Inuyasha Manga: 017 Transformation

We're not talking about the kind that robots in disguise do! Those require substantially more explosions, but approximately the same amount of blood. That's just my estimation, though, because I don't have exact measurements or anything. Think I should email Michael Bay and see if he has any records of how much fake blood was used on injured humans? I kind of doubt he would be the director to keep those records, though.

Maybe I should ask Actual Cannibal Shia Labeouf instead.

ESPECIALLY considering she couldn't even hold her own against puny YOU a few seconds ago, Jaken.

Inuyasha takes the opportunity of Sesshoumaru staring at Kagome's seemingly impossible feat to thrust his claws at him, warning him about looking away from their fight. Sesshoumaru leans out of the attack area again, and Inuyasha is left to punch skulls once more. In a single moment, Sesshoumaru has come right up close to Kagome, towering over her all intimidating as she cringes.

Inuyasha groans while he turns to look behind him at Sesshoumaru casting Kagome in a chilly shadow. Myouga talks about how lucky Inuyasha it is that Sesshoumaru stopped paying attention to him, but Inuyasha tells him to shut his trap, calling him a moron. Sesshoumaru asks Kagome what she is and how she was able to draw Tessaiga, but she backs away, warning him that she'll slice him with the sword if he comes any closer. Kagome, you remember the last time you warned off an enemy with a weapon you didn't know how to use, right?

Inuyasha shouts at Sesshoumaru not to touch Kagome, because she has nothing to do with their fight. Sesshoumaru begs to differ, though, lifting his claws and cracking his knuckles as he says that as Inuyasha's companion, she's an even bigger target.

Aw shit, girl! Soon, a mound of melted bone goo has buried Kagome, Tessaiga's blade sticking up out of it like a crooked grave marker. Inuyasha jumps around Sesshoumaru and attempts to dig her out, but his hand is burned by the caustic substance. Inuyasha pouts over his inability to help her as Sesshoumaru whines that he's bored with how she was just a regular human after all. Yeah, how tragic for you. *eye roll*

Inuyasha clenches his burned fingers and growls, bangs blocking the view of his downcast face. He shoots up and toward Sesshoumaru, screaming his name with claws out and at the ready. Sesshoumaru tells him to shut up, because he'll melt him too, prepared to continue their fight. Uh, Sesshoumaru? You remember that sword that you were in SUCH A HURRY to get? The one that's half buried in gelatinous muck that you melted a fifteen-year-old girl with? Why do you suddenly think fighting Inuyasha is more important than that?

Anyhow, Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru clash, and something remarkable happens. Inuyasha lands a hit! Sesshoumaru hunches over and is pushed back by the powerful strike to his chest, skidding away on his feet. Jaken is mystified by how Inuyasha finally got to hit Sesshoumaru when he couldn't before, wondering why. Sesshoumaru thinks he has an idea.

You think something's wrong with him when he's not hitting you, and something's wrong when he is. He can't seem to do anything right, can he? Inuyasha promises to open up Sesshoumaru's bowels next, but spares a moment to send a regretful look behind him at the mound of goo. He silently calls Kagome a stupid bitch and thinks that he TOLD her not to come along, as well as that her death was pointless. A strange sound emits from the goo, Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru staring curiously.

You should have been, Kagome. You were buried in poison goo for a couple of minutes. At the very least you should have suffocated.

Inuyasha looks just as confused as I am as she points the Tessaiga at Sesshoumaru and shouts that he REALLY tried to kill her. Uh, yeah. Check the dude's name. He was born to murder everything. Kagome continues to yell that Sesshoumaru is going to regret trying to murder her, and that he should prepare to do some regretting. She then politely hands the sword over to a perplexed Inuyasha. You said YOU were going to make Sesshoumaru regret it. YOU.

Kagome is smiley and happy when she tells Inuyasha to do his best with the amazing stabby stick, and Inuyasha asks her what's up with her cheerful act. Maybe she's just really happy to be alive? Either that or giddy from being starved of oxygen for a time, I don't know.

Sesshoumaru has figured out that Kagome was actually protected by the barrier on the sword, so that's why she survived his attack. Myouga, meanwhile, is encouraging Inuyasha to test out Tessaiga on Sesshoumaru as soon as possible. Is he seriously encouraging Inuyasha to murder Sesshoumaru? Does he really think Dog-Daddy wanted that to happen? What a dick. Sesshoumaru has heard this encouragement and is so upset by it that his eyes get all red from the crying. No, wait, they're not bloodshot, just RED. He calls Myouga daring for suggesting that Inuyasha try to cut him, and says that they shall all see if Inuyasha the hanyou can master the sword in time to defeat him. He's shadowed creepily and energy is ruffling his hair and clothes.

Shit is about to go down.

Serious fucking shit.

Inuyasha is flabbergasted that the sword just bounced off Sesshoumaru's hard head. He doesn't have time to question why, though, because Sesshoumaru's jaws are snapping down on him and he has to jump away from them with a grunt. Sesshoumaru chews on one of his dad's brittle ribs instead. Is there a word for familial cannibalism?

Inuyasha demands to know what the deal is from Myouga, because the sword couldn't even bruise Sesshoumaru let alone cut him. Myouga has no answer but stutters. Inuyasha has to dodge a pounce from GiantDog!Sesshoumaru, whose claws are leaking poison just like they were in his human form, but in much greater quantities and melting whole ribs now. Myouga tells Inuyasha that he should believe in the spiritual power of his father's memento and never abandon it, right before HE abandons Inuyasha without much of a goodbye. Inuyasha is flustered by this, but too distracted by the actual battle to do much other than curse and ask himself how he can get the sword to cut.

That's it, Inuyasha! Just keep trying that thing that clearly didn't work before!

Kagome cheers Inuyasha from the sidelines, telling him that he did a little damage with the hit above. Too irritated to ignore her, Inuyasha twitches and turns to land next to her, telling her that his last strike actually did squat. She says that since the sword is his, she believes in it, all with a grin. Man, did the fumes from Sesshoumaru's toxic claws make you high, girl? Inuyasha just says she's too optimistic, because she'll probably die at some point, though he's tough enough to survive.

Taking on a pathetic tone, Kagome asks Inuyasha if it's really no use being positive as tears well in her eyes. Inuyasha looks shocked by her sudden mood swing (those drugs aren't reacting well with her chemistry, obvz), getting a little upset that he made her cry. He demands that she stop, and she asks sardonically if she should laugh instead.

Kagome stares open-mouthed at Inuyasha for this promise. He shoulder's Tessaiga, telling her to just sit back and watch while he strolls away, leaving her speechless.

Hey guys, remember Sesshoumaru? Why wasn't he attacking during this exchange? Did he rediscover the fact that he can lick his own balls in this form or what?

Yeah, swords aren't supposed to have pulses, that's for sure. Maybe it's a toothache? Heh, maybe you should find a dentist to tell you why it's not cutting like it's supposed to do.

So, what did I think about this chapter overall? Time was a little skewed in this chapter, sorry to say. Kagome was buried for two pages, and though the dialogue between Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha, and their actions, were fast, they weren't fast enough for me to believe that Kagome could hang out under there for so long. What was she doing? Waiting to die, and realizing that she wasn't doing that, so she decided to get up again? Why did that process take her so long?

Same reason Sesshoumaru hung back near the end of the chapter and let Inuyasha and Kagome have a little chat. RT had to show Inuyasha getting angry over Kagome's death and show him telling her that he would protect her to show his growing feelings for her. I can tell she cut down these scenes as much as she thought she could, but it wasn't quite enough. The latter slowed down the chapter, and both of them made it seem like Sesshoumaru's focus was non-existent.

How convenient it was for Sesshoumaru to care more about fighting Inuyasha in the moment than it was trying to get the sword he had gone to the grave to get. Yes, the sword's barrier keeps him from holding it directly, but he has enough sleeve and enough brains to avoid touching it while retrieving it from the mess of bone and poison that he created.

But then that would have removed the barrier of protection from Kagome and she really WOULD have died.

Ah, the joys of plotting issues...