of Jonouchi's efforts at the end with the cartoonish panel kind of belittles the reasons he wanted that money in the first place. He's seriously in a bad place with his dad, and he thought it might be fixed with the money and paying off those debts. That's naive, but it was a fantasy I thought was incredibly human and moving in how important he thought the money would be to patch up his relationship with his father. It was a serious tonal shift that made the chapter seem cheap and like a joke on Jonouchi's serious money problems.

What a dick thing to do, Chapter. You should be ashamed.

Yu-Gi-Oh Manga: 041 Let Us Find Love!!

Already found mine, thanks. Besides, I'm not sure love is what these characters should be looking for after Death-T. They just survived a brutal set of games intended to murder them and help restore a winning-obsessed classmate's sense of superiority. I think finding a therapist should be a more urgent need here, but sure, why not? Let's search for the comfort of romance, because we all know how well THAT works as a surrogate for actual help.

That is to say, not at all.

It's certainly not helping Anzu concentrate on whatever she's trying to write with the pen she has. Yami's face pops into her head and she shakes her head vigorously, saying she's just being silly. But her mind keeps going back to the memory of the confident and cool "other Yuugi."

How do I describe this title page? I guess I'm a little irritated that she's CHOOSING one of the personalities, because as far as she knows, they're really the same person. There's also an indication that their connection is deeper than Yami just occasionally occupying Yuugi's body, too. It's not as though Yuugi and Yami are really separate at this juncture. They're like two sides of the same coin, and it just bugs me that she seems to prefer to see one side of the coin when no matter which side is showing, it's worth the same amount.

Cut to Yuugi's house, where someone is yelling for Yuugi to hurry, or he'll be late. It's a woman we've never seen before wielding a ladle as she looks up a staircase and then proceeds to climb it with a glare. She wonders if Yuugi is still sleeping until she opens his door and peeks inside, calling his name again.

He DOES have parents! Well, a mother, at least. And he's being a little brat and telling her to not to bug him. Well, isn't that the most teenage thing he's ever done.

His mother is looking a bit confused, but doesn't say anything further as he glares at his socks. After a moment, he chooses two of them that look to have hearts drawn on the heels of the other side. He congratulates himself on his record, and his mother asks him what the hell he thinks he's doing. He explains to her that this is a matching game that he devised, using socks. He marked one pair of the socks among several identical pairs and scattered them around the room, then tried to guess which ones were the matching ones. He says it's a way to train intuition, and his mother responds by hitting him over the head with her ladle and telling him to use his improved intuition to get better grades. Does intuition have anything to do with getting good grades? It's been a while since I was in school.

Yuugi's mother turns to leave, but tells Yuugi to hurry before she does, because Anzu is meeting him this morning, as odd as that is. Yuugi turns red and starts to gather his things, asking why Mom didn't tell him sooner, and she reminds him that he told her to be quiet earlier. Have to agree with her on that one, because it's hard to tell people things when they're not interested in hearing you speak.

He announces a short time later that he's FINALLY leaving the house. Anzu's outside the house waving at him, and saying that she thought they might walk to school together for once. He goes red again, thinking it's been a while since he's walked with Anzu and he's stoked. She begins their conversation with something that depresses her, though, which are the very public postings of their aptitude test scores today. Yeah, because it's totally NOT damaging to kids when their peers are able to compare their scores in such an open way. No opportunities for abuse there.

Yuugi seems really happy about the results being posted though. Anzu asks him what's good about it, and Yuugi tells her that he, Jonouchi and Honda are playing a game with the results, and the loser has to buy hamburgers for the other two. Yuugi is sure he can't lose, and Anzu gives him a generic "that's nice" type comment. Yuugis gonna talk about and make up games at every opportunity. Anzu suddenly remembers something and pulls it out.

Sounds like a game to me. Like digital MASH notes. Or those origami fortune readers. Or both.

Yuugi tells Anzu how shamefully "girly" those compatibility testers are, and I'm wondering how he forgot so quickly that Anzu IS a girl. Actually, this brings up something that's always bugged me since the beginning of my very existence as a girl. "Girly" is such a derogatory term, even when applied to actual girls, that I've always wondered WHO those girly things are supposed to be for when apparently no one is supposed to be enjoying them. This is a serious question - if anyone has an explanation, I would greatly appreciate the feedback in the comments.

Anyway, I can at least count on Anzu to explain the keychain she's showing Yuugi. She tells him that when you use the buttons to input your name, birthdate and blood type, the device will send out a signal that interacts with the signals of other active keychains. They beep when they're near a compatible keychain, telling the two people holding their respective devices that they'll get along. Yuugi hums at the keychain hanging from his fingers, thinking that it's not very interesting if it's not a game. I don't know, this may not be a very INTERACTIVE game, at least after the initial work of inputting information, but it still fits the definition as a form of play with a definite result at the end.

Anzu pulls out yet another of the keychains and tells Yuugi he can keep the one she gave him. In spite of thinking it was lame, he seems to be really happy that she's given it to him. He's blushing again, so happy to have received a present from Anzu, and I'm not sure what he's speculating it means, but he's probably thinking too hard about it.

Anzu urges Yuugi to put his information in the device, while Yuugi assures her that he already is. Once he finishes pressing buttons, Anzu says she's going to start sending out a signal from her own keychain, and suggests they test their compatibility. Yuugi's face is like a beet once more as he stutters out an agreement. They press a couple more buttons and stand side-by-side, but no sound comes from either keychain. Anzu looks a little surprised as she comments on how neither device chirped, and Yuugi just holds the thing up in front of his depressed expression.

He sighs as he thinks about how he and Anzu aren't compatible according to the digital fortune-tellers. According to a MASH note I made in the fifth grade, I was supposed to marry Robert Heidle, live in a shack and have three kids, and absolutely none of that was accurate to what actually happened in my life. What I'm saying is, don't lose sleep over it kid. Anzu sees how disappointed he looks and smiles at him as they continue walking. She tells him that the cheap toy might be affected by their biorhythms or something, and next time they'll hear it beep. Yeah, that must be it. *eyeroll*

At school, everyone is looking at a banner posted in the hallway with the rankings and test scores of everyone in the school, with varying levels of satisfaction. Jonouchi orders everyone aside as he, Yuugi and Honda force themselves through the crowd. He pulls out a stack of cards featuring a grid on them and says that the three of them will settle their bet. Yuugi names the game "Aptitude Test Rankings Bingo."

Jonouchi complains that he didn't get a single line, while Yuugi got three and Honda got one. Yuugi announces that hamburgers are on Jonouchi today, and Jonouchi mumbles that he won't forget his promise. Honda says he doesn't think Yuugi can be beaten in any game, but I think if you put him on a basketball court he wouldn't stand a chance. Someone asks them if they're having fun with the test scores.

What a surprise! It's one of those "adult" creatures that are so rare in the school ecosystem! Since he's not invisible, and our heroes are not thrilled about his arrival, that's as good an indication that he's our chapter's antagonist. Indeed, he calls out each of their very low, embarrassing scores and asks where their revelry is now, since they're the kings of the idiots. The kids are blushing, growling and mumbling that the counselor shouldn't be so loud with that information. His counseling style must be sooooooo effective.

Yuugi calls Tsurouka a very nasty teacher in his head, and since we haven't met any other kinds in this school, I'm not convinced there are any nice ones. Tsurouka spies the chain of the device Anzu gave Yuugi this morning hanging out of his shirt pocket, and leans forward to pull it out, asking what he's got there. Tsurouka looks disdainfully at the thing and holds it like he's carrying a smelly dishrag as Yuugi stares open-mouthed. Am I to assume this is ANOTHER something that's not allowed at school?

Anzu mirrors Yuugi's shocked expression, as Tsurouka asks why he thought bringing the keychain to school was a good idea. Oh sure, those digital pets were okay to play with in the classroom and Jonouchi felt okay leaving his out on his desk to get stolen by a classmate, but a COMPATIBILITY TEST is over the line? Yuugi begs for Tsurouka to give it back, because it's very important to him. Jonouchi steps forward to echo the plea, while Honda tells Tsurouka that he doesn't have the right to take things off students even though he's a teacher. He shouldn't be touching Yuugi at all, true, but he does have a right to confiscate items from students if he thinks they're inappropriate for school, sorry to say.

Tsurouka calls all three of the boys worthless, back-talking failures, and declares that they'll never have rights. Um, Honda was talking about YOUR rights, specifically, Tsurouka. Even if he wasn't, the thing about rights is they're not given out based on perceived "worth." They're given to everyone based on the fact that they're human and live in a society with rules of protection for citizens. A teacher should KNOW that. But, because Domino High School is such a cesspit devoid of any actual educational content, Jonouchi can only fume about being called worthless rather than challenge this poor excuse for an educator to use a fucking dictionary.

Just to show how high he is on his own authority, Tsurouka says that he can do anything he wants and be forgiven later. I'm guessing he's in the habit of hitting on underage girls in his office for exactly the same reasons. He drops the keychain he stole on the floor and prepares to stomp on it as an example of his immunity to respecting students and their belongings. Yuugi looks pissed for a moment before...

It's weird how long Yami took to come out in the previous arc, when it just took Yuugi's toy being almost stepped on for him to do so now. Tsurouka is intrigued by the implication that Yami has never lost a game, and so challenges him to play a game with him. He proposes to hide the keychain somewhere in the school, and Yami will have an hour to find it. Oh, I get it, the title is LITERAL.

If he finds it, Yami gets it back. Yami accepts the rules as they're described, and Honda blurts that Tsurouka will regret challenging his undefeated friend. Ugh, Honda, will you just stop shooting off your mouth? Tsurouka still has the other half of the bet to divulge, saying that if Yami fails to find the keychain, he'll smash it and the three friends will be suspended. They agree to these new terms too, so Tsurouka announces that he'll take thirty minutes to hide the fencing trophy keychain.

Tsurouka calls for the game to start right on the thirty-minute mark. With an hour on the clock, Yami, Jonouchi and Honda stand ready to go on a scavenger hunt. Yami knows that an hour isn't enough time to search the whole school, so he figures he needs to narrow his focus. The boys leave Anzu behind with the other students taunting and doubting them, hands behind her back and looking sheepish.

As Yami searches the shoe lockers, Honda and Jonouchi appear with a shovel, pickaxe, and wheelbarrow, in case they need to dig up the keychain. Yami recovers from a mild case of anime sweatdropping to tell them that he's not convinced Tsurouka went outside, and his suspicions that the device is still in the building. Jonouchi asks him how he knows, and Yami lets him know that he saw Tsurouka's shoes in the shoe rack, which weren't dirty. That Young Sherlock Holmes comparison was more on the money than I thought. Called it!

Tsurouka is watching them from a window perpendicular to the hall they're traveling down and thinks about how they can search all they want but won't ever find what they're looking for. He's going to get to kick them out of school because he hid the toy in his special hiding place. Well, it's either in his ugly hair, or his butt. Place your bets, folks.

At forty-two minutes, Yami's peeking in a bin. At twenty-one minutes, he's starting to look worried. He thinks he absolutely has to find the keychain because it's a treasure Anzu gave to him. Anzu herself is creeping at a distance, watching him look desperately for the second keychain. It only occurs to her now that she still has the first one, and goes up to Yami to suggest he use it to find the one she gave him. Everyone is doing an awful lot of blushing today, because she's red as she holds it out to him. He takes it, but somehow she thinks he thinks it will be useless. He pleasantly surprises her by telling her that he'll be able to find the other keychain with this one, ignoring the fact that the mutual signal sent out between the machines didn't produce beeping before. Unless they really do work on other factors than just the information entered through the buttons, I don't see how they'll beep now.

Yami runs, thinking that people hide things close to them naturally, so he has to get close to Tsurouka to get close enough to the other keychain. With just over three minutes to spare, Yami opens the door to Tsurouka's office, and Tsurouka tries to claim they're trespassing on sacred teacher ground. He demands they continue their search outside, but Yami is convinced that he wouldn't be making such a fuss if the keychain weren't somewhere in the office. Tsurouka is flabbergasted at the accusation and insists that he hid it somewhere the three amigos couldn't get to, so it's somewhere else. If you forbid them to get into your office, your office fits the description of somewhere they can't get to it, right? Yami goes a step farther, saying it's probably in a place he can't even touch, because if he were Tsurouka, he would have hidden it somewhere a student wasn't allowed. He says Tsurouka keeping the keychain on his person is the safest bet for him.

Tsurouka is sweating bullets, stuttering that Yami can't lay his hands on a teacher or else he'll have grounds for expulsion. He states that Yami will have to prove the keychain is on Tsurouka without touching him. With thirty seconds to spare, Yami holds up his fist with a chain hanging between his fingers.

And, of course, despite all the factors being the same as the scene earlier, the beeping commences! Jonouchi wonders where it's coming from as Tsurouka holds either side of his head in his hands. Jonouchi and Honda ball up their fists as they realize that this is exactly where the sound is and tackle him, claiming he's not off-limits anymore. Uh, guys, assault is still illegal, no matter what the guy has in his skull, you know?

Alright! Whoever called the hair rather than the butt wins the pot! Thanks for playing!

Jonouchi and Honda make faces as Jonouchi draws the keychain out of the toupee, and Tsurouka quietly pleads for them not to tell anyone. I don't know, dude, it was pretty obvious to even me, and all the hair in this manga looks universally fake. Jonouchi smiles at Yami, declaring his victory with five seconds to spare! He takes back his keychain, then gives Anzu's back to her, who's smiling through a heavy blush.

Riiiiiiiiiiiight...

So, what did I think of this chapter overall? I guess it wasn't bad, but it was certainly forgettable. I feel like these chapters revolving around Anzu's crush on Yami are kind of pointless and don't carry much substance. I suppose, if I were pressed to find something substantial to take from this, it would be that it emphasizes what a difference confidence makes in the attractiveness of a person. Yami and Yuugi are physically identical because they share that body. They might even share a whole lot more than that in common as well, but that's only been hinted at so far. However, Yuugi's PRESENCE is so much different than Yami's that he comes across as much more passive, as opposed to the active and forward personality of Yami.

This is what is attractive to Anzu, obviously, and that's certainly understandable. It's just that... I don't care what Anzu finds attractive? Learning more about HER in particular would be preferable to this throwaway nonsense about how she's the token lady in the comic and has to be romantically interested in the hero. I just don't find it all that interesting, because frankly, I don't feel like Anzu has had enough development as a person herself for me to be invested in how she's crushing on someone. To contrast, take a look at Jonouchi. He's gotten TONS of development over the past chapters and has grown a lot as a person. I'm already kind of pairing him with Yuugi because in addition to those shared moments of vulnerability and struggle, Jonouchi has interested me immensely as a person in his own right and I can judge his compatibility with other characters because I know him intimately as an individual by now. That's how important it is to develop characters before you start shoving them into pairings.

That's also how most fandoms start shipping characters that weren't supposed to be paired in the source material. At least, that's ONE of the ways. Sometimes it's just the appeal of seeing two pretty people getting it on.