Oh my god, did anyone else feel uncomfortable for Yuuya when Jean-Rogers was setting up the “honey trap” with that creepy tone of his? It was disgusting and it was seriously creeping me out and I just wanted him to shut up already. I swear to god, I hope Yuuya doesn’t fall for it, and nothing would please me more if Beserk!Yuuya or Yuuto were to take the wheel and punch his empty promises right back into that filthy mouth of his. The fact Reiji seems to have enough faith in Yuuya to have a backbone to make a stand against Jean both surprised and pleased me. Reira has also shown to be concerned about his well-being since they haven’t seen him, so hopefully Yuuya can live up to all of our expectations. YOU CAN DO THIS YUUYA! But if you fall for it- I am going to cut something. Seriously though, I would take Sora’s words over Jean’s any day.
I can’t tell you have disappointed I am to see the duel between Crow and Shun failed to be wrapped up in one episode. Last week’s was my last straw of patience for the Commons folks, and because I am 10000000% done with their shit, I couldn’t even bring myself to care about this duel. I just wanted it done and over-with. It certainly didn’t help with how Crow received the baton from Shinji and attempt to keep his momentum alive. The only thing that made me anxious, was the moment Jean revealed Yuuya’s next opponent was going to be the victor of today’s duel. Based only personal preference, I would like to see Yuuya VS Shun, precisely because of Yuuya and Yuuto’s unique situation and the fact, while Shun reminded us how he doesn’t consider the Lancers as his comrades, Yuuya isn’t or at least shouldn’t be perceived as his enemy/a threat.
But there was one thing that stood out to me today about Shun’s character, and his condition. People might find his behavior revolting, of how he treats everyone as a potential threat and considers every environment he is in a war-zone. The minute he made the statement, it dawned to me how Shun is someone who is most likely suffering from PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder), from being in such a hostile war environment. His homeland was raided and destroyed, his sister was abducted by the enemy, he lost many of his comrades and is now virtually alone. He can’t bring himself to trust anyone, not after losing Yuuto and especially just after his suspicions towards Dennis proved to be true. When Crow went on about how ‘don’t bring your mess here’ and “I don’t have anymore time to play war with you”, apparently he didn’t get the memo during the duel between Shun and Dennis- and apparently he was also oblivious to the part how Dennis was trying to kill Shun and was gloating about how he coordinated abducting Ruri! And mind you, Shun is being fairly tame right now. He isn’t blowing up shit like he had against Sora and Dennis. He isn’t outright trying to defeat Crow for the sake of survival, he just wants him eliminated from his list of potential threats.
But the thing that irritated me the most (and I knew it was going to happen), is how the commons just conveniently let the crucial information about Shun’s motives fly right over their heads. Not only that, but they already forgot the duel between him and Dennis, WORSE OF ALL THEY FUCKING DEFENDED DENNIS- despite the fact he was GLOATING ABOUT KIDNAPPING SHUN’S SISTER AND DESTROYING HEARTLAND!!!! – THEY ARE ALL FUCKING IDIOTS! They failed to see what was happening right in front of them, connect the dots, and start questioning what is up with the nature of these duels, along with the type of conversations taking place.
The second thing that simply ticked me off was the kids understandably naive, but being hypocrites as usual about how they have nothing, they aren’t causing a riot about it. Well here are two things: First off, not having something is not the same as losing something. Heartland City was invaded and completely destroyed! Following that, Shun’s sister gets kidnapped by the same enemy, and all while this is happening, his comrades who he has been actively fighting alongside with to take back their beloved homeland are falling- and these kids have the fucking nerve to act all righteous! This is why our queen Yuzu stood up for Shun, trying to explain to the kids about his situation- but when they yapped back with BS, she just made a grim face and said nothing. Why? Because she knows of the truth, and all she is thinking right now is how they don’t have a fucking clue who and what is coming for them- precisely because they are choosing not to listen. And Queen Yuzu knows these little shits and the rest of the lot are too fucking delusional to try and argue with.
So yeah, I can’t wait for Academia to show up to unleash their true terror, and show them what loss actually is, and what is actually takes to fight for their home and their rights. Then the Lancers can proudly say, “I fucking told you so, YOLO, you’re on your own!”
I can understand how Shun’s attitude has an actual valid reason behind it. What bothers me about Shun isn’t that he constantly talks about the war in Heartland in almost every other duel, or that he can’t trust anyone, it’s that he’s kind of an ass and no one really calls him out on it. There’s also the case that he carded many LDS members, which are still carded today, and no one has called him out on those actions either. As for the kid situation, they’re kids. Of course they’re not going to completely get Shun’s situation and understand the implications about what he’s saying.
Shun has valid reasons to be the way he is, but he’s still an ass about it.
This time I gonna defend the kids on this one.
This situation is no different from what happened back in Standard in episode 33/34, despite Shun ranting about Academia people only wondered what the hell he was talking about or thought he was a lunatic, they don’t have footage of being carded by Academia, heck, no one was attacked and disappeared like what happened back in Standard, so until they have solid proof the talk will be seen to them either as an unbeliveable story set by the Council or people acting like the crazy Doomsday profets.
It should be considered that Dennis was acting as an entertainer for the most part while in Synchro Dimension, if you remember, during Shun vs Dennis, Melissa even wondered if Dennis was acting like a heel again like in the street performance.
There’s also the thing of Shun trying to punch Dennis after he blew the stadium with Satelite Canon Falcon and making way more damage than Ultimate Giant Gear Force.
Kids understand what they see, they didn’t see Obelisk Force, they didn’t see people being carded, they only saw Shun being highly agressive.
Mind you, I’m not derailing Shun’s motives, I understand that he suffers from trauma because of the war, losing tons of friends in what could be perceived as a fate worse than death, having his sister being kidnapped and discovering that a fellow lancer was indeed a traitor, and worst of all, having a hand in kidnapping his dear sister. Reiji also didn’t really help to decrease his paranoia, what with his weird sense of humor with making a Action Field like his hometown, indirectly being responsible for killing Yuto because he didn’t allow Shun to help him and for taking the carding function from his duel disk, no wonder he’s having so much paranoia.
Ah, and of course, people using Fusion left and right, yep.
I think they are both in the wrong about saying “I suffered more than you, you have it easy compared to me”, it’s wrong to dismiss the other’s pain.
About the duel writing, it was pretty good, very dynamic, a lot of back and forth, Pain Lanius poking Shun’s helmet was very funny and Crow’s reaction to the broken ass support cards for RR was amusing as well.
Also, Jean said that either winner COULD be Yuya’s opponent, not that it WILL, besides, Jean said it, dude don’t get any guess right, and I really want him to get out of Yuya’s personal space, I was uncomfortable the entire time he was talking with Yuya too, believe in Sora Yuya! Look at Jean’s face, his face screams evil all over the place!
Speaking of Jean, I found it very funny that he made Reiji his clueless hostage, before this episode, people were saying left and right that he would capture either Yuzu or Serena as a hostage to convince Yuya to join him, but turn out Reiji was the person used for said purpose lmao.
You have a valid point there: Dennis entertainer image can definitely create that diversion of his aggressive true colors. You’re probably right about how that image he had helped soften the violent nature he unleashed himself because he was no different than Shun in the duel. They were both out for the kill and both contributed to destroying the stadium.
LOL that pecking the helmet moment gave me a good laugh, it was cute!
Thank you for pointing this out. I agree 100%
The much-hyped birdspam duel was pretty boring (maybe next week things will finally be interesting), but this episode I saw more highlights on certain characters than the duel itself (even though it’s still a close one). Here goes:
Crow Hogan: Inheriting the (wrongfully misplaced) grudge of Commons against Tops and YUYA while taking the mantra of revolutionist wannabe Shinji, Crow was certainly more disappointing than his 5D’s self. Yes, he did mention “bonds”, the old motto of Yusei, and that speech alone was light years better than Shinji’s revolt crap for his duels, but he no longer amazes his foes with his trick-master moves (the one everyone admired in 5D’s), instead only a set of chain-Synchros with the underwhelming new BF monsters (I still liked the old one). He’s blind enough to perceive Yuya as a traitor, well fine then go show him his place EGAO idealist!
Kurosaki Shun: The trick-master of Arc V, he’s always been my favourite duelist in Arc V (yes, I like him more than Yuya and others), but now I started to hate him a bit. Yes, he’s been sprouting about the Academia invasion of Heartland all this time and his lost of Ruri, Yuto and fellow Resistance comrades, but please no one understand your speech in City!! Even Crow’s children perceived him in a negative light (considering how Dennis was wrecked badly along with parts of the stadium), well some may say they are not mature enough to see through the difference between “living in poverty and being oppressed” and “watching your homeland turned into a warzone and struggled for survival”, but leave the kids alone! Yes, that’s NOT why I began to despise him a little, what really angered me was how he brushed off fellow Lancers as his friends!!! It’s so rude and ignorant, I recalled how Serena bailed him out when he was about to be carded by Sora even though they met for the first time back then! And the man Gongenzaka tag-duelled with him on certain occasions too, two of them resulting in the annihilation of an Obelisk Force squadron and Security’s high-ranking guard duelists, but he’s ditching him off like that as well?! In his view everyone apart from Ruri, Yuto and fellow Resistance comrades were and will always be his ENEMIES that must be defeated in the most brutal way possible!! At this rate the possibility of him leaving the Lancers and enter Academia by himself soared, well tough luck for him then should it really happened, he couldn’t even beat Sora during their second duel, expect the worst when he faced off against YURI or Professor Akaba Leo himself!!
Sakaki Yuya: Please boy don’t be deceived by Roger’s words! I know your duelling style’s theme is EGAO, but should you be trusting a man like him just to beat Jack, nuff said, you’re a FRAUD then!!!
Verdict: I decided to pull off the usual 50-50 possibility of this duel, I seriously hope that Crow will tear Shun a new one! Yes, Crow’s hatred might be misplaced as well, but Shun’s devilish (despite understandable) remarks of no friends but his Resistance comrade makes me downvote him a lot! Since the winner of this duel is Yuya’s upcoming opponent, I want the outcome of the previously interrupted duel between Yuya and Crow! P.S. I still like the old 5D’s Crow, though!
While Crow was still not being fair or rational and his going on about the Commons was irritating, I have to say I like Crow’s approach a lot better than Shinji’s. Shinji was constantly belittling Yuya and everyone else because he wanted to start a riot, while Crow is trying harder to spread a message of hope and unity through his dueling, and he seems to have some level of respect for Shun as a skilled opponent.
Jean… is really getting creepier by the day, and so’s his nose, for that matter. He seems like he’s trying to reach out to Yuya only as a method to stop Yuri, who he’s so afraid of being here, and Sora, who he already knows is running around freely.
Interestingly enough, I had the exact same thought when the kids spoke up. Shun LOST everything he had- everything peaceful, and good in his world. His beloved sister and all his friends, and even when he came to Standard, he lost his last ally and met with more enemies from Academia. The guy has been through so much that he reasonably doubts people.
I’m really hoping Shun moves on, both because I want to see these “Commons’ Warriors” out, and because if he duels Yuya, they’ll have a chance to resonate and talk to each other, which they need to do at length.
Shun’s been through a lot by now and it makes sense for him to have PTSD. A lot of people criticise him for suspecting Crow out of nowhere, but now that he’s seen Dennis acting as a spy, and Sora having hidden his true nature before, it’s sensible that he doesn’t trust people. Not only that, Crow diminishes what he’s been through, calling it “playing war”- but he has to mention war and set Shun off again. It’s awful.
I definitely agree, his approach was a lot more tame and better than Shinji. Yo Shinji, take notes!
This attitude that so many people have that the Sychro Dimension *deserves* to be invaded by Fusion honestly kind of bothers me. Yes, they’re assholes. Yes, they’re hypocrites, but is that really enough to justify *genocide*? There’s definitely some Protagonist Centered Morality here, especially since I find it unlikely that either Yuya or Yuzu would agree that Synchro deserves to be burned to the ground.
Shun has very good reasons for acting the way he does, but he still comes off as incredibly unlikeable at times. His character type – the aloof, badass loner Anti-Hero who acts like and jerk and pushes people away because of his Dark and Troubled Past – are a dime a dozen. There’s really nothing about him that stands out in a positive way.
Also, am I the only one who finds it understandable that Crow would rather side with Shinji, who he’s presumably known for a long time, over the Lancers who he’s only known for a short time and, thanks to Roger, thinks they’re in league with Tops? The dimension war is a fairy sketchy concept for him at the moment, since the only proof he has for it is the Lancers’ word. Revolution and the desire to see equality for the Tops and the Commons *is* something concrete and he understands.
Well you’re certainly right about that. But I do want to clarify for my case at least, that it’s not that I think they “deserve” to be invaded, but it is my form of venting out my frustration because I honestly can’t wait for this arc to be done and over-with because the characters are driving me nuts. The sooner Academia arrives, the more likely we will finally move on to the next part of the story.
It would be weird to not find it understandable for Crow to side up with Shinji, it only makes sense.
Shun despite him being considered an anti-hero is quite understandable to be honest. His hatred of Academia and fusion in general is real and has shown that when it was necessary for him like when he carded LDS operatives out of assumption of working for Academia though the last three he carded were technically Sawatarii’s fathers fault for dragging them into chasing Yuya. Even though he doesn’t consider Lancers as his friends that doesn’t mean he wouldn’t respect them like Gogenzeka and probably Yuya a little bit but sit suspicious of. The kids to me at first response was somewhat understandable because they don’t understand Shun and by that far no one is Synchro does, but what really doesn’t work well with me is the moment they mentioned Dennis and labeled Shun the bad guy when that was implied they saw the duel but never once paid attention to the whole “I’m the reason you’re world was genocided and I’m also response for your sisters kidnapping while having a giant frightening monster” which pretty much gives me the assumption that Synchro in general likes to hear what they want to hear and ignore the realistic stuff that’s so painfully obvious. I thought that Yuzu shortened her words to make it comparable for the kids, due to the possibility of it not being wise mentioning a world that was freaking genocided to a world that’s only problems were poverty war and hypocrisy just that only you can tell who had it extremely worse. Overall I still sympathize with Xuz over Synchro’s problems and feel bad for Shun and Yuto.
I have to agree with the kids on Shun. The guy is throwing a tantrum especially since he appeared to learn his lesson after a whole bunch of people came to his aid against the Obelisk Force awhile back and Michio got carded. Hell they only one because Gogenzaka was able to use Sawatari’s pendulums to let him summon the Raptors necessary to beat all three Obelisk Force. Then he immediately goes back to acting like everyone is an enemy.
And Dennis’s actions were never made clear to anyone in Synchro since it’s only been properly explained to the ACTUAL MAJOR CAST, especially since no one amongst the normal folk has been lead to believe Academia actually is real and a threat. Only receiving word of it from duelists who typically get beaten as soon as they mention it, which would already go against the whole gaining allies to fight back when they aren’t even strong enough to handle some ordinary Synchro duelists.
What they saw was Shun being even more destructive than the guy he had a beef with, and then proceeded to try to beat him up when he lost. In this case it was Shun’s actions that lead to their conclusion. Shun intentionally isolates himself and it’s clearly not helping his mental state.
It made me so pissed that the crowd was ACTUALLY Defending Dennis,
Did they not pay attention what the heck he was saying!?
I mean seriously they are slowly becoming the bad guys in their realm. I mean yeah, its a bit understandable considering the shit they must have gone through, but they wouldn’t be any different if they rebel and take power, they would just become as greedy as the tops…
If anything, they need to grow up and freaken listen for once!
Also Crow’s character here is degraded from his 5D’s counterpart, in fact the writers are doing a rather good job of making us hate him here….
And I really love Crow…
*Sigh*
But I am sincerely hopping Shun wins honestly…
I mean Yuya said he was going to help his friends, so I’m pretty sure it will only be temporary that they are underground
Both Crow and Shun have a lot they need to learn from each other. That’s the most interesting part of this duel, I think.
Shun is, like you said probably suffering some form of PTSD and needs to learn that destruction can’t actually create anything. At the end of this road, where he constantly drives everyone away, he’ll find himself in a worse spot than he began. Though I doubt that Crow will be able to fully ingrain this into him, it’s a start- hopefully Yuya can finish the job.
Crow, on the other hand, has the same problem as most of the other Commons, or really Synchro residents in general- he doesn’t realize just how bad things are going to get. Shun’s backstory should be a lesson for him, to prepare as soon as possible and put off petty debates to the side- at least he HAS his comrades.
…Or tldr; just let them have a LOONG talk with Yuya. Sunshine and Nakama are important, yo!