episode 54

The Backlash Wave, Tetsusaiga's Ultimate Attack

鉄砕牙の奥義 爆流破
Tetsusaiga's Ultimate Attack: Bakuryuuha
Canon Episode | 2-episode story, ep53-54

By TAKAHASHI Rumiko
Episode Capsule last revised on 01 Mar 2008.

ORIGINAL AIRDATE: 10 Dec 2001

OPENING SONG: I am by hitomi
ENDING SONG: Dearest by Ayumi Hamasaki

PRODUCTION:
Script: SUMISAWA Katsuyuki 隅沢克之
Storyboard: HATA Masami 波多正美
Episode Director: YAMAMOTO Megumi 山本 恵
Animation Director: SAKUMA Shinichi 佐久間信一

SEIYUU:

Inuyasha: Kappei Yamaguchi
Kagome: Satsuski Yukino
Shippo: Kumiko Watanabe
Miroku: Kouji Tsujitani
Sango: Houko Kuwashima

STATISTICS:

Sacred Jewel fragment: 2 [+0]
No. of 'sit': 1 [28 in all]
‘Kaze no Kizu!’: 1 [3 in all]
‘Iron-Reaver, Soul-Stealer!’: 0 [21 in all]
‘Kazaana!’: 1 [8 in all]
‘Hiraikotsu!’: 0 [6 in all]
‘Will you bear my child?’: 0 [3 in all]
Inuyasha’s abuse of Shippo:
0 / 25 head thumps
0 / 23 kicks
0 / 2 tail-grabbing
0 / 1 throws
0 [51 in all]
‘I must be strong!’ 1 [4 in all]
Miroku's groping of Sango: 0 [2 in all]
Kagome's arrow hit percentage: 63.0% [17/27]


Contents

  1. Synopsis
  2. Inuyasha’s Jar
  3. Quotes
  4. Oddities & Other Notes
  5. Comments
  6. Production Notes
  7. Script
  8. Contributors & References

Preview from previous episode

Inuyasha transformed into a demon! If we stay here, he may come after us as well. What? Totosai? You say we have to fall back? I will not abandon Inuyasha! He's trying all by himself so hard to discover his true powers! Just then, Tetsusaiga begins to pulsate. Next on Inuyasha: "Backlash Wave: Tetsusaiga's Ultimate Technique". Don't miss it!

InuYasha’s Jar

#54 Mou-mou 猛々

Totosai's cow. It lands with thunderbolts and rides upon clouds as it flies in the sky. {Shirogetsu}

刀々斎の牛。
落雷と共に現れ雲に乗って空を飛ぶ。

Quotes

What?! What is this…tremendous evil aura?!

It’s no time to be impressed! Hurry and run!

No can do! Ryukotsusei is so ready to fight!

Look, you can wield Tetsusaiga now. Leave it at that.

 

The Wind Scar and the evil aura are pushed back as whirlpools. In other words, the opponent is thrust with the Wind Scar and his own evil aura simultaneously. Anyway, that’s the rationale. But you had to be able to discern where to cut through the evil aura. And unless your will was stronger than the enemy's evil aura, it would've been impossible.

I'm impressed, Inuyasha!

Hmm… I just cut through the spot that seemed funny.

(thinking) He's gone beyond the reasoning. Maybe, he's destined for bigger things than I imagined.

 

See? I can pull out the Wind Scar anytime now! (swings TET and does a Wind Scar to the right) There! (leaps and does a Wind Scar to the left) Hey! (another Wind Scar) How about it? (yet another Wind Scar) This here, too!

Hey! Stop! Inuyasha!

Stop hurling around a dangerous sword like that!

Hah! There's no one who can beat me now! If you're jealous, stop me!

Inuyasha!

Oops…!

Sit!

 

Oddities and Other Notes

References

Oddities

Did you notice…?

Freeze Frame Fun

Links

Comments

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transcript

Abbreviations
INU: Inuyasha
KAG: Kagome
SHI: Shippo
MIR: Miroku
SAN: Sango
KIR: Kirara
TET: Tetsusaiga
HIR: Hiraikotsu

[ recap ]

Flashback from previous episode when INU visited TOT. Cut to NAR melting the claw that seals RYU. Cut to RYU waking and pinning INU on a rock face.

KAG:  (narrating) Tetsusaiga's purpose is to suppress the demon blood in Inuyasha. Unless he masters Tetsusaiga, Inuyasha will once again transform into a demon. Unable to bear it any longer, Inuyasha seeks Old Totosai's counsel for a way to make Tetsusaiga lighter to wield. The answer lay in defeating Ryukotsusei, the demon who was put under seal by Inuyasha's father.

INU falls and TET falls out of his hand. Cut to INU lying face down on the ground, with smoke smouldering from his body.

KIR and Mou-mou fly towards the Valley of RYU. SAN and MIR are on KIR's back, while TOT, KAG and SHI are on Mou-mou's back.

TOT:   There's only one way to destroy the reawakened Ryukotsusei. He must use Backlash Wave.

KAG:  Backlash Wave?

TOT:   It is the ultimate technique of Tetsusaiga.

KAG:  But…Inuyasha can barely wield Tetsusaiga, not to mention the Wind Scar! Let alone the ultimate technique…

[ End of recap: 2min 28sec ]


[ Title screen: The Backlash Wave, Tetsusaiga's Ultimate Attack ]


RYU looms above INU, who is lying face down on the ground. The rusty TET is a distance away from him.

RYU:  (scoffs) Not dead yet, huh? I'll put you at ease. (laughs and moves towards INU)

INU pulsates. RYU continue slithering towards him, crushing TET. The rest of INU-gang and TOT appear and fly above them.

SHI:   Inuyasha doesn't have Tetsusaiga!

KAG:  (shouts) Inuyasha, wake up! (yells) Inuyasha!

INU wakes in his full-demon state.

INU:   K-Kagome… (body pulsates)

RYU:  (taken aback and gasps) What is this evil aura? It's entirely different from before.

INU gets up and face RYU.

RYU:  So, his demon blood has awakened. So be it. It'll make it more fun.

INU brandishes his claws and growls.

MIR:   No! Inuyasha has transformed.

KAG:  Inuyasha!

INU leaps and claws at RYU's neck. Blood bursts out from the cut. INU lands and a red glow emits around him.

KAG:  No, Inuyasha! Change back!

TOT:   (thinking) What'll you do, Inuyasha? If you stay transformed and battle Ryukotsusei with those claws, you will come out of this alive. However, Tetsusaiga will… Tetsusaiga will never become lighter for you.

INU attacks RYU again and laughs.

RYU:  Little man, stop acting cocky! (spews a lightning ball at INU)

The lightning ball seemingly hit INU and RYU laughs. Suddenly INU leaps at him from behind and attacks RYU with his claws. INU lands as RYU crashes onto a rock face. His body lifts, revealing TET.

SAN:  A-Amazing!

MIR:   He pushed back Ryukotsusei's huge body!

KAG:  Did Inuyasha win?

TOT:   Hmm…let's retreat.

KAG:  What do you mean?

TOT:   Isn't it obvious? Inuyasha is fighting as a demon.

Mou-mou turns around and flies away.

KAG:  So you'll just abandon him? That's cruel!

MYO:  (jumps up and down on KAG's shoulder) Gamyo! Wake up! If we stay here, Inuyasha might even come after us, after Ryukotsusei!

KAG:  Old Myoga!

MYO:  Each time Master Inuyasha transforms, he becomes less discriminating. Kagome, you won't be an exception.

KAG:  (looks down at INU) All right. (pauses) Old Myoga, please escape.

MYO:  Huh?!

KAG:  (shakes TOT) Let me down, Totosai. I'm staying here.

TOT:   Kagome, you…

KAG:  Yes. I know what you're going to say. But… (pauses, thinking) But I can't abandon Inuyasha when he's battling for his life! (to TOT) Please Totosai, let me down!

TOT:   A-All right, all right. Oh well…it can't be helped.

Mou-mou stops moving.

MIR:   Just a minute! Inuyasha is acting strange…

KAG:  Huh?!

INU walks slowly towards TET.

KAG:  Inuyasha!

MYO:  Master Inuyasha!

SAN:  He's transformed, yet he's trying to pick up Tetsusaiga!

TOT:   (thinking) Could it be…as Kagome said?

INU walks nearer to TET, reaching out his hand and struggling.

TOT:   (thinking) Yes, Inuyasha is battling right now. His heart against the demon blood that courses through his veins. He is fighting desperately!

KAG:  Inuyasha, hang in there!

RYU:  Why that…little punk! Getting wise with me! Playtime is over! (spews a lightning ball towards INU)

KAG:  Inuyasha!

The lightning hits INU. The ground and him are enveloped in a hemisphere of lightning.

KAG:  Inuyasha!

SHI:   Oh?! What's that?

KAG:  Huh?

The lightning hemisphere dissipates to reveal INU still standing.

RYU:  Huh?!

Cut to INU holding up TET's sheath, which absorbed the lightning attack.

SAN:  The sheath of Tetsusaiga?! What's going on?

MIR:   I dunno…

TOT:   Hmm…the barrier of the sheath.

Flashback from episode 10 when INU fought Hiten. Hiten sent a lightning attack at INU, who repelled it with TET's sheath.

SHI:   (voice-over) That's right. When we fought the Thunder Brothers…

Back to present.

MYO:  Yes! He used the sheath to deflect the lightning attacks.

KAG:  The sheath… Tetsusaiga's sheath protected Inuyasha!

TOT:   Yes, but…there won't be a second time. The sheath won't hold.

RYU:  That thing is useless! Take this! (spews a lightning ball towards INU)

KAG:  Inuyasha!

MIR:   (removes the prayer beads around his right hand) Wind Tunnel!

The Wind Tunnel sucks at the lightning ball, which makes it waver a little, but doesn't suck it back.

SAN:  Miroku!

MIR:   W-what a strength!

MIR's wind tunnel suck at the lightning ball, diverting its course. It flies above INU's head and hits a rock face instead. INU is still reaching out for TET.

KAG:  You diverted it!

SHI:   That was a close call.

MIR:   (closes his wind tunnel and breathes heavily) It drained my strength just to turn its path a tad.

SAN:  Inuyasha is facing this formidable foe all alone!

INU, bathed in red glow, picks up TET. He struggles.

RYU:  (thinking) The little man's evil aura is dissipating.

The red glow around INU dissipates. INU's eyes revert back to normal and the purple streaks fade away.

INU:   Get on my sword with that fat body, will you?! Ryukotsusei! I'll defeat you with Tetsusaiga!

TET transforms and the weight pulls itself down.

RYU:  (laughs) With that dull sword, weak boy? Don't make me laugh!

INU:   Shaddup! I have to use Tetsusaiga or there's no sense in fighting!

RYU:  (scoffs) Fool! I'm not holding back anymore.

INU heaves TET up. The screen pulsates and INU gasps. TET glows in a white light.

INU:   (shocked, thinking) It's not my imagination! Tetsusaiga is… getting lighter!

SAN:  Huh?!

INU grabs TET tightly and swings it.

KAG:  (shakes TOT) Look! Inuyasha and Tetsusaiga!

TOT:   I know!

INU:   Now's my chance to pierce through Ryukotsusei's heart! (sprints towards RYU)

RYU spews a lightning ball towards INU.

RYU:  Fool! Huh?!

INU leaps through the lightning ball towards RYU. He thrusts TET into the wound. Everybody gapes at the scene. RYU gasps in horror and blood spurts from the wound.

INU:   (thinking) I did it!

KAG:  (thinking) He pierced through Ryukotsusei's heart!

MIR:   Did he do it?

INU pries TET out. RYU falls backwards.

INU:   (looks at TET, thinking) It's light! Tetsusaiga used to be so heavy but now it feels like it's adhering to my hand.

RYU:  (thinking) How dare he put a blade in me! (shouts angrily) Little man! You will die! (spews a lightning ball towards INU)

INU:   (leaps and dodges) He's not dead yet?!

RYU spews another lightning ball at INU who dodges.

SHI:   What a demon! His heart was pierced, yet he acts fine!

TOT:   Ryukotsusei was handful even for Inuyasha's father. Unless his body is chopped into bits, he won't die.

KAG:  That's…!

RYU spews a torrent of lightning at the running INU.

INU:   (leaps and raise TET) It's my turn now!

RYU raises his tail and INU hits it. A clanking sound is heard and RYU's tail is unscathed. It continues its sweep and crashes INU onto a rock face.

INU:   (slides down the wall) Damn! His body's so hard!

RYU:  I told you that silly sword is useless!

Fumes are seen around TET.

INU:   (looks at TET, thinking) This smell…the Wind Scar? The Wind Scar is twisting around my Tetsusaiga. (gasps)

RYU:  Little man, this is it!

INU:   Ryukotsusei, I'll show you that I'm different now!

RYU spews another lightning ball towards INU.

INU:   (leaps and raise TET) Wind Scar!

The blades of the Wind Scar clashes with the lightning ball and pushes it away. It continues and hits RYU, who yells in terror.

MIR:   Wow… The Wind Scar!

SAN:  Amazing!

KAG:  Inuyasha!

SHI:   Did he beat him?!

RYU lay on the ground.

INU:   (thinking) Not only did it get lighter…! I can invoke the Wind Scar at any time! (yells) Hey, did you see this, Totosai?! I did it!

TOT:   Well, I'll give you points for that. But it's too early to rest on your laurels.

KAG:  Huh?

INU:   W-what…?!

The ground around RYU shakes. INU gasps in shock.

RYU:  (raising himself up) Is that all you have, little man? You disappoint me.

INU:   (grimace) Eh?

RYU:  Did you think you could defeat me with that?

SHI:   W-what is he anyway?!

KAG:  He was hit with the Wind Scar, yet it didn't even affect him.

TOT:   I told you so…

RYU:  I told you…my body is harder than armour. Now then, it's my turn! (prepares a lightning ball and body glows in blue)

TOT:   No good. Inuyasha, you'd better get away. He's serious.

INU:   What?! What is this…tremendous evil aura?!

TOT:   It's no time to be impressed! Hurry and run!

INU:   No can do! Ryukotsusei is so ready to fight!

TOT:   Look, you can wield Tetsusaiga now. Leave it at that.

KAG:  Inuyasha!

INU:   Stop idle talk! I've been waiting for something like this!

The rocks around RYU slowly floats. The ball around RYU's mouth enlarges.

INU:   Besides, if I defeat this thing, I'll surpass my old man! (sprints towards RYU)

RYU:  Little man! Go join your father!

MIR:   It's huge!

SAN:  We'll get caught in it! Kirara, move away.

KIR growls and moves further away. Mou-mou zooms away swiftly. RYU releases the huge ball of lightning at INU. INU continues sprinting, the Wind Scar forming around TET and leaps towards the ball.

INU:   (thinking) A ball of evil aura, incomparably stronger than the ones before!

KAG:  Inuyasha!

TOT:   Fool! (thinking) In order to destroy Ryukotsusei's steel-hard body, Inuyasha must summon the Backlash Wave. But the way he is now, Inuyasha can't…

INU:   I can't thwart it!

RYU:  (laughs) You can't run away now!

INU:   Well then… I just have to cut it!

INU shouts as he faces the ball head on. Two whirlpools appear.

SAN:  What was that?!

TOT:   (shocked) It couldn't be…

KAG:  Huh?!

TOT:   He (pause) used the Backlash Wave.

Cut to the two whirlpools twirling around each other, with static emitting.

INU:   (voice-over) It's that flow! If I cut through that smouldering spot with the Wind Scar…!

Cut to INU in the whirlpools The Wind Scar around TET becomes stronger..

INU:   Right here! (swings TET)

INU sends a current of Wind Scar at the ball of evil aura and pushes it towards RYU.

RYU:  What?! The little man's sword has swallowed up my evil aura…!

The current hits RYU and little cyclones form.

RYU:  How can this happen…?!

The cyclones zoom towards RYU and slashes his body into pieces. The group gasps as they look on in the sky.

KAG:  The whirlpool of Tetsusaiga's aura is pushing back Ryukotsusei's evil aura.

The currents break RYU's body into even smaller pieces.

RYU:  This can't be…happening!! My body… My steel body…

RYU gasps as the current hits his neck, breaking it into two. More cyclones break his head into smithereens. Pieces of the former RYU fall onto the ground and disintegrates. Cut to INU standing in shock.

INU:   (thinking) What…? What was that? It was totally different from other Wind Scars…

INU looks at TET, which transforms back to its rusty state.

KAG:  Inuyasha!

INU:   Kagome…

The group lands near INU.

SHI:   (runs and leap onto INU's shoulder) Inuyasha! You did it! Awesome! There's neither hide nor hair left of that Ryukotsusei!

KAG:  (walks to INU) Amazing! How'd you do it anyway?

INU:   Huh? That…?…

MYO:  (jumps onto INU's nose) Master Inuyasha, how impressive! I knew from the start you had the power.

SHI:   Old Myoga had you written off the whole time.

INU ignores MYO. He walks up to TOT.

TOT:   (folded arms) Hmmm…

INU:   I see. Totosai, you…

TOT:   (looks at INU) Huh?

INU slaps TOT on the back violently and laughs. TOT tumbles to the ground.

INU:   You're pretty thoughtful sometimes! (laughs hysterically) What'd you do to Tetsusaiga? It's much better than before!

TOT:   Then you…used the sword without realizing a thing?

INU:   Huh?

TOT:   (sits up) That was the ultimate technique of Tetsusaiga… the Backlash Wave.

INU:   Backlash Wave?

KAG:  Huh? That was the Backlash Wave just now?

TOT:   Precisely. Backlash Wave twists the opponent's evil aura around the Wind Scar and reverses the flow of the evil aura.

KAG:  “Twists around the Wind Scar and reverse the evil aura”?

TOT:   The Wind Scar and the evil aura are pushed back as whirlpools. In other words, the opponent is thrust with the Wind Scar and his own evil aura simultaneously. Anyway, that's the rationale. But you had to be able to discern where to cut through the evil aura. And unless your will was stronger than the enemy's evil aura, it would've been impossible.

KAG:  I'm impressed, Inuyasha!

INU:   Hmm…I just cut through the spot that seemed funny.

TOT:   (surprised, thinking) He's gone beyond the reasoning. Maybe, he's destined for bigger things than I imagined.

MIR:   Inuyasha, now you're able to wield Tetsusaiga at will.

INU:   Not only that… (sniggles and leaps) You'll be shocked! Here you go!

INU unsheathes TET and performs a Wind Scar on a boulder.

MIR:   The Wind Scar!

INU:   See? I can pull out the Wind Scar anytime now! (swings TET and does a Wind Scar to the right) There! (leaps and does a Wind Scar to the left) Hey! (another Wind Scar) How about it? (yet another Wind Scar) This here, too!

TOT flies upwards on Mou-mou to escape from the falling rocks, yelling in terror.

SAN:  Hey! Stop! Inuyasha!

MIR:   Stop hurling around a dangerous sword like that!

INU:   (puts a hand on his waist and waves TET in the air happily) Hah! There's no one who can beat me now! If you're jealous, stop me! (swings TET downwards)

KAG:  (angry) Inuyasha!

INU:   Oops…! (freezes in motion)

KAG:  (pauses) Sit!

INU crashes face down on the ground.

MIR:   You are so excitable.

SAN:  I'll say… Such a simpleton.

SHI:   I must be strong for him.

INU:   (weakly) Damn… Kagome said the word.

TOT:   (looks at INU from the air) Hmm… He's still just a little punk. (shakes his head) Let's go…

Mou-mou flies into the distance.


[ End of episode 54: The Backlash Wave, Tetsusaiga's Ultimate Attack ]


[ Preview for next episode ]

A girl waits all alone for her brother who has gone off to war, never to return. Satsuki has a treasure to make her wishes come true… fragment of the Sacred Jewel! If it's the real thing, we must take it from her. Poor Shippo is in a dilemma. I wonder if he has feelings for Satsuki? Just then, a demon lays a cruel trap in order to get the Sacred Jewel fragment. Next on Inuyasha: "The Stone Flower and Shippo's First Love". Don't miss it!

contributors

Compiled on 16 Feb 2008.
Last revised on 01 Mar 2008.

Dialogues adapted from the Japanese-dub, English-sub version of Inuyasha distributed by Odex (Singapore).

InuYasha is copyrighted by TAKAHASHI Rumiko / Shogakukan and its distributing rights are owned by Yomiuri TV and Sunrise.

Contributors & References

犬夜叉 official web - 放映予定一覧 (Sunrise Inuyasha official web - Airing Schedule)

犬夜叉完結編 公式サイト (Sunrise Inuyasha Kanketsu-hen official web - Airing Schedule)

Inu Goya> Metro: General Episode Information

Shirogetsu for Inuyasha Tsubo

DCYK Connection: アニメ犬夜叉のページ

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