Inuyasha Manga: 283 Inuyasha's True Feelings

Call me crazy, but I don't think that's much of a mystery. Sure, he said he was fine at the end of the last chapter, but the desolate expression didn't exactly match up, and we all know there's a tendency to deny strong emotions in that kid. I guess the question is if he really knows the extent to which he's NOT actually okay. Being a teenager is rough at the best of times, having to deal with all these hormones and emotions flooding you at the most inconvenient moments, but the massive grief and trauma that Inuyasha's just been saddled with? His stoic BROTHER would have a bit difficulty with that one. 

If he didn't have his own emotional difficulties impending, of course.

I'd say the collapse of an entire mountain is already a pretty bad thing in and of itself, but if you're close enough to have heard rumors about it, give it time. 

No, seriously, just like a half-second more time. As if in response, in the very next panel a black writhing mass has appeared in the sky, and the men who were speaking to one another gape up at it with foreboding. A close-up reveals it is precisely what you'd expect: wriggling minor youkai, snakelike, eyeballs, small dragons, the whole nine yards. Almost comically, the men continue to stand with their slack jaws, making vaguely fearful noises, but not really bothering to move out of the way as the mass of youkai comes down and buzzes them. They and their livestock in the background are stripped of all their flesh, and they're reduced to skeletons, collapsing to the ground. 

Oh the tragedy of being a random villager in a fantasy horror comic.

That's right, you guessed it, Miroku all but confirms that this is indeed the work of the youkai that escaped from behind the barrier at Mt. Hakurei. Inuyasha silently complains about how much this sucks, that he's TRYING to track down Naraku, but now things are worse than ever. Being perpetually behind the curve here DOES seem to be costing innocents their lives, I guess. On top of this, Inuyasha's got Kikyou's life, or lack thereof, on his mind as a sort of background grief radiation. 

Kagome observes him silently, and how he appears to be in pretty much constant pain since they discovered Kikyou's broken bow. Apparently they pretty much immediately left behind Mt. Hakurei in search of the fleeing Naraku, but Kagome is wondering now if this is really what's best for Inuyasha. Pursuing revenge on the dude who killed his ex-girlfriend not once, but twice? How could that be anything but GOOD for his mental health, honestly? Nah, Kagome is more concerned that maybe Inuyasha's REAL desire is to continue his search for Kikyou, rather. 

Buddy, you don't know how right you are.

One of the group asks if this nameless priest came from the Mt. Hakurei direction, and he answers in the affirmative, saying he's been on a pilgrimage to many different places, in some sort of vague training. He sits on a wood pile against the wall of a house, telling them that he'd heard about Mt. Hakurei's collapse, and that the evil inside had headed south. After an encouraging affirmation from Miroku, the priest confirms that it was just as the MIKO he met had said. This obviously grabs the shit out of Inuyasha's attention, and Kagome's too, for that matter.

The priest says that about two days before, he'd seen an injured miko washed up on the bank of a river on the other side of the mountain. Or what was left of it, I suppose. This old guy's eyes seem to be getting more and more distant and non-expressive as he reveals that this miko said a youkai called Naraku did this to her, and she had to go after that guy. Inuyasha sweatdrops, having put together these incredibly suspicious pieces of the puzzle that picture Kikyou as very much alive. Kagome is sweating somewhat too, having come to the same conclusion, but she's appearing just a tad more wary. 

But then the priest adds that the miko might have died by this point, since her injuries WERE pretty bad. Inuyasha's expression becomes even more alarmed at this, but a blessing for him to get going is almost immediately heard. Miroku glances out of his periphery at Kagome, a little wary, while Inuyasha says her name in uncertainty. Sango also calls to Kagome, her look more sympathetic than anything. Kagome insists, however, telling Inuyasha that this is no time to be indecisive. Inuyasha looks down and off to the side, agreeing, and apologizing.

Well, there he goes...

Shippou jumps on Kagome's shoulder to ask her if she's REALLY okay with this, as if he should have any kind of horse in this race. Kagome mopes that it can't be helped. Meanwhile, Inuyasha silently apologizes to Kagome again, acknowledging that he can't move on unless he can determine if Kikyou is alive or dead. Rather lucid for a guy who's a bit iffy on his own emotions. 

The narrow transition panels shift between star-studded to a lightening clouded sky, and we're brought to the crew minus Inuyasha striding along through a meadow. Sango reveals from the back of the line that Inuyasha didn't come back the night before after all, and Miroku, from the front suggests that they continue on their way anyway. Probz assuming that Inuyasha can easily sniff out where they went and catch up. 

The gang pauses and turns when they hear hoof-beats behind them. 

So much for continuing on your way. 

That dude at the front of party states with authority that there's been a lot of strange things happening in the area lately, and they have orders to take all suspicious outsiders to the castle. This jack-booted fascist demands that they come along, and Miroku seems somewhat compliant. Sango whispers to him from the WRONG side of her hand, asking what they'll do, expressing some reluctance to just knocking these guys around, as easily as that might be. Miroku tells her not to say it like Inuyasha; just because he's not here doesn't mean of you needs to take on his manner of speech, lol! Miroku leans closer to her and says that these look like ordinary HUMAN fascists, and asserts that they can get away whenever they want. 

So, it looks as though they're letting themselves get led away - one of the men commands someone to get the rope, which is somewhat more alarming a situation than I thought Miroku was walking them all into. Or, most of them. Shippou and Kirara are hiding nearby in the tall grass while Kagome gazes back at them and has her wrists bound. Shippou silently stutters that this is serious, then turns to Kirara and says they have to call Inuyasha back here. 

You know, so he can knock the human fascists around a bit. It's appropriate when HE says it. 

Narrow sky transition panel! Outside a building decorated with at least two flags, a man is kneeling on the ground, surrounded by the same sorts of castle guards that came to grab Miroku, Sango, and Kagome. He asks for forgiveness, trembling, insisting that he couldn't possibly be a suspect. The shadowy figure of a woman behind a screen at the top of the porch, holding something in her arms, tells the guards to execute the begging man. 

Human yes. Monsters? Also yes. 

An old man sitting on his knees with his chest and arms bound asks in horror if they're all to be killed, just as Miroku, Sango, and Kagome arrive at the back of an actual queue. That's right, they seem to be waiting in line to die. Kagome can only bring herself to mutter how awful this is, staring in horror, while Miroku just comments on how alarming he finds this. He looks somewhat irritated, but doesn't appear to have the level of outrage, or action, he really should in this situation.

Fuck you dude, you are like the WORST kind of liberal. 

Suddenly, the woman behind the screen sees Kagome and notes that she's here. One of her lackeys grabs the end of the rope tied around Kagome's chest and demands that she come over, per Okugata-sama's orders. Kagome's concern spikes, wondering why it's just her, and just WHAT is going on here. Meanwhile, the woman behind the screen, Okugata-sama I presume, turns and says she has no use for any of the others they rounded up, issuing another order for them to be killed. Miroku, Sango, and all the other "unimportants" are surrounded by thug guards with the intent to do their fascist duty while Kagome calls back to Miroku and Sango in distress. Hey Miroku, you can get out of this any time you want, remember? 

Meanwhile, Shippou's flying around in the sky on Kirara, shouting out to Inuyasha, asking in frustration where the fuck the guy is. I don't know, maybe try around Mt. Hakurei's remains, like the old priest said? Seems better than flying around at random. Shippou spots a dark writhing cloud above him and after his initial confusion, screams in alarm when the knot of minor youkai comes right at his and Kirara's faces. Don't get turned to bones, you two! 

Back at the castle, Kagome is thrown onto the floor inside. The Okugata-sama woman holding her bundle is sitting on the slightly raised platform at the back of the room, commenting on Kagome coming, as though it was her choice. 

Looks like we found the strange thing happening in the area. I guess the guards didn't say they were SEARCHING for it, so we might have guessed they were taking orders from it instead.

Kagome makes a questioning noise, but it's not at Okugata-sama. She's caught sight of a familiar figure against the wall nearby. It's the priest that told them about the injured miko on the riverbank next to Mt. Hakurei's remains. Kagome sweatdrops at the man, who tips right over and falls on his face, his body starting to foam up. 

Kagura steps out of the shadows, complaining about how much trouble she had to go through for this act. Recoiling, Kagome utters Kagura's name in horror, looking back down at the frothing priest body in alarm and trailing in reference to it. Kagura mistakes this for confusion, and says it should be obvious to Kagome that she manipulated the dead priest with her corpse-dance technique. Kagome immediately comes to a realization about what it means that the story about Kikyou being alive means, but trails in that too. Luckily, we can also put together the pieces ourselves. 

Okugata-sama tells Kagome that help will not be coming for her, asserting that the priest and youkai-exterminator will be killed by the palace guards, demonstrating a SHOCKING lack of information about Miroku and Sango's capabilities. Or, at least it SEEMS like all of this is coming from Okugata-sama at first. Kagome notices that it's actually NOT the woman who's talking right now.

Oh great, this kid is ALREADY making a habit of talking out of his ass. Great way to start your life.

So, what did I think of this chapter overall? This chapter is both VERY interesting and not interesting ENOUGH simultaneously. Our opening gives us a look at the deadly aftermath of the collapse of Mt. Hakurei, where entire villages are getting wiped out by roving minor youkai, which would naturally have the strong effect of raising a lot of fear in surrounding surviving communities. With all that going on, there's a certain amount of sense to be made out of the events that take place later - one community in particular being ordered to round up and even kill on command any "suspicious" travelers. Fascist regimes often manufacture widespread fear and use it as a tool to justify cruelty and genocide, as we well know. This is one of the (many) ways how relatively ordinary people, like regular castle guards, find themselves caught up in the banality of evil, and committing atrocities all in the name of their great leader who will deliver them from the horrors of the world by eliminating the threats they alone can identify. This may be a VERY small example of such a thing, but it does follow some of the logic you might expect in these circumstances.

However, this is only really being used to set up the baby up there to take advantage of Kagome in her emotional distress over Inuyasha and Kikyou. It's more of a backdrop for the character drama than a message in and of itself, which is a shame. There is some glimmer of brilliance in how we're led into this community that has granted unquestioning obedience to "Okugata-sama" no matter what she asks in exchange for some semblance of security, but it's being wasted on some pretty petty shit in comparison, so I'm a tad disappointed here. 

Also, I have no idea if it was intended as a joke, but that opening scene had me laughing pretty hard. RT may as well had the villagers saying in unison "oh, fuck me" right before their ends, it had that much of a comedic bent to it. And I'm sorry, but this is reaching Game of Thrones levels of unsustainability in all of this shit going down. There is so much pollution produced from Naraku funking up the place, so many people dying from youkai attacks, that I'm starting to wonder who the fuck is left to grow food, where they get water, etc.

Shockingly, Inuyasha NEVER addresses these questions. But, you know, at least we can have a laugh in this weirdly over-the-top apocalyptic mass-death scenario.

Yu-Gi-Oh Manga: 341 The Master of Servants

This is an... awkward chapter title. The existence of servants kind of implies a master, but the way this is worded without any kind of article suggests that the master is for ALL servants, not specific ones. I don't like the concept of servants and masters in even the kindest of interpretations, but there's something even MORE sinister about the sound of this phrase. Should we imagine that servants as a whole have some OVERLORD master that can command them all? Is this some kind of essentialist rhetoric that speaks of naturally servile entities that are beholden to the commands and whims of a natural master? 

Or was this just a really unfortunate translation compromise? Only one way to find out I guess.

Well the duel isn't over yet. Maybe we should be a little patient, hm Yuugi?

After both big bad monsters dissipate into tendrils of smoke, Atem scoffs, thinking that his partner has grown quite a bit. Jonouchi admits on the sidelines that he'd thought Atem (the OTHER Yuugi as he says) would dominate this duel, but neither player is giving an inch in this one. Honda agrees, adding that all they can do is watch, not that someone suggested they interfere with the match in the first place. Anzu thinks about how Yuugi's gotten stronger and stronger, and wonders how Atem feels watching him - happy? Sad? A little hungry? She's certain that Atem is happy as "the OTHER Yuugi", but as Atem, maybe he's a little sad. A very intriguing line of thought, to be sure.

Yuugi notes the face down card as he declares the start of his own turn, marveling at the fact that they were together in the same body for so long, and now they're facing each other in a duel. He urges himself to think about what he would do if he were Atem, closing his eyes in concentration on how he would think and fight. The first thought in his mind is that if he were Atem, he'd be scared to lose and be separated from his friends, and it would be too painful to go to "that other place" alone. Looking at his own deck of cards in the Duel Disk on his arm, Yuugi draws the conclusion that Atem CAN'T lose, and will have stacked his deck with the strongest cards, the god cards and his most trusted servants (read: monsters). Given Yuugi has JUST faced one of the god cards, this isn't exactly a stretch of a conclusion to draw. 

But he knows that the god cards need sacrifices, and it's risky to fill one's deck with too many low-level monsters for that purpose. So, Yuugi is thinking that Atem would only include ONE god card in his deck. Getting a bit riskier in his logic now, I like it. From there, he thinks that since Obelisk is now in the graveyard, after a short pause, Yuugi thinks he would play a CERTAIN card next. 

Now thoroughly inside his conception of Atem's strategy, Yuugi plays two face down cards, and then summons Marshmallon in defense. Excuse my flinch of horror at this smiling squishy psycho. Yuugi ends his turn here, again closing his eyes and thinking at Atem that he KNOWS all this sorrow must hurt, because he knows he's got some pretty painful feelings himself and they must be experiencing a pretty similar emotional reaction right now. And this is why...

That meek defenseless kid doesn't really exist anymore anyway. Your definitions are outdated, Atem.

Atem starts his turn with a declaration, thinking at Yuugi that he'd better be ready, because he's going to use his full power to dominate this duel, as he draws a new card. A bit late for that resolution - you've already been playing this thing for a while now, dude! Not to mention, his full power is expressed in this turn with a play of Jack's Knight in attack position and then the end of his turn. It's not BAD, per se, but I don't know if I buy it's turning the power up to 100%.

It's Yuugi's turn again, as he announces, and he summons a Lego monster in defense called Blockman, which ends his turn too. They are REALLY moving along here. Atem says it's his turn again, thinking that if Yuugi DOES win somehow (he's still in denial about Yuugi's badassery, apparently) and takes his sword, it's his wish that Yuugi stab his soul with it without mercy. Please no, Atem, PLEASE don't bring back the abuse of metaphors. I BEGGING you, dude. 

He sacrifices both his monsters.

There he is! This just wouldn't feel right without him.

Somehow, Yuugi looks shocked at DM's appearance, but while Jonouchi's posture suggests alarm, his statement proclaiming that "the other Yuugi's" partner is here suggests he was expecting DM. Atem would probably contest the claim that DM is his partner, though, because he's more in the habit of using that term for Yuugi. Regardless, Honda declares that Dark Magician is Atem's best servant, and has gotten him out of all kinds of scrapes. Jonouchi is convinced this means Atem is SERIOUS, because summoning the god before wasn't serious enough for him.

With a combative expression, Atem silently urges Yuugi to just TRY and take his sword, asserting that his grip is firm and his aim is true. Not as bad as the other metaphor, but maybe you should just lay off the damn sword imagery, Atem. He commands the Dark Magician to attack, who points his staff at Marshmallon and blasts it right apart. As it goes "splat", Atem narrates its death. 

Yuugi raises his arm against the digital smoke remains of his monster, realizing that OF COURSE Atem knew that Marshmallon could only be destroyed by magic. He's not the only one who can get into his opponent's head, lol.

Shit, DM, no need to give Yuugi the stink-eye.

Yuugi silently admits that it was comforting having DM on his side in the past, but there's no stronger opponent. Clearly, Obelisk was just chopped liver in comparison. Yuugi's not exactly stoked to have to defeat DM, but he knows he has to, otherwise this whole match is hopeless. 

Atem continues his turn, not QUITE finished yet, by placing a card face down, as one does. THEN he ends his turn. Yuugi responds with an uncertain-looking acceptance of the announcement, but he's pretty certain in his mind that he'll have to take a chance here, one that will lose him the duel if he fails. Jonouchi asks how Yuugi's going to beat the Dark Magician rhetorically, and Honda adds that this is a critical moment for Yuugi, win or lose. 

Yuugi plays a spell card from his hand, called Gold Sarcophagus of Sealing. It looks VERY SIMILAR to the box that once housed the Millennium Puzzle, and its text says that any card placed in it will be immune to magic effects and cannot be used by either player. I assume until certain conditions are met, at least. 

Atem ponders the box critically. Jonouchi wonders aloud what card Yuugi chose, while Anzu points out what I just did, that it looks just like the puzzle box, and Honda agrees. Anzu has an extended thought about the actual box that held the Millennium Puzzle, what she considers a symbol of friendship that brought Yuugi and Atem together. She seems to be picking up what Yuugi's putting down, huh?

After a panel showing the floating digital box Yuugi summoned, Yuugi declares he's going to do one more thing: he activates Bockman's special ability, called Block Release. All the Lego pieces pop apart, which appears to shock Atem a little, or at the very least gives him a gape. Yuugi explains that Blockman can break into the same number of Block Tokens as the number of turns passes since its summoning. The blocks have rearranged themselves into two smaller kinds of little Lego robots, a move that makes Grandpa Sugoroku proud because now Yuugi can sacrifice them to summon a high-level monster. 

Indeed, the smaller Block Tokens are already surrounded by those familiar sacrificial whirlwinds, and Yuugi is sure he'll defeat the Dark Magician with their replacing monster. He announces it's on its way.

That dragon is the bomb. Don't give me that look.

Atem looks pretty nervous about Gandora, sweatdropping about it and everything. Yuugi shouts that Gandora's special power is to destroy all the monsters out and about, no matter their level of strength. Acknowledging that Yuugi has a chance at winning if he can destroy the Dark Magician, Jonouchi leans forward, gaping at the scene in similar fashion to Honda next to him. 

Yuugi calls for Gandora to do its thing.

Damn your impossible poker face, Atem.

Atem reveals a trap card he'd laid - classic ol' Mirror Force. Wide-eyed and lock-jawed, Yuugi seems to realize he's in it deep. Atem narrates the transparent bubble that appears around Dark Magician as a holy barrier that reflects the Giga Rays, which bounce off DM at close arcs, slamming right into Gandora instead. As a somewhat douchy flex, Atem declares that Gandora has killed itself.

Gandora explodes and yet again Yuugi doubles over behind his arm in the waves of virtual fallout, groaning. When he looks up, one eye still screwed shut, he's got just 1000 points left. Jonouchi panics about how bad it is that Yuugi doesn't have any monsters left, and either he or Honda makes the observation that if the Dark Magician hits Yuugi, he'll lose. While the smoke is still clearing, we get a view of Atem. 

That's an... expression.

So, what did I think of this chapter overall? This one is actually pretty straightforward, so there's not a LOT for me to say. I thinkYuugi's statement that he has to defeat the "him" that Atem has in his head is a particularly sharp point. As we discussed in the comments of the last chapter's review, it's clear Atem's construction of Yuugi in his mind is still pretty weak and defenseless, not to mention relatively incapable of fighting for himself or his friends. This is something Atem can be kind of forgiven for; to some extent, we've all got to build SOMEWHAT inaccurate ideas of the people in our lives, because there's no getting into their head to see what they're REALLY like. The problem here is that Atem's image of Yuugi in some ways casts him as a fragile extension of himself that requires protection constantly in order maintain it, simultaneously giving him anxiety over both what happens if Yuugi is left without his aid and is hurt, AND if Yuugi doesn't actually need him anymore and can function just fine as an autonomous person. These are both fears of Atem's ego, and split as that ego is between Yami the other Yuugi and dispenser of justice through games and Atem the pharaoh embodiment of the gods and light in his own time, only one of these definitions of himself is rooted in the conception of Yuugi and company as fragile. Defeat that conception, defeat the "other Yuugi" Yami concept as well, leaving just Atem without any excuse to avoid stepping into that great unknown that we all must one day.

I WOULD be more nervous about all of Yuugi's attempts to gain the upper hand in the duel here failing miserably if that mystery card in the box wasn't still hanging out. Also, the fact that KT has laid out a string of failures before the ultimate success in duels before. The try-fail cycle is a very effective way of raising the tension in a match as well as making the audience more sympathetic toward the protagonist, so that the win in the end feels more "earned". I love me a good try-fail cycle (one of the more prominent reasons why Jonouchi is my favorite character), but sometimes it is just a TAD obvious after more than 300 chapters of its employ. 

Still having a blast, though, I can't deny that!

Inuyasha Manga: 282 Kikyou's Life

Or the approximation of a life, anyway. It's already been established that everything from her body to her existence in the current moment is a bit of an imitation, but adding that to the title wouldn't be as punchy. Besides, it's not like her walking around in imitation form didn't have an effect on the other characters, even if the effect on HER was a bit limited. Being unable to grow and change in a large capacity gives her character evolution very little wiggle room, but just like a good Superman story, the focus will generally be on the impact on the people AROUND her rather than herself. 

What's with the perspective here? Either Inuyasha is TINY or Sesshoumaru very oddly large. Send it back!

Totally not what I should be focusing on in this scene, BTDubz. Inuyasha quietly says Kikyou's name, asserting internally that this CANNOT be happening. He thinks about what Kikyou said about Naraku not being able to kill her while Onigumo's heart that still yearns for her remains. The worst way in the world to find out that someone in your life made a BIG miscalculation.

Jaken has sidled up to the edge of the crevice in the rock and comments on how terrible the miasma is, and how there's no way that woman survived. Then he notices that Sesshoumaru has turned around and started strolling off, he cries out to his uncaring master and scrambles to join him. Inuyasha's shout for him to wait just a fucking minute actually gets Sesshoumaru's attention though, and he pauses to turn and stare at Inuyasha out of his periphery. Inuyasha asks if Sesshoumaru just stood there and watched Kikyou get murdered, a fair question, all things considered. Sesshoumaru shoots back his own question about what kind of connection Inuyasha had to that woman, but then adds that he's not particularly interested in the answer, because Sesshoumaru is basically a conglomeration of utterly superfluous actions and words nowadays. He then twists to give Inuyasha a more direct harsh glare and tells him that NARAKU was the one who killed this Kikyou person.

Sesshoumaru, allow me to raise a popular quote that is frequently attributed to Edmund Burke: "The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men should do nothing" or something like that. Then again, Sesshoumaru has never claimed to be a good man, so maybe he wouldn't think much of this either way.

Still, fuck you very much, dude. 

Sesshoumaru starts off again, tossing over his shoulder the advice that if Inuyasha has time to growl at HIM, then he has time to go after Naraku, Jaken agreeing whole-heartedly before they disappear into the fog that totes shouldn't exist anymore now that the holy ground is gone. Regardless, Inuyasha growls some more, grinding his teeth, trying to come up with some sort of thing to say to the memory of the woman he failed to protect.

The rest of the group, plus Kouga runs/rides in on Kirara, Miroku calling to Inuyasha. Kagome does the same as she dismounts Kirara, when he doesn't answer. He remains silent, staring over the side of the crack in the earth, standing next to the broken bow on the ground. Kagome recognizes it just like Inuyasha did, and has pretty much the same expression. She states firmly to the others that something has happened to Kikyou, getting a general response of bewilderment more than anything.

Is it insensitive of me to express some doubt? Because until I see the dissolve FX...

A narrow sky transition panel leads into a picture of the moon in the night sky, then a stream of smoke coming up from the ground in a sheltered spot nestled between two shorter cliffs. Kouga blurts out a surprised statement about Naraku just doing all this shit to kill one ordinary woman, almost looking defensive as he lists Naraku's seclusion in a mountain and controlling of a massive barrier in disbelief at the Inuyasha crew sitting around a campfire. Miroku answers that Kikyou is no ordinary woman, informing Kouga that Naraku was pretty scared of Kikyou's spiritual powers. Kagome adds that Naraku had a human heart, Onigumo's, that yearned for Kikyou and he REALLY wanted to get rid of that shit. Sango recalls the time that Naraku literally expelled that human heart into the world and they had to deal with that shit. 

Miroku elaborates on this to Kouga, the whole Musou incident where the guy with Onigumo's memories (highly truncated, anyway), but that guy was reabsorbed into Naraku by the end of the whole debacle. Naraku had said it was too early for Musou to come out, as Miroku remembers. Kagome starts to comment on what Naraku is doing now, when Miroku intercepts this trailing thought, connecting it with the weird lumpy baby flesh creatures that he and Sango saw in Mt. Hakurei. Sango says Naraku made those things to spit out and and seal his human heart, adding a "probably" on the end there so she doesn't sound TOO much like she read the script. 

Working off all this new information, Kouga concludes that after finishing off the frightening miko, Naraku is now able to do whatever he wants without recourse. Not that he wasn't already kind of doing that? Miroku and Sango just kind of glare at him over the fire, letting the "well, I GUESS" response hanging out in the subtext. Kouga turns, announcing that he's not going to let Naraku just get away with whatever, and that he's leaving now. 

Before he can make good on this promise, Two-Tone and Mohawk jog up to him, panting, at last having caught up apparently. Kouga drawls a greeting, then grabs Kagome's hands in his, bidding her farewell and asking her to take care. Once she affirms his well wishes and asks of him the same, Kouga lingers awkwardly in that romantic pose for a moment. Kagome asks him what the deal is and he turns to look around, saying that the "Dog-Turd" isn't interfering with his declarations like usual.

Yeeeeaaaaah, did you notice KAGOME'S gloomy expression, Kouga?

Did you?

Shippou glares at his lap, internally cursing that Inuyasha for leaving Kagome on her own and gone looking for Kikyou. Disgusting, to continue to care about another lady even after she's presumably dead. How dare he. 

Kagome is moping a bit, contemplating Inuyasha, in an emotionally fraught mental space. Meanwhile, Inuyasha is thinking on Kikyou as he rushes along on the barren rocks among charred trees. He sets down next to that miasma river, still glugging along, with what looks like a whole-ass horse skeleton sitting in the middle of it. 

Oh, I guess it's a deer? It didn't have antlers in the previous panel, so you understand my confusion. Of course that's a small thing to gripe about during this ENVIRONMENTAL DISASTER, but given how frequent those are in the real world nowadays, I'm a little desensitized. 

Inuyasha says Kikyou's name in clear frustration, whirls around and suggests to the surrounding polluted landscape that Kikyou is somewhere in it, and receives no answer whatsoever. He's running along the miasma river, reflected in it as he wonders WHY Kikyou tried to fight by herself, and why she couldn't have waited until he arrived. Not that it was even her INTENTION to fight, but Inuyasha is tripping balls if he thinks that Naraku himself would have waited until Inuyasha arrived to attack. Must be all the miasma fumes. 

He recalls what that dick Sesshoumaru said about HIM being the one to fail at saving Kikyou, taking it entirely too much to heart and slowing to a dazed amble along the toxic river bank, looking upwards as though there's an epiphany there about what his responsibility in this situation is. He then drops to his knees and punching the ground, cursing. He's certain that if he had just run a bit faster...

Come on, RT, try not to SHOVE the reader into guessing your big twist here. 

A short distance from the smouldering remains of their campfire, and her friends sitting/laying around it in light slumber, Kagome is sitting up staring off into the distance, still thinking on Inuyasha. At long last, his form emerges from the morning fog, and she stands in anticipation, though looks pretty anxious at him appearance. Miroku and Sango open their eyes and look over too. It was a REALLY light slumber, apparently. 

As Inuyasha comes up, he spots Kagome and calls her name in question, asking if she stayed awake this whole time waiting. He's hanging his head morosely. Kagome affirms this, not asking aloud if he didn't find Kikyou, because it's pretty obvious that he didn't. Inuyasha lowers his head even further, mumbling that he thought he could have at least found some remains. Kagome looks on Inuyasha with sorrow, saying his name, no doubt unable to think of anything else to say here. 

Inuyasha looks up, pained expression barely controlled, and apologizes but also says he's okay now. LIAR. Kagome doesn't call him on it, acknowledges his statement even, though she thinks on the word he used and watches him pass her with the absolute knowledge that he doesn't LOOK "okay" at all.

Hooo boy, if that isn't a question EVERYONE wishes they knew the answer to. 

So, what did I think of this chapter overall? Suprise! The cold-open actually had something of a point to make about the analysis here at the end! Part of Kikyou's role as a foil to Kagome is rooted in her past with Inuyasha and the big betrayal/misunderstanding they had at the VERY beginning of the story. Once they learned the truth about how they had been played against one another by Naraku, Kikyou's reaction was a shaky strategy based on her former experience protecting the Shikon no Tama and housing Onigumo in that cave; a very limited plan that counted on circumstances to be as static as she is.

Inuyasha's reaction was a bloom of guilt and shame at the two of them failing to trust and rely upon one another. He has declared in the past that he's dedicated to not making that mistake again, to protect her thoroughly and trust she knows what she's doing, but even that wasn't enough in this case. Her (alleged) death has the impact on him in this chapter it does because he now feels like he failed her twice over, with the compounding pain that goes with it. 

This is why, even though I'm finding Sesshoumaru EVEN MORE insufferable at the beginning of the chapter than usual, I think his rhetorical question about Inuyasha's connection to Kikyou is so interesting. He's clearly gathered though Inuyasha's reaction here that it was an intimate, even romantic, type of connection, so it's understandable that he would discourage any elaboration on the subject. But BECAUSE he doesn't know the details of that connection, he can't possibly know how hard he was really hitting Inuyasha with that "it was you who failed to save her" line. I'm not saying that knowing the background of this having happened before would have discouraged Sesshoumaru from saying what he did, but I do think it's kind of fascinating how much psychic damage he did without even realizing it. 

Almost as fascinating I find it that Kouga was noting INUYASHA'S expressions before he took off without noticing KAGOME'S at that moment. I've mentioned before how Inuyasha and Kouga's relationship has long evolved into a loop without Kagome even really in it anymore, but this is some more blatant evidence for that here, even if it's a very small slightly comedic statement. At this point we may as well acknowledge that Kouga has completely stopped seeing Kagome as a romantic prospect, and views her more as a button to push to get Inuyasha's attention. 

And, at last, we get to Kagome. There isn't much in THIS chapter to go off of here regarding her feelings - she, like Miroku and Sango, seems to be on the gloomy side, but slid way further along the scale. But it's very obvious that there's a lot more going on behind how upset she is than meets the eye. Fifteen as she is, it's probably not a stretch for anyone to suppose there was just a little relief, maybe even slight happiness, at Kikyou being gone, since there's her young'un impulse to view the bond between Inuyasha and Kikyou as a threat. There's the same "duh" factor to more jealousy flaring up at Inuyasha going off to look for Kikyou and leaving her behind to fret. But if that were EVERYTHING, she wouldn't be looking like THAT. Though RT's same-face syndrome is one of the more notorious in the industry, she's also REALLY good at depicting nuanced and dynamic facial expressions. Kagome's feelings around Kikyou's (alleged) death are just as complex as Inuyasha's, because she ALSO has a bond with Kikyou. They share the same soul. It ain't nothing. But since this chapter is dealing more with the intricacies of Inuyasha's reaction, it's not shocking that RT didn't try to stuff it overfull with Kagome's contemplations too. 

One emotional crisis at a time is probably a good rule to follow.

Yu-Gi-Oh Manga: 340 The Ties That Bind

Being all tied up in something can be a bit of a double-edged sword. On the one hand, being bound can provide a sense of stability and security, and on the other, it can be restricting as hell. Trying to find out where you feel the most of the former and least of the latter is tricky, because while we can't avoid ties altogether (no matter what all those "freedom" evangelists might claim in all their hypotheticals), knots are hard to untangle in the cases where you've made a pretty big mistake or it's time to move on. You don't want to tether yourself to the first thing that offers you a fair amount of security and then be stuck watching it deteriorate around you like a melting glacier you depended on to keep you cool and collected. That's an untenable position.

... Not that I'm having that problem right now or anything.

At least you're not surrounded by talk about a monster-recession too, Yuugi. 

Jonouchi comments seriously on what a close match this is, but acknowledges that Atem is still thinking one step ahead. Ishizu thinks on how Atem is like an iron fort, and the outcome of the fight will depend on whether or not Yuugi can breach that fort. I should note that both of them keep referring to Atem as the "other" Yuugi or self. Just to draw some attention to how reluctant everyone STILL is to separate the two even mentally.

Yuugi's eyes are closed, and he thinks about how he's trembling, but not because he's afraid. His eyes open again, and he's adopted a small determined smile when he thinks about how happy it makes him that Atem is actually taking him seriously. Again, Yuugi reiterates in his mind how his "other him" winning means he stays here in this world. He starts to interpret the deck that Atem has chosen for this duel, translating it into a nonverbal expression of the sad feelings he would have if he has to lose the bonds he has with Yuugi and his other friends. I'd say it's a bit of a stretch, but Yuugi's had this dude sharing intimate mental space with him for literal years by this point, so it would be weird if he WASN'T able to accurately read Atem's emotions through any number of small cues. 

Inclining his head in a somber expression, Yuugi knows he feels the same way, but when he looks back up with full poop-face on, he is certain Atem has to return and that he HAS to defeat him. He announces that his turn is over aloud, after all that internal dialog. 

Uhhhh, excusez-vous? This shit opinion only exists because you didn't see Yuugi absolutely SPANK asshole!Bakura before. 

Atem demands they all behold his spell card, "Tricky's Magic 4", which comes as a surprise to Yuugi, who is in disbelief that Tricky can use different spells. Apparently this one is a cloning spell, because Atem explains that since there are three separate gadgets fastened onto Stronghold, Tricky can split into three identical monsters as well. As it proceeds to do so, Yuugi's mouth hangs open in further disbelief, and no doubt we can ALL predict what's coming next.

Yup, Atem announces his intent to sacrifice them.

Oh boy, I think Atem might be taking Yuugi a little TOO seriously, lol!

Yuugi gapes up at Obelisk in terror, sweatdropping and generally looking a little ill about it. Its own expression can't really be read - it looks kind of like some sort of giant Cenobite with its perpetually exposed teeth and gums. Jonouchi and Honda look up with alarm at the god Atem summoned, concluding that this perfect, incredible deck was built to blast Yuugi away and he's not showing the least bit mercy. Anzu is speechless, though her shock is somewhat less pronounced than the others'.

Atem commands his Obelisk to strike. 

I think the seriousness has calcified.

As Yuugi doubles over, digital smoke wafting off his back, Ryoji comments in awe about how that one attack took out all of Yuugi's monsters, and Bakura says that Yuugi will be finished off with a direct attack next turn if he can't do something on this next one. Meanwhile, Atem plays a single card face down and ends his turn, of course. While Yuugi and Atem continue to stare down one another across the manufactured distance between them, Jonouchi shouts at Yuugi not to give up (I guess this looks an awful lot like it to him), though Honda points out that the Swords of Revealing light are still out there and asks how Yuugi can possibly defeat a god. 

Yami is still peering at Yuugi across the way, and for a moment Yuugi's face looks kind of shadowed. But then...

Would you prefer he CRY? Because I would. But then again, I'm not a badass, so...

Everyone's sort of nonplussed by Yuugi's little smile here. Ryoji says Yuugi's name with shock, Bakura wonders aloud if Yuugi has some sort of trick up his sleeve, and Sugoroku answers that Yuugi is IN FACT quite cornered and there's no turning back for him, but he too is perplexed as to why he's wearing this weird expression. Anzu suggests that maybe Yuugi is expressing some happiness because he wants Atem to stay, but Honda snaps at her not to be so stupid, and Jonouchi insists that NO ONE would grin when he's about to lose, adding that Yuugi isn't that kind of duelist. The kind that Jonouchi doesn't think exists anyway. Cool. 

Jonouchi's explanation is far simpler: haltingly, he says Yuugi is just... having fun, much to the further confusion of Honda and Anzu. He elaborates that right now, in this duel, Atem is throwing everything he can at Yuugi, and Yuugi himself is loving it. Anzu looks at him with a dawning realization as Jonouchi further explains that this is the first time these two have faced each other as rivals (not to mention PHYSICALLY), and while Yuugi has always been kind of following along in the shadow of Atem, they're coming at one another head-on. Anzu considers the words "always" and "following", and she looks a little ashamed here, gazing at Yuugi as if she's JUST noticed that he's also going through some shit.

Jonouchi recalls on the boat when Yuugi confessed that there was something he hadn't yet told his "other self", and Jonouchi silently encourages Yuugi to make that leap.

And hey, Atem seems to be down with this too, thinking at his partner to bring it on. 

Yuugi begins by setting a card face down, then brings out little Silent Swordsman, Level 0, into the fray, at 1000 attack points. I don't bother to mention defense because Yuugi has indeed summoned it in attack position. Yuugi just keeps mystifying everyone today - Atem is in a little disbelief over the questionable move, and Marik openly questions why, since Obelisk will be dealing a whopping 3000 points of damage if it attacks, bringing the duel to a swift end. Jonouchi grinds his teeth with anxiety.

But Atem seems to be working out what's going on here. He thinks that Yuugi must have Time Jump hidden among his face down cards, and when he activates it, it'll bring Silent Swordsman's level up with the 3 turns it blows over. However, the attack strength would STILL only be up to 2500 at that point, still far below what is needed to defeat Obelisk. Atem assumes that this was some sort of attempt to scare him into holding back, instead of working out that there's probably ANOTHER piece of this move that he's not quite grasping yet. 

Atem calls out the start of his turn, quickly summoning Big Shield Guardna for backup defense, as you do, and commanding Obelisk to attack. As the giant fist is coming in for a mean punch to the diminutive Silent Swordsman, Yuugi throws out his hand to trigger one of his face down cards, Time Jump, just at Atem had supposed. Atem is secure in his reading of the situation, and his knowledge that Silent Swordsman still doesn't have the power to survive Obelisk's attack. But when Yuugi announces that this isn't ALL, Atem is taken aback once again. 

Yuugi plays his SECOND face down card, Crumbling Axe, the text of which instructs the player to lower the selected monster's attack by 500 points each for every turn it was hanging out face down. Yuugi reiterates that Time Jump raises Silent Swordsman's level (so he's all grown up now and his massive hands and feet are much more proportional to his body now), and Crumbling Sword lowers Obelisk's attack points. 

Well, if Yuugi wasn't having fun before, he sure is now.

So, what did I think of this chapter overall? It's a good thing that Yuugi's here to do some interpreting on Atem, because to me, his opinions/feelings in this duel are kind of erratic. Half the time he's thinking that Yuugi can't surpass him or that Yuugi is trying to scare him into going easy on him or something, and the other half he's summoning gods and encouraging Yuugi to bring it in a genuine way. He's so all over the place that I'm having a lot of trouble getting a read on the guy. 

But since this is my blog, and I really should TRY to come up with an analysis of viable motivation that covers all of his contradictory statements/actions, I'm thinking there's a contrast being drawn here between Atem's repeated attempts at seriousness and Yuugi's almost laid-back taking the whole experience in stride. As Jonouchi said, it's clear Yuugi is having FUN here - he's treasuring what could potentially be his last minutes with someone so close to him and at the same time using them to express himself and his feelings about the situation and their face-off. In a way, Yuugi is MAKING this the conversation that he admitted he wanted a couple of chapters ago, saying what he's wanting to say, which is that Atem doesn't have to be concerned about how things will turn out when he has to go, because Yuugi is a capable and strong individual in his own right.

But Atem isn't using the duel as a medium like Yuugi is. Beyond Yuugi's observation that the deck Atem put together is a statement on his fears about severing ties with all his friends in going away, Atem appears to be trying to dissociate himself from the intimate nature of this duel. He's trying to treat it like one he might have with any of the antagonists they've met from the beginning, as an exercise of his judgment with a just outcome. Whether he feels good or bad about it (which seems to shift every second), he's already drawn the conclusion that Yuugi CAN'T win this duel, and he's going to be staying. Atem clearly doesn't think Yuugi is bad, but he has assumed that Yuugi is WRONG, and this needs... correcting, just like the other wrong-headed folks he's dueled. So, Atem's treatment of the duel as a cold hard judgment of skill leaves him missing a lot of what Yuugi is trying to SAY with the moves he makes, including the pretty obvious stuff.

But hey, maybe now that Yuugi has taken down Obelisk, he's going to get wise and start paying a bit more attention. One can only hope.

Inuyasha Manga: 281 New Body

Just in time for beach season! Yet another reason for him to shed all those pounds in Mt. Hakurei, I'm sure - no doubt that wouldn't go over well among others on the sandy shores, but it would probably have less to do with a lack of body positivity and more to do with the beach being ENTIRELY obscured by the literal mountainous bulk. Not that I care much for the idea of Naraku in a bathing suit either way. Seems wrong and inappropriate. 

Do not link the fanart I am CERTAIN exists somewhere!!

Kikyou is already displeased enough.

Naraku observes with a nasty smile that Kikyou doesn't bleed because of her bones and soil imitation body. Way to add insult to injury, dude. Kikyou drops to the ground, what's left of her bow still under her hand as though she can't give it up, and she haltingly calls Naraku a bastard. Naraku responds with a chuckle, saying she was careless for presumably showing up there without worry since she was under the impression he couldn't kill her. When he refers to the useless human heart that had some kind of *ahem* covetous thoughts of Kikyou remaining in him as the reason WHY she would be so confident, Naraku's smile drops off his face and he looks none too pleased. Kikyou draws the conclusion that he's gotten rid of that hateful heart, and further stipulates that when she saw Kagura escaped carrying something, whatever it was had a human heart. 

What about the unhealthy amount of smugness? That doesn't strike you as "a thing"?

Kikyou just glares at him, her hand clutching at the jagged wound in her shoulder, which appears to be leaking some vaporous substance. She silently asserts that these are the dead souls escaping. Again. She just can't seem to hang ON to those things, can she? Naraku tells Kikyou that he no longer has any reason to let her live, and the ground behind her proceeds to split open into a deep chasm with a river of bubbling miasma at the bottom. 

Naraku states this too, just to make sure she knows how well her measly imitation form will dissolve in there (we can't have anyone possibly NOT understanding that this is basically an acid vat), all while his hand extends and twists into some more gnarled tentacles. With one more announcement that this is her grave, Naraku's hand/tentacle mass lashes out at her lightning fast. 

Well Kikyou, at least you know what it's like to be dropped into a chasm to your death now. A little taste of your own medicine, even if it's somewhat late in the game. 

Kikyou's last thought as she's falling head-first down into the miasma below is of Inuyasha, like she's calling for him, but her mouth's not open. Her eyes are double-wide, though. From the top of the cliff, Naraku watches Kikyou's form recede down into the chasm, probably imagining a cartoon whistling sound to accompany the visual, the sick fuck (never mind that I'M the sick fuck writing that down). He asks if she understands, not that she can ANSWER him now, of course. He asserts that this was his desire, doubling down on the notion that it was a new body, this time with the implication that it's one that would do the murder he wanted.

At Naraku's back, someone was a flower-patterned sleeve comments on how curiously cautious Naraku was just to ultimately kill a single lady.

Jaken is sweatdropping pretty frickin' hard there. Apparently it's because he's all hot under the collar about how big of an ego Naraku's gotten to be just referring to Sesshoumaru without honorific by this point. To be fair, Sesshoumaru's name is plenty long enough without tacking more syllables onto the end of it. 

Naraku looks cheekily over his shoulder and says it's a surprise that Sesshoumaru would be coming after him too, suggesting that Sesshoumaru has an INTENSE interest in him. Didn't I SAY that he has no logical narrative reason to be here? So it's Sesshoumaru's own fault if people draw weird conclusions about his "interests" because of it, no matter how loudly Jaken screeches about how it's actually Naraku who was meddling with them first. 

But he doesn't get to finish his defensive screed about who is responsible for their current meeting, because Sesshoumaru cuts him off to tell him to stand the fuck by. Then Sesshoumaru addresses Naraku, saying that his exit from the barrier must mean he's gotten a bit stronger. Naraku doesn't answer for a moment, then suggests that Sesshoumaru try him out. Sesshoumaru scoffs. 

Don't send me THAT fanart either!!

Because this is BASICALLY just that, except with a literal sword. Naraku's giving Sesshoumaru the bedroom eyes and everything here.

Jaken can be forgiven for assuming that Sesshoumaru got Naraku, because Naraku's expression in the next panel is less flirty and more disturbed that his bony carapace is getting annihilated from Sesshoumaru's attack. But Sesshoumaru knows better, directing a critical look at where he'd just swung his sword. Although he's been blasted to bits from mid-chest down, Naraku chuckles from within his protective bubble with all his viscera contained within. He tells Sesshoumaru that he's going to bounce the attack he just endured right back to sender, the barrier emitting a jagged blast around its circumference per the promise.

Sesshoumaru holds up Tokijin in a defensive stance as his own blast crackles around him, forcing him backward a bit, which Jaken notes with disbelief and alarm. After a moment of intense concentration, Sesshoumaru stops skidding at the heel and pushes off from the ground, lunging up toward Naraku and slicing his giggling head in half. Naraku don't give a shit, chuckling that Sesshoumaru's efforts are futile. 

Yeah, I think we've caught on to that irritating fact, bro.

Sesshoumaru glares up at the sky, silently pissing and moaning about Naraku's impudence in using him to test his new body. I guess his FULL AGENCY in participating in the test doesn't factor into the complaint here, nor their recent discussion about how he NEVER had to be here. I can't say I'm particularly sympathetic to him right now.

He looks over at a familiar bare-footed step, Inuyasha squaring up for... some kind of confrontation, no doubt. Sesshoumaru expresses the mildest surprise that Inuyasha's alive, but supposes that Naraku wanted to kill "that woman" more than him anyway. Inuyasha is taken aback by this offhand statement, then spots the broken bow on the ground near the chasm, which he automatically identifies as Kikyou's. He looks a bit alarmed, but mostly in disbelief by the puzzle he's putting together.

Meanwhile, in some forest somewhere, Kagura is perched on a branch up in a tree, thinking about that damn Naraku forcing this crap on her, probably referring to the bundle still hitched in the crook of her arm. A voice from that bundle asserts that Kikyou is dead, and Kagura has to ask it to repeat itself, having been deep in loathing thought about stupid Naraku and everything.

What do YOU know about it? You're just a baaaaaabyyyyyy.

So, what did I think about this chapter overall? Kikyou's presumed death (things are rarely dead in this manga unless we get to watch them dissolve, remember) is pretty good at subverting the expectations that have been built thus far. As I mentioned in the previous analysis, we don't really have any reason to believe that this interaction between Naraku and Kikyou will be any different than the previous ones, nor does Kikyou herself. She had an inkling before that Naraku had OTHER motivations for hiding himself away and rearranging his form again, but clearly she didn't think it had anything to do with getting rid of her, otherwise she would have been a lot more careful in meeting with him again. The scene reframes Kikyou's confidence in her understanding of Naraku and his limitations as arrogance and miscalculation, hubris that leads to a literal downfall. Despite the unlikelihood that Naraku would be able to literally rearrange the humanity right out of himself, Kikyou's relative certainty that he wouldn't have found SOME way to hurt/kill her just made her more vulnerable in a way that none of us really saw coming. It carries a somber, unsettling tone, because Kikyou having already died at Naraku's tricky hands probably had the most reason of any of them to seek vindication, but the fragility of her state of being almost made her the most likely not to be able to see it through.

And then there's the guy who has the LEAST reason to be there, sucking up the air right afterward. Honestly, RT drawing attention to the fact that Sesshoumaru is there chasing after Naraku like the others with very little rhyme or reason just makes me irritated. Rather than a tool for releasing the tension like her little spats between Inuyasha and Kouga, this one just feels like a joke at the audience's expense. "Well, my fans demanded more of him because he's pretty and popular - here he is, just like they wanted, even though he's basically just superfluous right now."

Good job, RT, Sesshoumaru is an annoying purposeless twat. I'm sure that is precisely how you meant this to pan out, lol.