Yu-Gi-Oh Manga: 230 Defeating the Future!

This title is so triumphant, but the implications of the phrase didn't really occur to me in that way at all. When you're a part of a generation that faces an uncertain and bleak future due to a whole bunch of systemic injustice and a lot of change in global environment, the thought of a defeated future isn't exactly pleasant. But that's just coming from a poor woman with limited privilege and an attachment to her plants.

I'm sure the picture is quite different for a rich brat of a teenage boy who gets off on MOAR TECH.

Oh, and an ancient Egyptian dragon that he favors above all the rest of his ancient Egyptian monsters and gods. Which he doesn't believe are ancient Egyptian. His ideology is quite contradictory in places. It's fine.

Kaiba tells Ishizu that he's let her see now the form of his servant inheriting his pride and soul. This dude got all poetic all of a sudden. He announces that Obelisk is one of the sacrifices that will bring said servant forth, Obelisk and mystery!monster surrounded with those sacrificial whirlwinds behind him. Ishizu is of course just flabbergasted that Kaiba would use OBELISK as a sacrifice, as is other!Marik, though he looks a bit on the indignant side too. Jonouchi and Yami lean forward with gapes and eyes wide in shock at Kaiba's actions. After her moment of pure alarm, Ishizu is now mixing it with a realization: the future has changed.

As according to the Millennium Necklace, it has. And I'm still not sure how much I trust that dealie.

No one bothered to translate Kaiba's shout in the last panel of the page, leaving the speech bubble blank, but I'm pretty sure we can guess what was supposed to be there.

 

Is Sinatra bigger than he usually is? Is that just because he had to eat a fucking massive GOD to get on the stage or what? 

Jonouchi is in disbelief over the appearance of the Blue Eyes, and Yami can't help but wonder WHY Kaiba would sacrifice a god card to summon it. Uhhhh, he's been pretty clear about how much he likes this xenomorph-looking fucker. The question really should be what he WON'T sacrifice for it.

Meanwhile, other!Marik has now drawn the conclusion that the Millennium Rod he's currently giving a scandalized look has had an effect on Kaiba's memory. He remembers the stone tablet depicting that duel with the pharaoh and unknown priest, recalling that the priest had the Millennium Rod, and was directing a white beast. Yeah dude, Ishizu already informed everyone of that connection at the beginning of the arc. Try to keep up, won't you?

On the platform, Kaiba is asking Ishizu if the Blue Eyes White Dragon existed in the future she saw. When she just stares at him, speechless, he smirks and says that it must not have. He declares it's because this is HIS future, fist clenched in determination. Ishizu finally puts away her shock and inclines her head, closing her eyes, knowing that she's lost. Kaiba doesn't notice, ranting on about how this is his way of battle. He yells at his Blue Eyes to come out, though it was already out? I don't know. Everyone else watches the creature with varying degrees of awe and acceptance, the latter in Ishizu's case.

The Blue Eyes White Dragon pretty much unhinges its jaw like a feeding snake, but for a giant ball of energy on its way out, pointed directly at Ishizu. She stares straight at it, facing her defeat with more dignity that Kaiba has ever had. He screams to his dragon to attack the future, and I'm curious how many times this attack has to be called out before it actually happens.

THERE it is. About time.

Kaiba declares that he's won with the customary dramatic pose, and Ishizu bows her head. When she looks back up, she congratulates Kaiba on changing the future, and formally states that he is the new true owner of the god card. Kaiba indulges in a long blink as well, and trains his glare back on Ishizu to lecture her about how peoples' hearts contain things they believe in that surpass even God, and he believes in THAT. It doesn't sound like nonsense at all. (/sarcasm)

He starts to leave the platform, but after a moment, Ishizu calls out to him, letting him know that she's actually learned something important through this duel. He pauses to peer at her out of his periphery, and she says the lesson she learned was the light of hope. Awwww, that's nice. She gestures to the necklace around her neck and postulates that the future her Millennium Item predicted was one determined by darkness and despair. As Kaiba observes her, she's got a critical eye on other!Marik. She thinks on if she had won and concludes that the possibility of rescuing her brother is null, even if she forfeits her life. Still not sure what either ONE of those things have to do with saving Marik, but I thought you were all positive and seeing the light of hope now, Ishizu? What's with the about-face? Other!Marik chuckles at her glare.

And she's back to being optimistic when she addresses Kaiba again with the conviction that people CAN change the future. Well, then you can figure out a way to save your asshole brother without cards. Kaiba scoffs and says a person who follows the future has no light, which doesn't seem to ADD anything to the conversation, but it does make Ishizu a bit contemplative, so that's good, I guess. She supposes that out of those duelists who won this round of the finals, specifically the three who are NOT Marik, must be someone who can rescue the little jerk. She believes now in the thing that can't be seen.

Man, that little riddle just pops up in the least-expected places, doesn't it?

Isono raises his arm and declares Kaiba the winner of this round, a bit on the late side, as the platform lowers again to the level of the spectators. Kaiba descends the stairs and passes Yami without comment. At first.

Yami, Jonouchi and Anzu watch Kaiba fuck off, with Anzu contemplating how she and Yami saw that stone tablet, and the engraving of the destined future. Great, now the stone CARVING is predicting the fucking future. Can we all just stop looking for oracles in everything? I'm starting to understand Kaiba's level of annoyance with it.

And you know how I feel about empathizing with KAIBA. *gag*

The blimp keeps on speeding through the air as Kaiba arrives in a sort of control room somewhere within its bowels. Mokuba appears to be the only one in there, sitting at one of the many monitors and such lining the wall, and he greets his brother happily upon his entrance. Mokuba says he believed all along that his big brother could win, which probably didn't need to be said.

Which must be why Kaiba ignores it and skips straight to asking if they got the image of the Ra card in. Mokuba says it'll finish soon, but when Kaiba looks over Mokuba's shoulder to take a peek at the screen, it's clear as a bell on there. Perhaps Kaiba was actually asking if the text on the card had been translated yet? Either way, this little discrepancy isn't really in the realm of Kaiba's worry right now. Examining the symbols on the card closer, it's like he's been hit by lightning, what with all the arcs of it criss-crossing the panel. He's in shock and disbelief again over the fact that he understands the words there, and Ra's special ability with it.

Mokuba asks in a panic what's wrong with Seto as he doubles over and holds his head in his palm once more, groaning.

This sure bodes well.

So, what did I think of this chapter overall? I like how fast it went with the last move. It didn't feel like there was a lot of fluff padding it out like there has been in similar chapters in the past, so I was able to get through this one in record time. It wasn't as concise as it could have been, but I think it was one of the more straightforward in the entire series so far. At the very least, the reactions from the spectating characters didn't seem quite as superfluous as they usually do, because they were short and sweet for the most part.

I also continue to like the contrast that Ishizu and Kaiba play out while they interact. There's something really complimentary about Ishizu's quiet dignity in her loss and Kaiba's over-the-top spastic victory. Even Rishid and Jonouchi's opposite attitudes didn't produce the kind of satisfaction in their contrary back-and-forth. Perhaps it has something to do with the fact that this is the only duel in the semi-finals that didn't end in utter tragedy, because that definitely helps to lighten the overall mood of the end.

Ishizu finding optimism in her defeat added a touch of honey to the pot too, and not just because it was nice to see a character voice value in losing the game again. I'd like to draw attention once again to the streak of Yami's success mostly being due to his flexibility and adaptability in the midst of a game. Ishizu is the most extreme example of the opposite that we've seen so far - rigidity in strategy so stringent that there can be no other way of going about things. She was so certain that what the Millennium Necklace was showing her was the only way to go about things that she was convinced it was FATE. Kaiba has lately been learning how to let go of the obvious course of action when it doesn't benefit him, adapting to what does. His accumulated experience might have been helpful in his decision to follow his crazy hallucination instead of attacking directly with his god card. He's MORE than acquainted with carving the path he wants with unlikely tools at this juncture, which is part of the point; seeing ways of accomplishing your goals that others don't, even when those others claim to have all the information. The future is only set in stone when you don't act with fluidity in the present.

Speaking of having all the information, I'm still VERY curious as to what it is these Millennium Items actually do. Is it possible that the Millennium Necklace neglected a few variables in determining its version of the future, or did ISHIZU ignore those variables and see what she wanted? What about the Millennium Rod? It seemed to have imparted some knowledge of a dead language onto Kaiba as well as a choice memory.

Because having the ability to beam language skills into targets seems like a super handy skill. I gotta get me one of them.