Yu-Gi-Oh Manga: 226 The Chosen One

But, Yami isn't playing in this one, chapter. In fact, the guy who just expressed disdain for the very concept of a predestined winner of the duel is playing in this one. Are you mocking him? I mean, don't get me wrong, I can get behind mocking Kaiba all day every day (or every other day, maybe), but I'd be more inclined to pick on his selective use of the term in his own favor. Making fun of a guy who can't escape his fate no matter how hard he works against the tide - lukewarm comedy in a sea of tragedy. Making fun of a guy who says he's been chosen by a god card to avoid admitting that it was given to him, then rejecting the idea that he can be chosen by anyone or anything in order to insist he does all the choosing himself - much funnier. 

After a reiteration of Vorse Raider slicing through Keldo, and Ishizu flinching through the resulting holographic smoke, Kaiba repeats how laughable he finds it that her millennium trinket can predict his future. He's prepared to teach her that the future obeys him, and not the other way around. He's going to EARN that ending, dammit!

The irony of this being that he's the one who will undoubtedly win the duel because the plot cannot move forward otherwise. The future has indeed dictated this, it just happens to line up with what Kaiba wants. For now.

Kaiba and Ishizu stare each other down, still both at 4000 points each. Jonouchi notes this, but thinks that Kaiba's the one who has the momentum now, because he's bringing the "power deck" with all his toughest monsters. Anzu compares Ishizu's power to Pegasus's, but with a predicted outcome instead of relying on building a strategy around reading Kaiba's mind. She wonders if this means Ishizu already knows who will win, and I would make fun of her for missing the obvious answer... if there WERE an obvious answer, anyway. It's not exactly clear what the Millennium Necklace is telling her, despite the fact that Ishizu herself seems sure that it's the future, so it's still up in the air.

Yami just glares speechlessly up at the platform. Stoic.

Kaiba continues his turn briefly to play a card face down for the anticlimactic conclusion. Ishizu is just as silent as Yami while Kaiba recalls the two cards he's placed face down, Crush Card and Shrink. You'll recall that his plan is to shrink his Vorse Raider's power and subsequently infect Ishizu's deck with a virus that will destroy all her big attack-heavy monsters that he still has no real reason to believe are a large part of her strategy. He's just assuming. Because he's an ass.

Ishizu declares her turn and immediately closes her eyes. No, it's cool, she can totally afford a little nap there in the middle of a match. Her dream-vision shows her Kaiba gloating that he's activating Shrink and Crush Card in order to destroy her deck, while all the monsters she hasn't yet summoned go up in smoke. She opens her eyes again, assuring Kaiba that she can already see that future, even if it's only silently, and thinks that even a duelist of his ilk will be powerless when faced with the power of her Millennium Necklace.

As she summons a buff dude in a golden Egyptian-esque helmet with a cobra's head adorning its front she calls Mudora, she's prepared to show the audience the future she's foretold.

Ohhhhh, maaaaaaan, I wish it would happen...!

I guess it's such a fun image that it's in there twice? I'm guessing that the person uploading this just threw in the conjoined double-page spread, and then the two pages separate for good measure too.

While Kaiba stands there smirking at her from behind his Vorse Raider, Ishizu recalls this very vision is the reason she gave him Obelisk to begin with. Then she asks for Kaiba's forgiveness, silently of course, because normally this kind of predictive power should never be used in a duel, but she's prepared to offer her life to the gods as punishment for being a big cheater. Meh, something tells me that the gods aren't too terribly broken up about it. Maybe it's the lack of weird god lightning striking Ishizu down.

All the same, she thinks she's willing to do anything to save her brother, even for the slightest chance or the slimmest ray of hope. You can't criticize her for that dedication - mad props. Ishizu glares down at Other!Marik, who scoffs up at her in response. She demands that the parasite inside her REAL brother wait for her. Well, it's not like the guy can GO anywhere. You're all flying on a blimp, so....

Those are pretty dope accessories, but they aren't going to help him much, because Kaiba says (as predicted) that the moment she attacks, he's going to activate his Shrink card. He calls this a "trap of hell" and bids she fall into it, even as he shrinks the attack points of his OWN card. It's pretty obvious that there's a tricky reason you're doing this, Kaiba, you don't need to expound upon the fact that it's a trap. Maybe you should keep YOURS shut for once? Just a thought.

Nah, he narrates that Vorse Raider has lost half its attack points, and it issues a weird aura and smoke in response. Yami grits his teeth at the scene above and wonders if Kaiba playing Shrink meant that he was planning on activating Crush Card. Uhhhhhh, DUH? Not sure how much more obvious Kaiba could get here in order for you to waive any doubt, but it's not like the guy is great at subtlety.

Mudora slices Vorse Raider straight down the middle and the very scene that played out in Ishizu's mind a few minutes before happens in real life, with Kaiba's dialogue a little bit different this time. He says that now that Vorse Raider has attack points less than 1000, it has become a carrier of a virus. With a triumphant grin, he says her monsters are dead, both on the field and in her deck. A similar smoke to the one consuming Mudora issues from the seams on Ishizu's Duel Disk. Jonouchi identifies this as the famous deck-destruction combo of Kaiba's, fucking up every monster in Ishizu's possession worth more than 1500 attack points. Yami wonders if she predicted this too. Please, Yami, anyone with EYES could have predicted this. No Millennium Item required.

No complaints from her. You'd think that would be a red flag for twitchy Kaiba, but he's too busy to notice. Too busy contemplating his genius sacrifice of one of his monsters and bringing down his life points to 2950 so all of Ishizu's strongest monsters can be dead. Worth it! And he's not done yet; he thinks his deck-destruction combo is only just beginning because he's got an even more powerful card in his hand right now. He plans to use Virus Cannon to wipe out the spell cards in Ishizu's deck now, likening this one-by-one robbery of her resources to plucking every feather from her wings, like the psychopath that he is. He wears one twisted little grin as he savors the thought of bringing Ishizu down with his power deck.

Again, your boner is quite indecent, Kaiba. Put it AWAY.

Ishizu plays a card face down without fanfare and ends her turn in much the same manner. Other!Marik smirks at her and chuckles internally, thinking that Kaiba is making this far too easy for Ishizu, playing right into her hands. Aside from Kaiba being all too predictable, other!Marik is sure that it's only a matter of time before Ishizu plays a certain card that he's not naming at the moment. He questions if Kaiba's convinced he's destroying Ishizu's deck or his own. Oooooooh, cryptic.

Kaiba appears to be making up for Ishizu's lack of gusto with extra.

... I'm not gonna TOUCH that one.

Reeeeeeaaaaaaally not touching that one. A rich powerful guy's name for his junk is his own business.

Unless you're Mick Fleetwood, apparently.

Ishizu must have noticed that self-satisfied smirk on Kaiba's face and drawn the ONE conclusion there can be from the intensity of it: he has drawn Obelisk. She's fairly certain that Kaiba's got won't be bringing him victory today, and when she wins this duel, that god will come back to HER. Like a lost puppy. That also has omnipotence.

Kaiba is contemplating how he needs three sacrifices to summon Obelisk, which means he needs three more turns to make it happen. He's moving right along with his next play; summoning Des Feral Imp, what he calls a death gremlin. The thing certainly LOOKS like it was fed after midnight. He notes that Ishizu has no monsters and is wide open, so orders his new monster to attack Ishizu herself. She flinches back from the swipe the Imp takes at her, but it still takes her points down to 2400. Kaiba sure did make up the difference from his sacrifice right quick.

Ishizu groans, and Kaiba takes this moment to start pontificating again. He says the future is infinite, the past is just a string of footprints, and it means nothing to him. So does the fact that Ishizu gave him Obelisk.

And how does this square off with your insistence that you're in charge of your own future? Usually the only time that people claim to be chosen by a god is also the time that they're trying to convince everyone that they're destined for greatness. From your previous rants, I'd say that's kind of antithetical to your position of anti-fate in this duel. What gives?

So, what did I think of this chapter overall? There's not much going on in the mundane. Kaiba is his usual overzealous self, and Ishizu constantly looks like she's trying not to roll her eyes. It's clear she just can't wait to get past this phase in her plan to save her brother, because Kaiba is never NOT insufferable. He's also just a hurdle to her right now, so it's no wonder she's coming off as a little distracted. Of course, she's the same to him, so it's no wonder to me that he hasn't seemed to notice. Already thinking several moves ahead and entirely too excited.

So excited, in fact, that he seems to be all mixed up inside? I know I harped on this all chapter, but there's some serious contradiction going on in Kaiba's philosophy here. I suppose it's POSSIBLE to have both a sense of responsibility for one's own destiny and a belief that there's a greater purpose to it all through a deity's favor, but that's the kind of reconciling of contradictory ideas that people in real life do because there aren't any THEMES surrounding them and their lives. Ishizu stays in a pretty straight line with her philosophy because she's here representing the concept of fate and a certain outcome. She's calm, collected, and composed because nothing can surprise her - she's seen it all before, and she knows exactly what she needs to do to accomplish that all-important goal of exorcising the demon from her poor brother.

Kaiba, on the other hand, SHOULD be representing the opposite view. Yami thought it best when he thought at Kaiba to surpass his fate. In this duel, Kaiba is supposed to be the foil to Ishizu's straight-laced determinism by pushing as hard as he can past her expectations of him and what her Millennium Item tells her. But at the end, he's smarming about how the god card has chosen HIM to give the victory to? Without invoking his own strong desire to prove he's the master of his own destiny? Seems just a tad like a 180 degree turn to me.

I suppose the point of his last word on the matter could have been similar to a divorced parent bragging about their child's decision to stay with them instead of their estranged ex-partner. I could see that being Kaiba's intention, considering his idea of working hard to his ends instead of relying on fate is gathering as many powerful assets as possible in order to make them work in his favor so he doesn't have to do it himself. In that sense, I can still SQUEEZE him into the mold he's meant to be filling this chapter.

Still, KT might want to make that a little clearer if he doesn't want the metaphors to be muddled.

Inuyasha Manga: 167 Kageroumaru

Of COURSE the little monster has resurrected the "K" name trend. He's already turned a salivating solitary into a terrible twosome and four incarnations into five, why not annoy me all the further by resurrecting my least-favorite peeve? Not that I could expect something with a "V" instead, since Japanese doesn't have a sound like that, to my knowledge. This kind of disharmony hasn't stopped me from making irreverent parallels before, but the "Ju" start to Juuroumaru's name is so PERFECTLY aligned with "Julius" that I'm a little disappointed that Kageroumaru's doesn't even slightly sound like"Vincent".

Fuck it, I'm gonna call Kageroumaru Danny DeVito anyway. Booyah!

When is your stomach NOT getting ripped open in one way or another, kid? Although to be fair, I'm sure if the little guy wanted to munch on stomach so badly, he could have visited the Scottish highlands for that shit.

Kageroumaru introduces himself with a chuckle and explains that he was napping it up in Juuroumaru's stomach before. As she kneels at Inuyasha's side, Kagome thinks on this and begins to come to the epiphany that Miroku says out loud - Kageroumaru was the one the mask was actually restraining. Kageroumaru explains that it's because Juuroumaru obeys no one but him, even if the one they're up against is Naraku. No surprise there, since it seems very few of Naraku's incarnations care to take orders from him. Can't IMAGINE why.

Maybe it's because he never FEEDS them. They always seem to be starving, treating every group of people they come across as an all-you-can-eat buffet.

Kagome and Shippou look to be recoiling from the oncoming twins, but Inuyasha seems to be doing the opposite, with a noise of irritation through gritted teeth, of course. Miroku rips the beads from his right hand, being the only person able to act the fastest. This just makes Danny DeVito chuckle as he speeds forward, catching Miroku in his Kazaana arm and ripping a gash in it. Miroku cries out in pain and Sango responds with alarm, sustained through seeing Juuroumaru running straight for her in the next moment. She throws Hiraikotsu, but Juuroumaru knocks it away with ease. Sango jumps out of the way of the wayward boomerang as a blur comes racing at her out of the sky from behind.

Man, Miroku isn't getting off easy today, is he?

Kageroumaru lands on the ground in front of Miroku, laughing at the blood spurting from his shoulder as he groans. Miroku rips away the beads again and points the Kazaana straight at the little bastard, which Kagome is SURE enough got him that she says it out loud. You and Shippou really have a bad habit of jinxing these things; there is no surer sign that the bad guy has not been got. After a panel of running that Kazaana in the same direction, a voice from above Miroku, asking what he's aiming at.

So, Miroku points his palm up toward where he heard the voice, but comes from the trees behind him and Sango when Miroku has closed his fist again, telling him he's too slow. Kageroumaru asks if he REALLY thinks that's fast enough to defeat them. Miroku and Sango are distracted long enough for Juuroumaru to leap out of nowhere and latch his jaws onto Miroku's already bleeding right arm, right through that sleeve/glove thing he has on. I'm starting to question why they're picking on HIM in particular here.

At this point, Inuyasha yells Miroku's name and jumps to his aid.

WOAH, BOY, YOU CUT THAT ONE REAL CLOSE. Pun intended.

Inuyasha curses missing Juuroumaru, who crouches in front of him with the scrap of cloth he tore from Miroku hanging out of his mouth like a rabid dog. Ironic. Inuyasha tosses a question on Miroku's well-being over his shoulder, to which Miroku replies that he was more afraid of TESSAIGA than Juuroumaru, heart pounding. Unsympathetic, Inuyasha just shoots back that Miroku should just sleep with the covers over his head, then.

... What the fuck does THAT mean? How is that a useful euphemism in this scenario? I swear, this boy's ass does more talking than his mouth.

Kagome runs up to Inuyasha, warning him that he shouldn't move around so much, the attached Shippou yelling that Inuyasha will just end up opening up his stomach wound wider. Inuyasha tells them to shut up because this sort of thing happens all the time.

He's not wrong. Though he's taken aback when he turns to smarm over his shoulder at Kagome and Shippou only to see that Danny DeVito is hurtling toward them from behind. He screams Kagome's name in warning, but despite his lunge in her direction there's no way he's getting there in time to stop the blow. Thankfully, he doesn't have to.

Spooky close calls all around today, huh?

Kageroumaru is a bit miffed by his ambush being thwarted as Kouga lands in a crouch next to Kagome and asks if she's alright. All she can seem to do is stutter Kouga's name, Shippou clinging to her leg, tail bristled. Inuyasha just gapes. Kouga calls him a dog-turd again and begins to lecture him on letting Kagome be in danger, but Inuyasha retorts that this is a rich sentiment from someone who only minutes ago fled the danger entirely with his tail between his legs. You DID kind of just leave her behind without a thought there, Kouga. Inuyasha, gracious as he is, is willing to thank the wolf-bastard for what he just did however.

Meanwhile, Kagome is sweatdropping, asking Shippou if she was in danger before, who is just as clueless as her and supposes that must be the case. Might wanna keep a better eye out, you two.

Kouga casually asks what's up with this stupid-looking youkai on his scythe arms down low, and Inuyasha answers that Danny DeVito originated from Juuroumaru's stomach. Kouga takes in this bizarre fact as though it makes perfect sense, because to him, it explains the strange chill that triggered his intuition from Juuroumaru before. Kouga and Kageroumaru glare at each other as Miroku explains that Kageroumaru is too fast, and they couldn't keep up or dodge him. Kouga scoffs, bragging that there shouldn't be anyone who can escape HIS speed, but Kageroumaru challenges him to bring it.

Kouga lunges at Kageroumaru, threatening to crush him, but when he swipes at the spot Kageroumaru was, he just claws up earth. A short distance away now, Kageroumaru accuses Kouga of being nothing but mouth. At that moment, Juuroumaru reappears out of Kouga's periphery, crashing through some bushes from behind Kouga to attack him from another angle while his back is turned.

Inuyasha isn't having any more of this "ganging up and flanking" nonsense that the twins are putting out there. That shit won't fly anymore. He shouts back at Kouga to hurry up and finish off Kageroumaru.

They're ADORABLE. XD

So, what did I think of this chapter overall? The pace was intense, and the fact that it included more than just Inuyasha this time was a welcome course. As well as these characters work together as friends and play off of one anothers' personalities in a cohesive team, I feel there are fewer opportunities for them to do so, even this early on. Having most of the ensemble acting as a peanut gallery making comments from the sidelines is never ideal, so even the minimal participation from everyone here in this chapter is a welcome development. Having the villains targeting everyone they can is a great way to force that participation at a quick fighting pace. It ramps up tension and drives home the message that no one is safe from an attack.

Because while the strategy of the twins was repetitive, it never felt dull, because it was effective as a one-two punch combo. It's clear that Kageroumaru is not just the only one who can tell Juuroumaru what to do, but he's also communicating with Juuroumaru on the fly to indicating who to attack from a blind spot and when. Juuroumaru is obviously not very brainy, but he's also stopped being "indiscriminate", as he was described in the previous chapter. He's very selective about his attacks ever since Kageroumaru appeared, never attacking at random, but only people Kageroumaru has already been interacting with. Every time Kageroumaru sufficiently distracts an opponent, getting them focused on HIM in particular, Juuroumaru leaps out of nowhere to deal a blow from wherever they're not looking. I don't think we ever know how they're communicating the right time for Juuroumaru to act, or if there is some sort of signal Kageroumaru gives Juuroumaru, but it is a very clever fighting dynamic between the two of them regardless.

Which in turn makes the dynamic between Inuyasha and Kouga all the more clever as well. Forcing them to work together in keeping track of and fighting their own assigned twin is just ENOUGH independence to keep them bickering, but enough cooperation to keep them from each other's throats as well. They both have their own unique opponents whose particular strengths they can match well with their own individual skills was also a stroke of genius. They HAVE to recognize each other's abilities now, and that will undoubtedly make both of them all the surlier for it.

They'll ramp up their posturing to show who's better, but in the end, they're basically the same person.

Yu-Gi-Oh Manga: 225 Kaiba Declares War!

Of course he does. This boy would war over a box of fucking donuts if he were so inclined, he is so low in chill. Ishizu should count herself lucky that Kaiba isn't creating a deadly theme park for her to play through, because all her potential support for an obstacle course like that has gone out the window, through her own failing. She didn't so much as attempt to counter Marik's goading Rishid into playing a fake god card, and now both of them are fucked, and all she's left with is the edgelord version of her brother who would sit back to watch her die for the lulz.

Not to sound sadistic or anything, but would anyone ELSE like to read that AU? I think Ishizu could manage it, because she's a badass, but it might be a bit TOO intense, and perhaps a little much as well. I don't know.

I don't remember Kaiba looking quite so taken-aback in the previous chapter, but here his eyes and mouth are wide at the reveal that his opponent is the woman who entrusted him with Obelisk. Ishizu wears a slight smile when she greets Kaiba and says that fate has decreed they do battle. How are we defining "fate" here? Because I really don't know what to make of the concept normally, but Ishizu seems to have all the answers from her Millennium Necklace, so I need her to help me out here.

I'm not the only one, but Marik's situation is a little more... delicate. He does that split-face thing he does so well, where the normal one pushes the the other one to the right so they're sharing an eye in the middle, and he can look in desperation at his big sister. Other!Marik isn't long in shoving the regular one back down, though, demanding he stay out of this because there's no need for him to come out. He seems pretty pissed off that their sister showed up.

Ishizu looks down at him from her perch on the platform and promises that she'll save him from the Ishtars' cursed fate. Again, why she passed up what I see as a better shot earlier and what her dueling Kaiba has to do with this goal is a bit obscure. She's got some 'splainin' to do by my estimation.

After a spiffy title page, Anzu points accusingly and asks Yami if that isn't the same woman they met at the museum that one time. It's news to Jonouchi that they know Ishizu, because he was left out of that particular adventure. Yami confirms that yes, they did meet her once, and admits to himself that in hindsight, it was Ishizu's words that led to him entering Battle City in the first place. He recalls what she said about about protecting a piece of the king's memories for a thousand years, which is a pretty impressive claim, but he brushes past it to remember her telling him that he was about to face an enemy that possesses the last Millennium Item. She said THAT battle would be a battle for his memory.

Quite the pain to go through getting something that was yours to begin with, no doubt. Yami contemplates the ancient tablet, his memories, and Marik who not-so-mysteriously has the same family name as Ishizu. He likens Battle City to a puzzle that's coming together one piece at a time. An old, janky puzzle with water damage.

Meanwhile, Ishizu begins informing Kaiba that her Millennium necklace, through its gift of allowing her to see into the future, has told her that he's going to lose his duel with her and he can't escape that fate.

Excuse me? You think you're in ANY position to criticize how someone is dressed when you're over there wearing your dork couture jacket? Ishizu's got on a face like:

Which I guess Kaiba is interpreting as stupidity, because that's how he interprets most expressions on anyone NOT in the mirror, I'm sure. He patronizingly reminds her that she entrusted Obelisk to him, urged him to disband the Ghouls, then mocks her for telling him that she's going to beat him in the semi-finals. I guess he thinks that she asked him to take Obelisk and set up the tournament because she wanted him to do all the work for her, but something tells me that wasn't really the point. He's amused enough by the situation to praise Ishizu on her boldness and first impressions though, so there's that I suppose. He's still pretty giggly about it, though. Ishizu just thinks it's the very god card she gave him that will spell his doom.

Below the platform, Jonouchi has been set off. He shakes his fist at Kaiba the creep for working with this mysterious Ishizu woman to orchestrate the whole tournament. Yami keeps his focus on Ishizu's confidence, though, noting how she out-and-out declared Kaiba can't win. He wonders if this is because of her Millennium Item and what her real objective is.

Well SOMEONE had to show up to be the eighth duelist.

Kaiba tells Ishizu that on no uncertain terms that her superstitions don't scare him and he doesn't give a shit about her occult paraphernalia. He suggests she can throw them in a dustbin of failed ideas for all he cares. She just concentrates on putting her cards in her Duel Disk, not honoring his teasing with a response. He's not discouraged, though, and vows to deal her an ironic twist of fate with the Obelisk SHE gave him.

Wait, wait, wait - has Moar Cards Guy had a name this whole time?? I hope not, because THAT would be an embarrassing thing for me to overlook, considering it's a whole hell of a lot easier than typing out "Moar Cards Guy".

Or the amount of money and influence it takes to get all the cards that are actually effective SYMBOLS of said money and influence. Whatever works.

Kaiba declares it's his turn, because it's HIS precious tournament and he's been waiting long enough to duel in the semi-finals dammit! That was an extrapolation; I don't actually know how they determine who's going first in these matches. Anyway, Kaiba plays Vorse Raider, which he describes as blood-thirsty, which I don't doubt from the look of its exposed skeletal teeth clenched like it's taking every ounce of will to keep from clamping them around someone's neck instead. Ishizu isn't paying attention to that, though, at least not anymore. Her eyes are closed and she's a step ahead, predicting Kaiba will place a card face down before he announces it with gusto and ends his turn. She opens her eyes, already knowing EVERYTHING.

Oooooh, spooky.

She says it's her turn, but pauses to allow some commentary from the peanut gallery. What other reason does she have? She doesn't need to consider her next move for already knowing what it is and how it will go. Anzu turns to Yami and asks if Kaiba really can't win if Ishizu's necklace can tell the future. Jonouchi considers this possibility in terms of himself; he REALLY wants to see Kaiba get his ass beat, but he also doesn't want Ishizu to take the possibility of him doing it himself. It is a chin-stroking problem, for sure. Yami's just thinking that if he were Kaiba, he wouldn't give up, and urges Kaiba to surpass his fate. Boy, do I NOT like that word right now. I feel like there's something off about the use of it here and I just can't put my finger on it. Anyway, Mokuba is in the room he was talking to Kaiba from in the previous chapter, clicking and clacking on a keyboard in front of him and sparing an encouraging thought to his brother. That's nice.

Kaiba has a glare trained on Ishizu as she bows her head, closes her eyes to consult that oracle of hers, and begins to reveal her first card.

It looks like this Michizure of Doom really punches Kaiba in his gut. He describes it as an annoying spell card that exposes both players' hands, and makes a prediction that Ishizu will make him discard his best cards. He curses her in increasing intensity, clenching his fist as he sweats bullets. Dude, it's the BEGINNING of the fucking duel, how have you ALREADY lost your shit? Just the slightest provocations and the kid spazzes like a hyperactive toddler, I fucking swear.

Ishizu tells him to show her his hand authoritatively, and he looks almost sheepish as he turns his fanned cards out toward her to inspect, presuming she can do so from such a distance. He promises not to forget this humiliation, but he'll misattribute it all day long to someone else. Don't blame Ishizu for your embarrassment, Kaiba, you're doing a bang-up job creating it all by your lonesome. Ishizu tells Kaiba to discard both Polymerization and Kaiser Glider from his hand and he growls as he pulls them from his hand, though he admits to himself that it could have been worse, since the cards she wanted him to get rid of weren't of much use at the beginning of a duel anyway. Perhaps the point is preventing you from using them later?

Kaiba grows a smirk at his intention of not holding back - making her discard her very BEST cards. That's right, honey, you just keep thinking that she's just being nice to you by picking the cards you didn't think were that important. She just LIKES you, like that waitress at the titty bar. After Kaiba sees Ishizu's cards, he instructs her to get rid of the second and fourth starting from his right. She's just about as blase about fulfilling his wishes as she can get, but he giggles like he's getting away with something anyway.

Ishizu hold up the cards Revival Magic and Monster Reborn to confirm that she's putting them in her graveyard now, and afterwards instructs Kaiba to return the remaining cards in his hand to his deck and shuffle to redraw the same amount of cards as in the beginning, ending her turn on this note. Kaiba glares at her over his new hand, speechless, while Yami asks himself what Ishizu is planning. Other!Marik knows the strategy, calling it scary and in a small amount of disbelief that she's using it. I say small amount, because no part of his expression indicates that he's shocked by it. Still, he admits to himself that hers is a tough deck that's she's used to beat even the normal Marik. He was there watching the whole time from inside Marik's heart, and he's pretty sure that he's the only one who can beat this strategy.

Sister Ishizu looks down at other!Marik, correcting herself when she thinks of him as Marik proper, because other!Marik isn't her brother, but rather an evil something that dwells inside him. She's got quite a glare of her own for him, having waited for him to come out again after the tragedy he brought to their family. He glares right back, asking himself when the first time he met her was, and answering in turn that it must have been at their father's death. No ambiguity there. Ishizu thinks that this tournament is the last chance she has to destroy other!Marik, and vows to do so, even if it means that they have to play those bloody shadow games from 1,000 years before. She seems to project her intention and will to save her brother at other!Marik, but other!Marik just smirks at her, asking if she really sees a future where she beats him or just despair. I guess they're communicating by Millennium Item now or something? Probably the same means that Marik and Rishid were before, because they're definitely having an actual conversation now, complete with a hardened expression from Ishizu in response to other!Marik at his question.

Other!Marik is willing to put his money where his mouth is, though, gesturing behind him to where he's somehow showing Ishizu an image of Marik proper in a glass pyramid much like Mai's hourglass. This is what other!Marik calls the "weak Marik" confined deep inside him, trapped in his own misery and longing for revenge. But Marik doesn't really look like he's feeling either of those things, at least not more than blinding desperation and terror as he presses his hands on the glass and looks out at Ishizu.

How can she be this surprised when she knows EVERYTHING? Surely she saw the Vorse Raider bisect her Keldo-thing in the Millennium Necklace before?

Ishizu doubles over, guarding her face with an arm from light dust or something. Kaiba chuckles at her and advises that she look at the enemy right in front of her before looking into the future. Again, I don't really feel like YOU'RE one to criticize, Kaiba, but whatever makes you feel superior. Ishizu isn't too upset by Kaiba, though, because all she can think about is her brother and her reiterated promise to save him. She silently asks him to wait for her, because right now, defeating Kaiba is her first priority.

He's over there, smirking up a storm, but she's got to remind him mentally that she KNEW he would destroy Keldo, because she knows EVERYTHING, dammit! In his own head, Kaiba promises to teach Ishizu a lesson. NOW who's the "card professor", hmmm? Kaiba looks at the card at the forefront of his hand, Shrink, which he can use to cut his Vorse's attack points in half. Why would he want to do THAT? Because he's planning on using it to activate his Crush virus card, which he places face down in order to destroy Ishizu's deck. Assuming, of course, that she's based her strategy around monsters worth 1500 attack points or higher.

I feel like Kaiba has absolutely NO REASON to extrapolate that right now, what with the only monster Ishizu having played thus far being but 1200 attack points strong, soooooooo...

Stupid? Stupid.

Kaiba restates to Ishizu with a clenched fist that she should listen to him when he says her visions of the future don't scare him one tiny little bit.

Methinks he dost protest too much.

So, what did I think of this chapter overall? I was laughing through a good majority of it, and it's a breath of fresh air from the emotional gut-punches that were the last three duels. I'm loving the dynamic between Ishizu and Kaiba; a kind of older person tolerating the incessant babbling of a cocky child interplay. When Ishizu isn't distracted by the mental combative stance she has to take with other!Marik, she looks like she's fighting the urge to roll her eyes at Kaiba's grandstanding, and I love it. Clearly, she's seen this all happen so many times that she's kind of sick of Kaiba's quips, even if this is the first time he's ACTUALLY mouthed off to her. It's hilarious. I needed this humor.

And I think I'm beginning to understand Ishizu just a tad more through some subtle hints throughout the chapter, which is what I was hoping to get out of the chapter anyway. She gives the impression that she didn't try to stop other!Marik coming out through trying to save Rishid because she NEEDED him to be out to defeat him. Other!Marik brought tragedy to the family, I'm sure by killing their father, otherwise being buried so deep within Marik proper that he can't be reached. They're two distinct people now, and the only way to defeat other!Marik is face-to-face, so to speak.

But Ishizu also seems to NOT know for sure if their confrontation is going to end with a shadow game. This brings into question how much she's actually getting from the Millennium Necklace, and, perhaps more importantly, how the necklace actually works. Ishizu says it shows her "fate", but that implies the events are predetermined by a higher power. No matter what Kaiba does, he isn't going to be able to change them. And yet, it doesn't take someone who has seen or read this series before to predict that he IS going to do something to change "fate" in this case. It's just obvious he has to make it into the next round.

But if fate can be changed, is it really fate? If actions are taken by mere mortals to shape it, then can it be predetermined at all? Say I went to Ikea and got a bookcase, some assembly required, to put together in my living room. Once it's all finished, can I stand back and say that it was fate this piece of furniture is in my living room? Or did I have INSTRUCTIONS to produce a certain result?

That's why I question what it is the necklace actually DOES, because in my eyes, there's a possibility it is showing Ishizu what is most likely to happen in all the infinite variables, and what she needs to do to get the result she wants. What's even MORE possible, again in my eyes, is that the necklace may be MISLEADING Ishizu in a way, for its and the other Millennium Items' ends. These are shifty magical artifacts that need to be in a certain place at a certain time, and now that they're all coming together, the necklace and rod maybe be pulling some strings of those who were meant to serve their purposes in the first place in order to further those plans.

Or perhaps I'm thinking too hard about it and KT doesn't HAVE a definition for the word "fate". Occam's Razor and everything.

Inuyasha Manga: 166 Untied Seals

Yes, please untie the seals. I always feel a little bad watching them perform tricks for treats ever since Blackfish came out, and that wasn't even about seals. I'm sure there's one or two out there about them being abused as well, but I just don't have the heart to watch them. I had to stop watching Our Planet just because of the infamous walrus scene, which went to show how fucked NON-incarcerated marine wildlife are these days too.

So is it actually better to leave them tied up or not? Boy have WE cause something of a dilemma, huh?

I can tell you one thing, though, THIS creature probably should have remained tied up. Also, he is not a seal.

Juuroumaru rasps through his copious amounts of drool as Naraku's head rustles in his absence, and Miroku comments that Naraku's body was a puppet after all. I think you guys should just assume every time you encounter Naraku thus forth, it's just a fucking puppet. Why should he meet up with you guys in person when he can send a dummy in his place? Hell, I'D do that too, if I could, and I don't believe I have an enemy in the whole world. Just the bit of social anxiety EVERYONE seems to have these days.

Miroku still speculates on what it means that Juuroumaru knocked the head off his supposed ally. Besides the obvious issue that Naraku is a DICK and no one's ally, apparently. Sango comes to the conclusion that Juuroumaru is just an indiscriminate killer. Kagome wonders if that's why Juuroumaru was chained and masked as he continues to ooze drool at them all. Taking his time being indiscriminate over there, huh?

But that's over, because he finally lunges at Inuyasha, forcing him to leap out of the way as the ground at his feet is shattered by Juuroumaru's fist. Juuroumaru glances up at Inuyasha, STILL drooling like a mad dog. Inuyasha is severely weirded out by this drooling and demands that Juuroumaru cut that shit out right now.

Inuyasha's friends all gape at the scene as Juuroumaru reels backward, drool arcing through the air. And he's down for the count, face down in the crumbling ground. Inuyasha speechlessly watches Juuroumaru, first still held across his chest as he stares, because Juuroumaru pulls his head out of the ground and stands back up to face Inuyasha again, also wordless. Inuyasha wonders what's up with this guy, who would let himself be struck so easily. At first, he considers the possibility of a trap, but he thinks that Juuroumaru isn't shrewd enough for anything but the straightforward route.

With his conclusion reached, Inuyasha goes for Juuroumaru this time, cracking his claws and declaring that he's going to crush Juuroumaru at once. But when Inuyasha hits him with Sankon Tessou, Juuroumaru hits back with an equal-looking blow, and Miroku observes with alarm that they appear to be matched.

Suddenly...

... That was a weird thing for an arm to do.

Kagome shouts Inuyasha's name while he lands a distance from Juuroumaru, wiping off his bleeding cheek with a curse. He wonders what that was just now, because it seemed a little like Juuroumaru extended his arm back there, or transformed his body in some way. I don't know why this would be much of a surprise, considering he's seen weirder things in the past 160+ chapters.

Juuroumaru rasps some more, but he appears to have taken Inuyasha's advice and is no longer drooling it up.

Elsewhere, one of Kouga's followers asks if he's okay, and he answers in the affirmative. They're on that cliff again, Two-Tone asking if this means Kouga met up with Naraku then. This also gets an affirmative, which causes Two-Tone and Mohawk to gape silently at Kouga a moment. Two-Tone asks why Kouga would come back, then, while Mohawk exasperatedly suggests in could be because Kouga just ran away. Kouga scoffs and informs them that his intuition was giving him a bad feeling about the seeming idiot that Naraku brought with him. That weirdo gave Kouga the creeps, and his intuition is never wrong about the creeps, no sir.

Kouga scoffs about how Inuyasha is a fool, because he's undoubtedly getting his ass handed to him by Juuroumaru by Kouga's estimation. Two-Tone asks if Kouga really met Inuyasha back there, and hesitantly suggests that it may not be their business, and trails off for Mohawk to delicately say that Kagome would be in danger too, being with Inuyasha 24/7 and all.

I wish I could be as comfortable with the fact that an extremely important thought never crossed my mind as Kouga is here. Doesn't question his own intelligence, just blames everyone else for not reminding him of obvious shit he SHOULD care about. Carefree as hell.

Meanwhile, Inuyasha leaps away from another of Juuroumaru's blows, which gouges the ground so deep it uproots a fucking TREE. Out of the corner of his eye, Inuyasha perceives something streaking for his face and manages just in time to lift an arm and get sliced there instead of his cheek again. As he finally pulls Tessaiga from its sheath, he calls Juuroumaru a bastard, swinging down at Juuroumaru's offending extending arm. It even rhymes. The arm seems to fly off into the bushes, and Kagome suggests this is what got him. Shippou clings to her shoulder, making the same assumption that Inuyasha cut off Juuroumaru's arm, though his is in the form of a question. Almost as if he read the script.

Inuyasha stares at Juuroumaru, sweating up a storm as he recognizes that he didn't FEEL a cut go through, thinking that whatever that was that darted into the bushes must have separated from Juuroumaru of its own accord. Juuroumaru lunges for Inuyasha again, and it's like his fangs are getting longer? He also has this really dazed look on his face, so I don't think he's fully engaged in this fight.

Not that he NEEDS to be if he's keeping Inuyasha on his toes with so little effort.

When Juuroumaru lands in the dirt, Inuyasha and the peanut gallery are equally surprised to see TWO sets of claws digging into the soil, still attached. Shippou seems particularly offended by both arms still being there. Inuyasha just gapes as he thinks he KNEW whatever it was that came off Juuroumaru earlier wasn't his arm.

He's distracted a bit too long, though.

Inuyasha just keeps having to close up that same chest wound, doesn't he?

While Miroku focuses on the fact that the blow came from the ground, Kagome and Shippou shout Inuyasha's name over the serious injury. Inuyasha groans and kneels on the ground, glaring at the blurred thing that ripped through his chest to get back to Juuroumaru. When it rests next to Juuroumaru, we can finally make out some details, like a long tail, creepy arm-like appendages that bend at the joint to end in bone-scythes instead on regular hands and fingers. and a little head covered in a similar hair to Juuroumaru. Oh, and Inuyasha's blood. Lots of Inuyasha's blood.

Everyone has to ask what the FUCK it is.

I don't think ANYONE has an answer as to what that thing is except nightmare fuel, but it certainly turns a count of FOUR Naraku incarnations into FIVE. There goes that unlucky number four rant I had a couple of chapters ago.

But wasn't it nice Inuyasha's guts got a compliment there?

So, what did I think of this chapter overall? I'm very pleased with the monster design for this one, and not just the bizarre new one in the last couple of pages. Juuroumaru's constant drooling through those fangs at the beginning just had my stomach churning. There's an element of disgust to horror that I think is over exaggerated in a lot of the genre, but RT strikes a good balance, even in the overt instances like this. It's not gross enough to make you stop reading, but just enough to have you kind of flinching away from the screen.

But, of course I would be remiss not to mention how much the little twin-creature of Juuroumaru made my skin crawl with its insane design. The fact that it has this little human head mounted on a not even REMOTELY human body is so bizarre it's beyond words, and I like it. I also find it a really fun twist that Juuroumaru, mostly human in form, doesn't speak, but the little creature DOES. You'd think it would be the other way around, but it's little subversions like that keeping me excited to see more youkai design in the future.

This chapter had a good pace, with the action moving along pretty nicely, even if I thought Juuroumaru paused a tad too long at a couple of intervals. Since he doesn't talk, it's hard to come up with a reason why he would do so, other than for a convenient moment for the characters to convey thoughts to the audience. But these were at least better than the big one in the last chapter, which threw me out of the story a bit.

Breaking up the chapter in the middle with Kouga was actually a pretty good way to insert the comedy, because there's only so many times we can see Juuroumaru swiping at Inuyasha before it was bound to get boring, and his character needed a little bit of time to be inclined to draw the heavy Tessaiga. He's not going to want to do it right away now, so he has to really be PUSHED, but the audience shouldn't be forced to endure the same moves over and over until HE finally decides it's time to bust out the tool he can't wield for very long anymore. I appreciate RT giving us a little breather while Inuyasha got shoved in that direction.

And if anyone was still skeptical of what I said before about Kouga not REALLY being all that interested in Kagome, here you go. Guy didn't even THINK about her safety until someone else reminded him she could be in danger. He's just interested in pissing contests with Inuyasha, mark my words. 

Yu-Gi-Oh Manga: 224 The Future is Now

Looks like Kaiba's come out with a new slogan, as if I've never heard THAT one before. Don't get me wrong, I would be more than happy to hear it if it held one iota of truth. Equating the present to the future isn't much of an inspiration when you're living in a world where multiple groups of assholes are trying to drag you back in time, though. Depending on what nut-job has decided to lecture me in the Dunkin' Donuts today, I could hear petitions to return to 1950, 1850, 250 BC, or anytime when I just didn't have any rights.

Wanna make the future right now? Make fewer hologram machines and start solidifying my right to control my own body, please.

I have to admit, I'm a bit conflicted, here. On the one hand, Yami's getting blasted by Ra, and that's undoubtedly bad.

On the OTHER hand, those are romanized sound effects! I never thought I'd be excited by the official translation, but slogging through barely-comprehensible scanlations has me nearly ECSTATIC over mere mediocrity. What can I say? I'm the proverbial dehydrated man in the desert.

Moving along, other!Marik laughs because it's oh-so touching that Yami is getting his ass burnt for his worthless pals. Yami glares over his shoulder and invites other!Marik to rage and hurt him all he wants, promising to send him back to the darkness regardless. Other!Marik doesn't look at all worried by this, chuckling away and encouraging Yami to talk while he can. He's going to get crushed along with the Millennium Puzzle anyway. All kinds of threats being made here tonight, folks. Other!Marik even kicks it up a notch by adding that he'll scatter the pieces of Yami and the puzzle into the void.

And he's down for the count. Still whole, though, so no scattering of pieces will be done just yet.

Other!Marik laughs some more and gestures to the still ragged Mai as she hangs there in his torture device, claiming that the attack took the rest of her life points and that's "game over" for her. Wait, the attack didn't even get to HER, though? Does it still count as long as it got over to her side of the platform, even if it didn't hit a monster or her along the way? Was YAMI acting as her monster there?

I am more confused by this game than ever before.

But other!Marik gives no shits about my head-scratches and turns to Moar Cards Guy to demand he declare him the winner already. Loudly. Apparently that part is important. Moar Cards Guy hesitates, looking a bit confused too, but lifts his arm anyway and states that the duel is over and Marik Ishtar is the winner. This guy is such a fucking STOOGE.

Other!Marik starts sauntering to the other end of the platform while Jonouchi cradles Yami and Anzu crouches on the other side of him, both frantically asking if he's alright and receiving no answer. Pulling apart the Millennium Rod as he did in the medical room, other!Marik points the blade down at Yami's unconscious form and wonders aloud if he should tear Yami apart right this second. Hey, go ahead, dude. I doubt even THAT will get you into any trouble on this lawless fucking blimp.

Jonouchi starts to call him a rotten something-or-other, but is interrupted by other!Marik's third Eye of Horus shining so bright that it darkens the face behind as though it were backlit. I have no idea how it works, but it looks kind of cool. Other!Marik assures Jonouchi that he's kill Yami in a duel, a Shadow Game (TM) that is befitting of those chosen by Millennium Items. Meanwhile, Jonouchi is freaking a bit because after the eye on other!Marik's forehead flashed, he couldn't move his body. It might just be out of fear, because other!Marik says through a grin at this point that he can kill JONOUCHI whenever he damn-well pleases.

He doesn't please to do so now, apparently, because he just scoffs as he continues on his way, past Anzu glaring at him over Yami, whom she has taken up cradling in Jonuchi's place. She tells him he's done enough about this dangerous guy (I assume silently, but you never know with this comic), and begs him not to hurt himself anymore. Not sure he has much of a choice in the matter, considering he's kind of isolated with the nutcase in an airborne vessel. The people in charge of which refuse to do anything about the health and safety of its passengers. Kaiba is clearly not going to land the blimp for anything but the end of this tournament, so everyone's pretty much stuck.

Other!Marik stands before Mai and says it's time for him to take back his god card. Somehow she's still stuck in his torture device, which should have dispersed after the game was declared over? I don't know, I guess I'll go with it, try to figure this out later. So she's still hanging her head when other!Marik lifts his hand to lift her chin in a creepy show of weird tenderness. This is when the torture device dissolves, as he chuckles that she's lucky she got away from this with her life, but she'll wish she had died here painlessly instead.

PAINLESSLY??? You had her strapped into an elaborate set of thumbscrews that induced pain even though they were illusions, dude! You don't get to act like that would have been a merciful death! Eat shit, man!

But other!Marik does NOT eat shit. He informs Mai that the loser of his Shadow Game (TM) must be penalized, and we all know what THAT means. Mai gapes in horror, and whether it's at the sicko stroking her cheek with his thumb or the memory of what happened to that Superfluous Asshole back in Duelist Kingdom after Yami was through with him, we'll never know. Other!Marik points the Millennium Rod in her face (how's that for innuendo) and announces his plans to go inside her mind to inflict a suitable punishment.

He declares a penalty game and Mai's horrified face is engulfed in light.

Yeah, you're right friend, that ISN'T sand in the top of that hourglass. Other!Marik explains that when he pulls the Ra card out from between the top and bottom of the hourglass, the brain insects in the top part will flow down into her part below to devour her, a process that will take around 24 hours. A closeup on the gruesome things reveals they look a bit like round-ish scorpions with the eyes on their backs. Other!Marik wishes her a good night as he extends a hand to take back his god card. The top and bottom of the hourglass snap together and Mai watches in horror as the insects come falling and crawling through. The last look we get of Mai in the hourglass is the scorpion-things crawling and falling on her face as her mouth gapes in a silent scream. Other!Marik zooms out of there like Superman, laughing all the way.

He pops back into reality and Mai falls over flat on her face, unconscious. Jonouchi turns to her and yells her name, then turns to other!Marik, asking what the scum did to her NOW. Other!Marik calls Jonouchi a fool, claiming that Mai SOUGHT OUT the darkness, knowing the risks when she fought him. Demonstrably untrue - she had to be informed when the duel already STARTED that she was seeing illusions and in a Game of Darkness (TM), so don't you fucking pretend like she had made an informed decision there, you dick. But no one points this out to him and he continues to spew stupid by insisting that Mai sought the ultimate pain and pleasure within her heart.

At this point he may as well be a Cenobite.

Waaaaaay ahead of you, buddy.

Unlike the Cenobites, though, other!Marik is willing to offer a little hope here. He throws a comment over his shoulder at Jonouchi that he has 24 hours. When Jonouchi's eyes widen at the tidbit, other!Marik says through a smirk that Mai will never regain consciousness unless he's killed in that period. Jonouchi growls at other!Marik's back while the guy walks away, laughing. What a bag of dicks.

Jonouchi considers the vacant-eyed Mai and the passed-out Yami in Anzu's arms, fist clenched. He wonders how much this Marik asshole his going to hurt his friends, and decides that the douchebag has REALLY done it now. He vows that Marik is dead, and he's going to get beaten bad. Other!Marik pauses, AGAIN, to tell Jonouchi to relax, that he'll drown him in darkness as well. Then he FINALLY makes his exit down the stairs with more laughter. On his way, he grins at his clawed palm, thinking about how his power has been released, and it will get stronger the more souls he feeds to the darkness.

Honda gets in on the cradle-action by propping up Mai, calling her name and bidding her to wake up. Shizuka also comes running up, shouting in distress to Mai. Noting that this is bad, Honda describes the severity of Mai's condition, everything from her unconsciousness despite continued breathing, to her open, listless eyes. Jonouchi watches this in a sort of daze, mulling over what other!Marik said about beating him within 24 hours. He asks Mai to wait for him, beginning to make a promise to her.

But then, what's this??? Anzu announces Yami is waking up! His eyes look bleary, but they're not blank like Mai's. Jonouchi hovers over him and Anzu, asking if he's alright, and after a pause he says he's fine. Anzu thanks goodness, then starts lecturing Yami that even if he was trying to save Mai and Jonouchi, he almost killed himself, pleading with him not to do that ever again. Jonouchi agrees, but Yami looks up at him with a little grin and a wink, telling him to speak for himself because he put himself in the path of Ra long before anyone else had a chance to.

Yami turns to Mai and asks how she is, but Jonouchi explains the bad news that she's passed out from Marik's penalty game. She's being hauled away by Ryuji and Honda, each of her arms around their shoulders on either side. Yami growls, thinking that this personality born from Marik's subconscious is a formidable enemy. Yeah, formidable is not the word that I would use, but sure. We'll go with that.

Cut to Kaiba, contemplating Marik and his ability to read the Hieroglyphs on the Ra card he possesses. I guess he stopped paying attention after that part or something. Apparently, "they" say the glyphs contain the secret of Ra's hidden powers, even though it was JUST other!Marik who said it. You'd think a guy so laser-focused on the subject would get the facts straight. Kaiba's popped collar beeps and he pinches it, asking if it's Mokuba. Indeed it is, and he informs his brother that it's going to take a while to interpret the writing on the card they read from the satellite. Kaiba demands that Mokuba tell whomever is handling this little chore to hurry it up, like the impatient brat he is. Mokuba answers in the affirmative with no argument though, and the call ends.

Now assured that someone's working on the research for him, he can concentrate on the next duel, which is finally HIS turn to get up on the platform.

FINALLY whatever comments he has are going to be relevant.

He twists to glare out of his periphery at Yami, demanding that he watch. He's a NEEDY bugger, isn't he? Kaiba proceeds to remind Yami that this tournament is HIS, and the Duel King title as well as the god cards are on the line. I would say Yami is probably the last person who needs to be reminded of this, but his motivations ARE just a bit different than Kaiba's so, fair enough. Kaiba says he's planning on winning this next duel in order to fight in the finals with Yami.

Is it wrong of me to hope he loses? I know he won't, but... come on.

Kaiba stands atop the platform in the roaring wind, coat conspicuously NOT flapping over his stoic head. He thinks about not knowing who his opponent is, considering they've been hiding in their room this whole shit-show of a semi-final. But he mentally scoffs, not really caring who the fuck it is, because he'll crush them all the same. That's the spirit. Yami's still a bit curious as to whom that mystery duelist happens to be, though. SOOOOOOOOOON, my child, soooooooon.

Moar Cards Guy has his ramrod arm up once more, announcing the beginning of the fourth semi-final duel. To his left is Seto Kaiba, and on the right...

WHO COULD HAVE GUESSED???

Marik's face double-images, splitting between the normal one and other one as they both react to their sister being on stage. The first is expressing shock, while the latter doesn't look too happy. Kaiba asks Ishizu why she's here, as if it's ANY of his business. Hey, Kaiba, you go around questioning anyone ELSE why they're there? Hell, you didn't even give Jonouchi this kind of interrogation, and you were planning to disqualify him earlier. Hmmmmmmm, I wonder what the fucking difference is here???

Ishizu says it was FATE that led her here, a concept which Kaiba seems somewhat unimpressed with. She says that her Millennium Necklace showed her the way, and that she must defeat him. Kaiba gives her a sharp look, to which she elaborates the reason - to save her brother.

... I feel like you probably lost your chance to do THAT when you sat around in your room letting Rishid get his ass struck by weird god-lightning, but what do I know?

So, what did I think of this chapter overall? Mai just keeps getting the WORST treatment, doesn't she? It was pushing the limits of decency in the past few chapters, but I let it slide because it was also dignified and not something tied to her sex or sexuality like similar stuff in the past. This time, though, I feel it crossed the line, if only JUST. The weird stroke of her cheek other!Marik was doing before the penalty game was creepy enough, but then the mind insects seemed to be targeting Mai's appearance instead of her MIND. There were NO gruesome details, but the fact that they're pouring over her entire body in the illusion seems a little too general a punishment, considering she'll have to sit there and watch her "tender flesh" being stripped away from every part of her.

In the same vein, when asked about why he did this to Mai, other!Marik trots out the same excuse of rapists and abusers of women the world over - she wanted it, was asking for it, knew what she was getting into. I somehow doubt that this would be his answer if he had done this to a male opponent, because he seems to wallow in the fact that he's bad to the bone. I would expect his reasons to be more along the lines of an admission that he just likes to cause suffering, or even that her suffering is greater nourishment for the darkness and his stupid powers that he sacrificed her for, since he's so comfortable with his villainy. But his argument is a specific allusion to the myth that women cause in direct or indirect ways their abuse, and that was more than a little icky to me.

It could have been a metaphor for that, true, but if it is, it's an insensitive one. KT was showing some sensitivity to Mai's will a couple of chapters back, with the character making the deliberate decision to continue on in the face of literal pain because that is what she wanted, despite the desires of others. But her choice is explicitly punished here, and in a very horrific way, so that carries a very distinct message that she was wrong and should have let Yami stop the duel after all. It's a very negative image.

And the mixed messages don't stop with character metaphor, but the mechanics of this damn game. I really wish I knew what to make of other!Marik's win here, because it seems to me that if the attack never got to Mai, it shouldn't have taken life points. But perhaps it doesn't depend on whether the attack gets where it's going here, because it was blocked by forces OUTSIDE the game, and that doesn't count? That's a good explanation, but it does go against the training KT has instilled in me by this point, that the line between the game and reality is almost smudged out by this point. The idea that there is a place OUTSIDE the game at this point seems a little ludicrous to me, but I suppose it's not too much different than everything else in this comic thus far, eh?

Same ol' same ol'.

Inuyasha Manga: 165 Juuroumaru

No, no, go away Juuroumaru, I'm far too busy! 4th of July weekend was enough of a doozy, with so much to do and see while my husband had a rare four days off, and I got almost nothing important done. Now my parents and sister are visiting town in a couple of days and I'm going to be getting just as little done playing host. There's too much demand on my attention for me to give any of it to a Naraku incarnation who is turning out to be pretty derivative of his late older brother. The speed, bloodlust and gluttony were all present in Goshinki, who also broke the "K"-name trend first, BTW. The only thing this new guy isn't following Goshinki's obnoxious example on is the amount of talking he does. Hasn't released any stupid commentary thus far, so that's refreshing.

If Inuyasha and company are lucky, they won't have to listen to edgy reiteration of their own thoughts while they kill this one.

But before that, Kouga has to do a test run on this enemy. Aaaaand he seems just as impatient about this as I am right now. He just wants to get revenge on Naraku for the deaths of his friends, but Naraku chuckles at this, brushing aside the tarp hung over the top of the wagon to reveal bars on a cage, behind which he says is the opponent Kouga will REALLY be engaging this evening. Kouga looks surprised by the pen. The back panel swings upward with the dark figure of the new incarnation lurking behind it, placing a delicate chained hand on the edge of the wagon only when Naraku bids Juuroumaru to come forward.

Kind of an awkwardly long wrist this guy has here...

Kouga wonders what's up with him, watching Juuroumaru jangling his chains. Kouga demands that Naraku remove them, along with the mask, asking what the meaning is of the restraints anyway. It's beyond Naraku why it might not be the best look to present Kouga with a guy in chains to fight instead of the free puppetmaster right behind. He claims that Juuroumaru is a sufficient challenge just as he is, thank you very much.

For some reason Kouga doesn't argue, just warning that he'll attack without hesitation if that's the way Naraku wants it as he lunges for Juuroumaru. I guess he's not yet at the point when he questions why his enemy would want him wasting energy on some nobody instead. How adorable. When he reaches Juuroumaru and takes a mighty swipe at him, Juuroumaru jumps into the air swiftly to avoid the blow. A shocked Kouga looks over to find Juuroumaru's arm already streaking toward his throat.

Luckily, Kouga retaliates with a kick to Juuroumaru's stomach, calling him a bastard. As Juuroumaru lands in a crouch a ways away, Kouga puts yet more distance between them by leaping back. He now has some finger marks on his neck, and Kouga thinks that his own speed isn't going to afford him much advantage over another fast opponent. Another matter altogether is the chill Kouga feels coming from behind that mask of Juuroumaru's.

While Kouga stays still pondering this too long, Juuroumaru makes another swift move to lunge, and Kouga shivers.

Nearby...

Inuyasha don't give a fuck, even when Miroku reminds him with some irritation that he still can't use the heavier Tessaiga yet. He just tells Miroku to shut up, as he thinks it's not JUST Naraku he smells, but the jerk Kouga too. He's so determined to be the one to destroy Naraku, that he's not allowing Kouga to get ahead of him on that goal for anything.

And then who should appear parallel to Inuyasha, rushing in the opposite direction, but that jerk Kouga himself! Inuyasha veers over to greet him with a shout and Kouga glares into his periphery toward where Inuyasha is leaning out of the trees he just passed, appearing quite confused. Running to catch up, Inuyasha asks Kouga what in the hell he's doing, and Kouga refuses to explain, because he doesn't have the time.

I relate to this panel on a spiritual level right now.

I feel grateful that THIS is where my spiritual simile with Kouga comes to an abrupt end.

Kouga twists to look over his shoulder, mentally cursing that Juuroumaru seems to be catching up to him at his top speed. But he doesn't have long to worry about it, because Juuroumaru's glare switches to Inuyasha beside him so fast that the outline of his iris staggers over the path it takes to get to the corner of his eye. It's a super cool image.

Then he pulls a super lame move right there. High contrast style.

Inuyasha groans as he lands from leaping out of the way, and Juuroumaru starts for him yet again. For some reason, this takes long enough for Inuyasha to yell at Kouga not to run away and turn to realize that Kouga is already long gone leaving his dust tornado in his wake as always. I suppose even Juuroumaru can pause for a joke, though he doesn't seem to be the brightest bulb. No matter, he's back to forcing Inuyasha to leap out of the way as he claws into the ground where he was sitting a moment before.

A familiar voice floats out of the forest, commenting on how Inuyasha has finally arrived. Juuroumaru is sitting still once more as Naraku in his baboon pelt comes out of the trees, and Inuyasha spits his name with disgust. Inuyasha's companions all identify him as well, having caught up with the commotion at last. Naraku supposes that Kouga realized the fight was hopeless and took off, then chuckles that the wolf prince is a bigger smarty than he got credit for.

On his feet once more, Inuyasha scoffs and insists he's nothing like that cowardly wolf. Not sure if he's suggesting that Naraku is labeling Kouga with the wrong word here or if he equates intelligence with cowardice here, but whatevz. Naraku just giggles at him some more. Miroku wonders aloud if this is the fourth of Naraku's youkai offspring, Kagome observes with some trepidation the mask and chain, and Sango asks why they exist.

Of course, this is Naraku's cue to tell Juuroumaru that he's breaking those restraints on him so he can be free to fight to his heart's content. The mask dissolves away like crumbling ashes, and the manacles around his wrists snap away. Once they've clattered away from him, the first thing Juuroumaru does is whirl around and slashes Naraku's head, baboon mask and all, clean off him. Can't blame him for being sour for the whole chain situation, so I guess this particular brand of "rudeness" isn't going to be punished like the last.

Naraku's head falls to the ground and Inuyasha's group gapes in confusion.

Is that a Pavlovian response to all the potential victims in the area or does he just perpetually drool like that? Gross.

So, what did I think of this chapter overall? Fast enemies don't really do RT many favors, do they? When you get to certain speeds, it's difficult to depict in a still image. The closeup on Juuroumaru's eyes moving to Inuyasha was superb, but otherwise there was little to distinguish Juuroumaru's speed from Kouga's, except Kouga's word, of course. It's a limitation of the medium, so I can't complain too much, and I'm just glad that there aren't any further attempts on super fast opponents in the future. Not only do they get too fast to properly depict after a while in a comic, but no doubt RT values the harmonious interplay between her action and comedy to have them interfere too much with each other by breakneck pace in the future. Putting a pause on Juuroumaru for the sake of that little chuckle really broke the chapter in half for me.

As for Kouga's rapid acceptance of fighting Juuroumaru instead of Naraku for the time being, it was really disappointing to me, and way out of character. This is the guy who was stuck on the notion that he had to get revenge on INUYASHA for killing his pack rather than Naraku, despite even KAGOME assuring him that Inuyasha had nothing to do with it. The guy isn't easily sidetracked. It would have been far better for him to have questioned why he should fight Juuroumaru when Naraku APPEARED to be right in front of him, and even gone for Naraku as the cage was being opened, because that's been his real target since the death of his fellows. Him not even being PERSUADED to fight Juuroumaru instead just smacks of laziness to me, since the scene could easily have gone over with little rearranging if Juuroumaru had attacked Kouga while Kouga was trying to get at Naraku.

But I suppose there wasn't much of an incentive for Juuroumaru to protect Naraku. He probably would have been beheaded right then and there, and then he wouldn't have been able to go to gloat at Inuyasha in the end. Seems like a poor consolation for character inconsistency, though.