Inuyasha Manga: 098 The True Water God

Still no word on what makes this "true" god any different from their usurper except the holy weapon, but I'm guessing it's not any kind of hiring or electoral process. If it were, whoever put this deadbeat in their position would have sought to replace them with a more competent candidate LONG before Inuyasha and company showed up. If I managed to lose my keys to some random subordinate and got locked up in a room so they could pretend to do my job for a while, I would be fired so fast my head wouldn't even have TIME to spin. I guess this industry runs on slightly different standards of work ethic than I'm used to.

I think a boycott is in order.

In a small outbuilding on the end of a walkway, Kagome is crouched by the door while the children watch it with fear. Taroumaru says that fake!Suijin is getting closer and Kagome tells him to shut it. All she can think right now is to protect the kids until Inuyasha returns. The fake!Suijin stomps along toward them, but after a moment it seems to those inside the shack that he's passing them. Quiet outside as the lean toward the door, and Taroumaru voices the foolish hope that he's not coming after all.

A creak sounds above and behind Kagome.

Dammit! These were new pants!!

Screaming and screwing her eyes shut, Kagome fires an arrow at the peeping face of fake!Suijin, but it hits the support beam for the roof instead. Probably shouldn't fire arrows without your eyes open, Kagome. Fake!Suijin pokes his face up into the other side of the beam, chuckling that they won't get away from him.

Kagome yells at the boys to hurry and get out, and Taroumaru already has his fingers in the crack of the door ready to do so. Unfortunately, it won't open for him, and Shippou's expression is strangely blank upon seeing this. I would be freaking out, but maybe expression for more than one character was too much effort for such a small panel. The door isn't opening because fake!Suijin has stretched his body in order to wrap it around the building and over the exit. Meanwhile, fake!Suijin's face up in the rafters is telling Kagome that she'll be the first to die. She's nocked another arrow and is aiming for the face, but that tail-like arm she injured earlier wraps itself around her ankle and pulls her onto the ground.

She looks up to see that the holy weapon is descending on her point first, immediately ducking her head again and squeezing her eyes shut, thinking she'll be skewered. Before that can happen, though, a crash comes from the door.

Good job busting in to save the day, Inuyasha. Too bad you crushed Kagome while you were at it. Tessaiga is also reverted back to rust-stick because it touched the holy weapon, which might be contributing to Kagome's welling tear as she calls Inuyasha's name behind him. In addition to the lumber pinning her to the floor, obviously.

Fake!Suijin calls Inuyasha a bastard, arm holding the holy weapon hanging through the back of the roof where he was going to stab Kagome. Inuyasha actually refers to fake!Suijin as fake when he says the false god has shown his real character, and Kagome gapes at the new information. Inuyasha turns to ask if the kids aren't hurt either, and while Kagome stutters that she's fine, the children rise from the debris of the former door, complaining that they weren't hurt BEFORE Inuyasha turned up.

The tip of fake!Suijin's hat sinks beneath the lattice decorating the rafters, and Inuyasha shouts at him that he won't get away. However, fake!Suijin is already slithering snakelike in the water beneath the temple, away from Inuyasha. Inuyasha gives chase, running along the walkway trying to determine where the fuck fake!Suijin got to. A small pause to look around was all fake!Suijin needed to use his tail/hand wrapped around the ankle trick on Inuyasha and drag him off the walkway and into the water, much to Inuyasha's surprise. Fake!Suijin has stretched and wrapped his body around Inuyasha this time, changing Inuyasha's look to one of disgust as he glares at the scaled coil surrounding him.

What would you have done if he DIDN'T call you fake? Serve him cookies?

Inuyasha informs fake!Suijin that he heard all about how if he takes the holy weapon off of him, then he's just a regular subordinate. With a thrust of the blade at Inuyasha, fake!Suijin invites him to just try it. Inuyasha manages to barely lean out of the way of the blow, and the blade strikes one of the stilts holding up the walkway. It dissolves into foam, along with the whole side of the building above it. Inuyasha gapes at the dripping bubbles.

Kagome and Shippou are also alarmed at the effect of the holy weapon as the come upon the scene, where fake!Suijin assures Inuyasha that this time he won't miss. Inuyasha has recovered from his shock and offers a scoff at this statement. Popping his knuckles, Inuyasha encourages fake!Suijin to try and aim again, because before the blade lands fake!Suijin's body will be torn to shreds. He simultaneously makes good on his promise, ripping into a wide-eyed fake!Suijin's coils.

Inuyasha doesn't get even most of the way through them, however, before he's dunked beneath the lake water again, being cursed by fake!Suijin for taking some sizeable chunks out of his snake-flesh. Inuyasha's breath, scant as it is, begins to escape him. Kagome and the children run up to the side of the walkway, Kagome calling out to Inuyasha. She falls to her knees and looks over the edge into the water, mouth agape in a silent scream.

Elsewhere:

Yeah, and then you should suggest perhaps a different career-path for them. Maybe one that doesn't carry so much responsibility.

As they climb the rock, Sango urges Miroku to hurry it up, because she's kind of worried about Kagome and the others. Miroku reassures her that Inuyasha is with them, so they'll be fine, prompting Sango to ask if Inuyasha is REALLY that strong. She looks more curious than disbelieving here, so I suppose she didn't mean the question to be doubtful. Miroku, on the other hand, outright says that you have to ignore a few minor things in order to consider Inuyasha strong. Sango interprets this as Miroku trying to imply subtly that Inuyasha is a moron. Diiiiiiick.

A sound from Miroku marks his discovery of a sealing charm dangling from the rock. As if to confirm, a voice comes from behind the rock to ask if someone is there. Sango says it sounds like a young girl, and Miroku leans closer to the rock eagerly when he states that the Suijin must be a goddess. Said goddess instructs him to pull the charm off the rock quickly to let her out, and Miroku is only too obedient, Sango looking somewhat wide-eyed at him as he shouts his compliance.

Once the charm comes off, there's a flash of light from the rock before it crumbles and Sango and Miroku are able to view the Suijin with some alarm.

A tad too small for Miroku's tastes, I see.

Back with Inuyasha....

... He's dying. Juuuuuuuust brilliant.

So, what did I think of this chapter overall? A very pleasing aspect of it was the fall-back to those horror elements that have been so iconic for previous chapters. It gives the impression that, despite the fact that we know this god is fake at this point, the protagonists fighting him are still WAAAAY out of their depth in dealing with him. At least one-on-one, because they've only had the opportunity to get at him one at a time so far since he separated them. Even Inuyasha is at a disadvantage with his youkai powers.

But that was a given from the start, since it appears that god and youkai powers tend to conflict. Kagome's experience fending off fake!Suijin was the real show-stealer here. It's not because she did particularly well, but because of her palpable fear in combination with fake!Suijin's caution in dealing with her. She was the only one who was able to injure him at the time, so while he was flitting around trying to use an entire building as a shield from her arrows, she was too scared out of her wits to notice this and use his hesitation to her advantage. It made the battle more interesting knowing both sides of the conflict were afraid of the other, but only one of them was really in a position to exploit a weakness.

At least, it's more interesting to me than two overpowered, overconfident dudes punching each other until one of them wins.

Yu-Gi-Oh Manga: 156 Esper Roba

Okay, no lie, I had to look up this term "esper", because it sounded familiar, but was never defined to me. Sure, context clues gave me the idea that it had something to do with being psychic, but I wasn't sure how this synonym was supposed to have indicated a link to the former word. Apparently, I'm not savvy on the fine art of the verbing of acronyms, as I just learned that people who claim to have extrasensory perception, or ESP, are referred to as espers.

I guess it's to make them feel more... active?

Hate to break it to you, Roba, but that schtick doesn't look as good on you as Shawn Spencer, and he came AFTER you. It's probably because he has better hair.

Instead of making a big show of his psychic powers like I thought he was setting up for, Roba suggests that he and Jonouchi confirm what each of them puts up for their ante before they duel. Roba's is his Jinzo the Psycho Shocker that we got a glimpse of at the end of his last duel, plus his little puzzle card. Jonouchi holds up his Time Wizard to show, and affirms that he also has a puzzle card, as though Roba was already questioning his right to hang with the cool kids. Don't rush into it, man, all good things to those who wait.

Just in case you're picking this volume of the manga up in the Barnes and Noble out of curiosity, it decides to reiterate what those puzzle cards are for you. You know, just in case not knowing what the hell a puzzle card is would put you off instead of make you more curious to pick up an earlier chapter to figure it out.

Roba says "roger that" like he's talking over a radio to Jonouchi, which is odd for a psychic, but I'm sure THAT won't come up later. He suggests that they start their duel, and Jonouchi internally freaks about the fact that if he loses his puzzle card, he's out of the competition. From the sidelines, an angry Ryuzaki demands to know what Jonouchi did with his Red Eyes Black Dragon. So he DOES remember that he lost it to Jonouchi! Jonouchi brazenly admits that someone stole it because he fucked up, and Ryuzaki stutters in disbelief and shock. However, Jonouchi continues his story by saying he got the card back, but a friend is holding it for him, or rather his rival. His rival/friend. He has an "it's complicated" status on his Facebook page for sure.

Again, in case you have no sense of curiosity about what that friend/rival deal is about.

Ryuzaki yells at Jonouchi that he can't win against Roba, claiming it was mere luck that Jonouchi won against him in Duelist Kingdom. He also reiterates that Roba can read his opponent's hand. Jonouchi isn't listening, silently asking Yami to wait for him, confident he'll win this duel and get to their friend/rival battle. Confident for now, at least. Jonouchi calls out that he's ready to go and announces their duel in classic Yu-Gi-Oh dramatized fashion.

He declares he's going first as he draws his cards, and looking at them thinks that this is an awfully nice hand he's picked up. He picks one to play and glares up at Roba humming in his direction as he massages his temples. Psychically.

I would say that the cosmos bending the odds of a fucking CARD GAME in his favor seems like an awfully small thing for it to give a shit about, but this IS Yu-Gi-Oh, so...

Jonouchi internally growls, calling Roba a "radio-wave wack job", which is the best insult I have ever seen in this manga next to "baby goth". Jonouchi calls for a halt to this nonsense as he plays his card, Gilta the D. Knight. Roba scoffs, thrusting out his palm, an action which at first seems to dissolve the hologram of Jonouchi's card right in front of him. He starts freaking out about the card he played disappearing on him, wondering if it was ESP. Roba states that this was simply the law of the cosmos, then the audience bursts out laughing. Jonouchi turns to glare at them.

Ryuzaki is able to stop laughing long enough to ask if Jonouchi is braindead, assuring him that this trick wasn't any kind of ESP but the card Jonouchi played. He explains with some cruel relish that Jonouchi isn't able to play a high-level monster right off the bat like that, having to sacrifice a low-level monster in order to do so. These are the new rules of "Super Expert Mode" that Kaiba invented for his tournament, and because Jonouchi hadn't the slightest clue, Ryuzaki asks if this moron knows ANYTHING. Some other guy behind Ryuzaki rubs his chin in disbelief that such a NOOB got into the tournament. And yes, he really does use the word NOOB here.

Wow, 90's insults. That takes me back.

Jonouchi gulps and turns red, having totally "forgot" about the super expert rules. More like you were a bit preoccupied with the prospect of a shiny new tournament to notice that the rules were tweaked, boy. He IS relieved that Roba wasn't using ESP on him, though, and sighs. Roba states that Jonouchi wasted a turn, and while rubbing his temples again, offers to make a suggestion to Jonouchi. After spending a moment wondering how he should put his advice, he tells Jonouchi to play the card on the very left of his hand, Swordsman of Landstar. Jonouchi is blown away by the fact that Swordsman of Landstar is indeed the card to the very left of all the cards in his hand, hitting the nail on the head.

Roba insists that this is telepathy, repeating that his mind is one with the cosmos and he has absolute enlightenment. Smashing choice on what to use that absolute enlightenment on, kiddo. He drones one and on about how his awareness transcends time and space and how he and Jonouchi are made of the same particles, so that makes he, Roba, Jonouchi AND his cards. Jonouchi doesn't get it, but I suppose he doesn't need to, because Roba doesn't bother to elaborate, shouting that it's his turn instead.

He summons Cyber Raider, which he uses to attack Jonouchi directly, since Jonouchi doesn't have any monsters out to beat the snot from.

You, uhhhh, didn't pick up any suspicious brownies for breakfast before you went to get back your stolen card, did you Jonouchi?

Roba ends his turn with a flare of smoke drifting around his feet, and Jonouchi mechanically says that it's his turn now. He thinks on the super expert rule of being able to attack the player in lieu of monsters to bash, and decides to summon a monster fast as he draws a new card. His card is Graceful Dice, which makes two kinds of "dice" spell cards in his hand which he puts right next to one another. Meanwhile, he thinks that his monster card isn't nearly strong enough as is, and decides to gamble on a certain OTHER card.

Opposite him, Roba is rubbing his temples yet AGAIN, making his weird noises and claiming he's "channeling" something. This pisses Jonouchi off to the point of calling him a radio nut job once more as he stamps his feet. Like a computer, Roba states that his channeling is complete, making him aware that Jonouchi drew a second Graceful Dice detected by his telepathy. Jonouchi's teeth are gritted and his eyes wide as Roba asks if this shocks him. Well... duh. He then starts to blabber all over again about how his telepathy is a gift from the cosmos. He's real good pals with the cosmos, you see, and the cosmos gave him telepathy for his birthday.

Roba claims to be in contact with the spirit of Pegasus right now, who was tragically murdered a few months ago. Oh yeah, that guy's dead. Thanks for the reminder, manga. Jonouchi has his incredulous face on, sweatdropping at the assertion that Pegasus's spirit is currently talking to Roba. Roba explains that Pegasus is the master of his game, and that's why Roba knows Jonouchi's cards. Roba, sweetie, I think you left out a few crucial rational steps in your logic there. Jonouchi's teeth grind as he wonders if this child is for real right now. Roba points and shouts that it's Jonouchi's turn, so he should play his next card. Wow, suddenly the placid guy at one with the universe is super impatient.

As Jonouchi stares at Roba and his Cyber Raider, he's not sure if it's ESP or ghosts or something else, but it's a definite thing that Roba knows what cards he has. He asks himself what he should do while he stares at his cards, only to widen his eyes at them. Jonouchi remembers how Roba said the card he drew was his SECOND Graceful Dice card, and continues to stare, though it's not clear what's making him so alarmed at the moment.

But... didn't he ACTUALLY read that before? Did you forget?

Jonouchi picks out his two Dice cards and slaps them on his Duel Disk face down and ends his turn. We hop into Roba's head as he considers these cards, once of which he deduces to be Graceful Dice. His smiles when he figures that Jonouchi's strategy is to activate the card when Roba attacks with Cyber Raider, thereby raising Landstar's attack and destroying Cyber Raider. Roba is downright giddy knowing Jonouchi's plan to thwart his ESP with the roll of a die, because luck is the one thing he can't predict. He's happy to accept such a challenge, of course, smirking at the sweating Jonouchi.

Then he's all business, shouting that he's taking his turn.

Well, Landstar's impressed at any rate. Jonouchi doesn't waver from his resolve, however, activating his Graceful Dice. The top hat on its simplistic little head has wings and I can't even with it. It tosses the die it's holding and while it clatters around the street, Jonouchi does the calculations; Mega-Cyber has 2200 attack points and Landstar has 500, which means he has to get a roll of 5 or 6 to win this one. Roba, on the other hand, thinks that Jonouchi can't JUST win with luck, because a duel is much more than that.

The die shows its 6-face and Jonouchi hopes for it, but the die ultimately makes one final turn to 3 instead. Though Landstar beefs up to 1500 points, Roba rubs it in that this is not enough to beat Mega-Cyber. Jonouchi gulps, but as Roba commands the Mega-Cyber to attack, this worry turns to a confident chuckle. Roba is flabbergasted when Jonouchi reveals his other Dice card, which is Skull Dice, conical hat with bat wings attached and all. I've never wanted to cosplay before, but there's a first time for everything...

Roba doesn't believe the trap can be real, even as it throws its die with a cackle. The die bounces along and lands on a 5, which brings Mega-Cyber's attack right down to 440. Landstar easily disposes of Mega-Cyber after this, slashing it with a sword that looks more like something made of foam from the dollar store. It does the trick, though, and leaves Roba devastated and doing a Home Alone scream when his points have lowered down to 2940.

Jonouchi says that the reason Roba thought he had TWO Graceful Dice instead of the one was because the cards were on top of one another and only the word "Dice" was peeking out from behind the other. He declares that Roba DOESN'T have telepathy.

Uh-oh indeed.

So, what did I think of this chapter overall? Characters pretending to be psychic come in entirely too often for this comic's good, especially when we have a cast of characters who actually ARE clairvoyant to deal with as well. It muddies the waters when the plot is dismissive of some characters and encouraging of others when it comes to something that isn't easily discernable in any practical way, like ESP. Besides, there's something about the repeated instances of "psychic" characters that strikes me as a let-down because it seems like KT just ran out of ideas of how folks can cheat at his game.

Also, there's no damn way those kids would be able to see so clearly Jonouchi's cards through those cheap-ass binoculars.

This is what makes me so confused about this chapter, because I LOVED it. Despite the recycled plotline of a character getting outed as a fake psychic, or maybe in fact BECAUSE of it, I was kind of impressed with how it played out. Unlike in previous instances of this course of events, we got a really simple, and yet effective and kind of clever setup and payoff. Since the beginning of the chapter, we were getting hints and clues that Roba was using a trick: his comment of "roger that" as a strange radio jargon to use in his situation, the overhyping of his "abilities", and Jonouchi's own insult to him. KT wasn't obvious with it, but he also gave a little bit of information so as to make it possible for someone paying attention to figure it out before Jonouchi.

Which is the other reason why I liked this chapter. Jonouchi has faced someone claiming to be psychic before, and figured it out even faster than back then. It shows just how far he's come since that last incident in Duelist Kingdom that he was not only able to sniff out a rat so quickly this time, but also that he managed to keep his cool during the process, though he made a few mistakes at the beginning. When Jonouchi faced Mai the first time, he was constantly distracted by Mai's trick and his own failures. This time, Jonouchi gets right back up on that horse and doesn't dwell on what he does wrong or his opponent's slight of hand. It's like looking at a before and after photo and really seeing the difference.

Despite how much of a rehash this chapter has been of general cheating plots throughout the manga, it looks like KT isn't going for a whole redo of Jonouchi's Duelist Kingdom development, and that's an even bigger relief than finding out your opponent isn't using ESP against you.

Inuyasha Manga: 097 True Nature of the God

Ah, a philosophical quandary as old as the various cosmologies it examines. What IS the true nature of a god? Gods of all stripes have been viewed as malevolent or benevolent depending on the context in which their viewed (and the mind which views them), but the basic nature of a being that would use its grand power to create and/or manipulate smaller, more vulnerable creatures than it is something of a chilling notion. Is this being a cruel toddler burning ants with a magnifying glass? A loving parental figure that just wants the best for its little babies? Jealous and angry or affectionate and sincere? Or is this being even capable of having motivations and feelings remotely similar to our own?

Don't get too wrapped up in the universality of this question though; we're dealing with a specific, rather SIMPLE case today, friends.

The case being, of course, that this guy is a massive douchebag. Inuyasha's having fun with this douchebaggery, though, and tells Suijin to bring on whatever he can throw. Kagome whines Inuyasha's name in panic, as Shippou insists that this is not HIS idea of fun. Unfortunately, it's a bit too late to dissuade Inuyasha from saying offensive things, even if that could have conceivably been done at any point.

Beneath the walkways outside, the water starts to churn in little whirlpools. Suijin lifts his spear only to tap its butt on the ground again under him, nonchalant as can be. As soon as he does, a pulse moves out toward Suijin's unwanted visitors, who gape. Kagome's confusion soon becomes alarm, as does Inuyasha's when he's suddenly surrounded by a strong current of water. It takes him a panicked moment to realize where he is.

Inuyasha looks above him to find Kagome holding tight to Taroumaru and Shippou clinging desperately to her leg as she is swept along by the whirlpool. She's got her eyes screwed shut tightly, so she can't see Inuyasha, even as he's trying to reach for her. She does open her eyes and see him riding the stream behind her, stretching her hand back in desperation. However, the current is so strong that a rock is picked up by it and is carried quickly into Inuyasha's back, with Kagome powerless to warn him. The remaining breath is knocked out of him and he begins to sink, while Kagome tries to call out his name with only a stream of bubbles issuing from her mouth.

She doesn't have more than a second to fret on this, because she's suddenly being pulled upwards. Or rather, the boy in her arms is, and she goes along for the ride to the surface. Taroumaru and his hangers-on are tugged out of the water and deposited onto the floor of the castle. Kagome weakly lifts her head with a confused mutter, noticing that it's the same room they were cast from before. The lake is still rumbling ominously outside, and inside the shadow of Suijin appears before them. A closer look at his face reveals that his mouth is hissing and extra wide, fangs visible beneath his nonexistent lips.

Instead of freaking out, which is what I would do, she resolves to stop this monster from eating the unconscious child under her, which is clearly what he still wants to do. She grips her bow, something she managed to hold on to all this time. Seriously, I didn't notice before and I had to go back and check, but yeah, it was there when she was swirling around the lake. I guess RT learned her lesson from Tessaiga's scabbard, huh?

While she's thinking about how she must stop Suijin SOMEHOW, Suekichi crawls noiselessly to a floor sconce and grabs it, running to swing it at Suijin with a battle cry. Suijin glares into his periphery and snaps his elastic arm back to bitchslap that little guy back. Suekichi lands with such force that his already cracked mask shatters while Suijin calls him a fool. Kagome yells "now" as she sits up, arrow nocked and at the ready.

Haha! Look at that cocky bastard's arm get blown apart! I would be hitting rewind and play in a loop for eternity if this were a DVD!

Suijin is aghast as he stares at the bones poking out of the stub of his arm, looking a bit more like the interconnected bones of a tail than the ulna or radial bones. He wonders aloud how a mere arrow can do this to him, as Shippou expresses his amazement at how good Kagome got Suijin. She's just as surprised, because she didn't expect it to work THAT well. She goes to Suekichi to ask if he can run, and Suekichi answers in the affirmative. Shippou knocks Taroumaru over his head, demanding to know how long he's going to sleep, which is apparently not very long, because his eyes immediately snap open.

The water god begins to stand, muttering that this isn't the end, but Kagome and the kids are already booking it for the exit. Taroumaru asks if Suekichi is alright, who says he's fine and inquires the same after Taroumaru. Kagome butts in to thank Suekichi for his help back there in getting them out, and he smiles a nervous little smile as he accepts the thanks. Kagome encourages him to take off his mask now, not realizing that he already has, because his face apparently looks the same without it. I know this is supposed to be a joke, but Kagome has EXPERIENCE with people whose faces look like masks. That must be freaking TERRIFYING to her!

Or not, because she's still running alongside this kid, turning the topic to how they can't escape over the water, questioning where they can hide. She knows they have to elude Suijin until Inuyasha gets there, then remembers how he was hit by that rock and sunk earlier. She wants to believe that Inuyasha is still alive, but there's question in her wondering about it.

Meanwhile, Miroku has pulled Sango onto a small island, begging her to hang in there. He puts a ear to her chest, presumably to listen for a heartbeat, and decides that she's taken in water. Miroku tilts Sango's chin up to do mouth-to-mouth and leans in...

I think these kinds of misunderstandings would happen a lot less if you didn't come across as a pervert right off the bat, dude.

Sango is incredulous when she asks where they are, and Miroku says they're outside Suijin's shrine, the roof of which you can see peeking through the mist some distance away. He says he woke up on the island as well. Something in the water catches Miroku's alarmed eye, and it turns out to be Inuyasha, floating along the surface and out cold. He has a little help, though.

Miroku and Sango stare in astonishment, I'm guessing because those fish are the fanciest anyone will ever see. Miroku kneels down next to the water after he and Sango drag Inuyasha ashore, asking if they saved he and Sango as well. They affirm this, prompting Miroku to question them about their level of worry, since they must be involved with Suijin. The fancy fish leak tears when they tell him that Suijin is actually a big faker. Miroku repeats this as an inquiry while Sango asks if this means Suijin is actually a youkai. However, Miroku says he feels this is not the case, with that holy weapon and everything.

One of the fancy fish explains that fake!Suijin used to be a spirit of the lake like them, and the other clarifies that he used to serve the real Suijin. They indicate a craggy rock behind Miroku and Sango, who twist to look at it, while they further elaborate that fake!Suijin tricked Suijin and imprisoned the real one inside it. He then proceeded to steal the "Halberd of Amakoi" and take Suijin's place. So, even though he's only a little spirit, his powers are the same as a god's, and no one can oppose him, at least according to the fancy fish. I guess fake!Suijin was mad because his boss didn't let him eat all the little children.

Miroku confirms that he sees what needs to be done and immediately names saving the real Suijin as their first priority. However, someone behind him groans about how boring that is. Miroku looks behind him to acknowledge that Inuyasha has regained consciousness as Inuyasha pushes himself up. Inuyasha says he's going back to the shrine, and when Miroku argues that it would be best to consult the real Suijin's wisdom first, Inuyasha retorts that he's going to save Kagome first instead.

He might not be wrong about that, either.

So, what did I think of this chapter overall? Now that we have a new type of entity to add to the mix between gods and youkai, I feel like this might continue to complicate the issue. So, fake!Suijin is a spirit rather than a youkai, so that means that he can wield the power of a god without being simultaneously hurt by it? Then what is the difference between the real and the fake god? If the actual god can be tricked and trapped so a lesser being can take the true source of their power, their holy weapon, isn't the weapon the only distinguishing factor here?

In a seemingly contradictory sense, I do LIKE the course of the story. I'm a fan of studying mythologies and such BECAUSE all the gods have their distinct personalities and adventures, which makes reading about them all the more interesting. This arc is such a natural marriage between the hijinks of mythos and the interplay of mortals that it's got a similar, if a bit more pictorial, feel to that of the Iliad or religious texts in the depiction of gods and heroes.

So, if you ever wondered why this series tended to attract a rather fanatic fan base, that could be an explanation.

Yu-Gi-Oh Manga: 155 Millennium Battle

I would be totally excited by the prospect of a Millennium Battle (TM), but I know how many chapters of this manga I have left to get through, let alone this ARC. I have no delusions about the likelihood of a truly epic battle between Marik and Yami right now, given how prematurely climactic that would be. There's nothing wrong with a little teaser for what's to come, though. A little sneak-peek, maybe.

Or, we could just reiterate what was at the end of the last chapter. That's cool too.

Yami seems astonished that Marik is one of the, and I shit you not, he actually uses the phrase "chosen ones" here. I feel like I should be doing a shot here. Is that normal? Anyway, Jonouchi decides to tell Yami what he's already figured out by having ears; Cloaked-guy sounds and behaves totally different from before, so it's almost as if someone else talking through a microphone took over his body. Not!Cloaked-guy confirms that this is correct, because it's not Cloaked-guy who is talking. Beyond the sight of our mains...

Isn't that... literally EVERY Millennium Item's power, to some degree? Bakura's ring and Yami's puzzle allow their spirits to kind of take over the bodies of their wearers, and Shadi's scales allowed him to make zombies of Anzu and Yoshimori so they weren't in control of themselves. I suppose Pegasus's eye and Ishizu's tauk don't fully CONTROL people as much as they're just super invasive for the target. Still, it seems to me that the powers of these items allow some degree of mental insurrection of complete strangers, so it's not as though Marik here should inspire very much surprise from Yami and Jonouchi.

Thankfully, Yami doesn't look alarmed by the information, but immediately assumes this must be the enemy Ishizu was talking about with the seventh Millennium Item. Jonouchi gets all indignant and calls Marik a creep for taking over minds. Though Jonouchi makes no mention of manipulating bodies is creeper behavior, Marik puts his complete control of his minion on display by making him do a little dance, twirling and everything. Marik says it's fitting for a loser like Cloaked-guy, but I've never known losers to do dances in response to that. Usually they mope.

Marik goes on to says that, if he wants, he can take control of ALL the Rare Hunters in Domino City at once, but since they're all super elite skilled players, he doubts he'll have to go that far. Yami ask-yells at Marik why he's in this tournament, and why his Ghouls are here too. Marik scoffs and answers that it's to get his hands on those god cards, ancient monsters resurrected in the modern day. Yami gapes at the mention of god cards, and oh yeah, I had forgotten that Ishizu didn't say anything about them to him.

Or, at least, I think she didn't, because the next panel is a picture of the tablet he saw in the museum, with overlaying bubbles saying that the ancient Egyptians believed the three slabs held ultimate power, naming off the god monsters on them.

So, who's talking/thinking here? Not Yami, because he gapes at the phrases "the title of king" and "the power of darkness" like he's never heard them before. That latter one he shouldn't have any trouble recognizing, though, considering it was on the box to his special puzzle.

Marik tells Yami that he and his Ghouls have two of the god cards already, and know that the remaining card is with someone in Domino. Yami shouts that the Rare Hunters must be there to get that card, which is... kind of redundant, kiddo. He wonders who could have the third god card, while Marik taunts him by claiming he was lucky he only faced the weakest of the Ghouls. Because Marik is such a nice guy, though, he hands over Jonouchi's stolen card (which he acknowledges was STOLEN, by the way) and a puzzle card as the terms of Cloaked-guy's loss.

Yami takes the card while Jonouchi stares stony-faced at the action. Then Marik informs Yami that this game has only begun, because a Rare Hunter with a god card is already in town. He's confident that even with Yami's skills, it'll be instant death for him if he goes up against the Rare Hunter. Marik laughs evilly, but Yami is wearing a smirk when he says they'll see. With this comment, Marik is left a bit speechless, and Yami continues by stating that he'll put an end to Marik's plan. The far-off Marik smirks too, holding up his Millennium Rod as he does so. Yami hopes that he'll recover his lost memories in the process of beating Marik, while mentally declaring that Marik's Millennium Rod summoned him to battle.

Out loud, he insists that even if Marik's cronies attack him with god cards, he can't lose. Silently, he adds that there's somewhere he has to get to, before speaking up again with a point at Cloaked-guy, promising to beat Marik.

Guys, PLEASE stop referring to yourselves as the chosen ones. It's cracking me up, even if it IS technically true.

Marik tells Yami that he's looking forward to having his ass beat meeting Yami, and presumably withdraws his control of Cloaked-guy so he falls to his knees then on his face in the plaza. Jonouchi nudges Cloaked-guy with his shoe, confirming that he is indeed out cold. He muses on how tough this Marik must be if he has the power to control people, and wonders where in the city he could be hiding.

Yami turns and extends Jonouchi's Red Eyes Black Dragon to him, but Jonouchi just stares at it again, face stony once more. Eventually, he closes his eyes and admits that he can't take the card. Yami frowns, but pulls the card back a bit, waiting for an explanation. Jonouchi says that if he takes the card, he feels like he'll be further from becoming the true duelist he's trying to become. "True duelist" repeats in Yami's head as Jonouchi tells him that the Red Eyes Black Dragon card means more to him than anything in the world, since it's been with him for ages now. Duelist Kingdom wasn't THAT long ago, bro. Jonouchi still thinks he's been leaning on it for too long, though, and accepting it won't help him grow. Also, he's convinced the card won't WANT him to have it the way he is at this moment.

If your Red Eyes wouldn't want you to have it after letting Yami win it back for you, that seems pretty freaking cold. I mean, the Blue Eyes White Dragon is plenty okay with Kaiba, despite his underhanded and downright horrible means of getting it... I'm sure THAT won't come up again later.

Jonouchi says he's going to leave the card with Yami for the time being, and Yami looks a bit more comfortable with holding it now as he repeats Jonouchi's name in his head. Jonouchi holds up his brand new forty-card deck that he put together as he tells Yami he's still qualified for the tournament with his puzzle card and his original rare card, the Time Wizard. Hell, JONOUCHI is even fully aware of how pointless this little side-trip was.

He vows that he'll become a true duelist in Battle City, with Yami staring at him wordlessly. Not sure if this is because he's waiting for Jonouchi's monologue to come to a close because he read the script, or because he's zoning out. Jonouchi asks Yami to promise him that if he does okay in the tournament and he can call himself a duelist with confidence, the two of them can duel as well. Yami remains quiet for just a panel more.

Jonouchi, I thought you and Yuugi had a thing going since the digital pet chapter. Don't go being unfaithful now!

With renewed vigor, Jonouchi turns and thrusts a fist in the air, shouting that the tournament is just getting started and asking who wants a piece of him. Presumably no one in the area, because we don't immediately get smacked in the face with another duel. Yami stares after his friend, thinking that he had been waiting to hear those very words from him. He tucks his deck back in the pouch on his duelist utility belt, intending to hold onto the Red Eyes Black Dragon until such a time that the two of them can face each other as true duelists. Jonouchi silently begs his Red Eyes Black Dragon to wait for him, because he'll become strong enough to get it back some day. Yami and Jonouchi walk in opposite directions, both looking forward to that day in the misty future when they meet again.

And so ends that colossal waste of time.

Half an hour into the tournament, Jonouchi is wandering through Domino streets, looking for his first duel. He excitedly spots one taking place where a group of other duelists are gathered and finds it's Dinosaur Ryuzaki up against that Esper Roba kid no one has ever heard of before this tournament. The latter is pointing at the former, saying that his supernatural powers allows him to see every one of Ryuzaki's cards. Ryuzaki growls, wondering how he can know what cards he has. I seem to remember you were stumped by a similar trick some time back, Ryuzaki. At some point you should stop being surprised by people claiming to be psychic.

Roba further explains that he's knocked out Ryuzaki's monster with his Hypnotic Pendulum, called Mesmeric Control on the actual card. Wow, isn't it just the most convenient thing that he's explaining exactly what's happening in the game the moment Jonouchi and the audience show up? Ryuzaki's monster snores, and Roba informs its owner that the game's up.

His nameless monster was SO important to him!

Ryuzaki is doubled over in shame, groaning about how bad it was that he couldn't even TOUCH Roba's life points. The crowd talks amongst themselves regarding that, and how Roba has already won two matches, making Jonouchi look somewhat intrigued. Roba holds out his hand in an expectant fashion, asking for Ryuzaki's rarest card, as well as his puzzle card. Ryuzaki curses before handing it over, only for Roba to scoff at it. We never see what it is, just Roba smirking as he claims he can't use it in his psychic deck. Then he yells a question at the other gathered duelists, asking who will be the next to face him.

At first, everyone looks uncomfortably at one another, then they start to scatter. Someone gives Roba a hard pass, another not wanting to risk Roba seeing his cards, despite being skeptical of his psychic status. Another guy gulps and mumbles that he'll play somewhere else. Jonouchi looks around at all of them with some disbelief. His expression hardens as he thinks about this Esper Roba.

Jonouchi calls to Ryuzaki, who tells him not to even think about it. It's not just cards that Roba can predict, but strategies too, and Ryuzaki is convinced Jonouchi doesn't stand a chance if HE was beaten. How exactly do you remember when you and Jonouchi went head to head in Duelist Kingdom, kid? Because I seem to recall that Jonouchi was wracked with self-doubt and STILL beat your ass.

Jonouchi asks if Ryuzaki really thinks that he can't beat Roba, and Ryuzaki all but says "duh!" in response. So, in turn, Jonouchi states confidently that he WILL beat Roba, throwing Ryuzaki for a loop at first. Ryuzaki's expression devolves into exasperation as he judges Jonouchi as an idiot since he can't figure out what he's thinking. Stiiiiiiill got beat by him, kiddo.

Meanwhile, Jonouchi remembers how he swore to Yami about becoming that true duelist. He declares that the first step is to take on any opponent, no matter what.

Someone you're undoubtedly going to underestimate forever, regardless of him beating you.

So, what did I think of this chapter overall? I wish I could say the previous chapters were justified by this one, because I really like the idea of getting a little taste of our villain for the arc, as well as Jonouchi getting more development added to his story. I enjoyed watching Jonouchi overcome his self-esteem issues so much during Duelist Kingdom, and it would be great to see him overcome more obstacles now.

Unfortunately, I don't think a Duelist Kingdom character arc is going to happen for him again here. I've mentioned before that he has no stakes in this tournament, and this new quest of his to become a true duelist doesn't add any. It's just a ham-handed attempt to get him involved in a plot he has no legitimate business being in. He's already been through this whole song and dance before, so this feels like a rehash of what he's already been through rather than a new obstacle to his character.

It doesn't help that what the definition of what a "true duelist" is happens to be so obscure. Sure, Jonouchi outlined one of the "steps" to that goal at the very end of the chapter, but what does challenging every opponent you find really help in cultivating this person he wishes to be? What is the end product he's trying to reach? What do WORDS MEAN???

Inuyasha Manga: 096 Holy Weapon

Happy solstice, everyone! Today is the longest day of the year, and I'm already feeling it. Between a lingering ache in my left arm that's been plaguing me since last night and anticipating a few phone calls from a couple of insurance companies with various excuses as to why they can't possibly believe my account of an accident that an official police report agrees with, I'm in it for the long haul. What better ritual could represent this longest of summer days than continuing a grand ritual that has been on my agenda for longer than a year now? And with a series that gets rather selective complaints about its excessive length!

Truly this is a sign. A sign of how I'm going to need ever more patience the longer I linger in this life.

That's... vague. Come on, Sango. Are you a youkai exterminator or an armchair philosopher?

Furthermore, what kind of cat IS Kirara. Not only does it seem against a cat's very nature to willingly swim through water, but this one has FLAMES on it's paws in its transformed state. Shouldn't that be uncomfortable for Kirara? Or the fish in the now boiling water?

Out of the mist ahead, Sango indeed starts to make out a shape, which Taroumaru identifies as the Suijin's Torii gate. Inuyasha glares at the emerging gate as he takes a wild guess about what this means.

That's a pretty swank pad. I think I saw it on an episode of MTV Cribs once. In a waiting room.

Kagome gapes at the fact that there's a huge-ass shrine right in the middle of a lake. Ah, that's nothing! The sheer weight of the gold in Venice's grand architecture is sinking it. At least this building is made with the practical material of WOOD.

Miroku seems much more concerned with the sacrifice that's already inside, which actually appears to REMIND Taroumaru, stirring him into a panicked stutter in his orders at the mains to hurry up their rescue. He insists that they have to save his friend before Suijin finds out that his dad made a switcheroo. But he quiets down when he spots that there are a couple of fish-faced guards on either side of the entrance holding spears and looking menacing. Taroumaru ducks, telling the others to hide from them, but Inuyasha leaps above his head straight toward the entrance and the guards, asking what hiding will get them.

Kagome literally applauds Inuyasha's strength and Shippou cheers while Taroumaru gapes in disbelief at the scene in front of him. Inuyasha has now easily shouldered the giant wooden plank securing the door, and is kicking the guards around some more, just for good measure. He turns to remind everyone that they're in a hurry and they need to get going.

Meanwhile, the kid in the mask from the palanquin is within the compound, being escorted down a walkway by what appears to be a couple of catfish on legs. They reach a large room partially hidden by screens, which they kneel in front of to present the sacrifice. There is a person sitting on a cushion far back behind the curtain, who acknowledges them rather dismissively. He tells his sacrifice to come close to him and said sacrifice stands to walk through the small opening in the screen in front of him. Then, shaking, he falls into a bow again.

The hollow-cheeked and heavily eye-lined water god utters a questioning noise when he sees the boy's scratched and dirty hands. He calls the boy on this, deducing that he is not the village head's child. The boy twitches in alarm as the Suijin stands and asks what the meaning of this attempted deception is. The child begins to beg the god, asking for pardon on behalf of his friend and for Suijin to eat HIM instead. Suijin's arm extends out and stretches, the claws at the end catching the kid in his masked face so hard, he's blown backwards by the force before being lifted by his head.

Well, that depends entirely on whether you had "honor" to begin with, pal. I wouldn't argue in favor of it, given you're in the habit of eating the children of a village you regularly fuck up for no discernable reason. But, hey, maybe you have a different definition of that word than I do. Teach the controversy, and all that jazz...

Of course, the kid is speechless, probably only partially due to the fact that his mouth is being held shut by Suijin's crushing grip on his jaw. Cracks are appearing in his mask. Suijin promises the child he'll be torn apart and fall down on the village with the rain. How is that a WORSE punishment than being eaten? He's going to die either way, isn't he?

Suijin is distracted by a few thuds and a crash happening off frame, which is exactly the kind of commotion we were waiting for.

Kicking ass and not bothering to take names, because who gives a shit WHO these jerk fish are??

More jerk fish come running at them with their spears, calling Inuyasha and crew scum while reminding them that they're on holy grounds. Someone should probably remind Suijin too, huh? Inuyasha opts instead to just keep his fists flying, letting them do the talking. The fish-faced guard he clocks falls to the walkway and most of his body dissolves away, leaving a scuttling crab to skitter out of the fancy clothes he was in.

As Miroku knocks one of the guards off the walkway and into the water below, Sango says that they don't have to kill the guards. Miroku agrees, and when the fish-faced guard hits the water to turn back into a regular old fish-faced fish, he alerts everyone else to the fact that these guards are nothing but creatures from the swamp.

A moment later, they all barge in on Suijin holding up the little servant boy by his face, and Suijin gives them another extended questioning noise. Inuyasha is confident in his own assertion that this must be the people-eating Suijin. Last in the room is Taroumaru, who is shocked by the scene in front of him. The kid in Suijin's grip somehow manages to utter Taroumaru's name, and Taroumaru calls out to the other kid in turn, whose name happens to be Suekichi.

Suijin is still holding Suekichi aloft as he stares at Taroumaru for a moment. He looks pleased when he notes that, though dirty, Taroumaru must be the REAL headman's son. Well done, Veronica Mars. *eyeroll*

Taroumaru lunges forward, fully prepared to be the sacrifice if it means Suijin will let his friend go, but Inuyasha asks with annoyance what it is Taroumaru hired them for. Inuyasha then accuses Suijin of actually being a youkai. He lunges at Suijin, promising to reveal the god's true nature as he draws Tessaiga. But Mr.Fantastic Suijin stretches out his arm not holding a small child by the head to grab onto a pole poking out of the decorative coral around his little seating area. Next thing Inuyasha knows, a powerful blow strikes Tessaiga and he's knocked backwards to the floor. To his astonishment, when he lifts Tessaiga to look for damage, its form has reverted back to a rusty piece of garbage.

I guess... not...

But to be fair, Inuyasha probably wasn't going to notice it even existed unless you were holding it. I mean, I didn't, and I pick apart every aspect of every chapter.

Inuyasha makes to run at Suijin again, without Tessaiga, about to ask what the fuck that matters when Miroku holds out an arm and warns him to wait. Before Inuyasha can get a protest out, Miroku says with some nervousness that this is bad, because he's observed that the halberd is a true holy weapon. Inuyasha is snide when he asks so what, either out of arrogance or ignorance or both. Kagome is picking up what Miroku's putting down, though, slowly concluding that the child-eating monster who has finally put Suekichi down but is still gripping him by the back must be a read god, given that he has a real holy weapon.

Still defiant, Inuyasha mocks them for chickening out when they came all the way here, stating that, god or not, Suijin is just as bad as any youkai. Sango steps forward and says that Inuyasha is being stupid, because dealing with a god is much worse than dealing with some puny youkai, and angering them could result in being cursed for life. Miroku agrees, rephrasing that it's dangerous to attack recklessly.

Yeah, you guys DID just bust in there assuming that the guy was a youkai. And you know what assuming makes you and me...

So, what did I think of this chapter overall? The same natural dynamic between the main characters is at play here, with a little more focus on Sango as the new addition to the group. I like how her expertise works its way into the chapter, and I like that Miroku appears to be on the same page with her every step of the way. They have a similar background in dealing with youkai, though his is more on the spiritual side of things and hers the more physical. They already seem like they're getting along splendidly, but not to worry, because Miroku is going to fuck that up real soon.

I also like the emerging dynamic between Sango and Inuyasha. While Sango isn't necessarily antagonistic toward Inuyasha, she's not afraid of shutting down his more reckless ideas. She didn't disagree with him when he said that Suijin basically may as well be a youkai, implying that she's come across issues like malevolent gods who are capable of causing much more destruction than a youkai on a more personal scale as well as a larger one. Sango's expertise even backs up Inuyasha's passion here, though she does end up insulting him while she's using it. So, while the two of them will very quickly make a phenomenal team, they'll also grate on each other's nerves quite a bit.

As for Suijin's likeness to a youkai here, despite his "real god" status (for now), I'm beginning to realize that this is yet another example of how the system of good and evil don't seem to mesh too well with reality in practice. It's not just a concept that breaks things down into easily digestible but impractical bits, but a real tangible force in the world, given how the "good" holy weapon easily overcame Tessaiga's "bad" youkai transformation. Yet, the "good" weapon is clearly being wielded by a remorseless monster, while Inuyasha's "bad" weapon is a force for justice here. There is a HUGE disconnect between the colloquial terms associated with these weapons/characters, and their actual messy roles in the story and world.

Perhaps we're just using the wrong words here? *shrug*

Yu-Gi-Oh Manga: 154 To Destroy a Deck!

Destroying the deck of some jerkwad that we're never going to see again after this moment is a pretty weak reason to take this detour. Not that there aren't WEAKER ones, mind you, but this is down there in strength. Unless, of course, KT pulls a totally unprecedented move and actually has Yami lose this one despite all his efforts because of his snap decisions and vastly overgrown sense of righteous indignation on behalf of his friend. Wouldn't THAT be something?

Heh, fat chance, Writch. As per usual, Yami's arrogance is being framed in a rather different light here. Especially in the next panel when Cloaked-guy is just SO SHOCKED that Yami knows his strategy, heart beating wildly and mouth gaping. Yami smirks, chuckling as he tells Cloaked-guy to watch as his Exodia deck is destroyed.

Yami is shown looking at his hand, right at the top of which is Lightforce Sword. Nothing like a lightsaber to bring down a gigantic five-part beast. Jonouchi is grinning, impressed that Yami figured out Cloaked-guy's strategy in just three turns. Goodness, the last chapter was only THREE TURNS?? This duel might outlast my will to stick it out! Jonouchi recalls that Yami didn't listen when he tried to spill the beans on Cloaked-guy's deck, citing Yami's confidence that he could beat Cloaked-guy no matter what tricks he had in his favor. Jonouchi mutters that Yami has taught him another valuable lesson, about the confidence of a duelist and a little thing called pride.

Or a guy who almost always seems to be right about just about everything.

Cloaked-guy has put his smirk back on, though, mentally congratulating Yami for figuring out his strategy, but thinking that it's too late anyway. He does, after all, already have four of the five pieces of Exodia he needs, and is going to draw the fifth on his next turn. He knows because he's got those superfluous contact lenses on that let him see through his cards. That sure is doing him some serious good, as made evident by the next couple of panels.

Oooh, that's a question I haven't had to ask in a while - did Cloaked-guy speak aloud, or did Yami read his mind? Does it matter? I'm not sure anymore.

Yami has drawn the trap card "Chain Destruction", which Yami immediately realizes the play of which will prevent him from summoning a monster on the same turn. It's a risk that he's willing to take, because he's certain Cloaked-guy has most of the pieces of Exodia by now. Besides, the next panel shows pretty clearly that he's still got Chimera on his side, though Cloaked-guy has his two wall monsters up and acting as his sentries.

Yelling that he's making a move, Yami's ready to fight. He places his Chain Destruction face down and uses his Chimera to attack the Stone Statue on Cloak-guy's side. Chimera roars and charges, busting through the rock creature with a move called "Impact Dash". That thing has a REALLY hard head, apparently. The pieces of virtual rock rain down around an unimpressed Cloaked-guy's head while Yami shouts that it's the end for the statue.

Smirking, Cloaked-guy silently encourages Yami to break all his wall monsters while his points remain on their perch at 4000. He's pretty certain that the moment Yami's turn ends, Yami will also end the game by losing. Yami, bookending his attack with yet another card he plays face down, ends his turn. This pleases Cloaked-guy, who does this weird internal laughter as he grins at Yami and announces it's his turn, thinking he's won. Yami is sweating when he pontificates in his head about how the card he just put down will only work at a particular phase in Cloaked-guy's turn, and how it's all over if he misses the window. Good thing everyone in this comic compulsively shouts about everything they're doing 24-7, then, huh?

Cloaked-guy reaches for the card on top of his deck, elated about how he's going to win once he's got it, and ALLLLLLLMOOOOOOST draws it on his announcement.... Until Yami deems this very second the "phase" he was thinking about before. He points, telling him to hold his horses a moment before Cloaked-guy draws so he can activate his spell card. While Cloaked-guy wonders what card Yami's playing THIS TIME, Yami flips it to reveal that it was Lightforce Sword! The gaping Cloaked-guy can only repeat the name of the card in his head.

Flinging swords around like that is bound to put out someone's eye someday. Luckily, this time it was only a hand. Exodia's right hand, to be precise, with the sword pinning it right on that field between them. Yami smirks at having caught Exodia's arm, and I assume he's rather proud of the fact that his hologram managed to influence a physical card like that. Somehow. No one else seems to notice this, more impressed with the fact that it's the celebrity Exodia's hand. Jonouchi cheers about the victory.

A sweating Cloaked-guy groans in his upset, but Yami's not finished with him yet. He points, as he does for 90% of his existence because his mother apparently never taught him manners. Yami says that Exodia's hand touching the field activates his trap, flipping it to show that it's indeed Chain Destruction. Bet you can't guess what THAT does! Cloaked-guy is astonished at this spell/trap combo, or the use of the former to trigger the latter. Yami explains that his trap not only destroys the target monster on the field, but every duplicate in the hand and deck of the user. This, of course, leads him to smugly declare that Exodia will never awaken, his right arm being taken out of the running altogether.

Somebody's having a bad trip...

Yami continues to blabber on about how Exodia's pieces can never be brought back from the graveyard, and Cloaked-guy has no way to win without Exodia, because the biggest weakness to an Exodia-based deck is losing one of the pieces. I feel like Cloaked-guy should be sitting in a pew for how preachy Yami's gotten here. Although, I AM kind of digging how this scene harkens back to when Yami would explain a villain's punishment to them when they were clearly not listening. Throwbacks are fun.

Pointing again, Yami announces that Cloaked-guy has lost, and Cloaked-guy agrees, albeit a bit on the dazed side of horrified. His eyes start to pop as he insists that it can't be, because his deck was all ultimate and shit. He clutches his head and screams, throwing some sort of fit, though it's not because he's sad for his loss. Once we get a look at his front, we're alerted to the fact that welts are raising on his forehead into the shape of an Eye of Horus, just like Yami observes himself with horror. Cloaked-guy cries for help, claiming that someone is coming, and generally shrieking.

Jonouchi runs over, asking what's happening and if it's Yami who's doing it. Yami just stares gaping at the guy screeching in front of him like a wild animal. Eventually, Cloaked-guy stops screaming, announcing that the person he was yelling about before, Lord Marik, is finally here. With a sudden burst of strange aural light around Cloaked-guy's form, a voice issues from him that is clearly not Cloaked-guy himself. The possessor asks Yami if he's the Yuugi he's heard about, while Yami balks at the changed speech and manner of Cloaked-guy.

The possessor claims that Cloaked-guy is actually the weakest of the Rare Hunters, and the group's strength is actually much greater. He seems to realize ho much he's freaking out Yami and assures him that this possession was not meant to surprise him. How it was supposed to AVOID doing that, I'm not sure. The possessor explains that he's throwing his voice through this shell of the Cloaked-guy right now, and is actually quite a bit farther away. He managed to do this by implanting a bit of himself in Cloaked-guy so he can control him whenever he wants and make him do whatever. Yami likens it to a remote control, still looking pretty shaken.

He narrows his eyes again, though, demanding to know who this possessor is. The possessor responds that he's another who has been chosen by the Millennium Items, but just as Yami is wrapping his head around this, the possessor says that this was all only an introduction and that it was nice to meet him.

Oh, don't worry, I promise not to forget about you as soon as it's convenient.

Wait, who are you again?

So, what did I think of this chapter overall? Well, as I'm sure anyone familiar with my reviews thus far have noticed, this review is a little sparse on choice panels from the source material this time around. There just... wasn't much to show here, and it didn't help that there wasn't a whole lot of content either. Most of the chapter was dedicated to a turn-and-a-half, which is quite a scant bit of writing to stretch. Not the MOST scant, mind you, because that award goes to chapter 39.

Still, the pacing was very slow and clunky, almost STOPPING on occasion. A big example is when Yami was waiting for Cloaked-guy to say he was going to draw his card; a whole PAGE was dedicated to this when a small panel or two would have done just fine. I think KT was trying to play it off as suspense, given Yami's words on the previous page alluding to having to pull this off at the exact right moment, but it comes across as dull. Since this is a card game, the sense of urgency is just not the same as if the monsters and magic were actually there. If they were, the rules could literally restrict the movement of opposition in a way that isn't the case with cards and holograms, so I just ended up yawning more than teetering on the edge of my seat.

That being said, I was pleasantly surprised by the "meeting" of Yami and Marik at the end. I feel like the duel has more meaning now that it was used to introduce a protagonist and antagonist in an interesting way, even if the mechanism to get them here was low on appeal. I would have liked it if KT had dispensed of his dimestore suspense and given a bit of that wasted space to more interaction between Yami and Marik instead.

But, hey, what can you do?

Inuyasha Manga: 095 Water God

YAS QUEEN! Ever since I started reviewing Inuyasha chapters, I have been looking forward to this moment! This is, by far, my favorite arc in the entire series! If you're wondering why, the short reason is that this is the point at which our main group is finally complete, but I'll get into the details after I've combed through the thing obsessively as I do with every other chapter. If you're feeling bad for me because my favorite arc is in the first 100 chapters of a 500+ chapter story, well...

You're not wrong.

Did you check the freezer? When I lose stuff, it turns out I just put it in the freezer a lot of the time.

Inuyasha asks Sango if she's SURE she can't remember even one tiny little detail about the castle where she feel into Naraku's trap. Sango stares daggers at him, repeating for probably the billionth time that if she DID remember, she would already be there sawing off Naraku's head. She's a better person than I am, because I would have decked him for that snide mention of me falling into a trap, but she keeps her fists to herself.

After a small pause, Miroku suggests that they give up on finding the castle, to which Inuyasha pointedly asks what they should do instead. Miroku simply states that they find Shikon shards, because as long as they collect them, Naraku will have to come after them. Miroku walks over to Sango smoothly (at least according to the translation on the sound effects) and kneels in front of her, asking if that's alright with her considering how badly she wants revenge right away. She agrees that it IS annoying, and trails off in agreeing further that they should just go after the shards instead. Miroku insists he understands her feelings as Kagome and Inuyasha peer at him with wide-eyed curiosity from behind.

Kagome, I'm pretty sure that people insisting that women in Sango's position should just have to "put up with it" is the very reason Miroku acts the way he acts. Because he knows everyone is just going to let him do whatever he wants and make all his excuses for him? You all would be so much kinder to him and everyone else if you started letting him know that behavior ain't gonna fly. Just saying.

Elsewhere, nearby, a scattered group of men are picking around in some rubble of what looks to be various houses when one of them points out that a palanquin containing a sacrifice is passing by. Another man states that the procession is because the flood was particularly bad this time, and asks whose child is up for sacrifice this time. An old man says that "Suijin-sama" indicated with an arrow someone called "Nanushi-sama", someone high up in their little village, no doubt. Another gaunt and sorrowful man says that that is indeed the rumor, and yet another sighs that almost ALL the young children of the village have been given up as sacrifices now.

From behind a nearby tree, Inuyasha, Kagome and Miroku are eavesdropping. Miroku asks if they all heard that, and Kagome summarizes what she got as just a statement of sacrifices for "Suijin-sama". Up in the procession, a man in a bit finer dress than those around him hangs his head as he walks beside the palanquin. A guy behind him tries to commiserate by saying to Nanushi-sama that this is rather pitiful, and it's no wonder this doesn't sit well with the guy. Pretty insensitive way of saying that, jackass.

Nanushi snaps a question about what that guy was saying, then justifies the procession by insisting that it's to protect the village from Suijin-sama's curse. The palanquin has an ellipse-filled speech bubble issuing from it while Nanushi says that OF COURSE they have to give up their children. Suddenly right up next to them, Inuyasha asks if this "Suijin" isn't just a strange youkai. Nanushi and the rest of the procession gape, stuttering in their struggle to make sense of the weird kid in red that just showed up. Miroku pushes Inuyasha back in order to get into the view of the men, telling them to back Inuyasha no mind. He says he overheard their conversation, pleading with them to let HIM appease the god instead of their sacrifice. The men in the procession look hopeful, asking if Miroku can really do such a thing.

But Nanushi gets angry, shouting at Miroku for trying to confuse the people of the village; a trickster in nice clothes. The village men meekly protest that Nanushi hasn't even heard the stranger out, but again, Nanushi is having none of that. He scoffs, saying that if they rely on these suspicious people then Suijin will become enraged, and the village will be COMPLETELY destroyed. A look at the village's uprooted trees and houses half-buried in mud give an idea of how much worse he's implying it could be. Nanushi begins to cry, saying that now his OWN child is up for sacrifice, he can only pray like the other parents have done. He admits he STILL can't face the other children who may become sacrifices in the future.

Inuyasha glares at the man while Kagome and Miroku stare at his tears, wide-eyed and in Kagome's case, somewhat confused. But it's not Nanushi she's got her alarmed eye on, or at least not the elder.

Nanushi turns to see that the child has peeked through the curtains and shouts in a mild panic to his men to get a move on, because they've got to get him to the church on time to the shrine by the end of the day. The procession carries on, leaving Inuyasha and company staring after them.

Later, when they are settled around a campfire, Sango expresses her distrust for Nanushi, because there at the end, it seemed like he almost WANTED to sacrifice his child. Miroku agrees that it looks like trouble, before Kagome hesitantly says that she thought she saw something strange inside the palanquin. Sango encourages her to spit it out, despite how difficult a time Kagome is having actually describing it. Eventually Sango figures out what Kagome's on about, and informs her it was a mask she saw. Kagome's eyes widen and she seems blown away as Miroku further elaborates that it's for the sacrificial ceremony. Sango, you realize you were just criticizing a man for seeming to WANT to sacrifice his child earlier, and now you and Miroku are talking about the ins and outs of the ceremony around child sacrifice like it isn't a big deal?

Inuyasha tosses a pebble up to catch it, asking what the rest of them want to do. He questions if they should leave it alone, before he flings the pebble off to the side and produces a yelp from a nearby patch of grass there. A grass mat lifts to reveal a pair of eyes blinking at them from underneath, giving Kagome and Shippou something of a bewildered shock. Inuyasha asks who this bastard who has been following them since the procession left is, and said bastard stands, holding up the corners of a large blanket filled with unknown items while he approaches. He throws out an end of the blanket and the items fall out, everything from coins to a teapot to bolts of fabric.

Oh boy! Your secret santa is fucking GENEROUS. I just got a crappy ornament this year...

Miroku holds up an incense-burner, studying it and commenting that it's awfully high-class. Sango spreads a length of fabric before her, saying it's also worth a lot. Secret-Santa-Kid is pleased that they've picked up the items he threw at them, because according to him that means he's hired these assholes to go and kill the Suijin with him. His words, not mine. Kagome gapes at the kid, trailing off in an assessment of him.

Inuyasha kneels in front of the cocksure youth, staring at him a moment while he stares right back, then knocks him over the head with his fist without the slightest change in his blank expression. Kagome reprimands him, reminding Inuyasha that he's handling a CHILD so roughly, but Inuyasha says she doesn't need to make a big deal out of it, holding the little dude by the collar and head to limit his angry thrashes. Shippou advises the kid that he should just apologize to the overgrown child, even if he doesn't mean it.

Those guys are so casual leaving this child to fucking die.

"Have fun at your playdate with a monster!"

An unmanned boat with a dragon bust adorning the front comes gliding through the lake toward the gazeebo the child is perched upon, and the men identify it as Suijin-sama's pick-up service. Well, at least the little dude doesn't have to SWIM to his death. Convenient.

Meanwhile, Secret-Santa-Kid is cutting through some bulrushes, talking about the pick-up ship as well, and how they can follow it to Suijin's place so they can beat up the god where he eats the sacrifice. He turns to confirm this plan with his newly hired crew, but they're bickering. Inuyasha is asking if the goods Miroku is holding aren't stolen, Miroku tries to pass it off as A-Okay, and Kagome is insisting that it is, in fact, NOT okay. Secret-Santa-Kid demands to know if they're listening.

Kagome asks Secret-Santa-Kid whose child he is, and he pauses suspiciously for a moment before he informs them that it's none of their business, calling them all assholes again. So, Inuyasha bops him on the head again, with the same hilarious blank expression as before. This changes when he leans down, glaring with exasperation at the kid when he lets him no that under no circumstances have he and his crew agreed to help their secret santa. Secret-Santa-Kid is flabbergasted by this, staring up at Inuyasha as the grass rustles in the wind around them. Eventually he stammers that if they don't hurry, the whole village may be destroyed as well as the single sacrifice. Inuyasha and Kagome look down at him in question.

Secret-Santa-Kid begins to spill the truth about the sacrifice, but Kagome as already figured it out. Pointing, she asks if he's the REAL child of Nanushi, and sacrifice to Suijin-sama. As he sweatdrops, Secret-Santa-Kid recoils, but says nothing at first. Miroku leans down to examine the kid now sweating bullets, saying that now Kagome mentions it, it does make a lot of sense. Inuyasha adds in a flat tone that it also explains his arrogance, like he's one to talk.

Miroku deduces that the child in the palanquin was a substitute, to which Secret-Santa-Kid finally responds that he is indeed the heir to the village head, Taroumaru. Awww, I was having fun calling him "Secret-Santa-Kid". He curses his father, who would always tell the other parents to grin and bear it when it was THEIR children being sacrificed, but made an about-face when it came time for his own son to be put on the chopping-block. Nanushi hid Taroumaru away, and took the child of one of their servants instead to put the mask on.

Loftily, Miroku suggests that he COULD call Nanushi a stupid father, but Inuyasha isn't nearly as generous when he flat-out calls Nanushi a stupid father. Kagome asks Taroumaru if he wants to save the other child and Taroumaru admits that the other child is a friend of his. From off the panel, someone says that they should go and get that ship, then. It's Sango, all decked out in her youkai-exterminating splendor, assuring Taroumaru that she'll be working for her own sake. Miroku reminds them that they're also saving a person while Inuyasha looks exasperated. Kagome sunnily suggests to him that they get going, prompting him to scoff and disregard whether it's a god or a youkai altogether.

SQUEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!

So, what did I think of this chapter overall? The one point against it is that it wasn't nearly as beautiful as the last, so I had the opposite problem with this one in that I had difficulty finding panels that were worth featuring in the recap. Not that I think the chapter is HORRIBLE for this, by any means. That last one was a tough act to follow, and I feel a little like I was spoiled a bit by the overwhelming style of it, and that's why it may have been difficult to get that same effect out of this chapter.

And this chapter stands very well on the fact that it's giving readers a solid story for our group to interact with. It's clear this heartbreaking situation of a god's destruction of a village through multiple means (directly flooding the village while feeding on the young who would grow to sustain the community) is sustained. This is a village ready to break from the abuse it's taking, and it's no wonder the villagers under Nanushi dared to become hopeful that Miroku might be able to do something about it. But, it's also no wonder that Nanushi was immediately suspicious of this, because being under the thumb of an abuser for so long makes you wary of anything that could set that abuser off. Since he's taking a huge risk passing someone else off for his son anyway, he's already stretched to his limit as far as how daring he's willing to be. He may be a "stupid father" as Miroku and Inuyasha assessed, but he's also refreshingly complex for a character that we're never going to see again after this arc.

Speaking of refreshingly complex, I cannot tell you how amazing it is EVERY time I read this arc and see our protagonists interact as a complete team together for the first time. Every word, every action, every gesture is so... natural. It seems strange of me to say that, because that should be a given, but then I'm reminded of all those other stories I've read/seen in which dialogue is cardboard, characters are wooden and the dynamic between them seems forced because the plot demands it.

Here, I honestly feel like the characters BELONG TOGETHER. They mesh, even when they're bickering, because it all feels like they're reacting in a natural, understandable way. This is what makes Inuyasha so accessible to such a wide array of people - the characters are real and they behave believably, not just in response to what's going on around them, but to each other as well.

It's just at this point, RT hasn't QUITE gotten used to picturing them in a way that implies they're all in the area of the shot yet. I was scratching my head through most of the chapter trying to determine if Sango was actually around or not. I COULD pass that off as Sango not being comfortable hanging around like a bud at this point, but as everyone reading these should know by now, I'm not a fan of using headcanon to explain details that should be implied in the source material to begin with.