Yu-Gi-Oh! GX - Episode 020

The Maiden in Love, known as The Strong Deck with Beloved Maiden! in the Japanese version, is the twentieth episode of the Yu-Gi-Oh! GX anime. A new transfer student named Blair Flannigan arrives at the Slifer Red dorm, and is assigned to room with Jaden Yuki and his friends. Jaden soon discovers that Blair is not who he appears to be.

Summary
At the Slifer Red dorm during dinner, Professor Banner introduces Blair Flannigan, who has just been admitted after taking a late entrance exam. Jaden Yuki assumes that he was assigned to Slifer due to his grades, and tries to make Blair feel better. However, Banner reveals that transfer students are automatically placed in the Red dorm, with the opportunity to move up open should they prove themselves. Furthermore, had Blair scored high enough on the exam that he'll likely be moved to Ra Yellow shortly. Due to lack of available rooms, Banner assigns Blair to room with Jaden, Syrus Truesdale and Chumley Huffington until he moves to Ra. The next morning, Chancellor Sheppard announces that Duel Academy's annual inter-school duel with North Academy is approaching, and that last year, Zane Truesdale was the Academy's representative, and won the duel. This year's representative has not yet been selected, and Sheppard urges all the students to study hard, stating any of them could end up representing Duel Academy.

Outside, Jaden sees Blair run off, and follows him. They end up at the Obelisk Blue dorm, and Blair climbs a tree to enter through a window, with Jaden still secretly following him. Blair moves to a beside cabinet, and begins looking through it until he finds a deck holder. He opens it, revealing a "Cyber Dragon". He then holds the deck holder to his own face, as if kissing it. Jaden sees Zane and three other Obelisk Blue students approaching and enters the room to warn Blair in an attempt to save him from being punished for trespassing. Jaden attempts to pull him away, and his hat falls off, as well as a hair clip, revealing much longer hair. Jaden realizes that Blair is in fact female, and she runs away, climbing back down the tree. Zane and Obelisk Blue students enter and catch Jaden, and are about to take him to Dr. Crowler's office. However, Zane notices the hair clip on the floor, and tells the other students to let Jaden go. That night, Blair calls Jaden outside, and asks why he didn't turn her in, while also requesting that he continue his silence in the matter. He asks why it needs to a be a secret in the first place, and she won't tell him. He suggest they duel, with him agreeing to keep quiet should he lose.

The duel begins, with Syrus, Chumley, Zane and Alexis Rhodes all watching. Blair Summons "Maiden in Love" in Attack Position, while Jaden Summons "Elemental Hero Avian" and attacks "Maiden in Love". She can't be destroyed in battle while in Attack Position, but Battle damage still occurs. Winged Kuriboh gives Jaden a look at what is happening in the spirit world, and "Avian" is kneeling beside "Maiden in Love", apologizing for harming her. Jaden tells "Avian" to pull himself together, perplexing the others, as they cannot see monster spirits as Jaden can. Blair reveals that any monster who battles with "Maiden in Love" receives a Maiden Counter, which manifests itself on "Avian" as a heart symbol. Blair equips "Maiden in Love" with "Cupid Kiss" and attacks. Jaden sees "Maiden in Love's" spirit run towards "Avian", professing her love for him. She trips, and "Avian" attempts to help her. She tells him to attack Jaden, and he does. Blair reveals that if "Maiden in Love" attacks a monster that has a Maiden Counter while equipped with "Cupid Kiss", control of that monster switches to Blair. She Sets a card to end her turn, and Jaden Summons "Elemental Hero Sparkman" and attacks "Avian". Blair activates her face-down "Defense Maiden", switching the attack target to "Maiden in Love", so "Sparkman" gains a Maiden Counter. Jaden sees "Avian's" spirit scolding "Sparkman" for attacking the maiden.

Blair activates "Happy Marriage", equipping it to "Maiden in Love", causing her attack to rise by that of "Avian". She then attacks "Sparkman" with "Maiden in Love", and the former is put under Blair's control due to the Maiden Counter and effect "Cupid Kiss". Both "Avian" and "Sparkman" attack directly, reducing Jaden to 400 Life Points. Believing a female monster might prove effective, Jaden Summons "Elemental Hero Burstinatrix". She calls both of the male Heroes pathetic, and Jaden plays "Burst Return", enabling him to place both of his male Heroes back into his hand. He then plays "Polymerization", fusing "Burstinatrix" with "Avian" to Fusion Summon "Elemental Hero Flame Wingman". He attacks, reducing Blair's Life Points to zero. Jaden tells her to talk to Zane, and she admits that she was the one that snuck into his dorm room, and confesses her love to him. Alexis attempts to convince her that it's not really love, and she assumes that she wasn't Zane for herself and that they will be rivals for his affections. Zane states he's flattered, and gives her the hair clip back, but tells her she has to go home. Jaden objects, thinking she could simply stay at the Obelisk Blue dorm with the other female students, and Zane reveals that she's an elementry school student, and simply too young to attend Duel Academy. Jaden is shocked that he nearly lost to someone so young. Blair is sent home on the next ferry, and she waves to Jaden as she leaves, revealing she doesn't love Zane anymore. Instead, she's fallen in love with Jaden.

Blair's Turn

 * Summons "Maiden in Love" (ATK: 400 / DEF: 300) in Attack Position.

Jaden's Turn

 * Normal Summons "Elemental Hero Avian" (ATK: 1000 / DEF: 1000) in Attack Position.
 * Attacks "Maiden in Love", who cannot be destroyed in battle as long as she is in Attack Position (Blair 3400). This adds a Maiden Counter to "Elemental Hero Avian".

Blair's Turn

 * Equips "Maiden in Love" with "Cupid Kiss".
 * Attacks "Elemental Hero Avian" (Blair 2800), with "Cupid Kiss" activating, giving Blair control of "Elemental Hero Avian" since he has a Maiden Counter.
 * Attacks directly (Jaden 3000).
 * Sets a card.

Jaden's Turn

 * Normal Summons "Elemental Hero Sparkman" (ATK: 1600 / DEF: 1400) in Attack Position.
 * Attacks "Elemental Hero Avian", but Blair activates her face-down "Defense Maiden", which redirects the attack to "Maiden in Love" (Blair 1600). "Elemental Hero Sparkman" gets a Maiden Counter.

Blair's Turn

 * Equips "Maiden in Love" with "Happy Marriage", increasing her ATK by "Elemental Hero Avian's", to 1400.
 * Attacks "Elemental Hero Sparkman" with "Maiden in Love" (Blair 1400), with "Cupid Kiss" activating, giving Blair control of "Elemental Hero Sparkman".
 * Attacks directly with "Elemental Hero Sparkman" (Jaden 1400).
 * Attacks directly with "Elemental Hero Avian" (Jaden 400).

Jaden's Turn

 * Normal Summons "Elemental Hero Burstinatrix" (ATK: 1200 / DEF: 800) in Attack Position.
 * Activates "Burst Return", returning "Elemental Hero Avian" and "Elemental Hero Sparkman" to his hand.
 * Activates "Polymerization", fusing "Elemental Hero Burstinatrix" with "Elemental Hero Avian" to Fusion Summon "Elemental Hero Flame Wingman" (ATK: 2100 / DEF: 1200) in Attack Position.
 * Attacks "Maiden in Love" (Blair 0).
 * Jaden wins.

Differences in adaptations
The English version cuts a scene early in the episode in which Judai asks if Rei wants to take a bath with the rest of them. He claims he has a cold and declines. Judai, Sho and Hayato discuss the situation as they wash each others backs, and Judai doesn't question that his back is being washed when no one is sitting behind him. They switch, and it's shown that a bear was washing Judai's back, and even more illogically, a dugong was washing the bear's.

In the Japanese version, Judai warns Rei that if he's caught, students may assume he is a spy from North Academy. When the Obelisk Blue students catch Jaden, they accuse him of being a spy. In the English version, Jaden simply says Blair will be expelled if he's caught.

When Blair drops Zane Truesdale's Deck, the "Cyber Twin Dragon" and "Cyber End Dragon" that was present in the Japanese version are changed to "Amorphous Barrier" and another Trap Card in the English version. In a separate shot, the same copy of "Cyber Twin Dragon" is changed to "Steam Gyroid".

In the Japanese version, Rei's age is not stated, but in the English version, Blair is stated to be only eight years old, and in second grade. The Japanese version has her as a fifth-grade student, so she would be eleven or twelve.