Ignoring the poor grammar of the title's translation, I have to say that I don't envy the characters with a sharp sense of smell. My husband and I discovered a bird next right down on the ground over the spring and summer - We'd let the grass get overgrown, and a couple of birds took advantage of the ample material on the ground to create a little den for their chicks. It was a very small one, though, and looking into the mouth of it (from a distance), it looked awfully crowded with just three visible chicks inside. I don't imagine I would have liked the close smell in there if my nose were able to pick it up, but that might have been a moot point entirely.
Because it must have been slight enough not to attract predators at all - those birds grew up and flew off just fine, despite being stuck on the ground for a couple of weeks.
Again, Miroku, I thought you were supposed to be the smart one.
He seems to have surrendered the role to Inuyasha this time, who points out that there's probably still a connection, given that Naraku's whole objective seems to depend on Abi gathering human blood. Kagome is reminded that Naraku is trying to get the human blood to go to the border between this world and the next, where the massive bones of Inuyasha's father are sitting in their gargantuan armor. She acknowledges that they still don't know how one leads to the other, though. The implication is that Naraku needs this alliance between him and Abi to remain intact for the moment, however strained it is.
Shippou turns to Inuyasha and asks him if what they're talking about is not supposed to be important, and after Inuyasha responds with a confused noise, they look over to where Sango is sitting some distance from them, brooding and with the transformed Kirara her only companion. None of them move to go get her to share in the critical conversation, but stare, Kagome in particular thinking on Sango's current emotional turmoil. She's been down this whole time, because of her worry for Kohaku.
I don't know if that's the correct question, my girl.
Miroku sits down silently on the side of Sango not occupied by Kirara, who looks over at him with a curious expression. Sango also looks over, acknowledging his presence, but in a more deadpan manner. He asks her if it's alright for him to be here, but she doesn't answer right away, so he continues. He says he doesn't want her to suffer by herself, and wants to know if there's anything he can do to help. Holy shit, is Miroku actually being... CONSIDERATE???
Sango tells him he can stay beside her just like he is, and he puts and arm around her and draws her to his side, saying he understands. This gets Shippou's attention from the short distance - he reports to an initially turned away Inuyasha that Miroku hugged Sango's shoulder so CASUALLY. Baffled, Inuyasha scoots over to where Shippou sits as well, asking if Miroku isn't caressing Sango's ass, and Shippou confirms it's the shoulder. Kagome tells Inuyasha he shouldn't be silly, because no matter how much of a lecher Miroku can be, he does choose the time and place. Oh, are we acknowledging he's responsible for his conduct at last?
Inuyasha returns to the clueless frame in which he is so comfortable, using the fact that Miroku and Sango have agreed to get married at a certain point as an argument that she wouldn't get angry about the ass-pats anymore. Irritated, Kagome informs him that no matter how much you like someone, if they do something insensitive, you tend to get angry. He should be intimately familiar with this concept, given Kagome's recent behavior that hurt his feelings, but I guess since it wasn't an unwanted sexual advance, it hit different.
Scoffing, Inuyasha asks what's left if you take the lecher out of Miroku anyway.
Maybe at least TRY not to be so obnoxiously loud next time, guys. I mean, if you HAVE to examine the love life of your friends within hearing distance, that is.
Back at the ranch vampire creature nest, Abi is telling her mother about how she attacked the castle, and Naraku wasn't drawn out by her act of war. The good news, of course, is that she was able to collect all the human blood at the castle. Mommy Big-Eye is very pleased with this, given that it's allowed her to greatly dilute the poison in her body. There must have been a shit-ton of blood at that castle.
I'd say Abi has already been about as reckless as it takes for the both of you to pay for it, Eyeball.
Oh, and that evidence she's talking about? The barrier has disappeared from around their nest. Apparently, Abi didn't even know about that barrier, because she responds in question about it, so her mother explains (only NOW for some reason) that that darn Naraku hid their home with a barrier without them asking for it. Abi interprets this as some sort of challenge to them from the measly hanyou, because she has to remain cocky despite making almost every stupid move she could possibly have made in this situation as per the demands of this thin-ass plot.
We return to where Inuyasha and crew have bedded down for the night, Inuyasha himself propped against the roots of a tree while his companions either use the transformed Kirara as a pillow, or snuggled in Kagome's sleeping bag. He opens his eyes when a sharp scent meets his nose, and stands suddenly, aware of the birds' scent reaching him out of nowhere. He thinks in disbelief that the nest is close by.
Oh boy, here we go again.
Inuyasha greets the familiar little figures with an uncertain trailing comment about their identities as Kikyou's Shikigami. They waste no time in telling him that Kikyou is waiting, and as he's sweatdropping, processing this statement, they turn to fly right back off again. He shouts at them in frustration, running after them, apparently forgetting that his friends are sleeping nearby. After Inuyasha has gone, Miroku stands on the crest of the hill, looking after him in askance. Kagome slumbers on in her sleeping bag with a passed-out Shippou in her arms. Sleep soundly while you're not in a fight with Inuyasha, girl, because that shit's about to go out the window again REAL soon.
Inuyasha runs through the forest until he reaches a large tree with a light glowing around the other side of its trunk.
She and Inuyasha look at and utter each other's names, which just gives the whole situation MORE of an air of a secret romantic rendezvous. Inuyasha walks up to stand in front of her and after a moment of silence asks if her body is okay now. Awkward wording for a guy who is in more of a compromising position every second. Kikyou responds that he should have heard by now that Kagome has directly purified the miasma from Naraku that was once coursing through her. Inuyasha confirms this, but he can't help but notice that Kikyou still seems to be in a bit of pain, and concludes internally that she hasn't FULLY healed.
Kikyou continues, saying that he's probably also noticed that the barrier around the hidden "bird" nest has been removed. Inuyasha hesitantly acknowledges that this must be why the scent of the vampire creatures has suddenly become apparent to him, but before he can really finish this statement, Kikyou asks him what Naraku is trying to do. Wait, I can't keep track of who knows what anymore - did Kikyou not figure this out like the rest of them? I guess not.
Inuyasha informs her that Naraku is trying to go to the border between the worlds to pick up a Shikon shard that ended up there. This seems to make some sense to Kikyou, because she mumbles about this being the reason why he's been collecting human blood through Abi. If this is the case, she's ready to make a pretty strong prediction.
Bold statement for someone who literally just found out that this was Naraku's plan.
It's broad daylight when we return to the campsite and Kagome is sitting up in her sleeping bag, reacting in disbelief that Inuyasha has gone off somewhere. Miroku is squatting at the foot of the sleeping bag, telling her that he went in pursuit of two children. He doesn't mention that they were weird FLYING children, but Kagome puts two and two together anyway, and immediately remembers the child-like shikigami who were giving her instructions on how to save Kikyou. It's the obvious conclusion to reach that Inuyasha has gone to see Kikyou.
And we're back with Inuyasha and Kikyou at the tree in the forest, and it's kind of amazing how LONG they've been hanging out in this very spot? Especially considering how awkward this conversation has been so far. Kikyou talks about how Inuyasha and his friends are planning to get to the border between this world and the next, and an indignant Inuyasha snaps that of COURSE they're going, because they're not about to let Naraku get his hands on another Shikon fragment.
Kikyou, my girl, I desperately need you to stop acting like a catty weirdo. It's not cute. Okay?
So, what did I think of this chapter overall? I have to say, I'm pleasantly surprised that Miroku is capable of being a decent human after being so problematic and such a source of annoyance to me for so long. A little bit of that residual irritation remains, though, because the scene above where he's asking Sango what he can do to comfort and support her suggests pretty heavily that he could ALWAYS have controlled his hands and lechery, but decided he couldn't be bothered before. Sango has been distraught over Kohaku's position and deeds in the past, so this isn't exactly a new situation, and Miroku has been a shit to her during those times. What changed? The low-key engagement between him and Sango? Is that what prompted him to have a little care when it comes to her feelings and mental well-being?
There's still, unfortunately, a bitter aftertaste to this nice scene, and that is emphasized by the commentary of their friends, especially the incredulous Inuyasha. Because while it's overtly a joke to ask what is left if you take the lecher out of Miroku, it does raise a legitimate question about how a habit like that can just be dropped on a dime. The implication seems to be that the enthusiastic agreement to as many children as he can make was ALL he was really looking for, as opposed to his behavior actually being caused by a complicated mix of an uncomfortable acknowledgement of his own precarious mortality, the drive to have a little fun before his curse inevitably kills him, and the need to pass on the battle against Naraku if he should fail to kill the asshole before he eats it. This scene kind of reinforces the more shallow of these views on Miroku's character, indirectly claiming that a promise of commitment has cured him, because it's way easier than having him do the long and hard work of putting his misogyny aside. Not a very inspiring message, upon close inspection.
The presentation of Kikyou seems to be more shallow by this point too. Since I've read the following chapters before, I'm aware that the final suggestion of Kikyou above is a bit of a fake-out, but it continues to give the distinct impression of RT leaning into the "love rivalry" angle between Kikyou and Kagome. Kikyou sending her shikigami to fetch Inuyasha while everyone else was asleep, when she could have just waited until the whole group was awake to send for all of them, is needlessly secretive for her purposes. She could have conversely had the shikigami ask Inuyasha to wake his group so they could all meet with her if she was afraid they would all go before she had a chance to give her critical advice. Either way, she could easily have arranged to argue to Kagome HERSELF that she shouldn't be going along to the border with the rest of the group. Instead, we have her acting like a jealous little girl trying to keep Inuyasha to herself because, I'm guessing, the adolescent audience is expecting it. Heaven forbid that RT use this opportunity to subvert those expectations in a meaningful way or anything.
What a bummer. Kikyou is too cool a character with too much potential for her to be made to act like this.
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