Sugoroku continues to call out to Yuugi from behind the screen, while Jonouchi checks up on his body. Jonouchi says that Sugoroku is breathing, but he's not responding to Jonouchi's prods and it's like his body is an empty shell. Yami wonders if that means that Sugoroku's soul was removed and put into the TV, and he frets as he looks between his grandfather's body and the screen.
The next day at school, Ryou Bakura has a sunny greeting for his friends, but they're all looking pretty morose. Anzu and Honda at least say hello, but Yuugi and Jonouchi are silent as they look over their shoulders at Bakura. Then they all just drop back into silence. Bakura asks what's wrong, but doesn't receive an answer. He notices that Yuugi has his eyes locked on a digital camera screen on his desk and asks Yuugi what he's watching, leaning down to look too.
Bakura asks if this is a video phone, and instead of going for the easy out in explaining what happened, Yuugi tells Bakura that Sugoroku is actually stuck in there. Bakura is pretty perturbed by this statement, until Jonouchi begins to tell him the whole story. Jonouchi says that Yuugi lost a Duel Monsters game to a guy on a video recording who had a Millennium Item, and the aforementioned guy put Sugoroku's soul into the television. At the mention of a Millennium Item, Bakura glares. Yuugi mopes, wondering aloud what to do, and what will happen if Sugoroku can't return to normal. Well, he won't need to worry about eating or sleeping or working in the shop. I guess that's a plus?
Sugoroku himself seems to be thinking positively, telling Yuugi that he's just fine in his digital prison, and wagging a finger at Yuugi's gloomy attitude. At least he's not dying this time, and you're fully capable of talking to him, Yuugi! Cheer up! Jonouchi says that Sugoroku is right, and that a negative disposition isn't going to solve the problem. Yuugi smiles and nods, saying that he's alright, but his other self isn't doing so hot.
Anzu is shocked that Yuugi learned how to talk with Yami. Girl, if you ask Yuugi to ask Yami to come out for your benefit, I am not opposed to coming in there and punching a tiny teenage girl. Just gotta figure out how to do it. Yuugi says it's not really talking, but more a sense he has of Yami's feelings. Anzu asks if that means Yami is depressed, and Yuugi says that's true, thinking Yami feels terrible about losing to Pegasus.
Jonouchi looks solemn for a moment, before rolling up a magazine and shouting through it like a megaphone at Yuugi, trying to tell Yami to cheer up. That's our Jonouchi, always being as obnoxious as humanly possible. He suddenly gets serious and tells Yuugi that if they want to save Sugoroku, they have to get back at Pegasus. I'm thinking Molotov Cocktails, guys, who's with me???
*crickets*
Okay, maybe that's not how you guys roll. Yuugi agrees, reminding everyone that Pegasus told him to come to Duelist Kingdom. Bakura and Honda look perplexed at the word "kingdom", and Yuugi explains that that's where Pegasus said they would crown the "King of Duel Monsters", which is a title that is probably never going to impress anyone ever. Can you imagine walking into a bar and being like, "Yo, baby, I'm the King of Duel Monsters"? Now imagine that person going to the bathroom and not coming back.
Sugoroku says the problem is that they have no idea where this "kingdom" is. Bakura asks for confirmation that Pegasus has a Millennium Item, and Jonouchi states that Pegasus even replaced one of his eyes with said item. Bakura thinks that if they go to Duelist Kingdom, they'll find out the secrets of the Millennium Items along with getting Sugoroku back in his body. Again, Bakura, in case you missed it, NO ONE KNOWS WHERE THE KINGDOM IS. You were so badass in your helpfulness in your last appearance, and now you're bringing this weak shit to the table? Come ON man.
He continues to piss me off as he brings out the Millennium Ring as his example of items he'd like to learn more about.
Anyhow, Bakura gives us a little information on how the ring came into his possession. Apparently, his father bought it from a street vendor in Egypt, which seems awfully shady of him, but okay. Bakura reminds his friends that there's another personality inside of it, just like Yuugi's puzzle. I wouldn't say JUST like Yuugi's puzzle. I think I've made some arguments in the past that while Yami may be a past life of Yuugi's, I don't think that's the case with Asshole Bakura and Regular Bakura.
Regardless, Bakura lists out all the things he wants to know about the items; who made them, how they work, what they're for. He thinks Pegasus may know the answer. Why? Why would he know any more about it than you or Yuugi do? That's a stupid assumption, Bakura, go sit in the corner.
Yuugi suddenly stands up to leave. As he walks off, Anzu asks him what's wrong, and Yuugi answers that he needs a minute alone. Or, at least Yami does. With an incredulous look, Jonouchi mumbles about how messy it is distinguishing between Yuugi and Yami.
Yami knows Pegasus wasn't lying about being able to scan his mind with the Millennium Eye, and wonders how he can possibly win against an opponent who knows every card and move before he lays them down. Then he sulks about how it's his fault Sugoroku is stuck in a digital camera, squeezing his eyes shut in his angsty angst. Goodness, so much ANGST.
But he soon opens up those eyes in a determined glare, and raises a fist, thinking that he's not going to run away.
At the end of the school day, Yuugi is back out and walking back home. When he gets there, he calls out that he's home, and his grandfather welcomes him back from the camera now hanging from his backpack strap. Yuugi jumps, and apologizes, because he's so used to hearing Sugoroku greet him from inside. Isn't your mother inside to greet you too, Yuugi? Where is she, and how is she handling all of this nonsense? Probably at the hospital with Sugoroku's body. Sugoroku says it's weird for him to be outside the shop too, but he IS getting used to being in the camera. I'm beginning to wonder how this is going to turn bad for Sugoroku later, because as of now, he's just chillin' like being in a camera is no big deal.
Yuugi approaches the game shop door with the closed sign hanging in it and sees an envelope tucked into one of the panes. He picks it up, wondering what's inside as he rips it open, and SURPRISE! ANTHRAX.
I kid, it's...
Suddenly, Jonouchi, Honda, Anzu and Bakura all run up to him, Jonouchi calling out to him. Yuugi asks them why they came around in such a hurry, and Jonouchi pulls out a package he says he just received today - a video tape. Yuugi is shocked by the fact that Jonouchi has a tape all his own now, and Jonouchi wonders what this means. Well, it either means you're fucked, or one hell of a magnet for coincidence.
Doesn't matter to Jonouchi, because he's here to ask Yuugi if he can watch it on his VCR, given he doesn't have one that will play 8mm tapes. Uuuhhh, Jonouchi, doesn't it concern you at all that you might get similar treatment to the kind Yuugi got last night? Nope, Jonouchi loves danger, a love signified by his HUGE GRIN.
They all go inside and up the stairs to where they sit as Yuugi tells them about the five cards he received in the envelope earlier.
He pulls out the glove and the star chips, saying that they both must show off duelist status, and you bet the chips on your duels. Then he looks at the last two cards, identifying one of them as a representation of the tournament prize money. The other one is blank, and he imagines it probably means that there's some secret honor that comes with the title of king. Yuugi says that's all the news his cards bring. And now the weather.
Anzu suggests that they watch Jonouchi tape next, and what is she doing encouraging him?? You should tell him NOT to watch it. He won't listen, we all know that, but if something bad happens, you don't want to be responsible, do you? Jonouchi looks super excited to watch the tape, but then glares at it seriously, thinking about how the
Jonouchi announces that he's putting the tape in the VCR as he does so and everyone stares at the screen really closely in anticipation. After some static...
Yuugi and Honda seem pretty shocked too, Yuugi to learn that Jonouchi has a sister at all, and Honda to learn that this sister is a total babe. This sister says that she's sending Jonouchi the video so he doesn't forget what she looks like, but she wishes she could see him too. Oh, yeah, this was probably before Skype was a thing. Jonouchi sweatdrops as he stares.
Sister!Jonouchi tells him that she actually wanted to see him in person instead of by video, but the distance is too great and Jonouchi is too busy. Yeah, I'm sure he's REALLY busy with hanging around convenience store parking lots and learning trading card games. Sister!Jonouchi begins to tear up as she says that she wanted to see him one last time. Jonouchi reveals her name in his frantic thoughts; Shizuka. Yuugi wonders what "one last time" means, because it sounds awfully ominous, and he wonders what's wrong. Jonouchi is still hunched in front of the TV as Shizuka begs him not to tell their father about the video she sent and asks him to take care of himself as she signs off.
Jonouchi is slouched in front of the TV while it continues to play static. Everyone stares at him, not daring to speak just yet. After a stretch of quiet, Jonouchi explains that his parents divorced some years before, and his sister went to live with his mother, and they live pretty far away now. He also tells them that Shizuka has always had some problems with her eyes, and that the doctors say she'll go blind.
Yuugi's mouth hangs open at the sound of the word. Jonouchi says that "one last time" means the doctors told Shizuka that her blindness is on its way. Yuugi expresses his horror at this news, and Anzu asks if there's anything they can do. Jonouchi says that the doctors have a 50% chance of saving her eyesight if they do an advanced surgery that is also prohibitively expensive, money he'll never be able to raise. Yuugi gives him a pitying look as he raises his head just high enough for him to see the tears in his eyes. Jonouchi laments how he's Shizuka's big brother, but he's powerless to do anything for her.
After he says he's useless, everyone hangs back, not knowing how to comfort him. Anzu holds out a hand as if she wants to pat him on the shoulder, but she keeps it hovering there. In the space of a transformative flash, Yami puts his hand on Jonouchi's arm instead while his other hand holds a card, prompting Jonouchi to turn and look over his shoulder.
Jonouchi stares at the chip pinched between his fingers, thinking about Yami's words. He asks if Yami is serious about giving him the chip, and Yami tells him that they're going to go win those honors, head to that kingdom together, and save Sugoroku and Shizuka. Jonouchi's eyes still water and he wears a look of gratitude.
Since there's still a week left until the tournament, Yami says they'll spend that week training in Duel Monsters, and the others offer to help too. As the audience, we aren't allowed to SEE this training, because it wouldn't be as easy an introduction to complicated rules as, say, a box with the rules listed in them *ahem*. The last panel of the chapter shows a ship docked at the pier, at 9:00 PM.
So, what did I think of this chapter overall? I'm not impressed with Sugoroku's imprisonment as the penalty. I know, I said at the end of the last chapter that it was pretty cool, but I was only talking about the creativity and mechanics of it. By the beginning of this chapter, though, it was clear this imprisonment wasn't accomplishing what it was supposed to. According to Pegasus's own words, his penalty game was supposed to take away something precious from Yuugi, but it didn't. Yuugi and everyone are still able to communicate freely with Sugoroku's image on the screen. He's still there, just in a different "body". Because of this, it's not punishing YUUGI, but SUGOROKU. He's the only one who's actually having to deal with this in a detrimental way.
And even that is wearing off, given that Sugoroku said that he was getting used to it. He was still very unfairly targeted, bearing the brunt of the consequences of an event he was only witness to, but the impact of this consequence is much reduced by the fact that Sugoroku is still THERE. He's not gone like he was in Death-T, not suffering, not in pain, and the only concern anyone has is getting him back in his correct body. It seems trivial in comparison to that previous trial.
This makes Yami's little shit-fit on the roof just irritating by extension. The only thing that he's suffering from is a hurt pride and some guilt. Even though I don't think that Sugoroku's imprisonment is AS bad as the story's trying to make it sound, I still think Yami's being a little petty in comparison. He's making it all about him, and while Pegasus DID do that to Sugoroku to provoke him, the action is FRAMED to make it as though Sugoroku is just an extension of Yuugi/Yami, and that Sugoroku is just a trinket that's been stolen. That's false on two levels, and it pisses me off to see this kind of situation be presented so clumsily.
In contrast, I really LIKE how Shizuka was introduced, and how this adds to Jonouchi's story. Shizuka was very delicate in broaching what was a very difficult bit of news, almost speaking in code. They're close enough that she knows he's going to be very upset by this news, and how sensitive he is. I can't imagine how much more crying she did regarding the news before even thinking about making the tape.
Yami's way of cheering Jonouchi up is SPOT ON, too. Jonouchi is a fighter; he solves all of his problems through some form of battle, and Yami knows this. He's not just going to offer the prize money to Jonouchi if he wins, because he knows Jonouchi isn't going to take it. Jonouchi would only accept that money if he thought he had won it in battle, if he'd proved he deserved it by being the best and being the strongest. So, Yami is offering Jonouchi that opportunity, the chance to prove that he is the strongest and achieve the honor of the prize himself. This will not only allow Jonouchi to do what he does best - fight - but also give him back his power, and the knowledge that he is capable of helping his sister and others through that power.
Jonouchi is probably my favorite character by this point. Can you tell?
I kinda like the video tape punishment in that it isn't really a punishment and more of Pegasus just messing with Yugi. It fits his character, I think. It's also a lot more visually creative than also putting his soul in a card like he does with the Kaibas later!
ReplyDeleteAlso, I wonder if Joey would've used some of that one million yen he tried to win earlier for Shizuka had he gotten it.
I'll agree that it's more visually creative, but it could have been more narratively creative too, if KT had used Sugoroku a bit more. Since he's more interactive than he would have been in the card, there should have been a way that KT actually utilized that in the plot. I could have stood to see that used as a plot device rather than just a pretty little surprise.
DeleteAnd I definitely think Jonouchi would have used that one million yen for Shizuka - assuming he hadn't spent it all by the time he found out about Shizuka's condition!