Inuyasha Manga: 353 Stone Oni

All these haunted garden statues are giving me the creeps, but the chills they offer aren't nearly enough to overcome the heat of this year's El Nino. Our nearest city experienced record highs for this time of year, and as the summer wears on, things aren't liable to get much better. I'm perpetually freezing to death on the regular, but even I was too warm. Though our house manages to stay fairly cool even on hot days, this fact doesn't do much to curb my spiking climate anxiety. 

We'll see if throwing myself into another review does the trick.

Maybe Sesshoumaru could lend me a little something to take the edge off, if all else fails.

Jaken glares at the youki crystal he's holding up in front of his face, reporting that it's not reacting at all. He turns to Sesshoumaru and asks if Kagura was making up her story about Naraku's heart being here, but Sesshoumaru is lost in his own analysis of the environment. He can smell Inuyasha's former presence, as well as something else that he doesn't even identify yet in his HEAD.

Not for long, obviously. Once the group gets closer to the treeline, they find the shredded remains of myriad youkai shredded and chopped, which disturbs the SHIT out of Jaken and Rin. And that's not the ONLY thing. 

Someone's been exhumed. 

As Jaken and Rin cower behind Sesshoumaru's furry shoulder ornament, the former asking what the deal is with all the dead youkai, Sesshoumaru comments rather on the fact that someone seems to have been buried in this spot. He suggests it was THAT person who was responsible for all the carnage around the empty grave. I mean, okay, but dead people don't usually just get up and start killing youkai. Maybe since he (along with plenty of others in this story) is familiar with zombies menacing an area by this point, he's less concerned with the "HOW", so much as the "WHY". If he's concerned at all, of course.

As Jaken sidles up to the corpse of a giant eyeball with legs and hums critically, Sesshoumaru resolves silently to remember this scent. Given historical precedent, he probably has no doubt it will pop up again. 

Narrow transition panel to Inuyasha and company racing at breakneck speed over a rocky landscape, Inuyasha himself complaining about how they really got delayed, Kagome clinging to his back with a concerned look. On Kirara a short way to the rear, Miroku tells Inuyasha there was really no way they could have left Goryoumaru unburied to give chase right away. Kagome adds that their new knowledge that the baby is Naraku's heart on its own is valuable, but Inuyasha interrupts her to snap that it's not GOOD enough. He is, after all, a man of action. Inuyasha insists that they have to find the heart before Naraku can hide it somewhere new. 

A narrow shape in the sky hovers in the distance as they fly through a jagged canyon. 

No surprise that it's Kagura, as Kagome identifies from their advancing position on the ground. Inuyasha looks a little mystified by her just hovering there, and from Miroku's shoulder, Shippou recalls that she was going to follow-up on the location of the baby. That's not how I remember her parting words to go after Hakudoushi and Kanna, but I suppose the implication could be there. Miroku wonders aloud if Kagura is INVITING them to follow her. What OTHER reason could she possibly have to sit there stationary in a visible spot waiting for you to catch up? 

Kagura herself notes that the group below has seen her and that it's coming over. On the ground, Sango expresses some suspicion about how much of a distance Kagura is keeping from them, and Miroku interprets this as a lack of courage to guide them directly. Kagome seems to agree with this assessment, reminding them that Kagura told of how Naraku has a grip on her heart. All Kagura can think is that these bastards better do a good job, because she's not interested in dying in vain either. 

Another narrow transition panel leads us to another view of the massive stone oni from below.

Had to get out of the canyon to look the thing in the mouth. 

Without ANY hesitation, it seems, Inuyasha encourages the group to enter the statue, and he receives no argument either. Kirara follows him into the cavernous mouth of the carving, like it's some kind of cheap Halloween attraction. They've got more guts than me, that's for sure. I hope they don't LOSE them in there. 

When Shippou DOES ask if they're going to be eaten as they start to approach the throat and he takes a last nervous look at the gaping mouth behind them, Miroku assures him that it's just rock carved to LOOK like an oni. He should know that this is no guarantee of safety, but there's literally nothing else he can do while actively entering the statue than trust that it won't spring to life. 

Inuyasha pauses at the back of the mouth, commenting on the deep shaft descending into darkness from there as he gazes down it. Kagome thinks she can sense something down there in the dark, and at the same time, Inuyasha's nose twitches, picking up a scent. Once more, he tells the group to press on, jumping into the hole. 

This carving is REALLY realistic. Look at those BONES. 

After letting Kagome off his back into the ankle-deep questionable water at the bottom of the "cave", Inuyasha advises her to keep close, and she stutters her agreement. She says his name with some concern when he draws Tessaiga, but he just screams out into the cave to the bastards he KNOWS are there, letting off a Kaze no Kizu at the wall. A silhouette, all tentacles and spines, emerges from behind the crumbling divide. 

Yeah right. $50 bucks says it's a fucking puppet or something. Nothing less will buy me a tank of gas these days.

Inuyasha is clearly suspicious of the obvious as well, asking what's going on for Naraku to just stroll out here like this. I mean, he WAS behind a wall... Miroku interprets this to mean that the Shnooky heart was already hidden elsewhere, while Naraku asks Inuyasha what's wrong with him that he's not the LEAST bit happy at finally cornering his hated enemy. I doubt anyone would be HAPPY to see you under ANY circumstances, dude. 

Naraku (or his proxy, as it may be) holds out his hand, palm up, to surprise the Inuyasha group with a the almost complete Shikon no Tama, dark as a lump of coal. Kagome has her brows drawn down in anger, noting that its evil aura has grown stronger still than the last time they encountered it. Naraku appears at first to be offering the jewel as a parting gift - before their journey into the afterlife, at least. But then he clarifies that he MEANS the Shikon shard Kagome already carries. How can you give someone something they already HAVE? 

Who knows? He doesn't really bother to elaborate as the Shikon no Tama in his palm pulses and crackles. 

This doesn't look good. 

Shippou and Kagome both shriek in pain, jerking their feet out of the "water" with urgency. The newly pulsing walls glisten, secreting more moisture that drips down on the group's collective heads, Sango shouting in alarm that this is ACID. Outside, Kagura is shocked by the oni statue throbbing before its eyes spring open, looking malicious in its new vitality. Despite Kagura's disbelief, it has indeed come to life. 

Hakudoushi hovers at Kagura's back while she's distracted with horrified fixation on this giant creature into which she's led the Inuyasha team. He smirks at her. 

And where does THAT get you when your hand just dissolves seconds later, dude?

So, what did I think of this chapter overall? Inuyasha's pursuit of Naraku has always been SOME level of reckless, but it has reached a whole new level in this chapter. From snapping at Kagome that just having the information they've gained on Naraku's heart isn't enough, to automatically diving into the most suspicious mouth-shaped cave in the history of ever, to vowing to grab the Shikon no Tama off Naraku basically even when he would fucking die in the process anyway, he's so eager to solve this Naraku problem as fast as possible that his brain is fully off. No strategizing anymore. Not even the beginnings of strategizing. Just lunging for what is most likely, if historical precedent is any indication, not REMOTELY close to the throat. The desperation for any kind of strike at this purely malevolent force that has taken so many lives and been so destructive is potent enough that it doesn't seem to matter to Inuyasha though.

But you know, I can't really blame him. I'm tired of Naraku's shit too. Every action of his is more outrageous and heinous than the last, and you have to wonder how he's gotten away with it all having pissed off so many people. I suppose his only saving grace is that all those people he's pissed off so thoroughly are distrustful enough of EACH OTHER that they aren't ready to enter into a real alliance to take his horrible ass out, and some part of that is by design. Keep everyone fighting amongst themselves and even when they realize they have goals in common, they can't quite bring themselves to join forces because the prejudice is so deeply ingrained. 

What do you mean? Of COURSE I'm still talking about Naraku. Who ELSE could I possibly be talking about?

YuYu Hakusho Manga: 053 The First Opponents!!

My opponents are far less deadly ones, but in some ways, more frustrating. I've got a couple of creative projects at the moment that have stalled, one of them being a cat toy that I've sewn for my niece. It's mostly complete, all I really have to do is embroider on the nose, but it's proving to be the most challenging part by far. The fabric is a sort of "furry" polyester stuff, and embroidering the eyes over the top of the little hairs sticking out every which way was already quite difficult. The thread I have for the nose is similar ENOUGH in color to be a bit of a challenge to see the thread in the fur, and that makes it VERY challenging to see where the last stitch was placed and where to put the needle next. I keep setting it aside to think on what I'm going to do next, but my husband's trip to visit his sister an her family is a month away, so I'm kind of running out of time now. 

I would NEVER be able to maintain the grueling training regimen over two months straight for a tournament that Yusuke has with how many breaks I have to take, so I suppose I should consider myself lucky. 

I can't IMAGINE who else would have that particular skill! XD

Once again, we see the pirate captain of the boat announce that Urameshi's team is taking the 16th spot in the tournament, and Kuwabara runs to greet the masked member as they step off the platform. He gushes that the attack was ACE and welcomes them to the team, but is eager to ask just exactly who they are. Before he can FINISH the question, however, the masked member points up over Kuwabara's head and he turns to see a whole horde of demons leaping for him from overhead, to his horror. These demons declare that they don't give a shit about the rules, and are motivated to kill the winning team for the fame alone. 

Kuwabara dives out of the way as the masked member leaps upward without a single word or cry. Several demons also raise their weapons in preparation to bring them down on Kurama and Hiei's heads, announcing their plans to slice and dice. The two do not appear at all intimidated by this, Hiei observing that it seems they're up for a match themselves, but saying it's better than just sitting around for the rest of the trip. Kurama agrees, holding up a rose.

Of course, there's a couple of demons advancing on the sleeping Yusuke as well, something that Kurama notices with alarm, but without the flexibility to lend his aid, it seems. The demons creeping up on the sleeping kid chuckle about him being dead to the world, and dead for REAL here in a moment. Kuwabara has noticed too, lamenting that Yusuke is so out of it that Akiko Matsumoto (someone I'm unfamiliar with) could be singing directly in his ear and couldn't wake him. The demons menacing Kuwabara tell him that this is the least of HIS worries.

Kuwabara resorts to something he considers overkill in this moment, manifesting an Aura Sword in both hands, calling this "Double Sword Fencing". He wildly swings these at the attackers, yelling at them to clear off or they're hamburger, but one of Yusuke's assailants is unperturbed, declaring that he's taking Yusuke's head and the fortune he assumes comes with it. Aiming a blow from overhead at the sleeping teen, the demon yells at Yusuke to die, and for a split second, Kuwabara thinks he's too late. 

But the demon's isn't the hit that lands.

Caught him in the WRONG dream. 

Kurama is amazed by how Yusuke appears to train even in his SLEEP now, so the regimen has become instinctive. Damn, and here I was thinking that Yusuke had been woken up and was just slow to realize who his attacker was. Kuwabara notices that Yusuke was referring to an "old biddy" in his tirade, and realizes, perhaps a bit late, he had been training with the shrimp boat sensei Master Genkai this whole time. He looks over at the masked member as he does so, who is fighting off their own attackers, delivering spinning kicks with hands clasped behind their back to every demon that comes near. 

Kuwabara dismisses his notion that the masked member could be HER, assuming that she wouldn't risk her neck. The question isn't whether she WOULD but what incentives could induce her to do so. But Kuwabara is already moved on to wondering who it could be OTHER than her though. 

Alright, if you don't want to take the evidence head-on, suit yourself.

The pirate captain is standing on his platform surveying the giant brawl from above and humming in thought. He mutters that Mr. Sakyo was right, and random thugs just seem to annoy the Urameshi Team. It had been the captain's intention to see their potential, but the members of the team are barely giving 10% effort.

 

That font is but ONE of those horrors, I'm sure. 

Zoom in on that claw of rock that is such a distinct feature of the island, in the crook of which sits a big boxy building. The team of protagonists are dropped off in front of a rotating door, Kuwabara holding upright a still zonked Yusuke, and their car zooms off. Somewhere. As if there could POSSIBLY be anywhere else to go on this rock. Kuwabara looks downright in awe of the ritzy place they've been dumped off at, and is no doubt even more so when a man in a suit stiffly greets them as honored guests and offers to take them to their room. 

They are led through either a lobby or reception area with a milling crowd, all looking on the fancier, dressed-up side. Kuwabara regards all of it very weird, and asks through clenched teeth if this is the Dark Tournament, disbelief and even some disgust framing the question. 

I don't know dude, it would be hard NOT to have a pretty good idea what you were in for, going to an event like this. Especially with all the rich psychos standing around. 

As Kuwabara stomps by, dragging the unconscious Yusuke along, he fails to notice a couple of familiar people in the crowd. Keiko and Botan ALSO overlook Yusuke and Kuwabara, though the former is clearly looking for Yusuke when she demands to know WHERE the boy is from her companion. Sweatdropping, Botan urges Keiko to calm down, but Keiko rounds on her, asking how she can possibly calm down when they almost DIED because of Yusuke. She insists they have to keep track of Yusuke's location, his actions, and the surrounding circumstances so that they can be ready, and it wouldn't be easy to argue otherwise, even if I wanted to. Botan doesn't appear to want to either, as all she's doing is assuring Keiko that she knows, and trying to get her to keep it down. The surly Keiko just expresses her intent to whup Yusuke when she finds him.

Botan acknowledges that Keiko probably had to be plucky and fearless, growing up with Yusuke. The girl reportedly didn't even BLINK when Botan told her about the tournament, and just demanded to be taken there. Shizuka must have made a similar demand, because she's there too, a chandelier being excitedly pointed out to her by... Keiko? I'm unsure who else it's supposed to be, but the hair looks much longer, the blazer either differently colored or gone altogether, and a chandelier seems an ODD thing to focus her attention on at a time like this. Botan looks on this strange behavior from what looks to be an entirely different person with worry. 

Anyway, we jump to a door labeled 404, and the stunning view from the panel of windows looking out at the island behind it, along with a host of beds and other furniture. Though we don't see him, Kuwabara's character voice is clear when he enthuses about how posh this room is and what a great vacation spot the island would make. If, you know, it wasn't exclusive to a bunch of rich thugs and their sick gladiator games. 

Kurama and the masked member perch themselves on opposite ends of an L-shaped modular couch, Hiei restlessly stands off to the side, and Kuwabara sits on the edge of a bed where he's dumped the still conked Yusuke. A man with a room service cart enters and leaves a cup of tea for each of them, even sleeping Yusuke, but Kuwabara views the cups with suspicion, suggesting they might be poisoned. Kurama and Hiei have taken up cups themselves, the former explaining that it's unlikely because of how the tournament organizers want them all to be at their peak potential for a show of maximum combat. Hiei adds that the hosts are particularly interested in seeing them in action before they're torn limb from limb. Kuwabara pops open a sealed canned drink, saying it never hurts to be careful, so he's sticking to his OWN beverages. He's WELL prepared, I see. 

Kurama says this is precisely what's odd, because Yusuke is still asleep, but HIS cup is gone. Kuwabara looks around at Yusuke in question and he snores, STILL completely out of it. 

A slurp sounds from the other side of the room and the CONSCIOUS team members all jump out of their seats and face the direction, alert for a possible emergency. It seems there's still some suspicion in the more relaxed Kurama and Hiei after all. 

Where did this little baby child come from???

Unsurprisingly, I'm not the only one with that question, Kuwabara also demanding to know who he is. He suggests that the kid must have hidden somewhere, and Kurama adds that he came out and took the cup without them noticing. An awkward hypothesis that seems to be born out of paranoia alone. As he squats on one foot while balancing the stolen teacup on the tip of the other, the unknown child assures them that he just came through the door like they did, but he "forgot" to knock. I don't believe THAT for a second.

The kid removes his hat out of cursory respect while he introduces himself as Rinku, from Team Special Ops. Who NAMED your team? General "I Almost Joined, But" Blood Agent? Then he calls his group something even CUTER than that, the "Jolly Devil Six", when he tells them that they'll be the opponents of Team Urameshi in the first round of the tournament tomorrow. Oh give me a BREAK. 

Kuwabara gets stuck on the number in that adorable little moniker, asking if there isn't supposed to be FIVE to a team. Rinku asks if they didn't know they could bring a BACKUP if one of the main team dies in battle, then brags that all six of HIS team are so super tough that they played rock-paper-scissors to decide who was to be on the main team and who was going to be backup. 

Yeah. Lucky THEM. 

Kuwabara grinds his teeth in barely contained anger, internally promising to demonstrate actual funny to this kid who's playing at it in a minute if he doesn't shut his trap. But because he's a child, he can't stop running that motor on his mouth; he says it's just a fact that they'll be eliminated quickly, telling them that the captain of the previous winning team nominated Team Urameshi as guests, but after seeing them himself, Rinku reckons he could take their whole group himself in an elimination match. There's a parenthetical bit here explaining what an elimination match is, one person fighting a team one member at a time until he loses and his next team member takes over or beats the whole group, but I'm not sure if this is Rinku talking or just an aside note. I'll interpret it as a part of his dialog because it's in the speech bubble and seems like the kind of over-explaining a precocious little shit would do. 

Either way, someone else nearer the door tells Rinku that this is QUITE enough of his babbling. Kuwabara and Hiei turn their heads in the opposite direction to find a new intruder into the room, this one a fair-haired man in a black T-shirt with large muscles, feet and arms crossed in a closed off, but relaxed pose. Kuwabara complains about yet ANOTHER lurker, someone he's SURE wasn't there before. Hiei has to admit to himself at least that this new guy slipped by HIM too. Rinku runs to the man, calling him Zeru, and apologizing for getting carried away due to his excitement about all this tournament stuff. 

Zeru turns to leave with his tag-along kiddo and wishes the occupants of the room a good evening, because by this time tomorrow, they'll be like those tea cups. What does he mean by that? Kuwabara and Hiei look back at the coffee table with alarm, on which the remaining cup has been cleaved in two. The question of when that happened hangs in the air, but Yusuke snoozes on, oblivious to all. 

As they continue on their way, presumably back to THEIR room, Zeru ponders aloud whether the sleeping one sensed that they didn't intend to attack or if it was something else. Rinku chirps that it was probably just that he's a loser, but Zeru doesn't seem so sure. 

They may not have been invited to amuse YOU, but ALL of you were invited to amuse SOMEONE. Maybe you should keep that in mind, dude. 

So, what did I think of this chapter overall? Yusuke fighting in his sleep is pretty funny, but I can't help worrying about how effective his rest is going to be if he keeps having to waste all the energy he's regaining from sleep defending himself every five seconds. Doesn't seem sustainable, especially if they can expect to be attacked by random eliminated teams when they hear who the snoozing team lead is. Just add them to the obstacles stacked on the tall tottering Jenga tower that this team is working with. Learning from what looks like a TODDLER that they could have a backup along is like adding insult to injury too, though to be fair, the fifth member seems to have been hard ENOUGH to come by. These boys are COOKED, as the young folk say. 

With such a rocky start to the whole tournament, it's no wonder paranoia is high, and not just the obtrusive kind that Kuwabara expresses. Hiei and Kurama also look quite on edge in this chapter, despite both being willing to drink the tea they were given. Each was surprised by the actions taken by the intruders into their room at different points, completely overlooking them because of the sheer speed with which they were committed. Given how fast these two have been known to attack, especially Hiei, the intruders must be orders of magnitude faster to pull that off right under their noses. OR Kurama and Hiei are just orders of magnitude more distracted/nervous, take your pick. 

And as the cherry on top of the whole situation, Keiko has managed to bully Botan into bringing her and Shizuka to the tournament. Adding them in complicates matters a bit, because we've seen that the demons on the ship were able to sniff out humans, so Keiko might just be putting herself in MORE danger by being there to keep an eye on the situation with Yusuke. 

I hope she at LEAST saves the whupping she owes him until AFTER the tournament. He doesn't need another person beating up on him right now, lol.

Inuyasha Manga: 352 Death of Goryoumaru

I initially misread this title as "Death of MORYOUMARU", which just goes to show how ready my brain is for these two identities to be reconciled. I stopped counting how many times I had to check to make sure I was using a "G" instead of an "M" in the previous chapters, and I wouldn't be surprised to learn I switched the latter for the former a few times without realizing. The names are just SO similar in pronunciation and romanized spelling that I forget who's supposed to be who. Oh well, at least this particular problem will soon be a thing of the past, if I can count on the "G" to be well and truly dead. 

And what greater honor can there be than your final moments being captured in full color? Goryoumaru is a lucky* guy!

* - read HEAVY sarcasm into this word. 

Kagura looks silently on as the kids sputter in horror and shock, calling out to their idol. Goryoumaru groans, stumbling back, and opens up his youkai arm to shoot the light youkai at Hakudoushi, only to find that it bounces straight off the little asshole's barrier. He seems GENUINELY shocked that his attack didn't land, and to add insult to injury (quite literally), Hakusdoushi drawls that it's a rather BORING one. This kid could kill with his shitty attitude alone. 

Inuyasha's sense of smell is SHARP today, because he looks around from the cave's macabre contents from the OTHER SIDE OF THE MOUNTAIN.

Damn son, you're on target today!

They're already racing through the woods in the next panel, Inuyasha carrying Kagome on his back and the rest of the group riding Kirara. Kagome asks if this scent he's picking up comes from Goryoumaru's temple, and Inuyasha affirms as much, clearly not overly communicative in his hurry. 

At the temple, Hakudoushi hovers in the air above a kneeling, DYING, Goryoumaru. He groans, but he's surely trying to stay conscious as long as possible. Impressive, considering the wound he just got in his NECK. Hakudoushi laughs at him, promising to return that exact boring attack back to Goryoumaru. A bubble swells out of the side of Hakudoushi's barrier, shining at a horrified Goryoumaru, but at that moment Inuyasha and group soar over the temple wall and Inuyasha himself yells out at Hakudoushi. How far away could they have POSSIBLY been??

Hakudoushi glares over his shoulder at the intruders, grumbling about these bastards still hanging around. The bubble that was aimed at Goryoumaru now protrudes toward Inuyasha.

Better the things should be misdirected at people who can actually get away, I guess. 

Not that he looks like he's going to last much longer anyway. He's slumped over on the ground, blood soaked down his front as the children he'd recruited gather around him, crying out to him in distress. Hakudoushi looks back down at him and scoffs, swinging that naginata at him again. A splatter of blood, shocked and horrified looks from Inuyasha and company, a surprised gape from Kagura, and Goryoumaru's head rolling off later, it's clear that the dude is gone. Kagome is in disbelief over this, but hers isn't the only stunned reaction to the compounding circumstances. 

Too bad we can't give the girl a prize for her shoddy detective work. 

Kagome draws attention to Kanna, and Sango identifies the infant as belonging to Naraku with equal shock. Hakudoushi steps up to Kanna's side, telling Kagura that he's leaving Inuyasha's group to her, to which command she gives a glower. The barrier reappears around Hakudoushi, encompasses Kanna and Shnooky as well, and lifts them up and out of there swiftly. Inuyasha declares that they won't get away, drawing Tessaiga while he lunges in their direction and releasing a Kaze no Kizu. 

Then why kill him?

Inuyasha makes a sound of confusion and Kagura just stares up at her hated fellow offspring. Once the barrier bubble disappears into the distance, Inuyasha turns to Kagura and demands to know just what the FUCK is going on. She snaps at him that he should be able to tell by looking - until this very moment, Naraku hid his heart in the temple. Inuyasha repeats the principle word in disbelief, Miroku asking if this means the baby is this so-called "heart". Sango murmurs behind Miroku about how this is just the same as another time, and when Miroku turns to hum in question at her, she recalls the time Princess Abi attacked a human castle with her "birds".

Who could forget such trauma?

Kagome asks Kagura why she's telling them this, and Inuyasha bluntly adds on a question about how she's still alive after being shot through the chest directly with one of the blasts from Goryoumaru's youkai arm. Kagura barks that she doesn't know, but mentions the fact that her heart is still in the possession of her jerk of a spawn point. Starting to pick up on the extent of her lack of connection with Naraku and his underlings, Miroku asks her if this means she attacked the temple to try and find Naraku's heart. 

Kagura glowers at him in clear distrust, and after a pause refuses to answer with anything but a vague verbal shrug. She seems to realize that her standing around chatting with a supposed enemy is probably a bad look, so she turns and pulls a feather from her hair, saying she's going after Hakudoushi and Kanna, and bidding the Inuyasha group not to get in her way. Indeed, they watch her shoot up into the sky and disappear, Miroku muttering the observation that Kagura intends to betray Naraku. Nooooo, you don't say. You truly are the SMART one, aren't you?

Kagome recalls how Hakudoushi said Goryoumaru didn't know anything and wonders about the implication that Goryoumaru was just being used. His headless body is currently surrounded by the horde of children he'd recruited for youkai-slaying, which the whole Inuyasha party appears to notice with a grave frown at once. 

Another day, another funeral. 

Miroku advises the little child soldiers that they should leave the temple ASAP. The morose children begin to give a half-hearted protest, but Inuyasha tells them they'll do as Miroku says if they value their lives, pointing out that the youkai have started to gather again because they too seem to have noticed that Goryoumaru is gone. Kagome adds that even if that weren't the case, the youki surrounding the temple would attract them anyway, though she keeps to herself that it's the Rakan statues radiating the energy. Some of those very statues sit just at the tree line, several of them basically right next to the grave and the incense wafting off the lit stick atop it. 

Meanwhile...

She's looking DANGEROUSLY eager right now...

Kagura silently approaches a sphere in the distance that I assume is Hakudoushi's barrier, and some jagged barren mountains. She seems to express some surprise since the former, but perhaps it's more for THIS sight:

Related to the Rakan statues, by any chance?

Kagura spies the white form of Kanna in the open mouth of the oni, carrying Shnooky, who in turn grasps the fuyouheki.

I don't know, how did you rushing into the last known location of the infant without a plan or preparation go for you the previous time? 

So, what did I think of this chapter overall? I love how Kagura didn't even bother to PRETEND to fight Inuyasha and company at this point. She's locked into following that baby to the ends of the earth, and has thrown out even the thinnest of covers. All she has to do here is resist the urge to get Naraku dead as soon as possible, and she is absolutely failing. Sad as it is to admit, Sesshoumaru was right, and she really should take his advice and assumed that Naraku was soon to be onto her traitorous behavior, if not already so. Of course, I can't really complain if her recklessness leads to interesting results. 

I do think it's weird that the last chapter was spent investigating the strange origin of these creepy temple statues, and are then introduced to a massive creepy statue at the end of this one. The statues depict different things, and there's no way they could have been created in the same way, but I find their proximity suspicious, even if I don't recall there being any concrete connection between them. We'll see if there is, since the weeds of this part have been impenetrable for me up until this point. In the past, I just went around them and scratched my head with a shrug, assuming there was just subtext in there I didn't get. Maybe there still is, but THIS TIME, I have a comment section, so feel free to enlighten me!

As for Goryoumaru, I don't really have a eulogy for him. He was a weird, problematic dude, but I do feel bad for the kids who to some degree relied on him for safety and shelter. I still think you were a fundamentally bad dude, but RIP I guess. 

YuYu Hakusho Manga: 052 The Dark Tournament Begins!!

I'm exhausted just THINKING about it. My last few days were packed with activities, NONE of which were deadly combat, but I still struggled to get my ass out of bed this morning. I can't even imagine how much more difficult it would be if I were covered in bruises, wounds, and facing yet MORE physical abuse down the barrel. And make no mistake, this isn't even a projected description of the middle of the tournament. I have no doubt whatsoever that Genkai beat the absolute shit out of Yusuke for two months straight, so he's probably suffering precisely that at this very moment.

I certainly don't envy him. 

An unenviable position indeed. 

The next panel acts as an introduction to these characters with which we are already familiar by this point: humans Kuwabara and Urameshi, and demons Kurama and Hiei. Then we're shown a ribbon of cliffs rising out of the ocean, shrouded in darkness, but a light flickers in a grove of trees nearby.

I know that's not a "B" on the end of the SFX, but those last two "O"s kind of LOOK like it, and it's got me giggling despite how ominous the picture is. 

Whoob. XD

The gathering of demons express their elation at the looming event, a cyclops saying he's been looking forward to this. One with four curved horns framing his face says that they can run completely amuck, and his companion sporting two mouths on his long chin filled with razor teeth reiterates the rules of the game, the winner promised WHATEVER they want. A demon with a wide open mouth and a single eye perched in the back of his mouth vows to eat a thousand humans. Not sure how he's going to do that with his anatomy, but cool. The most grotesque of these by far is the one next to him, who has a crocodile mouth protruding from the mouth of what looks like an empty HUMAN SKIN wrinkled around the head of the beast, and he says that mouth is watering already. Which one? Who knows, but I shudder to think. 

No doubt it occurred to YT that he wasn't going to top THAT monster design, so the next panel is all shadows and silhouettes. One of those warns the others not to get too excited because they have to beat his team first, which isn't going to happen. Another says he'll have to eat those words. Typical trash talk. More of them notice the smell of human nearby and suggest it's a pre-tournament snack. The tradition of tailgating is cross-spirit, I see. 

That expression of Kuwabara's is entirely appropriate. 

The concern over how poorly this tournament is starting for them, however, is based on how late Yusuke is and how they never got themselves a fifth sucker to fight on their team. Hiei tells him not to worry about all that, asking if HE'S ready. Grinning, Kuwabara answers in a confident affirmative, crediting Kurama for shaping him up. Kurama sweatdrops, though, as if he's not NEARLY so confident in his impromptu student's training. Kuwabara doesn't notice this, too busy insisting to himself that he's going to win this, and make the dark world fear him so that no demon or human will ever mess with Yukina again. 

A short, stocky stereotypical pirate right down to his bushy beard, eyepatch, smoking pipe, and peg leg tells everyone to get on a barge-like boat. It has a large circular section with a grid superimposed over the top bisecting the vessel, and looking SUSPICIOUSLY like a fighting ring. Kuwabara tells the pirate to hold it, because one of the guest fighters isn't here yet, who snaps back with the assertion that the rules dictate whoever is too late to catch the boat is a "refuser". He promises to send the assassins to take out the delinquent.

Before Kuwabara can protest, a voice from behind says that won't be necessary. 

Ugh, who decided on that font?? It makes my eyes bleed!

Kuwabara demands to know where Yusuke has been, and when the crowd of demons hears his name, they recognize it as belonging to the guy who got Rando and Suzaku. It's only a short step from there for them to conclude that they have it MADE if they take Yusuke down. Same shit, different day. 

Yusuke either notices none of this talk, or ignores it altogether when he ambles forward and complains about feeling sore and stiff all over. Kuwabara says he looks pretty shaky indeed, and he would hate to know why. Hiei silently glares at Yusuke, then addresses him as he's passing. Before you know it, he's alert and leaping back from a blade Hiei draws on him, dropping his bag on the way. Hiei slashes away and Yusuke dodges, creating a blur of action that the demonic spectators and Kuwabara alike are bewildered by. Kuwabara at least says he ALMOST can't follow their rapid movements. 

Is it a fair assumption that this is a positive greeting?

Hiei says he doesn't know how Yusuke did it, but his skills are ALMOST adequate now. Lots of "almosts" clogging up this chapter, huh? Kuwabara criticizes the use of the word, complaining that he couldn't move like that in a million years, but Kurama assures him that he shouldn't sweat it because the fact that he could just barely follow their movements shows he's progressed as well. No doubt that's a relief to his teacher as well, lol.

Hiei steers the conversation to the masked companion of Yusuke, referring to them as "Short Stuff" when asking if they are the fifth member of the team. Pot, meet Kettle. Kuwabara is alarmed at this person being shorter than Hiei, and crows that he can barely see them, claiming that he could blow them clear to Mars if he sneezed in their direction. The masked person remains silent, which must be AWFULLY difficult for them, considering who they OBVIOUSLY are. Yusuke grins as he drops a cryptic statement about how they could do a lot worse when it comes to a fifth, though Kuwabara expresses some skepticism. Hiei assures him that this person fills out the team, and he and Yusuke can pick up any slack if necessary. 

Do participants being transported to an island tournament by boat seem super familiar to anyone ELSE? 

Said participants aren't impressed with their lack of accommodations either. They yammer amongst themselves about how the boat is a pretty drab old tub, and how there are no refreshments or deck chairs. Bold of them to assume they would have time to enjoy those, despite the lengthy ETA. The pirate captain of the ship, or cruise director as the case may be, calls for the attention of the participants from a high platform, informing them that this isn't a pleasure cruise - he's announcing that the tournament preliminaries are being conducted RIGHT HERE, RIGHT NOW. 

How anyone with an eye or two or three could not have seen the giant fighting ring and not drawn that conclusion is beyond me. 

The ship rumbles and the passengers shout in alarm as the circular deck rises up, and exclamations finally indicate there's some acknowledgement that this was an arena all along. Not sure why it needed to be elevated any more, but whatevz. The pirate captain says that 16 teams will compete in the Dark Tournament, and since 15 teams are already on the island, that means that only one from this boat will be able to fill that slot. As everyone looks at one another warily, Kuwabara complains some more about how no one told them about this. Better get used to that, kiddo. 

The pirate captain instructs the teams to pick their strongest member, who will vie for participation of the group in the tournament against the others. A massive ogre says a little warm-up match suits HIM just fine, because he's convinced his team is going to win anyway. Several demons, sporting many numbers of horns, scales, fangs, claws, and muscles galore, step forward to represent their team in the announced travel round. 

Kuwabara is in disbelief about the Battle Royale styled match coming up, saying that it isn't always the strongest that comes out on top in those. He looks around over his shoulder, yelling at Yusuke that this is his chance to strut his new stuff. 

Did that little scuffle with Hiei earlier REALLY wear him out that much??

Kurama says this can happen after intense training, claiming Yusuke has fallen into a deep sleep to restore his strength and aura. Kuwabara is incensed and asks who the hell is going to go up there, then. The masked fifth member walks toward the platform silently, so Hiei says that's settled at least. He also suggests this will give them an opportunity to see what they can do. Kuwabara demands to know what happens if their "mystery" member loses, because he doubts that the team members of losers in this match can just GO HOME. Hiei says Kuwabara is probably right about that, and with a creepy little smile, adds that they'll just have to kill everyone aboard the boat so no one can complain about it. Like it's so fucking easy. Kuwabara seems annoyed by this answer, grumbling at the prospect of having to face such an issue. 

Once the fifth member takes their place on the rumbling stage, the pirate captain, whose eyes have turned black in the first indication that he might also be demonic in some way, yells at the participants to begin. The crowd of demons are all facing the diminutive representative of Yusuke's team, and they seem to agree that this puny opponent is the first target. The general strategy is stated to be killing all in their turn, starting with the runt, and a call to pile on this one shrimp is shrieked, the group leaping toward them as one. Kuwabara freaks out that his fear the demons would gang up on their team member is coming true, and observes that there's no room to run, so this person will be smashed flat. Kurama gapes in horror next to him.

Well, that's all sewn up, I guess. 

All the challenging demons splash into the ocean, lost to the sea, the only one left on the platform the fifth team member of Yusuke's group. The pirate captain declares the match for Team Urameshi, and their claim on the 16th spot in the Dark Torunament. 

I know you're just a tad dense, Kuwabara, but you can't POSSIBLY have any doubt as to who's under the mask at this point. 

So, what did I think of this chapter overall? The story isn't wasting our time here, breezing through the boat battle nice and easy, and it's such a relief to me. I mentioned in the last chapter's review that I actually liked not having to sit through a montage of training and such, but mostly that was because I was looking forward to being surprised by how much their team's skills had grown in that two-month period. I realize now that this isn't really the only reason why I like not messing around with a bunch of drawn-out material; there are an AWFUL LOT of shounen titles that will stretch every battle to the max in order to squeeze more content out of their story. It's a MEME that Dragonball Z's fights take like fifty episodes to sort of finish, and that One Piece's massive chapter count is practically inaccessible to new readers at this point. 

But YT isn't wasting our time here. He clearly understands that while there NEEDS to be lead-up and an ease into the tournament, this preliminary battle isn't something that the audience is looking forward to. In order to narrow down the no doubt MASSIVE amount of teams trying to participate in this thing without absolutely BORING everyone to death, YT just knocked this one out with a competent blow-out by the member we're least familiar with so audience and characters alike can get a better idea of what their capabilities are, and we can all move on to the REAL tournament. VERY well-handled, and the brevity is a breath of fresh air. 

I say "least" familiar with when it comes to our "mystery" member because I don't know a single person who was not aware pretty much immediately that this was Genkai when we all read it back in the day. Not only is this person the same height and build, with the same style of dress, but Genkai was INTRODUCED through her search for a successor. If she had already trained up a person other than Yusuke that he could later take along with him to the tournament, she wouldn't have needed to recruit a protege in the first place. 

Still, in the future chapters I will probably keep referring to the fifth teammate as such until her identity is revealed in the story organically, though. Even if it's obvious who she is, I want to play along with YT's game to see if I can tease out what precisely the point of it is, because I'm not sure I ever truly grasped that in watching the show. I'm looking forward to having a closer look at this, because in my previous projects, reading the content more carefully has revealed a good bit of missed context to me. 

Anyone else notice that YuYu Hakusho has been a somewhat hot topic lately? Regular Eyepatch Wolf made a short video on it, TeamFourStar has begun a brand new abridged series on it... Is something in the water?

Inuyasha Manga: 351 Rakan Statues

Heaven forbid I criticize anyone else's decorating style. You're currently reading the words of a woman who has on display in her living room a collection of hanging lanterns with little rechargeable LED candles twinkling in them throughout the day, the Invader Zim DVD box set in the shape of Zim's house with a little GIR toy hiding in the roof, and a giant plush of a red sheep from Minecraft that permanently lives on the couch. None of it goes together, it's not harmonious, and a real estate agent would probably balk at having to try to sell this place. 

But those agonized monk statues in front of Goryoumaru's temple? A shade too far. Couldn't be me. 

How could anyone NOT see it. An eyesore, to be sure. 

She's actually talking about how she saw the youki disappear from the crystal she was watching as she went through the temple, rather than those creepy statues, directly applying egg to my face. Kagura explains to Sesshoumaru that this proves the fuuyouheki is in Goryoumaru's temple, his two little followers looking between the two with curiosity. Sesshoumaru of course can't help but draw the same conclusion from this fact that Kagura has: Naraku's heart has to be there. 

Kagura further speculates that this Goryoumaru guy's role in the whole scheme must be to protect the heart, causing Jaken to pipe up with the question of why SHE wouldn't know that, as a member of Naraku's circle as Goryoumaru presumably is. After a pause, she admits that this is because Naraku doesn't trust her, especially regarding information on his heart, never telling her a single thing about it.

Sesshoumaru says that if this is truly the case, any further action on her part is pretty much useless. 

Shall we just assume that he already knows about her lack of loyalty? She's not exactly subtle. 

But while she bows her head in acknowledgement of the point, she wonders why it is she's still alive if Naraku is onto her, assuming she would have been killed by Goryoumaru's blast through her chest if her betrayal had been noticed. Much like the main protagonists, she has failed to grasp just how vast is Naraku's manipulative potential, and therefore believes that she still has a chance at winning. I'm shocked that her level of naivete seems on a level similar to RIN'S. 

Kagura stands and murmurs about taking up the Sesshoumaru-party's time, saying she's leaving now. Rin seems perplexed by this, asking if she's really leaving, and causing Kagura to pause in mild surprise when the little girl further asks if she didn't come here to be saved by Sesshoumaru. Kagura recovers fast from the bold question, muttering that it's not quite like that, and trailing in her confession that she thought she wanted to see Sesshoumaru one more time before she died. 

OOF. 

Dead woman flying. 

Back at Goryoumaru's temple, dark and ominous clouds have gathered overhead, and the atmosphere is creepier than ever. Rain starts to patter onto the heads of those ghoulish statues, and Goryoumaru himself stands out in the mild shower, staring wordlessly out at the grounds. A couple of children run up behind him, one with hands over his head to guard against the rain, asking him what's up and warning him he'll get wet. You don't say. While Goryoumaru murmurs agreement with the kids, he still stares, and we learn his stare is directed at a nearby mountain, on the other side of which he believes the Inuyasha group is now searching. 

Goryoumaru has some IMPRESSIVE psychic intuition, because the next panels suggest he's not wrong.

Where does one START listing all the concerns one could have following that previous night? 

Well, Miroku starts with the question of where all that youki surrounding the temple came from in the first place. Kagome had apparently forgotten that particular detail, what with the multitudes of suspicious things surrounding the location, and mentions all the creepy statues that were around the temple too. She seems to have made a connection between the two. Miroku affirms her observation, calling the statues "rakan", which prompts Shippou to ask what that word means as he rides atop Inuyasha's head. 

Miroku says that it's a student who attained enlightenment in Buddhism, the statues depicting such not being unusual at a temple in practice. When Miroku trails at the "but" to his statement, Sango completes his statement by saying that the youki was coming from those statues. As he affirms her addendum, he tells the group that he can feel the same youki energy coming from this mountain they're hiking. 

Shippou has vacated the top of Inuyasha's head when Inuyasha suggests with a strangely prickly attitude about this leading to Goryoumaru's secret. Why are you MAD about that, dude? It turns out he's no fan of the slow detective work of following a trail of youki, and suggests that it would be faster to just go back and beat it out of Goryoumaru. Yeah, because that's likely to work out just as well as last time. Annoyed, Miroku says over his shoulder that he would have DONE that already if he could have. 

Cut to Kagura flying through the cloudy sky, scanning the wooded hills. Siamyoushou appear at her flank, and and she acknowledges them, as well as a swirling vortex around a bubble in her path. 

Oh no, not HIM again. 

While Kagura silently regards him, Hakudoushi tells her it's time to work. He doesn't have his usual self-satisfied smirk, which can't be a good sign. Kagura responds with more silence. Yeah, I wouldn't trust myself to say anything either, girl. 

The only thing that would make this cave MORE ominous is if it were topped with a pair of malignant demon eyes. 

Sango has put on her respiration mask, complaining about how intense the youki is here. Shippou clings to Kagome's arm in fear as she asks what that sound is. Inuyasha doesn't speak to that, but he can definitely smell the youkai in the cave, and a nervous Shippou asks for clarification that the scent is coming from the inside, even as Inuyasha marches inside. Inuyasha snaps that it should be obvious and demands they get going. Kagome follows without a word, which must be even MORE concerning for poor Shippou. 

Inside, water drips from the stalactites above onto scattered pieces of youkai. Well, where have we seen THIS before? Shippou has switched to riding on a transformed Kirara's back when he makes a trailing statement about what this is, finished by Inuyasha bluntly stating that it's a bunch of shredded youkai pieces. Kirara's tail no doubt provides a valuable light that Shippou would like to be as close to as possible. 

Sango draws Miroku's attention to something looming up ahead, and he looks alarmed at the big hulking shape of a lumpy mound in the middle of the cave. 

Isn't THAT a remarkable transformation!

Among the slow drip, drip, drip of water from the cave's ceiling, Kagome expresses alarm that these appear to be the same statues that were around the temple, her fist creeping toward her face in a gesture of apprehension. Sango comments that it's like a stalactite, but she's mistaken; stalagMITES are the ones that reach up from the floor of the cave. My pedantry is so egregious that one of the Rakan statues detaches from the larger clump of its fellows and tumbles to the floor in exasperation, causing Shippou to leap in fright. At least, I assume it's my pedantry. What else can be done if you can't roll your eyes except roll your WHOLE BODY?

Miroku is kneeling at the base of the structure, observing that the bottom is a pile of youkai parts like they saw on the way in. It appears to him that this mound of dead youkai slowly turn to stone Rakan statues, I'm assuming when they're exposed to the dripping water. Kagome asks if this is a NATURAL process, when she knows very well that youkai naturally DISSOLVE when dead (lol). Miroku responds in the negative, saying someone probably set up a spell here. What do you mean PROBABLY, dude??? 

Inuyasha asserts that Miroku MUST mean Goryoumaru, adding that Gakusanjin's scent is mixed in with the other youkai pieces, noting that it was transported here. Some of his remains or the scent? All one can say for certain is that Inuyasha DOESN'T smell the perpetrator, which should tell him something. Kagome stares at the mound of youkai pieces and stone, wondering just what this is for, because she just doesn't get it. 

I gotta admit girl, neither do I.

Kagura trails behind Hakudoushi approaching this temple, and she starts to voice her recognition before Hakudoushi twists to ask over his shoulder if she KNOWS this temple. She denies it, reminding herself not to say anything reckless. Or incriminating. Hakudoushi tells her a vague IMPORTANT THING has been entrusted to the temple, and Inuyasha's group has caught wind of that fact. Sweating, Kagura is practically electrified by her conclusion that the heart was here after all. 

The two are instructed not to move as they step through the gate to the temple, immediately surrounded by a ring of children with something to prove. Goryoumaru joins his child soldiers, casually verbalizing his recognition of Kagura by noting how she survived his attack on her blandly. Kagura is silently shocked by his familiar tone, but Hakudoushi doesn't say anything about it. He just looks over his shoulder at her again and tells her to finish off the "small fry". By which he means CHILDREN. 

Little slimeball. 

I'm questioning his use of the term "entrusted" earlier. 

So, what did I think of this chapter overall? This is about the point I always started getting a little confused about what precisely is going on in this arc whenever I re-read it in the past. Whether it was the translation or the nature of the subject matter itself, there were always parts of it that seemed a bit beyond my grasp. Miroku is AWFULLY vague about the nature of the spell that has been cast to turn the youkai remains into this VERY specific shape in stone, though he's usually the one who is more knowledgeable about the enchantments they encounter. What's it's all for I wouldn't expect to be answered quite yet, but I can't even conceive of any possible answers at this point. Taking these statues reeking of youki and putting them all around the temple would do the opposite of obscure its purpose, and just encourage suspicion. Clearly this was Naraku's purpose, but to what end always strikes me as frustratingly opaque. 

And killing Goryoumaru so VISIBLY is obviously theater, but to what extent isn't clear yet. Whether Goryoumaru is truly dying here or if it's a big false flag psy-op is ultimately not important. Again, it's the BENEFIT of this display that's the important part, and that's obscure. The only thing that that can be said for sure about it is that Kagura in particular was meant to see it, since Hakudoushi (and by extension Naraku) waited until Inuyasha and company were on the other side of the mountain when he went to the temple, and all the unnamed kids are inconsequential to their and the overall plot. With this, I can imagine that perhaps this is supposed to discourage Kagura from investigating the temple again, and convince her that whatever important artifact being held there is about to be moved to a new place. Other than that, I have no idea. Big shrugs.

Can we take a moment to talk about that look Sesshoumaru gives Kagura as she's leaving? Despite RT's same-face syndrome, which has only gotten worse as the comic has gone on, she's always been very precise with how she draws her expressions on that one face. I've never seen anyone talk about it, but this IS one of Sesshoumaru's more expressive moments, and that's not anger on his face. Maybe there's a little frustration there, but for the most part, he looks sorrowful and in fact WORRIED to me. I'd love to know what my readers think, because for a guy who isn't very forthcoming with how he feels, this was quite a powerful panel. It suggests he's much more sensitive to Kagura's situation than at first blush, and perhaps has a good idea of where she's headed if she doesn't lay low for a while. 

Happy 10th Birthday, Manga Snark!

10 years ago today, I posted the very first entry on this blog, featuring my recap of and yapping about the first chapter of the Yu-Gi-Oh manga! In my cold open to that post, at the end of the very first paragraph, I joked about how focus was not one of my strong suits. 

In hindsight, that was a fucking lie. 

What madness caused me to consistently comment on every single chapter of three separate manga for a decade straight? I can't say, but I AM comfortable saying that this is the longest running project of my life, and despite how strange some others might find it, I am immensely proud that it's reached 10 years old. As a container for my thoughts on specific fiction, it's been invaluable, and as a way to just get out of my head for a little while and into pulling apart another world, it's been a godsend. 

I've bought it a nice little cake for the occasion, even though my husband and I will be the ones consuming it. If I had a little more foresight, I might have ordered something beautiful and ready for social media, but alas, it is a mere generic celebration cake from the grocery store. 

I am so thankful to my readers, and everyone who visits the blog - your engagement encourages me every day and I'm flattered you have valued my opinions enough to take a look! You're all wonderful, lovely people, and I love seeing your comments! 

I'll be back next week with a new post. 😀