Utena-Yuugiou Analysis
Revolutionary Girl Utena can be compared with much of anything. It can be a daily metaphor for life, it can be an interpretation for a novel or situation, it can even be closely compared with another anime.
Two very prominent roles in both Yuugiou and Utena are the duels, the plainest and obvious similarity between the two shows ( Read more... )
In particular, Anzu does not declare that even though she is crying, she's never felt stronger, but rather, "Even if Yuugi can't rely on his own self-confidence in the end, I will keep supporting him with all my might. I will do whatever it takes to get Yuugi into that castle!" This sentance could be considered as foreshadowing for during the Yuugi vs. Pegasus Duel, when Yugi is overwhelmed by the game of darkness. While Jonouchi and Honda can be seen guarding Yuugi against Pegasus, Anzu is holding him up, helping him to recover from the trials that he has just gone through. However, it is the next line that is most significant to me.
"Even if nothing comes of it, I'll protect Yuugi until the end! That's what friends are! That's what friends do!"
As you have noted, Yugi does not offer her any praise through out her duel. This line, in contrast to the dub version, tells us that she isn't concerned with being praised or rewarded for her actions on behalf of Yuugi, but rather, she is doing this because she is his friend. Here, she is resuming the role she once played in his life as protector and guardian, before Yami no Yuugi showed up and started doing it for her, and this, along with the the events of the earlier duel between Yuugi and Kaiba, establish for Anzu that as much as she may admire the other Yuugi's fierce and determined eyes, she still values the gentle and kind look in the regular Yuugi's eyes.
As a fellow Peachshipper, I hope that I've managed to say something worthwhile here.
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I fangirled at reading your comment, because you pointed out symbolism behind Anzu in Duelist Kingdom. This may even counter the view of Anzu being a "mere spectator" in the duels. Whether or not she considers Yuugi as a friend or something more, she was the one who carried him in Pegasus's duel -- not Joey nor Yami, but her. And she was the one who got the starchips back, while Yami was hiding and Joey was being too macho to really do something. She was able to swallow her pride in that duel -- for Yuugi -- when no one else did (especially with her expecting nothing in return), and that was what made her nobility in that duel so sweet. What's more, she was sincere.
The reason the whole idea of Anzu and Yami together irks me a little is because Anzu doesn't show any of these strengths when paired with him. (Though, my only source for this is the manga, and not just in season 0.) I consider Anzu as a duelist, and I don't want her to lose her firey personality because she gets a boyfriend! (And Anthy agrees! "x3)
I completely forgot about Pegasus's duel, and thought the whole thing where Yuugi's friends appear just symbolized Unity. Now I think Anzu was really acting like Utena in those last Duelist Kingdom episodes. I love how she said, "That's what friends do!" because it proves that she isn't with Yuugi out of pity, nor because he's a love-interest, nor because he's someone to be saved; but because she truly cares for him -- like Utena did Anthy.
Thanks for adding onto this! This calls for Revolution (in Anzu's case, DDR)!
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Not to mention the end of the Yugi vs. Kaiba duel, where Anzu rises up to defend Yugi against Kaiba declaring him a coward. Anzu may not be a grandmaster at cardgames, but she doesn't have to be in order for her to do what she can for her friends, and for Yuugi.
While early on in the manga I can definitely agree that Anzu does weaken herself to draw out Yami no Yuugi, moreover because in the beginning that was the only way she knew how to bring him out, an important development comes along in the "date" between Anzu and Yami no Yuugi. At the end of the day, the two of them are at the pier, and Yami no Yuugi talks about how he can find out who he is and where he is supposed to go, but, and this is the important part.
"But if... if I DON'T go looking for it, then things can stay the way they are now. Just like this." Anzu asks him if he's really all right with that, and while he thinks to himself that he does want to know who he is and where he belongs, he then says
"But if I stay where I am, I can stay inside my partner's heart forever... because that's what he wants too." The whole theme of this chapter is about how frightening the future can be, and how all three of them, Yugi, Yami no Yuugi, and Anzu all want things to stay the way they are. This brings huge power behind Anzu's thoughts and words that come in response to what she'd just heard.
"He's... he's being considerate of the other Yuugi... and so am I." and then she says out loud. "Even if you are two hearts in the same body, It's your own heart you'll face! So stay honest to your heart!" Even though all three of them would like for things to stay the same, Anzu knows that they can't, and that this is least fair to Yuugi. Even though she knows that in saying this she has started the down the road to saying goodbye to Yami no Yuugi, she does so anyway, and focuses on the limited time that she has left with him. To me, it is this complexity to the dynamic between all three of them that makes it so much more fascinating then the simplistic "Yuugi likes Anzu, Anzu likes Yami no Yuugi, Yami no Yuugi likes Yugi" presentation that some people potray it as.
That went on a bit long I think, but I just have a few more words to put in; One, it sounds like I really need to watch Revolutionary Girl Utena. Two, never underestimate a girl who can get a perfect score on a DDR machine while wearing platform shoes. and third, I've been working on a Yugi/Anzu fic, and am wondering if you'd be interested in reading it.
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Ah yes, that's why I like Anzu, too! I'm always scared of fans hating me for picking on her weaknesses more than her strengths, but it's what draws me to her. She's so gailiant and charming, but her flaws are too juicy to not talk about.
At one point, I thought that Anzu had no development throughout the entire series, since all she did was long for Yami and forbode his leaving; but I think that scene with them at the pier proves me wrong. The fact that she's (and this goes for yuugi too) is willing to let Yami go without feeling resentment means that she's grown from being irritatingly "lovesick," to genuinely and unselfishly caring for Yami -- as a true friend would. Another point for Unity.
What struck me a bit was the part Anzu spoke of Yami facing "his own heart," which was really romantic (in the sense of seeking individuality, not the lovey-dovey romance). Do you think that implies all of the characters, implying what they will all have to do before Yami leaves?
Actually, I want some time to think about this, because you've made me see Anzu's character in a whole new light now. "xD She's truly a blooming duelist, and she's starting to remind me more of Utena...or even Sakura from Naruto.
Oh yes, I'd love to read some good Peachshipping! =3
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As regards seeing Anzu in a new light, I'm glad we were able to help each other in this way.
As for the peachshipping fic, I'm going to polish it off and post it on my deviantart account. look for me under cypsiman2.
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Yeah, I always had on-and-off feelings about Anzu. She's a very realistic character, in the sense of her strengths and weaknesses. I think you pointed out the many points that make her strong and intelligent -- her sincerity and nobility. I haven't really paid much attention to her role as guardian before, and always thought she was just used as a foreshadowing.
Since I've got to sign off at the moment, I'll be looking for that fanfic later. And now I feel as if I want to write an Anzu-centric myself (or maybe one of Bakura, since he's that cool "x3)
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"The human mind is even more fragile than the body. People are influenced by what they see and read. Out of that, people can create an entire split personality. Others even think they hear God."
This establishes the meta-narrative seeds for the existence of Dark Malik, but what of the narrative cause of his existence? We first learn of how Malik and Rishid gained their scars during the Jounouchi vs. Rishid duel, in which Malik asked Rishid to go throught the ritual for him, saying that this way Rishid will really be part of the family. When Malik's father refuses and performs the ritual on Malik anyway, the child is understandably enraged, experiencing intense pain both physical and mental. He makes his way to Rishid and asks him who he is to hate for this, who shall he inflict this pain on, and Rishid reveals that he has done the same to himself. Malik laughs, declaring this to be appropriate, since Rishid had always been his shadow, even before he was born.
With this, we now know the crucial elements of the Malik Rishid dynamic, which are essential to understand the murder of Malik's father. Isis sneaks Malik to the surface so that he can see the world that his heritage has denied him, and while there, they encounter Shadi, who tells them that tragedy and bloodshed shall visit their family by the will of the pharaoh. When they return underground, they discover that Malik's father had already realized the truth and had brutally beaten Rishid with a burning brand. When it appears that Rishid has died, the weight of everything comes crashing down on Malik.
Malik had just been in the light, had imagined himself riding free on a motorcycle that he'd seen in a magazine, and now finds himself thrust deeper into the darkness of his family. Further, he sees his "shadow" murdered for what he himself had done. All the pain that he'd felt when he first went through the ritual comes rushing back, only this time there is no one to share his pain with him. Now his desire to see someone hurt the way he is unchecked, and his darkness takes over completely, seizing the nearby Millennium Rod to exact retribution against his father.
While things would have certainly gone better if there wasn't a nearby evil artifact for him to use, there's nothing to suggest that the rod and the torc had ever exerted an influence on him. I hope that this expresses my understanding of the situation properly, and if it hadn't, please let me know.
Moving onto Anzu, her role as guardian for Yugi is mostly inferential, seeing as by the end of the first chapter yami no Yuugi shows up to protect him as well, but it ties into my personal fanon as to why Anzu became Yuugi's friend in the first place. Recall the nightime scene in Duelist Kingdom, when she talks about how Yuugi had not only given her his game, but even after she broke it, he just came back with a new one for her to play with. In my mind, Anzu realized just how much of a doormat he was, how easily someone could walk over him without even realizing it, and so she decided that she could be special in her own way by protecting him.
This, incidentally, is the sort of thing I tried to explore in my fanfic. The title for the fic is "Dancing Shoes". I'd definetely be interested in seeing a good Bakura fic, especially one that involves regular Bakura's interest in the Occult.
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I think someone once said that just as Yami and Bakura were Yuugi and Ryou's "shadow/darkness," Rishid was also Malik's. It's because of what Rishid did to himself to make Malik "happy" (for lack of a better word x3). That concept had something to do with why Dark Malik wanted to kill Rishid so badly, I think. Again, the English version doesn't elaborate, and even the Japanese version confused me. All I know is that Rishid and Malik were somehow so closely bonded that Dark Malik had to kill Rishid in order to keep control of Malik's body.
And actually, your description of Malik's childhood helped me understand, somewhat. I think the tatoo Malik's father put on him wasn't just to show the viewers "Ah, this hurt, so now Malik hates his dad," but it had actual magic. Rishid's tatoo, though, didn't have any real significance to the pharaoh, but it was important to Malik. In YGO, it's sometimes implied that believing in something can be a strong form of magic on its own. The tatoo on Rishid's face was so important that it formed a bond between he and Malik that Dark Malik couldn't break.
I still think that Rod had something to do with it, though! "xD The origin of the Items, after all, was not pretty. I think some of that darkness Yami's father's brother's (or Priest Seto's dad, because I can't spell those long Egyptian names for crap...) accidentally put in there caused a few people to go a bit cooky. The guilt Seto's father felt was a "negative" feeling, so the darkness consumed him. This is the same for Zorkura (I will be calling him that from now because it sounds cool) and Malik. They felt hate, so the Items were triggered into giving them the power associated with hate (that doesn't exactly explain how Malik's power turned out to be an evil split-personality, but it's a start); while Yuugi/Yami and Isis felt love or compassion, so the Items gave them power that was somehow related to that (Puzzle = Unity).
There is a chance that Anzu just became friends with Yuugi out of pity, but your referance to her saying, "That's what friends do!" kind of stomped that idea. Anzu isn't the type to strongly express things that she doesn't mean, and she expresses her sincerity as best she could.
I just read your fic, which brought up a few ideas on Anzu that I've forgotten about. The idea where she doesn't know exactly what her motives are for meeting and even staying with Yuugi are really cool. She probably did stay with Yuugi to feel that she's special. Like you said before, she admires Yami's confidence and charisma, but she also treasures Yuugi's kindness and gentleness. I'd like to think that she didn't stay with Yuugi for all those years because she wanted to toughen him up, but because she really liked him. Actually, I tried to make a fanfic expressing that once, but it didn't turn out great so I dotched it. This is making me want to try it again, though.
That was a very cute story, though. I like the subtle meanings of birthdays being meant for the individual, and even when Anzu experiments with the tiny miniature dolls. It's one of those Peachshipping fics that express a bit of what Peachshipping is really made of.
I'm very scared of Zorkura's mind. I have no idea what I'd write about him if I could...and there are no hearts or puppies. It's like going into Anthy's witch-side without the subtlness. *gulp*
Talking about Yuugiou characters is fun. :D I'm glad you've helped with this!
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Re: Anzu and the fanfic. To clarify, I'd never say that Anzu had stayed friends with Yugi for all those years out of pity, but all the same, given what she first saw of him, that was probably what she first felt. Of course, with the passage of time, a real and true friendship emerged. Incidentally, how well do you think I handled the references to continuity I sprinkled throughout? Did they come off naturally, or did I try too hard? And what did you think of the game Yami no Yuugi set up at the end?
Re: Zorkura. Actually, I was referring to the modern Bakura, possibly before he got possessed by the ring. And yes, it's lots of fun talking about Yuugiou characters.
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I always thought that the reason for Dark Malik's appearance was so vague was because the writer's screwed up. Then again, they may just be teasing us. It's a shame, though, they didn't give Malik a role as main character after Battle City. He and Zorkura were somewhat amusing during their duel against Dark Malik.
When I first heard the story of Anzu, Yuugi, and the Gameboy, my first impression was the thought of me as an eight-year old breaking someone else's toy, and the guilt I'd feel. It may be even that, if Yuugi asked Anzu if she wanted to be his friend, she did so because she felt she owed him. Of course, we'll never know, but their feelings did grow deep since they've met is what's for sure.
Actually, I think the fic was handled well, and Yami's game at the end was cute and not cheesey. And references to continuity were somewhat bittersweet, especially with Anzu going down memory-lane. It was very natural and subtle. I really liked the idea of Anzu handling herself on her own, even if it was the most obvious. I'd hand it to her for facing her own heart, as she put it to Yami, and asking what her motives were for continuing with Yuugi in the first place. I for one am sometimes selfish when it comes to my friends, so Anzu gets my kudos.
Well, Bakura is much less frightening, but much more angsty, especially right after he obtains the Ring. He must have felt so much hate to carry Yami's father around the palace like that. And since he didn't mind the smell of a corpse before he turned into Zorkura, it's not surprising that he relates himself to a ghost later on (assuming he's still within Zorkura).
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I liked those episodes, and those are the exact episodes I think of when I say that Anzu really does have a firey, passionate spirit in her. In the duel, she took out pyro cards, spellcaster cards, card of all types. This is contrasting to her duel in Duelist Kingdom because the cards don't look as if they were picked because they "looked cute," but because of their actual strength. Maybe it means she doesn't judge things at first glance anymore, like she did with Joey and Yuugi.
I'm not sure what else this contrast would say about her, other than her growth. She also shows strength as a duelist when she continues to fight even when she's about to be turned into ice (That she will be trapped in the World forever is motivation, of course, but she was stronger in the sense that she didn't break down and cry like in DK).
Though, the parts where Yuugi is trying to reach out for her; and that she gets her strength from memories of him where he's not even teaching her how to duel, but merely having a playful discussion about cards, could support the idea of them being unspokenly close. Somehow, their longing to be with one another again at the moment when they couldn't reach each other was able to activate the Dark Magician to join in her duel. Or, at least, that's what the English version made it look like. @_@ I actually only watched the Doma saga in subtitles since it's my favorite. "x3
But it might not completely hint to Peachshipping more than it does to Revolutionshipping. After all, didn't Yuugi compare the Black Magician to Yami more than himself? Though MahaVailo (which is female, by the way, which really brings out Yuugi's awareness at his own femine-like gentlness) meant a lot to her since it reminded her of Yuugi, maybe the appearance of the Black Magician meant that, in the end, she'd always be longing for Yami. What'dya think? *blink*
Also something I noticed... When Anzu wakes up at the end of the duel, she sees Yuugi smiling down at her before hugging him. It reminded me of the episode in the Memory Arc, when Yami/Atemu was fighting against Thief Bakura. Yami awoke (both he and Anzu fainted from exhaustion!) to find Yuugi smiling down at him, and then they held hands.
I always found that those two scenes were so similar. It could be coincidence from the animators, but who knows? It could be exclaiming that Yuugi isn't just a character to be thrown away in the AnzuYamiYuugi complex. Yuugi supports them both as much as they support him. He is not too childish or small to be really loved or pushed aside. He is treasured by both Yami and Anzu, closely bonded to them, that maybe they all love each other in an equal and fierce way.
Actually, I might post these scenes up on playthedamncard to see what other people think, because I've always thought they were so similar. Ohhhh, creeeeppyyyy~.
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To me, the theme of this duel is held in Crumpet's declaration that since Anzu failed to include the Dark Magician in her deck, the Dark Magician Girl is little more then a pretty doll. This is to say, he is declaring that Anzu is helpless and alone. This is of course manifestly untrue in both parts. Anzu was of course not helpless, even if things did look bad at times, but more importantly, she was never really alone. Yugi is himself struggling to make his way through the maze in order to be there for her before it's too late and even though it appears that both their efforts are for naught, Anzu is able to draw out the Dark Magician from his deck and win the duel.
Additionally, there was something about how attentive and focused Anzu is when Yugi explains Maha Vailo's special ability that is just freaking addorable. Also, there were at least two major changes from the original to the dub version of the duel. One, the dub tries to potray Anzu as being grossly incompetant at the game, and this is just insulting. Yes, Anzu is not on the level of Yugi and Kaiba, but who is? And second, there is a scene just after Anzu has summoned Maha Vailo and powered her up when Yugi is rushing through a hallway and he hears Anzu calling out "Thank you, Yugi". In the dub, Yugi and Yami Yugi note that they must be getting closer, and Yugi thinks to himself about the importance of getting to her as quickly as possible. However, in the original version, Yami Yugi askes Yugi if something is wrong, and Yugi says no. He then thinks to himself (According to the admittedly poor quality subtitles)
"When she calls my name, I'll come up with... Actually, she's calling... I know very well what the answer is."
Even now, when Anzu is most definitely calling out for him, Yugi is unable to believe this, thinking that she must be calling out for the other Yugi. It is for this reason that it is so significant that it is the regular Yugi that she hugs, as opposed to Yami Yugi, and this is why I doubt that there is much of the way of Revoulutionshipping as expressed by Anzu longing for Yami Yugi, as all through out Anzu is thinking of the regular Yugi.
And speaking of characters as represented by their cards Maha Vailo ended up with an attack power of 2550, just a little higher then Dark Magician's 2500. Not only that, while Anzu is represented by the Dark Magician Girl, she previously identified herself with the Magician of Faith, back when Yugi identified himself with the Dark Magician. An interesting commentary about the way their characters have developed since then, perhaps?
Although I feel like I'm missing something, these are my thoughts. Have at them.
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"When she calls my name... I'll come up with--" Oh, you're right about those subtitles. I have DVDs where they call Anzu "Kyoko" and who the hell is Kyoko! x3
While Anzu's attraction to Yami is usually considered as longing, her relationship with Yuugi is the one that can truly be seen as love in the reader's eye (or, at least, in my eye). Like all of my liked-couples, Anzu and Yuugi are equals, and they support each other in being better people. These episodes were examples of that, and maybe Anzu's powering up MahaVailo(Yuugi) to be stronger than that of Black Magician(Yami) symbolized her support for Yuugi.
Then again, their positions with their cards are confusing. Black Magician can either be seen as Yami, Yuugi, or both. The Magician of Faith has turned into the BMGirl... I may be trying to over-analyze things (again! xD), but wasn't there a scene where Anzu dreams of her dancing as the BMGirl and Yami and Yuugi watching? Maybe she wanted to be stronger for them -- because she wants to support Yuugi and because she looks up to Yami. That's why she's matured somewhat, her motivation.
I feel like I'm missing something, too. For some reason, these episodes center more on Anzu and Yuugi than with Yami -- which is unusual and may very well lean toward Peachshipping in all its sincerity. I want to rewatch them, because they might have more to do with Yuugi's character than/if not as much as Anzu's. And I do like observing him! >:D
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As for why the DVDs sometimes render Anzu as Kyoko, as I understand it, the Kanji for Anzu can also be read as Kyoko, and Mr. Takahashi has at times had to make it clear which way her name was to be read. Also, in the episode immediately following Anzu's duel, Yugi gives her his coat to keep her warm, and he ends up wrapping his arms around himself and hopping in place to keep himself warm. Just a cute little bit of self sacrifice that we've come to expect from Yuugi.
As far as Anzu's relationship with Yugi being seen as love, I'm going to go to the Manga for my favorite example. It's the first night of the Duelist Kingdom, and Mai has set up Anzu and Yugi to have some alone time that night. Anzu reminisces about the first time that she and Yuugi had met, and as she speaks, the backdrop focuses on the sky, first the stars, and then the clouds. Yugi is looking down and away, and tells Anzu that he'll go away so that she can talk to the other him, since that's what she really wants. When she hears this, Anzu gets a shocked look on her face, and as she watches him call out to his other self, she is clearly very concerned, and so she grabs him, telling him that he doesn't have to call out to his other self, he's still him. Yugi is in turn shocked, and Anzu says the following,
"Of course, at first I, but never mind. It doesn't matter which side you are! It doesn't matter if your voice is deeper! It's all you, Yugi! You're just fine the way you are."
And at this point I would like to direct your attention to the way the panels are set up here. The scene is drawn in a sort of concave manner, everything curving around Yugi and Anzu. It is a full moon, and just below the moon is a thin white line streaking across the sky, possibly a shooting star. Looking just below Yugi and Anzu, we can see a close up of her hand resting on his, and we can see that she's laced her thumb under his. To the left of this, we can see a sub-panel of Yugi, who is very clearly blushing, with a thought bubble reading "Anzu...". To the right is a sub-panel with Anzu in it, and though not as much as Yugi, she is also blushing, and in both panels we can see Shojo bubbles, a classic manga graphic for love. Then Mai screams and then they have to deal with the Player Killer of Darkness so that whole moment is gone, but not forgotten.
That may have gone on a bit long, but I just love how that quick little scene is set up, how meticulously it's worked out to present this wonderful little moment in time. Is it any wonder that I reference it in my fanfic? And now the message is running too long to fit in one post, so the rest is in the next post.
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Incidentally, although I can't find it, I remember finding a livejournal entry discussing how the Yu-Gi-Oh! Manga was being re-released not only with new cover art, but each volume came with a Yu-Gi-Oh themed Tarot card, and with the sixth volume came "The Lovers" and who should appear there but Yuugi and Anzu! While the focus is definitely more friendship then love, I'd say from this that reading love into the Yuugi/Anzu dynamic is not unwarrented.
As for the dream where Anzu is dancing as the Dark Magician Girl, that's another cute scene. The dream starts off back in school with Anzu wanting to see Yuugi's Dark Magician Girl card, and him realizing that she wants to see it because of the play that she saw as a child when she was in New York. During the dream, the Dark Magician Girl chooses her to enter the stage and then we see both Yuugis in the audience, with Yuugi having a very bright and open smile on his face, while Yami Yuugi is much more reserved but still smiling, and Anzu calls out to Yuugi, without ever specifying which one, setting the stage for the duel later that episode.
But yes, analyzing the meaning behind the cards chosen to symbolize the characters is tricky, seeing as no one card can encompass a character in their entirety, but it is definitely something worthwhile for this discussion. One point to consider is that Dark Magician, Dark Magician Girl, Maha Vailo, and Magician of Faith are all spellcasters, in contrast with, say, the Flame Swordsman or the Cyber Commando. Possibly a statement about how both Yuugis and Anzu approach their problems as compared to everyone else in the group, or maybe I really am overanalyzing at this point.
As far as these epsisodes centering on Anzu and Yuugi more than Yami goes, I feel that much of the whole of Noa's arc was put together to cover ground that was skipped in the Duel Monsters Anime as compared to the manga, especially as far as the Kaiba Brothers back story goes, but in other ways too. And I most certainly approve of a fangirl fangirlishly observing Yuugi. If you like, I can provide with a link to where you can download all the episodes subtittled, as well as a site comparing the original episodes to the dub episodes. Unless of course you already have such links, in which case you don't need me to do so.
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