Kyoto Arc

laustic · Kyoto Arc

Now, I'm curious about what everyone thought of this arc. I have rather mixed feelings about it. It does contain some of my most favorite Tsuzuki and Hisoka scenes, I give it that. But, I was put off by the scenes where Tsuzuki was completely out of character. The most disturbing scene was in the beginning of volume 7 where Tsuzuki gets on Hisoka's case about looking worn out and how he was annoyed that Tatsumi ordered him to take better care of his partner. WTF? Where did that come from? Just previously in volume 6 Tsuzuki knew right off that there was something wrong with Hisoka. He acted as his knight in shining armor as he carried Hisoka home, bridel style. Since when did Tsuzuki need Tatsumi to tell him how to care for Hisoka?
Sorry for that little rant. I just found Tsuzuki's callous attitude toward Hisoka in the Kyoto arc completely out of character and I have to wonder why the author did that. If anyone has any thoughts to this please share them, I would appreciate that very much.

admin

O__O

I thought I was the only one!! I always have the feeling that Yoko is as lost as to what to do or where she's going with her characters which is often why they spaz out do things totally out of character. But I'm happy you picked up on that because I swear on my life the same thought crossed my own mind.

laustic

I was wondering if I was the only one who saw that and for a long time I wanted to ask other YnM fans if they saw that too. Its nice to finally have the opportunity to post the comment.

admin

The Kyoto arc is famous for it's feeling of climax, and I really love it, but in relation to the out of characterness of Tsuzuki in that scene, it sorta remined me of something I heard somewhere, and so I went off to find it,

Here it is, made by wolfpiolt06 on yamifics on Livejournal, I cut most of stuff out but you get the idea:

........A truly excellent work. This is how - in my mind - Yami no Matsuei should end. =) Once Hisoka gets past his entire power trip and all...My biggest issue with Yami no Matsuei was always how Yoko Matsushita shifted her characterizations of the characters around to meet her whims (she strikes me as a very stubborn, opinionated person through her author notes) - especially Tsuzuki. I love your characterization of Tsuzuki - you took all the flailing, loose-ended threads that Matsushita threw out there, gathered them together, and wove a beautiful personality and behavior for Tsuzuki that honestly transcends Matsushita's characterization of Tsuzuki. He's not all flip-flopping. He's consistent and *wonderful*.................

**Wolf**

I think that can be true sometimes.

But the Kyoto arc is a wonderful arc.

Coco~

pyro_o

this is probably THE most talked-about arc in YnM timeline.

why? cuz it's gripping, it's powerful, and it's a climactic way to end the anime. also, it's a pretty sappy ending for all those Tsusoka shippers out in the world.

I don't like it.

why? I just DO NOT LIKE IT. I personally HATE how Tsuzuki crumbles to his own inner desire to commit suicide and Hisoka has to get over his angsty self to go rescue his depressed partner.

Nope. not my type of story. =X

Rhea-sama

I thought it was beautiful and I nearly cried when I read the manga, and when I watched the anime, I nearly cried again. (*Don't mind me, I find it hard to cry most of the time* XD)

*shall post a mini essay later* XDD

pyro_o

I know lots of people like it- it's a nice, touching story cuz Hisoka confesses his 'RABU' to Tsuzuki, and it's nice like that.

(but I still don't like it.)

*awaits mini-essay*

admin

lol yaaay, someone who didn't like Kyoto.

Kyoto anime was the first time I really noticed Hisoka. I felt sorry for him, but he was just that poor kid that the author chose to beat up on. After Kyoto, that was it, I really respected Hisoka, and the way it climaxed was so fitting. I love Kyoto anime. I was so sad at the end. It's just a lovely end to the series and it's the first time we really get a look into Muraki's life past the killing and doctor work, we meet he's friend, an old teacher, he's parents, he's half-brother. It's a lovely arc. It was fighting for my favourite with Devils Trill when I first watched the anime.

I go backwards. Anime first, manga second. Just discovered manga recently, so that's why.

pyro_o

What? Is it a bad thing I don't like it? Sad

laustic

No, it isn't a bad thing that you don't like it. The Kyoto arc isn't my favorite either but it does have a couple of my most favorite scenes in it. I don't know, I just felt that Tsuzuki was out of character a few times in that arc and that bugged me so much.

admin

laustic

I think you're right about Nagasaki being Tsuzuki's best arc. We do get to see every aspect of his character in that arc. Its also one of the only arcs where we don't see Tsuzuki wilting away from Muraki. He actually kicks Muraki's ass in this one (not literally of course). So it was surprising to see Tsuzuki become so weak when he encounters Muraki in later arcs such as the Kyoto one.

pyro_o

*nod* I think I liked that much better than Kyoto- I mean.. in Kyoto, you just go 'Oh, it's just Muraki again'. But in Nagasaki, it's like 'OMGWTF BAD GUY ALERT'.

Yanno?

Chazmy

Ok I have to throw a pointless thought in here....

Now we all know that Tsuzuki was wearing his suit before Muraki took him away . but when we see him again with Muraki on that operating table, he is now sporting a Yutaka.

DId I miss some thing here?

laustic

I assumed some time has passed and Muraki put Tsuzuki into the yukata to make the operation go a little more smoothly.

Chazmy

i was thinking more along the nasty lines....{ my mind tends to wonder in places it shouldn't go...^_^}

laustic

sapphiredragon

Yeah, it wouldn't surprise me at all if Muraki had, er... taken advantage... of the opportunity, y'know?

Anyway, it would be difficult for Muraki to... "experiment"... on him... if he were wearing a suit...

Oh Muraki, taking our minds straight to the gutter. I bet someone's written a fic about this...

Chazmy

{ ponders in thought on a new story......}

Editor

That is one of the scenes in Kyoto where a lot of fans imaginations go....hmmmm what happened in that time span that we missed eh??

We also get feathers covering what could be a kiss.

And altogether major molestation.

I think one my favourite parts of this arc was Oriya, *Oriya kick!* gets me everytime. Book 7 of Kyoto was very good as well, book 8 was okay I guess. But 7 was the one I liked of the two, although the school girls get ignored in favour of other case characters in the fandom, I found their story to be particuarly painful and sad here.

We see loads of different aspects of characters we haven't seen before and I think this could be one of the highlights of this arc. We see Muraki emotional--getting KO'd through a wall--in a slightly healthy relationship--and getting miffed because he's fiance @__@ can't go out with him. We see Hisoka being the on to comfort Tsuzuki-we get dangerous riled up Tatsumi and angry assertive Watari, I mean the characters just go nuts.

To randomly add as well, in the anime since we get no information on Tatsumi/Tsuzuki's relationship other than what he tells Hisoka, I think seeing Tatsumi's caring side comes out even more potent than it does in the book, though in the book it's enmoursly well presented as well, (did I mention I prefer volume 7 to Cool

Chazmy

It was a very good arc but my all time fav was The King of Swords. XD

Editor

If you dig up the Camillia arc here, you will see I am exactly the same way.

Chazmy

* heart *. If only Muraki would of succeeded in having Tsuzuki for that night. [ has many dreams of the possibility]

Editor

I personally love how Hisoka and Muraki were bargaining for him and how Tsuzuki is immiedately thankful even after Hisoka tried to sell him off to the good doctor.

I think one of the highlights of the Kyoto arc is the togetherness of everyone, it was really interesting to see everyone come together for the final moments with Muraki. And I was especially surprised to meet Oriya and learn that Muraki indeed had a best friend, a teacher and a personal life that didn't connect to either life, (saving lives) or death (taking them), as we're so used to seeing. I really see that arc as about Muraki.

pyro_o

I like this arc. A lot. It underlines the Tsusoka-ness, firstly. 8D;;;

Secondly, the artwork with Touda, I really REALLY like. XD

Thirdly, the manga highlights Muraki as a villain, as a heartless criminal, true- but also as a broken man.

It features somebody who I would never have expected to be a main character in- he's the lead, he's the star, and (damn straight!) Matsushita-sensei knows that. It's amazing, the way he's so fragile, and he just lashes out at others. It's a gorgeous piece of plot in the entire series, I think. Very Happy

D

Editor

I think some of the best music appears in it, the scene with Tsuzuki and Hisoka outside the bar was touching as hell, visually it was interesting to see this snappy kid comfort a grown man so compassionately.

And with the knowledge that Hisoka was both freaked out about being the one who would have to comfort Tsuzuki as well as angry that Tsuzuki wouldn't let him try, it was wonderful to see Tsuzuki take that step and allow Hisoka to be the one there for him, even if it was whilst breaking down, and it was encouraging to see that Hisoka's fears were not necessary and that he rose to the challenge. And the music for that scene was simply touching in the anime.

Chazmy

My alt-most fav in the Kyoto arc was the meeting of Oriya.

Muraki might be a crazy sadistic killer, but it showed he did have a normality when Oriya appeared and we actually seen Muraki did indeed have a friend.

The Kyoto in my opinion was one of the more touching stories that depicted my favourite character, even though it did not give us much to go by, we did see that the doctor did have a terrible past.

And of course one can not forget the kissing scene { just a fav in it’s self XD ]

‘ Even a madman has his reasons ‘

Veleda

I'm amused to see people saying that they didn't like the Kyoto arc, mainly because I've always felt odd for preferring the Nagasaki and King of Swords arcs.

Regarding Tsuzuki's wardrobe change, frankly, I would be surprised if Muraki didn't take that chance to rape Tsuzuki.

laustic

The Kyoto arc did have some of the best TsuSoka moments which is pretty much the only reason why I'll watch it/read it. But I had some major issues with this arc, especially in the manga. I was appalled about Tsuzuki's out of character callous attitude toward Hisoka in the beginning of the 7th volume. Since when did Tatsumi had to tell Tsuzuki to take better care of his partner? Tsuzuki was so caring in volume 6 and he did a complete 180 in the Kyoto arc.