Inuyasha Manga: 220 Naraku's Objective

Again, no points for guessing. Unlike his descendant 4chan, Naraku isn't just doing it for the lulz. But LIKE them, he's pretty transparent in his motivations if you're viewing his shenanigans from the right angle. Being all coy and "mysterious" may work when goofing around on Sesshoumaru, since Sesshoumaru hasn't had a lot of experience with Naraku's creepy amalgamative properties. But we know better, dear audience. I know for me, Kagura's run-in with Naraku in his "time of the month" still kind of sticks out to me as the moment that really drove home how this piecemeal creature picked and chose his parts. 

The dramatic irony is palpable. 

That's right, Inuyasha has lost those friends of his. Or rather, they lost him to go check out that Shikon shard sense Kagome was having before, Miroku encouraging him to go on ahead to find Naraku's castle. But now he's getting a little frazzled because he doesn't know what's going on with Naraku's scent starting to disappear. He wonders if this means that Naraku's barrier has closed; no thoughts on why it opened in the first place. I guess it's not exactly pertinent right now, and he'll find out soon enough, because he's resolved to hurry so he doesn't miss his chance to slip in. Entirely fair - I've missed a fair amount of opportunities for thinking too hard about adjacent issues, so I have no room to criticize.

At the castle Inuyasha is trying to rush to, miasma marbles the atmosphere while Naraku chuckles darkly at the stoic Sesshoumaru standing before him, expressing how honored he is to have the princly figure visit him at last. He promises to give Sesshoumaru an appropriate welcome, which comes across much better as a threat in text than I thought it would. Maybe it's how Naraku is creaking as he says it. 

Sesshoumaru's expression suggests he gets welcomed in this manner a lot; maybe wanna step up your hosting game there, Naraku.

Sesshoumaru scoffs, mumbling about scrap youkai mashed together, and asks Naraku if this is his full form, thoroughly unimpressed. Hovering over Sesshoumaru, all lumpy and spindly and everything in between, Naraku denies that this is his real form, introducing it as a work in progress instead. Naraku the positive self-improvement guru - SWERVE. Speaking of which, Naraku sends out a lightning fast tendril at Sesshoumaru. 

Yeah, you wish he was just aiming to kill you.

A ways in the background, hanging out near the stilts of a nearby outbuilding, Kagura stands watching the scene quietly. She doesn't get it, wondering what killing Sesshoumaru gains for Naraku, but then has an epiphany of what Naraku might be trying to pull. She doesn't share her thoughts, just lets them trail, but I assume she's caught up to the rest of the class. 

Meanwhile and elsewhere, Kagome is alerting her friends that the Shikon fragment is close. In the next panel, she's riding on Kirara behind Sango, so I guess they just left Kagome's bike somewhere random. Several hundred years before it was invented. Clearly this girl has never watched a dystopian time-travel movie in her life. Anyway, Miroku suggests that it's rather troubling that this Shikon shard is so close to Naraku's castle. Kagome agrees, and adds hesitantly that she thinks it might be a SINGLE fragment. 

Sango glances over her shoulder at Kagome with a critical look, who recalls that Sango's younger brother has a single Shikon shard in his back. Sango herself remains quiet, but inside she's wondering if it's Kohaku in disbelief. Good guess?

Back at the ranch (overrun with a horde of youkai), Rin has tucked into that melon and is asking Kohaku if he doesn't remember anything. He confirms that's the case somberly, and Rin probes in more specific terms, about his mother and father. After a pause, turned away from Rin so she can't see his sulky expression, he claims he's forgotten them. She makes a non-committal noise, wondering to herself if it's really that he's forgotten. In his own mind, Kohaku thinks that it isn't as though he's forgotten as he seems to remember something vaguely terrible.

It's almost as if Rin reads his mind when she suggests that it's really something Kohaku doesn't WANT to remember. Kohaku hums, giving her a curious look. 

... How are you BOTH ripping my whole heart from my chest at the same time??

Things are quiet between them for a moment until Rin asks if she's said too much, explaining that she's often told to shut up. My dear sweet baby child! Kohaku assures her it's okay, and it's been a long time since he's talked to someone like this. And that's the salt in the gaping wound between my ribs. Thanks. 

At the sound of a rustle outside, Kohaku lurches onto a knee, suddenly alert. He blows out the flame in the lamp burning nearby while Rin asks what's up. He tells her to be quiet, clearly not picking up on the entirely undramatic irony of him being yet another person to tell her to shut her trap. Sadness. 

Kohaku's eyes widen in recognition when he spots Sango. Sango in turn stares at the building and wonders if Kohaku is inside. 

Yeah. Good guess.

Back at the... other... ranch, nightmare-form-Naraku is towering over Sesshoumaru with his various limbs and organs propping him up high, while Sesshoumaru draws Tokijin. Fools about to face off. 

Undoubtedly one of the benefits to designing your main villain as a horrible Cronenberg monstrosity is that you can make fight scene look like utter nonsense and it still looks fine. 

Hunks of flesh Sesshoumaru sliced off fall to the ground, and Naraku holds up his severed tentacle, pausing the attack. Sesshoumaru smarms that a low-grade youkai like Naraku won't be able to lay a finger on him. Considering Naraku isn't attacking you with fingers so much as weird boneless appendages, that's probably too narrow of a statement, dude. Naraku chuckles at Sesshoumaru, maybe because the same thing has occurred to him, and Kagura watches tensely in the background. 

She's the first to spot the lumps of Naraku's flesh on the ground wriggle around and reconnect with one another, sweatdropping anxiously. What comes next is... well, I'm not sure what to think about this:

I mean, ew, but also meh.

Another set of tendrils drive at Sesshoumaru, he cuts them off, and their severed ends jump up from the ground to wrap around his empty sleeve. He looks annoyed. In contrast, Naraku's grin grows wider as he giggles internally about how the pieces of him Sesshoumaru is mincing are being wrapped around their liberator. He's about to mentally reveal what this means when it fully hits Kagura that he's trying to absorb Sesshoumaru into his body. DING DING DING, we have a winner! Though I've already mentioned that there are no points for guessing the obvious, so...

Sorry, Kagura, your prize is nothing. 

Inuyasha is wandering around in what looks like an empty wilderness, by the way. He's alarmed and unnerved by what he picks up as SESSHOUMARU'S scent, wondering what's going on. I'm more surprised by how Inuyasha didn't pick up on Sesshoumaru's scent until right now - how RANK must Naraku be to waft his musk MILES ahead of Sesshoumaru's anyway??? He should probably consider a bath or something...

Inuyasha notices as well that Sesshoumaru's scent seems to just vanish at a certain spot, so he whips out that Tessaiga of his. Despite phrasing it in the form of a question, Inuyasha has drawn the ONE conclusion he can from the odd disappearance of his brother's smell in the area he'd followed Naraku's scent to. Unless, of course, he's willing to consider that Sesshoumaru stepped into some sort of wormhole into a different dimension. 

... Which will be a reasonable thing to think a bit later in the story. Just not now.

And lucky for you, it's big enough you don't even HAVE to have proper aim!

So what did I think of this chapter overall? There's just a little bit of an issue with the conclusions a couple of characters draw in this one; not quite as bad as in the past, but it is a little weird that Kagome and Sango's heads both seem to jump right to Kohaku when Kagome mentions it's just one Shikon shard she's sensing. They haven't gotten to a point in the story where they know precisely where ALL of the fragments are yet, so I think it would have been better for them to be shocked by it being Kohaku instead of just suspecting it was him. 

And Kagura really should have understood from the beginning what Naraku was up to - SHE'S the one who saw his body spread out in the basement there only a few chapters ago, so I should think Sesshoumaru ending up mixed in there would have been the FIRST thing to occur to her when he was invited over to play. I get the impression from the title and progression of the chapter that RT was trying to make this minor mystery out of it, but it really wasn't difficult to figure out from the off, so a lot of her efforts there were a bit superfluous. 

At least Inuyasha had enough clues to draw his conclusions, and put them together in a reasonably short amount of time. One out of three ain't bad? Strange, considering RT has been making him out to be a bit of a dunderhead, at least in relation to his more discerning companions. Perhaps since they weren't there, he was able to exercise a little intelligence without it being overshadowed or mocked.

Otherwise, I rather enjoyed this chapter, in the sense that it was tragically cathartic in a way. Kohaku and Rin just continue to demonstrate how lonely they have both been for a long time, and how their trauma hasn't really been explored in a healthy way. Their lives have been steeped in tragedy, and neither of them have had the opportunity to just DISCUSS it with anyone - Kohaku is surrounded by enemies and is probably under the influence of magical brainwashing half the time, and Rin's only companions are a couple of adult youkai who don't really listen to her. It's clear that they found almost immediate comfort in just having someone to talk to who GETS what they're going through. It's a really beautiful connection they made under the strangest of circumstances, and I am LIVING for it. Not to mention how emotionally competent Rin is when teasing out Kohaku's issues and commiserating with him... She sure as hell didn't get that from her two new dads. Rin's got a big heart, and even when she's expressing it in very sad terms, it's adorable.

Finally, it tickles me to no end that Naraku CANONICALLY stinks to high heaven. I mean, are those tentacles or cartoon stink-lines wafting out from him?? Not the greatest thing to think about right now - I'm getting ready to venture out to get my second covid shot, and when I come back, I'm hoping I'll be feeling well enough to make honey-lavender cupcakes for my birthday, or at least well enough to celebrate my birthday in ANY capacity. Thinking about Naraku's stench will probably only contribute to potential queasiness, but at the same time... it's just too funny.

Wish me luck with THAT dilemma.

Yu-Gi-Oh Manga: 278 A New Journey!

The very eve! This is the final chapter of the Duelist segment of Yu-Gi-Oh, after which Yuugi and co will no doubt be jetsetting off to their next destination. But we shouldn't get ahead of ourselves - there's still the small matter of a large explosion on the horizon, so that's bound to be a blast. An entirely intended and celebratory pun and I don't care how cringe-worthy it is. This whole blog has been peak cringe since the beginning, and THAT part of our following Yuugi's journey isn't changing at ALL. 

And it will continue to be second only to the cringe Kaiba's overly-dramatic actions puts out, I'm sure.

Jonouchi, Honda and Yami have found Moar Cards Guy in the corridor and demand that he get this blimp off the ground already, since they only have five minutes left. He turns to stutter that they're still waiting for the Kaiba brothers to get their asses on board, throwing the boys into disbelief, and in Yami's case shock, that the Kaiba's appear to be missing. Yami glances over his should, wondering out loud if that means they're still on the island, while Jonouchi gripes that Kaiba better not be planning to kill himself because he lost to Yami. Anzu snaps at him not to say such things, but Jonouchi is technically right when he points out that it wouldn't be the first time. Morbidly accurate. 

Honda suggests they all search the whole ship, top-to-bottom, without leaving it in order to find those pesky Kaibas. Jonouchi agrees, Anzu looks determined in the background, and Yami just anxiously worries about where Kaiba is. At three minutes to detonation, they're all still searching, Jonouchi cursing that Kaiba isn't where he's just looked either. He calls to Bakura to look at an area he indicates with a nod, and Bakura runs in front of a door marked "5" before turning and saying that he's had no luck in finding Kaiba. He then pushes into the "5" door, asking if this is Yuugi's room. 

He just... left it out there on the damn TABLE? Son of a...!

At first, Bakura is jubilant that he found the ring again, putting it back around his neck, because apparently he still hasn't connected the dots between his blackouts/injuries and his wearing this gaudy piece of ancient jewelry. As he drops the ring down the collar of his shirt to conceal it (at least he's aware of how tacky it is), he realizes that this means Yuugi had it all along, and thinks it was rather mean of him to pretend he didn't have it, wondering why he did. Oh, I don't know, Bakura, it could be any number of reasons: Yuugi/Yami are kinda shitty friends who forget you exist when it's convenient for them, you tend to manifest a psychotic murdering spirit when you wear the ring, it looks gawdawful... perhaps a combination of any or all of these, take your pick, honey. 

Upon re-entering the hallway, he remembers he's supposed to be doing something as Honda runs past him calling for Kaiba to come out, and begins running to call for Kaiba as well. Flaky as hell, this boy.

Moar Cards Guy confronts one of his fellow suited employees about how there's one minute left, checking his watch, and his fellow exclaims that they can't wait any longer, liable to get caught in the explosion if they delay lifting off. Moar Cards Guy frets about his precious Seto Kaiba, but Honda is having none of it. He shakes Moar Cards Guy by the collar, yelling in his face that they'll all die if they don't leave now. And just like that, Moar Cards Guy guesses there's no other choice - no waffling about whether the explosion is a hoax by people who are being paid by the anti-Kaiba lobby. Imagine that. His colleague announces their ascent at the control panel and the blimp lifts off. 

With Honda looking anxious and tense in the background, Moar Cards Guy notes from his watch that there's 30 seconds left to go. Yami looks over the railing of the top arena on the blimp (I guess they're up there now?) at the rapidly shrinking tower and island, silently asking Kaiba WHY. Jonouchi stares down at the island as well, sweatdropping nervously at three seconds to go. 

When the timer hits 0...

Talk about going out with a bang.

Jonouchi urges his friends to look at that tower, all of them gaping in awe at the fire issuing from every level of it and its buckling under the breaches to topple over. It splashes in pieces into the sea. Jonouchi exclaims that the island is sinking, and Yami looks horrified, thinking of Kaiba. As the blimp continues to drift further from the destruction and disappearing debris, Jonouchi notices a strange shadow rising up out of the cloud of dust. He points it out, and Yami leans forward to get a closer look, eyes wide.

Is... is that a FUCKING HARRIER????

I just... I can't. This guy...

He looks back at the plume he's literally jetting away from, and wishes the monument to his anger a farewell. Then he pulls back up next to the blimp, glaring out at Yami standing there straight-faced and sober. I guess he can't be bothered to show his relief that what he was so anxious about before didn't wind up happening after all. 

Mokuba's still pumping his fist at those looking over at them from the blimp, shouting at them to have fun on their trip back to Japan, making me wonder if he's aware that they are probably incapable of hearing him. He brags that he and Seto are headed over to America (no word on WHERE in America, or if it's the north or south continent) to start building Kaiba Lands worldwide. As long as they're not filled with malevolent death traps this time, I'm sure people will LOVE going to a magical land full of seahorses. 

... I know that's not what Kaiba Land is about, but I really WANT it to be. 

Kaiba thinks at Yami that their battle isn't over yet, because even when Kaiba blows up an entire island as a result of his loss of a very conclusive duel with Yami, he refuses to acknowledge that this damn rivalry is SETTLED now. Yami thinks back at Kaiba that he salutes him, because, well, he's in a jet. There's nothing you can do but salute, or think about saluting, a dude in a jet. They spend another panel making eyes at one another.

Well at least ONE them could spare the energy for the actual gesture. 

Anyway, Kaiba asks Mokuba if he's ready, and Mokuba keeps pumping that little fist, exclaiming their path straight to America. They shoot off at the horizon past the blimp, Yuugi and Yami watching with smiles. Yuugi observes that Kaiba has started his journey toward his new dream, and Yami agrees, as Yuugi also states that Yami's own journey to find his memories has also just begun. How that's supposed to happen with the ZERO new information given him at the end of this arc is unclear, but I'm sure there will be something convenient will pop up.

Jonouchi confidently announces that it's time for them to head home, and yells back at the smoke wafting off the ocean that he'll see it never. Thankfully. The Ishtars silently stand off to the side, with nothing more to say. Yami and Jonouchi stare past the railing, the latter scoffing, until they both lift their Duel Disk arms and shove their decks into them like they're about to have themselves another duel. But they don't. They just keep staring off the side of the blimp while it Alcatraz's remains shrink into the distance and they head off toward the land in the distance. It's a little weird? I don't know. 

A sequence of panels takes us progressively closer to the city, then over the docks, into the streets. At last, Yami says that for himself and Jonouchi...

But it is for me! 

So, what did I think of this chapter overall? Hoo boy, I'm a little overwhelmed. Not because there was as much to think about here as there was in the last chapter, because there wasn't. It was fairly light on big resolution since the previous chapter already covered it, and it's pretty clear that this one was about setting up a couple of altered circumstances. Not so much NEW beginnings as a small twist on older themes. 

Kaiba's rocketing off into the future he spent the whole arc so desperately dragging himself toward is the obvious one. Since he was heading off to an entirely different country, I think it's safe to say he's being put on a bus, so to speak. His role in the story seems done, his arc wrapped up in a nice little bow, with the return to and purification of is theme park idea toward the beginning of his development. It's all very final. I understand that the anime continued to have him on, and I don't know how viable that turned out, but here, I'm pretty sure Kaiba's little nod and salute was a rather final farewell.

Bakura retrieving the Millennium Ring from Yuugi/Yami's room is a less out-there example of a noteworthy setup. The ring ending up back in Bakura's hands is not exactly a new phenomenon, and in fact is about as traditional a return to the status quo as the ends of these arcs tends to exhibit. But this time Bakura finds himself questioning why Yami lied to him about knowing where his ring was, and while he seems to forget about how mean this is rather quickly, it does establish what could be a spark of distrust between them, which might turn out to work out in asshole!Bakura's favor in the next arc. If Bakura doesn't feel like he can trust his friends, perhaps asshole!Bakura's abuser strategy of convincing Bakura they're the only reliable ones to each other could work out far better in this case than that of Marik and other!Marik. 

All of this is to be expected; interesting, but not profound or grand in any way. Although I do feel a thrill at the end, knowing that Yami and Jonouchi are finally making good on that promise they spent the whole damn tournament talking about. I think it was a good move on KT's part to not spend another several chapters detailing this one, not just because of how concretely OVER this tournament I am, but because at this point their promised duel seems profoundly private. Whereas the previous duels were a public display to pin down a very PUBLIC title between the competitors, Yami and Jonouchi's duel was always about their personal relationship between each other and their cards. The fact that this duel had constantly been presented in the context of a nebulous, even MYTHICAL, future really drives home the idea that this duel is less an event and more an idea between the two characters; a ritual that is more in the realm of thought than of form. Without the detail, there's a fairy tale quality to it that can shift depending on the mindset and lens of the reader. It's very dreamlike, and I'm here for it.

Considering I spend YEARS getting to this point, I'm definitely in a bit of a daze, so the end of Battle City feels a bit like a dream already, so maybe that's where my own interpretation of this is coming from. I can't believe Battle City is actually OVER, when it was such a staple of my regular reading experience for so long, so this is all a little surreal. Who KNOWS how I'm going to feel when I reach the end of the next arc, which looks to be significantly shorter than this one. I shudder to think of it.

Inuyasha Manga: 219 Kidnapped Rin

That's right, this manga comes with an Amber Alert chapter. Though, I'm sorry to say, I haven't been out enough to even have information on the REAL lost kiddos, let alone a fictional one. The only place I go on the road for these days is the grocery store and work, both of which have been blessedly devoid of kidnappers. Though I may be able to widen my purview very soon - I just got my first dose of the Pfizer covid vaccine, and the second dose is already scheduled. Once that's done and I take a couple of days to recover (they say that second shot kinda knocks you on your ass), I'll be ready to... not spot any kidnappers ever, because I've never seen the vehicles those alerts warn you to watch out for anyway. I don't know whether to be happy or anxious about that, honestly.

As for this particular fictional kidnapped tot, wasn't there supposed to be someone watching her? A tall, pale, silent type who has taken up the symbolic mantle of guardian through sword life magic, perhaps?

Oh good GODS, he made Jaken do it instead. What? He couldn't find time in his busy schedule consisting of NOTHING to watch this tiny baby child himself?

Apparently daddy dearest told Rin to go make herself a sandwich find food for herself by herself, and she agreed, but a surly Jaken is hanging out there anyway despite the independence exercise. He thinks about how he's had to preside over this field plunder many a time by now because Sesshoumaru said that. Oh, so somewhere along the line, Sesshoumaru DID realize this kid needs supervision, and put a babysitter on duty. I mean... the nanny pool IS pretty limited...

... But Kagura is absolutely, 100% right here. Sesshoumaru is super irresponsible, and I'm judging him too.

Especially when we see he's been busy just STARING AT THE NIGHT SKY this entire time, thinking about how the wind has vaguely changed. What kind of wizard-wannabe shit is this? Anyway, he tears his gaze away from the twinkle-show above when Jaken calls out to him in a panic. As he runs up to Sesshoumaru, Jaken pants that Rin has been taken away, and Sesshoumaru looks a little annoyed by this news. Guess it didn't occur to him that Jaken wouldn't be the greatest person to fight off an attacker. Don't know WHY, because it seemed pretty obvious to me. 

Jaken trails in his rushed explanation that the woman named Kagura, offspring of Naraku (just in case we forgot), appeared and made off with the little girl. Sesshoumaru remains silent, even when someone off-panel tells him not to worry. It's the baboon-cloaked Naraku, surrounded by hovering saimyoushou. He promises that Rin will be safely returned if Sesshoumaru grants him a request, at which statement Jaken stutters in affront. Sesshoumaru just gives Naraku calm acknowledgment and asks casually what he's up to this time. Maybe when he's done they could hang out, or...?

Naraku says that it's really nothing special - just plotting Inuyasha's death through his homicidal brother. Sesshoumaru smirks about how Naraku went to all this trouble for something so simple. What trouble is that, exactly? Abducting a little girl who's minimally guarded by a weak little imp in less than a second? Yeah, seems like a pretty easy task for what Naraku expects out of you, honestly.
 

Oh come on, dude, you know that's not going to do anything.

As expected, the head of the baboon suit sizzles and dissolves as it rolls away, and Jaken notes with a stutter and cringe the wooden kugutsu doll amidst a pile of dirt with a hair wrapped around it. Sesshoumaru dismisses with an unruffled expression the ludicrous notion that he could be made to do whatever Naraku wanted for the sake of a single human girl. Sweatdropping, Jaken asks if this means that Sesshoumaru is abandoning Rin, and calls after Sesshoumaru when he just starts walking away, questioning where the hell he's going. Where else? He's going to where he can do something DIFFERENT than what Naraku wants for the sake of a single human girl. 

That'll show Naraku that he's not the boss of you for SURE, Sesshoumaru. 

The Saimyoushou are still hanging around, through which Naraku is watching Sesshoumaru by way of Kanna's little personal TV mirror; he sits looking rather pleased with himself, certain that Sesshoumaru is indeed falling for his little trap. Little reverse psychology works wonders for getting that jerkass in the grocery store ranting about his freedom to put on a fucking mask too, incidentally. 

A good omen! RT actually remembered Inuyasha's sense of smell in this one!

Inuyasha snarls that THIS time he'll find that bastard Naraku and rip him apart, but Kagome tells him to wait a moment urgently. He looks over his shoulder at her, gaping, as she explains she feels the faint but definite aura of a Shikon shard emanating from somewhere in a cluster of small tree-covered mountains in the distance. As an audience, we get the privilege of zooming in real close to where Kagome is indicating before they even get the chance to set off in that direction. On the hillside sits a cozy little building on the edge of the lip of a small cliff. 

Inside, little Rin is laying on the floor with her arm curled around a melon she took on the road with her while she was being kidnapped, apparently. Girl must have been super hungry to hold that tight to it. She groans as she comes to from a little doze, then shoots up into a sitting position, trying to work out what this is in a trailing panicked statement. She glances over her shoulder in her survey of her surroundings, and who should be sitting against the wall by a series of windows looking outside but Kohaku! 

I love it when the kiddos get to play together.

Still holding her melon close, Rin timidly asks who Kohaku is, and he just replies by commenting that she's awake. Perfectly lucid, by the way; his eyes have fully conscious highlights as opposed to the shaded flat look of when he's possessed. Rin recalls at this moment that she was abducted by that Kagura person, who apparently dangled her along over the side of her feather by Rin's obi like a little sack of potatoes. Big yikes. Kagura's a worse babysitter than Jaken, it seems. 

Rin stands, at last abandoning her melon, to trot to the door. Kohaku makes a discouraging noise, warning her it's no good going outside, but Rin insists she has to go back to where she came from shoving open the door. 

Well, those yikes keep getting bigger, don't they?

Rin snaps the door shut again wordlessly and sits directly next to Kohaku, pouting, as Kohaku confirms she understands that she'll be torn apart if she goes out there. Lots of talk about tearing people apart in this one I see. Rin looks sideways at Kohaku, humming before asking him if it could be that he was kidnapped as well, suggesting that they escape together if that's the case. He tells her he's her guard flatly.

I can't even tell you how cute this is. Just look at the babies! They're adorable!

Rin turns to her guard and asks his name, giving her own. She follows this up with a battery of other questions, like how old he is, why he's doing this job, and if he's a friend to youkai. He responds with the observation that she talks a fair bit. Rin draws her knees farther up to her chest and rests her chin against them, admitting that she's a bit scared of being quiet. Kohaku studies her with curiosity silently while she wonders if Sesshoumaru will come to save her. 

A narrow sky transition panel brings us back to the man... dog monster himself, walking quietly through the grass, Jaken following along behind asking what on Earth Sesshoumaru is DOING. He looks sharply ahead and informs that Naraku's castle is here, to which statement Jaken responds with some confusion. He's looking out over a mountainous and forested expanse, saying that he can't see anything like a castle, but he's surprised to find that the landscape is warping and dissolving before his eyes. Jaken scampers back a bit as the whole area in front of them swirls and the illusory lines blend, but Sesshoumaru don't give a shit. He just stands there like he just rung the doorbell and he's waiting for someone to answer, with an annoyed expression to boot. Jaken questions if the barrier has opened. Given that the trees and mountains have been replaced with buildings and a watchtower, I'd say that's a safe bet, Jaken.

It's true, Sesshoumaru needs a reason to accept the invitation too.

You know, like murder.

Naraku is hanging out crouched under his iconic baboon pelt on his porch, and he informs Sesshoumaru that the little girl is naturally not here, since she wouldn't be able to breathe in that concentration of miasma for a second. He assures the glaring Sesshoumaru that she's in remote custody outside the castle, urging him not to worry about the girl for the moment. Sesshoumaru tells Naraku that he should realize this visit isn't in service to saving Rin. Because he TOTALLY would have given half a shit that Naraku was leaking his scent if Rin was still hanging out with him. Totally. 

Sesshoumaru's rejection of Rin as a purpose for him being here comes as no surprise to Naraku, because Sesshoumaru is genuinely easy to figure out. Naraku says he knows Sesshoumaru doesn't like taking instructions from others, so he wouldn't go to kill Inuyasha, OR rescue the girl. That Sesshoumaru's first aim in this fiasco would be to come and kill him is abundantly clear to Naraku, as he states casually from his front stoop. Sesshoumaru scoffs that it's equally clear Naraku wanted to lure him out.

Honestly, Naraku, you should have this one in the bag. Prideful fucker would have to admit he's let his ego walk him right into an impossible situation to get out of it, which will NEVER happen.

So, what did I think of this chapter overall? Inuyasha is picking back up steam again with this one. While I really liked the previous arc with Shiori and her story, and it ended on a significant note, I also felt like what brought us into it was a bit contrived by giving Tessaiga a convenient power out of nowhere. This one, however, feels solidly built in what we already understand about the characters - Sesshoumaru and Naraku already have a history, short as it is. Naraku has tried to persuade Sesshoumaru to kill Inuyasha for him before, so it's entirely believable to Sesshoumaru that he would try again, even if it's with the stick instead of the carrot now. And now that Sesshoumaru isn't even INTERESTED in the carrot anymore, what with Tessaiga being more of a crutch for Inuyasha than anything, Naraku had to be aware that suggesting Tessaiga as the ultimate prize for killing Inuyasha wasn't going to appeal to Sesshoumaru anymore. It also makes sense that Naraku would have picked up on how Sesshoumaru operates mostly on pride; he listened to Naraku before because he was being offered some compensation for his cooperation, but abducting one of Sesshoumaru's companions as collateral was more a demand for his cooperation, and that's a bid for control over him that Sesshoumaru cannot abide. Since Naraku is the big schemer in this story, it's no surprise he managed to funnel Sesshoumaru's options right into his domain, where he's been experimenting with many components of his composite body, adding and subtracting them at will. No points for guessing why he would want Sesshoumaru there too. 

And I wasn't exaggerating about how excited I am that Rin and Kohaku get to interact. They both have intensely tragic backstories, but are surrounded by adults who don't really understand their pain. Being able to interact with another orphan like themselves, closer to their age, is EXTREMELY interesting, especially regarding what it does for little Rin's character. Her comment that being quiet frightens her is rather profound, referring back to how she was mute back when she met Sesshoumaru. She's essentially admitting here that she's afraid to be rendered voiceless again, unable to express herself. Deep for a tiny child, but the poor thing HAS been through quite a lot. 

Gracious, can you imagine if this moment totally went over someone's head to the point that they rendered Rin not only mute again but also immobile and unconscious for the sake of a shitty fanfiction meant to sell shitty merch?

Yeah. Me neither. 

Yu-Gi-Oh Manga: 277 The End of Alcatraz

 I mean, I get it. It's called Alcatraz because it's a monument to the prison of Kaiba's past that he will be "escaping" through the effigy's destruction of it coming up, etc. It's not exactly a subtle metaphor. But I see the name of a prison famous for many celebrity criminals, human rights abuses, executions, ghost tours, and a Native American occupation in the mid-60's, and I just... can't associate it with Kaiba's manufactured drama. Sure, on its own, Kaiba's history and motivations are compelling, but they're kind of overshadowed by Alcatraz's real legacy. Sorry, not sorry.

As if we all didn't see that as the natural outcome of this tournament since the beginning.

Yami happens to have his other two god cards in his other hand and places Ra alongside Obelisk and Slifer. Yuugi's spirit looks over his shoulder at the cards as Yami gazes at them too, thinking they're all three FINALLY in his hands. He's telling ME. I've been waiting for this moment for literal YEARS. Yuugi recalls that the three cards supposedly hold the secrets of Yami's memory, of which he has to wonder. 

Marik crosses his arms to take hold of the hem of his shirt, explaining that THIS is the key to those pharaoh memories his family has protected for centuries, advising Yami to look closely. He lifts his shirt off of his ripped chest, and suddenly I realize why this guy has fangirls despite his ineptitude at being a bad-boy or decent duelist. Yami, Jonouchi and Ryuji all look SUPER uncomfortable about this guy stripping, though, which it HILARIOUS. Yami is even objecting, and whether it's in his head out out loud, I am LIVING for the awkwardness. 

They should be grateful; other!Marik would have taken off his pants too, just for shits and giggles. 

Yet Yami's face is all the more horrified from just the view of Marik's scarified back - it's a cruel tattoo carved into his back, a painful tradition carried over so many generations, and Yami can't help but be put off by THIS being how his memories have been "protected" all this time. Anzu, too, is alarmed by the awful nature of the scars, a hand covering her trembling mouth. Only Marik could make a girl unhappy when exposing his naked torso.

Ishizu explains that these hieroglyphs contain a prophesy passed down from the very first tomb guardian who served under the royal family three thousand years before - in the very time of the pharaoh in question. According to Ishizu, the prophesy is thus: "In the future, one will come who will wield the stone slabs of the three gods... By the gods you shall know him... for it is he in whom the pharaoh's soul resides." Ishizu puts in plain terms to Yami that the god CARDS are the modern equivalent of the stone slabs, and him possessing them proves he's the king. Not the most useful of prophesies, considering it's not telling the characters here anything they didn't already know.

Flustered, Jonouchi asks if Yami can read and understand that Egyptian stuff on Marik's back. Peering at the pictographs, Yami slowly says that he can; not in the literal sense, but more in a vague feeling sense, like those gods in his hand are sending him a vision. He spends a moment quiet, then is shocked when he finally gets that vision he was expecting. 

Again, this is something you've already been aware of for quite a while, Yami...

Yami wonders if his memories are sealed in the block of stone back in the museum, a reason to have a stern word with Ishizu if that's the case. Meanwhile, Marik lifts the Millennium Ring from around his neck and says his duty isn't QUITE done yet. No, he's not taking his pants off after all, even if he may as well with his next line - he offers Yami his rod (heh), as well as the ring, the former item his family has treasured three thousand years. That's no news, knowing how intent Marik's dad was on making himself a son to inherit his generational burdens. 

Marik says that now the Millennium Rod is Yami's, and Yami peers down at it in his hand, not giving nearly that scrutiny to the ring in clutched in his opposite. He DOES wonder all of a sudden where the hell Bakura got to, sweatdropping. Ah, the face of a guy who just realized that he spent the better part of an hour staring at a dude suspiciously wearing one of his unconscious friend's magical accessories and DIDN'T EVEN THINK ABOUT IT.

The Ishtars stand tall, Ishizu declaring that the three of them will take a new path, and rebuild their family a shining future. Just... maybe think about starting with a good foundation of therapy, okay? Don't rush headlong into this thing when it's clear none of you are clear on how to function outside your tomb. Marik addresses both Yuugi and Yami when he invites them to see him again as a friend this time if they ever find themselves in Egypt. Yami assures him that they will with a smile. 

In the background, Anzu recalls something Ishizu said about the souls of mortals all having a place to return too, wondering if this means that the pharaoh is meant to return to Egypt in the end. Maybe if the pharaoh was considered a mortal, but considering he was actually supposed to be a god incarnate, that's probably not what Ishizu meant. Assuming she believes ALL the tenets of ancient Egyptian mythology, of course. Anyway, Anzu holds a fist over her chest, getting the feeling there's not much time left, and looking sadly over in Yami's direction. 

How magnanimous of you. The picture of graciousness. 

Yami puts back on his smile for Kaiba too, and to my eternal disappointment, it's not the shit-eating murder-grin I miss so much. Kaiba yells that the Duel Tower, as the final stage of Battle City, has outlived its usefulness. He announces at last that in approximately an hour, the whole structure is going to blow up. Jonouchi and Honda are beside themselves, in indignant disbelief that Kaiba is going to explode the tower, and that he is, in fact, NUTS. Congratulations on coming to the conclusion that everyone else already reached, boys!

Kaiba informs them all with a sweeping gesture that the self-destruct sequence has already been activated, and that everyone is to be evacuated from the doomed trash-heap by blimp. When Kaiba concludes with an abrupt statement that this is all he has to say, Moar Cards Guy looks rather ill, mumbling that no one told HIM this was going to happen. Must have missed all the OTHER warning signs that he should choose another career, including the clone-ish dress code right down to their haircuts. I could have sworn the dude who set up the self-destruct sequence WAS Moar Cards Guy.

Ordering Mokuba to come along, Seto says they're leaving. Jonouchi flails in place, in a panic, shouting that they can't just stand there. Honda agrees that they should hurry up and get on that damn blimp. As they run for the exit, Jonouchi growls at Kaiba's back that there's a limit to being a sore loser. How can you continue to estimate how EXTRA Kaiba is? He is a bottomless pit of NO CHILL.

Back down at the blimp, 46 minutes until detonation, according to an informational panel, the friends all run at full speed down a corridor. Anzu expresses some concern that Mai won't be okay enough to travel, and Jonouchi praises her good thinking, suggesting they head for her room. He throws open the door, demanding to know if she's alright. 

Sure kid, go with casual "bumped into you at a coffeeshop" vibe. That is TOTALLY appropriate.

Everyone gapes at Bakura, asking if this is where he's been hanging out this whole time, and if not, WHERE he's been. Bakura laughs, flushed and scratching the back of his head, as he explains that it's the darnedest thing - he woke up buried in all that rubble outside the blimp, with no earthly idea how he got out there! He had just gotten back and cleaned himself up.

Clearly not giving too shits about the implications of that weird statement, Jonouchi pushes past Bakura to hover over Mai, demanding to know how she is. Bakura apologizes somberly and says she's stopped breathing. Jonouchi's expression freezes into wide-eyed alarm. His disbelief is quiet at first, then he yells a denial, grabbing fistfuls of her sheets in impotent anger, shouting her name. Shizuka shrieks in the background, hands covering her mouth, refusing the notion that Mai could be dead. Jonouchi gets right up in her face, where he should be able to detect breath, and yells at her not to die on him, and her name again a couple of times for good measure. He's got actual tears in his eyes as he begs her to wake up. 

I'm sure you can tell where this is going. 

... What are you going to fake next, Mai? A pregnancy???

Bakura claps happily at the very horrible joke they collaborated on, laughing as Mai throws him a mirthful "I told you it would work", claiming the blockhead she tricked into thinking she was dead for a few seconds will believe anything. Said blockhead is fuming with grinding teeth and clenched fists in the background. Jonouchi just growls about them for a moment, then rightfully screams at them that they suck, asking what the hell is wrong with them. They just laugh in response.

You'd think someone who's so sensitive about whether people like her would be a bit more careful about what insensitive pranks she pulls on her "friends", but hey, what the fuck do I know? I'm just someone with friends I don't put through the emotional ringer. 

Eyes crossed and sweatdropping, Anzu forces a laugh about how hard Mai had them worried. Shizuka is fully recovered from her horror, though, grinning and gushing about how glad she is that Mai got better. Mai has Jonouchi's head under her arm to give him a classic noogie while she congratulates Yami on winning the tournament, saying she knew he could do it. Yami just responds with a simple yes, no doubt unwilling to get too involved in conversation with this lunatic. 

Bakura asks Yami if he's seen his Millennium Ring anywhere, since he's been unable to find it after waking up in the rubble. Yami looks slightly surprised, and Honda leans down to whisper that he SHOULDN'T give that ring back; everyone's well acquainted with how he gets with it on his person. Yami takes this advice, unconvincingly saying he hasn't seen it, but airhead that Bakura is, he gets up and dreamily walks to the door, wondering if it's in the tower. Honda has to lunge after him and insist he not go out to the tower that's about to be demolished. 

Yuugi takes this opportunity to pop up and suggest, rather late, that they shouldn't tell Bakura they have the Millennium Ring. Smiling over his shoulder at Bakura being a big ditz, Yami agrees that there's a danger of his asshole side showing up. We certainly don't need THAT headache. Then Yuugi lists out all four Millennium Items that they've collected over the course of this tournament: they started with the puzzle, then got the necklace, followed now by the rod and ring. Still unclear what collecting so many is supposed to mean, but I'm sure we'll meander on over to where we're supposed to eventually.

An request sounds from the blimp, echoing over the island to reach anyone still wandering around out there, asking for everyone to board the blimp immediately. The crew announces that they will take off once they can confirm everyone is aboard. Jonouchi is tensed and doubled up, sweating because the island is going to be blowing up in 20 minutes; he urges the men behind the speaker to hurry up and take off already. He would be all the more nervous if he were to see the crew running about the ship, asking one another if they've found them yet, and the answer coming back from more sprinting men being that they're not on the ship. Moar Cards Guy checks the watch on his wrist, sweating bullets, wondering out loud whatever happened to those Kaiba brothers. Another of the suited Kaiba men with a van dyke styled beard laments that they'll have to take off without the Kaibas if they don't show up soon. 

Close-up on a panel of windows at the base of the tower, hidden behind the hills of junk surrounding the structure:

What are these little monsters up to now?

That must be one hell of a long password, because Kaiba has time to look around and muse about how this will be the last view of the remains of Kaiba Corp as an arms dealer they'll have. Though he lets out a little chuckle about this, he hardly looks HAPPY when he says this symbol of their stepfather Gozaburo will sink to the bottom of the ocean. Maybe he's at least a LITTLE remorseful about how much pollution this is, because I KNOW he don't give a shit about his actual stepfather, let alone a symbol of the man. 

Mokuba announces he's put in that long-ass password, but Kaiba continues to be locked in his own head, thinking of how he lost to Yami on this tower. He tries to recall what Yami said during their duel, something about hatred being a dead end and the power of friendship, then hangs his head and scoffs with a smirk. The password is at last accepted per the computer controlling a door the Kaiba's are facing, which opens slowly. Mokuba urges his brother to proceed while he runs through the door, and Seto continues to turn things over in his head.

He thinks on Yami having fought all the people connected with the Millennium Items, contrasting this with how he himself has been fighting his grudge against Gozaburo buried deep in his heart. He asserts that this too has been a shadow game. He wonders if he was able to defeat those feelings that were holding him back, and where he goes from here when he destroys this tower. Kaiba holds up his Duel Monsters card locket and snaps it open, revealing the picture of Mokuba inside. 

Seto thinks back on a sand-structure, with castle-like spires and undulating paths, even cars crafted out of sand; on the day this was made, he remembers telling Mokuba his dream. The tinier baby Kaibas are shown sitting in a sandbox on either side of this structure, which also includes a sand teacup ride from this angle. Mokuba announces with exuberance that their sand park is finished, while Seto has his wrist bent up by his face like maybe he's trying to wipe sand from his chin? Or something? The way he's drawn here is kind of bizarre and disproportionate overall, but whatevz. 

Seto seems genuinely excited to tell Mokuba that when he grows up, he wants to build amusement parks all over the world. Mokuba declares that he wants to do that too, no doubt his baby impulse to imitate his big brother. Seto clarifies that he's not talking about parks made out of sand like this one, but real ones where kids without parents like them and the others in the orphanage can play for free. Mokuba asks if that means they can all play together, and Seto confirms this, both of them grinning happily in the moment of childish fantasy. Present Kaiba continues to stare at the picture of Mokuba in his locket.

Okay, NO. No no no no NO, he is not doing this again! He's not going to convince me I like him! Kaiba's just going to turn around and do something SHITTY, and then I'm going to have to take it BACK. I'm onto you, you suspicious fucking DILDO!!!! 

Kaiba compares his heart to the island, buried in its own ruins, and suggests that somewhere under the rubble is the road to his dreams, yadda yadda. I hope he takes that road far, FAR away from me. 

Get your marshmallows ready!

So, what did I think of this chapter overall? So, there is A LOT stuffed into this one chapter, as far as emotional resolutions is concerned, all against the backdrop of a literal ticking time bomb, so I kind of feel like I've been put into some sort of literary centrifuge. We're pulling some serious Gs with this installment, and there are quite a few components that are being separated out as a result. 

The chapter starts with the Ishtars, whose resolution thankfully happened for the most part in the previous chapter. All that's really left is for Marik to show his back to Yami, both literally and metaphorically. Now that he doesn't have to spend his time guarding the tattoo on his back (from whom, I'm not sure), he can put this whole situation behind him and live the rest of his days the way he wants. They all can, they have all expressed their desire to, and I love that for them. 

My issue, however, is with this prophecy on Marik's back and how it condenses the resolution to this arc for Yami. Mostly, I'm irritated that, as I said above, this doesn't actually SAY anything we didn't already know. Whether reader or character, this is information that we were already well aware of from the very beginning of this tournament, if not LONG before that point. Ishizu herself heavily hinted and implied that she knew Yami was her long lost pharaoh in the museum. It feels like nothing has been GAINED from this reveal of Marik's back, and we're just reaffirming knowledge we already had. 

But it's even WORSE than that, because I keep getting stuck on the specific part of this prophecy that says the pharaoh would be known by the gods' slabs he possesses. Yami only just got all three of those god cards, and everyone was perfectly sure that he was the pharaoh before he even got his first one, including himself, by appearance on the memory tablet at the museum. The prophecy actively CONTRADICTS the story as we know it, and in a way that really makes me wonder how it would have been if KT had actually written the arc in accordance with this prophecy. Imagine if Ishizu had proposed the tournament idea to Kaiba in order to draw out a Duel Monsters champ that could possibly be the pharaoh, not knowing who it is. Imagine if Marik had gotten it in his head not that the pharaoh caused his pain, but that he IS the reincarnated pharaoh, and tries to take possession of the god cards to prove it. Imagine if none of the Ishtars even knew about Yuugi's existence as a contender until they saw that puzzle around his neck and were a little in denial about his partnership with the spirit inside at first. 

I don't know, just something to think about. 

Next I want to talk about Bakura and how utterly SAD I find his line about how he was buried in the rubble outside the blimp. It's played off as a funny joke, but it unintentionally draws a lazer focus on how much neglect went into him being put in that position in the first place. His very entrance into the tournament was marked by a horrible injury that bled through its bandage multiple times, he was outright IGNORED by supposed allies the moment that he lost consciousness in the tournament and his loss to other!Marik was completely overlooked, and the only time anyone remembered him at all was at the very end when Yami was given the Millennium Ring - he didn't even notice other!Marik WEARING the damn thing throughout their duel! I'll tell you, I've never felt so bad for a fictional character. Even when he's not a hollow shell that the asshole of the ring uses for his own purposes, when he gets the chance to function on his own without the ring's influence, he's made to joke about his own pain and discarding in the rubble like he accidentally took the wrong turn at Albuquerque. It's a little disturbing, and if Mai wants to see what it REALLY looks like to be alone and not have people genuinely give a shit about you, she might take a long look at the guy she enlisted in her little "prank". 

And I don't really have much else to say about Mai's super fucked stunt - it's very manipulative and rubs me the wrong way, obviously. Making a joke of faking a serious condition or death, and using that "joke" to elicit a painful emotional reaction from a supposed friend, is just hurtful. It suggests that she cares more about proof that Jonouchi likes her than his feelings, and the idea that making him feel like shit for a few moments gave her more confidence in their relationship is twisted. Do I have to keep pointing out that this is supposed to be a grown-ass woman? Please, her brain needs to catch up with her body already.

Finally, we come to the Kaibas, and the elder brother's reminiscence at the end of the chapter. It's neat to see his younger self dreaming about something outside of Duel Monsters, something that would ultimately contribute the the overall happiness of other kids like himself. I'm also intrigued by the irony KT has built for Kaiba here: young Seto dreamt of being able to built fun theme parks all over the world that orphans could play in for free, and when he finds himself in the position to actually make good on that dream, with the capital to make it easy, it came at the price of his own happiness. It's clear that, since he's going to go through with blowing up the island, he's still got some aggression to work out, but it's a relief that he's at least CONSIDERING not being such a dick to Yami/Yuugi anymore and letting go of that grudge so he can get back to what really made him smile back in the day. 

Alright, I'll admit it, I like the guy. He's a miserable piece of shit, and he will always do something to piss me off, but he's sympathetic in a way that can't be denied. The dickbag broke me down for the last time.

And with that, this has gotten entirely too long and I've gotta go, byyyyyyyeeeeee!

Inuyasha Manga: 218 Red Blade

Well that's not particularly noteworthy. If you're USING the blade, there's a good chance it's going to be red every once in a while. Apparently, the opposite applies to the shoulder kind, though. I didn't do a damn thing, and one day last week, my back was wracked with red hot searing pain for no reason. No crazy acrobatics, no overreach, not even a small bend in an uncomfortable direction. I went to the doctor today and he referred me to a specialist to figure out what's wrong, but I think it's just me getting old and my limbs being rickety as a result. 

If only redness were a sign I was doing something right. Instead, it's a sign I have a gigantic knot in my muscle that I've been rubbing too aggressively to ease some of the tension.

 

It DOES look like a very satisfying cut, with a great cross-section. 

Shiori says the thing has been handed down her family line for generations, to each keeper of the Hyakki Bats barrier. According to this family history, it pulls energy from the keeper to create a strong barrier. It's also said that the energy of all the keepers, including that of her grandfather and father (featured in sharing a panel in contemplative silence), is stored in the blood pearl. Shiori concludes that she thinks this is why Inuyasha could strengthen the youki of his sword if he cuts it. Inuyasha gives her a serious look as he considers her solution.

Toutousai needs to make Myouga a mini-sword, with how eager this little bastard is to cut shit. 

Shiori is alarmed by a sudden surge of energy from the jewel cradled in her hands, cringing back. Inuyasha's entourage all leans in to gape at the blood pearl, Kagome gasping and Miroku translating for us laymen that this means an evil aura has overtaken the jewel. Shiori's mom snatches it away from her daughter, ordering her to let it go for her safety, but she drops it into the sand herself a moment later with a cry of pain. Shiori observes with dismay that her mother's hands have nasty burn marks on the palms. Mom herself stares at them wordlessly. 

Another pulse of energy, and the blood pearl is surrounded by a sphere of light. Kagome trails in a statement about the jewel's state, letting Miroku finish with an exclamation of disbelief that it's put up a barrier all by itself. Auto-barrier. Convenient. Hand on Tessaiga, preparing to draw it again, Inuyasha assumes that this is the jewel telling him it won't be cut so easily. 

That's getting into the good ol' "try-fail cycle" spirit!

The jewel remains unscratched in the end, while Inuyasha has been flung back quite the distance on his backside, cursing. Kagome kneels next to him, asking if he's okay - wounded pride doesn't count as an actual injury, I hope Inuyasha remembers. Shiori and her mother sit huddled on the sand nearby too, staring at the blood pearl as a voice emanates from it, telling Shiori it won't let her get away. She recognizes it as her grandfather's voice, who apparently won't stop terrorizing his family members, even in death. 

Dude, don't you have someplace to be? You're going to miss your flight to Hell if you keep fucking around.

Taigokumaru's ghost projection thing descends on the mother and daughter, screaming that it'll haunt them right to death (a hilarious literal line courtesy of the translator's note on this version, thanks a bunch), and Inuyasha lunges forward, screaming at the old fart who just won't fuck off already. I'm guessing there's not much he can do to the apparition though, because Taigokumaru continues to rush at Shiori, suggesting she come to Hell with the rest of their family. 

Oof, denied. To be fair, I don't think she would have come with you even if you were offering her a trip to Disneyland.

Shiori and her mom stare in awe at the twinkling barrier protecting them, and Shiori is surprised to feel a warm gloved hand descend upon her head. The old block checking in on the chip, no doubt. Taigokumaru curses the mother and daughter, and it's at this moment when Inuyasha realize the old dude's youkai power has weakened a bit; he reckons this is his chance. He runs back at Taigokumaru and yells at him to stop all his useless struggling. 

With a final flash of light, as Tessaiga finishes slicing through Taigokumaru, the blood pearl snaps in half. Kagome gasps while Shippou states the obvious fact that the jewel was cut. Gotta shoehorn a line from him in there somewhere to continue to justify his presence, I guess. 

Taigokumaru's eye disintegrates into thin air, indicating at last that he is forever REALLY gone. Inuyasha himself feels comfortable saying that this time it's actually over, anyway. He's still alarmed by a pulse in Tessaiga hanging over the remains of the blood pearl.

*PHALLIC IMAGERY INTENSIFIES*

The peanut gallery is at it again in the next panel; Kagome says Tessaiga absorbed the blood pearl's youkai power, and Miroku suggests this means the sword has gotten stronger. You know - chapter filler. 

Shiori is kneeling next to the broken jewel, staring at it, when Inuyasha approaches after putting Tessaiga away. He says her name gently, and Shiori takes a moment of speechless contemplation of the blood pearl's halves before she looks up and thanks him. He offers his thanks as well, reminding her that she must have weakened her grandfather's youki to help him as well. Shiori looks down again and admits that wasn't something she did. It was someone with a gentle hand who embraced her and her mother. Mom interjects to say that it was Tsukuyomaru's hand, or rather, Shiori's father's hand, and Shiori agrees. Both of them take on solemn expressions. 

Inuyasha is the one who's speechless now, but Kagome steps up beside him to say Shiori's father was wise, doing what he could to free his daughter. She smiles at Inuyasha, knowing that he too worked to save Shiori, even going so far as to speculate that he forgot entirely about making Tessaiga stronger in the process. She thinks that must be why Shiori's father lent his power to Inuyasha in the end. 

Later, Inuyasha and company are all sitting atop Hachi's flying elongated balloon form with the constipated face. Remember Hachi? Yeah, me neither. There's no explanation as to why he's giving them a ride, whether they called him somehow or he was in the area and offered a ride. He just... appeared out of nowhere, I suppose. While they hang out up in the sky on their big yellow feudal bus, Miroku says that the mother-daughter duo will probably still face many hardships ahead. Inuyasha scoffs and tells Miroku not to worry needlessly, since a hanyou won't get hung up on the inevitable hardship. 

If a grumpy dude who can empathize deeply with a struggling child is the worst Shiori can grow up to emulate, I think she's in good shape, personally. Hopefully her aim isn't as bad, though.

So, what did I think of this chapter overall? A very intense and heartwarming finale, helping to further characterize Inuyasha as essentially empathetic, regardless of how dismissive he may like to make himself seem. I appreciate the fact that RT set up a quest to "strengthen Tessaiga" that instead ended up more so giving Inuyasha better depth and strength as a character. I complained at the beginning of the arc that RT's talent for giving even her minor characters dimension ended up overshadowing her more simplified mains at this point, but now that the arc has come to a close, I think I have to give RT a little more credit. It seems this problem didn't escape her, and she gave us an ending to the arc that gave Inuyasha a new facet to his personality in a much more profound way than the a mere upgrade of a sword could have suggested at the start. Though I'm still a bit peeved at the abrupt introduction of Tessaiga's absorption of youki, RT managed to use it as a tool to give Inuyasha himself more depth, so I'll begrudgingly hand it to her. 

It definitely helps that Shiori also continues to be compelling; she took to her new-found agency like a duck to water. Her quick, smart decision to offer the blood pearl up to Inuyasha as a win-win solidification of her freedom and power-up for Tessaiga was great to see. Not only was it the final rejection of the control her grandfather wanted over her and the rest of his family, but it gave us a little more insight into how this thing actually worked, which is not normally something RT bothers with. I guess it was because it offered a last bit of drama with Taigokumaru's phantom appearing from his residual energy in the jewel to affirm its authority and control one more time, but I also greatly enjoyed just getting a little background on this one-off artifact that seems to have rules and reasons for why it behaves the way it does. The logic allows for both Taigokumaru and Tsukuyomaru to come back in a believable way that doesn't throw me out of the story, and raises some last-minute tension and final closure for Shiori and her mom. Amazing how NOT neglecting these details wraps up the arc rather nicely, isn't it?

My only complaints are the usual ones. It was PAINFULLY obvious that RT had no idea what to do with the rest of the Inuyasha group while all this was going down, so they all just stand around reacting to the action like the spokes of an awkward fifth wheel. Hachi appearing out of nowhere at the end when he had NOTHING to do with this particular adventure grated on my nerves too. At least it wasn't as egregious as how Inuyasha and Kagome magically and without explanation popped back into the world of the living from the boundary between there and the afterlife at the end of Sesshoumaru's first appearance, though.

And speak of the devil...