Inuyasha Volume 16 Review
Below is my chapter by chapter review of Volume 16 of the Inuyasha manga, shared here largely because of how I went overboard and wrote too much to fit the goodreads character limit.
Overall rating: 4.4/5
Chapter 149: The Human Shield
âPrepare to die, Inuyasha! Now I pay you back for last time!â
At least for the moment, Kagura has beef with Inuyasha. Add her to the list with Sesshomaru, Naraku, Koga, and even Kikyo.
âItâs useless! By now, your Kagome will be an empty shell!â
KagomeâŠjust hang on until I get there!
Boom, what a line from Kagura! Of course youâve got the âyour Kagomeâ part, but perhaps the real stand out is calling her an âempty shellâ This of course connects us back to our exploration of souls. If Kanna could take/take control of Kagomeâs soul, then her body is just an empty shell. This is reminiscent of Kikyo too, and again I ask: where do we draw the line when defining an individual in this story? What makes a âpersonâ a person? Is it the soul?
But Kagome has no ordinary soul, which Kanna quickly discovers.
âHer soulâŠwonât be containedâŠâ
Kagome is not unaffected and struggles to move, but we love her and she does fight back, managing to move enough to draw her bow.
Kanna uses Koharuâs body to fight the recently arrived Miroku, able to do so because her soul is trapped in the mirror. Meanwhile, Inuyasha continues to face Kagura alone, but her wind powers are pretty much the perfect counter to his Wind Scar.
âWhatâs the matter, Inuyasha? Youâre evading me, not attacking! Can it be that you canât fight without borrowing the power of Kagomeâs arrow?!â
Another shout out to Kagome and what she contributes!
Kagura is smart and tests Inuyasha, giving him an opening to learn more about the Wind Scar and using the villagers as a shield.
âYouâre a sentimental thing, arenât you?!â
Kagura learns not just about Inuyashaâs Wind Scar and physical abilities but about his character and heart, how he values human life.
With good thematic and character work, Iâd say this is a 4.5/5.
Chapter 150: Turn Around
âDo you think that mirror demon is with Naraku?â âProbably.â It seems likely, but if soâŠwhy didnât we sense herâŠ? Inuyasha said he scented no demons, and I felt no demonic powerâŠ
Indeed, what is up with Kanna! She brings something new to the story and complicates matters, even more than just Narakuâs ability to make other demons from himself.
âI could save myself considerable trouble and simply kill him myself butâŠâ
What an interesting moment. That brief expression from Kagura after she thinks of finishing off Inuyasha herself, like she resents not being able to do so. This scene emphasizes her role as a pawn for Naraku. In spite of her incredible power, she is doing his bidding and is restricted.
But ouch for Inuyasha when Kannaâs mirror sends the Wind Scar back at him. This is definitely an exciting and different battle, even if the manga overall can feel like itâs about Inuyasha being beat up all the time (and eventually triumphing after being beat up). The visual depiction of Inuyasha being hit by his own attack is brutal.
And now Naraku shows his face, assuming ultimate victory. Heâs always so quick to claim it. You kind of think heâd have learned by now that it isnât so easy to truly defeat Inuyasha and co. Regardless, it is cool to see him with Kagura and Kanna. Got the whole evil crew here with the saimyosho too, but thankfully Miroku is prevented from using his Wind Tunnel by the souls trapped in the mirror rather than the sometimes silly seeming insects.
Naraku tells Miroku that heâs âthe only one who remainsâ as âthe souls of Kagome and the villagers [are] trapped in Kannaâs mirror,â but as the chapter ends, we see Kagome is still hanging on. Never underestimate her and her uncontainable soul!
This was mostly an action chapter, but it was unique and kept my interest as it continued to do interesting work. 4/5.
Chapter 151: The Light of the Shikon
Oh, this chapter!
âAnswer me. Does the maiden called Kanna like you and that Kagura beside you bear a spider-shaped scar on her back?â âHoâŠIâm impressed. You guess well, monk. Indeed, Kagura and Kanna are both demons of my body. âWindâ and ânothingness.ââ
It is funny how often you get a villain monologuing and revealing important information as the hero is âabout to dieâ and so canât do anything with the information, but honestly! It fits Naraku as a character. He wants other people to know how cunning he is, how powerful and smart. I also do enjoy Miroku displaying his intelligence because his knowledge and way of thinking really are something he brings to the table.
Kanna being ânothingnessâ is fascinating.
ââNothingness,â you say. Now I seeâŠno odor, no shadow, not even an aura of power. Thatâs why we did not sense her until sheâd done so much harm.â
Iâm not sure how much sense it makes, but conceptually itâs very cool. A demon that cannot be detected because they do not give off the scent or any other usual demon indicators. What else is possible? What ârulesâ can we bend and break? I kind of feel this speaks to lack of definiteness in many of the topics Inuyasha explores.
Brutally, Naraku wants to take Inuyashaâs head home with them like a trophy.
âHeh heh hehâŠIf I showed her Inuyashaâs head, what sort of face do you think our Lady Kikyo will make?â
And bam! Hearing her name does something to Inuyasha. It doesnât revive him or anything, but it visibly shakes him. Naraku is hitting where he knows it will hurt, but I think him bringing up Kikyo here also speaks to his (and Onigumoâs) obsession with Kikyo. But Miroku thought Inuyasha was actually dead?! Brutal.
As Sesshomaruâs sword protected his life against Inuyasha, Tetsusaiga has protected Inuyasha.
Kagura tries to finish him off and take his head, but Kagomeâs arrow stops her. Yes, Kagome! And here we get such a true Kagome character moment. Thereâs a sweet little moment with her and Inuyasha as she goes to him, but the real good stuff comes in what she says and the realization from Naraku that he once again underestimated her.
âHer soul overflows the mirrorâŠso she couldnât contain it all, eh? Then the girlâs soul is even greater that I thought.â
Kagomeâs soul for the win once more! One of the questions now is: what does it mean to have such a large soul? Is it reflective of Kagome as a person or how many times her soul has been reincarnated orâŠ?
Through pain and intense effort, Kagome once again draws her bow and threatens Naraku: âYou hurt Inuyasha, I will not forgive you!â A very Kagome threat. She then detects that the light of the Shikon Jewel Naraku has is much brighter than before, and the group learns what Kikyo did with the shards she took.
âWhat her thoughts may beâŠeven I do not know. But this is trueâŠKikyo herself gave me these Shikon shards.â
You can tell Naraku gets intense satisfaction out of all of this. This again speaks to his obsession with Kikyo but also his obsession with Inuyasha + Inuyasha and Kikyo. Thereâs a little hint of jealousy there.
âIf you must curse someone, curse the woman you loved. Your present, wretched state is all thanks to the power her gift has bestowed upon this body!â
Naraku brings up Kikyo, but itâs interesting how he is behaving and speaking like she did last time we saw herâabsolving himself of responsibility. I guess this moment should make it clear that Kikyo is partially to blame for this development and that she isnât, especially not in her current form, someone without fault or someone who can be reduced to a victim. A smaller matter of interest is how Naraku uses past tenseââlovedââwhen referring to Inuyashaâs feelings for Kikyo.
Though Iâm sure Kagome understands Kikyoâs role in all this and has some more negative feelings about the whole affair, she is a real one!
âJust listening to you makes me sick!â âKagomeâŠdonât. Kannaâs mirrorâŠâ âTh-thatâs right! That mirror even bounced back the scar of the wind from Inuyashaâs blade. If your arrow is repelled tooâŠâ âYes, why even bother? Merely to protect InuyashaâŠâ âThatâs right! Because my arrowsâŠonly hit the bad guys!â
Does Kagome actually believe her arrows will be different and sheâll have success? I think she puts her faith in her heart and the confidence with which she acts is admirable. She will risk it all to protect Inuyasha and her love and care give her strength. Love you, Kagome.
Good character moments and reveals within an intense chapter. 5/5.
Chapter 152: The Arrow Released
âPlease. Pierce the mirror!!â
We open on truthâKagome isnât sure that her arrow will pierce the mirror and wonât be repelled. Her ability to act confident when she is unsure is again, admirable. And I just think her inner strength is quite lovely.
The arrow goes into the mirror, which swallows it, and while Shippo worried that Kagomeâs soul will be sucked out and into the mirror, Kagome shows more of her courage and faith.
âIf she could suck out all of my soul, sheâd have done it already. That meansâŠâ
And just yes, Kagome!
âKanna, is this your doing?â âNoâŠthe mirror will not obey me. If I donât release the soulsâŠthe mirror will be destroyedâ
Naraku did all that, went to all those lengths, and Kagome said ânot today..â Do not underestimate her!!
Naraku, Kanna, and Kagura flee before Miroku can use his Wind Tunnel on them, but of course, Naraku frames it as: âI will let you keep your lives just a little longerâ because anything that happens must be by his choice and design! He has some loser energy. But it is true that Kagura and Kanna are just the beginning of this ability of his to make demons from himself.
Inuyasha is in bad shape, mentally and physically, so the crew is taking time to regroup. As they do so, they all reflect on what they learned about Kikyo and Naraku, Kagome and Inuyasha especially.
âWhy did sheâŠ? The Shikon shard increased Narakuâs demonic powers. Kikyo must have known that would happenâŠHow could she give Naraku those shards? Knowing that Inuyasha might be killed? KikyoâŠwhat are you plotting? Where are you right now?!â
Kagomeâs actions in the previous chapters were in part a bit of a âshut up about Kikyo,â but of course really at the heart of it for her is Inuyasha. She wanted Naraku to stop talking about Kikyo because of how it would affect Inuyasha. It is similar to when she didnât want to tell Inuyasha the truth about what happened because it would feel like âtattlingâ on Kikyo. She kind of, partially accidentally, seeks the best in Kikyo while trying to spare Inuyasha from Kikyoâs âbadâ behavior.
Knowing of the history and feelings between Inuyasha and Kikyo, Kagome has a hard time wrapping her head around Kikyoâs actions since they once again resulted in putting Inuyasha in danger. This is probably again some projecting from Kagomeâshe would never act in such a way that would put Inuyasha at risk. But Kikyoâs feelings for Inuyasha are not the same as Kagomeâs feelings for Inuyasha. They are not just âlove.â
Inuyasha is thinking along the same lines as Kagome, but it feels like he thinks there must be some reason or justification for Kikyoâs actions. She must be plotting something, with giving Naraku the shards as all part of her plan. Heâs not wrong, but I also think she isnât as in control of things or justified as sheâd like to believe.
And where is Kikyo? Helping care for some villagers. She is very contradictory, caring for people while putting them at risk and enabling Naraku. Naraku, who is following her and in his obsessed fashion, begins their conversation with: âInuyasha does despise you, you knowâŠâ He really enjoys playing with people and their feelings.
This chapter was a satisfying end to the fight with some great Kagome action. And we circle back to Kikyo explorations, primarily through the lens of Inuyasha and Kagome. Kannaâs powers vs Kagomeâs powers covers thematic ground, so we get action, character work, and continued threads of theme exploration. A solid chapter. 4.5/5.
Chapter 153: Kikyoâs Plan
âWhy, Kikyo? Do you hate me that much?â
Inuyasha is going through it, and it is always nice when a characterâs inner turmoil and struggles are reflected by their physical state. Inuyasha is very injured and sickly in his recovery, and as his body battles itself to heal, his mind is doing much of the same. He assumes Kikyo must have a reason for giving Naraku the shards, that sheâs plotting something, but he also wonders whether part of her actions come from hating him and either wanting Naraku to hurt/kill him or not caring if she helps Naraku do that.
Of course, with Kikyo on the mind, the âlove triangleâ shows its face as well. Inuyasha ponders Kikyo in his haze and when he wakes up, the first thing he says is: âWhereâs Kagome?â
When Shippo leaves Inuyasha alone, Kikyoâs Soul Skimmers make an appearance, going to Inuyasha and leading him to Kikyo, who he really struggles to get to (even tripping and rolling down a hill!) in his state. He wants answers.
Inuyashaâs expression as Kikyo goes to him on the ground is interesting. Itâs like heâs grunting in physical pain, but some of that pain could be from Kikyo too. Kikyo then proceeds to confuse Inuyasha (more).
âYouâre aliveâŠIâm glad.â
She hugs him but he again makes that pained and angry expression and pushes her away.
âKikyo! What the hell are you plotting? Tell me the truth! Did you give those shards to Naraku?â
Kikyo gives us more of her Kikyo-logic. She has explained this plan (to the reader) once before, but now we get more as she shares it with Inuyasha as well. I think this kind of shows the potential of them working together, but if they were to truly do that, she should have been open from the beginning and would go about things differently in terms of how her actions affect Inuyasha.
âI did. In order to bury him once and for all.â âWhat do you mean? Narakuâs just getting strongerâ âYes. Heâs started birthing demons from his own body.â âYou wanted to kill me onceâŠIsnât that why you gave Naraku the Shikon shards?!â âI would never turn your life over to the likes of Naraku. Never forget, Inuyasha. Naraku is my most hated enemy too!â
Inuyashaâs expressions throughout this entire chapter are interesting. Yes, heâs clearly in physical pain but thereâs a lack of softness he might have with Kikyo and a consistent anger/frustration.
It is also clear that Inuyasha is thinking as Kagome did (which makes me think Kagome should just be more open with Inuyasha in their discussions of Kikyo!) as he questions Kikyoâs logic in helping Naraku to defeat Naraku since in doing so, she is making him stronger. But Inuyasha also assumes that Kikyo is focused on him, helping Naraku so that he can hurt/kill Inuyasha specifically. This is all very personal for him.
ââŠInuyasha, Naraku will continue to gain demonic power. So just donât get yourself killed. Not until I can cleanse Naraku and the Shikon Jewel from this world. InuyashaâŠyour life is mine. I will not turn it over to anyone.â
Kikyo here is a weird mix of things. She is affectionate but cold. She is glad Inuyasha survived but putting it on him to survive Narakuâs continued attacks and seemingly still ultimately wanting to kill him, just by her own hands rather than through someone else. She is possessive. This is all very personal for her too.
Inuyasha told the illusion of Kikyo that he would die with her but had to protect Kagome/his friends first and now Kikyo sort of returns that promise, declaring she will take his life once she defeats Naraku. They both have unfinished business.
During this entire scene, Kagura lurks in the background, watching. In doing so, she learns Kikyo and Inuyasha âhave a history.â Though she is eavesdropping because Naraku instructed her to do so, actually wisely wanting to find out Kikyoâs âtrue intentionsâ because they âcanât be too careful with her,â Kagura expresses more of her own thoughts and feelings. Her independence from Naraku. She is annoyed at the task she has been given and wants to just eliminate Kikyo and Inuyasha, again asserting a lot of confidence in her own abilities.
Kagura notes that âInuyashaâs half dead anyway. He hasnât even caught my scent,â which goes to show just how hurt Inuyasha is at this moment, but Kikyo does detect Kagura, displaying her own skill/abilities. After she shoots at Kagura, Kagura flees. She is kind of taking the Koga route of self-preservation. She recognizes Kikyoâs power and even though she herself is also powerful, some of her is just talk.
There is a lot going on in this chapter regarding Kikyo, Inuyasha, Kikyo and Inuyasha, and Kagura. All good stuff. The role Kikyo plays kind of reminds me of a goddess interfering in the lives of mortals. She has the otherworldly presence about her. 4.5/5.
Chapter 154: The Third Demon
Inuyasha makes his way back to the others and him and Kagome have another classic exchange. I guess it is Kagomeâs turn to taste the âlove triangleâ medicine Inuyasha was experiencing regarding Koga and Kagome.
âYou just saw Kikyo , didnât you? I can tell just by looking at you. You canât look me straight in the eye. Itâs the same every time.â âLook, itâs notâŠItâs not like it wasâŠa love tryst or something.â He did see her! âI didnât say it was!â
These two are sometimes too much. Inuyasha feels guilty because he knows what it looks like, but he tries to reassure Kagome and that only seems to get her more in her feelings. It really does feel like a repeat of the Koga situation. Inuyasha went to Kikyo because he cares but really, he wanted answers.
âThen Kikyo has trulyâŠjoined forces with our enemy.â âNo! I donât know what Kikyoâs planning to do. ButâŠâ
Inuyasha verifies that Kikyo did give Naraku the shards, but he is very insistent that she is not teaming up with Naraku. He believes in her and what she told him, and maybe her plans donât make sense to him, but he will defend her in this regard. He will not let her be categorized with Naraku, and I think that has to do with what she said, his care for her, and justâŠtheir history with Naraku.
ButâŠKagome is upset after this.
âPoor Lady Kagome.â âShe was worried about Inuyashaâs injuries, too.â Defending Kikyo, after everything sheâs put him through! Inuyasha, youâŠidiot!
This is really feeling like when Inuyasha was worried about Kagome after rescuing her from Koga and the Wolf Demons. Kagome, you know these matters and feelings can be complicated! Someone can do you wrong and you can still care about them and their wellbeing.
I donât even think Inuyasha is really defending Kikyo much here. He is just saying thereâs no way sheâd team up with Naraku and has different goals than him. And we saw how he was angry and frustrated with Kikyo too. But we have to have that jealousy and conflict and more of Kagome doing her thingâthat being, unable to understand Kikyoâs behavior because she herself would never act that way or put Inuyasha through this.
Kagomeâs response is, in this way, partially an indicator of how she and Kikyo are different as well as perhaps again exposing how Kikyoâs feelings towards Inuyasha are more complicated than just âlove.â
Because of her hurt feelings, Kagome takes care of Sango while Miroku is left to take care of Inuyasha. We get a little bit of humor from this scenario and Miroku tells Inuyasha to apologize.
After what happened last time when Inuyasha and Kagome were arguing, you might expect Inuyasha to defend himself and say he has nothing to apologize for, but he doesnât. Which is a little amusing because I feel like this time he actually doesnât have anything to apologize for really, especially when compared to last time.
Inuyasha is still in terrible shape, emphasized by his struggle and fall on his way back to the others, and now we have a new demon to deal with. Kagura is again given the role of babysitter. The way this demon can read minds presents an interesting challenge.
Inuyasha and co learn about this new demon, another one of Narakuâs creations, and they go to face off against it even though Inuyasha and Sango are nowhere near recovered. They donât really have a choice since Naraku knows where they are, but ouch.
Itâs kind of funny how Naraku just constantly bombards them with attacks and hopes something sticks. He might have more success with his plans if he just minded his own business and avoided Inuyasha, but he clearly views Inuyasha and co as a threat to his plans and his pride.
The story continues with attention to character and plot development and the introduction of a new challenge along with a nice little bit of humor. Kagome and Inuyasha can be frustrating but they are in character. 4/5.
Chapter 155: Goshinki
Goshinkiâs mind reading gives interest to this fight, as well as the terrible state Inuyasha (and Sango) are in. Thereâs a little bit of humor (thank you, Shippo), but the real hitting point here are the children Inuyasha defends.
The visual of the kids holding their parentsâ heads is brutal, wow. And seeing it, Inuyasha gains resolve and an ability to push through the pain even more than before.
âYouâll never forgive meâŠYouâre going to slaughter meâŠThatâs what you think, isnât it, Inuyasha?â
And hello, set-up:
âHeh heh hehâŠdonât make me laugh. Inuyasha, youâre only half a demon, right? Half the blood flowing in you is a demonâsâŠand you still donât know the pleasure of devouring humans!â
Inuyashaâs (human?) heart is crucial here. And this idea of demons being in part defined by their lack of heart + the pleasure of killing, is it true?
Continuing to be hit when heâs already knocked down, Goshinki is able to bite and break Tetsusaiga. A push for change and more Inuyasha development. Also kind of shocking. Inuyasha really didnât get to use the Wind Scar with ease much after learning the technique.
This chapter centers around the fight and doesnât have a whole lot, but it is still good and functioning as a bridge to whatâs next. The themes and issues of what defines a demon and what defines Inuyasha are also touched upon. 4/5.
Chapter 156: Demon Blood
This was the case in the last chapter too, but the image of the broken Tetsusaiga hits hard.
It seems Goshinki was able to take Inuyasha out, but never underestimate him when heâs down. As Goshinki goes to attack Kagome, Inuyasha is able to rise and fight back. But there is something off about him. Goshinki notes his mind is in âraptureâ while Kagome thinks âhis face...almost like a demonâsâŠâ
We get a full return to the demons vs humans vs hanyĆ conversation. Though, this chapter in particular is making me think about how Inuyasha has been translatedâwith âdemonâ as the term used. It is probably more useful to think of the âdemonsâ as âyokai.â Doing so might do a better job of understanding the various types of yokai and how they are not just one, inherently evil entity.
âWhat is the meaning of this?! Inuyashaâs mind is utterly different from before! No sadness. No fear. No indecision. Not even anger. Nothing but pureâŠbliss. Bliss that heâs about to kill me!â
That being said, what does Inuyashaâs state of mind represent here? The general being of a yokai? One aspect of a yokai without the mental capacity to control it/think clearly? Sesshomaru might be the best template for comparison, as if Inuyasha were full yokai, heâd be the same kind of yokai as Sesshomaru. In this scene you can definitely see Inuyasha displaying some of Sesshomaruâs characteristicsâthe lack of âheartâ and feeling and an enjoyment for violence/killing, but I think Sesshomaru is more restrained than this Inuyasha. Inuyasha isnât actually full yokai, his body is not meant to contain such an existence.
You can think of the example of how Sesshomaru literally has a better sense of smell than Inuyasha. If Inuyasha could suddenly smell as well as Sesshomaru, it would be overwhelming. Maybe to the point of being painful and overstimulating.
The chapter ends with an interesting line from Inuyasha.
âThe demon blood that flows through my veinsâŠis purer than yours will ever be!!â
For what is Goshinki? Does he count as a full or âpureâ yokai? He comes from Naraku, who is a hanyĆ himself. He has that spider on his back! And because he comes from Naraku, you could say there is a more unnaturalness to him. Inuyasha is a hanyĆ, but the yokai blood he has comes from an actual yokai and sexual reproduction rather than something that is more reminiscent of asexual reproduction.
Change and growth is forcing itself on Inuyasha and we explore his identity. More layers have been added to the demons/yokai vs humans vs hanyĆ conversation. And/or another can of worms has been opened in regards to this thematic topic. 4/5
Chapter 157: True Nature
âItâs likeâŠmy blood is on fire! WhatâŠis this feeling? I havenât killed enough yet!!â âInuyashaâŠâ KagomeâŠ! âDonât come near me! The way I am nowâŠI donât know what I might do!â âHis demonic powerâŠis suddenly vastly stronger. ItâsâŠas if heâs become a full demon!â
Kagome tries to talk Inuyasha down/out of this state and her words and presence seem to have some effect on him, you can see it in his reaction. But still, Kagome is willing to approach Inuyasha but not to mess around. Sheâs smart and uses âsitâ to get him back to normal. This goes to show how the beads of subjugation ultimately help protect Kagome from the potential danger of being with Inuyasha.
âIâm so glad, Inuyasha!â
When he returns to normal, of course aggravated about the âsit,â Kagome embraces him. A cute moment to show how much she cares and with blushing Inuyasha, how much he cares and how much she affects him. Can't help but notice this echoes Kikyo's line about being glad Inuyasha is alive.
Tetsusaiga was shattered by GoshinkiâŠI thought that was it. But I didnât want to dieâŠand when I thought thatâŠmy body felt so hot and thenâŠ
Inuyasha has been forced to fight without Tetsusaiga many times before, but clearly the breaking of the sword has had some effect. The connection between Tetsusaiga and Inuyasha is shown to be crucial. And as Tetsusaiga is to defend humans and tied to âheartâ (Totosai says âI can only trust it to someone with a soft spot in his heartâ), the connection between Tetsusaiga and Inuyasha must relate to these things (humans and heart). The sword is basically an extension of Inuyasha himself and losing it is like losing a part of himself.
âAvengeâŠâ NoâŠthatâs wrongâŠI was justâŠI was just enjoying itâŠDismembering GoshinkiâŠ
Speaking of heart, the children who got Inuyasha so fired up to defend offer their thanks, but Inuyasha feels he doesnât deserve it. Though âheartâ was part of his initial motivation in going up against Goshinki, in the end, he lost that part of him and his aims. Itâs big of Inuyasha to reflect on this.
âJust as I thoughtâŠthe scent of Lord Inuyashaâs blood has changed.â
Having detected the change in Inuyasha, Totosai and Myoga make an appearance and offer hope that Tetsusaiga will be fixed while again indicating what happened to Inuyasha is tied to the sword.
And as all of this has reminded me of Sesshomaru, we return to him and his crew, which now includes Rin. They find Goshinki and Sesshomaru is able to use his sense of smell to (some degree) understand what happened.
We see a little of what Rin is likeâvery energetic and pretty much totally obedient to what Sesshomaru says. She shrieks when Sesshomaru grabs Goshinkiâs head, but she also approached the head and body pretty freely, seeming somewhat unaffected by such a sight. Sheâs tough. Jaken notes how much more subdued Rin was before Sesshomaru saved her. In doing so, it seems Sesshomaru literally gave her (back) her voice, which is noteworthy.
Jaken also ponders âwhy does Lord Sesshomaru drag this puny human whelp along?â Good question. Sesshomaru justifies saving Rin as a means to test out his sword, but that felt more like an excuse. For some reason, he has developed some care and affection for Rin. Why? Just because she tried to help him?
The way Sesshomaru speaks to Rin is interesting too. âShut up, Rin. Youâre annoying me.â Very direct. As to be expected from someone like him, I suppose.
âThe scent of Inuyashaâs blood changedâŠthis isnât the smell of a half demonâs blood! Itâs the same as mineâŠas our fatherâsâŠâ
Not much seems to get to Sesshomaru or shock him, but he is left affected by this revelation. Actually, you could say Inuyasha repeatedly surprises him since heâs always underestimating his brother. Sesshomaruâs scent detection leaves him in the know about what is happening with Inuyasha and it also emphasizes the questions that have been raised about those happenings.
âHumans cannot enter Totosaiâs mountain. From here on in, Lord Inuyasha, you must go alone.â
Back to Inuyasha and co with a very literal âInuyasha has to go through this transformation alone.â
The link between Tetsusaiga and Inuyasha is made more clear by Myoga, always a great source of exposition/info. The way he often shows up just for this purpose can be funny in a bad way, but it flows pretty well here.
âAs you know, Tetsusaiga is the blade that Lord Inuyashaâs esteemed sire left himâŠin order to protect his body from attack, yesâŠbut alsoâŠto seal Lord Inuyashaâs demon blood...â
This feels like a slight rewrite of Tetsusaigaâs purpose, but it still fits relatively well with what has previously been established, so itâs not really an issue. You could also say it adds to what has already been said with the sword. The sword is for protecting humans and the sword is tied to Inuyasha, so Inuyasha is very much tied to protecting humans. And in its connection to humanity, the sword is also for maintaining Inuyashaâs. The connection between Tetsusaiga and humans + Inuyashaâs father also reflects hanyĆ identity.
âThe breaking of Tetsusaiga made him fear for his life. When his true nature fought to surviveâŠit unleashed his demon blood. Now that his demonic nature has been reawakenedâŠeven the reforging of Tetsusaiga will probably not be able to contain it. For he has now tasted the joy of destruction. Of slaughtering his enemies.â
The title of this chapter and the line here about Inuyashaâs âtrue natureâ begs examination. We could take this as his true, hanyĆ nature fought to keep him alive and unleashed the demonic nature in him to do so as a last resort. Inuyasha spending time as a full yokai kind of makes sense considering we also get to see him as a full human on his human nights, but it is interesting that there is part of him referred to as âdemon bloodâ as if it a separate entity within him.
I do feel like Inuyashaâs yokai was awakened not just to keep him alive but to fight to protect Kagome and his friends, which seems to not be discussed or considered here by Myoga.
Maybe we could in some ways think of this appearance of Inuyashaâs demon/yokai nature as a growing pain/type of yokai puberty. And now that it has been unleashed, we canât just put or hide it away. It is part of him and he has to learn to live with it?
The chapter ends with Kagome wondering: âDoes that meanâŠeven his heart will become a demonâsâŠ?!â Sheâs worried that he has been forever changed from himself, as if the yokai/demon part of him has overpowered the human part.
Another good chapter, if a little exposition heavy, that continues the ideas that have been set in motion and this particular arc of growth/change for Inuyasha while also bringing Sesshomaru back into the story and adding more to him and his companions. 4.5/5
Chapter 158: The Ogreâs Sword
A perfect cover page considering what is covered within.
Totosai can fix Tetsusaiga but to do so, he needs Inuyashaâs fangâthe connection between Tetsusaiga and Inuyasha increases as part of him is added to the sword.
Poor Rin gets left behind as Sesshomaru and Jaken seek a sword for Sesshomaru. Fitting for them to do this as Inuyasha is getting his own sword fixed. Despite their hatred, these brothers canât escape each other.
âLord Sesshomaru, you promise youâll come back?â ââŠWeâre going, Jaken.â âPlease come back! Please!â
Sesshomaru may have softened when it comes to Rin, but heâs still very much himself.
Last chapter made me think of human Inuyasha and here he is! Very timely.
âIt must remain a secret that Inuyasha loses his power on the day of the new moon.â âSo tell me, thenâŠwhy is it that new people keep learning this vital secret?!â âThis just meansâŠyou have more friendsâ
Aww classic Kagome, always has a good spin. But that really is it and a key part of Inuyashaâs development. Heâs not alone anymore. It seems especially important that this is emphasized as he undergoes his most recent transformation with Tetsusaiga.
And aww Inuyasha:
âItâs hard to bear, this uneasiness in my gut when Iâm humanâŠuntil morning comes, all I have is this body, with no claws or fangs. I might not be able to protectâŠeven this one womanâs life.â
Heâs worried about being able to protect Kagome. He thinks his value comes from his yokai half and the strength and abilities it gives him when weâve been shown over and over again that a large part of his true strength and character comes from his âhumanâ heart. Really, itâs the combination of both that make him who he is and allow him to be such a formidable foe.
Kagome joins Inuyasha and he admits to needing alone time sometimes to think, which is very real and a bit of Inuyasha maturity. Kagome then asks a very timely: âInuyashaâŠdo you still want to become a true demon?â
A trueâŠdemon? That timeâŠwas that a true demon?! âWhen I saw you like thatâŠI got scared.â âWhatâŠ? Whatâs wrong with you?! If I hadnât transformed, you all would have been devoured by that monster!â
In case anyone needed more proof that Inuyasha values his yokai abilities over anything else when it comes to self image.
âI knowâŠI wasnât scared of youâŠof how frightening your face looked.â Was my face that scary? âIt was justâŠas if your heart had changed. Like youâd gone away. I thought you might even forget about me. That scared me.â Did IâŠwhen I transformedâŠmy heartâŠâAre you stupid or something?! No matter what happens, I will be me. I could never forget you, Kagome.â
A very important conversation for Kagome and Inuyasha. There is a lot going on and revealed. Kagome is afraid that Inuyasha will no longer be Inuyasha. I feel like itâs less about him forgetting her and more about her losing him. Even if he lives, if heâs in that form, heâs not himself.
Inuyasha has his doubts too, but he chooses to say that he will always be himself and will never forget her. This at least shows that he wants to always be himself and know Kagome. I think he is attempting to reassure himself as he reassures her. This also basically functions as a âI will love you no matter what happens to me.â His thoughts about looking scary also reveal some of Inuyashaâs true feelings and concerns. He doesnât want to look scary, at least not to Kagome.
His questioning of being a true demon/yokai and if his experience against Goshinki is what that would be like also seems to show that it wasnât what he imagined. He has wanted to be a full demon/yokai so that he could have a place to belong and lose what he perceived as what made him weak, but I donât think that state he was in was what he wanted. He doesnât want to be mindless.
And the chapter ends with Kaijin-Bo, the evil swordsmith, having finished the sword, made from Goshinkiâs fang, for Sesshomaru. Truly lots of brother parallels hereâKaijin-Bo for Sesshomaru and Totosai for Inuyasha, a sword made for evil and a sword made for goodâŠI think this is a great addition to the nature of yokai that is being explored at the moment with the Inuyasha âtrue natureâ storyline. Kaijin-Bo and Totosai, like Sesshomaru and Inuyasha, are two sides of the same coin. Yokai can be good or bad. Or a mix, as Iâd hesitate to label Sesshomaru as âevil.â There is not one way to define a yokai, just as there is not one way to define a human. And if that is true, what do we make of Inuyashaâs âdemon natureâ?
A great thematic and character-focused chapter. 5/5.
















