Yu-Gi-Oh Manga: 114 The Bewitching Mai

Haven't we already been over this? First she's a siren without exhibiting any of the singing or distracting characteristics of one to our protagonists, and now we're calling her bewitching? She had better be playing a spell card that warrants this description during this chapter, or I'm going to be annoyed. Chapters need to stop referring to Mai in ways that are reminiscent of sexist descriptions of female allure, ESPECIALLY when they're not even relevant.

Because this first page isn't very promising on the relevancy front.

Going to talk to your grandfather about how hot Mai is? Nope, he's telling Sugoroku to just watch him defeat Pegasus to put him back in his body. Good thing too, because that would have been weird. Sugoroku warns Yuugi that the cheaters, the cowards and the arrogant NEVER get smiled upon by the god of duelists.

WHAT? There's a GOD of DUELISTS? There is a GOD who presides over this card game and its players? This theological pontification BETTER be Sugoroku losing his mind being trapped in this camera, because if it's not... that is QUITE the cosmology this universe has, that's all I have to say about it.

Sugoroku continues by telling Yuugi that a duelist should never lose their confidence or honor, but they should also be careful not to let their self esteem become pride and dig their own grave. Yuugi is speechless at this little warning, giving Sugoroku a moment to confess that he thinks Yuugi balances out Yami's heart. Yuugi asks for some clarification on this, so Sugoroku explains that whenever Yami becomes overconfident and loses sight of his true heart or sense of justice, that's when Yuugi is most needed to step in and help. Yuugi nods with a determined look on his face.

Jonouchi bursts into the room with Anzu in tow, asking if Yuugi is up yet. Just be glad he wasn't in the middle of dressing, Mr. I've-Never-Heard-Of-Knocking. He tells Yuugi he's looking awfully fly today, because he likes the bondage look Yuugi sports. Yuugi wishes them a good morning, and Anzu reminds him with a serious look that today is the day. He gives her a similar nod to the one he gave his grandfather. Jonouchi shows him a thumbs-up, asking if he's ready to head downstairs, and Yuugi loops the puzzle around his neck, elbow blocking view of his face for a moment.

Let's go see if Mai is nearly as bewitching as the title suggests!

Light streams in through huge French windows as Yami, Anzu and Jonouchi walk down the hallway and Anzu asks where Honda and Bakura got to. Jonouchi says they weren't in their rooms, and also wonders out loud where they could have gone. Yami wonders if they didn't go off to rescue Kaiba and Mokuba, which brings him around to reminding himself that HIS job is to rescue the souls that go with the bodies Honda and Bakura are likely retrieving.

They eventually come to a set of double doors Croquet is standing in front of, and Croquet tells them they have been anticipated. He welcomes the two duelists in the group to the duel room and they glare ahead.

Mai giggles, saying good morning to the boys, and Yami doesn't really change his expression from the one above. She tells him it's about time they determined who the strongest duelist on the island was, adding another giggle on for good measure. Jonouchi twists around when he hears Keith, leaning on a pillar behind them, says he's prepared to pay "Joey" back for last night if he can make it all the way to the table. Jonouchi shouts that he doesn't give a fuck if Keith is the US champion, because he's going to give him the card smack down. Keith just smirks, knowing that Jonouchi hasn't even realized he's already lost because Keith has his special card he needs to show before he can even play.

A loud noise causes Yami and Jonouchi to look around suddenly.

Again with this weird talk of dueling being backed up by some obscure divinity. I'm really beginning to think that this chapter is ACTUALLY building up a cosmology around this game.

The four finalists are all lined up; Mai, Yami, Jonouchi and Keith, and we get a close-up shot of each, though it's not really important seeing as how they're all wearing pretty much identical determined glares. Keith's the only exception, because he's smirking behind his stupid sunglasses. Take those off, you moron, you're indoors.

Pegasus announces that the one who survives his hunger games tournament will be given a champion's prize, and offers to give them a preview.

He's got an ACTUAL treasure chest full of fucking jewels and coins. I just... This has definitely reached POE'S LAW levels of unmockability. I mean, the joke is right there, but I can't make it, because the comic already has!!

Jonouchi stutters out a repeat of the amount of money being offered up through his huge grin, but is distracted by wondering offhand how much that is in yen. He must have decided it doesn't matter, because in the next panel, he's put back on his determined face and assumes that this will be enough money to save Shizuka for sure. Keith internally chuckles, thinking it could be worse. Meaning, of course, that he's seen BIGGER prizes in his illustrious career. I can't wait for him to begin negging Pegasus with this tactic.

"Your prize is DECENT, but my ex-enemy threw a tournament with a prize of over a million."

Mai has laced the fingers on both her hands and lifted them right next to her starry-eyed expression as she declares that all that cash is going to be hers. One of the Secret Service Servants flanking Pegasus tells her to hold her horses, because one doesn't get the money JUST by beating the other three duelists in the finals. The other SSS says that one has to also beat PEGASUS in order to win the money. Pegasus backs his ass up into his stupid throne, wondering aloud who will beat him and saying he looks forward to knowing with a chuckle.

Yami grits his teeth, knowing that Pegasus doesn't have any intention of parting with the treasure chest, assuming that he won't lose with his Millennium Eye. However, Yami is also sure he can't lose either, thinking of Sugoroku, Kaiba and Mokuba. He assures himself that he and Jonouchi will win the glory, and that he's coming for Pegasus.

You realize that you and Jonouchi can't BOTH win, right?

Just to show Yami swirling around the jacket he turned into a cape like an idiot.

Croquet steps up to the competitors, asking to see the cards showing they have the right to duel before they begin. Yami holds up The Honor of the King's Left while Mai does the same with BOTH of her cards, and Croquet thinks this all checks out. He doesn't bother to ask where Yami's other honor card is, but if he did, I guess Jonouchi wouldn't be able to go on, so...

Jonouchi cheers that Yami better win while Anzu hangs out next to him looking constipated. Was she there the whole time? Or did Jonouchi wander on up to the banister overlooking the table to stand next to her? *shrug*

While setting their cards on the table, Mai tells Yami that it was her dream to face him on this island and win. She proceeds to wonder if this dream will come true, because Yami is her ideal opponent and everything in her dueling career has been leading up to this moment. Your chances are less than zero, girl. The GOD OF DUELISTS has willed it so that Yami won't lose. Yami, meanwhile, hopes that Mai won't take it personally that he's about to steamroll right over her in order to get to Pegasus.

Mai notices that his expression looks a bit impatient, and asks Yami if fighting her is just an irritation for him. He doesn't answer, and she notes that he's not even looking at her, probably because his heart's already set on his duel with Pegasus. She pretty sure that this lack of focus will work in her favor, though, because the game isn't so easy to win if you're not really paying attention.

Why would she do that, Yami? The whole point of that trick was to distract her opponent with trying to figure out what she was doing. You already know what she's doing, so it wouldn't even work.

Also, Mai says she doesn't need tricks anymore, and thinks she only needs working eyes. Mai is reflected in one of Yami's eyes as he thinks that she's no match for him. Mai apparently realizes that he's considering her as just that reflection, but is convinced that there's something he doesn't see, so he can't beat her. She goes first, slapping Harpy Lady down on the table. The little hologram that comes up giggles at Yami, who thinks this is all just standard fare for Mai. He supposes she's using the same deck as before to power up that one card.

Uh, duh, Yami. No one was supposed to have more than one deck with 40 cards on the island. Did you forget?

Jonouchi thinks Mai's use of the Harpy Lady is just funny, because even HE won against it, so how can Mai think that shit will work on Yami? Mai says that she's not quite done with her turn, playing one more card face down on the table and winking. Yami has another of those exclamation points above his head to indicate surprise behind his static face while he observes this. Looking at his hand, he finds Gaia, one of his best cards in his hand, with which he can beat Harpy Lady easily.

He announces that his card is Gaia as he plays it, then commands it to attack Harpy Lady.

Set yourself up for that one, didn't you Yami? He somehow missed all the trap alarm bells that usually go off in his head though, and is flabbergasted by this Mirror Wall. Mai explains that as soon as he attacks, the shining wall blocks it. Gaia is reflected in the wall, and because Yami can't stop the attack no matter how panicked he looks, Gaia's charge is on his own reflection. As a result, Gaia's attack points are halved down to 1150, leaving Yami in shock.

Now that it's Mai's turn again, she throws down an equipment card to play on her harpy.

Ironic, given that she just played a mirror as her trap. Seeing is kind of the purpose of that tool.

So, what did I think of this chapter overall? As predicted, this chapter had NOTHING to do with Mai being bewitching whatsoever. In fact, none of the male characters seemed to notice all her bare shoulders and cleavage any more than they noticed Keith's annoying habit of wearing sunglasses indoors. They treated her just like everyone else in the room, which was... awesome, actually. That's what a screaming feminist like myself likes to see! No one gives her a second look or comments on her dress, and no one treats her any differently than they would anyone else because of it.

It's actually miraculous that we've gotten from a point where Anzu is inexplicably subject to tons of sexual assault in Death-T, to having a female character being treated like a HUMAN BEING by other characters. I LOVE IT! Too bad the AUTHOR of the thing couldn't take a cue from his own characters and refrain from commenting on her apparently "bewitching" properties when it isn't appropriate. Oh well, it's no more ridiculous than that same author deciding that it wasn't enough to create a popular card game, but a RELIGION surrounding it.

Speaking of which, let us pray. God of Duelists, thank you for your justice, and for shining your light of equality upon this duel.

Amen.