#The Limbo section in Shimousa is even focused on 'Limbo torments Danzou'

[sealer-of-wenkamui]

Okay I think the point I was trying to make there is I often get the impression people treat Danzou as a mere accessory to Limbo's story instead of her own character whose story is deeply interconnected with theirs. And you need to think about her too when looking at Limbo, cause his treatment of her says a lot about him. She's a major part of his story after all, right from the beginning in Shimousa.

[sealer-of-wenkamui]

Heian-kyo Thoughts

First I think this is one of my favorite chapters yet, no doubt because of my biases, though that means I’m better able to point out my complaints with it too. I was super hyped for it the whole time! As this is my thoughts it will mostly be focused on my interests namely Limbo and Danzou

The setup for this chapter was perfect, one of the most well done things about it, most of my complaints actually stem from that I think they could have taken better advantage of it. Limbo creating a singularity and planning a grail war for the purpose of establishing a lostbelt with them as its god, and it reflects what they learned from Shimousa? Yeah that’s good! And best of all! Inviting ONLY the master of Chaldea who keeps interfering (we wouldn’t have a plot if we weren’t invited too lol) and Danzou, who has been an obvious object of their fixation since then! Blocking even Mash and Kotarou (and making sure they KNEW it was him doing it)

Furthermore, after establishing contact with Chaldea it’s further established that this not for the purpose of defeating us or anything, but rather for Limbo to toy with us and I quote “indulge in his…. proclivities”. So you have it known that he’s doing this for his own pleasure, and what does he do? Invite the one who has been getting in his way, and his favorite toy from Shimousa of course!

This line from Seimei at the end made me laugh cause YEAH. That’s exactly it and it shows in Limbo as well. I have been saying all this time that he doesn’t hold affection for Danzou, but absolutely has a weird fixation with her. That manifests in trying to cause her and specifically her as much suffering as possible. Even restoring her memories is to make the pain he can inflict greater. Her interlude apparently further goes into it but I sadly don’t have her yet so I haven’t seen it myself yet (I’ll probably break down and watch it online soon lol it’s too relevant to me not to)

On the flip side this setup also means she has the chance to settle the score with him, and of all people she’s the one who is most fitting to do so. Limbo has manipulated plenty, and caused pain to countless others too, but the difference is with Danzou he has that fixation not present in say, Amakusa or Junao, or any of the Crypters, not to mention that she was directly under his control from the moment he repaired her, and once she turns on him, he makes her fight the people she now cares about and then blows her up. And the end goal wasn’t anything other than tormenting her unlike the other cases. His fixation means she has been the most intimately hurt by him and so this setup in Heian-kyo both further emphasizes this fixation as well as giving her the chance to strike back. Just a god-tier setup right there!! And I like Limbo here giving their evil villain speech to introduce the grail war, complete with creepy ways to refer to Danzou

And now knowing he is “Ashiya Douman” the living Douman is brought up as well, who I think is another one of the most interesting parts of the chapter. (Of course he had already been consumed by Limbo at this point too but it’s being hidden so it’s probably a good reflection of what he’s like..?) I kinda wish we got to see at least a little more of him (like the confrontation between him and Limbo sounds especially good the way they described it). Cause they’re not an evil person at all, nor do they want to be, but they do have their deep flaws and like…

He acts like he’s okay with this, and being treated as the villain, but I highly doubt it, his fixation with Seimei is the most famous one of all. And Limbo even takes advantage of that to break him.

Anyway for the main grail war section, I liked seeing some familiar faces and it did get me to care about them all the more, and Tsuna and especially Kintoki get good arcs across the whole chapter. Shuten is always a delight for me too lol, she’s great. And you can see how it reflects what Limbo was researching in Shimousa. The main thing I wished for here is at least some of what was going on with Limbo, or perhaps them toying with their guests a little more directly…? This is his entertainment so I wanna see them enjoying it.

The turning point was really exciting and got me hyped, also I LOVE that art for it

And this here is SO GOOD I wanted to see it, more human Douman please! He’s so fascinating in how someone like Limbo could be born from him and yet he barely appears!

The second part… I think could really have benefitted from being longer? Especially the parts about Kagekiyo and Ibuki, they show up then are gone in 2 sections, and I was pretty interested in them, especially Kagekiyo, so I would have liked more on them… and once again, Limbo is taking a more active role and establishing the tree, but there wasn’t enough showing their thoughts or toying with us more.

The final section had some both REALLY GOOD stuff as well as wasted opportunities. One thing I had liked is that Danzou tended to be the most outspoken against Limbo throughout the chapter, which of course is fitting with their history even if she didn’t personally remember Shimousa. The first direct confrontation was good, he’s calling her his puppet, she’s the one who seems most angry with him, he’s being his delightfully over the top evil self, it’s great!

Ibuki should have been in the chapter more but him just being like oh yeah I lied I’m gonna become a god instead was good lol

I also love that he’s unable to become a Beast because of a lack of love for humanity, which makes sense, and it’s a fascinating part of him, he fixates on people but it’s not affection.

But the thing I was annoyed about here is that Danzou and Limbo don’t really say much to each other….? She’s a major object of their fixation and she’s been so deeply hurt by him yet not much from either side? Why…. I knew my hopes of him tormenting her in some scene framed a highly sexual way was getting my hopes up, but the game has always been good about emphasizing this relationship in the past so I was disappointed there wasn’t something involving him attempting to inflict pain on her specifically… or really any sort of toying around with his guests? It’s the whole point of this so I wanted more of him doing exactly that….(you had machine destroying insect shikigami right there come on, so many ways to toy with his favorite doll, give me something)

On the plus side though, I’m delighted she was the one to finish him off, if he had to die, this is exactly how it should be.

The one who had been most personally hurt by Limbo getting to deal the finishing blow on him is perfect. It’s satisfying, it’s closure for her, it’s just GOOD!!

As for the aftermath, the scene with human Douman right here is one of the best parts of the chapter, I adored it, I cried a bit even…

Perhaps he’s the one hurt most by this whole incident… coming face to face with the embodiment of the evil dwelling within him, of what he fears becoming, and breaking down weeping once freed, and nearly killing himself knowing it’s a potential future for him. (Honestly I think Seimei is kinda an ass to him lol I mean oh I thought you wouldn’t fall to Limbo as an excuse for not trying to help him?? He’s terrified of that potential and Limbo struck him at his weakest point, that fixation with Seimei)

And finally, I wish Danzou got some sort of epilogue section, most people did, and it would have been nice to see her reflecting on being rid of Limbo, either by herself or with Kotarou….

And for some final words on Limbo, I love that he gets extra my room lines after finishing, unsurprisingly YEAH it’s Limbo, and he even remembers everything, which is uh, quite the situation! When it comes down to it, I think what Da Vinci said in the opening puts it well,

I don’t think his evil is even subconsciously trying to help anyone or anything like that. It’s a genuine wish for destruction but it’s also rather pitiful…. His whole thing with Seimei probably doesn’t help with seeing no worth in even himself too. Like at the end he’s right back to yelling out at Seimei

And he’s quite a fascinating character for it too, having someone so truly evil, but having originated from an “ordinary onmyouji” who feared becoming old that. Someone who is a “monsterous rakshasa devoid of love”, and I don’t think anyone can magically make him ~love~ but like… it’s interesting to me how someone who CANT love in any way has these fixations on people, and what they’re like as a result (which is why I’m especially interested in his thing with Danzou, it captures that aspect of them well) Best you could hope for I think is them maybe seeing some sliver of worth in things…? They’re both comically evil and also complex in their own right and that’s why I love them so much, I’m really gonna miss them showing up to toy with us all!

TLDR- Heian-kyo GOOD, godly setup that could have been utilized more especially when it came to Limbo and Danzou’s interactions (why wasn’t there more?). Best possible way for Limbo to die and I love human Douman a lot too and he makes his character all the more interesting.