Inuyasha Manga: 009 Yura's Nest

The beginning of Volume 2 commences! Every new volume is like a milestone for this blog. I stopped counting the volumes overtly with Yu-Gi-Oh, but I have been doing so discretely, and I do so enjoy checking them off in my head. It's like a little progress bar in how far I am on my journey, or how much more experience I have until I reach the next level of blogging. Because you see, I take my blogging VERY seriously.

Just about as seriously as RT takes her previous battle scene.

You think that comb is important? Yeah, me neither.

As Yura combs the hair of her favorite skull, it stretches up and out over the land. Elsewhere, Inuyasha is repeating Kagome's elaboration on Yura and how she's apparently after them. She confirms that he's got all the facts as the both of them peek out of the well, saying that it's impossible for Yura to be after the Shikon fragment anymore, since she already stole it earlier, but she's still following them around. It's news to Inuyasha that the fragment was stolen, and starts to give Kagome a piece of his mind, but Kagome exclaims in surprise that the hair is descending on them from above.

Inuyasha leaps forward while Kagome clings to his back, avoiding the attack... by a hair. I am the worst. Inuyasha keeps running, shouting at Kagome over his shoulder to follow the hair to its source, so he can kill whoever is controlling it. Kagome squints into the night, noting that some of the strands are glowing, and wondering if those are the main ones connecting the rest. Well, didn't you find one of those in the last chapter, Kagome? You tell me.

Kagome assumes that if her hypothesis is correct, Yura will be where those glowing strands come together, and urges Inuyasha in the direction she sees them converging. Off to the side, Kagome and Inuyasha see a campfire's glow, and go to investigate, since it's on the way to their playdate anyway.

Whoops, looks like those guys kind of blundered into the hair, huh? Inuyasha thinks so, anyway, as he taps on a strand of hair covered in blood and the blood flicks everywhere from the tension. Kagome covers her mouth, disturbed by how human and dead they are. True, she hasn't had the misfortune of examining a dead body yet, so the first time would probably be pretty freaky. She speculates with what I suspect to be guilt that this must have happened after she went back home.

To be fair, Kagome, you were kind of forced into the well, because you weren't going to go through with jumping in at first.

Inuyasha is contemplating one of the corpses while stroking his chin, noting what bad luck the man had and that his head is missing. All he needs is a pipe and deer-stalker cap. He turns and notices Kagome kneeling on the ground with her back to him, and immediately assumes that she's scared and wants to go home, asking her not to tell him that anyway.

The greatest thing about it is that you won't even have to return it! Those guys don't need it anymore! Amirite? High five! I am the worst.

They continue their journey to where the hair converges, Kagome on Inuyasha's back as will become par for the course. She thinks about how many more innocent people will die if they don't stop Yura soon, but her thoughts are interrupted by Inuyasha's snide remark that the bow is essentially useless since she won't hit anything anyway. Why didn't you bring this up sooner, Inuyasha? Like when Kagome was picking it up? Did you just not come up with anything assholish to say until just now?

Kagome begins to say that if she practices, she'll get better, but Inuyasha interrupts her to ask in disbelief if she's been practicing before now. Kagome snaps that she'll start after this. Inuyasha thinks that as useless and unreliable as Kagome is, she's got more guts than he first gave her credit for. Yup, she's got true grit alright.

Kagome tells him to be careful, because they're getting closer now. Giant locks of hair swoop in on them from above again and Kagome screams, claiming there's too many to tell him where they're at. She says to just use his intuition, and Inuyasha is flabbergasted at her suggestion as he jumps off to the side to avoid a blow from the hair. You know, I WAS going to defend Kagome and say that she hasn't been useless or unreliable thus far, but maybe Inuyasha's statement was a precognition about what she was ABOUT to do. Seriously, Kagome? Use your intuition? Gah...

Inuyasha shouts that she's not helping, and Kagome decides to magnanimously tell him that there's an attacking lock right in front of him. It's too late, though, because instead of his defensive claw sweeping it away, the hair wraps around his wrist and pulls him up by his arm. Kagome falls from his back and crashes to the ground with a scream, but quickly sits up to call after him in distress.

And I thought I had problems with clumps of my shed hair turning up under furniture. This is a whole other LEVEL of gross.

Yura seems more than cool with the nastiness of her living-conditions, though. Whatevz. Yura seems to know Inuyasha's name, and asks him if he's really that guy. He let's her know that he's aware of who she is too, asking her how she knows about him. Yeah, how DO you and the other villain know about him? Seems to me that if he was as insignificant and nonthreatening as you all seem to claim, he wouldn't even come up on your full-youkai radar.

Yura admits that Inuyasha has a reputation among oni like herself. Kagome is trying to keep this terminology straight in her head, though I don't know why. The distinction seems a bit arbitrary to me. Yura starts to mock Inuyasha by telling him the most insulting version of the rumor that he's helping a reincarnated priestess find and collect all the shards of the jewel. I'm surprised how fast this rumor flew around. I mean, it's been, what, a couple of days? And now ALL the oni know about Inuyasha: the lapdog to a miko?

Inuyasha is more concerned with the specifics of that terminological inexactitude, as he asserts that he is not a lapdog to that monkey-girl, thank you very much. Yura doesn't pay any attention to his protests, asking if he and the monkey-girl are going to interfere. Interfere with what? Your collection of hair? Because I happen to think that, yes, an intervention is definitely in order here.

Yura says that she'll kill both Kagome and Inuyasha, just in case, so that she can continue to collect the shards of the jewel in peace. You really think they're the only ones you'll come up against, Yura? Naive to the max. Inuyasha stares longingly at the Shikon shard as Yura holds it up and Kagome recognizes it as the shard Yura stole from her. Inuyasha says that Yura will see how easy it is to kill him, because he plans on making her regret ever coming into contact with him.

He shreds the hair bindings on one of his wrists, and swings toward Yura from the bindings on his opposite wrist, free claws drawn back to smack a bitch. Have I mentioned I'm the worst? Yura pulls herself out of the arc of his attack easily, and brings out her comb to run it through the hair running up next to her. It catches Inuyasha in its grip once again, both leg and arm. He curses about what a pain this is to him.

Uh, yeah. Didn't you figure that out the last time you tried to kill him with your hair and it didn't work? The sword does do the trick, though, and a line of blood spurts from the new wound in Inuyasha's chest. He glares down at it like he's more annoyed than in pain. Kagome watches with the concern he doesn't have, though, as she crouches on the ground. Girl, now might be kind of a good time to start practicing with that bow and arrow you pilfered.

Inuyasha mockingly compliments Yura's sword as he hangs there bleeding. Yura is relieved to see him bleed, because she didn't know what she would have done if the sword hadn't cut him, all while licking his blood from her blade. I think you should worry more about what will happen if you happen to get some blood-borne disease from the guy.

Yura tells Inuyasha the name of the sword, since he admires it so much, apparently, is "Crimson Mist". She says it can cut through flesh and bone, but not hair, which makes it uniquely valuable. She can chop him up while keeping him tied with her hair, after all, which she explains as she's raising her sword to strike. She's distracted by a couple of arrows flying some ways away, though. Looking in their direction, she sees that the hair is smoking and dissolving at their contact with the arrows, and her hair being destroyed confuses Yura.

Girl, what are you even aiming for? The only person who has more trouble hitting things than Inuyasha, ladies and gentlemen!

Yura recognizes Kagome as that one girl from that one time, or something, as Kagome fires another arrow that she shouts at Yura to eat. It heads for Inuyasha instead, and Inuyasha has to lift his knees to avoid the next arrow from hitting one of his legs and it JUST sails past him while he yells out in surprise. Inuyasha asks her what she thinks she's aiming at, as if he can talk.

The arrow embeds itself in the ball of hair on the other side of Inuyasha and Yura, a glow exploding from it as the hair dissolves.

I guess that's where those samurai heads went, huh? Sure enough, in the very next panel, some fresh heads tumble down and dangle by their hair, flesh intact. Inuyasha correctly identifies them, before Yura leans in real close and tells him that his head will be joining them very soon. He doesn't seem very convinced, giving her an exasperated look as he asks if that's so sarcastically. Yura picks up one of his silver locks and tells him what a pleasure it will be to control such lovely hair. He just glares.

Yura straightens again and holds up her comb, preparing to do something before she gets to the fun part of taking Inuyasha's luxurious head of hair. Kagome only has time to stare in shock before...

Yura asks Kagome how she likes her orge-fire-hair, which will burn her right up. This ain't no Disco Inferno, folks!

So, what did I think of this chapter overall? I think I see a pattern of RT having a little bit of a problem with too narrow a focus. When I covered how the hair seemed to go after Inuyasha exclusively to Kagome's convenience in the last chapter, I considered the possibility that Yura herself wasn't so great at taking on multiple enemies at once. However, in this chapter, there's no denying that Kagome's shooting was somewhat delayed until after she watched Inuyasha get cut.

Granted, I can imagine Kagome was a little too miffed by Inuyasha's "monkey-girl" insult to help at first, but as I've said before in my Yu-Gi-Oh reviews, I'm not a fan of having to make up headcanons in an attempt to make sense of events that should be explained in the source material. When it comes down to it, this delay seemed to be accommodating Yura's exposition about how youkai have been talking about Inuyasha and Kagome behind their backs. This is interesting information, but also a little heavy-handed for how FAST the rumors spread. I think that could have waited just a few chapters while they actually DO things to gain a reputation, because that's generally how one gets a rep.

Unless, RT is trying to make a joke here about how youkai are gossipy like the Real Housewives of Feudal Japan or something.

Yu-Gi-Oh Manga: 067 The Ultimate Great Moth

I don't know, KT. Can this moth be any greater or more ultimate than the monster we've come to know and love from various kaiju movies?

Seriously, there's no way. I'm not buying it. This "ultimate" great moth is really going to have to work HARD to beat out Mothra. I admit I may have a bias toward the giant moth above, given it's already given me hours of entertainment, so that makes this an even TOUGHER contest for our new competitor. Let's see if it can beat that damn near impossible curve.

But first, I guess Yami has to try and make his opponent cry or something. Jonouchi and Honda are both participating in the smack-talking, asking if now Haga understands that he's no match for Yami. Honda even gives him a thumbs-down gesture to really drive home the idea that Haga is a loser. Guys, don't you think you're going a little overboard here? Well, maybe not, considering the little puke DID throw Yuugi's cards in the ocean...

Bakura decides to go on a different track, complimenting Yami's amazing ability to set up a counter-trap to his opponent's trap. Anzu has nothing to say either way, except exclaim Yuugi's name in admiration.

A buxom visitor has arrived, saying that Yami's move was smooth but only gave him a small lead. Jonouchi and Honda immediately begin ogling Mai Kujaku, calling her a babe and whatnot. You know, totally hetero. Mai ignores this, saying that it's too early to celebrate Yami's victory when a duelist could go from victor to loser in no time.

Anzu is indignant that Mai should butt into their conversation like that and asks her who she thinks she is by tacking a "chan" onto the end of Yuugi's name like he's a child. To be fair, everyone here is a child to Mai. Mai tells Anzu that Haga is the Japanese champion, and as such, he's a master planner with various strategies. She says that the real duel is only beginning at this point as Anzu fumes. When Jonouchi and Honda say that they agree with Mai, with heavy blushes, Anzu asks them what their problem is. Hormones, girl. Seriously.

Jonouchi says that even though Yami's going to win this duel, it doesn't mean he can let down his guard. Preach it, man. Anzu glares at Mai, knowing Yami is going to duel her at some point too. Mai has her eyes on the dueling booth, watching for Yami to show her all of his moves. When Anzu turns her eyes back to the duel, she shouts at Yami to beat Haga as quick as possible. Jonouchi cheers for Yami to go for it.

Oooooooooh, guys he's MAAAAAAAAAAD.

Yami tells Haga that talk is cheap, and what he should really be doing is expressing his frustration through the cards so that Yami can redirect it right back at him. Haga, hunched and clenching his fists, thinks that it's Yami who talks too big. He still has an ultimate weapon in his deck, and if he can play that, Yami can't escape his death. Haga grows an evil grin. Is it just me, or is this kid a little too eager to murder this other kid if he wins? Chill, small one.

Yami reminds Haga of how empty his side of the field is and tells him smugly it might be a good idea to play some monsters. Haga snaps that he KNOWS, okay? He's practically spitting as he says he'll play the Larvae Moth, Level 2 card, which he slaps down in defense mode. Yami immediately notes the strangeness of Haga's choice in plays, because the monster he played is weak in stats. He assumes that Haga has to be planning to attack with a combo. Meanwhile, Haga is smiling deviously as he urges Yami to attack him in his head.

Not falling for it, Yami notices that Haga's trap card is still active on the field, and thinks that if he attacks, his monsters could be destroyed. Losing them would make him vulnerable and lose most of his life points. He decides he has to get rid of Haga's trap, while announcing he's laying a card down called "Monster Recovery". Yami commands his monsters to return to their cards, and they sink back down into their cardstock prisons.

Haga grinds his teeth, thinking Yami is pretty smart to avoid his trap like that. Yami narrates returning the cards he recalled to his deck, shuffling his deck and drawing a brand new hand of five cards. Then he tells Haga he's going to sacrifice his weakest monster to set off the trap, Kuriboh! Kuriboh charges forward with a command from Yami and explodes in response to whatever card Haga used as a trap. Guess we'll never know what that is and how to use it, huh?

Yami brags that Haga's trap was destroyed at minimal cost to him. What happened to Yami's compassion for his monsters that was so prominent in the Monster Fighter chapters? He's smirking like he didn't just commit a cardinal sin according to his own sensibilities. Haga is grinding his teeth.

Yami plays Louise the Beaver Warrior and ends his uncommonly long turn. Haga begins to chuckle and then full-on loses his shit laughing, and Yami is surprised by this change of face. Haga points at Yami, claiming that he's a fool who did exactly what his opponent wanted. Yami's eyes widen as he asks what Haga's talking about, and Haga pulls a card from his hand, saying it's his trump card.

NOOOOOOO! He leveled up his Pokemon!!! Or, at least, he WILL. Yami notes that the Larvae Moth has been enveloped in a gigantic cocoon, one that Haga explains will nurture his larvae for the next five turns and burst forth as the invulnerable Ultimate Great Moth. Yami's mouth hangs open as he repeats the name of the monster in his head. I hope you have the Godzilla card, Yami!

Now THAT'S my kind of card!

Haga tells Yami that the power of the forest around them increases the cocoon's defense to 2000, so Yami is unable to blast it with the cards he has now. Haga compares Yami's fate in five turns to that of an old moth-eaten coat. Yami doesn't want to be an old coat, and he also really wants to win, which can't happen if the moth hatches. He knows he has to destroy the cocoon before it gets that far. Well, kid, you have five turns. Show us what you've got!

Not bad! Although the next page says that Gaia's attack is just 2000... Is that an effect of the forest field? I didn't think it brought DOWN a monster's points, just brought UP the points of the monsters that had an affinity for it. Seems like a typo or inconsistency...

Anyway, Haga says the attack is no use with a huge smirk as Yami yells out the assault's name, "Spiral Saber". That's... Not a saber. It's a lance. And it doesn't do any good either way, because it just bounces right off the cocoon anyway. Gaia returns to Yami, unsuccessful, and somehow Yami has lost life points because he couldn't get rid of the cocoon? But, the attack of Gaia and the defense of the cocoon are the same. How does he lose points, and how are how many points he loses determined if there's no difference? This makes no SENSE!!

Yami thinks this is just the result of the field powering up the cocoon too high, and worries about lost life points if he attacks carelessly. Anzu is devastated that Yami hasn't defeated the cocoon, while Jonouchi appears to be annoyed and asking if he hasn't gotten shit done yet. Mai is just quietly watching while she thinks that the Cocoon of Evolution hasn't ever been beaten and wonders what Yami will do.

Haga thinks Yami should just give up, because he thinks none of his cards can come close to beating his cocoon. Yami's own mind is going a mile a minute, admitting that none of his monsters have the forest advantage, and even with combos he can't surpass the power of the cocoon. Haga tells Yami that he's not able to play any more cards while the cocoon is on the field, so his turn is over, but he says the moth is already growing inside. The cocoon pulses like a beating heart. Ew.

Yami sweats about how he's wasting his turns by not coming up with a solution to his cocoon problem. We are apparently not seeing any of these turns, because after a shot of the surrounding trees, Haga gloats in his head about how in two turns, the Moth will be born and he'll win. Yami gulps, and his friends encourage him not to give up and hang in there. Jonouchi goes right up and presses his hands to the glass of the booth, reminding Yami that they came out there to win the honors of the Duelist King, and he can't lose here. Yami looks at him with one of those exclamation marks over his head, but not looking particularly surprised. I don't know WHAT it's supposed to mean anymore.

Jonouchi tells Yami that if he has to burn down the forest to get rid of the cocoon, he should just do it already. NOW Yami looks surprised, like he's having an epiphany. Mai begins to mock Yami's friends, calling them amateurs and telling them they talk too damn much. She says a real duelist only relies on themselves in a match, and wouldn't even pay attention to cheering from the sidelines. Anzu insists with indignation that he WILL listen and hear their feelings, and he'll win too, so Mai should just shut up and watch. Mai silently calls her a softie, but when she looks back at the duel, she's shocked.

Yami is giving his pals a thumbs-up. Jonouchi interprets this as a sign that Yami's spirits have been successfully lifted, and Anzu calls out to him in admiration again. Mai wonders if this means he's figured out a way to beat Haga's so far unbeatable combo. Let's see, shall we?

Well, what do you know, Jonouchi really DID have a smashing idea, didn't he? Haga thinks it's stupid at first, berating Yami for trying to attack with a monster that is 600 points weaker than the cocoon's defense. But when Yami chuckles, it's Haga's cue to wonder what he's laughing about now with shock, like always. Yami condescendingly asks who said he was attacking the cocoon, because seems to him that was a snap judgement on Haga's part. He says what he was attacking is the forest itself, and a view of the field below shows a great strip of forest burned away to reveal the ground beneath.

Wait, is this even possible if the table is supposed to reflect the forest outside the booth? If the environment on the table is supposed to be dependent on the environment outside of it, as has been implied, Yami shouldn't be able to actually burn away a strip of the table without ACTUALLY burning the forest.

Of course, Haga could have been wrong, and the table is just pre-programmed with that environment in it and it is totally independent of the world around it. I propose an experiment, guys. Jonouchi, you pick up one end, Honda, you pick up the other; we're going to move this sucker a few kilometers over and see if the environment on the table changes due to geographical location!

Or, I could just accept this was the only way KT could think of to let Yami win after he wrote himself into a corner. That's cool too.

Haga is appalled by the forest having been burned away by Yami's combo, a move that Yami informs him makes the cocoon lose its field power source and thereby lowers its defense. Haga makes a strangled noise as Yami calls out to his Gaia knight to use its not-saber to rip open the cocoon. Jonouchi cheers that the cocoon is done for, but before the attack lands the cocoon bursts open all by itself. Bakura, shocked, stutters out a question about what all those legs emerging out of the cocoon could be. I'll give you three guesses, Bakura.

Dammit, now I'm just imagining Yami with a raging boner beneath the table. I did NOT need that image. EVER.

So, what did I think of this chapter overall? It looks like I'll have to save my comparisons to Mothra for the next chapter. That doesn't save this chapter a lambasting though, because as I said above, the information we got at the beginning of the duel should not have allowed for Yami to pull the fire move in this part of the duel. You can't say that the tabletop environment is dependent on what is outside it in one part, and then turn around and say it's INDEPENDENT in another part. You can't have it both ways KT.

There is a chance that the information before was mistranslated, and gave off the wrong message. I want to say that the issue with Gaia's attack points being 2300 in one panel and 2000 in another is indicative of a translation problem all the way around, but when I think about it, completely different translators had the same discontinuity problem. Remember the beginning of Death T-5, when Kaiba said that his monster had higher attack point's than Yami's on one page, and then said the attack points were equal on another? I'm thinking this issue is down to the bare bones of lack of planning on KT's part than a simple mistranslation, since these two similar issues happened between two different translators.

In the comments below, Tim made a good point that the 2000 attack points thing is probably just a small typo, since the card has always had 2300 attack points as far as he knows, and it's fixed by the next mention. Also, I've been forgetting about the boosts in this chapter as well as the chapter beginning Death T-5, so the difference in those attack points are a bit more justified. Regardless of whether the table is supposed to be a recreation of the surrounding landscape or just an approximation that can be changed on the board, those little boosts are factoring into the numbers and I haven't been paying proper attention to that part.

I did enjoy the beginning of the chapter, when Mai came in all cocky, or breasty, or something. Jonouchi and Honda drooling over her didn't need to happen (we get it, you guys, you're totally straight), but Jonouchi's agreement with her with a little twist on the end was nice. He understands how the game works, but is willing to keep cautious optimism anyway.

Meanwhile, Mai declaring that the only person a duelist can rely on is themselves is very indicative of a serious character flaw on her part. She's sociable enough that she could have all the friends she wants, and it's clear she likes to talk and be admired. However, she's isolated herself on purpose, putting herself above others in order to distinguish herself. Whether this is out of fear or arrogance or some combination of the two is still unclear. I look forward to getting a good look at why her disposition doesn't allow her to be friends with anyone.

Inuyasha Manga: 008 The Return

This return is going to be taking the phrase "facing your fears" to the most literal heights. I wouldn't want to go back to where a demonic woman sliced up birds and humans for fun. But you know Kagome, she's just gotta do what she's gotta do. Just be glad you're on the other side of the page. I know I am.

But before Kagome has to plunge right back into the depths of hell (as close to literally as she can get), she's embracing her soft bed and praising being at home with modern conveniences.

Getting a tad too comfortable, I see.

Her head is still dwelling on her experience, though, even if she can't quite believe it. She recalls Yura exclaiming the state of the jewel she stole from Kagome, and Kagome wonders who she was. All she knows about her is that she's after the jewel, and got it. Kagome sits up, ruminating on how angry Inuyasha is going to be when he finds out what happened to the fragment she'd been keeping. She imagines him calling her disgusting and saying that he's better off looking on his own. Smiling bitterly, Kagome says that it's damn right Inuyasha would be just fine without her. Well, maybe at this stage in your acquaintance anyway.

Kagome claps her hands together with a determined face, and promises to forget about the whole thing, because she's never going to go back there ever again. I wouldn't count on THAT any more than everyone being okay over there. The story isn't either; inside the shrine, as if replying to her resolve, the well makes a strange, haunting sound-effect.

At the table, Souta is asking his grandfather about how strong that seal is on it, and whether it will open back up again. Grandpa assures him that it's not, and Kagome isn't listening to either of them, enchanted by the oden sitting in front of her. Grandpa elaborates that he's plastered the well with ofudas, which he's convinced will stop any monster in its tracks. He turns to Kagome, telling her to put her faith in his charms too, but Souta points out that she's not listening as she continues to admire the oden, singing the praises of its very existence. She wipes away a tear, thinking about what a wonderful world she lives in. Picking up her chopsticks, she encourages everyone to dig in, and...

... Awkward sauce.

Inuyasha asks just who told her that she could go home whenever she felt like it. Well, Inuyasha, you certainly didn't ask her NOT TO, if you'll recall. Kagome is sputtering, too many questions about where he came from and how he got there to voice at once. He manages to pick out one of the questions from her gibberish and yells that he came from the well, of course. She repeats his words as a question and begins to protest before her grandfather buts in, saying that Inuyasha must be lying. The ofudas were handed down through many generations, after all.

I don't understand how that ensures that they work, but whatevz, Grandpa.

Inuyasha plucks one of the seals from his hair and asks if that's what Grandpa is referring to, telling him unceremoniously that it didn't work. Souta looks a little irritated with his grandfather as Grandpa cries over his ineffective protection barrier.

Inuyasha grabs Kagome by the arm and starts to drag her to the door against her protests, saying she's coming with him right that moment. Kagome's mother shouts at him to wait just one cotton-pickin' minute, and he turns to see what she wants. Kagome says "mama" like she's a godsend, but...

I see the apples didn't fall far from THAT tree.

Kagome sees something draped over Inuyasha's sleeve, a couple of strands of hair that she points out with a shout. Inuyasha asks what hair she's talking about as she plucks them from his sleeve, and she wonders how he can't see them. The hairs wrap around her hand and slice it, and she tears them off of her the moment she realizes they're moving. Grandpa notices that Kagome's hand suddenly started bleeding, and Mrs. Higurashi asks how she got that fresh wound right in front of their eyes. With this, Kagome realizes that she's the only one who can see the hair.

She wonders if they're Yura's hairs amidst a flashback of Yura pulling up on the strands attached to her fingers. Kagome, suddenly panicked, bolts from the room, saying that it can't be so. Oh, but it is. She runs into the open well-shrine door.

Dammit Inuyasha! Were you born in a barn?? At the very least, he's a sarcastic little shit as he leans against the doorway behind Kagome, casually recognizing that Kaede was right and Kagome's eyes work alright. She grits her teeth and balls up one of her fists before she looks over her shoulder and screams at him for bringing this dangerous thing straight to her home and family. It's amazing to me that she doesn't use that fist she made earlier to punch him in his smug face.

The aforementioned family is just visible outside the well-shrine now, calling out to her, but she shuts the doors on them, telling them they can't come in. All the while, she's thinking about how she has to stop the hair from coming any further into her world. It's wagging and waving around from the mouth of the well like a weird fire or something when a lock of it shoots out, aiming at Kagome. She jumps out of its way so it hits the wall behind her instead and alerts Inuyasha that there's another lock in front of him.

He takes a wild swing, asking Kagome if it's there as he does so, but the hair parts and coils itself around his arm and leg. Kagome looks appalled, probably at his continually horrible aim and inability to take simple instruction. Kagome's grandfather pounds on the door, telling her to open it. Inuyasha, with his feeling of the hair on him, is able to tear through it, calling it scum. The severed strands just run back together again, which Kagome notes as she cringes against the door. She thinks there's just no end to it, watching Inuyasha struggle against the force that's invisible to him while he curses.

She figures that this must be the strand that connects all the rest of the hair, which is not how hair works, but hey, it's easier than fighting an endless stream of uncuttable hair growing forever. Just ask Virginia.

Kagome points at the strand she sees and tells Inuyasha to cut that particular one. He swipes just past it and Kagome thinks if he won't be able to cut it without seeing it, then she'll just have to make it visible to him. Well, to be fair, he probably won't be able to cut it even then.

Kagome can think of only one way to make the strand visible, and that's by grabbing hold of it and slicing her hand deliberately. She mutters a sound of pain as Inuyasha looks on.

Girl don't mess around.

Inuyasha looks down as the hair uncoils from him and disappears. What, can he see it all of a sudden? Kagome crawls up the stairs and Inuyasha says the assault has finally died down. Well, no shit. Now that Kagome has time to think, she considers how strange it is that Yura is still targeting them when she already has the shard of the jewel Kagome had. It suddenly occurs to her that Yura is just after her and Inuyasha now, and starts running back toward the well. What was the point of crawling up the stairs if you're just going to leap back down them again. Damn kids and their energy...

She tells Inuyasha that they have to go back, and Inuyasha accuses her of not understanding how things work as he props a foot on the lip of the well. I think she understands how to get rid of nasty killer hair better than you, Inuyasha. Kagome says she really doesn't WANT to go back, but it's not really a matter of wanting to. She has to make sure her family isn't in danger. As she's contemplating this miserable reality, Something soft lands on her head.

Well, isn't that uncharacteristically nice of you? Kagome stutters out a thank you, and Inuyasha goes on to insultingly say that her skin is just really freaking weak. She says that his skin is really just freakishly strong as a comeback. After this brief exchange, they decide it's time to get their asses in gear.

That is the most morbid collection I have ever seen.

So, what did I think of this chapter overall? Just a little on the convenient side for Kagome. She was the first to be attacked, but after that, Yura's hair was completely focused on Inuyasha and didn't pay any attention to Kagome, which gave her the freedom of movement to point out and make visible the main hair to cut. It's possible that Yura can only focus on one opponent at a time, or maybe that she doesn't consider Kagome worth her time, but the way the fight was paced and laid out, it seemed more like an RPG turn-based battle that RT was playing and decided would be fun to recreate in her comic.

I still really liked the idea of Kagome cutting herself and wiping her blood on the hair for Inuyasha to see. She really is smart and resourceful, which is a quality of hers that is continually reinforced. Inuyasha has picked up pretty fast that she is an asset to him, no matter how much he dislikes her, and is taking cues from her. Throughout their whole encounter with the hair, he didn't say anything snide, but listened to her suggestions at where he should aim without any questions.

Not that he won't EVER question her and her judgment from this point forth. It's just noteworthy that he's already begun to trust that she knows what she's talking about. That's more respect than I got from my coworkers in the field some time ago.

Yu-Gi-Oh Manga: 066 The Trap

Oh, no exclamation marks this time? I think that's the first time since the end of the last arc that KT hasn't shouted at us! Oh happy day! I could sing! No trying too hard to convince the audience that the content is exciting. Finally it will stand on its own without copious punctuation trying to hold it up like bookends! The chapter doesn't need to struggle to live up to a promise it can't keep!

Never mind my own overuse of punctuation there. Nothing to see here. Carry on.

You mean I get to choose? Oh, this is a tough one... How about the Mirror Force card there? That one looks like a winner. Nothing like turning your opponent's attack right back on them, right? I'd use that trick every time.

Anyway, where we left off in the last chapter, Haga is throwing a fit because his Killer Bee is getting what it gave - death. After he's done freaking out, he admits that yeah, okay, the first battle was a draw. Yami just chuckles. Haga curses Yami in his head, wondering how he managed to figure out those new rules so quickly. Well, I mean, they're not that difficult to figure out. Despite my annoyance with how KT was so contradictory in presenting Yami's knowledge of it, I'm glad the final verdict was that he picked up the rule with ease. I would be pretty disappointed otherwise, considering how SIMPLE this rule is.

Yami, as though Haga had asked his question out loud (which he may have if there's still no rules about which bubbles mean what), begins to pontificate about how he came to solving the puzzle of why Pegasus was holding his tournament on an island. As soon as he sat at the table, he realized that the environment of the island consists of several "micro-climates", and the one the table currently occupied was what was reflected on its top. Well, I wouldn't use the word "climate" to describe these different environments, but I nitpick enough on terminology in this comic already.

Yami goes on to say that it makes sense that the monsters would get a power-up from their particular environment, and it would make a difference depending on where you chose to duel. A little map of the island is shown with five different habitats listed, and the monsters that get a boost in them. Yami concludes by saying that he knows Haga led him to the forest to give his insect cards an advantage. Fantastic, Yami, in typical long-winded fashion, you managed to explain why you knew something. Bravo.

Haga is done listening to Yami brag, saying that if his secret is out, they should just get on with it so he can turn the forest into Yami's grave. Yami doesn't say anything further, but smirks. Haga is grinning too, thinking that Yami is still unaware of the other effects the field may have on monsters. He calls for a restart on the battle, and we're back to square one. Anzu shouts generic encouragement at Yami, and Jonouchi tells him to just stomp on the bugs. Do you even know how this game works, Jonouchi?

Haga slaps down a new card.

Of course. Haga laughs evilly, as Yami looks at his hand. He reiterates the fact that 80% of the field is forest and the rest is wasteland, and is bummed that he doesn't have good wasteland cards available. He decides on a combo play, slapping down Feral Imp paired up with the Horn of the Unicorn card. Now his imp has a frikkin Narwhal tooth sticking out of its head and this pushes its attack power up to 2000.

For some reason that I'm sure will be explained at length later, Haga is grinning and chuckling. He initiates an attack after the call of battle, stating that Hercules Beetle attacks with a Scissors Boomerang. What is a beetle doing with a boomerang made of scissors anyway? Yami begins to call out his attack too, but finds the Feral Imp isn't responding to his commands. It is sliced by the boomerang, and Haga says there's one less imp in the world. Insensitive, Haga. What if that imp was my friend, you jerk?

Yami... scoffs? I mean, his face looks confused and shocked, but that's definitely the sound effect for a scoff... Haga points at Yami and does the math, stating that the beetle's enhanced attack points minus the true points of the imp are how many points Yami loses. He's down to 1350 points in the next panel while he wonders why his imp couldn't attack. Then he considers the possibility that the monster who gets the field advantage also gets to attack first.

Again, here I am thinking that this speculation is in Yami's head, but Haga responds like he heard it. Maybe I should just assume all words are spoken from now on? Haga tells Yami that his insects will always win the initiative in the battles, which means he had the clear advantage in this battle. But... your monster still had fewer attack points, so shouldn't it still have lost? Now it depends on who attacks first? This is getting farther and farther from how the original game was being played, and I'm acutely aware of how KT is tailoring rules for the game based on the holograms rather than actual cards. I guess that makes some sense in the case of this tournament, but I just keep thinking about the regular old poor kids who might want to play the game, but can't figure out a low tech way to do it.

It's apparent to Yami how the normally weak insect cards are formidable on in this environment, but then why would Haga have built an entire deck of them to begin with if they were so weak? Nothing anyone ever says in this comic makes sense. Yami's friends continue to shout encouragement to him from the sidelines, saying there's no way he'll lose to a bug boy and all that junk. Bakura talks about how he's SURE Yami has a strategy to hand Haga his ass. From within the booth, Haga reminds Yami it's his turn, and tells him to play a card.

Yami chooses a card from his hand and explains that he doesn't have one that can beat Hercules, so this one in defense mode will have to do. He ends his turn and Haga laughs that Yami is already on the run, and they both know who's going to win. Haga says that his next moves is his special combo.

Haga, you put a laser on a grasshopper? What are you going to do next? Demand one billion dollars from the world's nations?

Lastly, Haga adds the field advantage to his laser monster to raise it's attack points to a total of 2600. Yami is shocked, recognizing this combo as the one that won Haga the tournament. Haga calls his attack, and the Basic Bitch Insect blasts Yami's defense monster with its laser, leaving only a cloud of smoke. Haga says that's one down, and as Yami scoffs at the holographic smoke wafting past him, laughs about how Yami isn't even worth fighting.

Yami lays down another defense monster, urging his cards to hang in there. Grinning, Haga says that it's a waste of his time to take out his puny monsters, so he sets a secret card face down on the field. Yami wonders if it's a trap card, while Haga plans for it to activate the moment Yami calls out an attack, destroying all Yami's monsters. I don't know how he's going to attack with just monsters in defense, but okay Haga.

Yami knows it's too risky to attack, so he plays a face-down card himself. Haga guesses it's a spell card, and also that it's useless against him.

... How does this make you immune to magic cards?

Yami growls as Haga demonstrates how the longer Yami waits to attack, the more cards Haga will play to grow his insect army.

Not bad, but can they sing and dance?

Yami looks down at the field crowded with bugs in trepidation. He characterizes it as a full-on plague as he puts another monster in defense mode. Ha! Get it? He's still nervous to attack, though, because he'll be playing right into his hands. Haga asks Yami with another obnoxious point of his finger how it feels to be caught in his two-layer trap. Jonouchi wonders from the sidelines how Yami is going to get himself out of this hole.

Haga is already looking forward to Yami's funeral as a celebration. Will there be cake? Yami growls again as he draws a new card and lays it down, announcing that it's the Dark Magician. He's not very confident, though, because he knows he can't attack with him. He puts the magician in defense mode on the table, and Haga chuckles as he asks if that's one of Yami's best cards. He doesn't receive an answer, but he's so jubilant that he decides he's going to attack the magician first. Yami's expression isn't readable, but he's sweatdropping at least.

Haga commands his Basic Bitch Insect to attack the kneeling Dark Magician, and it shoots a blast. The magician is stoic while the blast approaches, but Haga doesn't notice this, yukking about the impending death to the magician. He suddenly trails off, though, as he notices Yami's smile from the opposite end of the table. He asks what's so funny, and I'm having deja vu. Yami says that if Haga called out his attack, he can't take it back now, and Haga begins to sweat. Yami asks him if he remembers the card he laid face down, Haga freaking out about his mistake in triggering the trap.

Called it! Haga screams about how his insect army has been decimated, and acknowledged that the first one to attack was the one who got a face full of trap. His points have been reduced all the way down to 450.

Yami mocks Haga by saying that he must have won the national tournament by sheer dumb luck, because he seems like the weakest player on the island to Yami. Ooooh, Haga needs to get some ice on that burn.

So, what did I think of this chapter overall? Lots of trash-talk, but not much else. Don't get me wrong, I like me some trash-talk, but this game is too arbitrary for me to be invested in how the players are psychologically affected by it. I've said before that I might have to learn the actual rules to the game in order to follow, but I have since been advised not to bother, given that the rules of the actual game and the rules in the manga are just not the same. All I would be doing is frustrating myself even more, and I certainly don't need to do that. There are plenty of internal inconsistencies without adding external ones too.

None that I could actively count in this chapter, though. At the very least, there was a new addition to the game that had only been briefly mentioned before. Trap cards were added in this chapter, but not much else of substance. The characters haven't revealed anything new about themselves or the world they're in, and Haga keeps repeating his smug/shock cycle at this point. He's already boring, so I'm glad he's almost defeated.

I can't help but be antsy for more clues about the puzzle and ring and eye. I'm with Bakura - those are the things I'm really on this adventure to get more of!

Inuyasha Manga: 007 The Bone-Gobbling Well

This translation of the name of the well as bone-"gobbling" is kind of weird to me. Most of the internet sources I've consulted call it bone-"eating" instead, so I'm just more used to that translation. But, more than that, "gobble" has always had a silly connotation to me. When I think of "gobbling", I think of turkeys at Thanksgiving and someone stuffing their face indecently. The word doesn't seem to fit with a creepy dark well that has mysterious powers.

But, maybe that's just me.

We don't start out in the well with Kagome anyway, but right where we left off with Inuyasha and Kaede fending off a horde of village women turned into puppets.

Inuyasha tells Kaede that she's being too ideological, because these women DID try to kill her, after all. Kaede says that he just doesn't understand, but Inuyasha doesn't have time to listen to her explanation, as another woman flies toward him with an axe raised to strike. Kaede thinks he has to kill whomever is controlling the women from the shadows instead of attacking the women themselves, then shouts at Inuyasha to cut the hair attached to their arms and legs instead.

To Kaede's eyes. the hair on the attacking girl's wrist and weapon is glinting, but Inuyasha says he doesn't see any hair. Well, except that on the girls' heads, of course, but that's a given. Inuyasha makes a swipe at the woman, but she's lifted out of his attack before it can hit and he's left clawing air, confused. He looks up to find her wriggling strangely in the space above him, and the rest of the woman lunge at him while he's distracted. Kaede yells at him to run.

That's... really trippy. The women eventually stop swinging around him and are slung over and behind walls to keep a groaning Inuyasha bound tightly. He wonders aloud if the puppeteer is stupid, because even if he can't see his bindings, he can drag out whoever happens to be on the other end. He flies backward with some speed, trying to do just that, but just ends up crashing to the ground as the hair slacks around him.

Yura, sly as she is, says the only problem with his plan is that unlike regular puppet strings, her hair grows. She forms some sort of cat's cradle design in the strands attached to her fingers, and...

That looks pretty uncomfortable. Inuyasha just yells out an expletive and muscles his way forward, so that the strands wrapping him to the tree slice through the wood, chopping it for the villagers for after all this is done and over with. I guess that costume of his really is pretty strong. Again, though, why couldn't it stop that arrow?

Yura pouts down at her hands, saying it feels like the flesh wasn't severed. Good point, Yura; what about the hair around his neck where the robe doesn't reach? Is his SKIN just that strong too? Inuyasha is panting and massaging his neck, admitting that he thought he was a goner. Kaede says that if he had been a regular human, he would have lost his head. I guess the hair isn't as effective at cutting demonic skin as it is human, or something. It's not really an explanation.

Inuyasha and Kaede look around and see the village men now advancing on them with weapons, and Inuyasha says that what they've been doing so far isn't getting them anywhere. You could have avoided wasting your time if you had just listened to Kaede earlier, you know. She's older and wiser than you and she has better aim.

Inuyasha hoists Kaede onto his back and carries her off rather than dick around with the villagers anymore. Kaede tries to warn Inuyasha about the surrounding hair, but it turns out it's snapping in two at contact with Inuyasha's robe. He asks her what she was saying, and she tells him to never mind.

Girl, why don't you quit this demon business and join Cirque Du Soleil?

After another whispering forest blank panel (getting a tad tired of those), Inuyasha is kneeling next to Kaede lying on the ground at the base of a tree. He asks her if she can see the hair, why she doesn't just tell him where it leads. Kaede tells him this is impossible, due to her condition and bad eyesight. That first one is fair, but the second one is crap. You saw the hair just fine before, Kaede. She begs Inuyasha to hurry and find Kagome, and he looks loathe to do so, but wonders if she can see the hair too.

Meanwhile, Kagome groans as her eyes flutter open in dingy darkness. She's lying on a bed of bones, which she sees as she sits up and looks around. She remembers being attacked by Yura, who threw her sword into the well after her, when she fell inside.

Kagome hears voices from above, one of which says they've already checked the well, and the other saying that he saw his sister fall inside. Kagome's grandfather points a flashlight into the well as he glares at his grandson, claiming that he had to be dreaming. Souta yells that it did actually happen, and is interrupted by Kagome shouting at them out of the bottom of the well.

Disorientation ahoy! As she's wandering the shrine grounds in a daze, her grandfather is asking her frantically where she's been, telling her how worried everyone has been. Souta just wants to know what's up with Kagome's weird clothes. With a tear in her eye, Kagome is finally convinced that she's actually in her own time and flings herself into her grandfather's arms crying that she was so scared. Grandpa hugs her back, though he's still confused over what she's talking about.

Five hundred years in the past, Kaede lies motionless on the ground while Inuyasha digs a hole by sweeping the dirt between his legs and up over the side like a dog. Once he's satisfied with the hole he's created, he turns to Kaede and says that the least he can do for her is bury her here. Kaede opens her eye and informs Inuyasha that she's not dead yet, and Inuyasha amends his statement, saying that what he meant was that she can hide in the hole. After placing her in it and while he's dumping the dirt and leaves on top of her, he says he'll come back for her later, if he doesn't forget.

Have I ever talked about how much I LOVE RT's sense of humor? More often than not, she really knows how to tell a joke.

Anyway, Kaede warns him not to forget her, and Inuyasha is soon bounding through the forest once more. He's also whining about how he doesn't know what Kagome could be up to at a time like this.

This girl is SERIOUS about hygiene. For real.

Downstairs, Kagome's mother is talking to Grandpa, trailing off in the middle of talking about Kagome's impossible story. Grandpa remains silent while Souta continues to insist that it happened, the monster and Kagome being pulled in, at least. Grandpa thinks about how the legend of the bone-eating well that vanishes youkai remains has been passed down over the generations, and wonders if those remains disappear within the flow of time. He stands up suddenly, saying that he's not wasting any more time.

He goes out to the well, nails a piece of flimsy plywood over it, and sticks a bunch of paper charms all over the top. Yeah, that'll keep monsters from coming out. For suuuuuuuuuuuure. Once he's done, he goes back in and sits at the table with Kagome, who is blow-drying her hair. Is she not concerned about getting loose strands in her food? I would be. That shit's nasty. Grandpa has told her that the well is sealed now, and she parrots this information back at him as a question. Grandpa elaborates, saying that he used valuable ofuda charms to seal the opening with a powerful barrier. And nails. Don't forget the nails. He assures her that the well will never open again, but Kagome doesn't wear a relieved expression.

I wouldn't count on it. Starting to feel guilty yet?

On the other side, Inuyasha is sniffing along the ground identifying her scent and her clothes lying abandoned in a pile beside the well. Still crouching, he grips the lip of the well and peers inside as he continues to sniff. He leaps inside, saying that she must have run away through the well. What's with everyone talking about Kagome "running away" inside a well? Typically, there's nowhere for people to GO in wells!

And does he NOT smell Yura there, or that Kagome was injured? Something doesn't smell right here...

So, what did I think about this chapter overall? Kaede and Inuyasha's banter is highly enjoyable. Even while injured, Kaede commands respect and dignity, and you can't help but admire how she orders Inuyasha around despite his being a major threat only a couple of chapters ago. He may have to be told a couple of times and has an attitude about it, but Inuyasha listens to her and acts according to the information she gives him. He was snide and rude, but he respected her wish for him not to kill the women and men of the village. He values her life enough to save and hide her, even if he's petulant about it and tries to make it seem like he doesn't care.

One thing that has become apparent about Inuyasha over the past two chapters is that he has trouble expressing himself is a way others can understand. At the beginning of the last chapter, Kagome misunderstood his meaning when he told her to take of her clothes, and at the end of this one, Inuyasha means to hide Kaede, but talks about burying her instead and she thinks she has to remind him that she's not dead. Yes, these are jokes, but they also serve the secondary purpose of driving home the idea that Inuyasha isn't a very good communicator. He often doesn't say what he means, not because he's trying to be mysterious or mislead anyone, but because he's genuinely lacking in social nuance. This will become more apparent as chapters pass.

What will also become more apparent is that Inuyasha is really very smart, which I've seen people deny in the past. He understood that it was strange for the village women to be attacking him even before Kaede told him that they were being manipulated, and he tried to use a perceived weakness of the puppeteer against her. Despite how his idea didn't work, it was a reasonable assumption to make, following the style of making solutions a bit double-edged that RT has showed so far. He even gives up the fight when the village men take up arms, realizing quickly that he's not going to win the way he's been fighting. He's adaptable and willing to change strategies when something isn't working.

Finally, Kagome reacted really realistically to her situation. She did what she needed to do in order to survive during her ordeal, but it's obvious how much she disconnected in order to cope by the time she comes back to what she knows. With one thing after another happening to her, she had no time to express her overwhelming emotions, but when she's finally grounded and back at home, she lets it all out. It was very well done because it allows Kagome some room to express those feelings associated with the trauma and really puts it into perspective AS trauma. It wasn't a fun little adventure to her, but a serious clusterfuck. If she didn't freak out at all, I'd be wondering what the hell is wrong with her, like some other characters I could mention...

Anyway, the only thing I'm wondering about is why Inuyasha can't just sniff Yura out. Does she not have a scent? Is her scent not really occurring to him while he's searching for Kagome, because she was too far away to smell before? But, even then, shouldn't her scent be on the hair? Seems a little inconsistent to have Inuyasha's nose not be as effective for this particular adventure, just to focus more on Kagome's sight.

Oh well.

Yu-Gi-Oh Manga: 065 Let the Duel Begin!

Yes, let the duel begin, because I think I nearly went permanently cross-eyed from how much non-action I was slogging through in the previous chapter. There's nothing wrong with character introductions, but when they're all happening at once and there's not much going on around them to temper them, it can get a tad boring. Pacing shouldn't be as much of a problem in this chapter, though, because WE HAVE ARRIVED.

Dangerous? It's only a card game guys. It's not like you're going to turn into jackasses for playing or anything. Wait...

IT ALL MAKES SENSE.

As Yuugi and pals are disembarking from the ship, Jonouchi lets out a ferocious sneeze. Bless you! Yami apologizes to Jonouchi, because this sneeze was initiated by Jonouchi's entirely suicidal attempt to rescue Exodia. Don't apologize, hit him upside his stupid head and threaten to castrate him if he does anything like that again! Well, I mean, the castration part is a little over the line, I admit, but I think he at least deserves a punch.

Jonouchi says his itty bitty cold isn't nearly as rage-inducing as the asshole who threw Yami's best cards into the ocean in the first place. Haga is in the crowd near them, chuckling, and Yami casts him a glare while thinking about how he's going to beat him first.

Vlad the Hair Impaler shouts at the duelists to ascend the castle's steps first to receive instructions for the tournament. As Yuugi's entourage climbs toward the castle, Honda remarks with some exasperation how much this castle and kingdom remind him of the European middle ages. Anzu seems to think this is bourgeois, but she's clearly thinking of a different time period. Everyone is told to wait in front of the closed gates once they arrive for further instructions, and eventually castle staff (looking an awful lot like the ship staff) stand on a balcony, inviting Pegasus to do the honors at his own tournament. Duh.

Douchebag capital of the ocean!

Yami reminds the audience in his thoughts about how Pegasus was the one who sealed Sugoroku's soul into a video. Thanks. It was a whole three chapters ago, so I had forgotten.

Pegasus begins by explaining that only officially licensed Duel Monsters cards will be used in the tournament, and if the competitors didn't bring their most powerful cards as he had hoped they would, he invites them to trade with one another. He then requests that they put on their glove and insert the star chips in the wrist, all of the items that he sent them for the tournament. Everyone takes a moment to do so, being unusually quiet for children.

Pegasus holds up a star chip, telling them that it's their LIFE. I know you're dramatic, Maxy-boy, but JEEEEEEZ. He tells them that they must bet one or more chip on each duel they enter.

There's that translucent hand business again. And yeah, you guys BETTER win. Otherwise, why am I reading this?

Pegasus references "Battle Royale" in his description of how the duels will take place, all over the island. Duelists who collect 10 star chips are the only ones who will be able to enter the castle and compete for the "honors" Pegasus has offered. Yami wonders why a card tournament would need to have such a large arena, and remembers that Haga told him there would be new rules regarding how the game is played. He thinks the games they'll be engaged in will be more advanced than before, but without any specific guesses as to how they would BE more advanced.

Wouldn't want to give away the new rule you've already figured out too soon, huh Yami? And yes, I know HE knows what's going on, because he's one of those main characters that's not allowed to be wrong. How else would you explain how he's allowed to fuck up royally and no one ever mentions it? *coughKaibacough*

Pegasus's final announcement is that the game will begin in an hour and will last for 48 hours after that. Anyone who has less than 10 star chips after that 48th hour are losing losers and will be exiled from the kingdom. What are you ten-years-old, Pegasus? Before he turns and walks back into his elaborate fantasy house, he tells everyone that he prays for their success. I guess that's one way to ensure that your prayers come true no matter what. Yami tells Pegasus to wait in his head as the rest of the duelists around him start milling back toward the stairs. He poses dramatically with all his friends hanging out behind him, reiterating the fact that Pegasus is waiting in the castle where only those with 10 star chips can enter.

WE KNOW.

After an hour, it is announced the island over that the game has started. With 47 hours and 58 minutes remaining, Yami and friends are walking along, and someone suggests they check somewhere in front of them out. Bakura says that the peaceful atmosphere of the island seems to contradict the dueling purpose to it. Anzu points out some other kids just standing around, not playing either, and says they probably don't know what to do. Well, guys, first you take out your cards, then you shuffle them, then you play CARDS. This isn't difficult.

Jonouchi points to a sign, pointing the way to two different areas: a lake to the right and a forest to the left. Yami suggests they go to the forest, because he saw that asshole Haga go that way and he's still hell bent on beating Haga first. Jonouchi says that the path they're on is the one, which contributes nothing whatsoever to the panel or story. In the next panel he's judging the forest as creepy, and I'm wondering how he manages to go ANYWHERE when he's so apt to consider so many mundane places creepy.

Someone calls out to Yami off-panel, and surprise! It's Haga, grinning and holding up his deck of cards. Yami chuckles, saying that at least Haga has the balls to face him. Haga says that if he gets rid of Yami first, the rest of his duels will be cake in comparison, so he's challenging Yami to a duel right now. Yami shouts that Haga ASKED for his spanking, and Haga turns to lead them to a place to duel in the woods.

He takes them to a glass booth, labeled 15 above the door, and Jonouchi recognizes it as a duel box. Haga thinks about what a fool Yami is to fall into his trap and not even know it.

As Yami crosses his arms, Haga notes that he only has one star chip and assumes that means he already lost a game. He says that if he can take Yami's last star chip, he has to leave the island. Oh yeaaaaaah, I almost forgoooooooot...

Haga takes one of his chips out, because he sees that he only needs to stake one, but Yami demands that he stake BOTH. Haga is shocked by this order, but Yami reminds him of what he said before about taking him out first, and of Ryuzaki's "kill or be killed" philosophy of the game. Yami goes on to say that he'll stake his one star chip in addition to his life. Is he essentially inviting Haga to KILL him if he loses? Why does everyone in this story insist on betting completely INAPPROPRIATE things?? Mai bets her body, Yami bets his life... Just play a regular damn game!

Haga seems a-okay with this idea, though, calling it a "twist". Whatever you say, Haga. Yami just glares at him. Haga restates the stakes that they've both put up, his two star chips and Yugi's star chip and life. Anzu and Jonouchi shout from outside the booth for Yami to squash Haga like one of his precious insects, as a couple more kids are congregating to watch the Japanese champion and the guy who beat Kaiba play against each other in the first match of the island. How would they know that other matches aren't taking place elsewhere? Not that this one being the first match wouldn't be fitting.

Each competitor's life points are displayed to the reader and Haga declares the start of the match.

The mammoth is so much cooler, there I said it.

Someone points out that both monsters have the same attack points, and despite this reality, Haga is yukking up a storm. Yami attacks and says that the mammoth attempts to gore the bee with its tusks. Awfully small target, don't you think? That mammoth better have stellar aim. Haga says that the "Killer Needle" on his bee counters the attack. You mean, like THIS killer needle?

Had to be done.

The Killer Bee destroys the Mammoth, and Yami wonders why his monster was the one to be destroyed when they both had equal attack points. Why are you wondering at all, Yami? This has happened several times in the past for no reason. I suppose it's because now there actually IS a reason, and Haga taunts Yami for not having figured it out yet, apparently. He asks if Yami wants to know the reason why they're battling in the forest biome, and some of Yami's curiosity must show through his glare, because Haga launches into a brag about how Pegasus gave him a special preview of how the dueling boxes work in Duelist Kingdom. He encourages Yami to take a good look at the table they're playing on.

Yami looks down and is surprised to see a landscape of trees covering the table. Why was that not one of the FIRST things you noticed, Yami? Seriously, if a table is decorated in a RESTAURANT, I examine it. I don't know anyone who WOULDN'T notice something like this. Crap, how unobservant can you GET??

Anyway, Haga explains that the landscape depicted is that of the island 40 meters in all directions from their humble little booth, 80% forest and 20% wasteland. Since his insects thrive in the forest, they get a field power-up that increases their attack and defense. Yami realizes this is exactly why Haga led him into the woods, to get that power-up. Meanwhile, Haga is yelling that Yami can't beat his insect cards.

Yami chuckles, stroking his chin with his gloved hand, and Haga's face falls as he asks what Yami is laughing about. Yami advises Haga to take a look at his insect monster. The tusk of the mammoth is lodged in the bee's thorax, and it's dying. Haga looks down and realizes the mammoth got a power-up too from the 20% wasteland part of the field. Yami claims that he figured out the new rule when he sat down, and calls Haga an insect compared to him.

No. No, KT. You can't have your main character thinking surprised thoughts in his head in one panel, and then in another panel have him say he knew it all along. That's CONTRADICTORY. You know what that means, right? It means these two things are mutually exclusive and cannot coexist logically.

And no, it's not a matter of Yami bluffing. The whole point of showing the THOUGHTS of a character is to show what they're really thinking at the time of a big reveal or emotional scene. No matter what's going on with their face or body language on the outside, their thoughts and internal reactions don't lie, and showing the audience that means showing them the truth about what the character knew, didn't know, and really feels about what's going on around them. If Yami figured out the rule as soon as he saw the table, he wouldn't have had the realization LATER that the rule was why Haga led him to that specific box. He would have already KNOWN.

Granted, there is the possibility that I have, once again, been confused about what is being spoken aloud and what is being thought. If KT would simply pick a type of bubble he would like to use for one or the other, then maybe I wouldn't have this problem. It's pretty important to delineate where the information you're putting out there is, and he's been kind of sloppy about that for a while now.

But unless the official translators are having the same problem I am, I think I can safely glean from the way the sentences are structured, with Haga's name used instead of "you", that it was supposed to be a thought, and therefore was a completely misused thought.

KT, it seems, wanted to give the readers a mini-red-herring, without understanding how red-herrings work, or what having a window into a character's head is supposed to accomplish. The result was a mishmash of the two devices, and a complete and total flub of what he was trying to get across.

And a roll of my eyes, of course.