It's always a little awkward to have two colons in my post titles, but my brain is especially fuzzy right now and it's troublesome. I'm dealing with ANOTHER aggressive virus, and on top of having not gotten a lot of sleep last night, it feels like my brain is leaking out my nose and my throat is on fire. I don't know what it is with 2025, but I'm proving to be ultra fragile when it comes to my health - it's not even the half-way mark on this year yet and I'm sick to death of... being sick. I don't know WHAT my husband's coworkers are getting into, but he'd better stop bringing that shit home with him every other week, because I don't think I can survive another one of these diseases!
Just the LOOK these guys are giving each other is exhausting for my overtaxed constitution.
The next two-page spread gives us a short bio for every one of the candidates for Genkai's apprenticeship that are left, pretty much the same ones we got in their introductions, so no need to reiterate that here. I'm super DUPER not being lazy, just economical.
As Yusuke and Kibano take their first steps toward the darkness, Yusuke calls for a pause in the proceedings. Kibano scoffs, asking if Yusuke's changed his mind, but Yusuke doesn't answer at first, just digging in his pocket for a moment.
Yusuke expresses an intention to take a quick drag off the tobacco before battle, to which Botan responds by whacking him in the back of the head with a bit of fan paper. He rounds on her, claiming that hurt, like he's not facing far worse pain in the dark in the next few seconds. Botan says she MEANT it to hurt, and tells him that just because Keiko isn't around doesn't mean he can go wild. She demands he give her the cigarettes, Yusuke whining that it's his last pack and demanding she let go of it.
Kibano flatly states that he'd like to get started with their match, and Botan looks back at him with a nervous laugh, happy to oblige, but Yusuke is still reaching for that pack of cigarettes they're fighting over. I guess Yusuke capitulates, because the next thing we see is Kibano asking Yusuke if he's ready and suggesting they go, Yusuke agreeing that he's right there with him.
Once they're fully immersed in the dark, Yusuke remarks on how pitch black it is in there, and how they can't even see each other. Kibano's voice floats out of the dark, saying he doesn't find that problematic, considering he knows Yusuke's position precisely. Yusuke thinks he's bluffing, because his sixth sense didn't measure up to Kuwabara's, and shuffles to the right. Kibano accurately reports this out of the dark, which has Yusuke in alarmed disbelief.
He... looks like a little baby chicken! Awwwwww!
It's clearly not supposed to be cute, but I'm a little loopy with illness right now. Kibano says he's been trained to fight without the need for sight, and in lieu of sight, he can sense his opponent in other, more accurate ways. He does NOT explain just where he's been keeping this sensory deprivation mask on him this whole time, given it doesn't seem like something all that easy to stash under his minimal gi aesthetic. Hand outstretched, Kibano says he can sense that Yusuke has been through a lot (quite the understatement), and Yusuke's glaring experiences allow Kibano to zero in on him. Yusuke stands out against the darkness for Kibano, surrounded in the spectral fire of a fighting spirit that swirls and emanates from Yusuke's body so he's fairly ablaze with it.
With a triumphant yell, Kibano whacks Yusuke right on the chin with his fist, knocking him back in the dark. Kuwabara remarks on this in alarm, Botan gaping behind him. Yusuke lifts himself into a crouch with an exclamation of pain, swiping the back of his hand across the smarting spot he was hit. Suddenly, Kibano whispers in his ear from immediately behind him that it was a nice recovery. Then...
A creak rises out of the black behind him, and Yusuke turns to lunge in its direction, declaring that Kibano was clumsy and he's got the sneaky bastard. Kibano does emerge from the black in front of Yusuke, and he taps Kibano back, but it seems to glance off Kibano rather than be a lick on par with what he's been giving.
Ooof, I felt that one in my stomach. Or maybe it's the nausea.
Yusuke is left trembling in pain, groaning as he holds his gut and side where Kibano kicked him. Once again, from the darkness surrounding Yusuke, Kibano teases that sounds may hint at his location, but they won't tell Yusuke precisely where to aim. Kuwabara is convinced that Urameshi is screwed, because the mask Kibano is wearing is also a helmet, which must be why Yusuke's knuckles glanced off his head so easily. Of course, this makes me question even HARDER where Kibano has been keeping that thing this whole time.
Botan worries quietly over how much of a rank beginner Yusuke is in comparison with his competition's special training. She thinks he'll have to OUTWIT his opponents, but she's not SUPER confident he can do that. And coming from the ray of sunshine that she is, that's pretty dire.
Kibano declares that it's time to wrap this up. He holds up a fist, and with Kuwabara and Botan reacting with horror while he grunts in his effort, his whole arm swells in volume, the veins standing out. Apparently, this is a result of him bringing the aura OUTSIDE his body INSIDE, which doubles his defensive power, according to his own explanation. Meanwhile, it looks like his arm has been stung by a REALLY BIG wasp.
His fist is bigger than YUSUKE'S HEAD. Can aura grow BONES?
Once more, Yusuke is left on hands and knees, hacking over his injuries in the dark. Kibano compliments him on his reflexes and resilience, because he'd MEANT that "supercharged explosive thrust" to be a nat 20. Yusuke stands on shaky legs, agreeing, I suppose, on his hardiness. Kibano adds that Yusuke's sustained some hefty damage, though, and his fighting spirit is dimming. But from Genkai's point of view, Yusuke's aura is drawing in, even if she doesn't specify if it's in a similar way to Kibano's. She DOES say that it's probably not wise to corner Yusuke.
Yusuke is thinking about how even Kibano's glancing blows are murderous, and he can't dodge what he can't see. He's convinced that there MUST be a way to pinpoint Kibano's position, and after a moment of considering it, he realizes there IS. Kibano is insisting to Yusuke through the dark that he's too badly hurt, and this is the last chance for him to get away from this with his life, if he STAYS DOWN, that last part added as Kibano leaps for Yusuke with another punch to Yusuke out of the dark. Yusuke let's the punch glance off his jaw as he latches onto Kibano's passing arm, declaring he's got him.
Break for this issue's filler panel: a feather-haired blonde with a "DEATH" headband that is named Lena. She's labeled a friend of Botan, who loves nothing more than telling cute guys that they're about to DIE. Unhinged as that is, it's rounded off with her flirtatious suggestion that the viewer is going to buy it next month. Like... the FARM?
Back in the fight, Yusuke promises to repay Kibano's blow with interest, asking if Kibano wants a broken arm. Kibano snaps back with the statement that Yusuke is just FULL of surprises, but it won't amount to much.
At this point, I'm starting to think that Kibano is just exaggerating his skills, rather than Yusuke is resilient. So many "killing" "ending" blows that just DON'T work as advertised...
Kuwabara is still despairing, however, over how Yusuke seems to be at Kibano's mercy - unable to sidestep attacks and getting tossed when he tries to grapple. But while Kuwabara tries to encourage that "slouch" Urameshi (sort of), Botan isn't convinced that Yusuke is quite so hamstrung. She acknowledges that he still has the Reigun, and though he has just one shot, he just has to know where to aim.
Kibano pops one of the ear-mufflers off his mask, asking if Yusuke is more amenable to giving up yet, again giving Yusuke credit for his ability, but also for the multitude of limitations holding him FAR from a chance at victory. He even thinks that he'll be amazed if Yusuke has the strength to STAND at this point, and indeed Yusuke gets to his feet with some difficulty. He also haltingly states that not only is he NOT willing to give up, but he's going to win this thing. Yusuke declares a guarantee that Kibano's next attack will be his last.
Kibano calls him a macho idiot, telling him it SHOULD be enough for him to have fought a good fight. Clearly, he doesn't want to continue hurting this CHILD, so at least it's fairly obvious by this point that he's not the evil demon Yusuke is here to stop. Not that Yusuke still doesn't want this apprenticeship real bad. Yusuke asks if Kibano is scared and wants HIM to make the first move, at which jibe Kibano grinds his teeth, calling Yusuke a punk. Mega uber punk. Again, he inflates his arm with aura, and agrees to oblige Yusuke's supposed death wish. He flits around Yusuke in the dark.
Kibano leaps at Yusuke, throwing his oversized fist down toward the boy with a shout of farewell, Kuwabara and Botan both calling out in alarm at Yusuke. Yusuke himself calmly points his glowing right pointer finger under is other arm right for where Kibano is, telling Kibano to wish HIMSELF so long.
That thing just SHATTERED.
Even as blood is spattering from Kibano's forehead, he asks in amazed bewilderment how Yusuke knew where to aim. Yusuke tells him to check his belt before he passes out, and Kibano is blown away to find a LIT CIGARETTE tucked into his belt, demanding to know how such a thing got there. I'm just wondering how the damn thing didn't catch him on FIRE. Yusuke explains that he planted the cigarette while they were grappling, the thick gi and mask covering eyes, nose, and ears keeping him from even noticing. Kibano collapses with a dumb final exclamation, and the fight is done.
So, what did I think of this chapter overall? By no means was it a perfect setup and payoff. After all, that mask came out of nowhere, literally, and it was rigid enough that I can't imagine it being hidden about Kibano's person without having noticed it before this point. Also, Yusuke's little stunt came with a fair amount of risk of not just setting Kibano on fire, but the whole place, depending on how flammable those floorboards are.
But, all that aside, I did think this is one of the BETTER setups and payoffs that YT has put in place. If it DID set Kibano alight, it's not like that wouldn't have gotten Yusuke the win anyway, which is one way that Genkai's anything goes attitude would have worked in HIS favor for a change. It also manages to reframe one of Yusuke's delinquent behaviors as a positive, further underlining how our flawed hero can use ALL of himself to push past obstacles. It helps a reader to further envision how ANYONE, even someone society tends to look at as "bad" with a lot of bad aspects, can make their way through a problem. It's part of what I've always liked about this series - the core message that one doesn't have to be a perfect boyscout type to make a positive difference in the world.
It's quite a bummer that there has to be some degree of the GLORIFICATION of a habit with deleterious health effects, though. I agree with Botan - the lighting-up habit isn't exactly something to be proud of, even if it DID get Yusuke through this particular ordeal, and I'm really hoping that any kids reading this didn't come away with the urge to start smoking because Yusuke made it look briefly cool and useful.
Remember young'uns! Smoking is bad!
Oof, sorry to hear that you're going through it. Here's hoping you have a speedy recovery!
ReplyDeleteI believe the anime doesn't depict Yusuke smoking. I wouldn't be surprised since I recall the third arc of JoJo's Bizarre Adventure (Stardust Crusaders) always censored its teenage protagonist whenever he'd smoke. As a result, Genkai throws her cigarette at Yusuke when he makes a smartass remark, and he holds onto it to plant on Kibano.
Thank you! I've just got some sniffles, but for the most part the random virus is gone!
DeleteI'm grateful to the anime for at least finding some other way to get this across, even though it's thematically relevant here for one of Yusuke's bad habits to be used to his advantage. Giving up the significance of the message for a little less encouragement of deadly addiction is an acceptable trade-off, I think.