Yu-Gi-Oh Manga: 215 The Proof of Family!

Odd, I've never had to prove I'm part of a family before. Usually the family I have membership with will tell me when I've been accepted into the fold, without any real effort on my part. I can imagine that the "families" that require a membership ID card are the kind that are more about bonding over their hate of the out-group than their love of each other. You know, the kind that form intricate fantasy roleplay around being "wizards" in their organizations centered around their disgusting racism.

Pro-tip, any group that requires an identity that is convenient to a image or ideology isn't worth the trouble. Get yourself some actual friends.

Like Jonouchi here - he's getting pure encouragement, not a demand for blood. The demand for blood was all his own before, although it looks like he'd just settle for a muted victory at this point.

He's speechless as he stares at the horrible Selket, despairing at the the fact that it keeps absorbing all his monsters and has an attack score of 4000 already. That would wipe him out even if his life points were all there, not just at 50. His hand is a bleak prospect, because it contains nothing that can help him turn this dismal situation around. So, for lack of anything else to do, Jonouchi keeps his Baby Dragon in defense and ends his turn.

Rishid looks at him sharply and asks Jonouchi if he REALLY wants to continue, even when it's come down to this. Jonouchi, lacking sweat or outward concern, appears to have come to terms with the hopelessness of his position. Still, he plans to keep going until his life points reach zero, no matter his chances. Rishid admits, out loud, in fact, that Jonouchi is unbelievably fierce. Jonouchi's previously determined expression turns to shock at the unexpected compliment.

With the spectators below, Shizuka refers to her big brother in some awe. Mai addresses Yami when she says that no matter how much she values friendship, a duelist has to face the facts, and the fact is that Jonouchi can't win this one. Yami responds by telling Mai to just LOOK at Jonouchi. Look at that face:

... Yeah okay, he can be a true duelist all he wants, but it doesn't mean he's going to WIN, Yami. What are you even ARGUING right now??

Rishid announces that it's his turn, and performs the obvious action; he commands Selket to attack Baby Dragon, which is consumed in a similarly disturbing way to Jonouchi's other two monsters. He declares evolution of Selket as well, even though I'm not sure I can tell how it changed. Protruding mouth? *Shrug* However it happened, it's at a whopping 5325 attack points now. Jonouchi just stares at the improved monster placidly, though. He can give no more shits, whether to his pants or Rishid.

Now, Rishid reminds Jonouchi that it is his last turn, and Jonouchi says he has no choice - he has to end his turn. Honda clenches his fist in solidarity with Jonouchi while all of the spectators regard the scene with sorrow. Mai is sure this is it, it'll all be over when "Marik" decides to attack next turn. The real Marik smirks about the absolute zero chance Jonouchi has, thinking Rishid has won. Rishid just silently stares ahead.

Jonouchi mumbles something about being able to see something that can't be seen, something of a familiar phrase at this point. Rishid is understandably confused, though, as is Mai, though Yami beside her doesn't seem surprised in the slightest. Jonouchi claims to have a strange feeling he can't identify. Even though he was prepared to lose, he seems to think he's discovered a feeling of "surpassing" winning, when he's started seeing shapeless things. At this point, the translator is apologizing for how weird all this sounds, since this is a translation of a copy that was already translated to Chinese. It's clearly a reference to his and Yuugi/Yami's inside riddle, but in what way is a little obscure.

After a squinted look from Rishid, though, Jonouchi continues on, trying to explain himself. He says he probably didn't notice it before when he was too focused on winning, but now he remembers what Yuugi said about seeing something that you cannot see. Mai looks down at Yami in a sort of accusing way, which made me giggle a little, I'm not going to lie. Jonouchi lists all the things that Marik did that he can't forgive, brainwashing him, making him fight in a soul-crushing death match between him and Yuugi, etc. Yami and Yuugi are both paying close attention.

Rishid bows his head, acknowledging the vengeful attitude, but reminding Jonouchi that even a sudden rush of anger won't help him win now. Jonouchi isn't done rambling, though, because he begins to describe his hatred from "Marik" as pretty intense when the duel started. BUT, it's slowly faded over the course of the game, and to top it off, Jonouchi says he's recovered his corrupted memory. The real Marik gives the scene a sharp look, because he probably knows where this is going by now.

OOOOOOOOOH SNAP!

Again, Yami seems about as unsurprised as it's possible to be, describing Marik as the enemy that can be seen yet is not seen. He concludes, of course, that there is someone else around who is the real Marik. It better not you guys any time to identify the actual Marik at this point, given there's only ONE other person who it can be now.

Kaiba complains that Rishid isn't the guy who has Ra, because that is literally the only thing he gives a shit about anymore, so Yami ignores him. He's too busy acting all superior for recognizing that Rishid's manner of operation is OBVIOUSLY different from the person who brainwashed everyone. So, Yuugi poses the question where the actual Marik is. Yami brings up the fact that none of them have seen the eighth duelist yet, except Moar Cards Guy, of course, but I doubt he'll provide a recognition-sparking description for Yami or Kaiba.

Yami also casts a suspicious glance into his periphery, where "Namu" stands. As Rishid internally groans, Marik thinks with a sour expression that their plans will be fucked if this noise keeps happening. Rishid blurts that no one's listening to a loser like Jonouchi anyway, so it doesn't matter what his feelings tell him. Also he announces that it's all going to end on this turn. He commands Selket to attack the 50-point Jonouchi, who is finally sweating again, apologizing to Yami silently, because this is it for him.

Marik mentally bids Rishid to stop with urgency, much to his shock. He asks Marik why with a shifty look in his direction, all while Jonouchi is bracing himself for the attack, breathing hard and sweating. Marik has another idea.

Not an original and unlikely to be a GOOD idea, given his track record, but an idea nonetheless.

Rishid begins to protest, but Marik doesn't look happy at the push-back. He reminds Rishid that the plan is to make it appear that he is Marik. Then he appears to be trying to convince Rishid that he IS Marik, ordering him to summon that god in the box. Rishid recalls that the card is a mere copy, though, and is still hesitant. So Marik tries the tactic he did before, with more conviction, insisting that if Rishid is a member of the clan with a strong heart, he should be able to control the god. He uses the fact that he can project his thoughts into Rishid's head without fully brainwashing him as proof that Rishid is 100% part of the family.

When Rishid points out that he doesn't have the BLOOD of the clan, Marik rounds that particular obstacle by suggesting their dead father will accept him if he's able to control the god card. This is the argument that gets to Rishid, thinking on his father with a gape. Being called a servant is what he remembers, though, which isn't exactly a happy thing. He hangs his head, Marik nags him to prove he's a member of their family, and he lifts his chin with a renewed look of determination.

Of course, this whole time, Jonouchi has been standing there in confusion because Selket has hung back. Where's Moar Cards Guy to holler at RISHID for approaching the time-limit on his turn, huh? Yami notes from the sidelines that Selket hasn't attacked, another of his amazing observations. Lucky for him, Rishid has broken from his stupor in order to issue an explanation as to why this is. He intends, this turn, to prove he's the owner of Ra. Jonouchi is blown away by the mention of the god card, Yami is is some disbelief, and the only one who appears to have a somewhat placid reaction to this claim is Kaiba, who is convinced without proof that this guy is Marik, holder of Ra.

Rishid says that Ra is in the box behind him, and all he has to do to bring it out is sacrifice Selket and half his life points. The peanut gallery is speechless, staring in anticipation. With no one to interrupt his potentially self-destructive attempt to get into this club full of assholes with a voice of reason, Rishid goes ahead and makes both the required sacrifices. The virtual image of the god card rises from the box in the shrine, Rishid bidding it to awaken. Marik wears a lazy smile, as usual looking perpetually high.

That doesn't look like a dragon. It looks like a big-ass bird.

Not that it doesn't have everyone impressed, though, which I'm sure is perfectly warranted. I'll just have to wait until the next chapter to share the awe. I hope I don't get any of Kaiba's specifically, though, because that just looks creepy.

So, what did I think of this chapter overall? I'm not sure what the translator found so confusing about their own translation here, which is a bit of a switcherooo on our roles here. Granted, the translation was awkward, being a secondhand one, but it took a lot less puzzling to figure out than some of the previous chapters done in this manner.

And upon understanding it, I found it a rather poetic statement. KT found a way to tie Jonouchi and Yuugi/Yami's personal riddle into an opposite situation to its original conception; spotting an enemy instead of spotting a friend. Jonouchi was essentially blinded by hatred and a deep desire to exact justice on a man who had caused him and his friends extensive hurt so far. It wasn't until he got to know the opponent in front of him through a mode of bonding that has been tried and true for him in this particular tournament (see Ryota and Roba) that he begins to realize that he's misdirecting his rage. This ISN'T the guy who did those horrible things. It's somebody else, and Jonouchi was only able to see that when he let go of his focus of winning and getting justice, broadened his vision to include what information Rishid was transmitting himself, through his actions and sense of honor. Something that Jonouchi could SEE, but didn't PERCEIVE until he realized it was there.

When Jonouchi called Rishid and Marik's bluff, I was AMAZED. It was a great twist, because while I never saw it coming, it was absolutely inevitable. Jonouchi is by no means a thinker, but he feels his way through things. His emotions are big, and he's got great intuition about the people he engages with. This scene really utilizes not only this, but also his suspicions about Namu when he comes back into contact with him at the beginning of the semi-finals. Up until this moment, he could feel something was up, that something just wasn't right. A fantastic payoff, and further justification to counter my complaints at the beginning of Battle City. KT is absolutely proving that Jonouchi's place here is important, even if the start of his involvement was just a little rocky.

My only disappointment was in Rishid. He let himself be talked into a doozy, especially when it took so many misfires before hitting that one sore spot to get there. Marik played him like a fiddle, and on some level I think he knows that. He doesn't automatically make his sacrifices and summon Ra, but allows a moment to pass for a possible voice of reason to sound among the chaos.

Gee, if only a certain EIGHTH DUELIST could have been bothered to get her ass up on deck to prevent whatever crazy shit is going to go down. Oh but who can blame her? It's not like she has an ancient artifact that allows her to get a good idea of what could happen in the future or anything...