I'm such a dork, I love talking about Ryuuji. It’s been a while since I read those chapters, and I’m typing this in a rush, so please excuse the lack of any actual sense ^^.
Ok. In the manga, Yugi's grandfather is not the person who actually finds the puzzle, Ryuuji's father is. The puzzle and its powers were actually intended for Ryuuji, but his father ends up playing a really scary occult game with Yugi's grandfather, and ends up losing. As a result, Yugi's grandfather gets the puzzle, and Ryuuji's father starts to mysteriously age very rapidly and becomes very grotesque looking.
Not being the forgiving sort, Ryuuji’s father (who is only known in the manga as “Mr Clown’, as that is what he is *constantly* dressed as) dedicates his life to seeking revenge on Yugi’s grandfather, and basically uses his son as a pawn to achieve this. He trains Ryuuji in various areas, and the whole reason they move to Domino (where they open a game shop) is to take revenge on Yugi’s grandfather through destroying Yugi, and to take back the puzzle and Yami.
At this stage, it is perhaps important to note that Ryuuji’s father is practically drowning in all this occult stuff, and Ryuuji appears to know a fair bit as well – for instance, Ryuuji knows all about Yami and his powers, and the way he deliberately humiliates Jounouchi during class (similar to the anime scene) is simply to draw Yami out so he can face him. Not only does Ryuuji seem to know more about Yami and the puzzle than Yami does, but Ryuuji can instantly tell when Yami takes over control of Yugi. It’s one of the real missed opportunities of the series; the way Ryuuji’s knowledge was never fully explored.
Anyway, back to the plot. Ryuuji and Yami end up playing a game at school with normal cards, which Yami wins. Ryuuji is all pissed, and the version we see of him at school is very much like his anime persona. Arrogant, bitchy. When he goes home however, we see a very different Ryuuji. Around his father, Ryuuji is amazingly polite and very formal – pretty damn submissive. When Ryuuji tells his father that he faced Yami and lost, his father actually hits him. With a whip. Did I mention that his father carries the whip around with him everywhere? Immediately afterwards, his father apologises, and asks Ryuuji if he is all right, too which Ryuuji replies that he is (*snorts*, not likely), and that he is the one who is sorry. It doesn’t come across well in typing, but it shows how amazingly manipulative his father is, and just how much Ryuuji is completely under his thumb. It’s at that point that you really start to get the feeling that Ryuuji is a little screwed up.
The next day, Jounouchi, Honda and Yugi visit Ryuuji’s father shop for its grand opening. Ryuuji’s father separates Yugi from the others, and locks him in a room with a DDM game board, and Ryuuji. Ryuuji’s father forces Yugi to play against Ryuuji even though Yugi doesn’t know the rules of the game. The puzzle is broken, and so Yugi has to duel Ryuuji as himself, as opposed to letting Yami do it – a huge difference from the anime.
Part one (word count too long. Damn it)
Ok. In the manga, Yugi's grandfather is not the person who actually finds the puzzle, Ryuuji's father is. The puzzle and its powers were actually intended for Ryuuji, but his father ends up playing a really scary occult game with Yugi's grandfather, and ends up losing. As a result, Yugi's grandfather gets the puzzle, and Ryuuji's father starts to mysteriously age very rapidly and becomes very grotesque looking.
Not being the forgiving sort, Ryuuji’s father (who is only known in the manga as “Mr Clown’, as that is what he is *constantly* dressed as) dedicates his life to seeking revenge on Yugi’s grandfather, and basically uses his son as a pawn to achieve this. He trains Ryuuji in various areas, and the whole reason they move to Domino (where they open a game shop) is to take revenge on Yugi’s grandfather through destroying Yugi, and to take back the puzzle and Yami.
At this stage, it is perhaps important to note that Ryuuji’s father is practically drowning in all this occult stuff, and Ryuuji appears to know a fair bit as well – for instance, Ryuuji knows all about Yami and his powers, and the way he deliberately humiliates Jounouchi during class (similar to the anime scene) is simply to draw Yami out so he can face him. Not only does Ryuuji seem to know more about Yami and the puzzle than Yami does, but Ryuuji can instantly tell when Yami takes over control of Yugi. It’s one of the real missed opportunities of the series; the way Ryuuji’s knowledge was never fully explored.
Anyway, back to the plot. Ryuuji and Yami end up playing a game at school with normal cards, which Yami wins. Ryuuji is all pissed, and the version we see of him at school is very much like his anime persona. Arrogant, bitchy. When he goes home however, we see a very different Ryuuji. Around his father, Ryuuji is amazingly polite and very formal – pretty damn submissive. When Ryuuji tells his father that he faced Yami and lost, his father actually hits him. With a whip. Did I mention that his father carries the whip around with him everywhere? Immediately afterwards, his father apologises, and asks Ryuuji if he is all right, too which Ryuuji replies that he is (*snorts*, not likely), and that he is the one who is sorry. It doesn’t come across well in typing, but it shows how amazingly manipulative his father is, and just how much Ryuuji is completely under his thumb. It’s at that point that you really start to get the feeling that Ryuuji is a little screwed up.
The next day, Jounouchi, Honda and Yugi visit Ryuuji’s father shop for its grand opening. Ryuuji’s father separates Yugi from the others, and locks him in a room with a DDM game board, and Ryuuji. Ryuuji’s father forces Yugi to play against Ryuuji even though Yugi doesn’t know the rules of the game. The puzzle is broken, and so Yugi has to duel Ryuuji as himself, as opposed to letting Yami do it – a huge difference from the anime.
(continued in part two below)