Inuyasha Manga: 358 Illusion

There's precious little that ISN'T illusion in this comic. Between youkai taking on human appearance, the villain constantly making me do double-takes to check what's supposed to be reality and what's not, and one of the main group primarily dealing in childish prank illusions, it's a wonder half the chapters aren't named thus. I even had to check, because I could have SWORN that there was another chapter with this name so far, but I only found one that was somewhat SIMILAR. 

Reusing chapter names might not be too far in the future, though. The chapter count is getting pretty high, after all, and there's already been some recycling of CONTENT, so I wouldn't be surprised.

Those sparkles are probably distracting all by themselves. 

Sango identifies this glittering man as that good-looking medicine seller she's heard so much about, but doesn't seem all that enchanted yet. She in fact looks wary, sweating a bit, brows drawn down. His pupilless, mirror-like eyes stare as he offers to give her his antitoxin, and in the next panel is cradling her his in arms. It would be quite romantic, if not for Sango's alarmed expression, his suggestion that she give him something in exchange, and her panicked thought that she can't MOVE. Context is everything friends. 

Those are some gnarly fangs, dude!

Elsewhere, Kagome wonders if Sango is okay. Excuse me while I scream at the screen for a moment... Okay, the void is as indifferent as always. Anyway, she and Miroku are sitting outside a little hut, where he tells Kagome that he gave her the protection charm, so she shouldn't be manipulated. Kagome says she hopes that's true, casting some SAVAGE doubt on Miroku's abilities here. Ouch. 

A man approaches, and I say that rather loosely, because at first I thought he was a giant duck. He has beady little eyes, and his balloon-like lips take up about half his face. The woman they'd brought back is in the background pulling a bucket from a well as this man thanks Kagome and Miroku for saving his wife. Miroku says it's no problem, and casually chats about this new information that their charge is a married woman. The man with the lips says that they get along well and have had good health, but a big fat tear drips from one of his eyes when he relays that she's been sighing whenever she looks at him since she came back. She demonstrates just that behind him, looking SEVERELY disappointed. Oh buddy, that's super rough. Kagome sweatdrops as Miroku acknowledges the sad reality for this guy. 

Miroku leans over and suggests the wife's behavior might be due to the youkai's illusion, but Shippou says they can't really be sure, since the husband's face is so EXTREME. Little of column A and a little of column B? 

Back to Sango being essentially assaulted, unfortunately. Her attacker is even mumbling about how she can't get away and she's his captive. I didn't think highly of this guy before, and now I'm practically INCANDESCENT with rage at him. Sango isn't completely taken in, though, and she looks like she's doing her best to lean away from the incoming razor bite to her neck, in silent disbelief. She squeezes her eyes shut at the realization that she REALLY can't move and trails in a thought of what's going to happen at this rate. Nothing GOOD, that's for sure. 

A spatter of blood suddenly features in the next panel. 

If I had a nickel for every time an apparently high inu brother rescued one of the main girls from assault...

Inuyasha is left confused and alarmed midair when the medicine seller disappears in a cloud of sparkles. Sango gapes, in disbelief that he vanished. She suddenly glances at her shoulder, wondering if she had been bitten by something just now, rubbing at her neck. Then her attention is drawn back in front of her, where the medicine seller has reappeared to her at a distance, waving and calling for her to come over. At last, a blush spreads over her nose and she stumbles toward him, totally enchanted. Inuyasha sees this and after a bewildered look at her, he tugs on her sleeve with her teeth, clearly having forgotten that he can SPEAK.

Damn, those are some STRONG sparkles.

A narrow sky transition panel takes us back to where the recently reunited couple are bowing to Miroku and Kagome, thanking them once again for the help. When Miroku turns to repeat it's no problem at all, he sees the woman scratching at her neck where the bite mark was. He steps back up to her with a hesitant hum, asking if she's really alright. She affirms that she's fine, but her bite is just a tad itchy. Miroku's still awfully close, casting an intimate stare down at the woman as he acknowledges this reality for her and her husband stands looking between them. I can't tell if he's got a suspicion about Miroku, but Kagome sure does, and reminds Miroku that this woman is MARRIED. Seriously, the dude just CAN'T seem to help himself. 

Shippou draws Kagome's attention to the sky nearby from her shoulder, pointing at a transformed Kirara hovering there. Miroku looks around in alarm at her, a serious expression overtaking him, and the next panel shows Kirara descending with Kagome, Miroku, and Shippou at the former's cry of Inuyasha's name. She kneels at his side and asks him what happened as he comes to, raising an alert face from the dirt. He doesn't answer, looking around in bewilderment, asking where Sango is. Shippou dryly says that this is exactly what their question is for HIM. 

By the next panel, Kagome is on his back, Miroku and Shippou are back on Kirara, and they're on another of their brisk sprints, presumably toward Sango. Kagome is asking for confirmation that Sango went off with the medicine seller, and Inuyasha says that's indeed the case, but he tried to stop her. Miroku's silent glare says he suspects that short statement wasn't ALL there was to it. Inuyasha at LEAST admits not being able to remember much, but he does assert that Sango was acting strange. 

Miroku says that she was probably affected by the illusions, and this is exactly why he told her to leave it to him. Shippou suggests from his position by Miroku's ear that this whole thing might be because the medicine seller is really good looking, and Sango might have fallen for him. Way to be tactless, kid. However, Miroku seems completely convinced that this possibility would never happen, because even if something happened so that Sango hated his guts, there's zero chance that she'd fall for a man other than him. 

Oh, to have the confidence of a mediocre man. 

That's not what you SAID, though. 

Narrow sky transition panel to where someone chuckles darkly that nobody will interfere now. To no one's surprise, it's the medicine seller, who has Sango sitting in front of him on a giant lily pad in the middle of a body of water. He suggests that they restart that "ceremony" that was interrupted before. Sango has her eyes closed and head lolled to one side, the button on her suit's high neck undone so it can be turned down and her neck exposed. She doesn't quite look unconscious, but she's not exactly awake either. 

The medicine seller's fangs are bared once more as he asks if Sango is prepared, as if he's much concerned at all with how she feels about all this. Otherwise, why drug her with youkai magic in the first place? Sango of course doesn't answer, but a barely conscious thought occurs to her, and she raises her hand to scratch her neck because it's maddeningly itchy at the moment. Her eyes spring open as the medicine seller leans in to dig his fangs into her flesh. 

Couldn't happen to a nicer guy. 

He glares up at her, cursing Sango for breaking his spell. Like he has ANY room to be angry with her, after the shit he's pulled. She ignores his unwarranted indignation and asks if he did anything WEIRD to her while she was under the spell. He smirks, scoffing that he doesn't know while giving the very distinct impression that he knows EXACTLY what she's suggesting he might have done. The next panel shows that she's put MULTIPLE lumps on his head with her Hiraikotsu, and she threatens to exterminate him. Please do. It would be cathartic to see at least one man who does this kind of shit get annihilated for it. 

Sadly, when he asks for forgiveness, claiming it was a joke, Sango doesn't immediately drown him in the water below. A joke. Sure. That's what they ALL say. When he looks up again, he's put on an innocent, desperate expression, asking her to at LEAST listen to his reason for doing all this. Sango questions the word "reason", as do I, because I'm curious what context could POSSIBLY justify this madness. He looks downcast while he begins to explain that this gorgeous form of his is not reality. You don't SAY. 

Meanwhile, Inuyasha seems to have led the rest of the group to the edge of this lake, saying the medicine seller and Sango are close. I guess this body of water must be HUGE, because they clearly can't be seen. Inuyasha warns Miroku to be careful, testifying to the power of the medicine seller's illusions. But before he can finish, Miroku is already flying away on Kirara's back, despite Inuyasha's protests. Kagome takes this as confirmation that Miroku is worried, just like she thought. 

On the lily pad Sango is reacting with what looks like empathy to the medicine seller's story, saying that he is NOT, in fact, a youkai. He's rubbing his arm nervously, saying that if he can suck the blood of his ideal woman, he'll return to his original form. At LAST, he seems to be ASKING for her permission to do so. Sango is willing to allow it, but she wants something in exchange. 

In sort order, Miroku is calling out to Sango, flying at breakneck speed over the lake, Shippou barely holding onto the hem of the priest's robes as he's dragged out in the wind behind Miroku and Kirara. 

I'm SURE it's not what it looks like. 

Sango's eyes grow wide as she stares over the medicine seller's shoulder, recognizing Miroku's voice. The next panel shows that he has landed, come physically between the embracing "couple", and raised a whole NEW number of lumps on the top of the medicine seller's head, who lays face-down on the lily pad while Miroku holds him down with a knee on his back. Miroku asks if Sango is okay, and Shippou comments from Kirara's back that Miroku hit the medicine seller a HUNDRED times. But he's TOTALLY not insecure, guys. 

Rather than answering Miroku, Sango leans down and asks if the MEDICINE SELLER is alright. If the tears streaming down his face and long-suffering expression is any indication... No. Miroku gets right in Sango's face, urging her to snap out of the throes of the illusion, but she snaps back at him that he's straight up WRONG. The medicine seller manages to sit up, still dripping pathetic tears and sporting his lumps, insisting Sango said it was okay for him to do it. Miroku accuses him of lying, and Sango once again contradicts him, saying it's NOT a lie. 

At last, Miroku seems to be listening. shoulders slumped and a sweatdrop dangling from the back of his head. 

Yeah, there's no any shortage of trouble here, unfortunately. 

Once the situation has been explained, and Kagome repeats the essential bit for reiteration's sake, Sango states that a youkai cursed the medicine seller for some reason. I'm sure there is NO behavior that he engaged in before that might have led to a youkai getting fed up with his shit and cursing him. He's been SO upstanding thus far. Sango says she was going to let him suck her blood if he gives her the antitoxin he's peddling in return. 

Inuyasha seems almost disappointed to learn that all this was for Miroku's sake after all in the end, and Kagome sighs about Sango NOT actually just cheating with the pretty guy. Aren't you two supposed to be Miroku and Sango's FRIENDS?? Sango suggests that this is quite the boring turn for them, then turns to Miroku and asks if he understands where she was coming from. He's still facing the other direction, but in a blink, he's turned around again and holding her hands, claiming understanding and that he believed in her this whole time. Shippou stares innocently, knowing how much of a lie this is, but smartly not voicing this fact for once. 

Grinning, the medicine seller once again asks if she'll let him suck her blood. Kagome asks if it HAS to be from her neck, suggesting Sango's arm instead. The medicine seller looks harried and a little disappointed when Miroku prods him with his staff, implying that this "option" is really the only acceptable compromise with his aggressive repetition of the question. With all due respect in his agreement, the medicine seller leans down over Sango's hand and with a burst of sparkles that momentarily mesmerize Kagome and Inuyasha as spectators, it looks for a moment as though the medicine seller has disappeared altogether. 

Inuyasha murmurs that he vanished, but a little whining insect flutters into the sky above Sango's hand, Miroku identifying it as a MOSQUITO. A male mosquito. Who wants to tell RT that the males aren't the ones that drink blood? The tiny creature thanks Sango, telling her that he left the antitoxin on her hand, because he can apparently still talk. Somehow. Inuyasha hums with some incredulity, and it starts to dawn on Kagome just exactly what the medicine seller meant by "antitoxin".

That is just BLEAK, Sango. 

So, what did I think of this chapter overall? There's actually quite a bit that's squeezed in here, all kind of revolving around insecurity. Inuyasha's careful refusal to admit exactly WHY he lost Sango, and the strange way in which he seemed to have lost control of his faculties was the more amusing of these. Clearly he wasn't all that interested in detailing his own enchantment under the medicine seller. It's not as though he sees it as irrelevant, given the vague warning he gives Miroku about the power of the medicine seller's illusions, but he doesn't want to tell anyone about precisely how they made him behave for how goofy and embarrassing it was. And oddly primitive? Why the medicine seller's illusions made Inuyasha behave more like a dog while they made the women they were targeting surrender to his whims is pretty opaque, since we don't have another male being affected by them to compare. 

Miroku's insecurity plotline was a bit LESS funny than Inuyasha's, given how uncharitable to Sango he was in expressing them. I appreciated how that wife's overt resentment for her husband after she returned from her encounter with the medicine seller showed Miroku what it could look like if Sango met up with him, and his denial that at least PART of that resentment could stem from a reason other than illusion; it WAS pretty funny to think that this woman had NEVER been in contact with a man more attractive than her husband before. But when Miroku declared (presumably to soothe his own worries) that Sango could never fall in love with anyone but him, he stepped into some nasty territory. As I said in the previous chapter's analysis, Sango is a highly competent and autonomous character, and it would be difficult to get her to do something she didn't want to do, NOT do something she did, or override her stubborn streak in any meaningful way. But here Miroku is, denying that she has any sort of autonomy at all when it comes to her affection for him, so if he should find the worst has happened, he can pretend that it's a temporary override of her programming due to those pesky illusions. All he would have to do is slay the youkai and she would go back to being in love with him again, because she can't do otherwise. He has just THAT strong of a hold over her. 

As if it wouldn't take a significant amount of will and stubbornness to be in love with him in the first place, to put up with all his nonsense. She basically confirmed in the final line of the chapter that she's used to being taken for a ride by dudes of his type, who seem to seem to see her as a dispenser for what THEY want, rather than a full autonomous person. Exhausting.

While we're on the topic of autonomy, I want to talk about the medicine seller's "strategy" for returning to his original form. It's demonstrated in the finale that he had the option to just ASK for permission the entire time, rather than be coercive and manipulative in the manner of a date rapist. Since he's an insect, even a more scummy interpretation couldn't argue that this sort of underhanded behavior would come naturally to him, so that leaves a lot of questions as to why he wouldn't be more straightforward in his approach. Did he try that in the beginning and end up scandalizing a lot of people before he realized it wasn't really viable? Is that why he started offering an "antitoxin" for the privilege to suck women's blood, because he found he had to try and make it worth the risk of being involved with him? If those other women weren't his "ideal" woman, why was he targeting them? Just to feed? What was with the villainous dialog about how Sango is unable to escape? Another parallel between his and Miroku's desperate entitlement to Sango manifesting into the delusion that she has no other choice? If that's the case, it's a dangerous comparison to make, because Miroku ALREADY looked pretty bad for his poor treatment of the women he's involved with, so it's just piling dung on the fire to forge a link between his attitude and that of a would-be rapist. 

And just WHAT did the medicine seller do to piss off a youkai so bad that he got turned into a pretty boy? I mean, I've been annoyed by a mosquito buzzing in my ear before, but not THAT annoyed!

YuYu Hakusho Manga: 058 Drunken Master: Chu!!

Being drunk seems like a distinct disadvantage in fighting. As someone who had a large margarita over the weekend to get a good buzz going, it seems like a distinct disadvantage in EVERYTHING. Speaking, coordination, WALKING, it was all off enough to make these regular activities a little more challenging. Usually, that's part of the point, feeling weird and funny and having your inhibitions steer you into silly behavior to a degree. I certainly wouldn't want to rely on my body under the influence of alcohol when coordinated and deliberate movements were a life-and-death situation. This is why we don't drive drunk, and presumably, why we wouldn't FIGHT drunk. 

If we were inclined to fight at all, of course. 

That's not saying a lot. There are lots of things Yusuke doesn't notice.

Kuwabara takes this observation as a good sign and grins as he strokes his chin, agreeing that Yusuke looks ready, and boasts that they're kicking so much butt at this point that it's almost a joke. Hiei glares silently at Kuwabara, no doubt no where NEAR suggesting that they're doing so well. Kurama thinks it's hardly a joke, considering Zeru having been a GENUINE threat. It didn't look that way to ME in the last chapter, but Kurama's logic is that Hiei had to bust out a move that he hadn't yet perfected just to beat him. The flames from Hell that Hiei had summoned to incinerate the master of fire would undoubtedly have a hefty price tag, and Hiei certainly didn't come out of the act unscathed. Kurama recalls what Hiei said about his right arm being enough to do the job, and knows that while Hiei still HAS his arm, he'll never be able to use it the same again. 

Well THAT should be an interesting obstacle for Hiei to work around in the future. 

Kurama shifts his gaze to look at Chu, thinking he's not Zeru, but somehow he seems WORSE. He doesn't elaborate on this like all the other stuff, but he does silently bid Yusuke to be careful as Chu and Yusuke stand face-to-face. Chu expresses some indignation that Yusuke called what's coming up LIGHT exercise, then straight up disappears from where he was standing, to Yusuke's surprise. He reappears again with Koto's mic in his hand, demanding that she let him borrow it as she examines her empty hands with bewilderment. He's doing that "testing" repetition into the mic while she asks aloud with a shocked meow how he even DID that. 

No one would mistake you for a "lightweight" dude, calm down. 

There's a moment of awkward silence after this announcement, after which Koto raises a spare mic and explains that the Jolly Devil Six (now reduced to two) determined their alternate and fight order by Rock-Paper-Scissors. I think that much was fairly obvious, but if it makes her feel more in control of the situation, she's welcome to exposit to her heart's content. And so she does, spelling out for the audience in and out of universe that Chu is saying he's an alternate by PROCEDURE and not by degree of prowess. She even presents it as fact that he's the deadliest of his entire team. How does one come by this fact? By kill count? In any case, Chu of course agrees with vehemence, though Rinku decries the fact that Chu is drunk AGAIN. Kurama presses a finger into the center of his forehead with his eyes closed and an exasperated expression, as though he's trying to put pressure on an acute headache in that spot. Kuwabara just calls Chu a moron, looking disgusted. 

Yusuke throws off his jacket as he saunters into the ring, saying he gets it and is ready to go, but Chu puts a pause on things once more. He insists that Yusuke doesn't QUITE get it, and since Chu isn't interested in beating down an opponent that has their guard down, he gets into full disclosure mode - he uses a move he calls "The Drunken Fist". Sounds like a drink in a shady dive bar. 

That little hat down there at the bottom of the panel above is Rinku's, popping straight off his head as he falls over comically and declares Chu hopeless. Grinning, Yusuke accepts Chu's explanation, but he doesn't consider this "Drunken Fist" to be the big deal Chu is making it out to be. He suggests that Chu has something much more SPECIAL up his nonexistent sleeve, otherwise this fight would hardly be worth the trouble. 

Yusuke wears a sly little smile. Chu mirrors it. He sways as he calls Yusuke a likable sort of cool, slurring that you don't get opponents like him too often. He weaves swiftly in front of Yusuke, talking about how fun their match could be. Oh, just make out already.

While Botan and Keiko stare speechlessly, Koenma reflects on how Yusuke has completed two training regimens as Genkai's apprentice, so he thinks the boy should have by this point a good grasp on reiki techniques. 

Chu moonwalks and slides here and there, seemingly unable to stand still while Yusuke watches him, a chant of "KILL KILL" from the spectators behind him. Koto, seemingly inspired by the crowd's bloodlust, calls for the killing to begin. 

I'd probably be hard to follow in speaking Spanish, too, but I wouldn't say that says anything good about my skill level, lol.

Chu continues to shift all around Yusuke, who stands stationary in the center of Chu's erratic orbit. Chu swings his hands out and as the "mystery" member of Yusuke's team assesses the start of the battle as very hard, Yusuke manages to block the blow with his teeth on edge. At least, the FIRST blow. A fist swings upward from below and Yusuke notices it too late. 

That fist is a fucking TIME TRAVELER. 

Chu slams Yusuke straight into the platform below, and Kuwabara exclaims that Yusuke didn't even have a CHANCE to strike back. Gaping, Kurama reiterates that Chu's appearance seriously belies his ability. 

But suddenly, Yusuke pops back onto his feet, like he's just been offered ice cream. 

Impressive, but he's not landing any hits. With a chuckle, Chu zips out of sight again, and while Yusuke stares open-mouthed at the spot he used to be, his figure pops back up to the side. Chu delivers a powerful kick, which sends Yusuke skidding off the platform entirely, across the ground around it, and straight into the wall, leaving a cloud of the debris his body has dug up in its wake. Kuwabara looks absolutely shocked and appalled, mouth wide in a silent yell. 

Chu balances on one foot, keeping the one he kicked raised and his arms crossed, the crowd continuing to scream for murder and Koto staring in complete amazement. She calls it a brilliantly executed combo, and says she's at a loss for the words to even describe it, which seems rather convenient for her. I had to do it, after all. She does manage to say that Yusuke was caught by surprise and was knocked straight out of bounds, though. Chu asks the presumably K.O.'d Yusuke what the deal is, if he still wants to see his ACE move, because it's not going to happen if the kid folds this quickly. 

The wall separating the stands from the battle arena area has a big hole in it where Yusuke punched through, and those seats near it have cleared, though the spectators are still chanting for blood at large. Kuwabara yelps about how Chu's kick crumbled the stone wall, estimating it to be about 10,000 times more powerful than the moves he suffered from Rinku. 

Koto suddenly remembers to COUNT, since Yusuke is out of bounds, which is okay. It's only her ONE JOB, lol! But she doesn't even get the chance, really. She whirls around at a small explosion of debris on the platform behind her, and Yusuke has appeared there, a little scratched up, but his limbs look loose and nimble. He breathes a mock sigh of relief, admitting that the kick would have shattered him if he hadn't blocked it. Blocked it with WHAT? Atsuko doesn't care; she's just yelling for her son to show those wimps what he's made of. 

I can't really say I relate, boys. 

So, what did I think of this chapter overall? This chapter felt so much shorter than usual because it went quite fast. In addition to the fast-paced action in the second half of the chapter, Chu's manner of speech and the way holds himself up (barely, that is) are extremely unique and entertaining. So much more interesting that lame Zeru, who was just the most generic of stoic wooden dolls. I definitely empathize with Chu's frustration at luck making HIM the alternate, when he was so clearly designed specially to be the main event. 

There's also something very likable about him, just in general. In part it's of course his initial warnings to Yusuke, the repeated attempts to make clear to him that he's not to be underestimated, because it shows that he has an acute sense of fairness and wants a good sporting fight. Part of it is also the joviality in his presentation and somewhat friendly manner, the peacock-like eccentricity of dress. He's striking me as a demonic Jack Sparrow, because a lot of the things that made that character so appealing to audiences back in the day are the same ones Chu has here. He's GREAT fun. 

I really do hope we get to see a bit of a struggle from Hiei using his arm in the future, because I think there's a lot that can be said regarding hubris and his imprudent act of just firing off a move that he didn't quite have full control over. Although, if I'm honest, I am SKEPTICAL that it will end up being too much of an obstacle - in serializations, it's far too easy to forget about these things when there's no VISIBLE injury that needs to be drawn as part of a new character design. If it were me, I probably WOULD have taken off Hiei's entire arm so I didn't just space and continue giving him full use of it later on, or feel tempted to just hand-wave a miraculous heal later on. 

That one should have gotten the Sesshoumaru treatment. 

Inuyasha Manga: 357 Medicine Seller

Should there be quotation marks around the word "medicine" in this title? Because when I think of a legitimate dispenser of medications, I think of an apothecary or a pharmacist. We have a term for anyone outside of those kinds of professions peddling cures for whatever ails you, and it's not the most flattering. There's a couple of big ones skulking around in the highest offices of my homeland right now, and one thing is for sure, "medicine" isn't even close to what they deal in. You can tell by the lack of credentials, and the promotion of poison as ancient remedies to everything from a toothache to cancer. It's what they do when they can't manage to pick up more complicated grifts. 

Like whatever the fuck THIS is. Can't make heads or tails of it. 

Indeed, as she's looking in at the slumbering Goryoumaru, Kagura asks Naraku what the meaning of this is and just WHO this guy even happens to be. Naraku tells her all she has to do is shut up and watch over him. He's just MOCKING her curiosity at this point, isn't he? 

Goryoumaru opens an eye to glance with ire at the grate, then rolls over on his side to face it. His youkai arm blooms open, predictably. 

This is what you get for digging up a guy just to put him in jail, douchebag. 

But, ALSO predictably, Naraku floats there in pieces with a smug smirk on his intact head. He informs Goryoumaru with an evil chuckle that he doesn't die, who just kind of glares silently back at him. Kagura wonders if this means Goryoumaru is Naraku's enemy, more confused than ever, and she's not the only one. The relationship seems STRAINED at the very least. 

Naraku tells Kagura to be careful not to let the guy in the prison get away, leaving the declaration that this shall be her final job unspoken. Not that she could really do much about it if he HAD said the ominous line aloud. 

Ah, our heroes are back on their feet and in default formation once again. 

Kagome calls to Miroku that it would have been better for him to rest in Kaede's village, but he insists that the Saimyoushou's poison is mostly gone by this point. "Mostly" is doing a lot of heavy lifting in this statement. Inuyasha says that the rumor they're following up on really stinks though, which he would know a lot about, I suppose. He's having a hard time believing that there's a universal antitoxin as the rumor claims. 

Wow, Inuyasha is smarter and more incredulous than like 40% of US Americans. Go figure. 

Sadly, Kaede doesn't seem so discerning, because SHE'S the one who told them about the rumor in the first place. Come on, Kaede, you work with herbal remedies, you should know better than this! Regardless, she spreads to them the too-good-to-be-true word that there's an antitoxin that works almost as soon as you drink it, but it's not all that easy to get ahold of, given that it's being sold by a strange wandering medicine seller. No one knows when or where he'll appear next, and he disappears immediately after the transaction. 

You have GOT to be fucking kidding me. 

Kagome asks for confirmation on the info they heard that the "medicine seller" was in the neighboring village two days ago, but Inuyasha just says he's probably not around anymore. Sango turns to assert that it's worth it to try and find the guy, because Miroku won't have to suffer from the Saimyoushou again if they can get ahold of this medicine. Ah, hope springs eternal. As well as gullibility. Miroku seems impressed she's willing to go to all this trouble for his sake. 

You should have tied him to a post and left him behind. 

Narrow sky transition panel, and a shot of the fields of the aforementioned neighboring village. A woman confirms that the "medicine seller" was definitely there two days before, but when Sango asks if she has any idea where the guy went, she admits not knowing. Inuyasha asks what sort of guy he was, probably looking for a more concrete description than he gets, which is a vague claim that he was certainly the most handsome man the woman had ever met. She cradles her cheek in her palm, her eyes closed and a little blissful smile on her face. Inuyasha makes a noise of interest, genuinely seeming somewhat intrigued, contrary to how I THOUGHT he would take this statement. 

Kagome reiterates to Sango that the woman said this was a fine-looking man, as if she didn't JUST hear it. Sango asks if that's really a clue, and Miroku looks to the side as he mutters that this whole story stinks. He rushes to grab their interviewee's hands, asking her if the "medicine seller" did anything indecent to her under the guise of giving her the medicine, but the woman just laughs at the forward question. 

Sango ends up dragging him away from the woman, having put a lump on the top of his head, and grumbling that the "medicine seller" isn't HIM. You know you've made a shitty reputation for yourself when even your FRIENDS trust that a shady disappearing peddler is far less likely to take advantage of young women than you. Although, Shippou seems to consider that the two might be surprisingly similar from his perch on Kagome's shoulder. 

Crouched on the ground a short distance away, Inuyasha calls to the rest of his group and urges them to follow him that way. 

Honestly, I would be surprised if the guy WEREN'T a youkai at this point. 

Miroku looks wary about the news, but Sango suggests with a smile that a youkai's medicine might be more effective, and that they should continue rooting out the medicine seller. Kagome thinks it's sweet how much effort Sango is putting into getting this medicine. This almost CERTAINLY not real medicine. 

Elsewhere, a scream rings out through the forest, startling a flock of birds into flight from the trees. A snake slithers away from a woman who sits on the ground, voicing her pain over the fang wounds in her ankle. She looks up when a voice nearby tells her not to move, because the snake may have been venomous. The voice offers to give her his all-purpose antitoxin, and begins to suggest a payment as his ethereal form materializes through the trees. The woman gapes wordlessly. 

Inuyasha hums, nose twitching as he informs the others that he's closing in on that scent of herbs. The woman from the previous page is lying by the side of the path, her basket standing next to her, also recovered from the forest. Kagome immediately hops from Inuyasha's back when they reach her, kneeling next to her and asking what happened and if she's okay. Miroku and Sango watch her carefully while she recounts what happened when she encountered trouble in the form of a snake bite in the woods. 

He must be super dreamy. Even Sesshoumaru fangirls don't swoon like this. 

Once again, Miroku is so suspicious that he also rushes to her side, asking if the medicine seller made her do anything indecent in exchange for his medicine. And again, he gets hit over the head by Sango, who tells him to stop repeating himself. Miroku insists she's mistaken in reprimanding him, urging her to look at the back of the woman's neck. Indeed, there's a crescent of a bite mark there just visible beneath the woman's ponytail. Miroku must have some STELLAR eyesight, or else read the script. 

Kagome cries out about the fang wounds in the woman's neck, as opposed to the ones in her ankle, and Inuyasha asks her if she got bitten. Apparently, she's good at attracting bites. The woman herself makes a noise of confusion, raising a hand to feel the spot indicated by the strangers. She admits that she can't really remember, and her head feels rather fuzzy. Miroku declares that, leaving aside this supposed antitoxin, it's become important to ascertain the medicine seller's real identity, and Inuyasha agrees that the guy seems to be up to no good. 

Miroku tells Kagome and Sango to help the poor woman home, and when Sango asks why he's asking HER to run this errand too, he says he and Inuyasha will be going after the medicine seller, because he seems to be doing something to GIRLS in particular. An entirely fair assessment, but Sango argues that if that's the case and she goes along, she might be able to draw the youkai out. Miroku fires back that she shouldn't take youkai spells so lightly, asking what if her mind is controlled. She counters that HE'S still recovering from some serious poisoning, still not well enough to do any youkai extermination himself.  

Kagome leans over to excitedly whisper to Inuyasha that this is a good mood. He and I BOTH are quite confused, so she explains that Miroku appears not to want Sango to meet the good-looking medicine seller. 

Yeah, it's not as if there's any risk of actual injury, like a nasty bite, or anything.

Miroku and Sango are looking more and more irritated with each other, the former asking if she's not going to listen to him at all, and the latter saying it's useless to try and stop her. Sighing that there's no helping it, Miroku pulls out a familiar looking beaded bracelet. Sango puts it on pretty much immediately, but has to ask if it's for protection. Or perhaps for concealment, like the last time? Miroku says it breaks illusion spells, and she probably won't be affected by whatever the medicine seller is doing while she wears it. Probably. 

So, when is Miroku going to open up his Etsy witch shop with his cute bracelet charms? I might be interested in buying a few. 

After this little negotiation, Kagome is waving goodbye, Shippou on her shoulder. Miroku has turned to request seriously that Inuyasha take care of Sango. The woman stands silently in the background, and I wonder if anyone ASKED her if she really needed help getting home. It's a nice gesture, but hopefully splitting up is worth it... Inuyasha carelessly calls over his shoulder that he'll sure do what Miroku asks, and Sango in turn asks that Kagome watch Miroku to make sure he doesn't do anything to that woman. You know, this reveals a lot about why Sango wouldn't feel threatened by the behavior from other men, when she's already always looking out for Miroku's bullshit. Kagome happily assures Sango she's on it, and Miroku grumbles that he's actually REALLY worried about her. 

As they wander further into the forest, Sango asks where the medicine seller's scent is, and he tells her which way. 

Maybe Miroku SHOULD be feeling a little threatened romantically by this guy.

While Sango looks around, Inuyasha continues forward on all fours, sniffing right up to the edge of a rocky overhang. After a confused silence, Sango asks Inuyasha if this is really the way to their target. He lifts his head at last, revealing a dazed, flushed expression, which Sango likens to a drunken stupor with even more puzzlement. A couple of butterflies flutter over Inuyasha's head, and he flings himself mindlessly off the edge of the high overhang after them, leaving Sango to watch him fall and thump on the ground below from over the side. Hands-down the funniest shit I have ever seen in this comic. 

Sango goes over the side after him, sliding down the steep slope and calling his name. The bracelet Miroku gave her snags on a bramble as she passes and snaps, which she seemingly doesn't notice. She lands in a heap of snarled brambles at the bottom of the slope, yanking her arm up out of the twisted foliage with a groan, face scraped. 

Bad news, he's got the shoujo sparkles around him and everything.

So, what did I think of this chapter overall? It's a cute little diversion from the current arc, and considering how confusing said arc has been, refreshing in how straightforward it is. Sango and Miroku's relationship may not be my personal cup of tea, but I do feel like it deserves some more attention, especially since Inuyasha and Kagome have finally broken out of their shitty argument loop that severely overstayed its welcome. As the secondary couple in the group, Sango and Miroku haven't had a ton to do but comment on the ups and downs of the main couple, so whenever they get a few chapters dedicated to their own relationship's maintenance, it's at least a nice change of pace. 

I believe Miroku when he says he genuinely cares about Sango's safety, but I also believe that he is potentially a little threatened by the glowing description given of the youkai they're seeking out. Two things can be true at once. Still, knowing Sango, it's ridiculous that Miroku tried to convince her to sit this one out to begin with. Confrontation of youkai is her profession, and they only went on this quest to find the "medicine seller" to begin with on HER insistence for his sake. He really should understand by now that he's involved with a competent and determined girl, much more so whenever the well-being of a loved one is involved. She's not one of the flings he's engineered through sweet nothings, so she's automatically going to be on the more stubborn side. Obviously, if she still likes him after all the garbage he's pulled, she'd have to be.

More power to her, because it couldn't be me. I wouldn't have even a fraction of the patience necessary. 

And more power to Kagura, because her position is looking more precarious every second. Sure, she's been appointed warden of the prison, but she's still IN the prison, and it doesn't take a genius to see that keeping her cooped up in there watching Goryoumaru serves the primary purpose of restricting her opportunities for more snooping. As for this being her final job, that could mean any number of things, from the innocuous statement that this is the only position she's suited for if she can't be trusted with anything even remotely in the wider world, to the more threatening one that he's planning on killing her when this assignment is over. What counts as "over" isn't quite clear either, but then again, what HAS been clear in this entire arc? 

I find it funny in a depressing sort of way that Kagura identifies so heavily with the free wind, but she is further and further restricted from expressing that identity. Such a shame. 

YuYu Hakusho Manga: 057 The Fearsome Hell of Blazing Heat!!

Ouch. This title stings me right in my climate anxiety. This summer has already been oppressively hot, and it's only just the beginning of August. Europe has been experiencing UNPRECIDENTED heat waves, and wildfires have been popping up in places where they've never been experienced before. Where I live in the Pacific Northwest, my boss went to his regular military reserves drill in Spokane, Washington, only to be asked to help fight fires there when they started practically overnight around the city, and he doesn't know when he's going to be able to come back. The world is fucking BURNING, and all the people in charge only care about spectacle and profit. 

At least I can feel good about the fact that this comic seems to accurately portray that attitude. 

As Kurama exits the platform, Hiei informs him that the familiars took off once their master expired, his eyes closed and his fingers touched to the band around his forehead. Clearly he's been using his special talent to keep an EYE on Roto's underlings stalking Kurama's mom. Kurama mumbles about Hiei having noticed, and Hiei that the idiot had NO idea who he was dealing with. The glazing is pretty blatant here. 

Koto shouts for the next contestants, and Kurama and Kuwabara look around in alarm. It appears the other team's already offered up their next member, Zeru, who the crowd seems to be convinced will trash whoever's next. Koto impatiently demands that Team Urameshi send up their next contender. Kurama says he thought Zeru was the team captain, and Kuwabara suggests this means that he other two team members are tougher than him. I don't know, Kuwabara, does the fact that you went first suggest you're the weakest in your group? 

... Let's not answer that one, shall we? 

Smirking, Hiei denies Kuwabara's conclusions, affirming that Zeru is definitely the powerhouse of his team. It's his guess that the members of the opposite team just drew lots for fight order, like most other groups. Hiei pulls off his cowl/scarf thing and volunteers to take Zeru, to get back at him for making fools of them yesterday. 

I'm sure there's never been anything in the history of ever that has ever fallen short of that kind of assessment. 

As he approaches Zeru, he voices his observation that Zeru uses flames, bragging about how he checked the cup that had been sliced in half by what seemed to be some sort of blade, but the edges appeared melted. He accuses Zeru of lacking refinement, but Zeru doesn't think that matters at all, since he doesn't take criticism from "belly-crawling evil-eyed rodents". Points for creativity, I suppose. 

The moment Koto declares the match begun, she cringes against the sudden fiery aura that flares out from Zeru. He says that Hiei is basically ALREADY cinders, and Kuwabara shields himself from the flaming aura with a raised arm, in awe over its killer energy. Zeru rotates his hands, asking if his opponent is impressed, because he should be. He's sure that a mouse like Hiei could never in his whole life summon so much aura. Hiei himself actually looks rather UNIMPRESSED, demanding that this be the end of talk, and for Zeru to just MOVE already. 

Be careful what you wish for.

Hiei's eyes are wide, his jaw slack, and his smirk is GONE. The hit launches him backward, and while he's in the air, Zeru punches the air between them, his fist flaming. Hiei's silhouette is surrounded in flames and burns as he flops on the ground. Kurama is in speechless horror, but Kuwabara manages to voice his shock at how QUICK this match has been. Even the demonic audience is blown away by the record time in which Hiei seems to have been laid out. 

I say "seems" because, while Zeru turns his back on Hiei and scoffs that this was hardly worth getting out of bed for, he's struck dumb by the voice floating over his shoulder from the place the burning figure had landed. That figure is standing again, admitting that Zeru is good, and it's a shame he has to kill him.

Is that worth a "rejoicing" really? 

Kurama recognizes the name of this attack, saying that it's FORBIDDEN in the human world, only meant for the demon plane. There are an awful lot of RULES for demons, I'm noticing. A little odd for creatures of malevolence and violence. 

With a little manic grin, Hiei says that he hasn't fully tamed this move, but he's confident that he will in short order. Heh, did he just make a short joke? Anyway, he's holding his clawed fingers aloft, which are surrounded in dark fire, and Zeru notes this through his massive gape, asking just HOW they've been summoned from the demon plane. 

Gotta get in that practice! You know, to gain more control. 

As Hiei steps forward his shirt continues to burn away, but his trousers must be made of tougher stuff, because they're perfectly intact. He tells Zeru that this is TRUE pyromancy, actual evil that Zeru's "match-play" lacks. Fighting fire with fire never seemed like such a sure thing. He says that while Zeru laughed at his Evil Eye, but he's going to regret it. Looks like he's already starting to do so, wearing a horrified expression and stuttering that somehow, Hiei CAN'T do this. Why not? There's really no answer. Koto is running, shouting into her microphone that it's getting so over-the-top in the ring that even she's been forced to take cover. 

Hiei declares that this is it. 

There's a great WHOOSH as Koto crouches by the side of the raised platform, rushing over her head. A quiet follows, and she remains in her position for a moment before peeking over the lip of the platform to check on the damage. The area in front of Hiei's outstretched arm is completely clear, no Zeru to be seen at all. Kurama looks much more serious when he states to a grimacing Kuwabara that it was over in a flash. Yusuke remains slumbering peacefully. 

Koto turns, presumably to ascertain Zeru's whereabouts to start the count, and is alarmed by what she sees on the wall below the stadium seating. 

Well, it WAS a fast match. Just not AS fast as everyone thought at first. 

Zeru's remaining team members are gulping from the sidelines, mumbling about how NOT GOOD this is. Hiei has his hand raised again while he tells Koto that he incinerated Zeru's human world aspect and to start the count. Oh, so he's not actually dead? Might come back? I'm neutral on this news. Koto stutters that she's inclined to just skip that part, letting out a relieved breath. I mean, even if he DOES come back, he's not going to make it within the limits of a ten-count. No way no how. Koto declares Hiei the winner. 

Kuwabara shakes his raised fist at the opposite team, pointing out that they're behind two-to-one even after he himself got swindled in the first match. SURE, buddy, whatever makes you feel better about your loss. Though Kuwabara goes back to his grimace when he realizes this isn't a big comfort to him knowing now what Hiei is capable of if he decided to turn on his own team now. He even gulps a bit when Hiei walks past him with his fists shoved in his pockets. Hiei turns to him to offer his assurances that he sticks with a side once he's picked one, and the move he just used needs way more work anyway. I'm sure his wide eyes and small smile are MEANT to be reassuring, but he still looks pretty unhinged, especially when that last part of his statement could be taken as an admission that the reason he's not going HAM on the whole stadium right now is because he doesn't think it would be as spectacular as he wants, lol.

Across the way, the two remaining teammates of Zeru are sweating bullets, stuttering over how he was zapped just like that. These large, grown-ass "men" (or rather, demons) are shaking like leaves while their CHILD team member just sit's on the ground resting. He seems alarmed by their cowardice as they moan that they came to the event to kill for fun, and they're not having ANY of that fun they wanted at all. They declare that this is it, they're OUT. 

A flitting sound effect and a blurred panel is all that's left for them.

I don't think this is quite the out they had in mind. 

Hiei looks around from his distance to see the two decapitated bodies spurt blood, and a pair of feet darting toward the ground near them. 

Who... who the FUCK???

This seemingly random stranger slurs his way through a statement that a little danger is a lot more fun, and the cowardice of his victims ruined is buzz. Rinku identifies this guy as "Chu" with some excitement. He must not have been particularly attached to those other two guys. Chu goes over to Koto and informs her, as if she couldn't have seen the reality herself, that the team has two deaths "by accident", asking her what the rules say about that. Koto isn't about to CHALLENGE this blatant lie, and sweats bullets as she rattles off the rules about each team getting a single alternate in case of deaths, and the circumstances don't matter. She stutters a little as she informs him that they'll have to go on with whoever is left, no forfeits allowed. 

He stomps past her, grossing her out with his overpowering BO, mumbling that it's fine, as well as how interesting it is that the last two being his opponents now. Kuwabara says that he's getting a bad feeling from the guy, presumably too far away for it to just be the shit smell. Apparently, though his aura isn't much, but there's something about him that just doesn't sit right with Kuwabara. 

Kuwabara looks around in shock and alarm at a grunt, seeing Yusuke sit up groggily. AT LAST. Yusuke digs a pinky finger in his ear and asks who's been boozing it up, because there's a stench on the air that would wake the dead and kill them all over again. And no doubt he would know, in multiple different ways. Kurama is placid while he notes internally that Yusuke has noticed the odd aura. 

Chu hiccups that Yusuke has FINALLY woken up. Up in the stands, Keiko and Botan stare wide-eyed at the scene below, the former muttering over how it's about to start. Atsuko yells at her son to kill the guy. Because of COURSE she does. Hiei thinks Chu may actually be the worst of the opposing team, noting that he sensed no bloodlust at all, even when Chu killed his teammates. 

Chu cuts off Koto as she calls for the sub-captains to come forward, shouting to get the ball rolling, because he wants to beat these guys quick so that he can get down to some serious drinking. That's definitely what you need dude. MORE drinking. 

Radical rest AND promoting exercise? Since when did HE become a healthy king? 

So, what did I think of this chapter overall? I had to go back and make absolute sure that Chu wasn't among his teammates when they were all introduced, because his design certainly stands out, and I really would have been disappointed in myself if I hadn't spotted him before. I'm supposing, as an alternate, it wasn't necessary for him to be with the rest of the team at the introduction. After all, he might not have needed to be there at ALL if they were all as good as they pretended. I find it hard to believe that he would have stumbled onto the scene just now to hear his cowardly teammates try to make a break for it, given that it's implied he's been in his cups this whole time. I assume he had to have been informed of or saw that Roto had been killed and ambled his way down to take his place, only now actually arriving.

Because Hiei really cleaned up Zeru EXTREMELY quick. Kind of shocking, given how much Zeru's aura and power were hyped from the moment our protagonists met him. I actually appreciate how fast his defeat was, though, because it just further emphasizes a theme that has been developing for a while now: appearances aren't always reflective of reality. Someone's skills can be rather minimal, even if they put up an impressive front. I'm guessing Chu is going to be demonstrating the opposite truth as well, that someone can SEEM rather unimpressive while having much more ability than is first visible.

What I'm not appreciating is this Black Dragon Hell Fire attack for Hiei that YT seemed to pull out of his ass. This was never mentioned before, not so much as hinted at, let alone the apparent forbidden quality of it. Introducing a supposedly forbidden technique on the spot, having characters gush about how no one is ALLOWED or hasn't been ABLE to use it outside of a certain realm, is not really impressing upon me how badass the technique is. It's impressing upon me how the writer hadn't bothered to come up with a plausible established defeat for the opponent, or introduce a new method at least a LITTLE ahead of time in a setup. 

Again, I'll chalk it up to the on-the-fly nature of serializations, but it's still a little irksome to me. It would have been MUCH cooler with a setup.

Inuyasha Manga: 356 Evil Presence

Do you ever get that feeling in your gut, when you first meet someone or they're pointed out to you, that you REALLY don't want to be around that person? Just something about them immediately sets you on edge and there's no reasoning yourself out of the immediate dislike? I've never really believed in "evil" per se, but I have had a couple of those experiences where I seemed to know immediately that I didn't want to be around someone, being that something about them was just OFF. I won't go into detail, due to the semi-traumatic nature of both these instances, but suffice it to say, I was correct 100% of the time, and I had to suffer the consequences of ignoring the little voice inside my head that told me this person was bad news. 

If Kikyou had listened to her own gut, or at least her sister's, none of this shit would have been a problem. 

As Kanna stares blankly over the infant she's holding, Kikyou thinks about how he was tracking a completely DIFFERENT presence all the way here. She clearly isn't going to let this opportunity go to waste, aiming an arrow at Kanna and the baby. But she shoots a glance into her periphery just as a strike comes down from the sky and explodes the earth at her feet, forcing her to leap away. 

Gee, I wonder where YOU'VE been all this time. 

Kikyou identifies Moryoumaru as the one she'd been tracking to begin with, the evil presence that guided her here, and points her arrow at HIM instead. Moryoumaru sees this and his body breaks up into curls of disconnected flesh so the arrow sails straight through it. Kikyou notices that there are spheres that the flesh is rotating around, and recognizes them as haku after a moment's squint. 

A coordinated swarm of the flesh slams into the ground, and again, Kikyou has to jump backward. While she draws another arrow, she sees Kanna's form fleeing the scene through a cloud of dust. She yells at Kanna that she won't get away, firing the arrow. 

Oops! Infants can survive a fall from a cliff, right? 

Kikyou curses and runs to the edge of the cliff, as Kanna is caught by one of the pieces of flesh from Moryoumaru's cloud. By the time she kneels to peer down into the chasm below, Kanna and the infant have disappeared. She notes that not only has she lost sight of those two, but the evil presence as well. Observant as she is, Kikyou recalls the jewel that the infant was carrying when she saw him, and what Inuyasha related to her about Naraku getting ahold of a stone that erases youki. She puts two and two together, identifying that stone as the Fuuyouheki, but she does wonder if she just came across the heart that was supposed to be protected by the stone's youki-erasing powers by accident. It DOES seem awfully coincidental, doesn't it? 

Cut to Kaede's village, long time, no see. Kaede enters her home announcing that she's boiled some herbs.

I'd say it'll leave some nasty scars, but I don't know if RT could remember them at all beyond this point, let alone draw them with any consistency when relevant. 

Kaede asks Sango in the background how Miroku is doing, and Sango tears her eyes away from him to confirm that he doesn't seem to have shaken off the Saimyoushou poison quite yet. Inuyasha being missing, Kagome asks where he is, and Kaede looks over toward the mat hanging over her door, saying that he seems to be brooding sullenly about something out there. It's not clear if they can see him sitting hunched on the fence from where they are, but we're shown the image anyway.

Shippou suggests that Inuyasha might be worried about how he lost to the corruption of the Shikon shard, which looks like it's news to KAEDE, because she's shocked by this information. Wow, you guys told her damn near NOTHING, huh? Kagome admits this is the case, but adds that they were all saved because of it. Shippou corrects the oversimplification, crediting Kagome with jumping in to purify the fragment so Inuyasha didn't turn full youkai and lose himself. She hangs her head in melancholy as she acknowledges this is true. 

What would you know about it? What are you, like six? 

Inuyasha doesn't even bother with the sarcastic response that I would go for, opting instead for his usual whack to Shippou's head as he requests Kagome come out and hang with him a bit. She makes a confused noise, but it's not long before they're outside and Kagome is asking him what's up.

Oh, that won't matter a lick to the foot fetishists now drooling over this chapter.

Kagome doesn't answer his question, just says his name. He sighs and hangs his head, admitting the very thing that he hit Shippou for saying earlier: he has a long way to go. Toward what goal, I'm not certain, but there seems to be some agreement here that the journey is long. Inuyasha apologizes to Kagome for causing her to have a painful memory, if not the literal pain in her feet. It's a straightforward sorry, which is more than a lot of internet personalities are capable of, anyway. 

But Kagome assures him that this isn't true at all, and that it was because he was there that any of them survived at all. Of course, they wouldn't have been IN the oni stomach to begin with if he weren't there either, but we'll gloss over that. Kagome adds that she was actually really happy in the moment that he asked for her support for just a little longer, because she was glad to be by his side. It's Inuyasha's turn to say her name in a trailing statement. 

Awwwww! So sweet! 

Isn't this SO MUCH BETTER than watching them have the same fight over and over again???

Cut to yet another remote building perched precariously on the side of a mountain. This one looks a bit bigger than the one Hakudoushi was hanging out in, and stands out against the bare rock, not a tree or bush in sight. Inside, Kagura is descending a set of L-shaped stairs, a healthy distance between her and Naraku. He seems to be leading her somewhere, and on some sparse information, because after a moody pause she asks him what this "important job" he's mentioned to her is. 

Naraku looks up over his shoulder at her, accusing her in no uncertain terms of poking around too much, and asking her what it is she's even looking for. OH SHIT, no more coy bullshit, he's just flat out telling her he's noticed her sticking her nose where he doesn't want it. Though the exclamation point in her speech bubble implies that she's shocked, her expression remains on the more irritated and defiant side. Inside, she's freaking out in disbelief that he might have noticed she's searching for his heart. NO, YOU THINK??? 

She's not saying anything out loud, though, so he continues without her answer, suggesting that she just wants to find things out because she doesn't know anything. Typical harmless curiosity, no biggie. He says this is why he'll put some IMPORTANT work in front of her. He's led her into a dark dungeon built into the side of the mountain, where metal grate is set into an opening leading into another roughly carved chamber off to the side. Sweatdropping, Kagura recognizes the same Rakan statues that were on Goryoumaru's temple grounds sitting outside the grate. 

So he's not in a grave anymore, and not out there flying around as Moryoumaru. What's the DEAL with this dude?

Kagura is SURE that Goryoumaru's head was cut off, but here he is, head still attached and laying there in a cell. 

My dude, did you think this would make her LESS curious?

So, what did I think of this chapter overall? Well here we are! Right at the point where the first anime ended, having caught up to the manga yet again and not being prepared to produce even more filler content while canon material built back up. This was quite the place to do that, because this arc has been difficult to parse, and I think a lot of viewers of the show might have been left scratching their heads rather than anticipating a possible sequel series. It's a cliffhanger, but in more a confusing, frustrating way. Not only has the series itself become more repetitive and homogenized, but there's this sense that no explanation for the latest events will be truly satisfying because the pieces just don't make a lot of sense altogether. 

For example, the supposedly human and totally innocent of knowing shit about Naraku Goryoumaru showing up in a prison with his head attached firmly to his body, no new scar to speak of, just increases my bafflement. Trying to reconcile that with the state he was in before and the information we had at that time is futile in my case. That's not to say that a good explanation CAN'T exist, but if it does, it's extremely opaque. That alone might persuade a lot of viewers against coming back if things are going to be so oddly murky. 

It also brings up some questions that seem to be glossed over within the chapter. For instance, how long has Kikyou been following around Moryoumaru? Has she been at it for this whole arc? Is that why she and Moryoumaru have been sort of MIA this whole time? Otherwise I would have expected Kikyou to be drawn instead to that creepy temple and Goryoumaru. And yet, there is no indication from Naraku or Hakudoushi that Moryoumaru (and thus Kanna and the infant) was being pursued by Kikyou. In fact, the only concern that they discuss is how Kagura is being a nosy Parker and how to deal with that. 

How appointing her Goryoumaru's warden is supposed to solve this problem, I have no idea. I feel like Naraku is losing his touch a bit. 

I will say that it was nice to see Inuyasha and Kagome at last able to have a conversation that isn't dripping with resentment and jealousy. No doubt that's because Kikyou wasn't involved in this incident, so it was a little easier for Inuyasha and Kagome to talk about what happened without slinging blame around. On the contrary, Inuyasha puts all the blame on himself for the incident, which isn't exactly WRONG, given he led them into the situation in the first place. Of course, since none of the rest of the group challenged his reckless leadership and asked for a slow-down so they could think for a second whether it was really the best idea to fly into a giant mouth is an important factor in this as well...

Inuyasha taking responsibility for this incident isn't necessarily bad, but I do worry about his and Shippou's statements that "he has a long way to go". In the context, the implication is that the goal is for Inuyasha to be stong and capable enough to single-handedly get them out of any emergency situation. That's an awful lot of pressure to put on a SINGLE member of their team, and kind of goes against what he's been learning about the benefits of having friends this whole time. 

Which is why I hope he's listening closely to Kagome when she says she was happy to be able to offer him support. She's not just saying that it was a pleasure to help. It was a pleasure to be there so that he could draw on her strength where his was lacking. That's the point of having relationships, because NO ONE can do everything themselves and they are going to need help when the gaps in their abilities show up. 

Inuyasha has spent a long time believing that he had to do everything for himself and refuse reliance on others, so his habit is to assume that if he wasn't able to solve a problem alone, he's still not good enough. There's probably also an element in there of the guilt over Kikyou's death, seeing it as his failure to save her from Naraku. It's helpful to have Kagome around, demonstrating support, reliability, trust, and respect, so that he can slowly start to understand personal strength can always be supplemented by great connections and teamwork.