Let's Talk About... Yu Yu Hakusho

[Spark Of Spirit]

That's pretty much it. He just needed enough to cut through Kuro-Momotaro's skin since he wasn't protected against it, which the dragon's energy gave him.

[Dr. Ensatsu-ken]

It was a busy week, and still is, but here are my thoughts on the previous two episodes:

45. Hiei Battles On

This was a fairly standard episode, but definitely a good watch if you're a fan of the character. I like how we finally get to see Hiei struggle through a fight in which there is no quick solution. He can't overcome his opponent with speed like he did with Seiryuu, nor can he rely on his trump card the Dragon of the Darkness Flame like he did against Zeru. He has to get by on his wit and skill alone, and Kuro Momotaro really pushes him to the extreme in that regard.

That said, Kuro himself is a pretty lackluster opponent in terms of personality, and while his ability is cool and imaginative, he doesn't seem to do too much else besides rely on his beast armor and throw an occasional attack or two. We do get to see some new abilities from Hiei, but obviously nothing as grand are awe-inspiring as his ultimate attack which we've already seen.

On another side of the Island, Yusuke is going through complete hell in trying to properly absorb Genkai's energy. There is an excellent moment here in which we see a side of Genkai that we haven't previously seen before. Despite being very harsh as a master and seemingly having no emotions beyond her stern and serious demeanor, she looks on at Yusuke with so much pity, as if he were her own son, and contemplates ending the test and taking back the Spirit Orb to end his pain and suffering and allow him to live. But as soon as she tries to do that, Yusuke stops her in rage and frustration. He really wants to push himself to the next level, and will endure this incredible pain for as long as he has to in order to achieve that. It really shows you how committed he is, which is something that he probably never would have done earlier in the series.

46. Many Faces, Many Forms

We get the conclusion to the match between Hiei and Kuro. It's a fittingly bloody and violent finish, and yes, my user-name is named after the attack that Hiei uses to deal the killing blow. Now, to be honest I wanted my username to reference the Dragon of the Darkness Flame, or the Ensatsu-kokuryuuha in Japanese, but since the latter part of that name was too long, I just settled on ken. Having said that, It's a terrible unimaginative username that I quickly came to regret having chosen (though, mind you, I was a teenager back when I came up with this, so naturally I didn't put much thought into things like that), but at the same time, I've grown so used to it that I don't feel like changing it, plus I'm too lazy.

Anyways, putting the Hiei fight aside, we also have Yusuke enduring some more suffering, but not too much progress is made there besides the aforementioned moment between him and Genkai. More interestingly, though, we get into Kurama's fight with Ura Urashima. As a fun fact, he is being voiced in the English dub by Vic Mignogna in one of his earliest roles with FUNimation. I really love how the character uses Kurama's kind and compassionate nature against him, and Vic's performance makes it come off in a very humorous manner too, seeing as how it mocks that old shonen trope of the hero taking pity on a seemingly helpless soul. He gets so sickeningly kind-hearted in his speech that is just so full of cliches that you know it has to be an act.

Of course, the real beauty and irony of all of this is that it is going to be what leads to his downfall. In an admittedly very forced twist, Ura uses an item that will turn his opponent younger. Now, I get that despite having trapped Kurama in the ring and also having destroyed his Rose Whip, he still needs some sort of advantage to win seeing as how Kurama has another lethal plant-based weapon, as well as how Ura is probably aware from his previous matches that Kurama is a brilliant strategist and can still find a way to take him out even in that kind of situation, so he doesn't want to take a chance with the guy. But why specifically an item that can cause his downfall is beyond me. It's a bit too much of a stretch, but if you can get past that, then the payoff is absolutely brilliant. We as viewers know that before he took on a human form, Kurama was the legendary, villainous bandit Yoko Kurama, who was also several times stronger than he was in his human form. I just love Ura's reaction when he realizes that by turning back the time on Kurama's biological clock, he has unwittingly signed his own death sentence by having him revert to even before his human infancy and into his prime demonic form. It's the kind of awesome twist that just leaves you pumped for the next episode.

Anyways, this was a good set of episodes, and I can't wait for tomorrow's batch!

[talonmalon333]

Yeah, it's very obviously Togashi's "bring back Yoko" item and not much else. But since Yoko is welcomed back, I can accept it.

[Spark Of Spirit]

I would think it too convenient if not for his opponent. It was made clear several times that Onji specifically chose certain items to deal with the troublemakers in the tournament. That's why they used the orbs against Hiei and the thing this week against another member of the group. He knew Kurama was extremely dangerous when cornered, so he probably decided to use the one item that wouldn't allow him any tricks. The easiest way to make him defenseless would be to make him a baby.

Of course it backfired badly, but it was never really too much for me to swallow.

Makintaro's part of the plan always struck me as forced.

[talonmalon333]

Makintaro's part of the plan always struck me as forced.

What part?

[Spark Of Spirit]

Makintaro's part of the plan always struck me as forced.

What part?

Bingo! [/Botan]

[talonmalon333]

Makintaro had the best role in the tournament.

[Spark Of Spirit]

 

Makintaro had the best role in the tournament.

To be used as a pincushion for Hiei. 

[Dr. Ensatsu-ken]

I feel bad that I can't post my full discussions on here on Mondays like I'm supposed to since I'm extremely busy, but suffice it to say that this week we had another great round of episodes. Yoko Kurama is a great side of the character that we haven't seen before, and Yusuke really shows how much heart he has in struggling through his suffering.

[Avaitor]

Holy shit. Kurama is a badass.



Holy shit, Kuwavbara is a dumbass. But Genkai kicks ass.

[Spark Of Spirit]

I have pics for the other fights in this round, but I decided to save them for when this round is over. I wanted to keep the pics for the episodes as general to the events as possible. That said, this is another great set of episodes focused on Kurama's transformation, and Shishiwakamaru's official debut against Team Uremeshi. Small spoiler, but Genkai's fight against Shishi is pretty awesome: next week's pic for that fight is really cool.

And I gotta say, this round is not Kuwabara's best moment.

[Dr. Ensatsu-ken]

Nice Avatar, Avaitor!

As for Kuwabara losing, I think it was a fair way to make Team Uraotogi not seem like such pushovers, since they lost three matches in a row, and had Makintaro suffer an even more humiliating defeat to Hiei. This is the semi-finals, after all.

[Dr. Ensatsu-ken]

Late as usual, but here are my brief thoughts on these episodes:

47. Legendary Bandit: Yoko Kurama

Yoko Kurama is a bad-ass. That's no surprise, but it's great to finally see him live up to the hype ever since we learned of Kurma's true origins way earlier in the series. It's also suitable that his first appearance is brief, giving you just a taste of his power, but leaving you wanting to see more in the Dark Tournament finals.

Meanwhile, Yusuke had a really terrific character moment here when Puu is trying to help keep him alive and ease his suffering, but almost dies himself from a partial cave-in, which forces Yusuke to finally act out. The animation in this scene is both appropriately simplistic yet effectively stellar, and the use of music just sends a chill down my spine every time I watch it. It's one of my all-time favorite moments in the entire show.


48. The Cape of No Return

I love how this episode is really the first time we get the reveal that Genkai and Toguro both know each other and have some history between one another. Sure, it was hinted at before, but this is the first real confirmation. I also love how the situation that brings this up is an instance in which Toguro has to help Team Urameashi by explaining how Genkai has been the masked fighter all along, and that Team Urameshi is not using a substitute.

As for Genkai, it's great to showcase how experienced she is. Despite having been significantly weakened by having passed on most of her Spirit Energy to Yusuke, she still knows how to use what little power that she has effectively, and thus is able to stand toe-to-to with Shishiwakamaru despite her handicap.

The only downside to all of this is how Kuwabara is basically treated like a joke in his match, but it doesn't bother me too much as the defeat is more superficial and a consequence of his arrogance, rather than making him out to be weak. He charged full force at Shishi without knowing anything about his abilities or even trying to gauge his opponent's strength, and that ended up in him getting transported to another arena far off on another part of the island. If he had concentrated and not underestimated his opponent, he could have taken on Shishi for sure, though, IMO.


And that's pretty much the extent of what I have to say about these episodes. Normally I'd be far more elaborate and in detail on my thoughts, but I just don't have the time this week. Of course, I love doing these discussions, which is why I don't want to miss a single week, even if I have to keep it short, but hopefully I'll have the opportunity to say more next time.

[Avaitor]

It's that time of the week!





As you can tell, this set is all about Genkai proving her worth. It's important to show, as we're discovering a little more about her past, and seeing that she's got it. Good stuff.

[Dr. Ensatsu-ken]

It's another good set of episodes, and once again may I remind you that Genkai is fighting under a handicap since she passed on most of her Spirit Energy to Yusuke. This effectively means that she's succeeding in these matches by utilizing skill and experience over power.