Inuyasha Manga: 237 Jakotsu

With over 60 hours of PTO I need to spend before the new year, and our main construction contractors taking the Friday following Thanksgiving off, it's time to kick back and relax for old Writch! I've a lot of loafing planned, along with some writing, blogging, reading, and NOT buying anything. As you might expect, I've never been one to participate in the nightmare tradition of Black Friday, but this year I am making a conscious effort not to spend a single red cent, especially on anything from Amazon. Mr. Wannabe-Space-Cowboy can suck it, I'm not giving him MY dollars unless he's ever planning on giving me something back in the form of fucking taxes and treating his employees with respect. 

That goes for all the other rich bastards out there as well. Let the people unionize, pay a fair share, and no more tricking people into fighting over garbage products that aren't even worth the "discount" they're offered under. 

A retail worker's Black Friday nightmare?

Inuyasha continues by saying that this guy doesn't smell like a regular human, but a corpse/burial soil. Jakotsu just tilts his head and makes a mocking noise, because he doesn't need to argue, it's all true. Miroku begins to suggest what Inuyasha might mean with a significant tone, and Inuyasha cuts him off with confirmation, then addresses Jakotsu again. He cites the rumor going around the area about a nasty zombie coming up from the grave, Miroku following up by mentioning the group of mercenaries who were cornered by the army and beheaded. He demands to know if Jakotsu is one of the Shichinin-tai, but Jakostu remains silent, staring. 

Patience stretched thin, Miroku tells Jakotsu to answer. Instead, Jakotsu grins and gushes about how in addition to Inuyasha being super cute, the priest is too, and he would LOVE to see his agonized face. 

Hey Miroku, how's it feel? You know, being the RECIPIENT of creepy sexual comments? You uh, feel uncomfortable? Just a little? 

Miroku begins to unwind the beads from around his cursed hand, asking Inuyasha if he's okay with Jakotsu being sucked up, and Inuyasha gives his blessing. Kagome tells them to hold their horses, though, alerting them to the fact that this guy has a Shikon shard, hypothesizing that the power of the fragment resurrected him. Miroku and Inuyasha give her a critical glance before Inuyasha turns back to Jakotsu, demanding to know who gave him the Shikon shard. Jakotsu, one-track mind that he has, observes that Inuyasha's angry face is even cuter. 

Inuyasha draws Tessaiga, shouting at the pervert to shut up, and promising to force the truth out of him. Jakotsu says that Inuyasha's sword is really interesting, and refers to his in competition with it - 

And the phallic symbolism is back in FULL FORCE in this comic. 

Miroku swings his arm out to protect the girls, warning them it's a concealed sword and to get back. Despite its prominent display before and after whatever its little trick is retracts and locks back onto the blade clutched in Jakotsu's hand. He chuckles about it.

Sango says she had thought the way in which the soldiers were killed, as if they were quickly wiped out and didn't even have time to cross swords with him. Can't IMAGINE why this would raise alarm bells. Inuyasha thinks that Jakotsu seemed to be whipping something long, but it also doesn't appear that simple to him either. His pondering on the guy's sword are cut off, almost literally.

The ring of dead men around Jakotsu just does not compare in the least with the severity of a nick on Inuyasha's shoulder, for sure. The source of Miroku and Sango's shock seems to be the bendy nature of Jakotsu's sword, though, by Miroku's exclamation on the next panel. As he winds up for another downward slash, Jakotsu asks if they like it, calling this sword the "attack captain" of the Shichinin-tai. When he swings the sword, he gives them the full name of the thing: "Jakotsu-sama's Jakotsu-tou". Thankfully he doesn't refer to it that way for the rest of his time in this manga, because it's a nightmare mouthful.

... Not gonna lie, that looks utterly ridiculous. 

Jakotsu never really seems to care much about how he looks to others, though, so that checks out. He scoffs and swings his arm again, creating a wave of interconnected blades that Inuyasha barely blocks with a grunt. Or, at least, he tries. The whip-sword bends upwards rapidly again and slices what looks like his thigh, or something? It's not clear. All as the earth breaks up at his feet from the rebound of Jakotsu's sword. Miroku frets about how this weapon bounced back, even after it was deflected, and Kagome yelps that it almost behaves like a snake, Shippou clinging to her side once more. 

Meanwhile, Jakotsu is having a bit too much fun. He's swinging his arm around, commanding Inuyasha to jump around some more. Inuyasha has no choice but to obey, leaping to the side to avoid another encounter with the sword. But the tip whips around the back of his head and nicks his cheek despite his evasive maneuvers. Jakotsu chuckles viciously, yanking the interconnected blades back, while Inuyasha gapes and silently curses about how he can't tell where the blades will come from. 

Really excited, Jakotsu gushes about Inuyasha's great expression, how thrilling it is to him. As he swings again, he shouts that he wants more, but this is followed by a cry of "Hiraikotsu" from the sidelines. Jakotsu finds his chain of blades tangled in Sango's giant boomerang, her frozen in the stance in which she just threw it. At first he quietly seethes about the female presence in the fight now, but it doesn't last long. 

The boomerang is returned to Sango violently in the string of blades and she flinches back along with Miroku and Kagome on the other side, but not in time to avoid a gash to her forearm when she lifts it to protect her face and neck. Kagome immediately rushes over to ask after Sango, who stutters that it's only a scratch. Looking overly sour, Jakotsu yanks his blades back into place on their hilt and then yells at Sango to get back and stop interfering with their fun. Presumably his and Inuyasha's, but I don't know how he can expect Inuyasha is having much fun here, being sliced and diced as he is. 

Especially when he rushes at Jakotsu's flank while the sadist is distracted with his lecture to Sango.

Noooooo, what could possibly be creepy about attaching sexual undertones to slicing into a guy while throwing a tantrum over a woman trying to intervene in the violence? 

When Jakotsu skids to a stop on one knee, having been propelled a distance by the force of Inuyasha's punch, he massages the bruise on his cheek and whines that Inuyasha is really cold. Is it because he's not fawning over how cute you look when you're in pain, or do you just not like it when YOU'RE the one who has to suffer injury? It's perfectly fair that Inuyasha doesn't try to clarify this point when he tells Jakotsu to shut up, though. He asks where Jakotsu got the Shikon fragment in his body from, barking that he had better answer soon.

Nearby...

Can't say I'd expect it - being dead and in the ground doesn't leave room for a lot of personality growth. Just decay.

So, what did I think of this chapter overall? Man, I'm really feeling how poorly Jakotsu's character has aged over the years during a more critical reading. The literal sadism during the fight that really shoves in your face how he's getting off to hurting Inuyasha, his lack of consideration or a sense of reciprocity when he thinks it's not fair when HE'S the one getting hit, the obvious abject HATRED of women in how he responds to Sango's interference in the battle; all of it reads as the most horrible stereotype of predatory gay possible, and it's really cringe-worthy. Not really the kind of bigoted skew you can ignore in our current year of 2021, much less the very end. 

The one saving grace of all this is the moment where Miroku gets a little taste of his own medicine, having to endure some sexual harassment from someone he's not attracted to for a change. It gives me a little bit of catharsis seeing the guy who just CANNOT keep his fucking hands and comments to himself get a little comeuppance, even though I know there will be NO reflection on this point for him later, despite how much he could stand a little of that. I'm also going to be a tad charitable here and not interpret Jakotsu's focus on how cute the boys are over there as an obsession with his sexual gratification, or at least not JUST that. He comes across as a little ditzy, someone childish who doesn't really consider anything outside of his current interest. He doesn't answer questions, doesn't engage in conversation, just pursues the part of the interaction that he's anticipating and that's all he really wants. While that CAN play into a stereotype of hedonism, it also isn't exclusively negative or aimed at gay men, so I can give that one just a smidge of room. But not more than that. 

As usual, there are rumors that have been flying around the internet for YEARS regarding RT's intentions for Jakotsu, the most prominent being that she only made him a man because she didn't want Inuyasha to beat up on a woman. Personally, I think that's a poor excuse for perpetuating hateful stereotypes about gay people in an extremely popular comic in its day, and sounds to me like she just thought responding to the criticism at the time with "well it would be much worse if I were making my hero commit violence against a woman right?" would give her a pass. I don't know how much thought she gave to the issue when she wrote it (after all, I am well aware of the time crunch she had to have been under in making these decisions for her weekly serialization, as any long-time reader of this blog knows), but it seems like it wasn't a lot because she's had female villains before. It's not like she couldn't have made a female Jakotsu square off against our strong heroines in order to avoid such a problem. 

But hey, far be it from me to encourage some creative problem-solving from an author I KNOW is capable of it.

Yu-Gi-Oh Manga: 295 Tears in the Nile

Wow, we're getting devastatingly poetic in this title today. Not that this isn't fine with me; I've been feeling a tad melancholy over the past few days, moody after a fashion. I couldn't say what it is. Maybe the somewhat dangerous amount of rain and flooding we've been getting in my area lately, or the increasing cold and decreasing sunlight, or the incessant talk of Thanksgiving here in the States while I worry about the cost of feeding us REGULAR meals rising, let alone colonizer feasts. 

But, I can at least be grateful for the fact that I'm not in mourning like some of our characters in the chapter before last. 

Though, even if I'm not in mourning necessarily, Mahado's departure isn't exactly lifting the mood. Bit of a bummer, really.

Priest Seto insists that the most important thing here is whether Mahado managed to take thief!Bakura with him, because there's a chance the Millennium Ring was stolen if thief!Bakura escaped. He demands that they search the tomb for thief!Bakura's body pronto. Kalim says that it's too soon, pointing out that if thief!Bakura is alive, cracking the tomb open to look for him might give him a chance to escape. Akhenaden argues that if the guy has already found his way out of the tomb with the Millennium Ring, it would be disastrous. 

So Siamun turns to Priestess Isis, whom he asks to look into thief!Bakura's future with her necklace. Not a bad roundabout idea, since dead men not only tell no tales, but also don't exactly have futures to see into. Indeed, after a moment in which Isis hovers her cupped hands around the aura her Millennium Necklace gives off as she tries to read the future, she opens her eyes and admits to seeing nothing. I would say "there you go", but I'm still not convinced that thing ACTUALLY tells the future...

Guess who's also got his doubts? Priest Seto scoffs and snaps that this this all because of Mahado's incompetence. Jeez, dude, you don't have to kick the guy while he's down, especially when he won't be back up ever. Priest Seto demands to know why Isis didn't predict the effects of Mahado's actions before they happened, and she placidly reminds him that he knows she can't see the futures of those who hold the Millennium Items. 

Oh. Well I guess Siamun's idea wasn't as good as I first thought, when you could draw OPPOSITE conclusions from a single result... Even Siamun himself admits that the fact that Isis can't see thief!Bakura's future could either mean he's dead or that he now has the Millennium Ring. She confirms this, but summons her Spiria ka to fly over to the tomb and use its clairvoyance to search it in her stead. Now THIS is a good idea. Yami promises to leave it all to her. 

Priest Seto addresses Yami, claiming that thief!Bakura may be hiding in the city if he's escaped, and he would like to send his own troops to scour the streets for any sign of him, due to urgency. Akhenaden gives Priest Seto a somewhat alarmed look, and Yami looks a little suspicious of this request as well, not providing an answer. As is right and proper, because bro has been super sus this whole time. 

There's a sudden disturbance at the entrance; the guards are blocking someone from coming into the room. It's Mana, calling for Master Mahado while spears are being crossed in front of her to prevent her from going any farther. The guards yell that this is sacred ground and she should get back, and she just shouts right back to be let in because she needs to see her master. Oh no, girl, you do NOT want to see this...

Priest Seto asks what the deal is, calling for Mana to be thrown out, but Yami, amazingly, recognizes her and calls her by her name. Still can't remember his OWN, I should point out. He says it's alright, ordering the guards to let her in. They stand down immediately.

I suppose I was overdue for this comic shattering my heart into tiny pieces again, yeah.

And Mana adds an additional blow to it by asking Yami if he can summon the ka from the slabs, requesting that he let her see her master again, tears streaming down her face. Time to bust out my most trusty GIF again:

Yami doesn't say anything, hanging his head a little. Isis approaches to tell Mana that Mahado's soul was wounded in battle so it would be best to let him rest for now. As Mana continues to weep looking up at her, Isis says that Mana's magic isn't quite strong enough for her to see spirits yet, and suggests that Mana also still doesn't have her own spirit ka in her own soul as well. Mana remains quiet, looking down at the floor again, Isis telling her that she has to train harder to follow in Mahado's footsteps. Hopefully she doesn't follow ALL of them - maybe leave out the ones where he dies horribly to fuse with his spirit monster. 

All the same, Mana hiccups that she'll become a great sorcerer, wiping away her river of tears with the back of her hand. 

What do you mean "we"? What do you mean "our"?? Where exactly are YOUR tears, son?? I must have missed them over your pissing and moaning about Mahado was dumb and wrong and no one should be paying attention to his death.

He insists that they have to act, and implores Yami to let him send troops into the city again, asking Yami to let him save the people from thief!Bakura's threat. For a guy who can't spare a moment to the memory of one of his fellow priests, this guy seems a little TOO eager to claim he's looking out for anyone but himself. Yami still looks wary, but Siamun says it might be a good idea to stay on their guard, given they don't know if thief!Bakura is alive or dead. After a pause, Yami says to Priest Seto that he'll let him station troops, with the caveat that they don't threaten the people, reminding Priest Seto that his target is thief!Bakura. He doesn't so much as BLINK when he agrees, though I don't need a Millennium Necklace to see terrorism by the aristocracy in the city's future.

Cut to said city, where folks are milling in the streets, a child and a goose running around loose as well. Just to make the scene visually interesting. Yuugi and crew stare around in awe, except for Bobasa. He knows what's up. 

They stare at the strolling people, buying things at vendors set up under awnings and on rugs in the street, utterly flabbergasted. Jonouchi asks Honda if he sees what he sees, and Honda says he does, but he's not sure if he believes it even if the place and the people look so real. They booth look on edge. Anzu calls to them to look where she's pointing, at the grand palace, the entrance flanked with massive statues of sitting pharaohs. Someone exclaims that they really ARE in ancient Egypt. 

Yuugi reminds them that this is the world of memory from when Yami was pharaoh 3000 years ago, so he concludes that Yami must be in there, since he's the king. Jumping at this logic, Jonouchi calls for them to get going, then, leading them in an exuberant run toward the palace. Honda says he always knew Yami would make good, and predicts he'll greet them with a big feast. Growing teenage boys... I knew they should have brought snacks. 

Bobasa yells at them that they CAN'T, arms crossed and looking sternly down at them as they stop dead and turn to him in question. He explains that they do not exists here, and are like ghosts in this world, no one so much as able to SEE them.

REJECTED.

Jonouchi's jaw is clenched as he looks over his shoulder at this woman, horrified and in disbelief that she walked right through him. Bobasa punctuates this example with the reiteration that they can touch nothing and talk to no one. All the boys freak out over this, practically flailing in confusion and alarm, but Bobasa reminds them that their purpose here is to find the pharaoh's lost name under these conditions, nothing else. The group stares in silence a moment, Yuugi silently agreeing that this WAS the original purpose for the visit. He seems to easily accept this as the true mission. 

But Jonouchi is still hell-bent on taking the trip to the palace. He reasons that since they're invisible, they can sneak in and see how Yami is doing, striking a STRANGE pose that pairs an intrepid stance with a creepy expression. Bobasa shoots down this idea as well and Jonouchi starts throwing a tantrum demanding to know why not, accusing him of denying this request just to make things difficult. Bobasa says that there's still places they can't go, even in the World of Memory, including a palace which Yami seems to have a LARGE desire to protect. According to Bobasa, there's a big invisible shield that will push them away if they get too close. 

Anzu complains that it's not fair, Yuugi whines that they're so close, and Jonouchi asks aggressively why protecting the palace is more important to Yami than seeing his friends. Putting aside the fact that he CAN'T see you... Maybe because it's a whole-ass PALACE?

Yuugi huffs in frustration, wondering how he can find this name without going to the most obvious place or talking to anyone. He thinks this is going to be hard, JUST before he crosses paths with a Memory World native man in distress, yelling that this is terrible. He announces to the people within earshot that a decree was just passed down from the priests that they're going to station troops in the city. As an outcry begins, Yuugi looks over his shoulder in curiosity at the word "priests". Another man shouts that they're looking for someone called "Bakura", while a third balks at this name, asking if they mean the one called "Bakura: King of Thieves". This of course elicits gapes and alarm from Yuugi and Jonouchi, recognizing the name of their friend. There's more talk about the horrible deeds of thief!Bakura among the city-dwellers: he plundered the pharaoh's tomb, killed over 100 soldiers, in THIS city, all stuff we're well aware of as readers by now. Asshole!Bakura is pretty amused by this information as he continues to lurk behind walls, though, saying it looks like he's famous here, that he's HONORED. 

Or, the closest thing he can feel to it, I'm sure.

And here we have a couple of religious leaders, up their own asses. 

Priest Seto tells Shada that if he hunch is correct, then thief!Bakura is still alive, which seems to shock Shada who gives him an exclamation of disbelief in return. The guy who was throwing a giant fit about how thief!Bakura might still be alive a few minutes ago thinks thief!Bakura is still alive? YOU DON'T SAY. Priest Seto says he hates to say so (doubtful), but he thinks Mahado died in vain, and even made the situation worse. Shada gasps about the Millennium Ring while Priest Seto says that thief!Bakura's evil will grow if he puts it on, becoming something they can't handle even with the pharaoh's help. He claims it could topple the dynasty, to Shada's continued shock.

All within earshot of the dudes hauling their asses down the stairs. Hope they're all satisfied with their jobs...

Priest Seto asks if Shada knows why he brought him, the palace judge, to the city with him. He references the Millennium Key and its powers to search men's souls, discovering the ka inside them, and the monsters and demons in their hearts. Shada Remains cautiously silent as Priest Seto explains that he needs him to use the key to find those who MUST exist in the city with powerful ka in their souls, or the potential for them. Shada protests that he's not allowed to look into the souls of the innocent, and he would never, but Priest Seto asks if he can be certain that ANOTHER thief!Bakura isn't likely to appear to threaten the country. Shada seems to be falling for this ludicrous "preemptive justice", "minority report" nonsense as Priest Seto continues to manipulate him with the notion that they might not be able to oppose another NIGHTMARE attack on the palace. Gullible as he is, Shada thinks in horror that he's right. Fascism ahoy! 

Priest Seto claims that they have to root out all potential threats and revolutionaries, to protect the pharaoh, of course. Not to satisfy his own perverse impulse to exercise greater and greater control over the people under him. And his torture implements. He calls to his attendants to put him down, and stands up from his palanquin. An old man exclaims about his lord priest, a young man asks cluelessly why there are so many soldiers out, and a spearman yells at them all to bow down.

Oh boy, these folks are gonna have a BAD time, aren't they?

So, what did I think of this chapter overall? LOTS of little details dropped in this one, and I have a suspicion that it was out of convenience. They're not necessarily BAD details, and their introduction was fairly natural without being forced, but they do raise a couple of questions and are contradictory in places. Isis SAYS she can't read the future of the others holding Millennium Items, but that doesn't appear to apply to the other items, considering how frequently one Millennium Item has broken into the mind of another item's wielder all throughout this series. Hell, I'm pretty sure Ishizu managed to use the necklace herself in visions around Marik and his future, wrong as they were at times. I can't be sure of it, mind you, but some of the visions she had included Marik's fate, even if she had to skirt around this weird limitation that ONLY seems to apply to her particular item.

The implication that those without strong enough sorcery being unable to see the kas that come out of the tablets is dubious - the guards and people outside the palace saw Galastgoras flying into it from the shrine, they commented on it and everything. Are all of them sorcerers themselves, stronger than the apprentice of the strongest sorcerer among even the PRIESTS? Thank goodness this meshes pretty well with the implication that Kaiba's holographic technology gives form to the monsters that EVERYONE can see, otherwise I would be even MORE confused.

And does Shada REALLY need an actual RULE that states he can't look into random peoples' heads in order to think it's weird for Priest Seto to be asking him to do that?

... You know what, scratch that. The version of him with an "i" on the end would DEFINITELY need to be told not to root around in innocent minds.

In any case, none of this BREAKS the story, but it does start to crumble a little when you look at it too closely. And aside from these headscratchers, I liked this chapter a lot. It was well-paced, it had emotional weight combined with tug-o-war between the powers that be that indicates this whole thief!Bakura business has revealed some stress-cracks in the system, with a little comic relief in between. Mana, like her master before her, manages to cut DEEP with her grief despite how recently she was introduced, and I think that's because KT did such a good job at establishing her personality and relationship to Mahado in the small amount of time he had. If he hadn't, I wouldn't have been so moved by how upset she was.

The appearance of Yuugi and company in the Memory World as ghost-like entities is a fun subversion, since usually it's the folks from the past that lurk around in the future as spirits. And, call me crazy, but this revelation coming after Isis's statement that Mana needs to become a stronger sorcerer in order to see her master again is an indication that she might actually meet up with them later? It's not very strong, but there appears to be a narrative connection between the discussion of Mana becoming powerful enough to see what is essentially the ghost of her master, and the comparison of Yuugi and company TO ghosts. And now that I've been advised of the fact that there is a REASON that events are happening in the Memory World that are outside the purview of Yami's personal memory, I'm more open to the possibility that Yuugi and friends maybe becoming visible to SOMEONE, even if it's not Yami. Just a thought.

As for Priest Seto and his creepy plans, he was so straightforward with his disdain for Mahado and weird eagerness to go out into the city to look for "thief!Bakura" that I'm surprised Yami and Akhenaden were the only ones who were suspicious of him. Boy should have been raising alarm bells with EVERYONE at this point. But maybe they were all too distracted by their grief to pay his strange behavior mind. 

Not to mention he seems to be in the habit of making a scene every chance he gets. Proto-Kaiba normalizing being a creep over here.

Inuyasha Manga: 236 Shichinin-Tai

Seven?! No sir. I had a friend and her boyfriend over for a few days last week and that just took all the energy out of me. It was great fun, don't get me wrong; we went hiking a little at a couple of easy trails on the peninsula, ate at a few local restaurants, went to an antique mall up north, and watched the whole of Midnight Mass since my friend doesn't have Netflix and hadn't seen it yet. But I am so severely out of shape both physically and socially that the minor amount of activity just wore me right out. I can't even IMAGINE the amount of energy I would have to have in order to parade around in a group of seven when I'm exhausted after just FOUR. 

Exactly the face my friend made when I lost my shit trying to drive everyone to a restaurant from Google's shitty directions. Ileana, if you're reading this, I'm really sorry, lol!

Kagome's concerned look is actually directed at what looks like an army marching past a few scattered villagers. They wonder if it's a war, but one particularly intuitive guy says it looks like they're off to exterminate something, out in force though they are. Not sure what about these guys carrying flags and following leaders on horseback in formation suggests an "extermination" rather than "war", but I guess SOMEONE had to come to the right conclusion despite the lack of actual information. 

The man continues to expound upon the situation without any evidence, saying to a couple of fellows in the fields that it appears the border guard was wiped out. At least this seems a little like just a regular old rumor in how it's presented. Another guy says he heard it was terrible, and not like the work of humans at all. He wonders aloud if it's true that they're cursed by a zombie from the Shichinin grave. This phrase appears to really catch Inuyasha and company's attention. 

Miroku approaches the gossiping men, asking if they can talk for a moment. Inuyasha questions Miroku for asking these men about the situation, but Kagome asserts that there's no way they can ignore this. While he stands with his back to them, Miroku and the surprisingly-informed squatting village man, the rest of both groups surrounding them in curiosity. The village man tells them that the Shichinin grave is a burial mound meant to appease the spirits of the Shichinin-tai. Miroku repeats the name back to him as a question.

The village man says it's a 10-year-old story, about a group of seven mercenaries that came to them from farther east. Not the retainers of any lord, they just wandered from war to war, taking up killing jobs wherever they could. Freelancers for murder, of a sort. Inuyasha's whole entourage, including himself, gives the man curious looks. Over the backdrop of a burning building, the village farmer says the mercenaries were strong enough to do the work of one hundred soldiers.

Kagome cradles little Shippou in her lap as she makes a noise of nervous awe, and Inuyasha looks sideways speechlessly at the man telling them the story. The village man speculates that these were guys who just liked to kill, given what's said about them. It's the first fair conclusion he's drawn so far.

The village farmer continues the tale, saying that after a lot of atrocities, several daimyou were a little nervous about the power of these guys, and joined forces to subjugate them. It was quite a struggle, though, and the man raised a finger to punctuate the statement to Miroku, who has no doubt that this would be true. The Shichinin-tai managed to evade their pursuers for a while and begin an escape to the mountains, but the mercenaries were few and the professional armies were many (and decidedly NOT made mostly out of defenseless villagers like they were used to slaying by the dozens, I'm guessing). They were eventually seized in a burned-out village a little north of this one. The village farmer says the Shichinin-tai were all decapitated and burned; the locals were afraid of being cursed and erected a little stone shrine-like structure to appease the homicidal band's souls. 

At the conclusion of this story and the definition of the Shichinin grave, Miroku is the only one who speaks, and just with an affirmation that he sure did hear that spooky campfire tale. Kagome asks meekly about what the village farmer said earlier about being cursed by a zombie.

The face of a girl who isn't sleeping a WINK tonight. 

After a narrow sky transition panel, the gang is walking along, with Miroku still musing aloud about the whole zombie deal they just heard about. Sango asks what he thinks, and he begins to express some doubt that this is just the rabble gushing forth after Naraku's evil aura disappeared. Out in front of the group, Inuyasha admits he's not sure if this is a zombie or a youkai, but he turns to look over his shoulder, saying they're already heading in that direction. He suggests they'll just wipe the zombie out if they cross paths. He gives ZERO fucks.

Our transition panel is fancy this time - it contains MOUNTAINS. The backdrop of the flock of horsemen from before, galloping along the road toward a figure sauntering in the opposite direction. The leading rider yells at the figure to get out of the way, but he just makes a half-distracted noise back at them as they get closer. They have to skid to a stop in front of this one guy standing in the middle of the road, like slamming on the breaks for that deer meandering onto the pavement.  

The leading rider is a bit put-off by the stranger's strange appearance, while said stranger tells them they should be careful of the terrible zombie folks are saying is about if they're going any farther. The horseman snaps at this fool that they're here specifically to exterminate that zombie he's talking about. The stranger laughs that from the way they talk, they have no idea what the zombie looks like. 

Then, with a flash like lightning, the heads of the nearest horsemen AND their horses are severed, as well as the nose of the leading mount. Clearly its face was a little too long for the precise measurement that went into its dismemberment.

Certainly not the shambling brain-hungry corpse I'M familiar with. George Romero was quite a bit after this time, though, so his pop-zombie films couldn't have been what the leading rider was thinking of either...

Anyway, a couple of other riders have to take the lead now that the guy up front and a couple of others have lost their heads. One of them stutters a curse at Jakotsu here, while the other barks at the foot soldiers to surround him. They close in around Jakotsu, who watches them do so with a lazy smile, saying this brings back memories. He swings the sword from over his shoulder again, and one of the foot soldiers has JUST enough time to call him a fool for swinging for them from all the way over there before he and the others around him get sliced straight through the waist. 

Keep in mind this is an entirely SEPARATE line of guys than the one I mentioned just above. 

One of the horsemen cringes away from the halved men falling next to him, in shocked disbelief. He asserts that Jakotsu must be using some sort of dark spell to get away with that, but Jakotsu giggles in response that magic isn't what he's got there. As he swings again, he adds that it wasn't magic before his death, nor now. 

Not far away, Inuyasha definitely seems in more of a hurry before, leading his group in a dead sprint while Miroku asks about the blood he smells. Inuyasha replies that it's not just from a few people either. He keeps a troubling additional smell to himself, too, sweatdropping as he tries to place it. Eventually he realizes it's the smell of graveyard dirt. I guess Kikyou hasn't shown up enough lately, so the scent had slipped his mind.

MC Hammer, is that you?

Beholding the bloody bodies and flags laying in that perfect arc around Jakotsu in the middle, Miroku mumbles about the village they passed earlier, while Sango exclaims in disbelief that whoever that guy is, he got them all by himself. Jakotsu kind of looks around in a ditzy daze, catching sight of Inuyasha with curiosity. He shades his wide eyes and leans forward, wondering excitedly if it could indeed be Inuyasha. He IS a very distinctive fellow, not much of a chance mistaking him. 

Inuyasha, flanked by a tense Miroku and Kagome, asks in wary suspicion how this bastard knows him. Jakotsu's eyes get all kinds of shiny as he squeals that Inuyasha is so CUUUUUUUUUTE. Everyone adopts a weirded-out look, save for Kagome, who just kind of looks confused. Weird, considering she should be the LEAST confused out of all of them.

He's a classic homophobic stereotype. Ask Kagome about Disney and she'll tell you all about it. 

So, what did I think of this chapter overall? It's a shame that I covered this chapter a couple of weeks after Halloween, because this had ALL of the spooky vibes. The chilling tale at the beginning came through in the reactions of the characters, all of them clearly disturbed by the story even long after they had left the village on their way. Kagome hugging Shippou close at the mention of women and children being hacked to pieces was particularly evocative of the MOOD this telling had inspired. Even Inuyasha couldn't help but carefully listen in, despite his initial disinterest in learning about this local folktale. And his subdued attitude afterward was unnerving; you could tell it really got to him too, and his response was to just assert that they would kill the zombie if they happened across it.

Jakotsu mocking his soon-to-be victims over not being able to identify him was shiver-inducing as well. Though the soldiers thought he looked a little strange in the way he dressed, it didn't even OCCUR to them that he could be the walking corpse they were looking for, and that made all the difference. He looks just as human as anyone else, and that carries an implicit level of trust; a lowered guard that can easily be taken advantage of. Despite how brutal he is, and how much amusement he derives from being so, he's NOT a youkai, and therefore he can exploit a level of "humanity" that a youkai cannot. 

This is a prominent theme going forward. This arc basically shoves in your face how much the HUMAN monsters can get away with, and how few *AHEM* barriers exist for them to commit atrocities when they have a human ally who is, shall we say, morally compromised. There are also HEAVY implications that a sliding scale of "purity" based on human-ness is inherently unfair, much like it's unfair that Inuyasha should be looked down upon for being hanyou. So, look forward to all THAT, it's gonna be a ride. 

Obviously, I'm not THRILLED about the predatory gay stereotype that Jakotsu fills here, considering he is the only character in the whole series that is unambiguously homosexual. The only saving grace for him here is that he is one of seven characters who are all predatory in various ways, so the message isn't necessarily that being GAY is what makes him predatory. Still, it's not a GREAT look, and this will forever be one of the most disappointing parts of this series. A shame, because I'm not joking when I say I really love this guy's design. 

Finally, I'm still a little confused about how Inuyasha and company DIDN'T end up crossing paths with Kouga at ALL. What was the point of them noticing each other in the area when they wouldn't meet up? A few filler panels to round out the chapter? Why are you LIKE this, RT???

Yu-Gi-Oh Manga: 294 The Invisible Door

You know what I DESPERATELY want in my new house? A hidden bookcase door. Not literally invisible by the traditional definition, but functionally so, and SO COOL. I have zero secrets to hide behind such a door, and it would be such a ludicrous investment, but I can't help it. My inner child demands it every time I go to the room at the end of the hall to the right, designated my personal reading room. Of all the things that I could do to spruce up this house, this shouldn't even be on the list, and yet...

*Sighs wistfully*

Oh yeah! That's still happening, isn't it? Wow, how much time has passed since they astral projected in there?

I hope they brought snacks. 

That doesn't seem to be the biggest concern at the moment, though. Jonouchi is currently screaming bloody murder over a massive skeleton monster rushing at him from behind another door he's decided to open. He slams the door shut again, falling on his backside in his hurry to fling himself away from the threat, and mumbling about monsters and doors when asked what's wrong by Honda. Yuugi tells him it serves him right for always charging through the doors as he does, which may be a little harsh, but fair all the same. I mean, if the guy hasn't learned his lesson that he's got to be on the lookout for tricks and traps yet...

Looking around critically, Honda comments on how long they've been in the labyrinth of doors, questioning if they're ever going to make it out. Anzu looks at her watch only to exclaim that it has stopped, Yuugi gaping in disbelief at her. She confirms that indeed, the hands have stopped precisely when they were zapped out of the museum, and no time has passed since. Though we did not see it, we're supposed to buy that she checked her watch compulsively right before they were sucked into Yami's mind chamber, I guess. As Anzu shows a tantruming Jonouchi her wrist in the background, Honda facepalms, asking in exasperation if this is all a dream. 

He, Yuugi and Anzu all begin to walk off again, at his incomplete suggestion that they keep looking, when Jonouchi shouts at them to hold it. Honda asks over his shoulder what's up with Jonouchi, who responds that they shouldn't go that way - he's been marking every door they've tried with a magic marker smiley face, thrusting his thumb at one to his right. Honda seems somewhat enthusiastic that this is a good idea, but Yuugi likens this to "tagging", only on someone's soul, and Anzu has an even LESS flattering comparison; a dog marking its territory. It's also a very shaky one, but nice try to draw a forced parallel that has been old since Duelist Kingdom, girl. Stay classy.

Anyway, Jonouchi points at the door he drew on and reiterates that they've already been this way, and extrapolates that they're going in circles. Honda and Yuugi glance around in worry, and Jonouchi makes a frustrated exclamation. 

Despite his *AHEM* polite request, no clues are forthcoming. The labyrinth remains still and silent in the wake of the shout. Bobasa tells them that shouting won't help matters, and they must find the door on their own. 

Yuugi looks around, then approaches an unmarked door ahead of him, which does not escape Anzu's notice. He doesn't hear her saying his name, a sort of revving issuing from the door he's walking toward. Yuugi wonders why his heart hurts more the closer he gets to it, and instead of this driving him in the other direction, he reaches for the handle and pushes the door open. Like the little masochist he is. 

Yeah, there's the answer to THAT question...

Yuugi sees again how Kaiba is drawing his thumb across his neck, yelling at Yami to slit his throat with his cards. Yami is gritting his teeth as he regards Kaiba with anxiety. At this point, Jonouchi and Anzu have joined Yuugi at the door hovering above the scene, all of them realizing with shock and confusion that this is the duel with Kaiba at Duelist Kingdom. Yami's Celtic Guardian stands frozen mid-run, sword at the ready, while Yami growls in his indecision, Kaiba glaring at him across the parapet. We know where this is going: Yami shouts that he's going to do it, much to Yuugi's panic, and tears well in Yuugi's eyes as the attack proceeds at Yami's yell of Kaiba's name. 

Best and most timely action ANYONE could have taken there.

Jonouchi kneels down next to Yuugi and tells him to snap out of it, but Yuugi is still wide-eyed and panting. He says that fight was HARD on Yami, then asserts that Yami's most painful memories must be behind that door they just had a peek behind, claiming his heart ached too the moment it opened. Or, before it opened, per the moments previous. Anzu asks if this was Yami's attempt o block out the things he doesn't want to remember, and Yuugi tells her that Yami swore never to open the door again. I guess he got WAY more from opening that door than a revisit to that duel from a different angle, huh?

Though Jonouchi had a comforting hand on Yuugi's shoulder in the last panel, he curses now, spitting that they should give him a break. He says that Yami and Kaiba were different people at that point, asking how long Yami is planning on clinging to the past. Speaking of Kaiba, Jonouchi is channeling him HARDCORE right now; peas in a pod at the moment these two are! Never thought I'd see the day! Jonouchi turns to kick the door and yells that you have to get OVER things like this, to be strong. After the small conniption fit, Jonouchi runs a hand down the totally undamaged door and asks what Yami thinks friends are for anyway. 

Helping you move? 

Behind him, Honda has his arms crossed and is seething as he suggests Jonouchi regularly forgets things that are inconvenient for him immediately. Anzu says Yuugi/Yami are more sensitive than he is, and Honda says they're not "thick-skinned" like Jonouchi. Jonouchi demands to know what's with them, and throws out his arms as he promises that ONE DAY, he'll show them the inside of HIS soul, and it will be wide and bright. Honda flatly says that it sounds more like it's empty, and Anzu flushes when she admits it sounds boring. Ya'll just hating on my boy Jonouchi and I don't know why. XD

There's a disbelieving yell, and a shout that they shouldn't be arguing right now. Jonouchi and Honda are about to exchange blows and Anzu has her arms around Honda in preparation to pull him back as they all blink in surprise at Yuugi. Yuugi says he was just thinking that at first, he assumed this maze was like a lost soul, showing the uncertainty Yami had about which path he should take. But now, Yuugi suggests it might be the opposite, his friends all gaping and asking what he means. Yuugi in turn asks if it might be THEIR souls being tested, then questions if they've noticed there are only monsters and traps no matter which doors they open, looking around at the multitude they've been wandering amongst the whole time. He says the more they meander through the maze, the more complex it gets, the more doors there are. Anzu takes a glance around too, and declares he's right about there being more doors than when they got there. Yuugi mumbles about what he's been wondering...

A weird idea, considering this is supposed to be the room for YAMI'S heart, but he's MIA at the moment so I'm guessing the labyrinth has to work with SOMETHING.

Yuugi elaborated that the more they wander, the more they worry, and the more complicated the maze seems to get. Anzu protests that this has to be Yami's labyrinth, referencing the memory of the duel with Kaiba as proof. Yuugi tells her that was HIS memory, actually, uncertainty, shame, and everything he felt when Yami was dueling. Closing his eyes, Yuugi says he'll never forget what almost happened that day, and this revelation was what helped him figure this deal with the maze out. Jonouchi, Honda and Bobasa stare at him as he thinks about ALL the doors being fakes, but he knows the key to the true door is hidden somewhere.

Jonouchi's graffiti striking a chord, is it?

He turns back to the rest of them, urging them to focus on the reason they came here in the first place, Jonouchi and Honda giving him questioning looks while he closes his eyes and holds his hand out in front of them. Anzu closes her eyes too, thinking of how she wants to see Yami again. Honda grits his teeth and thinks on the query of where the heck Yami is. Jonouchi also closes his eyes and contemplates Yami. They all hold out a hand each, clustered together like an old-fashioned huddle. 

Bobasa looks astonished at this exercise, having heard about it from Shadi, who is apparently a football fan. As he regards the kids standing together and focusing on Yami, Bobasa recalls that the power of the Millennium Puzzle is that of unity. Yuugi is convinced that the way will be opened if they keep concentrating, and, miraculously, a shaft of light appears between them.

Is there anything in this comic that you CAN see? I feel like there's a lot of emphasis on invisible stuff...

The whole room seems to part, revealing a path to tall narrow opening in the wall that streams light onto the group. They go to the edge, Yuugi at the forefront of the expedition, and he's the only one who seems excited rather than... alarmed and concerned. Honda is in disbelief, to say the least, when he starts to exclaim where they appear to be.

I mean, a fairly predictable destination, given our expectations.

Yuugi is in absolute awe at Yami's world/the world of memory. As they're gazing out the door, asshole!Bakura lurks behind them in the shadows, mentally chuckling. We only get the briefest reminder that he exists, however, because we return to Yuugi thinking that somewhere in this place Yami is waiting. He even imagines Yami's form superimposed on the sky much in the same way Yami did for them. 

Yuugi happily suggests they get down there, Jonouchi balking at the idea of jumping from all the way up there. There doesn't look to be a ladder, though. So bombs away?

Honestly? I would probably have to be carried out of there too. Definitely NOT the skydiving type.

So, what did I think of this chapter overall? In contrast to the callbacks a couple of chapters ago that seemed more like a rehash, especially in establishing Priest Seto's characterization, the callback in this chapter struck me as masterful. The reintroduction of that smiley face drawn on the door, almost seeming to be a subconscious impulse on Jonouchi's part, and Yuugi's epiphany stemming from it, was a wonderful way of pulling in a powerful motif that I didn't expect. The way they drew that smiley face on their hands way back in Death-T seemed a coping mechanism more than anything at the time, but turning it into a literal KEY to supporting Yami here kind of blew me away. It draws on the implication of the invisible marks our relationships leave on us, how the people in our lives linger through the impact their love has had on us, and transforms the friendship between these characters into a tangible asset in their goals.

Just... a beautiful utilization of the imagery at the beginning of the comic, and I love it. 10/10, I am FLOORED.

My only real criticism here is how everyone was shitting on Jonouchi for an action that saved their asses. Marking largely indistinguishable doors when they've already tried them is a damn good idea anyway, but when what you use to mark them leads to a realization that gets them to the exit? Homeboy deserves an apology, especially from the two who were claiming his soul was empty and boring. I don't remember either of THEM dominating in duels they were not expecting to win and their independence arc being validated through becoming a competent competitor. 

All I remember them doing is standing on the sidelines smarming all day every day.

Inuyasha Manga: 235 Kyoukotsu

Since the guy's name is in the title, I poked around a little for a meaning, because I remember reading years ago about the common character that Kyoukotsu and his "brothers" have at the ends of their names. There seems to be a little bit of contention on this point - the character is commonly translated as "bone" or "skeleton/remains", and was especially when I first got into Inuyasha back in the day. However, just taking a trip to the wiki, the page for these characters claims that this is a mistranslation, and it should actually be read as "skill". 

Personally, after a bit of consideration, this seems like one of those common puns found in names in manga, where there's a double meaning. It makes sense that in life, these characters would have named themselves after their specific "skills" in the group. AFTER they're brought back as zombies, the character is still an appropriate description of their status as undead. 

But that's just me.

I mean, come on, you can't tell me that the translation of "bone" wouldn't fit PERFECTLY into this particular conversation. 

Kyoukotsu chuckles about still stinking, even though it's been a while since he rose from his grave. Mohawk seems astounded that the guy didn't deny it, while Two-Tone still questions if he's really a zombie. Kyoukotsu doesn't pay any attention to them; he's too busy muttering to himself that he needs to eat more to build up his body. Four or five times bigger than a normal dude, and he's still looking to get BIGGER? How much bulk is enough for this guy?

He addresses Kouga as the "energetic" one, and promptly tries to squash him good with a giant palm, announcing that Kouga will become part of Kyoukotsu-sama's body. I did NOT tack that "sama" onto the end there, he literally referred to himself that way. High on his own supply, this one. 

Kouga jumped out of the way and into the air before the hand came down, and hovers in the air a moment calling Kyoukotsu a damn monster.

ALWAYS confirm that Kouga is finished talking, or get a foot to the face. That's the rule. 

Kyoukotsu slams backward into the hillside, but doesn't take long to push himself upright again. He's noticed that Kouga's legs are on the more powerful side, and suggests that means Kouga has Shikon shards in them. Kouga does not confirm this, just asks what exactly this Kyoukotsu fellow IS. He notes silently that there's no Naraku smell on the guy, and is certain Kyoukotsu isn't an incarnation of his sworn enemy, at the very least. 

Kyoukotsu claims he's human, but Kouga's underlings (hiding behind some nearby rocks) are HIGHLY doubtful, even if they don't say this out loud. I'm also calling bullshit - humans can get pretty fucking tall, but I've never known of one that literally outgrows whole groves of trees. He is fooling NO ONE. Kouga, however, doesn't outwardly question this, and instead focuses on the claim that an ordinary human came back from the grave. 

Thrusting his thumb with an overgrown jagged nail at his forehead, Kyoukotsu indicates that it is the Shikon fragment there that brought him back to life. He even says he feels better than when he was alive. Kouga barks a question about how Kyoukotsu managed to get his grubby hands on a Shikon shard.

Yeah, just rush straight at him again. I'm sure it'll work way better than the first time. 

SHOCKINGLY, Kouga easily out of the way of that massive hand again with a scoff. He asks if Kyoukotsu really thinks he'll catch him, being so slow and all, only to find that while he was mocking what the left hand was doing, the right hand was coming up FAST behind him. Kyoukotsu claps that right hand straight to his face, no doubt banking on smashing Kouga into his mouth in the process. Mohawk and Two-Tone are alarmed, gaping open-mouthed up at the giant, but not because they're convinced Kouga has been gobbled up.

Kouga has actually escaped to hover near Kyoukotsu's ear, asking where exactly he's aiming. 

Ugh, my neck hurts just LOOKING at this. Never mind that it's rare I don't have a twinge in my neck at all these days...

Kyoukotsu goes down on his back like a sack of potatoes again, Kouga careful to avoid getting under his ample bulk. Mohawk and Two-Tone declare that Kyoukotsu got GOT, and amazingly as well, premature to the max. Kouga himself scoffs that the battle was too simple, which is precisely why I'd be suspicious of it if I were him. But to be fair he wouldn't have a lot of time to be suspicious anyway, because the ground starts twitching next to him and one of those gargantuan hands rises out of the debris to curl around him, Kouga yelping a little on the way. His entourage call out to him in horror. 

Kyoukotsu chuckles at Kouga, his head still twisted around at an unnatural angle, and Kouga grunts in frustration. With no more preamble, Kyoukotsu moves his fist and Kouga toward his mouth, declaring he'll eat Kouga AND the Shikon shards in one bite. Kouga pulls back his own fist, yelling at Kyoukotsu to get real.

Kouga's hand still buried in his skull, Kyoukotsu laughs that this doesn't even sting, which is ONE way to admit you don't have a brain to injure. After a split second of kneading in the flesh of Kyoukotsu's brow, Kouga rips a chunk of flesh right out of there, which falls away to reveal that Shikon shard Kyoukotsu indicated before. Kyoukotsu only has time to acknowledge that his Shikon fragment has been taken out of his skin before he starts to deteriorate at a rapid pace, skin disintegrating as is the custom for enemies of most kinds in this story.

I'm recreating this scene in my garden next year for Halloween, dammit.

Kouga's underlings run to him, calling out, while he groans in the pile of massive bones pinching him. He dropped the Shikon shard in the fall, and it lies just out of his reach. Kouga starts at the sound of buzzing behind him, Saimyoushou that he can identify when one hovers into view. It seems clear to him now that the one pulling Kyoukotsu's strings was Naraku after all now. We don't know if he protests at all to the giant wasp taking that shard or not, because we get another narrow sky transition panel! Whoo! Definitely not sick of those!

Superimposed over it is a question to confirm that Kyoukotsu is dead. Again. Amidst a smattering of bodies littered over the ground, Kohaku kneels and bows his head next to someone sat on a rock he calls "Jakotsu-sama". Kohaku states that yes, Kyoukotsu is dead, and Jakotsu seems exasperated by this news, but not altogether surprised, calling Kyoukotsu a useless idiot. While they look over the field of corpses, Jakotsu admits that it can't be helped, because Kyoukotsu was the weakest among them. 

Jakotsu, one shoulder of his kimono hanging off his belt to reveal a breastplate beneath, taps his forehead, asking Kohaku what he thinks. Kohaku hums in question, so Jakotsu elaborates with a thumb aloft that in addition to the information that his opponent is called "Inuyasha", he wants to know if this guy is handsome too. I can't tell if it's Kohaku's listlessness due to the brainwashing, or if his flat expression is his own exasperation with the question, but it is a hilarious compliment to his suggestion that Jakotsu go find that part out for himself. 

In my experience, it's been black most of the time. 

But that's just MY experience. 

So, what did I think of this chapter overall? I hesitate to say I found it "boring", because there are parts of it I found genuinely interesting and good. I found Kyoukotsu a somewhat intriguing villain despite his throwaway status, mainly because I was curious if he was just a youkai trying to convince everyone else and possibly himself that he was human, OR if RT actually wanted us to believe that he was despite his absurd size. Also, small as this detail was, I appreciated that Kouga remembered where Kyoukotsu had indicated his Shikon shard was and used that hint to go for the kill. I much prefer this clear logic to the mysterious way characters have been known to intuit information in the past. Finally, Jakotsu's design is fire. That's right, I said it. 

But the fight was very bland - there wasn't a lot that Kyoukotsu brought to it besides his size, both in terms of the fight and the distinguishing trait of his character. It took almost no time at all for Kouga to bring him down, so it's not the best lead-in to the LONG arc in which his fellow zombies are going to be the main villains challenging Inuyasha and company. Jakotsu said it himself: throwing Kyoukotsu out there wasn't exactly putting their best foot forward. 

Maybe that was the strategy, though? Make the enemy believe for all the world that your whole troop are a bunch of weak dullards so they put down their guard a little? All I know is that, as a reader, this less-than-engaging battle doesn't really pump me up to see how the rest of these dudes fight. 

And wasn't Inuyasha RIGHT BEHIND Kouga in the previous chapter? They haven't caught up to him yet? Kouga and Inuyasha might not be buds, but Inuyasha HAS grudgingly helped him out at Kagome's request in the past. I hope the next installment contains an excuse as to why Kagome wouldn't have suggested they go check in on the obvious battle happening with Kouga, at the VERY least. Why else put them in the vicinity, RT?