Yu-Gi-Oh Manga: 019 Final Game

What's the deal, chapter? You want to stop the fun so soon? We have one character listless and hypnotized on a precariously supported plank, one character being chased around by a brainwashed professor, and another who is locked in a life and death game show, complete with a sadistic host. Who wouldn't want that to go on forever? You mean I'm the only one?

... I think I should just start covering the chapter, before I dig this hole any deeper.

Jonouchi is caught between trying to reach Anzu and trying to escape zombie!Yoshimori, whom he's surprised is STILL following him out onto the ledge. Jonouchi turns his attention back to Anzu, because it's useless talking to Yoshimori, and I'm sure Jonouchi has realized that by now.

On the roof, Shadi is announcing the advent of the last game Yami will have to win to save his friend. He goes on to say that he's surprised how easy it was for Yami to solve his last two puzzles. After all, three more statuettes remain to hold Anzu up, even though Yami almost got his soul eaten in the last game. However, Shadi is convinced that his last challenge will break all three of the ushabti that are left.

Yami thinks about how confident of this Shadi sounds, like he knows JUST what mental buttons to push to break him. Still, he can't lose with Anzu's life hanging by those three remaining ropes. He reminds himself that if he can break the doll that's holding up the Millennium Key, somehow breaking Shadi instead, it will slide into Anzu's hand and end her trance. Yami wonders what Shadi's mental weakness is, but is unable to determine it like Shadi has been so deft at figuring out his.

Again, Shadi appears to read Yami's mind, saying that Yami will never find his weakness. He compares his brain to diamond and Yami's to alabaster, and says that comparison will be even more stark in the final game. I just want to point out again, Shadi, that your mind is only "diamond" in this instance because YOU'RE not risking anything important to you, which makes you a colossal bag of dicks.

If I could break the fourth wall, I'd run in there and smack Shadi upside his stupid head. That's all I want to do. Especially when he says that he's going to introduce Yami to his opponent, which SHOULD BE SHADI HIMSELF. Instead, another person appears behind Yami.

It only takes the space of a heartbeat for illusion!Jonouchi to reach forward and snatch the puzzle away from Yami. While illusion!Jonouchi chuckles, Shadi explains that he brought a previous version of Jonouchi to the field, a back-up version that he saw in Yuugi's mind when he visited a few chapters ago. This Jonouchi is the old stupid bully version of Jonouchi, and Yami uselessly repeats this information.

Okay, yeah, bad memories suck, but surely Yami, and Yuugi, for that matter, are well aware that even the old Jonouchi that was kind of a jerk would never have tried to KILL them. He wasn't THAT bad, ever. Shadi is manipulating this memory version of Jonouchi to an unbelievable way. There's no way that Yami could fall for this!

... Right?

Right???

Oh, good, he's not taking this crap seriously.

Shadi yells at Yami to destroy the memory in front of him, but Yami doesn't move for a moment. He considers the possibility that, rather than just being an illusion, the Jonouchi in front of him is the real one being controlled by Shadi. That's actually fair. Considering all the other fucked-up things that Shadi has done to Anzu and Yoshimori, it's entirely within the realm of possibility that Jonouchi could be another puppet. Not to mention Yami didn't technically see him show up, so he can't just cite the fact that he just appeared as evidence that this can't be Jonouchi.

Of course, Jonouchi is still giving off that smoky effect of being an illusion, so there's that. But Yami doesn't want to take the chance that the illusion!Jonouchi isn't real, and tells Jonouchi's image that he's not going to play this game. When Jonouchi doesn't answer, Yami yells his name, trying to get his attention. Jonouchi just spouts his bad-guy lines from Chapter 1, saying that the puzzle in his hands must be Yami's treasure, and how he must be behaving like such a girl because the puzzle is so valuable.

You know, reruns and old dialogue from a memory. Yami and Yuugi both appear to be affected by the reminder of how much of an asshole Jonouchi used to be. Two statuettes crack and shatter, rattling Anzu's plank once more. However, Yami is encouraged by the fact Anzu is still safe, because one ushabti is still in place. He realizes that Shadi was trying to get at Yuugi with having Jonouchi's image spout that line, and knows that if he shows any more hesitation, he'll lose the game.

The puzzle lands to point at the cliff-edge behind Yami, and Jonouchi commands him to take his two designated steps in that direction. Illusion!Jonouchi holds up the puzzle and says it's Yami's turn, but Yami refuses to play again. Shadi thinks he's an idiot and wonders if he wants to fall over the cliff before him. Jonouchi goes ahead and takes Yami's forfeited turn, rolling the puzzle once more. It lands in the same way, so Jonouchi tells Yami to walk in the direction he was already going. He's right on the edge now.

Jonouchi warns Yami that on the next turn, he'll have to step over the edge, wondering if he'll skip his turn again. Yami does just that, and Shadi asks if Yami is quitting by passing over another turn. Yami says that he's not defeated, because he believes in Jonouchi. Even if he's actually an illusion? Because I'm pretty sure that would be a mistake, Yami.

Shadi chuckles at what he assumes is an inability to let go of the past, and declares Yami has lost. Then he launches into an anti-social rant about how it's a mistake to put trust in others because that trust is just like those fragile dolls that held up Anzu. Everyone who bonds with others is essentially weak because they need comfort from someone else, so anyone who believes in just themselves will be truly strong.

I don't know what "letting go of the past" and "not trusting others" have to do with each other here. Is he trying to say that he should let go of the bad memory of Jonouchi being a jerk, or trying to suggest that the bond with Jonouchi should be in the past altogether? Neither one of those seem to fit, because if it were the former, it would suggest that Jonouchi's past DEEDS should just be dismissed. If it's the latter, then Shadi would have gotten his point across better if Jonouchi were his current, friendly self.

But, aside from these two disjointed points, there's something else that needs saying here. While terrible sci-fi about the zombie apocalypse might agree with you, Shadi, reality doesn't. I'm not just talking about the obvious fact that whole societies are built on mutual trust and support. Shadi states that if Yami were willing to get his friend to walk off the cliff, he would have been truly strong. So, you want to support your point with a little evidence from your side? Maybe you'd like to drop one of those family members you're always referencing off a cliff too? Just to demonstrate that you're not a MASSIVE HYPOCRITE here?

No?

Shadi commands illusion!Jonouchi to roll the puzzle again and end the game, but Jonouchi just stands there. Shadi asks why Jonouchi isn't listening to him, and the illusion responds by disappearing into smoke.

Ha! Eat it, Shadi! Although, to be fair, I'm not entirely certain what Yami is saying here myself. If I had to guess, which I do, I would assume he's trying to connect those disjointed statements of Shadi's I was complaining about earlier, but not very well. He must be saying something about friends only existing in the future, and they essentially respond to your own confidence as you face obstacles together. Still a pretty shaky concept, but I'll take it.

Speaking of shaky, Yami looks back in Anzu's direction only to see her last rope is fraying in the middle. Magic ain't got shit on gravity, and it's been taking its toll. But, wait, what's this??

Take another bite there, Shadi! This dish of "in your face" is all yours tonight, buddy! He's freaking out that these kids are all there supporting each other, some more literally than others, and his tiny mind can't take the pressure. His ushabti begins to crack. Well, every diamond has its cleavage point, doesn't it?

And a jeweler, a part Yami is only too happy to play. He tells Shadi that he still doesn't understand that strength is not gained by relying only on oneself. You have to have trusted friends in order to truly be strong. Shadi's doll cracks a bit more.

So, what did I think of this chapter overall? I wanted to be as excited about this one as the last three, but the writing was a little cryptic. This may have been the translation being unclear, or it may have bee the original script that was off, but either way there was a bit of gap between concepts that needed to be bridged. Connecting concepts correctly and smoothly is a pretty difficult task sometimes, so I wouldn't be surprised if this were a problem in the original Japanese. Of course, I wouldn't be surprised if there is a natural connection between the two topics discussed here inherent in the original Japanese that just doesn't translate too.

I'm not sure what kind of connection that would be - friendship and the past seem like entirely separate subjects to me, but as you can see, I tried my best to connect them above. I can't be sure how well I did unless someone who understands Japanese comes around to correct me, which wouldn't be unwelcome. I'd be open to understanding this more fully if it's not just faulty writing, because I thought it was a great general message. It was just fuzzy in how it was presented.

Action-packed, though! I'm always down with that! Unfortunately, this amazing arc promises its conclusion next chapter, so I might be sulking in my next review.