Inuyasha Manga: 194 Juso

As a witch, I find the issue of curses highly annoying. They're considered a malevolent form of magic, and therefore most of those who want to identify as good and light tend to distance themselves from the practice of cursing. On the other hand, those edgy shallow douchebags who think wallowing in despair gives them dimension throw curses at just about anyone who gives them a questionable glance. The result is the majority of those suffering from curses being happy shiny people holding hands for the terrible crime of being related to the pretty girl at school, while the real dickwads of society are allowed to prance around spreading misery, perpetuating oppression, and stealing everything they can from weaker individuals unable to fight back.

Case in point, Tsubaki could be cursing the shit out of Naraku right now for his numerous crimes, but she's decided to do exactly what she's told by said criminal so she can curse the soul-twin of her formal cat-fight partner.

Ugh, curses are so wasted on the accursed.

Brow knitted seriously, Kaede suggests this is likely the work of a dark miko, which is either a remarkably convenient guess, or evil mikos have a remarkably identifiable style distinct from all the other supernatural assholes in this setting. Either way... remarkable. Kaede gets all the more specific with her hypothesis, supposing that what bit Kagome was the dark miko's familiar, a shikigami. I feel like the sensation of being bitten could be any number of fanged fuckers throughout feudal Japan, but maybe I'm just an ignorant white girl.

Inuyasha is still stuck on the phrase "dark miko", repeating it in disbelief. Kaede asserts that Inuyasha has heard of dark mikos before, yet proceeds to describe this being anyway as an evil priestess for hire specializing in curses, like a badass mercenary of discord. Oh man, I hope someone uses that term as a dope screenname. Kaede says that the Shikon shards are made impure due to this dark miko's power, despite the fact that this is probably the only time a dark miko could have gotten her hands on a Shikon shard at all.

Kagome lays there with the Shikon fragments emitting a murky aura from where they're buried in her neck. Shippou hops up on her chest to peer at the spot and confirms that they are indeed completely in there. There's no point in grabbing the tweezers to yank on the exposed end like an evil splinter. Kneeling next to Kagome's head, Sango looks up at Kaede and says that the poison of the corrupted shards will kill Kagome at this rate. So, Miroku steps forward and suggests that Sango and he go, which at first elicits some confusion from her. He elaborates that they should go find that dark miko and beat the shit out of her, since it's the only way to break the curse. Inuyasha wants to come too because he's of course very eager to beat someone's head in, since this is the way he solves MOST of his problems, but Miroku tells him to stay at Kaede's place instead, even if it's only to hold Kagome's hand. Sango also says that his place is at Kagome's side. Why? Well how the hell else is Kagome going to make an attempt on his life???

As Inuyasha's only real protest to being told to sit and stay is to mutter curses in less boisterous a style than his usual way, the dark Shikon shards under Kagome's skin let off an eerie glow.

You know, that perpetually angry weirdo with the animal ears and the phallic sword? I'VE had a hard time forgetting about him over the past decade of my life, and I don't even fancy the guy.

When the voice in her head repeats the order to kill Inuyasha, Kagome tells it to stop, weakly, but with resolution. Elsewhere, Tsubaki scoffs at Kagome's impudent resistance. Without any compunctions about saying "I told you so", Naraku reminds Tsubaki that Kagome is Kikyou's reincarnation, and warns that ordinary methods probably won't work very well. Tsubaki considers the Kikyou angle here, and is quickly irked by the memory of her old foe, who had her heart stolen by a hanyou and diminished spiritual powers as a result. Her mind was on, ahem, other things, clearly. Tsubaki admits to herself that it should have been an ideal opportunity to steal the Shikon no Tama from Kikyou, and yet...

She recalls Kikyou telling her to vanish, and that her life will be spared at least. Insult to injury, I'm sure. And the injury is resurfacing with the memory, it seems, with a pattern of snakeskin appearing over her glaring right eye. Tsubaki simmers in anger over Kikyou's smug face, making her sick even now. While she lies paralyzed on the floor of Kaede's hut, Kagome seems to experience a jolt corresponding with Tsubaki's stewing.

Meanwhile, she's been covered in a blanket/kimono, and Inuyasha sits watching her quietly. Bizarro to be sure. Kaede and Shippou have gone outside to gather some water in a bucket, and Shippou nervously asks if they'll save Kagome. Kaede answers in the affirmative, but in a trailing sort of way, like a "but" is hiding somewhere behind it. Cut to Sango and Miroku whooshing through the air on transformed Kirara, Miroku directing the expedition to where the vague sense of evil is getting stronger, and Sango urging Kirara to hurry. Cut back to Kaede, who hangs her head in intense thought, assuming that Kagome is fighting the good fight herself. However, she's not confident Kagome will be able to endure a drawn-out battle.

Dammit lady, you jinxed it! Now this is going to take forever just to show she can handle it! You dingus!

In the hut, Inuyasha has taken to pacing impatiently, having traveled to the doorway to lift the reed curtain and peer outside, asking no one in particular if his useless friends haven't found the asshole casting the curse yet. He curses, pounding the doorway with his fist, and mopes about how unbearable it is that he can only watch Kagome being in pain. Because there was just NO WAY he could have tagged along on the quest to hunt down the douche-miko.

His agonizing is interrupted by a soaring arrow from the back of the hut, sticking into the door frame very close to where his fist was a moment ago. He is... somewhat alarmed by this, to say the least.

You think she's annoyed by his whining or what?

Kagome has another arrow nocked already and is glaring at Inuyasha through flat, shadowed eyes as Inuyasha stares back with eyes and mouth wide. He says her name, but all she seems to be hearing is the irritating voice in her head telling her again to kill Inuyasha. She sweats and pulls a weird half-smile while Inuyasha tentatively says her name once more. Kagome responds with the word "away", before being able to string a couple of others on there and produce a forceful demand that he run away, still hearing that damn command to kill.

Tsubaki says that Kagome is rather tenacious, considering her body is being controlled, but she's still hanging onto her mind. Naraku chuckles that this is getting interesting.

Just seems like the same shit on a different day to me, but I guess Naraku and Tsubaki are the kinds of high school football stars that constantly want to relive the glory days when everything was objectively worse for everyone, including themselves.

Naraku instructs Tsubaki to kill Kagome with the curse if Inuyasha runs away, since none of this matters if he does. It's no fun if Inuyasha doesn't care enough to get skewered. He seems to be hesitating enough that this shouldn't be much of a concern, though, standing frozen sight of Kagome's drawn arrow.

Meanwhile, again, there's a big crackle as Kirara flies right into a big dome of a barrier, and Miroku curses over the level of its strength. Sango exclaims in disbelief that the curse seems to be coming from inside. The curse coming from right where you were led by the trail of evil energy you've been tracing back?? You don't SAY. Sango is bummed that they've been stopped about FINALLY getting here over the span of a whole, I dunno, five pages or so, and asks Miroku if he can't break this pesky barrier. Though this frustrates him, he has to admit that it's impossible for him. At this moment, Sango points out to Miroku a figure hanging out on a nearby hilltop.

A big mood in this particular story, for sure.

Miroku identifies Kikyou, while Sango wonders aloud why SHE'S here. Kikyou notices them as well, recognizing them as Inuyasha's buddies, but she's more interested in what's going on inside that there barrier. She approaches it, and it crumbles at her proximity, sealing back up behind her once she's inside. Miroku and Sango are both floored that she just waltzed right on in there. It's like she bribed the bouncer or something.

It seems Naraku is blissfully unaware that Kikyou has infiltrated his and Tsubaki's base, because he's still giggling to himself, speculating on what Inuyasha will do; will he stay and be shot through, or will he leave Kagome to die?

Yeah, I don't think there's any ambiguity in that look. It's not like he can't fathom what will happen if he stays, and it IS the devil he knows, after all.

So, what did I think of this chapter overall? I really was hoping that I might be able to amend my original interpretation of this arc with a my more critical look this time around, but it's leaving even worse of an impression so far. The multiple switches between the fragmented cast trying to fulfill a fraction of the plot all at once made this one difficult to read. I'd say it's probably the worst example of one of RT's bad habits of poor transitions in between action, to the point where the sudden redirection of attention can produce as sort of mental whiplash, or the odd sensation of being pulled in a lot of different directions at once. You kind of get the impression that RT was thinking in terms of how the chapter might be animated, which doesn't translate very well to comic-format.

The big peeve I had around the actual content was the contrivance keeping Inuyasha by Kagome's side, though. Miroku and Sango just tell him it's better for him to stay than coming to help them in their quest, and there's not a single reason given. He's only JUST gotten unfettered access to Kaze no Kizu, which means that he can use it regardless of whether there's a youki/air division to slice in future confrontations, so it should make even human enemies easier to defeat. And he's got a tracker's nose, literally, so there's no reason he couldn't be an asset in FINDING the enemy. Besides, it's not like Kaede can't look after Kagome while she's fighting the curse at home. But no, Miroku and Sango urge Inuyasha to stay behind, with absolutely no reasoning behind this, and Inuyasha doesn't even ARGUE, which in itself is strangely out of character. This kid picks a fight over smaller things all the time, but for some reason he has no problem being left to feel powerless and impotent as he just watches Kagome suffer? Really?

It's very obvious there was little to no thought behind keeping Inuyasha in Kagome's vicinity - it was just forced in an effort to play out Naraku's silly little play of reminiscence. To top it all off, there's no explanation as to how Miroku and Sango are tracing the curse's origins, no checking in at the well to see if they could pick up the trail from there or mystery as to how to hone in on a vague feeling of evil that this was described as in the previous chapter. They just kind of ride off on Kirara and come across the source in virtually no time. Sure, Sango implies it took them a while, but it can't have been more than a day or so, given that it's sundown when the arc started and daylight again when they find the barrier. With how wild and swinging the narrative is, it feels like a hop, skip and a jump from one event to another, so it's impossible to tell how much time has passed here.

Forgive me, but this arc is STARTING as a hot mess. I shudder to think how much more disorienting it's going to be as it continues. Yikes.

Yu-Gi-Oh Manga: 252 Sky Duel Coliseum!

Come to think of it, there's been a lot of emphasis in the Battle City finals on the use of vertical space. The finalists dueled on the blimp, and now Kaiba has them hanging out on this tower - is there some significance to the sky and dueling up there for our eccentric rich boy? I suppose it juxtaposes in a mundane way Pegasus's island, with its grounded wilderness setting, but I don't think that's necessarily it. Since the god cards are a feature, and our gods generally reside in the heavens (with some exceptions, of course), perhaps Kaiba is trying to elevate himself in symbolic emulation; like dressing himself for the job he wants, right?

But if he's looking to get promoted, might I suggest to the bosses that he have to perform some more grueling trials than playing card games? Make him fight a fucking hydra or something.

Noooo... Definitely an ante of cards. Pride just happens to be tied up in them, but you can't trade THAT part, friends. You gotta take it with you, mortally wounded or not.

Kaiba chuckles in that doofy way of his, saying that the top of his own tower is a bit too drab for such a monumental duel, what with it being one to determine the ultimate duelist and everything. Man, I must not understand tournaments at ALL, because I could have sworn that the part that determined the ultimate competitor was the last match, not the SECOND to last. Shows how much I know, huh? Kaiba announces to Yami that he's prepared a stage that's worthy of their duel as several whirring, clunking fingers recline from the base of the platform where they were once standing upright at intervals poking up around the edge. Kaiba tells his Solid Vision system to activate, and the tips of each finger emits light, then a whirling image around an alarmed Yami, twisting his head to get a better view at his shoulder. Kaiba calls this a "virtual stage".

I... can't believe it. When I said that Kaiba could put Jonouchi in a Colosseum with a hungry lion and he'd be orgasming WAY back in the Death-T arc, only to be proven wrong two chapters later, I wasn't suggesting that Kaiba should try this little idea out on HIMSELF in the future. Although, he does look a little TOO excited in there at the moment. Perhaps HE was the one who would get off on that sort of thing all along. Who knew?

You guys. You guys knew.

Yami gapes around at all the faceless, and they ARE faceless, virtual people in the stands, that cheer Kaiba's name. Mokuba thinks the mass of human figures models surrounding the duelists are fab, and tells his brother so. Kaiba is too busy monologing to notice, clenching his fist as he pontificates on how they will now, after countless conflicts (it is officially canon that Kaiba can't count his and Yami's duels on the ONE hand they would fit), they will fight their decisive battle in the name of fate. Why weren't the other "countless" matches fate? Because Kaiba didn't WANT them to be, that's why! He goes on to compare their upcoming tiff to those of Roman gladiators fighting for pride and freedom.

Okay, I wasn't going to mention it, but since Kaiba brought up Roman gladiators - he did specifically model this thing after the Colosseum in Rome, so would this duel coliseum be spelled in the former way rather than the latter? I understand it's not THE Colosseum, but it is an interesting question of whether the deliberate resemblance and reference should not just take on the specific name. I feel almost like the Colosseum is some sort of copyrighted brand the translators are trying not to infringe upon or something. Let me know if you think I'm way off base.

Anyway, Kaiba yells at Yami to draw his sword from his deck, to which Yami responds with the declaration that he's going first and indeed draws. An arc of electricity surrounds him as he poses there a moment, thinking of his weapon in his right hand being one-in-the-same; sword, card, pride. He makes a similar analogy for the contents of his left hand; shield, deck, soul. He asks Kaiba if he's ready for this, Kaiba responds with a wild little smirk as he urges Yami, either out loud or internally is unclear, to bring it on. Yami slaps down his first card, introducing it as...

Sheesh, for a couple of dudes who took forever to get started, they're sure hauling ass now.

Kaiba announces his draw, as tradition dictates, and sees that it's Obelisk. His smile grows more smug now as he mentally chuckles, thinking that that god of victory has smiled upon him. He seems to have forgotten the simple fact that just because he HAS a card in his hand doesn't mean he can play it right away, but that's fine. NBD, I'm sure he'll pull something out of his ass. Oh wait, that's YAMI. Never mind, I got my ridiculously overconfident and heavily favored by plot characters mixed up for a moment.

All Kaiba has to do now, per his mental process, is put three sacrifices on the field. A piece of cake, surely. Meanwhile, Yami wonders what kind of strategy Kaiba is likely to use. My bet is on trying to convince you that he's the winner despite all evidence to the contrary once he's lost. Seems to be how most rich guys operate. Yami's leaning more toward the possibility of Kaiba using deck-destroying monsters and spells, like he did against Ishizu. But Yami DOES know that deck-destruction strategy in and out, and reasons that Kaiba probz has a new strategy he hasn't used yet.

In spite of all Yami's speculation, Kaiba is using his turn to summon a floating torso of a robot with two beefy arms and cannons protruding from its shoulders called "X-Head Cannon", appropriately. Then Kaiba plays a face down card that appears to have some sort of game console controller on it from the angle where the reader can kind of make it out. Couldn't IMAGINE what that does. He ends his turn on this, and thinks that Yami is DONE on his next turn. Awww, already?

HAHAHAHAHAA! Kaiba ACTUALLY thinks this will be a quickie. We should all be so lucky.

Yami announces his turn and his draw, spending a moment pondering the fact that Kaiba's monster has higher attack points than his, but didn't attack. He wonders if this is because Kaiba is just being cautious of his face down card, or if there's a more insidious reason for the lack of action. Yami plays another monster, Kuriboh in defense, to which move Kaiba scoffs. His brief frown is turned upside down by his silent promise to teach Yami how foolish it is to play low-level critters against him. In fact that grin resembles more a beast baring its fangs than a human smile. Creepy as always.

When Yami ends his turn on Kuriboh's lackluster appearance, Kaiba yells that it's his turn with a wave of his hand over his Duel Disk. I guess he was drawing a new card there, but we don't see that in favor of a close-up on Kaiba's menacing little grin as he bids Yami to bow down before his god, and die. Kaiba tugs a card from his hand and plays it - Soul Exchange. Yami gapes, paradoxically leaning forward as if trying to make out the card, even though you'd expect him to recoil. I mean, if silly WRITCH knows what this card means at a glance, we know damn well that HE does.

And yet, Kaiba has to yell the name, as well as Yami in disbelief, followed by the inevitable explanation that Yami's monsters have now had their souls captured by Kaiba to do with as he pleases. He says he chooses to sacrifice them, and Queen's Knight/Kuriboh are surrounded in their own respective whirlwinds for the purpose. But wait, Kaiba acknowledges that a side-effect of the exchange of souls is the... exchange part. Less of a side-effect and more of a stated feature if you ask me, but I guess Kaiba didn't, so I'll just grumble over here in my corner. Kaiba says that X-Head Cannon has now become Yami's monster, as is illustrated by the fact that it has appeared next to the stunned Yami. However, Kaiba has a way to get around HIS end of the deal.

I'll tell you, there's nothing more essentially capitalist than constructing a loophole to renege on an arrangement and leave the opposite party with literally nothing. Kaiba is the ultimate businessman.

Kaiba comments flippantly that 1000 life points is a small price to pay to control the X-Head Cannon again, as if ANY price is beyond his elevated means, and proceeds to enter the code on the virtual controller. Manually. Seriously, he actually PRESSES left, right, A, and B, and I've got to admit, it's a little cute because his hand is dwarfed by the giant buttons. Don't hold it against me, friends, if I consider a miniature Kaiba a little adorable. Definitely less terrifying, at the very least.

When he's finished, the monster returns to his side, and Kaiba says X-Head Cannon has become HIS sacrifice, turning two into three surrounding him. Yami is flabbergasted that it looks like Kaiba might actually summon Obelisk in two turns. Facing Yami's absolute horror-stricken expression, Kaiba scoffs and pulls his Obelisk card from his hand, ordering it to come forth. Yami chooses this moment to draw his hand dramatically across his intense glare in the act of flipping his own face down card. Now it's Kaiba's turn to be flabbergasted.

Maybe more pissy than flabbergasted, but it's as close as we're gonna get, right?

Still holding his arm out from his flip-motion, Yami tells Kaiba that the Light-Force Sword will keep Obelisk out of commission for three turns. Wait, aren't spell cards only supposed to work for ONE turn on god cards? Or is that only effects on them once they've been summoned? However this is supposed to work, Kaiba wears a crooked little smirk again as Yami tells him through his own smug smile not to get too hasty, since the game has only JUST begun.

A long, loooooooong countdown, no doubt.

So, what did I think of this chapter overall? The pacing has accelerated quite a bit, and that always makes me happy. KT didn't waste any time getting into the game, and cycling through a couple of turns, not only keeping the action moving, but also giving the readers a real sense of how fast these two can think in their element. It would have been nice to see in the past few chapters, especially when I've been seriously doubtful about how competent Kaiba is supposed to be while making ALL the stupid mistakes, but better late than never, right? To be honest, it probably won't do much to restore my suspension of disbelief for Kaiba's genius, though, because I don't expect this level of pacing to last. KT has been building this encounter up ever since the beginning of Battle City, and maybe even before that, so he'll have to slow things down quite a bit to squeeze as much drama and tension from it as possible; with how much personal animosity they have for one another, in addition to complicated coexistence of respect and jealousy, there's bound to be a heavy conversation ahead as well to work out all the feels. As much as I would have found such a thing a little undercooked in the past, this is a talk that has been stewing a while now and is just about ready to come off the stove.

Besides, there's already a piece of that very discussion constructed in a hologram around them at this very moment. I find the coliseum a very interesting display for Kaiba, for a few reasons. It's a throwback to Death-T when they faced each other in Kaiba's new Battle Boxes, with their capability of showing both amazing and disturbing imagery, surrounded by cheering Kaiba fans. It shows off how far the technology has come, as well as how potent the image it projects really is. Kaiba made an offhand remark to Yami in the last couple of chapters how his friends aren't there to cheer him one like usual - and then erects an entire stadium of virtual support to juxtapose Yami's loneliness. The message is clear: while you're on your own in your toughest challenge so far, I can conjure as many people as I need to project the love you don't have. It doesn't matter if it's an illusion. What matters is that it stimulates a primal feeling of smallness when already feeling vulnerable and alone.

Something that Kaiba clearly couldn't reproduce in spades if he hadn't felt it before when seeing Yami's little gang of cheerleaders gunning for him on the sidelines.

Just something to think about.

Inuyasha Manga: 193 Dark Miko Tsubaki

I was going to make lame jokes here about mikos working the night shift or something, but in formulating them, I realized I don't really know what the hell a miko even IS. It's often translated as "priestess" or "shrine maiden", but those terms don't really denote much context except a vaguely religious one. A brief trek through the internet, talking like 10 minutes here, showed me that the girl training to do trance-work and act as an oracle through deity possession, of a sort, was not at ALL the shallow picture I had formed in my head. It's another example of what I've been learning a lot lately; misinterpretation is a function of never questioning the first thing that pops into your head, and that can persist for a long time. Long enough that the misinterpretation almost becomes a personality trait in the afflicted if they don't learn to recognize when to have a little skepticism.

But enough of this after-school special bullshit, let's watch this douchey puppet-master talk to some weird old lady.

And by "my sake" he means "my petty stalk-and-prank shtick".

Tsubaki says his name like she's trying it on for size, asking what he's going to do for HER if she lends him her power. He says he'll give her the Shikon no Tama, and excuse me while I bust my GUT laughing. I mean, who the hell would believe that a dude they just met looking to make a shady deal is going to give them something so... transformative? Tsubaki must think it's funny too, because she gives a little giggle as she bows her head, hiding her profile with a curtain of white hair.

Damn, where can I learn that neat trick?? I wanna turn into a nine-year-old again when my only significant concern was incomprehensible math problems in a textbook.

Sassy Kagura mutters her surprise that the old bat transformed, and said old bat fires back that this is her TRUE form so she'd better watch her tongue. Uhhhh, yeah lady, someone who fought with Kikyou fifty years before is going to TRULY look like a PYT with premature greys. You're not fooling anyone, honey.

Least of all Naraku, who brings up the fact that she fought over the Shikon no Tama with Kikyou fifty years ago again too. Don't know how I should feel about being on the same page as HIM, but never mind that. He repeats that she was defeated, because Naraku really loves those not-so-subtle digs, and asks Tsubaki what she wanted with the jewel. With a little smirk, he suggests it was for eternal youth, and she returns his sneer. They sit in silence while he looks at her, evaluating her form as that of a woman who sold her soul to a youkai to keep her youth and beauty, but not a high-ranking youkai, so he figures she's looking for stronger sugar daddy youkai powers.

Tsubaki says that she'll believe that Naraku will hand over the Shikon no Tama for now. Strange, considering that line made me believe that she's really over 60 even LESS. Maybe her teenage form really is reflective of the true naivete within after all. Or maybe she's just bored and looking for something stupid to do on a Saturday night.

And speaking of incomprehensible math problems...

After class, Kagome slouches off, sighing. She frets that she's also forgetting what she learned earlier, like she's steadily being left behind by the rest of her class. I don't know what she expects when she spends all her time in the literal fucking past. Can't go forward when you keep stepping back, girl!

As she sulks, her friends Short-Hair and Headband whisper about her not looking very happy, the latter supposing that it must be her ex. Short-Hair asks if Headband is talking about when Kagome was dumped by that rotten, two-timing, jealous, selfish, violent guy (literally the description, word-for-word), and Headband confirms that she thinks this drama is still surely dragging on. Because teenage romance is quite insidious like that.

They flank Kagome, and when she makes a noise of confusion, Headband bids Kagome cheer up. Short-Hair assures her that if she studies hard for exams, she'll be able to forget. Headband asserts with a determined fist raised that this isn't the time to be thinking about boys anyway. Kagome gives Headband a bit of a mystified look, repeating the phrase "about boys" as a question, but guesses scary accurately that they're talking about Inuyasha here. She apologizes for not telling them, and Headband expresses some surprise that something ELSE happened in the juicy Ballad of Kagome and Mysterious Jerk.

... Shia surprise?

Kagome takes a look at her watch that she suddenly has and says she has to be going or else the impatient Inuyasha might come to pick her up. As she twists to wave at them while jogging away, both girls are sweatdropping big time, Headband thinking in disbelief that Kagome and her weird boyfriend have gotten back together, and Short-Hair wonders if Kagome's exams will be okay. I wouldn't bet on it, but I guess it depends on what she means by "okay".

In another time, Inuyasha sits up on a roof in Kaede's village, arms and legs crossed and a sour look on his face, mentally grumbling about how Kagome is late. The sun is setting, and he recalls that she SAID she'd be back before dusk. It's a fucking tragedy, I tell you! Meanwhile, on the ground, Kaede pauses in her walk with basket full of herbs in arm, to consider the swirling darkening atmosphere around her. Miroku walks up behind her, but instead of doing his usual sexual assault, announces his presence by addressing her. She addresses him in turn, and Miroku notes aloud that she seems to have "felt" the same thing he has. Kaede confirms that indeed, there IS something evil creeping about, as if it's crawling all over the ground, in the grass.

Kagome has arrived at the well, heaving her overstuffed backpack over the side. The moment her foot lands on the ground next to the well wall...

She cries out in pain and yanks her foot back up, muttering in confusion. She thinks she's been bitten, but there doesn't appear to be anything around that could have sunk its little fangs in her ankle. Inuyasha, however, has just sauntered onto the scene, pissing and moaning that she's late. Heart hammering, she whimpers Inuyasha's name, still shaken. That must have hurt like hell for her to be so upset. Every time I felt like something bit me, it wasn't much more than a sting, and I just shrugged it off as my imagination. 

Granted, it probably WAS just my imagination all those times.

We get a shot of clouded skies as well as rushing through the grass from our own perspective, to a familiar figure in the distance.

"Good job, now her ankle will be sore for a few days. We sure showed her!"

Nah, the snake opens its jaws with a little pressure from its mistress's fingers to show that Kagome's blood is still dripping off the ends of its fangs, and Tsubaki praises it for bringing this to her. Are those fangs sterilized? Because I feel like there's no point in doing that blood test otherwise.

Back in the village, Kagome is INSISTING that she's not making up the fact that something "prickly" bit her. Either that or she accidentally stepped on a cactus. Holding up the edge of her sock to peer under it, Inuyasha says there's nothing like a bite mark in there. She begins to whine in protest, but is overwhelmed suddenly by a jolt. She reaches just below her collar, wondering if that was the Shikon fragments just now. When she pulls the vial of them out she's surprised to find that those little crystals have turned black.

And just when you think RT can't cram any more nasty surprises into this day, the vial cracks and shatters right in Kagome's palm while she watches with wide eyes. Miroku, Inuyasha and Sango all stare in shock, questioning, alarmed. She's falling backwards, the black shards she observed before their prison break now embedded in her skin, around her clavicle, a frightening fact that does not escape her notice.

Wondering what the hell kind of trippy shit this is? Apparently the shards now in Kagome resonate with the rest of the jewel tainted by Naraku, slowly destroying her. Tsubaki kneels at an illuminated altar, hovering a hand over an offering dish containing that little Pac Man of a Shikon no Tama of Naraku's. She mutters that the effect of this destructive blood magic extends over Kagome's body and mind, and therefore both are moved to Tsubaki's will. Don't know how much a body and mind breaking down will be capable of, but I guess we'll find out.

Naraku hangs out in the dark recesses of whatever lair Tsubaki is in, behind her, warning her not to take Kagome lightly. He would know how... explosive she can be, but Tsubaki scoffs. She points out that Kagome didn't even notice that she'd been cursed; Naraku had said Kagome was Kikyou's reincarnation, so Tsubaki admits she was wondering how much of a handful she would be, but while she trails off in her assessment, she doesn't look at ALL impressed.

Tsubaki asks what Naraku wants now, if he would like the curse to kill Kagome, or something else. Naraku chuckles in sinister delight, suggesting that they make Inuyasha relive a familiar little nightmare, one in which he dies with his beloved girl. That last little bit appears to have been an internal description - no doubt Tsubaki has heard ALL the youkai gossip over the past fifty years and has a pretty good idea of what Naraku is speaking. At this point who DOESN'T know the messy end to Inuyasha and Kikyou's relationship?

Inuyasha leans over a comatose Kagome, yelling at her to hang in there, while Miroku bends over her from another angle and says that the Shikon shards have burrowed into her body. Does he have some sort of compulsion to state the obvious all the time? He turns to Kaede, looking to her for confirmation on what this is, and Kaede affirms that this must be related to the odd evil they perceived earlier. She's right on the money when she thinks that someone put a curse on Kagome.

KILL HIM AND EAT HIM!

Sorry, I channeled Dave Anthony for a moment there. My bad.

So, what did I think of this chapter overall? It certainly capitalized on that primal aversion we have to having things burrow beneath the skin. I don't know too many people who don't shudder at the thought of having something foreign lodged into them, even more if that thing is conscious, living in some way. The Shikon no Tama is no crawly insect, but the fact that it seems to have a malevolent will makes it somehow very believable that it might try to jump into a body. It already has an established history of being used as an evil pill to enhance evil, so this non-consensual jump to infect a victim with evil doesn't feel like much of a leap. Pun intended.

But I find Tsubaki somewhat uninspired as a villain. A woman driven to extreme lengths to keep her youth and beauty is so overdone. Sure, there are a few indications that there's more to her motivations than that, the Mona Lisa smile when Naraku guessed she was obsessed with her looks and her flippant resolution to believe Naraku "for now" were pretty enough little hints, but they feel hollow to me. Perhaps it's because they've come across as empty in my past reads, or because these genuinely seem like things I might do myself in order to attempt throwing off a person who was coming uncomfortably close to judging me accurately.

Maybe it's because Tsubaki is just an oracle possessed by a demon instead of a god, and even for the the good-thing-but-evil trope, I'm having a little trouble figuring out what the damn difference is.

Yu-Gi-Oh Manga: 251 A Battle to Tear the Skies Asunder!

Good thing I'm not the one doing the fighting here - I'm so dreadfully tired. I received some pretty distressing news a few days ago and am consequently having trouble sleeping. Something of a... betrayal, if you will, that's been turning my stomach ever since my sister told me about it. This on top of everything else that's going on has my anxiety on overdrive, and I'm surprised I can so much as THINK right now with so many little fires starting in my life that I have to put out, to say nothing of the raging inferno outside. It may not be a battle to tear the skies asunder, but my mind is certainly apt to be shredded instead. Makes me wonder what else is going to crop up around here to make pull at another corner of my consciousness...

There had better be a lull in the surreal quality my life has taken on, or I might just have a full meltdown.

It probably doesn't help that this is an island of trash and there's nothing else to do on it but play a match or two so the tournament can end and your rich captor host will let you go the fuck home. Otherwise, there's not much more to do than sulk.

The first two pages are a double page spread of the two competitors posing in classic duel stance, extra dramatic. Then there's a whole page with Kaiba standing with coattails flared and arms crossed, seeming a tad redundant from his previous full-page presence. Yami faces him across the platform, with nothing but the howling wind passing between them, and of course Moar Cards Guy hanging out on the sidelines waiting to start the match. Kaiba and Yami have to spend a minute glaring at one another though, as is the custom for rivals of their sort. The former thinks the time has FINALLY come to settle this. What he doesn't think about what happens when he loses, because he will NOT let this go as the settlement. He's far too obsessive for that kind of finality.

Moar Cards Guy holds up his hand in that upsetting salute of his, announcing the competitors of the second match of the semi-finals, Seto Kaiba and Yuugi Mutou. Mokuba pumps his fist below the platform, shouting that Seto is nearly at the finals and all he has to do is beat Yami, as well as some heartfelt encouragement. This is apparently a cue for Kaiba to turn his douchebaggery up to 11 when he comments on how Yami's usual crowd of cheerleaders aren't there, and supposes that Jonouchi's coffin must be awfully heavy. Instead of telling him to fuck off like I would have done, Yami continues glaring for a moment before calmly stating that he believes Jonouchi is still fighting. Kaiba fires back he read the report from the doctors; cardiac functions stopped, Jonouchi's brain dying, and there's nothing science can do to save him. This feels like a violation of doctor/patient confidentiality, but I don't know what the equivalent of HIPPA laws entail in Japan, let alone in this looking-glass card-obsessed version of it. As if he hasn't already shoved his foot WAAAAAY in his mouth, Kaiba deigns to say "one" (more) thing; he figures Jonouchi must be so proud of getting further in the tournament than expected.

The worst thing about this? There is no way to convince Kaiba that his expectations don't actually mean SHIT.

Yami says Kaiba's name carefully, like he's trying to retain some level of patience with a bratty child, and in a way he is. He says that Battle City was like a road that they all traveled seeking what lies at the end, and asks what's their final destination after all the fighting is done. Yami tells Kaiba that he and Jonouchi are actually still looking for the answer. Kaiba retorts that there is no "answer" for the fallen, only shame, despair and... something else that Kaiba doesn't get to say because Yami cuts him off with the assertion that this is not true. Yami says that there's always the choice between hanging one's head forever in defeat or looking toward the future, getting back on one's feet to head down the road of battle until the future is found. There, Yami says, the answer is found. With all this talk of the future, it must be like looking in the MIRROR for Kaiba. If Kaiba had any self-awareness, that is. Yami thinks back on Jonouchi's question of what a true duelist is and reassures himself that Jonouchi is still looking for his answer.

Kaiba chuckles that Yami is still a fool.

Instead of talking past each other about two ENTIRELY different topics, could you guys just like, start throwing cards at each other or whatever? I didn't come here to watch two dipshits snipe at one another.

Yami wears a heavy frown while Kaiba continues to smirk at him, advising him to get ready; Kaiba's pretty confident that he's going to defeat him and become the king of duelists. Oh man, is it sadistic of me to be SO EXCITED to see his face when he loses? Yes. Yes it is.

Meanwhile, Jonouchi still lies still in his hospital cot, with Honda hovering at the foot of it gritting his teeth and the doctor on his right furiously writing on his clipboard. A small blip registers on the EKG, but when Honda points and asks about it, the doctor says he doesn't think anything moved on the machine, since his back was turned and all. Since it's one of Honda's only real talents, he grabs the doc by his collar and demands that he DO something if he's a medical professional, but the doctor just stutters he's already done everything he can and it's too late. Shizuka continues to weep and call out to Jonouchi's on his other side, Anzu standing sullen and speechless next to her, looking down at his expressionless face.

She thinks at him that Yami's duel is about to start, and her (our) gaze moves to the Duel Disk affixed to his arm. Yami apparently put it there before he left, but I don't recall that it was ever removed? I guess the doctors took it off while they were sticking all those electrodes to his torso semi-randomly.

As Yami left, Anzu turned to say his name, and called out to him again when she leaned out the door to follow him. With a hanging head, he told her and Honda to look after Jonouchi, and proceeded to walk off, hands in pockets, slouching slightly. Anzu wasn't about to let him wander away so fast, and demanded his attention a third time, asking if he really has to duel at a time like this. She launched into a whirlwind of inquiry; why is he doing this, what does it matter anymore, when Jonouchi, Mai, Bakura, practically EVERYONE in this tournament has landed in the hospital or worse. She asked with considerable volume what the POINT of all this is. I've been mulling over the same question this whole time and I still don't have an answer, Anzu. But hey, maybe if I head down the road of battle to the mother fucking future, I'll find it there at a certain point. At least, this is what Yami seems to think.

Yami paused for a moment or two, then told Anzu that he's decided to fight because he promised to fight. She stared in shock at him as he pulled back out that Millennium Necklace and told of the vision it gave him - might be a thought, though, because it's not in a proper speech bubble. Still impossible to tell even this far into the story.

What part of that vision tells you it won't come true if you don't duel Kaiba? I thought it was just supposed to help motivate you since you wouldn't be able to carry on doing the Millennium Items' bidding if Jonouchi was dead? Did the necklace actually just tap into some weird superstition that keeps Yami plowing into bad ideas?

Yami asked Anzu if she remembered the rock slab from the museum, and though she just gave him a look of consternation over her intact memory of the stone record, Yami went on to state that it proved he lived thousands of years ago, died, and yet here he is. He said that he came back to this world from the dead to find out who he is. Anzu stood in silence listening to this disjointed monologue; Yami claimed that seeking answers is what gives people a reason to live, then asserted that he knows Jonouchi will come back. By this point, Anzu had been joined in the hall by Honda and Ryuji, probably in response to Anzu's earlier outburst, because I don't think Yami was talking that loud. He clearly wants to save what little energy his grief has left him for facing off with that smug bastard Kaiba. They were all silent, until Yami started to walk away again, and Honda called out to him to win, clenching a fist. Yami said that he will win, and so will Jonouchi, leaving them all there to lend him nothing but thoughts during his upcoming match.

Which as all USians know is the most effective action for ALL STRUGGLES. That and prayer.

Nooooo, that was Jonouchi. I feel like there's some sort of The Summer We Got Free deal going on here, especially when Jonouchi's form appears behind Yami in a jaunty pose as Yami lifts his arm in preparation to draw a card the MOMENT the duel starts. He's convinced that he and Jonouchi will become true duelists together, and clenches his fist in determination at Kaiba across the way. Kaiba is relieved, because he was afraid there for a moment that Yami would have been too sad over the DEATH OF HIS FRIEND to properly continue his participation in this fucking tournament. Good to know he's got his priorities in order, huh Kaiba?

No, but seriously, Kaiba looks downright delighted to see that Yami doesn't appear to have lost his fighting spirit. I bet by the end of this thing, he'll really wish Yami had just stayed below to mourn. Moar Cards Guy raises his arm and the platform does the same, while Kaiba asks Yami with gusto if he's ready. Yami just glares some more. Then they shout the beginning of their epic, epic rematch.

Uh-oh. I've heard THIS myth before. No, not the Titanomachy, I don't know if that really fits...

More like Aphrodite, Hera and Athena kicking off the Trojan War in a competition to see who's the fairest of them all.

So, what did I think of this chapter overall? I made fun of it above, but I really do like Yami's explanation both in Anzu's flashback and to Kaiba as to why he's going through with this duel even though he's obviously just devastated. It's messy, doesn't altogether make sense, but it smacks of trying to justify NOT curling up and crying right now. He flits between seeing that vision and figuring there are conditions he has to meet for it to come true, and still needing to figure out who he is so he can know why he's alive here and now, a jumble of obligations and button-pushes that keep him going. But ultimately, there's one thing that he feels both he and Jonouchi wanted to get out of this tournament, and that's ANSWERS. They were both looking for identity at its core, trying to determine the center of their beings through trial by fire. A couple of classic heroes stripped down to their barest elements by a string of tribulation to see what was left at the end.

It's this commonality with Jonouchi that brought Yami back to face Kaiba, more than anything. And he even carried Jonouchi with him there to continue their search together in the same arena, figuratively of course. Yami thinks that if he finds the answer to who Jonouchi is as well as himself, perhaps that will bring Jonouchi back from the brink, since he was taken out before truly getting to the conclusion. This is really why Kaiba doesn't quite understand Yami when Yami tells him that Jonouchi is still fighting. Kaiba's not looking for identity; he's already well established in his. What he's looking for is RECOGNITION, VALIDATION, from everyone that he's the best. This is why he insists that there can only be one winner, and seems so focused on the title of king of duelists. This tournament is a crown to him, not a foray into the deepest recesses of his mind room.

Or letting a friend hitch a ride in your own wander through shared identity-crisis. While Jonouchi isn't literally share the space like Yami and Yuugi do, he still takes up a lot of room for them both, and always has. I wonder if it seems like it's getting a little crowded up there in Yuugi's head.

Oh, and by the way, since we're talking about identity here, I thought I would do a proper recommendation of The Summer We Got Free; a really lovely novel about the little labels put on us by others and even by ourselves as we try to navigate life. It's about love and tragedy, and has a sprinkling of magical realism on it to give it some spice. A great read, so if you're looking for something new, give it a try!

Inuyasha Manga: 192 Bakuryuuha

Did Inuyasha have a surge in popularity recently that I was unaware of? Or has it retained relative popularity in Japan? Because I can't really see anything other than renewed interest producing a product like THIS:

That's right, you can buy Inuyasha PERFUME now. Not just Inuyasha, but the other major characters too: Kagome and Sesshoumaru fragrances came out with Inuyasha's at the end of last year, and Miroku, Sango, Shippou, Kikyou and Naraku came out at the beginning of THIS year. PERFUME of all things! Did anyone ASK for this? Was this in demand ANYWHERE? Who do the manufacturers of this fragrance line think read/watched Inuyasha and thought, "You know, this series is great, but it really needs something OTHER than manga volumes and DVDs and trading cards and toys and prints and all the regular crap that they shove onto the market. I want something FANCY with a $50 US price tag that can be displayed prominently on my vanity, because that's the only reason I would buy it, for my vanity. How about a perfume?"

I mean, have you EVER seen a more desperate cash-grab in your whole li-

OH FOR FUCK'S SAKE!

I guess you're right, Inuyasha. But OH how I was really hoping we COULD avoid a terrible next-gen monstrosity and the inevitable boring, insipid, and pointless content it would entail, with a serving of implied child-grooming on the side. The drive to wring this successful series dry of any and all capital possible is too great; we'll just have to get through the squeeze. Thus is the fate of art under capitalism.

Sorry, were we talking about something else?

Oh yeah, Inuyasha identifies the swirling stream of youki within the fireball-thing Ryuukossei has just launched at him, and ponders the outcome of slicing through it with Kaze no Kizu - which he does with a heavy grunt even though the sword is lighter now. His own blast meets Ryuukossei's with a shit-ton of commotion, with a lot of swirling, spiraling tendrils of wind that burst out the other side toward Ryuukossei. He's a bit confused by the energy from Inuyasha's sword engulfing his own youki as it comes flying at him, seemingly not grasping the full extent of what that means. Dude still thinks he'll be fine, apparently. Miroku repeats that Tessaiga's swirl of energy is pushing back Ryuukossei's youki. Yeah. Thanks for reiterating that, Miroku. We really wouldn't be able to tell what was going on with just the ONE explanation.

Ooh, ouch, that looks like it stings!

As his head and both faces plummet to the ground, Ryuukossei remains alive and conscious enough to haltingly complain about the supposed impossibility of his body being torn apart. That's what happens when you don't take care of your scales to keep them nice and... oh, oh yeah. Never mind. The dismembered coils of Ryuukossei collapse onto the ground as the whirlwinds of Inuyasha's attack subside. Inuyasha stands frozen with his sword held out behind him in perpetual follow-through, gaping while the last tornadoes shrink to nothing. He wonders what that was just now, if it was a different Kaze no Kizu than the one he'd been doing before. Why not? Tessaiga seems to have changed in every other conceivable way in the space of like thirty seconds, so it's not out of the question, right?

Toutousai's three-eyed bull has landed, and Kagome runs over accompanied by a bouncing Shippou, calling out to him in excitement. Inuyasha's response is more subdued, and when Kagome gushes about how amazing his feat was and asks him how he does it while Shippou latches onto his collar happily, he flushes a little, clearly unsure how to answer. It's Toutousai who approaches next, addressing Inuyasha, but trailing the statement afterward. We'll never know what he was about to say, because Inuyasha turns to him and gives a surprising assessment.

Looks like struggling to lift that heavy sword had an effect on his strength after all. Damn, you don't need to knock the poor guy over, kid. Without paying any mind to how he's turned Toutousai over, Inuyasha holds up Tessaiga, now in its sheath, and asks if Toutousai didn't set up some kind of trick to the sword because it's got so much more power than it did before. Toutousai is still on his head, literally balancing on it like he's performing some sort of painful yoga, when he asks in turn if this means Inuyasha did that stunt without knowing anything. Inuyasha squats to peer down at Toutousai, humming in confusion, instead of pointing out that he couldn't POSSIBLY have known anything, what with Toutousai refusing to say ANYTHING about the sword he himself made and all. Toutousai rights himself and informs Inuyasha that what he just did there was Tessaiga's ultimate move, Bakuryuuha.

Is it significant that "ryuu" is in the name of the attack that killed "Ryuu"kossei, or am I reading too much into this again?

Inuyasha gives Toutousai a blank stare while repeating the name of the attack, so Toutousai begins to explain that Bakuryuuha is a deadly sword-form that envelopes the opponent's youki in Kaze no Kizu, and reverses the flow of youki so it becomes those tightly-coiled whirlwinds that pushed back on Ryuukossei a couple of pages ago. It basically bounced back Ryuukossei's attack and combined it with Kaze no Kizu's explosive power for a bit of extra kick. Turns out there's a reason it's a mouthful. Inuyasha just hums again, looking wide-eyed and a little overwhelmed by the information. Toutousai says that this is just in theory, of course, like it's no big deal that he's got a whole new body of evidence to support this model. Dude, this is a major goddamn breakthrough, can you not be a little more excited???

Toutousai continues by noting that you have to be able to read where to cut the youki, and have a strong enough energy to in order to overcome the enemy's youki, in order to do it. Holding onto his innocent clueless expression, Inuyasha says he simply cut the place where the youki smelled incendiary, which must have been exceedingly easy in the midst of a FUCKING FIREBALL. In disbelief, Toutousai sweatdrops and thinks that Inuyasha appears to have SURPASSED theory, in addition to enveloping Ryuukossei's energy without difficulty. Almost as if someone had to wrap this shit up pretty quickly. Toutousai observes Inuyasha standing wearing a proud smile as he puts his sword and sheath back in his belt, thinking this kiddo might be greater than he thought. How convenient.

Miroku walks toward them now, followed closely by Sango, saying that this means Inuyasha must be able to control Tessaiga freely now. Grinning, Inuyasha says that's not all, and proceeds to draw Tessaiga again just so he can swing it down in front of him swiftly.

A gaping Miroku identifies this as Kaze no Kizu while Sango mirrors his astonishment at his side, and I scratch my head wondering if Kaze no Kizu wasn't something that required youki to be swirling against the air around it or something. Is it just using Inuyasha's to pull off the trick now or... You know what, 200 chapters seems like a good point to change the rules. Fine. Inuyasha asks what they think about him being able to use Kaze no Kizu whenever he pleases, to which question Miroku responds with a smack to Inuyasha's head using his staff and proceeds to lecture Inuyasha about being the kind of person to recklessly show off a dangerous technique. Toutousai retains his sweatdrop as Kagome develops one next to him, and supposes Inuyasha is still a hoodlum. It's what happens when a hoodlum doesn't have to DO anything for his special privileges.

Elsewhere, a marbled atmosphere is all we see as Kagura flies through on her giant feather, a passenger sitting behind her. She complains that this extra elaborate barrier is still in effect, and warns the person behind her, an old woman, to hang on tight. Through the swirling din, the wing of a sprawling estate can be made out. No need to guess who it belongs to; Naraku sits next to a large window, opened wide to give him a splendid view of... the barrier, I guess. His creepy womb-jars stand off on the other side of the room.

Evil version of good thing? How exciting.

Naraku proceeds to ask Tsubaki if she recalls fighting a priestess named Kikyou fifty years before, and she scoffs, saying it was an awfully long time ago. As if he's really trying to piss this woman off, Naraku describes the scenario he heard about her - losing to Kikyou and bearing her a grudge while erasing her form. I wouldn't be surprised if he invited her there specifically to poke her, since there's nothing mor NARAKU that he could possibly do, but that doesn't stop it from being annoying as hell. Anyway, Naraku smirks, explaining that he also heard that she was still alive disguised like a hag.

That youkai rumor-mill never runs low on grist, does it?

So what did I think of this chapter overall? The very beginning concluding the fight with Ryuukossei was visually interesting, and pretty cool as far as how Bakuryuuha was represented drilling through its target. Not half-bad for an ultimate technique. But other than that, I had some trouble finding panels that I could put in this synopsis; there just wasn't much more than folks standing around and talking, which didn't help my disappointment with the previous chapter seeming to rush through making Tessaiga easier to handle. RT actually seems to be hanging a lampshade on this with Toutousai's final comment that Inuyasha seems just as immature as ever - she knows she didn't give him any development and struggle, asking us to accept it as it is. In my less critical readings of this series I managed to gloss over this the way I was supposed to, but I'm really struggling to now, especially when this is the first time I've realized that the rules for Kaze no Kizu have just changed on a dime. What's powering it now? Who the fuck knows! Just automate the process so we don't have to think so hard about a strategy for battles anymore!

RT getting lazy up in here, or what? At least she's still funny, since Inuyasha literally turning Toutousai on his head just like the old man's expectations of him was a pretty solid joke. And I definitely needed one going into the next arc, which isn't one I'm very fond of. Just a little boring to me, but then again, I have changed my mind on various aspects of this series since I started reading it again for this blog. Maybe it'll surprise me.

Fingers crossed.

Yu-Gi-Oh Manga: 250 Light from the Future!!

Kind of? I received an invitation to tentatively return to work this week, so my employers feel like this whole virus thing might be blowing over. They suggested that I just do one day a week until I'm comfortable making it more, which is mostly fine with me. I'll still be wearing a mask the whole time, and keeping at least six feet away from everybody. Yet, it's still enough of a light at the end of the tunnel that I'm actually EXCITED about getting up early to go somewhere for work in the morning. Go figure, my weeks on end in my apartment managed to make my anxiety-ridden ass MISS going out in public. Never thought I would ever say anything close to that, but hey, strange times.

It's helped to have a sense of normalcy from my media to keep me grounded.

Characters collapsed as the result of losing a magical card game? Just another day ending in "Y" for Yu-Gi-Oh.

Tears stream from Shizuka's eyes as she screams out her brother's name, a sweating horrified Honda yells out to his friend as well, and Anzu's eyes well as she gapes at Jonouchi's prone form. Mokuba also looks on with shock, but there's not so much as a twitch in Kaiba's impassive mask. Keep in mind that this is a guy who, the previous DAY in this tournament, found it completely intolerable that either Yuugi or Jonouchi should die in a duel. What's character consistency again? Because it is TOTALLY NORMAL for competitors to collapse in a dead faint during a game, Moar Cards Guy gestures to other!Marik, announcing he's the winner. I would ask why we're not QUESTIONING how accepting the tournament establishment is with all these casualties... in my naive days before I saw with my own eyes that the people in charge of my own non-cartoon world were so willing to let people die happily if it meant the continuation of the status quo that benefits them. Now I'm wiser, but no less completely appalled.

At last, we get a look at other!Marik, who you would think would be ecstatic at his de facto victory, but he's wearing a rather disturbed expression as well. The bystanders all rush the platform, running to crowd around Jonouchi, Honda kneeling next to him to lift his head and shout questions about his condition. As they continue to inquire and shout at a guy who clearly can't hear them, other!Marik stares unseeing at them, grimacing.

Apparently, there's literally nothing more disgusting than the thought of being beaten by Jonouchi, not even vomiting in your own hand. The disdain for Jonouchi seems to get weirder and weirder as time goes on.

Other!Marik wipes his mouth with the back of his hand with a huff, regrowing his maniacal grin as he chuckles - he trails off in a semi-confident statement of Jonouchi's condition, which looks pretty dire. Honda grabs Jonouchi by his collar, yelling his name, and it's at this moment that Honda realizes in shocked disbelief that Jonouchi isn't breathing. Yami, Shizuka and Anzu react with frozen bulging eyes over varying expressions of horror. Mokuba breaks from his placid brother, shouting over his shoulder at Seto that it really looks like Jonouchi is hurt as he runs to the scene. He turns to Moar Cards Guy to demand that the medics be called immediately and Jonouchi be carried down to the infirmary, because it clearly did not occur to the lone adult in the vicinity to do that shit automatically.

Shizuka kneels next to her brother and lifts a limp hand by the wrist, calling his name over and over. Honda continues to hover over Jonouchi, shaking him by the collar roughly in lieu of CPR, screaming at him that he has to wake up. He threatens to kick Jonouchi's ass if he doesn't get up, as if Jonouchi is just lounging in bed on a school morning and refusing to rise and shine or something. Yami stands by, still frozen in his horror, with Yuugi's image looming behind him, a tear in his eye and in denial that this can possibly be. But Jonouchi remains unresponsive, and Yuugi's spirit crunches down in an upright fetal position, hands on his head, bawling in anguish. Tears are now even streaming down Honda's face, saying that this can't be. Shizuka cradles Jonouchi's hand, sobbing into it. Anzu cries into her hand nearby. The most Kaiba can muster is a small frown as he acknowledges that Jonouchi fought until the end, and finally accepts him as a true duelist in death.

Again. For the final time, I'm sure. ;)

Other!Marik has recovered from his unique shock and laughs psychotically once more, calling all of the mourners fools while he reminds them of what's currently staring them in the face; Jonouchi is dead, another sacrifice to the shadows. In his fit of renewed giggles, other!Marik asks who's next, but no one responds, least of all Yami, whose head hangs to hide his face. Kaiba turns his frown to Yami now, looking a tad more contemplative.

Kaiba, can you stop making this about you for FIVE FUCKING SECONDS, PLEASE? Foolish of me to ask of a spoiled rich kid, I know. Kaiba goes on to say that other!Marik may have beaten Jonouchi, but Jonouchi DID force other!Marik to show his hand, including the god card in there, and it's all Kaiba needed to know. Though other!Marik's back is turned, Kaiba holds up a card from his own deck cocks a smile, telling other!Marik that the god's defeat is there. Other!Marik just scoffs and wishes him luck. We get one final look at Kaiba's face, even if it's not giving much more information than... well, he's still holding up that card so it half-obscures his cheek. Whatever.

A smattering of medical personnel start carrying Jonouchi away on a stretcher, his friends trailing along with the urgent doctors shouting urgently to get him to the medical wing. Except for Yami, of course. He stands watching the grim parade until it's off the platform and out of sight. Moar Cards Guy, unable to read the motherfucking room, announces with a raised ridged arm that the next duel in the semi-finals will take place in an hour. Maybe I should rename him Card Nazi, given his lack of discernible humanity in dealing with these children, and the repeated Hitler salute. Yami doesn't seem to react at all to the proclamation, so Kaiba calls out to him.

"Just pop a Xanax and get back to it! That's what works for my employees."

I swear, the parallels between Kaiba's callous disregard for everyone around him and that of the current leadership of the United States continue to be STAGGERING. Yami slouches off, broken, as Kaiba thinks that he'll be waiting. I hope Yami stands up his sorry, insensitive ass. Fuck this tournament.

Back at the blimp, in the medical room, Jonouchi now lies in a hospital cot. Honda demands to know how he's doing, and the doctor lists all the signs of death - the lack of breathing, EKG flatline, heartbeat stopped. Shizuka refuses to accept it, begging the doctor to save him. She kneels at his side, her head buried in her crossed arms, saying his name over and over, wailing. Ishizu stands behind her and lays a comforting hand on her shoulder as she sobs. Honda just leans on the aluminum head of the cot, slumped. Yami stands turned away from it all, a distant, vacant look in his eyes. Ishizu glances back at him, watching him walk numbly back through the door.

I wouldn't blame you if you couldn't pick up a deck of even normal playing cards ever again after this, Yami, to be honest.

Yami grinds his teeth in frustration and grief, thinking it's all over. He recalls the time at the very beginning of the tournament, so very long ago (for me, at least), when Jonouchi asked Yami if they could duel at such a time when he could call himself a true duelist. It led to the promise that kept Yami going through Battle City, Jonouchi constantly on his mind. Yami wonders what his lost memories or the god cards matter now, if THEY were what he lost Jonouchi for. Yuugi's image is next to him once more, hands raised in a calming gesture, but soon he's dropped them in defeat while Yami squeezes his anguished eyes shut. They snap open again and Yami growls about the one thing keeping him going, his hatred for other!Marik, whose smug face fills his head. And Yet, as Yami lands a fist on the wall in front of him to lean on, he asks himself what's left after that, since Jonouchi is... he can't bring himself to finish the thought, and frankly, neither can I.

... Okay that's spooky.

The ghost of Jonouchi's voice comes to him this time, surprising him again, triggering the memory of earlier in the day when Jonouchi asked him what a true duelist is. Ah, better times. Yami seems to contemplate this until a little beam shines up at him from below. He looks down in alarm to find his pocket is emitting a distracting-looking light, and curious Yuugi asks what it is. After confirming that it is indeed coming from his pocket, Yami sticks his hand in there and draws something out with a fine chain attached.

Yuugi recalls that Ishizu gave it to them, holding it out and saying it belonged to them now, with its power to see the future. Yami is also reminded that Ishizu said the necklace was losing its powers, and consequently wonders why it's glowing. Without waiting for an answer that no doubt won't be forthcoming, Yami clenches his fingers around it and closes his eyes again. It's light shines out of his fist all the more, but Yami keeps his eyes shut.

The Jonouchi in his mind tells Yami that THEIR Battle City isn't over yet, and this snaps Yami's eyes back open in astonishment. With the Millennium Necklace still clutched tight in his palm, Yami marvels at the vision. He opens his fist where the necklace lays without an inordinate amount of shine. Even though the Millennium Necklace was supposed to have lost its powers (supposedly), it managed to show him this lovely little vision. He enfolds it in his fingers again, and promises Jonouchi he'll believe in this future. With this affirmation, Jonouchi's EKG registers a little blip.

Oh, Kaiba will be just TOO tickled.

So, what did I think of this chapter overall? I honestly don't know where to start. There's so much devastation here that it's hard not to be overwhelmed, especially when mass real-world death has us all in a semi-permanent state of shock and bereavement. I've made it no secret that Jonouchi is my favorite character - his character arc and growth are relatable while his personality is lively and fun - so seeing him limp and lifeless throughout this chapter is like being punched in the gut over and over. I'll admit, I wasn't too worried at first that Jonouchi was really dead, but there was a point when I had to ask myself if he wasn't ACTUALLY gone, and it freaked me out. For all my expectation that KT couldn't POSSIBLY kill Jonouchi off, for all my smug assurance that there was no way this story could escalate to THAT level of grim, there really was a brief, terrifying moment when I thought my favorite character was well and truly gone. 

Until the end when Yami got his vision, the EKG showed some activity, and it was obvious that Jonouchi would rise again regardless of how many minutes the poor guy's brain has been deprived of oxygen while everyone was sobbing over him. That aside, you have to hand it to KT; the guy sure can milk the feels if he's determined enough. He has my congratulations.

Speaking of milking the feels, the characters couldn't have been more genuine in reaction. The various levels of breakdown according to personality and relationship were stunningly depicted, from Shizuka's utter despair to Anzu's disbelief and horror, to Honda's threats turned weeping and unsteady frame needing something to prop him up to keep him from collapsing. Their grief is REAL and your heart breaks a little for all of them. Of course, we can't forget Yami and Yuugi, whose reactions are distinct despite their closeness in sharing a body. While Yami's is more frustrated and dwelling in violence, gentle Yuugi is more apt to cry and perform soft gestures, balancing Yami out. I kind of feel like Yuugi's grief was just a BIT overshadowed by Yami, so I would liked to have seen more from his side of this. Still, I think the expressions for all of them were unbelievably moving. Even other!Marik's brief "near defeat experience" and subsequent high off of escaping a horrible fate he himself orchestrated was understandable. Just ask adrenaline junkies - there's nothing that makes you feel more alive than almost dying.

The only one that was underwhelming was Kaiba's. There's precedent for him being horrified by the prospective death of a competitor, in this very tournament no less. So why did he not have at least a fraction of that baseline compassion here? It's weird that the guy doesn't seem to have ANY character consistency, just doing and saying whatever crap KT thinks is needed to move the plot forward. Not to say I don't think that his callous and insensitive bullshit doesn't FIT for a power-hoarding capitalist, but I would like to see him more REGULARLY portrayed as such if KT wants him perceived that way. None of this wishy-washy random moments of humanity garbage.

Lastly, can we just appreciate how the Millennium Items now seem more than EVER to be manipulating the shit out of everyone here? I don't believe for one SECOND that the Millennium Necklace was losing its power; it was just working selectively to show Ishizu, and now Yami, what they wanted to get them to act in the way that is most conducive to the plot. And dammit, if that necklace has to bring the recently deceased back from the dead in order to get what it wants, SO BE IT.