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Inuyasha: The Final Act | 7 - The Mausoleum at Mt. Azusa
Finally, it appears the anime is falling more in step with the manga chapters. This is also the first episode that I've watched that doesn't feel like its going at a runaway railroad's pace. It still covers a bit of ground, though.
There is a bit more taunting in this episode than there has been all season, about the Inu/Kag/Kik love triangle. It hasn't really been an issue at all, especially with that bit from "Kind Boy" in the first episode, but if anything's going to bring out the canon shippers' claws, it will be this episode (and the next one). This is the start of the Mt. Azusa arc, with Naraku moving forward with his plan to finally take Kikyo's life. He retakes his heart in a bit of really gorgeous animation, finally accepting it is those very feelings from his human side that will finally help him succeed in killing this most beloved woman.
He traps Kikyo and Inuyasha first, forcing the former to move away from Kohaku, lest she taint his shard via the miasma from Naraku's webs, and using the latter as bait to draw in Kagome. When she is ensnared in the webs and sees the visions of what happened fifty years ago, suddenly Kikyo understands what Naraku means to do. He has figured out her plan to use the jewel to purify him, and used a pretty nifty divide and conquer technique to draw together all the pawns of his scheme. She informs Kagome that the only way to save her is to shoot her with Kikyo's own bow, but the string snaps as it exchanges hands. Kikyo tells Kagome that Naraku knows this is the only way she can be saved, and thus planted imagery in her mind to foster negativity in her heart, so that her ability to purify his miasma would be moot. She tells her to go to Mt Azusa to retrieve the bowstring, hinting very heavily that it will also be a test of her will.
Kagome complies, taking the Inutachi and Koga with her, but only she is allowed to ascend the mountain. When she meets the guardian, it takes the form of Kikyo, and she knows she's in for a test. She meets and faces many illusions on the mountain, and she is literally facing her worst fears. This is a really great piece of the story, and an important one - because its important that if Kagome were ever to be with Inuyasha, that she learn to truly accept the bond he had with Kikyo, and the past she can't infringe upon.
I thought the Mt Azusa sequences were really well-done. The illusory Kikyos were really laying into her (just like a good shipper would, LOL), and we finally see that strength of heart Kagome is "known" for. She has the chance to scream and yell and get all that out of her system that she's been holding back - and in the end, she breaks the spell, freeing herself from Naraku's webs.
Meanwhile...
Kikyo 'heals' Miroku of his miasma wounds, promising to keep the near-certain danger to his life a secret from Sango and the others. Sango watches for a time, wondering out loud how Kikyo can purify Miroku and yet seemingly so callously use Kohaku for her schemes. The foreshadowing is applied with a knife, LOL, and at least I was left without a doubt in my mind that Kikyo would also do everything in her power to save Kohaku. I don't think it was so clear in the manga as it is here; either way, its a really interesting way to attempt to redeem her character from the villain of the previous anime.
Byakuya goes after Kohaku once he is separated from Kikyo, intending to poison him with shouki-secreting snakes to defile the shard before he carries it to Naraku. His dastardly plans are foiled, however, when Sesshoumaru shows up, attracted by the scent of Naraku and demanding information on him. Byakuya doesn't really comply, running off to save his own skin instead, and there's a truly LOL moment - Sesshoumaru warns Rin not to touch the snakes that are biting Kohaku, but she sweetly replies that Jaken has already been bitten. OMG the look on his face was fucking priceless as he glares back over his shoulder at the ever-put-upon retainer!!
Kikyo realizes her barrier protecting Kohaku has been broken, so she and Inuyasha set off to find him - only to realize Sesshoumaru took him instead. So they change course, heading to Mt Azusa, and she fills him in on what Kagome's going through in order to retrieve the bow that will ultimately save her. They meet up with the rest of their group and Koga at the bottom of the stairs, and Kikyo tells Inuyasha to go up after Kagome. It was a bit poignant, a bit heartbreaking, but somehow...even if you didn't know what happens, you feel that its the culmination of the love triangle.
Very good stuff this week! I must say, I was impressed with how they laid out the story and the tension between the groups and the characters. It was nice to see more focus on Kagome and her dilemma, and the little bits of shippy moments for Mir/San at the start of the episode.
Next week - Kikyo's death at Mt Azusa, complete with the kiss! I look forward to it ~ it's going to be another tearjerker, it appears.
There is a bit more taunting in this episode than there has been all season, about the Inu/Kag/Kik love triangle. It hasn't really been an issue at all, especially with that bit from "Kind Boy" in the first episode, but if anything's going to bring out the canon shippers' claws, it will be this episode (and the next one). This is the start of the Mt. Azusa arc, with Naraku moving forward with his plan to finally take Kikyo's life. He retakes his heart in a bit of really gorgeous animation, finally accepting it is those very feelings from his human side that will finally help him succeed in killing this most beloved woman.
He traps Kikyo and Inuyasha first, forcing the former to move away from Kohaku, lest she taint his shard via the miasma from Naraku's webs, and using the latter as bait to draw in Kagome. When she is ensnared in the webs and sees the visions of what happened fifty years ago, suddenly Kikyo understands what Naraku means to do. He has figured out her plan to use the jewel to purify him, and used a pretty nifty divide and conquer technique to draw together all the pawns of his scheme. She informs Kagome that the only way to save her is to shoot her with Kikyo's own bow, but the string snaps as it exchanges hands. Kikyo tells Kagome that Naraku knows this is the only way she can be saved, and thus planted imagery in her mind to foster negativity in her heart, so that her ability to purify his miasma would be moot. She tells her to go to Mt Azusa to retrieve the bowstring, hinting very heavily that it will also be a test of her will.
Kagome complies, taking the Inutachi and Koga with her, but only she is allowed to ascend the mountain. When she meets the guardian, it takes the form of Kikyo, and she knows she's in for a test. She meets and faces many illusions on the mountain, and she is literally facing her worst fears. This is a really great piece of the story, and an important one - because its important that if Kagome were ever to be with Inuyasha, that she learn to truly accept the bond he had with Kikyo, and the past she can't infringe upon.
I thought the Mt Azusa sequences were really well-done. The illusory Kikyos were really laying into her (just like a good shipper would, LOL), and we finally see that strength of heart Kagome is "known" for. She has the chance to scream and yell and get all that out of her system that she's been holding back - and in the end, she breaks the spell, freeing herself from Naraku's webs.
Meanwhile...
Kikyo 'heals' Miroku of his miasma wounds, promising to keep the near-certain danger to his life a secret from Sango and the others. Sango watches for a time, wondering out loud how Kikyo can purify Miroku and yet seemingly so callously use Kohaku for her schemes. The foreshadowing is applied with a knife, LOL, and at least I was left without a doubt in my mind that Kikyo would also do everything in her power to save Kohaku. I don't think it was so clear in the manga as it is here; either way, its a really interesting way to attempt to redeem her character from the villain of the previous anime.
Byakuya goes after Kohaku once he is separated from Kikyo, intending to poison him with shouki-secreting snakes to defile the shard before he carries it to Naraku. His dastardly plans are foiled, however, when Sesshoumaru shows up, attracted by the scent of Naraku and demanding information on him. Byakuya doesn't really comply, running off to save his own skin instead, and there's a truly LOL moment - Sesshoumaru warns Rin not to touch the snakes that are biting Kohaku, but she sweetly replies that Jaken has already been bitten. OMG the look on his face was fucking priceless as he glares back over his shoulder at the ever-put-upon retainer!!
Kikyo realizes her barrier protecting Kohaku has been broken, so she and Inuyasha set off to find him - only to realize Sesshoumaru took him instead. So they change course, heading to Mt Azusa, and she fills him in on what Kagome's going through in order to retrieve the bow that will ultimately save her. They meet up with the rest of their group and Koga at the bottom of the stairs, and Kikyo tells Inuyasha to go up after Kagome. It was a bit poignant, a bit heartbreaking, but somehow...even if you didn't know what happens, you feel that its the culmination of the love triangle.
Very good stuff this week! I must say, I was impressed with how they laid out the story and the tension between the groups and the characters. It was nice to see more focus on Kagome and her dilemma, and the little bits of shippy moments for Mir/San at the start of the episode.
Next week - Kikyo's death at Mt Azusa, complete with the kiss! I look forward to it ~ it's going to be another tearjerker, it appears.