Inuyasha Manga: 260 Face

What a vague title. Especially in a comic that has had multiple plots at this point about faces and how they change/alter/deceive others in their dynamic natures. We've seen faces get stolen, faces miraculously acquire war paint when their true identities are revealed to the protagonists, and hell, even our titular character Inuyasha's face changes to indicate a more feral and dangerous lack of sentience when he's been separated from his weapon. Surely there's a modifier that can be applied here, something more descriptive? Cool, kind, broken, anything? 

We have one without SKIN right off the bat; Ginkotsu's skull half-augmented with primitive hardware lays there among the debris of his tank body as Inuyasha and Kagome walk among it all. They don't seem to notice, though, as their attention seems to be on Kouga, whose name Kagome utters with pity.

Two-Tone and Mohawk are sat on the ground next to Kouga's inert form, bemoaning how his legs were injured and he couldn't get away fast enough. I know THEY'RE also injured, but couldn't they, I don't know, TRY to dig him out from under all that crap??? You'll run around the earth after the guy, but you won't take the time to move some debris from on top of him?? What's the deal with that?

Kagome is in disbelief that Kouga was caught up in Ginkotsu's blast, despite the explanation given her right off the bat. Shippou, a bit more energized as an indication that they're a little farther away from the barrier (though I'm not sure when Renkotsu got some distance from it in attacking Kouga), is on his own two feet on the ground, asking if Kouga is dead. Inuyasha wordlessly steps up and does the obvious, tossing the big sheet of metal off Kouga before barking (heh) at the others that Kouga's a youkai who wouldn't just up and die so easily. 

Kagome rushes to join Two-Tone and Mohawk to drop down beside Kouga, and they all call his name desperately with tears in their eyes. I REALLY think that Kagome should have gotten some modern first aid training by this point, but, then again, she barely has time to go to school let alone a CPR class. Kouga responds to the yelling, wincing and groaning that one of the bastards got away. Though relieved, Kagome and Kouga's subordinates all yell his name some more in continued concern. Inuyasha himself breathes a little sigh of relief himself that the guy is alive. Awwww, he cares.

And what of the one that got away? After this pause, he curses over not being able to move. That sounds familiar...

I sure hope there isn't a little orphan child comes by Renkotsu, though. I feel like he wouldn't be as... receptive for that kind of plot device.

Liar that Renkotsu is, proves he CAN move by lifting his arm to peer at a Shikon Fragment between his fingers. He says he JUST managed to get possession of Ginkotsu's fragment as the explosion commenced, and I'M the one blown away by this, because HOW??? In the chaos of flying debris, he caught Ginkotsu's tiny Shikon shard? I don't know if I believe that... Anyway, Renkotsu thinks that if he takes the fragment like this, Bankotsu will just take it off him in turn. He vows that there's no way that will happen, he's not giving it up for that kid, which confirms that Bankotsu is indeed much younger than Renkotsu, and he's feeling a little rankled by taking orders from a baby. 

Groaning, he tugs the shreds of his shirt down, the fist in which the fragment is hovering over his claw wound.

He sits up with a scoff, muttering that the power of a Shikon shard is amazing. He goes on to think that Kouga must be in pretty bad shape, and promises himself that the fragments in Kouga's legs will belong to him. The definition of counting one's chickens before they hatch.

Back at that rickety-ass rope bridge, creaking in the WIND, Suikotsu takes a swipe with his not!Wolverine claw-cloves at a squealing Rin as she ducks out of his path, yelling that she's not getting away. On the cliff, Sesshoumaru is leaping out of the way of another wild winding blow from Jakotsu's sword, and it carves out gashes in the ground instead. Jakotsu warns him that he'll be beheaded if he looks away, not that this prospect doesn't clearly amuse the SHIT out of Jakotsu or anything.

Jaken stands protectively in front of Rin, thinking that if anything happens to her, Sesshoumaru will kill him. He raps the end of Nintoujou onto the planks below him, trying to convince himself that this is the only way. The old man head's mouth opens with a glow emanating from it. Suikotsu looks puzzled.

Wow, fire is probably the worst way to defend oneself in this situation, but you know what they say; when all you have is a hammer... well you're going to end up demolishing some walls to get rid of mold, among other things.

Jaken giggles, rather pleased with blowing Suikotsu away, as he puts it, even though the whole bridge before him is charred and straining to hold up on its chain holds alone. Rin worries that the bridge is falling, and Jaken snaps that he knows this, waving his arms at her to run back the way they came. They don't get very far before the not!Wolverine claws shatter up through the planks in front of Jaken, cutting off his escape. Jaken whines that Suikotsu is alive, observing that he's hanging on the underside of the bridge like some sort of shambling eighties horror monster punishing his victims for some moral transgression or something. He insists through clenched teeth that they will not get away from him so easily, but it's clearly a bit of a struggle for him to hold on. 

This failing bridge twists. Rin slides screaming over the edge. the remaining rope frays and snaps away from the chain.

Gee, Sesshoumaru, is sitting around on a CLIFF waiting for enemies to come and get you and your little charges striking you as a bad idea yet?

His attention is certain drawn by the collapsed bridge, to Jakotsu's bewilderment as he yanks back his blades. Sesshoumaru turns and leaps away, further shocking Jakotsu, though the villain DOES acknowledge that the little girl is clearly Sesshoumaru's weak spot. He and Suikotsu HAD intended to take her as a hostage to constrict Sesshoumaru's movements, but Jakotsu had apparently never thought Sesshoumaru would full-on turn his BACK to him. He swings that sword, flinging out the blades straight at Sesshoumaru again, to take full advantage of his opponent's impulsive reflex to go to Jaken and Rin's aid. He shouts his assumption that he has Sesshoumaru now, watching the light flashing off the metal as it curves around the vicinity of Sesshoumaru's neck.

But Sesshoumaru parries with Tokijin at the last moment, deflecting the undulating sword.

... I guess you don't have him after all.

Jakotsu's first thought in the split second of his own attack grazing him is the shocked amazement that his sword was reflected back, something that I suppose hasn't happened before. Sesshoumaru isn't entirely checked out; he glares into his periphery, silently cursing in irritation that he missed killing Jakotsu by a hair. Jakotsu has collapsed onto his backside, a clutter of blades settling around him as he numbly admits how CLOSE that was. Not close enough, in my opinion.

Sesshoumaru jumps straight down the cliff, where a roaring river splashes over jagged rocks. He thinks Rin has been swept away, her scent fading with the water. Nearby, Jaken is lying sprawled on his belly, eyes closed, not responding at first when Sesshoumaru says his name. He winces when Sesshoumaru accuses him of playing dead, which is rich coming from a dog. This doesn't strike Jaken, because he immediately gets busy scrambling to grovel to Sesshoumaru, begging to be forgiven, promising to find Rin if his master will just let him live. Sesshoumaru just starts walking off wordlessly, leaving a perplexed Jaken to call out to him in question. I don't blame Sesshoumaru, since I'm getting some super strong secondhand embarrassment from Jaken's display, and I'd get the fuck out of there too to avoid the association. 

Foggy forest transition! I didn't realize how starved I was for the slightest bit of variety in transitions, I'm not going to lie. Little Rin opens an eye with a groan. 

This is so much worse than stranger danger. SO much worse.

Rin screams and scrambles out of Suikotsu's arms, pushing and slapping him away. He haltingly asks what's wrong, why she's running away, while she scoots against a nearby tree, gaping over at him. She's noticed that all that face paint and the murderous expression are gone, replaced by a rather doofy blank look and the drawn-out statement that he's a doctor. Rin makes a confused noise, remembering the clawed freak from before, and thinking that he's not the same. 

They're walking through the forest later, because dad never taught her not to wander off with random dudes apparently. Again, crowdfunding parenting classes for Sesshoumaru. This needs to happen. Suikotsu comments on the fact that she has companions and doesn't just live by herself in the woods. Rin affirms this, and says she thinks they'll be looking for her, articulating her thoughts that they shouldn't move away from where they were so much. Good to know the kid has SOME sense, but unfortunately sense doesn't have a lot of material effect when up against a grown man who has a lot more power, socially and physically. Point of fact, Suikotsu points out that they're in the middle of a forest, as if that's some sort of logical argument, and tells her to follow him until her companions catch up to them. This weak assertion that he knows best isn't really something Rin is equipped to argue with, so she says okay, thinking that he really doesn't seem like a bad person.

As if she's trying to convince herself.

Giving off those PEAK predator vibes right now.

So, what did I think of this chapter overall? I'm pretty sure Renkotsu took that Shikon shard off Ginkotsu BEFORE he exploded? I mean, there certainly wasn't a lot of time for something like that, but it's far more plausible than the shard just coincidentally landing in Renkotsu's lap AFTER the guy blew apart. And given how obsessed he is with gathering Shikon fragments for himself, it's not too far beyond the realm of possibility that he would remorselessly take a shard off one of his buddies if he thought it might give him an edge over Bankotsu. Since it's Renkotsu's private thoughts that tell us how he got Ginkotsu's shard, with no other characters around to convince otherwise, I'm thinking RT meant for this to be taken as close to the truth of the matter as possible, but I'm still much more interested in the notion of Renkotsu (re)killing one of his friends in the pursuit of a coup. Seems much more in line with his devious resentful character as built so far, and doesn't rely on IMPOSSIBLE serendipity for him.

The dynamic between Sesshoumaru and Jaken is just forever going to be a bit weird to me. Jaken acts like he's in constant danger of being murdered if he makes even the smallest mistake, but Sesshoumaru has really failed to live up to that kind of cruelty for a long time. The closest I feel he got to this is in his first appearance, when he nearly drowns him because he mentioned Inuyasha's name. Since then there's been some near misses for Jaken just in being in the vicinity of battle, which is pretty normal for everyone in these things, AND Sesshoumaru brought him back to life with Tenseiga, which I feel like he wouldn't do if he didn't like having the little guy around sometimes. Sesshoumaru, as an effective nomad, doesn't really strike me as the type to just keep things or people around unless he actively wants to. But it's played for laughs that Jaken has this latent fear of Sesshoumaru killing him if he does anything wrong, because at the end of all the groveling, Sesshoumaru just fucking walks away? It's bizarre. I don't really like it, making light of abuse and trauma and all, but there's also so little actualization of these murderous attitudes toward Jaken from Sesshoumaru that Jaken kind of comes across as a hypochondriac most of the time. By no means am I saying that Jaken DOESN'T have a reason to fear any cruelty from Sesshoumaru at all, given that he HAS been beaten up quite a few times, just that he seems to think his whole life is forfeit entirely from the tiniest indiscretions. 

Not that Rin falling into a gorge is at all a TINY indiscretion, but as I mentioned above, given his options, Jaken didn't have much else he could do. 

And my inner nurturing mom personality is really anxious for the little thing right now, because she just found herself in that guy in a windowless van offering candy/a ride situation. Once again, I think RT is depicting this VERY well right now - the kid is, for all her happy-go-lucky attitude, not stupid. She is panicked at first, and wary the rest of the way, picking up on this indescribable sense that something isn't right. Rin sees this man that tried to kill her on the bridge somewhat transformed, wanting to believe that he's actually quite different, but her manner isn't as enthusiastic and bubbly as it is normally. She's hesitant, unsure, making suggestions that she shouldn't stray too far from where she was, and is clearly uncomfortable with this strange deadpan guy's presence. And it is the biggest fucking red flag that Suikotsu uses this authoritative stance to claim she's better off following him to who knows where instead of hanging out in a forest to wait for her friends. Kids face this kind of abusive use of authority all the time, especially when the adult is trying to take advantage, so it was a nice touch to the overall creepy feeling of the scene.

Also, a very stark contrast to Sesshoumaru's lackadaisical "you can hang out with me if you want" attitude. Makes the good doctor telling you what to do and to just trust him because of his unverifiable credentials look just a TAD suspicious, even if his mug is clean.

Yu-Gi-Oh Manga: 318 Together Against the Darkness!

How easy it must be to unite against a darkness like the one in this comic. So unambiguously shitty for everyone except the dark forces, without any slow integration into every part of life through seductive sales pitches. The dark power thief!Bakura seeks isn't already part of the status quo, built into the very infrastructure of the country. It's not offering any convenience to your everyday Joe who is reluctant to consider a transition to a lighter alternative because it might be a little bumpy for a moment. It's just as straightforwardly evil as it's possible to be, so the people in charge aren't arguing about how to make it profitable to defeat thief!Bakura.

Meanwhile, in reality, it took our leadership a ridiculously long time to pass lukewarm legislation to boost renewable energy a little, because rich people addicted to profit are fighting tooth and nail to roast our whole planet for another buck. I long for the simplicity of fiction. 

Look at these guys being all on the same page. Shit, that's enviable.

We're reminded that the two-ka fusion Duos Dragon is facing down Diabound (lots of "d" alliteration here), which is REALLY irritating thief!Bakura, if I can judge by his scowl. Kalim launches into a somewhat lengthy explanation of how this works; each scale contains a piece of his and Priest Seto's ba, and the scales are in balance, which allows their two ka to come together. He says this this the power of the Millennium Items, a power of unity that thief!Bakura will never have. 

And, well, we already know how conflicted I feel about THIS theme.

Wait, what happened to Mana/DMG? Was she actually the one to give HER power to the Magus? This seems to be the case, because Yami says that Mahado's attack power will now double from what it was. I had to go back and check the previous chapter and see if I had read the dialog incorrectly, and it turns out I did INDEED do that! Due to a speech bubble placed over Mahado instead of Mana, I read it as HIS dialog instead of a continuation of hers. Apologies for the confusion, folks!

Thief!Bakura is grinning again as he promises to show them that it doesn't matter how many of them there are when they're against Diabound, but Priest Seto doesn't really pay attention to this, declaring their intent to attack. Diabound appears to be the one moving, though, thrashing around its snake-headed tail to hiss at them. Duos Dragon opens its mouth to show its collection of energy in its jaws, what its owners call Dragon Flame. The shot is fired off, and thief!Bakura admits he COULD block it with his ghost shield, but he wants to fight fire with fire instead.

We got ourselves a classic stalemate, guys! Yami doesn't appear to appreciate how prolific this tension-maker appears in these sorts of narratives, because he expresses some shock that the attacks met right in the middle like that. Thief!Bakura too seems alarmed, even a little PAINED, which suggests his magic power has been affected a little by the match in power. Priest Seto grinds his teeth at the equal attacks, and how Diabound's didn't even BUDGE. 

Thief!Bakura laughs at this "equal" word that Priest Seto has used; he says that if they're going to fuse their ka, then it seems only fair that he should also fuse his attacks. What he calls a "fusion" of attacks is just the cobra-headed tail shooting its own attack from its mouth as well, much to Yami's disbelief. 

Lesson: next time you fuse your ka, try to create chimera with multiple orifices from which it can vomit death.

It's doing the trick, too. Yami observes with concern that Duos Dragon is being pushed back. In fact, it appears the Duos Dragon's blast is starting to accordion back into its face. Thief!Bakura encourages it to swallow its own attack and die, while Priest Seto sweats over being blown away in the near future. With the blowback of Dragon Flame getting worse, he realizes there's no more time, holding up the Millennium Rod to command the Duos side of their equation and its Aura Sword. The ethereal blade appears from its fist.

I mean, if it works... Though it DOES look to be taking a lot out of Priest Seto, whose eyes bulge a little as he grunts in the effort it takes. Thief!Bakura wonders smugly how long Priest Seto can managed to keep using a sword for a shield, and there's no question Duos Dragon is struggling a bit against the stream of energy pouring toward it. Priest Seto calls to Kalim that they have no choice, and instructs him to attack Diabound the moment he sacrifices their combined monster's arm. 

Kalim only has time to shout Priest Seto's name in alarm before the blast overcomes Duos Dragon and its arm is blown straight through. Priest Seto claws at his own right arm, groaning in agony, but he stutters out to Kalim that now is the time as he's doubled over. Kalim yells out the Dragon Flame order, and Duos Dragon projects another stream of fire at Diabound. 

But thief!Bakura orders the ghosts to protect him, and they once again form a shield around Diabound for the fire to rush past. Kalim is sweating too, in disbelief over their combined attack STILL not being enough. Thief!Bakura cackles at him, telling the priests to go ahead and weep for their useless unity. Yami insists that they not give up, though, and that thief!Bakura can't stop them if their hearts beat as one. I don't know, dude, I feel like everything that's happened so far has kind of served as evidence AGAINST this idea.

Still, Kalim raises his scales once more, despite looking absolutely exhausted. Thief!Bakura asks how many times he has to tell these idiots that it's hopeless, and starts to repeat himself before halting in the middle of his statement in disbelief. 

That's what you get for purchasing cheap, plastic ghosts from Walmart, dude.

Thief!Bakura denies in a panic that this can be happening at all, since the shield is powered by the ghosts' hatred, which he thinks SHOULD be limitless. Never stopped to think about the limitations of the resources needed to maintain it, though, did he?

Kalim is straining to keep up the fire blast, grunting that they can break the barrier and defeat thief!Bakura if they just hold out a little longer. But thief!Bakura already has his grin back and asks if Kalim really thinks so. With a gasp, Kalim realizes a beam of an attack is coming straight for him from the tortoise still covering the mold tablet, right before it shoots straight through his chest. It was something he clearly didn't notice when he came in, because as he's impacted by the blow, Kalim is astonished by the extra ka thief!Bakura has, wondering HOW he has it. 

Kalim pitches forward onto his knees, having dropped the scales, while Yami calls to him and runs to his side. He's reaching for the Millennium Scales again, but wouldn't you know it? Thief!Bakura yells at the ghosts to bring him the item, and they comply. Just like before, he's go a new item in his sweaty palms. Would you guys stop dropping these fucking things???

Not that it gave them too significant an edge to begin with...

Duos Dragon starts to dissolve in swirling wisps before the still shielded Diabound, and Priest Seto points out that it's starting to disappear with alarm. Kalim weakly addresses the pharaoh holding him, but he's passed out as Yami calls his name. Yami yells Kalim's name again, more aggressively and desperate, but Kalim does not respond, just lays there limply in his arms.

Thief!Bakura laughs that their "unity" don't mean shit, and that it's all over now that he's stolen his latest acquisition in the Millennium Collection. He says the only thing left to take care of is to have Diabound slaughter them all one-by-one, something that looks to be a pleasure rather than a chore if his manic grin is anything to go by. Yami starts to stand again, and tells thief!Bakura it won't be THAT easy a little task. Thief!Bakura asks what Yami means, but he's wearing a mocking expression and puts "great pharaoh" in scare-quotes again to emphasize how little he believes this won't be a piece of cake. 

Yami suggests he take a look, and taking this advice puts thief!Bakura back in his earlier state of disbelief. 

Did I say cheap plastic? I meant Styrofoam, lol.

Yami calls the Magus the "Dark Magician" here, which could either be an error on someone's part, or deliberate reference to Yami's memories of the future. Either way I'm a little taken-aback as Yami talks about how DM has been waiting for this opening, chanting his most secret spell all this time. Thief!Bakura, once again, looks pretty perturbed by this change in tide. 

Yami yells at Mahado to take his chance, and he complies, flying up to the hole in Diabound's personal ghost-ozone, and charges up another attack.

This SHOULD feel very final, but I'm wary... Do I dare believe that Diabound is done in this battle?

So, what did I think of this chapter overall? This chapter gave me more of an impression of a classic duel from the tournaments and such; it had several turns of fortune for both sides, featured a variety of different little modifications of monsters and their effects, and even the "trash talk" is more similar. It more closely resembles the game as it exists in the modern world, which is not a good or a bad thing, just something I noted about the VIBE of the chapter while I was reading. Rather than fighting over Millennium Items, they could very well have been fighting over star chips. 

Which is part of the reason why Yami's use of the modern name of the Magus, "Dark Magician," struck me the way that it did. As I said, it could have just been a translation error, or even KT and his team slipping up a tad to call Mahado what he's been calling him during the majority of the comic. Still, given the shift over this arc from the more organic fantasy magic battle mode to the more GAME-like rule-based system, there really does seem to be a deliberate call-back to actually playing the card game. I don't know if it means anything, or if it's just habit at this point, but it is something interesting to think about.

Either way, I really do hope this particular fight is over. I'm so very weary of Diabound and the ghosts and thief!Bakura's overpowered use of both. Although, I am relieved to see that his view of the "unlimited" power of hate has been cracked a bit. Yes, hate and anger can be a powerful motivator, but you gotta have FUEL to burn in that furnace, and there's just not enough to maintain the kind of long assault that thief!Bakura wanted. We've already learned something similar earlier, that hatred can smolder for a long time, but it can't be expected to sustain you and your aims if you've got a full-on inferno going. 

Not that it's not an understandable mistake to make, thinking that the power one feels when in a rage is inexhaustible. When thief!Bakura is high off his own supply, he can't be expected to think through the true capacity of his irate ghosts logically.

Inuyasha Manga: 259 Explosion

We had our first good rain shower in weeks today, and some lightning came in this nice little gift as well. While not an explosion, thunder can certainly SOUND that way, and I feared that little Grimalkin might be frightened, given this is the first time she's ever heard such a thing. I should have known by the fact she's the only cat I've ever known who is not afraid of the vacuum cleaner that she wouldn't even leave her cat-tree perch next to the window when the rumbling began. This tiny kitten is FEARLESS, and only seems mildly perturbed by things I swear she'll be hiding under the furniture over. 

Which is why I'm convinced that in THIS situation, Grimalkin would already have clawed those Shikon shards out of Renkotsu and Ginkotsu, and be batting their bones around in celebration. Just TRY and stop me from writing that fanfiction.

Kouga admits to himself what I said in the previous chapter's recap - he doesn't know where these shards he's looking for are. He takes a stab at it, or rather, a swipe, when he slashes at Renkotsu's shoulder at the end of his leap with a cry questioning if it's there. Renkotsu looks shocked as blood spurts from the claw gashes in his collar, but the Shikon shard shines for the audience from his throat. Renkotsu realizes that Kouga's aim is the fragment with alarm, and calls him a bastard through the jet of fire he spits from his lips at the chief wolf. Kouga grunts at the new flames surrounding him while he spirals away, even though he was pretty thoroughly covered in fire before. His flunkies call out in concern.

Kouga is still in the air on more fire than ever when Renkotsu cranks around the barrel of Ginkotsu's gun to aim at him again, threatening to blow him to smithereens. Renkotsu automatically realizes something is terribly wrong when he fires again, and Kouga somehow has a moment to brag that he stuffed the armor he tore off Renkotsu into the gun barrel before the backed-up blast just fucking explodes. 

Yeah, you didn't think that wasn't going to lick you too, did you?

Ginkotsu's tank bulk has been blown apart, gears and mangled metal raining down on the landscape, as well as his skull, his Shikon shard having been dislodged in the backfire. There's a random bone bouncing around back there too, so that wasn't ALL the organic matter left in his cyborg body, but who really knows how much more there really was than that? Mohawk and Two-Tone have gotten to their feet to scan the debris in panic, stuttering Kouga's name as a question, but I wasn't worried the first time I read this and I'm not worried now. Kouga's too stubborn to be gotten rid of as easily as gurgling Ginkotsu.

After RT surprisingly switches it up with a misted forest panel rather than a narrow sky transition, we find an annoyed Jakotsu warning Suikotsu not to turn into a nice person randomly in the middle of the upcoming battle as they tromp through the underbrush. Suikotsu asks him to PLEASE shut up about his shame, reminding him that this is why they deliberately separated from the barrier. He seems to forget that just being NEAR the thing is enough, or is denying this fact on purpose. He curses the doctor half of his brain, silently complaining about how the nice personality will push him aside and take over given half a chance. Suikotsu admits out loud that it's really hard pushing the dude back, and Jakotsu absently says he sees, clearly not really listening at all. He just suggests they go ahead with their plan.

So, you just stood around waiting for these guys to catch up? With vulnerable folks in your presence? I feel like we should crowd-fund some parenting classes for this dude or something.

Suddenly, Sesshoumaru leaps up the slight incline leading to the cliff face, Jaken again calling to Sesshoumaru in question and alarm. Sesshoumaru placidly observes a flashing jagged bolt heading straight for him, and slashes Tokijin at it to deflect, revealing that it's a familiar series of connected blades. Because neither Jaken nor Rin has seen this little display before though, they are in awe and disbelief over what Rin notes in question is a sword, but is behaving pretty strangely.

Jakotsu pulls back these blades into their tidy little line at the hilt as Sesshoumaru touches back down on the ground, identifying Jakotsu as another of Naraku's little agents. 

Being uncharacteristically polite about Jakotsu's stench here, Sesshoumaru.

Jakotsu croons that Sesshoumaru has a good nose, and it's just what he expects from Inuyasha's honored elder brother, swinging his sword out again. Sesshoumaru give him a sharp look and barely seems to move anything other than his arm as he waves Tokijin in a deflective motion once again. Once there's a sufficient gap in the blades, Sesshoumaru lunges forward with his super-speed, RIGHT up into Jakotsu's personal space, much to his concern. 

His very well-founded concern. I'd personally be concerned enough if this guy were within several miles of me, so I certainly couldn't blame him regardless.

Crawling away as Sesshoumaru slashes his sword with ease, Jakotsu pants that it was a close one. From the peanut gallery, Jaken laughs that stupid human Jakotsu should just give up and die already, while Rin appears a bit more unnerved and frightened by the situation. Turns out the latter has cause to be, because a lightning bolt of blades smacks into the ground right in front of Jaken for his mocking outburst, forcing him and Rin to scramble backward away from danger. As Jakotsu asks in annoyance what Jaken thinks he's got to say about the matter, Jaken trying to recover some dignity by stuttering in indignation, Sesshoumaru lunges up behind Jakotsu again. Jakotsu notices as much, but he appears a little more ready for it this time.

No doubt aware that Jakotsu has adjusted to the factor of superhuman speed Sesshoumaru introduces to the battle, he addresses Jaken over Jakotsu's shoulder as he approaches. Jaken's sudden recollection causes more stutters in his affirmative. He starts to shoo Rin along, telling her they're leaving, though Rin is a little hesitant at first. Jaken assures her that they're just in Sesshoumaru's way, and Rin gives him a halting agreement while they cross the rickety-looking rope-and-board bridge leading over the cliff edge. Oh boy, we've been down THIS road before. 

Sesshoumaru has positioned himself, in his speedy way, in front of the bridge and blocked it off from Jakotsu. Jakotsu smiles sardonically at him, making a mocking noise.

Awww, I missed funny Sesshoumaru. Where's he BEEN all this time? 

Swinging his sword, Jakotsu asks if Sesshoumaru will fight freely now, because he doesn't much give a shit about the dig at his undead status. He leaps into the air pretty easily to avoid the flash of blades, but Rin is still straining to look over her shoulder at him in concern as she trots across the creaking bridge. The fact that she's not facing forward and dedicating her WHOLE attention to not toppling off this rickety death-bridge is freaking me right the fuck out now. She turns to ask Jaken if Sesshoumaru will be alright, not an unreasonable question from a girl who witnessed Sesshoumaru incapacitated in the woods for a few days back when they first crossed paths. But Jaken calls her a dolt and asking her ironically how Sesshoumaru could lose to a mere human.

The words are hardly out of his mouth when they notice a figure ahead of them on the bridge, wearing tacky faux-claw gloves. Insert eye-roll here.

Was Sesshoumaru not able to smell Suikotsu over there? He's close enough for everyone to be able to see each other, so I should think...

Whatever, we're back to the status quo with a narrow sky transition panel, a whooshing sound effect for emphasis on the next panel in which Inuyasha is zooming through the trees with Kagome on his back. Kagome expresses some discomfort about not staying back where they were to meet back up with Miroku and Sango later, but Inuyasha refuses to sit around and wait for them like an idiot. His words, not mine, BTW. Besides Inuyasha alerts them to the fact that something smells like it's burning to him, assessing this emergency as a big explosion. Shippou peeks blearily over Inuyasha's shoulder, Kirara hovered over by Kagome. 

Inuyasha adds, SILENTLY, that he smells a wolf's blood. It's not long before they run into the scattered parts of Ginkotsu and the fallout from his demise. 

Don't cry, guys, Kouga is far too useful for romantic drama for RT to kill him off.

So, what did I think of this chapter overall? The name is certainly a bit misleading. You'd think it would be about the lead-up and aftermath of the titular explosion, but most of the space in this one was taken up by Jakotsu and Suikotsu springing an entirely avoidable trap on Sesshoumaru. I am by no means upset that the struggle between an injured Kouga and Renkotsu/Ginkotsu - I think it was a good move to keep this particular portion of the conflict on the shorter side, because Kouga was already not believably coming across as critically injured by that point. His actions here got across a lot better his urgency to end the fight by ANY means, and his expression during conveyed how much BIGGER the effects were than he had anticipated. My only real complaint was how he had even a MOMENT to explain that he stuffed Renkotsu's armor into the gun barrel, as I feel like there wouldn't even be that much time for exposition of the sort. Besides, there were better ways of conveying this information than having Kouga say it outright, so it came across as very clumsy.

Circling back to Sesshoumaru, you gotta laugh at his palpable arrogance. He very authentically acts like a guy who as recently embraced his power to bring people back from the dead; his lack of concern for the lives of his companions (no, not JUST Rin as Jakotsu mentioned, but Jaken too) is just dripping with that careless attitude a rich kid might have with his favorite toy in the knowledge that he can just have it repaired or buy a new one. Sesshoumaru is awfully lucky that he doesn't learn a certain lesson here that he does later about the finite nature of life and the powers of Tenseiga. Then again, he might not have cared as much here as he will down the line, so who really knows. 

I do object to the selective suspension of Sesshoumaru's olfactory senses, though. He should have been able to detect Suikotsu sneaking around on the bridge, especially after Jakotsu got up close and personal and another touch of "eau de corpse" was wafting around at a distance. But given that Inuyasha is often a victim of having his hound dog sense shut off for plot convenience, I can hardly be surprised that this would happen to Sesshoumaru too.

Doesn't stop me from being disappointed by it, though.

Yu-Gi-Oh Manga: 317 Return of the Priests!

Honestly, I know that priests are the protagonists in this story, but I can't help but feel a little threatened by this chapter's declaration. Religious officials of many religions have been known to abuse the shit out of their power, and one of the ones IN this narrative is engaging in some gross abuse himself, which is in the process of being written off a little at the moment in light of his random change of heart. It looks a bit like the long-standing tradition of shrugging at the open secret that these powerful individuals actively hurting people under their authority and pretending that it's justified in some way. I mean, hey, at least the wiping out the village of Kul Elna was based on the need of the theocracy to oust invaders, and not bigoted views of the moral/cultural degeneracy of the people living there - oh wait. Oh.

Is it just me, or is the size of that chamber rather reduced? In the next panel, the wide perspective from the ceiling to include Diabound roaring in irritation makes it look much bigger again, though, so I don't know what's up. 

Thief!Bakura says this is a great honor through a wide grin still leaking blood as Siamun rushes toward Yami supporting the exhausted and injured Shada, thanking the gods for the pharaoh's safety. Yami insists he's fine, but gestures to Shada under his arm and says he's been hit very hard, Shada giving a quiet painful sound in confirmation. Kalim calls to Shada, asking if he's okay, and though it's very obviously a lie, Shada answers that he's fine. He's always doubled over in agony in his natural state, don't you know?

Too be fair, Shada DOES feel well enough to talk at length about how they must combine their power or they will never defeat Diabound's "infinite" strength. Ugh, the misuse of this fucking word again. Still, Siamun hums in agreement, and there's a declaration that it's time for the pharaoh to fight together with the five remaining priests. Not sure if this comes from Siamun or someone else, given it's another of those ambiguous speech/thought bubbles used to make the scene of Yami and a couple newly-arrived priests standing firm opposite the menacing Diabound more dramatic, I suppose. 

But Yami has a correction to make. 

Kalim is ecstatic at Mahado's reappearance, Isis looking just as jubilant, while Priest Seto looks meh about it and Siamun... well most of his face is covered, so it's hard to say what his expression is. 

Mana's manifestation of DMG floats next to Mahado, exclaiming happily that her master is back. He looks over at her in wonder at first, then smiles and chuckles that he's been saved by his own student. Isn't that how you know you did a good teach? He observes that she's been studying WAY hard while he's been gone, and she answers in the affirmative. It's TOO cute and wholesome, and I'm living for it.

Thief!Bakura breaks in on the happy reunion with a dark chuckle, stating that they've come to him with gifts hanging around their necks, saving him an AWFUL lot of trouble. He displays both the ring and the puzzle around his own neck, holding up the rod he just acquired through totally bullshit means, I might repeat, saying he's already got these three. He supposes that if he defeats them all here, he'll have the whole set.

How much more can the shadow power possibly offer you than what you already have, my dude? You and Diabound are already pretty much unstoppable. 

Priest Seto vows that he and his colleagues standing at the ready behind him will crush thief!Bakura's mad ambitions, advising him to get ready. With another chuckle, thief!Bakura thinks that this time, the PRIESTS will be the sacrifice. That certainly would be ironic. Kalim, Priest Seto, and Isis waste no time in summoning their ka, and presenting them like they're entering them into some sort of contest or something. Thief!Bakura orders Diabound to massacre them.

Diabound's massive fist goes for Spiria first, which ducks and dodges around it with little effort. Priest Seto yells at the others to get into position to surround thief!Bakura's spirit, and it's not very subtle how he refuses to call Diabound by name, by the way. Meanwhile, Siamun urges a still groaning Yami to stay out of the fight because he's done enough. Yami says he's okay, but glancing at the Magus, acknowledges that he's in pretty bad shape. Mahado is grinding his teeth in the air, but otherwise just looks frustrated rather than seriously injured. 

Mana tells him through the OG DMG that her ka can't fight yet, but he offers to transfer his magic over to her so she can. He calls her name with urgency, and with a slight reluctance but relenting, holds up her hands and closes her eyes to accept whatever magic he can give her. I'm getting a serious sense of deja vu at the moment. 

In the meantime, Siamun is still assuring Yami that his high priests have got this in the bag, and that he should leave it all to them. While all their ka are getting into their positions around Diabound and they're declaring their intentions to get this attack going, it's only NOW that Priest Seto notices that bad ol' Akhenaden is missing, wondering where he is. Great observation there, dude. Regardless, they decide to go ahead with the "Attack from Four Directions at Once" attack, despite it being fairly obvious there are only three directions being covered here. 

Thief!Bakura calls them fools and tells them to give up, which, you know, I can't blame him for, since from his point of view, they just can't COUNT. 

Having Akhenaden here TOTALLY would have made the difference, I'm sure.

Yami states that the ghosts are still helping Diabound by forming a shield around it with their auras, because there's a fair amount of newcomers to the scene who haven't gotten the run-down of where this extra layer of protection is coming from. Thief!Bakura calls them all weaklings, no matter how many of them there are, and aims Diabound's snake-head tail at Spiria with a thousand poison fang attack. This must be a mash-up of the Magus's "thousand" attack and the snakebite inherent to the tail, though it's strange that Diabound didn't just do the thousand strikes with the magic blasts that he undoubtedly took from Mahado.

Isis cries out and doubles over, Kalim calling her name in concerned disbelief. They look up at the pristine Diabound that towers over them without the slightest injury, and Yami has to wonder how to defeat it. 

Oh, and in case you were wondering where Akhenaden got to while everyone else is fighting...

That's right, this punk-ass weenie is still at the top of the stairs. 

As he slowly makes his way down the steps like the coward he is, he whines internally about the memories of the slaughter coming back to him, clawing at his face in mental agony. When his tightly shut eyes pop open again, he gasps in horror.

These ghosts are busy as FUCK today. 

A soldier hurries down to ask Akhenaden what's up, since he just doesn't see any of this, and when Akhenaden blinks, he doesn't see it anymore either. Maybe the ghosts aren't working overtime after all, and Akhenaden has just fully lost it? Either way, the guy is sweating like mad from his little ghostly encounter.

Meanwhile, thief!Bakura is ordering a Lightning Shot on Duos and Diabound complies, firing a bolt with a crackling ball of energy on the business end. Duos dodges backward so the lightning scorches the floor where it was standing instead. Priest Seto complains that their individual attacks haven't even scratched Diabound, but Kalim holds up his Millennium Scales and says there's a way to combine separate ka into one with its power. Yami recognizes ka fusion, triggering an epiphany that the true power of the Millennium Items is unity. 

What... is our definition of unity here?

Kalim holds out the scales in front of him, the rest of them fanned out behind, and calls for the ba of two ka to be combined. 

Dammit, why did you say this is his last duel? You jinxed it!

So, what did I think of this chapter overall? Yami's declaration that the true power of the Millennium Items is "unity" is a bit shaky for me. If you tilt your head and squint, I can see a couple of angles where that might be a natural conclusion to draw; they work best when they're being used in tandem have powers that are complimentary in their use, and they need to all be in thief!Bakura's possession in order for him to gain that ultimate power he's gunning for at the moment. But the items were forged in blood by an empire on the verge of total invasion, and REQUIRED the dehumanization and elimination of an entire village in order to come into being. Not to mention they maintain a strict hierarchy in which those at the top are stealing the ka of those they deem less-than-virtuous, othering them in order to take their ka and throw them in jail. That's just about as antithetical to unity as it is possible to get, so it's a little laughable to consider these artifacts representing and embodying any kind of unity. 

Remember when Kaiba spent several chapters agonizing over the concept of teamwork and struggling to grasp how it works? I thought about that a lot during this chapter where Priest Seto very smoothly directed a coordinated attack on Diabound, and where he didn't say a PEEP when Kalim fused Duos with his own ka. Not that I'm ungrateful for Priest Seto's lack of a need to completely halt the progression of battle so that he can scratch his head over how to work with others or anything, but it did strike me that he's not only putting up as much of a fight about it as his spazzy modern counterpart would, but he's not even being as calculated as he was earlier in the arc when he sacrificed his teammate's ka to power up his own in a mere exercise. I find myself hoping that that earlier moment is a setup that will pay off a little later, but given how cooperative Priest Seto is being with his allies at the moment, I'm not sure what to expect. 

Speaking of setups I'm hoping will pay off, what about Mahado transferring his power to Mana? I really hope that gets her in the battle in the next chapter. I want to see OG DMG shoot Diabound in its big dumb face.

Inuyasha Manga: 258 Sokushinbutsu

I had to check the spelling of this title two or three times, and I'm still not sure if I've got it right. While romanization of Japanese has to be approximate in a lot of cases, and there are a couple of different ways it can be done, I don't doubt there are certain folks out there who would criticize my spelling of the above word no matter what, so there shouldn't be any reason to worry about it. Still, as a detail-oriented individual who winces every time she finds a typo in her previous entries on this blog (I'm almost constantly wincing at this point), I balk at the prospect of being criticized for careless transcription of a word I don't even know the meaning of.

Yet.

You were forced to retreat for a second time in a row. Probably a good chunk of why you feel like shit right now, if I had to guess. 

Bankotsu looks up to find himself in a bright and ornate fenced passage, a large pillar standing near him. There are more pillars faded into mist, where a couple of short silhouettes emerge from between them. It's Kohaku and Kanna again, the former greeting Bankotsu as if casually meeting him at the park. Bankotsu recalls their names as he stands, asking where they are and repeating that it feels fucking horrible in here. Kohaku says it's the inside of the barrier, trailing a "so" in what I'm interpreting to be a slightly sarcastic manner. I get the distinct impression this kid is rather irritated with the company he's keeping these days...

Kanna kneels to pick up something next to Bankotsu, who hums in askance. It's the dokko, at which Bankotsu glares out of his periphery, remembering how he was enveloped in its blinding light just before he saw he was here. Kanna turns and brings it to an altar a short distance away, a figure sitting atop it with emaciated arms crossed over its chest. She sets the dokko on a little stand in front of the railing of the altar, Bankotsu ambling up behind her to ask who this guy is, then deduces for himself that it must be the Hakushin-Shounin Inuyasha and crew were blathering about. 

Doesn't look a day over... eternity.

We get a shot of the sheer side of the mountain, that Inuyasha and crew are looking at from a distance. Inuyasha asks for confirmation that Naraku is there, inside the barrier. Miroku doesn't exactly give him an affirmative, but he DOES say that Hakushin-Shounin was definitely the one who erected the barrier. Sango adds with some morose that Hakushin-Shounin protected Bankotsu, an agent of Naraku. Kagome says in no uncertain terms that this means Hakushin-Shounin is on Naraku's side. Both the girls hold an incapacitated Kirara and Shippou respectively, since they're hanging so close to the barrier at the moment. 

Only if he didn't have the damn thing built around him.

Miroku invites Inuyasha to think of it thusly: once Naraku is inside the barrier, there's no safer place for him. He gives a couple examples of youkai chasing Naraku that can't touch him while he's in there, including Inuyasha as well. In fact, he adds afterward a fact that they observed firsthand: Kikyou can't get into the barrier either. Inuyasha wears a rather sharp look at this statement, but it changes to bewilderment when Sango suggests to Miroku that she and he get going. Kagome also makes a noise of confusion at Sango's invitation.

Miroku explains that they're going to check out Mt. Hakurei, Sango asking Inuyasha and Kagome to wait for them. Yeah, this makes sense, but they just... made these plans without the rest of the group's input or knowledge? WHEN? Kagome stutters out a question if it'll be okay with just the two of them, and Sango doesn't answer, stepping forward instead to deposit Kirara into Kagome's arms and requests that she take good care of the two-tailed creature while she's gone. Kagome sweatdrops, repeating Sango's name with trepidation. Miroku tells her there's no need to worry, because he won't have time to caress Sango's ass... said while caressing Sango's ass. Guess he wanted to get one last one in before he doesn't have half a second during their hike? Sango growls at him not to say that AS he's doing the damn thing, and Kagome of course protests that this wasn't what she was worried about. Because who the fuck gives a SHIT about whether Miroku cops a feel? None of them so much as told him it wasn't a funny joke before this moment, and spoilers: they never do. 

As Miroku and Sango recede into the mists of the barrier, Kagome and Inuyasha stare after them with concern. Kagome wonders out loud if they'll be okay, cradling both Shippou and Kirara in her arms now, and Inuyasha says they'll just have to trust their abilities to handle themselves for now. 

Narrow sky transition panel!! Someone asks Kikyou if she's really going no matter what they say - she's kneeling in front of the gaggle of children Suikotsu's shitty personality abandoned, apologizing because she says she wanted to stay with them a bit longer, trailing a "but". One of the girls tries the guilt-trip route, recalling that Suikotsu has already left them, and now Kikyou. 

Yeah, he sucks. 

Over the backdrop of the mountain, Kikyou thinks about how she's lost track of Suikotsu because of the barrier around it, and the barrier has only gotten stronger since then. Apparently, she's already at the limit of how close she can get to the damn thing, and has left the children to, I assume, just patrol around the edge of the barrier until she bumps into the dude. Great plan, my girl. 

Narrow sky transition panel the second!! Kouga is running with a few wolves following along, evidently carrying out the same impotent strategy as Kikyou. He bumps up against the barrier again, and grunts as the dangerous energy crackles around his grimacing face.

Or he's looking for a crack in it at the very least. 

Mohawk and Two-Tone are jogging, begging out of breath for Kouga to wait up, even though he's already standing still. When they're finally level with Kouga, Mohawk complains that they've been checking around the mountain for several days now, Two-Tone following up with the assessment that there is no way through or around this barrier. Kouga yells at them to shut up, vowing to find a way to get to those Shichinin-tai shits that disappeared through it. 

At that moment, a flash erupts in front of them, leaving them dumbstruck. Then the ground explodes at Kouga's feet, blowing him and a couple wolves back in alarm and disbelief. His legs are clearing shedding flecks of blood as he tumbles to the ground, groaning. Two-Tone and Mohawk are bleeding and stuttering as well, staring in shock at where the debris and explosion originated. 

Damn near. 

Behind Kouga, Mohawk is just flabbergasted, and Two-Tone vocalizes the confusion over how Renkotsu and Ginkotsu just appeared out of nowhere. Either that mist is super thick, or youkai can't even SEE through the fucking thing. Whichever it is, Kouga grumbles about Renkotsu/Ginkotsu hiding in the barrier, and Renkotsu chuckles that they've been there for a while now, right in front of Kouga's very nose. Ginkotsu gurgles in agreement. 

Kouga scoffs that going around the base of the whole mountain wasn't in vain after all, since the bastards he was looking for came out after all. Oh, it was in vain alright. You're just lucky Renkotsu is even more vain than you are. And covetous of those Shikon shards in your legs, as is the reason he gives for popping out on Kouga in particular while firing another shot at his face. Kouga can see this one coming, though, and leaps up out of its way, his followers scrambling out of the way with hollers of fear. Two-Tone stutters Kouga's name in worry, but Kouga yells back at him to get away from there. His legs give a throb of pain, and he realizes with a curse that this is bad; his legs got real messed up from the very first blow. He thinks his only chance is to finish this battle up quickly. 

Cowering behind the crest of a small hillock in the back, Mohawk says Kouga's name, wondering aloud if their leader can defeat that metal monster thing. Two-Tone says THAT is also a zombie.

Gotta find them first, and if you thought it was hard seeing whole PEOPLE behind that barrier, buddy...

Despite his pain, Kouga rushes for Renkotsu and Ginkotsu, promising to turn them back into skeletons. Or, rather, a skeleton and 1/8? I don't know how much of Ginkotsu's bones are left hanging out in his tank body. Renkotsu welcomes his attempt, firing yet another shot, but Kouga leaps over it as it explodes in the dirt. Next, Renkotsu calls Kouga a fool, throwing his fiery wires at him from his fingertips. They wrap around Kouga and set him ablaze, to his astonishment, Mohawk and Two-Tone in dismay over him getting caught.

Is that fire even hot? Or is Kouga wearing Fire Rat fur like Inuyasha? You'd think he'd be loathe to have any wardrobe in common with Inuyasha, but...

So, what did I think of this chapter overall? I'm suddenly struck by how many corpses with autonomy are accumulating in this arc. Kikyou is the OG, of course, but between her, the Shichinin-tai, and now this Hakushin-Shonin guy, whose body is a conduit for producing the barrier in service to his new buddy Naraku, this comic is laden with the conscious dead. I'm not making any value judgments here, mind you, I don't think this is necessarily good or bad, but it is slightly weird. I don't think I've ever read a story, outside of outright zombie apocalypses with hordes of non-characters, with as many undead people coming back and exerting influence on the world. It kind of makes me wonder what was happening in RT's head when she kept adding new zombies to the mix; is it just because she's trying to maintain the horror elements and corpses are scary, or is she... SAYING something with this? Something about the unnatural extension of the working life of characters who would be better off getting some eternal rest?

Are you OKAY, RT? Can... can I HELP you?

Shifting gears, I thought the tension in our protagonists splitting up was conveyed well. The last time they were separated, in some capacity, a lot of them were poisoned and almost died, so it's understandable that the prospect might make them all a bit nervous. Nervous enough perhaps for the ones planning the separation to discuss the matter among themselves first before they broached it to the rest of the group. Miroku and Sango would no doubt feel better having their resolve concrete before telling Inuyasha and Kagome about it. I'm not sure when they would have had the TIME for this, or would have appreciated a little hint as to their conference before they broke the news when they did, but otherwise all of this has a genuine ring to me. No doubt all of them are very uncomfortable with this arrangement, but they know the absolute necessity of finding out the nature of this big wall surrounding the mountain. If there's a chance that those human among them can remove the obstacle, that's a chance worth taking, even though recent experiences make the idea rather worrisome.

As for Kouga's fledgling battle with Renkotsu and Ginkotsu, handicapping Kouga's Shikon-powered legs doesn't seem to be manifesting much at all right now, considering it's still early. He DOES have a lot of disadvantages in this fight, though, because even if his legs hold out as long as needed, Renkotsu could slip back behind the barrier and continue long-ranged attacks from there at any time, so he'll essentially be fighting blind. Also, Renkotsu has some pretty strong motivations to get those shards out of Kouga's legs. He just got caught hoarding some a couple chapters ago, and he's been given a warning about trying to do it again. There's something of a desperation to his actions now, knowing the danger of trying to commit his coup just got so much bigger. 

The obstacles to Kouga keeping his Shikon fragments are looking pretty formidable, is all I'm saying. I certainly don't envy the guy.