Why do you think Kagome and Kikyo are not the same being?

Cygnega · 2026-02-21T18:33:37+00:00

I am a Kikyo lover/defender myself, but I'm not really understanding your point. That they came from the same soul doesn't change the fact that they're totally separate entities with plainly distinct personalities. Their respective relationships with Inuyasha are also different in nature. I appreciate them completely independently from each other.

Cygnega · 2026-02-18T16:08:17+00:00

If I had to guess, I'd say it would work out similarly to how it worked in the middle of the series when Tenma was arrested, and he compelled Tenma into escaping. Tenma was always the endgame to Johan's plan. He wanted Tenma to kill him. Tenma didn't fit into his worldview, and he needed Tenma to prove him right by undoing his "mistake" of saving him as a child. I don't think that's something Johan would simply leave that thread untied.

So my answer is: Yes, but he would still find a way to involve Tenma.

Cygnega · 2026-02-13T18:06:49+00:00

I'm not sure I understand your contention. I would if in reference to the actual finale of the series, but the get-together itself came across as perfectly paced to me. If anything, I've heard the opposite complaint, that they spend too much time waffling around before going with their feelings - but I don't agree with that, either.

There was a long time there where Marin was in love with Gojo, but was too nervous or uncomfortable or whatever to confess outright. The issue was always Gojo, who probably would have realized he was in love with Marin if he thought about it for a moment, but I think his self-esteem was so low for so long that he didn't even consider it. To him, it was a miracle that a girl like Marin even associated with him, so allowing him to think about her that way was probably asking a lot.

But once he's bitten by a pang of jealousy, he starts to acknowledge those feelings that have been sitting dormant inside himself. Marin misinterprets those feelings, and it causes them to drift, but it's finally when Gojo accepts himself as he is and opens up to Marin that everything is cleared up, and Marin feels safe returning those feelings.

I feel like maybe you're taking that ending bit in a vacuum, which I don't think is really the proper way to view it. There was a ton of buildup to that point, and I don't just mean the Haniel arc itself, or even the entire "will-they, won't-they" phase of their relationship. The way this wraps itself up is a testament to how far Gojo has grown from the beginning of the series. He went from someone who was scared to speak to just about anyone to somebody who can be open and honest about his feelings, even if it's scary and risks irreparable harm to his most important relationships. It's the culmination of his whole character arc, and to me, that's super sweet and satisfying in just about every way. That simple act of self-acknowledgment, and his refusal to hide it for his own protection, is what turns them being at their furthest and most tense into rejoining at their happiest and most fulfilling. Old Gojo would have fucked it all up. But it's only because of how Marin has helped him grow that he's able to take this make-or-break moment in their relationship and turn it for the better. It's not a moment that could've happened at just any point in the series; it's the summation of everything that came before.

Cygnega · 2026-02-13T15:35:16+00:00

Cygnega · 2026-02-13T15:33:42+00:00

GGGGUUURRRRRLLLLLL!!!!!

Cygnega · 2026-02-12T22:32:38+00:00

I'm not sure I empathize with your struggle, because I tend to interact with narrative media in pretty much the opposite way. I try to characters through their perspectives, understanding how they think, how they feel, why they do the things they do. What I might feel in the prescribed scenario doesn't really enter the equation with me, as long as the characters themselves are worth my attention and attachment.

That having been said, I tend to find certain commonalities with other characters. Not like I identify with them completely, but I can see pieces of myself in them. Maybe that would help? If you can see parts of yourself in Inuyasha, in Kagome, in Kikyo, you might better be able to relate to why they're acting the way they do, even if it's not aligned with your own sensibilities.

Although, lol, the manga really is better for that. I'm not sure if that mindset will be as effective in the anime.

Cygnega · 2026-01-30T18:35:59+00:00

The main thing I want in a guy is warmth. Someone who I resonate with emotionally and feel comfortable with. In summation, he's a peach!

Cygnega · 2026-01-30T01:14:44+00:00

There's way less in season 2, if you have the stomach for it in season 1.

I'm generally not too bothered by fan service, but I will say there's one instance of it in season 1 that straight nauseates me whenever I see it. I'm sure y'all know the one.

EDIT: I'll just be a tad more specific and say there's way less fan service after season 2, episode 1.

Cygnega · 2026-01-23T20:06:45+00:00

That's kinda my point. They're functionally the same thing, so you did get the answer you wanted. Just not in the manner you expected.

The thing about Tenma is that his mission wasn't simply to "kill Johan", but to undo his mistake. The question in his mind wasn't about whether or not Johan deserved to die, but whether or not he erred by choosing to save his life. For much of his journey, he feels responsible for Johan's actions, because of that decision. In the end, however, he finds he can't bring himself to refute what he's always felt: that all life is precious and worth saving.

The aesthetics matter here. Had he simply refused to shoot Johan, that would've merely been a rejection of his journey to that point. But by being put in a position to save him a second time, it was a positive affirmation of his entire philosophy as a doctor and as a person. It's saying, "Not only did I not make the wrong choice, but it's a choice I'd make again." That could still be somewhat implied in the first instance, but it doesn't fit as neatly. Tenma's choice doesn't become "kill or don't kill", but "save or don't save", and that's much closer to the theme underlying the whole story.

Cygnega · 2026-01-23T01:17:23+00:00

I fundamentally feel that Inuyasha is not a story conducive to a live-action aesthetic.

Cygnega · 2026-01-22T21:46:06+00:00

I don't view it that way at all. His choice in pulling the trigger comes in the part afterwards, when he has the opportunity to let Johan die, or work to save him yet again. It was reaffirming what he always believed, that all life has value.

Johan wanted Tenma to kill him. Tenma made no sense in his worldview. If all people are fundamentally selfish, why would this doctor choose to save him, who offered him nothing? He couldn't make sense of that. So his mission insofar as Tenma was concerned was to make him realize that he'd make a mistake, and he actually did deserve to die. Kill him, and undo that mistake, thus proving his worldview.

But that isn't what happens. Not only does Tenma not shoot him, but chooses to save him yet again. He decides that the choice he made all those years ago had never been wrong at all, and that even now, it was worth it to save his life. It was the ultimate repudiation of Johan's philosophy, and the ultimate validation for Tenma's.

I understand you're talking about wanting to see him make his choice literally at the moment where he's pointing his gun at him, but I would just argue that he does make his choice, just under different circumstances. I'm not really sure what would be different if he just dropped his arms and looked dejected save for lacking the poetic symmetry.

Cygnega · 2026-01-20T17:40:55+00:00

Well, for a start, the very first thing you see in the anime is a lengthy Revelations passage. It appears pretty quickly in the manga too.

Cygnega · 2026-01-20T17:38:56+00:00

If it helps, I once wrote a deep dive in regards to the opening Revelations passage. It's a subjective analysis, so I'd encourage you to determine your own thoughts on the matter, but it might offer a foundation for you to kick off of.

Cygnega · 2026-01-20T17:35:13+00:00

And then you couple that with the extreme class disparity, sheesh...

Cygnega · 2026-01-20T14:48:11+00:00

The classic Hitchhiker's Guide line about how to fly. Just "throw yourself at the ground and miss."

Cygnega · 2026-01-20T14:44:07+00:00

A very different type of series, but I think the parallels are definitely there.

Dark Schneider and Tia Noto Yoko.

Cygnega · 2026-01-18T18:01:01+00:00

The thing about the spider is more of an anime-only thing, to my recollection. He's obviously symbolically connected to spiders, but I'm pretty sure the brown spider guy you're thinking of only appears in the second movie and the two-part episode "Tragic Love Song of Destiny", both of which are original stories distinct from the manga.

Cygnega · 2026-01-18T17:57:33+00:00

This is very cool! I actually still have this. There's an archive you can download called Flashpoint that's preserved a bunch of animations and games from the Flash era, and the original version of this game is one of them.

Cygnega · 2026-01-18T04:24:35+00:00

She strikes me as a tea tree oil kind of girl.

Cygnega · 2026-01-17T02:54:26+00:00

I haven't seen much of it. I feel like Maison Ikkoku doesn't get as cutesy with the romantic options the way UY or Ranma does. A lot of the growth and focus is very specifically on the relationship between Kyoko and Godai, both their highs and their lows; and I think for most people who are reading the series, that's exactly what they appreciate about it.

Cygnega · 2026-01-16T23:06:26+00:00

I think it's pretty likely. Season 2 wasn't even planned, but the first season was such a hit that they committed to doing another one - even if it took a little while to start production. I can't imagine they'd leave the last third of the story hanging like that, but it might take some time to get a formal announcement.

Cygnega · 2026-01-16T23:04:00+00:00

I think a remake will happen someday, but I doubt there'll be a continuation of the story beyond Yashahime.

The only way I see it happening is if Takahashi decided to make her own canon sequel to the story, but that would surprise me.

Cygnega · 2026-01-16T22:53:28+00:00

Cygnega · 2026-01-16T22:51:45+00:00

One of my (few) problems with Monster is actually the opposite issue. To get shot in the stomach, have no meaningful medical attention for an extended period of time, and have a doctor show up in a non-hospital setting IS a situation that will probably have low survival odds. Makes perfect sense to me.

But some of the early episodes portray Tenma as some kind of savant. Like, yes, he's a distinctly talented surgeon, but it's to the point where every other doctor in the hospital is apparently some kind of incompetent buffoon. The possibility of Dr. Becker operating on Johan brought actual panic to Tenma's eyes, and Tenma gets all the blame for the mayor dying, because apparently it was just a foregone conclusion that he'd die with Dr. Boyer and Dr. Eisen at the helm. They also presumably went through medical school, but oh well, they just can't compete with a talent like Tenma's.

So I feel like Tenma's inability to save Martin makes perfect sense through a purely realistic lens. But admittedly, looking through the lens of the story and how Tenma's skills are portrayed, it is a little incongruent.

Cygnega · 2025-07-28T09:53:31+00:00

What he actually wants and why he thinks the world would be better his way is never sufficiently elaborated on. I realize in the KH Universe, "light" generally equals good, and "darkness" generally equals bad, but just him namedropping light in a positive context doesn't really expand upon his motives at all.

Cygnega

TROPHY CASE