Inuyasha Manga: 090 Nemesis

Oh no! Miroku and Sango are getting married, but they discover that those giant ogres of Sesshoumaru's have created a rapidly-aging of Inuyasha in the hopes that he can negotiate some sort of peace for their race, constantly exploited by Sesshoumaru! And as they destroy this evil clone, Jaken is killed in the blast! But don't worry, because another little green dude has downloaded Jaken's brain and returned to Sesshoumaru's service! Happy day!

At least, that's what I assume is going to happen in this chapter based on its name.

Why does ANYONE attack you, Inuyasha? Usually the only two answers are that you offended them in some way, or they just want to beat the shit out of your because you're a hanyou. Granted, her response to his question suggests it could go either way...

Sango throws her boomerang at him again, shouting that it's revenge for all the villagers. Inuyasha is even more confused now, asking Myouga what Sango is going on about. Myouga admits he doesn't have a clue just before Inuyasha dodges the second strike from the Hiraikotsu, flinching as debris from the ground pelt him. Kagome comments that something needs to be done about the boomerang and Miroku holds up his right fist, saying he's on it and yanking away the beads.

This is going to be a consistent issue for you, isn't it Miroku?

Kagome identifies the Saimyoushou, Shippou urging Miroku not to suck them in and avoid getting himself poisoned. Miroku has already wound his beads back around his hand and arm, wondering what the insects are doing there with some confused incredulity. Inuyasha appears more shocked than anything, eyes wide and mouth gaping. He immediately starts to put the pieces together, though his conclusions are colored with disbelief. But, sure enough...

Again with this piece of shit TROLL!

Naraku chuckles, telling Inuyasha to resign himself and take punishment from Sango. Inuyasha's eyes narrow and he calls Naraku a bastard before charging at him with Tessaiga raised, proclaiming that this ends now. Naraku mutters to Sango to finish Inuyasha quickly because the effect of that shard he gave her won't last much longer, and Sango snaps that she knows already. Yeah, dude, stop NAGGING.

Sango throws Hiraikotsu again at the oncoming Inuyasha, but he just leaps right over it, launching himself straight at Naraku with his sword poised for a landing straight onto Naraku's Baboon-clad head. A slim chain wraps around Inuyasha's ankle and he's pulled down to start making out with the ground again. Sango is holding the other end of the chain, having pulled it from a secret compartment over her right elbow. I guess that padding wasn't just for Sango's eventual learning to ride Kagome's bicycle after all.

She insists SHE'S his opponent, and Inuyasha shoots back to his feet to call her a bitch again and threaten to kill her first if she doesn't step off. Myouga stutters Inuyasha's name in utter scandalized rebuke, but Sango isn't the least bit taken-aback, daring Inuyasha to just try as she leaps at him with her weapon raised.

Shippou has it all figured out, blurting that Sango thinks Inuyasha was the one who attacked her village, and Kagome follows this up with a statement that Sango has been deceived by Naraku. I don't know if anything more obvious has ever been said, Kagome, but okay. A moment later, Kagome gets a look at Sango from behind and is struck by a shocking fact. No, it's not that Sango's ass just won't quit, it's that she has a Shikon shard in her back. Though, both those things are true.

Meanwhile, Sango throws her boomerang at Inuyasha yet again, pushing back his blade yet again, against which onslaught he can only grunt. As the boomerang starts to turn back, Inuyasha lunges forward, intending to attack before it can return to Sango. However, Sango is one step ahead, throwing a pair of beads at Inuyasha that she calls poison dust. Inuyasha has to back off again when the beads explode at his feet into a cloud, and he covers his sensitive nose at the smell of a miasma in the cloud.

Sango, safe in her nice mask, chuckles. She says that guys with ears like his are generally weak to scent attacks. It's all part of the balance system of the really awesome RPG that this manga will NEVER GET. Inuyasha sweats and continues to hold a hand over his nose and mouth as he realizes he can't get close. Naraku is sitting off on the sidelines giggling about how Sango sure is a great youkai exterminator. A pair of familiar sandals step up to him and after a slight moment of surprise, Naraku greets the priest with sarcastic grace.

Yeah, good luck with that. Naraku comes right out and says he won't LET Miroku punish him, giant wasps surrounding him in order to drive the point home. Besides, Naraku tells Miroku that all of the Shikon fragments will soon belong to him, as well as all of Miroku's base. Glaring, Miroku admits he has no idea what Naraku is planning, but he lunges as he yells that this is as far as Naraku's getting. Naraku pulls a sword from NOWHERE and blocks a blow from Miroku's staff, defensively stepping back. He's not too great at hand-to-hand combat, though.

That didn't take long. The hand flops on the ground, Kagome and Shippou giving a congratulatory cry to Miroku. Miroku isn't finished yet, though, swinging down his staff again and smashing the ground in front of a rapidly leaning Naraku. Naraku falls down, seemingly cornered with Miroku's staff pointed at his masked face. Miroku tells him to give it up, but Naraku scoffs.

Is that the BEST last word you can think of, Kagome? You really need to invest more thought into the important question of what you want the last thing people hear from you is going to be. Someday.

Because it's not today. Both Miroku and Inuyasha turn distracted from their respective battles to freak over Kagome being in danger. Miroku dashes to try and stop the disembodied hand's attack, but Inuyasha makes it there before him, throwing himself in front of Kagome and slicing Naraku's hand to bits with Tessaiga. He only has a moment to detect a sound above him, the whir of Hiraikotsu above him and Kagome, before he seizes Kagome and dodges the boomerang. It carves up the ground they were just standing on while they retreat, and Naraku's hand reforms and flies at them again. With its palm free of a sword, it manages to snatch at Kagome's collarbone, alarming her.

Hey! Stop being so rude, Naraku! That's MY job!

So, what did I think of this chapter overall? I'm always a fan of chapters with a ton of action that flows well and draws a reader through the chapter. This chapter definitely delivered on that for the most part, with fast panels not containing much, if any, dialogue. I always appreciate it when we don't have characters chatting for half the time when they could be in a fight for their lives, ESPECIALLY when the issue they're fighting over is a miscommunication like in this instance. The fact that Sango was tricked into thinking Inuyasha was the one who killed her village would only be undercut by constant dialogue between the two of them demonstrating they have all the ability to set the record straight.

Also Miroku learned from his mistake the last time and totally went after Naraku while Naraku was sitting on his ass watching Sango carry out his dirty work. Learning characters are always a plus.

What's a minus to this chapter is there being nothing but standing around for Kagome and Shippou to do. Action chapters, before this point, generally included something for ALL the characters to do, and it made the flow of the story feel smoother and the characters more real. When characters are ACTING, they're always more interesting and more relatable. Unfortunately, with nothing for Kagome and Shippou to do, they were relegated to an object status that only spurred action from the other characters. That will unfortunately become more of a problem the further in the series we delve.

Now, that's not to say that I have any suggestions that would have given Kagome or Shippou some actions that would have given their role in the battle more meaning. Unfortunately, with the character saturation of the chapter being as high as it is, and future chapters promising an even higher rate, there WILL be characters just standing around sometimes because there are no more tasks that need to be taken on. This is a risk that any author writing a story with a team of main characters is going to have to deal with, and it sucks.

But as far as how fun the chapter was to review on my birthday...

... Meh, it was okay.

Yu-Gi-Oh Manga: 148 The God of the Obelisk

Oh great, yet another peacock strutting around as if the whole world is a shrine to its dick. I get far too much of that from the men I meet on the regular thank you, and in a professional setting to boot! If this stream of fellas who have egos as big as deities isn't going to stem anytime soon, can they at least tell me where they get those attitudes that suggest they've been WORSHIPPED all their lives? Seriously, I could use some of that cockiness to get me through most days. Sharing is caring, guys.

Did I say "guys"? I'd like to narrow that down to specifically Mr. Kaiba, since it appears this official-looking translation has dropped us right into the territory of one of the more notorious of the pricks I just described above. He has enough ego to envelope the world TWICE, so I know there's enough to spread. Selfish bastard.

But at least he's a selfish bastard who has finally come into his own fashion. He's wearing his iconic white sleeveless flared coat with the black turtleneck underneath for the first time here, and I want to call it Chic Dork Couture and one of the only successful attempts of sexualizing a male character I've ever seen, all at the same time. It's confusing, but that's just another day ending in "y" for Writch here.

Kaiba is standing in the middle of a large room, observation window to his right, and a hanging robot a ways in front of him. Someone announces that the main computer system is ready, and Mokuba shouts from his place behind the observation window that everything is ready to go for his big brother, set to start whenever Kaiba wants. Many men in lab coats are looking rather busy in the behind Mokuba, probably trying not to get specially noticed by elder Kaiba. I can just imagine what happened to the last guy who caught his attention.

Too true, Eliot. And besides, Kaiba is too stoked to ruin anyone's life today - he's finally testing the next generation Duel Disk!

I guess someone was complaining that Kaiba's Duel Disk required physical effort to make it work. Some layabout who didn't expect a card game to require one to get winded! The fool!

In his head, Kaiba thinks of Yuugi (or Yami, as it were) as the person he recognizes as a rival, because people are apparently just LINING UP to have a rivalry with this guy *eyeroll*. In fact, Kaiba is convinced that only (Yami) Yuugi and he have TRUE pride. I'm tempted to ask for a definition of the word "pride" here, but I know there isn't one. Kaiba is excited to start a brand new battle with (Yami) Yuugi once this new Duel Disk on his arm is complete and I'm sure his heart is beating faster just thinking about it. Snrk.

Even if Kaiba were to believe that it is Yuugi on that ancient tablet Isis showed him, he would dismiss any significance of it anyway because that's just a relic to him. He considers the era right now as his, and he's only interested in the enemy in front of him. This leads him to wonder if (Yami) Yuugi is really just the embodiment of an ancient grudge seeking honor from the past, and if that's the case...

Where is all that wind coming from??

A man with long white hair and immaculately sculpted facial hair announces that the deck is set in the duel machine, and orders that the tactics level be set to maximum. The robot in the room with Kaiba clicks and whirs as it inserts the deck into the slot on its own built-in Duel Disk, proclaiming that the deck is detected. Mokuba is stoked to finally see his brother duel against the machine, but Mr. AwesomeBeard says that he's not sure Kaiba can beat the DuelBot. Mokuba completely overreacts, telling Mr. AwesomeBeard to shut up, because there's no way his brother will lose to some computer. Unfazed, Mr. AwesomeBeard explains that the DuelBot is using Kaiba's own deck from Duelist Kingdom. Mokuba is alarmed, asking in near panic if that means it has all three Blue Eyes White Dragons in it, and Mr. AwesomeBeard confirms this, saying this is what Kaiba ordered. Looking nervous, Mokuba eyes the window where his brother will be fighting his own ultimate deck.

Kaiba takes out a new deck to use and puts it in his new Duel Disk, thoughts affirming for the audience that this one contains the god card given to him by Isis, who is called Ishizu in this translation. Kind of wished I had started with that version of the name, because it's super awkward using a name for her that has *ahem* negative connotations these days. Fuck it, I'll just use Ishizu from now on.

Staring down his robot opponent, Kaiba internally monologues some more about how this is more than a test of the Duel Disk, but also a test of Obelisk, wondering how it will fare against his carefully constructed deck with the Blue Eyes White Dragons he so unscrupulously collected. That unscrupulous part was inserted by me, by the way, in case I fooled you into thinking that Kaiba had developed a sense of self-awareness at some point. Sorry. He didn't.

Kaiba shouts at the observation window that he's ready to go, and Mr. AwesomeBeard starts pushing all kinds of buttons to turn the auto-dueling system on as well as the DuelBot itself, though it was plenty on before when it put its own deck into the Duel Disk. Let's ignore it and how dirty it all sounds for the moment, shall we? Mokuba gapes at his brother through the glass, appearing pretty worried.

Yup, aaaaaaaany day now!

For real, though, the DuelBot opens with a killer summon, a Blue Eyes White Dragon right off the bat. Shit, KAIBA never managed to do that. Mokuba is freaking out, yelling at his brother to watch out as Mr. AwesomeBeard is fretting in the background. Kaiba insists he's fine, drawing a card, putting one face down, and playing "Invitation to a Dark Sleep", which produces a cloaked figure sitting in midair with limbs crossed. The DuelBot says it detects a threat and it's now its own turn, but remains speechless about an attack so the Blue Eyes White Dragon stays docile.

Kaiba notes this, soon realizing that the DuelBot is cautious of his face-down card, impressed with how good its tactics are despite it being just an artificial intelligence. Is being wary of an unknown variable a way of beating the Turing Test? Seems like it should be. Someone shouts about how the DuelBot played Lord of Dragons, abbreviated on the card to just be Lord of D. I wonder if the person making that decision looks back on it now with regret or mirth... Anyhow, whoever is shouting says that the computer made a super brilliant move, because as long as Lord of Dragons is in play, all dragons on its side are immune to magic attacks. The audience thanks you for your direct explanation of the card's function to it.

Growling, Kaiba silently gripes about how the Blue Eyes White Dragon would have gone to sleep if the DuelBot had attacked, but the DuelBot saw through that move. Kaiba shouts it's his turn and plays Steel Ogre Grotto #2, a machine-like monster that I guess Kaiba hopes his DuelBot will fall in love with? As Kaiba faces the humongous holograms summoned by the DuelBot, Mokuba is devastated that the computer has put Kaiba on the defensive, claiming to know his new deck wasn't strong enough.

Kaiba IS actually sweating while the DuelBot starts its turn, drawing a card.

Why is this kid constantly surprised by things he really shouldn't be?

So the Lord of D plays its flute and a magical substance floats from it, which isn't at ALL a scenario that could easily be turned into a fellatio reference. Nope. The mystical jizz from the flute envelopes the hologram cards in front of the DuelBot as it proclaims that it will summon all the dragons from its hand. Mokuba, Mr. AwesomeBeard and especially Kaiba are all tense as hell, because they know what's coming.

And that's why condoms are important, kids.

Kaiba grits his teeth, internally pulling a Shatner as he haltingly thinks about how the three dragons at once are the deadliest combination there is. In another unfortunate translation fuck-up, Mokuba calls out to Kaiba using "Kaiba" instead of Seto or big brother or something that makes sense. Mr. AwesomeBeard questions whether ANYONE can beat the strategy that Kaiba is now faced with, especially considering the fact that it's his own. Another lab coat wearer in the room says that NO ONE can beat it.

After a panel depicting him with grinding teeth and a heartbeat in his ears, Kaiba suddenly envisions (Yami) Yuugi, soon with the same three dragons facing him as are now facing Kaiba. Kaiba thinks that (Yami) Yuugi stood up to those dragons without fear, believing in his cards and taking on the challenge with courage. (Yami) Yuugi won that match, so Kaiba must be referring to the one he orchestrated at Death T rather than Duelist Kingdom. He also refers to fear as being the greatest monster duelists must face, and though he doesn't admit it, he must be feeling a ton of that right now, especially since the DuelBot is not initiating an attack by all three Blue Eyes White Dragons at once.

As the attack dissipates in the centers of cyclones absorbing it, Mokuba cheers for his brother and Kaiba announces with a smirk that it's his turn now. He's ready to bet everything on the card sitting at the top of his deck, drawing only to become somewhat surprised by his new card.

Well, what do you know? Kaiba pulled a Yami!!

Meanwhile, Mokuba wide-eyed with wonder beholding the legendary card that Kaiba was talking to him about. Kaiba reapplies his smirk, admiring the Obelisk deity as the ultimate power. Then he sacrifices his two other monsters in order for Obelisk to absorb their power and souls too. Obelisk grabs hold of the Steel Ogre and Invitation to Dark Sleep, which I will henceforth refer to a Sleepy Creepy. Mr. AwesomeBeard is alarmed that Obelisk is killing its own allies, asking if this is the cost of its massive power, and the other lab coated guy confirms that its power is indeed rapidly rising.

Kaiba points at his Blue Eyes White Dragons, commanding Obelisk to attack them.

Jeez, didn't Kaiba claim to be in love with that card? Domestic violence...

While the Blue Eyes White Dragons all dissolve into nothing, the DuelBot shouts about errors and being unable to compute. Even the control panel inside the observation room is sparking up a storm, causing Mr. AwesomeBeard to jump back with a comment about how the system is going haywire, unable to take it. Mokuba just gushes about how great the Obelisk card and Kaiba are for destroying monsters and taking away life points.

Kaiba glares at his malfunctioning robot now that the game is over, only thinking about how there are two more legendary cards to collect out there. He's determined to find those cards and grab them for his own, becoming the king of duelists in the process. Notice how I didn't capitalize that title? Yeah, it doesn't deserve to be capitalized. Eat it, Kaiba.

So, what did I think of this chapter overall? Other than the panel where Kaiba takes another stint into overreaction-town, this was one of his stronger chapters. I certainly got a better, more comprehensive view of who he's supposed to be and how he operates here than I did in the previous two. Where those were confused and meandering, this one is focused; Kaiba uses his vast technological resources to test his new acquisition, and is very deliberate in doing so. In every way, he's demonstrating how important the future is to him, looking forward instead of back. He not only places Yami on the opposite end of the spectrum in terms of what Ishizu told him, which it's clear he's not even certain he believes, but also in terms of a representation of those losses in his own past that he's trying to let go. If, for the sake of argument, Yami really IS pictured on the tablet, it only proves that Yami is a relic himself, stuck in a past that is long gone, and all it will take to overcome him is a mad dash forward without looking back.

Which makes it a tad ironic when Kaiba looks to a past duel between himself and Yami for inspiration on how to move forward in a duel that seems hopeless for a win. Not only does he still have an attachment to all those past losses to Yami, otherwise singling out Yami as his only real opponent wouldn't even enter his mind, but he uses that existing attachment to his own advantage. Kaiba LEARNS from the experience, having picked up that Yami had to overcome his own fear in order to win. So is Kaiba rushing into the future to overtake Yami in the race, or just to catch up? It's a very "tortoise and the hare" question.

As for his new outfit and how I mentioned it's a more successful sexualization of a male character that I've seen, that deserves a bit more elaboration. Kaiba's coverage may be from head to foot, but it's form-fitting, with the loose part flaring at the hips, drawing the eye to long legs and where they meet. There's also the winged shoulders on the coat that broaden Kaiba's shoulders quite a bit to accentuate a more masculine style. I don't know if it's intentional, but it's pretty effective. Effective enough to explain to KT why his least favorite character ended up being one of the more popular ones...

Just saying.

Inuyasha Manga: 089 Mummy

You know, for how many times I've read this story, you would think I'd remember a mummy being in there somewhere. Kind of drawing a blank here right now, though. To be honest, that might just be because I'm watching a lot of Hammer horror films these days, and the mummies I see there are a very specific kind. Got Egyptian mummies on the brain, so it's kind of ironic that I would be covering the manga that doesn't have ANYTHING to do with that at this time.

Me and my inconvenient viewing habits.

Sounds like wishful thinking to me. Sure enough, Sango's eyes snap open beneath a sheen of sweat on her face and she glares at Naraku, telling him not to kid himself. She insists that until she kills Inuyasha, she won't die. Naraku scoffs, saying that's alright, but expressing some skepticism that she'll be able to fight in her injured state. As she pushes herself up with some effort, she huffs that exterminating youkai is her job.

Sango flashes back to when she was still in the young master's castle, and they sat across from one another while he asked if she was REALLY going to avenge her family no matter what. This is when Naraku offers to go with her to be her guide, being useful with his vast knowledge of many different youkai. The young master urges her to return to the castle and be well cared-for if she accomplishes her goal.

But as she climbs a path up the side of a mountain behind Naraku, using her giant boomerang as a crutch, she's certain that she won't be returning to the castle, because she won't be lasting much longer. Sweating and shaking, Sango prays that her body will hold out for that final job it has to perform.

Yeah, you know a place to produce various important items for use in the community? Generally, forts made it a point to have the essentials made in-house to make them more self-reliant in the event of an inevitable attack, so I'm not sure why Myouga even bothered to mention this, let alone why Kagome seems at all surprised about the information. Myouga specifies that the bones and shells of exterminated youkai were used to craft armor and weapons in said workshop as they peer inside at a wide array of such half-finished projects in a typical armory building. My only question is how the exterminators manage to make sure those youkai they exterminate don't dissolve into thin air on them, because I've come to expect that's the only way you know when the things are really dead.

Myouga explains that after the exterminators have used all they can, the remaining youkai parts are carted to the edge of the village, and deposited in a limestone cave, in front of which Inuyasha's group now stands, staring at the entrance. Kagome hesitantly asks if this is where the Shikon no Tama was born. Though her question is met with silence, Kagome is getting a bad vibe from the cave and doesn't want to go in. When she comes out of this contemplation, she shrieks at Inuyasha and Miroku to wait their asses up, because they've already headed inside, walking over an array of youkai bones and looking around curiously. Inuyasha yells at Kagome to get with the program already, forgetting she doesn't have his and Miroku's spelunking experience that they acquired in Onigumo's cave. How thoughtless.

Kagome catches up to them only to yell in disbelief about their weird desire to go into the weird cave, and Miroku suggests she can cuddle up to him if she's scared. Inuyasha snaps at him for thinking perverted thoughts yet again. While they bicker, they walk closer to a misshapen silhouette rising out of dark back of the cave, glowing.

Oh yeah, I guess that IS a mummy in a more general sense. Like I said, blame my inconvenient viewing habits. I always do!

Inuyasha and company stare in shock and horror at the desiccated corpse, Kagome looking a bit queasier than the rest, as Inuyasha stutters out a question about what the hell this is. I'm scratching my head too, because mummification shouldn't really be possible in a limestone cave, where the water has carved out a cave from its slight acidification. I don't know if the extreme temperatures or complete immersion in dryness or water is present in an environment like this, but... I guess magic can just explain it away. I don't know.

Myouga tells Inuyasha this is exactly what it says on the tin after Inuyasha asks for an answer again, so Inuyasha has to glare down at Myouga and tell him outright that he can't figure it out and that's why he's asking in the first place. Myouga remains awkwardly speechless anyway, and Shippou mutters with some irritation that Myouga clearly doesn't know either. Kagome takes a stab in the dark, tentatively labeling it a youkai mummy as she leans in for a closer look. Miroku asks if she thinks it's a youkai, because from where he's standing, it looks like a HUMAN has become somewhat fused with a youkai, but is HUMAN nonetheless. Kagome gapes blankly, looking like she's not quite comprehending what that means, or even mesmerized by the sight of the mummy.

Nothing you can do about it NOW, is there? Save that worry for when you need it, which I suspect will be fairly soon, what with someone coming to murder Inuyasha. AGAIN.

Miroku supposes that this little feature of the cave is not something the villagers would talk about, implying that he doesn't think that they would be willing to answer any questions the group had if those villagers HAD been alive. A fair assumption, because I don't know if I would be capable of properly explaining such a thing myself if I lived there. Hell, I have a hard enough time explaining to people that I grew up in the actual South Park.

Meanwhile, Sango drops to her hands and knees, no longer even able to use her boomerang crutch anymore. Naraku turns to her, asking if she's in pain, and her answer is only a frustrated curse between heavy pants. Convinced that at this rate, Sango will die on the way, Naraku pulls out a Shikon fragment and displays it to Sango, offering the option of trying it out. She looks both unsettled and suspicious as she glares at the glowing shard between Narkau's thumb and forefinger, and demands to know where and how he managed to get it. Naraku vaguely states that he got it some time ago, and quickly moves on to repeat his generous offer to lend it to her. He says that it's only a common thought that the jewel is an inherently evil thing, but he's under the impression it can be used for good as well by some people. Sango's suspicion is slowly being replaced by desperation.

Back with Inuyasha and crew, it looks like they've left the village and are rapidly moving through the forest. Miroku, a little irritated because he's been talking to Inuyasha with no response so far, makes another request to sit and rest for a while. Inuyasha makes a questioning noise before reminding Miroku that he was the one who wanted to go and talk to the people in the exterminator village, and now that they're not going to accomplish that... Miroku says that he's concerned for Kagome's ability to take the breakneck pace they're making away from the exterminator village, a concern for which Kagome looks flattered. Inuyasha asks Kagome directly if she's tired and she confirms that she didn't get a lot of sleep since yesterday. She admits that she's a bit hungry too, a tear forming in her eye while Inuyasha gapes at her, flabbergasted.

Then he states flat-out that she's such a selfish girl, making her scoff in disbelief. She asks what his problem is, because she's been putting up with his bullshit silently until now, followed by a shout that she's only human and she'd die if she always tried to keep his pace.

Yes, this is the very next panel; no, I haven't accidentally skipped any and; yes, this is bizarre and confusing for me too. What the ways in which Inuyasha should state his affection for Kagome has to do with his lack of understanding that she needs to eat and sleep, I'm not entirely certain. Maybe there's a pun here in the original Japanese that I'm missing? I'm shrugging so hard right now, and even moreso when Myouga asks in shock when Inuyasha made a proclamation of love to Kagome. Inuyasha doesn't DENY this happened, opting instead to tell Myouga to shut up.

Crap, I feel so OLD reading about teenage bickering about stupid shit that doesn't matter.

Suddenly, Kirara perks up in Kagome's arms, twitching its little head to stare alert at the surrounding forest. Shuffling sounds behind Inuyasha and he turns toward the noise just in time.

She was awfully close, so I'm a bit surprised Inuyasha didn't smell her in the vicinity. I guess he loses that sense of smell whenever he's getting into pointless and nonsensical arguments with friends or something. How convenient.

Looks like somebody's feeling a bit better! Magical steroids work like a charm, it seems.

Inuyasha is back to confused gaping as Myouga stutters Sango's name. Kagome asks if Sango is someone from the village they had just visited, but her question again goes unanswered, this time because Sango throws her boomerang at Inuyasha with a shout of its name. Myouga begs Inuyasha not to fight with Sango, but Inuyasha is already drawing Tessaiga while he shouts that there's no time for peace. His blade connects with Hiraikotsu just in time, and though the force of the flying boomerang pushes him back a bit, he is able to knock it off course. Miroku is so shocked by the fact that Tessaiga was pushed back that he has to shout that part aloud, apparently. Thanks for the recap, Miroku. Your input is invaluable.

Wait...

Inuyasha, crouching and glaring at Sango, mutters to Myouga that it doesn't really look like they can talk things over. At least not when Sango goes in swinging.

So, what did I think of this chapter overall? If the two threads of this chapter have any connection, it's through the common condition of ignorance between Inuyasha's group and Sango, although Sango is dealing with the added issue of active disinformation being fed to her by Naraku. She's in a particularly vulnerable position mentally for it, too, because she's hungry for revenge, but her body isn't up to the task. Her mental and physical anguish combined is the perfect condition under which Naraku can manipulate Sango into doing his bidding, because she's more likely to believe the more convenient lies his telling her if it means that she can die in the comfort of knowing she did all she could to avenge her village. She doesn't have time to be cautious, to wait for less suspicious versions of the story to come along, or to refuse that magical artifact that will make her stronger for as long as it takes for her to finish the last job she's going to do. So, despite her doubts, she does as Naraku suggests and uses that jewel shard as well.

On the opposite end, it seems that Inuyasha and his friends have nothing BUT time. It seems to them that all the people who could give them some idea as to what the Shikon no Tama is and why it exists are all dead, and even if they were alive, it's doubtful they would have talked openly with strangers about it. Otherwise, Myouga would have truly been able to tell Inuyasha what that mummy in the cave was, and they wouldn't have had to speculate about it. Myouga is the MASTER of information in this story, and even HE was unable to eavesdrop his way into the know this time. So, all they can do is take a look around the ghost town, speculate a bit on what the creepy corpse could possibly have to do with it all, and high-tail it out of there so they don't have to be creeped out so hard.

Which I'm assuming is why Inuyasha was in such a hurry to leave the village. We got an intimate look into Kagome's head and how she felt going into the cave, unsettled and afraid, but Inuyasha's near constant state of confusion and question, and the awe with which he expresses it, indicates he was feeling similarly. I was thinking perhaps when he called Kagome selfish, he was criticizing her for whining about hanging around in the cave, only to whine about their rapid retreat from the cave when he was trying to put some distance between them and it. However...

Here's the thing: sometimes I feel like I write these reviews in a haze of confusion when something isn't quite translatable. Most of the time, I'm able to understand perfectly what's being said, but in those rare cases I can't, I'm usually able to glean a little from the context around it. But the closest I think I can get to a possible understanding of this is that Miroku is referring to the complicated, roundabout ways in which Inuyasha expresses affection for Kagome that can come off as callous and rude sometimes. Perhaps Miroku thinks that Inuyasha was trying to get Kagome away from the cave because he noticed that Kagome was uncomfortable there, but became irritated when Kagome wasn't grateful they were in a hurry to leave the area. Something of an abstract connection, I know, but sometimes I'm missing a linguistic filter, and I need to improvise for the sake of my sanity.

Perhaps I should start learning Japanese in order to make sense of this noise... and perhaps that's a really piss-poor reason to learn a different language...



Yu-Gi-Oh Manga: 147 The Lost Cards!

What did they go and lose them for?? Kaiba's renewed presence in this story indicates a heavy card-slant in this new arc, and I can guarantee that any cards that can be grabbed will be useful. Otherwise, whomever doesn't have a card to spare isn't going to get one iota of time in this one. I hope that the person who lost those cards wasn't hoping to have a part in the manga for a while, because they're screwed now.

Either that, or some Egyptian artist predicted the most mundane thing ever - cowlicks.

Kaiba becomes somewhat upset, demanding to know how Yuugi's image can possibly be on a so-called "ancient" Egyptian artefact. Isis admits she doesn't know anyone named Yuugi, but HAS always thought that the engraving of the pharaoh on the tablet had almost appeared to be alive throughout the years. She drones about how her home country was a glorious kingdom that lasted through more than three thousand years, and how the pharaoh depicted on the tablet in front of them is from the 18th Dynasty. Kaiba's shock appears to extend to the description of what he sees as Yuugi as a pharaoh, and Isis confirms this tablet is supposed to depict a pharaoh.

She explains that the name of this pharaoh was originally carved into an ellipse on the tablet, but the picture of the ellipse looks like that name has been chipped out of there. Isis says that someone carved it out, in addition to everywhere else in the tomb where the name was recorded. This has resulted in this pharaoh having been erased from Egyptian history, something that has ACTUALLY happened to real historical figures in Egypt. Isis stares intently at this particular anonymous king from three-thousand years ago as Kaiba's expression turns angry.

He refuses to acknowledge that the person on the tablet is a pharaoh, insisting that it's Yuugi, and that Isis's talk is all foolishness. Yeah, sure, challenge the expert on her area of expertise, and call HER the foolish one. So rational. He asks Isis how Yuugi could possibly be a pharaoh from three-thousand years past, despite the fact that she STILL doesn't know who the hell Yuugi is, and rants about how she can't prove the tablet is three-thousand years old because the DNA from the people who supposedly carved it would be long gone by now and she can't use carbon dating on the rocks.

Isis, please smack the shit out of this stupid-ass mansplainer for me, won't you? I would do it myself, but you know, I'm three-dimensional and everything.

She does me one better, calmly telling Kaiba that there's really no need for him to be so emotional over this, especially since he hasn't even calmed down and looked closely enough to realize that this tablet ALSO concerns him personally yet. Maintaining professionalism AND shutting down a hysterical Kaiba. She could call HERSELF a queen and I'd totally see it. Anyway, while she stands in quiet dignity, Kaiba peers at the tablet again and puts back on his shock, because no one told him that EMOTIONAL rollercoasters are the kinds that aren't fun.

He's taken more notice of the priest in the mural, and Isis begins to explain that that young man facing the pharaoh looks an awful lot like Kaiba before he shouts at her to shut up.

Neither is your screaming, Kaiba. Stop throwing a fucking tantrum, you gigantic BABY.

But as we all know well enough, Kaiba has no sense of proportional response, and declares that Duel Monsters existing three-thousand years before is just ridiculous. Isis fires back at him that the Tarot was created by someone who based the deck off Egyptian hieroglyphs, which would be a perfectly valid point about a little thing called "inspiration" existing, except she goes on to imply that it, and Pegasus's creation of Duel Monsters, was fate. For some reason, Kaiba doesn't object to the obvious leap in terminology and logic here and just thinks Pegasus's name as though it has him actually considering Isis's talk on fate. Make up your mind, Kaiba. Do you believe her or not? Stop waffling.

After a moment of gazing at the images of both Yuugi and Kaiba on the stone, Isis suggests that fate is also what led the young priest and pharaoh all the way into the present. Kaiba turns his back on her to leave, stating that the Minister of Egyptian Archaeology is wasting both their time on talking about fantasies and magic. Kaiba states he's a very busy man and could be using this time to work on his holograms. Isis says that she understands only to have Kaiba rudely snap at her to make her point. Isis complies, asking if he knew that Pegasus left behind a legendary Duel Monsters card.

NOW it seems believable that Kaiba whirls around, disbelief on his face as he repeats the phrase in his head, probably because he's astounded he didn't inherit it when Pegasus bit the big one. Isis points up at the tablet again, telling Kaiba to look, and Kaiba gapes at where she's indicating.

This boy is such a spaz...

Isis explains that Pegasus created three cards based off the god carvings on this very tablet, and Kaiba looks at her with an almost wary awe, like he knows he's going to be freaking out again REAL soon. She continues with the names of the three gods depicted; Obelisk, Osiris and Ra, and this time with FEELING! Isis goes into philosophy mode when telling Kaiba all about how each one represents a different duality of the universe, such as Obelisk's light and dark, Osiris's good and evil, and Ra's sky and earth. I can sense that an affinity will be shared with each unique wielder of each card already.

Describing the hypothetical owner of all three of them as unbeatable, a defeater of all duelists, and earner of the title of "King of Games", Isis sure knows how to get Kaiba's attention. He's looking pretty hungry right now, and I don't think it's for a meal. Kaiba asks her who has the cards now, and Isis doesn't appear to answer. Instead she talks about PREVENTING someone from owning all three at once by borrowing Kaiba's power. He's shocked by this, as per usual, as Isis explains that Pegasus considered the god cards his biggest mistake because their owner wields the immense power of a god. Kaiba repeats this phrase in his head, and it's awfully surprising that there's no boner sound effect accompanying it.

Isis just drones on about the cards' owner being able to cause much good or evil, the latter kind of heart being able to take away lives, and the cards themselves becoming the ultimate weapon. Meanwhile, Kaiba is silently interpreting the droning to mean that these god cards can possibly do direct damage to an opponent, as the LEGENDS say.

Oh yeah, I forgot this card game is basically a religion instead of an invention, the rules of which are the whims of some corporate douchebags looking to sell a card for a shit ton of money. Unless, of course, the legend Kaiba is referring to was the rumor started by Pegasus that some cool cards would be coming out that new rules said would be able to attack player points directly and they never came out. I'm guessing it's the former explanation, though.

How can you fail at destroying a card? What did he make the things out of? Titanium?? I mean, holy crap, I knew Pegasus was garbage, but not THIS much garbage.

Isis exposits that Pegasus entrusted the cards to the Ministry of Egyptian Archaeology, and they put them separately in three different places throughout the Valley of the Kings, presumably because they thought the white idiot who presented them with trading cards to protect was a bit touched in the head and decided it would be kind to humor him. How nice. Isis tells Kaiba someone stole the cards from where they were put, which Kaiba is strangely quiet about, though there IS another exclamation point above his head. He's not even screaming anymore when he presumes out loud that even Pegasus was afraid of their power, so it stands to reason that not many people should know of their existence. Except those who listen to LEGENDS, apparently. He asks who stole the cards.

When Isis says that ghouls stole the cards, Kaiba's face goes right back into horror-mode, even as Isis says he should know about them. Kaiba immediately launches into a description of said "ghouls", an organization with members all over the world dedicated to stealing Duel Monsters cards. That sounds like the least threatening gang in the whole world to me, but Kaiba is looking like he's shitting his pants when he asks for confirmation that THEY'RE the ones who stole these things. He immediately calms his shit, though, explaining further that the cards are stolen by these ghouls, then resold underground for large profits. Why... would anyone sell CARDS underground? THEY'RE CARDS, NOT MILITARY GRADE AUTOMATIC WEAPONS OR COCAINE!!

Kaiba has even heard that they counterfeit cards to sell for money too! The scandal! The nerve! He muses on how these card thieves are like the real-life version of the Muslim folkloric creatures they've named themselves after, who were said to feast of dead flesh and rob graves. Okay, first, the stealing and robbing are the only thing that those two types of ghouls really have in common here. Second, how the fuck does Kaiba know ANYTHING about Muslim folklore?

He decides he can't forgive them for stealing three god cards that he suddenly believes in, despite the fact that he was questioning everything ELSE Isis was saying earlier. Your are a pillar of logic, Kaiba, truly. Isis informs him that the power of the ghouls is the reason she needs his help, and he gapes back at her like he only just realized she was talking. She claims she needs to get those cards back for Pegasus's last wishes and the sovereignty of the Egyptian government. Not sure what the latter has to do with this. Is it going to be occupied if you don't get those cards back?

You know Yuugi's poop-face? This is Kaiba's version of that. I'm just surprised he has any shit left up there, with how big a dump he took when he heard about the ghouls.

Isis says the Ministry of Egyptian Archaeology chose Domino City to house their exhibit because they want people to know the true origin of Duel Monsters, and believe that the tablet has the power to bring duelists together. Kaiba smirks, asking if he's correct in assuming she wants him to turn the city into a dueling stage. Before she answers, he starts contemplating aloud how it could actually lure the ghouls who would want a tournament participant's rare cards, like his Blue Eyes White Dragon.

You guys remember he has the Blue Eyes White Dragon, doncha??

Isis pulls out a card, holding it out to Kaiba as she says that all his musing is exactly why she wanted to give it to him. Yet again, he's freaking out, exclamation points on the end of his unfinished thought about what this card is.

Is... Is he CRYING?

Such a spaz, that boy!

Isis explains that only two of the three cards were stolen, and she's willing to lend him the third in order to get back the other two. While holding the card up in front of his face, Kaiba thinks something that I can't really read, then he lowers Obelisk to smirk at Isis again, asking if she trusts him. He says he might just decide not to give Obelisk or the other two cards once he's got them all. Nice of him to warn her how much of a piece of shit he is, but she takes the warning in stride, saying she trusts him with all her heart. Awwwww, sweeeeeeeet! Not sure if Kaiba deserves that, but Isis is being cute here.

Kaiba scoffs as he turns to leave again, boot-heels clacking as he strides out of the exhibit. He gets in his car again, door held for him by his own secret service servant, and as the car speeds out of there, Kaiba cackles about his new acquisition. Spaz.

Back at the hospital, Yuugi is leaning on some railing lining the roof, totally stoked he gets to leave the hospital today. He states that Jonouchi and the others had to go to school in the morning, but they'll come back to play with him in the afternoon. A nearby nurse whispers to another about how that weird kid has been talking to himself for quite some time as they gather the washing from the lines on the roof. Yuugi don't give a shit, because Yami IS actually hanging out with him there as they stare at the horizon.

After a moment of quiet contemplation of the skyline, Yami tells Yuugi he has to thank him. Yuugi is confused by this, so Yami explains that Yuugi had put his life in danger trying to put the puzzle back together in the fire. Speechless for a moment, Yuugi tells Yami that the one who actually saved them was Jonouchi, in dragging their sorry asses out of there. Yami says that's right and they have some really good friends, which Yuugi agrees with, but with a somber expression. He asks for Yami's attention, Yami granting it with a mystified look, and tells him that asshole!Bakura said the one who solves the Millennium Puzzle has a responsibility to awaken the pharaoh's memories. With some hesitation, he asks Yami if he is indeed a pharaoh.

Yami stays silent as Yuugi looks to him for an answer, but all Yami can tell him is that he doesn't know who he is or where he came from. Yuugi is shocked by this, while Yami says all he really knows is that he exists because Yuugi put the puzzle together, and that in the Valley of the Kings is a tablet that supposedly holds some information. He doesn't get to finish before Yuugi starts throwing a fit, shouting that they should just stop talking about it. Jeez, what is with all these characters and their tantrums today? Yuugi swings around, forcing a jovial tone as he shouts that they should get out of that hospital and go play with Jonouchi and the others.

Yuugi is stopped dead by Yami continuing patiently, saying that he wants to stay with Yuugi forever, even if that means never recovering his memories at all.

Man, I'm getting DIABETES from all the sugary sweetness going on here!

After a beat, Yami draws Yuugi's attention to their friends running into hospital below, and Yuugi immediately dries his tears, excited that they showed up early. They call Yuugi's name, and he beams at them.

Diabetes I tell you!

So, what did I think of this chapter overall? The end definitely resolves the only problem I had with Anzu's revelations at the beginning of the last chapter. Now I know Yuugi is having the same painful realizations around the vague issue of Yami's inevitable departure, and that he's even MORE torn up over it than Anzu is, which is understandable. His way of testing the waters of the subject and then immediately trying to back out of the conversation was typically childish too, and justified in that I can't be sure I wouldn't be doing the same thing. It's a delicate subject, and Yuugi didn't like the way Yami's answer sounded like it might indicate finding Yami's lost identity might mean their separation.

And it seems like Yami might not like the thought of that outcome either, given how he indicated he would forego finding that identity if it meant he would get to stay with Yuugi forever. While this is kind of adorable on its surface, it indicates a couple of more obscure issues. One is that Yami is actually quite scared of figuring out who he is, presumably because he's afraid Pagasus was correct and he's an "evil" in the puzzle. Recovering his memories means risking finding out some rather... unsavory information as well. Another is that he's grown comfortable being here, attached to Yuugi and the life he has with him, and selfishly wants to cling to that. He also risks learning that he has a responsibility to return to his old identity and won't be able to reconcile it with the new one he's now built. We'll have to see if that's an issue.

As for the beginning of the chapter... You know, people often joke about how a damn card game would be so important to the world in this series, and I DON'T think it's such a difficult element for me to swallow in the story. There's plenty of things in our universe that are massively important and I will never, for the life of me, understand why. I mean, football/soccer is a big enough thing that the players can get away with MURDER a lot of the time, and that is also just a game, so it's not such a stretch for me to believe that Duel Monsters might rise to a level of fanatic following that fans of, say, the World Cup has amassed over the decades. I could TOTALLY see Pegasus or Kaiba as a sort of Sepp Blatter of Duel Monsters.

That being said, no one has ever formed gangs around stealing rare soccer balls and selling them on a black market for soccer balls. No one, to my knowledge, has ever prayed to, or seriously invoked, a god of football at games or matches. There aren't legends about a goal that will do something special for the team during the game that don't fall in for regular rules. My suspension of disbelief is kind of cut down when a religion appears to be BUILT around a central game, unless it's set up as a form of worship early on, which this one most certainly has not.

Speaking of religions, how DOES Kaiba know anything about Islam? I thought he was all about technology and the future, so what's he doing carrying around random mythology in his head? He just knows whatever the plot NEEDS him to know, doesn't he? Just like how he reacts and believes however the plot needs him to. Just slap him with the expressions and dialogue no one ELSE wants and watch him go!

*Note on the strike-throughs: Read below for further discussion on this topic, where Kailyn Mei elaborates on why card counterfeiters and underhanded dealings in the trading card and gaming world isn't as unbelievable as I thought.

Inuyasha Manga: 088 Inside the Fortress

Oooh, fortresses are always full of cool stuff when you infiltrate them! There's not only bound to be some Shikon shards around, but probably some other valuable loot. Armor, weapons, money, or rare texts regarding a special spiritual enlightenment hidden from the masses by the elites that want all the knowledge and power for themselves! If they manage to get there and survive their trials, perhaps the enlightened will bestow upon our characters their own universal knowledge.

Unless the spiritual knowledge is for us, the audience, to parse from the hints and clues assembled throughout this manga.

Woah. Inuminati.

It looks like you guys arrived a bit too late to do anything about those demons you were chasing, huh?

Yeah, a little slow for this one, huh?

Kagome holds a hand to her mouth, gazing in horror at all the carnage. Even Miroku and Inuyasha are in awe of this as well, Miroku haltingly commenting on how the villagers fought the youkai, and Inuyasha on how most of them lost. Badly. Looking at one of the corpses dressed in armor, Inuyasha trails off in a statement about how there's no mistake, finishing the thought in his head that this must be the village of the youkai exterminators that they were searching for.

Off to the side, Kagome hears a noise and immediately takes cover behind Inuyasha, who responds to her cry that there's something over yonder by grabbing Tessaiga's hilt.

I hate to be nitpicky here, but those fangs are popping out pretty high up on the nose there, aren't they?

Inuyasha draws Tessaiga, shouting that this is a surviving youkai. Not just surviving, dude, THRIVING. That thing doesn't have a scratch on it, almost like it wasn't even IN this huge epic battle that we never got to see. It appears the giant cat-thing says that the voice it heard belonged to Inuyasha, so Inuyasha and Kagome are both at once flabbergasted by this thing talking. However, the voice speaks to the giant cat next, telling it to calm down and that these people are not enemies. Kirara nods its head and with a hiss shrinks down to the size with which Sango was greeted a couple of chapters ago, fluffy and compact. And without oversized fangs protruding weirdly from the mouth.

With a confused sweatdrop, Inuyasha gapes at the now tiny kitten, and Kagome peeks around his shoulder to comment on Kirara's new cuteness. Kirara scratches at its neck with a hind paw, and a speck of something leaps out of its fur right toward Inuyasha's face, with a joyous cry about how long it's been. After landing on Inuyasha's nose, Myouga proceeds to drink up his blood with his cone-like sucker. Inuaysha immediately smacks his own face, smashing Myouga before staring down at him with his sustained confusion. Kagome asks Myouga what he's doing in a place like this. Since he's never met Myouga before, Miroku is a touch mystified by him as well, asking if he's a friend of theirs. Shippou makes it a short explanation - Myouga is Inuyasha's retainer. Of a sort.

While Myouga exposits about how this is indeed the village of youkai exterminators, who have lived and worked in this spot for many generations, Miroku is shoveling a gave while Inuyasha pulls a dead man over to it. Inuyasha says he's not surprised that the youkai would resent the exterminators, and shoots Myouga a questioning glare as Myouga expresses some suspicion over how it's strange the youkai all decided to attack now. He's aware that the strongest slayers in the village were called to Saru Castle, so the village was somewhat vulnerable when it was attacked the previous night. Sweating, Myouga admits he has a bad feeling about all this, which is a gimme given how literally EVERYONE in this village but for a demon cat was killed. You SHOULD have a bad feeling about it, Myouga, especially since it happened right in front of you.

He expresses some worry for the people that went to the castle last night as well, wondering if they're alright. Ironic that Myouga can confirm 100% that the demon cat is still alive, but some both dead and alive people are holed up at Schrodinger's Castle.

At least, according to his side of the experiment. Our omniscient view allows us a peek in there, where someone is thanking goodness that at least one of those exterminators survived.

Yeah, grandpa, mind your business before you start telling her to smile more and shit. She has every right to be pissy right now.

The Young Master must agree with me, because he orders grandpa and everyone else to leave, having had enough of their shit. Grandpa starts to protest, but the Young Master tells him he'd like to speak with Sango alone. After everyone skedaddles, the Young Master attempts to confirm Sango's name. When she doesn't say anything one way or the other, he must assume he has it right and continues with an apology for the fate that befell her family and other village companions. Silently, her brain is on a loop, asking why this happened. She continues to glare, however, seemingly suspicious of the Young Master who is being so hospitable after her terrible ordeal.

He's just in awe of her crazy enormous life force despite all that tragedy, because she's bearing those wounds without so much as a cry. The Young Master is taken out of his thoughts on this by a voice calling to him from behind some screens blocking the outside.

Hey, Young Master - you would save everyone a whole LOAD of trouble right now if you did to Naraku what you did to your poor possessed dad. Just do that. Just do it.

But, he doesn't, and Naraku feeds him some bullshit about going to the exterminator village as soon as he could at the Young Master's request. Question: how do YOU know where the fuck this secret exterminator village is when no one ELSE does? Does Young Master over here know where it is too? Man, if I were Sango, I'd be SUPER suspicious about this whole conversation she's picking up right now.

And she is picking up on it from beyond the screen, eyes widening out of shock when she hears Naraku say that it was attacked and destroyed. Her glare has a certain panicked quality to it when she wonders what the hell is even going on here. Probably a lot of things, but not least of all, your life is falling apart sweetie. Sorry.

Back at the destroyed village, Miroku is praying over a couple of the villagers' bodies before he covers them up completely with soil, Inuyasha standing dutifully in the background. On the already finished funeral mounds, Kagome is laying down flowers with a solemn air, Kirara watching her. Miroku says this is a tragedy, immediately followed by the complaint that he wanted to ask these people so many questions. Yeah, how RUDE of them to die before they had a chance to hear your pithy little inquiries, Miroku. That's just such inconvenient behavior.

Let it be known that I'm rolling my eyes HARD right now.

Inuyasha looks down at his shoulder to where Myouga is sitting, making a subdued assumption that Myouga knows something he's not told them yet. Myouga is perplexed at first, but then asks if Inuyasha is referring to the Shikon no Tama. Kagome asks Myouga if he came to the village to investigate the jewel and Myouga confirms this, having been wondering for quite a long time what the origins of the jewel are. After all, whomever is influenced by the jewel meets a horrible fate in the end, and Myouga claims that his concern evolves around what would happen to Inuyasha if he got proper hold of it. Just like the last time, I imagine.

Not in the least fooled that Myouga really cares, Inuyasha admits that he always thought Myouga would just run away, given all the danger having the whole jewel would generate. Stuttering and incredulous, Myouga demands to know how Inuyasha can say such a thing, after they have been reunited in such a fateful way. Inuyasha apologizes, but still questions why Myouga didn't ever hop on back to the group on his own, and Myouga is speechless. Kagome guesses he didn't think to look for them, Shippou that he couldn't have been bothered, and Inuyasha just assumes by Myouga's continued silence that either one of these suggestions hit the nail on the head with an exasperated look.

The scene switches back to the Young Master's castle yet again, where said Young Master is ordering Naraku to give him all the details of what he saw in the exterminator village. Naraku describes a high villager body-count, because the best lies start with a kernel of truth, and then presents the fabricated part.

How's THAT for alternative facts? Eat your heart out, Kellyanne Conway.

The Young Master asks about this hanyou, and Naraku explains that Inuyasha has been going after those who hold pieces of the Shikon No Tama ever since it was shattered. A contemplative Young Master says that he has heard of this jewel, before Naraku tells him that Inuyasha wants to become a full youkai with the dark powers of the Shikon no Tama. Glancing into his periphery, the Young Master asks if Sango's village had a piece of the Shikon no Tama, and Naraku presents an "hypothesis" that Inuyasha likely attacked the village to get his hand on a shard a village full of Youkai exterminators were likely to have. As if you don't KNOW why the attack happened...

Looking depressed, the Young Master states the facts that not only has Sango lost her father and brother, but also her whole village in one night. Suddenly, the screen behind him rattles and falls.

Just don't look too far for that culprit, girl.

So what did I think of this chapter overall? The structure could have been executed better, because it was definitely jarring to be jumping between each location TWICE within the same installment. I think the actions and dialogue of Inuyasha and company could easily have been rearranged so that all of it took place in one chunk, and then the bit at the castle could have done the same. It certainly would have made the pacing a bit smoother and less choppy. Of course, there might also have been a bit of space to fill if it were the case too, given RT's economical style.

That being said, the dramatic irony in this one is HEAVY; it's basically carrying the chapter. We as the audience know that Sango's village was destroyed by a horde of demons, none of which included Inuyasha, and at this point we can have a reasonable suspicion that Naraku is the one that sent them there, though it's not explicitly stated in the chapter. The way that he's familiar with this young lord in the castle suggests that he was involved in getting the strongest of the slayers there as well. Even when first reading this chapter, Naraku's mere presence (as well as his readiness to blame the whole thing on Inuyasha) is enough to have the reader jump to the conclusion that he's definitely the mastermind behind the slaughter of the village. Considering we've only really met the guy during ONE arc so far, that's a pretty impressive speed on setting up the gut-reaction for the audience.

I'm just a tad wary of the young lord as well. He didn't react emotionally to killing his own father, he's in league with Naraku, and his conversation with Naraku outside Sango's room felt just a little too scripted for him to be entirely innocent of knowing what Naraku is up to here.

Plus, there's something about him that creeps me right out.