Chapter
36: 三十六ノ章 呪縛 Sanjuuroku no sho Jubaku (Journey 36 - Spellbound)
The girls prepare to join the fight against Kouka and Souka. Myoga explains that most conjoined demons like these two fight after they are born, with one killing the other. However Riku explains that these two members of the Ka Tribe and unique in that they get along with one another and work together. The duo seems unusual in their affection for one another, explaining that together they killed all of their siblings that had murdered their own conjoined twins and then when their mother grew enraged at their fratricide, Souka and Kouka killed her as well. It was Kirinmaru who protected them from the rage of their tribe as they were hunted as criminals for the murders they took part in. Elsewhere, Kohaku does battle against Meidomaru who now struggles to read his moves. As Meidomaru attempts to read Kohaku's mind, he is shocked that he is thinking of another opponent- Naraku, a face from his past. Kohaku thinks to himself about the fear he has struggled with as his life has moved after Naraku's death, but he finally realizes that true strength is not built on fear, but is free like the wind. After killing Meidomaru, Kohaku also puts Naraku out of his mind, realizing he has carried the burden of his time under Naraku's control for far too long. Back at the fight with Souka and Kouka, Hisui and Riku attack from one side, while Moroha attacks from the other and Setsuna and Towa strike from behind. Towa is able to use her sword to separate Souka and Kouka and the two panic at the idea of being parted. Riku tries to give them a chance to surrender, but when they press the attack Setsuna decapitates Souka. Shocked by the death of her beloved sister, Kouka cuts her own head off by forcing Hisui's sword against her throat. Deeper within the castle Sesshomaru arrives to face Kirinmaru, who says he was hoping to face Sesshomaru's daughters. Sesshomaru stares at him, telling the powerful demon that he knows the Grim Comet absorbed Kirinmaru and now merely wears his skin.
Published In:
Shonen Sunday Super 2024 Vol. 10
Yashahime Vol. 9
Publication Date: August 22, 2024
Pages: 47 (black and white)
Anime Adaptation: None
Notes:
This month's Shonen Sunday Super has an advertisement for "Sunday Fest" which features various characters on the advertising including Towa.
Also in this month's issue, Call for UFO (コール・フォー・ユーエフオー) by Kashio Deshi (出路かし魚), one of the winners of the Shogakukan 94th Newcomer Awards. This award was judged by Rumiko Takahashi, Gosho Aoyama, Kenjiro Hata and Mitsuru Adachi. Takahashi's comments can be seen in the news archive for June 11th.
Kohaku's comment that "true strength is free, like the wind. I'll become the wind. Free as the wind!" is a reference to Kagura's quote before her death.
What did you think of Kohaku and Naraku's "other conclusion"? I wish there were a few more pages, but since this comicalization is based on Yashahime, this balance of Inuyasha material might be good as is. While making the structure more compact for the manga, I also subtly added in the epilogue elements of Inuyasha, which they tried to avoid as much as possible in the anime, along with my personal interpretations and wishes... it's not that subtle, though. I always go all out.
The story doesn't say a word about why the feathers were suddenly fluttering down, but anyone who knows what they are will understand... I'm sure. Of course I know what it's all about when I drew it, so I was crying while I was drawing it (；∀；).
Rumiko Takahashi-sensei said, “When I wrote the line, ‘I am the wind, the free wind,’ I foresaw Kagura's death. By using the same line as Kohaku's power, I felt like I was able to give them both a loving hug. Technically, I'm creating a story with the same structure in my own manga, but to be able to do something like this officially, in a work I was reading as a fan and with the original author's check is like magic. The magic of going two-dimensional, that's what comicalization is.
When Takahashi-sensei wrote the chapter of Kinka and Ginka, she was probably imagining a certain story from a certain classic science fiction manga. In old manga, it was a rule that "twin enemies" always appeared at least once, and I remember that they were often good storylines in which you could tell they were the losers from the moment they appeared, but the bond between them and their partner was impressive. So, I aimed for a similar sinister yet sad feeling for the conclusion of the battle between Souka and Kouka... although after I finished it, I felt that the image of Aura from Frieren: Beyond Journey's End was also included (laughs).
It's hard to depict decapitation in TV anime these days, but I did it a few times in this manga because I thought it would be appropriate for a Sengoku period drama. The Sengoku Otogi world of Inuyasha often depicts the existence of vivid violence. Even so, Kagome-chan doesn't let it bother her even after experiencing something scary, and she remains calm, which is what makes it an excellent dark fantasy for light readers. I think this sense of balance between reality and fiction is the true essence of Rumiko Takahashi-sensei's work, and even though I can't do the same thing, I try my best to create the atmosphere of a sister work by decapitating heads and gouging out eyes and hearts.
By the way, in the Sengoku period, it was the job of the women guarding the home front to clean up the captured heads of enemy generals. The enemy's head was proof of military success, and the reward was determined by the rank of the defeated enemy, so there were apparently various tips and techniques for making it look good at the military awards meeting. I've heard that people sometimes even read fortunes from the expressions on the face of the deceased, which is a very different experience from the modern era, and I couldn't imagine living there. Still, if you could find a strong and cute half-demon lover to protect you, you'd have a chance (a real maiden at heart).
Table of Contents
A: Thank you to everyone who came to the autograph session.
Chapter
37: 三十七ノ章 異変 Sanjuunana no sho Ihen (Journey 37 - Anomaly)
Kirinmaru reveals that he wants to return to the past when Sesshomaru's father was still alive, when his daughter, Rion, and his sister Zero, were still alive as well. Sesshomaru is unimpressed with his petty desires, thinking to himself that he would instead live for the future where Rin and his daughters could live and be safe. The girls make their way to the dungeon along with Riku and Hisui where they reunite with Jaken, Takechiyo and Kohaku. Everyone watches as Sesshomaru and Kirinmaru do battle. Kirinmaru reveals that the mysterious creators of the Windmill of Time died before it could ever be used, but once activated it will restart the universe over once again. However, the power needed to start it is immense, beyond even the ability of the Grim Comet to call forth. Instead, the room that Kirinmaru has built in the depths of his castle will absorb the battle aura of Sesshomaru and Kirinmaru as they fight, and that should be enough to trigger the windmill. Kirinmaru understands that Sesshomaru has been repeating these battles endlessly as she has been stuck in a time loop, but Kirinmaru plans to use the windmill to escape to the 21st century. Suddenly Rion appears and is forced by Kirinmaru's spell to stab Riku in the neck. Towa, Setsuna and Moroha realize now is the time for them to act as they rush forward. However Riku has begun to sprout horns and says that he is now becoming Kirinmaru's perfect copy.
This is a preparation chapter for the final developments. I drew a single-image title page for the first time in a while, so that readers could enjoy a heartwarming scene from everyday life, even if it was just for the title image. It shows the Sesshomaru family after the twins were born and they had settled down, and just before the time transfer occurs.
Now, Kirinmaru, who was treated as the mysterious mastermind, finally starts to get involved with the main characters in earnest. That said, in the comicalization, which is rushing the story forward, he basically goes head-to-head with Sesshomaru. The half-demon princesses are in charge of the Grim Comet, and the plan is for the mother and daughters to simultaneously fight on two fronts to bring the story to a close.
In the comicalization, the scales on the face are reinterpreted as "encroachment by the Grim Comet." Spoilers assuming that you've watched the entire anime are as follows...
In the anime, the broken horn becomes Riku, and the arm that is thrown into the Bone Eater's Well becomes Kirin, but I combined those to storylines into just the horn. In other words, in the anime, Riku and Kirin were contrasted as characters with similar circumstances, but in the manga, Kirin is a mutant version of Riku, or rather, his original self. In Sumisawa's script, they are "created dolls" struggling to obtain a real soul, and Riku is the one who succeeds, and Kirin is the one who fails. So I thought that by combining the two like this, I could save a lot of page space while using the same motif. So it's not like it's an original development. From my perspective, it's still within the scope of an anime adaptation.
Although Rion had been manipulated against her will and was tricking Riku, I wonder what she will do after this. To begin with, she is a character in an unredeemable situation. I'd like to make the story flow in a way that reflects the scriptwriter's skill in making her come to her senses, so I'm considering some context for the final ending that will be adapted to the comicalization. I plan to have Inuyasha and his friends play a different role in the future than in the anime, and if all goes well, we can end the story nicely in just 10 volumes... probably.
It's a four-cour anime, but the manga has lasted for three years, even though it's been adapted into a fairly condensed story. I knew that from the start, but it's still hard work (laughs).
Table of Contents
A: I started playing Zelda again after taking a few months off and I had forgotten how the controls work and how to navigate the area.
Chapter
38: 三十八ノ章 追跡 Sanjuuhachi no sho Tsuiseki (Journey 38 - Pursuit)
In the present day Sota is called back to the Higurashi Shrine, as the sacred tree has started to glow and make unusual sounds. Sota and the Higurashi family gather around the tree, hoping that this means Towa will soon return. In the past however, the girls have realized that Riku has fallen under the spell of Kirinmaru. Setsuna tells Towa to lend her strength as they prepare to use the Tenseiken technique to cut Kirinmaru's hold over Riku. However, this was exactly as Kirinmaru planned. The demonic energy of the girls is enough to jumpstart the Windmill of Time and allow Kirinmaru to travel to a time when he can complete his plans uninterrupted. Sesshomaru springs into action though Rion initially interrupts him, asking him to kill her. Kohaku and Hisui pin her down, pleading with Sesshomaru to finish the battle. Kirinmaru seems satisfied to battle against the powerful demon, explaining that his clone, Riku, will be more than enough to deal with the half-demon princesses. Riku slices Towa and nearly kills Setsuna as well, but Jaken jumps in front to protect her. As Riku dives through the time portal, Sesshomaru shouts for his girls to get up and follow him. Towa, Setsuna and Moroha are shoved along by Takechiyo through the portal, slipping through time and coming out of the sacred tree at the Higurashi Shrine where Sota is camping in a tent, stunned at their return.
Published In:
Shonen Sunday Super 2024 Vol. 12
Yashahime Vol. 9
Publication Date: October 25, 2024
Pages: 32 (black and white)
Anime Adaptation: None
Notes:
"Tenseiken" (天星剣/Heavenly Star Sword) is the new name given to Zanseiken (斬星剣/Star Beheading Sword) by Myoga in chapter 34.
It's already the December issue for this year. I understand that it's customary to for the cover date to be one month earlier, but the special edition of Sunday is released at the end of the month before the issue, so it's more than a month earlier. I'm not sure which month's issue is the right one to draw Christmas stories in. Well, I don't have any plans for such seasonal stories at the moment.
Well, this time we've covered how Towa and the others return to the present day. Inuyasha ends neatly with the closure of the Bone-Eater's Well, which connects the Sengoku period and the present day, and I imagine that those involved in the anime were concerned about what to do with it. As a result, the time travels that occur several times in the story were all on different routes, but in the manga adaptation, the settings, episodes, and characters were reorganized here and there, and I narrowed it down to two routes: the "Route by the Tree of Ages" and the "Route via the Windmill of Time". There is only one more trip to make- the return from the present day to the Sengoku period will be the last.
I drew the scene where Riku slashes at Towa pretty brutally. I was reluctant to give the heroine a sword wound, but as a half-demon, I think she needs to accept the bleeding and violence. If she doesn't have the same toughness as Inuyasha-senpai, I can't send her out into the world of Sengoku Otogi Zoushi with confidence, and I feel like the girls would get angry if the author went easy on them just because their girls. It can be difficult to depict blood in anime, so I took advantage of the strength of being a manga and drew it straight out. Anyway, she's a half-demon, so don't worry, she'll be cured properly by next month.
So the next chapter will be set in the present day. In fact, I forgot to update this blog and I've already finished drawing it. I think it turned out to be a pretty good chapter, so please look forward to it.
And sorry to have kept you waiting, the latest volume, volume 8, will be released on November 18th. It will be released at the same time as volume 22 of MAO, so be sure to buy them both.
Table of Contents
A: This was my first visit to the Shogakukan building since it was renovated.
Chapter
39: 三十八ノ章 帰還 Sanjuukyuu no sho Kikan (Journey 39 - Return)
Towa, Moroha and Setsuna set off to return to the present day where Towa awakens in Kagome's bed at the Higurashi Shrine. The severe wound that Towa received as she fled has knit properly thanks to her demonic heritage. Wandering outside, she finds Setsuna sweeping leaves. Setsuna reports that Moroha has gone shopping with the Higurashis while they lament what has happened to Riku who was also sent to the present. Setsuna does not grasp that they will not be able to easily search for Riku in modern day Tokyo with its 14 million residents. For dinner they eat sukiyaki, and the girls are overjoyed at the flavors of the meal. Moroha is happy to show off all the treats and toys she bought while out with the Hirugashis and then Sota shows that he was able to recover photographs from Towa's damaged smart phone, showing his mother and grandfather what Kagome and Inuyasha look like. Towa and Setsuna go back home with Sota, Moe and Mei so that Moroha can stay at the Higurashi Shrine and catch up with her side of the family. After a bath Sota and the girls enjoy ice cream. Suddenly Towa starts to cry and admits that she missed her modern family and life, but found a peace and purpose in the past that she lacked in the modern world. Elsewhere at the Higurashi Shrine, Moroha nervously asks if she can sleep with her grandmother for company at night. Outside a strange ferret appears and Buyo the cat senses it watching the family. The ferret dissolves into paper dolls and reports back to Osamu Kirin who seems to be Riku in disguise. As he has awaited Towa's return he has built a new Windmill of Time to await her.
Setsuna is wearing a piyo-piyo apron like the one worn by Kyoko Otonashi in Maison Ikkoku.
Among the items Moroha bought we see an item that has Ranma and Shampoo on the label.
"It's like the dragon palace from old fairy tales." - Setsuna is referring to the "Ryugu-jo" (竜宮城), the dragon palace in the story of Urashima Taro. The palace is said to have wealth and comforts beyond belief and Urashima Taro was taken there for his kindness towards a turtle. To Urashima Taro a few days seem to pass, but when he returns to his home, centuries have elapsed.
Moroha is wearing the same pair of pajama's that Kagome wore during her battle with the Mask of Flesh in chapter 25 of Inuyasha.
"I like how the wounds that are nasty to us leave a half-demon pretty unaffected, which is typical of the half-demon characters in the Sengoku Otogi-zoshi world, but it was quite difficult to draw such a big wound on Towa's skin. Also, Kagome's room should look more like it's not normally used. If it's left too much like it was in Inuyasha, it will look like her mother can't accept the loss of her daughter. It's common for children's rooms to become hobby rooms or storage rooms after they move out, but if we change it too much it would have become unrecognizable as a place we know, so I just cleared away the small items on the desk and the wall.
In the anime, Moroha and Setsuna stayed at the Higurashi household for a while in the beginning, but this is the first time they've stayed over in the comicalization. As for Moroha, as an answer to the "hug", she clings to her mother in place of Kagome, who cannot be reunited with her. The generation who were children when they watched Inuyasha are now adults, so I think they'll think about the mother's feelings when she can no longer see her daughter. However, Rumiko Takahashi said that "Kagome can't go home," so this is the least I can do.
The scene where Towa breaks down in tears and tells her family, "I had way more fun in the Warring States period than in the present," was one I had planned from the time I wrote the first chapter. The Higurashi family in the anime are "people who love Towa, but just can't understand her way of life." I think accepting and sending someone off even if you can't understand is a realistic sign of parental kindness, but my version of Sota is "someone who wanted to go there if possible, but couldn't." So Towa's parting words needed to be sad for Sota, but at the same time, they needed to be enviable and dazzling.
By omitting the violin setting, Setsuna's bond with the Higurashi family became weaker, but she was able to play the role of representing Towa's bond with the Sengoku period well. In fact, I couldn't help but find her cute, as she seemed a little uncomfortable in the modern world, and I was really into writing that.
Next time, it's finally time for a showdown with Kirin-sensei. In the comicalization, he only makes a brief appearance at the beginning. But by saying that "he's also Riku inside," I think it will be a fresh development even for those who have already watched the anime. Look forward to it!"
Table of Contents
A: My favorite winter activity is sitting under a kotatsu at a campsite in winter and reading manga.
