Yu-Gi-Oh Manga: 267 Slifer vs. Ra!

It took me a while to cover this one, because I didn't realize the VIZ membership I started paying for to get decent quality scans of this comic lapsed. I'm pretty sure it's because I failed to update the recent address change on my card (VIZ wasn't exactly at the top of my list of essential credit card updates), but I'm still a tad annoyed by the fact that I got no notification whatsoever. An email would have been nice so I could avoid clicking here and there on the non-intuitive website to figure out how to start paying them again. Turns out you have to click on the membership "learn more" button to be taken to a place where it will actually recognize that you want to reinstate your membership instead of start a new one. 

Geez VIZ, it's almost as if you don't WANT me to pay you money to make fun of the manga you own. 

Better believe real fucking hard in those cards, Yami. Because I don't think other!Marik is going to let you keep those sacrifices until you can use them.

We get a little recap of what monsters are out and about at the moment; the King's, Queen's and Jack's Knights surrounding Yami, and the indescribable Juragedo hanging out over with other!Marik. There's also a reminder of how many points the competitors have - other!Marik is at his original 4000 and Yami is down to 3300. In his grinning excitement, Honda reverts to the human exposition machine he's in the habit of being, cheering that Yami now has the sacrifices to summon one of his gods, while other!Marik has been deprived of his Monster Reborn so his strategy is ruined. His initial strategy, anyway. Jonouchi thrusts his fist out in a triumphant punch toward the platform, declaring that Yami has taken the lead. But a somber Anzu reminds him that other!Marik still has some face down cards, and that it still might not be that easy for him.

Also, other!Marik is still technically leading in actual points. But no one mentions that, because they're not an asshole like me. 

Other!Marik grins at Yami across the platform, asserting that he's not afraid of him. He knows there's no god card in Yami's hand, since he saw Yami's hand when he played that Exchange card. Meanwhile. Yami is thinking it's his turn to attack, because other!Marik only has De-Fusion in his hand, but still he hesitates. He sees the smugly tripping other!Marik across the platform, whose sinister chuckles just don't stop, and wonders why he doesn't look worried. His god card AND Monster Reborn are both in the graveyard, so it's just mystifying to Yami why other!Marik would still be smiling. Backup strategies haven't seemed to have occurred to him. Strangely.

Tongue lolling, other!Marik throws his arms out wide and asks Yami what's wrong, inviting him to attack already with a hearty laugh. His twisted grin gets all the more intense when he thinks that Yami's going to fall prey to his god the moment he strikes. 

You think?  

Yami ends his turn, and other!Marik chuckles inwardly that Yami's fear saved him this time. Below, Honda wears a perplexed expression, and asks why Yami didn't attack when he might have been able to do other!Marik some serious damage. Seriously, dude? You're not exactly NEW here, so why the confusion over why Yami would want to hold back? Jonouchi sneers at him, saying that Yami's duelist instincts must have told him not to, and that he knows the feeling. I can't help but feel that there's a bit of a discrepancy in dialogue between the Japanese and English here - the translation doesn't add up with the character expressions...

Jonouchi goes on to say that it may look like Yami might have the upper hand, but he feels there's something other!Marik is hiding in the darkness surrounding them. Apparently just placing cards face down isn't enough for hiding things. Jonouchi may be giving other!Marik a bit more mystical credit than he's due. Meanwhile, other!Marik declares his turn, grinning with his hand hovering over his Duel Disk for his draw. 

Kaiba asks Ishizu if other!Marik doesn't have a card in his deck that allows him to bring a spell card back from the graveyard, which seems to surprise her judging by the exclamation point she exudes alone. I guess there was a part of me who thought Kaiba wouldn't really want to chat while he's watching a duel, even ABOUT it. Still, there's another part of me that remembers he's quite the talker on the regular, so it evens out. Anyway, Ishizu confirms that this is the trap other!Marik must be planning, and Kaiba says that he knew it, an obvious deduction he really shouldn't be proud of. He knows that in his expert rules for the tournament, there's only allowed one Monster Reborn per deck, but he's also aware of one terrifying card that would let other!Marik call Monster Reborn back from Yami's graveyard as many times as he wants. Which seems excessive, but so does every card in this game these days. 

Other!Marik at last draws his card, glancing at it while Yami glares at him tensely. Then the motor on his mouth starts again, other!Marik stating plainly that he knows Yami doesn't have a god card in his hand, and how pathetic he thinks it is watching him wait for that god card on every draw phase of Yami's turns. There haven't been THAT many turns in this duel so far, but go off I guess. Other!Marik says that even if Yami draws Slifer, it wouldn't do him any good, because the few cards in Yami's hands would ensure only minimal attack points. So, he generously offers Yami a gift, with so much excitement, he decides putting his card in his mouth is a great idea? So he can turn up his palm in a strange claw-like gesture? He's becoming just... utterly incomprehensible, I swear. 

Yami stares, gaping, as other!Marik (card now removed from his mouth, thank goodness) announces he's going to play a card that helps them both. It's "Card of Sanctity", letting both players draw until they're holding six cards. Other!Marik demands Yami give thanks to the god of his opponent for his blessings as he replenishes his hand. With a little smile, Yami promises other!Marik that he'll regret this. They proceed to draw cards. 

I guess that'll do it for the both of them. That title won't be made a liar, I see. 

Yami announces his turn, draws a card, and notes he has seven cards in his hand, meaning Slifer will have 6000 attack points if he summons it now. Other!Marik wonders if Yami will do it, sneering at him from across the platform and looking quite the opposite of worried. He doesn't have to wait long for Yami to ask his noble face cards to be his sacrifice dramatically. The king, queen, and jack are all surrounded in a virtual whirlwind while Yami slaps his Slifer card on his Duel Disk. 

KT is having a shit ton of fun drawing the divine cards once again, and I am NOT complaining.

Slifer roars with its big main mouth right in other!Marik's face, and he responds with an excited grin and a greeting that suggests he's been waiting for this moment. Honda cheers that Yami did it, Jonouchi identifies Slifer as Yami's card in jubilation, and Anzu states the wowing 6000 points it has as an exciting highlight. The epitome of shallow commentary, and I should know - I've been doing this for a good five years now. Jonouchi adds an elated comment that other!Marik is dead, and Yami has already won. What is that old saying about counting chickens before they're hatched?

Kaiba stares intently and Ishizu does the same, with a little silent appeal to Yami as well. What looks like steam seems to issue from between Slifer's clenched fangs as Yami asks other!Marik if he's ready, though I don't think the question is sincere. Other!Marik hasn't even begun to answer when Yami, arm curled into a determined fist, tells Slifer to go get him. 

Don't worry, Yami, you know other!Marik doesn't pass up any opportunity to run his smug, twisted mouth. He says this card allows him to use a spell card from Yami's graveyard, namely his newly discarded Monster Reborn. What a shock. He calls to the great god that sleeps beneath the earth, imploring it to be reborn as a fiery phoenix, and mumbles a bunch of Ancient Egyptian to drive home his point. While he grins in creepy self-satisfaction across the platform, Yami stares in shock. 

Other!Marik laughs like the maniac he is, a surge of flames erupting behind him in the shape of a giant bird. As if we can't see this very thing happening on the page, Yami (or who I'm assuming is Yami) narrates how other!Marik has used Ra's special effect and summoned it in Phoenix Mode. Ra's not only manifesting as a gigantic pillar of fire, but it's also absorbing Slifer's lightning, and the attack isn't getting through at all. 

And cue Yes's Roundabout and a "To Be Continued..." ending card.

So what did I think of this chapter overall? Aside from the god cards making their debuts, there's not much here. Not that I don't ADORE the theatrics of each appearance of these over-powered things, but it's very much style over substance. There's not any forward motion on any character in this chapter - Yami and other!Marik appear to be going through their mechanical motions without any real focus on their respective "sacrifices". Other!Marik's taunting of Yami regarding his lack of a god card in the middle there is rather stale for how often he pulls those faces and weird gestures, and Yami doesn't emote much in this one. Yami's friends and cheerleaders don't say a THING we don't already know, and they're pretty much making appearances to remind us they exist at this point. 

The only thing that was "surprising" in a sense was Kaiba making casual conversation with Ishizu, and that's only really because she seems mildly shocked that she's being spoken to. Kaiba addressing her to confirm his suspicions is only surprising in his lack of a typical scornful tone while addressing anyone. But, given that he's not trying to hide his self-doubt and insecurity in his relationship to others behind a sarcastic veneer, I'd say it's not that big of a deal.

I don't want to say this chapter is boring, but it's not exactly the kind of content I'm going to remember tomorrow either.

Inuyasha Manga: 208 The Man With No Face

So after the mild rage I experienced after having to deconstruct how awful the implications of the previous chapter was, I'm ready for the FUN kind of horror that this comic can pretty reliably provide. By the looks of that title, it seems like this chapter is prepared to partially make it up to me. I can't say it can ever FULLY redeem the bad taste left in my mouth by the previous chapter, but at the very least it can put some distance between me and my need to give Miroku all the criticism he's not getting from his so-called friends. He'll lay low in this one if he knows what's good for him. 

Especially when I have a whole new group of douchebags riding up on the first page to distract me in a large caravan of bandit horsemen, one of whom exclaims that they've got women and sake, and another suggesting to their boss at the head of the parade that they live it up tonight. Death flag, if I ever saw one. Said boss and the first few men galloping close behind him are alarmed by something they see just ahead. 

Something you most assuredly should not be messing with. 

So, as you might expect, they dismount and get closer. You know, like idiots. The boss identifies this thing with some confusion as a lump of flesh, and one of his underlings says chillingly that it seems like it's alive. They all start stabbing the thing with their myriad spears and swords, because poking it with a stick is always SUCH a good idea, and when the the underling's blade slides out, a hand is gripping it loosely. This surprises the bandits, but for some reason doesn't prompt them to get back on their horses and fuck off. They just stand there as a man rises up out of the ball of flesh, dumbfounded. There is a very familiar spider scar on this man's back.

How do you spend your life in an age when entertainment was mostly stories around a fire and ever fall victim to something like this? It's the era of mother fucking ghost stories, you guys are WEAK.

Cut to Inuyasha rushing at the reader, catching a whiff of Naraku's scent, apparently, and leading the others in its direction in a hurry. They run into the remains of the bandit caravan, corpses, overturned carts and all, stopping dead in alarm. Clinging to Kagome's shoulder, Shippou proclaims they've all been killed, while Kagome stutters that it's an awful scene. Inuyasha kneels down next to a body lying face down on and mutters that they're bandits, then something else seems to take him aback. 

Too graphic? Or is it just that RT is no Jhonen Vasquez and has no good way to depict that level of gore? 

Either way, all the corpses are conveniently face down as Inuyasha confirms that they've all had their faces taken off. Kagome kneels nearby, and turns to Inuyasha to tell him that there's a survivor. It's a woman reclining absolutely petrified in Miroku's arms as he tries to soothe her. I'd advise her to watch his hands, but I think she's so traumatized by being kidnapped by bandits and then watching those bandits be massacred by a man born from a ball of guts, molestation is probably not even on her RADAR at this point. 

Sango kneels in front of her and asks who did this to her, and she lifts a shaking hand to her cheek, fixing her lap with a thousand-yard stare while she drops that it was a man with no face. Makes sense in combination with his observation of the missing faces, but Inuyasha gapes like it's some sort of unbelievable revelation. Dude, that kind of deduction doesn't even reach the level of amateur, so just cool it.

A sky/tree-shot transition takes us to the faceless man himself, still naked as a babe, and kneeling by a body of water, head in his hands, while a stolen horse tied to a nearby tree whinnies. The man lowers his hands to look at his reflection in the water, to reveal that he's gotten himself a face. One of the bandits he murdered stares back at him, and he must not like it very much, because he immediately tears the features from his head, tossing them onto a bloody pile of other bandit faces he stole. 

Someone steps up to the pile of pilfered faces while the faceless man's spider-scarred back is turned.  

Dude has a beauty mark and everything. This is the worst possible monster he could confront. 

He has a doughy hunched companion behind him, who warns him to be careful, calling him "Musou". Musou just warns him to stand back, then goes back to addressing the faceless man, asking him where he came from and why he does such atrocious things. I think you can glean the answer to the second question if you're keen, Musou, but if you were, you might have high-tailed it by now. I mean, all that face is missing are some shoujo sparkles. 

The faceless man wonders where he came from, but tells Musou he's drawing a blank. Then he reaches out with a weak gesture and tells Musou to give him his face. Musou, of course, does not comply, holding out his branching staff as his expression hardens and he states that the faceless man is resisting despite his actions. Much like a bloodthirsty cop, Musou uses this "resistance" to justify yelling that he'll punish this creature, and bringing that staff hard down on the faceless man's skull, which is as soft and mushy as an infant's and just caves at the pressure. Musou's tag-along calls out in his certainty that the leading holy man got the monster.

He spoke too soon. The faceless man lunges toward Musou like he's using the staff as a monorail right toward his shocked and horrified, if not still handsome face. After a brief panel showing Musou's eye in profile amid a series of chilling sound effects, Musou's follower stammers out his name before screeching in fear and running in the opposite direction. The faceless man says Musou's name too, in a halting, experimental way. Next we see, he's kneeling by the water again, head in hands, a little distance between him and Musou's face down corpse in the foreground. 

That asterisk? It indicates a translator's note that points out that the faceless man sounded gruff and youkai-like before, but more human-like when he speaks with Musou's face on. So, this translator is essentially telling me that they are more interested in conveying important story information than a useless Japanese lesson I never asked for? I'll be goddamned and go to hell!

Back with Inuyasha and company, who are now running like they're late for an appointment (Kagome riding her bike), Kagome speculates that the "man with no face" the woman behind them referred to is another new Naraku incarnation. Wait, did they just leave that poor traumatized lady in a field of corpses and a dwindling will to live? These are our heroes, folks. Inuyasha calls over his shoulder that it has to be something like that. Surely he would know, with his sense of smell that can detect that Naraku musk. He can smell the blood ahead, at least, noting it in alarm.

When they arrive, everything is on fire, and corpses are lying every which way, one of them with a sword still sticking out of its back. Inuyasha declares this is the faceless man's doing, but Miroku points out the bodies still have their faces, and these killings don't fit the faceless man's MO. Inuyasha turns to that smart-ass and says with complete confidence that he smells him - it's Naraku's scent. He declares that the bastard is still in the burning village, raising his claws at the ready. 

Inuyasha sees a living woman, screaming as she shields and crying baby in a hunched position, a figure on horseback looming behind her. Inuyasha intercepts the spear thrust down at her by the horseman before it can skewer her and her child, clawing it in two. 

Seems like a question you should be contemplating about yourself, dude. 

Inuyasha yells at him not to play innocent, and demands confirmation that he's one of Naraku's offspring. The artist formerly known as the faceless man replies with confusion, asking what the fuck a Naraku is. Inuyasha is taken aback by the innocent tone he's taking, even more when the not-so-faceless man asks if Inuyasha knows about him, or what he is. Face reflecting the highest of suspicions, Inuyasha utters a phrase of disbelief.

Miroku steps forward and asks the no-longer-faceless man if he's the one who killed all the bandits and stole their faces. The man with a face says this is true, but those faces were all bad, so he couldn't use them. He touches his new cheek and declares this one okay, though. Sango leans toward Kagome, around whose shoulder Shippou peeks warily, and mumbles that the dude doesn't seem to be joking. Kagome mutters back that he doesn't even know about Naraku, or himself. 

While she's thinking that this is a different kind of Naraku incarnation than they've seen before, we cut to familiar mansion in a familiar marbled creepy atmosphere. Inside, Naraku watches the scene between Inuyasha's group and the not-so-faceless man in the mirror Kanna holds up for him like she's a cheap Ikea TV stand. Naraku scoffs that they've finally met, and admits in his head that the formerly faceless man was born from him, "with the most abominable flesh", whatever that means. Regardless, Naraku birthed this new monstrosity just for Inuyasha, apparently. I hope he included a gift receipt in the box, because I'm pretty sure that's a present Inuyasha's gonna wanna return.

Back with Inuyasha and his new customized Naraku Incarnation, the previously faceless man is looking over the fiery destruction he's caused, saying that he felt like if he murdered some folks, he'd be able to remember who he was. 

Apparently the kind of asshole who complains about "just" having fun. Wouldn't be surprised to find out his name is fucking KYLE.

So, what did I think of this chapter overall? I'm always so excited when the classic horror pops back up in this comic. It's always so well-done and creative, and this latest example is no exception. The lump of flesh just abandoned in the middle of nowhere was reminded me of this disembodied amniotic sack, a parody of a normal human gestation. It's made all the creepier by the psychological aspects to the faceless man's character - his vague feeling that he should kill to jog his memories, and his strange sense of vanity prompting him to discard any face that isn't perfect just solidifies him as a classic psychopath, along with the way he talks to Inuyasha, like he's just talking about the weather or making other small talk. It's somewhat chilling. 

Much better than the annoying I had to endure in the previous chapter, and the main group managed to behave in this one too, so I have nothing to complain about in this one! Inuyasha got to sensibly use his nose in this one too, which I'm always stoked about, considering sometimes RT seems to forget that Inuyasha has it when it's inconvenient in the moment.  

I would say I'm happy as a clam this time around, but while I was writing up this post, I got the news Miroku's English voice actor, Kirby Morrow, has passed away from unknown causes at 47, joining the Miroku's Japanese voice actor, Koji Tsujitani, who passed in 2018. Miroku as a character is trying, and he REALLY pissed me off in my previous review for this manga, but his voice actors were giants, and they will be missed. Rest in peace, Kirby and Koji.

Yu-Gi-Oh Manga: 266 The Quick Attack Trap

I took a small peek at how many chapters there are left in the Duelist section - just the list, not the spoilery pretty pictures - and while we are getting very close the the end, we're not close ENOUGH for me to believe the trap referred to is going to clinch the duel for either opponent. It was probably a good title when the chapter first came out to continue to build tension by implication alone, but even then there couldn't have been much expectation that the final duel in this tournament would have spanned a single chapter, so it couldn't have garnered MUCH in the way of nail-biting. To be fair, though, it doesn't take much more than that to convince me to keep reading things I'm not habitually putting under a microscope for blogging purposes. But can you blame a gal for rolling her eyes at the barest of tension hints when she's ridden out the past four years with nerves stretched as taut as a rubber band only to allow them to slack over the past WEEKEND?

Of course you can't. 

Now my nerves may be a little TOO slack, though, because all of this is just kind of getting a shrug from me at the moment. Even when Yami spends a panel in horrified alarm that his losing means Yuugi will die too, I'm just in a kind of cozy mood? Life has to have you pretty emotionally exhausted when you see other!Marik thrusting his thumb at his OG self over his shoulder to emphasize his statement that his other personality will also be obliterated if he's the one to lose, and your main thought is that you could do with some hot chocolate. 

This isn't how I normally operate, I SWEAR. 

Yami is appalled that other!Marik's sacrifice is regular-sized Marik, while other!Marik says they were both chosen by the Millennium Items. I thought he might find some way to connect how his this game is connected to why they were both chosen, but instead other!Marik just reiterates that the rule is simply that the loser dies, otherwise the duel doesn't differ much from the others Yami plays. He keeps one TINY little exception to himself, though - if other!Marik destroys Yuugi, Yami's vessel, Yami will disappear too, but other!Marik will remain even after his sacrifice is devoured by darkness. Not sure why there's this difference in how it works between them, considering other!Marik shouldn't be any less connected to his original personality than Yami is to Yuugi. He's probably just cheating, like all the other villains in this comic who refuse to play by their own rules. 

Sweating, Yami clenches his jaw and hunches, until Yuugi calls for his attention from his side. 

Not sure how you can refuse, given you're tied to this match in multiple ways at this point, Yuugi. 

Still, I'm sure it means a lot for Yuugi to encourage Yami, telling him to defeat Marik's evil heart, fight the light he's searching for, and that he can do it. Yami considers Yuugi with a serious, concentrated glare for a moment, while Yuugi thinks that it was him who was chosen by the Millennium Items, to lend Yami strength. Cinnamon roll that Yuugi is, he DOES put up with a lot of shit with a smile, so I can see what kind of strength those items were getting at. Yami bows his head in thanks to his partner, then strikes a power pose as he bids Yuugi have faith in him, for he will win. After Yuugi already pretty much gave him all the faith before-hand. Unnecessary, dude. 

Multiple bolts of lightning arc over the tower. Below the platform, Jonouchi reminds his friends that it just LOOKS like Yami and other!Marik are facing off against each other, and ranting wildly about sacrifices and whatnot, but in the minds of the competitors, it's a whole other ball game. Honda wonders out loud what kind of shadow game they're playing right now, but all Jonouchi has by way of answer is a clenched fist and a tense curse under his breath. Anzu frets silently over how dangerous these games are, begging for Yami not to lose or to get hurt. Around the bend of the platform, the Kaiba brothers stare up at Yami as well, the elder pondering whether Yami will use the card given to him (characterized as the strength of another duelist) to better his dismal odds, and if Yami loses, whether he will realize his foolishness. Same ol' desperate refusal to even consider believing in and supporting another human being. He's really over-correcting for his sudden flood of empathy for Ishizu earlier. 

Speaking of Ishizu, she's standing on the other side of him. She broods on the possibility of even Yami losing to Marik's evil, which would leave the world cloaked in darkness and the entire world would eventually fall to it. You know, Revelations shit. Other!Marik chuckles at Yami, but Yami only has a harsh glare to offer him back. Their "sacrifices" hang in their backgrounds. 

And now that we've cycled through the stakes to remind ourselves why literally EVERYONE needs Yami to win here, the opponents take a moment to stand all cool and dramatic, then other!Marik says his turn isn't yet over. Of course it's not. He never stops talking, why wouldn't his TURNS ramble on forever too? He says Vampiric Leech has a special ability, which has come to be expected at this point, which allows other!Marik to put his leech into defense once it's finished sucking on Yami's face in its thoroughly non-sexy way once other!Marik discards a card from his hand. Yami is incensed that this worm think can quick-attack and just as quickly go into defense, while other!Marik makes a big show of which card he's going to get rid of. As if this finale isn't going to be dragged out long enough. Other!Marik chooses a VERY SPECIFIC card. 

Don't hold your breath. 

Hunched and wary, Yami wonders what the card was that other!Marik put in the graveyard, and it looks for all the world that he may have figured out which one it was. Still, other!Marik plays out the rest of his turn without any more pageantry, putting Vampiric Leech into defense as he said he would and putting a card face down on his Duel Disk before stating he's done with a relatively mild sneer. Which in and of itself is suspicious as FUCK, considering how ready this guy is at every moment to crow about bullshit. 

It's not like he's fooling anyone either. Elder Kaiba considers this a rather deadly strategy, assuming the card other!Marik discarded was indeed Ra. From there, all other!Marik needs is Monster Reborn to activate his one-turn kill, as we've already seen. Doesn't always hurt to be reminded, I guess. At least it doesn't make me wince right now... goodness, what's gotten into me??

Anyway, Yami claims his turn, draws a new card, glances at it, and finds it's the "Exchange" card yet again. But, operating on the obvious possibility that other!Marik has already discarded Ra, he thinks it's probably too late and puts the card in his hand. He chooses another card to play instead, calling out the summon in typical overly dramatic style.

Seems like BOTH these kids are utterly transparent. I know my shoulders aren't hunched up to my ears for the first time in literal YEARS, but you guys have got to give me at least a couple of surprises in the finale here. It doesn't bode well when you're reading each other like two 4th-grade-level books. 

Queen's Knight is ordered to attack the leech, at which she launches herself and slices in half with one stroke of her sword, apparently called a "Saber Crush". Other!Marik is completely unimpressed as the leech dissolves next to him, and opens his eyes from his smug unconcerned expression when he reminds Yami that it was in defense, so his life points are safe. Too bad so sad for him. Yami doesn't respond, just plays two cards face down and ends his turn. With his tongue lolling once again, other!Marik announces his turn and draws a new card. Yami watches warily, a bead of sweat rolling down his cheek. Below, Jonouchi silently prays that other!Marik doesn't draw Monster Reborn, and that Yami doesn't lose the same way he did. 

Other!Marik performs a flourish with his arm before looking at his new card and widening his beady eyes to indicate increased manic delight. He chuckles that he's drawn a really nice one, and Yami's heart thuds in his heightened anxiety. To maintain that dread, I assume, other!Marik says he's going to summon another monster before playing the "nice" one he just drew. 

I'm going to be honest, I only took this particular screenshot because I just wasn't sure how to describe that thing in actual words. I mean, what the hell even IS that??

Yuugi groans, a chunk of his shin and forearm erased from existence. Yami shouts out to him in concern, but Yuugi haltingly insists he's still fine, and not to worry about him. He just wants Yami to watch out for the spell card other!Marik is about to use. Yami turns a glare back on other!Marik, growling and grinding his teeth, as other!Marik holds a new card over his Duel Disk and grins. He says it's the card that will kill him, a card called "Left Hand Offering", which instructs the player to discard their whole hand in exchange for one particular card out of their deck, and reshuffling again when finished choosing. Yami's eyes widen at the name of the card in alarm. 

Other!Marik reiterates what the card does, entire hand for a single spell card, but it's super worth it, because he's already using it to pull Monster Reborn from deep in the recesses of his deck. 

In his likely SUPREME irritation, I wonder if other!Marik will think to take Kuriboh from Yami. Dude's always pulling some crazy shit with that card, so I'd personally be stoked to see it in the list of offerings. 

But that's just me. 

Honda exclaims his happiness that Yami narrowly escaped death, Jonouchi cheers that he totally took other!Marik's Monster Reborn, Anzu shouts generic congratulations; you know, basic cheerleader business. Kaiba has on his impassive face, behind which is mild scorn for other!Marik losing such an important card so easily. Like he can talk. Other!Marik is still smiling, though, as he slouches back into place on his side of the platform, ending his turn. He hopes Yami is happy for taking Monster Reborn, but he knows as long as he continues to have a certain card face down on his side, the exchange they had means absolutely nothing. 

Yami announces it's his turn again and draws a card, scoffing when he glances at it. He doesn't waste a single second playing King's Knight, and playing the Monster Reborn he just got to bring back Queen's Knight as well. Other!Marik smirks at him, seeing quite clearly where Yami is going with this while Yami explains that both the queen and king being out and about means that he can summon their loyal servant as well. No shortage of THOSE in this game.

Man I am getting deja vu over here. This duel isn't just a copy-paste of the last one with enough changes to slip past copyright, is it?

So what did I think of this chapter overall? Very worrying, despite how laid-back my reading of it was. When the bones of the thing are so familiar that even CHARACTERS are pointing it out (Yami receiving the Exchange card in the way one might an overabundant one out of several booster packs), the reader has to wonder if KT has prematurely pulled out all his stops. Thankfully, this is just the beginning of the duel, there's only so many ways it can start, and so I'm hopeful that there might be more creativity pending down the line. Still I think part of the reason I've had such a cavalier attitude toward this chapter is that I feel like I've seen a lot of this stuff before multiple times, and it's all starting to blur together for me. 

I'm keeping my fingers crossed that KT finds a way to freshen the formula up with some character drama like he did in the last few chapters, on top of throwing in some new unexpected ways the players use their cards. He's got a good start to it here - I AM liking that Yami is more vulnerable than ever with Yuugi on the line, and Yuugi having to show a level of toughness that is surprising. It's ALMOST out of character for him, because he's usually navigating situations with his kindness rather than having to rely on pure grit. Unfortunately, there is no way for him to do that in this particular situation, and no friends who can carry his unconscious ass out of there, so he's kind of stuck playing the tough guy here. The only situation I can think of that comes close to him having to display this level of stamina was when he and Yami were switching out for their duel with Pegasus. Perhaps there's a similar resolution here?

We shall see...

Inuyasha Manga: 207 A Girl's Heart

Here's hoping a girl's heart isn't palpitating something fierce like a woman's right now. It's like all the anxiety of the past 10 months has fused into the second biggest knot in my stomach that I've ever experienced, my whole abdomen twisting and writhing in agony. The only thing that surpasses the sheer mental anguish was the bout of separation anxiety I had when my husband was miles away from me in A School, which led to me starting this blog in the first place just to get out of my own head for a few hours every day. Having my husband here with me during THIS ordeal makes it significantly better, but I'm still biting my nails, afraid to venture too far into the depths of social media. I don't want to see discouraging content, to be sure, but what I'm really afraid of is HOPEFUL content. That's the stuff that really kills. 

It's like she's the year 2020 personified. 

Sango rushes through the fog praying that Miroku stays safe until she gets there. The mansion emerges out of the clouds of mist, so I guess Sango was just running in a random direction and happen to stumble across it? Did the (old)men point her in the right direction? Seems plausible, we'll just go with that. 

This is the scene that Sango runs in on, which must have taken her a while to find in such a big house. Either that or the (old)men gave Sango very SPECIFIC directions indeed. She recoils from the sight of Miroku's lips descend upon the princess's, mumbling at her as he does so. Multiple veins pop on Sango's head while she stutters in apoplectic rage. When she stops tripping over her tongue, she yells at the lecherous Miroku to wake up, swinging her Hiraikotsu back for a forceful throw. 

The princess's already open eye bulges at the sound of a female voice, and with a rustle, her hair turns white, nose lengthening into a muzzle. 

The transformation was so fast, there wasn't even time for her outfit to rip. It just got bigger with her.

Sango realizes the giant bitch can't see her, just before Miroku shouts at her to wait. Bewildered, Sango asks if he didn't fall under the youkai's spell, seeing him crouched on the floor ahead, neither in a stupefied state nor exceedingly old. Miroku tells her to be quiet, so the youkai won't know where she is. Definitely NOT because he's a bit of a chauvinist who's annoyed with her bursting in on him while he's getting busy. Sango lifts her wrist to eye level to examine the bracelet Miroku had given her earlier, coming to the conclusion that her invisibility must be from its power. So it is now established that Miroku walks around with bracelets that can make one invisible to youkai, and I have SO MANY more questions that I have a feeling will never be addressed. 

Sango wonders why Miroku didn't just destroy the thing right away, since he's perfectly conscious and everything, seemingly refusing to consider a very obvious possibility. Miroku is now on his feet in a defensive stance, acknowledging the youkai's true form as a wild mountain dog. He pulls a couple of paper charms from under his collar, muttering that he would rather have solved this matter in a more "orderly" fashion, as though this was an issue of milling in line at a bank or something. Anyway, as he throws the charms at the youkai, he asks the princess to please endure a little pain for a moment. 

Once again, Sango is bewildered, this time at Miroku referring to the wild dog youkai as the princess. When the charms land and the youkai convulses from the resulting jolts, it becomes a little clearer for her. 

Miroku swipes his staff through the beast, pushing the princess out of it with the force. Must have been his plan all along. Just... with a different kind of staff. The princess lands chin-first on the floor, and Miroku hunches over her protectively as the youkai damns him and lunges. Miroku yells at Sango to make her move, and Sango wastes no time in swinging her boomerang. 

And you know that's that, because not only does the wild dog youkai dissolve as is right and proper of a truly dead foe in this story, but so does the whole castle around them. Sango watches everything turn to mist around her while she catches Hiraikotsu. She turns to ask Miroku what the hell is going on, but clams up and sweatdrops at the sight of Miroku embracing the princess beneath a gnarled tree, apologizing for the rough treatment he gave her. He suggests that she was lonely, having to be by herself for so long, and she confirms that the youkai had taken advantage of her weakened heart. When Miroku tells her that she'll be okay, and he'll accompany her to the village, she expresses her gratitude, fading away. The princess dissolves as well, into a cluster of floating lights right in Miroku's arms. Sango murmurs that she disappeared, and Miroku states that it's was the princess's soul she just saw. 

A less gorey succubus. Got it.

Back in the village, Miroku kneels in front of a fresh burial mound with some incense smoke rising from it, bowing his head. He explains to the gathered crowd of villagers, plus Inuyasha and Shippou, that he's transferred the princess's bones to this location, where they can hold a service for the good chance that her spirit will protect their village. One of the women says that they're all very grateful, for this as well as bringing their husbands back, who are are sparkling in their restored youth in the background. I'm not even going to ASK how they got their years back, but they sure look satisfied with how things turned out. One of them comments that it's like he's had a nice dream.

Ew. 

When Miroku's stood again, Kagome approaches him, and her asks what her deal is. She asks him if anything happened on the mountain, since Sango seems depressed after their return. Eyes wide with innocence, Miroku says he hasn't a clue, can't think of a thing. You know, for the guy who's supposed to be the smartest, he sure does take on that Inuyasha-ish density when it's convenient, doesn't he?

On a nearby river bank, Sango sits pouting at the water, thinking she somehow feels like an idiot. Miroku walks up behind her, calling her name, to her mild surprise. She doesn't answer him at first, choosing instead to look in the opposite direction when he sits down next to her and asks what's wrong. After a pause, Sango haltingly says that he really would have been fine without her tagging along. Miroku's got that dipshit expression on when he wonders aloud what she means, since she's the one who slayed the youkai. Sango folds her hands over her knees, rests her chin on them, and sighs that it's obviously because he LET her do that part. Miroku says Sango's name, with the SLIGHTEST amount of patronizing spice in his expression. I'm prepared for some major mansplaining now.

The next panel is panned out to reveal some eavesdroppers; Kagome, Inuyasha and Shippou lurking just over the crest of the hill. They're all staring wide-eyed at the scene, though Inuyasha still seems to be on the skeptical side. He says Kagome has GOT to have the wrong idea, since there's no way Sango would be in love with a lecherous jerk like Miroku. Kagome doesn't even respond, muttering that there sure is a "mood" now. What KIND of mood is debatable, but go off I guess. 

Anyway, back to Miroku's patronizing. He asks for confirmation that Sango came with him because she was worried about him. Sango blushes, tripping over her own tongue as she explains that of COURSE she was worried, because he loses his head when it comes to women, and his lecherous mind always takes over and it's not like she likes him or anything, baka. I would have brought up that one example of how he almost got his playing ass killed by a single giant praying mantis youkai because he can't resist the opportunity to fuck, but that's just me. 

Surprisingly *insert sarcasm here*, Miroku is rather encouraging of Sango's flustered state. 

Sweet nothings indeed.

Sango yanks her hand away and turns away as her flush overtakes her face, cradling her burning cheeks in her hands and stammers a question about just what he's saying. While she's wondering just what the hell she's supposed to do in this situation, in full panic mode, Miroku takes her back(side) turned to him as an invitation and grabs her ass. After a moment of frozen shock, Sango lifts a trembling fist, veins popping out all over her head where she had DARED to think he would try to comfort her or something. Trying to keep the anger in her voice under control, she refers to that hand of his, but it elevates to a yell over the slap sound effect when she asks if he can't do anything ELSE with it.  

If Kagome wasn't wrong before, Inuyasha, she sure as hell is NOW, for not yelling at Miroku for assuming he had permission to touch someone without asking. Will no one ever call this habitual sexual harrasser on his bullshit???

Yes. The answer is obviously yes, no one will EVER call him out.

So, what did I think of this chapter overall? I have a split opinion about chapters revolving around or developing Sango and Miroku's impending relationship. I do like them as a couple - I find Sango's shyness very adorable, and Miroku being coy and teasing is rather cute as well, in addition to them just having very compatible personalities as the two most down-to-earth members of the main group. They balance out the actively childish way that Inuyasha and Kagome can act toward one another, and I appreciate that more as I've gotten older. 

However, Miroku's regular predatory behavior is always adding bricks to the wall between me and actual enjoyment of the ship. Sango's impression of how she found him at the beginning of the chapter was proved incorrect from Miroku's full consciousness when he told her to be quiet. It's implied here that Miroku was planning on following through with banging the youkai with the princess trapped inside before he bothered to actually assist the princess's spirit. The princess was NOT in a position to consent to intercourse with him, but he was going to take advantage of her lack of capacity to turn him down anyway, again in a FULLY CONSCIOUS MANNER. 

I don't want to say that Miroku is canonically a confirmed attempted rapist, buuuuut... 

And as if this isn't bad enough, RT thinks she can make all these nasty implications AND play it off like Miroku is just clueless and horny in the end. The joke about how he just assumed that Sango was wordlessly "asking" to be touched in the final panel is so insidious in how it makes sexual assault out to be some sort of miscommunication, when Miroku had been ready to ignore the lack of consent of a woman being used as a costume for some fucked-up creature at the very beginning of the chapter. It's hard to know if RT realizes just how pernicious her refusal to portray Miroku as responsible and conscious of his shitty behavior is, since Kagome, modern though she is, treats him like his stupidity is genuine, and tries to "advise" him on how to consider Sango's feelings. That he doesn't CARE about Sango's feelings, or the feelings of the princess he nearly raped, or anyone's except his own, doesn't seem to have crossed Kagome's OR ultimately RT's minds. The idea that Miroku is somehow a sexual predator by bumbling into the role is funny to our author somehow, and not a calculated strategy by real men to never suffer any blowback or repercussions for hurting women. Isn't it just so amusing how Miroku manages to touch and prod and penetrate because he's too stupid to understand the concept of permission, especially when he's been set up as the smartest, more reasonable person in the main group? Ha. Ha. Ha.

So anyway, I hate this chapter and what it represents. Sorry.

Yu-Gi-Oh Manga: 265 Showdown in the Heavens!

Ah, fresh air and freedom. Meanwhile, I'm down on the ground trying to Tetris all my shit into boxes and totes AGAIN. At least I'm not moving across the country this time - just basically down the street. It doesn't make this process any less infuriating though. Every time I pack, I'm forced to wonder where all of this crap came from. I don't buy a lot of stuff or make shopping a habit; it's like some unholy capitalism fairy snuck into my space when I wasn't paying attention and hid useless trinkets I don't remember even seeing before around my apartment, like sick twisted Easter eggs. 

Another purge of junk is therefore at hand. Joy. 

Not on earth for long, if the title is anything to go by. Just go with it, Yami, you're not being paid for this.

Kaiba crosses his arms in surly silence, while thinking that it's the card he threw at Yami is the only one that can overcome other!Marik's One-Turn Kill, but Yami doesn't know that. Thus, he has decided to uncharacteristically clam up and refuse to tell him so. But it's probably only a matter of time before Yami figures it out on his own anyway, so it's not like it matters. At this point, though, Yami looks over at Kaiba, wondering perplexed why he's given it to him. Kaiba just glares, waiting to see if Yami can discover how to use the card on his own. He chuckles in his head, a little dissonant with his serious expression, and thinks about that 20% figure for success again. Yami glares at him right back, in a kind of bewildered way. Kaiba responds with a patronizing comment on how it's up to Yami whether he wants to include the new card in his deck or not, suggesting that he consider WHY the macious KAIBA would give him a card, even that it might be harmful. Smirking, Kaiba insinuates that it COULD be a lesson not to be so trusting of others, chuckling out loud this time. At least his face matches the laughter now. 

Yami chuckles too, bowing his head in a humbled manner, before shoving that card right into the deck slot of his Duel Disk with the rest of his cards. This is where I'd normally complain about how there are rules in this tournament for how many cards you can have in your deck, but ehhhhh, I'm tired. Kaiba does NOT look amused, but Yami addresses him, insisting that he's going to BELIEVE in him. He makes yet another promise, too.

So many promises... 

A short distance away, Jonouchi is beside himself, hunched, grinding his teeth, with his fists curled up over the fact that Kaiba gave Yami a card. He says he doesn't like the look of it, warning Yami to be careful. He is unfortunately acquainted with the concept of an invader card in one's deck, so this checks out. Mokuba stands mystified behind his brother, wondering why he did that. Ishizu stands back too, quietly staring at Kaiba with an unreadable expression. Apparently he feels her eyes on him, because he addresses her, saying in no uncertain terms that the stone tablet means nothing to him, rambling about how civilizations are built from time and the ashes of the countless dead, stating he has no connection to someone who lived 3000 years prior. Ishizu disagrees - she says while civilizations rise and fall, kingdoms come and go, the human spirit is eternal. 

Looking more and more like a jaded middle-aged man than the teenager he's supposed to be, Kaiba scoffs at the words "eternal" and "spirit". He's convinced that those religion and superstitions are created from the wishes of desperate people, beliefs that are proven false by science and technology. Kaiba declares that miracles don't exist, as if he hadn't subscribed to the idea himself in the past to explain certain aspects of Yami's victories. With a sardonic little smirk, he tells Ishizu that she helped Yami out just like she wanted, but he's sure it will only prove that miracles simply don't happen. Kaiba eyes Ishizu out of his periphery and mocks her with the question of whether she'll sink into the depths of despair if Yami loses and her brother can't be saved. 

Come on, dude, you were doing so GOOD in the last chapter! Don't backslide now!

With perfect seriousness, Ishizu says that she believes in Yami, and believes friendship can defeat a god controlled by an evil mind. Kaiba has no retort except the wrinkling of his nose. 

Because other!Marik just cannot shut up for a single solitary minute, he quips about seeing Yami get that card from Kaiba, but states that it won't do him a lick of good. He claims that no matter what the card is, nothing can protect Yami from Ra. Yami displays his Duel Disk proudly, and announces in a bit of a non sequitur that he's going to defeat the evil with other!Marik. Which would be the whole of other!Marik, so no need to get so specific, Yami. Other!Marik bows his head to chuckle, then snaps his head back up to fix Yami with one of his crazy stares, saying he'd like to see him try. 

Moar Cards Guy instructs the competitors to step forward to cut and shuffle each others' decks, which has me all confused. Was this always a thing that KT skipped for expediency? I feel like I've seen it before in this tournament, but I don't have a very clear memory... I swear, sometimes reading Yu-Gi-Oh is a bit like waking up from a vivid dream; you're sure something happened, but you can't quite put your finger on what or when it was. 

As Yami's friends/fans cheer him on below the platform, he and other!Marik meet in the middle of it to exchange decks and shuffle. While other!Marik pulls wacky faces and wags his tongue (literally) at Yami, Yami just stares at him in determination. I commend Yami for not rolling his eyes at other!Marik and his sad, childish antics here. 

Jonouchi recounts the god cards Yami now has: Slifer and Obelisk, but points out that Yami is still at a disadvantage, since it takes three sacrifices to summon each god card. He also mentions that Ra can be brought back with Monster Reborn and use a quick attack to decimate enemies, just like it did to him. PLUS, there's that rumored second special ability that hasn't even been revealed yet. KT's gotta keep an extra secret in his back pocket for the big finale, apparently. Jonouchi then looks over at Kaiba and realizes that Kaiba has acted like he knows all about Ra's powers, and gave Yami a card, so he starts to think, somewhat reluctantly, that this card might be the key to defeating Ra. 

Did... did Jonouchi, class clown and coded idiot, just figure this out before Yami did? Damn, this boy sure has come far.

Other!Marik asks if Yami shuffled thoroughly, hoping that Ra would sink to the bottom of the deck. Yami says that other!Marik shouldn't be asking him, but his deck instead, because it already knows he's going to lose. Honestly, this is just the kind of shade people should address other!Marik with constantly. Treat him like the clown that he is. And other!Marik is cool with it - he just chuckles with a strange good nature at the joke, just not bothered at all. He knows this is his place. 

Below the platform, Honda and Jonouchi yell out encouragement for Yami, telling him not to be afraid of Ra and to kick other!Marik's clown butt. I added the "clown" part myself, but I feel like it's in the proper spirit of this statement. Jonouchi adds a silent plea that Yami save Mai, sweatdropping hard. Ishizu still stands back from the rest of the spectators, thinking that the fate of the Ishtars is now in Yami's hands, silently begging him to defeat the evil in her brother and regain his memories. When pretty much everyone watching has come down on one favorite to win, you pretty much know how this is going to pan out. 

Moar Cards Guy raises his arm, announces the names of the competitors, Kaiba muses on "Yami's" name a moment, and...

Let the final headache duel commence!

Right out of the gate, other!Marik is sexually assaulting his Millennium Rod with his tongue, while he declares that he's going first. I move to amend the rules so that edgy little edge boys never go first - can we get a vote on that? Not one that can take effect fast enough, unfortunately. Other!Marik has already called it, but before he actually acts on his first turn, he tells Yami to look around. Yami glares up at the sky in alarm, which has quickly become overcast and dark as other!Marik holds the rod up to it. Jonouchi frets to the rest of his Yami fans that this is just like the last time, the sky turning black.

Veins have started to pop out all over other!Marik's jaw and face, like some kind of unholy acne. He gushes that his and Yami's shadow game will be the greatest of all, darkness will cover the Earth, and the gates of Hell will open up. A great ball of crackling dark energy expands over the top of the tower, and Yami wonders what's happening now, grinding his teeth. Other!Marik literally pants like a dog, tongue lolling, and asks if Yami can see the sacrificial offering. No doubt deliberately ignoring how obvious other!Marik's boner must be right now, his eyes widen, fixed on the sky. 

How many fucked up fetishes is other!Marik going to represent in this duel? Is he just going for broke since it's the last one, or what?

And then I look at the next page and realize I asked this question too soon.

Yup, the non-con has come in. Only a matter of time before we get the hammers and leeches. 

Other!Marik has now decided to start his turn, and I SWEAR I WAS JOKING ABOUT THE LEECH THING BUT HIS SUMMON IS A BLOATED TENTACLED WORM CREATURE CALLED VAMPIRIC LEECH AND I AM SCREAMING. Yami is taken aback, and other!Marik doesn't hesitate to have his leech monster attack Yami immediately, which I assume is allowed by the text on the card, but the print is a little too small for me to read. The leech lunges at Yami, pointing its many tentacles straight at his face and dodging his cringe to dig them into his cheeks. Yami screams in pain and horror while his life points decrease to 3500. 

A real shame I couldn't get this entry out in time for Halloween - it's VERY appropriate.

Other!Marik asks Yami, unironically I'm sure, if he liked that HE feels the pain when the monsters attack, then tells him to direct his attention next to him again. Yami is once more alarmed. 

Pretty convenient that Yami got an attack to the face, but that's not the part of Yuugi that he loses. Almost as if it's essential that Yuugi's ability to scream for a weird edgy pervert's pleasure is preserved. 

Yami, of course, calls out to Yuugi in distress. Other!Marik thrusts his thumb over his shoulder to point out his own sacrifice, which is NOT Mai? Nope, it's OG Marik, hanging there crucifix-style just like Yuugi, unconscious. Yami identifies him in a wasted panel, and other!Marik explains that once the player's life points hit zero, the sacrifice's "body" is consumed. The quotations are mine, because these both Yuugi and OG Marik share a physical body with their respective players, so it seems like there should be a qualifier on that word. Anyway, other!Marik also says that the losing player too will be swallowed by darkness and suffer the ultimate pain. He talks about walking the razor thin line between victory or defeat, pleasure or pain, all while looking so high his eyes are almost completely rolled back. 

Saying Marik's name tentatively, Yami wonders what he should do here, considering the real Marik will die if the other!Marik is defeated at this point. He then looks up at Yuugi again with worry at his groans of pain, but Yuugi insists that he's fine and Yami should just fight other!Marik. Other!Marik doubles over with laughter, chuckling that this is the spirit he likes to see. 

Somebody, for the sake of my sensitive stomach, inform other!Marik there are COMMUNITIES he can join to satisfy his sadism. PLEASE.

So, what did I think of this chapter overall? Remember in Death-T, when Anzu was getting uniquely sexualized torture on the carnival horror ride to the haunted house challenge, and I said I felt like I had walked in on a very personal fantasy of KT's I REALLY didn't want to know about? I'm getting those same "this might be some sort of kinky outlet that I was not quite prepared for" vibes from other!Marik here. Granted, there were definitely signs for this one; other!Marik's sadist tendencies kept steadily escalating into sexual fetish territory over the course of his arc, so this isn't exactly out of nowhere like the previous example was. But I suppose I never thought the hinted orgasmic joy other!Marik displays in more subtle, mild forms before would ever cross the line. Here we are, though, watching him pant and lick and crow about the pleasure wracking his body when people in his immediate vicinity suffer. Is this comic for kids anymore? Because it's skirting DANGEROUSLY close to pornographic territory. All we need is a clear shot of that boner he's no doubt sprouted.

All that aside, I'm very confused about what Mai is doing there, being referred to as a "sacrifice" herself, but clearly not being linked to the players in the direct way the alternate, original personalities are in respect to gameplay as well as the obvious. Is she just being displayed for psychological torture purposes, high up out of reach, implied to never be recovered? Or will she eventually factor into the duel as a sacrifice like Yuugi and the original Marik? 

I hope she's not just some sort of sick pendant hanging over their heads with no significance whatsoever, but... it would be about par, unfortunately.