Excellent chapter. Interesting that tenseiga is no longer broken and it is confirmed that the healing power remains. This means that Sesshoumaru retains the healing power and is not disinherited by Inu no Taishu. We won't have to worry about Inuyasha running around resurrecting people, and that's good. I had also been worried that Sess's fang would be added to a shattered tenseiga, much as Inuyasha's was added to tesseiga. Now we know he will absorb the tenseiga into his new sword.
  DaviDK(Quote)

I don't know about you guys…but I really enjoyed this chapter. I was getting tired of the whole sword arc, but now it kind of seemed worth it. Sesshomaru seems to be pulling it together. I also enjoyed Rin taking the sword for him. Maybe things will start looking up for the story after all.  Elise_96(Quote)

LOL at that joke page.  Seriously, that's the sort of attitudes shown whenever the double issue comes around.  OH NOES!  WE HAVE TO WAIT!

Yay for Sesshoumaru-bitchslap!  Works so much more effectively than smelling salts!

And so what we thought was correct, Tenseiga's going to either gain new powers or be absorbed into a totally new sword.  That's good news.  And a new development, hoorah.  Let's just hope it's not another goddamn sword arc so soon…I'm a little burnt out on those.  Anyone else?

  KagomeKagome(Quote)

They always say "a new development" when an arc ends. I am personally hoping for a Naraku arc. The guy really needs a new body. Having a disembodied head floating inside a barrier just doesn't cut it for a super villain. And since he can't reform this body, he has to build a new one, like the poison imp arc, or Mt. Hakurei. If not that I would love to see a Miroku arc. I don't want to see him healed yet, but I'd love to see an arc giving some detail about his situation.

It seems like we will get two more Sesshoumaru sword arcs. The first he will do whatever it is he has to do to earn his sword. The second will be Totosai presenting the sword, and Sess learning (or testing) it's powers. Hopefully RT will wait a while before starting that though. 

  DaviDK(Quote)

Oh, I know she always says "new development," David.   Just a little sarcastic joke on my part over the sword arcs we've had and will continue to have in the future.

I'm with you on the "Naraku really needs a body" thing.
 

  KagomeKagome(Quote)

David, another new body? He doesn't need a new body. I sincerely hope that his current body (the body he acquired through Moryoumaru) just needs a new immunity.

Also, I am simply sick of the sword arcs. Kohaku's shard is desperate need of a resolution and the entire plot seems to have been stalling for the past 6 months.

  Starks(Quote)

that was a good chapter at least the sword issue is over for the time being, we were sorta needing a break from that one!! I have a feeling theres gna be some naraku action next… well i hope so!!!

cant wait for next weeks chapter!!!

oh and good luck in ur exams Starks!!! Ive got mine too next week so i really should be *cough* revising …best of luck again!!!

  sandpiper(Quote)

I agree with you Starks, Kohaku's shard-problem really needs a solution… and it was a little bit dissappointing for me that seemingly nothing happened between him and Sango, although they were next to each other for a few chapter now xD

Anyway, we got to see some brotherly love finally!!!^^" Sesshoumaru taking out the shard out of Inuyasha, then punching him conscious xD It was hilarious, ne? xD Then Inu worrying about his brother being swallowed up by the Meidou xDD

Oh, and Rin is a clever one, isn't she…? 'I'll give him, when he feels better!' xDD it was just soo swett and sooo… Rin-ish xD

  Arvael(Quote)

I'm glad that Kohaka and Sango didn't make up and travel together. The relationship between the siblings would be just one more thing to deal with as the manga works towards the end. Let them resolve it when Naraku's dead, and they have avenged there father. Let's let the final arc concentrate on the final shard and Kohaku's life.  DaviDK(Quote)

p.s. Miroku's life to. His life has always depended on defeating Naraku. Now that it is near the end, having the clear and present danger of the poison will add to the tension of the finale.  DaviDK(Quote)

Doesn't this chapter also prove that humans are capable of handling Tenseiga? I don't think I've seen Tenseiga be touched by anyone other than Sesshoumaru (and possibly by the Inu no Taishou).  Starks(Quote)

Guess so. Humans could handle tesseiga. I can't recall anything being said about tenseiga.   DaviDK(Quote)

Heh. Tessaiga and Tenseiga have also been handled by Toutousai… But that's to be expected since he forged them.  Starks(Quote)

Was anyone else simply amazed at how Sesshoumaru changed his attitude and essentially put his faith and his very life in the hands of the half-brother he has despised his entire life?  Starks(Quote)

I hadn't thought about it that way. He did acknowledge Inuyasha as the true successor to the sword in chapter 503. As such he must have believed that he had the ability to save them. Besides, what else could he do?   DaviDK(Quote)

What I don't understand is why Rumiko chose to handle the entire concept of Meidou Zangetsuha in such an awkward manner. The attack was supposed to represent his almost unprecedented growth as a character. The fact that he no longer possesses it suggests that all of this growth was for naught. Rumiko also made Sesshoumaru seem incredibly immature over the past few arcs. This series wouldn't be in the shit-hole it's in right now if Rumiko never brought back Sesshy's sword envy. I find it extremely foolish to dedicate 3 consecutive volumes to a stupid sword.   Starks(Quote)

Hee hee. I was dead on! (I was the one who obnoxiously asserted that this chapter would be about Inuyasha learning to use the new sword power.)

…And yet, I found this chapter very sweet. And full of unexpected little things.

Many people's seemingly mutually exclusive theories turned out to be true. Inuyasha was deeply affected by the poison/environment(?), while Sesshoumaru was fine. Inuyasha saved Sesshoumaru. Sesshoumaru saved Inuyasha. Sesshoumaru will be getting a sword that is "his own" in some manner involving Totosai. He's also getting to keep the Tenseiga. The mind boggles! Does Takahashi read English? Maybe she visits the site!

Bonuses I think no one expected:

Sesshoumaru punching Inuyasha awake.
Inuyasha's noteworthy sympathy towards Sesshoumaru after realizing Sesshoumaru intentionally gave up his only weapon.
Tenseiga falling out of the hole.
Rin picking up Tenseiga and carting it off for later.

For my part, I was more surprised that Inuyasha recognized Sesshoumaru's sacrifice from the last chapter than I was surprised that Sesshoumaru put his trust in him. What choice did Sesshoumaru have, really? I guess he could have grabbed the sword out of his unconscious brother's hands, but that doesn't seem very… … …manly. I think Sesshoumaru might fear dishonor/anticlimax at least a little bit more than death.

P.S. Why were they dissappearing? Does the Meidou have no internally consistent logic or what?

Many folks saw this as the prelude to Sesshoumaru getting written out of the story. Far from it, I guess. There might be a lot of story still to go. At this point, does anyone think Kouga might come back? He might be shikon shardless, but he didn't get those superclaws for nothing, did he?  Hibari(Quote)

So much for a gradual, believable shift for Sesshoumaru's actions towards Inuyasha. Geez, RT. She had Sesshoumaru sort of moving towards a softer line on Inu, then this sword business started. (Without which Sesshoumaru's attitude would have at least made sense).  Nothing like being in a hurry, and poorly planned to top it all off.  The ending of this arc takes the cake though, a "self-healing…….healing sword" yeah, Okay. It was strange, why in the heck even have the sword break in the first place ?

I suppose it wouldn't make much sense for it to be a problem for a human to handle either sword, they wouldn't be able to use them. (God, I hope we don't move into a arc explaining that…..LOL).  I am glad that Inu did not inherit any more then he did.

  sorrel(Quote)

With each arc, we expect the plot to wrap up. But paradoxically, we seem to drifting further and further from the end. For every powerup the good guys get, there is an equally as significant powerup given to the enemy. Its an endless and vicious cycle. It utterly pisses me off.

I'm not asking Rumiko to write Sesshoumaru out of the story… But things need to be resolved!

  Starks(Quote)

Do you suppose she is planning to directionlessly milk Inuyasha until she retires? How old is she? How long have we got?  Hibari(Quote)

Hibari, I would certainly hope not. Rumiko is only 49 years old (not that old for a mangaka, but she looks ugly as sin). Anywho, Inuyasha has been effectively directionless since the final shard arc. She was deeply considering ending the manga at that point and wanted to wrap up everything then. Don't know what happened to those plans.

I will say unofficially that I do not want to or even plan to scanlate this manga if it drifts into 2009.

  Starks(Quote)

 Hibari:I liked the little moments you mentioned as well. I just wish this whole thing had happened eariler. Sword upgrade arcs are not my  favorite.

And on your question about Kouga, I hope she does something with him again before the story ends for good, because nothing has been resolved with him either.

  ginnekomiko(Quote)

I am hoping that once Sesshoumaru receives his own sword we will see the final arc begin. That is the only loose end that I don't believe can be resolved in the final arc. She could insert and envelop it in the way dragon scale tesseiga was inserted into the Moryoumaru arc. But, I thought that broke the action up to much then, and I think linking the sword to the final arc would do the same. I am hoping for ten to fifteen chapters before the final arc starts (including Sess's sword), then I am hoping for twenty to thirty chapters for the final arc not including the last battle and epilogue). While I don't want RT to rush things and have an ending by new years, I am hoping it's over by easter 2008.   DaviDK(Quote)

@4634, Starks:

As far as I remember, it never have been mentioned that only Sesshoumaru (and Toutousai) can touch Tenseiga. Though touching and handling is a whole different matter, ne? Handling a sword in my opinion includes the ability to use it correctly. Though, searching through one of my dictionaries, I found that it also means only "touching" it… tsk_tsk… I need to brush up my English…ˇˇ"

  Arvael(Quote)

If you all asked me how soon I thought the manga could end. I would've said at 525… Now everything looks like it'll end no earlier than 550…

With regard to Kouga… I can't see him getting anything other than a cameo in the epilogue chapters. He's practically useless now. Yes, while he is still faster than the average Yourouzoku even without his shards, the Goraishii's usefulness is effectively nullified by his lack of agility.

  Starks(Quote)

Arvael, are you suggesting that only those with pure hearts can handle Tessaiga or Tenseiga? It makes sense… If Rin was in any danger of being rejected by Tenseiga's barrier, Toutousai wouldn't have let her touch it.  Starks(Quote)

I have to agree.  I had thought that everything concerning Kouga had been resolved (if you can call it that), considering he's working on rebuilding the pack/tribe/whatever you want to call it.

As for how long this is looking like it's going to go on, I know you'll really love me for saying this, Starks, but I'm starting to fear that your April Fool's joke was a bit too close to the truth.  Dammit.
 

  KagomeKagome(Quote)

I am with you Starks. No less the 550 chapters, hopefully no more then 565. Only three subplots should matter at this point. Sesshoumaru's sword, Miroku's life, and Kohaku's shard. Hopefully the final arc centers on the final two.    DaviDK(Quote)

KK, I wouldn't go as far to say that Kouga is COMPLETELY resolved. But Ginta and Hakkaku certainly are.

Anywho, about the April Fool's joke, it was not my aim to project a bleak future of another 96 chapters. 

  Starks(Quote)

David, there is also the issue of wasted opportunities.

Rumiko was teasing us as we neared chapter 500. We all assumed that Kohaku's shard would've been resolved right then and there. Everything was essentially perfect. All the necessary characters were present and in all honesty (and may I dare say), the final battle could've easily taken place right then and there. It was a prime opportunity to kill Byakuya as well as resolve Kohaku but Rumiko chose to completely squander the opportunity without advancing the plot beyond a simple (and in my view, pointless) Hiraikotsu upgrade.

  Starks(Quote)

Well, that's what I meant about "if you can call it 'resolved'".  It's somewhat resolved, but yeah…who knows.  It may be as resolved as it gets.  I hope not.

Haha, you may have not meant to doom us to another 96 chapters, but I think you did just that, you jinx.  (Merely kidding…I hope you didn't doom us )
 

  KagomeKagome(Quote)

We also need to deal with the prospect of "endgame plot-twists". We need to start considering what happens after everything is said and done. This goes beyond the whole notion of who survives and who dies. There are going to be plenty of loose ends to tie up after the final battle.  Starks(Quote)

Starks: I had assumed that chapter 497 was going to be the beginning of the final battle, for all the reasons you had stated. In retrospect I think that RT had wanted to resolve the sword issue (weather we liked it or not) and get Sesshoumaru a weapon of his own. More importantly I think she has a long arc planned before the final battle, something along the lines of the Shichinintai or border to the afterlife/Abi-Hime arcs. I mean that in terms of length, not plot. If it has to go on that is what I am hoping for. I do think that would give more to the readers, rather then jumping in to the final battle.

I thought that this arc was a wasted opportunity. I've always contended that Sesshoumaru losing the medou was necessary. Now he can find himself and unleash his full power. Unfortunately RT mishandled. this should have happened quite sometime ago. She kept building up the meidou, and then just dumped at a kind of random point. Also, this arc was to long. Their was to many battle scenes, which never are as good in print. And she ended up (as everyone has said) contradicting Sesshoumaru's character growth. All would have gone better if Sess had learned to fire a complete Meidou when he was in hell. Then he could have turned the power over to Inuyasha in the Shishinki arc.

  DaviDK(Quote)

p.s. Hopefully no one else dies, and the only loose ends left by the last battle is what happens to Miroku and Kohaku. The issues surrounding  them could easily be part of the final arc/final battle.
  DaviDK(Quote)

I just think that Rumiko completely lost track of what she wanted to do with Sesshoumaru after Kikyou died. I accept (and I'm sure others will agree) that the Meidou Zangetsuha was a necessary plot device to make up for Sesshoumaru's loss of Toukijin, but I have come to realize that Rumiko messed up somewhere along the line during the Fluffette arc.

Rumiko's habit of not planning more than a month ahead apparently came back to bite her and she spent the last 6 months trying to cover her ass and repair her mistake.
 

  Starks(Quote)

In all honesty, I don't know why I still follow or even continue to scanlate Inuyasha. The manga is turning into one disappointment after another.

Granted, I've been following this series since 2002. I feel attached to it and somewhat obligated to see it through to the end. It's not exactly to the point where it becomes painful to read the chapters each week (I haven't felt that way since I watched Erementar Gerad/Elemental Gelade).

You know what else I find hilarious? We're all so sure that Rumiko plans to give this series a proper ending, we neglect to realize how similar the situation is to Ranma.

  Starks(Quote)

Dear lord, I have been following this fandom for almost all of its 10 years now.  I feel pathetic or stupid…or pathetically stupid.  

I don't blame you for your feelings, Starks (although I am glad you continue to scanalate it because I still hold out some hope that it will not end in complete suckage).  Really, while there have been a few good chapters here and there, I've been pretty disappointed since the Shichinintai arc. 

Honestly, I've been saying for a while now that I expect IY to end like Ranma did, but people keep telling me that I'm delusional, so I give up.

  KagomeKagome(Quote)

*since the END of the Shichinintai arc, is what I meant.  I miss those guys.  KagomeKagome(Quote)

I honestly think that Rumiko is afraid to do anything rash. She's utterly afraid to kill off any of the principle characters (Kikyou is not a main character in my view). It seems that she wants to prolong the plot and avoid the issue of people dying until the absolute last minute.

For instance, suppose she had decided to kill off Sesshoumaru or Kohaku (doesn't matter how, just assume she did). What kind of message would that send to the fans and fangirls? Would they want to keep reading for another 20+ chapters as everything else is resolved?

  Starks(Quote)

Well, obviously not.  Sesshoumaru + fangirls/bois = kaching!  I'm wondering if either a.) she's been blackmailed into keeping this manga going for longer than she originally intended or b.) she's looking to stockpile cash for an early retirement, and IY is a cash-cow, as we know.

LOL at Kikyou not being a main character.  Watch out, Starks!  Heaven forbid if you piss off the rabid Kikyou fans! 
 

  KagomeKagome(Quote)

She must have some kind of empty nest syndrome or something…doesn't want to let of her baby.  Besdies, no one knows her true motives anyways.  The best motive for dragging this comic out would be the preposterous amount of money she gets paid.  She's probably milking it, as everyone and their grandmother said before. 

     To be fair though we are really getting some first grade stuff as of late out of her.  The swords arcs are done;  what else could inuyasha possibly do to upgrade his sword now that it can cut through the gd universe? haha.  Sesshomaru should and most likely will be pushed to the back-burner.  This leaves….kohakus shard in his kneck as the last remaining shard to be attained.  Kagome has her new bow, miroku got his medicine so he can suck up anything with his wind tunnel without pain, sango has her new and improved bone boomerang, and now inuyasha has just attained god-mode….pretty much sums up the invincible team on their righteous journey.

     Yah, yah, these last few arcs may have been boring/pointless/whatever.  But this is just the pre-game show baby!  She was just pumping them up so they can beast naraku when the time comes.

  I forget who said it but they said the whole series has become a vicious cycle of upgrades/enemy upgrades and bs.  I will have to dissagree.  This last arc was a necessary movement in the story and will put sesshomaru in inuyasha's shadow.  This implies, to me at least, that inuyasha is ready to get god-mode on naruka finally. 

    It's true that takahashi lost a valuable opportunity to settle everything in the story up in one fell swoop but we all know she likes to bleed out every crucial plot sequence like it's the gd spanish inquisition over here! eh! eh!  We're just trying to read some comics over here!  Don't loose hope yet though!  All the soldiers are on the field and checkmate is imminent.  Naraku has 3 moves tops before him and his idiot illusionist get eradicated.

@ Starks and co. :  good job on the new website!  keep up the fantastic work!  It's always a joy to come her and nitpick about inuyasha and get more opinions, and if you think this new format is the best way to save you headaches then I'm with you and so is everyone else (except that basid spammer).  So keep it up and thanks again.

Inuyasha for president baby!

  Feyd(Quote)

You know what? I think I'm being a little too harsh.

We should give Rumiko some credit. It takes a herculean effort to keep a series like IY going on for as long as it has.

Sure, we can bitch and moan about our dissatisfaction with how the manga is turning out but it's not like she isn't trying.

Look at it this way. In chapter 503 it was established that Sesshoumaru had pretty much accepted Inuyasha as the rightful owner of Tessaiga. If Rumiko had killed him off in the meidou after this realization, I wouldn't have had any big problems.

What surprised me is that he survived. He helped remove the Kongouseki spears from his back and allowed himself to be saved by Inuyasha. That's growth.

Are we that angry with the series that we willingly ignore the progress being made?

  Starks(Quote)

No, no.  You're right.  I was actually pleased with this chapter.  I'd be more pleased if it didn't take 20+ freaking chapters of battling every time to get to this growth, but I'll parrot our beloved troll:  IT'S SHOUNEN MANGA!  Eh, it doesn't bug me that much.

<i>it can cut through the gd universe</i>

Haha!!  Tessaiga now reminds me of something that belongs in one of the Space Odyssey movies or an episode of The Grim Adventures of Billy and Mandy.  And LOL at "god-mode".

  KagomeKagome(Quote)

Inuyasha isn't traditional shounen though. It's primary genre is "bouken" (adventure).  Starks(Quote)

But seriously now what on god's green earth can possibly stop the son of god?  Naraku is going to man up against the son of god and his god sword? eh?! eh!?  he is gonna get slapped in the face by a giant dog tooth and…be…beaten.  This is every young man's/old man's dream.  Hang out with young, hot chicks and kill anything that moves.  Game over. Inuyasha is probably the greatest action/adventure comic I have ever read aside from lords of plasm.  Yah…there is some milking involved in this series…but then again…what the hell series doesn't has some bs in it?  You can get back to me on that if you can't think of one off the top of your head haha.

    The bottom line is this:  Rumiko takahashi has got her formula down pat.  For a female writer she knows what guys want:  young hot chicks, the son of god killing everything that moves with a god-sword, lots of blood.  We are talking action, adventure, drama, love story, this comic has so much packed into it I can understand why takahashi has taken a biblical ammount of time writing it: she has this idea of grandeur…this motivation to write a story that will just plain take every other comic behind the woodshed. 

     I have been perusing this site for a while now and I know as well as every other fan knows that we want action and we wants it now!  But let's chill out a bit and give this woman some credit.  You think your moms could write such a kick-ass story?  shut it..right…down.  Give her some more time…hell if this comic has been running strong for 5 years it's gonna putter out all fast?  She is probably concocting some ending of epic proportions that is gonna leave us all with goosebumps and nightmares for the rest of our natural lives.   Judging by what she has written so far we are in for a show when the son of god(inuyasha) and satan incarnate(naraku) meet up for the final showdown.  I'm all pumped just thinking about it.

Inuyasha for president baby!

  Feyd(Quote)

I know.  I was just being silly.  I kept recalling Catfish's response to damn near everything with "IT'S SHOUNEN MANGA!!!" and decided to use it like a cliche.  I hang around Fark, Digg, and Slashdot waaayyy too much for my own good.
 

  KagomeKagome(Quote)

LMAO!  

"Yasha Christ, superstar!  Kicking youkai ass both near and far!"*

*sung to the tune of "Jesus Christ, Superstar!"
 

And hell, no, my mother couldn't write this manga.  I've seen her poetry.  If she wrote this manga, dancing in the hottest level of Naraka would be more desirable than reading this.

  KagomeKagome(Quote)

Feyd, that's an interesting proposal.

You're right, we shouldn't be jumping to conclusions that she'll butcher the ending or leave it like Ranma. If she ends up doing so, shame on us for putting faith in her. But seriously, she has to be brewing up something epic.

I know she doesn't plan the arcs very far in advance (she has stated this publicly on multiple occasions), but we should give her a chance.

  Starks(Quote)

Alls I'm saying is this:  she has shown us that she can write an addictive comic about the son of god.  If she can pull that off then she's got one more trick up her sleeve than any of us are giving her credit for.

Inuyasha for president baby!

  Feyd(Quote)

Heheh. I wouldn't go as far as comparing Inuyasha to Jesus, but he certainly does have a knack for pulling miracles and bullshit attacks out of his ass.  Starks(Quote)

His dad was a dog god.  So he is the literally the son of "a" god.  Not like jesus per se…more like….greg allman with a bad attitude, a bllod red zoot suite, and daddys absess tooth on steroids.

And to be frank with you all…I really do take her hidden little meanings to heart.  I really feel that this comic is about some kind of holy war between dieties.  For however much a retard inuyasha might be…he is technically immortal and despite being stupid is morally pure.  His journey can be seen a a jihad if you took a kind of…creppy religious take on it.  Hey! I am not saying anyone has to be religious or take my opinions to heart.   Just…for me….naraku is satan and inuyasha is the son of god.  I don't want to start a theology debate I am just sayin that there are a lot of parallels between theology and Inuyasha, however wacky AND retarded that may sound.

Inuyasha for president baby!

  Feyd(Quote)

That's not retarded.  I've always looked deeper into the religious/spiritual aspects of IY.  KagomeKagome(Quote)

Feyd, it's not stupid or retarded. 

The Inu no Taishou was a Dog General, hence the name "Taishou". To the best of my knowledge, he wasn't a god of any sort. Plus, what kind of god dies after fighting a wimpy dragon?

Anywho, I guess you could argue that Inuyasha is like a god. He's already surpassed his father in numerous ways. 

  Starks(Quote)

Naraku does mean Hell, does it not? Maybe FEYD isn't so far off!

I really did enjoy this chapter. I don't think I came away liking a chapter this much since chapters 496-498. I am crossing my fingers that no new concepts or plot lines are added. I know I am going to follow to the bitter end, and I'm hoping for the best.

  DaviDK(Quote)

p.s. the mini-spoiler is up. It's a Shippou chapter next week.   DaviDK(Quote)

o no, well only one character left  to beef up..lol  bigantfbi333(Quote)

after Shippou upgrades we still need a Jaken upgrade! Then Rin after that, and then Kohaku, and then Kirara, and then………………………………………….  DaviDK(Quote)

so this was his fathers intentions all along, for inuyasha to take possesion of two swords and sesshumaru to have his own weapon. i think part of the reason for the paternal conflicked with his father is because sesshumaru never understood his fathers intentions and their was so much he never knew about his father. i dont believe shessomaru ever told his son his intentions and by not knowing the gap his son got hert.  alexis(Quote)

I'd like to say that I have also been dissapointed by the recent events to a degree. But, for Inuyasha to have gone on so long with such a strong fan base must ellude that something is right about the series. And, I think that even though we get frustrated, there is still plenty to enjoy and love. I understand your frustrations, Starks. However, I'm glad that you also don't want to give up yet. I really did like this chapter though. Who knows why. I may be a little Emersonian optimist here, but it can only look up…I guess…  Elise_96(Quote)

I'm just wondering why Toutousai even gave Sesshy the Meidou Zangetsuha to begin with.  Starks(Quote)

Somebody had to perfect for Inuyasha, I guess. Maybe Inu No Taishu left a list for Totosai of things Sesshoumaru had to do to receive his own sword. It seems that this was vehicle for the father to force Sesshoumaru to acknowledge Inuyasha as a legitimate member of the family. RT does seem to love round about plot twists.   DaviDK(Quote)

I hope this upcoming Shippou arc has a purpose. Sure, it's a welcome break from sword upgrade arcs, but I pray that its good.  Starks(Quote)

Sesshoumaru pulling the spear out of Inuyasha's back and then bitchslapping him made this whole chapter worth it.

All in all, I enjoyed this arc as a standalone piece – I agree with most everyone else in that I don't think it flowed well with the overall plotline of the manga, but I think in and of itself it was compelling, complex, and fairly coherent (I love alliteration). It certainly turned out better than I thought it would in the beginning. I'm glad Sessh gets to keep the healing Tenseiga – I really didn't want Inuyasha to walk away with the whole cookie. My only major gripe: I think Sesshoumaru's weapon issues should have been resolved now, not left to hang and come back later. It would have been an easy three-step resolution of Sesshoumaru's journey, and then at least something would have been resolved in this story.

I am, however, willing to see how RT decides to go about pulling everything together. After all, it's impossible to maintain the same level of quality over eleven years, with only a few week's break here and there. And yet over that extended period of time she's managed to maintain enough badass to keep us all hanging on to this story, maybe she'll rally for the endgame. I'm naive enough to hope that she can make it all work.

And oy vey, it's Shippou's turn next week? Please, for the love of Bob, do NOT let it be an upgrade arc!

  Mental_Butterfly(Quote)

A Shippou upgrade arc wouldn't necessarily suck… But hey, at least it'll be interesting if it has comedy and Shippou using his kitsune youjitsu on some random demon.

The last awesome Shippou arc was back with Mujina… Right before Dakki and the Dragon Scaled Tessaiga was introduced.

  Starks(Quote)

I don't know, a Shippou upgrade would be kinda lame. A Rin upgrade, now that would be great. I mean she does have a sword now and if she could get past the fact that it is bigger then she is, maybe the healing tenseiga will be her power!  DaviDK(Quote)

p.s. I am looking forward to a little fluff. It's been cliffhanger after cliffhanger and I'm ready for something a little lighter. Something to cleanse the pallet.
  DaviDK(Quote)

I know Ris would appreciate a Rin upgrade (in more ways than one)…. He is quite the fan of "little girl power". I hear it's pretty potent stuff. 

Shippou does need an upgrade, his youjutsu sucks… When was the last time he did something useful with Kitsune bi?

All his good attacks are non-canon. Kokoro no Kizu, Bakuraizutsu, and Kumogakure need to become canon.

  Starks(Quote)

Huh. Well, color me impressed! This chapter was a pretty good wrap up of this whole swords issue.

I'm really quite impressed that RT managed to crank out a good ending to the arc, as hopeless as that sounds. XD And Sesshoumaru acting halfway decent for a change? AMAZING.

As for the Shippou chapter, I don't think it's going to be an upgrade. The last time we saw Shippou do any sort of thing on his own was with that badger-thing youkai that pretended to be a little girl, and even then, he didn't do much.

It'll probably be a gag chapter to help us swallow down that stretched out sword arc.

  Nana(Quote)

Hahaha. Nana agrees with me on the Mujina arc.

  Starks(Quote)

i am sooooo glad i found this site. the last one i found didnt even have the pictures!!!!   but i personally liked the chapter.

by the way, inu's dad didnt die from a wimpy dragon. if you saw the third movie, he was actually killed in a battle in the burning castle with the guy who killed inus mom (i cant think of his name right now). the wound from ryukotse pretty much just added to him losing…. ok so i guess his death was caused by him, but in an indirect way. (forgive me… i just got off work and am soooo tired and retarded right now)

but anywho… thanks again starks for this site. your totally awesome. please stick with it to the end. id be sad if you didnt 

  crystal(Quote)

*smile*
I really enjoyed this chapter. At the beginning it seemed like Sessh considered waking Inu by a shake, then said to himself "wait-no! F–* this!" and punched him instead. Perfectly reasonable, though whenever he is drawn punching, doesn't his hand seem too big?

Moving on, I felt that Sessh seemed positively paternal within the Meidou. Teh cuteness- Rin- saves the day with Tensega. Hopefully RT will show her convincing Sessh to take it. –But for now, bring on the Shippou; the peripheral characters have got to be getting bored by now. ^_^

Starks- your finals are just beginning? Wow, that seems late. Bona fortuna.  Pliny(Quote)

@4649, Starks:

Yeah, something like that. We saw Tessaiga lets humans or half demons touch it, though nobody is able to use besides Inuyasha (and Sesshoumaru, although he always gets hurt in the process T_T). Full demons could never handle it without being injured (and I don't think I've ever seen a youkai being close to try it, besides Sesshoumaru, but he also has Inutaishou's blood in his veins, ne?)

But Tessaiga only reject full-blooded demons. It doesn't really matter if the heart of the person who touches is pure or not (only if he/she is a demon), because remember, Naraku also touched it, and human bandits, as well; though it never worked for anybody else who didn't have Inutaishou's blood…

Anyway, Tenseiga is whole other matter, I don't think it has ever been confirmed if it has a barrier around it like Tessaiga, and I think the key is to handle it is similar to Tessaiga this point: to have Inutaishou's blood flowing through someone's veins. Though this never been confirmed, as well… -.-" I'd like to see if Inuyasha could handle it, though. And the way I see it, anybody can touch Tenseiga, though only Sesshoumaru could use it so far. So it wasn't that much of a surprise to find Rin can carry it (okay-okay, it was a little, because I don't know how heavy a katana is, but I doubt a little 7-8 year old girl could carry it easily xD).

So yeah. This is what I think this early in the morning. What do you think about it? Or am I letting my fantasy take me away again from the truth?^^"

  Arvael(Quote)

Arvael,

i think you pretty much got it right about who can touch the swords.

but i just remembered, dosn't tenseiga have a barrier around it that has protected sess. a couple times?

i can't really remember any specific examples, but i think when sess. has fought against IY's tessaiga the barrier on the tenseiga has protected him.

but i guess the barrier dosn't do anything about who can touch the sword.

i'm wondering though, if other demons can use tessaiga and tenseiga. I don't remember anything about having to have Inutaishou’s blood in order to use it.

it might just be that the other demons can't use the swords because they're not skilled enough.

anyways, i don't think it matters much. cuz i don't see IY or Sess. getting their swords stolen in the future

——

but about this chapter,

pretty interesting. it happened pretty much exactly how the spoiler said it would.

pretty weird that the tesseiga is still in one peice, but thats a good thing.

i dont understand though why IY didn't absorb all of the sword's powers (like the ability to heal)

i really hope Sess. gets a new sword though, i can't wait to see whats goign to happen.

  Nick(Quote)

Yeah, the fact about having Inutaishou's blood was only one of my musings, it have never been said it was needed to use the swords made from his fang(s?)Oh, I remember that one! When Inuyasha accidentally and unexpectedly unleashed Kaze no Kizu for the first time when he fought Sesshoumaru, that's when Tenseiga protected Sesshoumaru. Though I think it's a plus for its wielder(sp?^^"), but it's different form Tessaiga's… so it doesn't protect the sword from anyone, but its user. Yeah. ~nodding vigorously~  Arvael(Quote)

Didn't Tenseiga also save Sesshoumaru after he lost his arm?  Starks(Quote)

Nick, yes when Sesshoumaru was attacked by Moryomaru the barrier protected him. 

Crystal, the 3rd movie is not cannon and is not considered to be "true" to the Inu universe. In fact none of the movies are considered when discussing the manga. It has nothing to do with like or dislike rather it is the fact that they were not created by RT herself, they exist outside of the story line. 

  sorrel(Quote)

Starks, oh yeah. It leads up to my favorite story in the manga. Sesshoumaru meeting Rin.

The sheathes also have barriers, Inu's has protected/helped him a couple of times. I imagine (guessing  only) that Tensiega's sheath is the same. Since Sesshoumaru hasn't exactly ever handed his sword to anyone else there isn't any way to tell if it's barrier would work/help anyone else. Perhaps if Rin is attacked while holding the sword we would find out. At least if it is something that RT wants to show us then we will find out.

  sorrel(Quote)

Sorrel, I don't exactly recall the barrier coming into to play with Moryoumaru. Do you remember what volume or chapter that was?

Anywho, it is my understanding that every time Tenseiga has saved Sesshoumaru, the sword was sheathed and both the sword and saya pulsated simultaneously. 

  Starks(Quote)

After reading all those rather depressing coments about how RT is letting everyone down, just wanted to say how much I loved this chapter. Can´t see why everyone think the last weeks were pointless. There were huge advances on Sess part, and some on Inu part. I mean, he got to be treated with respect by his arrogant older brother, and  realised that Sess was perfectly intentional when he broke his sword. That is worth so much more that just some random bad yoikai akk-kicking arc! Inu´s whole character backgroung is about getting shunned by humans and youkai alike, and Sess has been the embodyment of the youkai superiority until now. From that point of view, the whole "whether you get us out of here or we die" attitude was… priceless. 

I also find that Sess´s evolution, psychologically speaking, was very well done. It is a matter of opinion if it was al all necesary, but once RT settled on writing it, she could´t have made it quicker. Not at all. I´ll put it simple: Sess is not human. I think InuTaisho was an oddity among youkai (a great and respected leader, but odd in his attitude towards humans nevertheless). Sess is closer to what a taiyoukai is supposed to be. It is not in his nature to care, to love, or to be understanding of "lesser" beings. He has been changing, slowly and probably without realising it, thanks to Rin, and Kagura, and by watching Inu struggle with his life. But when everyone started to expect too much "humanity" from him, RT had him backslash. And it was right. That´s what people (and my doggie) do when under pression. He struggled through it, did a couple of stupid things, than got it right. I´m sorry many people were bored by all this. Hell I wasn´t! Also, can´t say if the timing for this kind of angst was right or wrong: just reading the manga since last year. 

And for those complaining, try telling me that Rin´s "I´ll convince him when he is feeling better" wasnt´s priceless. My, but doesn´t the ward seem more mature than her protector! 

Another smily bits of this chapter: Sess wondering why Inu fainted and almost having to remember that he´s a hanyou (I mean, forgetting that Inu´s easily hurt is a whole new level of acknowledgement from Sess, hasn´t he spend the whole manga rubbing his heritage into his face?) And another first: Sess asking whether Totosai expected him to go around saving people with Tenseiga, and not even theatening him after that!

  Starshine_IY(Quote)

Starshine: I agree with you on most point. I must have enjoyed these chapters, how else to explain checking to see if there up every fifteen minutes or so. I'd give the arc as a whole a solid B, but the final chapter gets an A. My biggest complaint is that diolougless battle scenes went on to long. Chapter 501 and 502 could have easily been one chapter. All the fighting is great in the anime, but in the manga can be dull (if it goes on to long). This arc has been going for seven weeks now, and that might have been a little overkill.
  DaviDK(Quote)

David, in retrospect, I've come to similar conclusions. After rereading this weeks chapter at least three times, I've realized how great this arc really is. Sure, it may have been a little sloppy, but it lead to massive character development. 

(Hahaha. I just had an interesting thought. Tenseiga could very well be the ultimate defense.)

  Starks(Quote)

Starks: I had been thinking that Inuyasha should have acquired the meidou in order to defeat Shishinki. While the upgrade would haven't been dragged out, Sesshoumaru's growth would have been less convincing. Anyhow, since Inuyusha does not get healing tenseiga, we're coming out ahead. A lot of the tings I feared would happen as a result of this arc do not appear likely, and a lot of the things I was hoping would result, appear to be. So it looks like I'm coming out ahead when all is said and done.   DaviDK(Quote)

Random thought: since Tenseiga CREATES defensive barriers, could it possibly CUT defensive barriers as well (as in Naraku´s annoying defensive barriers)? Does anyone remember if it has been tried before?

  Starshine_IY(Quote)

I can't recall SEsshoumaru trying it, though I can't recall him using tenseiga in a battle with Naraku either. Besides until the meidou was added, tenseiga could not cut anything of this world. Now that the meidou is gone it is back to the same. I interpreted the barrier it put up as the father protecting the son. Same goes for when tesseiga protects Inuyasha.  DaviDK(Quote)

David, the Tenseiga could never have been used as a melee weapon, even after the Meidou Zangetsuha was acquired. Granted, Sesshoumaru could probably use Tenseiga (the sword, not its hypothetical barrier) to deflect attacks and other swords. The damn thing is made out of metal and the fang of the Inu no Taishou!

I tend to view pre-meidou Sesshoumaru as being very similar to Kouga. Both of them carried their weapon as mainly for show and only unsheathed it in battle as an absolute last resort.

  Starks(Quote)

Kouga had a weapon? Uh, never mind.

I´m becoming depressed just like Sess. Tenseiga seems so useless right now… It can save no member of Sess´ party, since Rin has already been resurrected twice and Kohaku´s life is tied to the shard. Wait, it could save Jaken… Sesshoumaru´s ultimate act of compassion! Urg, better not.

  Starshine_IY(Quote)

Starks, goodness it's been longer then I thought.  When Sesshoumaru's Tokijin was destroyed, he was sucked in by Moryoumaru he was protected by his swords/sheaths barrier from being absorbed. Right after that he recieved the MZ, for showing compassion for Kagura. Vol. 41.  Chapter 407 Sesshoumaru no kiki.

  sorrel(Quote)

Thanks Sorrel. It's been so damn long since I've seen that chapter.  Starks(Quote)

Starshine: Jaken's can't be resurrected either. Sess already used tenseiga on him, after Kaijimbo cut him in half. Everybody in Sess's group has died at least once (except Sess of course)!
  DaviDK(Quote)

Sesshy's group is no coincidence. None of them (except Ah-un) can be revived by the Tenseiga if they die. Kohaku is bound by the shard while Rin and Jaken have both been revived once before. Additionally, if Sesshoumaru dies, he shouldn't be able to be revived by Tenseiga since he is the only one known to be capable of using it.

The only feasible way any of them could be revived would be through the use of a Shikon shard and be a zombie like the Shichinintai.

If Rin dies (again, for the 3rd time), I hope she stays dead. It was bullshit enough that Fluffette's meidouseki was able to revive her.

  Starks(Quote)

Hey!!! Being the webmaster of this site and bringing us manga-yonkies our weekly share of Inuyasha doesn´t give you the right to prevent Rin from being resurrected! She should be resurrected as many times as necesary! Everybody get weapon upgrades, she gets resurrections. It´s only fair.

LOL

Come to think of it, I never thanked you for your efforts… THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU STARKS! 

  Starshine_IY(Quote)

You know, now that it's been brought up, a Jaken power-up arc could prove awesome. Not in a 'hey what a kickass attack' kind of way, but in a 'that's freakin' hilarious' kind of way. I mean come on, a little side-fluff arc with just Jaken, Rin, and Kohaku, would be really refreshing after all of the angsting that's been going on since the Hiraikotsu upgrade.

And the longer I think about it and read the arguments for it, the more I feel that maybe Shippou could use a little upgrade – and maybe one of his non-canon attacks, because they were kind of nifty. I just don't want to hear more people whining about how it's "Another damn upgrade arc! OMG, Takahashi! WTF?!?!?!?111" Seriously, that line's gotten old.

Sorry I'm cranky, just finished my last class before I graduate, and now I'm in a post-collegiate period of existential mourning. I don't wanna get a degree!

  Mental_Butterfly(Quote)

aw come on Starks, everyone loves Rin   Nick(Quote)

Mental_Butterfly,

are you telling me you actually like shippou?

i hate him; not only is he annoying and can't do anything by himself, but everytime a cute girl comes he goes against his friends and inuyasha, and helps out the person he just met.

hes a backstabber, i'm so glad RT has basically forgotten about him.

i definitely don't want a week's chapter wasted on him…

  Nick(Quote)

I don't want her to die. Nick, Rin is adorable but, she fails as the stereotypical loli because she is still alive. She violates the law of: "You only live twice!"

All I'm saying is that if she dies again, she shouldn't come back.

  Starks(Quote)

Nick, I wouldn't mind a chapter with shippou. especially if RT used it to get rid of him.

It will probably be just some humor, the next chapter, but I think it would be kind of nice if shippo met some ppl from his past. Someone that would provide a family kind of setting for shippou, and a place for him to drop out of the story line.

I don't much like shippou myself, he has also given Inu grief for being a hanyou. But he gets away with it instead of correcting him, the story always seems to turn into a Inu being a bully. RT's humor (I believe that is the intent) just doesn't quite fit in with mine on those accounts…..perhaps for some it does. In the begining of the manga, I rather liked shippou but that was long time ago. He is a child, and his character reflects that, but I find him more of a brat then a charmer (which is how I see rin, charming that is).

I don't see where shippou would get away with the things he does do without the group to help him out. Being mouthy to a stronger youkai would get you killed, not just bopped on the head, I would think.  

  sorrel(Quote)

Let us all cross are fingers that Rin doesn't die………..again. Not only would reviving her for a third time be pointless, but killing her for the third the time would be even more pointless. And long live Shippou. he is a great foil for Inuyasha.   DaviDK(Quote)

starks, i know what you're saying. but i thought it was pretty obvious that she was going to be revived. not just because shes a loli character, but because shes one of the main support characters and i doubt RT is going to kill any of the main characters..

and yeah i guess she shouldn't come back if she dies again, but i don't think shes going to die for a third time

sorrel, lol i wouldn't mind a chapter with shippou if he leaves either. they should have a chapter exactly as you say, with him finding a family and just leaving the group. but i doubt thats going to happen..

DaviDK, i don't want rin to die but shippou is another story! :p

  Nick(Quote)

I'm surprised Rumiko had the balls to kill Rin and Kanna in the first place.
  Starks(Quote)

RE: comment by nick,

i don’t want rin to die but shippou is another story! :p

rin brings out sesshumarus straingths and weaknesses and showes how strength can become weaknesses and visversa, much like kagura we see a lot of strengthes and weekness as well.

as for my point shippo, for shippo we see some not really strength but a side of inuyasha that he showes, though not as strong and other situations can bring it out and the manga can probably survive without shippo, we still see a side of inuyasha through him (other charactors have brought it out too and better i will admit). But to say shippo douse not have a purpose is not a true statement. i also knotice with shippo he brings oppertunities for commic relief (not to say other charactors). thought its probably not a big deal if shippo would be killed he still has a part in the plot (not the overall or at least not yet) it would be pointless to kill shippo now unless a lot more wrighting is to be done but at this point i dont see why he would be killed. shippo douse give us another reason to hate naroko and a reason for his death (avengance of his father).

  alexis(Quote)

Alexis, what "beef" could shippou have against Naraku ?

Naraku did not have anything to do with the death of Shippou's father. The thunderbrothers killed him, seeking jewel shards. Shippou, of all the characters has the least to do with Naraku, both in things that he has been offended in and in the ability to fight against him. At least Rin has been kidnapped….

Shippou does bring out dialog that the others characters would not, that much I do agree with.  However it is rarely anything that anyone  "learns" from. I don't mind "fluff" or humor, just for whatever reason I find shippou a lot less humorous then say Jaken.  Shippou has betrayed his friends many times, esp Inuyasha. I do think there are more then a few ppl that like him, I am just not one of them.

  sorrel(Quote)

Maybe we get initially disappointed with the recent chapter and arcs because we as readers want some of the story's loose ends to be closed so the "final battle" can happen. Instead of wanting Shippou to leave (though i hate the annoying little brat) just go along with the events that occur and have faith that the resolution will fix everything.  bigantfbi333(Quote)

Bigantfbi, ROFL.

Too funny. I really don't want to see him die so much as a nice end to his story. Since it is not yet resolved where Kagome is going to end up…..past or future. Shippou could end up all alone in the event that Kagome returns to her own time.

Shippou's story could be tied up in a neat little package, if RT so wishes it. It doesn't mean RT will do it, this next chapter could end up having very little to do with shippou. RT does tend to pick misleading titles, which make sense after we get the chance to read the chapter. But before it's just guesswork fun.  

  sorrel(Quote)

Poor Shippou! While I do not see him as essential in anyway I would be disappointed if he were written out. I like how he softens Inuyasha and friends. He is great at easing tensions, and he has been featured in some of the better fluff chapters. His "betrayals" have been more mischievous then malicious. When they have gone badly it was through childish naivety rather then evil intent. Shippou was never intended as a vehicle for character growth, as Rin is. Ihstead he, like Jaken, is comic relief, softening serious characters and tragic overtones.  DaviDK(Quote)

As for the complaining thing, I know that for myself, if I didn't like this manga, I wouldn't be bothered to read it, so I'm not terribly disappointed.  If I have something/a lot of somethings to mull over in my fandom, then that's a good thing; otherwise, I'd be bored (which is why even though I like Pokemon — more specifically, Team Rocket — I can't really get into it; it's more of a "meh" thing for me).

And while we're on the subject of bitching, I have to admit…I'm not super excited about another Shippou arc.  It had better be damn good. 

I can't help it.  Sorry, Shippou fans.  He just bugs the ever loving shit out of me.  I don't know why.   Yes, I know he has his purpose in this manga, but I still can't get into his character. 

  KagomeKagome(Quote)

It is just kind of a relief to have a couple of fluff chapters coming up. It's been so heavy recently and a little break is welcome. Hopefully this goes no longer then one or two chapters though. It doesn't really make a difference to me that Shippou is featured, something light hearted is welcome. It's been a while.
  DaviDK(Quote)

It's not that I particularly like Shippou – it's just that I can see how actually giving him something to do could have some value. He's underused, in my opinion. He holds a necessary position in the Inuyasha gang, he's the only one who ever really uses Inuyasha himself as a comedic foil and he keeps the grownups from getting too serious. However, since he's surrounded by people far more capable than he is he gets pushed to the back with Kirara and Kagome's backpack. If he was given a little bit more agency in the group he might seem more useful and therefore wouldn't irritate so many people. It could even mean we'd see more Jaken-level humor from Shippou. Not that Shippou could ever replace Jaken. I still don't understand how people can dislike Jaken.

Ah well, in the end I'm just hoping we get a little bit of fluffiness out of this instead of jumping into more plot. I've said this before: it has been far too long since RT's given us any decent fluff.

  Mental_Butterfly(Quote)

Thanks Mental_Butterfly, I'm totally with you! Besides, Shippous only pushed aside in battle, in dialogue driven chapters he always gets his two sense in.    DaviDK(Quote)

Shippou is the series essential comic relief. Every 100 or so chapters, Rumiko will throw him a bone and he gets to kill a demon or two. He's non-combat.  Starks(Quote)

RE: sorrel

your right it was so long ago i compleatly forgot. shippo is the charactor who has nothing directally to do with naroko. sorry it was so long ago but your right thanks for reminding me.

  alexis(Quote)

Isn't the fact that Naraku has attempted to kill Shippou (even targeting him once) reason enough for him to hate him and give him the resolve to fight?
  Starks(Quote)

about when was shippou targeted  littlearcherdove(Quote)

Dove, nevermind… I was thinking about Rin.  Starks(Quote)

Anyways… With regard to the full spoiler for 505, Patches is gonna be out for the weekend and I may take a stab at translating myself or enlist the aid of others, perhaps you guys.

God, I wish I could've gone to ACen this year. Otakon 2006 blew chunks aside from the Inuyasha and fansubbing panels. 

  Starks(Quote)

Well, locally, I've got Ikasucon (which used to be held here in Cincinnati, but apparently has moved to Fort Wayne in Indiana this year, dammit) in August.  They've got an appearance from Toshifumi Yoshida, the guy behind the dub of Inuyasha.  Interestingly enough…uh, Inuyasha game translated recently for the Nintendo DS?  Haven't seen that.

Then there's SugoiCon in Ft. Mitchell, Kentucky, in November.  Isn't anybody worth really seeing yet.

And of course, even though I don't live there anymore, it's only about an hour and a half drive from here, there's GenCon in Indianapolis.  They've had some cool stuff/people in the past.

I'd love to go to a con in Chicago, but I don't get up that way often enough.

  KagomeKagome(Quote)

1st comment ever!

I love this chapter and I'm so glad Sesshomaru didn't die. If he would of I think I wouldn't be able to read Inuyasha anymore. Yes, I'm a fan girl!(I love the smileys!)

  SesshyFan-With Love(Quote)

Welcome Sesshyfan.

We look forward to your input. 

  Starks(Quote)

KagomeKagome, thank god you never saw the ds inuyasha game.

 It is a worthless piece of Crap
 

  bigantfbi333(Quote)

Bigant, are you talking about the game with Kagome's American friend Janis? I've read the reviews and heard it sucked hard.  Starks(Quote)

Well, it's a good thing I never heard about it then.

I liked the 2nd and 3rd games for the PS2 (never played the first), but they had pretty limited playability, really.

A Final Fantasy-type game for Inuyasha (with more than just a couple of levels) would rock.  The second game was like this, but it ended too soon and was too easy.
 

  KagomeKagome(Quote)

Well, the RPG formula didn't work too well for Inuyasha…

Secret of the Divine Jewel received only mediocre reviews.

http://www.gamerankings.com/htmlpages2/936811.asp

  Starks(Quote)

God, I have so much studying to do tomorrow…  Starks(Quote)

We are in the same boat starks, though calculus will take my time.

 Am I the only engineer here?
 

  bigantfbi333(Quote)

I am not an engineer, but my friend is. I remember her talking about statics and linear algebra. All of it is over my head though.  DaviDK(Quote)

I'm a second year government and politics major… Believe me, it sucks.  Starks(Quote)

It'll be worth it when you graduate though. I'm an IT Recruiter, but I'm going back to school for Web Design.   DaviDK(Quote)

web design sounds fun… better than economics i tells ya…  sandpiper(Quote)

See I think economics is interesting. I don't know a lot, but I am interested. And yeah, web design is fun!  DaviDK(Quote)

Im a computer engineer davidk, so statics is over my head too.

Starks, politics is fun, you always study people with their head up thier ass. 

  bigantfbi333(Quote)

Did anyone else catch the Inuyasha parody in "Hayate no Gotoku" (Hayate the Combat Butler) episode 7?

Click for full size!

  Starks(Quote)

That parody is hilarious. Do any of you watch the Inuyasha parodies on myspace videos?

My exams start this week too. I'm a third year English Major…having to recite Victorian Poetry is always a kicker in the ass…but I wish you all luck.

  Elise_96(Quote)

  Starks(Quote)

although i'm a tiny bit disappointed that RT has wasted another oppurtunity to end this whole sesshomaru x inuyasha development nicely, i somewhat enjoyed this chapter. because i'm a sucker for love-hate relationships, i enjoyed watching the brothers open up a little bit towards each other and it's almost clear that even though they have these huge differences, they are still brothers and they pretty much love each other no matter what happens. 

 and rumiko DID add in new things, such as the new black tensaiga, so that can add to a little new fresh entertainment in the IY future.
 

  mango(Quote)

Mango… I don't know if "love" is there appropriate word, even if it is platonic. They tolerate and accept each other now, nothing more.  Starks(Quote)

Yeah, I don't see Sesshoumaru as given Inuyasha any big brotherly hugs and inviting him and Kagome over for dinner anytime soon. Not trying to kill him will have to be enough!
  DaviDK(Quote)

David, remember that episode/chapter where Kagome imagines Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru sitting together at a dinner table and sipping tea?  Starks(Quote)

That's right, the family reunion! I forget which episode it was in, but I always thought it was funny. I liked that Inuyasha passed out just thinking about it. Speaking of, I have always wondered what Sesshoumaru eats. He said he doesn't eat human food and doesn't eat humans, so what exactly does he eat? We need an arc about this, or at least a filler episode if the anime starts again!
  DaviDK(Quote)

David, unless he's a vegetarian, he eats animals and other demons.
  Starks(Quote)

Yay for Political Sciences.  My oldest brother studied that, law, and philosophy.

I'm just a boring old Japanese/East Asian Studies major.    Although I'm kind of fond of web design.
 

  KagomeKagome(Quote)

Farewell days of my youth, was the episode, anime only. I liked it, esp when Makoto was after Myouga to finally make good on his promise to marry her. But it was Inuyasha who imagined having a "family" reunion with Sesshoumaru. 

The problem with having such a long series, it is easy to forget what was in what…..or exacty when. (I have to go and look it up most of the time) LOL.

  sorrel(Quote)

I have a screencap of that image on my desktop somewhere, but demmed if I can figure out how to upload it. As I remember it, that one five-second shot was the only worthwhile thing about that episode.

I'm intrigued, how would an anime filler about Sessh's culinary preferences work? Perhaps after shooting an episode, Sessh's gang would head out to a restaurant, then piss off the waitstaff by ordering modifications on everything to fit his 'special dietary needs'? Would Rin really be the only one playing with the crayons that come with her kid's menu, or would Sessh and Jaken steal them and draw rude caricatures of Inuyasha and Naraku on their napkins? And would Kohaku be secretly jealous of Rin, because he's just a little too old for a kid's menu and its accompanying crayons?

Damn, I need to go to bed. Stupid exam week, messing with my sleep schedule.

  Mental_Butterfly(Quote)

Jaken would definitely play with the crayons. He wouldn't be drawing pictures of IY. Who could he draw other then Sess.    DaviDK(Quote)

Mental, try using Imageshack.  Starks(Quote)

I liked that episode, esp when Makoto possessed Inuyasha and he pinned shippou to the ground, I thought it was funny.   sorrel(Quote)

God, I'm so upset that the Japanese dude never posted the spoilers…  Starks(Quote)

Thank Jebus there's a photobucket scanlation thingy, cause the direct download is broken. It just says file not found. 

Maybe Shonen Sunday found him and broke his legs so he couldn't give out the goods.  

  Pooperscooper(Quote)

Whatever the hell was wrong with the link, it's fixed now.  Starks(Quote)

Avatar Test  bigantfbi333(Quote)

I know I am late, but like Starks I was knee-deep in college finals and papers. So finally, I was able to read this and I was certainly not disappointed! This was so kawaii! Sessho helping Inuyasha out and Inuyasha wanting to save his brother, it was all so great! Now, I shall go to the next chapter!  Irene Sharda(Quote)

Hola people, Happy April Fool's Day!

mapAn 80 year old couple were having problems remembering things, so they decided to go to their doctor to get checked out to make sure nothing was wrong with them. When they arrived at the doctor's, they explained to the doctor about the problems they were having with their memory.
After checking the couple out, the doctor tells them that they were physically okay but might want to start writing things down and make notes to help them remember things. The couple thanked the doctor and left.
Later that night while watching TV, the old man got up from his chair and his wife asks, "Where are you going?"
He replies, "To the kitchen."
She asks, "Will you get me a bowl of ice cream?"
He replies, "Sure."
She then asks him, "Don't you think you should write it down so you can remember it?"
He says, "No, I can remember that."
She then says, "Well, I also would like some strawberries on top. You had better write that down 'cause I know you'll forget that."
He says, "I can remember that, you want a bowl of ice cream with strawberries."
She replies, "Well, I also would like whip cream on top. I know you will forget that so you better write it down."
With irritation in his voice, he says, "I don't need to write that down, I can remember that." He then fumes into the kitchen.
After about 20 minutes he returns from the kitchen and hands her a plate of bacon and eggs.
She stares at the plate for a moment and says, "You forgot my toast."

Happy April Fool's Day!  Mei(Quote)