Inuyasha Manga: 345 Thread of Memory

What a flawed concept. Human memory is notoriously inaccurate and littered with holes that are filled with all kinds of ludicrous things by an illogical consciousness. The further removed a memory is from the present, the more degraded and distorted it can become, so its reliability is questionable at best. A single, unbroken thread of memory is probably damn near impossible to find. In particular, memories that are rather unremarkable and without much importance get thrown out of the brain all the time. Hell, most days I've forgotten what I had for breakfast by the time I've gotten off of work!

For a regular sex pest, it's probably VERY difficult to recall all the women one has victimized over the years, huh?

You know what they say: men are afraid women will laugh at them; women are afraid that men will kill them. 

Inuyasha yells at Nushi-sama about going berserk this late in the game achieving nothing for him, punching his giant fish face and sending him reeling. I'm not SURE what he means by "this late", but it's probably a reference to how these complaints against Shima are basically last minute. The great catfish flops on the ground, churning up soil, it's cheek all swollen. Nushi-sama wails a curse, trembling and sweating all over. Inuyasha pulls out Tessaiga, promising that if Nushi-sama wants to get serious, that's a challenge he's well prepared to meet.

Still sounds like a "you" problem, dude. 

Shima's mother and father stare with caution at the fish-creature that appears to have calmed down for the moment, Shima herself asking if they think this also means he's given up on her. Shippou hops up on Inuyasha's shoulder, saying it didn't take long for Nushi-sama to lose steam, as Inuyasha puts away Tessaiga, and with exasperation says it would be ugly to kill the guy when he's like this. He's serving NOTHING but pathetic sauce right now. 

Kagome sidles up to Inuyasha and mumbles to him from behind her hand, informing him that it's getting pretty serious between their two friends off to the side. Inuyasha expresses confusion about them still arguing, as if he and Kagome aren't being petty to each other every five seconds. No room to talk, these two.

Miroku is still standing a distance from Sango, but he's put a tentative foot forward, clearly wanting to get closer to the woman he's addressing. She on the other hand is standing in defeated, moody silence, only speaking after Miroku asks if she won't even listen to him. It's not like she's going to be talking over him or anything. Sango looks off to the side, admitting she's not sure if she knows anymore. Inuyasha opens his FAT TRAP from the sidelines, yapping to Sango about how this behavior is NOT new from Miroku, Kagome snapping his name in rebuke. When he asks her what she's complaining about with a defiant glare, she elaborates her frustration that he just doesn't get that Sango doesn't feel good about Miroku's old girlfriend turning up. Oh, I think Inuyasha understands that VERY well, and his argument is that maybe it should have occurred to her as a likelihood at least EVENTUALLY. 

What he clearly doesn't get is that it won't feel good no matter how prepared she might have or have not been for the probability. 

Shima comes to stand next to Miroku and pleads with him and Sango to stop fighting, Miroku saying her name in mild surprise. She tells Sango that this is all her fault, and asks her not to blame Miroku, but while Miroku remains in silent discomfort, Sango whips around to turn away from them both. 

What do you expect when you haven't actually made an effort to speak up for yourself and just let SHIMA do it for you??? 

While Inuyasha looks annoyed and bored, Kagome asks Miroku if he's not going to go after Sango. Girl, she told him not to follow her. Pretty much the only thing he can do RIGHT at the moment is to honor that request. Also, Miroku says what Sango is basically implying with her surface-level uncertain answer, that she won't listen to anything he tells her at this point. Not that he's even TRIED to tell her anything yet, that I've seen. 

He also expresses his sadness that Sango clearly doesn't trust him all that much. What, she doesn't trust him NOT to have fucked a girl that says he fucked her? How craaaaaazy. Kagome appears a little confused by his statement, and Shippou says with wide eyes that it seems like Miroku's suggesting he's been falsely accused of this alleged tryst. Sounds like your friends ALSO don't automatically find it unbelievable either, my guy. What does that tell you? 

Their overly dramatic conversation is cut off by a distressed call, and they turn toward it to find that Shima is now being flown away on a magic cloud manifested by Nushi-sama. She's reaching out to her parents, crying out for them to save her, but they are powerless to stop the abduction of their daughter by the youkai, who claims that he's changed his mind and he still loves her. I've seen no evidence he loves her AT ALL, but okay. 

Miroku curses and lunges in Shima's direction.

... You realize she's not going to be able to breathe down there, right? 

Inuyasha has joined Miroku in pursuing the kidnapper and his victim, swearing as he regretfully says that he should have finished Nushi-sama off after all. Miroku just says that they MUST save her. No doubt he (rightfully) feels responsible for this whole damn situation. 

Narrow sky transition to Sango, who sits beside the lake, sighing. She casts a glance over her shoulder, sullen over the fact that Miroku isn't even following her. Which she told him to not do. Ugh, TEENAGERS. As she wonders what she's going to do now, she sees Nushi-sama's cloud pass over her head, and adopts a concerned expression at the screaming Shima being pulled along on it. Nushi-sama is still talking about making her his wife no matter what, so Sango starts to jump to her feet in preparation to intervene. But when Shima cries that she already told Nushi-sama about how she already joined with Miroku, Sango's expression sours. Sango, stop being fucking petty and save that girl!

Nushi-sama MAGNANIMOUSLY says he'll forgive Shima for something that happened in the past before they hit the water and he transforms into his giant catfish form, the helpless girl being pulled along in his wake. He looks around at a spiraling disturbance in the water approaching him just before it hits him and he's knocked silly by the object causing it. While he's stunned, the fading Shima's wrist is grabbed and pulled toward the surface. 

Shima identifies Sango as Miroku's companion with some shock. Well, you can't rely on that scrub directly, may as well get helped out by a more responsible girl adjacent to him. 

It's at this point that Miroku and the rest of the group arrive on the ground, looking up at the girls. He calls Sango's name, who looks down at him as Shima calls back to him. Sango returns to staring straight ahead without responding, thinking that he didn't actually come for HER in the first place. I have a question: WHO CARES?? 

Nushi-sama's big fish face pops out of the water below to spit a massive jet of water up at Kirara and passengers passing overhead, hitting the sabertoothed feline directly in the stomach. Sango cries out in alarm, and then a thin tendril wraps around her ankle while she's caught off guard. 

For someone who is so insistent that he LOVES his intended victim, Nushi-sama sure did just grab a completely different one without much thought. 

On Sango's way down, she yells at Kirara to take Shima to a safe place. Inuyasha and Miroku are rushing forward again, the latter complaining that Sango is being so reckless as the former curses once more. Sango throws her Hiraikotsu at her assailant, but he calls her a stupid fool, spitting another water jet to knock the weapon off course. Already, Shima is on the ground with Kagome kneeling over her, who voices this fact with dismay. 

At last, Sango hits the water in an explosion of bubbles, groaning internally. She's not exactly able to open her mouth at the moment. Nushi-sama is perfectly capable of talking underwater though, and chuckles that she's a wench, threatening to drag her down into the bottom of the lake and make her his mistress. I guess I should be thankful to him for demonstrating that Sango could ALWAYS be worse off than if she gets together with Miroku, lol. She looks pretty disturbed by this suggestion too.

A group of paper charms shoot through the water in much the same way they have shot through the air in this comic, which was already a pretty weird depiction of conveyance. Or, maybe they weren't in the water, because the next panel shows an enraged Miroku stabbing his staff down on the charms sticking to Nushi-sama's head, which is ABOVE the water line here. Not sure when he surfaced, but quite convenient for Miroku in any case. The crackling energy sent through him with the attack reverts Nushi-sama back to his more compact form and he falls back into the water with a trailing groan. He's not allowed to languish in the lake for long, though.

How did he hear something Nushi-sama said underwater? 

Whatevz. Nushi-sama apologizes, because he wasn't aware that Sango was ANOTHER of Miroku's women. He's only willing to back off girls if a man expresses ownership over them. Cool. Miroky pushes Nushi-sama aside as he splashes toward Sango, asking if she's okay. She remains moodily silent and swims off, Miroku paddling after her whining for her attention. On the shore, Inuyasha is trembling with frustration that there was NOTHING for him to do AT ALL. He probably wouldn't have been satisfied by defeating that little Spongebob character guy anyway. 

After a transition panel, confusion is expressed, and Shima is shown hanging her head as she sits on the bank in front of the Inuyasha gang, apologizing for lying. Kagome leans toward her in deep interest over how Shima's claim she had hooked up with Miroku was a lie. Shima raises her hands together as if in prayer for forgiveness, admitting it was in fact a lie, because she REALLY didn't want to marry the catfish. You can't blame her; Miroku being the sole alternative would be the ONLY way you'd get me to lie about sleeping with him. In any other context it would be a MORTIFYING thing to say.

Eyes closed in dignified stoicism, Miroku says that Shima made quick use of her wit. Sango is still incensed, though, saying that if it were a lie, MIROKU should have been cable of telling the truth of the matter to her and their friends. She trails the question as to why he DIDN'T do this, and Miroku says he too her kindness for granted and assumed she would understand without him having to tell her. 

I'm FAR less impressed by this explanation than Sango, who stares at him with doe eyes and says his name. Miroku says that his bad habit has been a problem for a while, and he apologizes for giving her a bad memory. I feel like he has a lot MORE than that to apologize for here, but it's a START, I guess. 

After a short pause, Sango says she forgives him, and admits that she was pretty happy about how he saved her. 

Ugh, you both are cringe AF!

Miroku holds her hands, asking if she can forgive him, and she says only if he can forgive her. Touching. Inuyasha questions the voracity of these vows while Kagome says that Sango is kind, and Shippou asserts that she MAY be kinder even than Kagome. Yeah, well, as long as she's careful not to become a doormat. 

Cut to when the group is on the move again, and Shippou suggests from Kagome's shoulder at the back of the group that it WOULD have been better for Miroku to deny the allegations at the very beginning. He FURTHER questions whether it just took a little while for Miroku to remember that he didn't actually do what he was being accused of. 

"... And I've messed around A LOT. I thought we established that."

So, what did I think of this chapter overall? As probably must have been obvious, I didn't enjoy it very much, and after having read through it again more carefully than before, I'm starting to understand why I didn't bother to remember it the previous three times I read this part. It's not just that this isn't really the kind of content that I value, not being a romance plot type of person. More than that, this little arc could have spoken with substance on the situation it brought up, about how few options girls and women have historically been afforded and how their autonomy and ability to say no are denied them. It could even have given these young women an opportunity to seek support from each other, and allowed Sango to demonstrate how Shima shouldn't need her father OR Miroku to get Nushi to fuck off. At the very least, it could have made it more clear that the whole issue with Nushi's grasping entitlement was not a violation of some other guy's ownership, but of Shima herself.

But no, instead what we got was a reaffirmation of male possession of female bodies, and that being the only thing that Nushi was really willing to respect. Furthermore, we have Sango admitting that it made her happy to be "saved" in that manner, with Miroku expressing his ownership over her. It's a pretty vivid picture, and not in the best way.

I'm mainly thinking back to when Miroku and Sango had their little talk about their future, Miroku's admission that he couldn't really love her as a woman, seeing her mainly as a comrade in arms. I feel like this chapter adds a new, nasty dimension to what he said, because now there's an implication that in order to see Sango as a proper woman, she has to be in a comparatively helpless context so he can assert an heroic impulse and a sense of possession over her. His declaration that she was HIS woman was only possible when she was in the position to be stolen away, because his concern for her turning away from her of her own will wasn't really all that potent - he wouldn't have assumed she was still "his" after she said this wouldn't work out and stormed off if the concern was serious to him. 

I realize that I'm thinking WAY too hard about the implications of this goofy little romantic affirmation scene, but that's only because RT thought far too LITTLE about it. She just kind of regurgitated old romantic tropes, no doubt because she was being pressured by her editors and publisher to push out more of these kinds of relationship development scenes, due to their popularity with the mainly teenage audience. There may not be a ton of room to plan with a serialization like this, but any writer should be prepared to question WHY they're writing things a certain way, or making certain content decisions. All of this was a decision, even if it was a decision to just lazily repackage old tropes that are best retired or transformed. 

Most of all, though, I'm just sad for Sango. She could be such a cool character in her own right, and IS in a lot of ways, but she's not allowed to stand on her own. Ultimately, despite being the only team member who doesn't rely on innate magical powers, despite being a competent and confident professional, despite her strength and compassion, her character STILL revolves around the men in her life, and that's just SUCH a waste.

YuYu Hakusho Manga: 045 Battle at "Hell Housing Development"!!

Which one? Take a walk in any city where I'm from and you'll spot any number of housing developments that could be nicknamed "Hell" because the real estate companies that own them can't be bothered with proper maintenance. I've lived in places where the landlord ignored every complaint and safety concern that I submitted, and some of my neighbors suffered quite a bit from their own petitions going unanswered. Everything from holes in floors to black mold, and management brushes you off without so much as a second look. Slumlords are some of the most vile parasites in our current capitalist system, and they're very good at making chronic issues with your unit seem like they were caused by you so they can kick you out and rent out the place to someone else for twice the rent you could pay. 

Can't wait to see how bad THIS development is, though I can't imagine it will be much of a shock. 

I mean, it's fair. Suzaku was SUPER lame. 

The next panel explains that the law of the jungle prevails in the demon realm, meaning anyone who overthrows the more powerful demons is simultaneously feared and a target for overthrow themselves. That in turn means that Yusuke is the new subject of a bunch of demonic ambitions as they claw their ways to the top. Wow, it's crazy that Spirit Realm would put that on a literal CHILD, isn't it???

And that's not the only consequence of Spirit Realm shenanigans for Yusuke. He pops and creaks at every joint as he walks down the street toward school, grimacing at the sounds. Yusuke mentally complains at his exhaustion and the mass of pain his whole body has become. Despite how quick the wounds healed, the pain lingers, like the pricking of pins and needles all over. Sounds like some nerve damage there, kiddo. Can he file a worker's comp claim or what?

It looks like Kuwabara is feeling similarly, because when one of his friends claps him on the back and wishes him a good morning, he lets out a yelp of pain. He rounds on the lot of them, demanding they not do that anymore, and Yusuke draws the same conclusion I did. They all hang out together on what looks like the roof, books and snacks scattered between them, as Kuwabara describes how much torture it is just walking around right now. He says it must be how guys in sports manga must feel, and says they'd better lay low for a while, but his friends are not so certain they can do that, because something's been happening since Yusuke and Kuwabara have been out. Wasn't the whole school out for a couple of days?

It's not all that big a surprise, with how readily those around these boys believe they're capable of the most heinous shit.

The imposters are shown fleeing scattered boys groaning in pain on the ground, the Yusuke-alike promising to come back to them later and inviting the Kuwabara-alike to come along. The latter also reinforces the idea that what they did was a mere start to the damage they plan to inflict. The former even drops a student ID with Yusuke's name on it at the scene, just to drive home the framing. The fake ID was a detail that is thoroughly lame in their view, and someone asks if the imposters think they're international terrorists or something. 

The fair-haired guy says that the imposters casually call each other by Yusuke and Kuwabara's names, and the middle guy says that the dumb guys at Kasane fall for it all the time. With jaws clenched, Yusuke complains that the idiots flood in to fill the power vacuum when they're gone for a mere couple of days, and Kuwabara is determined to take down the fakers ASAP. But they're still crackling and snapping at every joint, so they add that they have to wait to get better first, much to the consternation of their company. It's mentioned that things could get out of hand if they don't do something, and the victims of the imposters are already going after random classmates from this school. 

The exhausted and bedraggled pair grunt in discomfort, and their companions stare back expectantly. They eventually all three stand and begin to depart, calling back to Yusuke and Kuwabara to give the issue some thought, and they'll do what they can if it comes to all-out war. Damn, middle school politics are harsh. Kuwabara calls for them to wait, and they're immediately enthusiastic with the assumption that Yusuke and Kuwabara are agreeing to do something, ready to run those imposter punks down at that very second. 

If you guys did all-out war right now, you'd fucking LOSE. 

We're transported to Kasanegafuchi Park at 2 PM, where a group of shadowy figures declare that Urameshi and Kuwabara will die today. A guy with a pencil mustache and a haircut very similar to Kuwabara's, a plant stalk protruding from between his teeth, is incensed that who he thinks are Yusuke and Kuwabara attacked at night, but are now issuing a bold challenge in the daytime. So... he's NOT one of the imposters. Got it. He says the actual imposters want to meet them at the old "Hell Housing" site at 4:00. 

Another guy screams in a rage that the presumed guys from the rival school have turned nasty, an about-face from their sense of fair play no matter what dirty tricks their own school gang pulled. Wait, so they're just pissed that Yusuke and Kuwabara no longer appear to be playing by rules that they've NEVER observed? Who are these kids, the fucking GOP?

As the large gang continues their conference, some being given the orders to go downtown and round up anyone who wants in on the action, with the promise that Urameshi and Kuwabara will be going down for good this time, a couple of off-model characters grin and lurk behind a nearby tree. And I do mean OFF-MODEL.

Yeesh, no wonder you guys had to attack at night. No one who believe you were Yusuke and Kuwabara otherwise. 

Believe it or not, they become even MORE off-model when the Kuwabara imposter grows some sharp fangs extending over both lips, and the Yusuke imposter's mouth widens into a frog-like countenance with a long tongue protruding from between them. "Kuwabara" says they'll wait until their targets are all tired out and then go in to crush them, for the purpose of making their reputations in the demon and human realms soar. "Yusuke" expresses disappointment that "half-breeds" like them can't just kill them and disappear, because they're actually tied to real human identities, making it necessary for them to improvise. I guess it's a real convenience that their real human identities sort of resemble the biggest targets in both these realms then. Might be a bit of a liability long term, though, if anyone were to look a little closer at the situation. 

Let's be honest, though, that wouldn't happen even if they succeed. 

Their skin becomes leathery and textured in the final stages of their transformations and they chuckle in a sinister way to match their more demonic appearances. Elsewhere, Hiei has his third-eye open and looks to have perceived their planning from a distance with it. He stands on the edge of a building, pulling his bandana back down over the extra eye with a scoff, calling the conspirators third-rate. Muttering that they couldn't defeat Yusuke on his WORST day anyway, Hiei recalls a conversation with Koenma, where he says that Yusuke only recently started fighting with his aura and after the fierce prior battle, his reserves are rather depleted. Therefore, because Yusuke will be even more painfully weak than the average human for the next few days, his goose will be cooked if any demon is able to take advantage of that.

Hiei appears to consider this for a moment, and then he lowers his head, chuckling, asking himself what he's thinking. About taking advantage of this weakness himself, no doubt. 

"It's not what it looks like! I wasn't thinking about killing Yusuke while he's vulnerable, I was just planning my MLP coffee shop AU!"

Hiei keeps it cool, and doesn't turn around when he demands that Kurama not sneak up on him. Kurama asks him what he's doing up here, but Hiei just answers he's not doing anything of consequence. He does ask Kurama in turn what he's doing up here. Kurama says that the Spirit Realm has told him to guard their human associates, but admits his stomach injury isn't fully healed yet. Not surprising - it's sure a thing that would painfully kill a normal person. Kurama reminds Hiei that this is the SECOND severe hit he's taken in that body part, referring to Hiei's stab to his gut back when he was aiming for Yusuke instead. Hiei says he gets Kurama's point, though doesn't speak on whether the pun was intended or not. 

He at last turns to Kurama and declares he's no slave to the Spirit Realm, just putting in his community service. Kurama half-turns, saying he understand, then asks for confirmation that the big clash is happening at the Hell Housing site at 4 PM, and Hiei testily tells him it is, aggressively telling him goodbye. Clearly he'd like to be alone. Kurama airily expresses pity for Yusuke having to fight third-rate demons, but on his way through the door to the stairwell suggests that Hiei might not care, given he's already been beaten by the boy. Oooooh, send Hiei to the BURN UNIT. Hiei silently fumes about the passive insult to him. 
 

Time skip to 3 PM:

That was some FAST work...

As Kuwabara kneels in front of his friends, between them and a gathering crowd of onlookers, one of them stutters out that their attacker came from behind. Kuwabara snaps at them not to try to talk, then calls for someone to take them to Dr. Gonda, and let him know that they're friends of his. A couple of nervous bystanders sweat and shiver, telling Kuwabara that the Kasane guys have a message for him and Yusuke: that they need to either show up at the Hell Housing site at 4 PM or the Kasane gang will beat THEM up next. 

Yusuke clenches a trembling fist and barks in a furious rage that he's prepared to forget the imposters, because the creeps at Kasane are cruising for a bruising. But when they set out for the Hell Housing place, about a kilometer away according to Kuwabara, they dragging themselves along on their feet with the aid of canes, their bodies twitching in pain. Yusuke confidently says the walk should take them 5 minutes, but then admits it'll probably take more like 30 in their current state. They proceed with determination anyway, like the doomed child soldiers for justice they are.

Meanwhile, the imposters are chuckling between themselves again. Fake!Kuwabara says everything's all set up and is ready for the mayhem to begin. Fake!Yusuke says his money is still on the guy he's pretending to be, but the FINAL winners will be the two conspirators. 

Evil attire? What's so evil about it? They look like normal clothes to me. 

Anyway, thirty minutes later, with the above small army kind of hiding out behind a pile of stacked lumber or girders or something, Yusuke and Kuwabara arrive. They've ditched their walking sticks, presumably to appear more capable, but they're trembling something AWFUL. Kuwabara asks what Yusuke thinks, and Yusuke responds after a pause that he's amazed they managed to get there at all. Him and me both. 

The leader of the Kasane gang has managed to get his shirt off, and asks how Urameshi dares to show his face here. Uh... dude, you INVITED him. Fairly DEMANDED he show up, really. But the leader reveals an interesting bit of info - he's under the impression that Kuwabara and Yusuke challenged THEM to a show-down after all their nighttime attacks, and says he hopes the two boys are ready to die. It wouldn't necessarily be a mysterious experience for Yusuke, although he might spend an eternity being embarrassed dying again so soon after he came back. 

Kuwabara yells at the Kasane gang that THEY were the ones who summoned him and Yusuke, not the other way around, and after they beat the shit out of his small posse, to boot. Yusuke asks what all that was for anyway, since it's just the two of them the rival school gang wants. Kasane's gang asks what they're babbling about, and the response is a demand for them not to play dumb. 

Anyone with at least two braincells to rub together might have realized at this point that something FUCKY is going on here, but I doubt there are two braincells between all these masses of kids put together. 

The imposters watch from their hiding place, excited by the start of the show, and how delightful it promises to be. 

But there is a call to hold it right there, as well as a couple of roses tossed between the two and the crowd of toughs rushing them. It is, of course, Kurama, but when the confused Kasane gang yells over Yusuke's identification of him asking who this jerk even is, he says they can just call him Tuxedo Mask. 

Then I realized there are still a few pages I have to cover here, and a short amount of time to do so. 

Kurama may not be wearing a tuxedo OR a mask, but he is here to deliver a snarky lecture upon impatience and starting the fight too early, because the Kasane guys NEARLY beat up the wrong duo. He points over to the pile of construction materials, at the two heads peeking out from behind it, and declares the ones the gang really want are there. 

The imposters grin on regardless, even though the fake!Kuwabara admits that they've been busted. Fake!Yusuke says the masquerade has run its course anyway, because they've got the manpower to crush all of them anyway. The imposters stand confidently as members of the gang put together the fact that THEY'RE the ones who did the ambushes and fooled them into thinking it was Yusuke and Kuwabara. They confirm with raised hands, telling the morons that it doesn't exactly matter that they finally figured it out because they're surrounded now. They call for their fellow "half-breeds" to step forward. 

... And they wait. A tumbleweed may as well be bouncing across the panel, because they are not joined by their own little gang, left alone with raised arms like the morons they assumed the gang were before. They at last lower their hands and make confused noises at one another. 

Have I mentioned how much I LOVE the wacky faces in this comic? 

Fake!Yusuke asks his companion if he knows what he's thinking and fake!Kuwabara immediately guesses it's that they're screwed. Not really that hard of a game, to be honest. They're surrounded by the crowd of Kasane gang members, who call them punks, telling them to get ready to pay big time for their little scheme. The imposters laugh nervously, then scream, yelling for the gang to stay back, or... Well, they never really get around to coming up with consequences for their beating. They're smashed to a pulp, blood spurting, and bruises, lumps, and broken bones making their already off-model forms that much more twisted and distorted to the point where they're pretty much unrecognizable. Then, to my horror, the next panel show them laying on what looks like some cracked rock face, NAKED, their clothes burning between them. Thankfully, where we might have seen some genitalia on one of them (fake!Kuwabara), there is smudge to sensor it. However, fake!Yusuke's ass is fully on display, and it's a good thing I've already had breakfast, otherwise I might not be hungry for it after seeing that.

Yusuke thanks Hiei for his help, and Hiei expresses his surprise he had to step in at all, in the most dispassionate way possible of course. He tells Yusuke that he can't go losing to a couple of morons like that no matter HOW bad a shape he's in, because it wouldn't reflect well on HIM. Even though Hiei suggests it could have been a fluke, he still lost to Yusuke. He asserts that Yusuke and Kuwabara really need to toughen up, if only to protect his own tough reputation. 

With a chuckle, Yusuke admits that he's right, and he owes Hiei for two now, while Kuwabara rages off to the side about how anyone could mistake that pug-ugly freak for him. Let it go, dude. Yusuke holds out a creaking arm for Hiei to take, saying it's good to have him back (as if he WENT anywhere).

Yeah, I'd wanna get the hell out of there too. Those clothes burning must stink something AWFUL.

So, what did I think of this chapter overall? It's gratifying that the issue of exhaustion and recovery is being addressed here. I feel like I see too often in a lot of these action-oriented fighting-heavy stories that the protagonists move between battles with little to no recovery required. In the cases in which recovery IS focused upon, it's depicted more on the scale of just being a bit tired. Here, we get a more severe picture, with the boys suffering GREATLY in just about every way with every part of their bodies, to the point where they really have to put in the effort to even MOVE. That's a much more realistic view of how a novice having just come out of a battle that was probably a bit beyond their skill level at present might fare. 

I also appreciate the discussion of what that kind of vulnerability would invite from potential enemies, but that's a much more common depiction in these narratives than the former. Usually it's surrounding a particularly grievous injury on the already strong, skilled protagonist, so it can be chalked up to an anomaly rather than a general weakness. That way, you can have the danger from a recovery period while not sacrificing the bulk of the power fantasy these stories are usually based upon. Though I'd say that YT managed very well to communicate the general relative weakness of Yusuke and Kuwabara, with the emphasis on (per Hiei) the fact that they still have a long way to go before they can really come out of fights with literal demons and not be all but incapacitated. It doesn't make the boys look like awesome badasses, but it DOES help to build anticipation for when they eventually reach that state. It promises a satisfying arc, which is much preferable in my opinion. 

I do find it funny that there's half-demons who so resembled Yusuke and Kuwabara that they could pull off this scheme. Given how Yusuke's character evolves, I WOULD be tempted to think this was some kind of wink in that direction, if not for Kuwabara's character NOT taking the same path. A shame, because I would have LOVED to give YT the credit.

Shout out to my wonderful husband, to whom I've been married for 11 awesome years today, and the one who convinced me to start covering this manga on my blog. Love you, honey! <3 <3 <3

Inuyasha Manga: 344 Error From the Past

We all have a few of those. Some of them are minor, little things that don't really matter in the long run and are probably more embarrassing than anything else. In those cases, the person holding onto the memory of these errors are probably the only ones who remember them at all. But some of those errors are quite egregious and can cause some emotional and even material issues for us down the line. I'm currently contemplating one of those kinds right now in my own life, and more the reasons that I made that error in the first place. 

Word of advice: letting people who hate you and want you to suffer dictate your decisions, even when those decisions are the OPPOSITE of what those people would have imposed upon you, is a big mistake.

Thanks for reminding me to turn up the thermostat, Kagome. 

Nose running in the cold, Shippou asks with some asperity why MIROKU is the only one who gets to hang out in the house, and Kagome says that she doesn't know for sure. She does relate what he told her about wanting to discuss things with the family, though. With all the delicacy of which he is capable, no doubt. Shippou asks if Miroku will refuse to join the family by marriage, and Kagome says he SHOULD, considering how he promised to marry Sango, who stands off to the side looking sullen. If I were her, I would be rethinking MY commitment to that plan myself. Miroku hardly seems worth the heartache. 

Inuyasha turns his head to question Sango if she can really trust Miroku, because after all, it IS Miroku. He delivers what must be some sort of aphorism: "Shame on a man who doesn't accept a woman's proposal", which inspires Sango to glare DAGGERS at him as she sweatdrops. Kagome yells at Inuyasha to sit, and as he raises his head from the dirt in consternation, lectures him like he's a toddler, asking where he learned such a nasty phrase. He's a 15-year-old boy, what do you expect?? Kagome then implores him to READ THE FUCKING ROOM, and Sango is kind of hung up on the fact that this was a secondary concern to Kagome than the gross phrase Inuyasha used. 

Meanwhile, inside, Shima's father is telling Miroku that he wants to conduct the marriage ceremony as soon as humanly possible, while Shima continues to hang off of Miroku on the adjacent side of the fire. Miroku does NOT refuse outright, instead drawing attention to the fact that Shima's harasser is a youkai, and argues that he's liable to pursue her regardless of her marital status. Basically, he asserts this isn't the time for a wedding because it's not going to matter anyway, but Danna-sama begs to differ. He says Nushi-sama has expressed his preference for a "pure" girl as a bride, and it's this preference that makes them believe that he'll give up once Shima's married. Miroku is not convinced, insisting that it won't work, but Shima begs him to let her become his wife before Nushi-sama comes. Miroku regards her seriously, but he's reduced to a nervous chuckle when her own father recites what Inuyasha said earlier: "Shame on a man who does not accept a woman's proposal". Well, it can't be THAT taboo of a saying...

Suddenly, a giant version of Sango's head floats at Miroku's nervous back, surrounded with spectral fire. 

Shippou pops back into his regular form, claiming he was just trying to communicate Sango's feelings to Miroku. She says she's not mad in a deadpan tone, carrying Shippou by the back of his collar back out the door while she offers an apology for intruding. She casts withering look over her shoulder at Miroku, wishing the fool death, and Miroku picks up on THAT message CRYSTAL CLEAR, his nervous smile weak and unsteady. 

Shima's parents ask trailing questions about that woman, and he's about to deliver what I can only assume is a half-explanation when another earthquake rattles the house. Outside, Kagome runs up with bow in hand, acknowledging the renewed tremors, and Sango has also shouldered her Hiraikotsu by its strap across her chest. Inuyasha has a hand on Tessaiga's hilt, saying that something reeking of fish is approaching. He asserts that the "Nushi-sama of the lake" is finally making an appearance. 

The ground heaves and crumbles like some large burrowing animal is digging directly for them. A dark figure emerges from the dirt, shadowed and imposing, Inuyasha and Kagome agape at it, but it's not for the reason you might think. 

Uhhh... a bit LESS intimidating that I was expecting. 

A sweatdropping Kagome makes a confused noise, the gapes of those around her not letting up in the slightest. Smooth head glinting in the moon/lamplight, Nushi-sama introduces himself as the master of the lake, and says he's come for Shima as promised. Kagome, Inuyasha, and Sango all lean in to confer in hushed tones, questioning if this is really the guy, unable to come to any other conclusion, since there's no one ELSE around vying for the identity. 

Inuyasha steps forward silently and whacks Nushi-sama on the top of his head, telling him to go home. 

The best reason he could have, honestly. 

At last, the family, and Miroku, have emerged from the house, Shima's father stuttering as he acknowledges Nushi-sama. Shima peeks out from behind Miroku's sleeve, complaining that she's scared, a claim Sango responds to with some incredulousness. I mean, LOOK at the dude. Nushi-sama waves at Shima and greets her with a flirty tone, but she wails and cringes. Girl, come on, this is EMBARRASSING for you. Inuyasha pats Nushi-sama on the shoulder in a mockery of sympathy, advising him to give it up. 

Nushi-sama sweats profusely, asking why, because he was clearly under the impression that he was promised he could come for his bride today. Miroku asks what promise Nushi-sama is talking about, with Shima insisting from over his shoulder that she never promised ANYTHING. Her father grovels in the dirt in front of Nushi-sama, begging for forgiveness, shocking his daughter. Dad's got some 'splaining to do, for sure.

He recalls again Miroku's past prescription of herbs made into tea for Shima to drink every day, relating once again how he boiled those expensive-ass plants just as directed, but this time he's hanging his head in shame. The water from the lake was his medium for them, and in drawing water from the lake, he did a little extra something as well.

Wrote a BIG fucking blank check there, dude. 

From the obvious result, Miroku deduces that what Nushi-sama asked for is Shima as a wife. Nushi-sama himself elbows Inuyasha and asks him if he had made any kind of mistake in his assumptions that Shima was all set up to marry him, Inuyasha keeping his eyes closed and mouth shut in the face of this condescending rebuttal. Kagome admits she sort of feels bad for the guy, as if his ask itself was at all reasonable. The very clear mistake Nushi-sama made here, extending Shima's father's promise that HE would do anything to a promise that anyone CLOSE to him could be made to do anything too, will NOT be pointed out by our young and clueless protagonists. 

Fingers covering her mouth in her shock, Shima mutters that she had no idea her father had made such a deal with the lake youkai. Her father asks for forgiveness, and she tells him it's alright, all done in his dedication to the healing of her illness. Her own filial devotion will no doubt prevent her from telling him he could have been a BIT more careful with her future if he was so concerned that she be healthy for it. 

Sadly, Shima goes on to say that there's no avoiding a promise like that, despite the fact that SHE didn't know about it. Nushi-sama is ecstatic at her apparent acceptance of their impending nuptials, suggesting so in a sing-song voice. Miroku and Sango are in horrified shock, questioning if she would ACTUALLY marry a youkai. I think the fact that he's a youkai is like the LEAST of his character flaws right now, guys. 

Also, Inuyasha is RIGHT THERE. The product of a youkai-human union. RIGHT THERE. 

Shima kneels in front of Nushi-sama, who doesn't even look tall when her head is on the ground, and begs his forgiveness, claiming she's not WORTHY of becoming his bride. He literally looks like a character from Spongebob Squarepants when he looks down at her with a flat expression (mirrored by Inuyasha and Kagome behind him) and asks her WHY. Shima tells him that she'd heard he desires a pure girl for his wife, but she's not been pure since two years before. 

Girl.  O.o

Danna-sama stutters as he asks Shima if that's true, and she apologizes for not being able to bring herself to tell him. Inuyasha says it figures, but Kagome admits she's still a bit shocked despite having heard this shit before. Miroku looks highly agitated and not at ALL stoked about this statement from Shima, while the absolutely dead-eyed Sango beside him repeats the lie that this is all fine, because it's something that happened a while ago. Nobody's buying that, sweetie. 

Danna-sama repeats to Nushi-sama that this is the situation as it stands, and Shima's mother suggests they pretend it never happened. Little rivers of tears run down Nushi-sama's cheeks(?) as he blubbers that they deceived him. No dude, no one deceived you, you just had expectations of someone you have never fucking spoken to before now that were not reflective of reality. THAT'S ON YOU. But like any guy with an entitlement complex who doesn't get what he feels he's owed, he transforms into a monster, screaming about how Shima's cuteness just makes his hatred worse. The difference between him and a human man is that he LITERALLY transforms, his goofy unthreatening form stretching and expanding into a giant demonic fish. 

The ground heaves beneath Inuyasha and Kagome's feet, and she clings to his arm to stay steady, Shippou doing the same at Kagome's calf. a heavy smoke fills the air around Nushi-sama's growing form. 

Is this some sort of pun about internet catfishing? I don't know if the Japanese have the same term for it that we do, but if so, there might be a little bit of a goofy parallel here. 

Shima's parents shriek that their house will be smashed as the ground shakes, and Shima herself clings to Miroku's middle, begging that he save them. He promises to calm down the enraged youkai, then turns to Sango for some support in this task, but Sango emits a dark aura, silent and brooding. Her edges are literally prickly as she tells him to clean up this mess himself, since it's HIS error from the past. Congratz to her for getting to say the chapter title, but it's probably not much of a consolation prize. 

Shima asks Miroku if the other woman is going to start transforming too, but Miroku insists that Sango's not a youkai. She could still tear some shit up, though. Kagome shouts that this isn't the time for a dispute, perhaps at Sango and Miroku, but it's kind of impossible to tell to whom she's directing this admonishment. Meanwhile, Inuyasha has leapt forward, pushing off from the roof of the house toward the great catfish glaring at him. He declares that Nushi-sama's opponent is HIM, even though he has less than 0% to do with this shit. Nevertheless, Nushi curves his head down and opens his fanged mouth to make good on his stated purpose of taking Inuyasha down in one gulp.

Somehow, the focus shifts away from the ACTION, to where Miroku is reaching out to Sango, insisting they can talk this out. Sango tells him not to come any closer, and then her enraged expression softens into a more depressed downcast face as she says that it's clear this won't work out. Miroku sweatdrops, his wide eyes and gape indicating a numb shock as he repeats her last phrase in disbelief. 

Your boyfriend is about to be eaten by a big fish, you don't think that's a little more important?

So, what did I think of this chapter overall? I find the framing in this chapter a bit odd. Nushi looks and ACTS a little like Mukotsu, who was unambiguously condemned in the narrative for his behavior, but Nushi is portrayed in a much less malicious and more comedic light. Sure, Nushi isn't trying to outright assault Shima, but the attitude of entitlement to intimacy with a woman is similar, and he turns violent at the end of the chapter because of it. Just because it's not sexual violence doesn't mean it's less severe, or that it's not a serious red flag for escalation. It's because we view this kind of tantrum as more pathetic than threatening and only take it seriously when it crosses over into assault (sometimes not even THEN) that we have a problem reining in misogyny as a whole. 

Nushi's assumptions are never challenged or questioned. It's never pointed out to him that he extended Shima's father's promise to do anything to Shima herself, even though SHE made no such promise. No one ever tells him that viewing his intended bride not as an autonomous person, but a bargaining chip her father can just hand off to anyone who asks might not be the BEST basis for a long term relationship. Nor does anyone have anything to say about how he immediately jumps to the conclusion that he's been LIED TO, rather than his expectations of the situation being mistaken. He literally says that he has a quickly ballooning HATRED for the family and their allies, based entirely on his aggrieved sense that no one should deny him access to Shima/the virginity she claims she doesn't have anymore. 

Now, I realize that some have argued this story is set in a time period in which women and girls WERE indeed viewed as chattel, and were married off to whomever at the whims of their male family members, primarily. Hell, in Japan these days, it's still not all that uncommon for arranged matches to occur. However, it's important to remember that this is a modern story written by a modern woman, and the main character is a modern girl. Kagome could be capable of pointing out the flaws in Nushi's logic and providing an alternative view to this dubious arrangement, and RT herself could have built a similar framing around Nushi as she did Mukotsu to emphasize how Nushi's entitlement can lead to Mukotsu's EXTREME actions. 

But instead she just has Kagome fret about what's going to happen between her friends at the end of the chapter. What a waste. 

YuYu Hakusho Manga: 044 The Last Measure!!

I sure hope so. I can't tell you how sick I am of the flat, boring Suzaku, so I'm rather looking forward to an end to this fight. But since I can't quite remember how he's beaten in the anime, nor can I count on the resolution here to be exactly alike, I'm not sure how Yusuke's going to pull this one out of the fire. It seems unlikely he has enough energy to aim an attack with even a fraction of the power that his last one had, even if he manages to reach even DEEPER down for it. He might need some serious help, because his enemy doesn't seem to play by ANY rules that make sense, most of his power coming from his role as a villain in the story and the lack of a need to adhere to any norms of character or fair engagement.

Which would be an AWFULLY terrifying superpower if a real person outside of a cartoon happened to harness it. 

... Wait...

He's LITERALLY cooked. 

A boom of thunder from arcing lightning sounds outside the tower, and the rest of the team below it have their commentary - Kurama says it's going to be a big finish and Hiei predicts that someone's going to die this time. At this point they've taken down ALL the multitudes of Soylent Greens that were preventing their entrance to the tower, so with an insistent grunt, the doors are pushed open, and they announce their intentions to run straight to the top.  

That's just wind kicked up from the amp to Suzaku's upcoming attack, but it's strong enough that Yusuke thinks it could bowl him straight over, his jelly legs quivering at the force. He's convinced he really IS used up this time, in a bad way. Suzaku laughs about how SWEET it is that Yusuke and his girl get to die at approximately the same time, and bids his opponent to enjoy his reunion with Keiko in the afterlife. He does express some appreciation for how "diverting" this impromptu battle was.

"Diverting"? What, precisely, do you have to "divert" from, dude?

Yusuke is alarmed at the renewed references to Keiko, and her image on the screen behind all those Suzakus, calling for Botan to hang on. Suzaku mocks this as her death wail, saying it will be Yusuke's requiem. The image on the screen is shown in the multifaceted eye of a fly buzzing in the room, watching the mass of chuckling possessed people closing in all around the collapsed Botan and Keiko. OHHHH! So THAT'S where the broadcast is coming from! A literal fly on the wall! It's groan-worthy, but I won't lie, at least it's a fair explanation. 

The crying Keiko is thinking at Yusuke as Iwamoto threateningly tells her this is IT for her, bloody fist still carrying those scissors in addition to another's fist clutching a hammer. Tears streak down her face, and she sends out another mental plea to Yusuke. 

What's this? ANOTHER hidden reservoir of energy???

Indeed, his aura flares suddenly, and Yusuke acknowledges that, what do you know, he has a bit of extra energy after all. Much to Suzaku's vexation, of course. He exclaims that Yusuke is alive and full of spiritual power, and sweating, realizes that his life force is charging Yusuke up, expending his very existence to continue the fight. A car battery charged by the running engine comes to mind, although I'm not sure if that's quite the right metaphor. 

In any case, Yusuke pulls back his fist and charges it with his overwhelming aura that is apparently propped up by his urge to keep Keiko alive. As he does so, he confirms that he's using up his life force to kill Suzaku's ass, and declares the demon is going down. Suzaku gapes, admitting he's never faced such raw power, but tries to fire off his Lightning Shockwave before Yusuke can hit him. 

As for how well THAT works...

Did they rip open space and time or something???

Whatever they did, it blows the whole top straight off the tower, alarming the rest of the team with debris ricocheting down the stairs at them, Kuwabara letting out a horrified exclamation. Suzaku still appears whole while he's thrown back back at the top, but his elaborate whistle crumbles under the pressure of his and Yusuke's combined attack. Yusuke, also still whole, miraculously, is conscious enough to acknowledge that he destroyed the whistle as he set out to do, but soon he can't see anymore, can't even perceive Keiko to ensure he did it on time. His last conscious thought is a halting one of hope that he managed to beat the clock. 

Ugh, Suzaku is STILL alive. He complains, in a halting, painful fashion, that his Lightning Shockwave was perfect and he SHOULDN'T have sustained such damage. Suddenly, he gasps as something he sees out of the corner of his eye; a crack in his antenna. Wait, those thin dark-colored forelocks are ANTENNA?? I guess that explains his affinity for insects to the point of using them in an attempt to break into the human realm. He speculates that Yusuke's FIRST Reigun attack might have caused the crack, but dismisses that idea almost immediately. These antenna contain his life force, so he's armored them to Hell and back, making them harder than diamonds. We've talked about how the hardness of diamonds don't translate into them being unbreakable in an Inuyasha review - in short, diamonds are quite brittle at their cleavage points because the chemical bonds in the crystal structure are weaker there, which is why people don't make HAMMERS out of them. 

You know, out of all the crazy things that are currently happening in the world right now that test my mental fortitude, I think finding out that a dumbass billionaire somewhere had a startup dedicated to making diamond luxury hammers would psychologically BREAK ME. I hate that this is more than a slight possibility. 

Anyway, demon doesn't understand the chemistry of geology, so if he specifically fashioned the armor for his antenna after the hardness of DIAMONDS, that no doubt is the root of his problem right there. He's convinced no normal attack could break that armor, but he collapses onto his face as he acknowledges that Yusuke DID in fact do it. The bond the boy has with the girl was quite a bit more potent than he anticipated. 

Kuwabara, Kurama, and Hiei climb up through the hole in the floor that once held the dome over the staircase. The former calls out to Yusuke, who he sees laying supine in the rubble. Kurama kneels next to Yusuke and puts a hand on his chest, mumbling that his condition isn't good; Yusuke's aura is depleted and there's barely a heartbeat. Kuwabara offers immediately to give Yusuke an aura transfusion, and I can't help but be reminded of Dracula's rather FREE use of blood transfusions in its story, lol. 

Kurama tries to forbid Kuwabara from this, citing the fact he's barely recovered from his battle with Byakko, but Kuwabara will NOT be denied. He yells that he's not going to stand there and watch Yusuke die, insisting he needs energy, and Kurama's demonic aura will be no good for humans, so Kuwabara declares he's the only option Yusuke has got. Sounds like some dicey logic, but whatevz. He kneels next to Yusuke and charges him with aura, willing the jerk to live. Yusuke's eyes pretty much immediately open and they glare over at Kuwabara in annoyance and rage. 

There's a roar off-panel while Kurama comments to Hiei that they're going to need to carry BOTH boys out of there. Hiei complains about humans being a pain, resigning himself to never understanding why they make such sacrifices for one another. Kurama argues that this quality is what enabled Yusuke to defeat Suzaku, but Hiei only says this is perhaps the case, and seems rather unconvinced. He does say with some certainty that you wouldn't catch HIM almost dying for someone else. 

Kurama points out that if Yusuke hadn't risked it, he'd be dead anyway, and Hiei accuses Kurama of always having to have the last word. Ugh, you two just need to kiss already. 

Once Yusuke and Kuwabara are finally BOTH out, Kurama and Hiei comment on it with little concern. At least the trip back out of here will be quieter, however that's supposed to happen. We still don't have a clue how they all got here in the first place. 

This kid's mom is going to flip the fuck out on him. AGAIN. 

Yusuke sits up in bed, tossing off the blankets, and moans out half-questions about where he is and what happened, a palm pressed to his aching head. Kuwabara compares Yusuke to sleeping beauty while announcing his awakening, and states he's safe and sound in Kuwabara's own room. Gracious, you boys are NOT beating the allegations, are you? Kurama placidly tells Yusuke that he's been out for three days, Kuwabara following up with an excited account of how school has been in total turmoil and classes have been cancelled. He adds that he let Yusuke's mom know he's alright though. I don't know whether to hope she doesn't know Yusuke came to death yet again, or hope she's at least clued in a little. That poor woman. 

Yusuke groans about the three whole days and how he's never felt so beat to death, which is something coming from a guy who's literally been dead before. He suddenly recalls Keiko and Botan and trails in a question about their safety, but a sweating Kuwabara starts in on relating how Iwamoto is getting grilled by the police, and the shitty teacher claims not to remember a single thing he did in that period of possession. He also says that their councilor is recovering from a serious blow to the head too. Yusuke brushes aside this information, trying to ask again what's with Keiko and Botan. Kuwabara starts to babble, asking if he mentioned Iwamoto getting grilled by the police, and tries to swerve into a side-street about what the best part about that is, but Yusuke is NOT having it and demands to know what's the deal with Keiko and Botan again. 

He pointedly asks what Kuwabara is trying to hide, only to get sullen silence from both him and Kurama in response. Yusuke tries to spur them to answer softly at first, then yells, jumping out of bed to grab a fistful of Kuwabara's shirt and tell him not to pull this crap. Once more, Yusuke asks what happened with the girls. 

... Nothing, I guess. 

Yusuke gapes in confusion, while Kuwabara snickers in amusement over how he really had Yusuke going. Even Kurama is giggling over it, but he's trying to pin all of this little prank on Kuwabara thinking he's funny. As if you don't think the same, dude. Kuwabara is straight-up crying, choking out that Yusuke should have seen his own face. You know, when he was panicking over the possibility that Keiko and Botan were DEAD? Hilarious. Yusuke's clenched jaw and fuming expression is all we get to see of his immediate reaction, because the next panel features a kitten in the corner, mostly just a sign that we're going to pause here as Kuwabara gets his head handed to him. As he should, frankly. 

Next thing we know, Botan is explaining what Yusuke missed in her chipper way, strange in contrast to her statement about how it was a close call and they thought they were goners. She even recounts how she got knocked in the head with a big grin on her face. But she says that when she came to, she saw all the possessed assailants sprawled out, and so she knew Yusuke had triumphed. He's sitting cross-legged on the floor, just as chipper as her, expressing his massive relief that they're okay. Kuwabara is laying insensible beside him, a Japanese-style gravestone pinning him at his back to symbolize how Yusuke beat him damn near to death. 

Yusuke claims that it's all over, but he sees Keiko glaring with intense displeasure at him from beside a still beaming Botan, so it's clear there's still some hard feelings here. 

Good luck, brother.

He blurts to her that he knows this was his fault, and when she turns silently to listen to him, he says he was stupid, encouraging her to chew him out because he deserves it. She steps toward him, still wordless, and raises an arm into the air with a whoosh. Yusuke sweatdrops, anticipating a physical rebuff coming, but she instead brings down her hand to hold her index finger up in front of his nose. He's REALLY sweating now, but lets out a confused noise in face of the strange gesture. 

Keiko tells him that Botan gave her the whole story. Like, the WHOLE story? Keiko doesn't really elaborate, but she does say that the next time he gets a mission like this, she wants him to tell her about it before he goes. She asks for his promise that whenever possible she'll be the first to know what's going on. As Yusuke stares in mild shock, she explains that she doesn't want to be left fumbling in the dark and then only informed of everything after the fact. A reasonable expectation, if she's going to be placed in this kind of danger by these little escapades of Yusuke's all the time. He says he understands why she would want this, and apologizes, but Keiko says she's not asking for a "sorry" but a promise. As they continue walking, Yusuke swears he won't let anything else happen to her, which is NOT the promise she asked for! She points this out, and Yusuke winces, pausing for a second before insisting that there won't be any more missions as dangerous as this one. Rightfully so, Keiko is not to be placated or diverted in attention, and says that shit doesn't matter. She demands the promise she ASKED FOR. 

Gracious, what is Yusuke's allergy to just TALKING to this girl in earnest???

Just pick one, they're all pains. 

So, what did I think of this chapter overall? I feel like YT is trying to have his cake and eat it too with this one, but it actually works. On the one hand, Yusuke is given MULTIPLE second-winds when Keiko is threatened or otherwise particularly visible, so we get the classic "power from the desire to protect someone important" trope that is a staple in the Shonen genre. On the OTHER hand, we have Yusuke's ultimate victory following the established pattern in this particular story, which is based mostly on luck and accidental vulnerabilities. I think it's interesting how these two seemingly contradictory tropes were combined at the end of this arc, to give us a taste of how truly powerful Yusuke could end up being given the motivation, but also clue us in on the fact that all the power in the world isn't all that useful if you don't know WHERE to aim it. ;)

I'm truly perplexed why Yusuke was unwilling to promise to keep Keiko informed at the end of the chapter, though. It make sense that the simplest thing he could do when he goes on any mission is let Keiko know of what it consists, so she can be on the alert for anything weird or funny happening around her and prepare accordingly. And he has said within the past couple of chapters that she's not some fainting waif, but a badass who is PERFECTLY capable of protecting herself. Why he wouldn't be super on-board for the easiest way of keeping them both alert and safe, the option that requires the absolute LEAST amount of effort, is the biggest mystery in this whole story. Maybe solving that one should be the next mission, lol. 

Kuwabara and Kurama have made it on my shit-list for this one. I do not enjoy pranks where one is made to believe someone they love is hurt or dead. Not cute. Not funny. Yusuke should have beat the shit out of Kurama too for that one, frankly. 

Swerve: If I'm at all erratic in my posts in the coming weeks and months, I would like to offer my apologies. I'm doing all the protests, observations, and political actions that I possibly can handle right now, and I can't guarantee there won't be *ahem* CONSEQUENCES for that doled out by the fascist state that is now occupying the soulless husk of the United States. If anyone in the States reading this is also doing their best to defend and protect their neighbors during this difficult time, solidarity forever friends, and I'm hoping for your safety as well as your sustained energy for what will no doubt continue to be a hard fight. For anyone outside the USA, don't buy anything from here if you can help it, and certainly don't come here. Fuck the World Cup, your safety is SO MUCH more valuable. 

Stay safe everyone. <3

Inuyasha Manga: 343 Fiancée

Because I'm a US American, I'm a bit ignorant in general as to accents over symbols and letters, as well as adding them to my otherwise plain type. But since I'm learning French, and more about how the spelling/syntax/grammar works, it REALLY bothered me not having the accent over the first "e" in that title. Like many things, my education should have TAUGHT ME how to add those, but also like many things, I had to take a detour to teach myself. Granted, it's a pretty easy process, so it wasn't exactly difficult to figure out, but it's the principle of the thing, you know? It's just another example of how US American education is inadequate at ALL LEVELS, and people here are left out in the cold when it comes to interacting with the rest of the world in so many ways. The most infuriating part? It's by a 50-70-year-old design. 

You think this aristocratic derp knows another language? One or two dialects of Chinese, maybe?

Kagura affirms his repetition of the subject she wishes to discuss with him, and suggests that he HAS to have noticed that no matter how many times Naraku's body is smashed, shredded, and destroyed, he won't die. The brat Hakudoushi is exactly the same. She doesn't mention that SHE also possesses this quality, but I assume that's why she's so sure the lack of a heart leads to effective immortality. Kagura says as much, that this is all because Naraku's heart has been hidden in a safe place away from his body. 

She asks if Sesshoumaru thinks so, while Jaken warns him at his back that this whole visit might very well be a trap. Kagura seems confused by this characterization of her intentions, so Jaken reminds her that he knows SHE'S an offspring of Naraku herself, and asks how they can POSSIBLY trust a single thing she says. It's not a TERRIBLE argument.

After a haughty pause, Kagura scoffs and reaches beneath her collar for something, saying that it's up to them whether they believe her or not, but it would be within their interests to take the crystal she offers from her bosom. Jaken asks what it is, and she tells him it's crystalized youki.

It's a reflection of the world I live in that my instinct would be suspicion that this mysterious object handed to me might just be a spy tool meant to steal all my data. 

At last, Sesshoumaru speaks for himself, accusing Kagura of wanting to USE him. She doesn't deny this, instead asserting that killing Naraku would be impossible without someone with his strength and skill, and there's NO ONE to compare to him in these qualities. The focus is on little Rin here, who looks quite amazed by this overt praise of her guardian. Jaken looks less in wonder and more nervous, sweating over what he judges to be an attempt to praise Sesshoumaru to death. 

Kagura kneels down to leave the crystal in the grass between them, since Sesshoumaru makes no move to take it, or ANY move, really. She says the rest is up to him, and then gusts upward on her feather, bidding him goodbye. Both Sesshoumaru and Jaken glare up at her retreating vehicle, the latter mumbling about "that woman" - no doubt he's relieved to see her gone. He approaches and scoffs over the youki crystal, inquiring what Sesshoumaru wants them to do with it. Jaken turns at the sound of Sesshoumaru's boots on the grass, finding he's wandering off again, and asks after him. Sesshoumaru absently says he'll leave the decision to him, because apparently he just can't be bothered.

Even so small a delegation makes Jaken sweat nervously again, wondering aloud what he should do. Rin kneels in the grass next to him and suggests he should take it, advice he repeats in question. Rin explains that it didn't look like Kagura was trying to FOOL Sesshoumaru at all.

Awww, weird themed malevolent spirits in love...

Rin's reason for believing this essentially boils down to the fact that Kagura's praise of Sesshoumaru seemed really genuine to her, but Jaken is exasperated by her simple and naive point of view. Don't worry, Rin, I agree with you. SessKagu shippers gotta stick together!

Never thought you'd read that coming from ME, did you? ;)

Meanwhile, Sesshoumaru is lost in contemplations of this youki-erasing protection stone. Probably wishing HE had it so fuckers would just leave him alone and stop trying to get him to fight their battles for them. Heaven forbid he USE all that copious power he has for anything. 

Narrow sky transition panel to Inuyasha's group, Inuyasha and Kagome heading the procession by some distance while Miroku and Sango bring up the rear, the former of the back pair letting out a long sigh. Kagome mutters to Inuyasha that Miroku is still depressed, and Inuyasha asks if it's about that youki crystal he lost to Hakudoushi and his massive science experiment. As if in answer, Miroku opines that it really is all his fault, but Sango assures him there was no avoiding it, and she's just really glad he wasn't injured. He says her name, looking at her earnestly. I'm sure you can see where this is going.

Come on, guys, unsolicited petting is just how Miroku cheers himself up. 

Ugh, I can't even type that without it leaving a bad taste in my mouth...

Yet another narrow sky transition panel brings us to three men on the bank of a body of water, one of them approaching a small shrine. The two hanging back ask "Danna-sama" if he's sure they won't face retribution for what they're about to do, and he answers that he's sure THIS time it will be fine. Always a bad sign when you're doing something that drew bad consequences before AGAIN. He holds up an ofuda he says he got from a high-ranking priest, and seems to think this new tool will make the difference. 

Danna-sama sticks it over the door, pleading with whatever spirit that occupies it to be calm. Rather than peace, the little piece of paper crackles with branching electricity, and the area starts to rumble and shake, hard enough for the men to topple, shrieking. Close by, Miroku looks around, asking if the trembling they're feeling is an earthquake, but Kagome trails in a statement that it's something MORE than that. Miroku picks up what she's putting down, declaring there's youki he's also sensing here. Sango and he rush forward to meet whatever challenge this might be. 

They find the men keeling before the little shrine, begging a "Nushi-sama" to please forgive them. There remains only a burn mark left where the ofuda was stuck before. Miroku runs up and inquires as to what happened here, observing that they've been suffering from strange events, and their band of heroes could help if they wanted. Danna-sama turns and says Miroku's name, recognizing him, which seems to take Miroku aback. 

Oh, Kagome looks PISSED. You'd think SHE was the one engaged to Miroku and not Sango.

Cut to a mansion that is a little more modest than some others we've seen in this comic - but still a mansion. Presumably it's Danna-sama who calls for a feast for Miroku's return; the next panel shows just the Inuyasha gang sitting around an indoor firepit, Sango positioned intimately close to Miroku's side despite the implication of more of his promiscuous antics. Kagome asks what the situation is, and Miroku hesitates to say, appearing somewhat unsure himself. Sango suggests he doesn't remember, Inuyasha scoffing that there are too many possibilities for him to narrow it down. 

A young woman slides open the door to their room eagerly, announcing herself by calling to Miroku and saying she's been waiting for him for some time. Miroku drops his fist into his open palm in a gesture of pinpointing a specific memory, and in no time he's on his feet and grasping the young woman's hands in his, calling her Shima and complimenting her on how beautiful she's become. All she can do is express how glad she is that he's finally here. 

The awkward sauce is POTENT in this panel.

Sango hovers behind him with a fuming aura, and while Miroku mutters to calm down, she flatly lies that it's fine - it's just something that happened in the past, after all. Danna-sama confirms this from where he and his wife kneel in the doorway, and he begins the story of this past event with both of them having given up hope. 

Flashback! Danna-sama and wife are sitting by Shima's futon, worried gazes fixed on their daughter lying in it. He says that Shima had always had a weak body since infancy, to the point where there was hardly a day when she could so much as lift her head from her pillow. Miroku was passing through one day, though, 2 years before, and he showed some sympathy for the sickly girl. He gave them some herbs for a tea that he instructed Shima to drink every day. Her father comments on how they got what was expected from "top-grade" herbs, which suggests there was some heavy expense involved in getting them. He and his wife DO say they worked well, though, a medicine so effective that Shima sits upright in fairly GLITTERING health at this moment. Still, Sango and Inuyasha are glaring in exasperation, both sharing the thought that Miroku grifted them. 

Kagome leans into the conversation, suggesting that THIS is when Miroku and Shima became friends, but Miroku denies this, backed up by Shima saying that he left very shortly after handing over the herbs for the medicine. Miroku draws attention to the corroboration, insisting he did NO wrong. But of course, then Shima recalls Miroku asking of her what he asks ALL pretty young women who come into his life, however briefly: he asks her to bear his child when she gets better. It's a proposition she heartily agrees to. 

At least she doesn't look fucking ELEVEN in the flashbacks.

This dude is NEVER going to escape his slut era. 

Inuyasha is visibly annoyed, complaining that this conversation is pointless. Kagome insists that it's not, but Inuyasha indicates that he's MUCH more invested in the strange earthquake that happened earlier that LED them here in the first place. This reminds Miroku to ask about the shake-up at the shrine, ignoring the lump on his head from the tap to the head he received above from Sango. 

Before he receives an answer, dust is shaken from the ceiling by another earthquake, causing Kagome to topple a little and cry out about the new tremors. Shima has flung herself into Miroku's embrace out of her fear, while he sweats about ALSO being scared, but for entirely different reasons; Sango's mood has worsened at the sight of Shima hugging Miroku, aura and face dark with simmering rage. 

Danna-sama and wife once again bow to Miroku on the threshold of the room, begging him to save them, and suddenly dropping the info that Shima is set to become a youkai's bride at this point. He questions this claim in confusion, so Danna-sama finally explains that the shrine by the water is for Nushi-sama of the lake, who is quite insistent that Shima become his bride. Shima pulls away from Miroku enough to inform him that she TOLD Nushi-sama she was already engaged, but he didn't believe her. Miroku chuckles nervously, trailing in his new question of whether HE was the fiancé she was talking about, so Sango pipes up and barks that it's OBVIOUSLY him. 

Shima brightly says that since Miroku has returned, having NOT forgotten his promise to her, her horrible fate has been averted. She's convinced this is a happy day for her, despite the sour expression of Sango and the less-than-thrilled face on Miroku. Girl, read the ROOM. 

Regardless, Miroku vows that he will NOT let Shima go to a youkai, and Danna-sama is in joyous disbelief that Miroku will help them as Miroku soberly tells them to leave the matter to him. Danna-sama stands up and declares they'll get the wedding ceremony ready right away, having fundamentally misunderstood WHAT Miroku intends to do to solve the matter, to his shocked dismay. Inuyasha wonders aloud what about wiping out the youkai, and Shippou chirrups from Kagome's shoulder that Shima's parents are DEDICATED to the idea of her having Miroku's child. Ew, kid. 

All these promises are really becoming a problem, huh?

So, what did I think of this chapter overall? I think I blocked out or rushed over the plethora of relationship drama in this section of the comic the other times I read it, because I've largely forgotten this plotline. Having Sango and Miroku start to fight immediately after a tentative truce between Inuyasha and Kagome is a little much for someone like me. I'm a little prone to hyperbole, so my brain immediately started complaining that this was like a personal hell when Shima started fawning over Miroku. 

I'll admit it's a little of an overstatement though. This is the first issue that Miroku and Sango have had since Miroku essentially promised to settle down with her once all this Naraku business is over - a promise he's bolstered with his lack of overt flirtatious behavior toward other women since he made it. So I think this is an interesting way for his nasty habits to catch up to him in the now, even though he's seemingly dedicated to building a life with Sango down the road. He's been so careless with his propositions to girls in the past, it's really no wonder that some of them might take that more seriously than he meant them to, especially someone in Shima's position, who is facing a marriage she REALLY doesn't want otherwise. 

It's not clear yet why this "Nushi-sama" is so intent on marrying Shima despite her attempts to dissuade him, but it is seeming like a more serious situation than it first appears. A similar situation happened before, with Koharu experiencing an attempted assault and viewing the returned Miroku as a possible savior. It sadly highlights once again the fundamental issue young girls and women face not just in the time period depicted, but right here and now: "no" is not respected. Koharu needed to beat the shit out of her assailant to get him to stop, and he pursued her to seek revenge afterward, so Koharu was not going to escape unless rescued by another man. Shima is depending on another man saving her from a marriage with a creature she is not remotely interested in, not feeling free to refuse marriage in her own right. This is a common refrain throughout history to this day, female autonomy being denied over and over, and needing the authority of a man to make it legitimate. 

Part of what made Miroku's past behavior so problematic is that he didn't take this fundamental fact seriously, just having fun, and not sparing a thought for what situation the girls he propositioned were enduring and whether THEY were viewing it in the same way. In a context where a good majority of the women he's flirting with are either WORKING or in precarious situations that require his commitment to escape, he's actively contributing to their anxiety around how to navigate their love and sex lives. 

Isn't it remarkable that there's a whole class of modern society that believes women are BETTER OFF in this kind of dynamic???