Inuyasha Manga: 213 Hanyou Naraku

Haven't we already covered this topic? I could have sworn Naraku being a hanyou has already been established in this story now. But I guess I can't fault RT for repeating herself. I'm always jiggling my front door's handle to make sure it's locked multiple times, I'll peer at the stove twice or more just to make sure all the knobs are off, and I'll drag my cold ass out of bed at night JUST to double-check that I turned down the thermostat so I don't end up accidentally paying a fortune on my electric bill. If RT has to say it again just to make sure we got the memo, I'm hardly one to judge. 

Musou further identifies the furred villian in front of him by Naraku's unique characteristic of keeping him (and plenty of others) locked up for an excruciating amount of time. Naraku mockingly asks if Musou enjoyed romping around outside after his 50-year induced coma. 

No really, I'm not even kidding - Musou shoots one of his extending barbed arms right into Naraku's chest. It's a move that Naraku seems ambivalent about, though. In fact, he's downright nonchalant as Musou chuckles, chastising Naraku for appearing in front of him so casually and thinking it would end without a bit of bloodshed.

Baby had fun playing with daddy's tools, but it looks like it's time to give the tools back. Naive little Musou is just shocked by this, in disbelief by the fact that his arm is being pulled in. Naraku placidly bids that Musou return to his body again, which to be fair, is fucking TERRIFYING. Musou yells at Naraku not to fuck with him, but Naraku scoffs. He says he really wants to be rid of Musou's vulgar little soul as soon as possible, but it's currently just to early to banish his sorry ass. 

What IS it with this comic and BAD HUGS???

And this one is all the worse, because Musou realizes in a panic that it's paralyzed him; he curses that his body won't do what he wants. As the many mantis limbs grasps at even Musou's feet, lifting him to be devoured, Kagura watches from beside a nearby tree. She's frowning, but appears to be rather emotionless herself as she contemplates what this means - it's precisely what will happen to her if she goes against Naraku. 

Or so she assumes. 

Inuyasha and Miroku burst onto the scene to confront Naraku, and it isn't a moment before Inuyasha fully grasps the grotesque sight, grimacing and sweating in horror.

Missed the entree, did he?

Naraku's hand helps the last of Musou, a few locks of hair, sink into his chest by pressing on them with his palm. Miroku and Inuyasha stare in morbid alarm, the former at least able to form the cogent thought that Naraku has just absorbed Musou. Inuyasha tries to regain his composure with an accusatory statement that Naraku would have known Musou had Onigumo's mind, and says Onigumo's human mind isn't something he would need - which is clearly why he expelled it like an offspring. But Inuyasha has gathered that it looks a lot like Onigumo took something valuable with him on his way out, because Naraku's just brought him back in as if it was unavoidable just when he got rid of the bastard. Naraku gives him a sarcastic exclamation of surprise, snarking about how Inuyasha actually uses his head for THINKING sometimes. Mean as this comment is, I think he kind of has a point. Inuyasha was JUST hitting Musou with a barrage of Kaze no Kizus like as if it was the only action he could come up with, and now he's making somewhat insightful extrapolations about Naraku's motivations based on his behavior? That's a pretty sharp swing of the pendulum. 

Anyway, Naraku admits, out loud even, that Inuyasha is right. Musou is still a very important connector for his body, apparently. Miroku demands Naraku answer another question, since he's being so forthcoming now; with a human mind like Onigumo's, Miroku asks if that means Naraku is a hanyou. Naraku fires back a defensive "so what?" in response, so Miroku gets all KINDS of specific, recalling the time recently when Naraku's barrier around his castle weakened, to the point that Inuyasha and Kouga were able to locate it with their keen noses. Inuyasha shoots him a searching glance, wondering what he's getting at right now. I just wonder why he's giving away the fact that they all noticed this valuable little factoid. 

But with Naraku just spilling his guts over here, I suppose it's not a horrible assumption that Miroku will get an elaboration. Especially since Naraku, after a brief observation that Miroku is wanting to know if he has a period of weakness for him, confirms that he is not unlike other hanyou in that regard. He adds that this time is an absolute secret for hanyou, and proceeds to ask Inuyasha what about him. Kagura hanging out behind him, Naraku inquires as to whether Inuyasha shivers in fear while losing his powers and hiding from his enemies. Inuyasha grits his fangs and screws up his face in fury. 

Miroku remains calm, with but a single sweatdrop in the middle of his forehead. He thinks that, at any rate, it seems Naraku hasn't heard from Kagura about Inuyasha's human night occurring on the new moon. How he can assume that from the way a known LIAR is just utterly mystifying to me, but okay. Naraku says he has a time of the month when he's unable to move, just at Miroku guessed, but he gets to choose that time of his own will, much to Miroku and Inuyasha's alarm. Inuyasha thinks about his own compulsion to become human on the first day of the month, trailing in comparing that to Naraku's "free choice" in the matter. It's likely a bit painful to consider, so fair. 

Naraku finishes up by saying Inuyasha, born from a more *ahem* traditional union between human and youkai, is fundamentally different from him in origin. He looks to his periphery where he knows Kagura is standing, asking if she agrees, which seems to surprise her. She realizes he's referring to how his body was rather... disconnected and dismantled when she stumbled on him the other night. 

I don't know man, sounds like you're just sorting through a bunch of puzzle pieces from like 90 different puzzles...

Naraku says that compared to a pitiful hanyou who lose their powers and hide from others, he's quite different. Inuyasha's hackles are predictably raised, and he scoffs through a clenched jaw, but tries to play it cool by smarming that Naraku's mouth must be getting tired from how much he's been yammering. He then loses that cool immediately by pulling Tessaiga, leaping forward, and yelling a promise to give Naraku a rest. Inuyasha let's loose a Kaze no Kizu very close to a frankly unconcerned Naraku, the reason for such a cavalier attitude made plain rather quickly.

This guy hides behind layers of fucking barriers every day so you can't find him, and you're SURPRISED?? Miroku tries to convince me with a gigantic gape that Naraku's barrier hasn't been nearly so powerful until now, but I don't know if I buy it. Then miasma starts gushing out from under the barrier bubble like an open wound, and Miroku yanks Inuyasha back, urging him to retreat from the nasty stuff. It flows through the forest, felling trees and drowning everything in its path. All while Naraku's little capsule of demonic evil, cocooned in noxious miasma, flies up and away. Inuyasha stares up at the receding enemy, groaning in irritation. 

Miroku watches Naraku leave as well, saying it seems that what he said didn't seem to be a total lie. Just, like... 99% lie, then?

... During one day of the month. Imagine if he had a whole 27 days every month to get stronger. Like YOU. 

So, what did I think of this chapter overall? Turning Naraku's monthly night of weakness into something of a strength through an ability plan and strategize his own form is an interesting idea. Positioning Musou's appearance after Naraku's recent night of weakness is also interesting, implying heavily that Naraku tried to use that night to see if he could actually rid himself of the human element THROUGH this ability. It's a very Naraku type of experiment to conduct, testing the limits of what he can do, even if he didn't seem all that surprised that Musou/Onigumo is still connected to him. After all, Naraku had to have suspected that he shouldn't be able to get rid of Onigumo through an ability that is basically only there because Onigumo is a part of him. But playing with that paradox is definitely something quintessentially Naraku, so it comes across as believable instead of dumb.

Which I guess must be part of the reason why Miroku might be convinced that Naraku is actually being truthful here. Naraku's reframing of his "weakness" after he admits to it among his enemies is believable in a general sense anyway, because Naraku COULD have just said "I'm not a hanyou and I don't even know what the fuck you're talking about" instead. I still think Miroku doesn't have much, if any, reason to think Naraku doesn't already know about Inuyasha's human night. The way he asked Inuyasha about it didn't seem genuine in the slightest - just casually sarcastic. If anything, I probably would have been convinced that Kagura actually DID say something to Naraku about what she saw. This just seems like another instance of the characters coming to the right conclusions for expediency's sake instead of any real evidence for them.

And while I did enjoy the idea of how this "night of weakness" worked for Naraku and how it was ultimately executed, I do feel a little like this is a culmination of RT only recently thinking about how she's mentioned that hanyou all have these nights once a month, and how to apply that to Naraku's crazy genetic makeup. Maybe an editor or part of her team mentioned that Naraku should also have a "human night" for continuity, and she came up with a similarly wild way that Naraku might experience that. It's not bad, very creative...

... But it's so similar to the way Naraku creates incarnations with the help of the Shikon no Tama that it makes ME wonder why Naraku needed the Shikon no Tama in the first place if he could just do this the whole damn time. Someone probably should have mentioned that little issue to her too.

Yu-Gi-Oh Manga: 271 Immortal Wall!!

I don't want to be that jerk who is always arguing about semantics... but I AM that jerk regardless, and I am just baffled by this title. Walls aren't even living things that can die, therefore they can't be mortal, and therefore they can't be IMMORTAL either. And aside from this phrase being simply nonsensical all around, it's vaguely triggered my trauma brain to recall the "big beautiful wall" that a certain wannabe dictator tried to install over his first and only term as president of the United States, and that leads me to think about his unhinged supporters attempting a coup for him, and...

Let's just say, this word will probably leave me flinching a little for YEARS to come. 

So, when we left off, it was on this extremely satisfying moment of other!Marik getting clocked right in the jaw. I very much appreciate KT's recap of this extending onto the next page, taking several panels to show him screaming, slamming back onto the platform, cards scattered every which way, and groaning with the force of the blow. I don't think I realized how much I needed to see him get punched until this very moment.

Kaiba next, please!

Yami announces the direct attack on his opponent, and the 4000 points he lost, unnecessarily. I think the computer is fully capable of making that simple calculation all on its own, kiddo. Indeed, when other!Marik sits up, swiping the back of his hand across his lips spitefully, his life points have officially been reduced to 700. Yami's friends cheer at this development while pumping their fists and striking slightly strange poses in Jonouchi's case, going on about how Yami has almost won and how Obelisk clobbered other!Marik's ass. 

But Kaiba is silently critical, wondering what's going on, because he thinks other!Marik should have been able to dodge that attack. Or... counter it, anyway, since physically DODGING wouldn't really do anything when you get your points docked with no contact needed. I assume that's what he means, anyway. Other!Marik hams it up on his way to his feet, groaning theatrically. Ishizu skips skeptical and jumps straight to alarmed when she considers what other!Marik's face down card could be. She doesn't say what that is, but thinks at Yami to be careful, because she's certain that other!Marik took Obelisk's attack on purpose. As he continues his slow stand, Ishizu is sure there can be only two reasons that other!Marik would want to purposefully get he shit knocked out of him; planting seeds of doubt in Yami's mind, and summoning a monster more powerful than Yami's god card. 

She forgot the third: that he's an established sado-masochist and wants daddy to punish him. But I'm sure that one is less likely than the other two because the plot demands it. Jonouchi and Anzu have stopped celebrating, the former asking the latter what is up with Yami's face, which has a very uncertain, paranoid look now. Not exactly the triumphant one he should be wearing. Jonouchi elaborates unnecessarily that Yami looks worried when he's so close to winning, and reiterates his question about what's wrong. 

Other!Marik finally lifts his head, tongue lolling out of a huge grin, and gushing to Yami about how absolutely agonizing that was, almost as a kind of congratulations. But he warns Yami not to forget that he's not the only one who is hurt by that attack. Other!Marik jabs a thumb at regular-sized Marik to his right, who is disappearing in wisps of virtual smoke, and says HE'S the one who really feels the pain. Obelisk's attack has caused the original Marik to be eaten away by darkness. 

Life be like that sometimes. 

Yami growls at other!Marik, who gloats about the flavor of Yami's hatred making regular-sized Marik a delicious sacrifice. Yuugi calls out to him, and he weighs his options; keep fighting and the original Marik dies, and if he's defeated, YUUGI will disappear instead. He wonders what he should do, and Yuugi responds that their true enemy is Marik's evil side, and in turn wonders if there's a way to target JUST other!Marik. Meanwhile other!Marik is crowing that this is it - he's going to devour Yami's soul and feed the scraps to the darkness. I should think it would be the other way around, but...

Tongue still out in almost a juvenile mocking way, other!Marik says he's going to repay Yami for the shot from Obelisk, two-fold. He insists that he LET Yami summon Obelisk, and it was his trap.

Look at this little bastard, trying to be a Victorian ghost boy with unfinished business. He says he'll be going into the dark soon, and there's something he want's to tell Rishid before he does. He sads about how he did an awful terrible thing to his father, disobeying the laws of his forefathers, and eternal darkness isn't enough to punish him for all that. Eternal punishments for finite crimes have always seemed a bit on the excessive side to ME, but I'm sure it's just self-deprecating hyperbole. 

Rishid, still unconscious, doesn't respond. Just lays there. So naturally, Marik continues his confession, acknowledging that Rishid went through the same pain he did when he went through the ritual of the tomb guardians. Marik says Rishid made the decision to live with him in darkness, sharing his sin and destiny. And Marik assures the conked Rishid that he doesn't have to do that anymore. It looks like he's been taking a hefty break from all that anyway, but no doubt he'd thank Marik for the permission. Marik admits he doesn't know where Rishid is wandering right now, though "his head" is a clear enough fact, but Marik asserts that he doesn't have to suffer anymore. 

And with that, Marik fades into ever decreasing spectral wisps, eventually disappearing over Rishid's sleeping head altogether. Unfinished business: ACCOMPLISHED.

Back atop the Duel Tower, other!Marik is STILL gloating. This time he's telling Yami that while he may have been hurt and lost a lot of life from Yami's last attack, but Yami ALSO triggered his trap card in the process of kicking his ass. Yami is in utter disbelief about other!Marik having a trap as well, as if this ISN'T the final match in a tournament where both players are the best out of all of the participants. Jonouchi calls hacks, because he thought traps couldn't be played against god cards, the concept that the trap could be against something else apparently not occurring to him. Dryly, other!Marik explains that while a god's attack won't trigger a trap, the loss of his life points will. Then he proceeds to reveal Metal Reflect Slime, a permanent trap, before Jonouchi can make any more inane remarks. 

Yami stares in alarm at what Metal Reflect Slime, what he understands to be a trap monster. I love it when this game blends the categories. It always needs to be MORE complicated. Other!Marik explains that his slime becomes a shiny replica of the enemy monster with its reflection ability, becoming a wall with defense 3/4 worth of the original monster's attack. We get a real close-up on Yami's widened eye as he considers in disbelief a copy of his god monster. It's not long before the slime starts morphing and stretching into what he's imagining either, as Jonouchi gives confused commentary on the transformation. 

Just thank your lucky stars it's not a giant version of this guy.

That would definitely be worse than a punch in the face.

The two gods face each other, like they're looking in a mirror over their respective duelists. Honda blurts that there are two Obelisks now, but Jonouchi scoffs, stating that one of them is just a fake slime version while shaking his fist at it. He adds that the fake one has only 3000 defense points, so it can be destroyed by the real Obelisk pretty easily. But other!Marik is looking pretty smug on the platform up there, so I'm guessing there's a bit of a catch. Probably has something to do with the fact that the trap is permanent. Kaiba grumbles about how he can't believe other!Marik copied Obelisk, because that is DEFINITELY the most important thing about this whole development.

Yami knows that if it's a defense monster, then other!Marik won't get hurt if it's attacked, but it seems like he might have an idea when he plays a card face down and ends his turn. Other!Marik is smirking harder than ever before when he declares it's his turn, but he has to take stock of his hand for a moment. He doesn't have a card that can bring Monster Reborn back from the graveyard this time, but he decides to bide his time and use the slime Obelisk as his wall until he can summon Ra again. He's positively giddy over the thought of wiping Obelisk out in an instant if he can bring Ra out. The word "IF" doing a lot of heavy lifting, of course. 

He starts rambling about the theme of his deck, "immortality", saying it's designed to bring his god card back over and over until the enemy is done. This is the backdrop for his new slime, which he claims is a god too. Yami glares intently as other!Marik announces his next summon.

Ugh, it's this sewer loogie again... it's a good thing other!Marik clarified what his deck's theme is, otherwise I might have mistaken it for "cheap shots".

Other!Marik gives a sinister chuckle while Yami declares his turn. He begins by summoning Big Shield Guardna in defense, as one does, and follows up in his battle phase with the obvious - he commands Obelisk to attack the slime impersonating it. That giant fist moves toward the God Slime, but before it reaches the imposter, other!Marik scoffs and reveals his face down card. Again. 

Obelisk's fist punches right through the God Slime like a simple jello mold, splattering it out of shape, and for one moment, Yami dares to entertain the thought that he defeated it. The small amount of disbelief and skepticism in that thought was entirely warrented, however, when Yami adopts even MORE disbelief at the sight of the slime reforming before his wide eye, of which we have yet another intense close-up.

For fuck's sake, dude! Do you think you've proven your mastery of the fusing technology yet, or what??

So, what did I think of this chapter overall? I was touched by Marik's acknowledgement of Rishid, because for a while there it didn't seem like he really SAW Rishid and all he did for him. Marik's cold disregard for what was best for Rishid, and using Rishid's devotion to play stupid games with his enemies, gave the distinct impression that he didn't really see Rishid as a person so much as a tool to use for whatever silly little schemes he had in mind. It's good to know that there was a part of Marik that recognized the way he was treating Rishid was callous; it's just a shame that it took being on the edge of death to, even in the smallest way, tell Rishid that he wants him to go towards the light instead of staying holed up in the dark with him. But considering that's usually how it goes down in the real world, it gives Marik a level of depth and empathy that was missing before, which I appreciate. 

To be honest, I'm not sure what to make of the rest of the chapter. I'm never very excited when there aren't any new cards or strategies being employed, and other!Marik basically admitted here that he's just biding his time, which is rather the OPPOSITE of riveting. I suppose I was hoping for this duel to wrap up in this chapter, but I know they have to figure out a way to save the original Marik - as far as I'm aware, dude's whole family has been passing down the tradition of keeping certain information for Yami for generations, so he'll definitely need to stick around for the plot. I'm interested to see how they manage it, but this chapter feels like stalling until KT figures it out, though.

Keeping my fingers crossed the next chapter can push a little tension if a resolution isn't forthcoming.

Inuyasha Manga: 212 Heart

Thanks chapter, but I've decided to focus on my mind this year. I'm trying to use most of my free time getting back into picking back up linguistic pursuits, and working a bit on my original writing. I've got a few ideas that I'm just pantsing away to see where they take me, because my well of creativity has been feeling a bit dry for the past few years. I have a suspicion that I was focusing a bit too much on other peoples' creative work, fixating on rather than taking inspiration from it. Luckily, I feel like I've finally loosened my grip on the stuff that I latched onto before, and I can turn my attention to the stories I want to tell. It seemed like a loss at first, letting go, but I've come to realize I'm ready.

Don't know, Inuyasha. Maybe you can find it by senselessly hacking away at it for the 50th time in a row?

Musou giggles that he's slowly getting used to this body, while he aims another spiked arm at Inuyasha. Inuyasha leaps aside to dodge the Mr. Incredible fist, and it craters the ground instead. Fresh off of that dodge, Inuyasha just manages to perceive a lightning fast blur above his head before it slashes down on him and tears into his shoulder. This scorpion tail-ish limb is followed by a regular old hand shooting forward on Musou's rubber arm, which wraps around Inuyasha's neck. 

Dammit, that stranglehold is going to cut off even MORE bloodflow to his brain! 

Miroku astutely observes that Musou has transformed again, with dismay, I'm sure. Meanwhile, Kaede is freaking out, demanding to know what the hell happened to this dude's body. I love that she's the only person so far who has something of a normal reaction to this so far. Miroku mansplains that Naraku is a conglomerate of a ton of different youkai built around Onigumo as a connector, and that Musou is a detachment OF Naraku. For some reason, the next natural topic of discussion he wants to start in this thread is how MANY youkai were mixed in with Musou when he separated from Naraku, instead of, I don't know, how they're going to get Inuyasha out of Musou's multi-youkai'ed grip. He also wonders how Musou can regrow, and if he's immortal, which is at least a LITTLE closer to where his head should be at, so I'll allow it.

Meanwhile, Inuyasha gets speared right through the stomach by that scorpion-tail-like limb, planting a slack-jawed wide-eyed look of shock on Inuyasha's face. Through all this, though, Inuyasha manages to spit out a word or two of angry protest. He swings Tessaiga and unleashes another Kaze no Kizu at Musou, who is blown apart once again. It gives Inuyasha a new moment of reprieve once again, at the very least. 

How in the hell did all the flesh SURROUNDING that particularly important piece shredded, and not the piece itself? The level of convenience here is STAGGERING.

Regardless of how lucky Musou happens to be not to be dead at the moment, seeing this organ collecting the surrounding diced parts around it, and completing that spider scar on Musou's back like a serial killer's puzzle, it catches Miroku's attention. As Musou continues to coalesce back into a full person instead of an overturned Halloween anatomy mannequin, Inuyasha hauls himself up from the ground using Tessaiga as a crutch, complaining that this is happening again. He has to admit to himself at leas that he can't keep this up forever, no matter how tough he is. 

At this moment, Miroku calls out to Inuyasha about the spider on Musou's back. He runs toward Inuyasha, explaining in a hurry that the pieces of Musou are collecting around the general area of the spider scar. At first, Inuyasha is confused, asking what Miroku is talking about regarding a certain "area" of Musou's body. Miroku yells that he saw the part sitting just under the spider scar pulsating, and trails off while stating that this is probably where that important part is. Inuyasha finishes Miroku's statement with a thought about a heart. 

Inuyasha, for the love of all that is good, don't SUCK at aiming this time.

Looking at the cracks left in the ground by the numerous times he's already used Kaze no Kizu, Inuyasha thinks that one of those countless lines spread out from his signature attack is bound to hit Musou's heart. Of course if that logic were valid, then he definitely would have gotten it by NOW. Regardless, he throws ANOTHER Kaze no Kizu at Musou, yelling his certainty that this one should crush him. As it heads straight at Musou, Inuyasha thinks desperately that it'll work, but with gritted teeth and an expression that suggests perhaps MAAAAAYBE he's not so sure. 

Suddenly, a crescent of razor-sharp air speeds out of the sky from Kagura sitting on her feather that Inuyasha identifies as one of her wind blades. 

Clever gal that she is, she knew when a bullshit protagonist win is playing out.

Her blade slices all the way through Musou and slams into the ground, throwing up debris. While Miroku looks on in shock and Kaede wonders just what in the world THAT was, Inuyasha calls Kagura a jerk and complains that she knocked Onigumo's heart out of Kaze no Kizu's path. Miroku takes that as confirmation that Musou's weak point is his heart, and Inuyasha scoffs at this, probably 75% or more of the way to calling him Captain Obvious. Instead he points out that, at any rate, they're not exactly trying to hide it. 

Indeed, the Saimyoushou have converged upon Musou's torso, lifting the spider-scarred piece of it into the air as the rest of him twitches before ascending in mincemeat form after them as though towed behind on strings. Inuyasha puts away Tessaiga, but commands Miroku to come with him after them, to which Miroku gives an affirmative. As they're on the wasp's trail, Inuyasha thinks that he had guessed Musou was no ordinary Naraku offspring. Though it's clear that Musou is Onigumo after all, Inuyasha has realized that it's MORE than just that. He recalls the time when Kikyou fled the giant shinidamachuu, her souls escaping her against her will, and that that was to eliminate her and therefore Onigumo's feelings for her. Inuyasha works out that Onigumo would be quite the interference for Naraku, and wonders if that's why he brought Onigumo out like an offspring.

Inuyasha is, surprisingly, starting to ask the right questions. But he doesn't dwell on them long, concluding that right now, Kagura and the saimyoushou are being used to protect Musou. He watches them retreat into the distance. 

Sky transition into a shallow swampy area, where Musou is whole again, standing from the water and surrounded by wasps. Musou curses that jerk Inuyasha, and his doing the same useless thing over and over. For the first and last time, Musou and I share a frustration. He looks around, wondering just where it is he's ended up. 

In Hell to meet his maker, I presume. 

Naraku gives him a devious little smile, calling him Onigumo at first, and then correcting himself to address him by his new chosen name, Musou. He then muses on how they've come to face each other like this. Whether it's how he knew both his names, or the pompous faux-philosophizing, Musou is able to correctly identify Naraku for who he is.

Something that they really need to have a series of joint counseling sessions to work out, by the looks of things.

So, what did I think of this chapter overall? It's really frustrating, because there's nothing interesting about this fight. It could have been visually interesting, if I hadn't seen RT do better on the creative points in many prior chapters. The best part of it was when Musou was pulling the old "watch this hand while I bring down a surprise strike from above" trick, but that's also pretty basic as far as fight dynamics go. 

I think what's at the core of my disappointment here is that RT is hanging the gaudiest and loudest lampshade on the fact that she couldn't think up a more creative way for Inuyasha to almost beat Musou. She draws our ATTENTION to the fact that Inuyasha is doing the same thing over and over at the very end of the chapter, acknowledging that it's absurd, but for some reason, just a couple of pages prior, implies that it might have worked if allowed to proceed in that one instance even though it hadn't worked any of the other times before. RT writing herself into a corner only to shrug her shoulders and teleporting the characters out of trouble seems to be an increasing occurrence in this comic, one I didn't really notice until I started looking closely. Sometimes it can't be helped, because there's literally nothing else to be done, but in this case... she could have just made Inuyasha hold off on a direct attack due to Musou's flailing obscuring limbs until the moment when she wanted him to actually attack the part that mattered. It would have been THAT easy. Have Miroku note that the spider scar on Musou's back pulsed or something when flesh was being drawn back to the main body. 

But no, we get, "It never worked! Until it did!" narrative hijinks instead. Really, it doesn't get much more eye-roll worthy than that.

Yu-Gi-Oh Manga: 270 Devil's Sanctuary

Can we talk about how delightful the name of this chapter/card is for a moment? A devil, in some religious respects, refers to a creature that kind of opposes a god, stands on the opposite side of the spectrum in terms of malevolent/benevolent spirits. So, it stands to reason that any player standing in opposition to a GOD card might be the devil in that scenario, and the title "Devil's Sanctuary" really does bring to mind a safe space from the wrath of an angry deity card. It's a little heavy-handed, but still pretty clever, and I love it. 10/10, KT, best title and card name to date.

Just imagine your local mild-mannered priest giving this sort of speech. Just for funsies.

Yami, at his 3300 points, looks quite distressed by the fact that other!Marik and Ra have become one, and it is a rather disturbing image, to be fair. It's even more disturbing for how long other!Marik holds that center note on the "attack" command, long enough for him to have the complete thought that this is it for Yami, and he's about to unleash the one-turn kill. Must be using Ra's massive god-lungs to yell that or something. 

When he finishes his extended order, though, other!Marik's eyes bulge at Yami's side of the platform, astounded. He's just noticed Yami has revealed his face down card Devil's Sanctuary, which apparently special summons 1 metal devil at 1000 life points a turn... for some reason. A dark alchemical symbol has materialized on the floor in front of Yami, though, and it's neat. Other!Marik is grinding his teeth over it, as though he knows what's coming, but then describes the magic circle and shape forming in the center in unfamiliar terms. 

Meanwhile Kaiba is in disbelief that Yami just HAPPENED to draw that card right when he needed it. 

Sounds fake, but okay. Even Kaiba is wearing kind of a grimace at this statement, but I think it's mainly supposed to be shock displayed there.

Other!Marik is trying trying and failing in the next panel to articulate just what this is, looking rather distressed about it. To be fair, I'm also struggling to find a way to describe this weird shiny metal doll that seems to be entirely made up of ball joints stacked on each other. It's also reflecting the single eye of other!Marik remaining in his place as the player on the platform from its smooth mirror head. Kaiba, as the one who knows what the card actually DOES, explains how the card conjures one metal devil, and before he finishes stating just what that metal devil accomplishes, other!Marik has an opportunity to recognize that he's (or the single piece he left behind) is being reflected on it. 

And now it's YAMI who launches into an explanation of what's happening here, in the condescending way only a guy who's just reading his card's description for the first time can. He says the metal devil becomes a substitute for the other player, whose life points become its attack points. Yami admits that this costs him 1000 life points to maintain as his Metal Devil acquires a single attack point. It's rather measly power is a version of other!Marik, as Yami exclaims, and therefore attacking it would be attacking other!Marik himself and all the damage goes to him. Kaiba reiterates that the moment Ra attacks the Metal Devil, other!Marik will go into the negative THOUSANDS of points. 

Other!Marik growls, grinding his teeth, because it's too late for him to take back the attack he already declared. I guess Kaiba has to continue to claim ultimate credit for this, the card he gave to Yami, because HE'S shown identifying Devil's Sanctuary as the only card that can defeat Ra's one-turn kill move. Yeah, yeah, yeah, you figured it out, smartest smart-boy in the room. Congratz, guy, now climb down from that high horse and roast a marshmallow already.

Uhhhh... we still have a half-chapter left here, so I'm not buying it. Sorry guys.

I don't have long until I can say I told you so. When the attack dies down, and the smoke clears to reveal other!Marik standing there whole and unscathed, Yami is astonished by the Metal Devil that still lingers in the middle of his magic sanctuary circle.

This cockroach emerging from a nuclear blast credits the card Yami gave him in their exchange a little while ago as what separated him out from Ra, De-Fusion. What does it take to KILL this nuisance?? 

Yami growls internally, irritated and alarmed by the fact that other!Marik's separation from Ra taking away all of Ra's attack points and cancelling out the attack, effectively using De-Fusion to protect himself. Kaiba adds his own two cents here, as though responding to Yami, though it doesn't SEEM he had spoken out loud. Telepathy or bizarrely spoken dialog for the benefit of the audience, Kaiba has observed that other!Marik has also taken all of Ra's attack points as life points, so Devil's Sanctuary has actually worked to his BENEFIT. He scoffs grumpily. 

The digital smoke continues to clear, and other!Marik giggles, Ishizu gazing up at Yami with despair, and perhaps some pity. Other!Marik gloats that his body is back to normal thanks to his life points returning to him, drawing attention to how Regular-Sized Marik is all better and whole again and calling him a "tough sucker".

Whatever, that guy hasn't even been a thing in a LONG time.

Other!Marik tells Ra to go back to the graveyard, and squeezes back into his Duel Disk obediently. He puts Monster Reborn back in there too and chuckles with glee about being back on his bullshit again. Jonouchi curses about the possibility of other!Marik using Monster Reborn again on his next turn, bringing back Ra. Less of a possibility and more of a certainty at this point, of course, because we know how much other!Marik loves perpetual plays. Honda is in exasperated disbelief that all this is about to happen AGAIN, which is a sentiment I think we ALL share, so #relatable content over here. 

After playing a new face down card, other!Marik ends his turn. Yami begins his turn on a hesitant, sweaty note. He decides first and foremost to maintain his Metal Devil by paying 1000 points for it, bringing him down to 2300, then announces his draw phase without the customary enthusiasm. Other!Marik asks disdainfully what the point is of keeping around a token that can barely attack or defend, but Yami doesn't bother to answer, his hand hovering over the deck in his Duel Disk. 

Below the platform, Kaiba is watching closely, wondering if Yami can see the ADDITIONAL purpose to the Metal Devil, other than to negate Ra. Yami draws his card like a pistol in the old west. 

Don't worry, Kaiba, I think Yami figured something out. 

Though Kaiba is still looking a bit tense after that card is drawn, Yami is confident when he announces he's beginning his turn. Having a god in the palm of your hand will do that, surely. He reveals his face down card, which is "Multiply", apparently confusing other!Marik. Yami explains the card's EXCEEDINGLY simple effect - it's just what it says on the tin, with the condition that the monster's it's multiplying are sitting at less than 500 attack points. This makes the 1-point Metal Devil a prime candidate, as other!Marik observes, and when the one has become three, other!Marik anxiously realizes that Yami is going to use them as sacrifices. Kaiba appears a lot calmer as he silently asserts that Yami has understood the ultimate nature of Devil's Sanctuary as a summoning circle for a god. The irony just makes this card all the better! An epiphany hits Ishizu at this moment too; Yami got ANOTHER god card from Kaiba. Don't mind her, she's just catching up. 

Digital whirlwinds surround each metal devil as Yami declares them sacrifices. 

Don't be too shocked, other!Marik. Your gods and Millennium Item could probably tell you that you never stood half a chance.

At least he gets to get fucking clocked by a giant fist bigger than his body. Must be a wet dream come true for someone so obsessed with pain and subsequent darkness.

So, what did I think of this chapter overall? KT pulled off a tremendous twist there, making the initial move with Devil's Sanctuary work in other!Marik's favor! I'm ashamed to admit that I didn't think he could pull off the climax he set up and make it make sense, but it was almost as good as it promised to be. The fact that the success of the attack depended entirely on whether other!Marik was still lending Ra his life points didn't even occur to me, and the setup with other!Marik taking De-Fusion earlier in the duel so it can pay off here was REALLY a good move. 

There are only two TINY issues I have with the mechanics; the first is that it doesn't really explain why other!Marik was able to convert the attack points he put into Ra from the other monsters into life points for himself - since they absorbed by Ra for their attack points, the attack points should have stayed Ra's. He would still have survived the attack, just not with over 4000 life points, so he still could have gloated. The second issue is that, since other!Marik isn't a CARD fused with Ra, I don't know if De-Fusion should have worked on that special effect of Ra's. Maybe a reader who has actual knowledge of TCG can weigh in here, but I feel it's just a LITTLE bit of a cop-out, functionality wise. Writing wise, though, it was a great setup and payoff, as I mentioned before. 

I love that there was a hidden, secret use for Devil's Sanctuary, and that Kaiba knew Yami would have the extra card to make it work, because Yami has used it in the past on his Kuriboh. It was more long-game setup and payoff, which this chapter is doing SO WELL! I think it would have benefited from being drawn out into the next chapter, because there was a little drama that KT didn't touch on AT ALL behind Yami having to use 1000 life points every turn to keep Devil's Sanctuary around. In fact, KT didn't even SHOW the sacrifice of life points eating more at Yuugi's spectral form and the pain that would have caused him. Hell, it should have caused Yami some EMOTIONAL pain, just to weigh his options and know that he had to do this, even if it was going to hurt Yuugi. That would have been a very heavy dramatic moment, and it's probably my biggest criticism of this chapter, because KT managed to show OG Marik whole and muttering after Rishid. That he seemed to, in this critical moment, forget about Yuugi and his position in this is rather... disappointing. 

Regardless, I am FLOORED at how awesome the multiple setups paid off in this chapter, and I'm looking forward to seeing how this thing wraps up in the next one!

Inuyasha Manga: 211 Onigumo and Musou

You can't fool us, chapter. We know they're basically the same person by now, separated only by the flimsiest of articles. Take away Clark Kent's glasses, or give Mitch McConnell back his leathery wings and fiery breath to kill the poor people seeking his ill-gotten hoard, and is anyone really surprised? Musou's power of regeneration and the ability to steal faces clearly doesn't distinguish him from Onigumo at all, as evidenced by his apparently "natural" tendency to kill and maim like he's going for a record. But it's a real cool upgrade, at least.

I've been curious for a while; what exactly is the distinction between a garden-variety thief and a wild-thief? Is it just the level of zeal with which the thief conducts themselves, or is it their living environment? I'm genuinely not sure if this classification is actually useful. 

Anyway, Inuyasha growls that this bastard is Onigumo after all, as though was even a QUESTION in the first place. RT is nothing if not the bluntest of story-tellers. It does come as an understandable surprise to Kaede, though, who has to address Miroku on the point, trailing a question if it's really true. Miroku confirms that this guy is indeed Onigumo, who submitted his body to a committee of youkai to create the mess of a biological organization called Naraku, but he's calling himself Musou these days. For tax reasons, probz. 

Musou says he's recalled everything, including Kikyou dying back in the day. This is mentioned over a panel of Kikyou's funeral pyre, but I'm not sure how he could be remembering a part he couldn't have been around for. That's not really Inuyasha's concern though; he yells at Musou that HE'S the one who fatally wounded Kikyou in the first place, but Musou calls him stupid and asks why Inuyasha thought he let the youkai eat his body in the first place. 

And it's somehow a SURPRISE to you that this plan fell through, huh?

Yup. He says completely unironically that when he got that new body and tried it out, nothing went the way he wanted it to. The very first thing he did after he came out of the cave was run up behind the woman he sold his soul and body to get and tore into her. And not in a sexual way, just to clarify. The part he's upset over, apparently, is that he didn't get to fuck her before he murdered here, and it's pretty wild. 

Miroku notes that Onigumo's consciousness still existed once Naraku was born, while Kaede realizes that since Naraku's body is an amalgam of youkai, their collective desire to get rid of Kikyou overrode little old Onigumo's. Meanwhile, Musou is still pissing and moaning, now about how Kikyou died following after that damn hanyou. Kikyou was dead, the Shikon no Tama was burned with her body, and to top it all off...

Everyone thinks that this must have been Naraku, who has made an uncharacteristically good decision telling Onigumo to fuck off first and foremost. It was all downhill from there, clearly. 

Anyway, Musou continues with his sob story, stating that he doesn't know exactly how long he slept since then, but when he woke up, he was in this weird lump of flesh and brought back into the outside world like a newborn. If a newborn were sliced out of their amniotic sack by a bunch of not-very-bright marauders. It's actually not that great of an analogy, come to think of it. Miroku considers how Musou remembered nothing about even Naraku when he came out, before asking him, just to clarify, if this means he HASN'T taken any orders from Naraku. Musou scoffs that he doesn't take orders from anyone, and just slashes and burns people he doesn't like. Ah, to be THAT simple. 

He says it's Inuyasha's turn to be slashed and burned now. 

This is the guy who was pissing and moaning that the previous owner of these clothes got blood stains on them, and here he is, tearing them apart. 

Kaede is alarmed that Musou is transforming, while Miroku barks at her to get back, in the most respectful way possible, of course. A cloud of Saimyoushou has arrived on the scene too, as per usual. I'm assuming because Miroku is rather vulnerable to these bugs, he's especially unhappy about this. Inuyasha's completely focused on Musou, though. He says he doesn't know what Naraku intended by bringing Musou out, but to him, Musou and Naraku are one in the same, the nemesis of Kikyou. With these final words roared at Musou, Inuyasha draws Tessaiga and lunges at him. 

Unintimidated, Musou tells him to shut his face, and extends his spiked arm out at Inuyasha in a flash, which Inuyasha bisects length-wise handily with gruff shout. But the level of inconvenience this causes for Musou is... negative. 

Bad hug, bad hug!

Kaede is still lost, in disbelief over Musou wound closing itself around Inuyasha so fast. Miroku confirms for her that Musou's body has the ability to regenerate abnormally fast - he was hit before with Kaze no Kizu and should have been pulverized, but the dipshit is still around, so... 

Meanwhile, Inuyasha calls Musou impudent (an ironic term for Inuyasha to be using, if he even knows what it means in the first place) as he parts Musou's flesh again with his claws from the inside. He lands back on the ground among a shower of meat chunks from Musou's diced arm. It obviously doesn't stay in pieces for long, reforming seamlessly in the next panel. Musou acknowledges that though Inuyasha's sword is strange, it's unable to cut his body, that reformed limb of his flailing this way and that through the air cluttered with wasps. It's a literal nightmare wrapped in gross fetish porn. 

Inuyasha has run out of smart words to call Musou, so he settles on "jerk" in this round. While Kaede remains speechless behind him, Miroku holds up his beaded right fist and groans that in this situation, his Kazaana might have been useful. Kaede observes, with some question, that Naraku is protecting Onigumo, and assessment Miroku agrees with, seeing as how he's being blocked from using his Kazaana by the saimyoushou. He is, for ONCE, mystified by what Naraku's goal could be here. He appears to keep that admission to himself, though, so it doesn't count as humble.

Meanwhile, Naraku is hanging out in his castle, as you do, staring intently at his hand. Dude, I know quarantine over the past year has had us all bored out of our minds, but REALLY...

... Not a covid symptom, sure, but that's not normal, and you should probz get it checked out by a licensed professional. 

Anyway, cut back to Inuyasha letting loose another Kaze no Kizu, carving through Musou once again. His many chunks bounce onto the ground, crawl back into the correct formation, and reseal into a full Musou monster. Those clothes he whined about before are now completely obliterated, but he doesn't seem to care, standing naked and hunched before a shocked Inuyasha. Why he's surprised, I haven't a clue, since this has happened more than once in front of him by now. 

One-Trick-Pony over here can't fathom a way to destroy someone that doesn't involve blowing them up with a magical sword. Why am I not surprised?

So, what did I think of this chapter overall? Musou is an interesting character to be sure. His psychotic tendencies are only matched by his odd naivete - not only did he think at the time that he would be able to control the youkai that formed his new body once he gave them the old one, but he continues to be baffled by the fact that he couldn't to this DAY. It just never seemed to have occurred to him that he WOULDN'T have full agency in this new body that he shares with a bunch of other sentient creatures he made a conscious, cogent agreement with. Which, come to think of it, might make some sense from the angle of his lack of empathy. If he doesn't consider anyone other than himself full and complete individuals with their own goals and ambitions and feelings, why WOULD he consider the possibility that they would have any amount of control over what he considers to be HIS body? They just exist to give him what he wants, and don't influence him or his bubble in any significant way beyond that. It's stuff like this - the character depth and logical thought-processes behind even a minor-ish villain - that RT is really good at.

I also like how our main know-it-all Miroku didn't immediately come to the correct conclusion about why Naraku might be doing what he's doing with Musou here. The audience is given only the slightest of a clue too, with just the page-and-a-half of Naraku commenting that his connection with Onigumo hasn't been severed. It's a much better setup for a satisfying reveal of why Musou was brought out in the first place, and doesn't give us the impression that our main characters are weirdly omniscient about the situation. It's certainly preferable to being thrown out of the story because RT didn't have the time or patience to develop her rough ideas properly.