Inuyasha: Final Act - 15

Inuyasha Kanketsu-hen Ep. 15
犬夜叉 完結編 Episode 15 Review

SPOILER Summary/Synopsis:

Sesshoumaru returns, having met with Byakuya and having used Kanna's mirror fragment. He challenges Inuyasha to a fight and attacks, forcing Inuyasha's hand. For Sesshoumaru, he knows this is a trap but feels it is worth springing. Meanwhile, Byakuya arrives and sends Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha to a youkai dimension so they can fight in peace. Byakuya monitors the fight for Naraku while Toutousai arrives and allows Inuyasha's group and Sesshoumaru's group to see what is happening.

Tenseiga has taken some of Tessaiga's youryouku, forcing Inuyasha to take on his youkai form for Tessaiga to use his youki. When Tessaiga's blade meets Tenseiga's, Tessaiga regains some of its stolen powers. The fight continues with Sesshoumaru accepting that Inuyasha is the true heir of Tessaiga, but one last Meidou Zangetsuha attack is forthcoming as Sesshoumaru wants to see if Inuyasha can take it. Inuyasha is sucked into the Meidou and Sesshoumaru throws Tenseiga into it. That allows the two swords to resonate and Inuyasha to realize how to escape the Meidou trap.

Naraku isn't having that and using Kanna's mirror dust on Tenseiga, gains remote control of the sword, using it to attack Inuyasha with a surprise Kongousouha attack. Two large diamond shards, corrupted with Naraku's shouki, are embedded in Inuyasha. Inuyasha is on the short end, so Sesshoumaru intervenes as if to kill Inuyasha himself. However, this allows Inuyasha to reclaim Kongousouha as well as Meidou Zangetsuha while breaking Tenseiga. The shouki from Naraku is too much and he loses his youkai form. Sesshoumaru removes the large shards from Inuyasha as the Meidou closes. Inuyasha is given a way out thanks to the broken Tenseiga showing him what to cut with the new Black Tessaiga form of Tessaiga.

Having escaped the Meidou, Sesshoumaru is going to leave but Toutousai points to the reformed Tenseiga, which still has the power to heal and help. Sesshoumaru isn't interested and leaves, so Rin takes the sword and promises to give it to Sesshoumaru when he's in a better mood. Toutousai has final words about what just happened with Inuyasha and mentions that Sesshoumaru is close to obtaining a new weapon that wasn't from his father.




Thoughts/Review:

I'd forgotten that this was a time to bring back former sword attacks for Inuyasha. I can't remember the last time Bakuryuuha was used. I laugh though because this was supposed to be the supreme attack of the weapon, but as the years dragged on, Takahashi-sensei had to keep coming up with new abilities for Tessaiga to keep the story from ending. As such, Bakuryuuha got forgotten.

Anyway, Sesshoumaru's growth journey continues and I remember enjoying that in the manga. Sesshoumaru slowing coming to accept his brother's existence and their father's plan for their lives is nice. I also loved how Rin retrieved Tenseiga to return to Sesshoumaru when he was in a better mood. *lol* For some reason, I can't remember if she ever got to do that in the manga or not. ^_^; I do remember her taking the sword, though.

Sadly, I find it difficult to comment much since I can't do my usual "what will happen" speculations. *chuckle* Oh well. I do want to finish this anime out since Inuyasha was an early anime title for me back when I first started watching anime in 2002, having caught a few episodes on Adult Swim and deciding to find a means of watching all the back episodes as well as the then current episodes from Japan.

Dirty Pair Lovin'

I've been wanting to blog the rest of the Dirty Pair TV series for a long time, but sadly, I've only managed the first ten episodes. That will soon change as I now have the ability to watch the rest of the series and thus will blog the rest of this classic anime title.

In honor of that return, I thought I'd throw up a few Dirty Pair images I happen to have lying around my PC.


I'd love to get a larger version of the image below, if anyone has one.


Lord willing, new Dirty Pair reviews will start appearing in under a week. ^_^

Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood - 45

Hagane no Renkinjutsushi - Fullmetal Alchemist Ep. 45
鋼の錬金術師 FULLMETAL ALCHEMIST Episode 45 review

SPOILER Summary/Synopsis: Wrath and Greed battle as Pride readies himself just in case. With Wrath having the upper hand in combat, Greed makes his escape out the window. Over at the Armstrong mansion, Olivier tells her father she intends to take her inheritance and demands he take a vacation. Her father eventually says that whomever wins the fight between herself and Alex will take over the mansion as he, his wife, and the youngest Armstrong daughter Catherine leave for Xing. Olivier wins the fight against Alex, who realizes that Olivier has just sent their parents and little sister away to safety.

Out east, Mei Chan sees the niceness of the people and with the subtle prompting of Envy, she returns to Central as she wants to help. Meanwhile, Ed, Darius, and Heinkel arrive at Mustang's old hideout but Al isn't there. Greed arrives with Ling in control and after eating, Ling passes on as much as he can about Father's plan and the Promised Day. Greed resumes control of the body and turns down a partnership offer from Ed unless Ed agrees to follow Greed. Ed, Darius, and Heinkel agree to those terms as Ed realizes he can gather more information this way.

In Dublith, the military are still looking for Izumi as Al gets a message to the meat shop there regarding Father's plan and the Promised Day. It is passed on to Sig who passes it onto Izumi, who gets to Briggs to inform Miles and Buccaneer. Falman passes the word to General Grumman who gets the word to Rebecca, a soldier friend of Riza's. Rebecca pays Riza a visit in Central and covertly passes the message to her in Black Hayate's collar. Riza informs Havoc covertly in a pack of cigarettes and he passes that message to Mustang. The Promised Day will happen that spring.


Thoughts/Review: I found it very interesting that Pride didn't take part in the fight against Greed. I wonder why. Surely, Pride and Wrath would have taken out Greed. The only thing I can think of is that Pride, as Selim, doesn't want to hurt his foster mother by revealing the truth about himself. That whole fake family structure is so odd to me.

Speaking of odd families, there's the Armstrong family. I have to say that they are an amusing family. I like Olivier's method for removing her family from harm because it does nothing to raise suspicions. I was bummed that her fight with Alex was so one sided. I would have liked to have seen Alex get in his licks, but I suppose that you can't show a man hitting a woman without being a villain, eh?

It was nice to see Havoc again. I'd forgotten about him and in some ways, it is amazing that he's still in the hospital. I like that Mustang is still spending time with his former underling. Further, it keeps Havoc in the story since Riza paid him a visit to deliver a message to Mustang. I wonder what Havoc's role will be down the road since the still shots showed him heading east.

Which reminds me -- you know how that we can't show tobacco products in a "cartoon" (ie: One Piece) because of the progressive, nanny state mindset? Can someone tell me if cigerettes show up on Cartoon Network for this series? After all, the passing of the pack of cigarettes is a major element to the story and without it, the episode fails (IMO).

Although she wasn't named back then (at least, I don't remember her being named), I immediately recognized Rebecca from the 2nd OVA episode Simple People. I'm glad I got to see that first because having that non-important side-story OVA from an earlier point in story time, Rebecca doesn't come off as some made up friend for Riza to have just for the purposes of passing on information. She would have had I not seen the OVA so I'm curious how FUNimation handles that.

Regardless, I wonder if Rebecca might end up with Havoc somehow. Just a thought.

I normally don't go through the ED but after last week's episode, I decided to play through and not skip them. Interesting that the ED showed still shots of the various characters so that we could see Ed and Hohenheim working on a plan, Winry helping Rose with meals, Havoc leaving the hospital, Ed and company going with Greed, etc. The part that really caught my eye was seeing Sloth is now in Central and Gluttony is apparently back. Very interesting.

So, more pieces are being set for this future Promised (Fated) Day. I can't wait to see more.

xxxHOLiC Manga Chapter 200 Review

xxxHOLiC Manga Chapter 200

SPOILER Summary/Synopsis: The young woman states that the noise Watanuki had heard was the man she lived with jumping off the balcony. Watanuki is stunned that the reason the man jumped was his fear of the young woman. She states that her beatings were the result of that fear and that her injuries would heal in time. She continues to stun Watanuki by revealing she is immortal and had lived with the man for forty years. Initially, he was happy that she would never grow old but as he grew older and she did not, he began to abuse her. She tolerated it as it might help with his fears.

The young woman removes her bandages and clothing, instantly recovering and revealing hair longer than her body. Watanuki asks what she is, but she doesn't have an answer. She believes she was human once. She sheds a tear of blood (?) which forms the crimson pearl. She says the a crimson pearl is formed whenever someone she has spent time with dies. Watanuki understands this to be the woman's method of grieving the loss of others, which she agrees with, saying she still feels sorrow. She gives Watanuki the pearl, recognizing him as someone like her.


Thoughts/Review: Man, this didn't go anywhere like I thought it might. I couldn't begin to speculate on what might happen based on the previous chapter's end, but it seemed to me that we might have another supernatural being living in that apartment. To have it be a 62-year old man committing suicide stunned me as much as it did Watanuki in the story. Kudos to CLAMP for that mind rocking.

This chapter made me sit and think for a while. I thought about how a 22-year old man might meet some super-hottie and fall in love with her. For whatever reason, she apparently falls in love with him and they get together (whether married or not). He finds out that she will never age and thinks, "I've scored big! For the rest of my life, I'll have sex with a hot babe."

CLAMP doesn't go into any details, but I imagine that when the man turned 42, he was no doubt still happy to be with someone young and hot. However, he sees himself getting older while she is still young and hot. He sees mortality in the distance, something unseen in your 20's and most of your 30's. He begins to ponder dying, to say nothing of getting older and more frail.

As the years pass, his fears grow. He's afraid this beautiful girl will leave him. After all, he's turning into an old man and she's still young and fresh. So, he attempts to do things to insure she won't leave by dominating her and physically abusing her. Take off some of her beauty, then other guys won't be looking at her with lustful gazes and she won't have anyone willing to take her away from him.

Eventually, his fears and rage consume him, though for some reason, I imagine this person also feeling somewhat guilty as well. Regardless, he's at his wits end and kills himself. The young woman sheds a tear for the man she loved and spent 40-years with as she restores her appearance to normal.


I don't know if CLAMP will explore this couple's relationship any further than what they've done, leaving us to fill in the blanks as I did above. The big question is what her relationship is with Jorô-Gumo. For Jorô-Gumo to know a Crimson Pearl was coming suggests to me that the young woman must have known her companion would soon die. What I don't know is why Jorô-Gumo is going through Watanuki to gain a Crimson Pearl when she seemingly could obtain one directly from the young woman.

Since CLAMP decided to introduce Himawari-chan into the current storyline, I wonder if that will tie in somehow. Watanuki won't die providing he doesn't leave the store but Himawari-chan will get old and die. I wonder if that's the tie.

There seems to also be a connection with Yuuko-san's death but we'll see.

So in the end, I found this to be a rather thought-provoking chapter. Too bad the next edition of Young Magazine doesn't go on sale until March 1st, so no xxxHOLiC for a little while.

Negima! Chapter 281 SPOILER Images

Negima! 281 SPOILER Images
魔法先生 ネギま！Chapter 281 (Images)

Here's what I know many of you have been waiting for -- the original-sized, sneak-peek SPOILER images for Mahou Sensei Negima! Chapter 281 as brought to you by anonymous Japanese fans (click pic to make bigger, y'all).


There could be more since these came in over two postings, so be sure to check back for more. Nice to see Yue love after Nodoka love. ^_^ Also, some Mana love as a side dish. ^_~

Update: Sure enough, another wave.


Chachamaru lovin' and the fearsome "Neko Power." Don't mess with the kitty, y'all. ^_^

Update: Thanks to all those who sent alerts on the other images. These aren't from the normal Japanese source(s), so a thanks to whomever did those. Please note that these images are very small.


If the Japanese post some larger ones, I'll switch out or something. ^_^ Thanks again to everyone.

Negima! Manga Vol 31 Ch 280 Review

魔法先生 ネギま！Volume 31 Chapter 280 (manga)
Mahou Sensei Negima! Manga Chapter 280

SPOILER Summary/Synopsis: Nodoka learns the dark mage's name is Dynamis and she pays the price with a blow that knocks her across the room. She remembers her days with the treasure hunters and their advice on how to use her artifact to determine an enemy's weakness. As such, she's able to avoid Dynamis's attack and get to the key-staff. She asks the function of the staff and pulls from Dynamis's mind the ability to defend herself. She then asks how to use the staff to escape and again retrieves the information from Dynamis's mind to teleport herself and Asakura to safety, leaving Dynamis to truly understand why the Diarium Ejus is such a feared artifact.

Elsewhere, Kaede arrives too late to save Tosaka from "death" but takes out the entity who caused it. Akira and Ako mourn the passing of Tosaka when Nodoka and Asakura arrive. Nodoka starts to explain when Dynamis teleports in and has Nodoka by the neck, retrieving the staff from her. Dynamis destroys the mini Diarium Ejus that Nodoka has and is about to kill Nodoka when Setsuna arrives and removes Dynamis's hand. Setsuna presses forward her attack (Shinmeiryuu Ougi: Zantetsusen) and activates her pactio artifact with Konoka, drawing on Konoka's vast magical reserves to begin a massive attack (Tsurugi no Kami: Takemikazuchi). Dynamis retreats but promises that there next meeting will come soon.

With the loss of so many friends from the Magic World, Natsumi wants to return to Japan to which Kaede agrees is their best course of action since their enemy apparently has orders not to kill humans. Kaede is reflecting on getting Anya and the badge problem when Yuuna objects to their fleeing. Nodoka sides with Yuuna, saying that she believes it is possible to bring back all of the slain if they can get their hands on the Great Grand Master Key (English term used in the manga).


Thoughts/Review: Nodoka.

I have to say that while I certainly enjoyed the speculation on how Nodoka might have some offensive capability, I think that Akamatsu-sensei's way is best. For starters, it keeps Nodoka in character as a sweet girl who's not a mage or a fighter, but rather someone intelligent who loves to read. As such, I love how she reads her opponent, then uses that knowledge to her advantage. She clearly shows Dynamis why she and her artifact is to be feared as it can draw out all kinds of information (for which there is apparently no defense) and then she can use that information to either fight or flee as the case may be.

After the schooling Nodoka gave Dynamis (though to be fair, Nodoka got schooled herself), I was thinking about Negi's battle harem (Ala Alba). Nodoka, Yue, Sayo, and Asakura clearly belong in the Intel wing of Ala Alba. Sayo and Asakura are scouts and I'd pair them with Chachamaru since they've worked well together and she could protect them (with proper equipment, Sayo could also lend a hand in fighting). Yue would be someone who'd have to stay at Negi's side to provide him with information and to help with strategy (to say nothing of her own growing fighting ability).

Nodoka is someone I'd pair up with Kaede. I believe Nodoka has to be within a certain distance of her target to read their thoughts. Kaede would be the logical choice to safely get Nodoka to the target, then see to Nodoka's safety during tough situations (and if Nodoka has thought feeds, she'd obviously be able to assist as needed).

Just my rambling thoughts.

Anyway, Nodoka's own growth being on a different track from Yue's is a good thing as I see it. It keeps the manga from falling into the pitfall of having a ton of ultra-powerful warriors by giving the team a balance of warriors, intel folks, and even a healer. Nodoka takes on an additional role of troop rallier, which I rather enjoy.


Setsuna's arrival allowed us to get a glimpse of her new artifact and its potential. No doubt, we'll see its return down the road. I would love to see Setsuna be able to use both of her artifacts, but we'll see how Akamatsu-sensei plays out the pactio system.

Nice to see Anya given a "shout out" if you will. Kaede's thoughts also remind the audience that she doesn't know Asuna is a fraud. Since everyone seems to be gathering at the backup spot, I guess Negi will soon arrive as well, at which point the push to rescue Anya and Asuna should get underway. I'd guess that the other non-Ala Alba members (Takahata, Mana, Misora, etc.) and Yue will end up gathering as well.

Another good chapter to be sure, but I do hope we can make some progress in the next several weeks on (1) unmasking Shiori-Asuna and (2) finding Anya and Asuna before finally (3) fixing the MW and restoring its population.