Predictions and Observations:
Unwanted Guest I-II

Okay, here are my predictions, please argue with me, it's fun!

That Otom guy (the one with the mask, overalls, and wierd name)- Note that "Otom" is "Moto" switched around, and I have the feeling that the first name is similarly scrambled. I'm pretty sure that the Otom guy is Yugi's grandpa! It would make sense, considering that by all accounts Mr. Moto is one kick-butt duelist. However, it's anyone's guess why he's in disguise. He looks a bit more formidable masked, and considering psychology is half the game, it would be to his advantage to appear less tough to his opponents who don't know him. However, he would be revealing his identity to the duelists who DO know him (specifically Yugi, Joey, and Rebecca), two of which he taught, so they would know his strategy inside and out. That would put him at a major disadvantage against them. It would work better for him if they didn't know his identity. This is all speculation, however, but I don't think Yugi will be fooled for long. The look on his face...

Zigfreid- Now, this is interesting. I find it suspicious that he referred to Kaiba as "my dear friend Herr Kaiba", but when he arrived at the registration party, he had to introduce himself and Kaiba clearly had never met him. We know about him that he's after revenge against Kaiba (who knows why), he's a very good hacker (but this could be inconsequential and soon forgotten, because we've seen no sign since Duelist Kingdom that Kaiba is, too), he likes roses, he's more rich and more smug about it than Kaiba or Pegasus ever was. However, Zigfreid does, in some sense, remind me of Pegasus. Speaking of which, I couldn't help but remember Pegasus's flashback to how Cecelia disappeared in, I believe, Best of Friends, Best of Duelists II. At their wedding, no less, a giant rose had appeared around Cecelia, and when the petals fell away she had vanished. Sound familiar? Could this have been foreshadowing all along? Is there a connection between Zigfreid and what happened to Cecelia Pegasus?

Vivian Wong- I don't like her. For some reason, I just don't. It was completely obvious that she was sucking up to all of the famous duelists (namely, Yugi and Kaiba. Might make me feel better to know exactly how Kaiba reacted to that particular character. It wouldn't've been pretty...) I have a feeling that her and Rebecca will have a big confrontation at some point.

Heart of the Underdog- The gang was right, might as well call it Heart of the Wheeler. Of course, I don't mean it in a bad way, quite the opposite, and I don't think Yugi did either. One reason I think that Yugi gave Rick that particular card becuase it reminded him of Joey, was because I think that Rick is simailar to Joey when he began dueling in several ways. For one, he had a deck of all tough monsters and no magic or trap cards, just like Joey did in The Gauntlet is Thrown. For another, Yugi could already tell that Rick had the heart if not the skill, just like Joey did back at the start of Duelist Kingdom. For another, obviously, Yugi could see it would make a good strategy with Rick's mostly-monster deck, and could help him out right away. I think the only reason Yugi was nervous about telling Joey who the card reminded him of for a few reasons. For one, it's difficult to articulate that Joey is kind of always the underdog in these tournaments and rises to the occasion, and also because Joey would have never realized that he was once as amateur as Rick, and they had a lot in common and Yugi would just start an arguement by trying to tell him so. I have a theory as to how Kaiba knew it would particularly annoy Joey to be called 'underdog' when they met at the helicopter- Kaiba was watching the duel on the security monitors on his way. That would fit.

Kaiba- Yes, Kaiba! Don't you agree something wierd is going on? Something's up, I know it. So do Yugi and Mokuba. It's not like Kaiba to not participate in his own grand tournament-to-end-all-tournaments, no matter how busy he is. In Mokuba's flashback, something seemed off about him. He seemed to lack some certain Kaiba-ness. I will not blame this like I did last time (Pyramid of Light) on poor portrayal on the part of the WB or whoever it was that made Pyramid of Light. I think something's going on. I don't think it's that Kaiba's scared of getting his butt kicked in public again (though I doubt he'd like it) either. Kaiba isn't that way. Even more strange, Joey was actually invited to Kaiba's tournament for once. Kaiba's ego seems to have left him, at least in his actions. Rebecca was also invited, which is unusual, because the only time they met was in Paradise Found (and in Fighting for a Friend..), when Kaiba and Yami told Rebecca she couldn't come break into KaibaCorp with them, and Rebecca hacked into KaibaCorp and helped them out. As far as I can tell, Kaiba and Rebecca, not so much pals. Some would say that Kaiba wouldn't invite Yugi unless he planned to beat him (like he did in Battle City), and certainly not as the champion that the winner of the tournament has to beat rather than as a normal competitor. I would argue that like I said, Kaiba's ego seems to be out-of-action and I think something's majorly wrong, and Kaiba would invite Yugi anyway simply because his name is known and will attract other duelists (like Leon...), and also as a mark of respect, because despite their rivalry, Yugi and Kaiba tend to look out for each other and know each other so well they can practically read each other's minds (A Duel with Dartz, Kaiba: Now, if I know your strategy as well as I think I do, that card you placed facedown is a Mirror Force trap card).

Yami Marik- I note that Yami Marik is in the previews and end credits, but seems to be missing in action. In the opening theme, he seems to be set vs. Yugi. Not Yami, Yugi himself. This will *have* to be good!

Now, another mystery. It has been focal to the series, you'll agree, that Yugi does most of the dueling. Now, this tournament, note this, Yugi is not a normal competitor. Roland announced that these sixteen duelists (powers of two, more on that later) would be competing, and the winner would duel the reigning champion, Yugi. This means that Yugi will not be dueling in the tournament until its conclusion. You will agree that this is most irregular. I have the feeling that something else will be going on, because it's not Yu-Gi-Oh! if Yugi isn't dueling! I also note that this position was last occupied in a known tournament by none other than Maximillion Pegasus. The winner of the tournament got a chance to duel him. This seems slightly ominous.

Sixteen duelists. I notice that the number of finalists in tournamnts seems to be increasing by powers of two. In Duelist Kingdom, four. In Battle City, eight. In KC Grand Championship, sixteen. This makes the finals more intricate and complex, and the tournaments more spectacular. BTW, since KC Grand Championship is such a dinky tournament (sixteen competitors. Battle City had a cityful, and Duelist Kingdom had a boatload.), this IS the Finals. I also find it very odd that they tracked down the number one duelists across the globe, and there are no familiar faces. Pegasus and Kaiba in Duelist Kingdom and Battle City respectively attracted all of the world's mightiest duelists, but not these guys. What makes GC different? What made them come? If they're the best Yugi and all would have met them sometime in the Finals if they were there. If they weren't in the Finals, how could they be ranked so prestigeously? Therefore, they weren't in Duelist Kingdom or Battle City, not one of them. How come, and what makes GC different? Why have no old faces like Mai, Pegasus, Bakura, Marik, Rafael, Alister, or Valon been invited? Think about it: Mai was third place tied with Bandit Keith in Duelist Kingdom (except she ended up not cheating), was a Battle City Finalist, won several less huge tournaments without much effort (flashback in MFV I: After Battle City, she set out to be the best. She dueled chump after chump but never seemed to get any better), and then when she was evil defeated Pegasus and -technically- Joey. Bakura was also a Battle City finalist, but that's about all his official dueling fame (okay, maybe not Bakura...). Pegasus once beat Kaiba, and is clearly a formidable player without his Millenium Eye, considering he CREATED THE GAME. What about Rafael, who was the only person to ever really beat Yugi? What about Valon, who wiped out Duke, Rebecca, and their impressive dragon in one punch, and gave Joey quite a run for his money? What about Alister, who nearly beat Kaiba himself? Okay, I can understand maybe a few of those, knowing Kaiba, but since Kaiba isn't himself I was actually a bit surprised. Since he seems to be going for honesty over ego lately (he actually *invited* Joey. If that isn't fishy, what is?), a few of those duelists should have put in an appearance. And why was Rebecca invited, who's fairly unknown as a championship duelist?

Lastly, I will note that Leon has some things in common with Yugi. You can see this particularly when he's cheering his friends. At the end of Luke's duel, he tells him that he fought hard, but set his level too high. It sounds just a bit like the sort of advice Yugi might give, except Yugi would give advice on how to improve one's dueling, not to lower the computer level, though I think that Luke there set it WAY too high. Murderously high. So that could be it.

Please discuss stuff with me, I beg you! If not, well, the first week of school is almost over, and I'm still alive. Saturday morning! That's how soon it's coming! One day! I can do this! -Clio

Believe it or not, the WB's actually on top of it for once. A little TOO on top of it, because I just surfed headlong into a pack of spoilers, but I swear my lips are sealed until Saturday on everything except the scoop on the duelists. All I have, though, are their names and their pictures, so everything listed about them is off of my memory:

Shane Jordan- a 'wild west' themed duelist. Nothing else known.

Sergei Ivanoff- really muscular guy.

Paul MacGregor- A detective, he is introduced as being 'clued in' to his opponents' strategies.

Abe the Monkey Man- does a flip when his name is announced. Is introed as being this tournament's 'wild' contender, which is quite literal, seeing as he seems, well, more monkeyish.

Totani Ialos- Introduced as a master of illusion. Wears wierd mirrory glasses and a noticeable bow tie, along with a bright yellow suit.

Balfry Ginger- a weird guy who reminds me somewhat of Weevil. Is introduced as a master of magic cards.

Jafar Shin- wears only a rough-looking robe, and is meditating when he is announced. Very, very thin. None known about his style.

Fortune Salim- Veiled in mystery, suspense, and a bathrobe (no, seriously, that's how he's announced).

Ethan Shark- I believe he's introduced as coming from Australia. He looks kind of tough, and, unlike most of the other contenders somewhat serious about this.

Dr. Richard Goat- A medical doctor. Lots of bizarre and unpleasant-sounding puns in his introduction as I recall.

Leon Wilson- An undefeated child prodigy

Joey Wheeler- This tournament's underdog

Rebecca Hawkins- the youngest regional champion in the game

Apdnarg Otom- I was right! It *is* "Grandpa Moto" spelled backwards!

Vivian Wong- Don't let her beauty fool you- she's tough!

Zigfried Lloyd- Don't remember his intro, but we all know he's eeeevil!

Yugi Moto- The winner will face him (I've already said this), reigning champion, etc.

Yup, sixteen contenders. Winner faces Yugi (who is NOT counted as one of the sixteen). Wierdos, huh? For pictures, there's the WB website at www.kidswb.com, and find the little box at the bottom that reads "Yu-Gi-Oh! Grand Championship: See who's winning!" However, don't go there if you don't want to ruin the surpise of finding out who duels who in the first round! -Clio