Yu-Gi-Oh Manga: 261 Beyond Hatred

Usually the titles are pretty straightforward, occasionally mysterious only due to the information in the chapter we don't know yet. This one is mysterious due to the potential fork in meaning. Have our characters moved past hatred to a new understanding of each other? Or have they moved instead onto pure LOATHING? Can't be sure, but I know which way this phrase would describe my feelings toward this cursed year. 

It's definitely not the former way. 

That last turn robbed Kaiba of his usual bite I see. He settles for dryly stating that Yami has two monsters on his side, and that he must be planning on playing out the rest of the duel in defense since the Blue Eyes White Dragons across from those monsters have superior attack. Kaiba does manage a smug little thought about cutting off Yami's escape with his next card, though, right before he plays two cards face down and ends his turn in a rush. Maybe if he's fast enough, the obvious trap will pass over Yami's poor slow head. 

Or maybe he'll glare more critically than ever at Kaiba and murmur that it's his turn instead, a small sweatdrop rolling down his cheek. He draws a card with the customary exclamation, which he peers at but we're not really given a good look at it. Yami notes that he's only got two cards in his hand as he adds his new one to the one already there, while keeping his glower directly on Kaiba. He wonders what Kaiba's next move will be, as though the loudmouth didn't just give him a pretty big clue already. Kaiba is done talking for now, though, eyeing him with a little smirk. 

Yami also plays two face down cards, but moves to switch the Red-Eyes into defense. Kaiba's smile widens into a creepy grin and breaks into mental giggles, thinking Yami can't run now. He reveals a face down card with splayed fingers, and somehow, some way, Yami seems alarmed that this was a trap. 

I know KT just discovered the magic of giving his main character struggle and a challenge, but someone should tell him that it doesn't really count if it's this obvious. 

Kaiba explains this is a permanent trap called Final Attack Orders, which compels all monsters to attack the opposing ones without restraint. Oh, and they also have to choose three cards from their decks and place the all the others in the graveyard. No, not hands, DECKS. Does that seem a bit extreme? It sure does to Yami, who stares at the Duel Disk locked on his wrist as he ponders discarding the entire rest of his deck in disbelief. 

Impatient as ever, Kaiba claims he doesn't need another three turns to win, but he invites Yami to place his futile hopes in whatever three cards he chooses. How magnanimous. He urges Yami to make his choices with a patronizing prompt, and Yami groans, sweating, hand hovering over the rest of his card fanned out in his hand. Kaiba's of course already got his cards picked out, or the one for his ultimate combo at least - Monster Reborn. It's already in his right hand ready to play. He chuckles that Yami is finished this time. Yami ends his turn hesitantly. 

Down in the blimp, Jonouchi's eyes still look a bit droopy while everyone cheers around him. Honda gives him a rough hair-tousle, exclaiming he's alive. Shizuka tearfully thanks the heavens that he's okay, and she's the first one Jonouchi notices, saying her name in a drowsy half-conscious daze. Anzu and Ryuji look on happily from the foreground. Jonouchi takes a moment to remember that he was fighting other!Marik before taking his very concerning nap, before Honda seizes him by fistfuls of his t-shirt, shaking him. He raves that Jonouchi makes him so mad, hardly willing to believe that he's really awake and that he's not faking it... somehow. Shizuka cries that she thought she missed her big brother. 

Honda pulls back one of his fists so he can hide his tears behind a forearm, sobbing that Jonouchi is a big jerk and demanding that he never die again because they were so worried. It's almost too cute for me. Jonouchi ignores the saccharine reaction to him waking up and pulls all the little electrode pads off his belly with a series of pops, wondering what in all the world this is. It's only now that the largely forgotten and useless doctor expresses his disbelief that Jonouchi is up and at 'em. 

Jonouchi says he's fine and not to mind him; he's far more interested in where Yami is. Anzu informs him that Yami is dueling Kaiba at the moment, for which he starts shouting at them like a maniac, demanding to know why they aren't up on that damn tower cheering for Yami. Anzu asks indignantly if they were supposed to just leave him by himself, and that incompetent doctor doesn't speak up, because he knows he wouldn't count for so much as a sponge. She says this is Jonouchi's fault for almost dying. Which totally isn't an insensitive thing to say when virtually no time has passed between this moment and the trauma of almost dying, ANZU.

But Jonouchi takes it in stride. Frustrated, he dismisses the whole argument and suggests they get going, to which Honda wholeheartedly agrees.

Back up top, Kaiba announces his turn, while Yami wonders desperately what those last three cards in Kaiba's Duel Disk are. He notes that Kaiba hasn't played Monster Reborn in this duel yet. Or, not his OWN Monster Reborn yet. But Yami probably doesn't have time to reference that right now. He's pretty sure Kaiba's strategy depends on his three Blue Eyes White Dragons as always, but he's ALSO pretty sure that's not the ultimate plan. With the hope he's wrong, Yami thinks Kaiba probably has Monster Reborn and Polymerization.

This thought is cut off by Kaiba drawing a card, and giggling when he looks at it like the lame-o he is. He uses the Monster Reborn he was so eager to play a couple of pages ago, dreams really DO come true, which somehow surprises Yami, even though he was just speculating about it? Perhaps that hope he had was so convincing that it overrode his logic circuits. Kaiba reminds him smugly that he probably CAN guess which monster he's going to use it on, and proceeds to throw his third Blue Eyes White Dragon on his Duel Disk with a perfectly sinister laugh. Yami is still catching up? He looks on at the new/old dragon, gaping in the knowledge that Kaiba has all his crooners once more.

I

Someone should REALLY tell KT it doesn't count if it's THIS obvious.

The ultimate dragon heads all roar at Yami like the shiniest of hydras, and Yami is in terrified awe. He identifies it as the strongest monster in existence, with points that surpass even Obelisk's. No word yet on what the exact count is yet, though. Fists ready for triumphant pumping, Mokuba cheers that this duel is almost over, because even Yami can't beat the Ultimate Blue Eyes. Other!Marik seems to have fully recovered from his enraged confusion over the Millennium Rod's transfer of memories to the current competitors. He's got a smug smile on over the appearance of the ultimate dragon and muses that he never thought Kaiba would win. He supposes that it never really mattered, because he was planning to kill both of them anyway, regardless of who won. Kinda makes you wonder why the guy is going through the trouble of meandering through this tournament. We briefly visit the blimp again, where Ishizu is still looking through the window at the the top of the tower. She silently addresses Kaiba, who defeated her and became the master of his own fate, and who must now face the truth hidden in this battle, carved so many centuries ago.

The truth that they're all being manipulated by creepy cursed relics of ancient Egypt, I'm sure.

Kaiba announces he's about to beat Yami, and achieve something great. No, not simple revenge; that can't possibly be the motivation of such a COMPLEX character. I might be projecting right now, but Yami's expression looks just a tad exasperated by that pathetic denial. Kaiba's full-on monologuing now, rhetorically asking why he's been fixated on defeating Yami for so very long. He fought his way to the castle beyond the Goblin City through Battle City to find out, and now he thinks he's finally found the answer. I'm guessing it's NOT because you're an obsessive personality with addictive tendencies?

 

Yami recalls that recurring theme of answers Kaiba has brought up before. Kaiba now says the stone tablet shown to him by Ishizu was behind Battle City when the curtain rose on the tournament, and that's where the answer lies. He identifies Yami's struggle as one of pursuing the memories carved on that tablet, and condemns it as foolish, chasing a past that's gone. Yami contemplates Kaiba's mention of the past, but doesn't appear to do so too deeply. 

What is that thing people say? About protesting too much?

Kaiba thinks on Mokuba on the sideline, and the jerkwad adults who made them live in the living hell called an orphanage after losing their parents. Then, upon being adopted by Gozaburo, Seto himself was abused in the name of "education", and he does use that word ABUSED. He thinks of that monster of a father the only family he had, until he performed a hostile takeover, ousting Gozaburo as president of the company and becoming a master of the world of backstabbing and treachery. Kaiba Corp was born again out of the carnage, but Seto's revenge didn't satisfy him - he was still angry. Back in the present, Kaiba yells at Yami that his past is ALL hatred and anger, nothing like Yami's stupid little fantasy world. Said with an unhinged grin, by the way, because I guess we needed a reminder in the middle of Kaiba delving into his own trauma that THIS BOY HAS NO CHILL.

 

He's raving that he only cares about the future, and tramples over the past, because it means nothing. Never mind that he just admitted it means quite a lot. Ignore that. Kaiba accuses Yami of being a creature of the past, and threatens to destroy him along with the past he represents. Fists raised in determination, Kaiba insists that he will shine light down the apparently already bright corridors of his future and become the king of duelists. The metaphor got a little crazy there for a moment, but I think I get the point. Yami is glaring, contemplating Kaiba.

 

Below the platform, Mokuba has lost a bit of steam, and is in fact hanging his head in a clear depression. He ruminates on Kaiba's long statement that his motivation to beat Yami is rooted in his desire to forget their past. Mokuba picks up the locket pendant hanging around his neck and presses the button to open it, revealing a younger Seto smiling at him with chess piece in his hand. Mokuba wonders if his brother intends to also forget that smile he gave him then. 

 

Oh no, no no no, not this bullshit again! I won't make the mistake of having any level of empathy for these little shits ever again! They'll just do something unforgivable again right afterward, I KNOW IT!

 

Yeeeeeaaaaaah, scoffing is the natural reaction to the CEO of a giant successful company implying he's not ALREADY at the top. 

Cluelessly, Kaiba chuckles his surprise that Yami can laugh at this point. Yami responds that Kaiba is one of the few his high, high gatekeeping standards has deemed a duelist, but he says he's a bit disappointed in him. Kaiba is of course a little ruffled by this, a bit short when he expresses disbelief, and Yami offers to be blunt: hatred and anger aren't enough to beat him, no matter how much of either Kaiba has. 

Kaiba asks for clarification again, fuming. Yami explains that Kaiba's mind is like the tower they're on, standing tall in the rubble, piling hate on top of hate to try to reach the peak, but never quite getting there. Yami suggests that Kaiba won't ever achieve victory, just keep looking for the next thing to hate. Yami, on the other hand, wants to always fight for those who believe, like his friends, who are shown sprinting in his direction, and himself, who is represented as the specter of Yuugi lingering behind him wearing his best poop-face. Of course, Yami also fights to become a true duelist, because he totally didn't JUST stand there talking about the judgments he's made on others regarding their status in this regard.

Now it's Kaiba who's scoffing, and Yami on the defensive, yelling that he's going to show Kaiba what he means. He reveals his face down card, Double Spell, which says on its face that Yami can play whatever spell card his opponent has played this turn. Kaiba is in disbelief and freaked the fuck out by this, but there's very little he's NOT freaked the fuck out by, so that's no surprise. Yami reiterates that his card allows him to use Monster Reborn and Polymerization, the spell cards Kaiba just used. He brings Buster Blader out with Monster Reborn in all its angled-armored glory, and then uses Polymerization to fuse it with his Dark Magician in the center of a virtual windstorm so we don't have to see all the weird details of how this combination would happen. 

Is dueling Yami all it takes for someone to get all their hate wiped out? Because I can think of a few people who might benefit from that. Can they schedule appointments? 

So, what did I think of this chapter overall? Getting to see Jonouchi wake up and how relieved everyone is by him being conscious is a treasure. I think perhaps it was a little too short and punchy of a scene, and didn't fully explore the rich emotions that could have been expressed by all of the characters, but what we did get to see was pretty good. It was both hilarious and heartbreaking how Honda cast his joy at Jonouchi being alive in these aggressive, angry terms, only to genuinely cry. The fact that Shizuka, as Jonouchi's sister and kin, didn't get a comparable focus, and that Anzu and Ryuji just didn't get a focus on their emotions at all, is a bit of a disappointment to me. I think the chapter should have spent just a little longer on them.

Because it wasn't doing much more with the slower pace. Kaiba's core motivations seemed to be the center of this chapter, but I'm unimpressed. Yes, Kaiba's abuse and trauma provide a LOT of context and explanation as to why he basically wants to DESTROY his past at this point and not just run away from it. And it makes sense that Yami has become something of a representation of that traumatic past, not only in how Yami searches for knowledge of the past, but also in how Yami has actively broken Kaiba several ways before. I made fun, but I totally believe that this isn't just about revenge - it's about taking back control from the various forces in his life (of which Yami is the latest) that has damaged him and made him into the monster who stands at the top of the Duel Tower at present. This would be compelling...

... if it weren't also meant to stand as the reason Kaiba is meant to lose. Within the context of the whole tournament, these motivations are very weak. Not because they're bad or wrong; it's more than understandable when a character wants to beat their trauma and throw it into the void. But Jonouchi's motivations were (eventually) to save Mai, and Yami's are to regain his memories, and they're both trying to figure out who the hell they are, and these goals are intricately tied to winning the duels in the tournament. Yami is right, winning the duel, the tournament, will never give Kaiba victory over his past or his anger, and he'll always just be looking for the next thing to hate. There is NOTHING that winning this duel will do to help his condition, he'll get no real prize or satisfaction from it. So, he can lose without anything valuable being lost in the process; the same before and after. He's going to be okay no matter what.

Ultimately, I think Kaiba's stated motivations in this chapter, though incredibly relatable and accessible for such a normally INaccessible character, are a justification for his upcoming loss. It actually bothers me, because the horrible trauma Kaiba desperately wants to decouple from himself is dissonant in the relatively low stakes it represents, and his inability to change and evolve in the arc he's designed for himself. It's kind of ironically tragic, in that KT refuses to actually develop this character toward real healing, because Kaiba's painful struggle against past abuse both defines him and is constantly cast in the shadow of importance cast by the struggles of the other characters. 

Kaiba, I'm sorry man. You deserve a creator who would give you what you really need - THERAPY.

Inuyasha Manga: 202 Swirl of Bones

That sounds like the worst ice cream flavor ever. I kind of had a feeling that Ben & Jerry's was going a bit too far these days, but making a BONE SWIRL? I suppose it's well-timed, though. I saw every manner of ceramic jack o' lantern on display at Target when I was on my way to the pharmacy the other day. It's getting to be that time of the year again, and all the big companies are putting out their best products to drum up excitement for what will more than likely be a very disappointing Halloween for a lot of people. 

Keeping that in mind, a swirl of bones would probably be the least upsetting part of part of this All Hallows Eve.

Kagura is the only one I trust to create an entertaining Halloween product this year. Bring out those rattling bones, girl!

A wave of skeletal soldiers rushes at Kouga, skulls shattering on the arm he's holding up to shield his face. He swings the other out to crush another skull out of frame, scoffing that these are mere distractions. Kagura then starts throwing a battery of wind blades in his direction with a big sweep of her fan, and he calls her a fool for it. He leaps between two wind blades that destroy the skeleton soldiers on either side of them and swings an outstretched leg down at Kagura, to her mild surprise. When his kick lands, cratering the ground around it, a great updraft prompts Kouga to look up, finding Kagura had merely jumped up to avoid him. 

Kouga curses, as Kagura hovers there a moment, her still substantial skeleton army crowding around them ominously. She says she'll stop him from running, and snaps her fan shut, calling this move a Dance of the Dragon-Snakes.

Gothic. A close cousin of METAL.

A great tornado encompasses Kouga, not unlike the one he produces with his own speedy traveling style, completely obscuring him with the spiraling bones. Kagura drops to the ground while he grunts and groans within the creepy skull vortex, fists shattering every bone that gets a bit too close. The problem is, not only are his windmilling arms breaking up the bones into sharp little fragments, the SWORDS of the dead soldiers are swirling around in there too. He's basically in a "death by a thousand cuts" kind of situation.

Kagura yells at him to chose: he can either be chopped up by the skeletons in the tornado, or he can be minced up by her when he jumps out of there. Mohwak and Two-Tone peer at the vortex, the former asking what they can do, and the latter replying that it looks like there's NOTHING they can do. After one of RT's sky-view transitions, showing the stars twinkling, the next panel shows Kagome in shock over the news of Kouga and Kagura embroiled in battle. She stands next to Miroku, who sits by a roaring campfire, while Mohawk and Two-Tone sit on the other side, making their appeal. Two-Tone says the situation is KINDA bad. Bad enough for them to not even attempt to intervene themselves while they were already there, I guess.

But Inuyasha can't help but contemplate the meaning of why Kagura attacked Kouga to begin with; he thinks it must mean that Naraku's castle is in the area after all. This seems to clash with the fact that Naraku was supposed to have put up a powerful barrier to keep them from getting close in the first place, though, and Inuyasha can't help but be worried. 

Sango ties up her hair in the back of the 500th abandoned shrine building they've happened across thus far, in full slayer regalia. Inuyasha gives her a critical look as she explains that she's got to investigate, then encourages him to stay here with Kagome so he can keep his human form a secret. Guess what happens next.

Go on. Guess.

Right on the money. Easiest guess I've ever made.

Back with Kagura and Kouga, who is now represented by his tornado encasement, Kagura is smugly asking Kouga what's wrong, and if he's too scared to come out of there. She speculates that he might have already dropped dead inside there too, but nah. He's still swinging his arms wildly at each skull flying at him, now bleeding profusely and cursing. The skeletons whirl around him, bones and blades blending together in their windy assault. He realizes that, no matter how many of these skeletal soldiers he crushes, he's getting nowhere. He's also pretty sure even HE wouldn't survive trying to jump through the swords flying around in front of him. Though, Kouga DOES seem to have an idea, and looks up.

Meanwhile, Kagura supposes it might be about time to let him out of there, since it might be difficult to find the Shikon shards if Kouga's been all ground up. She hears a shout to stop her pathetic worrying before she stops the tornado, though. 

I guess powerful legs aren't JUST capable of running really fast. As he lunges toward Kagura from his height, trailing strings of blood from his wounds, Kouga tells her to prepare for death. She doesn't look the least intimidated, just scoffing that he's pretty tough. Or, at least this is what she says he wants her to say, because she's already duly familiar with men and their assumption that women find every mundane thing they do impressive. She pretty much immediately takes back her fulfillment of that expectation with another wave of her fan in Kouga's direction, which brings the swirling column of skeletons down on Kouga's unsuspecting back. Kagura grins, calling Kouga a fool, able to run and jump, but unable to escape her wind. 

She throws a couple more wind blades out to punctuate her point. 

The Shikon shards in his legs pop right out of his wounds - Kagura's a little TOO precise for someone who shouldn't be able to see the jewel pieces like Kagome or Kikyou. Odd. Anyway, Kouga notices the shards have separated from his legs immediately, but no sooner does he come to this realization than he's swept aside by another barrage of wind blades. With him out of her way, Kagura leans down to pluck them off the ground, gloating to the bleeding and groaning Kouga that she's taken both the fragments from him. As she holds them in her palm, she wears a smug little smile, telling him that he's just an ordinary youkai now. Imagine someone referring to a creepy supernatural creature as an ORDINARY creepy supernatural creature. Kagura gives no fucks about how ludicrous this sounds, though, she just figures it's time for her to finish Kouga off. 

Before she makes good on her threat (of a good time, by the sounds of things), Sango and Miroku come barrelling in there atop their flame-footed Kirara, yelling her name. Kagura freezes in her alarm at first, then plucks a feather from her hair with an annoyed expression and spits that Kouga managed to narrowly avoid death today. With that, and a massive updraft, she escapes high into the air. Miroku notes with alarm that she got away as he follows her retreating feather with his gaze, but Sango is more concerned with the scene on the ground, drawing his attention to Kouga's condition. Mohawk and Two-Tone are already kneeling at his side, the latter appalled at the state of his bloodied legs, which Kouga winces and groans at. Kagome is the first person to actually COMPLETE her statement that Kouga's Shikon shards were taken, and Shippou, hanging tight to Inuyasha's shoulder, asks with worry what they're going to do about this.

While you're still in human form? For the sake of a guy you hate?

Yeah, sounds legit.

So, what did I think of this chapter overall? I'm honestly having a hard time wrapping my brain around the actions of Kouga's subordinates. It's just odd to me that the first course of action they would take would be backtracking to find Inuyasha's group for help. The two of them plus all the regular-looking wolves automatically outnumber Kagura, so it seems weird that they wouldn't try to distract and rush her first. Wolves being pack animals in general, you would think they would have a flanking strategy or some such thing. 

Am I supposed to take from this that they're cowards? Incompetents? I suppose that would be a deeper characterization than just "slow" as we've been getting so far. But I would have appreciated some sort of setup, like Kouga complaining about how they're so opposed to fighting or don't pay attention to the plans he details to them. Perhaps Kouga didn't want them interfering in his particular fight? Again, that interpretation would have benefited from an actual mention of this wish by Kouga before this point. As it stands, I don't know what to think of this. Except, of course, that RT wanted a simple, clear one-on-one battle, and sent the spares off elsewhere so things wouldn't get over-complicated.  

And I'm not sure I buy Inuyasha being SO comfortable with Kouga and friends by this time as to want to reveal his vulnerable human form to them. But at least they've fought in tandem before; there's at least a small history of alliance, even if it was somewhat strained. It's clear Inuyasha doesn't really view Kouga as a physical threat, just a romantic one. 

Yet, I don't know how Inuyasha's usual anxiety around this vulnerable time of the month translates into an eagerness to get into the action now. He's fought in human form before, but those were times when he really had no choice. The best explanation I can come up with is that Inuyasha's worry that Kouga will get a shot at Naraku outweighs his worry of his human form being discovered. I suppose it makes a little sense - poor boy is entangled in a mesh of insecurities and the compensations he's built for them, and as someone who's had their share of THAT pathology, I can say I've RANKED my fears a fair few times before myself. 

So, I guess I'm just a bit confused on the whole. But Kagura's pretty straightforward. Nothing confusing about her, so there's one part of this that works well I suppose.

Yu-Gi-Oh Manga: 260 Red Spirit

Well I feel personally attacked. Over the past two weeks, I've been flooded with what seems like an endless stream of questions, and there's been so little time to contemplate them, let alone answer them. They just keep coming too, giving me anxiety, headaches, neck and back pain, and what I'm pretty sure are the humble beginnings of an ulcer. All this culminates in a spirit that feels raw red and bruised in places, not to mention roasted on a slowly turning spit. I wish there was a salve to apply directly to the burns, but I think I'll have to figure out how to put out the damn FLAMES first.

Call me crazy, but I feel like dragons will NOT help.

Nor Kaiba's dorky laugh, while he reiterates that when Lord of Dragons plays his special flute, all Kaiba's dragons are summoned at once. Or, at least the other two of the specific kind that is relevant to this duel, because I'm pretty sure Kaiba has dragons for days. Kaiba insists that there's no way Yami can win against three Blue Eyes White Dragons, and immediately amends his statement to reference the one time Yami very well could have when he says that a miracle can't happen twice. Because that's when we cease to call it a miracle and start really examining our notions of possibility. 

Yami growls, taking stock of his Dark Magician and Beta the Magnet Warrior, at 2500 and 1600 points respectively. He has to acknowledge that he really has no way to defend against three dragons with two weaker monsters, and starts to question if this is all over for him, sweating. Kaiba manically demands that Yami brace himself while carving the Kaiba name into his memories as the name of the true winner. Do you get it? Like, like the tablet in the museum? Get it??

Kaiba yells for his dragons to triple attack, and they all three charge up those orbs of energy in their yawning maws at once, even though I'm not sure why they would be allowed to do that when they're still three separate monsters? I don't know, I'm sure there's a rule somewhere that says that's fine and dandy. Yami makes a nauseated noise and closes his eyes in resignation... until he perceives someone demanding that he not lose. His eyes snap back open. 

I swear, this boy is slowly formulating the first human hive mind. 

Jonouchi's appropriated consciousness and image gives him something of a long stare before asking if Yami didn't always used to tell him that there's always a chance as long as you've got cards in your hand. Yami seems to suddenly remember that he does indeed have cards in his hand, because he's been playing this game the WHOLE TIME. Amazing. He looks down at them while Jonouchi encourages him never to give up, because that's not what a true duelist does. Yami's a bit too distracted to really be paying attention, because he's in disbelief over something that he just didn't see before. Or maybe it's the weird wisps of smoke issuing from the cards in his hand for some reason. 

Those dragons are still charging their dragon lasers, by the way, and Kaiba yells at Yami that it's hopeless, trying to get him to just go quietly into that good night, led by the column of light burst stream from all three of his Blue Eyes. He must have noticed that Yami was starting to look a little lively again, because he looks pretty surprised in the next panel. 

Make that "utterly flabbergasted". And the both of us. 

What's even MORE surprising? Yami has an explanation that MAKES SENSE. He reminds Kaiba that NO dragon can resist the call of the dragon flute, not just Kaiba's dragons specifically, so the dragon(s) in Yami's hand were brought out too. With a triumphant fist curled out in front of him, Yami announces the Red-Eyes Black Dragon as the soul card Jonouchi gave him. Kaiba hangs his head and growls over not realizing that this card was still with Yami after Yuugi used it in the duel against Jonouchi on the docks. Did... did Kaiba just imply that he should have remembered that little detail? 

I'm just FLOORED.

Kaiba does something a bit more predictable when he thrusts out a hand and says he'll destroy Jonouchi's spirit along with Yami then. There was probably a part of him just looking for an excuse. At long last, all three of his crooners fire their burst stream tunes at Yami, who glares and grits his teeth, presumably bracing himself. Kaiba declares the first target to be the Dark Magician, like the shots haven't already been fired. Odd that they seem to pause for him to vomit nonsense about their order and trajectory. And for Yami to consider the fact that using Magic Formula will just tie the points of Dark Magician with Blue Eyes White Dragon and they'll both get destroyed. 

So he goes with another face down card instead.

As the Burst Stream takes its sweet time heading for the Dark Magician and its mystery cylinders, Yami explains that they can only be used by a spell-caster, and allows him to redirect the incoming attack to one of Kaiba's monsters. The blast goes in one cylinder, and at the direction of the grimacing Dark Magician with his staff, shoots back out of the other aimed at the enemy, as Yami commands. It's headed straight for a Blue Eyes, probz Sinatra, but Kaiba looks rather relaxed about it, thinking that this is a nice try, but that won't work on his dragon. 

But Yami chuckles that he knows what Kaiba is thinking; he's convinced that as long as the dragon lord is out and about, his dragons are immune to magical attacks. While Kaiba gives him a whithering glare, at least judging by what I can see of the extreme close-up on one of his eyes, Yami points and vows to take care of this little problem. The rebound shot actually lands right in Lord of D.'s chest, Yami crowing that this is a direct hit on his target like he's playing Battleship or something. The Lord of Dragons is incinerated with virtual fire.

Hunching and groaning, Kaiba looks pretty pissed. He recovers quickly, though, yelling that it's no matter, because he's still got two other dragons that can blast Yami good. Their attacks are still streaming from their yawning jaws, and I feel kind of bad for them. That must be exhausting. One of those blasts heads toward Red-Eyes per Kaiba's instructions, and the comic emphasizes the 600-point disadvantage it has. But Yami is pretty convinced that Jonouchi's spirit can't be broken. Maybe because Yami can immediately claim that Kaiba has fallen into his trap when he waves an arm and reveals Spellbinding Circle. 

The alchemical seal forms around the offending Blue Eyes White Dragon, because now that the dragon lord is gone, it can be trapped, as Yami explains. Its now unable to attack, and its points go down by 700 to boot. This prompts another growl of frustration from Kaiba, of course. That frustration is likely greatly increased by the fact that we just skip over his last dragon poised to attack - Yami just commands his Red-Eyes to attack without letting the third Blue Eyes to do its thing. Is this a side-effect of Spellbinding Circle that isn't listed on the card or something? Or does it affect both remaining dragons on the... no, no Yami just said that it was just the one dragon. Well, poop. 

We'll ignore that for the moment, because a panel of the real Jonouchi slouching off of Honda's side is immediately followed by the Red-Eyes practically unhinging its jaw like a snake to grow a massive fireball in its mouth. 

Hunched, Kaiba cringes behind a raised arm as his dragon is immolated beside him. He grumbles in disbelief that Michael Buble lost to a mere ghost. Meanwhile, Yami thanks Jonouchi's spirit still hanging out in the background, for giving him strength in that moment of self-doubt. Spirit!Jonouchi smiles at him, encourages Yami to go get 'im, and turns to disappear into the black background. Yami promises that he'll do just that with a determined expression. 

HE'S ALIVE!! Time to bust out the champagne! 

More reason to celebrate: turns out the third Blue Eyes White Dragon wasn't forgotten after all. Kaiba narrates its long-overdue attack, and the explosive effect it has on Beta the Magnet Warrior. He wears a satisfied smirk, even though he has to admit that Red-Eyes showing up kind of interferes with his plan. But he's confident it won't stop him from winning, since it's an unshakeable law... somehow. No one tell this spaz-boy that his unshakeable law has already been violated several times over by this point. 

Yami notes that there are still two more Blue Eyes White Dragons roaring at him, but he also seems pretty determined now.

Get it, son!

So, what did I think of this chapter overall? The best in a long time, I feel. Perhaps even the best ever so far. The action is paced really well, and I think there's a good balance of dialog to stuff that's actually happening. There's phenomenal emotional payoffs, because Jonouchi's presence being there to encourage Yami is so very EARNED. Because Yami is genuinely struggling to find a way to defeat Kaiba and it's not just a fake-out to make him seem impossibly and cheaply clever, Jonouchi's unsinkable spirit was really needed in that moment. And it certainly delivered - Jonouchi's advice here is so reminiscent of Yami's to him at so many points before this. It feels like we've come full circle, and Jonouchi is finally able to reciprocate the same kind of strength and support Yami has offered him before. Him waking up right after this drives home that he was literally there with Yami in spirit, and maybe that was the best place for him to be, fighting right up there beside him. Shame he didn't get to rest a little, since that duel with other!Marik was a doozy.

My only criticism for this chapter is just the weird interjected attack by Red-Eyes after the Spellbinding Circle is used. I don't know if I'm forgetting a prior instance or rule which allows an attack right after the card is played, or if this was just a weird inconsistency, but it threw me for a loop. I make fun of the constant reminders of what cards do in this story, but in this case, I would have appreciated it, because sometimes when a card is a little more complicated in its effects, I get a bit confused about what is happening.

Otherwise, this chapter is GREAT, it's pretty much everything that I want and expect from Yu-Gi-Oh, all the way down. And the best part of it is how straightforward all of it is. I'm really surprised that a chapter I'm rapidly coming to consider one of the best there is requires so little analysis from me. 

*Shrug* Oh well.

Inuyasha Manga: 201 Naraku's Scent

That raises a strange question: what IS Naraku's scent? It's referenced quite a bit throughout the story, but none of our characters with enhanced youkai senses of smell have ever hinted at what it might resemble. I get that it can be difficult to describe sensations like that, and I can't imagine how the task might be complicated by the fact that a dog-man might pick up on hints of scent that a regular man couldn't, but usually one can at least give a general idea. Is it maybe earthy? A kind of sickening sweet type of smell? Perhaps it's kind of sour, since Naraku took the form he uses most off a perpetually ill dude. Then again, if that were the case, I think we'd see a lot more of Inuyasha wrinkling his nose and complaining about the nasty scent he always has to follow.

Creepy as it may seem to speculate on the intricacies of a fictional shape-shifter's scent, these are the kinds of sensory details that add to the depth of a world and make even the unreal parts of it seem real, or at least plausible. Just give me a little Fleming Effect in here, RT, that's all I ask. 

Maybe a better idea of what sensing a jewel shard is like?

She depicts instead a couple of shouts at Kouga to wait up and pleading to take a break, whined by the panting and wheezing Two-Tone and Mohawk wolves. I can't really complain, since that does hit pretty close to my actual experience with distance running, but it also feels like somewhat personal attack after my cold open. I'm sure it's just my imagination. Two-Tone complains that his body can't take this level of cardio, and Mohawk points out that the numerous wolves are pretty beat too, heaving with the effort of keeping up with Kouga. 

... Why not? Seriously, has this guy ever wondered why he seems to have to chase a CASTLE like it's a deer darting through the forest and run the damn thing down to catch up to it? Then again, this is a guy who claims to rely on an intuition that failed to warn him when he was given a fake Shikon shard to put in his arm and when he found Inuyasha covered in the blood of his fellow wolves in quite the convenient scenario. Boy is THICK, and not as the young folk say.

Indeed, Two-Tone has to reveal his assumption that Kouga has just been running around at random this whole time, and Kouga very clumsily avoids actually addressing this by stating that he smells a suspicious scent. He's convinced that Naraku's castle is nearby, wearing a snarl as he recalls the friends he saw lying bloodied and lifeless at the castle, vowing silently to avenge them. 

We are once again eased into a new scene with disembodied speech bubbles against a backdrop of sky, one asking Inuyasha what's wrong and if he wasn't indicating another direction before, and the other, presumably from Inuyasha, telling the querent to shut it. 

Shippou suggests that it has nothing to do with how distracting everyone is being, and more to do with how his sense of smell might be waning a bit, given it's the first of the month. Kagome makes a little noise of epiphany, but Sango seems to have forgotten what that means. Miroku clarifies that it's the new moon, when Inuyasha loses his youkai powers and takes a fully human form. Kagome recommends that Inuyasha not push himself today, but Inuyasha snaps that she has to be kidding, considering they've come so close. 

Kagome begins to protest, but is distracted by the sight of a dust-devil heading in their direction. Fast. Miroku and Sango twist around to look curiously on too, instead of trying to get the fuck out of the way like I might have done - I really HATE getting dust in my eyes. No, they casually watch Kouga appear out of the center of the small storm, skidding to a stop on bent and angled legs. 

 

And he managed it without running back and forth aimlessly and exhausting his companions. Go figure. 

Inuyasha scoffs, pushing himself off the ground slowly at first, and then lunging while yanking Tessaiga halfway from its sheath and he declares he'll waste the wimpy wolf. Kouga gives him an exasperated look while Kagome tells him to sit, and he's planted in the dirt face-first again. Inuyasha fetal faceplant is ignored as Miroku casually asks Kouga if he's managed to track Naraku's castle. Kouga says he has, indicating his nose with his thumb. Though he doesn't know why, Kouga suggests  Naraku is letting his stink leak out when it hasn't before. Sango begins state her thoughts on what this means with a critical expression, but Miroku finishes her sentence by declaring that the barrier has slackened. For fuck's sake, Miroku, can you let anyone else talk for half a second? Can you BE any more of a misogynistic prick?

While Kouga turns back to where he last saw Kagome and reaches for her hands, he tells her not to worry, because he's going to waste Naraku. 

Did I say this boy was thick? I don't know if that word is sufficient to describe the level of density required to mistake a pair of hands several times smaller and stubbier than your love interest's for hers. They might not have a term that's accurate, come to think of it.

Kagome has gone to kneel next to Inuyasha as he drags his sorry ass back out of dirt, telling her not to stop him because he wants to settle this little rivalry his and Kouga's this very minute. She holds onto his arm to both steady and restrain him, insisting that he should stop this nonsense. Kouga suddenly adopts a look of confusion, making a questioning noise, and asks what's up with Inuyasha. He squats in front of him and sniffs rapidly, saying that Inuyasha's normal irritating dog smell is gone. Kouga asks if Inuyasha went for a cleansing swim, but Inuyasha can only "urk" in response, Kagome staring at Kouga with wide eyes. I'm not surprised they're not prepared to tell Kouga a damn thing. The information would probably ricochet off the inside of his empty skull and back out his big mouth.

Luckily, Kouga is distracted by Inuyasha's suspicious lack of dog smell by his slower companions and their trailing wolves waving and calling to him as they approach between the trees. Mohawk pants with relief that they've finally caught up, but Kouga lets out an almost disappointed "oh". He turns quickly to salute to Kagome, claiming not to have time for this shit, and wishing her farewell. While he kicks up another dust storm, Two-Tone reaches out impotently, stuttering at Kouga's retreating back to wait a second. He only just seems to realize Kagome and company are there as they continued their marathon run past them, Mohawk greeting Kagome tiredly as well. She says hello, but they have even less time to chat than Kouga. 

Sango asks Miroku if they should go after the wolves, but Miroku says it's best they remain inactive tonight. Inuyasha is on his feet again in no time, spitting in protest that the wolves will get ahead of them, but Miroku snaps back at him to calm his excited ass down. He says Kouga is one thing, but asks Inuyasha if he really wants to expose his vulnerable human form to Naraku, and this seems to shut him right up, sweatdropping something fierce. Miroku reminds him that if the day of the month he loses his powers is found out, Inuyasha will be in danger, even more so if it's Naraku who finds it out. Inuyasha hangs his head and stews in his surliness, wondering why this has to happen NOW of all times. 

In a cloud of marbled poisonous atmosphere, a mansion sits quiet and full of skeletons slumped along the hallways. Kagura walks between them, speechless a moment.

Sheesh, did these guys die just because no one wanted to crack a window? As a matter of fact, Kagura actually confirms that all the human retainers brought there with the castle were poisoned by the miasma of the barrier. They really got the raw end of that deal, didn't they? 

Kagura turns to find creepy little Kanna lurking behind her, mirror glowing. Kagura demands to know the meaning of Kanna sneaking up on her, but trails off when she takes a closer look at that mirror to see the fuzzy image of Kouga and his pack of wolves wading through some waist-high grass. She vaguely recalls his name, and that he's the leader of the wolf-youkai, wondering if he's actually gotten close to the castle. She also starts wondering if this is a coincidence, or if there's something more to it. After thinking on it a moment, Kagura kneels in front of Kanna, asking if Naraku knows about this. Kanna says she doesn't know, because that jerk isn't even here. Kagura hums thoughtfully, realizing that Naraku DOES just kind of disappear periodically. Kanna addresses Kagura as she turns to leave, fan rested on her shoulder. She promises to kill Kouga, reasoning that she shouldn't have to wait for Naraku's order to defend the home front. 

Outside, Kouga is cursing as he stalks around the swirling barrier, insisting the castle is definitely in this direction. Two-Tone and Mohawk seem to have caught up to him at last while he's slowed to a walk, and the former questions the fact that they can't see anything. Mohawk makes a surprised sound at the sky, and draws Kouga's attention to a big, dark, WRIGGLING cloud high up in the air. Out of the center of this descending cloud, a single crescent gust shoots out and Kouga has to leap out of its way. When Kouga stands back at his full height, he finds Kagura crouched in front of him, just landed from her jump out of her demon-cloud. She smarms that it's been a while, and Kouga displays a glare of rage he can't begin to articulate. 

Mohawk and Two-Tone gape, the latter asking what the deal is with the skeletons. Kagura scoffs, saying they're countless guards from the castle in a nice little payoff from her note of the dead retainers a couple of pages ago.

Too bad the setup was awkward and entirely too cognizant of the audience. 

Oh well. Kouga has found his tongue again, correctly identifying Kagura and her wind powers, claiming there hasn't been a single day when he's forgotten her face, and not in a flattering way. Because she's responsible for the deaths of his friends and allies, he charges her, telling her to prepare to die and promising to pay her back for their previous fight. Kagura flips open her fan, sharing the same sentiment. She acknowledges her failure to get the Shikon shards in his legs before, but she'll take them for sure this time. 

Especially considering this guy demonstrated multiple times during this chapter alone that he's none too bright. No doubt there's little he can do that's NOT easily countered. 

So, what did I think of this chapter overall? On the one hand, I'm very disappointed in Kouga writing so far, and I wasn't quite able to articulate it until now; the "intuition" that he's supposed to rely upon for survival is incredibly inconsistent. He hasn't shown up a lot in the story yet, and there are more times than not when that character trait just... doesn't manifest. This is another instance of that, since MOHAWK was the one who had to warn Kouga that Kagura's demonic cloud was approaching. The close call with Kagura's wind blade shouldn't have been nearly as close as it was, but if it wasn't, then there wouldn't be as much tension in the scene. This is a major problem with Kouga's characteristics as RT has set them up - I love the idea of a guy using intuition to skirt around danger, given that's traditionally a feminine trait and it kind of sets the trope on its head. Yet, Kouga wouldn't get into the massive messes that he got into the last time he showed up at this castle, and this one, if RT were to utilize this trait. She has to actively IGNORE Kouga's characterization in order to get him into tense, desperate situations, and that's not a good sign for the possibility of character development later on when he's basically made to be Inuyasha 2.0 in recklessness and overexuberence. 

On the other hand, the subtlety of Kagura's dissatisfaction with her life is done well here. She didn't need to outright TELL us that she's cooped up because Naraku forbids her to leave; it's in how she whines that this place is stuffy, how she mentions the retainers and guards were locked in the castle as well to their very demise, how she finds an excuse to leave the castle and justifies why she shouldn't need permission from the absent Naraku. It paints a picture that not only shows her as a prisoner under house arrest, but also that she's a bit more willful than perhaps Naraku is prepared to deal with. Naraku, by proxy, is implied to be tightly controlling everyone in his proximity, from which a number of extrapolations about the level of caution and even fear there can be drawn. It's a very well-executed bit of writing, if not a tad awkward in the part where RT set up our skeleton fodder for Kagura to use. 

Also a tad awkward: I thought the dangly beads at the sides of Kagura's head were earrings, but they just look like they're threaded on some thin locks of hair in the final panel up there? I'll have to keep an eye on that and see if it changes, because I really could have SWORN otherwise...

Yu-Gi-Oh Manga: 259 Deck of Glass!

Sounds like a companion piece to one of those infinity pools, looking out over spectacular landscapes from the edge of expensive spas/resorts built on overhanging cliffs. If you built a glass deck around one of those suckers, you could get a truly surreal experience of walking on air before taking a dip in the sky pool. I say "you" because I wouldn't have the guts to enjoy such a thing. I'm not scared of heights in most situations, but everyone has their limits, and I think I would be terribly disturbed at looking down and seeing myself hovering precariously above a lush cliffside. 

Unless we're talking about a different kind of deck. Boy, would THAT be embarrassing. 

Yami's Dark Magician seems to be glaring hardcore down at Kaiba with its razor thin soul patch looking thing (or maybe its some sort of tattoo or paint like the eyeliner extending beyond his actual eyes? I'm genuinely confused by this feature). Kaiba looks back with nervous shock that the magician confronting his Blue Eyes is creates the same dynamic he saw in his totally not-real vision. He recalls said vision, watching his and Yami's ancient Egyptian counterparts making combative gestures at one another while their spectral monsters issue from the slabs of stone behind them. It just happened a few minutes ago for him, so I should hope he remembers it. 

Yami is thinking a little further back, though. He considers the scene carved on the stone he saw in the museum at the beginning of the arc, certain now that it was the memory of a battle that happened long ago. He's sure that if this battle is another piece in the puzzle of memories he's trying to put together (subtle KT, real subtle), then he HAS to defeat Kaiba to remember what he's forgotten. He pulls another card from his hand and shouts his turn isn't done yet. Kaiba glowers at him as he slaps it on his Duel Disk face down, knowing that the Dark Magician can't beat the 3000-point Blue Eyes White Dragon alone. He now has two face down cards, one of which is Magic Formula, to increase a wizard's attack points by 500 to only tie it with Kaiba's dragon. He resigns himself to waiting until Kaiba strikes as his only chance, and ends his turn. 

This is when Kaiba seems confident enough to say that Yami saw that vision too. Because that apparently wasn't crystal clear before this moment. He then starts to lecture Yami on the "truth" of the vision they both witnessed; they both remembered the image of the carving of the king on the tablet they saw in the heat of battle. That's all. What's a little mutual hallucination between enemies, right? Kaiba insists that this was just an illusion from subliminal suggestion. Gracious, MY suggestion that it was a prank pulled by some tech working on the machinery before you all landed on landfill island is a better explanation than that nonsense. 

Kaiba laughs obnoxiously, as if there's any other way for him to laugh, at the notion of Yami being a pharaoh from 3000 years in the past. 

"I'm FREE, because I refuse to acknowledge the cage!"

Yami actually looks affronted there for a moment as Kaiba continues, ranting that there is no light for those shackled to the past, and blah blah blah, something about when Yami turned his back to him, he chose the path of useless nostalgia and defeat? Shit, now I feel attacked just doing this blog as a semi-nostalgic fan. Fuck you, Kaiba. 

He finally decides to take his turn and draws a card, looks at it, then plays it - it's Card of Demise, which allows Kaiba to draw until he has five cards, but he has to discard whatever cards he has in his hand in five turns. Not a bad deal, and it seems to make Yami nervous as a hand-improver. Kaiba reiterates what the card does as he draws more cards, just in case anyone who didn't bother to read the text on the card wanted to know what was going on. You know, someone like me, traditionally.

Kaiba plays a card face down, then evaluates Yami's two face down cards on the opposite side of the platform. He figures one of them has to be a card that increases the Dark Magician's attack. About time this kid used his brains and stopped relying on us assuming he HAD them. He gets real specific with the other card, predicting it to be the Spellbinding Circle trap activated by a potential attack from the Blue Eyes White Dragon. As Yami stares at him in stoic silence, Kaiba continues to chastise him mentally, because he simply CANNOT stop talking, even to himself. He insists that this being their 3rd duel, and his maybe second year obsessing over Yami, he's thoroughly familiar with Yami's strategies by now. He can see through them as though Yami's deck were made of glass. 

He said it, he said the thing! Exciting.

And now, he pulls a card from his hand and thrusts it out at Yami, announcing it's a monster and he's going to summon it. Yami's eyes widen in shock, or at least that's what I assume from the extreme close-up.

I'm sorry, I'm so sorry if I can't take advantage of the unfortunate implications of shortening this poor monster's name, but there are just too many possibilities. I don't even know where to START.

With that, Kaiba believes he's going to take Yami out with one blow on the next turn. Apologies if I don't think you would be satisfied with just ONE, Kaiba, since no man really is. 

Anyway, Kaiba ends his turn, and Yami begins his a bit of a sweaty mess. He's really worried that Kaiba knows his strategy, and it turns out that he WAS actually planning on activating Spellbinding Circle when Kaiba's dragon attacked his magician. If he had done so in conjunction with strengthening the Dark Magician with the spellbook, he would have beaten him, but now the dragon lord over there threw off that whole plan. Yami wonders what he's going to do now, drawing a card with his best confident posturing. 

Kaiba smiles, assuming Yami thinks he's ahead of him, but very sure that he's several steps ahead of even that. He's real attached to the "glass deck" metaphor, thinking he sees the cracks in it. Be sure to keep that fancy resin away from him so he can't repair them, then. Yami looks genuinely unsure for a moment before he summons Beta the Magnet Warrior in defense. Kaiba sarcastically wonders what's next; if Yami is going to attack his D. Lord with the Dark Magician, and sure enough, after Yami lets out a little growl of frustration, he calls for his Dark Magician to attack the dragon lord. As the magician lunges for the dragon lord, Kaiba's manic expression returns, unable to contain his excitement that Yami fell for his trick. He reveals his face down card to be Magical Trick Mirror to play any spell card from Yami's graveyard. 

Yami is shocked to the core that Kaiba laid a trap; what is he, GOOD at this game now?? Kaiba says that he's activating Monster Reborn from Yami's graveyard, which both he AND the Dark Magician have to gape at Kaiba about. The mirror card on Kaiba's side transforms into Monster Reborn, and Kaiba chuckles darkly, drawing out his announcement of what that lucky monster is that gets a second chance to... show up for this shitshow, I guess. At least Yami appears to be waiting with bated breath. 

Oh, that's a big OOPS. Dark Magician shoots a ball of black magic at Obelisk, and at a 1500-point difference, that's going to be an expensive mistake for Yami. Obelisk holds up a giant beefy arm to deflect the attack, and for some reason Yami is yelling at his magician that its own magic will be shot back at him. No, he's not educating the AUDIENCE this time, but his own MONSTER what lives INSIDE THE GAME and thus should automatically react in accordance with the rules. That is... a weird flex, but okay.

Yami himself is surrounded in dark bolts of electricity and he curls in on himself in pain as his life points drop to 1500. Meanwhile, Kaiba commands the monster he calls a god but treats like a slave to return to the underworld. Then he yuks it up about how Yami has to see now that his weakness lies in being stuck in stupid illusions. Yami grits his teeth and sweats in response, then plays a card face down to complete his turn. Kaiba puts on his most ultra-serious expression to tell Yami that resistance is useless, and he will be crushed on this turn. 

But no-chill-boy just can't help himself. Ultra-serious just ain't who he is, baby.

Yeah man, that sure is how TIME works. 

Yami is currently asking himself the deep questions, wondering just what his lost memories ARE. He's starting to consider that Kaiba might be right; that he might in fact just be wallowing in the past. Or, at least his longing to KNOW about it, if we wanna get technical. But Yami comes to the conclusion that he can't move forward until he knows the answer, to where he came from I presume. He's not super specific about which question he's trying to answer here, but... context, I guess. Yami decides he CAN'T lose here, and that he can see the light shining beyond this duel if he wins. He must grasp that light. 

Kaiba declares his turn and draws a card, smiling in his certainty that this is the final turn. Hand outstretched, he plays Flute of Dragon Summoning, and no points to Yami for being nervous about this magical instrument. Kaiba is in the process of picking MORE cards out of his hand while he says that when the dragon lord plays the flute, all his dragons hear it and obey. 

With the Sinatras and Buble all back together again? 

... Yeah, probably. 

So, what did I think of this chapter overall? I very much enjoy the rare moment when Yami experiences doubt and struggles, so this one struck a chord with me. The fact that he's having to confront issues on multiple levels here is all the better. It's not just that the pendulum has swung back the other way, and Yami has lost all the advantages he seemed to have before, because that happens in most duels. What makes this unique is that Yami started this chapter in the height of spirits after having gotten strong confirmation that he's on the right track to regain more memories. The ending to the chapter really knocks him back on his ass, and demonstrates that, even though he's most of the way to his goal, he's not home free. This is not going to be easy - he still has to earn every bit of what he wants. At long last, he's facing real challenges, so the victory can be satisfying!

The other level of struggle here is how Yami needs to confront how, in a small way, Kaiba isn't exactly wrong. Yes, he takes his focus on the future too far, wrongly believing that if he simply ignores the past, then he's free of it. But he's not mistaken in his assertion that dwelling and being obsessed with the past just holds one back from exploring one's future. The trick, for the both of them it seems, will be to strike that balance of the classic journey; knowing where you came from so you can know where you're going. We've already seen how Kaiba's total rejection of the past creates wild and erratic thrashing on his part in an effort to reject reflections of the past, despite how everything he creates never fails to resemble the formative moments on which they are based. Now Yami is confronted with a sudden obsession with associating the current moment with a prior image, marveling at and clinging to the resemblance between now and the small kernel of past he's been able to grasp, to the point that he's neglected to even think about the future. He was so seduced by his fate that he failed to actually PLAN for a victory for a second, expecting destiny to just kind of... take care of the whole thing for him. Clearly he needs to get his head out of that memory and into the duel in order to win; he needs to work for this, as discussed in the previous paragraph. 

Something else I thought was interesting was how Yami talked directly to the Dark Magician like it was a teammate rather than regarding it as a monster in the game. Of course, Yami has always seen his monsters as more than tools to use in the game, that much has never been unclear. But I don't think I've ever seen him actually TALK to the monsters before like that. Then again, my memory has been shown to be quite spotty, and this IS the 259th chapter I've covered on this series...

One thing is for sure: the Dark Magician was listening to Yami, and looking distressed by the prospect of following through on its attack. The implications here are... many, but there will be time to explore those later.

Inuyasha Manga: 200 Broken Dream

Isn't THAT a fucking mood for 2020? I had so many plans for this year. We just moved to the place that we've always wanted to live back in October, and I was going to start earnestly building a life and growing roots. During the past four years, I've felt I was in transition, a weird liminal time in which I couldn't really feel at home, and I was looking forward to that ending. It was my ultimate dream to settle into a space that felt permanent and comfortable.

But wouldn't you know, 2020 crashed through the door, punched me in the face, and told me I wasn't allowed to be comfortable. Something about how I'll quarantine in constitutionally compromised America and like it? I don't know, it was real rude. I suppose I should feel lucky not to have a broken nose in addition to my broken dreams, to be honest.

Satsuki isn't just weighing on Shippou's mind by the looks of things. Kagome sadly stares into space reminding the audience herself that Satsuki believes in her fake Shikon fragment to bring her dead brother back home. Girl has some hardcore delusions, and they're about to bite her in the ass.

The next page reveals that the hill Satsuki was heading down in the previous chapter was the river bank, and her house in LITERALLY situated under the bridge. This girl is an actual troll. All she needs are riddles. Inside, she sits next to her "brother", laying on a mat at the back of the hut, asking if he's planning on getting better soon. He gives a noncommittal affirmative while Shippou stands speechless in the center of the room. Satsuki's "brother" gushes about how long she's suffered, and how he'll make her happy from now on, to which Satsuki responds with a hearty agreement, but Shippou remains rigid and disturbed, stuttering Satsuki's name. He tells her to come over to him.

Satsuki's "brother" identifies Shippou as part of the group staying at the headman's place, the friendly little grin he's been wearing this who time starting to look super creepy, despite not changing at all. Shippou insists that Satsuki come across the room quickly, but she addresses him with confusion as her "brother" sits up and wraps a restraining arm around her, keeping up his incessant smile. He politely asks Shippou to bring him the Shikon shards from the other members of his group, but Shippou isn't buying it. He launches himself at Satsuki's "brother", demanding he let her go.

Oooh, that must have stung. Satsuki asks her "brother" what he's doing in a panic, pulling out her fake fragment and offering it to him if he really wants one so badly. He plucks it from her fingers, looking at it with what now looks like a frozen smile at this point, and asks if she doesn't get this yet. As he describes the stone as rubbish and of no use at all, he drops it on the ground and slams his fist down on it, shattering it. Satsuki gapes in shock at the pieces, and Shippou lifts his bruised face out of the dirt just in time to see the "brother's" fist raising rigidly off the stone's remains as he stands.

Satsuki's "brother" hunches to keep his arm securely around her throat while she looks up at him in horror. He drops the politeness, but not the little smile, when he warns that little runt Shippou that he'll break Satsuki's neck if he doesn't get those fucking Shikon shards. Satsuki struggles in his headlock, asking who the hell this dude is, and he chuckles, maintaining his lie that he's her brother of course. What a piece of shit. Shippou lunges again, demanding that the youkai show its true form, and shoots tendrils of foxfire in Satsuki's "brother's" face.

Did you already forget that she was questioning your identity not FIVE panels ago? Miroku's paper charm didn't JUST leave a bit of a scar, I see.

It's official. Those fucking things cause brain damage.

Shippou literally calls the actual lizard-person an asshole (Inuminati confirmed), and shouts that he won't forgive him, throwing another tiny fistful of fox magic at the imposter. It takes the form of a giant snake with its jaws opened wide, about to chomp down on the lizard-man's head, who flinches away in alarm. While he's bowled over by great serpent, Shippou grabs Satsuki's arm and urges her to be quick, pulling her toward the doorway. She stutters agreement, but looks back at the imposter getting mauled by the snake over her shoulder. 

Back in the hut, the lizard-man is rolling an thrashing on the ground, though the giant snake seems to have disappeared in wisps of fox-smoke and leaves. When he notices this, he also notices that there's one of those little wooden jointed toy snakes that's clattered to the ground. Multiple veins pop on his lizard head and he draws out an angry exclamation. He rushes out after the fleeing Shippou and Satsuki, catching up with scary speed, likely because he's taken out an extra pair of limbs and is working all six of them as he warns them that they won't get away. Both Shippou and Satsuki look over their shoulders at the pursuing threat, and the former curses that the lizard-man has already noticed his trick. He pulls out what looks to be a little spindly wooden horse, claiming that this is its moment, to become an impressive stallion no doubt. Shippou turns to Satsuki, tells that her to escape ahead of him, and she stutters back that she couldn't possibly do that. 

Well... that's significantly less impressive than the cool snake he produced a couple of minutes ago. Maybe he spent a majority of his baby fox magic on his serpent illusion. 

Yeah. We'll say that. 

Satsuki calls back to him as the hobbyhorse carries her off into the distance, but Shippou is too busy dodging a strike from the lizard-man's stretchy lizard-tongue to notice. 

... Because apparently he figures he can just use Shippou as a hostage to get the Shikon shards from his friends instead. I feel like the lizard-man might be severely underestimating the kid who totally owned him with a snake illusion just a few moments ago. Must be that brain damage again.

Shippou spits back that the lizard-man should have just targeted HIM in the first place, yelling that he won't forgive him for deliberately trampling all over Satsuki's feelings. The lizard-man's neck inflates, and he blithely says that Shippou's baby anger is amusing to him, asking if he's going to try to fight. Shippou lunges with an enthusiastic affirmative, and is immediately greeted with a giant lizard-loogie from the lizard-man's chuckling throat - digestive fluid, he explains, though I'm not sure HOW through his mouthful of the nasty stuff. 

Tumbling out of the way, Shippou narrowly avoids the loogie, which splatters on a rock that was behind him instead. The rock dissolves all the way through. 

Damn, this little bastard has EXPLOSIVES? I'd be running for the hills if Shippou came at me with that shit. Of course, beating ME in a fight is admittedly a low bar to clear...

 

And the lizard man doesn't appear to have any trouble stepping over it. He just kinda looks at all the mini explosions happening around his feet with the barest of interest. While he's (somewhat) distracted by that, Shippou declares the time is now, and flies at the lizard-man, clamping his little jaws on wrinkles of skin on his neck. This at least seems to get his attention, inspiring some mild shock. The lizard-man narrows his lizard-eyes and calls Shippou a bastard, demanding he cut that shit out, before smacking him so hard as to send him flying into some nearby tall grass. He disappears in there somewhere, so the lizard-man approaches the patch of grass, menacingly chuckling that playtime is over. 

 

But instead of finding Shippou huddled and hurt on the ground, he's greeted with a glaring Inuyasha walking out of the tall grass, prompting a confused noise from the lizard-man. Mistaking Inuyasha for Shippou, he asks if he hasn't learned his lesson that transforming into something weird doesn't work. Inuyasha, of course, asks if this piece of garbage is picking a fight with him, and typically does not wait for an explanation or response. 

 

I've found the perfect reaction panel. I fucking did it. It's so versatile. I'm going to plaster the entire internet with this now, BRB.

 

The lizard-man squeaks that Inuyasha is REAL, then shrinks down to a regular-sized lizard wriggling on the ground. It's not really clear if Inuyasha's punch just undid some sort of transformation for this thing or if it just shrunk to make it easier to run away, but I'm guessing it's the latter. It doesn't work, though, because he isn't fast enough to avoid the blunt end of Miroku's staff pinning him to the ground through his back. Miroku kneels down and examines the creature, and identifies him as the youkai he exorcised from the headman's house the day before. Welcome to the party, guys, glad you're all caught up. 

 

Bruised and battered, Shippou groans upon awaking from being knocked unconscious, and likely has a pretty bad concussion. He looks up to see Inuyasha, stuttering his name in confusion, and Inuyasha greets him like they just came across each other in the grocery store. He says that it seems Shippou really gave it his best, before Kagome and Satsuki invade the grass and kneel next to him, followed by a leisurely strolling Sango. Kagome pushes him upright as Satsuki calls his name with tears in her eyes asking if he got the youkai. Shippou hangs his head and begins to admit that it wasn't him, but Inuyasha. 

 

Positively saccharine. 

 

Shippou stares speechless up at Inuyasha while Satsuki thanks him for his bravery. Miroku gives us the run-down of how the lizard-man couldn't beat the dream team, so he targeted Satsuki instead, because apparently I can't be trusted to glean that for myself. Shippou is still moping that Satsuki had such a bad time because he got involved with her, so he turns to her and apologizes. She pauses a moment, then says she's decided to stay with the village headman after all. Tears well up in her eyes again as she admits that she knew the whole time that her brother wasn't coming back. I'm not going to use the "sedate me" gif again, but... those vibes. 

Satsuki puts on a big fake smile, but I believe that she's being entirely honest when she thanks Shippou and says she's glad she met him. I think I'm getting diabetes, someone stop the river of sugar flowing directly into my EYES. Shippou silently bids her happiness, thinking about how he's also lost his parents, but he can keep going since he's not alone. 

Then this:

Thanks for cutting me off the sweetness pipeline, RT. Could have done it less abruptly, but...

So what did I think of this chapter overall? I'm beginning to see a pattern in how much better RT seems to write relatively low-stakes short stories, as opposed to high-stakes longer ones. This is the second chapter in a two-chapter arc, Satsuki is not someone we are particularly well-acquainted with, and the consequences for failing to protect her are very low for Shippou. The villain in this one is such a weakling that you never feel like he's a real threat, and are certain that Inuyasha's group can easily take care of him.

And yet, Satsuki was given so much dimension and character in the previous chapter that you can't help but be invested in her situation. It's also a situation that a lot of girls/women can relate to on a personal level; strangers impersonating family or friends for nefarious purposes. Her desperation to believe in a comfortable fiction is pretty universal too. Her confused and yet longing look over her shoulder as she's fleeing the youkai who took advantage of her fantasy of having her brother back is utterly heartbreaking because it's so relatable; you can see her very dreams being crushed as she watches that quartz crystal shatter, hence the title, I'm sure. It's all so palpable in its feels. 

Shippou's heroism in this chapter is top-notch too. Despite being too obvious about how disturbed and scared he is, he does try earnestly to get Satsuki to get away from the imposter without blurting that it's not her brother. He puts getting her safely away from her captor before fighting, and when he gets to the fighting part, he puts everything and the kitchen sink into it, though his small size and inferior strength puts him at a disadvantage. Even Inuyasha has to be impressed with his effort.

Finally, Inuyasha giving Shippou the credit for taking the imposter out at the end so he could look good to Satsuki: that's such a big brother move, I can't even. The way that this chapter managed to develop the relationship between Inuyasha and Shippou in a significant way with such a scant action is an immeasurable success. Its practically surgical in its precision. 

 

It's a shame that RT kind of seems to lose her vision in the larger stories she attempts to tell. Her talent lies in personal and interpersonal stories, and trying to cover bigger, high-consequence plot-lines kind of makes stuff like this - everyday relationships and their intricacies - get lost in the enormity of it all. 

But I'm getting ahead of myself, of course.