Episode 023: Burnout! The Moke Moke Duel/S1E23: The Little Belowski
In this post, I'm going to review and compare the subbed and dubbed versions of Yugioh GX episode 23. This episode features my personal favorite one-off duelist in the series, and…well, there’s a lot to say for this one.
Moke Moke!
Episode Review
The sub starts with Shou recapping the school rep qualifier match and providing exposition. The dub cuts this and skips to the actual opening scene with Chronos/Crowler at the chicken coop. Once again the dub is a little more upfront with the episode premise compared to the sub, mentioning "Duel Academy's most dangerous specimen" and Belowski's name where the sub has him allude to what's coming with a Pandora's box reference. Otherwise, aside from a flurry of fowl puns in the dub the scene is about the same.
After that, Judai's feelings as everyone offers Judai their cards are different between versions. In the sub he doesn't care about the school's reputation and just wants to have fun; the interschool match is just the means by which he gets a fun new duel.
Judai: Aww, shut up! Don't butt in!
Misawa: We aren't butting in for nothing - your upcoming duel is a battle with the academy's prestige at stake! To that end, we hoped to battle with you--
Asuka: That's right! It is for the academy, after all!
Judai: Screw that! Who says I'm dueling for the academy?! This is my duel! I'm just doing it to have fun!
Jaden feels more responsibility in the dub, and stresses over representing the school well:
Jaden: What I need is some time to think!
Bastion: There's no need to be rude, Jaden. We're only trying to help. After all, you've been selected as the academy's representative at the school duel.
Alexis: This is huge! And if you don't win, it's going to be a huge disappointment.
Jaden: Aw, come on! Like there's not enough pressure on me already?! I know the school's counting on me! But all I can duel is my best!
When Judai/Jaden runs off, his friends reiterate the cards they want him to use in the sub. The dub changes it up by adding some "You can't be alone all by yourself!" jokes...
...and a Chumley fat joke, of course.
Judai runs to the roof mentioning that it's his "special spot," whereas Jaden has a quip about his friends. The former is a running gag for this episode among others (we saw this in episode 9, for example). For Motegi/Belowski's intro Motegi is introduced as more meandering whereas Belowski gets to the point and then meanders:
Judai: Wh-why are you in my special spot when no one else knows about it?
Motegi: 'Cause the weather's great!
Judai: The weather?
Motegi: Up here, the sun's nice and warm, the clouds are floating... You don't feel like doing anything...
Jaden: No offense, but I was hoping to find some peace and quiet. What're you doing up here?
Belowski: I'm up here to duel you, Jaden!
Jaden: Who are you?
Belowski: Just a dude with a deck. Call me Belowski. You ever notice how clouds look like duel monsters if you look really close?
Belowski’s name and characterization are a reference to The Big Lebowski, a 1998 cult film that (checks Wikipedia) is rated R, the plot of which is entirely unrelated to this episode beyond the protagonist doing weed (comparing the Moke Moke effect to a drug trip), and as of time of writing is currently ranked #44 on the Wikipedia page "List of films that most frequently use the word fuck." This was not a reference intended for the kids, although the episode stands without understanding that.
Then we get to the major difference in how Motegi/Belowski is introduced. Motegi is here to purposefully pique Judai's interest as a mysterious duelist who sees spirits, the first we’ve seen since Hayato (not that 4KIDS is interesting in acknowledging it for Chumley).
Motegi: I know it's random, but let's duel!
Judai: Wh-what's that about? And he just said he didn't want to do anything...
Motegi: This is a different story. I mean, you'd want to have a duel against a guy who knew about duel spirits, wouldn't you? Well?
Judai: I get it... So this guy's a duelist with some special power too, huh?
While Belowski is more casual about spirits and instead spouts incomprehensible hippie talk.
Belowski: Anyhow, let's duel!
Jaden: Again with the dueling. He must think I'm easy pickings 'cause I'm in Red.
Belowski: Red, blue, yellow, who cares?! Those are just symbols the man uses to try to propagate social division! See...it's all a conspiracy of the political-industrial complex to permeate the so-called free market.
Jaden: Sure! Whatevs! Let's just throw down!
Hang on let’s back up.
Belowski: Red, blue, yellow, who cares?! Those are just symbols the man uses to try to propagate social division!
…I know the joke is that he’s talking incomprehensible hippie rhetoric but like, the ranked dorm system as part of a larger social inequality at the school is in fact what’s going on in the sub version of GX at least. I’ve been discussing this for over twenty episodes. Belowski reached across the language barrier and spoke truths from another reality.
Then Judai's friends enter, and for the second time the dub rewrites the little detail that Judai's secret spots aren't as secret as he thinks they are:
Shou: Hey! Big Bro, you were up here!
Judai: C'mon... How'd you know about this spot?
Shou: Well, you're always here when you skip class, Big Bro!
The dub foregoes this and instead has ask Syrus who the new guy is. Chronos follows up on the secret spot talk, noting that he also knows where Judai comes to skip class, and then gloats about Motegi's powers. Crowler instead gloats and then has a joke about his protective suit.
When the duel starts and Motegi/Belowski summons Moke Moke, the peanut gallery comments on how "mellow" he is in the sub and his cuteness in the dub, both leading into the idea of sleepytime. The dub once again removes the mention of Flame Wingman as Judai's favorite monster (RIP).
The next few turns don't have any significant changes beyond Belowski's general Belowski-isms up until the Angered Moke Moke/Moke Moke Smackdown play, where Motegi is more soft-spoken leading into his attack and Belowski is more direct (not all that different from Maiden in Love a few episodes ago, actually):
Motegi: Um, do you mind if... I kinda want to have Moke Moke attack Flame Wingman...
Belowski: Now where was I? Oh, yeah. I was about to have my Mokey Mokey attack your Flame Wingman.
And then Belowski tosses out more "chill" lines both during the attack and during his follow-up plays. When Judai demands to know what Motegi/Belowski did to the others, Motegi doesn't explain while Belowski says he "freed their minds."
The dub cuts a line/shot from Chronos, mostly wordplay in the sub mixing his laugh with the "moke moke" mantra and his speaking quirk (roughly "Mokeke no ke, na no nae!").
Then we get into backstory. Three years ago, Motegi was formerly DA's top student until his dueling style suddenly changed, and his opponents started losing ambition and dropping out. Chronos calls this his "Burnout Dueling." Belowski instead was left at DA as a baby and was raised as a student there. In both, Motegi is said to be a strong duelist.
Interestingly, Crowler almost seems aware of duel spirits in his explanation: "No! I mean how Mokey Mokey comes alive when he duels with him. ...Powers and all! Powers that lull everyone around him into a lazy daze, like your friends! And soon...like you!"
Chronos, by comparison, is aware that Motegi has powers but Motegi is the one to mention his connection to Moke Moke: "I don't get why it happens, but ever since I met my Moke Moke, everyone gets like that when I duel..." As shown below, Chronos isn't aware of the spirit side of things.
The explanation of Motegi/Belowski's containment is mostly the same, but the dub puts more emphasis on how the school is imprisoning him gilded cage style: "Jail's such an ugly word. We prefer mandatory restraint habitat."
And then of course we get into Motegi/Belowski's different motives for starting this duel. Motegi is doing this out of his own beliefs, thinking Judai’s Winged Kuriboh would be happier not having to duel.
Judai: Then, why'd you go and bring him outside? You don't even want to duel, do you?
Motegi: Yeah. But once I heard about you from Instructor Chronos, I got some kind of a hunch. I was wondering if you might be able to use duel spirits like I can...
Chronos: Spirits?
Motegi: See, I want to set your cute spirit free from dueling! Not having a care in the world like this is what makes a spirit happy, y'know.
Judai: Sorry, but it doesn't sound like it is. My partner's saying that it's having fun getting to duel here and now!
Belowski is instead…Crowler’s…personal child assassin???
Jaden: Sure it was [a paradise]. And just like an island, he was completely stranded there, huh?
Belowski: Nah, man, it's all good! I just chill, and then every time there's a student Dr. C wants me to take care of, I get to come out. You know. Duel, whatever. It's a pretty sweet gig.
Crowler: That's right!
Belowski: Plus...I get plenty of time to hang with my monster crew and spin our wheels and stuff. And, dude? We have some deep talks, too. We're totally unraveling the universe. You should join us!
Jaden: Hmm? No, thanks. We're good here. Dueling is our thing. So how about we get back to it?
This episode is full of severely messed up implications in both versions but, wow. Belowski is a stoned Winter Soldier. All right then.
(courtesy of @eleanorose123)
The rest of the duel goes about the same, including the line where Judai/Jaden says he's too busy having fun to succumb to the Moke Moke effect. The post-duel conversation is a bit different, with the dub adding a new explanation as to why Jaden didn't fall asleep.
Judai: Gotcha! That was a really fun duel! You got pretty heated-up yourself, too!
Motegi: It's not as easy as it looks to stay relaxed, y'know.
Judai: Tell me about it! It's 'cause dueling's so much fun!
Motegi: Yep. I guess it's nice to get wrapped up in a match like you sometimes... But for now, I'm spent from trying too hard... Night...
Jaden: That's game! And what a game! I actually thought you had me a few times!
Belowski: Yeah, but I don't get it. Why didn't you trance out?
Jaden: Why would I? When I sleep, I dream of dueling!
Belowski: Ohhhhh... I think I get it. You love dueling so much, The more Mokey Mokey tried to zonk you out, the more revved up you got! ...Good to know... For next time. But now? I need a nice, long nap. Later!
The episode closes out with a few additional jokes in the dub, calling back to the beginning of the episode.
And that's game! Gotcha!
Spoiler Zone
Read below for more, but the point that Judai focuses on fun and not responsibility is going to be extremely relevant in future seasons, at least the sub version. (I can’t make claims about the dub version until I’ve seen the relevant episodes.) For example - and this is by no means exhaustive - it’s part of the main contrast between him and Edo (Aster) as hero users/lovers; it’s relevant to Judai’s interactions with the Society of Light; Professor Satou (Stein) calls him out it in season 3, leading into responsibility as a theme in the sub version of season 3; and then in season 4 Judai overcorrects and has to relearn how to have fun when he’s been burdened with responsibility. Obviously this was not known to 4KIDS in 2005, but it is still worth mentioning for retrospective.
Also on the point of Judai’s secret spots, people keep seeking him out at said spots as far as season 4 (episode 167) so even if it’s not that important in the long run I’m a little sad that the dub eliminates the joke.
Final Thoughts
This is…an extremely weird episode in terms of dub changes.
First off, as previously mentioned the decision to reference an R-rated movie to make stoner jokes about the duelist of the week in a dub where the alcohol gets censored into hot sauce…sure is a choice. This isn’t the first time adult jokes and references are made in kids’ media and won’t be the last, but I just want to get that out there as a point about the dub’s localization choices because this won’t be the last time for GX either.
Second, the dub changes Belowski’s backstory (and age) compared to the sub. Motegi is a mysterious student who was normal up until he developed powers and has since been locked up in a blissful haze. Belowski is an Academy-raised assassin who now serves as Crowler’s personal dueling Winter Soldier. Absolutely wild. Motegi is one of my favorite characters in GX on the pure basis that I think his case is super messed-up (DA just casually indefinitely imprisoning a kid for supernatural powers and all) and now the dub’s managed to find a way to make it even more messed up. Amazing. Will this ever be followed up on? Unfortunately not, except on on my conspiracy board.
Relatedly, Crowler seeming to know something about Belowski and his connection with Moke Moke has slight implications toward public knowledge about duel spirits. We saw a little bit about that previously with the Jinzo episode too, where learning forbidden summoning rituals is apparently part of the curriculum.
Last, there’s a couple of different minor details about Judai that are changed or cut to make Jaden feel like a different character. Judai not caring about the responsibility of representing the school is a major one, because it feeds into his characterization as someone who only cares for fun and not larger consequences. Discussing the relevance in more detail edges into spoilers for future seasons, so check the Spoiler Zone for that. Judai’s secret spots being well-known to his friends (and Chronos) is less important, but I thought it was a cute point of continuity that the dub eliminates.
Mokey Mokey King is used by Mokeo Motegi (Belowski in the English dub). Its stats are the following:
Attribute: LIGHT
Level: 6
Type: FAIRY / FUSION / EFFECT
Effect Type: TRIGGER
Effect (according to the anime): “When this card is removed from the field, you can Special Summon as many “Mokey Mokey” as possible from your Graveyard.”
ATK / DEF: 300 / 100
Propaganda:
More Mokey? More Mokey.
Big Koala is used by Hayato Maeda (Chumley Huffington in the English dub). Its stats are the following:
Attribute: EARTH
Level: 7
Type: BEAST
Description (according to the anime): “A species of huge Des Koala. He's meek, but people are afraid of him because he's very powerful.”
