Dark Gathering - Ch. 57 - Marshalling
- Thread starter MangaDex
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I'm happy that the author isn't prolonging the second fights, since what really attracts me to this manga are the bizarre horror stories and the moments of great tension when capturing the ghosts.
Because why would they introduce them if it was to kill them off so fast? It's Chekhov's gun. If something is introduced, it needs to both reappear later and be relevant to some degree. If the shikigami didn't exist, barely anything would have changed. So why were they introduce? One possible reason was that they ran out of ideas for them, or (and I hope this isn't the case) they didn't have enough time.
It is kind of an action serie. The main thing about Dark Gathering is the fight ghost vs ghost, where they confront their power. Even if they were killed easily, they should at least have showcased the power of the ghost, but there barely was anything.
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or this was always why, they did only ever exist for the things they did do, they gave the graduates a chance to show off some, created a situation where Keitaro was seperated from Yayoi, they're large part of the reason Yayoi made the star
or maybe they arent done, they revert back into the dolls after being killed, they could get revived and still have a role to play in future chapters
I mean, it's not the first time when this series one-shots a newly established character. Just look at Old Watergate arc. Or the 1 Route arc (albeit less lethally).
1) Watergate kill wasn't a real kill and it was the perfect showcase of its power. If the "kill" was removed, the story would have changed a lot, on how they discover the power. They could switch her to a random sacrifice, but that's about it.
2) The monks were just sacrifices. They got no introduction or interaction with the MC whatsoever and where killed when they appeared. The shikigami have appeared a few chapters ago, with a clear goal and the MCs taking them into account before even them appearing (well, you could consider that the apeared beforehand in their doll form)
True, they may not be killed really.
But they didn't show off any power whatsoever of the graduate, they were killed to fast for that.
Also, I just said it feels like an axe, not that this is one definitely. It just that the rapid pace of this chapter makes me remember a lot of axe I have seen.
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If it helps the series recently got more reprints and the anime was a success
The same points can be said about shikigami. They were canon fodder.
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It's a rare thing to see. Usually something goes wrong is events like this.
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Pretty sure all that hype was the very reason they did that. It would be too risky and time consuming to fight fair, so they resort to dirty tricks.
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"I won't make the same mistake again"
She's so ready for a rematch.
She's so ready for a rematch.
They were cannon fodder, but they weren't introduce like cannon fodder. They appeared a few chapters ago, got a boost from the God, and you can even say that we have seen them in their puppet form way back then. The MCs were also wary of them and made a whole plan with them in mind.
They didn't appear a few pages before their demises, and that's how you introduce cannon fodder. The monks appeared and got killed directly. We got no information on them except they were monks and they were guarding the mummy.
For the shikigami, a lot of the plot devices fell through because of their sudden deaths: why MCs were so worried if they got killed so easily? Why did they get a boost if they were getting killed so easily anyways? ...
And that's why it felt like an axe (even if I doubt it's the case). When you kill as cannon fodder characters that you introduced with a certain importance, it often means that you need to rush. But it seems that the manga is selling well, so my worry were unfounded.
The shikigami were introduced back when the God fought against Kubo and caused the train to derail.
That's what I was talking about when I talked about their puppet form. Though, I reread the chapter: they weren't in puppet forms like I thought, just that they half appeared. Though, it was an half introduction (even litteraly). It was closer to a first appearance than a proper introduction. Except that they were shikigami, we knew nothing.
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I have an idea for what the use of the 12 Shikigami will be actually. They are a bit of a joke this arc, but I can see them being useful elsewhere.
First consider this: once Yayoi triumphs and frees Ai from her fate, what's Kondo-sensei going to do with the latter afterwards? Should her role be merely relegated to a damsel-in-distress whose story is resolved this arc, or should she somehow continue to be of help to the trio? I for one hope for the latter, but what else can she do besides what Keitaro and Eiko already cover?
That's when I went back to my pet theory that the 12 Shikigami might not be so much serving Taisui Xingjun, but Ai herself. It's just with Tai Sui taking control of her, they have to serve him too.
So with the 12 defeated and Mr Priest seemingly keen on "cleaning" them up, what if they're then given back to Ai? That is, Ai will wind up having her own collection of spirit subordinates to help us in the encounters ahead. Though their strength pales in comparison to the Graduates, there's still no negatives to having 12 extra set of obedient friendly ghost hands for support here and there.
