Episode 95

EPISODE 95

幽助の運命・危険の足音 (Yuusuke no Unmei・Kiken no Ashi’oto)

Yusuke’s Destiny—Footsteps of Danger

First Broadcast: August 27, 1994

Equivalent Manga Chapter(s): chapter 154 (WSJ #9, 1994, February 14), little bit of chapter 155 (WSJ #10, 1994, February 21)

Summary: As Yusuke continues to feel dissatisfied and lost following the battle with Sensui, Genkai tells him to go seek the advice of Kuroko Sato (née Sanada), the first Spirit World Detective. While Yusuke enjoys himself with Kuroko and her family, mysterious figures enter the house, saying they have come from the Demon World to meet Yusuke.

Anime/manga differences after the jump.

Differences from the Manga

(What's all this about?  Read here)

• Chapter 154 opens with a shot of Yusuke tied up and angry, then reveals he’s surrounded by countless knocked out thugs.  He curses them all for not being able to put up a decent fight, despite the huge handicap he placed on himself (ie being totally tied up).  It then skips to Yusuke and Koenma’s conversation in the café, and it’s not made clear precisely what the previous scene was.  The anime explicitly shows this as Yusuke’s dream.  At the end, his alarm clock wakes him up and he remarks on having had the same dream again.

• Following that is an anime-only scene at Sarayashiki Middle School, with Iwamoto checking attendance.  He sees that Yusuke isn’t there and asks Keiko what happened to him; she replies that it’s not her job to keep track of Yusuke.

• In the manga Koenma says he hasn’t been punished, at least not on the surface.  But he tells Yusuke his father is definitely planning something, and Yusuke can’t let his guard down.  In the anime though, Yusuke asks Koenma if he’s still “grounded”.  Koenma says he is; after defying his father so much he can’t easily return to the Spirit World, and he plans on hanging out in the Human World for a bit.  Koenma also says that according to Botan, his father has scattered all the Spirit World guides that worked under him.  At this point he tells Yusuke his father is planning something and he can’t let his guard down.

• Koenma and Yusuke’s conversation is also expanded in the anime by Yusuke talking about the dissatisfaction he feels for not being able to properly finish his fight with Sensui.  When saying that he’d be lacking something no matter which world he stayed he, in the anime he explains that in the Human World nobody can give him a decent fight, while in the Demon World he’d just worry about his mom, Keiko, and the others.  In the anime the later part of their conversation takes place in a playground, with Yusuke standing on a swing set.

• After Yusuke settles in at Kuroko’s house and gets formally introduced to her husband and kids, there’s a filler scene with Koenma talking to Genkai.  Koenma is somewhat worried about Yusuke going to see Kuroko, because King Enma has sent out orders everywhere calling for Yusuke’s assassination.  There are only “very few” people in either the Human or Spirit Worlds capable of defeating Yusuke, and a former Spirit World Detectives would be one such person.  This sets up the later revelation that Kuruko was ordered to kill Yusuke by an envoy from the Spirit World.

• When Kuroko talks about her career as a Spirit World Detective, the anime throws in a brief scene of her younger self fighting demons.  Her fighting style seems to rely mostly on kicks, so maybe she knows Resshu-ken?

• In the manga Kuroko’s son Kaisei says he’ll become a Spirit World Detective in another 5 years, while in the anime it’s 3 years.

• In the manga Kuroko offers Yusuke alcohol to drink, even asking if he prefers Japanese or Western liquor.  Her kids say they’ll drink too, and when Yusuke asks if it’s OK for little kids like them to have alcohol, Kuroko says that they always get some whenever special guests visit.  In the anime Kuroko reveals that she’s really just giving them all “whiskey bonbons”, a drop of brandy in their tea.  This still gets the kids drunk off their ass like in the manga though.

• Following that is a filler scene of Keiko at home, apparently going over English homework.  All the English words she studies are curiously apt for Yusuke’s situation: anxiety, hesitation, patience.

• Chapter 154 ends with Kuroko’s husband predicting that danger will zero in on Yusuke whether he wants it or not, and outside Hokushin (apparently overhearing this) says “bingo”.  The anime leaves Hokushin’s response out.

• At the start of chapter 155, there’s an interior shot of Kuroko’s front door, then the title page, then on the very next page Hokushin and co. are suddenly inside, with no transition.  Presumably because of this, the anime depicts them teleporting inside the house.  The colors in the house even turn strange right before they enter, alarming Kuroko’s husband. 

• The episode ends about 3 pages into chapter 155 (4 pages if counting the title page), as Hokushin says he and the others have come from the Demon World.  In the anime Hokushin says he has to talk about Yusuke’s destiny.