#goshinki

Chapter 149: The Human Shield

“Prepare to die, Inuyasha! Now I pay you back for last time!”

At least for the moment, Kagura has beef with Inuyasha. Add her to the list with Sesshomaru, Naraku, Koga, and even Kikyo.

“It’s useless! By now, your Kagome will be an empty shell!”

Kagome…just hang on until I get there!

Boom, what a line from Kagura! Of course you’ve got the “your Kagome” part, but perhaps the real stand out is calling her an “empty shell” This of course connects us back to our exploration of souls. If Kanna could take/take control of Kagome’s 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 “person” a person? Is it the soul?

But Kagome has no ordinary soul, which Kanna quickly discovers.

“Her soul…won’t be contained…”

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 Koharu’s 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.

“What’s the matter, Inuyasha? You’re evading me, not attacking! Can it be that you can’t fight without borrowing the power of Kagome’s arrow?!”

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.

“You’re a sentimental thing, aren’t you?!”

Kagura learns not just about Inuyasha’s Wind Scar and physical abilities but about his character and heart, how he values human life.

With good thematic and character work, I’d say this is a 4.5/5.

Chapter 150: Turn Around

“Do you think that mirror demon is with Naraku?” “Probably.” It seems likely, but if so…why didn’t we sense her…? Inuyasha said he scented no demons, and I felt no demonic power…

Indeed, what is up with Kanna! She brings something new to the story and complicates matters, even more than just Naraku’s ability to make other demons from himself.

“I could save myself considerable trouble and simply kill him myself but…”

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 Kanna’s mirror sends the Wind Scar back at him. This is definitely an exciting and different battle, even if the manga overall can feel like it’s 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. He’s always so quick to claim it. You kind of think he’d have learned by now that it isn’t 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 he’s “the only one who remains” as “the souls of Kagome and the villagers [are] trapped in Kanna’s mirror,” 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!

“Answer me. Does the maiden called Kanna like you and that Kagura beside you bear a spider-shaped scar on her back?” “Ho…I’m impressed. You guess well, monk. Indeed, Kagura and Kanna are both demons of my body. ‘Wind’ and ‘nothingness.’”

It is funny how often you get a villain monologuing and revealing important information as the hero is “about to die” and so can’t 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 “nothingness” is fascinating.

“‘Nothingness,’ you say. Now I see…no odor, no shadow, not even an aura of power. That’s why we did not sense her until she’d done so much harm.”

I’m not sure how much sense it makes, but conceptually it’s 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 “rules” 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 Inuyasha’s head home with them like a trophy.

“Heh heh heh…If I showed her Inuyasha’s head, what sort of face do you think our Lady Kikyo will make?”

And bam! Hearing her name does something to Inuyasha. It doesn’t 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 Onigumo’s) obsession with Kikyo. But Miroku thought Inuyasha was actually dead?! Brutal.

As Sesshomaru’s sword protected his life against Inuyasha, Tetsusaiga has protected Inuyasha.

Kagura tries to finish him off and take his head, but Kagome’s arrow stops her. Yes, Kagome! And here we get such a true Kagome character moment. There’s 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.

“Her soul overflows the mirror…so she couldn’t contain it all, eh? Then the girl’s soul is even greater that I thought.”

Kagome’s 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 or…?

Through pain and intense effort, Kagome once again draws her bow and threatens Naraku: “You hurt Inuyasha, I will not forgive you!” 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.

“What her thoughts may be…even I do not know. But this is true…Kikyo herself gave me these Shikon shards.”

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. There’s a little hint of jealousy there.

“If 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!”

Naraku brings up Kikyo, but it’s interesting how he is behaving and speaking like she did last time we saw her–absolving himself of responsibility. I guess this moment should make it clear that Kikyo is partially to blame for this development and that she isn’t, 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 tense–“loved”–when referring to Inuyasha’s feelings for Kikyo.

Though I’m sure Kagome understands Kikyo’s role in all this and has some more negative feelings about the whole affair, she is a real one!

“Just listening to you makes me sick!” “Kagome…don’t. Kanna’s mirror…” “Th-that’s right! That mirror even bounced back the scar of the wind from Inuyasha’s blade. If your arrow is repelled too…” “Yes, why even bother? Merely to protect Inuyasha…” “That’s right! Because my arrows…only hit the bad guys!”

Does Kagome actually believe her arrows will be different and she’ll 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

“Please. Pierce the mirror!!”

We open on truth–Kagome isn’t sure that her arrow will pierce the mirror and won’t 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 Kagome’s soul will be sucked out and into the mirror, Kagome shows more of her courage and faith.

“If she could suck out all of my soul, she’d have done it already. That means…”

And just yes, Kagome!

“Kanna, is this your doing?” “No…the mirror will not obey me. If I don’t release the souls…the mirror will be destroyed”

Naraku did all that, went to all those lengths, and Kagome said “not today..” 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: “I will let you keep your lives just a little longer” 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.

“Why did she…? The Shikon shard increased Naraku’s demonic powers. Kikyo must have known that would happen…How could she give Naraku those shards? Knowing that Inuyasha might be killed? Kikyo…what are you plotting? Where are you right now?!”

Kagome’s actions in the previous chapters were in part a bit of a “shut up about Kikyo,” 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 didn’t want to tell Inuyasha the truth about what happened because it would feel like “tattling” on Kikyo. She kind of, partially accidentally, seeks the best in Kikyo while trying to spare Inuyasha from Kikyo’s “bad” behavior.

Knowing of the history and feelings between Inuyasha and Kikyo, Kagome has a hard time wrapping her head around Kikyo’s actions since they once again resulted in putting Inuyasha in danger. This is probably again some projecting from Kagome–she would never act in such a way that would put Inuyasha at risk. But Kikyo’s feelings for Inuyasha are not the same as Kagome’s feelings for Inuyasha. They are not just “love.”

Inuyasha is thinking along the same lines as Kagome, but it feels like he thinks there must be some reason or justification for Kikyo’s actions. She must be plotting something, with giving Naraku the shards as all part of her plan. He’s not wrong, but I also think she isn’t as in control of things or justified as she’d 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: “Inuyasha does despise you, you know…” 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. Kanna’s powers vs Kagome’s powers covers thematic ground, so we get action, character work, and continued threads of theme exploration. A solid chapter. 4.5/5.

Chapter 153: Kikyo’s Plan

“Why, Kikyo? Do you hate me that much?”

Inuyasha is going through it, and it is always nice when a character’s 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 she’s 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 “love triangle” shows its face as well. Inuyasha ponders Kikyo in his haze and when he wakes up, the first thing he says is: “Where’s Kagome?”

When Shippo leaves Inuyasha alone, Kikyo’s 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.

Inuyasha’s expression as Kikyo goes to him on the ground is interesting. It’s like he’s grunting in physical pain, but some of that pain could be from Kikyo too. Kikyo then proceeds to confuse Inuyasha (more).

“You’re alive…I’m glad.”

She hugs him but he again makes that pained and angry expression and pushes her away.

“Kikyo! What the hell are you plotting? Tell me the truth! Did you give those shards to Naraku?”

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.

“I did. In order to bury him once and for all.” “What do you mean? Naraku’s just getting stronger” “Yes. He’s started birthing demons from his own body.” “You wanted to kill me once…Isn’t that why you gave Naraku the Shikon shards?!” “I would never turn your life over to the likes of Naraku. Never forget, Inuyasha. Naraku is my most hated enemy too!”

Inuyasha’s expressions throughout this entire chapter are interesting. Yes, he’s clearly in physical pain but there’s 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 Kikyo’s 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.

“…Inuyasha, Naraku will continue to gain demonic power. So just don’t get yourself killed. Not until I can cleanse Naraku and the Shikon Jewel from this world. Inuyasha…your life is mine. I will not turn it over to anyone.”

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 Naraku’s 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 “have a history.” Though she is eavesdropping because Naraku instructed her to do so, actually wisely wanting to find out Kikyo’s “true intentions” because they “can’t be too careful with her,” 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 “Inuyasha’s half dead anyway. He hasn’t even caught my scent,” 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 Kikyo’s 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 Kagome’s turn to taste the “love triangle” medicine Inuyasha was experiencing regarding Koga and Kagome.

“You just saw Kikyo , didn’t you? I can tell just by looking at you. You can’t look me straight in the eye. It’s the same every time.” “Look, it’s not…It’s not like it was…a love tryst or something.” He did see her! “I didn’t say it was!”

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.

“Then Kikyo has truly…joined forces with our enemy.” “No! I don’t know what Kikyo’s planning to do. But…”

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 don’t 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 just…their history with Naraku.

But…Kagome is upset after this.

“Poor Lady Kagome.” “She was worried about Inuyasha’s injuries, too.” Defending Kikyo, after everything she’s put him through! Inuyasha, you…idiot!

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 don’t even think Inuyasha is really defending Kikyo much here. He is just saying there’s no way she’d 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 thing–that being, unable to understand Kikyo’s behavior because she herself would never act that way or put Inuyasha through this.

Kagome’s response is, in this way, partially an indicator of how she and Kikyo are different as well as perhaps again exposing how Kikyo’s feelings towards Inuyasha are more complicated than just “love.”

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 doesn’t. Which is a little amusing because I feel like this time he actually doesn’t 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 Naraku’s creations, and they go to face off against it even though Inuyasha and Sango are nowhere near recovered. They don’t really have a choice since Naraku knows where they are, but ouch.

It’s 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

Goshinki’s mind reading gives interest to this fight, as well as the terrible state Inuyasha (and Sango) are in. There’s 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 parents’ heads is brutal, wow. And seeing it, Inuyasha gains resolve and an ability to push through the pain even more than before.

“You’ll never forgive me…You’re going to slaughter me…That’s what you think, isn’t it, Inuyasha?”

And hello, set-up:

“Heh heh heh…don’t make me laugh. Inuyasha, you’re only half a demon, right? Half the blood flowing in you is a demon’s…and you still don’t know the pleasure of devouring humans!”

Inuyasha’s (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 he’s 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 didn’t get to use the Wind Scar with ease much after learning the technique.

This chapter centers around the fight and doesn’t have a whole lot, but it is still good and functioning as a bridge to what’s 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 he’s 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 “rapture” while Kagome thinks “his face...almost like a demon’s…”

We get a full return to the demons vs humans vs hanyō conversation. Though, this chapter in particular is making me think about how Inuyasha has been translated–with “demon” as the term used. It is probably more useful to think of the “demons” as “yokai.” Doing so might do a better job of understanding the various types of yokai and how they are not just one, inherently evil entity.

“What is the meaning of this?! Inuyasha’s mind is utterly different from before! No sadness. No fear. No indecision. Not even anger. Nothing but pure…bliss. Bliss that he’s about to kill me!”

That being said, what does Inuyasha’s 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, he’d be the same kind of yokai as Sesshomaru. In this scene you can definitely see Inuyasha displaying some of Sesshomaru’s characteristics–the lack of “heart” and feeling and an enjoyment for violence/killing, but I think Sesshomaru is more restrained than this Inuyasha. Inuyasha isn’t 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.

“The demon blood that flows through my veins…is purer than yours will ever be!!”

For what is Goshinki? Does he count as a full or “pure” yokai? He comes from Naraku, who is a hanyō 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 hanyō, 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 hanyō conversation. And/or another can of worms has been opened in regards to this thematic topic. 4/5

Chapter 157: True Nature

“It’s like…my blood is on fire! What…is this feeling? I haven’t killed enough yet!!” “Inuyasha…” Kagome…! “Don’t come near me! The way I am now…I don’t know what I might do!” “His demonic power…is suddenly vastly stronger. It’s…as if he’s become a full demon!”

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. She’s smart and uses “sit” 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.

“I’m so glad, Inuyasha!”

When he returns to normal, of course aggravated about the “sit,” 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 Goshinki…I thought that was it. But I didn’t want to die…and when I thought that…my body felt so hot and then…

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 “heart” (Totosai says “I can only trust it to someone with a soft spot in his heart”), 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.

“Avenge…” No…that’s wrong…I was just…I was just enjoying it…Dismembering Goshinki…

Speaking of heart, the children who got Inuyasha so fired up to defend offer their thanks, but Inuyasha feels he doesn’t deserve it. Though “heart” was part of his initial motivation in going up against Goshinki, in the end, he lost that part of him and his aims. It’s big of Inuyasha to reflect on this.

“Just as I thought…the scent of Lord Inuyasha’s blood has changed.”

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 like–very energetic and pretty much totally obedient to what Sesshomaru says. She shrieks when Sesshomaru grabs Goshinki’s head, but she also approached the head and body pretty freely, seeming somewhat unaffected by such a sight. She’s 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 “why does Lord Sesshomaru drag this puny human whelp along?” 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. “Shut up, Rin. You’re annoying me.” Very direct. As to be expected from someone like him, I suppose.

“The scent of Inuyasha’s blood changed…this isn’t the smell of a half demon’s blood! It’s the same as mine…as our father’s…”

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 he’s always underestimating his brother. Sesshomaru’s 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.

“Humans cannot enter Totosai’s mountain. From here on in, Lord Inuyasha, you must go alone.”

Back to Inuyasha and co with a very literal “Inuyasha has to go through this transformation alone.”

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.

“As you know, Tetsusaiga is the blade that Lord Inuyasha’s esteemed sire left him…in order to protect his body from attack, yes…but also…to seal Lord Inuyasha’s demon blood...”

This feels like a slight rewrite of Tetsusaiga’s purpose, but it still fits relatively well with what has previously been established, so it’s 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 Inuyasha’s. The connection between Tetsusaiga and humans + Inuyasha’s father also reflects hanyō identity.

“The breaking of Tetsusaiga made him fear for his life. When his true nature fought to survive…it unleashed his demon blood. Now that his demonic nature has been reawakened…even 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.”

The title of this chapter and the line here about Inuyasha’s “true nature” begs examination. We could take this as his true, hanyō 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 “demon blood” as if it a separate entity within him.

I do feel like Inuyasha’s 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 Inuyasha’s demon/yokai nature as a growing pain/type of yokai puberty. And now that it has been unleashed, we can’t 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: “Does that mean…even his heart will become a demon’s…?!” She’s 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 Ogre’s Sword

A perfect cover page considering what is covered within.

Totosai can fix Tetsusaiga but to do so, he needs Inuyasha’s fang–the 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 can’t escape each other.

“Lord Sesshomaru, you promise you’ll come back?” “…We’re going, Jaken.” “Please come back! Please!”

Sesshomaru may have softened when it comes to Rin, but he’s still very much himself.

Last chapter made me think of human Inuyasha and here he is! Very timely.

“It must remain a secret that Inuyasha loses his power on the day of the new moon.” “So tell me, then…why is it that new people keep learning this vital secret?!” “This just means…you have more friends”

Aww classic Kagome, always has a good spin. But that really is it and a key part of Inuyasha’s development. He’s not alone anymore. It seems especially important that this is emphasized as he undergoes his most recent transformation with Tetsusaiga.

And aww Inuyasha:

“It’s hard to bear, this uneasiness in my gut when I’m human…until morning comes, all I have is this body, with no claws or fangs. I might not be able to protect…even this one woman’s life.”

He’s 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 we’ve been shown over and over again that a large part of his true strength and character comes from his “human” heart. Really, it’s 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: “Inuyasha…do you still want to become a true demon?”

A true…demon? That time…was that a true demon?! “When I saw you like that…I got scared.” “What…? What’s wrong with you?! If I hadn’t transformed, you all would have been devoured by that monster!”

In case anyone needed more proof that Inuyasha values his yokai abilities over anything else when it comes to self image.

“I know…I wasn’t scared of you…of how frightening your face looked.” Was my face that scary? “It was just…as if your heart had changed. Like you’d gone away. I thought you might even forget about me. That scared me.” Did I…when I transformed…my heart…“Are you stupid or something?! No matter what happens, I will be me. I could never forget you, Kagome.”

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 it’s less about him forgetting her and more about her losing him. Even if he lives, if he’s in that form, he’s 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 “I will love you no matter what happens to me.” His thoughts about looking scary also reveal some of Inuyasha’s true feelings and concerns. He doesn’t 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 wasn’t 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 don’t think that state he was in was what he wanted. He doesn’t want to be mindless.

And the chapter ends with Kaijin-Bo, the evil swordsmith, having finished the sword, made from Goshinki’s fang, for Sesshomaru. Truly lots of brother parallels here–Kaijin-Bo for Sesshomaru and Totosai for Inuyasha, a sword made for evil and a sword made for good…I think this is a great addition to the nature of yokai that is being explored at the moment with the Inuyasha “true nature” 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 I’d hesitate to label Sesshomaru as “evil.” 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 Inuyasha’s “demon nature”?

Anyway, first we are going to go through what Naraku is before he creates his incarnations:

Onigumo, a human, who is devoured by a yokai horde that becomes Naraku.

Naraku is then a hanyo capable of absorbing other yokai and their power, which he presumably does a few times before he tries something as big as absorbing a daiyokai like Sesshomaru (which he fails at), given his attempt at Sesshomaru, we can presume that at least a few of these yokai were powerful even if they were not daiyokai, since going from lesser yokai to greater yokai without anyone inbetween is very foolhardy, given how weak Naraku was at the time (he also used manipulations mostly during this time).

So up to the point that the manga starts, Naraku is a mostly yokai hanyo made up of literally hundreds of yokai of various powers and strengths.

Then, before he begins creating incarnations Naraku is nearly killed by Kagome (this is an important part of my interpretation) and cannot restore himself without turning towards a dark type of magic called kodoku.

Kodoku is a magical ritual/art called “gu/ku” in Chinese in which various toxic creatures are put into an enclosed space to absorb one another until only one remains. This remaining creature (also called Gu/Ku/Kodoku) is considered supremely toxic and powerful and with various abilities such as pestilence, manipulation (Naraku/Kanna/Infant?), transformation (Naraku), and a number of other things that falls well within Naraku’s sphere of power.

Anyway, Naraku absorbs the kodoku and is restored, and also made up of even more different kinds of yokai. And he holds a large chunk of the empowering Shikon no Tama, courtesy of Kikyo.

And that’s when he begins creating incarnations (分身 - bunshin).

That word, bunshin, is a funny thing. In Naruto, it is the “clone” part in Clone Techniques (such as Kage Bunshin/Shadow Clone which Naruto uses all the time), and as a common word, has been used in many manga/anime/games.

Here’s the definition of Jisho.org for example:

ぶんしん 分身 common word Noun 1. other self; alter ego; part of oneself (in someone or something else); representation of oneself 2. (Buddhist term) incarnations of Buddha​

Kotobank.jp translates it into “double/doppelgänger” and has this to say:

1. One divided into two or more separate bodies. 2. (Buddhist term, similar to above.)

But basically, a bunshin is not a separate person from what they are a bunshin of most of the time in pop culture (or they are re/pre/incarnations like in Buddhism, but no one suggests Kagura is to Naraku what Kagome is to Kikyo, so... *shrugs* Lets got with the other definition!). They always exist in relation to the original (Naraku). Other translations simply call them detachments, which has the implication of parts of Naraku that he’s cut off and given life for his own purposes.

I will be skipping Muso since he is an aberration among the bunshin, and likely the most hanyo of the lot.

The first bunshin Naraku creates is Kanna, who has no will, no emotions and no drive of her own. She solely does Naraku’s bidding, no more, no less. (There is a sole exception of her death scene, but that was more to inform the heroes of Kikyo’s light, which curtails with how the story began bending to fit Kikyo as a tragic heroine... Don’t even get me started...)

Then he creates Kagura, who is the opposite extreme; freedom is her greatest aspiration and she continuously backtalks Naraku and tries to act against him, yet, in the end, everything goes as Naraku wants when it comes to Kagura (this is also important).

Lets look at these two extremes and lets pretend that these are not Naraku’s incarnations; they are toasters.

Kanna is the toaster that Naraku must put the perfect settings in every time before use and push the toast down with a lever. Then he must wait and push the eject button, because Kanna wont do it herself.

Kagura is the fancy toaster with all the bells and whistles and more settings than anyone needs, including sensors to tell when the perfect toast is done to be ejected. She even automatically lowers the toast into the toasting slots when you put them in. In theory, Naraku doesn’t need to do anything else; Kagura knows exactly what to do to make the toast Naraku wants. Except fancy gadgets like these malfunctions and are temperamental and has the wrong settings put in and, yeah, Kagura doesn’t want to make Naraku’s perfect toast, but Naraku has rigged a big, complicated Rube-Goldberg machine to push her eject button before she can irreparably burn his toast, so it doesn’t matter.

All the different incarnations are on a sliding scale of these, except for Hakudoshi, who is an even fancier version of Kagura and capable of making grilled cheese sandwiches, and what more, Naraku wants Hakudoshi to burn some of his toast, because of the risk/reward that one day, Hakudoshi will not burn Naraku’s toast, but instead will make the perfect grilled cheese sandwich for Naraku to enjoy.

Byakuya, by contrast, is the perfect blend of obedient Kanna and the ability to make tedious decisions and act on his own like Kagura.

It’s like with computer programs; some require a dozen clicks to complete a task, another, that has been further programmed (given personality and motivation), only require one.

In short, I do not see them as separate people from Naraku, which is where I diverge from most of fandom; they have no pupils, which are signs of possession/not having their own minds in many anime, which is also a yokai trait (like Koga), but is egregious when it comes to everything else. It should be noted that most of Naraku’s bunshin are obedient to Naraku, but that in order to arrive to the perfect blend of independent action plus unquestioning obedience that is Byakuya, he experimented with giving more or less free will, individual desires and so on.

And it was Kagura who led me to believe that:

First; she is given the appearance of “Sesshomaru’s ideal woman” according to Takahashi who believes that all men want Kikyo or someone like her (”Sesshomaru’s ideal type of woman” is “like Kikyo” according to her according to some interview I’ve seen quoted around, but I would like an actual source, please...), including Sesshomaru, so she makes Kagura a young woman like Kikyo named after a dance that miko, like Kikyo, dance.

Second; she is given a sympathetic motivation “freedom” but at no point do we get a clue as to how she feels about “freedom” other than something to attain. She does not daydream about it or what she will do with it, she does not envy others’ freedom overtly (nor resentfully watching them), there’s literally nothing except her nebulously wanting “freedom” being “the free wind” when she passes away.

Third; she is obviously and loudly antagonistic towards Naraku, and, indeed he, the great villain, holds her heart literally in his hand to torture her with. Don’t you want to save her? Give this pretty lady freedom?

Fourth; she really wants Sesshomaru to save her, despite the fact that Sesshomaru has never come close to killing Naraku and always refuses to save Kagura.

Fifth; but when Kagome, the only person to ever come close to killing Naraku in the entire series at this point, offers to protect Kagura, Kagura refuses and still goes to Sesshomaru. Even though Kagome is not just the person whose power Naraku fears, but also someone with a history of taking in her foes as friends (unlike Sesshomaru).

Sixth; Tenseiga did not even react to Kagura “dying”.

None of this makes sense, unless one thinks of Kagura as a part of Naraku that he has “programmed” specifically to mess with Sesshomaru. In that case, Kagura refusing Kagome’s protection while still being infatuated with Sesshomaru who refuses to do anything and has proven nothing as her supposed savior, and the lack of psychopomps at her death and Tenseiga having no reaction, makes sense if Kagura is little more than something like a living tentacle of Naraku’s, given a pretty face, personality and “programming” to go hard for Sesshomaru and then, use her final moment to upset him (by this time, everyone knows Sesshomaru’s complex with his father’s swords, so if his sword wont work when predictably would he ask it to... Cue upset Sesshomaru. Too bad Inu no Taisho did one up on Naraku on that front by ensuring Inuyasha got the Meido after Sesshomaru and Rin nearly died in front of Sesshomaru’s mother for Sesshomaru to get it... Naraku’s manipulations got nothing on InuPapa’s beyond the grave...).

It would explain her undeveloped motivation (the abstract “freedom”), why everything still goes as Naraku wishes despite a few hiccups and so on, and, of course, why she had no soul for Tenseiga to save...

Naraku might as well have told Kanna “fall in love with Sesshomaru and plead with him to give you freedom” and Kanna would do her best to obey, but because of her non-personality, the emotional manipulation would be obvious (even more so once she refused Kagome, since, after all, it is Sesshomaru who is to give her freedom). But Naraku would have to micromanage her extensively to do so as well as make her a mature body. Far easier to just create a new detachment with slightly more free will and so on with the “programming” installed.

Does Kagura know this? Maybe she suspected it by being around her “siblings” and noting how different their levels of sapience/sentience/free wills were (and she even tells Hakudoshi that his plans will come to naught because Naraku wont allow it, suggesting she believes Naraku’s will is absolute over the incarnations), but she probably felt like her own person, and would have been “programmed” to think of herself as such and dismiss any suspicions to the contrary.

It would fit very well with the body-horror aspect of early Inuyasha and Naraku’s character as a whole. But would also be a bit too much for a children’s comic magazine in an action series...

So what are Naraku’s incarnations on the human-yokai scale?

They are likely yokai, like Sesshomaru’s severed arm, with the exception of Muso who had Naraku’s most human part in him and would likely be considered hanyo on a DNA test. They were likely made from the yokai parts of the hordes that make up Naraku after the kodoku, but aren’t separate people (like, the parts of a crane yokai would have been used to create Byakuya, for example, while oni parts would have been used for Goshinki). They are just more advanced dolls made of purely yokai parts IMO.

But that’s just my extremely niche interpretation of the manga and the inconsistencies with the story.

In canon, it is much more likely that the simpler explanation; that they are separate people who are also yokai (except Muso), is the answer.