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Inuyasha: The Final Act | 20: When the Jewel is Whole
Or, how to made bad action mix with great angst.
This episode was very "meh" to me. The art direction wasn't that great, and the action didn't really pick up appreciably from the last episode, though I did appreciate the short cold opening being a replay of last week's ending, to kinda anchor us back into the storyline, such as it was. Nothing terribly extraneous this time around *whew*
So Sesshoumaru shows up and kicks a little non-worldly ass before disappearing again, presumably to find out what's wrong with Rin. (Why the hell did it take him so long to get back to the village if he left before the battle v Naraku really began? Continuity: you need some o.O) That leaves Inuyasha, Kagome, Sango, and Kohaku to deal with Naraku, who was hiding behind a barrier none of them could sense while Magatsuhi was playing around out in the open. Naraku takes Kagome hostage and threatens Kohaku, telling him he must turn over his shard in order to save Kagome's life. Again, by this point I'm really getting tired of these false dichotomy-type choices, so I had to just roll my eyes a little and buckle down - they are really getting predictable with this same trope. The person under seige always finds a way out beyond the two choices presented...and Kohaku is no different.
Stealing one of Kagome's arrows, he allows himself to be taken into Naraku's custody, where he then stabs him, piercing the armored shell in his shoulder that houses the Shikon no Tama. This is enough to freak Naraku out and, what with having his priorities straight and all, he flings Kohkau into the great night air in order to save himself, giving Inuyasha the chance to free Kagome from his clutches, and he does so with a very nice adamant barrage attack. ('Destroy his head'? Really? How many times has he done that now, only to have no effect? Geez, where is Sess with his organic-matter-destroying sword when you need him?!)
So all is well, or so they think...we have a little interlude with Miroku, Jaken, and Rin, where we see some mysterious light emanating from the monk, one which later captures Rin under its influence and spirits her away. When Sesshoumaru arrives, he is none too pleased to find out, but, in typical asshole fashion, he gets the information he needs and leaves the rest of them in his wake, questions going unanswered. I had to LOL when Shippo observed, "He's still not very friendly." Ah, did we truly expect anything less from a vengeful taiyoukai?
The part of the episode I did like was the scene were Kohaku dies. It was really brilliant in its understatement, and the viewer is taken just as much by surprise as the other characters. One moment Kohaku is smiling and vowing to atone for his sins, and the next, the life is wisked away from his body and he falls to the ground like the lifeless corpse he always was. It was really well done, IMO, as was Sango's reaction, taking him into her arms and crying.
Then we learn that Naraku had taken Kohaku's shard and fused it with the rest of his jewel, and that it was complately black now, Kikyo's light having faded into nothingness. This frustrates and enrages Inuyasha, but it was nice to see a moment of strength from Kagome as she shows him the way, all the while knowing her spiritual powers are still sealed and her sacred arrows are virtually useless. Now there's a heart of cold determination fit to match with Sesshoumaru's...
...but I digress.
A really lovely scene as well as Kohaku is brought back to life, saved by Kikyo's light, but the whole "sun rising and tears drying" part was a bit overdone, IMO. Maybe I'm just not in a sentimental mood, but alas...
This goes straight into the blood red moon ominous warnings from the end of the story, and I wonder - is it here already? I don't think I'm ready :-/
Next week: the final battle begins...really? We need five episodes for this? (I'm assuming the last episode will cover the last chapter of the manga, if not more...) It feels so weird seeing this on the heels of Kohaku's resurrection o.O
This episode was very "meh" to me. The art direction wasn't that great, and the action didn't really pick up appreciably from the last episode, though I did appreciate the short cold opening being a replay of last week's ending, to kinda anchor us back into the storyline, such as it was. Nothing terribly extraneous this time around *whew*
So Sesshoumaru shows up and kicks a little non-worldly ass before disappearing again, presumably to find out what's wrong with Rin. (Why the hell did it take him so long to get back to the village if he left before the battle v Naraku really began? Continuity: you need some o.O) That leaves Inuyasha, Kagome, Sango, and Kohaku to deal with Naraku, who was hiding behind a barrier none of them could sense while Magatsuhi was playing around out in the open. Naraku takes Kagome hostage and threatens Kohaku, telling him he must turn over his shard in order to save Kagome's life. Again, by this point I'm really getting tired of these false dichotomy-type choices, so I had to just roll my eyes a little and buckle down - they are really getting predictable with this same trope. The person under seige always finds a way out beyond the two choices presented...and Kohaku is no different.
Stealing one of Kagome's arrows, he allows himself to be taken into Naraku's custody, where he then stabs him, piercing the armored shell in his shoulder that houses the Shikon no Tama. This is enough to freak Naraku out and, what with having his priorities straight and all, he flings Kohkau into the great night air in order to save himself, giving Inuyasha the chance to free Kagome from his clutches, and he does so with a very nice adamant barrage attack. ('Destroy his head'? Really? How many times has he done that now, only to have no effect? Geez, where is Sess with his organic-matter-destroying sword when you need him?!)
So all is well, or so they think...we have a little interlude with Miroku, Jaken, and Rin, where we see some mysterious light emanating from the monk, one which later captures Rin under its influence and spirits her away. When Sesshoumaru arrives, he is none too pleased to find out, but, in typical asshole fashion, he gets the information he needs and leaves the rest of them in his wake, questions going unanswered. I had to LOL when Shippo observed, "He's still not very friendly." Ah, did we truly expect anything less from a vengeful taiyoukai?
The part of the episode I did like was the scene were Kohaku dies. It was really brilliant in its understatement, and the viewer is taken just as much by surprise as the other characters. One moment Kohaku is smiling and vowing to atone for his sins, and the next, the life is wisked away from his body and he falls to the ground like the lifeless corpse he always was. It was really well done, IMO, as was Sango's reaction, taking him into her arms and crying.
Then we learn that Naraku had taken Kohaku's shard and fused it with the rest of his jewel, and that it was complately black now, Kikyo's light having faded into nothingness. This frustrates and enrages Inuyasha, but it was nice to see a moment of strength from Kagome as she shows him the way, all the while knowing her spiritual powers are still sealed and her sacred arrows are virtually useless. Now there's a heart of cold determination fit to match with Sesshoumaru's...
...but I digress.
A really lovely scene as well as Kohaku is brought back to life, saved by Kikyo's light, but the whole "sun rising and tears drying" part was a bit overdone, IMO. Maybe I'm just not in a sentimental mood, but alas...
This goes straight into the blood red moon ominous warnings from the end of the story, and I wonder - is it here already? I don't think I'm ready :-/
Next week: the final battle begins...really? We need five episodes for this? (I'm assuming the last episode will cover the last chapter of the manga, if not more...) It feels so weird seeing this on the heels of Kohaku's resurrection o.O
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...Somehow, this doesn't surprise me in the LEAST. I think your Sesshoumaru-loving reputation proceeds you.
This... is fine by me. XD
I've made no secret of the fact that this is where we're heading...its just the road there has bumps in it, still. Even better if you're just hanging on for the intrigue and revenge aspects of it! :D
Oh yes, there are plenty of in-story clues to that effect, and I've noticed. And it's totally fine - I have this little scrolly bar thing on the side of my screen, and I'll know how to use it if/when I need it, and we all win in the end. No complaints! Besides, I think you write in such a way that it's enjoyable no matter what. Maybe cuz you use this cool "plot" thing. Novel concept, seriously. ;)