Jonouchi is even more annoyed with Haga than I am; he's downright pissed, pointing and cursing him out while shouting that Haga put the card in his deck. Haga just grins and tells Jonouchi he can't change his deck in the middle of the duel, and it's his fault anyway for not double-checking the deck before. Yeah, because it's impossible for Haga NOT to put his cards where they don't belong, but totally reasonable to expect everyone else to keep constant vigilance to make sure his cards don't end up in their decks. Victim blaming at its ugliest.
Haga gloats that Jonouchi had lost the game before it even started, and Jonouchi growls in response. Then, Haga throws up his arms in the elation of having both sides of their duel filled with insect monsters, asking if Jonouchi feels as great as he does. Jonouchi, of course, doesn't answer, because he's probably too upset at what's happening to him to even register Haga's justifications at this point. Man, this rape metaphor is more uncomfortable the longer it goes on.
Let's switch over to the support, shall we? Anzu is gritting her teeth and promising to never forgive that bug-eyed jerk for all his constant cheating, while Bakura states the obvious fact that all of Jonouchi's monsters will be bugs at this point. Why are you here, boy? Meanwhile, Sugoroku is just barely keeping all his freaking out beneath a sweating exterior façade, unwillingly coming to a realization.
Jonouchi announces it's his turn, and proceeds to do some serious reflecting on what's going on with his monsters. They're insects now, yes, but their attack and defense points are intact, so he reasons that he should be able to sacrifice them to summon a higher level monster. The thought is enough to bring back up his optimism a smidge, so he has the confidence to declare he's sacrificing his two four-star monsters on this turn. Jonouchi warns Haga to prepare himself for the appearance of Jinzo and...
Nothing happens. His insectified monsters just sit there. Jonouchi gapes, wondering what in the world could be going on to make him unable to sacrifice them. Haga's stupid grin is even bigger when he says it's too bad for Jonouchi, because he's unable to sacrifice a monster who has been infected, and that makes Jonouchi unable to summon a high-level monster. Jonouchi's heart hammers and he looks about ready to shit himself in disbelief. I don't know if people do that, but it certainly looks like he might. Haga sighs, seemingly tired of Jonouchi's intense expression here, and lets him know that he can still just call out a normal attack.
And because Jonouchi is as easily goaded as ever, he narrows his eyes and does what is suggested, rationalizing it as Haga asking for it. He sends off his Panther Warrior and Little Winguard to attack the grasshopper monster on the other side of the field at the same time, which of course perks that goofy grin back up on Haga's face when he shouts "too bad" for a second time. Jonouchi is confused once more before Haga reveals that face down card he laid, Insect Barrier.
Haga asks if Jonouchi has finally grasped the fact that his monsters are insects now and are affected by insect traps, or rather, if he's grasped that parasitic insects constitute more than fifty percent of his monsters' body mass. I don't know if Haga has the right to ask anyone if they've grasped anything if he himself hasn't grasped the fact that HOLOGRAMS DON'T HAVE MASS. Regardless, he's at least right about the fact that his permanent Insect Barrier will prevent him from being hit with attacks, and I'll let him have a cackle for that little victory. Gotta give him what he's due, at least.
Jonouchi's heart is hammering even more now as well get real close to his right eye. Sugoroku is hopeless that Jonouchi can win at this point, since Haga has appeared to shut down the whole of his opponent's deck. Anzu is beside him, completely oblivious to this, and calling out Jonouchi's name in desperate determination. Bakura gapes, acknowledging all the steps Haga has taken as genius, if a bit scary as well. And non-consensual, let's not forget.
Jonouchi himself is glaring at Haga until he squeezes his eyes shut, wondering what he can do if he can't attack. He descends into asking himself if it's all over, slouching his shoulders, something that Anzu is quick to notice. She looks quite displeased.
Amidst a vision of his sister, Jonouchi knows that Anzu is right and he has to keep going. Out loud he twists to deny that he was ever considering giving up, saying that he was REALLY trying to think of a way out of this mess. She gives him a knowing smirk and tells him that's good, because she knows what's up. Jonouchi turns his glare back on Haga, reminding himself that he can't show Shizuka the future or give her courage if he closes his eyes.
He urges Haga to get his ass in gear, because it's his bug-ass's turn already. Haga's grin turns into a nasty sneer when he hears this, muttering a question about whether or not Jonouchi ever gives up. Since he's NOT giving up, though, Haga decides to slap a spell card on his Duel Disk, grinning in full force again. It's a card called Insecticide, and it's just what it says on the tin: a card that will get rid of one insect monster on the field, no matter how powerful. Jonouchi looks wary, so Haga assures him that the target won't be one of HIS monsters. Haga explains that when his Pinch Hopper is put in the graveyard, it allows him to draw an insect card from his hand. Jonouchi's wariness grows into uneasy anticipation when he trails a question about what that means.
Haga gestures to his hopper as the monster he'll destroy, which prompts a clawed hand from his Insecticide card to emerge with a can much like the one Haga himself used a couple of chapters ago and spray it at the Pinch Hopper's back. In collapses under the fumes and the hologram dissipates to head to the graveyard. Why do I feel bad for this thing? Haga eagerly picks a card from his hand, the highest level insect he's got, according to the special ability stipulations, no doubt. He holds it out, but face down so that no one can see what it is, and the drama intensifies. Ohhh, what's it gonna be?
A card that he slaps down and amazes everyone with, especially Sugoroku, who identifies it as that legendary card Haga was holding onto until this moment. Another extreme close-up on Jonouchi's wide right eye.
Jonouchi's "What?" is more indignant than awed, though, which is fair. Haga ignores this and adds up all three of the insect monsters out to total 3400 points for the Insect Queen. Sugoroku's jaw is practically on the floor from the realization that what he already suspected as the real reason why Haga insectified every monster in play is reality. Yeah, I can hardly believe you're right about something too, Sugoroku.
A sweating Jonouchi braces himself for the inevitable, and it comes quickly. Haga orders the Insect Queen to attack with a firebomb-looking move he calls "Queen's Hell Breath." Bitchin'. It incinerates Little Winguard in little more than an instant, bringing down Jonouchi's life points by half as he groans, wisps of his disappearing hologram surrounding him. Haga informs him that this isn't all, since the Insect Queen lays an egg for every monster she defeats, ensuring a new insect will be born in its stead. The prospect that even more insects will be brought to the field when he's defeats distresses Jonouchi even more, but all he can do is watch a slime-covered egg descend to the field in front of Haga from the queen's thorax.
It doesn't waste time, either.
Haga intends to fill up the field with these guys, whom he calls "cuties", because they make fine soldiers for the queen despite their lack of defense and much offense. Mm-hm. Really kind of wishing I didn't have breakfast this morning. Yesiree. Jonouchi curses, knowing that if Haga gets any MORE insects, he won't have a chance. It's his turn, so he draws with gusto, but when he's looking at his new card, he doesn't appear to have much confidence left. In fact, he wonders just what it is he's thinking anyway, since he can't attack, and any new monster he plays will just turn into an insect and make the queen stronger.
He does the only thing he can think to do and plays a face down card, ending his turn immediately after. Sugoroku finally freaks on the outside, though, panicking as he reminds Jonouchi that he forgot to switch his remaining monsters into defense. This has Jonouchi even more wide-eyed and sweating now, as Haga shouts that it's too late, since he already ended his turn, and his monsters will remain in attack. Jonouchi is all but hyperventilating at this point, certain that this is by far the dumbest thing he's ever done. Are you SURE that leaping off the side of a ship after trading cards doesn't still qualify for that trophy, honey?
Haga, however, plays into Jonouchi's obvious insecurities here by calling him as green as his queen's little baby worms, in duelist terms anyway. Nice to know that Haga is leaving room for the possibility that Jonouchi might be really experienced and skilled at other things. Kicking peoples' asses, perhaps? He's lucky Jonouchi doesn't do much of that kind of thing anymore, to be honest.
With it all laid out and the points not looking at all in Jonouchi's favor, Haga asks if his opponent is ready. Jonouchi's only response is the sweat pouring down his face. Sugoroku is sweating up a storm too with the knowledge that if Haga attacks that Paracide card he forced Jonouchi to play, it will inflict 2900 points in damage and Jonouchi will lose. Haga, of course, wants to draw this shit out as long as possible, though, which is why he's planning on attacking Panther Warrior with his Insect Queen FIRST, and then attacking Paracide with his Insect Larva for 700 more points to win. I guess he doesn't believe our friend William Shakespeare when he says that brevity is the soul of wit.
What did that guy know anyway? This can't possibly backfire on Haga now! He calls out to his Queen of Arthropods (because he's super smart guys, did you know?) to issue his second to last ultimatum, pointing out the Panther Warrior for her to slaughter.
Jonouchi explains that he knew Haga wouldn't attack Paracide until last, supposedly because it used to belong to him. I happen to think it's because he's an arrogant little shit who wanted to fuck with his opponent as much as possible. Either way, Jonouchi put his money, and his trap, on Haga attacking Panther Warrior first. Haga is somehow blown away and then devastated that Jonouchi managed to set a trap, leaving his monsters in attack on purpose in order to lure him into it. Jonouchi pushes up the tip of his nose to resemble a pig nose, which certainly makes this feat seem all the more impressive for someone who is has clearly never surpassed the mental age of five.
He throws out an arm and calls for his trap to activate, a trap called Magic Arm Shield. It's a mechanical claw arm that extends out to snag the Insect Larva from beneath the queen, setting it up in the line of her attack. Haga is horrified that it was not only stolen, but that the queen is being forced to incinerate her own young while it makes skittering protests and writhes in the air. Oh sweetie, if only you knew all the fucked up things real-life insects did to their young, this wouldn't seem so surprising.
Am I doing the young'un talk correctly?
So, what did I think of this chapter overall? Despite what I was expecting, this chapter did not seem as long or as drawn-out as some of the others have been. It rolls along at a leisurely pace, to be sure, but it doesn't DRAG, which is a little surprising coming from a chapter featuring an antagonist like Haga. I find him exceedingly boring, but I think KT did a good thing by not focusing too much on him and his thoughts. We stuck with Jonouchi and company for the most part, which I appreciate because I like the cards and moves of the villains to be mostly obscure. Knowing they have a plan, but not knowing it in its entirety is what helps keep the chapter flowing, and most of all, not redundant.
Another factor I think added to the flow of the chapter was the removal of excessive dwelling. A frustrating thing I've come to expect from Yu-Gi-Oh is several pages of filler where the characters have internal despair sessions that last way too long. Jonouchi's visible doubts only last for a page or so here though, and they are very short and to-the-point. There's no long-winded diatribe about how bereft of hope he is, or waxing poetic about how he can't give up. Less is more here, and it's one of those rare instances where KT is letting his art speak more than the speech bubbles he gives them. It's often more powerful and gets me invested a lot easier.
I'm not sure I buy that turn-around in the final few pages, though. Jonouchi was not only sweating and looking panicky on the outside, but he was also mentally beating himself up about not setting his monsters in defense before the end of his turn. Granted, this could be another instance of speech and thought bubbles being interchangeable, which would at least have had him speaking all that "this is the dumbest thing I've ever done" stuff aloud. Regardless, I find it a bit hard to believe that Jonouchi, a guy who wears his heart on his sleeve quite regularly, was able to pull off an act THAT BELIEVABLE.
If KT doesn't include some thought from Jonouchi in the next chapter indicating that he was able to PLAY IT OFF that it was his plan all along to leave the monsters in attack, even though it really had just been a mistake, I'm calling bullshit.
No comments:
Post a Comment