Yu-Gi-Oh Manga: 175 A Duelist's Power

Can I plug my laptop into it? Because I've been having trouble with this outlet I've got in my office that can be rather unreliable. Not that my dear laptop isn't overdue for retirement right now, which might be part of the problem. Its own adapter software has been known to crap out on me quite often to the point where it knows it's plugged in, but somehow won't pick up the charge it's supposed to. The battery will just keep draining, and it'll complain that it only has so much energy left for me to use it for my nefarious and uproarious writings.

I don't really have the funds to replace it right now, though. So if you notice I've just stopped posting for a month or two, it's probably because I couldn't find a duelist to charge up my laptop proper and it full-on died.

I won't bother Yami with the request, considering he looks completely drained of not only energy but HOPE right now. Probably best to ask Marik, who is making the claim once again that his monster's power is limitless. Much like his misunderstanding of the term "infinity". Just can't seem to grasp that counting concept, can you, Marik?

He isn't wrong that Slifer will continue to get stronger with every turn, though, saying that the only option left to Yami now is defeat. Yami actually seems to believe this, hunching as he thinks there's just no way he can win.

But then, out of the darkness, comes a shining douchebag who tells him to get up on his feet. Kaiba, if you'll recall, stands on the edge of the retaining wall above, arms crossed and looking sternly down on Yami kneeling. He insists that Yami's life as a duelist isn't going to end here. Yami stares in shock at the unexpected appearance of the very LAST person one could imagine coming to encourage him. Because hey, remember that one time Kaiba said they weren't fucking friends? Pepperidge Farm remembers.

And now I'm hungry. Hold up, I've gotta grab something from Starbucks across the street real fast.

Okay, we're good.

Kaiba says that Yami is one of the only people he recognizes as a real duelist, and as the self-appointed grand arbiter of real duelists, he asks Yami where his pride at. Yami doesn't answer, eyes wide and teeth clenched, still hunched in near defeat. Mokuba chips in with the command that Yami HAS to face his brother in the tournament, so he mustn't lose to this weird bald dude. Kaiba is looking somewhat distant as Mokuba talks, like he's had a long hit off a joint, but he provides a reason for that faraway melancholy.

How would Yami be able to see it if it's farther than the eye can see? Get your idioms straight, Kaiba! And maybe you should also stop taking those pills. Boy is high as balls.

Kaiba advises Yami to MOW DOWN GOD if he stands in one's way, which... Wow. I'm pretty sure that statement is the personal philosophy of every dictator who snatched away religious freedom from their people. Kaiba tells Yami to have no regrets, and this is when Yami finally raises his head. He bids Kaiba stay right where he is as he slowly stands, because he wants Kaiba to see just what his zealous encouragement has wrought.

Where do he and Kaiba get their lines? From the strawman atheist religious douchebags keep citing as the core of atheistic nonbelief?

Also, title page came a little late, didn't it?

From within his doll, Marik cackles at how convenient it is that Kaiba, the holder of the final god card, has shown up. He plans to fuck up Kaiba when he's done fucking up Yami here, but Kaiba is convinced that the only one who can defeat Yami is him. Meaning no one can ever defeat Yami.

Yami asks Marik if he's ready, because it's his turn. Looking at his hand he takes stock of the two there, Baphomet and Big Shield Guardna, neither of which would last long against Slifer's attack power. With Kaiba's pep talk fresh in his brain, though, he has been persuaded that there has to be a way to make this work, resolving to trust in the next card he draws.

It's Monster Reborn, though he doesn't look too terribly happy about it. He's contemplative a moment, then slaps it down as a face down card, and then plays his Guardna in defense. Marik reminds him with a smug grin that Slifer attacks as Slifer opens the smaller mouth in preparation to do so. Yami grunts, Mokuba gapes, and as far as I can tell, Kaiba's just standing there like he's in line at the DMV.

Marik commands Slifer to perform its lightning shot, which silhouettes Guardna in its light as it makes impact. Marik is very impressed with the reaction time of his dragon, striking right when Guardna shows up, while Mokuba is in awe of how it just did 2000 points of damage in one shot not on its turn. Kaiba is subdued when he talks about Slifer's awesome power, enough to wipe out nearly any four-star monster in the game. A close-up on his face shows that there's some of that same awe his brother has for it too. He contemplates that this is the equal to the Obelisk card he has, not just winning the game, but CRUSHING opponents. He's back to looking blankly ahead by the  next panel, though, even if Mokuba is still gaping.

This time it's because Yami's Guardna is still in play, presumably because of its higher defense points.

I mean, okay, but did you even SEE that thing??

Yami reflects anxiously on the fact that if he runs out of monsters, Slifer will hit him dead on. DEAD on. He wonders how he can beat the "infinite" powers of this god monster, but he doesn't have a lot of time for contemplation of his doom, because it's Marik's turn again, and he's only too eager to have his doll draw a card.

And of course, since Marik draws his card, that brings the total points of Slifer up to 10,000, to match the thousand multiplier on the number in his hand. I'm afraid this breaks poor Mokuba's mind, because here he goes again calling his brother KAIBA while stating dumbly that the attack points of Slifer are dependent on the number of cards in the doll's hand. Nah, it's just the official English translation being a fucking idiot again. Surprise.

Mokuba has also observed that Marik's doll played Infinite cards, so there's no limit to the size of his hand. Except for the limit of how many cards are in his deck, but Mokuba is under the impression everyone else is right now, which is that the word "infinite" is quite literal. He asks Kaiba how Yami can possibly beat a monster with "infinite" attack strength, and... Oh, I forgive HIM for it, being a tiny baby child. A tiny baby MURDER child, but still not old enough to take a counting class.

Man, I'm so tired of complaining about this misconception EVERYONE so far has had about what "infinite" means! Isn't there SOMEBODY who isn't going to be drawn in by a literal interpretation of this word? ANYONE???

Hang on... What's this? Kaiba contemplates the phrase "infinite attack points" and... HAS AN EPIPHANY??

WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!

It's the center square!! He said it! He finally said that nothing is infinite, especially not in this fucking game! Bingo! Bingo! Bingo forever!

I hate to say this, because it hurts me a little, but... Kaiba, I think I love you.

Slifer vomits a gigantic blast all over Guardna, which disintegrates. Marik has become elated to the point of absolute lunacy, a freakishly wide grin splitting his face when he asks what Kaiba and Yami are talking about. He INSISTS that his god's power is infinite. In the virtual cloud produced by Guardna's destruction, Yami stands stoic, head inclined. When he looks up again, he's smiling. He knows how to beat Slifer now.

Marik makes a disdainful grimace at the declaration, but Kaiba is smiling as well at the knowledge that Yami has figured this out. Finally. Mokuba clutches his fist triumphantly in support of Yami's newly recovered confidence.

That's tellin' him, Yami!

Marik thinks Yami has gone absolutely off his rocker, which is pretty funny considering how batshit his expression is in this panel. His nose is wrinkled, eyes narrowed, though they still have a kind of blank quality to them (sans pupil faces can be pretty hard to read), and a curling evil smirk. I'm not sure what KT was going for here, but it's confusing and scary. Hopefully that's it.

Anyway, Marik asks if Yami is saying he can dig himself out of this duel-hole in just one turn, and Yami responds that there IS a way. Marik's face suddenly takes a turn, and becomes horrified and afraid. He tries to convince himself that Yami is lying, and that there's no way he can get out of this trap, but Marik's mug gives me the impression he's not really succeeding.

Mokuba is nervous because he hasn't quite cottoned on yet. He sees that in order to win, Yami has to beat the 10,000-point Slifer, and that in itself is just unbelievable to him. He turns timidly to Seto to ask him about it, but Seto tells him to clam up and not say anything. Jeez, rude much? Kaiba knows the one key card is in Yami's deck somewhere, and the outcome of this duel depends on whether he can draw it. He tells Mokuba to watch carefully, because he's going to see the power of a true duelist.

Man, if only I could be there right now with this laptop...

Mokuba looks curiously on at Yami, who still faces Marik's doll, the jam thing, and Slifer. It's pretty impressive, and then Yami decides to ruin his stoicism by declaring this is the last turn, drawing a card in the most elaborate way possible and holding it up to the heavens as an offering to Zeus. At least, that's what I assume is happening here. I don't know why else he would be so ridiculous right now.

Unless... ridiculousness is the true power of a duelist. IT ALL MAKES SENSE NOW.

Marik is either not comprehending Yami's words, or he's just too angry to think straight. Either way, that guy isn't on board with this victory speech. Kaiba asks himself if Yami drew the card, and smiles when he decides he doesn't need confirmation. Of COURSE Yami drew it! Not because he's got the hand of the plot guiding him or anything, but because the god cards only choose the proudest duelists as their owners or something.

I understand Kaiba was a little late to the party here, but he's been around long enough to see how much pride this guy Marik has. Either Kaiba meant to use another word here, or he's so full of shit it's about to start coming out his ears. And I would unabashedly buy a ticket to see that. For real.

Yami gears up to make his move, swinging his hand around dramatically. He activates his face down card, which you'll remember is Monster Reborn. Marik looks disgusted by its appearance, nose wrinkled yet again. Yami is FLAILING when he announces he's bringing back his fallen warrior, Buster Blader. It rises out of the floor like with arms crossed over its chest, Yami singing its praises as a mighty dragon slayer. I feel like I'm at a showy concert.

Marik has taken to sneering again, because bringing Buster Blader back from the grave in defense just so it can be destroyed again sounds like a pretty dumb move to him, being only as good as giving Yami one more turn. He's got one tiny detail of this wrong, though.

Well, if Yami IS insane, it's probably not going to manifest in the cards he plays. Thousands of years cooped up in solitary confinement with no room to move is probably the reason for all the crazy and the way he over-enunciates every single action. Come to think of it, you guys might have quite a bit in common, Marik.

So, what did I think of this chapter overall? It certainly wasn't boring. If I hadn't been bogged down with so many technical errors and random responsibilities, I probably would have gotten the review on this out at the beginning of the month when I started it. I was drawn in by the drama of Yami's dire straights being thrown into reverse by KAIBA, of all people. Not to mention how Kaiba was so quick to give Yami the hint he needed to figure out this puzzle on his own. He didn't give away the answer, but gave just enough of a push that Yami was able to elbow past the ridiculous notions Marik was feeding him about infinity being a literal thing.

This says a couple of things about Kaiba as a character: the first is that he wants to duel Yami badly enough to help him out of this seemingly hopeless situation from the outside, and the second is that he still has a mind for making Yami do the work himself and not compromise the tournament by just out and out giving him the answer. It's a happy medium, and Kaiba was the perfect person to deliver it. If Yami's friends weren't prone to falling into the same literalism as Yami and Marik did (which I believe they would be, let's be honest), they would have just handed him the answer in the most basic terms. Jonouchi isn't exactly the most subtle in his speech. Or in any respect. At least with Kaiba helping out, the reader gets a sense that there's not so much affection for the target that there exists temptation to just blurt it out. Nice change of pace.

Which is a good thing, because the content on the duel was sparse here. It's happened before that KT has just spent a chapter ANGSTING instead of moving the duel and content forward, and it has slowed the pace to a crawl, if not outright STOPPING it. In this case, though, something interesting is happening that's not angst and is genuine character-building, and that kept the pace where the actual plot could not.