Apparently, the "mu" in Mukotsu's name is written in the kanji for "mist", which tracks with how his poisons travel. The only real question is how that "mist" is made, because it has me scratching my head a bit. Usually, there's specific atmospheric conditions that allow mist to happen, and and people need specific things to replicate that - dry ice, machines, that sort of deal. In the last couple of chapters, it was actually described more as a "smoke" which seems more accessible and more like how it's behaving most recently. However, he doesn't appear to have any fire built or any smoldering tools to help him achieve this end, so we're back at questioning the HOW of poison travel here. Does he have lit charcoal disk in all his containers, or what?
Seems like that might not work for the bamboo ones...
What gave it away? Was it the random malicious intent?
It was the random malicious intent.
Mukotsu laughs that they're right, and introduces himself graciously as the "poison user" of the group. Miroku tries to lead Mukotsu into giving them a little information by saying there HAS to be someone who revived the Shichinin-tai and assigned them certain targets. He suggests that this person is Naraku, but Mukotsu chuckles that Miroku should ask his brothers about that sort of thing, because he doesn't know. He also starts sliding a new bamboo cylinder from his back, ripping off the cover of it as he makes the caveat that they can even GET to his brothers, of course. While the gross crap sprays out at them inexplicably, Sango shouts at Miroku to get behind Hiraikotsu with her.
Kirara looking absolutely PANICKED here; I feel like she's my avatar right now.
Sango/Hiraikotsu's silhouette is still visible beyond the smoke, though in a sketchy way. Still, Mukotsu decides that they melted away. But because he says this in earshot of Kagome while she's still laying on her front unable to see properly, she looks distressed thinking on her friends' fate. Mukotsu turns to tell her that there's no more interference, and suggests the two of them have some "fun". Ugh, every woman and girl is well aware of THIS definition of fun that requires their utter misery.
Ladies and gentlemen, trigger warning for attempted sexual assault, if you aren't already aware.
Kagome thinks on Inuyasha now, thinking his name like a silent prayer. Meanwhile, Shippou's toy horse is bouncing through the forest as he yells for Inuyasha himself, since he has the voice and mobility Kagome doesn't. He prattles to himself that he has to catch up to Inuyasha quickly, trailing off on the morbid part of what could happen to Kagome and the others. Suddenly, he has an idea, shooting up on the horse straight into the air above the treetops. With a battle yelp from Shippou, the horse explodes like a pinata, into a shower of acorns that rain down into the trees.
Inuyasha is running down below, focused entirely on getting closer to Jakotsu's smell, when one of the acorns bounces off his head. Little doodles of arms and legs, and giant watery eyes, pop out on it in front of Inuyasha's face and it begins to wail. It hops around in his palm, crying, as Inuyasha identifies it as one of Shippou's. He whirls around, realizing that something must have happened in the village.
Are those the two guys and the cow from before? Good to know RT didn't forget about them, I guess.
Mukotsu chuckles that help will never come now, as he's put up a smokescreen of poison all around this hut. Apparently all with that basket full of containers AND Kagome slung over his back, which is pretty impressive, if I'm honest. He kneels next to Kagome and tilts her chin up to examine her, talking about how lucky he is to get to do as he pleases with such a pretty girl like her. My skin is CRAWLING something fierce. He pulls off his mask to reveal the wide, toad-like face that he says doesn't really get him a lot of chicks. I'm sure he's written all about it in his online manifesto entitled, "Women Won't Sleep With Me Even Though I'm Such A Nice Guy So They Must Be Punished."
Again, dude, just get a fucking hobby.
Kagome isn't really paying much attention; she's thinking that he must have a Shikon fragment somewhere on him since he's one of the Shichinin-tai, wondering where it is. Kagome finds it in the folds of his chin, then starts looking for a weapon near her, eyes landing on what looks like a pair of tongs sticking up in the ashes of the fire pit just a short ways from her head.
From outside, someone calls Kagome's name, and Mukotsu stands to pull aside the mat hanging from the door frame. He acknowledges the silhouettes of Sango and Miroku THIS time, cursing them for surviving his first attack.
He dug a fucking DITCH too??? Mukotsu even fucking LIFTS, it's canon.
Miroku asks Sango if this poison will continue to gush up from the ditch, and Sango confirms that it will, as she's certain he's mixed a couple of different poisons that cause a strong reaction. No specificity here, folks - this ain't no chemistry class. Miroku suggests they try getting in from above, and Sango agrees that whatever nasty shit Mukotsu is using should be weaker higher up.
Back inside, Mukotsu giggles, telling Kagome that her friends seem to be discussing how to rescue her. He confidently states that it's futile, though, and she doesn't respond, unsurprisingly. He climbs right on top of her, mockingly inviting her to make a "good memory" with him before she dies. I cannot describe to you the shrillness of the SCREAMS INSIDE MY HEAD right now.
But our girl Kagome puts a stop to this horror with a stab, causing Mukotsu to freeze in alarm.
Quick, girl, shank that rapist piece of shit again!
Mukotsu raises a hand to where the tongs are stuck in his throat, humming in what appears to be confusion at first. Sweating, Kagome wonders if she got him, until he pulls the tongs out, scoffing a bit, and she sweats all the more as she thinks her attempt to defend herself was no good. Bizarrely, Mukotsu starts shedding big fat ugly tears, from nose and eyes, confusing the SHIT out of an already disoriented Kagome.
Then he hits her. Punches her right in the face. He's doing the metaphorical heavy-lifting here; working REALLY hard to make the audience hate him all the more. As Kagome twists to look back at him, Mukotsu trembles in anger and continues to leak, accusing her of mocking him just like everyone else, claiming it's all because of his face. My blood is boiling at this bid to make himself out to be a victim of unfair judgment here, I can't even. Kagome too looks absolutely PISSED, asking him what the heel he's even talking about, considering his ACTIONS to be the problem here.
They both look up at the sound of cracks in the ceiling.
Sango lands with her boomerang held out in front of her, shielding those behind her, while Miroku kneels next to Kagome and calls out to her in concern. She wastes no time in telling Miroku to aim for Mukotsu's neck, indicating the Shikon shard is there. This is a detail Mukotsu FORGOT, apparently, dropping his fist into his opposite palm as he recalls. Guess he didn't consider the location of his Achilles Heel very important when prancing out to deliberately piss people off.
Whoops, scratch that, he says he forgot he came to get KAGOME'S Shikon shards, actually. I don't want to hear anyone making fun of Inuyasha for rushing headlong into situations without thinking things through after seeing this guy put his whole ass on display like this. I swear, I'll bring him back up every single time it happens from now on.
Anyway, Mukotsu also releases another blast from a separate bamboo container, which Sango holds Hiraikotsu against. She pulls out her sword and calls for the others to leave him to her, focusing on taking the shard from his neck. It's not long before she freezes and collapses to the ground, eyes wide and sweating. Miroku calls to her now, holding Kagome to the heavy fabric at his chest and covering his mouth and nose with his other hand. Mukotsu laughs that a gas mask is no use, because THIS poison gets in through the eyes and skin. He smiles, telling them that HE'S fine due to his body being acclimated to the stuff.
Ugh, poison loogie to the FACE? That's just disrespectful.
Miroku internally curses, unable to move, and prays that Inuyasha forgives him. Inuyasha is on his way, with Shippou on his back asking him to hurry. He replies that he knows while silently begging Kagome to wait for him. He gets those measly two panels before we're back in the hut, Mukotsu shoving the immobile Miroku aside as he yanks Kagome away from him by the hair, snapping at him to get out of the way. Then he grips Kagome's throat, squeezing, and telling her he won't forgive her for hurting his precious fee-fees. His fingers grinding on her windpipe, Kagome thinks of Inuyasha like an inaudible prayer.
Suddenly, Mukotsu's shoulder is sliced, blood spurting forth from it. Kagome hazily looks up at where the blow came from, disoriented. Sango and Miroku have a view from where they were deposited by the poison, expecting to see Inuyasha, it seems.
So, what did I think of this chapter overall? This one has always been a bit of a difficult one to get through. The subject matter is VERY sensitive, and much like Kohaku's moments of self-harm (machinations of Naraku as they are), I was very reticent to showcase THOSE particular panels. They were very visceral, and it seems they've gotten MORE SO as I've gotten older. It's probably less to do with age as it is with my uncomfortable and increasing understanding that men like this ACTUALLY exist. When I first read this as a teenager, I was very fortunate not to have encountered them yet, so I wrongly considered this a bit of an exaggerated villainy. Oh, to be young and chipper again...
The punch and choking in particular were very disturbing, so I'm not going to blame RT for not wanting to get anywhere close to her main protagonist doing such a thing to a female villain. Even though the difference in context might be obvious to a good portion of us, Mukotsu is very much realistic in his justifications for his violence toward Kagome - he considered hurting his feelings a perfectly reasonable catalyst for violence against a woman, and that doesn't contrast as well as it should against actual, honest self-defense. Maybe if we lived in a better world where there weren't some people LOOKING for excuses to visit violence upon women, the difference would be more clear. But alas...
RT's mostly annoying habit of abrupt shifts between characters actually works here, but maybe because it's not as abrupt as usual. The shifts are connected and have a logical progression, especially the short one at the end showing Inuyasha in two small panels running to save his friends. It gets across the urgency of the situation and subtly indicates that he is probably not going to make it in time. That way, when Mukotsu's shoulder is cut, we can be properly surprised in both the moment when we have to question whether Inuyasha ACTUALLY made it, and then again in the moment when we see it's Sesshoumaru. It's very effective in this case, so good on RT for finding a legitimate way to use it.
No comments:
Post a Comment