ITP: lulz.
Yes, lulz. Which is somewhat surprising given that we are entering the climactic final battle between our hero and his former friend turned bitter enemy, but KHR always did like to fly in the face of convention like that. Making a mockery of our expectations.
1. Enma's flames must look so cool when animated. It really depresses me that in the wake of the earthquake disaster, I can easily see at least half the events of this chapter (if not the entire arc) getting retconned once KHR Brotherhood comes out. :(
Anyway, the Obvious Brigade strikes again with the devastating observation that since Enma's flames are bursting out of this castle like popcorn that's been in the microwave too long, that means Enma is most likely in there. Just in case the fact that Nuts is magnetically attracted to the castle and also it's a GODDAMN UNDERGROUND CASTLE weren't enough to clue us in. Also it sure is a good thing Yamamoto has returned to us and is there to shout "LET'S GO, TSUNA", otherwise we might have been standing outside there all day.
2. Two seconds later they have gotten themselves hopelessly lost because this chapter is out to prove once and for all that in shounen manga evolution works backwards and our heroes are only getting dumber as the time wears on. For what it's worth, I am so with Lambo on this one--they are in a giant underground castle, and I fully support the notion of abandoning the Hunt for Enma entirely for an hour or so in favor of playing the most awesome game of hide and seek in history. Plus, you never know, they might find Narnia or something. Or the KHR version of Narnia, which was probably ruled by an AU Byakuran at some point or other and is filled with blinged-out centaurs and fauns. (That's right, if you think the lack of an actual Byakuran in this chapter will stop me from making increasingly random and pathetic Byakuran jokes anyway, you came to the wrong Livejournal my friend.)
And as azartti awesomely pointed out last week, poor Gokudera. You got stuck holding the cow while Reborn abandoned his one-night stand with your shoulder without a second thought. Life's been rough for you lately, hasn't it. :(
3. Oh, it's the heartwarming reunion! ;____;
- White hair, really? You mean I don't have to strain my mind reaching around corners to find Byakuran references, the manga is still willing to make them for me??
- OVERWHELMING KILLING INTENT, EH? Well, good luck, I guess, Tsuna! Your boyfriend has been so wholly and completely taken over by his why-aren't-we-calling-this-a-hell-ring-again? ring that he's completely unrecognizable even to your SUPER ASTUTE AND OBSERVANT GUARDIANS. I know you're still super determined to save him and all, though, so I guess we're about to finally find out what really happens when an unstoppable force meets an immovable object.
- Enma, for you to look this ugly when Amano is clearly going all out with the art quality lately really saddens me.
4. And this page needs a couple more bullet points of its own:
- "What?! That monster thing over there? That's Enma?? No way! But now that you mention it, oh yeah, it totally is Enma." Gokudera, honey, I am in tears over here sob sob.
- NUTS IS SO ADORABLE OH MY GOD EVEN THE PURE EVIL INCARNATE THAT IS THE SIMON RING SHOULD HAVE MELTED AND STARTED SPEWING OUT HEART FLAMES AT THE SIGHT OF THAT TOP LEFT PANEL.
- "ENMA! IT'S ME!" Good, Tsuna, but you appear to have already forgotten the part where Enma is most likely to complete that statement with, "THE SON OF THE MAN WHO KILLED YOUR FAMILY!" So... yeah...
5. Oh, I see, he's launching right into his I-told-you-so speech, and I guess hoping that since Giotto's name has been cleared they can sort of forget/gloss over that whole Iemitsu thing entirely.
Too bad they didn't count on Enma already being so goddamned brainwashed that it doesn't have the slightest effect! IF ONLY THEY HAD LISTENED TO ADELHEID, WHICH MORE PEOPLE SHOULD DO, ALWAYS. Then maybe we wouldn't be scratching our heads here wondering why someone who's clearly not even in the same zip code as his right mind is not listening calmly to words of reason!
6. Teehee, this really is the fluffiest mafia in history. THE CARE BEAR MAFIA. "OUR ONLY HOPE IS TO USE ALL THE POWER WE HAVE TO GET HIM TO UNDERSTAND!" EVERYONE, THAT SENTENCE IS A REAL SENTENCE THAT REALLY CAME OUT OF GOKUDERA'S MOUTH. |D Look at him, all set to go, rolling up his sleeves and everything to do some goddamn JESUSING. Sadly, he's cut off by his boss's gently determined "leave it to me, Enma's going to be fine" face. Does this page make anyone else want to go out and give hugs to random strangers? Just me?
Seriously, though, even Hibari is on his best behavior today. Just look at that! Waiting his turn all patiently... this is truly a world where anything is possible.
7. RAISE YOUR HAND IF YOU ALSO CLICKED ON THIS PAGE, SAW THE PHRASE "IF MY WORDS WON'T REACH YOU..." AND WERE AUTOMATICALLY COMPLETING THAT SENTENCE WITH "THEN I'LL REACH YOU WITH MY FISTS" EVEN BEFORE YOU ACTUALLY SCROLLED DOWN TO CONFIRM IT.
ALL RIGHT, AND I'M JUST GOING TO ASSUME THAT ALL THE HANDS WERE RAISED.
8. Whoa, what.
Ouch. XD Well, sucks to be Tsuna, but I'm delighted to have Reborn finally confirm what we've been casually assuming to be canon fact for close to a year now. Gravity flames! ENMA'S POWER IS THE COOLEST POWER, I just have to say that right now. Best flame ever. \o\ \o/ /o/
"That sphere has as much gravity as a star." HAHA, WHAT? FUCKING SERIOUSLY? TAKE THAT, NEWTON, SHOUNEN PHYSICS LAUGHS IN YOUR GODDAMN FACE.
I never know what the fuck is going on in KHR, but I love it. ._.
9. "A black hole!" "Wha?!" I know, right??
10. "That's right. Even getting pulled in just once would mean the end." So I can only assume this chapter ends with Tsuna getting pulled into the black hole, then.
Oh. Or that.
Cambio Forma! So we finally get to see Tsuna's full VG in action! While it's not quite the cliffhanger I would have hoped for, what it lacks in oomph it makes up for in lulz potential. I for one am going to enjoy spending the next two weeks speculating over what kind of new battle outfit Tsuna will get, and whether or not it will include some sort of Vongola Version XXXXXXXXXX flaming sequined cape or something.
And Happy Birthday to theprerogative and umi_no_suzume! ♥