Blade of the Immortal: Volume 20, Demon Lair
So, I finally got around to reading the brand new, shiny, gorgeous Blade of the Immortal manga volume that I recently purchased, and may I just point out once again that I simply adore Rin? I think Rin is my hero. I am her super-fan. Which is odd, because I don't typically go for characters as emotional as she is. However, this girl is so gutsy, determined, clever, and all-around stubborn that I just can't help but admire her. I sit there, manga in hand, watching her do all of these amazing and borderline insane things and I admire her drive, her passion, and the fact that when she sets out to do a thing, she will go full throttle until she DOES it. And Rin has spent quite a few volumes being more awesome than chocolate cheesecake. I thought she was cool in Badger Hole, but in this volume I think she achieved a new level of sweetness.
This girl sets explosives around a tunnel and then sets them off by throwing flaming knives at them. And don't get me started on her beatdown of the creepy doctor man. (Which was a whole ton of fuckyes dressed up as Rin.)She's been through a lot in this arc, and it was really starting to show there. I liked her semi-crazed eyes when she started listing the many futures she really couldn't care less about. And I also loved it when she decked him and went: "Don't lay that crap on me!" I loved her using her smarts, cunning, and convenient Itto Ryu fighting girl to make it all the way down to Manji. Also, Manji PWNing Hibaki with a hair pin? Stuff of legend, guys. I do love that the fights were very toned down here- more about using your wits than using your sheer, DBZ, overweening powers of super-samurai.
The only sad thing about this is that, well, Manji and Rin are back together. I have a sneaking and nasty suspicion that Rin WITH Manji will go back to being the treasured and protected girl, when I've loved seeing her work through her problems and conquer them on her own. I've loved watching her grow up and become mature. And, well, I did like that Manji acknowledged it. ("When was her face so grown-up?") I also do want to see Anotsu enter the picture soon, because I have a guilty desire for Rin's peeps and Anotsu's peeps to team up to take out the corrupt government leaders.
This girl sets explosives around a tunnel and then sets them off by throwing flaming knives at them. And don't get me started on her beatdown of the creepy doctor man. (Which was a whole ton of fuckyes dressed up as Rin.)She's been through a lot in this arc, and it was really starting to show there. I liked her semi-crazed eyes when she started listing the many futures she really couldn't care less about. And I also loved it when she decked him and went: "Don't lay that crap on me!" I loved her using her smarts, cunning, and convenient Itto Ryu fighting girl to make it all the way down to Manji. Also, Manji PWNing Hibaki with a hair pin? Stuff of legend, guys. I do love that the fights were very toned down here- more about using your wits than using your sheer, DBZ, overweening powers of super-samurai.
The only sad thing about this is that, well, Manji and Rin are back together. I have a sneaking and nasty suspicion that Rin WITH Manji will go back to being the treasured and protected girl, when I've loved seeing her work through her problems and conquer them on her own. I've loved watching her grow up and become mature. And, well, I did like that Manji acknowledged it. ("When was her face so grown-up?") I also do want to see Anotsu enter the picture soon, because I have a guilty desire for Rin's peeps and Anotsu's peeps to team up to take out the corrupt government leaders.