Yu-Gi-Oh Manga: 260 Red Spirit

Well I feel personally attacked. Over the past two weeks, I've been flooded with what seems like an endless stream of questions, and there's been so little time to contemplate them, let alone answer them. They just keep coming too, giving me anxiety, headaches, neck and back pain, and what I'm pretty sure are the humble beginnings of an ulcer. All this culminates in a spirit that feels raw red and bruised in places, not to mention roasted on a slowly turning spit. I wish there was a salve to apply directly to the burns, but I think I'll have to figure out how to put out the damn FLAMES first.

Call me crazy, but I feel like dragons will NOT help.

Nor Kaiba's dorky laugh, while he reiterates that when Lord of Dragons plays his special flute, all Kaiba's dragons are summoned at once. Or, at least the other two of the specific kind that is relevant to this duel, because I'm pretty sure Kaiba has dragons for days. Kaiba insists that there's no way Yami can win against three Blue Eyes White Dragons, and immediately amends his statement to reference the one time Yami very well could have when he says that a miracle can't happen twice. Because that's when we cease to call it a miracle and start really examining our notions of possibility. 

Yami growls, taking stock of his Dark Magician and Beta the Magnet Warrior, at 2500 and 1600 points respectively. He has to acknowledge that he really has no way to defend against three dragons with two weaker monsters, and starts to question if this is all over for him, sweating. Kaiba manically demands that Yami brace himself while carving the Kaiba name into his memories as the name of the true winner. Do you get it? Like, like the tablet in the museum? Get it??

Kaiba yells for his dragons to triple attack, and they all three charge up those orbs of energy in their yawning maws at once, even though I'm not sure why they would be allowed to do that when they're still three separate monsters? I don't know, I'm sure there's a rule somewhere that says that's fine and dandy. Yami makes a nauseated noise and closes his eyes in resignation... until he perceives someone demanding that he not lose. His eyes snap back open. 

I swear, this boy is slowly formulating the first human hive mind. 

Jonouchi's appropriated consciousness and image gives him something of a long stare before asking if Yami didn't always used to tell him that there's always a chance as long as you've got cards in your hand. Yami seems to suddenly remember that he does indeed have cards in his hand, because he's been playing this game the WHOLE TIME. Amazing. He looks down at them while Jonouchi encourages him never to give up, because that's not what a true duelist does. Yami's a bit too distracted to really be paying attention, because he's in disbelief over something that he just didn't see before. Or maybe it's the weird wisps of smoke issuing from the cards in his hand for some reason. 

Those dragons are still charging their dragon lasers, by the way, and Kaiba yells at Yami that it's hopeless, trying to get him to just go quietly into that good night, led by the column of light burst stream from all three of his Blue Eyes. He must have noticed that Yami was starting to look a little lively again, because he looks pretty surprised in the next panel. 

Make that "utterly flabbergasted". And the both of us. 

What's even MORE surprising? Yami has an explanation that MAKES SENSE. He reminds Kaiba that NO dragon can resist the call of the dragon flute, not just Kaiba's dragons specifically, so the dragon(s) in Yami's hand were brought out too. With a triumphant fist curled out in front of him, Yami announces the Red-Eyes Black Dragon as the soul card Jonouchi gave him. Kaiba hangs his head and growls over not realizing that this card was still with Yami after Yuugi used it in the duel against Jonouchi on the docks. Did... did Kaiba just imply that he should have remembered that little detail? 

I'm just FLOORED.

Kaiba does something a bit more predictable when he thrusts out a hand and says he'll destroy Jonouchi's spirit along with Yami then. There was probably a part of him just looking for an excuse. At long last, all three of his crooners fire their burst stream tunes at Yami, who glares and grits his teeth, presumably bracing himself. Kaiba declares the first target to be the Dark Magician, like the shots haven't already been fired. Odd that they seem to pause for him to vomit nonsense about their order and trajectory. And for Yami to consider the fact that using Magic Formula will just tie the points of Dark Magician with Blue Eyes White Dragon and they'll both get destroyed. 

So he goes with another face down card instead.

As the Burst Stream takes its sweet time heading for the Dark Magician and its mystery cylinders, Yami explains that they can only be used by a spell-caster, and allows him to redirect the incoming attack to one of Kaiba's monsters. The blast goes in one cylinder, and at the direction of the grimacing Dark Magician with his staff, shoots back out of the other aimed at the enemy, as Yami commands. It's headed straight for a Blue Eyes, probz Sinatra, but Kaiba looks rather relaxed about it, thinking that this is a nice try, but that won't work on his dragon. 

But Yami chuckles that he knows what Kaiba is thinking; he's convinced that as long as the dragon lord is out and about, his dragons are immune to magical attacks. While Kaiba gives him a whithering glare, at least judging by what I can see of the extreme close-up on one of his eyes, Yami points and vows to take care of this little problem. The rebound shot actually lands right in Lord of D.'s chest, Yami crowing that this is a direct hit on his target like he's playing Battleship or something. The Lord of Dragons is incinerated with virtual fire.

Hunching and groaning, Kaiba looks pretty pissed. He recovers quickly, though, yelling that it's no matter, because he's still got two other dragons that can blast Yami good. Their attacks are still streaming from their yawning jaws, and I feel kind of bad for them. That must be exhausting. One of those blasts heads toward Red-Eyes per Kaiba's instructions, and the comic emphasizes the 600-point disadvantage it has. But Yami is pretty convinced that Jonouchi's spirit can't be broken. Maybe because Yami can immediately claim that Kaiba has fallen into his trap when he waves an arm and reveals Spellbinding Circle. 

The alchemical seal forms around the offending Blue Eyes White Dragon, because now that the dragon lord is gone, it can be trapped, as Yami explains. Its now unable to attack, and its points go down by 700 to boot. This prompts another growl of frustration from Kaiba, of course. That frustration is likely greatly increased by the fact that we just skip over his last dragon poised to attack - Yami just commands his Red-Eyes to attack without letting the third Blue Eyes to do its thing. Is this a side-effect of Spellbinding Circle that isn't listed on the card or something? Or does it affect both remaining dragons on the... no, no Yami just said that it was just the one dragon. Well, poop. 

We'll ignore that for the moment, because a panel of the real Jonouchi slouching off of Honda's side is immediately followed by the Red-Eyes practically unhinging its jaw like a snake to grow a massive fireball in its mouth. 

Hunched, Kaiba cringes behind a raised arm as his dragon is immolated beside him. He grumbles in disbelief that Michael Buble lost to a mere ghost. Meanwhile, Yami thanks Jonouchi's spirit still hanging out in the background, for giving him strength in that moment of self-doubt. Spirit!Jonouchi smiles at him, encourages Yami to go get 'im, and turns to disappear into the black background. Yami promises that he'll do just that with a determined expression. 

HE'S ALIVE!! Time to bust out the champagne! 

More reason to celebrate: turns out the third Blue Eyes White Dragon wasn't forgotten after all. Kaiba narrates its long-overdue attack, and the explosive effect it has on Beta the Magnet Warrior. He wears a satisfied smirk, even though he has to admit that Red-Eyes showing up kind of interferes with his plan. But he's confident it won't stop him from winning, since it's an unshakeable law... somehow. No one tell this spaz-boy that his unshakeable law has already been violated several times over by this point. 

Yami notes that there are still two more Blue Eyes White Dragons roaring at him, but he also seems pretty determined now.

Get it, son!

So, what did I think of this chapter overall? The best in a long time, I feel. Perhaps even the best ever so far. The action is paced really well, and I think there's a good balance of dialog to stuff that's actually happening. There's phenomenal emotional payoffs, because Jonouchi's presence being there to encourage Yami is so very EARNED. Because Yami is genuinely struggling to find a way to defeat Kaiba and it's not just a fake-out to make him seem impossibly and cheaply clever, Jonouchi's unsinkable spirit was really needed in that moment. And it certainly delivered - Jonouchi's advice here is so reminiscent of Yami's to him at so many points before this. It feels like we've come full circle, and Jonouchi is finally able to reciprocate the same kind of strength and support Yami has offered him before. Him waking up right after this drives home that he was literally there with Yami in spirit, and maybe that was the best place for him to be, fighting right up there beside him. Shame he didn't get to rest a little, since that duel with other!Marik was a doozy.

My only criticism for this chapter is just the weird interjected attack by Red-Eyes after the Spellbinding Circle is used. I don't know if I'm forgetting a prior instance or rule which allows an attack right after the card is played, or if this was just a weird inconsistency, but it threw me for a loop. I make fun of the constant reminders of what cards do in this story, but in this case, I would have appreciated it, because sometimes when a card is a little more complicated in its effects, I get a bit confused about what is happening.

Otherwise, this chapter is GREAT, it's pretty much everything that I want and expect from Yu-Gi-Oh, all the way down. And the best part of it is how straightforward all of it is. I'm really surprised that a chapter I'm rapidly coming to consider one of the best there is requires so little analysis from me. 

*Shrug* Oh well.