Inuyasha Manga: 314 The Curse Loosens

No such luck on my end. The curse I have in mind has just tightened its grip, and it threatens to never let go. This one isn't the result of a single intelligence like Naraku, but a couple of generations of malevolent political intentions. It would almost be more comforting if they were those of demons too, but no, just men, trying to compel poorer men to serve them in perpetual poverty forever more, and compel women to reproduce an impoverished workforce. 

It's the curse of our moment that we all have to watch the horrible business play out, bit by bit, and fight tooth and nail against these designs where we can.

If only WE had a Tessaiga, lol!

Inuyasha vows to slay her, so her crimes stop right here. Meanwhile Kagome and Miroku observe the vampire creatures drawing tighter together in the sky. Abi scoffs, informing them that this means they've collected all the blood from the castle. She says she would have expected a lot more resistance from a castle associated with Naraku, and draws the conclusion that it was just a regular old castle after all. Or, at the very least, it was something Naraku could afford to lose. 

Kagome is a confused sort of skeptical, thinking on sensing that Shikon shard here and the implication that it was Kohaku, probably on Naraku's orders. But she doesn't challenge this idea out loud, and Abi is already turned away to fly off, announcing she's withdrawing today and that her hanyou foe below gets to live a little longer. How generous. Flabbergasted, Inuyasha haltingly says that she must be joking, but casts one last glower over her shoulder to tell him to shut it, because her one and only priority is delivering the human blood she gathered to her nest. 

Oh come on, man, you knew that wasn't going to work.

Abi recedes into the sky, nothing but a shimmer of bubble and distant shapes flapping through the air, and Inuyasha curses in his perennial irritation. Kagome notices that the Shikon fragment she sensed before has also disappeared, and after a narrow sky transition panel, we cut to Sango brooding over the corpses of the people her brother killed, his name echoing through her head. When the gang runs up to her, calling her name, she gives looks up to give them a pained expression. 

Sango quietly informs them that it was Kohaku's doing. Kagome takes a moment to think on Sango before asking her, hesitantly, if Kohaku has left again, despite the fact that she's already noted that Kohaku's Shikon shard has disappeared from her purview. Sango confirms that he has, but she couldn't follow him, fighting back tears. Miroku says her name, but I don't think there's anything he can say, because she's lost in dwelling on how much blood Kohaku had on him when she saw him with his sickle raised over the lady of the castle. She isn't sure how she would save Kohaku's heart, even if she were able to take him back from Naraku. 

No doubt years of intensive therapy would help a little, but that isn't exactly available in this time and place...

Narrow sky transition panel!

Girl, does he look like he's up for a chat?

Kagura presses in on her specific suspicions, asking if THAT baby was at the castle. She's wondering if Naraku was keeping the infant at a human castle, and moreover, what for. She's sure that the baby is significant for Naraku, the goodness knows she's got plenty of evidence for that in the last incident. She asks Kohaku if he wasn't told anything, like WHAT that infant is. 

After a pause waiting for an answer from a silent Kohaku, Kagura scoffs that he's always so reticent, warning him that if he continues to just follow Naraku's orders obediently, his Shikon fragment will be removed eventually and he'll be killed. Presumably after his usefulness has worn out. At last, Kohaku mumbles that he doesn't care if he dies, causing Kagura a dumbfounded gape. 

It IS enough to drive anyone to nihilism. Once again, he goes over this newly recovered memory of killing his father and comrades with his own hands, and even injured his big sister too. He thinks he should have died on that day, and this isn't just dramatic hyperbole on his part - we're shown again how both he and Sango were laying stacked in a pool of blood, with many weapons sticking out of them at every angle. But, Kohaku remembers that the next time he opened his eyes after that, he saw a looming figure of HIM. 

Awww, look at him offering to ease the pain he himself caused. How GENEROUS. 

Kohaku hunches, gripping his sickle hard as he thinks about that EVERYTHING he remembers, and Naraku himself, and a close up on his determined profile emphasizes that he's committed to having his revenge, even if they kill each other. Oh honey, as much of a badass as you are, I don't think you'll come CLOSE to killing Naraku as he's killing you. Not a chance. 

But whatever makes you feel better.

Yet another narrow sky transition panel later, the Inuyasha crew is all gathered around a despondent Sango while she sits at the roots of a tree, Miroku sitting next to her. He acknowledges that it's probably painful for her, but he asks her to tell them all that she saw, because with the presence of Kohaku, it's looking like the castle had a connection to Naraku after all, despite Princess Abi's inexpert opinion. She tells them of Kohaku holding his sickle up to slay a woman holding a baby when she arrived, and the word "baby" is repeated by Inuyasha in question. Sango's memory of it is somewhat fuzzy, no doubt because she was far more focused on her brother at the time, but she's suddenly surprised when she realizes something about the appearance of the infant that she didn't clock before. 

Shnooky LIIIIIIIIIVES!

Yet another narrow sky transition panel takes us back to that precarious little hut perched on a remote wooded mountainside, where Hakudoushi is lounging in the dark, listening to the buzzing of a single Saimyoushou hovering next to him. He looks over to the window when Kagura and Kohaku are visible on the former's feather outside it, and he looks distinctly displeased. Don't know why - maybe he's just a little peeved to have his solitude interrupted. 

Kohaku spots Hakudoushi too when he stands within in the hut, and his cautious puzzlement catches Kagura's attention, who asks if he doesn't know who that is. Well, you have been the ONLY one to interact with him so far. She tells Kohaku that this is the other half of the baby he was with. For me, this would just bring up MORE questions, but Kohaku is still in moody silence as Kagura seems to have an epiphany. She wonders why it was that the baby was divided in two in the first place, as if she wasn't THERE when it happened. 

But it's dawning on her that the one half was hidden in a human castle. She touches down on the floor of the hut, watching Hakudoushi's hair whip around his face in the force of her wind, and realizes that he doesn't have a heart. Well, we already knew that was true metaphorically, so I suppose she's talking in literal terms now. She concludes that the baby has Hakudoushi's heart, but she immediately amends this assessment to a far more consequential one.

I don't know if this is the greatest working hypothesis. 

So, what did I think of this chapter overall? It appears that Kohaku has gone from being a mindless puppet of Naraku to being a... mindFUL puppet of Naraku. Even when I read this manga for the first time, it was clear to me that he was going to have to commit a whole hell of a lot more atrocities to maintain his cover before he even got SOMEWHAT close to Naraku in order to take a shot, but there's always a trade-off. Remembering what he's already done while under the influence of Naraku and acknowledging that it was with his own hands might actually be an asset to him in his goal, ironically. Taking responsibility for these actions, though they are not at the core something he did consciously, may steel his mind to doing what's necessary in the meantime. And if all the innocents he has to hurt and kill were going to die whether he does it or one of his own cohorts, he may as well be the one to do it. 

It's a pretty shitty position to be in, but he's not screaming in mental anguish anymore, so I guess that's progress. 

I'm not sure if I see the logic with Kagura's conclusion that the infant is actually Naraku's heart. She just jumps from assuming Naraku had PLANNED the split in the baby before, to the fact that Hakudoushi was the half that didn't contain the baby's heart, to the shaky declaration that this is really Naraku's heart. It's an extremely dubious line of thought. Sure, Naraku seems to be making an effort to conceal the little thing, but he could be doing that for any number of reasons. For instance, Hakudoushi seems to be Naraku's main pair of jackboots on the ground, and it would ensure that Hakudoushi can't get mortally injured in the field if they keep his heart out of direct harm's way. I feel like, if the heart was actually NARAKU'S, he wouldn't have put it in Kagura's hands to begin with straight out of Mt. Hakurei, he wouldn't have given it any task that might even remotely lead to it getting split in half like it was, and he wouldn't have put it in the hands of random human nobles. He's not really exhibiting the level of caution that I would associate with a guy protecting his very life.

But this assumption that the infant is Naraku's heart is going to become pretty much unanimous before long. I'm sure it'll definitely prove to be accurate. /s

YuYu Hakusho Manga: 14 Into the Inferno...!!

You know, I made fun of Yu-Gi-Oh for its somewhat dramatic use of punctuation in its titles, but I take that back right now. An ellipse followed immediately by two exclamation points in a title is bordering on unhinged. YT is a man on the edge, it is clear. The CUTTING EDGE of dramatic title punctuation. I can't even say that this is unwarranted - Yusuke's unconscious body is currently stuck in a burning building and Keiko has doused herself in water to dive in there to his aid. This is about as dramatic as it gets.

Double tragedy or double heroism can only result. The stakes are HIGH.

She shields her face with an arm against the heat with a raised arm, yelling Yusuke's name as though he'll... respond. Flames at her heels, hair singing despite the water she poured over her head a few seconds ago, she runs farther into the house. Yusuke, in spirit form, flies after her, calling her an idiot that will succumb to the smoke, and yelling ineffectually at her to forget about his body and get the hell out of there. 

Sayaka points out in alarm that he won't be able to return to life if his body is gone, but he snaps that there's no point in coming back to life if Keiko is dead. As he continues to try to get Keiko to listen to his commands for her to scram, Sayaka flushes up and gapes, taken aback by Yusuke's admission that his life and happiness is tied intrinsically to Keiko's. 

Yusuke is frustrated by how the fire has already filled the doorway, the people outside screaming about how the girl won't be able to get out, declaring her dead on the spot. Botan circles over the flaming house on her oar, in despair over how fast the fire is spreading. When she gets inside to where Yusuke and Sayaka are, she reports that she reached Kuwabara, and her hopeless comment is finished by Yusuke barking that it's too little, too late. 

Unaware of ALL this, Keiko yells Yusuke's name again, and is alarmed when she reaches the doorway where his futon is rolled out.

She flings the burning blanket off of Yusuke's body and helps him to sit up by confirming with relief that he's still breathing. She drags him up by his arm around her shoulder and grunts that they have to get out of there, but she soon discovers what Yusuke in spirit form already has - her escape is blocked by a wall of fire. They're surrounded by roaring flames, trapped, as she puts it, the smoke and heat consuming the house at a rapid pace. 

Yusuke asks in desperation if there isn't ANYTHING they can do, but Botan hesitantly says that she doesn't know if she has that kind of power. At this moment, a pair of stubby little legs appear hovering just above and behind them, and they twist around in shock when their owner tells them never to fear. It's toddler prince Koenma, announcing in perfect calm that he knows what can save them. Yusuke and Botan address him in their respective rude familiarity and reverence, as Koenma offers to lend a helping hand if they'd like. Observing Keiko bowing under his dead weight in the flesh, Yusuke urges Koenma to go ahead and LEND his hand. Koenma tries to warn him of something he should know, but Yusuke accepts that there are conditions, as there always are, but he appears not to give a shit what they are at the moment, yelling at Koenma get off his butt and save Keiko and leave the payment for later. 

Koenma gives a bit of a verbal shrug and says that the blunt rudeness is a bit refreshing actually. He's lifted a hand and held it near Yusuke's chest, appearing to draw a ball of light out of it, much to all of the observers' shock. 

Looks super fancy.

Wow, form AND function. You don't get that too often these days. 

The people gathered outside the house are shocked and amazed as Keiko emerges from the doorway that was previously consumed by fire, dragging Yusuke's unconscious body with her. They are universally ecstatic that she made it, calling it a miracle. Y'all have NO idea. 

At the back of the crowd, Kuwabara has arrived, seemingly alarmed that whatever vision or premonition Botan gave him was all for real. He had thought the weird voice in his head telling him Yusuke was in danger was just his imagination. Suddenly Kuwabara sees something that makes him shout in further surprise, and push his way through the crowd ahead of him until he sees Keiko and greets her with concern. She calls back to him, and confirms that she pulled Yusuke from the fire without so many words when he recognizes the Urameshi's limp form hanging off her shoulder, without so many words. 

Someone next to her announces that the fire truck has FINALLY arrived. Kuwabara suggests, in the cacophony of the fire siren, that they had better get out of there before people start getting curious and look too close. In a daze, Keiko agrees, and wonders how she's going to explain all this to her family in despair as Kuwabara points out that she's looking a real mess, the panel showing the hem of her singed skirt and shoes. Kuwabara offers to take her and Yusuke to his own house, where his sister has some clothes she can borrow. Keiko stutters her thanks while Yusuke and Koenma look down on the scene. Yusuke slumps and expresses his relief that Keiko is safe. 

Felicia, we can't keep saying goodbye like this!

Yusuke gives the spot where Koenma disappeared a critical look, then turns to Botan to ask her to lay on him what exactly it was he agreed to. Botan is hesitant to begin speaking, saying that Koenma's intervention doesn't come cheap, and it cost Yusuke his "virtue". This, of course, just prompts a repeat of the word as a question, because aside from a dictionary definition, there's no way of knowing quite what that means. 

Botan explains that it's what he accrued through his good thoughts and deeds as he was striving to return to life, but this is still rather abstract, and Yusuke has to encourage her to go on. She further pontificates on how virtue is behind many miracles and coincidences in the turning of fate in the living world - when people say that the good things that happen are in return for the good the person receiving it has done, that's virtue, and Koenma had to tap into that in order to act just now. 

And we all know that good things only happen to good people in the world, right? RIGHT???

Anyway, Yusuke still doesn't fucking get it, trying to get her to use plainer language, flowers sprouting out of his ears and a tiny smoking volcano/Japanese flag on top of his head. I'm guessing this is some sort of deprecating joke for the Japanese, but I'm scratching my head at it. Botan at last puts this into the most direct way relating to HIM specifically; that saving Keiko required all the virtue he's been saving up for his resurrection, so he's back to square one. 

He LAUGHS at this, asking if that's really all, because he thought this was SERIOUS. He asserts that he would give his virtue for Keiko any day, and he doesn't think it's a big deal that his own life is on hold for a while longer. Botan smiles at him, and little Sayaka looks contemplative. Yusuke admits his one frustration was with his ghost body, for the first time. He broods about how he'll be a wreck if he has to keep watching her just charge into danger like that, mumbling it would have been better if he had leaped into the fire himself. With a little chuckle, Botan thinks this is typical of him - she's starting to recognize what he's really about outside of her little pamphlet on his life, I guess. 

Oh my dear sweet baby child... no one cares. XD

Yusuke hums in question, and Sayaka says that she was all set to judge his relationship with Keiko, but is bored with how perfect they are for each other. What a little weirdo, lol. She further states that they were so desperate to save one another that there was no possible way she could have butt into that. With an uncomfortable expression, Yusuke scratches his cheek and admits to having forgotten all about that nonsense. 

Sayaka says it's just as well, because she won't have to worry about Yusuke anymore, because she's decided she's had her fun and she's moving on to Heaven now. She's rendered Yusuke speechless as she crosses her arms and declares that she's got way better things to do than cling to some other girl's guy, and expresses confidence that she'll find someone cool in Heaven. Maybe try going for someone closer to your own age this time, eh? When an irritated Yusuke tells her to go ahead and do that, she expresses an opinion that little Koenma was pretty cute, and she might try asking him out. I'm sharing Yusuke's opinion that she is absolutely out of her MIND. 

Taking a leaf out of RT's book, the comic gives us a narrow sky transition panel that shows us night has fallen. Sayaka sits on Botan's oar behind her, reminding Yusuke that he'll have to answer to her if he makes Keiko cry. Standing on the roof of a building below, he agrees flippantly, fuming mentally. Sayaka tells him there's one more thing, and when he whines a question about what it is she could POSSIBLY want in addition to all she's said, she gives him the ultimatum that he's not to cross over until he and Keiko have two boys and two girls. Fed up, Yusuke yells at her that this is enough and she should get going already. She laughs and waves her goodbyes. 

When she and Botan finally recede into the night, and Yusuke mutters irritably under his breath, his hair is stood on end and he whips around in alarm by Koenma appearing right behind him and giving a short greeting. Koenma immediately dives into business, saying that Botan is a fine guide, but isn't much of a detail person. Yusuke demands to know what Botan missed that Koenma had to pop up behind him like that. With a sinister look in his little narrowed eye, Koenma tells him it's just that Keiko owes him something herself for making him meddle in their world. Yusuke sweatdrops, requesting clarification in his anxiety at first, and then yells at Koenma that he can't he won't allow that. 

Koenma says that he's not asking for anything so ephemeral as virtue or anything like that, but he collecting a valuable BODY PART instead. What the FUCK, dude??? Yusuke flies off, presumably in Keiko's direction, demanding to know why Koenma didn't tell him, and Koenma reminds him of his "leave that crap for later" comment earlier. 

For REAL??? Oh, what an asshole joke, Koenma, you should be ashamed of yourself and your family!!!

Keiko is chatting with Kuwabara, who assures her that Urameshi can stay in his room for a while, because his parents like to keep their noses out of stuff like this. Like WHAT, Kuwabara? You been keeping unconscious dudes in your room in the past? Because you speak like this has happened before... But Keiko doesn't acknowledge this, thanking him simply. 

From Yusuke's perspective above, there's a fair-haired woman down below who asks for confirmation of Keiko's name, and if she would like to stay for a somewhat meager dinner. Keiko declines politely, telling her she has to do the shopping again and then get home. Yusuke fumes as he watches the conversation, but its content isn't his problem. He has realized what Koenma meant when he said he was taking an important part of Keiko's body. Koenma laughs, asking if Yusuke is surprised that it was her hair. 

Yusuke whips around, fists clenched, beginning to expound upon what he OUGHTA do, but Koenma disappears with a cheeky "later". Yusuke yells into the empty night that it's not fair for Koenma to just blip out of there after his little prank, demanding he come back there. Of course, he does no such thing.

The next panel puts us squarely in the next day, when one of Keiko's friends lets out an exclamation about her hair. She sheepishly acknowledges it, merely saying that she kinda HAD to do it, and asking if it looks funny. The two other girls assure her that it doesn't look funny at all, but do question what she meant by the statement that she had to. 

A nearby woman sees Keiko chatting with her friends and calls out to her. The same longer fair hair is framing a fairly standard female manga face, with a cigarette hanging from her lips, despite the label indicating that she is Kuwabara's sister - she doesn't look related to him at all, and a little chibi Keiko in the label appears to agree with this. A biography is included, stating that her name is Shizuru, she's 17 years old, an aspiring beautician, and that she has stronger psychic abilities than her brother. It also lists a couple of ideal men, but I don't give enough of a shit to list them, lol. 

She hums that Keiko's new hairdo looks alright, and Keiko says it's thanks to Shizuru, whose skills are considerable. She also promises to return Shizuru's clothes once she's washed them, but Shizuru suggests Keiko keep the clothes, and comments on how lucky she is that she only lost her hair. Keiko's friends stand by, mumbling about how Keiko has met some... interesting people lately. A little judgmental, aren't we girls?

Keiko and Shizuru are saying goodbye when Shizuru asks her to hang on a moment, and Keiko asks what's up. Shizuru points to where, nearby, she sees there's a ghost hovering, about Keiko's age, watching over her. She says he's a good guy despite his touch act, and asks if this rings a bell for her. After a moment of shock, Keiko smiles.

You could have worse guardian angels, for sure.

So, what did I think of this chapter overall? The concept of "virtue" as presented here kind of rubs me the wrong way, coming across as a bit victim blaming from a certain point of view. If this stuff of miracles is built up from the good deeds one has done, then that does suggest, in a manner of speaking, that the people who have bad things happen to them sort of deserved it by not having enough "karma" saved up in their bank. Even more directly, suggesting that people who have good things happen to them must have committed acts of virtue to earn the return from the universe is out-and-out ignoring how many terrible people tend to have a lot of great "luck". I put that in quotes, because we know that, statistically, wealth and power have a lot more to do with generating more of that and minimizing bad turns than any other factor. If you have money, you're more likely to be able to afford cutting edge medical care to beat cancer, you're more likely to have good connections and education, which allow you many more opportunities in life, more likely to be able to escape the consequences of anything bad you've done through power plays. "Virtue" rarely, if ever, comes into the equation, and here in reality we've gotten yet more evidence of that in the last few days.

It was a really low blow of Koenma to hint that he's taking something from Keiko and freaking Yusuke out only to reveal that she just had to cut her singed hair, and yet... it does indicate a strange sort of impulse from Koenma. He said he finds Yusuke's blunt rudeness refreshing, and this is probably because he's used to people bowing and scraping and kissing his ass. At first I thought the prank was a little bit of retribution for Yusuke's attitude, but thinking about it, it strikes me more as unpracticed ribbing. Since he isn't used to people treating him in such a casual manner, his attempts to do so in return, with a humorous bent, are a little clumsy. But in meeting Yusuke where he's at, it's still effective.

There is something very satisfying about how Yusuke and Keiko's efforts to save each other were in sync. The mutual sole focus on the other's safety really drives home, as Sayaka said, how perfectly matched they are. Neither one of these kids were content to face a possible future where the other wasn't in it, and fought tooth and nail to ensure the future in which they were both alive and together, even when things looked hopeless. 

And that is an inspiration to me after Tuesday's general election results. May the rest of us be as dedicated to protecting and preserving the lives of others in the coming days. 

To anyone reading this, now or in the future, take care of yourselves. Take care of your loved ones. And fight like HELL for a future in which we can all be together, even though it looks hopeless right now. Just remember: Unless all of us are free, NONE of us are free.

Inuyasha Manga: 313 Sinful Memory

You ever lie awake at night, hours after you were supposed to go to sleep, and dwell obsessively over something stupid, harmful, or even trivial you did in the past? Seems to be a pretty common phenomenon with a lot of people, including myself. And it doesn't even have to be a recent thing - there's things I STILL think about from when I was a kid that it's unlikely anyone else who witnessed it at the time even remembers. Sure, it was embarrassing or otherwise pretty questionable, but I don't see why my brain has clung to it like some life raft of humility, when I could easily use that space for a few more vocabulary words in Spanish. Often, there's just no justification for holding onto the memory of those incidents.

Of course, SOMETIMES a deed is horrible enough that it makes some sense to haunt the person who did it...

If you had "short flashback to tragic inciting incident" on your bingo card, feel free to mark that off now. She remembers the heads flying back when Kohaku fell for Naraku's trap and took out all his exterminator comrades, including their own father. She includes her own injury, Kohaku's sickle in the back, almost like an afterthought. 

Her characterization of Kohaku's lack of memory of the event is a REFUSAL, and perhaps that's partly true, but damn, wouldn't it be nice if I could just REFUSE to remember certain things, lol. Sango acknowledges that while Kohaku has no memory, Naraku is using him, but she also can't deny that Kohaku is the only brother, the only FAMILY, she has. She mentally begs him not to commit any more sins. 

Elsewhere in the castle grounds, "birds" are being shredded midair. The castle guards comment on how the numbers of the vampire creatures have diminished somewhat, and implore their Oku-Gata-sama to endure this just a little longer. One of her female warriors flanking her expresses her relief, and one of the maids asks with hope if this means they're saved. Kohaku stares straight ahead, face shadowed as the lady of the castle tells him that it's ALL thanks to him rescuing them. She marvels about how the child in her arms, still snoozing away in his abnormal way, hasn't been injured in the slightest. The castle guards look around, praising Kohaku for the excellent work he did despite being just a kid, and promising him a reward later. It's just the kind of recognition ANYONE would be proud to get, a dream come true for an orphan kid who just wants a family and a place to belong. 

So you KNOW it just can't last. Cue the panel with the blood spatter across it. 

So much for Sango's hopes that Kohaku doesn't commit any more sins...

Kohaku, stony-faced, catches his sickle again, and the lady of the castle cringes back, stuttering Kohaku's name in disbelief. One of her maids immediately starts ushering her away from the murderous child, while another guard asks Kohaku what he's doing, also stuttering. Kohaku doesn't answer, his head only filled with the command to take the baby and kill all those around him. 

Not that he doesn't question the order. He asks the voice in his head why he has to kill these people. He also doesn't receive an answer, just a more insistent order to kill them anyway. His will overridden, Kohaku slashes at the men in front of him, slicing them cleanly into pieces. The female warriors behind start to spring into action, cursing him and assuming that he's gone nutty in the last few seconds. They also get Kohaku's sickle to the throat before they can even begin to resist. 

But you're still doing it, kiddo.

He continues to swing that sickle around on its chain, head bowed, dispassionate, slicing heads and faces without mercy. It isn't long before there is a crescent of bodies littering the ground behind him as he advances on the dwindling group huddled around the lady of the castle. One of the maids shrieks in terror, but he's still focused within, wondering about the nasty feeling he has right now. Yet again, the order to kill those around him and take the baby echoes in his head.

So, Kohaku proceeds to slice through the one remaining female warrior and the lady's maids. They all collapse dead around the lady of the castle, clinging to the child she THINKS is her son. She asks Kohaku why, stuttering, while he approaches her with the sickle raised over his head, listless and unresponsive. It's only at this point that Sango comes flying onto the scene on Kirara.

So much for those pleas for him not to do anything else vile. 

Kohaku looks over his shoulder at her, and he's got enough awareness to identify Sango as that person that he can't forget. Menawhile, she looks down at the ground and all those corpses he created, balking at the blood covering the ground and his face. All that blood is in fact probably what tips her off to the fact that the "BIRDS" weren't the ones that did it. She's landed and dismounted Kirara, approaching Kohaku in a shocked daze, and he's turned fully to her.

Smart lady. Unfortunately, it doesn't allow her to get completely away from the danger. While Sango and Kohaku stare each other down, emotionally turbulent to complete listlessness, the lady of the castle runs down the stairs out of the castle. At the bottom she meets Kanna for the second time, who wordlessly holds up her mirror and she has just time enough for a horrified expression as her spirit is pulled out of her. 

Kagura flies overhead, arriving a bit late for someone following behind the instigator of this whole incident. She spots Kanna below, standing in front of the collapsed Oku-Gata-sama, surprised to find out that THIS is where she disappeared to, implying they haven't seen each other for a minute. She watches Kanna kneel in front of the empty lady of the castle and take a bundle from her arms, cradling it, Kagura humming in question. It's not long before she can identify the swaddling in Kanna's grasp.

At least this little fucker hasn't opened his mouth to mouth off. Yet.

A few Saimyoushou fly up to Kagura as she's observing the reclamation of the smallest of her siblings, and she translates a few of their buzzes as a command to go pick up Kohaku. Before going anywhere, she turns to look back down at the spot where she saw Kanna, and notes in some bitterness that the darn girl has already disappeared. All that remains is the lady of the castle's body. 

Meanwhile, Sango and Kohaku are still just standing there staring at one another. Sango looks on the verge of tears when she asks a question she already knows the answer to - if Kohaku has done it AGAIN. Kohaku ponders this word in question himself, hesitantly wondering what she means by it. Suddenly, a vision of men in suits much like the one Sango is wearing with their heads and blood flying flashes across his otherwise blank mind. 

Seems like YOU also know the answer to your questions, Kohaku.

In his own memory, he watches as the figure stumbling from his sickle in her back turn and reveal the face of the woman currently in front of him. The current Sango calls his name again in question as he sweats and gapes at her. 

A gust of wind whips up around Sango from below, and after it dies down, she looks up and sees Kagura on her feather, and Kohaku kneeling next to her. She yells his name, and he looks over his shoulder at her, fully aware. He recalls that he killed his father and fellow exterminators with the same hand stained with the blood of the castle's staff now.

He... seems to be handling this well. I think.

So, what did I think of this chapter overall? This chapter is always heartbreaking to me. No one in this chapter deserved the horrible shit that happened to them. The castle staff were brave, capable, and just trying to protect each other and the lady of the castle. The lady herself was just a woman who had been tricked into thinking she was the mother of a LITERAL monster and got her soul sucked out of her for it. Sango has just been trying to reclaim Kohaku from Naraku this entire time, and had to be confronted with the realities of what Kohaku being under Naraku's thumb means about the terrible deeds he commits in that position.

And then there's Kohaku. As fucked-up as it is, he probably gets the BEST deal out of this chapter's events, but that doesn't mean it's a GOOD deal. He has to be confronted with the hard fact that Naraku is forcing him to kill perfectly innocent people, and it isn't even the first time this has happened. Who knows if he remembers that time where he killed and booby-trapped an entire village to try and trap Inuyasha and company! But having these two memories active in his head at the same time, understanding that though he was not in control, his own hands performed the motions that killed/hurt so many people he cared about, is undoubtedly an agonizing thing to have to live with. Sure, he didn't have autonomy when he did those things, but how do you parse that in your head? How do you not still blame yourself for not fighting for autonomy HARDER? Especially when he HAS overridden Naraku's will before when it comes to Sango and Kagome? It's just gotta be a living fucking nightmare.

I love how the saimyoushou tell Kagura to go and pick up Kohaku, distracting her from Kanna just long enough so she doesn't know where Kanna got to. Very sneaky way to make sure she STILL can't find that baby. You know that if Kohaku had succeeded in killing the lady of the castle and taking the baby himself, Kagura wouldn't have been the one to pick his ass up. He doesn't want her anywhere NEAR his infant, lol.

The point is, this was psychological torture for damn near all these characters, JUST in time for the end of spooky season. I hope everyone else's Halloween was far less traumatic and they had a little fun if they celebrated! <insert jack o' lantern emoji here>

YuYu Hakusho Manga: 13 Qualifications for a Girlfriend!

Ah, lucky 13 has graced us with an eye-roll worthy title this time. I was hoping for another high-stakes spooky one to reflect the season, but no, we're apparently interviewing potential girlfriends. Do people even APPLY to be a girlfriend? These days, who really knows? From what I hear, the dating scene is getting pretty wild. With dating apps trying to keep their users addicted to their product, young people getting information from older generations that just doesn't apply anymore, and a distinct nostalgia for "traditional" relationship models, there's a lot of confusion out there. Given this is an older manga, no doubt very little of that could apply here, but maybe there's some prototype for the current issues reflected in this one. 

I am. Hopefully she isn't too scarred from that terrifying experience a few chapters back...

Sayaka asks who Keiko is, and Botan responds that she's Yusuke's girlfriend, for which statement she gets a bonk on the head from Yusuke's fist. She yells at him that this hurt, demanding to know what's with him, and he insists that Keiko is a FRIEND, advising Botan not to overstate the relationship. As Sayaka looks serious for a moment, then says she wants to see Keiko, and Botan is down. She asks how Yusuke feels about it, and he responds that they can go for it, implying that he's not interested in going himself. They are in each other's faces, furious, Botan asking Yusuke if he's really not coming, and Yusuke answering in the affirmative. It's a very strange exchange, and one that is entirely pointless.

Sayaka watches a laughing Keiko contemplatively from next to Botan, both of them sitting on the oar. Yusuke is floating in a lounging position behind them, having come anyway, big surprise. 

After a moment of silence, Sayaka asks who Botan thinks is prettier, Keiko or her. *SIGH* Here we go, I guess. Botan makes a dumbfounded noise, so Sayaka asks again which of them is prettier. Sweatdropping, Botan waffles about not really having a perspective on these subjective LIVING WORLD matters, recognizing immediately that they have trouble, with Sayaka developing a crush on Yusuke. 

As she glances at him, Sayaka goes to HIM to ask who he thinks is prettier, and after a questioning noise much like the one Botan gave, his answer is QUITE different. Yusuke says that it's no contest - Sayaka is prettier - while an arrow above Yusuke's head assigns him the label of "irresponsible idiot". Sayaka grins, asking for further confirmation, and Yusuke obliges, calling her a bright and shiny spirit while Keiko is just a girl, and there's really no comparison. This shit is already going to Sayaka's head, and in a very underhanded way, she acknowledges that Keiko IS spretty. Not like HER, of course, but in her own, living, better than average way. 

But Yusuke still isn't done pumping up Sayaka's ego at Keiko's expense. He asks if she's kidding, then squishes his face in with a hand on each cheek, calling it Keiko's "lecture face", which is the only one he ever saw. He quotes her bossily demanding he get his butt to school, while Botan shouts at him not to dig himself in TOO DEEP. For real, dude, do you want this kid to eventually move the fuck on to Heaven or WHAT?? How is she going to do that if she's sticking by him like a lovesick puppy?

Botan tries to explain to Sayaka that Yusuke is a boy, and mushy stuff embarrasses him, so he's unwilling to admit it, but he does REALLY like Keiko a lot. Sayaka lets out a disappointed sound. Again, Yusuke and Botan are in each other's faces, the former asking less than politely for the latter to shut her yap, and the latter asking if he's saying she's wrong. Arms crossed, Sayaka has come to the conclusion that she's not getting a straight answer on this. She's resolved to settle the thing herself, put Keiko to the test, and see if she's WORTHY of Yusuke.

*SIGH*

Yusuke asks for clarification on her little declaration, and Sayaka explains that if Keiko is going to be his girlfriend, she has to be someone who she can respect. She flies off, Yusuke asking what she's up to. Botan begins her explanation by telling him that death sure didn't cure him of stupidity. I don't know why anyone would expect death to cure anyone of ANYTHING, but okay. Botan goes on to tell Yusuke that a big brother Sayaka has just discovered - that is to say, HIM - is suddenly in danger of being taken away by a strange girl, and Sayaka naturally wants a say in that. Yusuke questions the use of the word "suddenly" here, so Botan points out that Sayaka doesn't know how long he and Keiko have been friends. Botan laments the fact that Yusuke had to act all goofy and macho instead of just telling Sayaka that he was in love with Keiko. He complains that he would NEVER say that to a kid, or, at least, not when he's sober.

Bro, you'd be drunk in front of a tiny child before admitting that you like Keiko to that same child? The issues are REAL.

Cut to Keiko reading a passage in French aloud from a book in class, and her French teacher singing her praises for it. I'm studying French myself, but I can't read her quote, so she's doing a lot better than me! Then cut to the corridor, where Keiko's friends are asking to see her math homework, and she refuses to show them and let them cheat. Another girl is asking her to show her how to solve another problem, which I'm guessing she's much more happy to do, given that it's actually helping the other student out. Still, we don't see her respond. 

See girls? If you're not all of these things, you don't deserve a boyfriend!

... Why are you crying??

As Botan asks Sayaka what she thinks of this quality girlfriend material that you certainly don't see everyday, Yusuke wonders out loud about how Botan SOUNDS like she's selling fucking real estate. Yup, this isn't exactly the most flattering way to talk about Keiko, by any means. Sayaka seems unconvinced to boot, acknowledging that Keiko is popular all right, but questioning where her heart is. Holding up a finger, Sayaka says that while Yusuke might like Keiko, there's no evidence so far that Keiko gives a fig for HIM. Yusuke is sweating under the strain of the sheer EMBARRASSMENT this conversation is causing him. 

After a shot of a tree outside the school, we cut to inside another corridor, where a tall boy hails Keiko. This is definitely has ALL of their attention, including Yusuke's, who sweatdrops in his anxiety. The boy, a quite handsome fellow, scratches his temple in nervousness. He starts to say he's been "eyeing" Keiko, but then quickly revises his phrasing to say he's been thinking of her since school started. He asks her out, while the three spirits eavesdrop in tension, though Yusuke wears a surly expression like he's trying to hide it. 

The boy promises Keiko a fun time, and after a pause, Keiko says that she's sure that's true, thanks him, but ultimately turns him down. This seems to move Yusuke to astonishment, at the very least. The now flustered boy asks why, and if she means she already has a boyfriend. Once more, she pauses.

I mean, it's suggestive, but I know I'VE claimed to have a boyfriend even when I didn't just to avoid unwanted attentions before...

The once handsome boy has transformed into a flabbergasted caricature, gaping in mortification at Keiko's rejection as she walks away with a hurried apology over her shoulder. Botan is delighted, chirping that young love is grand and calling Yusuke a lucky dog. Sayaka is glaring in consternation, clearly irritated. Yusuke points out that this proves NOTHING, since Keiko didn't say WHO it was she likes, and it could be Kuwabara for all they know. At this, Botan turns weirdly violent and attacks Yusuke, demanding from amid their cartoon fight cloud that the idiot fess up. He whines about how the harpy needs to watch her nails. 

How does a ghost feel nails? Or the grim reaper HAVE nails? This comic confuses me sometimes. 

Arms crossed, a stern Sayaka allows for their ENTERTAINING the idea that Yusuke and Keiko love each other, Yusuke criticizing her for behaving like some sort of referee at no one's prompting. Sayaka ignores him, raising a finger once more, and saying that now the question is the depth of Keiko's love, whether she loves Yusuke a lot or just a little. Yusuke's exclamation suggests that he is not down with the continuation of this weird probing into his love life.

Cut to a note that Atsuko has left Keiko at Yusuke's house, flippantly announcing she's going away for a while and telling Keiko to take care of her slumbering son. Keiko's hand trembles in anger holding the note, and she fumes at Atsuko. Keiko looks to the side, farther into the house, which is covered in piles of garbage and cluttered. She complains about the pigsty this place is, where there's barely room enough to walk, and wonders aloud how Atsuko could have made this much of a mess in just a few days. Sayaka innocently suggests that Yusuke has had bad luck with parents just like her, but he tells her to cram it. 

Forget "felony sloppiness" Keiko, NEGLECT is actually a crime.

Keiko finds a miraculously clean checkered cloth (perhaps it's a handkerchief, but it looks more like terrycloth), and gently wipes away the dust and grime she comments on covering his face. Botan tells Sayaka as they hover near this scene that Keiko has never shied away from the burden of taking care of Yusuke in his coma. I mean, the alternative is letting Atsuko just kind of bury him in garbage.

Murmuring about one more spot, Keiko wipes it away, and detects a small sigh escaping Yusuke's lips in his deep slumber. She stares at him, heart beating hard, and the spirit audience stares in turn at her while she blushes and regards Yusuke with a romantic glow.

Hoe don't do it. 

The guy is SCREAMING for this to stop. Sayaka, being a little girl, I get not quite understanding the problems with this, but Botan? Girl, I expected better of you. 

Frankly, I expected better of Keiko, too...

Suddenly an announcement sounds from a double-horned PA speaker, from the Neighborhood Association, which warns of extremely dry conditions leading to high fire danger. Keiko sits bolt upright, vibrating with alarm, and it looks like she hears this crackling, buzzing declaration in her EYEBALLS. The speaker, mounted to a slow-driving truck, continues to belt the notification that there have been arson cases in this area, two suspected incidents in progress on another street, so it implores the residents to be on the alert. 

Yusuke is elated that Keiko's move on his UNCONSCIOUS BODY was stopped in the nick of time, and congratulates the Neighborhood Council on their punctuality. Botan and Sayaka grimace in the background, expressing their apparent disappointment that Yusuke wasn't fondled in his sleep. Why are all my girls disappointing me today? 

Keiko is frozen in the wake of her shattered romantic glow, wondering what she was thinking. Yeah, girl, what WERE you thinking? She trots off, mumbling about having to go run some errands for her mom, and promising that she'll clean up later. 

You should be thanking the Neighborhood Council too, by all accounts. 

Sayaka says that she hates to admit it, but that was a pretty romantic moment. More like a pretty CREEPY moment, lol. Botan characterizes it as sweet as all get-out, poking Yusuke incessantly in the back of the head. I suppose this is just something we're all going to have to disagree on. Botan DOES speak fact when she says it got someone all hot and bothered, while Yusuke growls in irritation at her literal prodding. 

While they're flying around, and it looks like Yusuke has started chasing Botan around with a raised fist, someone takes a furtive step out from an alley. Botan catches the hesitant movement and looks over to where a shaggy head has appeared below. 

Was this guy FOLLOWING the Neighborhood Council truck? What a coincidence otherwise!

A widow rattles as he slides it open, and a view of the room beyond shows piles of scattered trash, so it's clear this is Yusuke's house. The arsonist flings his burning can into the room and the room almost immediately bursts into flame, what with all the shit in there to burn. The guy says "ouch" as he's fleeing into the alley again, although I don't see what he did to hurt himself. Maybe the house went up so fast that he got a back-blast of heat that seared his hand or something, because he's holding his fist behind him at an awkward angle. 

Anyway, Botan and Yusuke are watching this, as well as the smoke pouring out from the house. Sayaka makes a dumbfounded comment, and Botan adds that the place is REALLY burning. Yeah, no shit. It's no surprise that Yusuke is the first to react, screaming about arson and how his mother didn't bother to lock the windows. It's acknowledged with all the garbage in there the house is like a tinderbox before Yusuke is shown hovering over his own body screaming at it to wake up, and that they're about to die. Again. 

He tries to lay down inside his body, muttering that he might be able to get in there long enough to get himself out, but he sits up and down to no effect, yelling that it's no good. Botan reminds him through her own panic that he just accessed his body a few days before, and he won't be able to again for another three weeks. Yusuke says that if they don't do anything, all he'll have to access in a few minutes is a pile of ashes. Botan insists she knows, telling him they need to get some help. 

So Yusuke goes to the neighbor, who earns the nickname "Noodle Face" from the way he's slurping up noodles when Yusuke yells at him to check out the fact that the house across the street is on fire. Another neighbor who is *ahem* preoccupied with an adult manga cannot hear Yusuke's screams of fire either. Yusuke reconvenes with Botan and Sayaka, who are yelling fire themselves in the open air, telling them that no one can hear him. Have they all forgotten about the whole "spirit" condition?

Yusuke half-sarcastically wonders aloud if there are any temple-trained sixth-sense dudes in the neighborhood. Botan snaps that things are NEVER that convenient. Then she recalls Kuwabara, but Yusuke tells her to forget it, because that guy could be anywhere, and even if he was at home, he couldn't get there before it was too late. 

I mean, can no one SMELL it by this point? Most of what's burning in there is trash!

Elsewhere, Keiko pauses at the sound of sirens in the distance, and a bunch of murmurs from the other people in the street. A couple of men start running, one of them shouting to the other that he heard there's another fire on Fourth St. The other agrees, saying that there's speculation it's arson again, and yet another man says there's been so many that the fire department can't get to them all. This arsonist has been BUSY - is he part of some sort of arson sewing circle, or what?

Keiko watches these men jog in the direction of the emergency, and notices that they're heading in the direction of Yusuke's house. She dashes after them, thinking that it CAN'T be, but when she arrives, it turns out it IS. Flames are licking out the windows as the crowd surrounding the house talk about arson some more, and how this is the fifth time today ALONE. Keiko is frozen for a moment, thinking in desperation about how Yusuke told her in her dream that he's going to be back, asking her to wait for her. It's contrasted in terrifying clarity with the flames bursting from every opening to the house. Keiko's only all-consuming thought is Yusuke.

Sayaka points her out, drawing Yusuke's attention to the fact that she's come back, much to Yusuke's disbelief. As his body lies among the approaching flames, Keiko grabs the nearest man to tell him that there's someone inside the house. He and plenty of others hear her, but they try to convince her that whoever is in there is done for, and that the fire is spreading way too fast, discouraging her from going in herself, because she's already pushing through the crowd to run to Yusuke's aid. She yanks herself free of any attempts to hold her away from the burning house, yelling at them to let her go.

Wow, they sure aren't trying very HARD to stop her, are they? 

So, what did I think of this chapter overall? I gotta admit, I started this chapter thinking this was going to be intensely boring for me, and for a little while, it kind of was. Romantic relationships have always been toward the bottom of the list of subjects I find intriguing about the fiction I consume. Sometimes they rise in the ranks, but that's usually when they are no longer in the stage where they're anticipating/denying the romantic connection and already navigating being an out-and-out couple. There's just not a lot that is NEW you can say about two people falling in love anymore, and what little you CAN say is laden with some very CREEPY implications.

Because Keiko leaning in to make out with her childhood friend in a coma? I don't think there are a lot of people nowadays who wouldn't recognize the problems with that if it were a BOY behaving that way toward an unconscious GIRL. At the very least, her protests wouldn't be dismissed as mere token resistance at what she should be okay with, and she wouldn't be told to shut up by spectators. Or, I HOPE that's not what would happen. As it stands, I don't think there's anything contradictory about Yusuke being in love with Keiko too, but wanting to express some kind of agency in when and how they kiss. That seems entirely normal to me, and that he would be denied something like that for some creepy little joke about his machismo is unfortunate. 

That being said, the context of this chapter DID make for a much more comprehensible backdrop for the second half of the drama than the version of it that was in the anime. Sayaka being a kind of exam proctor character was already strange, with an odd impersonal note as though Yusuke hadn't already been building a relationship with Botan and working with her up until this point. That she would take any interest in the relationship between Yusuke and Keiko under that role was almost baffling. Sure, there is SOME logic in her examining his relationships to get an idea of how much he is loved, but on the whole, it didn't seem as important to the determination as it was made out to be. 

In the manga, her being a child developing a crush on Yusuke and "inspecting" his love interest as a setup to show just how far Keiko and Yusuke's dedication for each other goes is a MUCH better and more organic way of communicating their relationship to the reader. And it deftly avoids the problem I mentioned in my first paragraph of analysis above - I was afraid that this would be JUST be a sappy chapter with a side of girl vs. girl pettiness. I mean, it WAS that, to be sure, but it managed to give that a purpose where too many stories just make it the end in and of itself. 

One thing is certain, the stakes have definitely risen in the last few pages.

Inuyasha Manga: 312 The Order

Maybe it's just the time of year, but this title is giving "horror story about a waitress at a restaurant who gets the impression that a long-time customer is asking for human meat". Or even "soldier is gaslit into thinking that an unlawful abusive order is fine and carries it out, only to be prosecuted for it later". Come to think of it, I think I might have to take a crack at writing these myself if I haven't seen them already around before. 'Tis the season, after all, and I've got a ton of fun creepy ideas swirling in my noggin. The true topic of the chapter promises to be creepy enough, though.

Kohaku, being a badass, as per usual.

Some arrows sail forth and take out a few of the "birds" too, fired by a line of archers who are told not to let the monsters near the bedroom, and to protect the young master at all costs. So Kohaku's purposes are aligned with the other staff of the castle so far, at least. As Kohaku slaughters more of the flock, he wonders if they came here specifically because they know that the baby is holed up in the castle. 

This train of suspicion is interrupted by Kohaku tripping over the head of a desiccated corpse on the ground, causing him to fall. Just as he's about to get the same treatment as that corpse, the "birds" are sliced and diced by someone else, a man with a spear who turns and demands to know what he's doing here. Kohaku doesn't answer, just gets to his feet while the men defending the castle assume he's the child of a servant, and tell him to hide himself. He offers what comes across as a somewhat resentful assent, but as he's running away, he acknowledges that the men protected him. 

Blurry sky transition panel!

"Why am I just hearing about this NOW, Kagome??"

Kagome says that there's just one Shikon shard there, so she thinks it's likely. Sango goes quiet, pondering the question of Kohaku being on orders from Naraku again, and what he's planning this time. Inuyasha instructs Sango to go straight to where Kohaku is when they get to the castle, which elicits a confused noise from her.

But who's going to "cleaR" them up while you're doing whatever the hell that is, Inuyasha?

Good as his word, the moment they clear the wall around the castle, Inuyasha tells Sango to go, and she thanks him before she and Kirara (other passengers having disembarked, I assume) rush to search the castle with Kohaku at the forefront of the former's mind. Inuyasha let's off a Kaze no Kizu with little hesitation at the flock streaming in. It tears through the "birds", but bends around some invisible obstruction in behind them, and he is SOMEHOW surprised by this, if the exclamation mark in the corner of the panel is anything to judge by.

Here's a lady who thinks SHE'S the main character. 

Inuyasha calls her a bitch, so RUDE, and asks if she hasn't learned her lesson yet. Abi isn't paying any attention, pondering instead the halberd Naraku gave her that created the barrier around her, thinking of it as the one and only benefit to working with him. After acknowledging this, she addresses Inuyasha at last, asking in turn if he isn't Naraku's enemy, because it seems to HER that he's protecting his castle. Inuyasha expresses frustrated confusion at first, but Miroku appears to have picked up what she's putting down just a moment sooner. By the next panel, though, Inuyasha has cottoned on, and asks about Naraku's supposed involvement with the castle. 

Abi scoffs, telling them that this is precisely what she's trying to figure out, but admits that the only ones offering any resistance so far are the humans. Inuyasha is still somewhat confused, asking her if SHE'S not the one working with Naraku, what the meaning of all this is. Abi denies any real involvement with Naraku, him being the one to approach her of his own accord, and that's it. This gives Inuyasha the impression that Abi has broken ties with Naraku, so he tells her not to get involved any further, because he and his crew plan to be the ones to waste that slimeball. 

Enraged at being told what to do by a hanyou, Abi declares Inuyasha just as much of an eyesore as Naraku, and dives with the halberd extended toward Inuyasha with the resolve to finish HIM off first. Inuyasha directs another Kaze no Kizu at her, because that worked so well the last time. As usual, the halberd puts up the barrier around her, and she scoffs her appreciation for Naraku's protection, even if she doesn't appreciate Naraku himself. 

Inuyasha's sleeve sizzles from the miasma issuing from the halberd. While Inuyasha's friends call out to him in concern, Abi smirks in smug approval of this new ability of the halberd she's just discovered. It's funny that she's only finding all this out after she's decided Naraku is a scrub who doesn't do a single thing for her. She lunges again with the halberd pointed at Inuyasha, threatening to make mincemeat of him, and Inuyasha charges for her too, Tessaiga raised, calling her impudent. Come on, son, you can come up with a better comeback than THAT.

Meanwhile, the "birds" hovering over the castle have decided it's time to kick up the assault on the castle a bit, and have turned to their neat trick of lighting themselves on fire. The castle's defenders are in horrified disbelief that their attackers are on fire, and diving down to ignite the buildings in the compound like tinderboxes. The fire is already outside the lady of the castle's door, one of her servants looking out to assess the flames approaching, which look pretty dire. The lady stutters a question about what they should do when a flaming vampire "bird" comes swooping right at the woman at the door, who cringes back in alarm.

And then it is sliced through, its killer standing defensively behind its corpse with his sickle and chain still held at the ready.

Well, to be fair, the smoke will probably get her first. 

She's a bit preoccupied with identifying Kohaku at first, but Kohaku insists that she hurry. She protests that there are monsters outside, and that she must protect their precious successor. With Naraku's words to protect the baby again echoing in his head, Kohaku assures her that it'll be alright, that he'll protect the infant even if it costs him his life. So much effort for Naraku's changeling...

Kohaku leads the group, Oku-gata-sama in the center of a knot of protective female warriors, through the burning building, killing burning "birds" along the way. The lady's maids complain about how painful it is to breathe, but she urges them to hang in there. Eventually, Kohaku knocks a door out of its track to get out of the castle, and immediately a group of the vampires dives to attack the emerging group. He easily slices through them as a group of castle defenders run up, calling to their lady and her newborn son. Kohaku assures them that the woman and her son behind him are safe. 

That's right, kid's a serious boss.

Oku-gata-sama offers him her sincerest thanks, and Kohaku humbly accepts it. One of the castle guards says they need to get to a safe place, looking up at the sky in worry. Another turns to Kohaku and charges him with staying in front of the lady of the castle, maintaining his protection. Kohaku nods in acquiescence, and just like that, he's in a position of absolute trust. Can't IMAGINE how this can go wrong. 

In the still burning castle, Kanna walks placidly into a courtyard full of desiccated corpses now acting as tinder. She notes that the lord of the castle has been killed by a bird, looks around, and determines that ultimately, the castle has fallen. It is at this point that the Shikon shard in Kohaku's back shines. The command echoing in Kohaku's head changes abruptly from just protecting the baby to GRABBING it and killing everyone else around him.

Things are all downhill from here, unfortunately. 

So, what did I think of this chapter overall? If I were Abi, I would be highly suspicious at the continued support of Naraku through the halberd, if indeed this castle were a place that was important to Naraku. At the very least, I'd be wondering how much longer these wonderful little perks of the halberd I was discovering would last once it became clear to Naraku that I was trying to attack him. Abi doesn't appear to consider any of this in her spat with Inuyasha, though, and is just delighted at all the lovely things Naraku's alliance affords her, despite denying outright the alliance when pressed on it, claiming that Naraku just approached her and that was it. She appears to view the halberd not as a conditional tool, but as an unconditional GIFT that Naraku cannot just withdraw whenever he pleases.

Abi is acting so conspicuously idiotic that it is all but a foregone conclusion that her role in the plot is to perform the dumbest actions possible so the story can move forward more easily. It's only too clear that if she were competent, this whole arc would have to last a LOT longer, and I'm starting to wonder if RT just didn't have enough time with this character. I'd be curious to learn if Abi and her vampire flock were under-performing in interest from readers, or if RT herself was a little bored of the character and wanted to move past her. Either way, it's not hard to see that Abi is being ushered off stage as quickly as possible.

As usual, I am simultaneously so proud of my boy Kohaku, and dreading his inevitable betrayal of the very trust he JUST gained within this new community. I cheer for him and his confident handling of the situation despite his age, proving that he is more than capable in an emergency at this point, a far cry from the frightened boy who was forced to kill his family when we first met him. But the heartbreak sets in at the end of the chapter when it's clear that history is about to repeat itself with his so newly found family. No matter how strong and confident and self-possessed a boy he's become, he is still under the yoke of Naraku, and that master's commands still override his will.

This poor kid just CANNOT catch a break.

YuYu Hakusho Manga: 12 The Hand of Evil

That's an icy grip a lot of us feel these days, I think. If it's not some micro-managing douchebag leader instructing us all how to live our lives like so many little clones, it's some billionaire's money flooding in to overrule the will of the vast majority of our interests so they can make another buck at all of the rest of our expenses. Whether or not it's "evil" in the classical sense is debatable, since one can chalk a lot of this up to addictive behavior and a societal fixation of the possession of capital as the only indication of virtue. In any case, it's clear that there are largely invisible forces working on us all the time, and even those who consider themselves "free" have a whole hell of a lot less control over their lives than they think. 

And then there are those who feel that lack of control a bit more... acutely than the rest of us, lol.

Eri struggles against the force trying to yank her in front of the oncoming train, panicking at her voice's complete absence. She mentally begs someone to help her, but she seems to be at a lonely crossing, and I don't see a single soul near her. 

But little Sayaka seems to look around in alarm, and announces with confidence that this drama isn't over yet. Yusuke asks her what she's talking about, Botan more kindly when she asks what's wrong, and Sayaka informs them that the curse didn't actually stop. The next panel is just their speech bubbles, but she is implied to be shoving Yusuke toward where Eri is in mortal danger, if his protests are any indication, and Botan promises that they'll be there in a shake. 

Meanwhile, Katsumi is running along herself, alarmed at the curse being burned into her arm, and its power still being in effect, a power she's totally unable to control. She calls to Eri in her head, as if she too has lost her ability to speak.

Ew! What are those tendril things?? They look like they might be slimy...

Katsumi wonders where Eri is in her desperation to find her as she sprints along. The ghost student we met in the last chapter appears next to her, urging her on straight ahead. She comes to a fork in the road and looks left and right, questioning which route she should take. The ghost student points to the right, which Katsumi seems to sense and she dashes off in that direction. Shouldn't... Katsumi KNOW Eri's route home? Or did Eri take a different way? It just seems like she should be aware of all the places that her bestie might be.

As the ghost student watches Katsumi running to help Eri down below, he asserts that this is all he can do, and it's up to her now. Disappearing, he further urges her to hurry, because she's Eri's only hope, the ONLY one able to vanquish that monster she's created in her heart. It's looking like I misjudged this guy. Sorry about that, guy.

Eri notices that Katsumi is on her way and seems to be mute again, but gives her friend a look that clearly communicates the plea for help again. Botan zooms onto the scene on her oar, Yusuke hanging onto the back while Sayaka sits behind her, pointing out where Eri is. Yusuke looks alarmed at the sight of Eri fighting the pull of the dark tendrils of the force pulling her toward the tracks, asking what the hell it even IS. As they hover uselessly over Eri's struggle, Botan explains that it's an accumulation of evil thought that was probably created by Katsumi. 

That DOES seem like an awful lot for one kid.

Botan says that, really, the evil in Katsumi's heart was pretty small, just a bit of jealousy. But transferring that into the tangible effects of the curse, it enhanced the energy and attracted all kinds of evil spirits to grow it even larger. Ripping the curse up was too little, too late, because the amassed evil around her little kernel of jealously has now taken over with a will of its own. 

The train's still speeding toward them, by the way, but simultaneously seems to be taking its sweet time for dramatic effect. Yusuke asks Botan what they can do, having all the answers as she does, but she asserts there's nothing they CAN do. Yusuke yells at her for a cosmic being who professes impotence, but she yells back that she's a GUIDE, not a MIRACLE WORKER. She explains that there are those in the living world that are SUPPOSED to guide and help the young'uns stay on the right path, but those closest to Katsumi really failed her in that regard, instead piling pressure on her that drove her to desperation. Now, BOTH girls are suffering for it. Big surprise. 

But Yusuke lunges downward, vowing not to LET the girls suffer on his watch. Sayaka expresses shocked disbelief, while Botan shouts at him to come back, that this is BEYOND him. There's some sort of time dilation going on here, because Katsumi is STILL some distance from Eri, STILL on her way. There's also a small crowd gathered on the other side of the train tracks, some wondering what Eri is doing, some acknowledging that it looks like she's being dragged by something, and another calling to her that the train is coming and she needs to get off the track. As if she's unaware. She's still fighting against the yanking force, begging it to stop. 

He's... BITING it??? 

The mass of evil spirits he's chewing on tells him to get out of the way, or they'll collectively swallow him whole, a threat the mass seems to find funny. Yusuke himself makes noises of alarmed confusion as a wave of malevolence rears and crashes over him, his clawing hand the only thing poking out of it. Sayaka cries out to him and Botan gapes, through which she says in despair that she warned him. Since when has THAT ever mattered with that kid?

Finally, the force of the curse overpowers Eri, and she is pulled straight forward through the air, something the watching crowd at the other side of the tracks recognizes with morbid amazement. She lands on the tracks with a grunt, and sits up as the train screeches ever closer, looking over with wide, fearful eyes. Katsumi's mouth is hanging wide open in a silent scream, tears flying out behind her as she continues to try to get to her friend's side. She reaches for Eri, but a snap sounds, and her hand comes against a barrier. 

It's the mass of evil she summoned, rising in front of her, asking why she tries to save Eri as she screams in terror. 

Suddenly she's shedding her clothes like a transforming magical girl? This chapter confuses me.

Anyway, Katsumi sees a vision of a younger her, from grade school, holding a slightly crumpled paper in her hands. She identifies it as one of the many times when she had just heard that Eri had gotten a better grade than her on a test. Katsumi always was just second best, and very bitter, because she knew she was going to hear about it from her mom when she got home for coming up short once more. But instead of placing the blame on her shitty mother yelling at her for getting SLIGHTLY less-but-still-good grades than her friend Eri, smaller Katsumi fantasizes about Eri not being around. 

Present!Katsumi shouts at her past self not to think like that, not to start down that dark path. She switches to a vision of little Eri getting pushed around by a couple of boys, recognizing that Eri's being teased again, and that she doesn't feel so bad anymore, just wanting to help a friend. Smaller!Katsumi chases the boys away, jeering them for thinking they're such tough guys as they recognize her and run in fear. She consoles a weeping Eri, telling her to call whenever she's being picked-on for her friend to come and kick their butts. Little Eri apologizes, admitting to hating the way she makes Katsumi worry about her, and wishes she was stronger like her. Again, Eri bursts into tears apologizing, but Katsumi says that this is precisely what friends are for, implying it's rather silly for Eri to say sorry for Katsumi sticking up for her. 

Present!Katsumi is kind of hovering over this scene, laid bare (literally, lol) by her realization that she feels terrible for having the thoughts she had, and Eri melted away all the awfulness. She had thought she was helping Eri, but over a panel of Eri's smiling face calling to her, she comes to understand that it was Eri helping HER. SHE claims to be the weak one, and wonders if Eri will ever forgive her. 

Did she cut it too close?

After a series of triangle panels, a couple of which feature Eri's abandoned school bag and a few people looking out of some windows above in shock, we get a look at Katsumi and Eri's faces, both dazed in the wake of the emergency. They're being approached on all sides by several people, the train having passed, asking after them, the possible MOTIVATIONS for Eri going out onto the tracks in the first place, expressing relief that they made it, and also a grumbling about how Eri appeared to be floating there for a minute. Man, either that train was extraordinarily SHORT, or faster than I thought possible, huh?

Katsumi is amazed that they're still alive, and after a moment of stunned disbelief, Eri throws her arms around Katsumi's neck, bawling that she was so scared. She acknowledges that Katsumi saved her, though Katsumi pulls away and denies this. Eri makes a confused noise. 

There's going to be a whole lot more crying on the way, I'll wager. I wouldn't stop crying for a WEEK.

Botan in still on her oar, her summary of events being that Katsumi's unwavering will to save her friend defeated the evil spirits. She supposes that in hindsight, the spirits didn't stand a chance. I don't know, I still think there was MORE than enough potential for this to turn out REAL bad. Botan asserts that the two of them will be alright now, though. Sayaka, however, is a little preoccupied with where Yusuke got to. Botan answers that his rash valor knocked him straight out of this world. LITERALLY. He's shown floating out in space over the planet, uttering a confused greeting for anyone that might be able to help him. Ghost in space!

Back in the faculty room that Eri was talking with her advisor before, someone gushes about BOTH girls getting perfect scores in all their subjects. Eri's and Katsumi's advisors sit across from each other while the girls stand off to the side, Eri's in particular holding up a paper and boisterously announcing that either of them would be a shoo-in for the exclusive private high school. He also assures them that whoever ends up NOT going will have no trouble getting into another very fine school. The girls tell him that they actually have a request about that, and he tells them to go ahead and ask. They ask them to please pretend that no choice has to be made, to which both men jovially tease that this could be arranged, but a moment later they fall into silent confusion. Then Eri's advisor SWELLS in his anger demanding to know what it is they mean. The girls say that they've decided they're BOTH going to another high school, an all-girl's school. 

The men immediately protest, the exclusive high school they were competing to get into being the tippy-top of the country in terms of education, insisting the girls think about the prestige this would afford them. Eri's advisor promises that they'll write the one who doesn't go to the exclusive school a glowing recommendation for a ANOTHER good school, so they can both get into excellent places. He's literally pleading with them to take this nice deal, which is the bare minimum of what he should have been doing if one of them were going to the fancy school to BEGIN with. 

Katsumi thanks him, but says they've decided on what they're going to do, as friends and not rivals. Eri follows up with the assertion that they'll decide on their own futures. 

Most of these prestigious schools aren't much more than a famous name and a few celebrity endorsements anyway. 

So, what did I think of this chapter overall? A feel-good ending, especially considering all the grisly directions YT could have gone with this one. My suggestion that the ghost student could have been an evil spirit all along was one of my tamer ideas about how all this could turn out - since the curse was burned into Katsumi's arm, I was convinced for a while that the offending arm might get ripped off to ultimately stop the evil. Of course, this isn't THAT kind of comic, often going for the warm-fuzzy feeling rather than the more extreme toward the end, and the final image of the girls laughing together does make me pretty happy for them. After being pitted against each other by all the adults in their lives, having to compete for the kind of education that should frankly be available to EVERYONE, it's nice to see that they've opted out of that toxic race altogether and valued their friendship much more highly. 

At the same time, the things I've mentioned strike me as missed opportunities, writing-wise. When a story shows me a ghost haunting a girl, insisting that he's trying to help her, but also admitting he's been summoned by a curse against her, I expect a writer to DO something with that. If not revealing him to be lying, then showing him struggling not to fall into line with the curse AGAINST the girl he's trying to save. When a story shows me that a sigil has burned itself into a girl's skin to avoid it's being destroyed easily, I expect a writer to DO something with that. And if it doesn't fit the vibe of what a writer is going for, then I expect something different to happen. Say that, SOMEHOW, the paper has become indestructible, or the sigil has appeared somewhere in her clothing that she doesn't immediately notice. THAT would also give an additional excuse for YT to take her clothes off in that one scene, lol!

Although, I have to admit that her being naked in her vision, as a metaphor for her true emotional state being laid bare, was really good visual shorthand. So often girls are stripped naked for no reason but reader titillation, so it was nice that there was an actual legitimate reason for it here.

I do have one additional complaint, though - there wasn't anything whatsoever for our main characters to DO. YT kind of hangs a lampshade on it, but it's disappointing to me that Yusuke does nothing in this chapter other than biting a mass of evil spirits and getting launched into space. The one action he did take made no difference, so ultimately he, Botan, and Sayaka were all just hovering around watching how things would turn out. It's oddly passive for characters that have been at least marginally involved in how things turned out in previous chapters.