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Inuyasha: The Final Act | 2 - Kagura's Wind
Okay...the new anime has officially passed my test.
They cover chapters 371-382 of the manga.
The anime is jumping all over the damn place, and let me tell you, I was not happy that the Goraishi arc took up the better part of the first fourteen minutes...but in the end, it worked out for the best. Here's the story so far:
Kikyo takes Midoriko's soul (after a flashback of Midoriko fighting the youkai souls, in which we see her face ~ a big deal, considering its never depicted in the manga), informing Inuyasha that it's the only way she can kill Naraku [Chapter 375]. They have to allow him to gather all the shards of the jewel and corrupt it, and then she'll pierce his soul and the jewel at the same time, destroying them both at the same time. She's the only one strong enough to do it...but Inuyasha realizes that to complete the jewel, that will mean taking Kohaku's (and Koga's) shards.
Meanwhile, Koga is seeking out the ultimate weapon of his ancestry, the Goraishi claws [Chapter 380]. He and his two sidekicks, Ginta and Hakkaku, go to the grave of the ancestors, where they are confronted with a three-headed stone wolf youkai. Koga has to make the decision whether or not to grab the claws or save his comrades from the fires of the stone youkai, and of course he does the right thing ~ thus, earning the claws for his vengeance. Once the ancestors learn of his mission, they bless him with the gift, on one condition: that they will not work while he is in possession of the Shikon shards.
THEN, FINALLY, we get to the good stuff.
Not even gonna lie, I was *so pleased* with the handling of Kagura's death [Chapter 371]. Her scenes were straight out of the manga - the confrontation with Naraku, the drifting to a field of flowers, the dying words...and it was exquisitely shot, in my opinion. The pace was not rushed (even though she deserved more than half of the screentime in her own episode), but it was intercut with sequences showing Sesshoumaru fighting Mouyoumaru. That, they did take out of sequence...but somehow, it worked.
Sesshoumaru scents Kagura's blood on the wind while in the clutches of his foe, and Mouyoumaru taunts him, telling him Kagura died a pathetic death for a life not worth living - and he reacts, or, more specifically, Tenseiga reacts, and Sesshoumaru draws his sword, breaking Tokijin as it nears the shard hidden in his armor. But Sesshoumaru is freed, and he throws away his useless sword, leaving his group to follow the whims of the wind...and to find Kagura.
Then we're back to perfect-animated-manga action, with the two of them meeting and Sesshoumaru realizing Tenseiga can't save Kagura. She smiles, happy to see him one last time, and drifts off as so many petals in the wind. The Inutachi arrive, Inuyasha stuttering to ask if she suffered, and Sesshoumaru utters those immortal words.
Now, you know as a Sesshoumaru fangirl, I pretty much melted. The artist for this episode paid us some very nice fanservice, not only in the sequence with Kagura (your little shippy hearts will weep!!!!), but also in the battle. The expression when Mouyoumaru tells him Kagura is dead (even though she isn't) - priceless. His reaction will hopefully fuel the Sess/Kagura ship in fandom, because it seriously doesn't get more visceral than that with him. I totally want to steal it for the next chapter of Allegiance.
So - even though they did it out of order (grr), it still works. I was almost in tears by the end, so it's exactly as I wanted it to be :)
A side note - I really like the way Kikyo and Koga are drawn as well. The longer faces suit them better, I think, than some of their episodes in the first anime.
The next episode is entitled "Meidou Zangetsuha", but it appears to cover not only Sesshoumaru's introduction to that particular weapon, but also the "Kitsune Inn" chapters featuring Shippo. o.O Well, okay...
I look forward to more Sesshoumaru, though! :D
They cover chapters 371-382 of the manga.
The anime is jumping all over the damn place, and let me tell you, I was not happy that the Goraishi arc took up the better part of the first fourteen minutes...but in the end, it worked out for the best. Here's the story so far:
Kikyo takes Midoriko's soul (after a flashback of Midoriko fighting the youkai souls, in which we see her face ~ a big deal, considering its never depicted in the manga), informing Inuyasha that it's the only way she can kill Naraku [Chapter 375]. They have to allow him to gather all the shards of the jewel and corrupt it, and then she'll pierce his soul and the jewel at the same time, destroying them both at the same time. She's the only one strong enough to do it...but Inuyasha realizes that to complete the jewel, that will mean taking Kohaku's (and Koga's) shards.
Meanwhile, Koga is seeking out the ultimate weapon of his ancestry, the Goraishi claws [Chapter 380]. He and his two sidekicks, Ginta and Hakkaku, go to the grave of the ancestors, where they are confronted with a three-headed stone wolf youkai. Koga has to make the decision whether or not to grab the claws or save his comrades from the fires of the stone youkai, and of course he does the right thing ~ thus, earning the claws for his vengeance. Once the ancestors learn of his mission, they bless him with the gift, on one condition: that they will not work while he is in possession of the Shikon shards.
THEN, FINALLY, we get to the good stuff.
Not even gonna lie, I was *so pleased* with the handling of Kagura's death [Chapter 371]. Her scenes were straight out of the manga - the confrontation with Naraku, the drifting to a field of flowers, the dying words...and it was exquisitely shot, in my opinion. The pace was not rushed (even though she deserved more than half of the screentime in her own episode), but it was intercut with sequences showing Sesshoumaru fighting Mouyoumaru. That, they did take out of sequence...but somehow, it worked.
Sesshoumaru scents Kagura's blood on the wind while in the clutches of his foe, and Mouyoumaru taunts him, telling him Kagura died a pathetic death for a life not worth living - and he reacts, or, more specifically, Tenseiga reacts, and Sesshoumaru draws his sword, breaking Tokijin as it nears the shard hidden in his armor. But Sesshoumaru is freed, and he throws away his useless sword, leaving his group to follow the whims of the wind...and to find Kagura.
Then we're back to perfect-animated-manga action, with the two of them meeting and Sesshoumaru realizing Tenseiga can't save Kagura. She smiles, happy to see him one last time, and drifts off as so many petals in the wind. The Inutachi arrive, Inuyasha stuttering to ask if she suffered, and Sesshoumaru utters those immortal words.
Now, you know as a Sesshoumaru fangirl, I pretty much melted. The artist for this episode paid us some very nice fanservice, not only in the sequence with Kagura (your little shippy hearts will weep!!!!), but also in the battle. The expression when Mouyoumaru tells him Kagura is dead (even though she isn't) - priceless. His reaction will hopefully fuel the Sess/Kagura ship in fandom, because it seriously doesn't get more visceral than that with him. I totally want to steal it for the next chapter of Allegiance.
So - even though they did it out of order (grr), it still works. I was almost in tears by the end, so it's exactly as I wanted it to be :)
A side note - I really like the way Kikyo and Koga are drawn as well. The longer faces suit them better, I think, than some of their episodes in the first anime.
The next episode is entitled "Meidou Zangetsuha", but it appears to cover not only Sesshoumaru's introduction to that particular weapon, but also the "Kitsune Inn" chapters featuring Shippo. o.O Well, okay...
I look forward to more Sesshoumaru, though! :D
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I also look forward to more Sesshomaru. I always feel like he’s not in it enough.
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Well, unfortunately, he's not the main character ;) but he does get more play in the second half of the manga. Now we just have to cross our fingers that most it isn't cut from the anime, precisely because he's not the main character.
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That was fabulous! I cried.
Then watched the second half again and cried some more. It could have been given its own episode, but what they pieced together was so well done, I am not going to complain. The visuals of the field of flowers *getting choked up again* and the spreading stain, her thoughts...shit. Thank god I'm not a die-hard sess/kagura shipper because I'd be absolutely wallowing in grief and fangirl.
Damn, though. I need to ship them moar.
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Wasn't it? OMG...I know if I watch it again, I will cry. Kagura deserved nothing less. I really wish they'd given this arc its own episode...but at least they didn't rush it.
The visuals of the field of flowers *getting choked up again* and the spreading stain, her thoughts...shit. Thank god I'm not a die-hard sess/kagura shipper because I'd be absolutely wallowing in grief and fangirl.
Damn, though. I need to ship them moar.
YES YES YES THIS. I don't consider myself so much a Sess/Kag fangirl as a Sess fangirl and OMG...this made me a very, very happy fangirl indeed. If Sess/Kagura doesn't get more love after this episode I'll cry.
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Maybe I should post that Little Mermaid thing I wrote ages ago to mediaminer.
Glad Sesshoumaru will be in the next episode--his frequent appearances make me less paranoid that they will gloss over the Hell arc...
Oh! Totally forgot to comment earlier about Kikyou. I really enjoyed the part with her in the waterfall--her death scene is another that just kills me every time. The manga treated it perfectly; I pray the new anime gives the same respect and poignance. She's my favorite character in the series.
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The 'problem' I had with the pairing was that I couldn't get over the idea of her being a Naraku incarnation...but if there's a way to twist around that fact (and so many people have done it well, especially in some AUs), then the angst is there for the mining. OMG the possibilities!!
Glad Sesshoumaru will be in the next episode--his frequent appearances make me less paranoid that they will gloss over the Hell arc...
I really REALLY hope they have the Hell crc, not only because of Sesshoumaru, but because I DEMAND TO SEE SESSMOM :P The preview at the end of this episode actually made me a little fearful that they would skip the Hell arc, considering how much they've simplified and condensed the manga, but my fingers are crossed I'm just remembering the chapters wrong. (Though Kitsune Inn *definitely* comes later...)
Totally forgot to comment earlier about Kikyou. I really enjoyed the part with her in the waterfall--her death scene is another that just kills me every time. The manga treated it perfectly; I pray the new anime gives the same respect and poignance.
Seeing how they handled Kagura's death gives me hope that they will give Kikyo the same justice. Right now I'm just hoping there is no shippy backlash at the Inu/Kik interaction in this episode, but that might be a hope in vain :P
I'll just be over here in my corner, squeeing with my fellow Sess-fangirls over his appearance in this episode :D
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You're right there. When I came up with two ideas for two stories (one modern setting, one feudal setting), I found myself thinking about what we know of Kagura... and I came up with some ideas I'm exploring. I don't know how other fan-writers have handled it.
It has to be said though, I can't help think that part of the poignancy of the bond they began to form was precisely because of her position as an incarnation. Given both of their natures, Sesshoumaru represents absolutely everything she dreams of being, and he is so intolerant of being given any kind of orders, that her life must be his worst nightmare.
It's a hell of a thing to have in common.
Can't wait to see Sesshoumaru's mother either... :)
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I find the Sess/Kagura relationship a bit one-sided, but I profess to not have put a great deal of deep thought into it - I generally write Sesshoumaru opposite Kagome because their differences are easier to exploit (she makes a good foil for him).
But I hope, having this episode animated - and the way it was put together - will invigorate this ship and give more people incentive to explore it.
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For me, it's the "nipped in the bud" idea that captured my imagination - the "what might have been". What can I say? Tragedy inspires me. I'm awful, I know. :)
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Oh, agreed. I'm not sure he had the capacity to [romantically] love anyone at that point; so much of his emotional development happened in the later chapters of the manga. But it is an interesting relationship nonetheless. I took a stab at it for one of the prompts over at IYQuotes, and I'm sure it won't be my last :P
the "what might have been". What can I say? Tragedy inspires me. I'm awful, I know. :)
Um, hello, you're talking to someone who writes Sess/Kag and actually attempts to keep them in character whilst doing so. I don't know of anything more tragic than that, LOL!!
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I also appreciated the non-jealousy from Kagome. I think she really grew past that in the end and it was nice to not have the love triangle thing dragged up again - especially so close to Kikyo's death.
Also, I will die of horror if there's no SessMom. I can't say that enough. :)
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I have to credit the anime team; they made it *so* shippy by reversing the sequence of events...but at the same time, it made his actions all the more poignant, IMO. And, well, I fangirlled pretty hard over the entire last half of this episode.
Although I did read 'Unleashed' and that was very good indeed, because it kept true to what I see their relationship is like in the canon - that desperate, kindred spirit affection that's based on their 'ships passing in the night' type moments
OMG was that story not worth whatever time it sucked away from you?! *sigh* I <3 BlackMamba07 so, so much, and even moreso after reading that story.
I also appreciated the non-jealousy from Kagome. I think she really grew past that in the end and it was nice to not have the love triangle thing dragged up again - especially so close to Kikyo's death.
Eh - I'm more of the opinion that they just skipped the angst, which suits me just fine (though I anticipate the wankier parts of I/K fandom might get a bit wanky over the fact that they had any interaction *at all*, but that's to be expected). Hopefully the love triangle bullshit will be to a minimum and not played for all its worth in the episode where Kikyo dies.
Speaking of which...the way they handled this episode gives me so much hope they will do her death well. I hope so...that, animating the Hell arc, and animating the Bakusaiga sequence will pretty much make my whole freaking year and I'll be able to forgive the animators anything else (rushed pace, skipping some of the manga filler, etc etc).
LOL, I swear, I don't ask for much...!
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:P Yeah, definitely shippy-er. I didn't mind at all - although, I have to admit I did have a residual Sess/Kag and/or Sess/Rin pang. LoL.
OMG was that story not worth whatever time it sucked away from you?!
It was pretty awesome. I love, love, love Jet Li (and NIN, of course - but we already knew that, hehe) and once I realized she was referencing his "Unleashed", I was even more sold than sold. :D Especially because my biggest beef with Jet Li's movies is that he never ends up with the girl (at least, not in his Chinese movies - usually because he's either dead or the bad guy) so it was total wish fulfillment on many fronts.
Hopefully the love triangle bullshit will be to a minimum and not played for all its worth in the episode where Kikyo dies.
I hope so, too. I mean, the love triangle is interesting, but it's getting to be very dead and horse-like at this point.
LOL, I swear, I don't ask for much...!
:D I'll be "undemanding" right along with you for that Hell arc!
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Did you not see me admit I was totally stealing that part for my Sess/Kag fic? LOL!! Once I beat the angst bunnies a bit more for Fragments, I think tackling that battle scene will be next on my list. (Funny how I anticipate writing action to be easier than writing dialogue o.O)
I mean, the love triangle is interesting, but it's getting to be very dead and horse-like at this point.
Ugh, beyond...the whole back and forth angsting bit could've been solved a lot faster than it was, even in the manga...but I guess that's a give to the genre. I mean, this is supposed to be a story aimed at boys, not analyzed to death by girls :P
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I am not sure about next I do not like the upgrade of Tenseiga to MZ or the FoxInn episodes. They are both important upgrades for these characters, but
Shippou acts like an asshole only caring about himself in the episode. Sesshoumaru is being misled by Totosai about MZ and causes him a lot of pain later onl.
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Yeah, when I realized what they were doing by intercutting her dying scenes with his battle scenes, I was a bit pissy - then I saw the way it played out, and my little weepy shippy heart forgave them because that was TOTALLY the reaction I needed for a piece of fanfic, LOL. *facepalm* Damn fangirlism!
Hole in the Chest is an important moment because all of IY's actions are bent on killing Naraku before Kikyou can do so.
Yeah, I wasn't particularly impressed with the way they condensed those part of the story (I was too busy boggling at seeing Midoriko, truth be told), and it will be interesting to see how it plays into the dragon-scaled Tessaiga upgrade, which is getting its own episode.
I am not sure about next I do not like the upgrade of Tenseiga to MZ or the FoxInn episodes. They are both important upgrades for these characters, but
Shippou acts like an asshole only caring about himself in the episode. Sesshoumaru is being misled by Totosai about MZ and causes him a lot of pain later onl.
I was shocked to see that Kitsune Inn was being animated at all! I guess they decided it was time for some comic relief...and the perfect thing to contrast to Sesshoumaru sword angst. My reaction was very definitely "o.O LOL okay" when I saw the preview.
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But for me, the most moving scene was actually the aerial shot of Kagura kneeling in the field, when we see the wind pulse out from her body in a circle that fades into nothing.
Somehow, that scene did wonders to emphasise just how isolated and alone she truly was and felt at that moment. It really did make it feel as though Naraku had achieved his desire - to make Kagura suffer a worthless, painful, despair-laden death.
That Sesshoumaru. He can defeat Naraku without even unsheathing his sword - and to think he once told Naraku his heart was irrelevant. :)
On a serious note, I didn't have many problems with this episode. The rearranging was a shock, but at the same time it felt like the animators knew what they were doing. It felt like the unacknowledged pulse of Tenseiga during the battle is a set-up for Toutousai's arrival next episode, but I thought the animation was great at that moment - the way it flashed from Mouryoumaru, to Sesshoumaru's blatantly shocked expression, to Tenseiga pulsing.
You could almost see Tenseiga symbolising Sesshoumaru's heart catching in his throat at the idea of Kagura dying in vain.
Those bloodied petals on the wind, however, were I think the highlight of the episode. The way they had the petal float past Sesshoumaru's nose right in the midst of battle - the way it actually distracted them both from the battle, and Sesshoumaru's facial reaction and thoughts at that moment, were excellently done.
And the sight of that bloodied petal coming to rest on the broken Toukijin... I could forgive the animators all the rearranging in this episode just to have that one scene in the episode. It summed up the manga's Toujikin breaking arc so well.
Not that I don't have issues - parts did feel rushed. The episode really does make me wish it could have devoted an entire episode to Kagura's death, and I wished they'd chosen some slightly different angles at times. However, considering what the animators are allowed to give us, I think this episode was done very well.
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I *love* David Kaye (he is part of the reason I love Sesshoumaru so much; I think he captures his attitude quite well), but Narita Ken just has this...elegance about him. He's one of the Japanese voice actors that I unabashedly enjoy, and after seeing a few interview snippets with him, it seems like his personality is quite fit to play this sort of character.
considering what the animators are allowed to give us, I think this episode was done very well.
I agree with all your points; this was *so* made for the shippers, hehe. But it was just exquisitely shot, and gives me hope that the other big death scene will be treated just as well (though hopefully the pace will slow down a bit by then o.O).