My most anticipated fight barring the final fights has finally arrived and it is as great as I expected it to be. I only have one problem with the episode but like an actual review, I’ll just put it at the end of this. Gather around folks, it’s time to see the birth of Yugioh and the concept of Shadow Games where you lose your soul if you lose, this is D’ARBY THE GAMBLER.
The Joestar crew finally reach the capital of Cairo but now are left with the ordeal of finding DIO’s mansion from the spirit photograph within the vast city. The crew arrive at a cafe where they ask around the customers and bartender the location of the mansion. They are unsuccessful in their information mining but as they are about to leave, a voice from the back of the cafe confirms that he knows its location. The crew approach him and the man displays his skills with card tricks as he states that he definitely knows the mansion’s location. Joseph offers him money to share the information but the man would rather bet the information away in a small gambling match. While Joseph is insistent that he takes the money and be done with it, the man throws two pieces of fish out in the open where a cat notices them. The man then wagers the information on which piece of meat the cat will choose. Polnareff steps in to end this deal and bets on the right piece of meat.
The man bets on the left but tells Polnareff that when he himself loses, he will reveal the house’s location. However, if Polnareff is to lose, he will have to offer up something of equal value. The man specifies that Polnareff must bet his soul to this match and Polnareff agrees. The cat approaches the right piece but instead swifts to the left and takes both pieces and runs off. The man confirms that Polnareff has lost the bet and reveals his Stand’s ability as one who steals souls. Sure enough, Polnareff’s soul is dragged out of his body where it is then reformed into a poker chip by the man’s stand. The man reveals his Stand Osiris and his name of Daniel J D’arby. The cat from before comes near and D’arby reveals that this is also his cat. Avdol is furious but D’arby warns him not to try and kill him as if he is to die, Polnareff’s soul under him will die as well.
D’arby admits that he has cheated but states that it is not strictly cheating if the victim did not figure out it sooner. D’arby reveals his collection of poker chips representing the people he has defeated and with certain pride, he offers the Joestar crew to either run or continue their gambling. Joesph then prepares a class of alcohol and asks if “Barbie” knows what surface tension is. D’arby corrects Joseph’s mistake and is aware of what surface tension is and asks how that is relevant. Joseph unveils his challenge to D’arby and bets to see who can insert enough coins while not breaking the surface tension in the full glass. D’arby accepts after inspecting the glass and Joseph agrees to wager his soul. D’arby is given the first turn and he inserts 5 coins. Joseph follows up with only 1 but Jotaro sees that Joseph has a wet piece of cotton to add more liquid to the glass. Joesph gets away clean but when D’arby’s turn arrives, he switches his angle away from the sun and is able to add one more coin. Joseph is astonished as his trick does not seem to have worked and after a few seconds, his soul is whisked away by Osiris who forms it into a poker chip. D’arby reveals that Joseph had already admitted defeat in his mind and thus, his souls was easily taken.
With 2 of the Crusader’s taken out, Avdol and Jotaro remain. Avdol gets angry again and grabs D’arby but the latter reminds him again that killing him now would mean the loss of both Polnareff and Joseph’s souls. Jotaro finally realizes what D’arby has done and reveals to Avdol that when D’arby first inspected the glass, he added a piece of chocolate beneath the glass to tilt it. When D’arby moved away from the sun, the chocolate melted and the level was evened out for one more coin to fit. D’arby is released from Avdol’s grip and Jotaro challenges him to a game of poker, D’arby’s favorite game.
One small thing for me to note. I was somewhat disappointed with the new D’arby’s voice since I LOVED Kenji Utsumi’s (God rest his soul) take on the character. Hell, I think I liked the All Star Battle version a bit better too. This D’arby’s voice is a bit too informal compared to other two. Sure it’s gentlemanly but it isn’t as smooth and charismatic as the others. I guess my opinion that the one of the handful of things the OVA got right was D’arby.
Lair of the Idle 