Inu to Hasami wa Tsukaiyou – 02-03

Seems legit.

After some delay, we’re back with more InuHasa! This time with 100% more mystery solving, idols writing, afro cutting, and masochists… being masochists.

Oh Look New Characters

From left to right: imouto, boob, boob.

Since we last left off, InuHasa has introduced quite a number of characters. Let’s take a look. First there’s Kirihime’s editor, who turns out to be a massive masochist. I can only say this is appropriate enough, considering Kirihime’s sadistic streak. Or perhaps she’s only sadistic now because she’s used to indulging in Hiiragi’s punishments? Next we have everybody’s favorite shining idol, Maxi. Set up as one of Kirihime’s two literary rivals, Maxi is anything but subtle. Constantly escorted by her flock of bodyguards, Maxi seems to be rather obsessed with herself. Particular, in how brightly she shines. Seriously, “brighter than a sun shining down on three thousand worlds”? Give it a rest, why don’t you. We get it. You’re hot idol stuff, and charismatic to boot. But obnoxious is obnoxious. Quite honestly, I find her more annoying than amusing. Especially since it appears her only gag is to be ignored by Kirihime until boobs are involved. Then it’s a slaughterfest. Moving on, we have the token imouto in the form of Madoka. Every anime guy’s gotta have an imouto or two, and Kazuhito is no exception. Usually I don’t mind imouto charas, but Madoka is a particularly unimpressive one. She appears to be just your standard little sister who is all rabu rabu for her onii-chan, which tells you all you need to know right there, but maybe I’m just having a bad day and feeling more jaded than usual. She’s only had a very brief appearance so far so I’m willing to give her the benefit of the doubt that she might improve as a character somewhere along the line. And then we have a loli nekomimi grandmother’s brother’s sister’s husband’s friend’s sister¹ and this guy.

Lust?

The POWUH of writing!

Up until now, Kazuhito has made a big deal about Kirihime’s work. Her “Deadly Sins” series is made out to be some sort of Harry Potter phenomenon, what with the ludicrous thickness of the books and the total number of seven. Ok, I’m stretching that comparison a bit there, but the point is her books are a big deal. Big enough to reform a criminal wanted for homicide, at least. I will admit that part had me rolling my eyes quite a bit, but it at least passed as a barely excusable device to introduce Kazuhito’s moral excellence and Kirihime’s guilt. It’s good to know that Kirihime isn’t just a completely aloof and cold-blooded person, in spite of previous indications. And while playing the guilt card might be rather generic, there’s nothing wrong with that. In fact, I would say Kirihime actually stands apart from most cases as she’s willing to go so far as to kill to avenge Kazuhito. That was some excellent character development, even if it had to be brought on by less believable events. In any case, let us return again to the “Deadly Sins” series. As we know, Kirihime has been working on Lust for a while now, without much progress. But what’s interesting about her writer’s block is that apparently being in the thick of mysteries helps her break out of it. After facing off with Kazuhito’s killer, she suddenly has a stroke of inspiration for her work. And furthermore, it seems as if she gets into it quite a bit as well, what with her talk of er… having children with a dog. At first glance, that scene just seemed outright strange, and really it is. But after a bit of thought, I wonder if the subject of lust might have had something to do with it. The whole thing felt jarringly out of character, but here you have a great author who’s suddenly been inspired to continue writing a book presumably on the subject of lust. Maybe she sort of gets drawn in to her own writing?

Extras

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At this point, I have rather mixed feelings for InuHasa despite my initial strong reception. Yes, I am continually aware of the show’s lack of popularity, but I think that has little sway in my own opinion. There are some rather comical bits that do help it out, but I’m beginning to see why people say this show “doesn’t do anything for them”. In spite of the completely wacky premise, InuHasa feels particularly dry after only three episodes. By all rights, this is a show that should feel completely fresh. It’s about a bookworm dog and a sadistic, scissor-toting writer, for heaven’s sake! But somehow InuHasa manages to come across as rather uninspired, even with such a unique premise going for it. I will say the mystery element, being the most intriguing at the moment, was handled fairly well. I can dig a slasher mystery of the week, I suppose. But even this can get old rather quickly if not done right. Even so, at this point I am still willing to believe that InuHasa can make a comeback and surprise us with some genuinely engaging material.

¹Did someone say Bueller?

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