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?
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