Usogui - Vol. 43 Ch. 471 - The Puppets
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RICHARD ARATA WON THE BAN.
Shoutout to like the one person who proposed the theory that the outlaw Richard is a puppet in the 417 comment section.
Richard is like one of my favorite characters and this is like one of, if not my favorite chapters so I have alot to say (honestly I've been looking forward to this for so long!). When I first saw it I was like "huh what? that’s so cheap." But after reading 417 I realized that this and 417 are genius chapters and Richard is a genius (and insane) dude.
I wrote all this yesterday and am just copypasting it now (most likely before I read the chapter) . So if TD decides to make a chart of their own and mine has redundant information that is why. Also my thoughts might change after I read the translation/some of my interpretations could be wrong (which I'll go back and edit at some point if thats the case!).
the main foreshadowing regarding real/fake Richard.
Along with the puppet’s “god is watching me”/”you don’t know the real god” lines
Important thing to note (also just a cool detail in general): chapters 330, 417 and 471 all have the same phrase near the beginning.
According to Richard's section on the Japanese wikipedia page for Usogui, Richard has a dissociative disorder (DD). I think its specifically depersonalization disorder (which you can look up more info abt it).
So the "this man became a puppet" scene is most likely originally read in the context of his disorder. As in he himself became a puppet to this imaginary God created by his mental illness. But its actually supposed to be read as "he" and "this man" being separate people. With "he" being Richard and "this man" being someone else (who exactly I don't know). So when Richard disappeared he literally “moved to the side of the one gazing.” As in he must of hid himself while watching the puppet move for him.
Knowing the truth adds a new layer to that whole "his emotions became virtual/non-existent" part, in 417. (I talked abt the double meaning of the word in the comment section for 453). He really no longer exists in the physical world and is instead acting through an avatar (like in a video game).
And it's really ironic that alot of what Vincent theorized about Richard turned out to actually be true.
(There was someone gazing at him [the puppet] and he [the real one] was indeed watching over the island as if playing a video game.)
Fun fact: In the original Japanese the term that was translated into puppet is "yorishiro." And according to my online searches, a yorishiro is an object that represents a kami/god. Adding more to the Richard = kami/god idea.
Another fun fact: The guy weeping over the corpse is the outlaw Raoh (name first mentioned in 409, as one of the new players, and in 412) who was following Richard. EDIT: My friend pointed out he first appeared in 377.
Other things: Based on the words of the puppet Richard in 417 I am going to assume they were not in contact. My guess is that the real Richard dropped him off on the island, with the help of Fujitsubo, with general instructions/orders. (My theory is that the puppet is also a Richard/Protoporos fanboy or something).
It seems that Richard did not care about the puppet that much since he doesn’t seem that fazed by his death. Also it seems he doesn’t have any actual animosity towards the developers either. Like he didn’t care if the developers joined him or not as long as they were strong/able to survive harsh conditions.
EDIT (I thought I changed this but I guess I forgot to save it so I have to rewrite it...): Reading the translation added alot to the knowledge of Richard's relationship with the developers. He definitely did take advantage of their admiration towards him. Though I do wonder if the "you passed the test" was specifically directed towards the developers (as in he wanted them to come with him) or just a stock phrase for whoever arrived on the boat...
I am also confused on whether the narration before "at that time he saw his god" is about the real or fake Richard. (Like I originally assumed all of it was about the real one so that line confused me so much for a while until yesterday I was looking through it again like "wait isn't this about the fake?!")
Also I wonder if the Richard in the 6 years ago flashback (chapter 407) was the real one or not. Same with the Richard in 330, pg 2 of 412 and 357 (also interesting to note the background of the 357 scene is black, as if its a flashback). I hope they are the real ones just because I want to know more about him. Like which characteristics are actually Richard’s and which ones did the puppet adopt from the harsh life of being an outlaw for so long? I also wish we got to see the real Richard’s eyes....
Oh one last thing I just remembered: https://mangadex.org/chapter/804077/2 an image of Huger is used here too.
Overall, Richard is such a fascinating, yet messed up, character! He really pulled all the punches to live his fantasy of playing God. And I have nothing but respect for his dedication. Hope my post was interesting/insightful ^_^ I might make another comment with more thoughts after I read the English translation.
Shoutout to like the one person who proposed the theory that the outlaw Richard is a puppet in the 417 comment section.
Richard is like one of my favorite characters and this is like one of, if not my favorite chapters so I have alot to say (honestly I've been looking forward to this for so long!). When I first saw it I was like "huh what? that’s so cheap." But after reading 417 I realized that this and 417 are genius chapters and Richard is a genius (and insane) dude.
I wrote all this yesterday and am just copypasting it now (most likely before I read the chapter) . So if TD decides to make a chart of their own and mine has redundant information that is why. Also my thoughts might change after I read the translation/some of my interpretations could be wrong (which I'll go back and edit at some point if thats the case!).
the main foreshadowing regarding real/fake Richard.
Along with the puppet’s “god is watching me”/”you don’t know the real god” lines
Important thing to note (also just a cool detail in general): chapters 330, 417 and 471 all have the same phrase near the beginning.
According to Richard's section on the Japanese wikipedia page for Usogui, Richard has a dissociative disorder (DD). I think its specifically depersonalization disorder (which you can look up more info abt it).
So the "this man became a puppet" scene is most likely originally read in the context of his disorder. As in he himself became a puppet to this imaginary God created by his mental illness. But its actually supposed to be read as "he" and "this man" being separate people. With "he" being Richard and "this man" being someone else (who exactly I don't know). So when Richard disappeared he literally “moved to the side of the one gazing.” As in he must of hid himself while watching the puppet move for him.
Knowing the truth adds a new layer to that whole "his emotions became virtual/non-existent" part, in 417. (I talked abt the double meaning of the word in the comment section for 453). He really no longer exists in the physical world and is instead acting through an avatar (like in a video game).
And it's really ironic that alot of what Vincent theorized about Richard turned out to actually be true.
(There was someone gazing at him [the puppet] and he [the real one] was indeed watching over the island as if playing a video game.)
Fun fact: In the original Japanese the term that was translated into puppet is "yorishiro." And according to my online searches, a yorishiro is an object that represents a kami/god. Adding more to the Richard = kami/god idea.
Another fun fact: The guy weeping over the corpse is the outlaw Raoh (name first mentioned in 409, as one of the new players, and in 412) who was following Richard. EDIT: My friend pointed out he first appeared in 377.
Other things: Based on the words of the puppet Richard in 417 I am going to assume they were not in contact. My guess is that the real Richard dropped him off on the island, with the help of Fujitsubo, with general instructions/orders. (My theory is that the puppet is also a Richard/Protoporos fanboy or something).
It seems that Richard did not care about the puppet that much since he doesn’t seem that fazed by his death. Also it seems he doesn’t have any actual animosity towards the developers either. Like he didn’t care if the developers joined him or not as long as they were strong/able to survive harsh conditions.
EDIT (I thought I changed this but I guess I forgot to save it so I have to rewrite it...): Reading the translation added alot to the knowledge of Richard's relationship with the developers. He definitely did take advantage of their admiration towards him. Though I do wonder if the "you passed the test" was specifically directed towards the developers (as in he wanted them to come with him) or just a stock phrase for whoever arrived on the boat...
I am also confused on whether the narration before "at that time he saw his god" is about the real or fake Richard. (Like I originally assumed all of it was about the real one so that line confused me so much for a while until yesterday I was looking through it again like "wait isn't this about the fake?!")
Also I wonder if the Richard in the 6 years ago flashback (chapter 407) was the real one or not. Same with the Richard in 330, pg 2 of 412 and 357 (also interesting to note the background of the 357 scene is black, as if its a flashback). I hope they are the real ones just because I want to know more about him. Like which characteristics are actually Richard’s and which ones did the puppet adopt from the harsh life of being an outlaw for so long? I also wish we got to see the real Richard’s eyes....
Oh one last thing I just remembered: https://mangadex.org/chapter/804077/2 an image of Huger is used here too.
Overall, Richard is such a fascinating, yet messed up, character! He really pulled all the punches to live his fantasy of playing God. And I have nothing but respect for his dedication. Hope my post was interesting/insightful ^_^ I might make another comment with more thoughts after I read the English translation.
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I was plenty satisfied already but then another chapter be like "but wait, there's more!"
I really like how Arata ended up being a real enigmatic person just like Lalo, Usogui, and Hal. It may doesn't seem much, but it adds up worldbuilding in how in this world there's always a madman with their own agenda removed from the story main conflict. It makes it seem like Kakerou and Ideal aren't the only bigshots and lowered the 'unrealistic' notion a little.
I also dig how the end of Protoporos signal another story we don't need to know where there's a protagonist and a bunch of people somewhere wrapped up in bizzare predicament. Godspeed to you, Champ.
I really like how Arata ended up being a real enigmatic person just like Lalo, Usogui, and Hal. It may doesn't seem much, but it adds up worldbuilding in how in this world there's always a madman with their own agenda removed from the story main conflict. It makes it seem like Kakerou and Ideal aren't the only bigshots and lowered the 'unrealistic' notion a little.
I also dig how the end of Protoporos signal another story we don't need to know where there's a protagonist and a bunch of people somewhere wrapped up in bizzare predicament. Godspeed to you, Champ.
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@Ghetsis That's an amazing post and it gives a lot of context. I do wonder though, whether the original Richard (which btw looks like a girl but whatever) had dissociation too. The panel you posted I interpreted it as dissociation too when it was only one richard, but now it just looks like it is him using the Puppet.
To be honest I found the character really interesting too, on the same level as Lalo. I wish we could have seen a bit more of the original.
To be honest I found the character really interesting too, on the same level as Lalo. I wish we could have seen a bit more of the original.
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@belkrax
It's funny that you brought up him looking like a girl because I think his design was based on the folk singer Doji Morita (who was also very mysterious like Richard). Oh wait you mean ponytail Richard so I guess it doesn't relate as well.
Here's my interpretation of Richard (hope it is helpful):
Richard always had DD (in 417 it says he had it since childhood). Something about depersonalization I copied from wikipedia: "Individuals experiencing depersonalization may report feeling as if they are an outside observer of their own thoughts or body." And because of his unique worldview it allowed him to see things "objectively" and understand people better (like an omniscient narrator) leading to him becoming successful (this is from 417).
But at some point he decided he wanted to view everything from his outsider point of view all the time.
https://mangadex.org/chapter/812986/3 The place he "belongs to" (in his mind) is one where he can be an outsider watching over everything. So he made that a reality by "making" a puppet who is exactly like him. And so the puppet acts for him while he observes, satisfying his god fantasy. But watching over the island was not enough, so he decided to watch over a country instead.
(And my interpretation is that the he didn't find the puppet until after he sold the company and disappeared, which could always be wrong btw)
I agree! (with both of those statements). I imagine he could hold himself in a gamble as well but would prefer to watch a match instead of participating in one.
It's funny that you brought up him looking like a girl because I think his design was based on the folk singer Doji Morita (who was also very mysterious like Richard). Oh wait you mean ponytail Richard so I guess it doesn't relate as well.
Here's my interpretation of Richard (hope it is helpful):
Richard always had DD (in 417 it says he had it since childhood). Something about depersonalization I copied from wikipedia: "Individuals experiencing depersonalization may report feeling as if they are an outside observer of their own thoughts or body." And because of his unique worldview it allowed him to see things "objectively" and understand people better (like an omniscient narrator) leading to him becoming successful (this is from 417).
But at some point he decided he wanted to view everything from his outsider point of view all the time.
https://mangadex.org/chapter/812986/3 The place he "belongs to" (in his mind) is one where he can be an outsider watching over everything. So he made that a reality by "making" a puppet who is exactly like him. And so the puppet acts for him while he observes, satisfying his god fantasy. But watching over the island was not enough, so he decided to watch over a country instead.
(And my interpretation is that the he didn't find the puppet until after he sold the company and disappeared, which could always be wrong btw)
I agree! (with both of those statements). I imagine he could hold himself in a gamble as well but would prefer to watch a match instead of participating in one.
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Holy hell, that's quite a curveball to throw at us at the end of the arc. On it's own, it's a great twist, but combined with the referees being alive last chapter (are they?), it really does kinda cheapen Lalo 's Nightmare stage I feel. Nothing he did actually stuck in the end.
@Ghetsis
Thanks for that write-up! I enjoy reading your long explanation posts, they give a lot of insight that otherwise I doubt I'd see.
@Ghetsis
Thanks for that write-up! I enjoy reading your long explanation posts, they give a lot of insight that otherwise I doubt I'd see.
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Yeah, I hate to say this, but I'm not really a fan of this chapter.
I don't think I would've minded this development if more focus was actually put on this whole Arata subplot, but it was just so overshadowed by everything else that took place during this arc. I mean, we have this fake Arata who was built up, along with this overarching philosophy he was parroting, proceed to get done in by his own hubris for daring to prove himself and his point on the battlefield. Okay, cool. I was satisfied with that because it felt (more or less) like a conclusive end. But to just drop a sudden "all according to plan" twist at the end doesn't really resonate with me.
Personally, the narrative seems like it's trying too hard to frame Arata in the same vein as Baku or Lalo etc., but with only a limited amount character merit(for lack of better phrasing) to go off of. The comparison doesn't feel earned, at least not as it stands. Again, perhaps if it had a bit more time and focus I'd see it, but some loose foreshadowing here and there isn't enough to drive that point home for me.
I don't think I would've minded this development if more focus was actually put on this whole Arata subplot, but it was just so overshadowed by everything else that took place during this arc. I mean, we have this fake Arata who was built up, along with this overarching philosophy he was parroting, proceed to get done in by his own hubris for daring to prove himself and his point on the battlefield. Okay, cool. I was satisfied with that because it felt (more or less) like a conclusive end. But to just drop a sudden "all according to plan" twist at the end doesn't really resonate with me.
Personally, the narrative seems like it's trying too hard to frame Arata in the same vein as Baku or Lalo etc., but with only a limited amount character merit(for lack of better phrasing) to go off of. The comparison doesn't feel earned, at least not as it stands. Again, perhaps if it had a bit more time and focus I'd see it, but some loose foreshadowing here and there isn't enough to drive that point home for me.
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"But wait, THERE"S MORE!!"
))
))
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@saxifraga I get where you are coming from. I too wish Arata to be more prominent. But for a different reason.
Unlike you, I was let down by Arata's role and his supposed final moments in 417. I was really intrigued by his masterpiece that is protoporos, and I was very surprised when such a man made an appearance to actively affect the flow of the game. It made sense in some way, but it was himself who said the jigsaw puzzle is done by the most brilliant mind on the board. So his interference to begin with doesn't feel right for me, but I don't mind it too much. In the end, he became a fodder for Lalo's nightmare. It almost feels like he's being a convenient stepping stone to make Lalo's came back possible and prove Lalo's worth. That's just cheap imo. It would be better if Lalo gambled an actual kakerou match against him. Now if that happen, I would be bummed out if Arata didn't die in the end.
Him being actually alive is a much more fitting narrative for a man like Arata imo. It's just not possible to incorporate the real him much because he's not supposed to dance in the spotlight. His victory isn't Lalo's loss or anyone's loss too, he didn't grab someone else's property except his own to begin with. So It can't be helped, but of course if he's more prominent in the story somehow, it would be more amazing.
@Veshv
I think it didn't matter much since what Lalo fighting against is not everyone else, but Usogui. If Arata is actively trying to take what is in Lalo's possesion and then Lalo repelled him but Arata lived anyway, that would be cheapen Lalo's feats. Lalo also didn't try to gain the protoporos materialistic benefit except the vest. Their confrontation is simply a convenient development but not supposed to be the climax of Lalo's prowess.
Unlike you, I was let down by Arata's role and his supposed final moments in 417. I was really intrigued by his masterpiece that is protoporos, and I was very surprised when such a man made an appearance to actively affect the flow of the game. It made sense in some way, but it was himself who said the jigsaw puzzle is done by the most brilliant mind on the board. So his interference to begin with doesn't feel right for me, but I don't mind it too much. In the end, he became a fodder for Lalo's nightmare. It almost feels like he's being a convenient stepping stone to make Lalo's came back possible and prove Lalo's worth. That's just cheap imo. It would be better if Lalo gambled an actual kakerou match against him. Now if that happen, I would be bummed out if Arata didn't die in the end.
Him being actually alive is a much more fitting narrative for a man like Arata imo. It's just not possible to incorporate the real him much because he's not supposed to dance in the spotlight. His victory isn't Lalo's loss or anyone's loss too, he didn't grab someone else's property except his own to begin with. So It can't be helped, but of course if he's more prominent in the story somehow, it would be more amazing.
@Veshv
I think it didn't matter much since what Lalo fighting against is not everyone else, but Usogui. If Arata is actively trying to take what is in Lalo's possesion and then Lalo repelled him but Arata lived anyway, that would be cheapen Lalo's feats. Lalo also didn't try to gain the protoporos materialistic benefit except the vest. Their confrontation is simply a convenient development but not supposed to be the climax of Lalo's prowess.
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@Lie_Eater , thank you! And do you mean Anoma? (hopefully its that) He seems smart because he can easily predict what others are going to say and decently strong, despite his small size, because he was able to break the decently thick glass with just a tap. And he did it so nonchalantly as well.
One thing I'm curious about is why exactly Vincent requested him specifically. Because he doesn't seem that fond or Vincent or call him "boss", like Torpe did. Which makes me wonder if he's with IDEAL or not. He could be with IDEAL but have no loyalties (like Suteguma who was just there to survive), or have ulterior motivations (like Robert). And if he is not with IDEAL he could be an ally, like Floyd (who also had ulterior motivations), or even a part of something unrelated, like Bai Long.
We still do not know where the human diamonds come from, like are they made by IDEAL members or someone/thing else? And I see Anoma as like a middleman between Vincent and whoever makes the diamonds. He seemed to be already aware of the human diamond process which makes me think he was involved in the transfer of Caracal's corpse/diamond as well. And that is why Vincent requested him.
He seems like a fun character and I hope we see more of him. I wonder if we will get to see the aftermath of IDEAL and him playing a part in that.
@saxifraga
As Richard's self-proclaimed number #1 fan, it is my duty to defend our middle aged game developer with a god complex (Joking around). I understand your point and its a completely valid criticism! Here is just my perspective on things:
I totally get that the Arata subplot was "overshadowed" but I feel like that's the point. Richard wants to be a 3rd person observer. https://mangadex.org/chapter/753865/2 He did not want to interfere with the island himself (though he technically did by instilling the puppet, but that was not enough to change the state of the island). He wanted to watch others do it for him and then further propel his own goals off their actions. So it makes sense for him to be "overshadowed" cause he wants to be the omniscient narrator (who the readers don't focus on), not a character in the story. (Hope my point comes across decently).
And this may not be related, but if Richard's desire is to be an "observer," being an outlaw on the island in the first place makes that somewhat difficult imo. So it would kinda be contradictory for the real him to be there in the first place (though I could be wrong).
Edit: I just saw that @Petrichormus made like the same points as me, only worded much better.
One thing I'm curious about is why exactly Vincent requested him specifically. Because he doesn't seem that fond or Vincent or call him "boss", like Torpe did. Which makes me wonder if he's with IDEAL or not. He could be with IDEAL but have no loyalties (like Suteguma who was just there to survive), or have ulterior motivations (like Robert). And if he is not with IDEAL he could be an ally, like Floyd (who also had ulterior motivations), or even a part of something unrelated, like Bai Long.
We still do not know where the human diamonds come from, like are they made by IDEAL members or someone/thing else? And I see Anoma as like a middleman between Vincent and whoever makes the diamonds. He seemed to be already aware of the human diamond process which makes me think he was involved in the transfer of Caracal's corpse/diamond as well. And that is why Vincent requested him.
He seems like a fun character and I hope we see more of him. I wonder if we will get to see the aftermath of IDEAL and him playing a part in that.
@saxifraga
As Richard's self-proclaimed number #1 fan, it is my duty to defend our middle aged game developer with a god complex (Joking around). I understand your point and its a completely valid criticism! Here is just my perspective on things:
I totally get that the Arata subplot was "overshadowed" but I feel like that's the point. Richard wants to be a 3rd person observer. https://mangadex.org/chapter/753865/2 He did not want to interfere with the island himself (though he technically did by instilling the puppet, but that was not enough to change the state of the island). He wanted to watch others do it for him and then further propel his own goals off their actions. So it makes sense for him to be "overshadowed" cause he wants to be the omniscient narrator (who the readers don't focus on), not a character in the story. (Hope my point comes across decently).
And this may not be related, but if Richard's desire is to be an "observer," being an outlaw on the island in the first place makes that somewhat difficult imo. So it would kinda be contradictory for the real him to be there in the first place (though I could be wrong).
Edit: I just saw that @Petrichormus made like the same points as me, only worded much better.
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My goodness, the amount of people who are revealed to be alive keeps piling up. Richard Arata having been alive this whole time was killer. It also means that the "Richard Arata" we knew is still dead, still interesting, and unforgettable. How similar the real one is to the fake one may be revealed later. Honestly, I was disappointed that "Richard Arata" got played, killed, and was done in before he could do anything incredibly major in the Protoporos plot. This new reveal gives further characterization to "Richard Arata" and cements how important he really was to worldbuilding. It's also foreboding that the Protoporos hell isn't over yet for the players. I'm under the impression the "Surpass the Leader" challenge might actually end up like it did in the children's book - two kingdoms, led by former friends, fought.
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Bruh how could Champ and Ryuusei allow their friend to remain a slave while they are kings of Azura and Shoudo. Couldn’t they at least buy him a new outfit?
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@Ghetsis
I think that line is about the fake, my logic is that the fake was such a good fake that the entire narration applies to the fake probably even more than the real Richard. The trick would lie on finding out the point at which Richard starts using his avatars.
And I think Richard was using them from the moment he decided to create the island as an experiment, or probably even before that.
While his avatar was being tested along with everyone else, Richard just remained on the boat, he wasn't even on the island, the "real" Richard probably was never even a part of Protoporos Island beyond its development, he just observed, and on its observation had to see how his island avatar failed the test he himself created, and in the end Richard was not a part of the re-allocation because he didn't even participate.
Hell this Richard on the boat could be just another puppet, we don't see his face, but if Richard has truly decided to live life as an observer he could just have more avatars around to use as puppets, and it fits after all he went on to create a country under a mysterious power, and what could be more fitting than a president that turns out to be an actual puppet to some shadowy figure? a figure that everyone kind of knows, has heard about, but has't seen in years but has been watching them for years.
The new country may be a giant panopticon with the real Richard managing everything not from its core but from outside the panopticon, using his avatars and the developers to keep tabs on things.
I think that line is about the fake, my logic is that the fake was such a good fake that the entire narration applies to the fake probably even more than the real Richard. The trick would lie on finding out the point at which Richard starts using his avatars.
And I think Richard was using them from the moment he decided to create the island as an experiment, or probably even before that.
While his avatar was being tested along with everyone else, Richard just remained on the boat, he wasn't even on the island, the "real" Richard probably was never even a part of Protoporos Island beyond its development, he just observed, and on its observation had to see how his island avatar failed the test he himself created, and in the end Richard was not a part of the re-allocation because he didn't even participate.
Hell this Richard on the boat could be just another puppet, we don't see his face, but if Richard has truly decided to live life as an observer he could just have more avatars around to use as puppets, and it fits after all he went on to create a country under a mysterious power, and what could be more fitting than a president that turns out to be an actual puppet to some shadowy figure? a figure that everyone kind of knows, has heard about, but has't seen in years but has been watching them for years.
The new country may be a giant panopticon with the real Richard managing everything not from its core but from outside the panopticon, using his avatars and the developers to keep tabs on things.
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