Predictions and Observations:
Name of the Game

As you can see, we’ve got yet another ambiguous “The” on our hands. I suppose eventually it’ll sift out…

The Name of the Episode- I think it might be called (The) Name of the Game because, well, for one thing there’s both an ancient-style duel and the start of a modern-style one, so they’re two different games. Also, obviously, it’s because they found the Pharaoh’s name finally. Maybe it’s also because the two translations I’ve heard of for the name of the show as a whole are

The recap- finally we get it straight! Okay, so in the original battle five thousand years ago (which was actually right now but it isn’t because this is right now instead and therefore it never happened and… manifestations of Bakura, this gets frustrating!), Yami locked Zorc’s spirit away, along with his own, using his name as the key. Then to make sure that it couldn’t be unlocked, he erased his own mind.
But there’s a problem with that already- if he had meant it never to be unlocked, then he would have made it something obscure then erased his mind. Common sense dictates that he would probably stop at nothing to find out who he was and what he was, and a key part of that, so much so that people automatically respond to this one word, is knowing one’s own name! I’ve found that in any situation I know instantly when my name is said if it’s audible at all, it’s such a core part of me. Did he think, maybe, that he wouldn’t forget it, though he may forget everything else, because of that? No, for then he wouldn’t have bothered erasing his mind except…perhaps to throw Bakura off his trail, make Bakura think that he doesn’t know the password because he doesn’t know anything else. But that would make no sense either. He wouldn’t do that, because it would be even more dangerous because he wouldn’t know that that word was so dangerous, and would think nothing of telling someone his name, because he wouldn’t remember why it must be a secret. So maybe he intended himself to find it again when the time was right; that’s my theory anyway. He somehow knew to lay traps and clues that would let none but those who would help him (just about) pass, namely first Yugi’s grandpa and then Yugi himself. He would have known to do that because he already would have gone forward in time then back again, would already know Yugi, etc, and I’ll stop before I get into another endless circle of logic. Therefore, anyway, that’s my theory if it made any sense. It was a risky move, and still is, but I have a feeling that Yugi can take Bakura.

However, I realized something. “Five thousand years ago, I locked Zorc’s spirit away, along with my own, using my name as the key.” Does that mean that if the name is known, Yami’s spirit will be set free as well? Maybe that’s what was meant by hidden powers, when the spirit is no longer confined to the Puzzle. But what that’ll mean about after the battle is anyone’s guess. I admit I’ve been slightly spoiled, and slightly troubled by the snippets I’ve gotten.

“He who solves the Millennium Puzzle must return the wish he was granted. Only then is he able to pass.” Why was this a test set, and how did they pass it? To use a classic example, say some dipwad came along, somehow solved the Puzzle, and wished for a million dollars. Then, he would have to give it up, and place the million dollars on one half of the ‘scale’ and stand on the other. Then he would jump off and into the name room, or try and no doubt fail to retrieve his treasure and run for it, falling into the Pit of Shadows. So once you place your wish on the scale, there’s really no turning back, because no matter what you do, the object will fall into the Pit of Shadows. However, Yugi Moto is not, duh, your average dipwad, he rocks utterly. And moreover, I believe my theory on this ties in with my theory about Yami’s erasing his memory, because in the past when he designed this tomb (when? He became pharaoh what, a few weeks ago at most? And if he didn’t design this tomb, who did? Who would have known? What if, because it was already built in the ancient past, it’s there, but wait, it isn’t there because it hadn’t been built yet, and uggghhh!) he made it so none but the one destined to, who had both the daring and brains to find and read the hieroglyphics, find the hidden trapdoor, and navigate the maze, and the heart and soul to withstand the trial of the creatures of the stone. Then he made it so only one such as Yugi, in fact, possibly specifically Yugi, could pass the test of the scale, because hi wish was not for things, but for friends who will help him no matter what. No one person could have escaped this test unless they cared more for the name than for the one thing they wished for above all else. However, if one’s wish was people and not material things, then there was a chance. Specifically, Yugi’s wish was for true friends, and was most certainly granted, because he wouldn’t have made it without Joey and Tea there to help. True friends was the one best wish, I guess, to have made for that test, making the person who passes it worthy of finding the name and using it for good.

“It *says,* ‘bird, rock, lamb chop, bird, bird, and a bigger bird.’” A quote to remember for sure, because we’ll definitely need it later! Just for the sake of being silly, I looked up hieroglyphics online, and translated it as “ATEMV” or “ATEMW”. Then again, using the same translation, the inscription (painstakingly transcribed from Tomb of the Nameless Pharaoh by yours truly), “Beyond here, lies the tomb of the great Pharaoh. Only those who show respect, may enter. Others will be engulfed by the pit of shadows,” translates to, “XORYEORYCAXY/ Y(ns)AYNARV(poss F?)AR/ AONEAVYCY(E over I)OE/ OXACECYMONOXA/ MYNOCYECAYNYYO/ MYNYXVTAYHAX/ TAMACYYHAYAM/ YNYHOVRARE/YOV”. And add onto that that the X’s are interchangeable with K’s, each of the Y’s can be swapped out for 2 E’s, and the V’s and W’s look the same, and also that according to the same site, the ancient Egyptians didn’t actually use vowels, but spelled just the ‘skeleton of words with consonants only.’ Off to find another ridiculous translation. Okay, this one is even more complex (if that’s possible, and translates the cartouche as: ATIMOO, ETIMOO, OTIMOO, ATYMOO, ETYMOO, OTYMOO, ATHMOO, ETHMOO, OTHMOO, ATHYMOO, ETHYMOO, OTHYMOO, ATIMU, ETIMU, OTIMU, ATYMU, ETYMU, OTYMU, ATHMU, ETHMU, OTHMU, ATHYMU, ETHYMU, OTHYMU, ATIMW, ETIMW, OTIMW, ATYMW, ETYMW, OTYMW, ATHMW, ETHMW, OTHMW, ATHYMW, ETHYMW, or OTHYMW. Isn’t this fun? However, I noticed similarities between the first translator’s “ATEMW” and the second’s “ATIMW.” I can’t even pronounce that, but it seems to be a bit of a consensus. Lol. This is how you can tell it’s late at night…

The White Dragon

Was that It? The big flashback battle? Here’s why I think it must be:
it’s not all that likely Seto’ll turn evil *again* any time soon
the classic battle: Dark Magician vs. Blue-Eyes
Blue-Eyes’ tablet was right there, and in the duel both were from tablets, so it’s *half* right…
Here’s why I think it can’t possibly be:
that can’t have been all that happened to warrant flashbacks in both The Past is Prologue (“By all tradition, duel me, if you are not a coward!”) and also that major vision in Clash in the Coliseum (was it III or IV?)!
the sky was already shrouded in shadowy badness
Slifer and Obelisk were turned to stone in the distance, locked in combat
Everything was destroyed
In the Past is Prologue vision, there was this other guy who stepped up to face Seto (I now have no clue whatsoever about the reason this vision was the way it was)
In the Clash in the Coliseum vision, Yami was glowing red (as was Dark Magician) and Seto was glowing blue (as was Blue-Eyes)

That has to have been Kaiba’s vision in Spiritual Awakening, but…but…when in this scene did it occur? For one thing, Kaiba’s vision was set at night. Seto asked in the vision, “What has he done to you, Kisara? In the name of the Pharaoh, I will save thee!” That makes it likely that it was right after Kisara was Sealed, and before Akhnadon possessed Seto, because otherwise it wouldn’t have been a question of saving her; she, it seems to me, combined her spirit with that of Blue-Eyes and used it to revive Seto somehow.

Who Will Win? Yugi v. Bakura- are you kidding me? Yugi’s not going to be stopped from saving the world *this* easily! Heart goes to him easy, because Bakura’s heart is a bottomless Diabound-pit. Skill is anyone’s guess, but Yugi probably won’t be that far behind Bakura, if at all—he’s not co-King-of-Games for nothing! But man, we haven’t seen little Yugi duel solo in forever! This is gonna be good! As for Power, that easily goes to Bakura- he just conjured a duel disk out of midair, for cryin’ out loud! And finally, Plot is in Yugi’s favor easy, because you can bet that they’ll keep up the suspense long after the duel’s over. If they give us a glimmer of hope, it’ll be all that more devastating when it comes crumbling down—IF it does, that is, because they won’t let us know until the very end!

Who Will Win? Zorc vs. um…Everyone except Bakura—Well, anything could happen, but I have faith that our heroes will save the world one way or another. Can’t really be any more specific than that, because we don’t know anything about what we’re up against.

What did Yami Bakura mean “my other half?” How many halves does this guy *have?* Is this the same Bakura who was hangin’ out on a rooftop in Kal’elna not too long ago? Is it the Bakura that we always thought was a good guy trapped by an evil spirit? Was ‘good’ Bakura acting this whole time? What about Yami Bakura’s statement in Tomb of the Nameless Pharaoh, “Does the term Millennium Items sound familiar? Well you *promised* to help me obtain all seven!” Bakura *promised*? Why would he promise to help the evil spirit go after people and take their powerful magical items, including Bakura’s friend Yugi?

Where is Yugi going to get a duel disk? I have a feeling that when the duel starts next week, either Bakura will conjure one (like he did to get his own duel disk) or Yugi will be drawn with a duel disk as if he had had one the entire time.

Terminology- Maybe I should start numbering these silly Bakuras, because who knows which is which anymore?! There’s the evil spirit of the Millennium Ring, who was sealed in there five thousand years ago (come to think of it, wonder why? Bet it was because Yami sealed himself in the Millennium Puzzle and therefore Bakura planned to follow him back again), and is currently in the big table shadow game. Then there’s the Bakura that Yugi’s about to duel. Then there’s the Bakura who’s still back in Kal’elna, perhaps toying with Shimon, Shada, Isis, Mana, Mahad, and Hasan, or just waiting for the hourglass to run out. Then There’s the only non-evil Bakura, lying unconscious on the steps to the Tablet of Lost Memories (though I could have sworn that when Kaiba walked past him he was starting to come to). I *think* that’s all of them, though I wouldn’t be that surprised if I left one out.

Has there been even a single successful couple in Yu-Gi-Oh? Ever? Let’s see…Pegasus and Cecelia; don’t get me started about Joey and Mai; Isis and Mahad; Seto and Kisara; Valon and Mai; who knows about Yami and Tea; or Yugi and Tea for that matter??; Yugi and Rebecca; Tristan and Serenity; Duke and Serenity; Jaden and Alexis (no clue on that front…); Zane and Alexis???; Chazz and Alexis (REALLY not happenin’…); Syrus and Dark Magician Girl… A lot of the GX ones are still coming along, and so are the Yu-Gi-Oh! ones, but man, some really tragic stories in there: Fighting for a Friend, Mind Game, Makings of a Magician; now Name of the Game; Chazz-anova…

It’s been a while since Yugi’s wish was mentioned. At first I thought that to already know what he was about to say, I had somehow been spoiled without realizing it. However, in Journey to the Duelist Kingdom, Yugi mentions to Joey that when he put the Millennium Puzzle together, he wished for true friends; and it came true, but it didn’t seem like it at first! In fact, I’ve given this a lot of thought. Not only did Yugi have his wish granted with Joey, Tristan, and Tea, but also with Yami and Kaiba. Yes, Kaiba! I’ll refrain from rambling. Not only that, but the Millennium Puzzle played quite a hand in bringing these friends to him. When he was putting it together, Joey was teasing Yugi one day and threw a piece of it out the window. Even then, when Joey and Tristan were about to get beaten up, Yugi stood up for them. This so touched Joey that he retrieved the puzzle piece (which, I’d imagine, was no easy task) and gave it back to Yugi. From then on, they were friends. Therefore, the Millennium Puzzle, in part, brought Yugi, Joey, and Tristan (but mostly Yugi and Joey) together. Most obviously, next, when Yugi assembled the Puzzle at last, he met Yami. The Puzzle also played something of a role in Yugi’s friendship with Tea. I seem to recall that one day Tea was lured to an abandoned warehouse and was about to be mugged when Yugi showed up, trying and failing to stop the thief. He got knocked unconscious against a wall, and Yami took over and shadow-realmmed the guy, saving Tea. Least obvious is how the Millennium Puzzle brought Yugi and Kaiba to become friends. I think it may have been in part that Pegasus lured Yugi through Duelist Kingdom in an attempt to claim the Millennium Puzzle, therefore, the two rivals chanced to meet on the same side, against Pegasus. Moreover, in Face Off, Yami decided that he had no choice but to attack Kaiba and possibly hurt/kill him, and Yugi really realized that he wasn’t willing to do that to anyone, even Kaiba.

Yami’s duplicate: Okay, so since the Pharaoh knows Kaiba, that means, excluding temporal jabber, that actually the Yami who’s dueling an the Pharaoh are the same person. Now there are just two of them, but they both have the same memories and abilities. My head is starting to spin…

The Dark One Cometh I will be the next episode. What d’you suppose will happen, with a title like that (lol)?

If anyone’s interested, I had been writing a post-ep fanfic during the wait. I’ve also been writing a song (or rather, lyrics to an existing melody) over the last few days about Blue-Eyes and Kisara, and what happened last Saturday. It’s coming along nicely, if I do say so myself.
So that’s about it, finally! Sorry about the delay, folks! -Clio