Inuyasha Manga: 333 Yadori Sanagi

If three's a charm, this one must be extra special. I feel lucky already, because the translation note at the bottom of the title page telling me that the name of this chapter not only refers to the name of the youkai featured in it, but also that it translates roughly to "lodging pupa". Now, I'm not sure what THAT means in and of itself, considering pupa tend to be provided with their OWN lodging by design, but at least I don't have to go out of my way to look this one up.

Not that I'm particularly consistent about doing that to begin with.

That's one WILD looking pupal stage, though. 

There are a group of concerned-looking villagers who call this creature "Okitsune-sama", fretting over its VIOLENT appearance, and begging it to calm itself. At its feet, Inuyasha, Miroku, and Sango appear, battle-ready. Inuyasha holds up his hand and makes a show of cracking his knuckles, calling this a wimpy youkai, because apparently he didn't listen to the villagers who addressed it in somewhat reverent terms. He vows to rip it apart with one strike. 

The village men stutter at this and reiterate to Inuyasha that they asked him to CALM DOWN the creature, not rip it apart. Inuyasha makes a confused noise, and his bafflement is more obvious still when he is told to stand back by Miroku as he and Sango step to the fore, Miroku pointing out that this creature is clearly a fox god. Sango affirms this, adding that it's been possessed by something, a strange glare/glow coming off the base of its neck. 

Miroku throws some paper charms at the spot. 

Creepy bug! Creepy bug!

Sango announces the parasite has been separated from its host and lunges for it, slashing it apart with one swing of Hiraikotsu. A bit like smashing a flea with a hammer, but it does the trick. Shippou and Kagome seem enthusiastic about Sango and Miroku's work, but Inuyasha scoffs. The village men are a bit more concerned about the fate of their fox god, though. Miroku assures them that it'll be fine now, since the evil has vanished. As though to affirm Miroku's view, the god arcs through the sky in a much more peaceful and ethereal form, and Miroku suggests it's probably returning to its shrine. 

Later, as they chill in a bigger village house, a host thanks the group for their efforts, because killing the protecting god of the area would have been unthinkable. 

Sango is anything BUT as ease, however. She mutters about how the attached youkai she smashed earlier was a bit worrying. Kagome asks if she's familiar with the creature, and Sango calls it by the name of the chapter: Yadori Sanagi. She says it's not a strong youkai, being a parasite that uses much bigger and stronger youkai, but she's never heard of one possessing a god. I've never heard of what exactly the difference between a god and a youkai is supposed to be to begin with, so I guess we're both confused. 

Miroku asks her if they should investigate this, but Inuyasha demands they all hold on a second. He reminds them that they're trying to find Naraku, and this isn't the time to be bothering with small fry youkai, admitting irritation with the fact that they don't have any clues for their real objective. Miroku dryly states how regular it is for Inuyasha to be irritated though, and Shippou adopts a lofty expression as he says how understandable it is that Inuyasha would be in such a bad mood after having done NOTHING of note today. He really shouldn't have sat next to Inuyasha, because Inuyasha takes advantage of his position to whack him upside the head for his cheek, telling him not to comment on that so proudly. Kid has gotten punched so often he just doesn't even notice it anymore. 

That night, with the trees rustling ominously outside, Shippou lies awake among his sleeping friends, tucked into Kagome's futon, thinking about how strong the wind is. A soft clatter sounds at the door and at first he wonders if it's a bird or something, but when he turns to look...

I would shit my SOUL. 

Shippou stutters, trying to utter the name of the parasite bug to alert his friends. Inuyasha appears kneeling behind Shippou, commenting on how there seem to be more of the Yadori Sanagi hanging around, but his sudden statement in the quiet of the room does anything but reassure Shippou. The little fox jumps up and smacks Inuyasha on his forehead, snapping at him not to just suddenly sneak up behind people. With an unimpressed and exhausted look, Inuyasha punches punches him back, advising Shippou that he may as well be unconscious if he's going to be freaking out like that. Inuyasha does appear to have hit Shippou hard enough to leave him senseless, eyes swirling in his disorientation. It's... ONE way to sedate someone. 

Inuyasha jumps out the door, preparing to draw Tessaiga. He sees three of the bugs flying through the air, and seems a little surprised that there wasn't just one of the things. 

Simple and clean. And boring, per Inuyasha's complaint following. 

Kagome comes to the ajar door, calling to Inuyasha, and he asks if she was woken by his pest control efforts. She seems worried as she tells him that she has no idea where Shippou is, and his confusion returns as he says he had knocked the little guy out near the futons just a short time ago. Now Sango has joined Kagome at the doorway, and they both spend a moment staring until Kagome sees fit to warn him to look behind him. 

Kagome needn't have been concerned, Shippou was quite close after all. 

Shippou's balloon form shakes some pellets from a bamboo container out into its Pacman-like gaping maw, which Sango identifies as her scent pellets for youkai extermination. After a second of active munching, Shippou belches straight into Inuyasha's face, who cringes away in disgust and horror, and then collapses into senselessness, getting what he gave Shippou not too long before. Kagome runs beside him, calling his name, then looks up to see a retreating balloon!Shippou, a big parasite Yadori Sanagi clinging to his back. 

Sango observes this as well, calling it out, and Miroku states the obvious that he's been possessed as well. Looking somewhat panicked, Sango insists that they have to go after Shippou, implying that it's a bad business for small youkai to be possessed by Yadori Sanagi. As they mount a transformed Kirara, Miroku asks if Shippou will go crazy like the fox god from earlier. Sango says it's likely, and he'll also likely lose to the parasite's evil influence. I'm assuming that means there's a significant change the damage to Shippou will be permanent, but Sango doesn't really elaborate. 

The trio flies up behind balloon!Shippou's floating form, Sango yelling at him to stop. 

He's not joking around. 

They dodge the massive statue in midair, and it slams into the ground, then shrinks to its smaller size again as the spell wears off. When they look back in Shippou's direction, all that's left is a swirl of atmosphere where he disappeared, per Sango's disappointed comment. Turns out he's a bit of a slippery character when he wants to be. 

The day dawns, and the village men greet each other pleasantly in the fields, expressing relief that they can work in peace now that their fox guardian has been calmed down. As if in defiant response, a clatter sounds and the men look around to its source. 

So much for a peaceful workday. 

Shippou is up to a LOT of chaos today too. In a local temple, a monk is horrified by the defacing of a Buddha statue, a goofy cartoon face painted on its belly and swirls on its cheeks. Some gatherers on the edge of the village are alarmed by massive laughing mushrooms that sprout before their eyes. The kid's been busier than he's ever been, seeming to be abnormally motivated, but by what, I couldn't say. 

Sango and Miroku spot him next to the high branches of a tree and make for him with purpose, but he chomps down on their whole party with his massive Pacman mouth, Kirara's tails sticking out of it like a strange, furry couple of noodles. Suddenly, Shippou's body sags and melts into a sticky mess, that Sango, Miroku, and Kirara are hopelessly entangled in without much hope of escaping. The old decoy trick.

Back at the house where they spent the night, Kagome is fanning the inert form of Inuyasha, who lies stretched out on his belly, presumably unconscious from the strong scent belched directly into his nose by Shippou. Must be strong, since it has to have been a few hours by this point. Kagome looks up at the sound of a commotion on the wood walkway, to where a few angry villagers have appeared in the doorway with their farm implements. They tell her a new youkai has shown up, and beg for help exterminating it. Kagome sweatdrops and Inuyasha lifts his head to look groggily at the company, who insist that there's no way THIS one is a god, so advise to just kill it. Just as Kagome bids them to hold on a moment, they're already on their way to gather bows and arrows, one of them declaring they have spears as well. Things are looking precarious for Shippou. 

You've been sitting there fanning Inuyasha this whole time, girl. "We" is doing some real heavy lifting here. 

So, what did I think of this chapter overall? It's a nice little diversion from the romantic drama that's been intermittent for a little while. Shippou gets very little to DO in these latter chapters, and therefore his relationship with the other characters isn't examined in as much detail. This chapter gives us a good opportunity to see how he would be as an enemy, or at least as a nuisance to the other mains. He's not SCARY or overly COMPETENT, but he does present a bit of a challenge because he's a little slippery and knows the team and their tactics well. The way he was able to set up a sort of gluey trap for Sango, Miroku, and Kirara was kind of cute, and was partly effective because he knew they would/could come close enough for his decoy to chomp down on them. 

And honestly, all these antics look kind of fun. Kid has been standing around commenting on the action for so long, seeing him get to let loose and cause some discord every once in a while is welcome. Even if it's not ENTIRELY voluntary. 

YuYu Hakusho Manga: 033 Challenge From Demon City!!

The existence of a demon city implies demon civilization, and my anthropologist-brain is intensely curious about this. I have so many questions: What kind of social organization is there? Cultural traditions (aside from the victimization of humans/mortals)? Architectural and artistic design? How about government and the organization of power? Since I'm familiar with this series, I know some of these questions have actual answers, but I also know that the depths of demon civilization isn't really touched upon, which is something of a shame to someone who can't help but wonder about how a fictional society can be built from a fundamentally malevolent unit. 

It's good to know your apathy has overcome your trauma at almost losing your son, Atsuko. She says that Yusuke is caught up in some kind of training, further emphasizing how she just doesn't know what's actually going on with that kid, lol. 

Anyway, Keiko mumbles something about being there just so Yusuke doesn't forget about his homework. On her way out of the neighborhood, Keiko wonders just what Yusuke is up to now, but she doesn't have to wait long to at least literally learning what he's up to at that very moment. Her eyes widen as he comes into view, crossing her path on his way in the opposite direction, with a rucksack slung over his shoulder and a grin on his face. She calls out to him in surprise and he asks her what's up. 

But by the next page, that reunion is already over, and we cut to the one that is REALLY important, lol!

Why go to a doctor when your local spiritualist will mutter over your wounds for an hour for a better result? *Insert eyeroll here*

Still holding his fist up, he asks Yusuke if he'd like a demonstration, but Yusuke turns him down with the suggestion that it would just put Kuwabara out of commission again. Kuwabara does not respond to that, asking instead how Yusuke's training with Genkai went, pointing out Yusuke doesn't LOOK any different. Yusuke puts on a sour expression, saying it was no picnic. He begins by recalling an exercise that involves a finger places against a spindle while Genkai instructs him to concentrate his aura into one point between the two.

This is far from all. In another memory, Genkai stands in front of Yusuke with her palm held out to him, and he's got both of his out, knees bent in a defensive position, She says that the exercise will teach him defense against a reiki attack, and that if he gives an inch, he'll die. So no pressure or anything. But when a flash of energy bursts from her palm, Yusuke goes flying backward immediately and is too dazed to be paying "strict" attention (according to the arrow label pointing to him in the next panel) to her saying they'll repeat the exercise until he can stand against any such assault. 

In the present, Yusuke is listing off other things he had to do while he was at Genkai's special training camp, such as meditating on hot coals and sleeping on a bed of nails. What does all the pain and discomfort do except ensure you don't get enough rest to actually learn and retain the techniques? Kuwabara grimaces and tells Yusuke that's enough already; he's got the idea. He complains that it makes him cringe just hearing about it. 

Yusuke admits that he DID learn some cool stuff, and Kuwabara asks if there's anything Yusuke can show HIM. Yusuke doesn't answer, though, going quiet. When Kuwabara hums in question at him, Yusuke informs him they're being followed. 

Another day ending in "y".

Yusuke says he hasn't seen them before, and casually asks if Kuwabara wants to take them on. Kuwabara answers that he's got nothing better to do, and it might be a fun time-killer. Getting the snot knocked out of you is one hell of a hobby, lol. The boys turn to face their pursuers, Kuwabara asking if they know who they're dealing with. He thrusts a thumb at his own chest and introduces himself as the muscle at Sara Jr. High, an title Yusuke can't help but chuckle at, muttering that Kuwabara WISHES that were the case. 

A couple of JoJo-looking motherfuckers pull out knives, one of them labeled with "15-years old" on his forehead. I'm not sure if this is a note on the panel or meant to be a tattoo, but it's fucking hilarious because he does NOT look 15. Regardless, both our boys balk, Kuwabara remarking on how these guys are whacked out for already pulling shivs. Maybe another indicator is the copious amounts of drool dripping over one's chin, as he grunts and grumbles, then shouting, tripping over a single word: "kill". 

He lunges at Yusuke and Kuwabara as if he's being pulled by his knife rather than thrusting it, and he misses them as they both step to either side. The rest of the gang advances with inarticulate growls and grunts, unless they're bidding them to die. Yusuke swears he's never seen a bunch of guys this out of it, and indeed they're looking downright FERAL as they grin menacingly with drool leaking out from between their teeth. 

They break out in a run at them and Yusuke says he can't mess around. He squats, holding his right forearm terminating in a fist, that Kuwabara notes in amazement is glowing. 

Nice and clean. So contrary to his usual style. XD

Kuwabara is impressed with the demonstration he asked for, in awe over how Yusuke mowed down those guys without even touching them, like he had a machine gun. Yusuke doesn't brag, and says it's just a basic reiki technique. I guess it speaks for itself, but humility looks a bit weird on Yusuke. Of course, it's less humility than it is his desire to find out who these guys even ARE. Kuwabara says he doesn't know, but almost immediately tells Yusuke to wait a moment, and looks around. He states that he senses a weird aura around the area, and is pretty sure it's not human. 

He points out a trenchcoated figure half concealed around a corner as the source of this aura, and yells as the dude to freeze. Whoever it is scoffs and runs instead, but doesn't get too far before he's whacked in the face with something and is propelled back out from behind the corner, in full view of the boys. 

Girl doesn't mess around. 

Botan is asked if she knows this weirdo and affirms that she does, saying he's a resident of Demon City, which is the subject of Yusuke's new mission, as it turns out. I'm sure it's no coincidence, anyway. Yusuke repeats the name of the place as a question, and Botan answers that it's a haven for otherworld outlaws. Damn, what a title THAT would have made!

Gotta hand it to them, that's some interesting architecture. 

Yusuke asks what demands these guys are making, and Botan says bluntly that they want access to the human world. Kuwabara and Yusuke look taken aback. I'm just asking how this resident got there in the first place, especially when Botan explains that they set up a force field to prevent that access some time ago, but the demons want it taken down. Trenchcoat!Demon can apparently get through a barrier but can't take a bat to the face. 

Arms crossed in an obstinate pose, Yusuke asks who cares what they want, and suggests Botan and company just ignore them. Botan informs him that it's not so simple as that, telling him to take a look at the guy who attacked him. Yusuke twists to observe one of the ruffians, who lies unconscious on the ground where he fell from the reiki assault. A long and creepy insect crawls out of the youth's open maw. 

Ew, that's gonna end up in my nightmares for sure.

Against a backdrop of a busy metropolitan area, people walking here and there, Botan says that the people these bugs infect are driven to violence, destruction, and murder, and the Four Beasts released thousands into the city. Alarmed, Yusuke insists they have to warn everyone, but Botan tells him it's useless. She says that normies can't see the bugs, and the ones who are affected just seem psycho to everyone else. 

... Did... Did the Four Beasts release these insects into MY country? Because you know...

Botan says that they can only exterminate the bugs, which means destroying the "enabling whistle". Yusuke questions this term, so Botan further explains that the bugs can't normally survive in the human world, but the whistle enables them to do so... somehow. She says that the Four Beasts have offered to hand over the whistle if the barrier is taken down, but this is obviously out of the question. When asked what she means by that, she drops the bomb that the residents of Demon City could kill everyone here in a DAY if they were allowed in. Gracious, she's less a "Grim Reaper" than an exposition machine.

Sweatdropping and looking a bit ill, Yusuke begins to guess what this means, and Botan interrupts to affirm that they need to steal the whistle and destroy it. Yusuke amends her statement to what she REALLY means - that HE has to steal and destroy the thing, and is a little incensed that he has to jump into a nest of demons all by his lonesome. Kuwabara asks what HE is, and uses an expression I've never heard before: snake spit. Usually the suggestion is "chopped liver" but I'll give him points for creativity. 

Botan looks at him with a sweatdrop and wide eyes, then freaks out with bodily flails and everything that he was listening this entire time. She didn't bother to check if Yusuke was alone before she started dumping the exposition, so her own fault. Kuwabara says he couldn't really HELP overhearing this not at all private conversation, and since he can see these insects too, he figures he's in this with Urameshi. He asks for confirmation that their mission is to grab this whistle rather than let his precious home town be overrun with crazy guys. 

Apparently, he got all his info straight. 

As they jump down out of the tree (no word on how they even GOT there to begin with, let alone why they were in the tree specifically), Yusuke asks Kuwabara if he's SURE he wants to come along, since he may not get away with just a few broken bones this time. Kuwabara retorts that he's not leaving it just up to Yusuke to save their town. My guy, I hate to break it to you, but Yusuke has a better track record in saving things than you do. 

A giggle sounds from off-panel and the boys turn toward its source: a group of cloaked figures that have raised their clawed hands as they surround the newcomers, muttering excitedly about how fragrant the humans are amidst continued giggles. An information bubble labels them as "Gutter Imps", which isn't a good descriptor, but at least would make a good insult if you wanted to use it on an enemy. According to the signage, these are the lowest class of Demon City residents, who subsist mainly on carrion but are fond of human flesh, and are desperate to rise in rank, so serve the Four Beasts pretty zealously. I'm eager to learn more about this system of stratification, and the mechanisms for class mobility. 

Anyway, these imps advance on the boys much like the infected humans did back in town, screeching about their presumed feast, and inviting each other to eat. Yusuke and Kuwabara punch a few of the crowd of them, but complain that they keep coming. We're given a wide overhead shot of the many little cloaked guys encircling the two kiddos, one of whom compares them to ants in that there are far too many of them, and the other warning that they'll be overwhelmed by the imps soon. 

Another voice sounds from off-panel, asking how the boys expect to tackle the castle if they can't even handle THESE lowlifes. Two more figures in cloaks come zipping into the fray, knocking the imps left and right, and eventually taking them all down like bowling pins before standing before Yusuke and Kuwabara. The boys are told they wouldn't get very far on their own anyway, which I guess seems pretty obvious now.

How much time do you have, Kuwabara?

So, what did I think of this chapter overall? I'm struck by how the chapter begins with Keiko complaining about Yusuke not being around, and then just kind of drops her the moment they see each other. No real reunion or anything, just a "hi how's it goin'?". Not only did it not contribute to the content of the rest of the chapter, it placed Keiko in front of us for no real reason. Did YT just want to remind us she exists? What was the point of that? I know she plays a role in the rest of this arc in the anime, but her brief appearance here doesn't actually speak to that. 

Demon City is an interesting concept, and I hope the manga elaborates more on it than the anime did, the little note about the social stratification that is occupied by Gutter Imps being a good indication. I'm not expecting MUCH more than that, given I know this is still just a tournament/fighting Shounen, but I would be satisfied with a few more tidbits like that. It's a wonderful opportunity to flesh out this general demon world and show us how it functions, even if it's just in small ways. So far there doesn't seem to be much of a "city" here so much as a curiously constructed castle, though. In particular, I hope there's more evidence of other buildings/dwellings later on.

It did jar me how suddenly Kuwabara and Yusuke just SHOWED UP on the outskirts of this city/castle. If there's a barrier or force field keeping these worlds apart, there should be a mechanism that one would have to employ to get through it, not just for the boys, but for the resident that wound up on the human side. Botan, who is so fond of dropping blocks of exposition like she's constructing a brick house, failed to mention a single detail about this mechanism, and both boys just APPEAR there. It gave me a bit of whiplash, and gives the impression that YT couldn't be bothered to come up with a quick explanation for the journey there. Reminds me a bit of the lack of a method for Inuyasha and Kagome's return from their first trip to the Border Graveyard. Not the BEST look, I have to admit. 

Also not the best look to have Botan just BEATING citizens of a sovereign city with a bat. I know we're supposed to view whoever this individual is as a criminal who came over a border illegally, but that's literally the justification MY country is giving for putting thousands of people a day into inhumane detention centers and deporting them to foreign work camps. It's not just an uncomfortable reflection of a current reality, but also a depiction of a horrible injustice with all the decorum of...

... well, a bat to the face.  

Inuyasha Manga: 332 A Small Happiness

It's the small ones that give you the most fuel. Over the weekend, I took a trip to Coupeville, Washington, USA. It's a small town in the Pacific Northwest whose claim to fame is being the filming location of the movie Practical Magic. My husband and I found that they were also a filming location for War of the Roses, and found a picture collage of it at Toby's Tavern. We visited all the shops and spent WAY too much money, ate WAY too much food, but it was lovely relaxing time, and I'm wonderfully refreshed. On our way out of town, we saw a white doe as well, which seemed like a beautiful way to end our trip. 

Or begin the end of our trip, because we went to the local sculpture forest and the Hierophant Meadery before we totally quit the island. Fancy mead is a small happiness in its own league. XD

She seems so enthused about her SISTER being alive.

Inuyasha is behind her and, looking a little on the deflated, depressed side, comments on how she doesn't seem SURPRISED by this little bit of news. Kaede affirms this, telling him that two shikigami children came to Kikyou's shrine site to take the burial soil recently. I'm sure it was easy to put two and two together. Inuyasha says that he's not sure what Kaede thinks about it, but he admits he's relieved that Kikyou was saved. Kaede just stands with her head slightly bowed, and doesn't respond, indicating that they are BOTH aware that she's not exactly feeling the same way. Inuyasha breezes past this awkward moment to inform Kaede that Kagome was the one to save Kikyou, and Kaede haltingly acknowledges this, still looking pretty profoundly SAD. 

Cue the narrow sky transition panel to the modern city skyline of Tokyo. 

I'm a little amazed at the size of this girl's bed - looks like a full size. I had a twin when I was her age, and it was part of a bunk set of which my sister had the top half. 

Of course, my family was somewhat poor, too. XD

Kagome recalls Sango and Miroku sending her off down the well, encouraging her to take a little break for a while, while they also recuperate on the Feudal side. She worries a little about coming back to her home time without telling Inuyasha, but supposes it's alright. Kagome also considers how Kikyou appears to have her spiritual powers back and that she's in good shape, but she's disappeared again after her last sighting. It occurs to Kagome that Inuyasha really wanted to go after Kikyou, and has to acknowledge how difficult it was to talk to him between then and when they reached Kaede's village. After a moment of sad staring at her ceiling, she turns over on her side, dislocating Buyo, and wondering aloud if she's really in second place after all. You think not communicating with him is going to HELP you find the answer to this question, kiddo?  

I have to keep reminding myself that she's fifteen. Fifteen and as dumb as people at that age tend to be. 

Another narrow sky transition panel brings us back to the Feudal Era, where Sango is leaning on a fence on which Inuyasha is crouched, fuming over the fact that Kagome was allowed to just go home. Sango suggests that Kagome shouldn't have to get Inuyasha's PERMISSION to go home, and we love a feminist queen. 

Miroku strolls up to divert the conversation to another avenue, asking Inuyasha for confirmation that he informed Kaede about Kikyou. Inuyasha fires back with a question about what he's making of it. Miroku points out that he wasn't very talkative otherwise, and when Inuyasha wants to know so what, Sango pipes up that Miroku MEANS he should have paid more attention to Kagome. Inuyasha is frustrated with the implications that he did something wrong here, insisting that there wasn't anything troubling Kagome that he had to address. The COMPLETE lack of awareness, my guy!

I can't blame Sango, I would have tried it myself at this point. 

We don't get a transition panel when we go back to modern Tokyo. I guess RT got a little tired of taking up space with them. Kagome is in awe of a certain bike that her mother has presented her, asking if it's really okay for her to have it. Mama Higurashi says that she got it secondhand from a friend, since Kagome had said she lost hers on the other side of the well. This is the chillest of mothers, friends, the exact OPPOSITE of a helicopter-parent. 

Later, Kagome is busy polishing up her new bike with a rag and some bottles of cleaning products at her side when Souta strolls up to her with his backpack on, warning her that she'll be late. She says she wants to do just a bit more sprucing up, even though Souta points out that it'll just get dirty again in no time on the other side. Kagome dismisses this practical prediction, thinking about how it's best for her to use a bike, even though it's not so bad being carried by Inuyasha. She doesn't seem to know if she wants to pull away from her main emotional conflict or lean further into it. 

Kagome stands back from the glittering bike with a triumphant pose, declaring she's all done. 

The SHIT, bro????

Souta is excited to see Inuyasha, grinning at his appearance, asking if he's come for a visit. Inuyasha scoffs that he doesn't have time for that, then turns to ask Kagome why she left without even telling him, only to cringe in alarm at her looming figure of extreme displeasure. She screams at him, demanding to know what that was all of a sudden, telling him he's broken the bike. Inuyasha stands aside with a hand to his hammering heart, staring over at her as she fusses over the mangled bike and complains that it's all twisted now. 

Inuyasha manhandles the bike, assuring her with another scoff that some new twists will put it right, but he just ends up fucking it up all the more, so that the two of them stare down at it in silent irritation. Sweatdropping, Inuyasha insists it'll be fine if he fixes it, but Kagome orders him not to touch it anymore. As she should. 

As she walks to school at last, Kagome is fuming, wondering why Inuyasha came over in the first place, and he got all pissy really fast. I would say you were the one to get angry quicker, but it was also for a perfectly good reason too, so... Her friends spot her on campus and greet her warmly, having not seen her in quite a while, after all. They pick up on her bad mood fast, though, and ask what happened, Headband immediately suggesting that it was something to do with "that guy". Gee, they have this whole situation pegged, don't they. 

They surround Kagome's desk, summing up her complaints as the result of continuing to be two-timed, and Kagome admits that's about the size of it. She's fifteen, Writch. Fifteen. Anyway, Kagome says a lot of stuff has happened and she's putting up with it. Short Hair says that she doesn't get it, and advises her friend to just... not see the guy anymore. Kagome asserts that she can't do anything about it, though she doesn't (and couldn't if she tried) explain WHY she's kind of stuck hanging out with him regardless. She instead tells them how he showed up at her house uninvited, and has been there since this morning. 

Ooof, that backfired. 

Meanwhile, Inuyasha is doing the exact opposite of what Kagome told him, and is manhandling the broken bike some more. He tells himself it's all good, and flits around the machine, bending and shaping at will. His long claws puncture the tires, then he squishes the front wheel into an oblong shape. It's looking real bad. 

Kagome is leading her friends up the stairs to the shrine, tense while they chat between themselves about wondering what this selfish, violent, two-timing guy is like. Uhhhh, I think you have a pretty detailed description already handy there. One of them declares they can't WAIT to meet him, and Kagome is just flabbergasted that they actually came home with her, regardless of apparently thinking this would all blow over by the time school let out. She smiles over her shoulder at them, and reminding them they all have Cram School, so they really shouldn't be doing this. 

Maybe your ass should be heading to cram school with them, in fact. You must be nightmarishly behind on schoolwork by this point. Headband assures her that it's fine, and Short Hair asserts that they have to tell Inuyasha to his face not to make Kagome suffer. Kagome snaps that they'd better not, or else he'd go berserk. That's not a red flag at all...

Kagome is sweating bullets, thinking about how bad this situation is, and how hard it'll be to explain if she lets her friends meet this mysterious beau of hers. 

Then she comes across the bike and freezes, shock and fury perfectly blended in her expression as the friends behind her wonder what the FUCK that mangled hunk of metal is supposed to be. 

Looks like SHE'S the one who went berserk in the end. 

The friends appear a little confused over this strange name, and guess that it might be his gang name, trying to recall if he's in a gang or not. They're so placid about this possibility, and I just can't even. Meanwhile, Kagome's shouting to the grounds in general, demanding to know if he's around. 

He is indeed, in a shed somewhere, a bandana tied over his head and ears, and frozen at the sound of his name in a very angry tone. Kagome's grandfather looks over at him from another corner and says it sounds like Kagome's calling him, but Inuyasha hastily responds that he's imagining things. Not likely, bub. Regardless, Gramps brushes off the lie and instructs Inuyasha to bring over the pot on the high shelf in front of him. Inuyasha grabs it, confirming that it's the one Gramps is pointing to with his dusting wand, and is answered with an order to ABSOLUTELY not break it, since it's a historic artifact. 

Elsewhere, Kagome inhales, drawing in a BIG BREATH. 

The proverbial bull in a china shop, if the bull could also be brought violently to the ground with a powerful spell. 

Kagome hears Inuyasha insisting it wasn't his fault off panel and homes in on the sound, racing for the shed, while her friends still express some confusion in her dust. She demands to know where Inuyasha is from her crying grandfather, who warbles mournfully that the boy ran among the rubble of his historically significant shed. Frustrated, Kagome mumbles about Inuyasha just breaking everything around him. 

Later, Kagome sits on her bed, her friends hanging in the room with her while she informs them that it seems Inuyasha left. The friends complain about how boring this turn of events is, and Kagome maintains an exasperated look as she thinks this is for the best due to how weird Inuyasha is. I think it might be time to reevaluate your feelings for the guy who you want to hide from your buddies, Kagome. 

Kagome answers a call from outside the room to help bring up the tea, and leaves her friends to opine about how much they wanted to see this weirdo she's dating. Speak of the Devil and he shall appear. Inuyasha pushes open the window and hangs out in it, griping to a Kagome who isn't even present how she's been angry about something (like he doesn't know what) since the morning. He trails off when he sees the unfamiliar girls sitting staring at him in the room and a heavy silence settles until the girls all get up and lean forward, wondering aloud if this could be the guy. Do you think your friend just has random dudes coming up to her window at all times of the day??? I know she's supposed to be pretty, but that's kinda a lot to imagine, no matter how hot you are.

Inuyasha observes that they're wearing the same clothes as Kagome, clever boy, and asks if they're her friends. 

Headband comments that Inuyasha has an unusual eye color, while Wavy Hair asks if he's bleached his hair. He answers that he was born looking like this, and Short Hair makes a noise of awe. Heart hammering, Kagome notes how they seem to be having a somewhat NORMAL conversation. Inuyasha can be rather sociable when he wants to be. Headband asks if Inuyasha could be "half" and Short Hair turns to Kagome for confirmation as Inuyasha tries to repeat the unfamiliar word they're trying to label him with. Kagome is lukewarm in affirmation, supposing it's true in a sense, given that he's a half-youkai. Her friends are positively radiant with admiration, talking about how cool that is, just CONFUSING Kagome to no end. 

Later, when the friends are thanking Kagome for having them over and heading down the stairs on their way home, Headband turns to inform Kagome that Inuyasha isn't nearly as bad as she made him out to be. Wavy Hair admitted she thought the guy would be wearing gangster clothes and have no eyebrows, and Short Hair agrees that he was totally different than what they were expecting. Kagome wears a smile, a little nervous, but still relieved and genuinely pleased with what is starting to sound like compliments to Inuyasha, still asserting that he is just a tad unusual. She's satisfied that they saw the cool side of him though, humming a little tune. 

When she strolls back into her room, Inuyasha is taking the bandana off his head and ears, immediately jumping into a new conversation with her. He looks over his shoulder with a strange tense expression, asking if she really NEEDS that thing he broke. Kagome hums in question, so he elaborates that he talking about the iron cart thing, stating that he'll carry her. She simply says that's fine, and Inuyasha, still wary, asks if she's not still angry. 

The bike was still a nice gift from Mama Higurashi's friend. Might wanna reflect on that. 

So, what did I think of this chapter overall? Usually I'm on Inuyasha's side in these little tiffs between him and Kagome, but he was acting like a real jerkwad in this one. He criticizes KAGOME for being angry for no discernible reason, but then gets ruffled by her not asking his leave to go home, and then breaks her shit! It wasn't just his conversation with Sango and Miroku that put him in a bad mood either, because he started out annoyed that they had "let" her go. Clearly there's something on his conscience that he's nursing, and his friends are acutely picking up on how non-communicative he's being about it. Sure, Kagome isn't exactly prone to talking about it any more than Inuyasha, but I do kind of feel like removing herself from the situation was probably the best she could have done under the circumstances, if she got the impression that Inuyasha was going to be moody and silent. Inuyasha, on the other hand, was weirdly insisting on her being present for this attitude, and it's not a good look for him. 

You know what also isn't a great look, for BOTH of them? The fact that Kagome is acting ASHAMED of Inuyasha this entire chapter. I get it, he has physical characteristics that require some explaining, and he's a bit on the rougher side, and if it were just THOSE things Kagome was sweating, I wouldn't be as critical. What really struck me was how Kagome snapped at her friends not to tell Inuyasha to treat her well because he would "go berserk". If one thinks their partner will react badly to being told not to give one grief, that is a MAJOR red flag, and I'm a little put off by the joke that's made of it. WE know what Kagome means, and that it doesn't mean Inuyasha will haul off on her, but her FRIENDS, knowing nothing but the shitty things she's vented to them about, should be asking way more questions than they do. 

Now, it should be obvious to her friends that Kagome isn't cowering in fear of the guy, otherwise she wouldn't have reacted the way she did upon seeing the wrecked bike. Still, Kagome's friends really only mentioned physical attributes when they were talking about how he wasn't as bad as they thought, and the suspicious mentions of his temper were never addressed. And worst of all? What was bothering Inuyasha, and by extension, what was bothering Kagome as she left for home, was never addressed at all. There's still an underlying issue that they're refusing to talk about, and Kagome's friends approving of Inuyasha, however superficially, does not touch the entire reason for their conflict in the first part of the chapter. 

Considering the surprisingly mature conversations they've been able to have in the past over navigating their relationship around Kikyou, Inuyasha and Kagome seem to be regressing a bit. This isn't the first instance of it, since Kagome's behavior right after she saved Kikyou at the mountain pool was a bit of a problem too, so this seems to be establishing more of a pattern. I get the feeling that RT is trying to make a permanent wedge out of Kikyou, because the drama it causes appeals to her audience more than a more even and interesting examination of how the three characters can relate to one another. 

Kikyou has, at this point, just become Inuyasha's ex, and it's profoundly sad. 

YuYu Hakusho Manga: 032 Genkai's Successor is Chosen!!

What do you mean "chosen"? This whole time, Genkai has been letting the candidates whittle themselves down, going through an increasingly violent obstacle course in a competition of luck as much as skill. All she's been doing is kicking back and making commentary, doing as little active CHOOSING as she possibly can get away with. If anything is doing the choosing here, it's Providence, because she's got her hands fully off the wheel.

I'd hate to have to be hanging out with her, and get to the point where everyone is hungry but we don't know what restaurant to patronize. All her shrugging would make the exercise a nightmare. 

Sorry, I think I said at the end of the previous chapter that Rando shot and severed the aura cord he'd forged holding Yusuke to the branch, but it was actually the branch itself he shot. Regardless, Yusuke falls, screaming, while Botan calls to him and Genkai gapes in alarm. He thinks he's done for, lamenting that being dumped into a slimy pool to be eaten by demon fish is a really stupid way to die. But it's uncommon, at least. Not many people go out that way I'll warrant. Yusuke recalls that people say you're supposed to relive the best moments of your life before you die (who the hell says THAT?), but all he remembers are aggravations, and thinks he should have grabbed for more gusto, whatever THAT means. He's acting like he's never perished horribly before or something. 

Rando expresses his desire to see a beautiful fountain of blood and hear some agonized screams now, which is quite the ask. Indeed, scoffs at the damn near NOTHING he's seeing, but recovers his disappointment, planning for when Yusuke's bones float to the surface instead, when Genkai's secrets will be his. Botan screams Yusuke's name, rather politely reminding Genkai that Yusuke's going to die, a fact that Genkai just... hums at. Meanwhile, a glowing orb rises out of poor Kuwabara, unnoticed by his excited company. He can't be dying, because I think a grinning grim reaper like Botan would be sensitive to an event like that.

These fish are a little slower to act than they were when devouring the little oni/imp creature. Was their previous meal a little more filling than it seemed?

Not that they don't eventually get going, swimming toward Yusuke with their gaping jaw bristling with sharp teeth. Yusuke squeezes his eyes shut, thinking this is it, but his eyes pop back open again when he hears a voice telling him how pathetic it is that he's giving up already. He recognizes that voice pretty easily. 

Did he just astral project himself into the pond??

Astral!Kuwabara expresses his humiliation at having been obsessed with defeating a whiny little quitter like Yusuke for so long. He vows to go after "that kid" once he's better to clobber him, if not the first time, then the second, third, fifth, whatever it takes. Clearly he didn't pause in projecting over to Yusuke in order to take a good look that who "that kid" really was this whole time. Yusuke balks, unable to respond, much less tell Kuwabara just exactly who he's setting himself up against. Kuwabara says through a grin that he'll be fighting his NEW rival over and over while Yusuke becomes an inadequate and dejected pile of fish crap, which is a fitting end for a loser dipstick like him. 

This mockery is what finally raises Yusuke's ire, and he glares, clearly communicating the "oh yeah?" sentiment he harbors without him having to try to say the words through the wrong medium. He starts struggling again, and his sticky aura bonds actually snap.

All those fish, so menacing with their piranha teeth before, fly through the air in PIECES, splattering over the ground. Kuwabara turns in his sleep, mumbling with a scoff that the dummy can seen now that he can do it. Botan looks down at him in confusion.

Rando wonders aloud what THAT was, because he could swear he saw a huge discharge of aura. But he insists it couldn't be, even if SOMETHING had to have blown those fish out of the water. Taking an uncertain step, Rando asks himself if Yusuke broke out of his web, speculating that if he DID summon this explosive burst of power, he could maybe have freed himself. As Rando approaches the edge of the pond, he's resolved that allowing all these assumptions, the moment Yusuke rises to the surface will be his last. 

He points a glowing finger at the water, urging Yusuke to come on already, but the water remains placid after it had settled following the explosion. Botan continues to fret about Yusuke, wondering if he succumbed in his last effort. But a bubble blooms in the murky water at last, and Rando declares he's GOT the boy. 

Jumpscared!

Rando whirls around, gaping, asking how Yusuke got behind him. As Yusuke pulls back his fist for a mighty punch, he explains that the pond is actually connected to the bog hole he fell in in his last battle, a whole-ass DIAGRAM of the water passage between the pond and the hole drawn in the speech bubble, complete with a stick-figure Rando. Yusuke admits he's on his last ounce of strength, and that he's putting it all in the coming punch. 

A valiant effort, as usual. Unfortunately, the chapter is once more only half-over, and we all know how this goes. Yusuke leans his hands on his knees and trembles, panting that the punch was indeed everything he had, and he can hardly raise his arms. He's praying that Rando doesn't surface and just stays down there, but a couple of bubbles precede his rising out of the water, looking murder at Yusuke the whole time. When Rando pulls himself out of the water, he reveals there is not a MARK on him from the hit Yusuke landed. Yusuke is understandably in tense disappointment. 

Rando smiles, and admits that the punch did sting a little. What a consolation. Rando then punches Yusuke back, right across the jaw, and the kid is laid out spread-eagle on the ground. He grumbles that he's through and that Rando should just get it over with. Rando observes that Yusuke looks well and truly used up now, and decides he wants to use the Shrinking Curse he used on Kuwabara to round his victory out. Why? Because "practice makes perfect", clearly.

After a long panel displaying what YT has dubbed an "Enchanted Cat" - functionally just a random cat-girl with an animal print dress on - we return to Yusuke on the ground, who complains that his head is spinning and he can't understand a single word Rando is saying. He's not missing much, because Rando is just declaring that he'll recite the incantation and then have a bit of fun. Because apparently he hasn't had ENOUGH until this point. 

Rando chuckles after a moment that it's done, and yells at Yusuke to shrink away. As he waits for the spell to take effect, he fantasizes about all the ways he could finish Yusuke off, and not in the FUN way. He suggests crushing every bone in Yusuke's body, and then squashing him like a bug. But when the grass around Rando's own feet starts rustling, he looks down in confusion, and then starts screaming in disbelief. 

Lol, I guess he needed more practice than he thought!

He's really confused about the curse shrinking HIM rather than his victim, and Yusuke, who can barely lift his head to look toward his feet where mini!Rando is, give him a questioning expression as well. Botan asks a truncated question about what in the world just happened here, and is alarmed when Genkai tells Rando that he's become way too reliant on his spells. She explains that curses aren't docile servants, and if you make one wrong move in conjuring them, they TURN on you. Entirely fair - we've seen that much play out in this very manga. Genkai suggests that Rando cast this curse too often and without adequate focus.

Rando is still alarmed and perplexed by his failure, though I wouldn't call it a FAILURE, considering the effects still manifested. Just not on the intended target. Rando insists that it's impossible because he recited the incantation PERFECTLY. But Genkai informs Rando that his victim has to HEAR the curse, because it works by entering the body through the auditory nerve, which means it can only work on the unwary or defenseless. It can be countered by the simple act of covering one's ears. Rando is dumbfounded, rejecting this explanation because Yusuke couldn't POSSIBLY have known this weakness to the curse. After all, RANDO didn't until this moment. 

Meanwhile, Yusuke has regained enough strength to sit up and thump the side of his head with his palm, complaining that he can't hear a THING. He draws a lump of algae from his ear and is grossed out, but it explains to him why everything is muffled. It explains things to the shocked Rando too, who stands gaping in horror up at Yusuke. Genkai says that a demon who acquires skills through stealing rather than studying is eventually short-changed by his own ignorance, and declares that Rando has lost. 

Rando denies this and starts to arrange his hands, insisting that he only needs to reverse the curse, but is interrupted in voicing his plans beyond this point by Yusuke hovering over him. The boy chuckles, asking if Rando really thought he'd just be allowed to finish his spell. With a grin, Yusuke admits he can barely stand, but he figures falling should be easy.

Yikes. Has me WINCING. His face in the next panel is GHASTLY, too. It's all bruised and bloody, with the mouth gaping open and only the whites showing in his eyes. 

Yusuke is laying supine on the ground again, muttering that it's even simpler to collapse, and complaining that he can barely keep his eyes open. Then, when Genkai approaches him, he tells her there may not be much left of him, but he's won. She hums in assent, and declares to the pretty much empty swampland that Yusuke Urameshi is the successor. Botan lifts her arms and hoots in celebration, and there's a small info bubble pointing toward the edge of the panel, reminding the reader that Kuwabara is lying there, out of sight and out of mind. Someone should definitely get him to a hospital.

An unspecified amount of time later, Yusuke is standing again, and Botan is holding mini!Rando up by his hair, relaying her plans to put him in a safe or something before taking him to jail. He's still ALIVE??? First Gouki and now Rando, I'm surprised at how HARDY these demons are! Yusuke remarks with a laugh about how Botan has tied up the miscreant in his own web. I didn't realize there was any of that left after Yusuke vaporized it in the pond. 

Botan informs Yusuke that Kuwabara will be just fine, and that the master mended his broken bones. Genkai pipes up that healing is REALLY what her techniques are for, not harm. You cut going the other way pretty close, then, didn't you? Yusuke is enthused that he's accomplished his mission, and declares he's off to those championships at the Tokyo Dome. Damn, I'd forgotten about that little bribe, lol. Botan asks with a flat expression whether he's not had enough of combat yet, but hers isn't the only questioning response to Yusuke. Genkai asks him what he's going on about, and he looks at her in perplexity. 

Did you think she'd just beam the knowledge directly into your brain, kiddo?

So, what did I think of this chapter overall? Another lucky break! He strikes me as very much akin to Jonouchi from Yu-Gi-Oh, punks whose narratives are imbued with themes of fortune. I think it's an interesting track, because there's an acknowledgement underneath all the goofy supernatural hijinks that if these boys just had OPPORTUNITIES, they would go quite far, and that's really all that's wanting. Unfortunately, the world they live in, the world MOST of these kinds of kids live in, grind poor and disadvantaged people like grist in a perverted social mill, and the moment they act out in defense of themselves they are given up as rotten at the core and are given no more chances. But narratives like these help to communicate the reality that opportunity and luck play much more of a role in the success of an individual than their intrinsic traits. 

Of course, the narrative is also careful to point out that these gifts of opportunity and luck should be followed up with good, hard work. The villain clearly failed because, though he had taken advantage of the masters he had tricked and killed, stealing their techniques without any real UNDERSTANDING of them contributed to his downfall. Rando's is a cautionary tale, one that shows the reader that coasting along can only get you so far before you're overwhelmed by your own ignorance. A very poignant point in this age of AI and using it to write our essays for us, lol. 

This is something Yusuke NEEDS to learn: actual effort is needed in order to take advantage of an opportunity. He began this story in a state of embedded nihilism, not caring about his future because he assumed it was forfeit. Fighting was the only thing he was putting any effort into, and it was only because he was already good at it from having to defend himself all the time. Now, though this confluence of events that involved COMING BACK FROM THE DEAD, he has been funneled into an opportunity that will require dedicated effort. And we all understand that effort is scary not because it's work, but because we might FAIL. For someone who is so invested in their image of a tough guy (to the point of being motivated by his rival's spirit calling him a sack of weak fish shit), the kind of vulnerability that the possibility of failure brings is terrifying. 

Genkai might have to make some lemonade with this sour kiddo. Well, as dedicated as she was to going with the flow to the point of almost giving her techniques to a deadly demon, she should be a fucking expert at that. 

Inuyasha Manga: 331 People's Hearts

That's a complicated subject. Depending on the conditions around the development of a person's heart, and the conditions surrounding it when crisis strikes, it can react to stimuli in very different ways to a neighbor's. For instance, some people respond to the suffering of others halfway across the world with compassion and an attempt to help, while others respond with indifference. Some see violence enacted upon their community members and stand in the way, others JOIN IN on the violence. The rest cower and stick their heads in the sand, making excuses as to why the violence is DESERVED by the people experiencing it, and soothing themselves with the lie that they're doing everything right so it could never happen to them. 

It's a massive misfortune to have to see just exactly which of your fellow humans fall into which camp.  

Inuyasha makes those around him lucky, though. 

A little distance behind him, Kagome floating on Shippou's balloon back notes as well that she's sensing a single Shikon shard, and concludes it's Kohaku. She urges Shippou to hurry, who's still sweating pretty hardcore from the effort of holding her aloft. 

At the rat origin site, Miroku is yelling Sango's name, horrified at the mound of rats that have formed around where she and her brother were just a moment before. But thankfully, a scraped up Kirara rises out of the swarm of rodents, lifting Sango out of them as well by the straps across her back. She, in turn, has her arms around Kohaku, holding his unconscious form tightly as it hangs limp. It's but a moment of triumph, though.

They look awfully peaceful for how violent a death this promises to be...

Miroku is struggling to get to them, knocking the rats off him as they crawl up his robe, freaking out because he can't use his Kazaana without sucking up Sango and Kohaku as well. Not to mention, he is not holding the rats off himself, and is quickly being overwhelmed as well, a few of the little creatures having climbed up to his shoulders and now leaping for his head. 

Inuyasha arrives at last and calls out to both Miroku and Sango, rats still clinging to his legs even as he's leaping out of the horde. Suddenly, an arrow flies from... somewhere, and hits the barrier around the discarded rat-box. A flare of light surges around the object at the impact. 

Miroku urges Inuyasha to smash that nuisance of a box, since the barrier has been removed on it, as he's just a tad weighed down by the legion of vermin. Inuyasha flies past him and brings Tessaiga down on the zushi in record time, shattering the box. The multitudes of rats do what ALL truly dead youkai in this comic do: they dissolve into thin air, which still seems to leave Miroku in mild shock. It's understandable, his brain is probably just about as rumpled and torn as his rat-nibbled clothes at the moment. 

Meanwhile, Shippou draws Kagome's attention to the rats disappearing below them, which must be a relief to him given it means he can finally touch down and doesn't have to carry people five times his size anymore. Kagome declares that the zushi has been broken, then is shocked at the appearance of a trio of figures on a nearby cliff, two short and one taller. 

Took you a minute, didn't it?

As Shippou pops back into his own form nearby and Kagome runs to catch up with Inuyasha and Miroku, Inuyasha stares up at where Kikyou is perched, saying her name softly. She turns to walk away, but she's still occupying Inuyasha's thoughts immediately afterward, as always. 

His focus on her is snapped when Miroku indicates Sango, though, who is still lying on the ground with Kohaku, both unconscious it seems. They're surprisingly WHOLE, considering how long the rats were gnawing on their flesh. Of course, it's difficult to say just how long all that business took, so maybe it was a shorter amount of time than I think. 

Anyway, Kohaku is the first to open his eyes, and sits up to find that he's partly constrained by his sister's body laying on top of him. He notes that she's covered in wounds, and that it's all because of him. I'm still DESPERATE to know where the line is for him when it's not worth it anymore.

Sango is opening her eyes now too. 

Whoops, lingered a little too long. 

Sango haltingly asks Kohaku if he's okay, reaching out to cup his cheek in her hand. Kohaku lets this gesture linger for a moment, looking a bit regretful as he regards his sister. Then he jumps back onto his haunches out of her range, poor Sango making a shocked noise and then calling out to him in despair. The atmosphere swirls behind him and the Saimyoushou reappear at his back, Miroku identifying them as though this is the first he's seen of them so far. I don't know, maybe it IS the first time he's noticed they're there, considering his focus has been monopolized by those rats until now. 

Kohaku's had enough of these close encounters, it seems. 

Hakudoushi's head starts interrogating Kohaku about who that woman is down there and why she protected him, like it's any of HIS business. After a short pause, Kohaku claims he doesn't know, acknowledging silently that Hakudoushi was watching the whole scene. Creeper. Kohaku looks down at Sango sitting staring up at him from the ground again, not wanting her to be in any more dangerous situations like this one, so he resolves even harder to defeat Naraku ASAP. Yeah kid, I don't think you have any control over the scheduling here. 

Sango yells Kohaku's name as he recedes into the sky, clearly anguished. Miroku and Kagome look on at her forlorn and defeated posture with pity. A horizon with a sun low in the sky over the distant wooded hills shows some time has passed, and Kagome and Inuyasha are shown sitting at a campfire outside a forest hut. Shippou stands a little ways away, staring at the hut, wondering aloud how Sango is doing, because she got chewed up pretty badly by the rats. Hope she didn't come down with PLAGUE. Inuyasha snaps a twig, saying that Sango's tough for a human, so her BODY will probably be fine. Kagome follows this up with the observation that the biggest issue for Sango will probably be how shocked she was to see that Kohaku had been involved with the rat plot. As usual, it's the trauma that lingers.

Inside the hut, Miroku is sitting with the dregs of a first aid kit beside Sango, who lays on her side facing away from him. He asks if her wounds are ailing her too much, and she takes a moment to respond, with the answer to a somewhat DIFFERENT question. Though not THAT different. 

... Fair. 

Miroku says her name, and she continues elaborating on her position, not only that there were many villages wiped out by the rats but Kohaku killed a lot of people at the castle with the "birds" as well. Even if these things were orders from Naraku, she emphasizes that what Kohaku has done must NEVER be forgiven. 

Or, rather, that's what she understands in her mind. She recalls a feeling like her chest being crushed when Kohaku was being attacked by the rats. What's more, when she saw that he was okay, she felt relief from the bottom of her heart. 

... Also fair. 

After saying Sango's name again, Miroku tells her this is a GOOD thing, and that she doesn't have to force herself to hate her brother. Sango hangs her head, still struggling to take some kind of responsible, moral stance on the matter by implying in a halting way that she'll have to behave differently from now on. Miroku recognizes her attempts to blame herself for not hating Kohaku, so asks her if she REGRETS protecting Kohaku. She answers that she doesn't exactly KNOW if she does or not, but, clenching the hand she's leaning on into a fist, says she thinks she'd regret it MORE if she didn't protect him. Again, Miroku assures her that this is good, and asserts that this is how people's hearts are. Sango agrees, thanking Miroku in her mind. 

Of course, he'd be in personal trouble if people weren't able to acknowledge the shitty things one has done but love them anyway. XD 

A narrow sky transition panel takes us to Kikyou wandering among one of the obliterated villages in the path of the rats, observing a barren waste scattered with skeletons of humans and animals. Her little child shikigami march ahead of her without much regard for any of this, but she's silently fuming about how Naraku did all this just to draw her out. 

She kneels next to a body of water while the shikigami hold her bow and arrows, and cuts a lock of her hair with a small knife. Kikyou then winds the lock of hair around with a tie and hands it over to the shikigami, instructing them to fly around with it. 

These assholes are really out here making looking for each other everyone else's problem. 

So, what did I think of this chapter overall? RT has a multitude of strengths and weaknesses as a storyteller, but I think one of her strengths is not shying away from the complexities of human emotions. Sango's struggle here is very realistic, and it forces the reader to consider how they would feel if a beloved family member committed an atrocity. As much as we like to believe our morals and ethics are inflexible when it comes to certain things, it's against our natures as social animals to turn against people close to us. I poke fun at Miroku here for his personal interest in not being hated for his shitty behavior, but he's right: no matter how horrible a loved-one's actions are, there is some part of us that rebels against abandoning them. There's also a part of us that feels responsible for their actions, like if we had loved them better, or differently, this wouldn't have happened. Sango's pain comes through as not just understandable, but acute and encompassing; you can almost FEEL her heart breaking. 

There's not much more to say about Kohaku's side of things, because he hasn't really done anything new here. He's sticking to his guns, still resolved to get close enough to Naraku's heart to smother it with a pillow or something. The only thing that's really changed is that seeing Sango hurt because of a plot he had a hand in, he's wanting to speed things up a bit. I don't know how he thinks he's going to manage that, since his whole plan revolves around just letting Naraku order him close to the infant. Also, though there's no outright textual evidence for this in Kohaku's thoughts or dialog, I get the feeling that he's stuck in this sunk-cost fallacy where he's convinced he's so deep in, he may as well see his plan through to the end. 

In any case, one thing's for certain: if Sango ever finds out that Kohaku has been doing horrible things consciously, outside of Naraku's influence, her anxiety around loving him anyway is just likely to increase.