Inuyasha Manga: 163 Real Strength

Here comes the most classic of semantic arguments, a clash of definitions. My guess is we've been trying to rank and delineate between physical, emotional and intellectual strengths since the concept had a word, and yet the debate rages on. Something tells me that Inuyasha isn't going to settle the debate, mostly because I think this manga has made its position on the subject of strength - especially in the case of those people who are consistently underestimated and end up kicking all kinds of ass anyway - has been made abundantly clear. But a statement of position isn't a bad thing, so bring it on.

It's not like there aren't a million other things in Inuyasha's universe that require much more clarity, or anything.

Convenient, kind and free. Toutousai's weapon smithing setup gets a full five stars.

Sango's watch on Toutousai's technique is interrupted when she hears a demand for someone to stop repeating the same lecture over and over. It's Inuyasha turning up his nose at Myouga, who refuses to stop until Inuyasha promises that he won't ever throw away Tessaiga in battle again. He scoffs, suggesting that he's making NO promises. Inuyasha is sitting on the edge of a rock overhanging the same river above, with Kagome sitting on the other side of him, and Miroku catty-corner to him. The latter looks annoyed as he says that surely Inuyasha doesn't MEAN to be so adamant, and Kagome tries to minimize how heavy Tessaiga really is in comparison to how much he needs to use it.

Inuyasha is openly offended by this, because of how easy it is for Kagome to SAY it's only a little, as he pulls Tessaiga from its sheath again.

And that behemoth couldn't have been light BEFORE. It's like twice his size!

While Inuyasha makes a big splash into the river, Miroku asks Kagome what she thinks, her responding with with a curious noise. Neither one of them seem at all concerned about Inuyasha maybe being weighed in the water by his heavy sword or anything. Miroku takes for granted that Inuyasha's in no danger of drowning when he suggests that they should tell him the truth. Kagome asks if he means the truth that Tessaiga seals Inuyasha's blood, and Miroku answers that Inuyasha only gave up the sword so easily because he didn't KNOW.

Kagome remembers how Inuyasha began to transform once more in his desperation to beat Sesshoumaru, and agrees, but doesn't conveniently doesn't remember how they managed to get Inuyasha to flee the scene with them, considering he was on the line between his normal hard-headed and desperate-to-prove self and a full gnashing berserk creature. Seems neither one of those dispositions would be too eager to run away from the fight as it stood.

Myouga bounces on Miroku's shoulder now (no doubt he jumped ship before it landed in the water, so to speak), insisting that he shouldn't tell Inuyasha the truth about Tessaiga. Both Miroku and Kagome peer at him in question as he reasons that if Inuyasha knew the truth, he would choose to transform and use his own claws and fangs rather than rely on some sword. Miroku strokes his chin and hesitantly admits that he sees how it could become a habit after all, and Myouga continues to push this perspective. Kagome hangs her head silently, not looking at all convinced.

Dammit! I left my Yelp review for Toutousai too soon! I most certainly would have deducted a star or two for this rudeness!

Inuyasha insists that he not be labeled a monster, even if he doesn't know how the transformations happen, and Toutousai amends his assessment, calling him an idiot instead. The next panel with Miroku and Kagome looking on with shock remains in its original Japanese, but it's pretty obvious from their faces that they're a bit nervous about what Toutousai is going to tell Inuyasha, even if I DIDN'T have the chapter in my complete collection here at home.

Toutousai said he heard from Myouga that when it looks like Inuyasha will die, he transforms to protect himself, which makes sense to him considering half his blood is that of a ferocious youkai. But Toutousai's opinion is that the awakening of this blood isn't actual strength, which earns him a twitch and strange look from Inuyasha. Since Inuyasha doesn't say anything in response, however, Toutousai goes on to reiterate that Tessaiga's weight is due to the binding fang's weight. He explains that before Tessaiga broke, it was just Inuyasha's father's fang, meaning that Inuyasha was relying entirely on his father for protection and strength.

The Sengoku Jidai, where metaphors are VERY literal.

Miroku steps in to give Toutousai a round of applause for his well-articulated thesis (convincing Inuyasha not to throw away Tessaiga willy-nilly, principally), for which he gets a blank, if not slightly confused fish-eyed stare. Kagome pops up next to Inuyasha, grinning wide and encouraging him to keep at it. Inuyasha is speechless at the encouragement, sweatdropping at her sudden enthusiasm. Kagome steeples her fingers, calling Inuyasha strong, and capable of doing ANYTHING he puts his mind to. Inuyasha puts on a somewhat nervous or embarrassed half-smile, shaking his head as he avoids directly agreeing, because inwardly, he feels like he's being gently coaxed toward a certain conclusion.

Elsewhere, little Rin kneels in a field of flowers sighing and complaining about how late Sesshoumaru-sama is. But it's not long before she hears the approach of footsteps and happily looks over to see the double-headed dragon, Jaken and Sesshoumaru emerging out of a weird fog/mist. Got a little tired of drawing backgrounds for a moment, huh RT? Anyway, Rin begins to run to greet him, but Sesshoumaru casts a critical look over her head, and orders her not to move.

Sheesh, even RIN is into how literal everything is here.

Meanwhile, Sesshoumaru is chopping down the trees behind her like he's a fucking lumberjack. Really, is that any way to treat your BRAND NEW SWORD, Sesshoumaru? Typical member of the bourgeois. No respect for anything they can just replace on a whim.

"You come here often?"

Sesshoumaru says he remembers the smell of her, like that of the conman Naraku who tried to trick him before. You all remember that, right? Kagura doesn't seem to notice he's basically being a dick, being in the flirtatious mood she is; she identifies Sesshoumaru as Inuyasha's elder brother and adds that he's got quite a fine face. Ooooooh, Kagura and Sesshoumaru, sittin' in a tree...

Then he cuts it down. Because he's a dick.

Kagura says she's THE wind user (like Tigger, she's the only one, of course), and that she's an offspring of Naraku. Sesshoumaru asks for clarification on the term "offspring", but she makes no explanation. No need to get into the specifics, because it's obviously not as simple as taking cuttings from a plant and setting them in water to grow roots or anything. She just says that he heard right, and that his new blade Toukijin was made from another offspring named Goshinki. You know, the name Sesshoumaru shouldn't have known in the previous chapter?

Sesshoumaru asks what that has to do with anything, if Naraku is in tears wanting it back. Kagura scoffs at the notion that Naraku would have any attachment to a dead oni, and says she just came over on a whim to see Goshinki's fate. She doesn't mention her intentions to get a nice close look at this handsome stranger, even though I'm headcanoning that shit all day. She asks Sesshoumaru if he's as super strong as he seems, because may possibly he could be strong enough to kill Naraku maybe?

Sesshoumaru doesn't reply, just glares, and then his hair is blown straight up as Kagura ascends into the sky on one of her feathers. Clearly she has decided this has been sufficiently awkward. Before she flies away, she announces that the sword is Sesshoumaru's. He watches her leave, still not saying a word, probably wondering why she felt she had to have the last word when she obviously already had it. At least, that's what I would be wondering.

While Kagura is flying, she ruminates on the fact that Naraku has control of her through the possession of her heart, but she refuses to be ordered around by that guy forever. She's the wind, and one day, she'll be free. She's uppity, proud, a covert operative, and I love her.

Back on the ground, Jaken walks level with Sesshoumaru, also watching the sky, and describes Kagura as a suspicious woman. Sesshoumaru is clearly done talking about her.

... She is just precious. I can't stand it.

Sesshoumaru faces forward again, thinking about how even if Kagura hadn't said anything, he's planning on tearing apart Naraku the next time the guy comes lurking around him. You sure it wasn't PARTLY the pretty lady not so subtly asking for your help? Hm?

Later, when the moon is out and there's a good cloudy/miasmic atmosphere going on (can't quite tell which, to be honest), two samurai in a castle react to a "stir of power" sound effect, one of them asking what that noise was. The other says it came from their master's bedroom. Inside the bedroom, Naraku is kneeling in front of a curtain, looking at two glowing pots before him. He says that "it" has been born. Yet another incarnation, no doubt. I wonder what this one's gimmick is going to be?

Patricide. Nice.

So, what did I think of this chapter overall? Normally, in most other stories, I think I would be annoyed with how overt the function of Tessaiga is a stand-in for Inuyasha's father's protection, but here it works. I think that's mostly because of the mythological format. I've mentioned before how accurate the description of Inuyasha as a "Feudal Fairy Tale" really is; everything between the magic and the supernatural creatures and the situations in which the characters find themselves take a lot from folklore and organize it in a way that is very reminiscent of that format. In folklore and fairy tales, concepts like the striking out of a young man on his own, defending himself for the first time, are presented in the most physical of terms, so even children can get their head around complex subjects. This is following in that kind of tradition, and its got a very endearingly antiquated feel to it. Like the muses in action painted on a Greek vase. Timeless and simple, yet relatable and effective.

Regarding Kagura's meeting with Sesshoumaru, I was pretty stoked. I don't know how obvious it was above (probably 100%), but they are my OTP. There's some contrast between the two, the former confined by her servitude to a master she hates and unable to do much outside of that context, the latter in a place of privilege with the complete ability to go wherever and do whatever he likes. But they also have something in common - their wills of steel. They both value independence, the difference being that one of them already has it, and the other idolizes that existing free exercise. Funny, Sesshoumaru always seems to end up the measuring stick by which others quantify desirable qualities. He's the representative of power to Inuyasha and the representative of freedom to Kagura, and to Rin he's the representative of safety. Anyone else might crack under the pressure, but Sesshoumaru has the strength to hold up all the examples, I guess.

I also think it's funny how Kagura mentioned Naraku doesn't give a crap about his dead ogre son, and the chapter ends with him birthing yet another monstrosity that immediately cuts his head off. Anyone else think that Naraku is popping out kids like a young mother who's perpetually worried about her biological clock? Is it just me?