Inuyasha Manga: 035 Little Poltergeist

Oh boy. I've been aware that this arc was coming up, and I can't really describe how conflicted I've been about it. On the one hand, I really LOVE IT. It's so impactful, so raw in its emotions, and it really hits you with all its feels, because those feels are so deep and meaningful. On the other hand... I WILL cry. It never fails. I've read this manga somewhere around four times, and EVERY time I have bawled like an infant.

I don't particularly LIKE crying, even when it's a good happy cry, because I get some pretty bad headaches afterwards. So, in addition to my full box of tissues, I've got my ibuprofen on stand-by for this one. And a collection of gifs much like the one above.

Lets do this.

Seriously, Grandpa needs to think of some YOUNG-people diseases to give Kagome. Mono is a good one. Maybe it would put off this little fucker too, since the kissing disease might make him less eager to make out with the sick girl.

Houjou hands over his wrapped gift to Grandpa, a hot compress for Kagome. Grandpa, tears welling, apologizes to Houjou for all his trouble. Just then, a noise sounds from the well house, and Kagome emerges inside from the well, calling out that she's home. She's been gone for a week, carrying around that enormous backpack she's hoisting over the edge of the well, and she wants to know if her bath is ready.

Well okay, princess.

Houjou looks curiously into the well house down at Kagome, who freezes her climbing out of the well in alarm. No one but her family knows that she's been traveling between the Sengoku Jidai and the present day, and that doesn't change at all with this encounter with Houjou. He's so happy to finally get to see Kagome that he doesn't QUESTION her presence in the well house and asks her how her neuralgia is doing. Kagome is appalled at apparently having neuralgia, and Grandpa can't help but think how freaking STUPID Houjou is.

Later, out and about, Kagome is being asked if she's taking extra math lessons. She's walking along with her interchangeable friends, sighing as she confirms that her teacher suggested she should. Unfortunately, that ice cream cone she's got doesn't seem to be making her any happier about this math class issue. Short-Hair-Girl asks Kagome if she's going to try and get into the same high school as Houjou, and Headband-Girl is surprised, wondering if Kagome has been SECRETLY going out with Houjou.

Kagome is confused at first, but then starts reprimanding her friends for thinking that she's even got the TIME to be going out with boys. Short-Hair-Girl and Headband-Girl seem to think that she's being awfully proud of her single and busy status. Kagome is more worried about the fact that she might not even get INTO high school at all. She's been trying to explain how important school is to Inuyasha, but he doesn't get it, and has to be sat in order for her get in the well and to her extra classes. Inuyasha, of course, just thinks she's trying to run away.

She's literally crying over this when Headband-Girl excitedly points over at a scene nearby.

Fueled by its sparking tail, the lit firework spins into the rest of the pile, lighting them all and causing a fiery commotion that the mothers and children all flinch away from. Kagome and her friends all recoil in surprise as well, while one of the mothers calls for water and pours an already full bucket onto the exploding stash. The mysterious child that started it all hidden in the dome climbs up out of the top and jumps off, running in the other direction. She twists around to gleefully shout that it's too bad for the kids and their mothers, laughing.

Kagome makes to chase after the little girl, much to the confusion of Short-Hair-Girl and Headband-Girl. She doesn't pay attention to them, too busy shouting after the girl to hold up, and that it was a nasty prank she pulled back there. The little girl looks alarmed, and when Kagome takes a closer gander, she mirrors the expression.

The little girl smacks Kagome's helping hand aside, though, telling her to mind her own business. Kagome is overwhelmed by a sensation of fire and heat blowing past her, followed by the regular cool breeze of the park. Short-Hair-Girl and Headband-Girl have caught up with Kagome, asking her what's wrong and who she was talking to while clinging to one another. Kagome is still kneeling on the ground, looking back at her friends quizzically, but when she looks back to where the girl was, she's nowhere to be seen.

Spooky...

Kagome looks at her hand and notes the ashes there where the girl touched her. She wonders what the girl was, and if she was a youkai.

At least this time he has something to occupy his time with. But what IS it that he's occupying his time with? Myouga explains that since the last arc cracked his scabbard pretty good, they've got to wait for the steel-bees to cover it with their wax and that wax to harden. Inuyasha rests his chin on the heel of his hand, watching this with a bored expression.

Shippou pops up next to him in his big balloon state and makes some weird noises, then starts noshing on the side of Inuyasha's head while Myouga says that the process should at least be done by the time Kagome gets back. Inuyasha taps his temple impatiently, and then punches down on Balloon!Shippou, shouting at him to cut that shit out. Shippou pops back into his regular form, complaining that he's bored, and that he only came along because he thought Kagome would be around. He asks why he's got to be stuck with just Inuyasha, and Inuyasha claims that's his line, because he should figure into the twosome Shippou cited as well. Myouga is distracted by something off-panel.

Yeah, but Inuyasha, he's a TINY youkai who has just figured out that he's really not strong enough to take out others yet.

Myouga identifies this youkai as the Tatari-Mokke, one that's produced from the souls of little children. It plays with recently deceased kids until they're able to rest in peace, and is completely harmless to them.

Back in the modern era, Kagome is sitting at her desk again, trying to study. But she can't concentrate because that little girl keeps popping into her head. Her mother walks into the room and asks Kagome if she has a moment. She's trying to act busy now, hunching quickly over her desk as she asks her mom what's up. It's an escort mission, taking Souta to the hospital to ask about the condition of his friend. Kagome is not down with this, telling her mom not to treat Souta like a kid. Souta counters with the fact that he is, in fact, a kid.

Thoroughly out-reasoned on this one, Kagome complains that everyone is pissing all over her study time all the way down the shrine steps. She's holding a bouquet of flowers while Souta holds a bundle of paper cranes to take to his sick buddy. Souta nervously asks her if poltergeists really exist, and Kagome wonders brattily what he's on about now.

I guess this question is ignored, because the next we see the siblings, they're at the hospital. The mother of Souta's friend recognizes him and Souta asks her how his friend Satoru is doing.

He's just getting a bit more shut-eye, don't worry.

Satoru's mother says that Souta is the only one who comes to check on Satoru now, six months into his coma, so she thanks him. Awwww, Souta's such a sweetie! Souta warms my heart even more as he hands over his cluster of paper cranes to her, which she thanks him for. Kagome notes the burn marks on the woman's hands when she accepts the cranes, and Satoru's mom notices this. She self-consciously covers the burns while explaining that she got them in the fire six months before. Then she brushes Satoru's forehead, saying that he was also in the fire.

Kagome sees a tug on Satoru's IV drip, and screams at the IV bag explodes next to her. Satoru's mom and Souta both cringe, though Satoru's mom looks less surprised.

Good gracious that is the stuff of nightmares right there...

Satoru's mom mutters into her hand a question about why this kind of thing keeps happening. Meanwhile, the little girl disappears right in front of an alarmed Kagome. Heart hammering, Kagome realizes that she can't leave the girl alone, and has to catch her.

Outside the hospital, on the roof, the little girl is hanging with the Tatari-Mokke, grumbling about how she failed again. She believes that Satoru should die just like she did, and the normally closed eyes of the Tatari-Mokke open just a crack.

That can't be good.

So, what did I think of this chapter overall? The story has the very stereotypical Japanese ghost story feel. Nice and creepy, just how I like them. Our self-admitted ghost fits the profile of just about every ghost in those Japanese ghost stories, anyway. Ever notice that it's nearly ALWAYS an angry little dead girl? I've always wondered what was up with that. Still, she doesn't have her hair combed over her face, so she at least breaks the mold in that respect. She'll be changing the formula in more significant ways later on, though, so hold onto your hats.

Two interesting things about this start in the context of the overall manga - this story does NOT revolve around getting more Shikon shards, and benevolent youkai exist. The Tatari-Mokke appears to have a similar backstory to the Muonna, which is that it's made out of the congealed souls of former human beings. Unlike Muonna, though, Tatari-Mokke is dedicated to HELPING those it interacts with, not absorbing them to fill an emotional void. As Myouga says, it's completely harmless and doesn't pose a threat to anyone. This indicates that youkai aren't JUST these malevolent or harmful entities that thrive on human misery, and that's a really important thing to keep in mind. We see so many youkai who revel in human death and destruction that it's a little surprising to find that there are some who don't want to hurt anyone.

Isn't it really convenient that Inuyasha and Shippou are learning about the Tatari-Mokke JUST as Kagome is facing the spirit of a little girl connected to it though? Wow, what a GREAT coincidence!