YuYu Hakusho Manga: 026 The Cursed Forest!!

I prefer to enchant my forests, though that is proving to be a bit of work these days. I was really hoping that the native moss would have choked out the invasive lawn grass by now, but I've been disappointed so far. Luckily, I've been informed of a cool service in my area that delivers mulch to my residence, and both product and delivery are FREE. So, all I need is a whole bunch of cardboard and I should be good to start smothering that nasty grass. Sadly, it'll be at the expense of the moss I love so dearly as well, unless I can find a way to superimpose it on top of the cardboard and mulch layer. So far experimentation has come to nothing. :(

I wonder if a cursed forest has MORE fucking grass...

Well, the demon is probably the real reason...

There's still a fair crowd of people who are now following Genkai as she walks along the porch. She looks over her shoulder and estimates that it's about fifty who are left, and says it's not bad. Yusuke is glancing around at the surrounding people, thinking that Rando could be any one of them, and wondering how he can find out which one it is. After all, there's a wide range of them, from a thickset guy with a wide nose, to a guy in what looks like a full-face gas mask with tubes leading over his shoulders, to another with his forehead studded randomly with bolts (???), to one with hollow cheeks and alternating lines of short bristling hair and clean shaved stripes along his skull leading into a little rat tail out the back. The whole crowd, though moving in some uniformity, seems to be unique in various ways, ALL nails that stick out. There's not a lot of indication which of them is supposed to be the demon.

Yusuke looks over at an uncomfortable-looking Kuwabara, who asks himself through clenched teeth what he's gotten himself into. Stroking his chin and leaning over to examine Kuwabara from another angle, Yusuke absently concludes that KUWABARA at least can be eliminated from suspicion of being Rando. Kuwabara asks Yusuke what he's talking about, calling him a "scuzz" in his frustration. 

Meanwhile, at the front of the procession, Genkai has come to a set of large doors in her compound, telling the group behind her that they will now proceed to the next phase of testing. When she opens the door, Yusuke and Kuwabara are in gibbering awe, the latter springing what looks like a NOSEBLEED. 

Are we sure Genkai isn't just looking for a buddy to hang with? 

One of the hopefuls is in disbelief that they're going to be tested HERE, something Genkai dryly confirms before demanding they all listen up. She tells them that they will each play these games to the best of their ability, one of them pinging invitingly behind her. Another prospective admits to her that he doesn't understand, asking how this will prove suitability to be her pupil. Genkai answers that these machines have been designed to measure their SPIRITUAL capacities in various ways, giving a number of examples. The Rock-Paper-Scissors game is supposed to measure the sixth-sense, and the panel showing the glowing cabinet adds that the ability is associated with sensitivity and the ability to handle charms and spells, as well as the score needed to pass, 10/15 games won. The punching game measure spiritual might, and offensive power and speed according to the panel, requiring getting 120 points with at least one of three tries to pass. Lastly, the karaoke game measures life energy, latent energy in the body according to the panel, and no doubt the ability to endure abject humiliation, but that's just my own suspicion. The hopefuls only get ONE try for this one, and they have to get 70 points to pass. 

Not sure HOW these machines can measure these things, when I'm still watching paranormal shows with the most sophisticated tool belting out random-ass words in a goofy voice. 

Yusuke points at another set of cabinets, asking what Tetris and Asteroids are supposed to measure, and Genkai answers dispassionately that they don't measure a thing, and are just for fun. The gods forbid an old girl have hobbies. She says that each prospective must pass two out of three of the testing games in order to move ahead, and adds as an afterthought that they all cost 100 yen to play each. I'm with Yusuke when he irritably calls her a greedy old bag, lol. 

One muscled guy holds up a hand he's already adorned with a boxing glove, announcing he'll take the first whack at the punching game, supposing it should be a cinch for him. But when he takes his shot, the screen displays a meager 18p, WAY below the 120 needed to pass. Genkai says it's terrible, watching him placidly as he falls over comically. He insists it's not possible, because he holds the record for the Nishiogi punching game. Genkai congratulates him in her dry way, but says there's not a HINT of spiritual power working with his physical strength, so he fails. 

Kuwabara takes a whack at it next and scores 129p, a pass with a healthy margin, no doubt. He turns to Yusuke and challenges him to beat that, while Yusuke straps on the glove, asking if he's kidding and bidding Kuwabara to just watch.

When's the wedding, boys?

Genkai hums thoughtfully as she looks at Yusuke, thinking that this one has some spiritual punch. Literally. As Kuwabara yells at Yusuke that he'll beat him in Rock-Paper-Scissors and Yusuke roars back that it's a fat chance for that, ponders how Yusuke could be a first class demon slayer with a bit of training, but she's also looking around for some other prospects. Her attention is next grabbed by Kuwabara when he's being admired by bystanders for winning all 15 rounds of Rock-Paper-Scissors, and he's gloating to a frustrated Yusuke, who only won two of the 15 tries due to his self-admitted crappy sixth sense. Genkai notes that that lanky kid (Kuwabara) has a powerful sixth sense, and it might be possible to train him up to some of the advanced weapons and techniques. 

Then her attention is pulled elsewhere yet again when more admiration is directed to a long-haired, scarred guy who's score on the punching game is an amazing 171 points - even better than Yusuke per one of the peanut gallery. Then at the karaoke machine, a bald monk-type with a swastika on his forehead (NOT a Nazi swastika, though that's doesn't stop me from flinching every time I see it henceforth) is making everyone's ears bleed with the most terrible singing one commentator has ever heard. BUT, he's scored 100 points, and as someone else points out, you can literally see his aura. 

Yusuke and Kuwabara are still sniping at each other in the background, the former suggesting that karaoke will settle their little rivalry and the latter inviting him to "wail away". Genkai isn't paying them any attention anymore, smiling genuinely as she considers how many more real contenders have showed up to her auditions than she had hoped. 

Sadly, we don't get to see the little spat between Yusuke and Kuwabara on the microphone, but we can safely assume Yusuke passed that test, considering how badly he performed in Rock-Paper-Scissors earlier. He's among 20 that make it through to the next phase of the tests, and that Genkai looks back at as she's leading them outside and admits she didn't think so many would get this far. Yusuke looks around and observes that she's taking them a ways from the temple, and Kuwabara wonders aloud what this is about and where they're going. They both seem pretty nervous. 

A fair number of guys who would no doubt be playing macho in most other circumstances are visibly perturbed by the prospect of another test taking place in the creepy forest beyond the rope. In fact, one of them says that this place is MORE than creepy, and is emitting a demonic aura. Genkai informs them that this is a primeval forest teeming with dangerous beasts and deadly traps, where compasses don't work, and a variety of demons call home, called - affectionately I'm sure - The Cursed Forest. The faces of her remaining hopefuls screw up in abject terror while she continues on, telling them that it's no place for ordinary people, NONE having ever come out alive. 

Then I suppose you're sending them in there to die, though how you could possibly know what's in there without having come out alive yourself is a question worth asking.

Genkai directs their collective attention to a large tree on a hill in the distance, which is their goal in the time span of two hours, which will be a pass if they can do it. 

Two men turn tail and flee, stating they're not willing to risk their necks for a couple of martial arts tricks. With a smirk, Genkai says that they're wise, saying that many learn their limits and heed the lesson when faced with the tangible threats of the forest. 

Didn't everyone COME HERE in the hope of getting proper training???

Yusuke and Kuwabara are looking over at these guys with some serious disdain, and I don't blame them. Dudes are being extremely obvious in trying to get rid of a majority of their competition through intimidation rather than their actual skills. Yusuke steps forward and declares he's in, because do or die, he wants to find out what this hag knows. The hag herself retorts that it's MASTER Hag to him. I love her, lol.

Yusuke points a finger in Mr. Loreal's face, asking him who says training would make any difference anyway, questioning if that's the REAL advantage these clowns have. They remain silent in the face of this interrogation, and the next panel focuses on Kuwabara growling at Yusuke that he's doing this if his rival is doing it, to which Yusuke responds that it's Kuwabara's own neck. Kuwabara grins, thinking that learning Genkai's techniques could help him to realize his fondest wish of beating Urameshi to a pulp, a note in the panel next to him indicating that he's forgotten all about the advice he had come here initially to get. 

The remaining prospectives are shown in a line on the other side of the rope, starting to run when Genkai yells go. She tells them that they might just make it if they use their sixth sense to perceive danger ahead before they have to encounter it, then speeds easily into the distance in front of the group with her hands behind her back, stunning them as she she tells them she'll meet them at the tree. She adds that they'll get to their destination faster if they can keep up with her, but I'm surprised if they can hear her, given how far ahead she is already, and the exclamations of surprise and admiration at her inhuman velocity. 

Yusuke dismisses the "sixth sense" advice Genkai gave, preferring instead the adage that the shortest distance between two points is a straight line. He did, after all, fail his Rock-Paper-Scissors test. 

Should have brought a picnic lunch or a pack of cards or something. 

Genkai looks out over the expanse of forest, psychically locating the auras of the participants, and finds that the nearest one is about 500 meters away. She estimates that five or six of them still have time to make it within the time limit. 

After one of those little filler panels showing a dressed-up Botan (I'm still not sure I understand the purpose of these...) we're shown Kuwabara in making his way through the woods carefully, the one that Genkai identified as the person in first place. He's muttering to himself that he managed to KINDA follow his instincts, not having come across any traps or demons so far, so he reckons he HAS to be going the right way. There's a copse of trees in front of him that he doesn't like the feel of, so he resolves to go a different way instead. 

Meanwhile, another guy, noted in a label to be in 15th place, realizing he's right back where he started, and yet he's still questioning if it's just his imagination that he's going in circles. We get a top-down view of him ACTUALLY circling a big boulder under a big label of FAIL. Yet another guy has run into this giant grinning head with a lolling tongue and arms hanging it from a tree branch, constituting a FAIL as well. Two more of the hopefuls are tied in vines and hanging, one of them upside down, a mocking flower with a pair of big lips and its own lolling tongue, called in a note a "loiter weed", which is absolutely hilarious. 

At last, we're back with Yusuke, who is noted to be in 10th place, and is stomping through the undergrowth in tatters, with a scowl and a snake hitching a ride on his shoulder. He complains that he's totally lost the trail, doesn't know which direction he's going anymore, and wherever he's found himself is crawling with snakes and leeches. I guess he's been wading through water, then? 

Suddenly something nicks a small cut into his cheek, to his shock. He's found himself in a dark grove with some of the most adorable bats I've ever seen flitting around him. Behind him, someone asks what fool has found his way into their domain, and Yusuke turns to see...

Uhhhhh...

If he starts counting, I'm out. 

This Bat Master detaches from its branch and flies at Yusuke with a "YUM" noise and an entourage of bats, and Yusuke recoils in alarm.

Back at the tree, Genkai is still standing alone, scoffing about how it seems they're ALL having some trouble. She DOES admit that she's here to help anyone who gets themselves TOO hopelessly trapped, which is somewhat of a relief. For a moment there, I was concerned that her plan was to just let whoever didn't make it die in the forest at the hands of those nasty beasties in there.

Kuwabara ascends the hill and greets Genkai, expressing his surprise that he's the first one here. Slowly, a small collection of worthy prospects assembles on the spot until...

Kuwabara is acutely aware of a certain someone being missing, and after a hesitant moment, he lunges forward to insist to Genkai that there SHOULD be eight of them. Genkai makes a disinterested noise and looks at what looks to possibly be a pocket watch in her palm, saying that there's one more minute left, and rules are rules. After a short wait, Genkai announces placidly that time is up, but Kuwabara urges her to wait and look at the rustling treeline where a silhouette is emerging. 

It's not really a shock that it's indeed Yusuke, but Kuwabara is obviously excused from having seen this coming. He stomps out of the foliage in a temper, dragging something behind him, and complaining that his straight path was a dud and he thought he'd NEVER get here in time. Genkai asks him if he REALLY came straight to this spot, because if that's the case Yusuke should have met the toughest demon in the forest, The Bat Master. THAT'S THE TOUGHEST???

My guy, it's no wonder you're late if you wasted time trying to BAG a demon on the way. This was not part of the assignment. 

Genkai doesn't exactly look HAPPY about it, but she is questioning who this kid is who CAPTURED the Bat Master, so I guess he's impressed her further in a certain way. Although, if this Bat Master really is getting paid for his role in this little test, maybe she should offer him a little bonus for the literal pains he's taken. 

The next page is mostly occupied with profiles of the finalists of the forest test, listing their stats in all the arcade games before. There's a note here as well that Rando HAS made it into this group, and invites the reader to guess which one of them is the dangerous demon that was the excuse for Yusuke to be here. I COULD say that if I were a demon trying to disguise myself in this situation, it would be as an unassuming sort so as to inspire underestimation by my opponents. But that could just be because I know who it is, having watched the anime. XD

People be exceeding your expectations too much, lol.

So, what did I think of this chapter overall? It's been a while since I've used SO MANY GIFs for a chapter recap - this was a FUN chapter! It seems tailor-made for a teenage sensibility, what with the arcade games and the ghost story of the forest, which is almost contradictory to the dour and serious attitude of Genkai. There is some sense in it, though, since Genkai is also presented as an old woman who has no reason to give a shit. She's earned so much renown from her discipline that people (including myself) expect her to be this almost inhuman paragon of enlightenment and dignity. But this chapter drives home that even a woman who is the top spiritual specialist has interests and hobbies, and is creative enough to tie them into her search for an apprentice. After all, what's the point of spending so much time training someone who doesn't have ANYTHING in common with you? 

Genkai is just bursting with so much personality, and it's great to see in a character that's not only a woman, but an OLD woman. You just don't get that very often in stories, and it's especially rare that an old woman is presented as a mentor for a young man. In fact, I don't know if I've EVER seen that outside this story. WILD.

Inuyasha Manga: 325 Kongousouha

That's a mouthful, isn't it? Or rather, it used to be. It's funny how you get used to the way things are pronounced in your favorite foreign media, despite not speaking the language. I've picked up a smattering of Japanese over the years, not even enough to be semi-competent in a simple conversation, but my brain will always hold onto how Kappei Yamaguchi said all those attack names for Tessaiga. Even if, in the future, I became somewhat conversant in the language, I don't see where I would find this incredibly specific information useful in a vast majority of interactions. 

Sometimes I resent how my grey matter has been filled with all kinds of stuff like this that I can't use...

Meanwhile, Sesshoumaru's carefully cultivated cool clearly doesn't even take up a tenth of HIS brain. You could probably look in one ear and see straight out the other side. 

Naraku says this is just what he'd expect from a pure youkai like Sesshoumaru - his mind is just built different. Then why the fuck is it your strategy to poison all the other people in the area in opposition to Sesshoumaru? Doesn't SEEM like you expected him to not give a shit. Sesshoumaru just glares at Naraku wordlessly. He doesn't need Naraku to tell him he's special, clearly.

Meanwhile, Inuyasha is still facing off against the miasma creeping into the hole in his father's armor, behaving much like the detached tentacle of an actual octopus; independently grasping for its prey with its very own intelligence driving it. Housenki teases Inuyasha for thinking his companions are more important than strengthening his sword, asking if it's because he's a hanyou, and saying that even if a lowly hanyou could gain his power it wouldn't be used well anyway. It the most obvious rage bait in the world, and this is coming from someone who lives in the golden age of rage bait. 

Inuyasha scoffs that if that's the case, he doesn't even need Housenki's power anyway, though he doesn't know how great this power is supposed to be. He's thinking he'll just have to do what he has to as he unleashes a Kaze no Kizu toward the miasma. The attack blasts straight through the miasma, out of the remains of his father, and up toward Naraku, who smirks smugly. He says that even if Inuyasha manages to push back the miasma with Kaze no Kizu, it's just a temporary solution. 

So, as you can imagine, this next part comes as a bit of a surprise.

It's the prettiest destruction of defenses I've ever seen. Sparkly.

Naraku is shocked by the diamond spears coming from Inuyasha's Tessaiga, staring down at him from his vulnerable position without the protective bubble hovering in midair. Inuyasha gapes back up at him. Jaken is the first to squawk in awe the fact that Naraku's barrier was blown away, the rest of the bystanders in the tomb too busy gawking to provide their usual commentary. 

I feel like every transformation of this sword gets gaudier and gaudier. 

Inuyasha looks over his shoulder at Housenki when he starts to speak, saying that if Inuyasha were driven by a selfish desire to strengthen his sword, the diamond shards he'd been shot with would have taken his life. At that moment, those very shards dislodge from Inuyasha, littering the floor of the tomb in glittering confetti. At the same time, Housenki's diamond skull splits at the forehead, right where Tessaiga came down on it earlier. Kagome gasps, Shippou narrating from her shoulder that Housenki has been broken. 

Housenki gives his blessing for the Inuyasha to inherit his power, "Kongousouha", with that hanyou heart of his. A slightly condescending reference to the chapter title. Regardless, Inuyasha is still in awe at the sparkling sword he's holding. 

It's not long before he brings his focus back to Naraku, who's still floating outside, and has somehow decided not to flee in the space of that little interlude. Inuyasha insists that he's not getting away, and swings Tessagia at him, calling out Kongousouha for the first time. Those diamond spears shoot for Naraku and they sure do their job. 

Doesn't look very comfortable, for sure. 

The peanut gallery is split between disbelief that Naraku got GOT, and commentary that Naraku has indeed been pierced, but all of Inuyasha's group gapes up in shock. Naraku himself is not looking even slightly smug anymore, cursing the whole lot of them haltingly. No doubt it's a little difficult to speak when your entire torso has been obliterated. 

Sesshoumaru is still hanging out on Naraku's level in the sky, and Naraku looks over at him when he comments on how it appears that Naraku no longer has the power to create a barrier. No word on WHY that is, of course, but then again, why would Sesshoumaru know? All he's really sure of is that he's taking this opportunity to go ahead and finish the nuisance off. He swings down Toukijin with some little enthusiasm, which is a LOT for the normally lethargic Sesshoumaru, and the blast slices at damn near every inch of Naraku.

I guess his miasma production is on the fritz too.

It's looking to Miroku down below for all the world that Naraku might be finished and he says as much among his fellow gaping friends, but a moment later, Naraku's pieces start to fade out of sight. Sesshoumaru is in his own silent surprise that Naraku is vanishing, though he can't be expected to admit that kind of thing out loud. 

On Kagome's back, the arrow from Kikyou in her quiver starts to glow, and she gives it a alarmed side-eye. She looks back at Naraku's disappearing fragments of body, now coiling into a swirl of flesh, and notes that there's a Shikon shard in there. Kagome supposes she's getting all the signs that this is the time to use the arrow and draws/nocks it without resistance. She bids it to hit where she's aiming just before she fires, and it arcs up, catching one of Naraku's disconnected eyes as it makes contact with his flesh coil. 

... This is looking distressingly familiar. 

Kagome looks alarmed, probably because she notices the similarity between this and her initial mistake too. Then she spots the Shikon shard that Naraku tried to steal among the vortex of light and flesh. Who knows what that means. Miroku, Sango, and Shippou all stare open-mouthed at the spot Naraku once occupied, and Sesshoumaru looks placidly at that same space, now occupied by a few sparkles but nothing more.

It didn't want to be stuck here with you nerds.

So, what did I think of this chapter overall? This is another of those scenes that doesn't do its time-management too terribly well. During the explanation that Housenki gave Inuyasha about how and why he inherited the technique Kongoushouha, Naraku should have been trying to flee, OR we should have seen a panel where he himself realized that he couldn't seem to reconstitute his barrier. Having Sesshoumaru voice that reality for us was entirely too late, and left me wondering why Naraku wasn't being more active in trying to avoid his and Inuyasha's blows. 

The other thing I couldn't help but question was why Naraku's bubble broke permanently here, when Housenki's diamond spears pierced it and NARAKU multiple times in the previous chapters. What was different about Kongoushouha when it came from Tessaiga rather than Housenki himself? There's a lot of talk about how Inuyasha's hanyou heart has rendered him worthy of having the technique, and since Housenki is full youkai, we might assume that would make SOME difference, but there's no word on WHAT. Besides, all that talk was specifically relating to how his hanyou heart made him more concerned with the well-being of his companions than strengthening himself and his sword, which doesn't really furnish us with a clue as to why that would translate to a permanent barrier blaster with Kongousouha. 

What it DOES do is give us more contrast between Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru - the very first exchange in the chapter emphasizes how Sesshoumaru doesn't give a shit that the rest of the people here are going to drown in miasma if he keeps cutting Naraku the way he is, an attitude that Naraku attributes to Sesshoumaru's pure youkai pedigree. But Housenki is pure youkai too, and he seems to value Inuyasha's concern for friends far more. Besides, Sesshoumaru isn't willing to sacrifice the other people in the vicinity because he's trying to get stronger; he's just pissed at Naraku and lashing out like a lunatic, albeit a STOIC lunatic. 

I'm just... not sure what RT is trying to SAY here, despite having the distinct feeling that she is trying to say SOMETHING. 

YuYu Hakusho Manga: 025 Operation: Infiltrate!!

Aren't operation names supposed to be a bit more subtle than that? So if someone on the other side of it hears the name they don't IMMEDIATELY know what you're up to? Especially with infiltration, the whole point is to be stealthy so that you can gain entry to an in-group and get information or wreak havoc from the inside. What's the point if you're advertising what you're doing right from the start with an operation name that sounds like an SNL skit?

Steve here didn't exactly NEED the stupid operation name in order to give himself away, of course...

... I would. 

Yusuke consults a map in his hand, mumbling that it says that whatever he's hiking toward should be close by. He sees something through the trees ahead, and sighs his hopes that it's what he's looking for, looking pretty sweaty. Honestly, I would have thought a fit fighting lad like himself wouldn't be so winded by a little walk through the woods. To be fair, throwing hands is quite a different skill that works a different group of muscles. 

He's come up to a high fence with a placard next to the gate announcing Master Genkai's disciple selection trials. Yusuke exclaims that this isn't the Olympics, but he mutters that this rustic-looking place better have basic plumbing. Thoughts of toilets and sinks are driven from his mind when he pushes open the creaky gate and is amazed at the view inside the fence. 

And how is RHUBARB involved, of all things?

Yusuke observes men with long fair wavy hair and cleft chins, men with great bushy beards and lumpy bald heads, and men with swirling glasses and a mass of hair standing as if electrified, and labels them all as weirdos with clear disgust. He wonders what kind of freak Master Genkai is, and overhears a couple of conversations regarding this mysterious master. Someone is astounded that half the country has shown up the moment Genkai has announced taking on a pupil, and another responds that they say her techniques are unparalleled. Another anticipates that the training must be incredibly intense. 

With a mildly puzzled expression, Yusuke thinks that Genkai is going to have quite a time narrowing down this massive crowd to just ONE pupil. He wonders just what he's doing here, ultimately blaming Botan for sweet-talking him into it. 

Cut to a few days in the past, when Yusuke is first asking for clarification that his new mission is an infiltration, and into what/where. He jokes that she shouldn't tell him if he's going to Hell, literally. 

I hope your resume is polished and current, Yusuke. 

Yusuke asks who the Genkai dude is, and Botan corrects him, saying Genkai is a woman, and a human. She tells Yusuke that Koenma has communicated Genkai's impressive credentials - one of the top five reiki masters, having spent a good portion of her life in solitary pursuit of excellence. However, Genkai is getting older, and Botan says she wants to pass on her skills and knowledge to a new generation. Sounds normal so far.

But Koenma had told her that there are a lot of demons who would stop at nothing to learn Genkai's techniques, with which they could wreak untold havoc. There's also legions of them, represented in a shadow with countless eyes and gnashing teeth in the background of the panel, who only behave themselves out of fear of Genkai's exorcisms. No doubt there would be more ability to strategize against them if the demons had access to the source material.

After Botan finishes relaying this story, Yusuke asks if it's his job to make sure no demon grabs a hold of the grand prize of learning under Genkai, and Botan confirms that it's a simple prevention case. She decides he DOESN'T need to hear the part where Koenma said that this would also serve as Yusuke's training, since the chances of getting him to undergo formal training was basically zero. However, Botan DOES warn Yusuke to keep an eye out for a "Rando", which is actually the guy's NAME, unfortunately. Rando specializes in defeating martial arts masters and stealing their secrets, having done so with 99 so far, looking to make Genkai a nice round 100. In the background of the panel, per Botan's ominous lack of description, is a silhouette of a person standing atop a mountain of slain monks and masters. 

This better be what he looks like, or else how is Yusuke supposed to watch out for him?

Botan says they fear the victims to at least DOUBLE if Rando gets a hold of Genkai's techniques, and with a hum, Yusuke mumbles about how many people that is and how it's not good. When Botan agrees, Yusuke does a heel-turn on that point and says that on the OTHER hand, he'd REALLY like to enjoy his one day off. In addition to Botan's pitch forward and groan in exasperation, I would just like to point out that YUSUKE IS BARELY EVER IN CLASS, DAMN NEAR EVERY DAY IS A DAY OFF FOR HIM. 

Calling him out on actually COMPARING those two things, Botan is incensed, but Yusuke complains that he can't be on the job ALL THE TIME. Is this not why there should be MORE Underworld detectives? Why JUST Yusuke? Instead of wondering about this very good question, Botan sits fuming for a moment, and then tells Yusuke that he's actually been slated for a bonus after this mission if he completes it successfully. Yusuke looks barely interested, until...

Did his tongue turn into a grasping hand?? Creepy, but I kind of love it?

Anyway, after this, Yusuke pretends to give a shit about defeating the Rando for the good of mankind and whatnot, Botan cheering him on. Recalling this from the crowd at the remote forest dojo, Yusuke bitterly thinks that he was suckered into this errand. He wonders how she figured out he was a martial arts fan, as if it's not the safest bet in history that a guy who thrills at the sight of even street fights wouldn't be super into professional matches too. 

Yusuke gives a mental shrug, thinking that his chances of being chosen are pretty slim, so he'll likely be splitting pretty soon. My guy, are you forgetting your main directive of making sure the bad guy doesn't get chosen either? Whether he recalls this or not, he turns in surprise at the sound of his name, to see that Kuwabara is here, and giving him an utterly bewildered look. They ask each other simultaneously what the other is doing there, and Kuwabara is the first to answer, claiming that his sixth sense is getting a bit out of hand. He's seeing and hearing things all the time, and he's got a bad case of recurring sleep paralysis. His sister had suggested he come here for advice on easing it up a bit, but Kuwabara is a bit turned off by the massive crowd. 

Instead of answering for why HE'S here, Yusuke takes the opportunity to ask Kuwabara who this Genkai is anyway. Kuwabara is miffed that Yusuke is here and doesn't know, but explains what his sister did to him, that Genkai is a top-notch reiki master. With a backdrop of masters performing a variety of energy feats behind him, Kuwabara lectures Yusuke on how reiki is the flow of aura around the human body, and if you can control it, you can get all kinds of abilities. He lists pulverizing rocks with concentrated energy in the fists, healing the sick and injured with one's own life force, and blowing people away without even touching them as you get to Genkai's level of the skill. All pretty impressive feats, no doubt.

There's a sudden call over the sea of heads in the courtyard for silence, announcing that Genkai is approaching. One of the sliding doors on the dojo slides aside. 

I guess Yusuke forgot that he'd been told she's getting up there in years too. 

Yusuke is confused as to how she could become the master of ANYTHING. Meanwhile, Genkai glares out at the crowd and acknowledges the impressive turn-out she's drawn, suggesting that they whittle the mass of people down a bit. A couple of guys near Yusuke are expecting, with glee it seems, that what comes next is gonna be rough, but they're convinced they can take anything the old hag throws at them. Yusuke just gulps in nervousness. 

With the crowd waiting in suspense for her command, she announces the first test. 

... I've never seen Beast Games, but I imagine it's a little like this.

Yusuke is even more mired in alarmed confusion, a lottery making ZERO sense to him. And he's not the only one - nearby guys are muttering to each other again, asking what a lottery is supposed to prove  Genkai is unbothered by the widespread questioning of this strategy, placidly nodding toward a large jar next to her and telling everyone to come up and grab an envelope from it. Yusuke wears a sour grimace, thinking he's wasting his time with this senile old woman. Regardless, he falls into the flow of bodies making its way toward the stairs, his assumption that there's nothing he can do about the luck of the draw, so it'll be a perfect excuse to ditch this scene when he pulls a dud lot. Kuwabara is shown digging in the jar, looking miffed as well, because HE just came here for some advice. Now he's found himself in some sort of weird competition. 

The others are shown examining their envelopes, some still drawing them, and looking generally nervous about them as they hold them. I count just ONE female participant here, and another that looks to be in some sort of Shakespearean costume??? The latter proves Yusuke right: it's a real weird crowd. Once it looks like everyone has gotten a lot, Genkai instructs them to all open their little envelopes, and they've passed onto the real trials if the paper inside is red. There's scattered cries throughout the mass of people of both white and red, mostly happy ones when it's the red result, but when Yusuke and Kuwabara see THEIR red papers, they are both less than thrilled about it. Yusuke had DEFINITELY been rooting for the white paper. He has to stay, much to his chagrin. Then he and Kuwabara point at one another to express their disbelief at the other's red ticket much in the manner that they questioned their mutual presence in this place to begin with. 

Meanwhile, Genkai is smugly regarding the crowd, mentally congratulating herself on her clever trick of making them think the lottery was random, but knowing that she had rigged the papers to TURN red in the hands of people who had a baseline of spiritual acumen. A literal spiritual litmus test. Aloud, she invites those with the red tickets to follow her, dismissing those with the white papers. 

Oxen tend to loom out of nowhere when you don't bother to draw them before that moment, YT. I don't know what else to tell you, man. 

The other participants are shocked about the massive men towering over Genkai, wary about unhappy they look, not that a number of them can blame these guys because of how much of a rip-off this lottery was. The giants ask Genkai what she has to say for herself, warning her that she'll pay if whatever it is isn't good. She doesn't look the least bit intimidated, even calling them pipsqueaks when she tells them that they are blowing the chance she gave them to leave quietly and save face. She mocks them for calling themselves spiritualists when they don't even know why they lost her little game, because they're phonies, wasting her time. Genkai advises them more explicitly to go home, have a few beers, and get themselves a life. 

The one with the fuller beard growls in rage over her insults, which he's had enough of. Both men pull back their fists, which are almost HALF AS LARGE AS GENKAI IS, declaring that they won't be mocked. Yusuke cries in alarm that they've lost it and are going to beat the old woman to a pulp, insisting there's no way she can beat the brutes no matter WHAT skills she has. But with just one flashing glare:

What a pretty little demonstration. 

Yusuke watches the arc of the men, turning to see one of them falling into the crowd far behind him with a wide gape of astonishment. Nearby guys express their shock that Genkai blew them back without even touching them, living up to that hefty reputation. Having seen clearly what the old woman can do, Yusuke mouth and eyes couldn't be more open. 

Genkai complains that once upon a time, she could make guys like that wet themselves just by looking at them, and spits that getting old really sucks. She starts walking along the wide porch, talking to herself more than anyone else when she says that at least her applicants can now see that size isn't everything and those who have passed her first little test are at least somewhat gifted. She then tells the silent in awe crowd to stop GAWKING at her and follow. 

They can surely do both. And in fact, they do. Yusuke and Kuwabara in particular keep staring as those around them mutter to one another about how they'd heard the rumors, but that was pretty incredible. At last, Yusuke smiles in satisfaction, thinking that powers like those Genkai has would be worth having, with the ability to strike fear into the hearts of demons. He's done a 180 - now determined to stick around and WIN the competition. 

This must have reminded him to strap on his wrist-demon-compass to check for Rando. He's JUST thinking that it should be able to pinpoint where the guy is when the thing beeps like crazy and gives off a small explosion right on his hand, to his alarm. He gripes that it blew up, glaring at the smoking remains still attached to his arm, the curious Kuwabara at his side questioning what that was about. 

If only you knew ANYTHING else about this guy. 

So, what did I think of this chapter overall? I want to be Genkai when I grow up, always have. She's one of those characters that is fun to watch because she's capable of so much impressive shit, but you just know she would be very frustrating to interact with. I don't envy a single person who showed up at her place, for the trials or otherwise, because hers is the attitude of all the most brutal of drill sergeants - an abundance of skill and experience, but zero patience and a razor tongue. No doubt whoever wins this chance to be her apprentice is set up for a whole range of physical and mental pain, getting broken down emotionally to boot. Who knows? If Rando were to win this grand prize, he might find it a fitting punishment for his crimes regardless. 

By the way, I find it a little difficult to believe that Genkai wouldn't be able to tell that there were a demon among her hopefuls. If she's a friend of Koenma like Botan says, surely the two have communicated on this point, and she's keeping an eye out herself for anyone who sets off her internal alarm bells, which are surely WAY more sophisticated than even Yusuke's little wrist compass. If Yusuke were meant to act as extra security, it seems like a job he would, yet again, be WILDLY underqualified for, given that Rando has killed 99 masters far more skilled than this teenage boy is. 

So the notion that the "aside" Koenma gave Botan about Yusuke getting the apprenticeship ahead of ANYONE (using Rando as an excuse) being the only way Yusuke would agree to any kind of formal spiritual training looks more to me like the primary reason for this than the bonus it's made out to be. I don't believe for one second that Yusuke alone would make much of a difference here, but I COULD see the cranky Genkai refusing to take on Yusuke's training before having him and anyone else who wanted to try out prove themselves worthy of inheriting her skills. It would be fitting for her not to accept someone as her successor unless they worked their ass off to impress her. 

Of course, none of this is indicated in the text - just a little exercise in suggesting how I'D write it if I wanted it to make some level of sense given the personalities involved. But I'm sure you know how I feel about having to insert headcanaon where canon is inadequate by now.

If it can be believed, I'm even LESS of a fan of characters in flashbacks having their own flashbacks about information given them that the initial flashbacker would not know. Granted, it could be argued that the first cut isn't NECESSARILY Yusuke's flashback, but it WAS triggered by him thinking that it was Botan's fault he was here. Either way, in these nested memories of the past, it can get a little confusing figuring out who's supposed to know what.

Makes me glad that Kuwabara's reason for being here is simple, clean, without nonsensical implications. Unless his sister, in her own psychic awareness, was encouraged to send her brother to Genkai through grand spiritual manipulation. But that's silly.

Inuyasha Manga: 324 Tested Worth

Could you not, Chapter? I feel like we're all just constantly trying to prove our worth all the time in various ways our whole lives, and to the people who are least qualified to judge us to boot. Between applying for jobs that our interviewers wouldn't begin to know how to do, to chasing constantly changing ideals of beauty and sexual appeal, to being assigned impossible means testing by our overly comfortable legislators, our worth is perpetually being tested over and over with no time to rest. Let's have at least one little pocket of our existences where we're not having to deal with that, please.

I mean, who's even CAPABLE of living up to THIS standard anyway???

The blast Sesshoumaru fires off above hits Naraku's barrier, but beyond warping it a little, not much is accomplished with it. Naraku scoffs, saying Inuyasha was easier to handle, but he's not impressed if this is all Sesshoumaru can manage. Sesshoumaru doesn't respond, possibly because it's hard to refute that he's not having much of an impact so far. 

Below in the mouth of the hole in the armor of the Dog Father, Miroku and Sango gape up at the building conflict, the former worrying silently about how even Sesshoumaru's attack is unable to hurt Naraku at this point. Meanwhile, Inuyasha and Kagome are sitting in front of Housenki's head, listening to his account of what will happen before long at this rate: the Shikon fragment he brought with him here will be absorbed into the whole polluted jewel. Inuyasha scoffs that he KNOWS this already.

I feel like Inuyasha's been TRYING to do that for a couple of chapters now. 

Housenki clarifies that Inuyasha should cut him specifically to be able to get past Naraku's barrier, something only Housenki's diamond limbs have been able to accomplish. Myouga is still hanging out on Kagome's shoulder, and asks if this means that Housenki will voluntarily give his power to Inuyasha's Tessaiga. Kagome recalls that slaying a powerful youkai with Tessaiga transfers that youkai's power to the sword, but she appears to have reservations regarding this, though these remain unexpressed by anything but a sweatdrop. 

MY main question is how Housenki can be slain if he's already dead. Inuyasha's own query about what will happen to Housenki if he does this looks to be kind of skirting this, and Housenki scoffs dismissively in response. He asks Inuyasha if he would really worry about others at a time like this, adding that if Inuyasha is unworthy of owning that jewel fragment they're all fighting over, he'll have no chance of cutting the diamond demon. Can we not assume that his worthiness has already been found lacking by not being able to cut Housenki before? Apparently not, because Housenki has one more particular to add to the description of this test:

He sure knows how to goad a teenage boy.

Indeed, Inuyasha says hearing this from Housenki makes him feel AT EASE, though his expression conveys more annoyance than anything. Kagome is still uneasily pondering over the meaning of Housenki's claim to loss of life when Inuyasha prepares to draw Tessaiga and warns her to stand back. Though she doesn't appear very comfortable about it, calling to him in concern and sweatdropping severely, she's cleared the next panel, where Inuyasha holds Tessaiga in front of him in preparation to strike. He yells as he does so, trying to cleave through the center of Housenki's hard skull. 

This is looking sadly familiar. 

The rest of the group looks on in alarm, Miroku narrating the bits of diamond shooting out, and Kagome just crying out Inuyasha's name. By the time diamond shrapnel subsides, Inuyasha is bleeding pretty heavily, the blood dripping copiously down from even the bottom of his ballooned trousers. What's more, when Tessaiga's blade is lifted, there's not even a MARK where it struck, which Inuyasha notes in silent disbelief. 

Meanwhile, Sesshoumaru is still sending ineffective blasts at Naraku's impenetrable bubble. Naraku asks Sesshoumaru with a chuckle if he really wants to cut him that badly. 

I mean, a part of it, anyway. 

It's a ferocious part too. The ends of the tentacles split into long slavering mouths filled with sharp gnashing teeth, but Sesshoumaru doesn't so much as blink in his everlasting glare as he sends them an obliterating blast from his sword, and they disintegrate. Naraku smiles at this, because of COURSE there was a purpose to him performing this farce.

Black and white as it is, I'm pretty sure that isn't blood...

The gush of dark stuff descends to where the Inuyasha group and Jaken are sheltered in the giant dog skeleton armor, Jaken screeching for Sesshoumaru, and Miroku pushing the girls protectively back, snapping that it's miasma. Jaken has to scramble back too, for the corrosive goop sizzles and melts the numerous skulls lying in the tomb. Inuyasha himself looks around in alarm at the sudden commotion behind him, but despite what Housenki said and the blood loss, he's still kicking.

In the air, the cloud of toxic miasma between Naraku and Sesshoumaru clears, and neither of them are the worse for any of it. Sesshoumaru scoffs, asking Naraku if he really expected his feeble miasma to affect him, and Naraku implies with an offhand comment that it didn't really need to affect SESSHOUMARU in particular. 

In the tomb, Jaken is gagging for breath, and Miroku is holding a sleeve over his mouth and nose, the noxious fumes already suffocating them. 

Jaken gasps that he can breathe, muttering that he's saved, though he doesn't acknowledge his savior. How about a "thank you" my dude?

Naraku chuckles, and the stumps of those tentacles Sesshoumaru just cut sprout their own multiple tentacles. He's like an octopus-hydra. These new tentacles extend over and around Sesshoumaru like claws poised to stab into his impassive person. Naraku asks Sesshoumaru what he's going to do, considering every time he's cut, his miasma gushes out and everyone here will eventually die of exposure to it. Sesshoumaru genuinely looks like he couldn't care less. 

Once more, Jaken stutters Sesshoumaru's name, like a nervous prayer to a malevolent god. Not too far off the mark, honestly. Shippou hesitantly assures Jaken that it'll be alright, as long as Kagome has her arrows. Kagome admits that she has no more arrows, sweatdropping. Jaken and Shippou's eyes swim in tears while she says that the one she just fired was the last, though the one from Kikyou is still sitting in her quiver. She acknowledges it with the shameful thought that it's still rejecting her. 

At least it's an arrow and not a boy on the dance floor, like would be the case if you were a NORMAL teenager. 

Sesshoumaru asks if this is all Naraku has to say, then with a withering glare, declares that staying his hand in exchange for a bunch of measly human lives isn't exactly his style. 

Methinks thou dost protest too much. 

As the new blow disintegrates the grasping tentacles, Inuyasha is once more gaping up at the actions of his brother with horror, still half-turned away from Housenki. Jaken cries that he KNEW this would happen, and Shippou blabbers about the miasma on its way down to them. At this point, Inuyasha fully turns to the mouth of the tomb, cursing at the responsibility that's fallen to him. He puts himself in front of the others, Tessaiga raised in front of him in defense, demanding they all get as far back as they can and promising to handle the miasma himself. Kagome says his name in concern, but Housenki puts on a mocking tone when he asks what this is about - wasn't this brat about to strengthen his sword by cutting him?

No, for real. Shut it. 

So, what did I think of this chapter overall? Housenki is really grating on my nerves right now. To some extent, I understand that since he's the one who can communicate directly with the jewel fragment that everyone is fighting over, he WOULD be the one who could best determine with whom it should go based on its wishes. But he should already be able to DO that based on what he's already seen thus far. While Inuyasha has been brash and combative, he's expressed multiple times the need for him to have the Shikon shard just so Naraku can't get it. Meanwhile, Naraku, though alone and against everyone else, has spent his time here hiding out until having an indication where the fragment was, appeared to claim it, then arrogantly tossed around the son of an old friend. Most importantly, HE'S the one who's holding the rest of the polluted jewel, likely with the same noxious miasma flowing freely at the moment. It should only be too clear who the villain is here, no test of virtue or "worth" required. 

But here he is, demanding Inuyasha go through this weird ordeal where he gets torn up by tiny diamond chips, trying to cut through a stone shell that he hasn't been much more successful cutting through before. Housenki even literally adds insult to injury by teasing him going to take care of the miasma threatening his friends. Between him and Sesshoumaru, I'm not sure which of them is the bigger piece of shit in this chapter, with how dedicated to the concept of "worth", the latter denying it entirely to all the humans in the area, and the former is demanding that it be PROVED to him in some way in order to help. 

This could be hand-waved away in a couple of ways. Housenki and Sesshoumaru are pure youkai, and therefore may be considered less precious about life as a matter of course. Housenki might also be a little peeved that he's never even seen Inuyasha before he started throwing around a relation to Housenki's friend, feeling like Inuyasha is trying to cash in a favor that he has no claim to. To my writer brain, this is an issue of having to present a new power/ability as EARNED, and so having to create tension as well as trial for a character to WORK for that payoff. Generally, I appreciate this, but in the current case, it feels just a TAD too forced and formulaic. 

Then again, there's not really something I can suggest that would fix it either. Beyond expressing that issue Housenki would have with Inuyasha only showing up to demand something like an ungrateful grandchild, it seems to be due to the friction between the relationships themselves and the influence they should or should not have on the solution to this issue. 

Kind of SoL there, I'm afraid. 

A Looming Migration?

So, I think I might have to move this blog.

There are a couple of reasons for this. The first was rather petty - I don't like how Google has capitulated to this fascist regime and its insistence on renaming the Gulf of Mexico. I am of the opinion that anyone and everyone who can do so has a duty to resist everything that the current POTUS and his cronies do, including the little things that there seems no real harm in. Relabeling and redefining things is a very real tactic that despots use to destabilize established institutions and gain consent to big atrocities through a series of innocuous demands. I won't be having it, and I don't want to risk complicity by continuing to use Google's blogging platform.

The other reason is more practical, though. Lately I've been noticing that there's a tendency for Blogger's text editor to freeze at odd times when I'm typing out a post. No cursor, new text will not appear, and it is impossible to reload the page no matter what I try. My only recourse is to exit the window and open a new one, and sometimes I have to do it multiple times during a blogging session. It really takes the wind out of my sails when this happens, because when I hit a groove in writing, it is immensely disruptive to have everything just come to a screaming halt, interrupting in the most brutal way the train of thought I was on.

I initially chose Blogger because it was free, accessible, had its own image hosting, and I could access it from pretty much anywhere. But, and pardon my Cory Doctorow, this platform has become so enshittified as to finally tip those switching costs into the "affordable" column. The only question now is where I want to go.

There are a lot of options out there, and I feel a little paralyzed by choice, as well as the work of migrating. As I said, Blogger's image hosting has always made the process easy, but I think most of the alternatives will require a separate image site. I'll also have to decide if I want to try to move all the posts I've already done (close to 700 as of this posting), or just keep this blog open and accessible, with a link to its new home for posts going forward once I've acquired a new host. Reposting all the content from here would be a monumental task, but I kind of want all my posts in one convenient place, if possible. I suppose this is going to largely depend on whether I choose a host that's compatible with Blogger, so I can download all the old posts and import them onto the new blog. 

These are my main difficulties presented, and now I'd like input from the readers. Where would it be most convenient for YOU to follow me? Is there a platform that you particularly like or think would be easy to make a transition to? Would you like to make an argument for why I should stay here, despite my issues above? There may be some factors that I haven't considered that you foresee, so let me know! Either way, it'll be a process; in the event that a move happens, it certainly won't happen overnight, and there will be plenty of time to discuss the options. 

In the meantime, I'll continue to post. I have a bit of a stubborn streak, as longtime readers may be aware, and no amount of dissatisfaction with my platform will induce me to give up my almost decade-long effort to record every inane opinion I have on select manga. Refusing to indulge this little amusement would just be punishing myself and frequenters of this blog, and make absolutely no difference to Google. 

As usual, we're all just looking out for ourselves in the cold shadows of immense money-printing machines.