YuYu Hakusho Manga: 019 Action!!

Ugh, no, I already want to take a break. I have gone so long without doing any regular activism that my recent foray into a political action group has been somewhat overwhelming. It's like working out after an extended period of hanging out on the couch - the muscles have atrophied somewhat, and I have to find a nice, easy set of exercises to start with to avoid burning out right off the bat, or throwing out my back. Besides, I have a lot more going on in my 30's than I did when I was in my late teens/early 20's in college. Trying to rearrange my schedule to accommodate more stuff is VERY challenging. 

But, just like working out, if I don't do it now, I risk having a much reduced quality of life later on. 

This has been me every morning my alarm blares this winter. 

Atsuko is kneeling next to Yusuke's bed, leaning over the side with a wide-eyed alarm as Yusuke picks up his alarm clock to check it. He asks his mother what's going on, since it's only seven in the morning. Hoo boy, am I jealous. I have to drag my ragged ass out of bed at FIVE. Atsuko haltingly states, with some amazement, that he woke up, then her face screws up in a follow-up wail over a repetition of that fact. Partly in sleepiness and partly in just mental exhaustion, Yusuke begs his mom not to do this again. She sobs that she can't help it, because she's so afraid that he won't wake up, just like before. 

Yusuke reflects on how it's been five days since his mom found out that he'd revived, five days after Keiko did, and Atsuko has been behaving like this ever since. Flawed and neglectful as she is, Atsuko's going to be carrying the trauma of almost losing her child for a long-ass time, sorry Yusuke. 

There's a large, two-page title spread with Botan in jeans and a jacket, dressed MUCH down from her usual kimono fare, Yusuke glaring in question through a magnifying glass at the reader, Koenma's head larger than life looming in the background, and a long-haired silhouette standing off to the left. It's a lot, but not really saying too terribly much yet. 

Next we see Yusuke walking through the gates of the school, dozens of classmates pausing to stare, muttering their alarm that he's back, and even a few running away from him, declaring his presence is too weird. Yusuke is annoyed that they're all acting like he's a zombie (not too far off the mark, frankly), trying to brush it off as nothing new. 

I gotta say, I'm becoming more and more interested in what Atsuko's DEAL is. Girl has connections...

Yusuke is muttering about how coming to school still sucks, and dreaming of making plans to cut out one day, when a hand falls on his shoulder from behind. He turns to greet a serious-looking Kuwabara, who expresses his approval that Yusuke has managed to return to life, because that gives HIM another shot. He vows that THIS TIME, it'll be himself sending Yusuke to Hell, and chuckles that he should enjoy the life he has left. One of Kuwabara's friends asks if he wasn't going to THANK Yusuke for saving Eikichi, but Kuwabara barks at him to shut his trap. Yusuke just quietly sweatdrops at his retreating back, wondering what's WITH him. Well, he can't very well make out with you here and now, can he?

Yet again, Yusuke is approached from behind, Takenaka slapping some kind of notebook on the back of his head. He passes him, casually calling back to Yusuke that it's his first day back, so he shouldn't dawdle. Takenaka is looking REAL pleased with himself. Or, maybe he's looking pleased with Yusuke, it's difficult to say. After a moment of speechlessness, Yusuke's temper starts to boil over. He starts to rant that this does it, he's taking off, when yet ANOTHER voice addresses him at his back.

It's Keiko, of course, who asks him what the matter is, encouraging him to come up to the school with her, because the bell's about to ring. She looks perfectly nonchalant, and this appears to confuse Yusuke. He's mildly flustered that she's acting like nothing's different since her actions when he was revived. He supposes that to her, it was just CPR. When she calls back to him to get a move on, he says okay in a resigned kind of way. 

OR, hear me out, you could just invest that time and effort into THERAPY. 

In the school gym, several boys are squeaking around on a basketball court under the net, one of them asking where Urameshi is. Another answers that he's in the bathroom, and there's a comment dropped that they won't see him again for a while then. Yusuke is one of THOSE, then, lol. Indeed, he's squatting, but not in the bathroom. it's next to a wall outside, where he's examining a little tiny keychain-like magnifying glass. He's wondering what good it can be to a detective, and clearly he does not have my obsession with Sherlock Holmes. 

He recalls Botan telling him about his new job as underworld detective - the main responsibility being to solve crimes in the living world that have some underworld/spirit world connection. As she rummaged in her fortune-telling cloak, she informed Yusuke that Koenma will send her with the assignments the young detective has been given, and some items that will be of use to him. She pulled out the little trinket that Yusuke is now examining, which she presented with some enthusiasm and the declaration that it's what every detective needs as a "See-Through Glass". A little unfurled scroll info box tells us that it allows the user to see through solid obstacles, like walls. 

Unsure about giving that to a teenage boy, but okay. 

Yusuke didn't react with nearly as much enthusiasm, hesitantly accepting it, but also asking for confirmation if there will be more of these tools. She told him that there will be six more, and that underworld devices require a considerable amount of spiritual power to use, so he'll have to learn how to use each one at a time. Well, at least there's a cost, so that might stop him from using this dealie for less-than-honorable purposes in the meantime. 

Back in the present, Yusuke strolls off, tossing the little glass up and down, with the affirmation that he doesn't need to look through anything at the moment. He also decides he doesn't give two shits about P.E. so he dismisses going back there. The teacher from above, whose name I don't remember if he even has one yet, and I don't care enough to look up, is lurking around the corner and smirks, thinking this is just as he figured. 

Behind the door of Yusuke's classroom, 2-B, this teacher is rummaging through the school bag of one of the absent students who are at gym. 

Don't you have WORK to do, my dude???

Mr. AxToGrind at first plans to put the items HE stole in Yusuke's bag, but then he decides it's better to put them in the incinerator, since it'll be more suspicious if they're never found. Weird for a guy like him to be choosing "suspicious" over "damning", but who am I to criticize his unhinged way of carrying out a grudge? He holds up what looks like a pen with a dragon curled around it, calls it an interesting little geegaw, and pockets it himself. So much for the incinerator. 

I think I know where THIS is going...

After the bell rings and the kids are back in 2-B, there's some frantic cries of dismay that certain things are gone. Someone asks a boy called Takai what's gone, and he says it's his lucky fountain pen with the gold dragon around it, a one-of-a-kind piece. Takai snaps that it was in his bag before they went to P.E. as others in the room start discovering that watches, calculators, and other such things have gone missing. 

All of a sudden, when Yusuke comes onto the scene, everyone stops grumbling about their missing objects and glare at him in an accusatory fashion. He sweatdrops at them, asking what they're all looking at. Keiko steps in front of Yusuke and tells them that they're too quick to assume guilt, but Takai is quick to point out that Urameshi was the only one who wasn't in P.E. 

Mr. AxToGrind appears again, asking what's going on here, as if he doesn't know. It must be some time later when Yusuke is insisting that he didn't take anything, and he gets a PUNCH IN THE FACE from Mr. AxToGrind and a command to stop lying in return. He can't be ALLOWED to assault a student like that, RIGHT??? Apparently, he IS, because comrade Takenaka is in the room, asking if this dude has actual proof that Yusuke took anything. Mr. AxToGrind says that Yusuke had the opportunity and is just the sort to seize it. He cites a statistic about the incidents of stealing being way down while Yusuke was gone, and even brings up a rumor about Yusuke's mother pretty much blackmailing the principal to get her son back in school. Mr. AxToGrind glares over at Yusuke and says that it's like mother, like son, and Yusuke calls him slime in return. Tempers are definitely running a bit high. Would be convenient if this budding brawl between student and faculty were to get interrupted.

Awkward.

Yusuke is frozen in absolute shock, gaping and sweatdropping, repeating a noise of bewilderment that might actually form a question if he could get a handle on one. He stares at Koenma over Mr. AxToGrind's shoulder, and he blandly asks Yusuke if he's going to take that shot or not. Yusuke is way too distracted by Koenma's frantic explanation to even listen - apparently the underworld treasure vault has been broken into, and three items have been stolen: the Conjuring Blade, the Mirror of Darkness, and the Rapacious Orb. You Spirit World folks really know how to name shit, huh? Anyhow, as Mr. AxToGrind turns to see what it is that Yusuke is staring at, Koenma tells Yusuke that the culprits are at large and presumably hiding out in Human World. 

You, uhhhhh, gonna put a kiddo that you just stuck in a spirit detective role over the weekend hunt down some MOST WANTED CRIMINALS??? 

Grinding his teeth in frustration, Yusuke thinks at Koenma to buzz off, because he's busy. Mr. AxToGrind is still examining the air behind him in an attempt to see what's got Yusuke so distracted, and is not finding a single thing, while Koenma yells at Yusuke not to be stupid. He lectures Yusuke on what will happen if these villains get to wield their stolen goods in the human world, or if a human manages to get their hands on them. The three dark treasures have the potential to be turned into deadly weapons that could harm or manipulate hundreds of people. Big trouble, in other words. 

Yusuke jabs a thumb at himself as he continues to think furiously at Koenma his own current issue; the faculty members here think he stole stuff, but he didn't. Koenma says that of COURSE Yusuke didn't steal the items, and points at Mr. AxToGrind, accusing him instead. He tells Yusuke to check the guy's pocket with the lens Botan gave him, and when Yusuke questions what he's talking about, Koenma snaps that the classmate's pen is in Mr. AxToGrind's pocket. Koenma, my dear, sweet, baby child... if you know all about this stupid petty business, how could you possibly need Yusuke to risk his mortal ass going after massive Underworld criminals?

I'm sure we'll come back to that... Meanwhile, Yusuke holds the glass up to his eye.

Good thing he could verify the pen was there before he had to reach into this man's pocket.

With a sardonic note, Yusuke observes that he seems to have found Takai's lucky pen. Mr. AxToGrind tries to claim that it's his, and that they're fairly common, but he is stuttering a sweating a bit. Yusuke asks if that's so, because Takai said before Mr. AxToGrind entered the room that this ugly little trinket is one-of-a-kind. Thank you, Yusuke, that thing IS truly gaudy as all hell. Becoming all the more flustered, Mr. AxToGrind backpedals and completely changes the story, saying he MEANT to say that Takai asked him to hold it for him this morning. Yusuke asks why Takai said he lost it after P.E. then, and Takenaka follows this up with his own question about what exactly is really going on here. 

An awkward silence stretches until Mr. AxToGrind decides to dig his hole even DEEPER. He says that Takai forgot, and trails in citing that with all that other stuff missing, he must have panicked. What, like you're doing right now, dude? He blurts that he has to get to a meeting and speedwalks for the door, but Takenaka calls Mr. IWAMOTO back because they're not done. Oh yeah! THAT'S his name, lol! Iwamoto curtly declares that they ARE done.

Yusuke mutters that he's a creep, which is accurate. Koenma impatiently urges Yusuke to go and investigate now that he's been acquitted, but Yusuke is not willing to let Iwamoto just GET AWAY with trying to frame him - douchebag's gotta pay. Koenma expresses some incredulity that Yusuke JUST got off the hook, but is now willing to get into real trouble by striking a teacher, but Yusuke don't give a fuck, because he's PISSED. Koenma sighs that Yusuke should get his revenge without being seen, then, to which Yusuke demands to know how. Koenma demonstrates extending his pointer finger toward a target, and instructs Yusuke to focus on the very tip of it, picturing energy from his whole body concentrating on that one point. 

Peering at his own finger, Yusuke notes pretty quickly that it's glowing and getting warm. Koenma further instructs him to take aim at the target and pull the trigger in his mind. He's got a sly kind of expression as he does so, giving me the impression that he's rather enjoying enabling Yusuke's base impulse here. As Yusuke points his glowing finger-gun at Iwamoto, he thinks how nuts this is, while Takenaka is STILL trying to get Iwamoto to return and clear up what's actually happening. 

Bet you won't feel stupid about it from now on.

Iwamoto's glasses are knocked askew and he goes DOWN. Yusuke marvels at his own finger while Takenaka wonders aloud about what would make Iwamoto pitch over like that, asking if the garbage teacher is alright. With growing delight, Yusuke declares that this thing actually works. Koenma is lecturing again, calling what Yusuke just did a "Rei" Gun, with "Rei" meaning "Spirit". There's a silhouette of a human body illustrating with arrows the flow of aura/energy/chi running through the whole thing up to the finger, Koenma explaining that it's the concentration of that energy into that single point. He claims that it packs twice as much punch as a physical one, but warns Yusuke that at his current level of ability, he only gets ONE shot a day, so he encourages the TEENAGE PUNK to be judicious with it. 

Good to know that your whims and satisfaction come before stopping a bunch of underworld creeps. 

So, what did I think of this chapter overall? To begin with, I'm touched by Atsuko's reaction to Yusuke's awakening. It strikes me as oddly realistic for the circumstances. Atsuko is by no means a GOOD mother, but this doesn't mean that she doesn't care deeply that Yusuke is alive, and that she can't have trauma related to his near-miss with death. She's a complex character, and I very much appreciate that. I would have also appreciated a little bit of a hint as to why Atsuko went to the lengths she did to get Yusuke back into school, though, since in her first appearance, she encouraged him to drop out because he was skipping classes that were costing her some money. I'm curious to know if perhaps she thinks that Yusuke's survival of such a grave near-death experience is a sign that he's meant for bigger things and wants to encourage a little more academic effort from him, OR if she just kind of wants him out of her hair as she conducts her shady relationships with the Yakuza on the side. 

It struck me as INCREDIBLY irresponsible of Koenma and Botan to rope Yusuke into this role of their detective without any indication that he has the right to refuse it in the last chapter. Now I'm downright HORRIFIED that Yusuke's second "case" is to apprehend much more formidable antagonists, with nothing but a goofy little magnifying glass and a square-one command over some basic spiritual powers at his disposal. It's all the more frustrating when Koenma so easily points to the real culprit who stole all those items from the students, because it suggests he can innately do what the special magnifying glass can, AND he has the wherewithal to be able to draw conclusions that Yusuke didn't even have the mindset to do. If the King of the underworld is back, and Koenma has more free time to yap at Yusuke now, then why isn't HE taking care of this? Why does he need Yusuke at all?

This chapter would have been MUCH better if Yusuke had been able to solve this issue of him being framed by himself instead of having the answer handed to him. That way, we could have SEEN how he's suited to exposing the truth and pointing to the real culprit of a case, and WHY he has been given this enormous responsibility of Underworld Detective. As it stands, he has the solution pointed out to him by someone else, who is INSISTING that he absolutely needs Yusuke's help as detective while doing all the detective work in the current issue himself. It's SO backwards.

Also, I really hope that Yusuke's little spirit bullet knocked the desire to get a damn HOBBY into Iwamoto. Dude is incredibly lame.

Inuyasha Manga: 318 River of Blood

Is it weird that I'm seeing this as a nightmare not so much in the fact that this is a RIVER OF BLOOD, and more in the sense that it would be a real pain to clean up? Cis women like myself are no stranger to cleaning stubborn bloodstains out of garments, and more general stains out of everything and anything as well. It speaks to how thoroughly I've been programmed that I see the first double-page spread of this chapter and my first thought isn't how bright that red is for a creature whose heart has stopped beating, how fierce the flow is despite the same, or how much I appreciate a color page, rare as they are. No, my very first thought is to ask myself who's gonna have to clean that up.

Not me! Lol

Inuyasha has the distinct honor of saying the chapter title on the next page, and so very early! Miroku has concluded that this is what connects this world and that border Naraku's been trying to get to, but he still seems in a little disbelief about it. Honestly, regardless of the explanation, a wave of blood is always a bit on the nauseating side. 

They are so distracted by the new sanguinary flood that it comes as something of a surprise when Inuyasha and crew at last spot Naraku floating along with the flow, who turns to smirk over his shoulder at them, asking them what they're just standing and watching for - the path by this river of blood will soon be closed. Inuyasha spits that he doesn't need to be told, with Kagome joining him in a eager lunge toward their destination, despite the fact that they WERE in fact just standing there gaping at the whole thing for a moment. 

Myouga reappears at Inuyasha's forelock and advises emphatically against going. Inuyasha makes a confused noise at him, and Myouga brings up the very much valid question of how they all plan to get back if they jump in that bloody river. 

Have... y'all been observing the same sneaky, meticulous, plans-within-plans Naraku I have this whole story?? 

Shippou looks off the side of Kirara while clinging to Naraku's sleeve and sees in the undulating current of the blood what look to be thousands of screaming skulls. He alerts Miroku to this, and Miroku, who will one day be father to ten or twenty children by his own reckoning, tells him with perfect sobriety that it's probably the malicious feelings of all the souls whose blood was sucked out for Tekkei. This poor kid. Sango wonders aloud how many people have been killed JUST to make this path, which is certainly a path in itself to depression. Kagome says that they have to quickly stop such things from happening, and Inuyasha agrees. 

A bit late for that, don't you think????

If all those people could, they'd be giving you the finger, no doubt about it.

After a narrow sky transition panel, Jaken is scouting slightly ahead of Sesshoumaru and the two-headed dragon carrying Rin on its back behind him, trailing in his statement of what he's seeing around the side of the steep rocky hill rising on their right. I shouldn't have forgotten Sesshoumaru exists so soon after we last saw him, but here I am. Jaken looks up at the giant bird corpse with its head missing and expresses some incredulity as Sesshoumaru approaches the scene just as placidly as ever. Sesshoumaru observes the dripping blood from the severed neck, keeping all his surprise that the smell of all that blood that must have come from a body that huge has just vanished to himself. I mean, the smell as well as the blood altogether. I guess NO ONE had to clean it up...

On the hill they had passed behind them, Kagura has appeared, and addresses Sesshoumaru with a slight mocking tone; she says that he's arrived too late to take the entrance that has already closed. Rin shrieks over and over in her alarm over the presence of her former kidnapper, and Jaken stutters Kagura's name indignantly, asking what's with her showing up a lot around Sesshoumaru recently. 

Surprised he's not murdering her?

Sesshoumaru asks what she means by this "entrance" she mentioned, and Kagura is in a little shock that he actually took the bait for once. He almost ALWAYS takes the bait, girl, you've just been unlucky in your efforts. Aloud, she tells him she's referring to the path that leads to the boundary between this world and the next, the one that Inuyasha and Naraku have already taken. After a pause, Sesshoumaru says that it sounds from her tone that she knows of another way. She admits readily that she does know of another way, but also that she doesn't know if even HE can pass through it safely. Dude looks half-asleep, as always. Still got a stash nearby, I see. 

Meanwhile, in the center of the blood-tunnel Inuyasha and company have been rocketing down, they acknowledge with excitement a point of light that's expanding in front of them. Miroku suggests it's the exit, donning the Captain Obvious hat once more, and Inuyasha tells Kagome to hold on tight. The tunnel is suddenly vanished, and they are suspended in midair with a jagged peak and a couple of bony birds visible in the distance. 

Is there fanart of this armor and skeleton filled out with the anthropomorphized giant dog in living flesh and fur? Because there should be.

A couple of those skeleton birds helpfully come flying up and under Inuyasha and Kagome, who drop onto one of their backs, like they're those cabs that hang out at the airport arrival wing. Convenient. Miroku looks around, taking stock of this place they call the boundary between this world and the next, and Sango also characterizes as the youkai's graveyard. All the bodies that dissolve in the physical world reconstitute themselves here, probz. Inuyasha snaps at them that this is no time to be casually sightseeing, because Naraku got there before them, even if it was just one step. He is not, as far as I can tell, visible anymore, so it makes sense that Inuyasha is a little on edge. He's thinking that it's likely Naraku's plan to hide himself until Kagome can find the outstanding Shikon shard. 

Kagome is indeed keeping her eyes peeled, looking intently at the skeleton of Inuyasha's father in the distance. Suddenly, there's a glare that flashes out from that very skeleton, growing in intensity as Inuyasha and Kagome look on in shock.

One of the bone-birds is torn apart by what Miroku calls "shining spears" in alarm, the glittering onslaught continuing to shoot toward them. Inuyasha draws Tessaiga with a curse, assuming that this is Naraku's doing as he deflects the spears with his sword, which is much rattled by the task and passes that rattling up to Inuyasha himself. 

A few chips from a spear sprinkle down where Myouga is sitting on one of Inuyasha's beads, and he declares with surprise that this is diamond. Kagome repeats the word as an exclamation, looking to Myouga for further explanation, and he says it's the hardest jewel in the world that the spears are made of. Miroku calls from behind them that he can't sense Naraku's evil aura, so Inuyasha questions who the hell is behind this attack. 

Well, you're close enough to finding out, anyway. As long as you're good at dodging and weaving.

Kagome alerts Inuyasha to the fact that there's a Shikon fragment, the one they're looking for, no doubt, INSIDE his father's grave. Inuyasha gapes in yet more shock, and as they get even nearer to the giant skeleton, a voice from off-panel comments bitterly on how the visitors are all still alive. 

And while you're explaining THAT, maybe tell me WHAT the hell you are. That is a WILD morphology you've got there, buddy. 

So, what did I think of this chapter overall? The distinct impression I got as to the rush to this arc's end is at last tempered somewhat with the ticking clock. It makes sense that Inuyasha and company would only have so much time to figure out whether they wanted to go ahead and take the blood river to their destination, because Tekkei's body can only have so much blood. While it IS rash of them to jump in there without a return plan, with the frankly BLIND excuse that Naraku has to be hobbled in the same way (not factoring in his extended time for planning for exactly this issue is just brain-dead if I'm being honest), their fears of Naraku getting to that Shikon shard before they do is a valid motivator. Weighing the lack of a path back with the real possibility of Naraku becoming all the more powerful and closer to a complete jewel, it's easy to see why anyone, especially impulsive teenagers, would decide to worry about the former when they got to that point. 

For all that anxiety Rin had about Sesshoumaru killing her new friend Kohaku for his role in that little kidnapping scheme of Naraku's, the scene with Kagura might prove all of it moot. Kagura was the one who kidnapped Rin in the first place, and yet here Sesshoumaru is, having a casual chat with her about hints she's dropping, NOT murdering her face. All while Rin is screaming about Kagura being near as well. It's further evidence that this isn't about Rin and the threat to her so much as Sesshoumaru trying to get back at the main villain for catching him unawares. Rin is young, though, and it's probably not going to occur to her that Kohaku seems perfectly safe from Sesshoumaru's wrath, poor thing.

I'm pleased to see that there's been some tie-in to the beginning of this "path to the border between worlds" arc, because the recent death of the youkai jeweler strikes one as kind of a big deal when it's brought up, what with him suspiciously using up all those jewels before he died. Now we've got a shining diamond skull shooting diamonds at our protagonists when they get to the border, which, spoiler alert, is no coincidence. Anyone who knows me knows I love a good setup and payoff, and this one satisfies. 

Not the best I've ever seen, but it's far from disappointing.

YuYu Hakusho Manga: 018 The New Mission!!

As if I should be excited. It's not always the best thing to have a mission assigned to you. In times like these, I feel called to act in all manner of serious issues, but I don't FEEL GOOD about it. There's this overwhelming feeling like I and everyone else around me are fighting against a nightmarish hydra of cosmic horror proportions, and the hopelessness of it grows with every passing day. And I'm no spring chicken, alright? I've been around the proverbial block, and I know from experience that the work we're asking the youth to do these days to create a more just and healthy world for themselves is downright UNFAIR.

It's especially unfair when we're RESURRECTING them in order to put them in the fight, dammit!

Gotta make sure we stress that nothing inappropriate happened there. Keep your thirsty speculations out of this small time gap, fan-brats! XD

Yusuke is standing there, watching all the people chattering in the street, laughing together, children playing, all with the sparkling perspective of one who has not been able to partake in even the mundane parts of life for a while. He sighs that it really is great to be alive, which in and of itself is a somewhat discordant message of gratitude for this famously action/violence-oriented manga, but lovely nonetheless. Yusuke examines the palm of his hand, considering his time as a ghost and how it was one heck of an experience, but nothing beats life, after all. He blurts out, to the alarm of his neighbors in the street, that he feels so good that he could pick a fight with anyone or anything. 

This isn't really saying much coming from a guy who would pick a fight with anyone or anything when he was in a BAD mood too.

Uh-oh, I wouldn't be targeting a guy who just declared to the whole street that he's in the mood for a fight if I were a street psychic. Seems like a real dangerous game to be playing. 

Yusuke asks if the psychic is talking to him and she says she is, and begins motioning over the little glowing crystal ball in front of them, saying that Yusuke was born under strange stars which bestowed upon him strange traits. Wearing an amused grin, Yusuke asks for more specific examples of these traits and wonders what would happen if he told her that he was a ghost until yesterday. The psychic remains vague, mentioning that they amount to the talent and skill for his true mission in life, and he just scratches his chin in confusion at that. Then he turns to go, apologizing if she's trying to get him to sign up for something, because he's not interested - had enough of occult stuff to last him a lifetime. He says his only mission in life is to get his kicks while he can, and leaves the psychic sitting there speechless. 

Putting on a pair of shades, Yusuke retains his grin and says it's about time he got started getting those kicks. He's planning on starting with kicking back with a smoke in a cafe, which took me aback a little, because I don't remember smoking ever being allowed in cafes during my lifetime. The differences in culture and time I'm observing in these comics never fail to astound.

He slides up to a place called "The Far Cry", a name I assume is much in the same meaning as that series of games. Two guys walking toward Yusuke conveniently exposit how this is a Kasanegafuchi Junior High hangout, and they're getting pretty thick around these parts. As they pass Yusuke, both sweatdropping, they're talking about how it won't be long before they challenge Kuwabara's gang for their turf, and how it's a same the guy they JUST passed by isn't still around. Seems like Yusuke was missed in more ways than he imagined.

Without a word, Yusuke walks into the cafe, triggering the bell above the door. 

I'm sure he's sorry to disappoint.

As Yusuke sits down with a drink in the corner, he observes the unfriendly-looking group above and determines that they are indeed Kasane guys. He compares them to roaches moving in during his absence, and we're shown a little simple map depicting where Yusuke's school, abbreviated as Sara Jr. High in the lower left corner of the map, close to this cozy little cafe they are sitting in at the moment. On the other side of a river, named the River Sticks (wow, THAT'S booping us all on the snoot pretty hard, isn't it?), sits the similarly abbreviated Kasane Jr. High closer to the upper right corner. We're assured by the panel's third-person voice that it is to Yusuke's credit that this "gangster prep school", as it is known, didn't expand their territory. However, according to this map, the current turf distribution for Kasane is pretty wide, extending out slightly past the cafe and dangerously close to Yusuke's own school. These preppy posh gangsters mean business, apparently.

By the next panel, Yusuke has taken off his shades, but whether it's just because he's indoors or because he's maybe hoping to get recognized and get into a little brawl, I couldn't say. What I CAN say is that it's at this moment he notices something odd about the kid with the darker hair and glasses smoking in the center of the gang at the nearby booth - he appears to have horns protruding from his forehead a little below his hairline. That's weird, right? Yusuke takes a sip of his drink, also observing that this kid looks to be the leader of the pack. 

He picks up the start of a conversation about how Kuwabara is late, much to his mild surprise. A couple of the center kid's surrounding goons asks if there's a chance he'll ditch, and how their leader is so sure Kuwabara is going to show up. Issuing a jet of smoke from his lips, the leader reiterates that he's certain Kuwabara will meet them, because they have an ace in the hole. Rather than elaborating on what this could be, he shifts gears to tell his gang that he instructed Kuwabara that he and his friends should shoplift some manga on the way over, implying that this could be the reason Kuwabara is taking so long. Yusuke himself has got a little comic open at his table, and internally scoffs at the fat chance that is, because he knows that Kuwabara lives to FIGHT, and he's not one for stealing or extorting stuff. He is, at heart, a cinnamon roll.

The bell at the door jingles again. 

I'm getting to be very attached to Kuwabara's group. Just LOOK at those precious faces!

Kuwabara strides right for the gang's table, demanding to know where "Eikichi" is, wanting to see him. The gang leader cooly tells "Kuwa-chan" to hold on for a moment, asking if he's got the goods. Growling in frustration at his infantalization, Kuwabara produces a paper bag and throws it on the table, a corner or two of an manga magazine poking out of the corner. This is shocking to Yusuke, in disbelief behind his own open manga cover. Kuwabara asks if the gang leader is happy now, and demanding once again to see Eikichi. 

So he didn't shoplift after all!

Kuwabara asks what the hell difference it makes, and his tormentor responds that it makes ALL the difference, because he was SUPPOSED to enjoy the thrill of stealing them. And I'm sure you were SUPPOSED to just enjoy good grades and an illustrious career that has nothing to do with shoplifting, but sometimes we're disappointed, aren't we?

Anyway, the gang leader accuses Kuwabara of reneging on their deal, and taps some ash from his cigarette as he demands Kuwabara apologize. After Kuwabara makes a confused noise at the order, the gang leader smirks, calls him a "sleaze", and tells him to get on his knees to beg forgiveness for breaking his promise to steal some fucking comic books. I... guess apologies have been given for less... 

Kuwabara's friends are indignant, hissing through clenched teeth that this scumbag is asking for it, but Kuwabara tells them to shut it, and the only thing they dare utter after that reprimand is a stuttering of his name. He slumps to his knees obediently and with some difficulty spits that he's sorry for breaking his promise. The gang leader pretends not to hear him, so Kuwabara has to yell that he's sorry, perfectly humiliated. He asks the gang leader if he's happy NOW, and demands Eikichi back once more. 

Yusuke is struck by how bizarre the display is, and all for someone named Eikichi, while the gang guffaws at how pathetic Kuwabara is for actually groveling before their nerdy little leader. 

Hey man, there is a REASON the internet revolves around cats, okay?

Yusuke topples over in absolute shock in the background as Kuwabara chokes about his kitten Eikichi. The gang takes turns making fun of the fact that the top dog at Sarayashi Jr. High is a joke, pissing himself over a pet cat, and Kuwabara accepts this as all true, begging them not to hurt Eikichi. The guy holding Eikichi waves and rattles the little creature around, singing "wussy wussy 'lil pussy", and Kuwabara (and I) panics with the plea to stop. Kuwabara's friends are all sweating nervously, muttering about how the gang is going way too far, because Kuwabara is nuts for cats and Eikichi is his baby. 

CINNAMON ROLL.

Yusuke is still watching all this from behind his manga, peering at the gang leader, who says that they haven't done enough until Kuwabara gets with the program and tastes evil - it's fun and will prevail in the end. This guy needs his brain erased. Conveniently, he starts talking about Yusuke, how the previous leader of Sarayashi Urameshi was a real hard case that was a problem for them for a long time. He says he heard that Urameshi died saving some kid, and giggles about this being where doing good deeds gets you. A couple of his gang members mutter that they heard the zombie of old Urameshi kicked the shit out of Motomoto recently, and therefore suspect that he's not really dead. A couple more members openly laugh over this, countering that the word is those guys there were pretty wasted at the time, so it's clear they're not taking any claims they made seriously. The gang seems pretty split on the issue. 

The leader himself is in the latter camp, dismissing dead people altogether and abruptly suggests they all step outside for some air.

Maybe just accept that Kuwabara isn't all that inclined to do evil, my dude? What's your investment in converting him anyway?

Instead of giving Kuwabara up as a hopeless case of goodness and light, the gang leader points at Kuwabara's friends and commands him to knock them all out. Apparently they've been giving him the stink-eye the whole time they've been conversing, and the gang leader wants Kuwabara to pound them until he says to stop. Not more homoeroticism sneaking into the dialog here. As the flunky holds up Eikichi for Kuwabara to see, the gang leader counts to three in order to give Kuwabara a time limit. 

Kuwabara sweats heavily, grinding his teeth, but when he curls his fingers into a fist, he haltingly says he won't do it. The gang leader glares at him through his glasses, then holds up his cigarette so the smoldering end of it is aimed straight at Eikichi's big kitten eye. He tells Kuwabara to beat the shit out of his friends, or the cat will lose it's sight. The little creature is impressively sanguine as the cigarette comes close enough to singe the fur near its eye. It has ZERO fear for a little guy who just got whipped around in the air by the guy holding him. 

Kuwabara is clenching his jaw in sweaty tension again, and his friends encourage him to just do what the little evil fucker says, telling him that they can take the beating, and pay it forward to the gang once they hand over Eikichi. Maybe don't announce that, in case they decide they'll keep the cat to prevent it? Regardless, Kuwabara refuses again, emphatically. At this point, the gang leader's eyes are ringed with wrinkles from how hard he's glaring. He's just expounding upon his intentions to make good on his threat when a fist flies in from off-panel and shatters the jaw of the guy holding the kitten, gently seizing it with the other hand. Gang leader, Kuwabara, and gang members all gape in utter shock at the sudden assailant.

I LOVE that this slicked-back hairstyle has been characterized as "battle mode". Fucking SICK.

The whole gang is up in arms, freaking out about Urameshi's presence as if they're really seeing his ghost, screaming and carrying on. Where have I seen THIS before?

Same energy.

Kuwabara is half grinning, half twitching as he is overwhelmed with disbelief that the guy actually made it back from his near-death experience, his friends reacting with the same level of alarm as the gang members opposite them. Kuwabara recovers quicker than the rest of them, though, and looks back at his crew, shouting them out of their stupor as well. He points out the group of buttwipes in front of them, who are still kind of dazed with alarm, and pounces, encouraging his friends to sic 'em as well. 

There's a flurry of punches and hits, the scuffle carrying out in front of the gang leader, who is just kind of panicking on the sidelines. He looks between the mass fight and the lurking figure of Yusuke advancing on him in his sudden cowardice, whimpering about how much this sucks. Yusuke holds up a fist and grins, cracking his knuckles, telling the gang leader that he's forgotten something. He grabs the gang leader by the collar to prevent him running away when he turns to do so, screaming a pathetic no on his way. 

Down like a sack of bricks.

Yusuke calls the fallen gang leader a lowlife for hurting a defenseless kitten, which is definitely a generous term. But as he looks down at the douchebag, he hums in question. Out of the unconscious gang leader's gaping mouth reaches a tiny arm, soon followed by the head and torso of horned and fanged creature. It's rubbing it's own skull and whining in pain when Yusuke leans down and asks it point blank what it is. It answers that it's OUT OF THERE, and in a blur attempts to flee, but a close-up on Yusuke's eye communicates that it's a quick one.

The little creature insists that this is impossible, that no mortal should be able to see him, but is unable to deny that Yusuke not only saw him but caught him with bare hands. I hope it's not secreting some poisonous sweat or something. Yusuke asks in exasperation if this little tapeworm thought he'd let him get away, and said "tapeworm" is further astonished that Yusuke can UNDERSTAND him as well. I guess one doesn't have to be a SKILLED villain if one is relying on no one being able perceive one in any capacity.

At a voice off-panel congratulating Yusuke for his capture of a wanted criminal for five previous convictions, Yusuke looks over his shoulder to find that the street psychic from earlier is approaching him. She says the little demon's specialty is taking advantage of someone's dark side and leading them down the path of evil, with a very familiar GUIDE-like cadence. She looks over at the unconscious gang-leader while Yusuke is still kind of hung up on the fact that she's the fortune teller from earlier, and further explains that the tiny criminal Yusuke has caught prefers souls already inclined to his influence, which, uh, duh. Path of least resistance and all that. The street psychic says that she was actually on her way to assign taking custody of the now sullen demon still clutched in Yusuke's hand, but he's already taken care of that, so she tells him he's done good work yet again. 

She points at Yusuke, informing him that he has the instincts and abilities to track down/deal with these kinds of otherworldly threats, and announces that he's going to make a GREAT underworld detective. Rather than being proud, Yusuke looks like he's aiming a snarl at the fortune teller, as the demon in his fist complains that he can't breathe. Oh great, he's already following the police-violence shtick. Fantastic. 

Yusuke demands to know what the flippin' ding-dong she's even talking about, asking who she is anyway, and she responds with a hum about how soon we forget. She pulls down her hood, revealing a perky ponytail, at which Yusuke grimaces in alarm. 

He clearly doesn't like her as much as the readers do.

So, what did I think of this chapter overall? Definitely on Yusuke's side at the end of the chapter. Granted, I do like the new direction that the manga is exploring, and I did like it when I first saw it in the anime, because it seems a little more active and challenging for our main character. Still, I am totally empathetic to a kid who only JUST woke up from a coma and is just starting to appreciate being able to live his life again, being summarily assigned a whole-ass JOB by the people who are presumably linked to a kind of near-death trauma. There was no discussion of this with Yusuke, no OFFER of this position, his autonomy is just steamrolled over for the convenience of Koenma. I am very curious to see where Koenma is coming from on just ORDERING Yusuke to go out and grab underworld criminals for him, because I wouldn't be surprised if it's mostly due to his habit of looking at everyone around him as an idle underling - being a little prince of the underworld isn't likely to allow you to see anyone's autonomy very clearly, if at all.

I'm pretty amused with our villain in this chapter. The smug evil was so over the top, and the reference to a conflict between good and evil with the declaration that the evil would win in the end was funny enough to have me laughing out loud in a couple of places. It was fitting that the kid was merely possessed by some mediocre little demon creature, because every single thing that he was demanding of Kuwabara was so absurd. He stole Kuwabara's poor little kitten to force him to... steal some comics and beat up his own friends? Lame, and definitely not going to convince Kuwabara of how awesome being bad feels. Whoever this little evil influencer is, he probably should get a day job, because this shit is weak sauce. 

Kuwabara being motivated by love of his kitten is so him, which is perfect, no notes. But the poor thing DID disappear toward the end there, probably because it would have gotten in the way of Yusuke decking the antagonist. I can imagine YT getting a little tired of drawing it, because sadly, he doesn't seem as able to put the expressiveness in the animal as he has been putting it in his human characters. No reactions from little Eikichi at all, as far as I could see, not even when being handled roughly. I would have expected much more attempts at scratching/biting/writhing. Maybe I should be happy for him, as he clearly hasn't had the misfortune of seeing a cat in distress before writing this.

Inuyasha Manga: 317 Tekkei

I'm so glad the major holidays I celebrate are over. Sure, there's still New Years, but that one doesn't require a ton of planning on my part, since I don't do much other than pop some champagne at midnight. This year was a bit of a struggle - since Thanksgiving in the USA came so late this year, it was December before most of us got our seasonal start, and I know a lot of other people who were slow to get up decorations, purchase gifts, and generally settle into the spirit of things. There's been almost a collective sigh of relief that we're on the other side of Christmas now. 

I know I'm at least a bit more relaxed.

Maybe y'all should have tried to figure out what his angle might have been BEFORE blindly entering into an agreement with him? Just a thought.

The owner of that massive eye tells Naraku it's too late for his plans anyway, because she and Abi no longer have any use for HIM. A giant feathery wing bursts out from the side of the mountain, fairly obliterating it, and Naraku just hovers there and smiles. Clearly he doesn't give a fuck, and that should probably worry Abi and Mommy Dearest. But I guess they're much more focused on their theatrics than any warning signs. 

Huh. I guess Abi must take after her father?

As the rest of the mountain crumbles away, Abi's mom opens her beak and spits a stream of flames at Naraku. Again, he's just... hovering there. He doesn't even twitch a muscle as the flames surround his barrier, and as they subside, he smarms that the meager fire isn't enough to break his barrier. 

Didn't she JUST recover from swallowing a poisonous youkai? It takes a special kind of bird brain to commit THAT mistake again so soon...

Due to her illogical lack of concern, Abi's bird mom closes her beak and swallows down Naraku, bubble and all. She looks rather pleased with herself when she says she finished him in a single gulp. I'm not TOUCHING the naughty joke THAT line could easily produce. Abi, hovering a distance above the scene, looks on in silence at first, then scoffs and says it didn't take long. Good gracious, you both are so PAINFULLY stupid. 

Meanwhile, Inuyasha's group is still rushing in their direction, and apparently Inuyasha only JUST informed the rest of the team that he smells Naraku at their destination, because Miroku exclaims in disbelief from Kirara's back that Naraku is already at the nest. Inuyasha confirms that he's certain it's Naraku's smell. 

Suddenly, someone else addresses Inuyasha, right from the tip of his own nose. Inuyasha hums in question, and is answered by the squeaking of Myouga drawing blood from where he's clinging on Inuyasha's mug, overseen by Inuyasha's cross-eyed glare. 

Imagine having to facepalm this hard just to flatten a little parasite. 

Myouga doesn't complain, either. He just rights himself and asks for yet MORE confirmation of Naraku being at Tekkei's nest. Inuyasha questions the name and Myouga explains that it's Abi's mom. Wow, she had a NAME this whole time! This is RT pulling a YT move, it seems. Inuyasha asks about this mother, because, now that I think of it, it does occur to me that he hasn't really heard about. However Kagome seems to have already drawn some conclusions, trailing in them so that Myouga can fill in the blanks and inform them that Tekkei is related to the birds that live in Hell, and is therefore connected to the next world. Inuyasha is struck by this phrasing, and he's starting to catch the drift here too. 

Myouga tells Inuyasha that Tekkei is ferocious and that he should be careful, and as Inuyasha peers silently at him out of the corner of his eye, Myouga gives his farewell so he can begin to take his leave. Inuyasha is impressively quick at catching him in a fist, though, commanding him to wait in irritation. He squishes Myouga in between his fingers, glowering at him, demanding to know how they're supposed to get to the world on "that" side. There IS a pretty wide gap between Myouga showing up at the mention of Naraku being at Tekkei's nest and the generalized advice to just be careful...

Whatever Myouga's answer may have been, we skip to where Miroku is bidding Inuyasha to look ahead at a massive bird-like shape silhouetted in the mist. As they get closer, a burst of fire issues from it.

Abi is awfully smug for someone who hasn't done much in a minute. She asks if Inuyasha and his crew came to die here as well, and after a moment of stunned silence, Inuyasha demands to know what happened to Naraku, clearly not seeing him at the scene. Abi scoffs again, saying that small-fry has already croaked, and when Inuyasha makes a noise of disbelief, Tekkei chuckles that Naraku is in her belly. 

But suddenly, a large swelling protrudes from the top of her head. 

Certainly not in her belly anymore.

Inuyasha and company gape up at the giant bird as she topples over in her screaming demise, Abi stuttering at her mother in horror. Naraku emerges from the wound in Tekkei's head, limbs all transformed into a tangle of writhing tentacles, and rises to meet Abi's height in the sky. Inuyasha exclaims Naraku's name, not that any of this is a surprise to anyone, and Naraku smiles down in patronizing glee at him as he accuses him of taking his sweet time getting there. 

Abi lunges at him, the halberd he gave her extended toward him; she's giving the old "how dare you" shtick, but he just sardonically thanks her for all her hard work. The halberd glows, something the gaping audience below trails in their commentary on. 

I think Abi would forget to BREATHE if the plot required it.

Naraku mocks her, offering her oblivion without suffering as a reward for all that hard work she did for him. His arm tentacles extend toward her in a rapid blur, only allowing Abi a moment to stutter a curse before she's impaled in like four or five different places with them. From the ground, Inuyasha and Kagome are in open-mouthed shock at Abi's fate. 

I don't know if I believe that she's not suffering in this shot, but at least it's brief. 

Below, Sango looks pretty irritated when she utters that Abi and her mother were used like tools, and Miroku follows up with the statement that while those youkai deserved no mercy, that was just cruel. I'd like to know what the difference is between showing no mercy and cruelty is, but Miroku doesn't exactly have time to define his terms. Inuyasha is already scoffing up at Naraku that he's the same as always, and tells him that his methods make him sick. Naraku lets out a scoff of his own again, expressing his willingness to bet that Inuyasha and company were planning on killing Abi themselves, thereby implying that they don't really have room to talk.

Thankfully, the argument about which of their violences is more legitimate. Naraku changes the subject to how the Inuyasha group should be grateful, because this next part is thanks to HIM. His tentacled arm whips out at speed once more, tracing a jagged line in the air on its way toward Tekkei's neck from where he's come to stand on her corpse's upper wing, all conveniently undissolved in contrast to her daughter's body. He tells him that they all get to go to the boundary between worlds now as they keep staring in a gaping stupor.

 I'd rather be going to Disney World, and I'm not even a fan of Disney anymore.

So, what did I think of this chapter overall? Disappointing in a similar vein to the confrontation between Bankotsu and Renkotsu - this fight should have been far bigger and more epic. At the same time, my disappointment was much reduced by the fact that this whole arc had taught me not to expect much from Abi and her mother. They rarely ever did anything clever or that made sense for their position in their deal with Naraku, because the plot obviously required them to be overly gullible. You get the sense that we were in a bit of a hush to get to the border between the worlds, and so were speedrunning making the pathway there. If Abi and Tekkei had any sense whatsoever, this arc would have taken at least twice as long, I think. 

Come to think of it, perhaps I should be grateful for that. XD

Myouga showing up again right now strikes me as interesting. If I recall correctly, he and Toutousai scoffed at the notion that a Shikon shard could be found at the border between worlds, and then was shown first-hand how far Naraku and his ilk were willing to go to get to that border in order to grab the jewel fragment that was there. Being made aware that there is actually a shard on the other side of that door had to have given him an incentive to go and research OTHER ways to get to the border, and his knowledge regarding Tekkei and the concern regarding the fact that Naraku was already there with Tekkei points firmly in that direction. But his attempt to leave Inuyasha with the generic advice to be careful, and Inuyasha having to expressly DEMAND the information on how Tekkei opens that path is a little odd to me. Perhaps he figured Naraku was already well on his way to making it happen himself and was essentially telling Inuyasha he should stand back and wait to hitch a ride? But then why not just say THAT? He's giving me sus vibes right now.

Not that he's ever NOT giving me sus vibes, the literal parasite...

Hope everyone had/continues to have a lovely holiday, whichever one is celebrated!

YuYu Hakusho Manga: 017 The Golden Awakening!!

You know, it's been a while since I've watched the sun rise. I tend to be a little bit precious about my sleep, and watching the sun rise requires either staying up the whole night long, or waking up early enough to not miss it entirely. Either way, I have a bit of difficulty making it past the initial stage of yawning and heavy eyelids, which seems almost impossible to resist in the moment. I do hope that I can manage it for this year's winter solstice, though, because taking place on a Saturday makes it the PERFECT time for a witnessing the metaphorical golden awaking of the returning sun. How poetic. 

I guess that "virtue" concept didn't really make much of a difference after all.

Botan says it's true he can return to life and congratulates him, but he's still asking in an elated, though disbelieving way, if she's not fooling. She tells him it's an official decision of the Underworld Council. After a moment of gaping speechlessness, Yusuke's expression collapses into a much more cynical orientation, and he makes a noise of bitter understanding. He asks what the conditions are, suggesting that it might be that he stand on his head the rest of his life as an absurdist joke, though he is indicating he expects it to be something equally ridiculous. Botan sweats a little, characterizing him as once bitten, twice shy. 

But she raises a triumphant finger and declares that there's no catch this time - it's the real deal. The next panel features an extreme close-up on little Koenma's face, and he confirms that it's no more, no less!

Koenma is really getting a kick out of sneaking up on Yusuke, isn't he?

Yusuke asks what's with Koenma popping in on him so often lately, asking if he doesn't have a JOB he has to do. Koenma simply answers that his dad is back, so he's got some time on his hands. In fact, he expresses his intention to devote his full attention to returning Yusuke to his body, which is a good thing, because tomorrow's the deadline they CAN'T miss. Ah, THERE'S the condition!

The simple question of what will happen posed by Yusuke trips a lecture from Koenma about the harmonics of the soul and body; in order to get Yusuke back in his body, they have to get him in there on a day when they match exactly, and the cycle is longer in Yusuke's case than average. When Yusuke asks what the length of the cycle is, suggesting a month or a year, Koenma says it's 50 YEARS. It's a bit flabbergasting for Yusuke to hear this, and for me too, but mostly because it kind of begs the question of why he would have been able to get back in his body every month to keep it alive... Anyway, Koenma jokes that it's a bit of a long haul for mortals, and it's a half-century wait for Yusuke if they miss tomorrow, which is another reason that the Underworld Council recommended full and immediate revival. I'm thinking it's probably more that readers were getting bored of this ghost content. 

Anyway, with eyes uncharacteristically wide open, Koenma reiterates that this is the situation, that he lives again tomorrow, and that they just need a LITTLE help from one of the living. Yusuke asks what kind of help, and I'm struck by how many questions he's had to ask in just a few pages, lol. Koenma says they need vital energy from the living in addition to the power from the Underworld, which at first a somewhat unnerved Yusuke interprets as some sort of sacrifice. Sweatdropping, Koenma asks if he LOOKS like the Devil. 

It's Koenma's turn to raise a finger, explaining that they'll just be taking a little energy as a catalyst, a breath of life into Yusuke's body. The inevitable question of how that breath gets into his body leads to Koenma stating that there's only one possible way - mouth-to-mouth.

It's hilarious that the most efficient way for Koenma to fuck with Yusuke is to suggest the most innocuous shit in the world.

Koenma even shows the curled corners of an impish little smile around his pacifier as he asks Yusuke if he's really surprised, citing artificial respiration as a lifesaving technique that has long been used. Not as lifesaving as continuous chest compressions to maintain bloodflow, of course, considering rescue breaths were removed from CPR training for the general public. But this was written before that started happening in CPR training programs. Koenma says that the difference here is that the mouth-to-mouth will be delivering vital energy rather than oxygen. He gives Yusuke the task of sending three people a message in their dreams tonight, with the goal of making ONE of them understand and act on it. 

It might be just as difficult as if Yusuke suffered cardiac arrest - this is definitely a good majority of the reason why they took rescue breaths out of the CPR curriculum. Hesitation due to EXTREME EMBARRASSMENT. 

Case in point: Kuwabara wakes up LITERALLY SCREAMING. Sitting up in bed in a cold sweat, he complains about the vile, stomach-churning dream he just had, and how it's already morning. He recalls that in his nightmare, he kissed Yusuke while he was glowing gold and he woke up, the memory showing Kuwabara holding the unconscious Yusuke in his arms in preparation for a smooch. Kuwabara shudders, asking himself why he dreamed such a thing, muttering that it's horrible and disgusting. Then the image of the ACTUAL kiss pops up in his head again, with a great big black X blocking out the view of their actual lips locking. Because the sight of two boys kissing is just TOO disturbing not to censor, apparently. Cue eye-roll. Kuwabara shivers some more, and emphatically denies that it means anything, trying to focus on the new day and his decision to play hooky. 

Cut to a building in which there is a condo that Atsuko rents, I assume ever since the house went up in flames. The panel provides the additional information that she pays for this condo by extorting money from Yakuza, but just kind of... leaves it there, like it's super normal or whatever. Come on, Chapter, you can't drop info like that and just NOT explain a little more, FFS! But apparently it can, and does. 

Keiko is knelt beside Yusuke's bed and peering at him, acknowledging that there's no golden glow, and thinks that it was just a dream after all.

Not really. Girl, did you forget your barely contained impulse to make out with the unconscious Yusuke BEFORE this dream happened? Maybe she blocked it out due to shame...

She stares at Yusuke for a little longer, looking all pensive, before she regains her senses and gripes about the DREAM making her all weird or whatever. She checks her watch, distractedly claiming she has to get to school. I guess she picks up another letter from Atsuko before she leaves, and grumbles as she sweatdrops about how Atsuko must have gone on another all-night bender. The following panel shows Atsuko sitting smiling around a beer can lifted to her lips on a couch, one one side a man is passed out with his head resting on a filthy coffee table, on the other is just a pair of man's legs sticking out over the side as he vomits in the space behind the sofa. She appears to be humming pleasantly. And Keiko thinks SHE'S the one being all weird. 

After the door softly clicks closed, we're given an x-ray view of Yusuke under his blanket, and that glow around his legs. Yusuke complains that he WAS glowing, and Keiko just couldn't see it. Koenma explains that power from the underworld enters at the feet and moves up. Why? Because it causes much more drama in this particular circumstance, of course! Koenma tells Yusuke that his whole body will be glowing by around noon. Yusuke clenches his teeth, growling about how school doesn't let out until the afternoon, and he can't count on his mother or Kuwabara. 

At school, Keiko is sitting at her desk with a dreamy distracted look, thinking about how Kuwabara didn't come to school today, which is a shame, because she was hoping to be able to talk to him about that dream. Kuwabara! This is what happens when you don't go to school, dammit! Keiko puts pen to paper and starts to scribble out notes, resolving to visit Yusuke again after school, but just then, a man opens the classroom door and calls her out of class. 

I don't BELIEVE it!

I've heard of torturing your darlings but this is ridiculous.

Keiko gapes in horror, and the next panel shows the hospital, at 5:30 pm, where Keiko is being told that her mother is quite weak and has the flu, but she'll be fine, just needing a little rest. Holy shit, imagine living in a country where you can go to the hospital in the event that you collapse from the flu! The man with his hands in his jacket pocket next to Keiko and the hospital bed - the view isn't clear from the distance from which Yusuke and Botan are looking through the window - says that Keiko can go on home, because her mother is going to be fine. She confirms it's her father when she emphatically insists she's going to stay until mom wakes up. 

Botan exclaims that this is bad luck and worse timing, because while Keiko's mother isn't seriously ill, this is keeping Keiko from where she's truly needed. Yusuke, on the other hand, has a perfectly relaxed little smile on his face. He says Keiko is a real multitasker, but there's nothing she cares about more than her family, and all she can think about right now is her mom, so the dream is completely forgotten. Botan looks nervously at him, but doesn't say anything further.

Koenma appears again to tell Yusuke that his whole body is lit up now, and all they need is that vital energy. The panel featuring his sleeping form exudes a pretty bright glow, as far as can be seen in a drawing. Botan sweatdrops, thinking that it would be best if Keiko's mom would just wake up impatiently. Then her eyes widen in epiphany, and she shoots forward on her oar with the eager declaration that Keiko's mom is asleep, which has given her an idea that she tells Yusuke to hold on for. Yusuke curiously asks after her, but she's gone. 

Again, Keiko is being told that a sedative her mother is under should keep her out cold until tomorrow, and that she should go home. Why... would they give a woman with the flu a sedative?? Sure, cold medicine can knock you out, but why didn't they just say THAT? It's 10:50pm and Keiko sits by her mother's bedside still, looking at her wristwatch once again, and thinking that maybe that would be best. She's still considering this when her unconscious mother begins to mutter, Yususke's name coming out of her mouth. In surprise, Keiko let's out a disbelieving exclamation, and her mother repeats Yusuke's name, urging Keiko to go to him and warning her that time is running out. 

The time is 11:50pm, and Yusuke floats outside that apartment where his body lies, arms and legs crossed in the air. He says Keiko isn't coming, but Koenma floats beside him, telling him that he's too impatient, and to have a little faith in Botan. But he also asks Yusuke what he'll do if this doesn't quite work out for him. Smiling, Yusuke says that there's NO WAY he'll make Keiko wait for fifty years, and he's not into the idea of coming back once a month for that long either. He doesn't let the implication just hang between them, saying outright that it would be best to just bite the bullet and let himself die. 

Yikes. But... fair, I guess.

A car speeds up and a familiar girl jumps out of there, slamming the door before running for the condo building. She's easily identified as Keiko. Botan also flies in on her oar and explains that she alerted Keiko through her mom, and it took her a while to get the harmonics right. Sounds... plausible? Botan asks how much time is left, and Yusuke barks that it's just five minutes. 

Keiko dashes to the door and has to pause to find the key in her bag, struggling to locate it at first. 

Y'all are killing me right now.

A clock is shown that ticks up to midnight, and a wide-eyed Koenma sweats, cursing about how he thinks they cut it too close. Keiko runs into Yusuke's room and notes that he's glowing in full now, but that glow is also fading. She leaps the rest of the way into the room toward the bed, and outside, Botan looks over in alarm at a pointing Koenma, while Yusuke looks like his ghostly form is stretching/glitching out. 

We're shown a view of the quiet entryway of the apartment, Keiko's shoes lying all turned over and misaligned where she kicked them off in her hurry. Still gotta observe norms, even in an emergency. The clock shows a minute or two past midnight, but Keiko is leaning over the side of the bed over Yusuke, her lips pressed to his mouth.

She pulls back, looking down at his sleeping form in all anxiety, begging him silently to come back. He's unresponsive, and the glow around him slowly fades, disappearing after a time. Tears start to well and drop from Keiko's eyes as she thinks that she was too late, she didn't make it, and she slumps back onto her ankles in sorrow. But after a moment of a fresh wave of grief setting in, she sees something that makes her gape. 

Yusuke slowly opens his eyes turns his head in her direction, and sits up, staring down at her on the floor beside him. 

I guess TECHNICALLY.

Keiko, hyper detailed with big watery tearful eyes, launches herself on Yusuke in her relief. Outside, Botan lets out a sigh of relief of her own, saying that it was all in the nick of time, but now Yusuke is back in his body and this case is all sewn up. Koenma tells her not to get ahead of herself, because it's only NOW that his case has truly opened. 

Lol wut?

So, what did I think of this chapter overall? It was a lot more suspenseful than I was expecting it to be. I mean, I know that he ends up being revived, I even remember the details from the anime regarding the suspense around the resurrection, but this chapter still had me a little nervous. There was a part of me that was concerned that the timing wouldn't work out, and I think it was because I had empathized with Yusuke's position to the degree where I was thinking I MYSELF wouldn't have the luck needed to make the deadline in this situation. When Yusuke was preparing to resign himself to death if Keiko didn't make it, I felt it, because that is EXACTLY the kind of planning I would be doing at that moment. The empathy YT was able to instill in me for this character helped carry the suspense of the ordeal, even though I was fully aware of the outcome. It's pretty impressive. 

Unfortunately, there is a problem with continuity here, at least when it comes to the assumptions one has to make regarding how Yusuke's trial period is supposed to work. As our own Blue Magic has pointed out, the spirit egg thread seems to have been abandoned entirely, at least for now. But even ignoring that, this "test" against Yusuke's morality and goodness is dependent on his having no definite timeline under which to work. The deadline of harmonics was never mentioned before this point, and the attitude was relaxed enough that there was never any indication of a short window in which to work. Even when Yusuke used up all his "virtue" to save Keiko in the fire, he shrugged it off and no one corrected him on him assuming he would have plenty of time to build it back up again. Koenma mentions the decisions of a council of the underworld a couple of times, and you would think Yusuke's harmonics would have come up in their meetings, and would have come out in his conversations with Yusuke thereafter. Only now, when the plot demands a ticking clock, does one conspicuously appear. Literally.

As I mentioned above, I think there's a possibility that YT was encouraged by his editors/publishers to end this ghost arc, possibly due to waning audience interest, and so he pushed through a rushed conclusion to it with the most tension he could insert under the circumstances. It works, like I said, you just have to avoid looking at it too closely. 

Happy longest night of the year, everybody!