Of Swords and Parasols

The politics and machinations of Taishakuten’s court, especially Karura and Kendappa’s storylines, remain the most interesting things about the series to me. As that took up the vast majority of this volume, I was quite happy.

Though, with Karura joining Yasha now, that part of the storyline may be picking up steam now. It’s not that I find Yasha, Ashura and co. wandering around and fighting Taishakuten’s men boring, it’s just not as interesting to me, and some of it seems to be giving them something to do while everything else is moved into place.

And I maintain that Karura angsts better than anyone else in this series.

Kendppa/Souma remains the most blatant Clamp pairing of any gender combination that I’ve encountered. I particularly enjoyed the angsty backstory that created eternal devotion. (Though, was anyone else reminded of how Kurogane came to be in Tomoyo’s service? Though, Kendappa//Souma makes me think a bit of Tomoyo/Kurogane instead. Only as lesbians, instead of probably-wholly-platonic-but-with-obsessive-devotion-f/m.)

Alas, poor Tenou continues to crush on Kendappa. This is bad for him not only because I suspect Mommy and Daddy Will Not Approve, but also because she’s rather permanently taken. At least he can live secure in the knowledge that his lost and abandoned puppy eyes have great power over her. And then Souma spreads rumors about her girlfriend and the prince, eh? I very much liked the hints of her inner badass (do we think Tamara wet herself when Kendappa glared at her?) and Kendappa’s conversation with Taishakuten.

Am I reading this right that the woman Kendappa was talking to at Taishakuten’s palace is the daughter of the former Lord Ashura, making her Ashura’s sister? Pity she’s stuck being married to Bishamonten.  (ETA:  Has been explained.  Present politics I'm fine with, it's the past politics and relationships that I get muddied on.)

I suspect Zouchouten’s comment about hoping he doesn’t have to kill Karura later for rebelling against Taishakuten is a bit of blatant foreshadowing. I think I now ship them a bit. Clamp does bizarre things to me.

I love that Ryuu’s hero was his mother.