9 Eyes

[sadmanyeyes]

Odds & Ends:

It's actually Haan back to life at the end, his spirit having taken over his clone's body.

2. Haan and Yuuko have a daughter together in the sequel.

3. Pai/Three-Eyed-Pai is based on Hosuke Sharaku from The Three-Eyed One, a manga by Osamu Tezuka (creator of Astro Boy and a shitload of other stuff).

4. There is a side story called Yggdrasil's Mistletoe, that follows some girl named Hana Sakuraba. What's important about it is that it reveals that Pai and Yakumo married sometime after the series ended.

5. Due to her absorbing Shiva at the end, Kali is the new Three-Eyed-Demon King.

6. There is an English Dub of the OVA by Geneon. Kime is voiced by Keith David.

7. There are Drama CDs of the manga. In the first two, Three-Eyed-Pai was voiced by Masako Nozawa.

8. The name of the sequel is 3x3 Eyes Gaiden: Yggdrasil No Yadorigi, in case you want to look for yourself.

There...done. I've enjoyed this series but now...I just want to lie down.

[sadmanyeyes]

Seima Densetsu Episode 3:

And that's the last of the animations! Done...and I have a better understanding of how Yuuko possessed Pai now. She was taking over her body, she wasn't another consciousness.

Done with the entirety of the series! I heard there's a sequel but I'm taking a break from it for the time being. I'll bring up odds and ends and then this blog is on hiatus. Thank you to whoever read!

[sadmanyeyes]

Seima Densetsu Episode 2:

Another good adaptation with a nice cliffhanger. And we get to see Jack! Fun times for all....feral Pai is interesting too.

Episode Rating: 8/10

[sadmanyeyes]

Seima Densetu Episode 1:

Not a bad adaptation...although it completely changes the ending of the Doll Arc, thus adapting out Yuuko's existence. Still though, I like how this gets the plot back on track in under an hour...although how did the Puppet Demon think Benares would react if she actually killed Pai? Don't remember her being that stupid in the manga...

Episode Rating: 8/10

[sadmanyeyes]

Episode 4:

The last episode of the original OVA. Benares is pretty cool, especially with his whole "Comparing us both...that annoys me". Ain't no Big Three, just Big Him. Still condensed but I think, all in all, makes an okay introduction to the series. Next time, I'll be starting the 3x3 Eyes: Seima Densetsu series to finish things up. Then just an odds and ends wrap-up.

Episode Rating: 7.5/10

[sadmanyeyes]

Episode 3:

A good adaptation of the Hotel Arc. And we get to see Benares at the end! But what's weird is how less manic Three-Eyed-Pai is compared to the manga, being more calm and cold instead of demonic and hammish. She could be cold in the manga too but we had more instances of her shouting and hugging. Anyway, it's fine.

Episode Rating: 8/10

[sadmanyeyes]

Episode 2:

Just a nicely condensed version of the school arc. Less rushed than before...but it's kind of bittersweet hearing Yakumo and Pai talk about wanting to become human knowing the ultimate ending of the manga.

Episode Rating: 8/10

[sadmanyeyes]

Episode 1:

Wow, it's so nostalgic watching a condensed version of the original chapters. They left out Yakumo's past, why he's working at a drag bar and rushed through his angst at Pai for swallowing his soul and ruining his life but it was...alright. If kind of fast...guess I'll keep watching.

7/10

[sadmanyeyes]

Afterword

I don't got much to say here besides I loved this story, its characters and, in spite of all its flaws, I'm satisfied with how it ended up. And in today's shonen, that's apparently a tall fucking order for a long runner especially.

I really had no idea where the story was going until the middle and I was engrossed until the end. I enjoyed its themes of determination, community and finding one's self-worth regardless of what one came from. It's typical but it's done well. My favorite character was Ling-Ling due to her endless dedication to THE GRIND but Yakumo is probably currently my favorite Shonen protagonist of all time. His strengths are developed, his flaws are explored, his powers are explored...at the end, he felt like a guy I knew and not just a character. He's just not the kind of protagonist I'm used to...which leads me into my least favorite character in the story.

Haan sucks. I mean, not just his perfect swirl of racism and sexism, his entitlement to other girls, the fact that barely anyone calls him out for his attitude while Yakumo suffers for everyone else's problems...he just doesn't belong in this series because he's framed as a rival to a guy who doesn't need one. Yakumo isn't Naruto, Ichigo or Yusuke...he's not hot-headed or always willing to be confrontational. Haan gets up in his business because people justifably like Yakumo more, causing his antagonism to come off less like, "You two need to put aside your differences and work together" and "...Haan, what's your fucking damage?". Naturally, by the time he's tolerable enough to stand, he dies...and then his somehow even more aggravating clone shows up and there's that nonsense to deal with. His and Yuuko's beta couple thing was annoying due to him obviously being a rebound and him only liking her because she was pretty...and they're not shown bonding outside of scenes of them saving each other. He sucks and he brings everyone else down and he's the main component in keeping this series from being near-perfect.

But geez, if you want action, humor, a non-aggravating romance, body horror and engrossing characters...read this and shut up. You might learn something and you may become immortal...or just get a series that was frighteningly ahead of its time at points. If you've given up on Shonen...maybe you need a hidden gem to show you how good it could be.

Manga Score: 8/10

I will be wrapping up this blog by reviewing the OVA. Then it's onto whatever else. Thanks whoever's reading this!

[sadmanyeyes]

Chapter 572:

But Yakumo ices Benares with a shot to the chest, saying the power he has isn't just his, it's everyone's.

As Shiva is defeated, Yakumo finally accepts that he is not alone in the world. So he and Pai can't become human anymore...but they got each other...at least until Yakumo asks Pai to blow him up after he merges with the darkness. He's going to invert Shiva's plan and send all of the human's souls back to their bodies. It'll take a while...but he'll wake up some day. And he knows she'll be waiting for him. And Pai says she'll search for him as long as it'll take.

Meanwhile, Kali holds Shiva's corpse as she says that she will allow humanity's darkness to be returned to them. Pai gives Yakumo the go-ahead and he merges...

Some time later, the world is back to normal...which means Kime and Ling-Ling is alive. Clone!Haan asks about Yakumo to Yuuko, her answering that the world is back to normal shows that he succeeded and respawned somewhere. Oh and the Haans merged together...and Shiva has merged with someone too. And Kali and Benares have decided to observe humanity.

Finally, Pai and Three-Eyed-Pai are on Rou-Rou, neither willing to give up Yakumo. They end the story saying they won't stop searching until find him...

The end.

[sadmanyeyes]

Chapter 571:

It's time for everyone to lend Pai their strength, even Yakumo merging with her as Amara returns his beast magic contract to him. Clone!Haan offers his body to the original Haan so they could protect Yuuko together. Shiva sees the darkness of humanity's spirits and vows to destroy it...but Yakumo says that darkness is humanity and he and Pai will protect it. So it's Nu-Wu Yakumo vs. Benares and Shiva with Pai backing him up!

It's back-and-forth before Shiva calls off Benares, saying he can do no real damage. Benares, despite remembering how Yuuko called him out, can't help but be thrilled...but Yakumo wants to end it all with one attack. Benares dares him to do it, Yakumo summoning all his beast magics to finish him...but Benares responds with a blast of his own, the chapter ending in a beam o war.

[sadmanyeyes]

Chapter 570:

Pai's able to save Three-Eyed-Pai and pull her out to merge, both trying to save Yakumo with Shiva using the last of his power to try and stop them. But by trying to merge with the Seima Stone, he had to give up a lot of strength to control the spirits within...and none of them wanted him. But he ain't giving up, saying he's going to merge everyone anyway...and the chapter ends with summoning not light, but darkness.

[sadmanyeyes]

Chapter 569:

Shiva tries to absorb Pai into him but Yakumo uses the last of depleted spirit to save her, disintegrating to save her consciousness...and the chapter ends with Pai screaming his name.

[sadmanyeyes]

Chapter 568:

Pai asks Yakumo if he's willing to go with her....and the two are swallowing by the light, revealing Pai's real goal was to become the Seima Stone, not destroy it. Benares and Shiva holler in disbelief as the chapter ends with Yakumo and Pai's souls being absorbed...

[sadmanyeyes]

Chapter 567:

But the blast is blocked...by Original!Haan.

Benares destroys him again and Yuuko apologizes for still loving Yakumo even after Haan saved her...but she is willing to die with him. But the chapter ends with Pai telling her not to give up hope...

[sadmanyeyes]

Chapter 566:

The crew makes a go for Shiva anyway but Benares plows through them. Yuuko makes one last big attack for Shiva's head...but the chapter ends with Benares sending Kuu-Yan at her.

[sadmanyeyes]

Chapter 565:

Pai cries over Yakumo, promising to change if he'll just stay with her.

And while the second saddest scene in the manga happens, Shiva is awake...and he's going to merge.

It's the end of the world.