Predictions and Observations:
Obelisk White?

D’ya think Crowler, Bonaparte, or any of the teachers will notice that one third of their academy has just formed into a bizarre cult? Probably not.

However, Jaden and company might notice now that Chazz didn’t just spontaneously lose his mind. Perhaps they’ll try and find more out about who Sartorius is exactly.

I noticed that the symbol for the Society as a whole seems to be the Wheel of Fate. Kinda fitting.

In some ways, Lex hit the mark right there in saying that Chazz used to think for himself and no longer does. Following the events of the School Duel, Chazz was very independent, never said or did anything that he didn’t agree with, because you see how well that idea worked out with his brothers. I’m reminded of when, back in the Predictions for I’ve Seen the Light, I argued against Sartorius’ assertion that Chazz fears failure; he didn’t, he feared dependence, even to the conflict of needing the people who care for you but never wanting to admit so because it would be admitting that you depend on them. Anyway, in a certain way, Chazz has lived up to being the Hanged Man (or Hangman, whichever) card, tallying with what Alexis said in this episode: the Hanged Man, in Tarot, is a guy who passively hangs from a tree or something by a foot, not really much minding or caring about this position, just hanging there and letting it happen.
However, many of the things Chazz has done since joining the Society have not been even resembling the surrounding sentiment: there was his protest about the slop Slifers get fed for lunch (Curry Worries) for one, and there was his rather heartless putdowns in No Pain No Game regarding Zane (“Hey, guess what, Syrus, now there’s someone out there who’s even lamer than *you* are!”). These didn’t strike me as conformist one bit; in fact they were entirely radical, and you can’t say that, well, Lightheadedness wasn’t the overall mood either until he stepped in. That tallies; he gets brainwashed by the bad guys, does their bidding, par for the course. However, I doubt Sartorius cares one bit about the Slifer Dorm’s menu. So hence, what gives?

With Atticus, you know it has to be a bit bizarre as a prerequisite, but I think I got his analogy to a song: Chazz showed them his hand, taught them the song as it were, and then kept mixing it up. The key to his strategy was that they thought they knew what was coming and planned for it, and then Chazz did something else. I think what Atticus meant to say was, “so we can sing along, right when he changes the tune!”

Sure Atticus’ song wasn’t terrifically brilliant, but the action of getting up and singing it was; he just stood up in front of a stadium about half full of people and sang, just for her, not really much caring if it was good or bad. That takes serious guts, and that, if nothing else, is a reason why Atticus’ cheer was the loudest of all.

Add that song to the list of known Yu-Gi-Oh! songs, right between No Matter What and the Victory Can-can (“can can, kick a little can can, tell me who’s the man man…”)!

Did anyone else notice that Chazz’s recruits from just the Obelisk guys’ dorm alone took up about a quarter of the stadium? I suppose since most upperclassmen at the best duel school on earth get pretty good grades, and there are generally more male duelists than female, it would be Duel Academy’s largest dorm, but I was a bit impressed that such a large percentage of the school was in one dorm.

How was Chazz able to predict Alexis’ moves? So a Light-head gets Sartorius’ same power? Okay. It seemed somehow very significant that Chazz leveled the playing field, as it were, by showing Alexis his own cards when he could already see all of her moves coming. Is it possible that that relates to Sartorius’ playing his hand facedown so he couldn’t see it? Perhaps the more powerful a Light-head is, the more they’re inclined to handicap themselves because to them it hardly matters. Could that be what Sartorius meant when he said that he “never resorts to trickery” in I’ve Seen the Light? He can foresee Chazz’s moves and predict what he himself will draw, therefore to make the game level the power only allows him to play them facedown? Since Chazz can predict all of Lex’s cards, he is required by the magic that lets him do so to show his own hand to all?

Not an Ojama in sight (didn’t really think so), but I think this is the first time we’ve seen more than one of Chazz’s Armed Dragons out on the field at once. And of course it’s entirely symbolic that he changed it and turned it white in the end…

It seems that in converting Chazz, Sartorius planted the seed of the Society at Duel Academy. It is therefore understandable why he would choose Chazz, who is already well-respected and well-known by his peers, a powerful duelist and a strong soul, and who would be especially inclined subliminally, after being laughed out of his old Dorm, to form a posse once more that obeyed his every whim. Therefore, considering Chazz’s personality at least is ideal for the conquest of Duel Academy’s dorms one by one, why was -is- Jaden Sartorius’ first choice? It no doubt has to do with duel spirits (wonder if Chumley’s gotten into any strange duels recently?), and of course Jaden’s your man for that, so much so that good luck ever getting him for the bad guys! So what is the part of Sartorius’ scheme that involves duel spirits? We’re still just dying to know!

Upright: Accomplishment, confidence, wealth, stability, leadership, father/brother/husband, achievement, a capable person
Reverse: Immaturity, indecision, feebleness, petty emotions, lack of strength

So wouldn’t it have been in reverse, unless it was representing, rather, that there was someone far more fit *than* Aster to take over, rather than just, “Aster’s useless, time to switch him out”?

Upright - Competitiveness, forcefulness in development and execution. Authority, structure, governmental and corporate identities. Worldly power, self control gained through experience. Ability to shoulder responsibility. Powerful individuals, ambition together with the possibility of long term achievement.

Ill Dignified or Reversed - Loss or dislike of authority, corporate governmental or parental. Immaturity and indecision. Weakness, manipulative friends or colleagues.

Yup, I’m pretty much getting “powerful” and “take-charge” and stuff. So maybe it’s not that Aster’s weak, it’s that he’s strong; Jaden has awoken doubts within him about his convictions with regard to destiny and what the whole point of dueling is, and Aster’s begun to seriously question whether he’s getting played. It would take some smooth talking to get Aster to trust him again, making Aster not the most convenient or best of pawns anymore. I guess I can understand that.

I always find the days that precede each episode oddly metaphorical to it. Today was my first day of rehearsals for my new show, and my director read us an inspirational quote. It said, essentially, that true creativity is the courage to venture into the darkness, the unknown. Anyone can search the light for answers, for what life is about, but it’s like a myth this quote mentioned: someone lost his keys, and was searching out on the sidewalk or somewhere, and another guy came along and asked what he was doing. “I’m searching for my keys,” the first guy naturally responded. The second tries to help, asks where he lost them. The first guy replies, “in my house.” Then why are you searching out here, the second guy asks, perplexed. The first responds that it’s too dark to see in there. Needless to say, the first guy’s never going to find his keys looking where they aren’t. Similarly, anyone who’s unwilling to be creative, to venture into the darkness as it were, will discover more of life. Since today’s episode was all about “basking in the light”, it seemed entirely fitting that I should hear this today. It tallies, too, with what Alexis said about Chazz having ceased to think for himself.

I had meant to post this sonnet yesterday, I finished it at long last yesterday morning, after having worked on it since A New Breed of Hero. I’m glad that I finished it now; it’s fitting, considering that the tension between Jaden and Aster there, the competition of heroes, has been resolved for the time being. And by finished, naturally, I mean I’ve got all the lines, not that they’re completely set in stone!
What makes a hero more than just a cape
Or costumes bright or masks to hide a face?
Is it one whom evil ne’er escapes
Or is it one whose mission has been aced?
Shall I say a hero’s simply one
Unusual whose quirks are put to good?
Or is a hero one who’s bravely won
A battle (just as every hero should)?
No. A hero true is one with hero’s soul
A selfless and forgiving heart of fire
A better world for all, his only goal
With heart alone the power to inspire
With soul alone to let another see
What his heart has lost, what it can be.

Tomorrow’s episode is DuelFellas, all one word. Good night! -Clio