[DreamSword]

Episode #6: GAME OVER

One of my most prized possessions is a keychain.

I didn't have many friends growing up. And while certain kids were civil with me, I never felt like I could truly connect with anyone.

That is until the sixth grade hit, where one day, out of nowhere, a kid suddenly appeared next to me as I was walking home from school and started talking to me. And we immediately hit it off.

From that day on we hung out practically every day. He defended me from bullies. He helped me to realize my sexual orientation. And he helped me feel comfortable in my own skin for the very first time in my life. And he never did anything special other than be himself.

But then the end of the school year started to approach, and he gave me some bad news. His family was moving away, so once the end of the month hit, we'd likely never see eachother again. Cell phones weren't nearly as common back then as they are now, and the city he was moving to was too far away to simply walk to.

I think it might've been the first time that I ever felt heartbreak. But to help ease the blow, he gave me something to remember him by: A Pikachu keychain, which I still use to this day. In exchange, I gave him some Yu-Gi-Oh! cards. It's a small, simple thing, but the keychain is something that's helped give me courage and confidence over the years, and whenever I stop to look it over the memories we made together always come flooding back.

And the friendship between Kuon and Hoshiai really has been the biggest highlight of this show outside of its stunts. Their backstory is explored in full here. That keychain that Kuon values? It's a friendship trinket that Hoshiai also has one of. The two grew up together and know one another in and out. And when all is said and done, they both figuratively and literally trust one another with their very lives. It's the sort of bond that sadly US society doesn't really ever cherish or talk about nearly enough, in my experience.

Sure, there's other aspects to the episode like the extras never knowing what to do in a given shot, or how the room eventually erupts into an all out brawl, or Amo trying to fight the Horrors. But really, that's all minor in comparison to the two who are brothers in all but biological. The tragic fate that the Makai Order forces onto Hoshiai really did work at hitting me right in my feelings. The final phone call especially got me good, and while I won't say that the overall scenario is absolutely perfect, I am more than satisfied with it.

This will most likely be my favorite episode in the show.