Inuyasha Manga: 227 Vanished Presence

That's where I'm headed too, though less "into thin air" than Naraku, admittedly. We started packing yet again today, hauling in the plastic totes from the closet on our balcony so we can start dumping our belongings in them for a team of movers, and we're not exactly quiet about it. I've alerted my job that I'm going to start working from home again starting mid-August. My husband is on his computer setting up a pass for the toll he's soon going to have to drive through for his own job. I'm gearing up to let our apartment know that we'll be moving out soon.

Because closing for our new house is on August 13th! 😀😀😀😀

I don't know about THAT guy, but I know my personal escape is going to be on a little over an acre covered in trees a few miles out of town. Reminds me of my childhood in the middle of nowhere, and I'm LIVING FOR IT.

The hairball monster admits with more gurgles that it doesn't know any more than I do, which elicits an incredulous outburst from Kouga. The creature explains that it was separated from Naraku partway, so it doesn't know what Naraku was thinking afterwards. Considering Naraku didn't seem to run back into the castle to PACK before he left, where the creature gained consciousness, I'm just a tad puzzled by this statement. However, the local smart guy Miroku says that this thing doesn't seem to be lying, so I guess we're taking it at its word. 

Its extremely inconsistent with the depiction of previous events word. 

Inuyasha curses this useless information, and the creature just kind of gurgle-laughs at him for his lack of satisfaction in the matter. Cracking his knuckles, Kouga scoffs and says it can't be helped that this thing doesn't know anything. Reading the somewhat disdainful look on Kouga's face as potentially a sign of violence to come, Kagome calls to him questioningly. 

Gee dude, wanna turn down the frightening overreactions a little? Just a little?

Inuyasha and Miroku just stare at the rain of flesh falling from the massacre of the monster, speechless, but not looking disturbed like the women and child. Kouga himself hoists a lump of flesh up by the few hairs still attached to it, just as Mohawk and Two-Tone jog out of the surrounding trees shouting for him. He flatly notes how they finally caught up, tossing the lump of flesh at them, which Two-Tone catches with an alarmed squeak. Mohawk recoils from the flying flesh. Kouga tells them to memorize this scent, and get the wolves to remember it too, which begs the question: they didn't know that scent BEFORE???

Miroku supposes aloud to Kouga that he intends to use the wolves for a blanket search, something that he probably should have been doing to begin with? Maybe? And Inuyasha asks what the point of this could be, considering the wolves would have sniffed Naraku out long ago if they had the ability. This excellent point is completely ignored, for Inuyasha finds that when he was offering it with his eyes closed and nose stuck in the air, Kouga had stood himself in front of Kagome to grasp her hands and tell her he had to go now. Inuyasha demands to know if Kouga is even listening, while Kagome just kind of endures Kouga's totally unromantic talk of giving her Naraku's head as a present the next time they meet. She forces a smile, but inside it's a HARD no on her part.

Bye, you worryingly unstable weirdo.

Miroku approaches Inuyasha as he's picking himself up off the ground, saying it may actually be a good strategy to rely on Kouga's numbers. Inuyasha snaps at him that this is naive, asking why Naraku would throw away this monster with his scent all over it if his scent could possibly be a clue to his whereabouts, concluding this would be FAR too careless of the originator of the scent. Wide-eyed and shocked, Miroku makes a noise of astonishment, Sango looking on in surprise from the background. Come on, guys, I know you like to play like Inuyasha is a moron, but really...

Inuyasha reiterates that Naraku is confident he'll never be found, which Miroku acknowledges as a point, before asking him to go one. Inuyasha makes his own balking noise, and Miroku refuses to let him get away with it, asking him where he thinks Naraku has gone. Do you have COTTON in your ears, buddy? If Naraku is so sure no one is going to find him, why do you think Inuyasha can just GUESS at where the dude is? Miroku says he's asking for Inuyasha's thoughts, Inuyasha glares and tells HIM to think about the rest of it, and Sango whispers to Kagome that Inuyasha didn't think about the rest of it himself. 

Okay, fine. If RT wants to pretend that Inuyasha not having any idea where Naraku might have gotten to is in his conclusions about Naraku's confidence at not being found, she's allowed to frame it that way. It's HER story. Even if it makes zero sense. 

Kagome thinks that Inuyasha WAS correct in what he was saying, though, contemplating the place Naraku ran to as the place nobody can reach. Meanwhile...

Someone's been busy, I see. 

Kikyou's visits to places she's noticed give off an evil aura have turned up squat; Naraku's presence isn't here either, nor has it been anywhere else. She's walking along the edge of a sheer rocky bank of a raging river when she hears a feeble voice referring to her. She looks over and sees an old man reclining against the exposed roots of a tree. 

"And you look like shit, what of it?"

Kikyou peers at him a moment, determining that he's human, and he's at death's door. Profound observation, to be sure. As old men are wont to do, he starts telling Kikyou about his past - namely, that he did a lot of evil and wicked things in it. He lists murder, theft and arson, just to name a few, and says that his philosophy was just to live doing whatever he damn well pleased. But since he's gotten old and ill, he admits that he also got scared about falling into Hell. Kikyou kneels down next to him, asking if he wishes to be saved. I doubt he would be wasting his breath if he wasn't coming to that point, Kikyou.

Old Dude over here says he's heard of a place where even old sinners like himself can get some salvation. As Kikyou looks critically down at him, he states that he was traveling just to that particular place, but he's pretty sure he can't go any farther. Somehow, Kikyou needs this shit spelled out for her, because she asks if he has a request for her. No, he's just weaving this whole sob-story for no good reason at all. Carry on, lady, no quests to be found here!

This guy takes his whole-ass katana and shears off the ponytail he's cultivated on the back of his bald old head, holding it out to her. He says that he wants at least THIS part of him to get to that place he mentioned. 

A couple of sky transition panels later, night has fallen.

Kagome says that they'll surely find Naraku if everyone is searching. Inuyasha shoots into a sitting position to glare at Kagome and ask her what she means by that, and if she's relying on Kouga after all. At least HIS insecurity isn't manifesting in bursts of violence. Just bursts of pathetic paranoia. Kagome responds with a suggestion that he's jealous, and his hackles are fully raised; he hunches next to her looking like a defensive hound, and denies being jealous at all. Kagome seems... Unconvinced. 

They stare at one another in silence, Inuyasha sweatdropping and looking expectant in his anger, and Kagome just blankly blinks at him. With a slight flush, Inuyasha suggests they drop the conversation, and Kagome adopts an annoyed visage while she reminds him that he brought up the subject in the first place. Seems to me that they already dropped it when they stopped talking entirely, but maybe I just don't comprehend awkward quiet in a conversation anymore. Am I supposed to continue a thread that has culminated in a few seconds of uncomfortable silence? I don't know, I've always been a social idiot and Covid has just made that condition worse.

To top off this sundae of awkwardness, the next frame is wider to show that Sango, Miroku, and Shippou snoozing in his lap, are sat farther up the hill, and their stares are being added to the veritable convention of stares. In spite of how obviously unwelcome Miroku's encouragement is, he urges them not to worry about them and keep talking. Inuyasha tensely says that's enough already, and Kagome thinks she's had quite enough herself. 

In the morning, we get a great view of another set of generic forested mountains. A couple of old men marvel at the fact that Kikyou has brought the hair of the dead this far, and she explains that it was the last wish of a dying man. One of the men she's talking to says that he's heard a rumor of an area of purification on Mt. Hakurei, where a great Buddhist priest opened up a temple there, in which all sins can be purified...

Yeah, the strange feeling that I'm going to be sick of looking at this mountain long before it's done being a setting. 

So, what did I think of this chapter overall? For the second time, Kouga has been cast in a slightly sinister light, flying into a fit of disproportionate violence at the weak hairball creature. The ladies and child react with unease at this behavior, and there's a part of me that would like to label this as a juxtaposition between him and Inuyasha - a commentary on how Inuyasha's more "human" side to him makes him a far less frightening figure to their common love interest, and Kouga's "demonic" behavior here is part of the reason Kagome feels she cannot reject him outright even though she has no real interest in him. But there are no other moments building on this worrying behavior later in the series, nor is there an ultimate discussion between Kagome and Kouga regarding how he's more threatening than anything. Which is something of a shame, because it could have been an interesting element to add to the series as a teachable moment to any young men reading that beating up on weaker individuals is a HUGE red flag and they probz shouldn't do it. More's the pity.

What has been and is a repeated habit of framing RT continues in this chapter is portraying Inuyasha as this dunderhead incapable of real strategy or extrapolating the deeper meanings of events. There is no reason why Inuyasha's fair conclusions that Naraku must have hidden himself REALLY well in order to not worry about leaving behind obvious traces of his scent should be used to put down his intelligence, but somehow it's turned out that way? It really makes no discernible sense as it's laid out, unless RT is trying to imply that the only reason Inuyasha came to his conclusion is because he doesn't want to give Kouga's strategy any credit out of jealousy, which might have been a good punchline if the conclusion wasn't actually a perfectly reasonable one with perfectly reasonable logic. If his jealousy were meant to be joked about as his primary motivation, Miroku might have made a clever mention of that instead of some weird request that Inuyasha DIVINE Naraku's location despite the clear implications of the conclusion that Naraku had hunkered down somewhere no one knew about.

All in all, it's very clunky and unintelligible.

But, I will say I'm intrigued by how much HAIR and its personal identification qualities has factored in during the last few chapters, culminating in an old man's request to have his hair get to a place where it can be purified. His intent to erase all his ill deeds by putting a piece of himself in a special place is a rather SLY nod to Naraku's plan here, a natural mirror to Naraku leaving HIS hair behind as an indicator that he's still lurking just beyond the reaches of his enemies. As one regular man asks Kikyou to complete his pilgrimage to wash his slate clean, Naraku is leaving his refuse around with no care to its connection to him and his villainous history with the promise that he will not answer for his crimes. 

I'm kind of impressed given all the sloppiness in the rest of the chapter. One outta three ain't bad, I guess.

Yu-Gi-Oh Manga: 285 Bakura, King of Thieves

I've seen quite a few men in my day claim to be kings. Guys from middle school shop classes declaring their regency over power tools to incoherent old farts who drape everything they own in gold and direct their followers like a deranged army. I have seen would-be emperors strut and preen like self-important peacocks, with just as little understanding that they are just as fragile and vulnerable, and that their thrones are completely imaginary. I could fill many volumes with details of the dominions built entirely on delusion and their eventual crumbling when their builders realize none of it is real. In fact, most of these volumes already exist, and are called HISTORY BOOKS.

But if I've seen anyone who might actually deserve the title of king, if for nothing else than the sheer irony of it all, thief!Bakura could be the dude.

"Faith willing" isn't a phrase that inspires a lot of confidence, if I'm honest, Bobasa. That's not even evoking some personified deity, it's just telling me to BELIEVE really hard that this door will be found.

And I'm not very good at just BELIEVING things, so I feel like this is asking a lot. :(

As usual, Yuugi and company hung up on the last thing Bobasa references, in this case "the true door". Bobasa affirms their interest in this topic and talks seriously about the world of the pharaoh's memories beyond that, but he's really going to have to slow down here. Jonouchi and Honda are blown away by the claim that Bobasa can take them into Yuugi's soul, of all places, while asshole!Bakura pays close attention behind a practically drooling regular Bakura. Yuugi himself remembers the one time he visited Yami's "room" in his head, the endless maze with thousands of doors, unable to tell the floor from the ceiling, like the soul in there had lost its memories and didn't know where to go. Weird that this statement is set up as a simile, despite the fact that this is the ACTUAL situation here, no simile required.

Poop face activated, Yuugi thinks about there being ONE door in there that leads to Yami's memories. And just like that, everyone (or at leas the overzealous CONSCIOUS ones in the group) starts shouting that they're going for it and cheering. No further questions about the logistics, no more explanations. Just needed a little more superficial resistance to the idea to pad out the chapter a tad and then off we go! Bobasa's whole body shakes with a hearty chuckle, but snaps back to seriousness when he demands they wait as he reaches beneath his vest - before they begin, HE'S the one who who will determine who will enter Yuugi's soul. 

Dude's a little desperate to be important, isn't he?

Honda, Bobasa said EVIL and DECEPTION would tilt the scale, not a mind permanently entrenched in the gutter. 

Bobasa says it's not a matter of whether he trusts them, and rather the concern that anyone with evil in their hearts could be trapped in Yuugi's soul accidentally, and is really for their own good that he's testing them like this. He proceeds with Anzu, who stands straight and tense as Bobasa declares her okay to go, to her relief. Bobasa moves to hold the scales in front of Jonouchi and Honda, saying they're both okay too, the two of them rather pleased with themselves over it. No surprise about either of these outcomes, of course.

... And no surprise there either! Yu-Gi-Oh not taking any risks today.

Bakura rubs the back of his head, complaining that he wants to find Yami too, and Jonouchi barks that Bakura is their friend. But Bobasa is having none of it; he tells Bakura that he must leave here immediately. He thinks on how the scales sensed a shadow in young Bakura's soul, and wonders if THIS is the kid who holds the Millennium Ring. No points for guessing that one, Bobasa, Bakura totes that damn thing around with him without shame and wouldn't hesitate to whip it out when mentioned. 

Sighing that he'll just go home then, Bakura heads for the door, waving goodbye on his way. He does firmly state that they HAVE to bring Yami back, though, which might be the most assertive we've seen him in a while. It's not a lot, but it's something. Jonouchi calls out to him, but he whirls around and runs the rest of the way out the door, claiming that he'll see them later. There's a bubble connected to his parting wishes that says "I hate him!" and I'm very confused, until in the next panel, while Yuugi is expressing pity for Bakura, Bobasa is wondering if his hatred is because Bakura is wearing the Millennium Ring. Love it for KT that he's committed to making odd dialog/thought representations this far into the comic. Speech bubble confusion forever, dammit!

While Bakura runs out of there with tears in his eyes, his asshole doppelganger smirks at him from slightly out in front, thinking this all works just fine for him. He doesn't need to go now; if you'll recall, a piece of him is already in the puzzle, hanging out. As you do. 

Back in the exhibit, Bobasa has the kids all form a circle with him, telling them to join hands and clear their minds. Jonouchi and Honda balk at the order to join hands with one another, because they're secretly three years old somehow. They smack at each others' wrists, though Honda has no problem holding Yuugi's hand in the foreground. Jonouchi's other wrist has been seized by Bobasa, Bobasa holds the Millennium Key up high with the other, and a flushed Anzu tugs at the corner of his vest in lieu of having his hand. She's got Yuugi's left hand, though. 

They all close their eyes, Yuugi promising Yami silently that he'll find him. Bobasa chants aloud for the door to open, and the way to be made clear. Anzu, Honda and Jonouchi all think of Yami simultaneously. Bobasa thrusts the key higher in the air, demanding it lead them into the soul of the one chosen by the Millennium Puzzle. 

They're on their way to a real shit-show, if the next page is anything to judge by.

I mean, at the very least, they're perfectly within their rights to side-eye you. You've been weird enough. 

Yami gives this intruder a critical look, repeating his title in disbelief mentally, while thief!Bakura chuckles darkly. Shada holds out his Millennium Key in front of him for some reason, informing thief!Bakura that bursting into throne room without an invitation is a serious crime, and that he won't be forgiven. Is it a more serious crime than dragging a corpse out of its tomb and parading around with it? Because I feel like THAT would be the thing that bothered me the most if I were present for this spectacle. 

Thief!Bakura gestures to the gold trinkets scattered on the floor, and says he took them from Akhenamkhanen's tomb, fully ignoring the threat inherent in Shada's statement. As he should. He says he wants something more than these baubles, though, and that's the collection of Millennium Items the priests before him are carrying. Thief!Bakura offers to ask nicely for them ONCE, but the question doesn't really come across as sincere, believe it or not.

Priest Seto, from whom I'm now pretty certain Kaiba inherited his dorky laugh, says that it takes courage for a miserable thief to stand before six priests. He promises to make sure the canopic jar they put thief!Bakura's guts into is a somewhat larger one. Yeah, snappy comeback from a dude who should know that the intricate mummification process with the extra step of removing organs and putting them in expensive jars was only really reserved for royalty. Are you TRYING to validate this strange thief's delusions of king-hood or what? 

Akhenaden jumps in to bid thief!Bakura to listen; the Millennium Items maintain the law and order (read: status quo upheld by a state monopoly on legitimate violence) of this world, and the only one who can hold them are priests who have trained their souls, and the divine pharaoh of the land, of course. Akhenaden states that if a person with an evil heart like thief!Bakura were to touch these objects, his very soul would burn away and he would die as punishment from the gods. I would say that's ONE way to deter someone from fondling your things, but in this case, it's not really working. Thief!Bakura says he's just excited and wants them even more now with a deranged chuckle. Are we certain this guy doesn't just WANT to die, with world-shattering bang?

As if he hasn't picked up on this romantic affair thief!Bakura is having with death right in front of them, Priest Seto tells him not to worry, as he'll be dealing out a punishment of death long before it gets to the point where thief!Bakura touches the items. Thief!Bakura spreads his arms wide in welcome of the challenge, offering to take on all the priests at once. 

Yami sits there quietly watching all this with his arms crossed, and Siamun tells him not to worry. He says the thief should be the one worrying, because no one in their right mind would stand up against the magic of the six priests. Yami asks if there's a monster in this intruder's soul as well, and Siamun answers that there may very well be, estimating that it's a very low-level weak one since they're talking about a thief. 

Well if this doesn't take me all the way back to the beginning of the manga! When we were getting these kinds of blurbs on the rules of this week's game and all that... Good times. 

Between two more guards, who apparently DIDN'T get thrown against the walls, another stone slab slides up into view, something that Yami notes with alarm. Siamun says thief!Bakura's evil ka will soon show its true form, and be sealed into the slab by the magic of the priests. That's his expectation at least, and call me crazy, I'm starting to think it may skew a bit from that expectation. Thief!Bakura is standing in a slightly defensive, wide stance, but there's a big grin on his face.

Things start going wrong right away. The guy with the Millennium Scales (whose name I don't believe has been revealed) draws everyone's attention to the fact that they're swinging quite wildly in his hand and are unable to measure his evil. Mahado's Millennium Ring is rattling around his neck as well, to his shock and dismay. Isis predicts through her necklace that the shadow in thief!Bakura will bring disaster to the world, and Akhenaden's Millennium Eye glows, apparently showing him a bottomless pit of shadow in thief!Bakura's soul hiding a powerful hatred. 

And this is with the guy just STANDING there smiling. Thief!Bakura thinks that the term "law and order" is laughable, and is certain he'll show them the true nature of the Millennium Items: a power that can destroy the world. 

You and every other anime villain. Get in line.

Akhenaden warns Shada that the shadows of this man's soul are deep, and to be careful. Shada gives a one-word affirmative, then holds out the Millennium Key again, apparently this time to use it. He calls upon the power of the key to lead him into the sinner's soul and the key glows accordingly, providing him with a hyper-zoom into the darkness of thief!Bakura's soul. A gigantic snake with it's jaws yawning wide is what greets Shada in there, which he greets with complete disbelief. 

Shada gasps and stumbles back, Akhenaden asking what's wrong with alarm. Panting and sweating, Shada has to catch his breath before he stutters that thief!Bakura's ka is too great. He even gestures to the stone tablet that rose out of the floor with the key, saying that it's WAY to small to seal this particular monster. Well, so much for Siamun's shitty predictions. Akhenaden refuses to believe this while thief!Bakura chuckles. Akhenaden is at least able to give the brief warning that thief!Bakura's ka is about to appear right before it does. 

... I gotta hand it to him. It's pretty cool.

Thief!Bakura corrects them - this isn't a demon, but a god, the great "Diabound". Though he's only been acquainted with the rules of this soul-monster concept for like five seconds, Yami seems to already be drawing conclusions about what this means. Siamun says with panicked indignation that this is impossible, since he JUST got done explaining that a god-type ka can't possibly exist in an evil heart of a thief. I feel like this is grounds for re-evaluation of how you guys think of these creatures and how they form, but at the same time, there's not a deeper definition of what makes a god-monster above than good soul=god above, so something tells me they didn't think too hard about it in the first place. 

It's time for some philosophy! Thief!Bakura chuckles some more, asking them what "evil" even IS, and if being loyal to what these simpletons think is right is all it takes to be "good". These are not bad questions, actually. Priest Seto scoffs at them though, at points the Millennium Rod at Diabound, demanding that the items not be underestimated. He commands the evil ka into the stone tablet, and it seems to be compelled inside it just like the first demonstration, directed into the rock as thief!Bakura looks furious in the background. Diabound's image is imprinted on the stone when Priest Seto asks if thief!Bakura sees now. But thief!Bakura fires back the suggestion that this isn't over. 

Sure enough, the stone begins to crack from the center, and Priest Seto looks alarmed at it.

There's nothing more quintessentially Kaiba than acting overly cocky despite how thoroughly he's been defeated, so proto-Kaiba over here is really establishing the brand nicely. 

So, what did I think of this chapter overall? A lot of the same kinds of things from my analysis on the previous chapter apply to this one too, concerning the split between following Yuugi's/Yami's individual quests and the interesting build of this version of ancient Egypt. There's not much new to say except that it was genuinely heartbreaking watching Bakura run off crying because he couldn't go to find Yami too; this kid is always the short end of the stick in this story, and I can't help but wonder if he's ever going to get a little bit of a break. Poor little bastard.

At first I was a little annoyed by the overly simplistic ideas behind Siamun's explanation of the development and levels of monsters, but since those black-and-white shallow assumptions are being CHALLENGED by our main villain, it now intrigues me. I get the impression that the Millennium Items and their use is connected somehow with the actual function of this system, whether the items somehow control or influence it in some obscure way. Thief!Bakura bringing up the unknown, suppressed history of the items in the chapter just reinforces my suspicions. I'm really looking forward to the possibility of a more complex and interesting monster origination system than the one described here. 

Also, Diabound is pretty frikkin' sick. It might give Summoned Skull a run for its money as my favorite.

Inuyasha Manga: 226 Naraku's Location

Too bad Greg isn't here to play Inuyasha and company a wire tap of Carmen Sandiego; I'll bet she knows where Naraku is, since she's always chatting with all the crooks. It's also too bad I don't get to see Inuyasha, Kouga, and Kagome as gumshoes zeroing in on Naraku through all of the clues they get from gameshow questions. Truth be told, it's been a LONG minute since I watched that show, and I don't recall much of it except a couple of goofy skits, but I could see these goofy characters buzzing in and failing at geography. All I need is an artist to render that garbage vision!

My vision isn't as garbage as his, though, so that makes me feel better.

At the spot Inuyasha is rushing toward, Kouga and Kagome stand tense and wary of the coming danger. Kouga supposes that he's the only one who can take on the hairy monster after all, high off his own supply as usual. Kagome stutters, nervously suggesting that they go back to where Inuyasha and the others are. Kouga holds her hands and attempts to reassure her that HE'LL protect her, but she sweatdrops, trying to put her lack of faith (or interest) in him in nice terms by beginning with an insincere "appreciation" for his feelings. Walking on eggshells around REGULAR guys who might fly off the handle at rejection are hard enough to deal with, but having to deal with SUPERHUMAN ones? 

Kagome's diplomacy skills are legendary. 

Kouga begins to offer another reason why they shouldn't run back to Inuyasha and company yet, just as he senses shit about to go down:

An interrogation while avoiding weird hair tentacles? I didn't realize this game show had moved to 90's Nickelodeon. Not that I'm complaining. 

The hairball monster gurgles that they're not getting away again, and threatens to eat both Kouga and Kagome's Shikon shards together. But maybe it falls a little flat, because I don't know how anyone can be threatened by the manga equivalent of this:

Kouga runs at the beast, calling to Kagome to stay where she is. The monster's hair extends toward him, and Kouga confidently meets it with a cocky smile. He seizes the offending lock of hair, yanks it up over a tree branch above swiftly, and swings back under the branch on it at top speed. 

OOOH! With some mixed martial arts thrown in the show for good measure! And does that look like it HURT!

The monster lurches backward, teeth still crumbling from its broken mouth, as Kouga yells at it for finally catching up to him. He suggests that since the monster managed that much, maybe it can tell him where Naraku is. Instead of doing that, it practically EXPLODES, or that's what it looks like. Somehow it appears to flash brightly like a bomb detonating, which is definitely a weird thing for a hairball to do. No wonder Kouga seems a little confused while he leans away from the flying hair. 

And the hair really does fly. The creature has ejected great tufts of it, some of which surround Kouga and close in autonomously from the body, to his horror. Kagome notes in disbelief that the hair came off, before noticing that a few locks are crawling toward her. Kouga curses and calls to Kagome, but he's all tied up, so to speak, so he can't run to her defense. He's really working his legs to pull himself out of the winding locks too, but to no avail.

A little more secure now that someone NOT wrapped in hair is helping out, no doubt.

Inuyasha turns to Kouga to scold him for putting Kagome in danger, and Kouga growls from the ground, trying to extricate himself from the many locks wound around him at this point. Instead of concentrating on getting out of his predicament, though, Kouga snaps back that it's Inuyasha's fault for letting the monster get away. Said monster is actively reeling Kouga in, gurgling that it's going to eat him, and Kouga grits his teeth as he fails to resist. 

Kagome stutters at Inuyasha that he should hurry, because Kouga needs saving. Inuyasha gives her a withering glare, asking if she means to be asking HIM, and Kagome points out in a panic that there's no one ELSE who can do it. It's not like there's anyone in the area with a ranged weapon who can fire off a clear shot at the moment or anything...

Inuyasha scoffs and says whatever happens to Kouga is no concern of his, BUT he's not handing over the Shikon shards Kouga has. Oh Inuyasha, just admit that you don't want the guy to DIE. It's not any less masculine for you to admit Kouga's death would probably bum you out. Because it totally would, dude. 

This is about as effective as you might imagine: locks of hair fall all around Inuyasha, who is confused that he only got that part of the monster, and it quickly closes in and winds itself around him. For a guy who saw how Naraku's flesh covered Sesshoumaru a few chapters ago independent of the main body, Inuyasha is sure looking SURPRISED by this not very shocking development. 

The monster gurgles that it won't let anyone get in its way again, now that he's been freed from Naraku, and now Inuyasha has another reason to be UNJUSTIFIABLY taken-aback it seems. 

Really, Inuyasha? Do you think it's novel for one of Naraku's many itemized components to not care for being under his thumb? Is it just baffling to you that one of them might want freedom? 

Boy are YOU going to be thrown-off by a good many plot points in the future...

Miroku, Sango and Shippou fly in on Kirara, greeting Kagome, who greets them in turn. The new arrivals look repulsed by the balding lump gurgling in front of Inuyasha, Miroku asking what it is. Kagome tells them it's the youkai from before, as Inuyasha asks the creature what it means by saying it was freed from Naraku, like it isn't obvious. The monster answers that it was abandoned by Naraku like the castle, and it's not difficult to guess why.

Sango seems in awe at the fact that this isn't an incarnation sent by Naraku. To be fair, that IS the move Naraku has pulled most often, so Inuyasha's group has to be rather used to it by now. Kagome suggests this thing is a discarded part, which Miroku reasons out further as the discarded remains of a youkai coming back to life when Kouga with his Shikon fragments stepped onto the castle grounds. This sounds pretty plausible to Shippou, who thinks this creature seems like it's pretty unneeded. Damn, this kid is SAVAGE.

Inuyasha scoffs, mocking this monster with how pathetic he appeared as an offspring of Naraku, THEN turning to Kouga to mock him too, for having so much trouble with this loser. He's alarmed to see that Kouga has stood, pulling off the hair wound around his limbs. He asks if Inuyasha is stupid, insisting he's been going easy on it this whole time. Inuyasha yells that Kouga is making excuses and Kouga snaps at Inuyasha to move, promising to deal with him later. It's gotten to the point where I can't tell which of them is more fragile - Inuyasha, Kouga, or this lump of patchy flesh.

Kouga approaches the monster, cracking his knuckles as he does so. He reasons that if the creature was abandoned, that can only mean one thing. 

You think you could wear your masculine insecurities MORE obviously, dude? 

Miroku hurries forward to protest, warning Kouga not to be hasty because there's still plenty they can learn from this thing. Kouga tells Miroku not to worry, he held back from outright killing the thing. Comforting to the little Shippou freaking out above, I'm sure. Kouga cracks his knuckles at the creature, demanding that it now tell him what it knows... or else. 

Oh? I hope he's made like the billionaires and fucked off to outer space.

If so, can they all just... stay there?

So, what did I think of this chapter overall? It felt like a weird wrestling match, kind of "fake" in the sense that there was a part in the middle where the action and danger to the characters wasn't as intense as we are led to believe. We start the chapter with Kouga easily getting in a major hit, then he's overcome with the shed hair from the monster, and then Inuyasha demystifies the entire drama by calling out how weak their opponent actually is. The circus-like showmanship of this chapter is a little bizarre; I don't necessarily feel like I've been "lied to" about the level of tension, but there is a level of insincerity that throws me out of the story a little. It's like watching an overacted and wooden movie. 

My low-key annoyance with this is only increased by Kagome's clear ability to help in this situation being completely overlooked in favor of letting the guys competing over her affections grandstand a bit. She has a bow in this chapter and everything, but she whines to Inuyasha that there's no one else to help Kouga. It's frustrating that she's discounted herself from the whole equation when she is probably BETTER qualified to help than her testy boyfriend. You could argue that Kagome is trying to get Inuyasha to be compassionate toward someone he's got some animosity toward in most other situations, but there's zero indication of that in the text, and would be dangerously manipulative if it were Kagome's motivations, because her refusal to help could cost Kouga his life.

If, of course, this whole fight weren't revealed to be a bunch of fucking around by the boys a few panels later. 

All in all, this chapter seemed like filler - an exposition vehicle of a hairball being puffed up as a semi-threat not only in order to pass a few panels with pseudo-action, but also to justify Kouga's violence toward the pathetic creature at the end. It kind of failed in the second purpose as well, to be honest, because Kouga cleaving it almost in half AFTER Inuyasha gloats about how pathetic it is makes him seem more like an insecure bully than anything. Maybe that was what RT was going for after all?

Somehow I doubt it.

Yu-Gi-Oh Manga: 284 The Evil Shadow

Whoever is looking for one of those came to the right place. This story has no shortage of malevolent spirits hiding in the shadows of their hosts, and BENEVOLENT spirits doing the same thing, for that matter. Yu-Gi-Oh! offers a variety of shadow-dwellers in its ranks, a veritable supermarket for all your incorporeal headmate needs! Want unapologetic evil (until it's obvious he's about to be disposed of)? Try out other!Marik! Want a slightly goofy kind of freaky? The asshole!Bakura brand is there for you! Want horrible inexcusable behavior framed as noble stoic fulfillment of duty? Shadi's your guy! Come on down today!

"You know, that self-descriptive thing that was mentioned multiple times as a place Yami had to go? How did you forget ALREADY??"

Yami must have taken half of YUUGI'S memory with him in there. Bobasa explains that the god cards Yami got from Battle City have fulfilled the ancient prophecy - when they were presented to the stone slab, it opened "the" door in the Millennium Puzzle (presumably the only one Yami DIDN'T open himself just to fuck with Shadi for rooting around in his mind room) to the place where his memories are sealed. Bobasa claims that these memories from 3000 years before have been revived, and now Yami is just kind of... wandering around in them. Yami asks in a panic if this means that Yami has gone through a time warp to 3000 years ago, which doesn't sound ANYTHING like what Bobasa actually described, so it's no surprise to me when Bobasa says it's NOT that.

Bobasa says that even if Yami becomes part of the Memory World, his memories of the present will remain, which I guess connects back to how this is not a time warp for REASONS? This seems like a total shift in topic, but it's up Anzu's alley, and she asks for confirmation that no matter where Yami goes, he'll still remember them. Bobasa affirms that this is true, but the Memory World is built from events that actually happened 3000 years in the past, so Yami's course is already set and he has to relive his cruel fate. Anzu asks what he means by "cruel fate", and Yuugi says he thinks he knows, suggesting that Yami will have to go through his death all over again. He stares in numb disbelief at the floor as Bobasa confirms this, and states that it's at the moment of Yami's death that the reason his spirit was sealed in the Millennium Puzzle in the first place will become clear. 

Not happy news, by any means.

Behind Bakura's still blank expression, his asshole counterpart is commenting on how interesting this is, though he doesn't exactly look like it's the exciting or "fun" kind of interesting. Asshole!Bakura thinks this means that these 3000-year-old memories are replaying themselves in Yami's soul, and the secrets of the Millennium Puzzle are hidden there too. Do you know that these memories are 3000 years old? Is that number burned into your cortex yet??

Asshole!Bakura wonders if there's any way he can get in on this screening of these memories. Jonouchi appears to be thinking along the same lines, though for supportive reasons rather than... nondescript evil ones, because he calls Bobasa out on talking like they could got to that Memory World before too. Bobasa states that there IS a way they can make the journey, and the non-zombified friends suddenly perk up at the prospect of going to find Yami, eager to stop waiting and get going already. 

Bobasa says the entrance to the Memory World is in Yuugi's soul, and Yuugi is a little puzzled by this. However, he doesn't ask for elaboration, because we've got to move this chapter along already. With an "open sesame", Bobasa pulls open his lock-infested vest, and I thank KT for skipping him unlocking every single one of those with that phlem-covered key. He holds out in his fist the only key that matters to anyone anyway: the Millennium Key, stating that it grants the power to enter another person's soul. Bobasa refers to the time when Shadi broke into Yuugi's soul, which manifested as a maze of many doors and rooms, where it was impossible for Shadi to find the one TRUE door. Man, I didn't peg Shadi as the talkative type, but he really told Bobasa EVERYTHING, huh?

What's the worst that could happen? Searching for so long that we all miss not only Yami's soul journey to regain his memories but also the NEXT 3000 years?

Sounds doable.

And page SIX is our real, honest-to-goodness title page. Took KT long enough, lol! Followed by a page partly recapping where we left off in the last chapter: Yami gaping at one of the priests in particular.

You think? If there was ever any DOUBT that this is the person Yami is thinking of, after he's praised for a job well done by the ancient Egyptian version of Marik's dad, Priest Seto says he's sure it was rather dull for the pharaoh and suggests they draw and quarter the prisoner for the pharaoh's amusement instead. Yup, definitely a precursor to Kaiba if I ever saw one. All that's missing is a theme park built to kill his enemies. 

Akhenaden tells Priest Seto that this is unnecessary, since the evil ka in the prisoner's soul has been exorcised. He suggests that the duty of a priest is to show mercy, even to sinners, asking Seto if he agrees. Seto glares at first, then turns to Akhenaden with a cocky smirk, holding up the Millennium Rod while he monologues about how the resting place of a pharaoh is the domain of the gods and there should be no pity for a grave robber who would desecrate a holy spot like that. His counter-idea is to flay the prisoner, break his bones and execute him as a warning to others like him. 

Shit, he needs even MORE therapy than modern Kaiba, and that's saying something.

You know who only needs slightly LESS therapy? Akhenaden, whose idea of a compromise is to sentence the prisoner pleading not to be tortured and murdered horribly to seven years of hard labor instead. Okay, not as gross, but not exactly the picture of "mercy" you were arguing for before, dude. He orders the prisoner be taken away, and the guards comply, dragging their new slave off. 

Priest Seto calls to the priest wearing the Millennium Ring around his neck, referring to him as Mahado. He kinda looks familiar, but he's the only one I'm not quite able to place at the moment. Don't worry, it'll come to me. Priest Seto claims that guarding the royal tombs is Mahado's responsibility, and that they're being defiled far too often these days. He asks what Mahado has to say for himself, and Mahado inclines his head in shame, apologizing. 

However, he also mentions that the messages he's getting from the ring these days are pretty erratic, and the number of ka-monsters hanging out in people's souls are increasing quite a lot. He says he can't POSSIBLY detect every single sinner or impure intent out there. Seto counters that it's their duty as the six priests to protect the pharaoh, both in this world and the tombs where he rests in the afterlife. Such a compelling argument full of logic and reason. Never mind that it doesn't actually address the problem that Mahado is describing, that's irrelevant. Mahado kneels in front of Yami and asks for more troops to strengthen his forces at the Valley of the Kings. Just put a sentry on every square foot of this valley, and then you can keep burying all your money with dead aristocrats while the living bulk of society starves! 

Everyone here is so rational that Yami hesitates to answer this request at first. 

What is it, Seto? You want Yami to flay Mahado, break his bones, and execute him as a warning to the rest of you instead?

Whatever his frustrations, Seto points at the slab with the newly graven monster on it, which is ALREADY BEING WHEELED OUT OF THE ROOM BY SEVERAL GUARDS, and demands that they take it to the shrine of Wedju and place it among the others. They humor him by being deferential, but I like to think at least a few of them would call him out on being the moron he is if they could get away with it. You know, NOT be horribly mutilated and murdered for their cheek. 

Yami is STILL stuck on how this guy looks and sounds just like Kaiba. He lowers his face into his palm, mentally bemoaning how little he understands, while I'm just flabbergasted that he seems to have forgotten all of the visions/conversations/hints about how he and Kaiba's past life were connected intimately. I guess he DOES canonically have a shitty memory, so maybe I shouldn't be surprised. Anyway, he considers the priests who hold the Millennium Items, the Siamun guy who looks like Yuugi's grandfather and says he's an advisor, and everyone calling him "pharaoh". Yami wonders if this is all a dream, or really the world of 3000 years in the past. Too bad Bobasa isn't there to help explain the kind of in-between nature of the answer to this question. 

Siamun observes Yami cradling his confused head and assumes he must be upset about the invasion of the former pharaoh's tomb. So Siamun gets right up in Yami's face, startling him while attempting to reassure him with the knowledge that his trusty advisor by his side has taken personal responsibility for designing the place where Yami will spend his eternal rest. 

With the way Yami yelped there, it's probably not much of a secret anymore!

Siamun continues to whisper at length about how the royal tomb builders are trustworthy and highly skilled. He guarantees that Yami will rest in peace when HE kicks the bucket because the tomb's design contains some of his finest traps, impossible for a thief to get past - this text overlaying a bird's-eye view of the maze of statues that Sugoroku shuffled around. But he had a couple of things going for him, not being a thief and being Siamun's reincarnation, so Siamun's statement isn't technically untrue. Technically. 

Even if someone were to reach the other side of the room, Siamun says, they would find a place of Shadow Games (TM) and send a thief into the dreaded twelve hours of night. Yami leans his head on his hand in what looks like an exasperated boredom as Siamun explains that the tomb of Yami's father served as a prototype for Yami's, truth be told - but Siamun insists that there's no thief skilled enough that can get past the traps of a royal tomb. Dude, I thought you DIDN'T want him to fall asleep in his throne. You've taken him from horrified to nodding off in record time!!

The ancient version of Ishizu lifts her hands to frame the Millennium Necklace around her throat, eyes closed, and Akhenaden notices. He asks her what's wrong, calling her Isis. Oh boy, I can't avoid it now, can I? I'm going to have to use the name "Isis" just to differentiate her from Ishizu. Oh well, at least I don't hear it in the news constantly anymore...

Isis says her necklace has picked up a disturbing future, alarming Akhenaden, Yami and Siamun, all of them in nervous disbelief. She says that an evil shadow approaches this place, with incredible magic powers. The priests all turn toward the entrance expectantly. 

Is... is this dude dragging a fucking MUMMY behind him while he wears its finery??

Metal.

The guards strike a defensive stance, asking how he could DARE to approach the palace and just who he thinks he is. He says that a king is robed in gold, and since he's covered in the stuff himself, he says this must make him a king, a king of thieves. Not sure about the soundness of that logic, but he doesn't seem to be taking it too seriously himself, laughing it up. One of the guards points out that he's wearing gold funerary relics and labels him a grave-robber accordingly. The caller at the palace yells at him to shut it, because he's got no use for the guards. He demands they tell the pharaoh that the king of thieves from Kul Elna has come to see him - the great Bakura. 

Fuck, there's ANOTHER one?? Well, at least thief!Bakura provided me with a handy way to differentiate him from the others in text. Literally the LEAST he can do.

Inside, Mahado's ring starts rattling by itself on his neck, its dangling cones pointing every which way. Shada asks Mahado what's wrong and he answers that the Millennium Ring has detected a great shadow power. A smattering of guards run into the room, alerting the pharaoh in a panic that there is a grave-robber calling himself Bakura heading toward the chamber. While the priests shout about the insanity of this and ask the guards just what the hell they're DOING, Yami ruminates on the name Bakura. He doesn't have much time to do so, because thief!Bakura leaves a trail of guards he's tossing around like ragdolls in his wake on the way to the throne room. 

Destination: reached. Minimal effort. 

Everyone in the room glares at the intruder, who drops a shit-ton of gold relics on the floor in front of him, suggesting that the royals have been missing them. He says he just removed them from Akhenamkhanen's tomb, so they can't have been missing them terribly long. I guess this is where the treasures the previous prisoner said weren't in the tomb he tried to rob went, huh? Thief!Bakura yanks on the rope he tied around the mummy's neck and says he even brought along the thing he found in the sarcophagus, hurr hurr. He demands to know if they can't set better traps than the ones he got past. Like he was just looking to pass the time by breaking into a tomb and stealing all the shit in there.

Dude, I don't know what you expect them to do - you think if you get all the items together they'll provide you a cure for BOREDOM??

So, what did I think of this chapter overall? I'm very excited by the setup of our main characters being separated in this arc initially, and having to overcome barriers to converge on the resolution of the main conflict at the end. If Yuugi and company had automatically been able to accompany Yami in his journey from the beginning, without effort, it would have seemed a bit too easy for both Yami and the rest of the characters. This manga has a disappointing habit of standing most of the characters off to the side for inane commentary, so it's refreshing to see that KT has given them tension and something to DO in this arc in order to actually give Yami their support, instead of being cheerleaders on the sidelines.

We'll see if KT can keep up their momentum when they meet in the middle.

While I understand that Yami and his friends left back in present reality are disoriented and confused, and this is a perfectly reasonable reaction, I do feel like it's laid on a little thick in places. Yami being called a pharaoh and how Priest Seto looks like Kaiba are probably the aspects of falling into these past memories that Yami should have the LEAST trouble with. He has DISCUSSED these aspects with others numerous times in the past, had visions regarding these things, so they should be EXPECTED. But I do appreciate how he cringes at the morbidity of Siamun designing and building his tomb, and his uncertainty when responding to Mahado request. Stumbling over what to say and how to act in this situation is something that would throw anyone for a loop. I just wish there was a bit less grappling with things he should already have a basic understanding of.

At least he didn't have much trouble grasping that BAKURA was coming to see him. For now, anyway. How he feels in the next chapter remains to be seen.

Inuyasha Manga: 225 The Monster in the Castle Remains

I'll join it if the castle has AC, because my apartment DOES NOT. I now live in the Pacific Northwest, and moved here with the expectation that the summers would not be nearly as intense as those in Virginia. Rather shortsighted for someone who has some rather acute climate anxiety, I must admit. We were all pretty blind-sided by the extreme heat recently, my husband and I caught without so much as a fan anymore, having purged a lot of our more clumsy belongings during our big move across the US. We spent the whole weekend hugging ice-packs and fanning ourselves manually with a folded fan my husband fashioned from one of his composite watercolor sheets. 

What does this have to do with Inuyasha? We named the fan Kagura.

Something I'm sure Kouga would want to fight about. Not that there's much he WOULDN'T fight about.

Two-tone brings up a fair point here - where does Kouga plan on looking for Naraku now? Did he pick up a clue that the other visitors to the abandoned castle that the others (especially KIKYOU) somehow missed? 

Nah, he thrusts a fist into his opposite palm, expressing his plan to go beat the information out of INUYASHA. It seems reasonable to Kouga's two underlings that Inuyasha might know something, but I'm seriously perplexed. For real, Kouga? You think INUYASHA knows jack shit about what happened to Naraku? I mean, I know you probably smell him here from his recent visit, but really...

He kicks up a dust-cyclone as he speeds off, leaving behind his protesting followers, who whine at him to wait up and not leave them behind. He's not listening, focused on reasoning out how he knows Naraku isn't there; if he were, he'd be out to get those Shikon shards in Kouga's legs without a doubt. Bulletproof logic, right there, though why he NEEDS it is a little confusing. Does he think Inuyasha is going to quiz him when the meet up or something? Grill him on any fallacies he may have used?

Back at the castle, through the corridors, down the steps and below the floor where Kagura was pulled a few chapters ago...

Ugh, it already looks like something a cat coughed up. 

Narrow sky transition panel! Kagome hums when Miroku asks her what's wrong as they meander down a road, and she says that she senses a Shikon fragment nearby. Miroku, Sango and Shippou immediately turn at a whizzing sound emerging behind them, and the whirlwind poking up out of the trees in tandem. Inuyasha cracks his knuckles in anticipation of a fight, snarling that it's no wonder he smelled something nasty, and Kagome asks him if he's really angry already. Come on, girl, you know it's a perpetual issue. 

Inuyasha lunges forward, complaining that Kouga's come to make yet another pass at his girl, though he fails to listen to a warning call from said girl as he does so.

Did he just bounce off Inuyasha's head to vault over Kagome and land perfectly?? I swear, if these guys got a clue and sold tickets for their antics, they would be swimming in cash. 

Kouga gets real up close and personal with Kagome, holding her hands and asking in a serious tone if she's been well. She sweatdrops in discomfort, smiling at the lunatic anyway, as is a lady's cautious way. Veins popping and steam issuing from the top of his head, Inuyasha inserts himself in between them, facing Kouga with murder in his expression. I mean, if looks could kill, right? Kouga casually refers to Inuyasha as his favorite pet name for him, Dog-Turd, and promptly demands that Inuyasha tell him everything he knows about Naraku bouncing without a trace. 

Still practically touching foreheads, Inuyasha asks if that's all Kouga came for, and when Kouga responds that there's no possible other reason for his being here, Inuyasha barks at him not to get all friendly with Kagome then. Kouga snaps back a demand that Inuyasha respond to the damn question he asked. Miroku steps forward to admit that they too are searching for Naraku's new location, and Kouga isn't buying it. He asks why Naraku would abandon his castle anyway. 

This is Inuyasha's moment, and he's wearing the smirk to match. Scoffing, Inuyasha smugly asks if Kouga really wants to know why Naraku fled. Kouga makes a curious noise at him.

Oh, Inuyasha is REVELING in that shocked expression on Kouga's face. But when Inuyasha boasts at how surprised Kouga looks, Kouga mutters that Inuyasha cornered Naraku that fully, then turns livid to shout in disbelief that such an idiot let him get away under those perfect circumstances. Inuyasha's expression immediately crumples and he recoils in his own alarm at how his proud announcement was turned back on him. 

Kouga swivels and face-palms, sighing at how pathetic this is and claiming that if he'd been there, he'd have finished Naraku off. Kagome has to try to soothe Inuyasha, standing in his way with a strained smile, as Inuyasha has a hand on Tessaiga while he yells a threat at Kouga and tells him to cut out that selfish bullshit. He's putting in way too much effort for a sentiment that could just be expressed with a single jerk-off motion in my opinion. 

Suddenly, Kouga's nose picks up something, represented by a starburst effect behind it and his serious hum. Inuyasha has also noticed the intrusion of Naraku's smell when Two-Tone and Mohawk burst out of the foliage nearby, calling to Kouga in a panic. Respectively, they provide pieces of the news that something has come out from Naraku's castle. 

Eat your heart out, Yura. Or, comb, in her case.

Sango stutters out a question about what that thing is, and Miroku suggests an offspring of Naraku while Shippou just blurts its one distinguishing quality: hair. Kouga asks his boys for confirmation that this thing came from Naraku's castle, and Two-Tone says this is the thing that crawled out of there alright. Because he didn't smell this thing earlier, Kouga is understandably questioning what the hell is going on here. And Because RT is inconsistent with when she remembers that these characters have a hyper sense of smell, I was ready to just assume it just escaped her again. 

The hairball grunts and gurgles about a Shikon fragment, Kouga, Kagome and Inuyasha all staring open-mouthed at it for a moment. Inuyasha regains his senses to jump in front of Kagome and snap at her to get back, reiterating that this giant hairy thing is after Shikon shards, assuming apparently that she couldn't make out the creature's poor mastery of language. Kagome responds with a hilarious "uh, yeah" behind him, which I like to read as sarcastic, even if I know that's not how it was intended. 

The monster gurgles again, shooting several locks of hair at Inuyasha. He runs toward it, insulting its fucking bizarre body, but considering it fortunate that the thing can talk. Inuyasha either catches and holds a loop of hair in his fist, or the hair itself catches and wraps around his hand, it's a little difficult to tell. Maybe both? Anyway, Inuyasha yanks back on the hunk of hair his fingers are entangled in.

Brute strength indeed; it's quite the crater that Inuyasha creates slamming this thing into the ground. So much so that it looks like a cliff or something in the next panel when Inuyasha screams down at it to tell him where Naraku is. The hairball gurgles once more, some more hair standing up from behind it to slither at Kagome. Inuyasha turns to yell her name, but it's obvious he's a bit tangled up at the moment. 

Polyandry is working so well for Kagome.

Kouga shouts over his shoulder that he'll leave the monster to ol' Dog-Turd while he takes Kagome to a safe place, though Kagome responds with a unsettled noise. Inuyasha yells at that self-centered bastard, clumps of hair still clutched in his fists. Those clumps are not secure as it turns out, and begin to detach from the creature.

Okay, not only is this actually a cliff, which materialized out of nowhere based on the view we got of this area earlier in the chapter, but this looks familiar.

TOO FAMILIAR.

Is this the most unintentionally hilarious thing I've seen in this comic thus far, and you're going to have to excuse me so I can learn how to BREATHE again.

...

... And my lungs are working once more. We're good.

Anyhow, as Inuyasha examines the locks of hair still wrapped around his fists, Sango steps forward to comment on how weak that thing was for a Naraku incarnation. Inuyasha begs to differ, asserting that it fell over the cliff deliberately, going after the Shikon fragments. What, did Kouga deliberately run UNDER the monster hanging over the cliff for some reason? 

Transition to Kouga still sprinting with Kagome in his arms, who's telling him to hold up, and asking just how far he plans on running. Not far at all, apparently. Kouga says that Inuyasha, the hopeless bastard he is, apparently let the monster get away. Kagome appears a little mystified by this, again making confused noises.

Honestly, I'm with Kagome here. Question marks EVERYWHERE.

So, what did I think of this chapter overall? It turned into kind of a mess there at the end, to the point where even one of the characters was confused. The creature from the castle doesn't appear to have any concrete physical rules to how it behaves, which is a little frustrating. It didn't start out the chapter able to move as fast as Kouga, since it could only keep up with his toadies, but by the end of the chapter Kouga isn't able to outrun it for some reason? We also don't really know why Kouga wasn't able to smell the thing at first even though this fact was specifically pointed out. I can't really remember from my previous Inuyasha readings if there was a reason given eventually, so I'll hold out for an explanation. If I had to guess, it's probably because the monster was in a bunch of tiny disjointed pieces at the beginning, only melding together after Kouga left, so its parts were not detectable as the coherent scent of one whole being. 

But, that's just a guess.

There was no way of telling a cliff was in the geography from the previous shots of the landscape we got, so it kind of came across as an add-in when RT realized she needed a plausible way for the monster to get away from Inuyasha. But this solution ended up creating an unfortunate visual parallel between Kikyou and the creature that... I can't unsee now. I'll probably be thinking of this hairy-vagina monster every time I see Kikyou now, which might take away a LOT of the gravity from the character. I'm both saddened by this and truly amused, dreading and anticipating making this reference in future chapters, all at once.

Congratulations RT: you've made my feelings toward your serious priestess lady a mess of a contradiction. I will have you pen for this, by thunder!