Yu-Gi-Oh Manga: 206 The Battle Retold

Now, I'm perfectly fine with retrospection, but should we be visiting stuff that happened before right in the middle of the first semi-final match? Seems an awfully ill-timed reminiscence, if we're going in that direction. I mean, where are we? In a structured story with beats and a linear progression, or Writch's head where the past pops up to mock her at the most inopportune moments? What's next? Yami staring off into space while unbidden bullshit pops up in his head and distracts him from everything that's happening in front of him?

That's a bit too much reality in my fantasy manga for me, thanks.

This translation is already giving me a bit more retrospect than I cared to engage today. No exam, thank you, I'm a grown woman with no use for pop quizzes.

In case you don't remember, the chapter is reminding us that Yami has an even 2000 life points, reduced and surpassed by a smug asshole!Bakura's 2450 points. After a panel reminding us what's out on the field at this point, asshole!Bakura conversationally states that it's his turn again, while planning to lay down another terrifying card. Don't get too high off your own ectoplasm, kid. He plays his terrifying card face down and ends his turn, saying that Yami will still go down even if he twiddles his thumbs. Well, I thought you were all into playing more spooky ghost cards, and now you're just going to sit on your hands? What a wash.

Yami isn't too comfortable with this boring development, though, sweating nervously. Asshole!Bakura reminds Yami that it's his turn with a creepy grin, as you do. Meanwhile, Jonouchi is shouting from the observation pit the most obvious shit ever - that if Yami doesn't figure out how to deal with Necrofear, he's done for. Anzu too feels the need to remind us that the tables have turned on Yami. I have eyes too, you know, but that's for the double redundancy. Anzu continues in this vein by worrying about where the doll's spirit is, because of its ability to turn an attack back on Yami instead of his target. Still, Jonouchi is far more concerned about the fact that doing nothing isn't an option either, because in three turns, the duel is done regardless.

Honda seems to be the only one willing to say that Yami is going to turn this thing back in his favor without a doomsday prediction. It seems more like an affirmation or mantra than an active belief, but he says it. Yami is a bit preoccupied by the letters looming in front of him to be much encouraged by this, though. Asshole!Bakura is utterly convinced that his secret weapon would not be destroyed, so he's the only one who seems to be relaxed.

Yami finally states himself that it's his turn, and asshole!Bakura giggles in response. A visual representation of the doll's spirit weaving itself around and between Yami's monsters, looking for a new host as asshole!Bakura is aware, knowing it's the DMG that's possessed again. It's not clear if he can just see the random act of the spirit, or if he's directing it to DMG, but regardless, the fact that Yami can't see this is making asshole!Bakura giggle again.

Examining the backs of the monsters in front of him, Yami wonders where the doll's ghost has hidden itself this time. He looks between all of the holograms and decides it can't be Kuriboh, because asshole!Bakura is well aware that it's not for attacking enemies. That leaves DMG and Gamma as potential hosts, and Yami can only attack with one due to the Dark Door card. Yami considers not attacking at all and just passing his turn while he contemplates his hand, but he quickly discounts the idea. He doesn't have many turns left, after all.

So, declaring that he's not going to run just because it's risky to attack, Yami decides to take a gamble. He commands Gamma to attack, but the moment he does, asshole!Bakura reveals his face down card to be a trap; Dark Spirit of Silence. Yami is understandably freaked and shouts in disbelief, before asshole!Bakura explains that his trap turns the attack command to another monster. Three guesses as to which THAT'S going to be. Asshole!Bakura tells his new ghost to possess Gamma now, and we're well on our way to filming a new installment of the "Exorcist" series, friends!

Gamma appears to short out when the spirit leaps into him, and Yami expresses some confusion that his monster has been silenced. His panic is obvious when he realizes that the attack command will be inherited by DMG. It strikes an attack pose in accordance with this fact, as asshole!Bakura admits that the attack will never get to him because DMG is the one possessed by his other ghostie.

Of course, asshole!Bakura is laughing that all the life points Yami has lost above transfer to him, giving him a new total of 3700. This is why he's an asshole. Also the murder thing.

Jonouchi and Anzu call out to Yami, with Jonouchi grinding his teeth over how perfect asshole!Bakura's strategy is. It seems to him that there's no chance of winning. As if in response, asshole!Bakura draws attention to the fact that the third letter in DEATH has appeared above the spirit board by throwing out his arm beneath it like a showman. Yami clenches his jaw over having just two turns left.

Kaiba's expression has gone from that tentative approval to downright shock. He wonders who asshole!Bakura even IS to create such a terrifying combo, sealing Yami's every move. He's sure that the "death" will occur if the next couple of turns keep going like this. Obvious statement is obvious, but Kaiba is prepared to join Honda in the ranks of the faithful, when he decides (with way more confidence) that Yami can turn the tide again. He knows Yami won't just give up because the odds are bad. He's got a fairly recent memory to draw on for evidence, too.

The next panel shows a glaring Yami, who is no longer sweating. That we can see, anyway. It's cold up there on top of the blimp, though, so I don't know if that means anything. A giggly asshole!Bakura is trying to convince Yami that it's over, though, because his strategy has no flaws, even though I can think of a pretty obvious one right off the top of my head (*coughresurrectingnecrofearsoitcan'toperatethespiritboardandalsothedoll'sspirithastogobackwhereitcamefromcough*). Of course, I have no idea if that's where this is GOING, but the point is, the plan isn't fool proof, and maybe I should start calling this kid IDIOT!Bakura.

Jonouchi openly disagrees with asshole!Bakura now, shouting at Yami that this ISN'T over, because they still have to face each other in the final round, like they promised. Yami remains stuck in his own head, though, begging himself to think, because there has to be a way out of this.

Well, that despair didn't take long to set in, did it?

And it doesn't take long for it to lift either, because the very next panel shows Yami's re-examination of his hand and a new look at a card there that gives his pessimism pause. He decides there IS a way, and proceeds to pull the card from his hand, along with another. He plays both cards face down, ending his turn.

Scoffing, asshole!Bakura assures Yami that even if he manages to stop the completion of the word DEATH, it doesn't mean he won't die. Keep your opinions to yourself, asshole. Yami declares that he's NOT going to die, and that he's going to prevail no matter what, because he believes in the possibilities of the next turn. Anyone else think that is a sweet-ass inspirational quote? I'mma put that shit on my Mastodon account.

Of course, asshole!Bakura has to be contrary, laughing that there are no possibilities, don't be dumb. Also, it's his turn. However, after a short outward contemplation of Yami's near-death state, asshole!Bakura decides he wants to see the terror on Yami's face and ends his turn? For some reason? Is this about building suspense? Because you're playing a game, dude, not a drama. Leave the writing of this story to your author, and don't try to DIY it, okay? You're only going to look stupid.

Face overshadowed by pure intensity as he strikes a pose, Yami reveals one of his face down cards, Monster Recall. Asshole!Bakura is in disbelief over the name, but it ain't Monster REBORN, that's different. No, this one returns all of Yami's monsters to his hand, as he explains. He waves his hand over his hand, as though having picked back up his cards from the Duel Disk by magic, and who knows, maybe he has.

Now that the monsters are gone, Yami presumes the doll's spirit is wandering aimlessly on his side of the duel, though he can't see it. We're given a view of the looping ghost-streak swimming over the field, though. Yami then reshuffles his cards and draws five. He's summoned a monster in attack that he was "lucky" enough to draw from the reshuffled deck again - Kuriboh. Wait, did he say it's in ATTACK? Yes, indeed he did. Asshole!Bakura looks uncomfortable with this, while Yami explains further that this will cause the doll's spirit to use Kuriboh as a host by default, sporting a little smirk. Accordingly, the spirit bolts for the little creature, flying right into Kuriboh's face.

Then, Yami comments on how the Dark Spirit of Silence will make Kuriboh attack asshole!Bakura's side of the field. Its skeleton avatar pops out of its card to coax Kuriboh into doing just that, but this is where the pattern is broken.

Messy, but effective.

Yami apologizes to the destroyed Kuriboh, because who can stand destroying that widdle face? Asshole!Bakura groans in disappointment, before reminding Yami in an effort to take back the shifted tone of the match that the letter "T" has risen over the field now, meaning Yami only has one turn left. A cocky Yami points at asshole!Bakura, stating that he said before that he only NEEDS one turn to defeat this combo.

You didn't say that, Yami. Stop making shit up.

So, what did I think of this chapter overall? This one was surprisingly fast-paced, at only 17 pages rather than the usual 20. Reduced by a whole three, there wasn't a lot of room for the usual fluff, even if it did contain a little bit of it from the bystanders to the duel. It flowed well, though, so my suspicions that there are missing pages from this one are a bit lessened, though it's clear the translation wasn't produced with too much care. Granted, this translation isn't as bad as some we've seen here on the blog, but it's still quite rough, and I can't be 100% sure that pages weren't left out in haste or carelessness.

If I can be reasonably certain that this is the whole chapter, though, I think it was a good move on KT's  part, and hope the rest of the chapters are reduced in size too. A writer should rarely indulge their fluff, because it takes away from the flow of their action scenes, breaking them up. What little there was did just that, since we had to keep going over to see the reactions of the side characters who weren't contributing in any way. Yami wasn't even responding to encouragement, which would have been SOMETHING. He was too distracted, and therefore the peanut gallery's input wasn't having any effect.

It's due in part to having too large a cast having nothing to do while the main is engaged. This is a problem I've mentioned Inuyasha has as well - everyone else standing around commenting while one guy does all the things. At least RT can manipulate the plot a little to mitigate this effect to some degree, giving some of her characters stuff to do that's interesting as well. Unfortunately, locked into a tournament format where all the characters not fighting are going to be watching the fighting, KT has less freedom here. Still, I think it's best if he cuts down on getting the perspective of the side characters as much as possible. If they have nothing to really contribute to the narrative, it's not productive, and just a LITTLE annoying.

And maybe come up with some relevant titles? This one doesn't really fit the content, although maybe that's just the translation...

Inuyasha Manga: 147 Koharu

And here we have yet another "K" name, and one letter away from the name of another established character, no less. What is it with all of them? Is RT just fond of the sound this part of the syllabulary produces? Is it that averages in the language dictate most names in Japanese start with it? Is there a story hidden behind it like a series of lost loves or possible baby names that were never used? Or am I just picking them out as unusual because I'M obsessed with the sound, and there are actually no more "K" names than those that start with other letters in this series?

If anyone wants to do a statistical analysis of what letters the names in Inuyasha start with, then... well, congratulations on putting more effort into this question than I ever wanted to.

Look at these edgelords, cursing up a storm to sound all threatening. What are they, twelve?

Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to get the fuck on with this shitty fucking recap of this fucking manga.

Fuck.

A guy is sitting on the horse's back, bandaged with his arm in a sling. Whichever bitch they're searching for better watch out, because this guy tells the search party to break her limbs when they find her. One of them stutters out an affirmative, seeming not to be really down with that kind of brutality.

Crouching in some tall grass in the water next to the bank, a girl peers at the river next to her. She's shivering, clutching herself and wondering what it is she's going to do with tears in her eyes. Well, hopefully NOT get caught by a freak who wants to break all your limbs. Unfortunately, it might already be too late. A couple members of the search party appear to have spotted something in the mist, a figure kneeling by the water to dip a container into it. They all identify her as Koharu and charge at her, the front man swinging a big pole at her. She flinches back out of its way, of course, and whacks her would-be assaulter over the head with her bamboo container. He's more dazed than hurt, looking up at the woman he attacked in confusion.

Because the girl who is still crouching in the tall grass isn't the one whose standing over him now. In fact, the girl in the grass is looking out at the commotion she can doubtlessly only hear with some confusion. The rest of the front man's search party has caught up to him now, including the man on the horse, who demands to know who this new bitch is.

A bunch of assholes, of course. Sango seems a little skeptical of their status as regular humans, despite their scruffy appearance. I'm guessing she's just trying to insult them, because there's no way that Sango would mistake an inept group of fuckboys for youkai, even if the line can be blurred at times.

The guy she hit with her bamboo container stutters that this woman isn't Koharu, but the guy on the horse doesn't respond. He's staring at Sango with wide eyes when he comments on her beauty and commands what once was a search party to be a kidnapping party instead, and take her back with them. I almost feel sorry for these doofuses surrounding Sango with their impotent sticks raised, because the guy on the horse isn't going to be the only one all bandaged when she's through with them. But the girl in the tall grass starts to stand, because she doesn't know Sango's badassery, and is willing to reveal herself if she can at all help the stranger not be kidnapped.

She's not as fast as Inuyasha, who leaps out of nowhere to punch the teeth out of Sango's attackers. Literally, a tooth flies out of one dude's swollen face. As the guy on the horse stares in shock, Inuyasha correctly pegs him as the leader and sinks a fist into his face too. When Inuyasha is finished beating their heads in, the whole group splashes away, the horse galloping off ahead of them in the opposite direction while the minions apologize for the case of mistaken identity and assure their gross lord that he'll be okay.

The girl from the grass steps up to Sango with a meek greeting and Sango assumes she must be the one those men were really after. She tells the girl not to worry about them now, as Kagome and Miroku descend the hill behind her, asking what the hullabaloo is about. Miroku's appearance is of particular interest to Koharu, whose heart skips a beat at the sight of him.

Koharu was glomping BEFORE it became a problem at conventions. Better recognize.

She seems to recognize that he's having a little trouble placing her, so Koharu tells Miroku her name, and he takes just another moment before smiling and recalling "that one time". He returns her embrace as she gushes about how it's been three whole years, and Miroku says she looks really different. Sango looks on, speechless, while Inuyasha wonders if they're friends. Kagome whispers to him that it seems like a more intimate relationship than that.

In the following panels, Koharu describes how she lost her parents and siblings to war, and was found by Aburachouja, who made her work hard labor from morning to night. In the flashback, her slightly younger self leans on the tops of small barrels, crying. She recalls being hungry and tired, and the crying was a daily practice. But then Miroku, looking strangely the same as he does now, offers her some food. He'd been called to the village for an exorcism, but he was the only person who was nice to her. In her flashback, he asks how old she is, and she answers that she's eleven.

Aaaaaand, we all know where THIS is going.

Oh, I think you KNOW the answer to that question, boyo.

Just in case he doesn't though, Kagome and Sango scurry back for the latter to call him a beast, and the former to berate him for even saying such things to children. YOU'RE ALL CHILDREN. All you little fucking bastards... Anyway, both girls fall over in comic shock when Koharu clasps her hand and tells them how happy she was to be asked such a question. Miroku also has a little bit of a sickly reaction to her statement, even before Kagome sits back up and looms over him, demanding he take responsibility for his actions. Actually, when she does that, he looks a little confused and somewhat cautiously says that he hasn't laid a finger on Koharu yet. Sango asks angrily if he's sure about that, and Miroku echoes their protests that Koharu IS a child, after all.

Then way make the proposition in the first place? What, are you just staking your claim before anyone else beats you to her? Man, you are gross.

Koharu says that Miroku soon left the village, but promised he was come back to take her away. However, she's had a recent bit of trouble with her kidnapper's son, who's been leering at her around corners for a little while now while she's been working. The young Aburachouja aimed to force himself on her the night before, and a sympathetic Kagome asked if that was when Koharu ran away. Koharu answers that she took the chance to run after beating him unconscious with a piece of firewood, explaining the bandages. Good girl. Kagome accepts the story with a little bit of a nervous grin. Hey, whatever gets her away from a rapist.

Koharu presses herself against Miroku again and begs for him to take her with him. He says her name, but trails, looking like he's thinking of some way to let her down gently. She argues that she's got nowhere to go, and besides...

She's even doing the "clasping hands" things right back to him, haha!

Later, Inuyasha, Miroku and Sango are sitting on the steps up to some building or other. Inuyasha informs Miroku that under no uncertain terms is he to understand that they can't bring the girl with them. Miroku agrees, while Sango eyes him from her periphery. After a pause, she spits that they can't just abandon the girl either. Miroku also stands by this assessment, stating they'll have to keep her close until they find a place for her to live. This, of course, makes Sango all the more sour, and she snarks that of COURSE they have to shelter and protect the one he asked to bear his child, even if it was a joke. Miroku tells her it's something he always says when he meets a new girl, and Sango OF COURSE has to match this with a slightly delayed comment that he hasn't said it to HER at all.

So, after a moment the two staring at one another blankly, Miroku grabs her hands and apologizes for his negligence, Sango shouting in his face that he doesn't have to say it at all despite this being exactly what she wanted, obvi. Inuyasha is in the background, eyes just about rolling out of his head having to witness this garbage. Don't get too smug there, kiddo. I seem to recall you and Kagome saying and doing some pretty stupid shit in the awkwardness of your relationship. Whole chapters have been dedicated to them, of which I have complained extensively.

Elsewhere, Kagome is hanging with Koharu, confirming that Miroku is her first love. They squat on the bank of a stream while Koharu affirms this, telling Kagome that she thought of Miroku every single day. She daydreamed about someday meeting him again, the thought sustaining her through every possible hardship. As she examines her reflection in the river, she says she's happy enough that she wouldn't mind if she died. I mean, part of dying is not really minding ANYTHING anymore, so that's of course a given.

In a nearby copse of trees, the child decked out all in white with the mirror we saw at the end of the previous chapter is lounging on a tree branch. She has the aforementioned mirror propped in front of her, but it doesn't display her reflection - it shows Koharu's in the river.

"This livestream is boring. Unsubscribed."

In a village, someone is determining that Koharu is indeed quite the unfortunate girl. It's an old man that Miroku is speaking to, asking if he can charge her to his care. The old man smiles kindly and agrees, but elsewhere, Koharu is trying to persuade Miroku's companions that she'll definitely not get in their way, begging them to let her stay with them. Inuyasha is obstinate that no means no, arms and legs crossed in a double blocked pose. Kagome is more gentle, trying to explain that Koharu would be in danger with them, even as Inuyasha bluntly commands her to give up this pleading and stay where she's at.

At that moment, Miroku descends the hill toward Koharu, announcing that he's reached an agreement with the old guy. Koharu hunches, dejected by the reality that this is happening JUST when she's been reunited with Miroku. Later, they sit together, Koharu looking awfully tiny resting against Miroku's chest as he sits with his arms draped around her and a leg on each side. In spite of the intimate pose that Koharu's expression reads as FAR too innocent for, Miroku is trying to explain to Koharu why she can't come with him. He says he wouldn't know how to protect her in battle, the youkai after him being awfully difficult to deal with. He claims, all the same, that it will be painful for him to be separated from her, resting his cheek on the top of her head.

The rest of the group is examining this scene from a distance, Inuyasha, Kagome and Shippou all leaning toward it in curiosity. Sango is the only one who has her back turned, glaring in Miroku and Koharu's direction through her periphery. Inuyasha wonders out loud if this act of Miorku's is supposed to persuade Koharu to stay, and Kagome admits it seems more like a seduction. Sango bitterly comments that clinging to Koharu like that will just leave a lingering affection, only to find Inuyasha has redirected his curious stare at her. She asks him what he's looking at, and he in turn asks if he's been imagining that she's been a tad on edge lately, wide eyes innocent. This doesn't stop Sango's assurance that it's just his imagination from being somewhat... threatening.

Yeah, the spectral flames aren't really putting out that "totally cool" vibe you want to be true.

In the evening, the old man, Sonchou-sama, apparently, is thanked for his sheltering of Koharu, and is implored to take good care of her. Sonchou asks if they're leaving already, inviting them to at least stay the night. Miroku declines, stating the longer their stay, the greater Koharu's pain will be. Didn't seem to care much about that when you were cuddling her before, huh? The rest of the party observes this exchange silently, Sango sullen in her speechless state, and Kagome noting sadly that Koharu isn't coming to see them off.

No, she's crouched in a room somewhere crying. She looks up suddenly, though, as if sensing Miroku's impending departure, suddenly regretting her isolation from him. Eyes still welled with tears, Koharu calls his name, bolting out the door. In the black of night, though, she is met with the white form of the girl with the mirror.

Was unsubbing not enough? Did you have to knock the poor girl out too? Overreaction...

So, what did I think of this chapter overall? It was a refreshingly fair and accurate representation of a situation that I see a lot of stories TRY to portray and FAIL at, all the time. A lot of narratives taking place in historical settings treat child brides and grooming as a sort of set dressing, like their players are engaging in a simple tradition rather than a complicated socioeconomic push that has a lot of layers. RT seems to have come close to giving us a true emotional representation here, though, even at the expense of a main character's innocuousness.

Because let's face it, Miroku did not come out of this chapter looking good. Not even okay. He's a giant asshole here, taking advantage of a young girl's vulnerability. He's absolutely engaging in grooming behaviors, his every physical contact with her is a draw meant to keep her attached to him, even as he's promising his friends that he's letting her go. Everything from his position as a priest (a class of people across cultures who have been known to take habitual advantage of their positions of authority, sexually and otherwise) and his not insignificant seniority (at least in the context of Koharu's developmental stage at this time) suggests that he's preying on her loneliness and the fact that she's been extensively abused.

Why he's doing this isn't clear, because he doesn't appear to be doing it out of maliciousness. But given how Miroku usually relates to those of the opposite sex, he may not know how to interact with Koharu in a way that's not overtly flirtatious. There might be a clue in the Aburachouja character at the beginning of the chapter being so willing to trade the girl he was pursuing for a strange girl he had just seen at the drop of a hat. Even nowadays, we have an overwhelming subset of men who believe that they can't be friends with women, that the only way to relate to them is in a sexual way because of the myth that women's minds work in a completely different ways. This attitude would have been all the more prominent in this period, when women were property and not really considered more than commodities.

Sango is, of course, an OBVIOUS foil to this view of the fairer sex in her time, being strong, capable, and smart in her own right, an expert in her profession. She's also closer to Miroku's age and maturity level than Koharu, whom she shows some clear signs of jealousy toward in this chapter. Over the rest of the series, we should all keep this in mind when we watch the romance between Sango and Miroku develop, because Sango's role in his life is going to cause somewhat of a schism between how he sees women now, and how he sees Sango later. Koharu is a symptom of Miroku's habitual misogyny, but Sango is him throwing out his last pack of cigarettes, so to speak.

As for Koharu herself, it was heartbreaking seeing her moon over this guy she barely knew as a symbol of a happier life. Miroku really kind of screwed her over with the stupid little question he brushes off as something he says to ALL the girls he meets. He may not have understood how alone and desperate Koharu was at the time, something he might have learned if he had bothered to spend the time getting to know Koharu that Kagome was throughout the chapter. But, of course, that all-encompassing assumption that women are only for flirting was probably all the thought Miroku put into that, if any.

I know Kagome doesn't confront him about this later, but I like to think she gives him a long lecture about it at some point off-panel. Headcanoned.

Also, does it strike anyone else as a little creepy in a way that Miroku came on to a girl whose name and age resemble that of Sango's brother now? Is it just me?

Yu-Gi-Oh Manga: 205 The Undying Grudge!

Didn't they have a movie about a spirit with an undying grudge? I'm assuming so, anyway, judging by its title. I watched that film once, but I don't remember what started that infamous grudge, so I can't very well say. I think it was something about a well? Or was that a different movie? I don't know, angry ghost children all look the same to me by this point, and asshole!Bakura promises to blend just as well as the others.

What with his use of similarly creepy/irrelevant imagery in his hauntings. Although, at least in this case, the irrelevancy of the imagery is understandable in the context of a card game.

Asshole!Bakura laughs like mad as Necrofear just floats there looking creepy, and Yami glares. He's staring at the monster that has been summoned by sacrificing the souls of three already dead monsters, admitting to himself that there's something VERY worrisome about this thing. Kaiba is watching from the side, internally articulating what Yami can't quite coherently reason out; asshole!Bakura spent an awful lot of his life points to summon this thing, so it stands to reason that Necrofear has a pretty devastating special effect. He mentally tells Yami to be careful.

Though their respective panels facing off show Yami with his full 4000 point and asshole!Bakura with a measly 750, Yami is the one sweating as asshole!Bakura grins deviously. It's still his turn, so he puts one card face down on his Duel Disk before he ends it. Yami stares, wary of the fact that asshole!Bakura isn't attacking at the moment. It could easily beat his current monsters, but asshole!Bakura has abstained for some reason. Yami wonders if it's because of his own face down card floating next to him, but asshole!Bakura continues to give him a wicked grin across the field. Yami sweats some more, trying to divine another reason for the lack of action. Nope, sorry Yami, you may have breezed right past your chance to take asshole!Bakura seriously.

Yami declares his turn and draws a card, watching it leave his deck in his hand. He knows he's still unscathed with his full 4000 life points and acknowledges "Ryo"'s 750 points left. I put quotes around the name because it seems a bit wrong to refer to the asshole with the normal one's name. But hey, I'm not the guy's supposed FRIEND or anything. Yami decides to keep attacking, and sacrifices Baphomet in order to summon a monster capable of the job, slapping her card on his Duel Disk.

2000, by the way. I had to crop them out to combat the angle of the panel. All this technology and my blog can still only display square images.

Despite asshole!Bakura's insistence that DMG isn't going to be able to touch Necrofear, Yami says they'll see. He asks if asshole!Bakura has been watching his face down card that must have been assumed to be a trap. Asshole!Bakura is taken aback by the implication that it ISN'T a trap as Yami points, preparing to reveal the card.

It's a spell card, appropriately picturing a spell book on the cover, called Magic Formula. Asshole!Bakura seems rather bewildered and upset by this reveal, or the fact that DMG is hovering in front of the hologram version of the book, flipping its pages eagerly. Not sure what he's so offended by here, but whatevz. Yami explains that once DMG has finished reading the book, she will be even stronger than Necrofear. Knowledge is power, after all. Jonouchi calls for Yami's monster to crush the creepy one asshole!Bakura summoned while asshole!Bakura growls with anger and nervousness.

Yami commands DMG to attack Necrofear, and that's all folks.

Uh-oh, judging by Yami's face in that final panel, this may NOT be all. Indeed, despite Necrofear dissolving into nothing and asshole!Bakura's life points dropping to 450, he's LAUGHING. What's so funny? Well, according to asshole!Bakura, he's thankful his card has been killed, because now its special effect comes into play. Yami is shocked by this assertion, or perhaps the fact that Necrofear's spooky doll still hasn't disappeared yet. It's unclear whether the creepy laughter in the panel showing this is from it or asshole!Bakura as well.

Either way, asshole!Bakura launches into an explanation about how when Necrofear is sent to the graveyard, the soul residing in the doll it was holding is released, which has no parallel whatsoever to the Millennium Items and their owners, nope. The hateful, vengeance-seeking soul of the doll wanders the field looking for its next host, asshole!Bakura says. Following this tale as though it were instructions, a cloud wiggles out of the STILL dissolving doll and zips around the field. How long is this effing doll going to take to get out of here, huh??

No matter. The point of all this is that Yami isn't going to know which of his monsters this wayward souls possesses... until it's too late! Bwahahahaa! Sorry, I got caught up in the campfire tale mood here.

Meanwhile, Yami is on his side of the match assuming he had to have defeated Necrofear, and that there are no changes to his monsters. That he can SEE, anyway. He knows that if he can attack asshole!Bakura directly with his Magnet Warrior, he'll win. So, he does just that, the fool, commanding Gamma to get over there and slash the last of the life points out of asshole!Bakura with the Magnet Sword.

What could go wrong?

Yikes, that thing hasn't brushed its teeth in like... ever.

Yami hunches over with an arm up in front of his face, realizing that something had just popped out of Gamma to attack him. To top it off, he lowers his arm to see that Gamma has stayed exactly where he was before the order, having not attacked asshole!Bakura at all. Yami gapes as Bakura chuckles smugly, stating that Gamma is possessed by the spirit of the doll Necrofear was carrying around. It's only too happy to attack when its told, but it attacks the master rather than the appointed target. Yami is appalled that an invisible enemy has possessed his monster, but asshole!Bakura declares he's not done yet. He tells Yami that the attacked player loses half the attack points of the possessed monster.

Shown with some weird cracks or lines down the length of his face that I can't figure out, Yami is accompanied with a panel showing that his points have dropped to 3250. And asshole!Bakura is STILL not done, because there's one more piece to this that's the sweetest part for him personally - he absorbs the lost points from Yami to increase his own strength. 1200 isn't a ton, but better than 450, for sure, and he has a celebratory laugh for it.

Yami continues to be shocked at asshole!Bakura's absorption of his life, seeming to still be adjusting to the fact. But wait! There's more! Asshole!Bakura is now possessed by the spirit of Billy Mays, advertising his occult deck as so much more than what Yami has seen. He doesn't even have to call NOW, because Yami already called way back when he directed DMG to take down Necrofear. Turns out that he also activated a trap with that move that asshole!Bakura had yet to mention. Ugh, add-on items. Looks like asshole!Bakura has adopted the Amazon method of maximum profit.

Shock renewed and enhanced, Yami must watch in alarm as asshole!Bakura reveals said trap card with glee.

It's not "butt" is it? Because that's usually what I get when my friends and I drink wine and push around a planchette.

Asshole!Bakura tells Yami to take a good look and watch what letter it chooses, as it's pushed around by Necrofear's burning spirit. After a short journey over the board the planchette comes to a stop over the letter "D". So, not "butt", but we're not out of the dirty words woods yet. A grinning skeleton appears over the board, holding up a spectral paper with "D" written on it. Yami notes the letter's materialization in the air, sweating.

Smug, asshole!Bakura spells out the rest of the word that is to be spelled: DEATH. He says that after five turns the rest of the word will be hanging in the air, and that's when Yami will be eliminated. So, this is like the OPPOSITE of hangman? While asshole!Bakura giggles, Yami is taken aback by this news. Anzu asks if this means that Yami only has four turns left, and Jonouchi freaks out about the implication that Yami could lose even if he has points left once the planchette spells its ominous word.

Kaiba has stoically revised his opinion of the guy he very recently thought of as a weakling. He's now impressed that asshole!Bakura managed to possess Yami's monsters, steal his life points, AND put a time limit on the game, all at once. Before you make asshole!Bakura your new crushemy, Kaiba, do consider that it only took the playing of TWO overpowered cards to do all of this crap, not even combined in a complicated or unexpected way. It's just kind of cheap. But Marik supposes it's a strategy that asshole!Bakura had all along, so I guess I'm the only one who isn't all that impressed with this.

Maybe asshole!Bakura's next play will move me over to the tentative approval club. He's saying, once again, that he's not done and there's much more to his occult combo, after all. He slaps down a spell card called The Dark Door, which widens Yami's gape. It means that he can only attack one monster per turn, much to his dismay. Asshole!Bakura doesn't pause to mock, playing a zombie type crawling up through the floor called Earthbound Spirit in defense, ending his turn.

Yami is less enthusiastic, in fact rather slow, in announcing his turn. He takes stock of the situation, that there's only one monster he can attack and that Gamma is currently possessed by the doll spirit, and all this leaves him with only one choice. Yami begins by summoning Kuriboh in defense, then moves to commanding DMG to attack the Earthbound Spirit with Black burning. Asshole!Bakura has stopped putting on his poker face at this point. I guess there's no point in pretending that this will go well for Yami.

Well, that asshole didn't say the doll's spirit COULDN'T possess a different monster in a different turn, to be fair.

Yami doubles over and stares wide-eyed at the life points leaving him (looking more and more like actual life the further we get in this story, mind). He's down to 2000 points now. Asshole!Bakura chuckles that he "forgot" to tell Yami the doll's spirit changes hosts every turn. With a grin, he warns Yami to choose his attacking monsters carefully if he doesn't want them to tear him apart. Ah, all this withholding of critical rules really takes me back to the beginning of the manga. Nostalgia.

Clenching his teeth, Yami stares with wide eyes at asshole!Bakura, who draws attention to how his life points have grown again - they're at 2450 now. Another spectral paper held up by a grinning skeleton emerges in the air, displaying the letter "E", which asshole!Bakura also directs Yami to notice. He points at Yami, declaring that Yami's life ends in three turns, and all Yami can do is growl.

Moral of the story? Try not to underestimate people who make it into the finals of a tournament you know through personal experience takes a lot of shit to get to.

And don't trust Bakura. That fucker never leaves his fucking posses jewelry at home.

So, what did I think of this chapter overall? As I indicated above, there's something really cheap about how much asshole!Bakura can do with this central card. It follows the established pattern for the villains in this story, which is an over-specialization, relying on one card that seems to do it all for them. The obvious problem with this, of course, is what I've already mentioned - the card is just overpowered and doesn't represent much balance in the rest of the game. Granted, this one has a significant cost tacked onto it, and a strict condition, but that in itself should make it impossible to summon. If asshole!Bakura draws it later than the first five turns in any duel, it becomes a space-hogger and doesn't do anything. And then, when he does draw it at the right time, his strategy is so transparent that there's no way that anyone NOT following a script wouldn't have realized something was up with him summoning all these weak-ass monsters and not allow him to summon it anyway.

But since everyone is following a script in this case, we get an unrealistic propulsion of a villain like asshole!Bakura into the finals.

Because here's the second issue I have with the pattern KT continues to propagate: these bad guys are too dependent on one card and its minor supplements that only work with IT. I seem to recall a time (don't ask me when, my memory isn't THAT accurate) when I talked about how Yami's success comes in part from his adaptability. His strategy can go in many different ways, depending on the situation. That's what makes it fun watching him win over and over again, since the fun isn't dependent on if but HOW he wins. Not giving him opponents that are JUST as adaptable, that consistently rely on one card that Yami will eventually figure out how to destroy is a little limited in how they can impress me. Perhaps that's the reason why I'm still not joining that tentative approval club.

But the horror imagery isn't bad. I thought it was fun.

That is all.

Inuyasha Manga: 146 The Enigma of Kagura

Get used to being confused by that Kagura, my dear protagonists, because it will happen a LOT over the course of this manga. Consider yourselves lucky that you have little more to figure out than a mysterious beautiful woman. I'm jealous. My current definition of "enigma" consists of how people can ignore the marriage of what's happening right in front of them and the confirmation from expert analysis in favor of a bullshit narrative. Said narrative doesn't even seem to offer the basic comfort of a fairy story, so I'm not sure why so many cling to it like a baby blankie.

At least the literal fairy tale in which I lose myself isn't advertising itself as fact.

AND it has side-boob. Eat it, reality-deniers.

Anyway, as he and his friends stand in the hills of shattered rock and earth where Naraku's fake castle once stood, Miroku is stating the obvious; Kagura's aim was to make Inuyasha and Kouga fight until one of them died and she could take on the weakened survivor, since whomever it was wouldn't be uninjured. Her ultimate goal was undoubtedly to take the Shikon shards in each of Kouga's legs. You know, in case anyone hadn't figured THAT much out.

Speaking of Kouga, his whole arm is purple and pulsing with poison at this point, while he lays on his side in the crater he made whaling on Inuyasha. Shippou peers at him, noting that the color of Kouga's skin has changed, and that the poison has spread quite a bit. I see that it's "State the Obvious" time again in the Inuyasha manga. If I were Kouga, I would be rather upset that I had to endure watching others waste their breath like this in my final moments. Afford the guy some dignity and knock that shit off, will you?

Kagome is concerned that Kouga will die at this rate, but Inuyasha scoffs that it's better that way. He's all in favor of letting the guy die so he can't fuck with them anymore, and also so they can score a couple of Shikon fragments. Kagome asks if Inuyasha is suggesting they abandon Kouga, looking only slightly ruffled rather than offended, and Inuyasha says he means that they have no obligation to save Kouga. Clearly more distressed now, Kagome argues that Kouga was ALSO tricked by Naraku, and it's worth it to keep him alive, implying that it might stick in Naraku's craw that he didn't even get one of his targets.

At great effort, Inuyasha stands, and Kagome says his name with concern. He repeats her phrase "as long as he's alive" and says that there's a way to make that happen, while pulling Tessaiga, sheath and all, from his belt with his uninjured arm. He then holds the sheath between his teeth in order to draw the sword again. It's kind of cool.

I mean... yes, it's not ideal, but losing an arm isn't the worst that can happen to Kouga in this situation.

Kouga groans and looks out of his periphery at the looming Inuyasha, too weak to protest. Kagome's own protests are weak, because as Shippou states beside her, it's the only way. He reminds her that the miasma was too strong for even her abilities to aid her in pulling the shard out, and the word "miasma" gives her a bit of an epiphany. She shoots to her feet and shouts at Inuyasha to stop, reaching for an arrow from her quiver.

Shippou follows her into the crater where Inuyasha wears a look of consternation as he continues to hold Tessaiga over his head, steady, staring down at Kagome. She's got an arrow in her fist, pointing it down at Kouga's purple arm. She says that her arrows can erase Naraku's miasma, and sticks the point of the arrow into Kouga's wrist, trailing her new argument that surely it will do the same in this case.

The air around them crackles and Kouga groans.

Kouga blinks and lifts his head, suddenly all better. Kagome pulls back her arrow and recoils for some reason, Inuyasha stares down at Kouga with a mystified irritation, and Shippou just remarks that the fake shard is out of there. Well, I guess that's that.

Starting to push himself up, Kouga mockingly says too bad to Inuyasha for how he wasn't able to kill him. Inuyasha flatly says that SOMEONE is spirited all of a sudden, then lunges forward with sword raised shouting that he won't hold back if this is the case, determined to settle this feud once and for all. Kouga jumps back out of the crater and refuses to comply RIGHT now, claiming that it would be no fun to kill a dog who had only a few minutes ago nearly dropped dead. He, graciously, declares he's going to leave things here for today.

Inuyasha starts to complain that this should be HIS line, but Kouga is already kicking up a whirlwind in his retreat, leaving Inuyasha speechless in his wake. Speechless except in the case of a single swear, anyway. Miroku comments that, as usual, Kouga is fast when running away. As Kouga flees the area, he promises to waste those who killed his wolf brethren, Kagura and this mysterious Naraku.

Bringing us to a REAL castle of in some undisclosed location, where Naraku sits in a room listening to the buzz from his demon wasps and staring at a couple of jars set in a dark corner.

Really? I think she's looking a lot better than before, what with a replacement for her shredded clothes to cover that slash across her chest. Must have stopped by the store on the way back.

Kagura shouts at him not to joke around with her, demanding that he admit he was testing her out. Remembering Kaze no Kizu, Kagura accuses Naraku of withholding information about Inuyasha's sword and its capabilities. Naraku examines the palm of his right hand, firing back at Kagura that SHE ran off without even collecting Kouga's Shikon shards. Then THIS happens:

I've heard of the various places where you can feel your heart pounding, but this is ridiculous.

Naraku mumbles that Kagura is nothing but mouth, and proceeds to squeeze the heart in his hand. Kagura falls to a knee, clutching at the left side of her chest and letting out a pained grunt. She continues to sink lower as Naraku reminds her that her heart is always in his grasp. She's leaning on her hip, facing the jars in the corner when Naraku also lets her know that reducing her to the raw meat that she was born from would be no trouble at all either. A closeup beyond the lip of one of the jars reveals it's filled to the brim with pulsing flesh.

Metal.

Naraku glares at Kagura as he tells her that she was born from himself, and she's merely a part of his body. Kagura stutters a curse, and I am reminded that some people just shouldn't have babies.

Night has fallen, and find Inuyasha and company sheltered in a small, disused building that seems to be falling apart a little. Someone is surprised at the suggestion that Kagura might have been born from Naraku. Unsurprisingly, it's Miroku who responds that this is certainly one way of putting his hypothesis (confirmed by dramatic irony). Kagome, pausing in applying bandages to Inuyasha, stutters out an incomplete protest, and Shippou asks bluntly what she cannot; how can a man give birth? C-Section?

Miroku explains that originally, Naraku is a conglomerate of many different youkai, so it might be better to think of Kagura as a detachment instead. Inuyasha side-eyes him, but Kagome seems to be getting the hang of what Miroku's proposing, because Kagura couldn't be Naraku shapeshifted himself, given she had no knowledge of them. Also, Miroku is pretty adamant that he would never want to ask a transformed Naraku to bear his child, no matter how pretty a girl he deigned to be. Inuyasha and Sango look irritated as Kagome informs him that she's sure Naraku wasn't into him that way either.

Now that we've determined how NOT GAY Miroku's attraction to Kagura is, Inuyasha wants to discuss something weird. Kagura was awfully strong for a woman, and he's worried about Naraku being able to produce opponents like her. Sango agrees, wondering out loud why he hasn't done this sort of thing before. Miroku suggests that it stands to reason Naraku has only come into this power recently. Sango looks on with worry, as Kagome contemplates the meaning of Naraku gaining a new ability, and why this could be.

Back at the castle, Kagura is back on her feet and looking down at Naraku still sitting next to the window. He paints her experience with Inuyasha and Tessaiga as having seen everything there is to see about this sword. No more surprises. He orders to go again.

I wouldn't have pegged this baby child as an ELDER sister to Kagura, but then again, I'm not over here looking my own age either, so...

So, what did I think of this chapter overall? It was a tad fast for Miroku to come to the right conclusion about Kagura, even with the comedic explanation being that he was just really uncomfortable with the idea that he could be attracted to Naraku himself. It smacks too much of characters reading the script, and no the other way around, which always throws me out of the story a little. I think RT could have waited a bit to reveal that relationship between Kagura and Naraku, considering this next part is the precursor to a revelation on that front, which I think would have been a far better clue as to the nature of where Kagura came from. Also, I just like more mystery in my horror, thanks.

In addition, call me cruel, but I kind of wish Kouga had lost that arm. Mutilation isn't a happy ending, but that's kind of the point. Saving his life would have had a bit more weight in sense that Naraku's control over the situation was so tight that the parties involved couldn't get away without some serious sacrifice. It would have made Naraku a more formidable villain, because someone we're familiar with, not just all his nameless buddies, had their life brutally altered by this event. It would have packed a much more emotional punch, and we couldn't sigh with relief at the end. Torture your darlings, and all that, RT.

Besides, that solution of Kagome's only seems clever if you don't think about it. Her arrow OBLITERATED Naraku the last time she got a shot in, and he's only half a youkai. Kouga is the whole thing, and it should have done some serious damage to him as well as dispersing Naraku's miasma. Even if the greater part of Kagome's arrow's power comes from the projectile part of the process, there's still a big youkai-opposing magic in there. Although, to be fair, none of the different classifications of powers, like youkai and spiritual, have really been defined very well, and the differences are only going to get murkier as the series continues.

And we already have one guy whose lost an arm, so I guess RT thought he was enough.

Yu-Gi-Oh Manga: 204 The Thing in the Dark

That sounds ominous. I'm a little past the mood to read creepy pasta, having scratched that itch during last month's festivities, but I can dig a little more spooky content. Hopefully it doesn't cross a line, though, because asshole!Bakura has been known to do some murder from time to time. Sure, he's only gone so far with an older side character who had a Millennium Item, but he could easily get a bit antsy and go after his fellow mains, or any of the few adults on board their isolated blimp.

Look, just be careful, okay Moar Cards Guy? I've grown awfully attached.

Stop drawing attention to yourself! What did I tell you?

Yami glares at asshole!Bakura with his arms crossed, wondering what his strategy is. Asshole!Bakura is just standing over there with his back turned, giggling like an idiot, so Yami is forced to dwell on the momentary look he got of the vicious expression asshole!Bakura wore. Yami only now seems to realize that the true Bakura might have been taken over by his darker personality from the Millennium Ring, gaping at the potential horror. Boy, did it take HIM a long time to pick up the obvious...

Moar Cards Guy disrupts all the speculation to shout some more, pointing up at the ceiling as he announces this and all subsequent duels will be held on the Aerial Dueling Platform, the special ring ON Battle Ship. ON. Jonouchi, as always, has to ask for clarification, but his curiosity isn't satisfied this time. Moar Cards Guy just says that the two active opponents are meant to take the "spiral escalator" up to the duel field, whatever that means. He offers to lead the rest of the crowd who would like to act as spectators by a different route, and Jonouchi accepts this with excitement, for Honda and Ryuji as well.

Indeed, the escalator that Yami stands on a little later is in a spiral, for no conceivable reason. He's looking up at Bakura, who still has his back turned and his face shadowed as he hunches over his stolen Duel Disk. Yami thinks the duel could be dangerous if Bakura is actually the asshole version of himself. The outside of the blimp is shown, with the top of it standing out against the dark sky for a reason.

Others not mentioned - wind resistance and turbulence. Given how pleased Kaiba looks, I'd bet a pretty penny this is HIS idea, and aside from this meaning that he isn't as disconnected from the planning of the finals as he wanted everyone to believe, this is the WORST idea he's ever had. Great job making murder that much easier for the murderous fuckwads you invited on board, idiot, as well as greatly increasing the odds of genuine accidental deaths.

Perhaps just to run contrary to Kaiba's sadistic expectations, Yami's friends stop complaining, starting with Anzu flippantly dismissing the weather she's wearing a t-shirt and shorts in. Whether this is Marik's influence or not isn't implied. Regardless, Jonouchi joins in, straight-up LYING that it isn't so cold after all. Anzu suggests that they warm themselves up by cheering for Yami and Honda agrees, despite the fact that Yami is facing ANOTHER of their friends, and they should maybe be a bit more conflicted by this match than they seem? Geez guys, you really don't give two shits about Bakura, do you?

I'm beginning to get Bakura's lack of care about bringing the Millennium Ring everywhere with him...

The asshole version and Yami face each other on the raised platform, at first silently, until asshole!Bakura states through a grin that it's been a while. Yami says that he knew it, and that things were going a little TOO well, asking asshole!Bakura how long the asshole has been in control. Anzu, Jonouchi and Honda are all flabbergasted and in disbelief that Bakura has been taken over again, which makes their lack of support for him even MORE egregious. Honda calls Bakura an idiot for wearing the Millennium Ring again. At least SOMEONE agrees with me.

"Namu" starts asking questions about what "Millennium Ring" and "dark mind" mean, and why Bakura's expression has changed so suddenly. This dude is laying it on real think, but Jonouchi doesn't appear to notice, because he must feel pretty important to be asked to explain anything. He tries to make the long story short, but ends up going over how the Millennium Items are ancient Egyptian things, the "rumors" that those who have them develop split personalities, Yami and Yuugi being somewhat nice companion personalities from the Millennium Puzzle, but other items like the Millennium Ring contain EVIL personalities instead. This takes a lot of dialogue in two panels to cover. So much for making a long story short.

"Namu" acts surprised, asking if Jonouchi is saying that Bakura is possessed, and Anzu tells him of the time asshole!Bakura lured their group into a tabletop RPG, almost killing them. Expression becoming somewhat blank, "Namu" claims disbelief, while Jonouchi mutters a curse and says he has a bad feeling about this duel. Internally, Marik makes one TINY correction to Jonouchi's explanation, that it's not just one mind controlling Bakura right now.

Are you sure it's not the double vision from whatever drug's giving you that perpetually high look?

Moar Cards Guy commands that Yami and asshole!Bakura cut and shuffle each others' decks, and they comply, glaring at one another. Yami's glower is standard, but asshole!Bakura's is accented with a creepy grin. Appropriate. As he shuffles, Yami admits he never thought he'd face asshole!Bakura, of all people, at cards. Asshole!Bakura responds with a chuckle and says he had an awful lot of fun playing that tabletop RPG a while back, even if he DID lose.

Yami is determined to ask once and ONLY once whether or not asshole!Bakura is after the Millennium Puzzle again, but asshole!Bakura doesn't want to give a straight answer. It's cryptic and not at all helpful, just like his thoughts, which insist that Yami has to stay alive in order to open the "Dark Door", because Yami's the one to possess the puzzle, which is apparently the final piece in the bigger quest for asshole!Bakura's power. He wants Yami to keep it safe for him until he actually needs it. It's all very opaque.

But even this vague bullshit does not come out. Instead he tells Yami that he entered the tournament for one reason and one reason only; he wants Yami's god card. Yami doesn't seem to buy it, wondering what asshole!Bakura could possibly want with his god card. As if reading his mind, asshole!Bakura explains that in order to dominate the gaming world one needs to become the Duel King, and to do that, he has to win this tournament. Yami silently stares, and asshole!Bakura chuckles, recalling the agreement he made with Marik as he puts his deck in his Duel Disk. Apparently, upon winning Slifer, his plan is to exchange it for the Millennium Rod.

While Anzu and Jonouchi gape on either side of him, Marik just gives the scene a menacing stare. He grins and closes his eyes, thinking that if worst comes to worst, he can always take direct control of Bakura and use him to defeat Yami himself. Asshole!Bakura hears this inside his own head, it seems, and tells Marik to back the fuck off, because Yami is his to defeat. He conspicuously leaves out the far more relevant fact that Marik's remote control strategy has yet to actually result in victory. Why?

Because Marik sucks at this. There. I said it. Fight me.

Moar Cards Guy slices down through the air with his hand and declares the start of the duel.

Not that Anzu actually gives much of a shit about Ryo, as has been demonstrated.

Oh, and shut up, Kaiba.

Asshole!Bakura announces that it's his turn first, and Yami seems to go with the flow, even giving asshole!Bakura a little smile as he anticipates a demonstration of his skills as a duelist. At least he can't cheat at cards by jiggling the table with his knee. Asshole!Bakura is pretty confident, though, stating that he's going to do MORE than show Yami all his skills. Somehow. He plays a card called "The Portrait's Secret" in attack, a big framed picture of a distinguished-looking man with a demon thing emerging from it. Standard horror fare, followed by asshole!Bakura ending his turn.

Yami is suspicious of this move, because the portrait only has 1200 attack points, and it smacks of a trap. Jonouchi is less worried, shouting that asshole!Bakura doesn't have any face down cards, so he's defenseless by his perspective. He encourages Yami to slay the monster.

Bluff called. Asshole!Bakura growls about his reduction in points, as Yami puts a face down card on his Duel Disk and ends his turn. Looking a bit miffed, asshole!Bakura shouts that it's his turn again. He summons the "Gross Ghost of Fled Dreams", a ghoul-looking dealie holding up a sword in one hand and a shield in the other, promptly ending his turn. This one is also in attack position, which baffles Yami with its mere 1300 attack points. Marik just looks pissed, mentally side-eyeing asshole!Bakura as he wonders if this dope has any kind of strategy at all.

He's not the only one who sees the ineptitude here. Anzu says it's almost as though asshole!Bakura doesn't even understand the basics of the game, even though she thought he might have been better at this. He made it into the FINALS of a city-wide tournament, after all. But Jonouchi doesn't seem to take this into account, calling asshole!Bakura a super amateur and nothing to be afraid of, confident that Yami will wipe the floor with him.

Yami draws a card and declares his turn, slapping another card onto his Duel Disk to attack anew with.

My bullshit alarm is blaring too loud to STAND right now.

Asshole!Bakura uses his turn to play a new card, "Headless Knight" (just what it says on the tin), in ATTACK again. He urges Yami to take his turn now, and silently to destroy his monster. Yami is wigged out, wondering desperately what asshole!Bakura is up to. Still, he attacks with Magnet Warrior to kill Headless Knight and reminds Baphomet to do another direct attack on asshole!Bakura. Now the guy is down to 750 life points, with one arm up swung up in front of his head protectively, expression unreadable in the wake of the attack. Yami marvels at the fact that asshole!Bakura has lost three monsters in three turns, never putting up any resistance the whole time. Anzu is recoiled a bit, describing all this as a little creepy, as Jonouchi starts to wonder if asshole!Bakura is REALLY just weak. He's pretty sure Yami will win on the next turn, though, the way things are going.

And yet, when asshole!Bakura looks up, he's wearing a psychotic grin, chuckle turning into maniacal laughter. Yami's heart hammers while asshole!Bakura thanks him through his laughter for falling for the trap. This of course has Yami shocked and in disbelief, which in itself is a little on the unbelievable side. I thought you were savvier than this, Yami. It's a little more acceptable that Jonouchi is also having trouble understanding that Yami has fallen for a trap, preferring the narrative that Yami has been dominating the duel instead. Anzu takes stock of the field, Yami's two monsters and asshole!Bakura's zero, and states that the numbers just don't add up.

Asshole!Bakura claims that he has in his deck one of the most terrifying cards in the whole of the game, but this card requires a special sort of summon. It appears that Yami is familiar with a special summon, and he better damn well be, given how much he knows about Duel Monsters otherwise. Still, his eyes are still wide in alarm as asshole!Bakura begins to pick a particular card from his hand. He explains that three monsters must be in his graveyard before his special card will appear on the field, destroyed in attack position within the first five turns of a match.

That's... weirdly specific.

Does anyone else get the feeling that KT watched Hellraiser before he got started designing the Bakura-squared deck? It's like we solved the box and this is our punishment.

Yami repeats the name like a question, because its evil mommy face is both confusing and creepy while it stares across the field. It is Yami's humble conclusion that he's underestimated asshole!Bakura's ability to summon first-class monsters using bizarre methods. Asshole!Bakura chuckles and mentions that Necrofear's special ability is super duper, and Yami expresses even more shock. I wonder what the threshold for him to be totally unsurprised is at this point.

Asshole!Bakura promises to teach Yami to fear the occult, but he should be careful with that. There's a certain Uncle Frank, Julia, and Kirsty who could attest to how personal a risk it is to summon up Cenobites. Tread with care.

Or don't. Asshole.

So, what did I think of this chapter overall? Asshole!Bakura's play at incompetence shouldn't have been so effective. Everyone, especially Yami, should have been more than aware that he was up to something, even if they weren't quite sure what it was. Yes, even Jonouchi, despite his general thickness, shouldn't have been surprised. If he was wise enough to be on the verge of suspicion of "Namu" in the last couple of chapters, he's wise enough to recognize a ploy when he sees it.

The only reason that everyone was caught so unaware (weak and half-formed wonderings of side-characters aside), that I can think of anyway, is so that asshole!Bakura wasn't stopped in such a complicated and crappy strategy too soon. The card he's using had to be designed with a surprise entrance in mind, and it wouldn't be enough to make the special summon require just one or two monsters in the graveyard. The graveyard requirement couldn't be combined with regular sacrifices, because that wouldn't bring him close enough to a strangely easy loss - it's a classic feint, diving too close to the ground just to pull back on the yoke. It seems really exciting if you don't look too closely at how oddly specific the card requirements are, and how early asshole!Bakura would have to draw and hold that card in order for it to win him EVERY SINGLE DUEL up until the finals.

He'd better be cheating again.

Also, I can't quite figure out what the point of this outside platform on the blimp is. I mean, I get that it's supposed to be some sort of gladiatorial trial for the duelists, despite the fact that this is a card game, and success in a card tournament by no means corresponds with the training it would take to be able to withstand such conditions. On a level, I understand Kaiba's need to make the finals of his tournament as grueling as humanly possible. It's another manifestation of his view of winning's opposite being death.

But, story-wise, what does this accomplish? Whiplash? Just in the previous chapter, we had a drab little BINGO MACHINE determining the dueling pairs, and now, we have hardcore death platform. The former suggests what Kaiba assured everyone of in the beginning, that he purposefully excluded himself from planning and knowledge of the finals to make everything more fair. The latter suggests that he was intimately involved in planning this to a scary degree and with little to no oversight. Which is it? Because it can't be both ways. Not unless someone else at Kaiba Corp is just as twisted and weird as Kaiba is -

Oh. Oh no, Mokuba the murder child has returned...

Inuyasha Manga: 145 The Spider on the Back

There's a WHAT WHERE? Well get the damn thing off! I generally don't mind spiders if they keep to themselves. I even like them when they're eating pesky flies and other pests on my herbs and plants. But when they're on my back, all bets are OFF. They are not allowed there, and they need to go find some place to live that isn't ANYWHERE on my body. Not the back, chest, arms, legs, you name it. Just because it's better than the things building webs in orifices doesn't mean it's okay. NO SPIDERS ANYWHERE ON THE BODY. EVER.

Okay, now that I've laid down the rules, we can proceed.

Kagome wonders what Inuyasha is thinking, since he wouldn't be in great shape if hit with her arrow. But he needs you to shoot that spider on his back! Do it! No force is too great against a spider on the back!!

Kagura scoffs and says it's about time they finished this nonsense, a new loop of wind swirling around her. She casually states her attack like a badass, sending several pointed wind funnels toward Inuyasha again. He looks over at Kagome and shouts her name expectantly. She's nocked an arrow and is drawing back the bow, having decided she just has to trust the guy. She releases it and Inuyasha runs out of the way of the tornadoes scouring the ground where he had been standing, straight for Kagome's incoming arrow. As he does so, his brain is busy thinking about how Kagura is most definitely allied with Naraku, giving off the same smell and miasma as the guy in any case.

Meanwhile, Kagura is watching the arrow that is purifying her youki with a disdainful disbelief. The arrow just barely sails past Inuyasha's head and shoulder, but he doesn't so much as blink, noting that he's right about it severing Kagura's control of the wind, just as he thought. Kagura realizes that he was trying to get rid of her wind, calling him a fool because the air will just flow back anyway. What she DOESN'T understand is that this was his aim the whole time. Even now, he's sensing the place where the cut-off youki collides with the stuff that's coming in, making Tessaiga's ultimate move possible. He announces he can do the Kaze no Kizu now as he swings the sword laterally through the air.

Kagura gapes as the blow collides with her chest, cutting into her clothes and blowing her hair out of its neat-ish updo. Kagome and Shippou watch open-mouthed from the crater, the latter daring to ask if Kagura's been had. Kid, do you remember what happened LAST TIME that left your jinxed little maw??

Inside the castle, down that empty, creepy hallway, Naraku's new puppet has been reduced to a pile of dirt, a primate pelt, and a small wooden doll. We missed that useless fight, something I'm eternally grateful for. Miroku tells Sango that they should return to the others, since they've been held up in there long enough, and Sango agrees. They burst from the castle calling to Kagome, asking if Inuyasha is okay, even as the dust is settling on Inuyasha's last move. His sword is still raised in the aftermath, and Kagura's chest and shoulders are bare through her shredded clothing.

Hey, I've seen enemies fairly DISINTEGRATED by that move, you came out the other side of that one EASY, girl.

This is something that the gaping Kagome and Shippou notice too, Shippou stuttering out that she's still standing. Inuyasha groans, thinking that his inability to use his broken dominant arm was what halved the power of his attack. Kagura is also groaning, turning to run with the shameful thought that she lost to someone else's wind despite being a wind-user. Inuyasha and Miroku lunge toward her, Inuyasha demanding she wait, but she quickly pulls a feather from her hair and produces a gust of wind to blast in both of her would-be pursuer's faces.

Except she's too far away for Inuyasha to slap the spider away. The feather has grown big enough for her to sit on the rib in the center, and she's rising up on a self-created gust. Kagura leans over the side to suggest they consider themselves equally injured for today, accusing him of being barely able to stand. Inuyasha doesn't retort or try to follow, he and Miroku staring up at her in alarm until the feather recedes into the sky.

As the castle around them starts to dissolve into the air around them, as if the only thing holding it together was Kagura's presence. Shippou exclaims that the castle is disappearing, to which Kagome replies without surprise that it was a fake one. Why build a set when you can project a hologram? Inuyasha falls to one knee, using the reverted Tessaiga as a crutch to prop the side of him that still wants to stand. Kagome runs to his side out of concern, but rather than discuss his condition, he instead opts to point out the scar on Kagura's back.

Well if that's not proof of some relation, I don't know what is.

Kagome is speechless a moment, examining Inuyasha closely, then recalls that he said earlier the two villains also had the same smell. Miroku makes a confused noise while looking at Inuyasha critically as well, while Sango asks outright what that's supposed to mean. Miroku wonders out loud if Kagura was Naraku transformed, but Kagome doesn't buy it. She says it was as if Naraku was fighting them for the first time, if that was the case. Kagura didn't seem to know much about how they function, that's for sure.

Inuyasha remains silent on the speculations.

One thing is clear: she is a fucking QUEEN.

So, what did I think of this chapter overall? It was a whirl. This wrap-up was at a lightning pace, and I was a little surprised at how fast it took me to cover the thing and how few key panels I could include in the recap. At the same time, it was a smooth one as well. I could barely see any hiccups or weird pacing issues; everything flowed really naturally from the hectic finale to the battle. The only issue I had was a slight one in the moments of Kagome's hesitation to shoot at Inuyasha. I think the amount of time she took was quick enough to communicate her trust in Inuyasha's judgment at this point, but slow enough that it could have affected the pacing badly if it hadn't been cut down as much as possible. It walked a fine line there, and nearly fell over the edge. Not quite, but nearly.

Still, I was impressed with the attention to detail and dedication to the fact that Inuyasha's right arm was injured and he wasn't using it. I think it would have been really easy to mess up and draw him holding Tessaiga in the wrong hand. It probably helped that it was a major point to weaken Inuyasha to the point where he couldn't manage to kill Kagura, though. It was a nice touch, because being able to dispatch someone so obviously connected to Naraku would come off as too easy at this point, and it also helps to build up the mystery that is currently puzzling our heroes.

A mystery I am always delighted to see them work out, because if it isn't the weirdest thing...