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Massive Yami no Matsuei commentary post

I’ve spent the past few days rereading Yami no Matsuei, which is kind of a terrible manga (up until the 10th volume) but I love it anyway. Since I knew it was so bad and the writing was so spotty and there were so many unanswered questions and discrepancies going into my reread, I figured I’d write them down as they came up.

That quickly devolved into a lot of dumb questions and comments and the slow breakdown of my mind as I processed the series with the mind and mentality I currently own. I first read this series when I was like thirteen, and looking back on my childhood, I had questionable taste and morals.

Yami no Matsuei questions OR: Why Yami no Matsuei is a really sloppy series.

Volume 1:
- Why doesn’t Enmacho do background checks
- NO REALLY, WHY DOESN’T ENMACHO DO BACKGROUND CHECKS?
- What happened to Tsuzuki’s yakuza swagga?
- Is Muraki a freaky onmyouji or something I mean seriously.
- SO ABOUT THOSE BACKGROUND CHECKS.
- What was Muraki even doing in Kamakura in the first place.
- And how does he know about Juouchou.
- What does he use to contain his boners because he’s clearly popping them like 24/7.
- No really what is Tsuzuki’s connection to Enma I mean god fucking damn how long has this series been running and that’s gone unexplained for? (And no, “he’s Enma’s employee” doesn’t count.)
- Why would Hisoka have had any attachment to living and thus become a shinigami. UHHHH??? Seriously that kid had no reason to live and didn’t remember that he was murdered until he wound up in Juouchou. 
*by this point this has devolved from simply being unsanswered questions to being comments about the sloppy writing/character actions as well.
Volume 2:
- Why does Hijiri need two eyes to play violin. I’m no violinist but that seems like something you’d be able to do by feel alone.
- Why can Matsushita only draw 3 faces: Hisoka, Tsuzuki and Muraki? *This actually changes, but for the early volumes…
- Also not plot related: Why is the X on Tsuzuki’s back during the Devil’s Trill arc the same as the X on Kamui from X/1999’s back. CREATIVITY!!
- Why are the demons so interested in killing Kazusa? Unless they’re doing a holocaust-styled thing with like, anyone who can see demons, tropes from other mangoes and anime prove that about one person in each series can see demons/spirits/etc. They’ll have a lot of work cut out for themselves! 
- Ok clearly something is up with Chief Konoe and Tsuzuki. WHAT WAS IT.
- Wait no nevermind I think that one just answered itself. (GAAAAAY)
- SO WHAT SINS /DID/ TSUZUKI COMMIT 79 YEARS AGO?
- WHO THE FUCK IS ENMA? (RULER OF JUOUCHO DON’T COUNT)
Volume 3:
- Why would the Hong Kong bureau of shinigami even bother with the Japanese bureau? I mean seriously. What is the point. (other than exposition)
- And why didn’t the Japanese division meet up with any agents from the Hong Kong division?
- … So did Tsuzuki actually have to have sex with Muraki? Why is everyone so surprised that there are ~*homosexual activities*~ in this series if shit like this happens on a daily basis.
- Wait is Muraki actually a vampire or is this just some stupid metaphor? (first he was an aural vampire, now he’s an actual vampire?!! MATSUSHITAAAA)
- Why is Hisoka such an asshole when it comes to Tsuzuki being sexually harrassed? DON’T YOU HAVE ANY EMPATHY? (hurr hurr hurr)
- I can see Muraki surviving strychnine because… Muraki (even though tetrodotoxin makes much more sense), but making it through an autopsy? O-kay.
- Matsushita mentions that she’d reveal why Muraki’s hair is white. BUT SHE NEVER DOES. GJ, Matsushita. GJ.
- YOU PEOPLE ARE TRAPPED ON A BOAT FOR TWO WEEKS AND YOU’RE LEAVING THE BODIES RIGHT WHERE YOU FOUND THEM INSTEAD OF TRANSFERRING THEM TO COLD STORAGE? W-O-W. BONUS: THEY’RE LEAVING THEM IN PLACE TO PRESERVE EVIDENCE. AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA.
- Okay I feel like the whole Muraki-Hisoka thing is really poorly handled in that it’s like they meet each other and then Hisoka has this little flashback and he’s like OH BOY I REALLY HATE THIS GUY. And yet he just kind of… puts… up with him? (this goes back to whenever Muraki first appeared) AMONG OTHER THINGS.
- How does Muraki’s fake eye even work. Do I even really care at this point considering the weight of a ton of other unanswered issues with the plot? No, not really.
- Muraki’s character is all over the place at this point. First he’s a creepy person who has possibly boned Tsuzuki, then he’s like “OH WELL WE HAVEN’T KNOWN EACH OTHER THAT LONG SO KISSING YOU MIGHT BE TOO MUCH UGUU I WANT TO ROMANCE YOU~”. And then he goes back into rapist mode. This is in the span of like three pages I’m srs.
- Who is Sakaki? *(this might get answered later if he’s the dude who was working with Muraki in the Kyoto arc, whose name I cannot remember) (also he may be the butler) ANSWER: Well, inferred answer. He’s Muraki’s butler.
- There’s a point in the last chapter of volume 3 where Matsushita admits how dumb her own story and writing is. Bless your heart, Matsushita.
- So how did Muraki fix his complex fake eye that he was whinging about having to reattach within the span of like 30 minutes.
Volume 4:
- Okay so Tatsumi is all “OH NO I CAN’T HAVE THESE FEELINGS FOR TSUZUKI” when he takes off his clothes for the hotsprings but then in the Kyoto arc he’s basically all like “LOL WE HAD THIS PAST RELATIONSHIP GOING ON RITE?” and is all over him. Workplace sexual harrassment!
- What’s really funny is how sloppy the writing is at this point, but when you move into the Kamakura arc stuff mostly lines up with what was mentioned in the new years chapter? Was it an accident or did Matsushita actually start crossreferencing earlier chapters?
- Side Comment: FUCKING TERAZUMA, WHY AREN’T YOU AROUND MORE. Wakaba can come too.
- Am I biased or is Terazuma drawn like, way better/more realistically than the main characters.
- I’m p.sure that once you pass volume 3, someone threatens to rape Tsuzuki at least once per volume.
- Gr8 ways to deal with rape victims: http://www.mangahere.com/manga/yami_no_matsuei/v04/c001.1/106.html
- Matsushita’s comments on homosexuality in a sidebar are kind of offensive. I can’t tell if she’s a fujoshi that’s ashamed of herself or actually homophobic-yet-secretly-loves-homos.
- Kira is another one of Matsushita’s awesome character concepts that she just tosses aside and never uses again. Why. Bring that hot bitch back.
- So what was Tsuzuki’s forbidden love? His sister? Some dude? The chief?
- I’m SO glad they followed up with that “Tsuzuki could totally take over the demon army” thing. (hahahaha)
- Now that I think about it, Kira came back. As Nagare. Their designs are almost exactly the same.
Volume 5:
- What even went on here.
- What’s up with Tatsumi’s mom. Why does everyone in Enmacho have such terrible past family experiences. It’s like the fedora rule: ONE SOB STORY PER GROUP.
- Since when did Watari have a special power? OH RIGHT, ONLY EVER IN THIS ARC. 
- Thinly veiled genderswap gay love confession??
Volume 6:
- So um. Why was Chizuru totally not suspended or something for showing herself to her old friend?
- WOW THE EARL TRYING TO HAVE SEX WITH CHILD!TSUZUKI, CLASSY AS FUCK.
- … And Hisoka being totally okay with it UM.
Volume 7:
- Okay so it basically goes against all police procedures to have people who have been personally involved with a suspect on a case involving said suspect. And the Shinigami are kind of like the dead people police. SO UM. Why the fuck did they get assigned to the Kyoto case?
- Oriya is a really terrible businessman if he’ll actually sit around and let Muraki kill all of his workers. Seriously Oriya, get on that shit and kick him out.
- So about that thing with Tsuzuki being Muraki’s grandfather’s patient. You ever gonna explain that one?
- And how did he survive without food, water or sleep for 8 years? 
- And what made him go insane to get there in the first place. (all bets are on slaughtering his family)
- Tsuzuki is so stupid he successfully managed to kill himself by cutting across the street. GOOD JOB.
- Matsushita’s information on getting DNA from hair that has been CUT OFF is incredibly, undeniably wrong. Oh my god excuse me while I go flip a table. You need the root to extract DNA from hair, you fuckwit.
- How did Tatsumi know that Tsuzuki was in danger?
- So let’s talk about Tatsumi’s American Express card.
- Tatsumi just willingly spent like $60 and didn’t even try to haggle. WHO ARE YOU AND WHAT HAVE YOU DONE WITH TATSUMI?
- “At the time you were completely insane, with no possibility of treatment.” So why is Tsuzuki pretty goddamn sane atm?
- Tsuzuki (and I think Muraki) is apparently not human (pre-shinigami status). SO UM. WHAT. IS. HE?
- Was Muraki’s gramps as much of a creep as he is? All bets are on “Yes”.
- WHAT DO THE CHIEF AND ENMA KNOW ABOUT TSUZUKI? WHAT ARE THEIR PLANS?
Volume 8:
- Oriya and Muraki have the least compelling bromance.
- How can Muraki just walk into Tsuzuki’s shiki attack when the other shinigami are like NOPE, NOT GETTING CLOSE.
- Oriya is totally another one of those characters that had potential but got forgotten about. (until the side story, which implies that he might be back I guess? Good. I want to watch him continue to get NTRed.)
- Even the anime was less vague about Muraki’s plans for fusing Tsuzuki/Saki, so I’m just like… going to take that as canon because seriously, the fuck is going on?
- Seriously, what is up with Enma.
Volume 9:
- Hot security department bitches: More awesome characters that were forgotten.
- There is so much workplace sexual harassment going on in this manga.
- UGH SERIOUSLY WHAT IS WITH THE COUNT’S RELATION TO TSUZUKI. I SWEAR TO GOD IF THEY ARE RELATED I WILL FLIP A TABLE.
- So going back to the volume 7 thing re: working cases which you are related to victims, why did Watari and Tatsumi get sent off to Kamakura?
- HOLY SHIT WAIT WHY WERE THEY EVEN CONTEMPLATING HAVING HISOKA DO THE INVESTIGATION IN THE FIRST PLACE. WHO IS IN CHARGE OF THIS DEPARTMENT ANYWAY. IT’S NOT LIKE EMOTIONS COULD GET IN THE WAY OF INVESTIGATIONS OR ANYTHING.
- What job did Wakaba and Terazuma get sent off to do?
- Actual smart writing: using Souryuu as a parallel to Nagare.
- Actually the Kamakura arc is like, incredibly well written in comparison to the rest of all of YnM (possible bias talking but it all fits in with everything else in the series, even some stuff in really early chapters) and the Gensoukai, dumb as it is, is probably the second best.
Volume 10:
- So in like, Volume 1 or 2, Muraki totally had control over Oryu. Who is king of all shiki apparently. UM. 
- How does Iwao look so old if he’s only 10 years older than Nagare? Who, if you do all of the calculations he is 38-41 (depending on Hisoka’s age and how long he waited between remarrying and refucking. IMO he is probably on the younger end of the scale.)
- So if Touda is a snake god and a shiki, and Yatonogami is a snake god… Could he end up becoming a shiki? 
Volume 11:
- I got nothin’. But Tatsumi’s email address is “koganemusi” and that makes me laugh. a lot.
Original post Volume 11 HtY chapters:
- How does Watari’s hologram lab even.
- … So Enma finally shows up and he looks like Oriya and Touda’s love child.
- Ok so what is his ~*plan*~
- And then Watari’s past sort of shows up and it is vague and no one had any idea what happened.
- What happened between Oriya and his dad.
- What happened to Ukyou?
- I honestly have no idea what is going on in this sidestory (and don’t really care)
- So Muraki is actually back?
- Rikugou and Souryuu wear the same ugly shoes.
- Everybody wears the same goddamn ugly shoes.
- Okay so Gensoukai went to shit. BACK TO KAMAKURA PLS I CAN’T EVEN TELL WHAT’S GOING ON ANYMORE.
- I have always wondered: Does Iwao know about the obligatory snake sex that comes with being the head of the Kurosaki line? Is he like this huge masochist? Does he just like kinky snake sex?
- Hazama says that all of the firstborn female Kurosaki get dropped out of a window. But Iwao strangled Hisoka#1? O-KAY.
- Why are people in this series so bad at comitting suicide. 
- I want to check the raws/translation on this myself, but Nagare says that he wants to go where Kasane and the CHILDREN are, implying that he kinda sorta might give two shits about Hisoka#2 after all. 
Volume 12 + new chapters:
- Wow she sure rewrote that to have a lot of exposition/explanation. “Oh yeah we all know that Nagare gets snaked raped each night, nbd.”
- I can’t tell if Miya is evil or just has a crush on Tatsumi.
- I really, really, really like the Nagare/Tatsumi interaction rewrites, they seem a lot more scathing at first and I kind of like the fact that they hate each other but end up eventually kind of needing one another.
- And the fact that the rewrites have more of Kasane being totally cray.
- OO GURL, TATSUMI PULLED THE HISOKA CARD. I definitely think the rewrites are superior, as they follow the frame of the original HtY chapters but seem so much more well thought out. Obviously, because Matsushita had like 10 years to figure out where she was actually going with her story.
- Watari = Kinu?
- Still no clue what Enma’s goal is.
- So Watari was initially part of the gokan, that seems to be pretty much confirmed. But then he became part of Akasha and then went on to the shinigami division?
- There is a bit less less ho-yay. I’m not sure how much of this is actually intentional or if it’s from the fact that she’s learned to draw better, because looking at a lot of the pages that got redrawn to be less gay, the angles and poses that the characters are drawn in are more complex and interesting to look at from an artistic perspective? 
- But why did Kurikara cut off his hair? They just said earlier that hair was a sign of power for dragons and I think some of their power is accumulated in it? Is he handicapping himself?
WELP. I’m all caught up and at the rate Matsushita draws (15 pages/4 months) I don’t think this series is ever going to finish. Or maybe Berserk or One Piece will come to a close first.
Posted 9 months ago — 28 notes
  • yami no matsuei
  1. mogitha reblogged this from calantheandthenightingale
  2. thewintercynic reblogged this from elagabalus
  3. pachurz likes this
  4. yamneko reblogged this from calantheandthenightingale and added:
    I want to do re-read it too now >.> Though I dont think I ever read very much of the manga but love the anime
  5. utopiantrespasser reblogged this from elagabalus
  6. kingyohime likes this
  7. jcstitches likes this
  8. bewareohmortalsouls reblogged this from calantheandthenightingale and added:
    I first read Yami no Matsuei in a magazine that also contained Godchild and… well, the comparison was just not fair. At...
  9. holeintheinternet likes this
  10. dreamsofthings reblogged this from calantheandthenightingale
  11. calantheandthenightingale reblogged this from elagabalus and added:
    Just… dying…. This really makes me want to go back and reread Yami no Matsuei. Because, yes, the writing is so bad and...
  12. calantheandthenightingale likes this
  13. elagabalus reblogged this from weaseltube and added:
    THIS IS TOTALLY AN OPEN CHALLENGE. GO FOR IT.
  14. weaseltube reblogged this from elagabalus and added:
    Is this an open challenge because I have the same ingrained headcanons from when I was like 13 and I have been on the...
  15. slackened reblogged this from elagabalus and added:
    sob it’s just, knowing me… like literally this would be at least a full chapter of a novel i could write if i addressed...
  16. lucicelo reblogged this from elagabalus
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  25. stiffening said: omg this post brb reblogging to expand on it if i can think of anything else
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