Inuyasha Kanketsu-hen Ep. 10
犬夜叉 完結編 Episode 10 Review
Inuyasha: Final Act – 10

SPOILER Summary/Synopsis:

Kanna ponders the death of Kagura while Naraku curses Kikyou for still afflicting him after her death. Meanwhile, Inuyasha’s group arrives at a village with lots of flowers and they are invited to rest. Inuyasha is suspicious and that night the flowers turn some of the villagers into Earth. The ruler, Ka-ou, is a youkai who feeds off of the misery of others but in turn gives the victim peace and turns them into soil for his flowers. Sensing Inuyasha’s pain over the loss of Kikyou, Ka-ou lures Inuyasha into a trap.

However, Kagome attempts to free Inuyasha and hearing her voice, Inuyasha awakes from his near death sleep and attacks Ka-ou. Since Kagome has removed the protective beads that Miroku gave her in order to bring down the barrier around Ka-ou’s mansion, Ka-ou senses her pain and as it is greater, he desires her. However, she’s not going for that and repeatedly attacks with her bow, firing hama-ya. Inuyasha finishes off Ka-ou and the group leaves.

In the meantime, Naraku has given Kanna new orders through Byakuya to go after Inuyasha’s group. She enters a lake with her mirror and a light emerges. Inuyasha’s group hears about this and goes to investigate. Arriving at the lake, they see it has turned into a giant mirror with Kanna’s mirror in the center. A giant made of crystal emerges and this is now Kanna’s mirror. The crystal giant forms its own Tessaiga and when Inuyasha attacks with a Kaze no Kizu, nothing happens. Kanna has the giant use the attack on Inuyasha. Inuyasha attempts a Kongousouha but again nothing. Kanna has the giant use the Kongousouha as Shippou races in to rescue Inuyasha and they retreat.

Thoughts/Review:

I had forgotten about Kanna for some reason. I’d have to go back and look, but while I do remember Kanna wondering about Kagura’s death and subsequent freedom, I don’t remember her giant stopping to pick a flower. For some reason, I thought about the scene in the classic Frankenstein movie where the monster picks the flowers with the little girl.

Anyway, Kanna is another plot thread to resolve since all of Naraku’s detachments have to be dealt with before the story can be resolved.

I wonder if there is any emotional impact regarding Kanna thinking about Kagura. Will there be any emotional impact on those who’ve not read the manga when Kanna’s story is resolved? I ask because the speed at which things have been smoked through leaves little time for any emotional involvement.

Which takes me back to the Ka-ou story. In the manga, I felt the loss of Kikyou on not only Inuyasha, but the others. Here, the emotions did not feel real, but merely just characters going through the motions. That’s not to say the seiyuu aren’t doing their best, but there’s just no time for the emotion of things. As such, Inuyasha going through his grief didn’t hit me nor did Kagome going through her own trials. Kind of a shame, really.

I will say that the intermixing of the next story throughout the Ka-ou story did work well from a story flow perspective.

Well, onto the next episode…whenever that is. ^_^;;;