Suikotsu is my other favourite along with Jak and Ban. He's just such an interesting conflicted character. I like the way you're developing the relationships between the group and how we're slowly learning more about them.

hehe Jakotsu's got a one track mind but again it's definite signs of the man he is in the anime.

You surprised me, I was expecting the Dr. to be back in residence when Kaji woke up. Figures he doesn't take losing well. LOL

The demon ate his clothing? Man that demon was lucky Jakotsu didn't kill it slow and very very painfully. FOL

I get the feeling the boys are going to be sleeping with one eye open from now on. And they have probably seen their last night in warm dry inn for a while too. I don't know if I'd have taken my eyes off this guy even if I felt I was better than him fighting.

This was a cute chapter especially toward the end. And yes it was all because Jakotsu was . . . cute. hehehe

LOL Geez do the boys need a wagon or separate horse for Jakotsu's wardrobe like they used to do for traveling lords and ladies in Europe?

That was good, the comment about making sure that Jakotsu wasn't right behind him before setting Banryuu over his shoulder. I saw that in one of the chapters in the first arc and wondered. Of course if I was traveling with someone with a sword that big I'd be watching out for it myself.

Wow is this Kaji? I didn't think that he was that big.

Oh yeah definite shades of the Jakotsu of the anime here.

Ah I like your idea for how the face painting came about. It is actually a decent way to semidisquise the looks. Well for most of them.

You know the thoughts on why Jakotsu dresses up so that he looks like his mom whom he hates is an interest conundrum. Mostly because the heart and mind are so difficult to fathom. From the way he was talking it sounded almost like that little girl from the nursery rhyme . . .

'When she was good she was very very good and when she was bad she was awful.'

It's possible that when his mother was there things were very good and Josue as a child thought everyone was happy because he was. Unfortunately when things went bad they went murderous so he's got this conflict of love and hate going. Anyway that's my thoughts. LOL I love character analysis as you know.

Oh my don't tell me the killer finally struck close to home eh? Everyone is missing. . .? I can't imagine them just packing up and fleeing in the middle of the night, overnight. But if everyone is dead then either it's a small village or Kaji-Hyde is darned fast with those bugnucks. Obviously whatever happened, it all happened while they were cutting Jakotsu's hair. Could that have saved their lives?

Definite mystery shaping up here. I'm still waiting to find out if the people left or are pushing up daisies elsewhere.

I'm with Jakotsu, no cutting the hair! Then again I really adore long haired guys. I guess that's why I adore Sesshomaru.

I'm surprised after getting him away from his home village that he didn't start getting better receptions. He was cute. Then again I get the feeling that despite the two years since his old life ended he's still dealing. Maybe he comes across as too frail/fragile and standoffish?

Ah man you cut the hair. Darn it. I will have to watch the eps again I think that we only saw him with it up so we really didn't know how long it was though it looked pretty thick. I hope at least that it does help with the migraines but sadly I doubt it.

Uhm when did they get outside? I thought they were in their room?

It's a good thing that Bankotsu has charisma to burn. It probably helps getting all those free rooms and food.

Now that was interesting that both Bankotsu and Jakotsu felt that Kaji didn't seem right. I know that Kikio (gah sp?) was surprised because she was expecting a monster and found a saint. But he did have that invisible twitch sometimes that made you realize that there was something not right. The fact that these two caught it so fast means they read people pretty well.

I'm assuming that Kaji has already gone through that tragedy that made him kill for the first time? And is now running around doing the Jekyll/Hyde thing. Or is this even before that?

Ugh migraines! I can feel for Jakotsu, those things are miserable and that is with meds to try and control them. Sorry I'm not commenting a lot. The chapter was good and I was enjoying reading it. The flow is nice, we're getting little bits and pieces of the boys wrapped up in basic everyday life for them so it's moving really smoothly.

Two years in has definitely brought the Jakotsu of the anime to the fore. He's still working his way there but he's well on his way.

Bankotsu is harder to judge because though we saw a fair bit of him he was one of the more one deminsional characters as far as I was concerned. You really had to read between the lines with him. But I do like the way you are portraying him here.

I like the way you are handling the flow of the story and the continuity as well.

Hey Eboni!*whispers* a yukata is not a dress; both men & women wear them. *points to Shigure from Fruits Basket* There's no pullover shirts or pull-on pants for Ban-chan to wear...*giggles* I must find you some good pix or links to them...

Ahh, don't worry, I love Jakotsu too, I don't mind favoritsm for him. A wonderful story. I love your series very much. I love how you write them, mixing hints of angst and humor and drama. Love Suikotsu, too, and how you make subtle hints at Jakotsu's heritage, which I am thinking is half-italian. I also love how Bankotsu and Jakotsu are slowly morphing into the people you see in the series (IE-When you first wrote Bankotsu, he was very ..rough, and now he is more caring, as well as Jakotsu being a bit less flighty.

Love it. Am moving to next Arc xD

Oh, I absolutely love how this flows from one story to the next, showing how Jakotsu has changed over two years. It really shows you the phases from being Josue to the Jakotsu who shows up much later on. Spectacular. I'm glad to see this story gets more recognition. :)

Two great reads so far, and I really enjoyed your ending to this second arc. I absolutely adore all the quips, quarrels and brotherly spars Ban and Jakotsu engage in. Quicksilver is a good adjective for the later - he's just such a hilariously moody and pouty drama queen!

What I've seen of Suikotsu so far in IY suggests nothing more than a vicious killer, and it's interesting how you've found the man within the monster - No Name's need for companionship and purpose is touching; when he's not vicious, he's something like a simpleton brute. In a dually creepy/sweet way (I mean, he is a murdering psychopath), this last chapter presents him like a stray dog, a nervous little puppy trailing the kind boys who befriended him, hoping it's okay to get close.

Very interesting comparisons you drew between Jakotsu and Suikotsu, and how they both lead double lives in their own separate ways.

im glad someones FINNALLY written an explanation to how the shichinintai came to be. This is my fave story, coz my fave character is Suikotsu. When will u have finished the Renkotsu one?who will u b doing next?

Hah, me again. I'll make this 120 or something like that for reviews. I think I especially liked this one, but...eh. I like all of them. Your Band of Seven stories...yesh.

he he he, that was a good one(even though i reviewed for the third story first.

i know this question was asked before (but i didn't catch the answer)

i think bankotsu should be with jakotsu. but are you going to allow that? i think it'd be a good couple. (sorry. but if you think about it and the way the two act)