Hello! If it's not asking too much, could you explain 'Duel at MA Noon' and what's your take on it? I struggled to follow the thread of the story and I don't get what the message is supposed to be. To clarify, I have listened to the first part on the drama CD. Maybe I just have a reading comprehension problem lol. Besides, is this considered canon since Yuuri breaking off the engagement is never acknowledged again?
Thanks in advance if you reply.
Hi there!
I've just realized that I've never made an analysis on it! Duel at MA Noon is so important, as it sets precedent on how much Yuuri likes Wolf. I'm glad you brought it up. Sensei wrote this story specifically to address the haters of this couple. Let's get to it!
But before I start with the analysis and 'my take' on the story, let's address some of the other points you mentioned.
Timeline: Duel at MA Noon (2005) takes place chronologically after novel 5, before the Caloria arc. Their engagement is very much still on, according to every novel, every manga, every cd and every material that has been released by the author in every canon for the past 17 years.
Marriage: Not only are they very much engaged, but in the future that the author wrote for the canon story (continued in 2019), they're very much married. Legally. So yeah, they're engaged in the 'novel present' and the author already let everyone know they will be legally married in the future.
Homophobia: Yuuri and Wolf also live as a family with Greta in every iteration of maruma? If they were a cis guy and a cis girl living the exact same story, no one would doubt their relationship. The only reason why people get stuck on stuff like this is due to homophobia. Conscious or unconscious.
Like I've said many times, if you need a translation of this story, I made one here:
https://marumafan.tumblr.com/post/163985363669/english-version-of-kyou-kara-maou
Current manga: Kyou Kara Maou S, the current manga (2022), written by Takabayashi-sensei has Wolf's description set as Yuuri's fiancé. It's info from this year.
"Never addressed again": You said the breaking off of the engagement was never addressed again. I think the explanation is in the story that you inquire about.
Now, onto my analysis and opinion of Duel at MA Noon!
(spoilers below)
1) Setup
The story begins with Yuuri waking up from a 'sexy dream', that involved sexy time with Wolf and Conrad watching them go at it . Yuuri takes a shower while exposing himself constantly to Wolf, then when he leaves the shower Conrad shows up to wrap a towel around him. As they have breakfast, a photograph of Yuuri and Wolf that was taken while they were having a stroll, was published on a newspaper and Yuuri gets upset. Then Wolf starts imagining what their wedding would be like. He's childish, he's thinking about Yuuri's wedding dress and party.
(Let's remember this was pre-Caloria arc Wolf. The Wolf that hadn't almost lost Yuuri, the Wolf that hadn't insulted Shinou's Priestess and almost burned down the shrine. The Wolf that hadn't yet gone to the ends of the Earth to find Yuuri on human land, defying Gwen. This was childish Wolf, learning how to live with a fiancé and a newly adopted daughter. )
Yuuri, upset about the dream, the photo, and Wolf's insistence on the wedding and putting him in a dress, blows up and says that he wants to 'break off the engagement'.
My opinion : 16 year old teen doesn't wanna get married yet! Shocker! He's struggling with his own sexuality, confused about the sexy dreams, and the photos! He's being pressure into a 'wedding' and he snaps.
Says he wants to break off the engagement so that they leave him alone and give him time. Again, if you've met anyone struggling with their sexuality, you'll see how much they fight the idea that they 'might not be straight'.
This is my interpretation. Why? Why not interpret it as "well, he actually doesn't like Wolf?" BECAUSE HE SLEEPS WITH WOLF! XD Forever! And never actually breaks the engagement. They're forever a couple! He calls Wolf "daddy", please! He's naked in front of Wolf as much as he can "practicing naked baseball" whatever that means every night! XDD Do you roam around naked in front of your 'friend' that you sleep with? No! XD
2) Confrontation
Yuuri needs to get away for a while. Ends up talking with Gwen and Gunter about what happened. They say that Yuuri's sexy dream was a "bad omen" and to save the country they all have to cross-dress and Yuuri needs to be in a 'duel', according to Anissina's dream premonitions book.
Then off they go, and while walking in the forest, Yuuri encounters Wolf.
They're going to have a 'duel' again. One just like the duel in novel 1 that Wolf (who wanted to challenge the engagement as to cancel it) lost and Yuuri won (keeping the engagement in place). Well, here they are, having a re-match. Will they stay engaged or not?
Before the match Yuuri says: "…… Win or lose, let's have dinner tonight" to Wolf.
Their 'rematch' however, gets cancelled by Conrad's traps, that gets them hanging upside down from trees, touching noses and realizing how stupid the entire thing was.
My opinion: The grown ups involved here know the kids are being dumb and stop them from getting hurt, while helping them realize their feelings.
The "necessary" cross-dressing here continues for me, the idea that 'Yuuri is struggling with his sexuality' in general. Was it only due to comedic relief? They could have worn giant bear suits instead… why girl clothes?
Cutest moment: Yuuri verbalizes to Wolf how he feels. Regardless of what happens, he wants to continue being with Wolf.
3) Resolution
The story ends up with Yuuri and Wolf enjoying their evening together, chatting happily, continuing their life as usual. Not caring what people will say. Yuuri says that "titles don't matter", that only what you feel for the other person matters.
My opinion: So "whether or not someone has the title of fiancé means nothing; love is all there is". Sensei is addressing the haters here directly. To all of the haters who kept saying that "Yuuri and Wolf's engagement isn't real because Yuuri didn't know about the slap" , sensei says: "They're still in love and living together whether you consider their engagement real or not."
Sensei has dropped other stuff like this as well. She has also 'complained' about BL pairing order. In a conversation between Gunter and Badwik, she says that the 'pair order doesn't matter' (I'm paraphrasing, but this is in the drama cd about Gunters love diary (24), track 6)
Takabayashi-sensei has been fighting stereotypes and haters for a while. If people would actually read what she writes they'd understand it a little better.
So are they still ENGAGeD oh mah Gah!?!
Yeah, they are. But if they weren't, it wouldn't make a difference. They're in love. That's the story.
That's Duel at MA Noon.
Ps. Also Wolfram slaps Yuuri’s cheek back in Caloria arc. If their engagement was somehow ‘off’ it was back on after that.
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