Astral's Advent Observations: The Kuriquel - DAY 18!

Hola hola and welcome to another shiny new installment of Astral's Advent Observations: The Kuriquel! Lay your eyes upon these Kuriboh-related cards and let your eyebrow raise ever so slightly!

We're officially one week away from Christmas. Hope you guys have completed most of your pre-yule preparations!

Today's a unique one! Our first card to have no direct connection to the Kuriboh family (other than it just generally involving Level 1 Monsters)! It's One for One!

General Observation:

One for One is a Normal Spell that allows you to special summon a Level 1 Monster from your hand or deck for the price of one Monster in your hand. While this could handily be used in a Kuriboh-focused deck (since almost every previous Monster we've covered is Level 1), you could also use it to plant Monsters in your grave with effects that only activate there. (Such as Darklord Marie or Archfiend of Gilfer.) It also gives you more options for gathering tributes or Tuners for a Tribute or Synchro Summon respectively.

Trivia Observation:

Speaking of Syncho Summons, this card made its anime debut as part of Yusei Fudo's deck in Episode 28 of Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's. It was then used as a part of Yusei's bag of tricks in a couple subsequent 5D's episodes (as well as in non-canon scripted VA duels with Yami Yugi and Akiza) before going on to make a couple cameos in ARC-V's Synchro Dimension arc.

As far as general trivia goes, this card was first printed in the 2009 set Raging Battle and the two Monsters depicted on the card are Samsara Lotus and Scarr, Scout of Dark World.

Personal Observation:

Definitely a curveball today! Never imagined we'd get a non-specifically-Kuriboh-focused card after 17 straight days of just hairball-affiliated ones. It's also our third Ultra Rare! Weird.

One for One is going to the grave, but hop on back to The Lazy Shell tomorrow for the next day of Astral's Advent Observations: The Kuriquel!

Astral's Advent Observations: The Kuriquel - DAY 17!

Happy Holidays and welcome back to another fuzzy edition of Astral's Advent Observations: The Kuriquel, where I unearth a new Kuriboh card every day leading up until Christmas while also dishing out the occasional factoid.

17! My, how December flies by.

We've crossed into the Spirit World! It's Kuribon!

General Observation:

Kuribon's interesting. Rather than a discard effect, you have to put it in harm's way in order to use it. If Kuribon is attacked, you can negate all battle damage you would take from that particular altercation and return it back to your hand. However, you also have to increase your opponent's LP by the amount of their Monster's ATK, meaning you'll be helping them out unless you're squirrely. 

You can BE squirrely with Kuribon by using it in a combo with Bad Reaction to Simochi, a Trap Card that changes all LP your opponent gains through effects into damage. This'll allow you to use Kuribon as a landmine to take a big chunk out of their points and potentially change the whole game depending on how strong of a Monster they attack with.

Trivia Observation:

Kuribon was first printed in the TCG set Ancient Prophecy. It made its anime debut in Episode 18 of Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's as Luna's spirit partner and it followed her through many future appearances as one of her best duel spirit chums. Kuribon was actually the first original Kuriboh Monster that didn't belong to the main protagonist of one of the anime shows and would set a precedent for Kuriphoton to follow later. Like some Kuriboh spin-offs, this card's effect slightly differed in the anime, giving it the extra skill of voiding damage from a direct attack and being special summoned from your hand on the spot.

As for non-anime general trivia, Kuribon's name is a portmanteau of "Kuriboh" and "ribbon," hence the tail ribbon.

Personal Observation:

Kuribon is honestly ANOTHER one I somehow forgot existed until I started researching Kuribohrn despite its numerous anime appearances. A non-main protagonist using it is probably what threw me off.

Kuribon's gotta go back to decorating for the big day, but be back here tomorrow for another door and another Kuriboh on Astral's Advent Observations: The Kuriquel!

Astral's Advent Observations: The Kuriquel - DAY 8!

Welcome back to the start of another week of Astral's Advent Observations: The Kuriquel, where we're taking in that holiday spirit one Kuriboh-related card at a time.

The date is eight, so let's hope it's great!

Seems we've taken a break from the Winged Kuriboh family to be introduced to Junkuriboh!

General Observation:

After a couple curveballs, we're back to a pretty standard Kuriboh family Monster. Junkuriboh shares the common Kuriboh trait of its effect kicking in after its sent to the graveyard, however, in a bit of a unique twist, you can send it there using its effect either from your hand OR field. Said effect negates the activation of and destroys cards that have effects that specifically deal damage to you, regardless of whether it's a Spell, Trap, or Monster. Handy if you're facing an opponent whose strategy heavily relies on dealing effect damage or if you want to nip a card like Ectoplasmer in the bud early on in order to save your Monsters from being forcibly tributed.

Trivia Observation:

Junkuriboh was first printed in the TCG set Premium Gold: Infinite Gold. As you could probably guess by the name, Junkuriboh first appeared in the special bonus chapters of the Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's manga under the ownership of Yusei Fudo. Y'see, for years, Yusei was the ONLY Yu-Gi-Oh! protagonist to NOT have his own Kuriboh Monster and it took until even the 5D's manga had already ended (said special chapters were printed afterwards) for him to finally join the Kuriboh club. (Junkuriboh even has Yusei's "criminal" face mark, he was so custom-made for him.)

Junkuriboh's manga effect differed a bit from what eventually saw print in the TCG. Originally, Junkuriboh could negate attacks as well as effect damage, however the caveat for said effect was that said attack or damage HAD to be enough to potentially bring your LP down to 0. Guess they had to make his effect in the game more generally and less situationally useful.

Personal Observation:

Wow, I COMPLETELY forgot that those special chapters existed. Guess I need to reread the 5D's manga.

Junkuriboh's all done, but come back tomorrow for another card on Day 9 of Astral's Advent Observations: The Kuriquel!