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There are two reasons I can fathom for that...

A) That was the whole point of the joke for the writers, I don't really see it as a mistake... note that she does not say that in the Japanese version, only the English dub.

B) She was making a point. It was an exageration to show that Yusuke really wouldn't have been able to do something like that.

Personally I think Keiko really does know a lot about Yusuke. The way the series was written it seems that they were always together and playing as children.

I don't know, I like Keiko, I don't mind her tough attitude turning to whining sometimes. It's realistic, I mean, could you handle suddenly finding out the guy you like died... them came back to life... then had to fight demons... you SAW him fight the demons... He dies again... then comes back AS a demon... Come on, you trade places with Keiko and see if you can deal with that. I think she handles herself quite well for that situation.

im not gonna lie..i dislike keiko. although sometimes i have this notion that she cares for yusuke and only yusuke, since the fact is that she only yells the other boys names when they're in trouble, but when it comes to yusuke she just has to go into this kind of trance. i was happy for her at the end, but still...

she constantly worries about him, how about thinking postive about whatll happen to him instead of thinking the worst. i dont like how yusuke wins his battles just because of her though, id like if she had a part of the reason why, but not most of it. buts its true, it must suck to watch him fight and NEARLY get killed everytime, and i can only imagine to watch the most important person to you get nearly killed all the time.

yusuke's got his friends, and i bet all of his friends put together equal keiko. also when yusuke forgot his prupose, it wasnt just keiko that popped up in his mind, it was all the people that matter to him.

shes also the normal human of the girls in the story tho, but still the least she could to is at least try to fight and not wait for someone to save you or let your hand go up and do it for you.

She is a little protective, but she loves him, it's too be understood. She's also a little helpless, but aren't we all to some extent? I think she is pretty cool other than that.

I'm with you for the most part on this one. I've never cared for Keiko; really, I view her as somewhat selfish.

Don't get me wrong, she's the entire reason Yuusuke's a decent person -- there's no doubt that she's given him something to care about when he couldn't really care about anything else. But I look at her and I see someone who's always gotten what she wanted. She's got intelligence and does well in school, she's got a moderately well-off family and could get a job whenever she wanted by just asking, she knows she can get into whatever high school and college she wants, she's good at sports, she's got lots of friends. She's set up to be the archetypal "perfect girlfriend".

And while she is that, those are the very qualities that make her unsuited to Yuusuke.

She has her moments of clarity, where she realizes that fighting is Yuusuke's place and something that he needs, but most of the time she doesn't even seem to understand. Even when it's been explained to her that the stakes are life and death, she's just upset because she's being left out, or because things are radically different than they used to be.

She's a complete fish out of water when it comes to demons, fighting, and everything else about Yuusuke's life as a Tantei. You put Keiko in a normal, human setting and she excels. You put her in Yuusuke's world and she can't handle much of anything. And the funny thing is that Yuusuke never asks her for anything at all; she demands to be put where she is and then can't deal with being there. The one time he did ask for something -- when he was leaving for Makai and essentially asked her to wait for him -- she was unnecessarily cruel to him. If she didn't feel like she could wait, she could have told him so, but instead she pulled that line about Yuusuke meeting her new boyfriend when he got back. It always seemed to me that either she was trying to guilt him into staying, which shows disrespect and disregard for his needs, or she was just trying to hurt him.

Neither of these fit with the Keiko from the beginning. But I suppose the Keiko from the beginning hadn't had the time to become so frustrated, and to realize how much she couldn't handle and how useless she was in Yuusuke's life. Her well-being is all he requires, so there's nothing she can do directly. This translates to her deliberately putting her well-being in jeopardy, which isn't any easier for Yuusuke than watching him fight is for her. When she knows he cares about her safety, and she also knows she can't do anything to help him, putting herself in danger is a stupid thing to do, and tells me that she's more worried about her immediate emotional drama than about his well-being.

I respect that she's human and that it's hard for her, and really believe she loves Yuusuke, but she's always thinking of herself just a little more, or else she's not thinking much at all about the consequences of her actions. No, I don't really think their relationship can go anywhere in the long term, and it's a little saddening because they do love each other. But that's my take; I suppose if you combine it with most of Teekaymon's, you'll more or less have my position.

I don't like Keiko because she's not Hiei.

I have to argue a little for Keiko. ^^ To begin with, there's really no reason to believe that Keiko never had to work hard in school. She is intelligent, but that doesn't mean that she slid right through school easily. She often does get what she wants, I agree to that, but not always because she doesn't work for it. Remember that she could get a good job easily because she has excellent recommendations because she gets good grades and pitches in at school (evidenced by the fact that she's class president and the episode where the Makai insects come after her and she's at school late working.)

I guess this is just a matter of opinion, but I think that Keiko being the perfect girlfriend works alongside Yusuke with the old "opposites attract" adage, slightly altered. Opposites only attract if the people in question have at least a little in common, and Yusuke and Keiko do, having grown up together. I think that if Keiko was more like Yusuke, lazy, rebellious or sarcastic, the relationship wouldn't work because, like you said, Yusuke needs her to balance him out, otherwise, he's just not really Yusuke.

I will agree that she's selfish, to an extent. I know that she doesn't really seem to understand that Yusuke's life is on the line and she often just whines about her own life, however, it's possible that that's just a defense for her, to avoid understanding the truth--Yusuke could be gone forever easily. He, in fact, already has once. Keiko is a straightforward person except for Yusuke. She's practical and not really gullible, so to be told that there are magical creatures who want to kill the boy she has liked for some time must be a hard blow for her to accept. Perhaps misunderstanding or misinterpreting this information is her way of escaping it. Not at all an honorable option, of course, but we need to remember that she's only a 14 year old girl. That seems like a pretty old age, but at the same time, it really isn't. She hasn't fully matured, of course, and so maybe a lot of what people don't like about her (for instance, that she moans and whines when Yusuke actually pays attention to her) can be understood when we realize that she is just 14. She's never had a real boyfriend and as far as we know, doesn't have one while Yusuke's gone. Her first real kiss is bringing Yusuke back to life and her second, possibly, is when he returns from a three-year escapade.

Like you said, it's not really fair to blame Keiko, a mere human, for not being able to excel in demon territory. She doesn't have powers and she can do little in that world, and that's not her fault. It is her fault that she thrusts herself into it, of course, but I actually respect her for that, considering the alternative is that she lay back in the background and hardly see Yusuke, let alone know him as a fighter. In that regard, her witnessing his power and his true calling makes her better suited for him. Imagine if she didn't know at all; they would have even less in common and Yusuke would likely find her boring. Granted she doesn't have a place in demon world, but in the end, that's not where Yusuke chooses to stay.

As for Keiko and the jibe about the new boyfriend before Yusuke left, I don't think she wanted to hurt him (not a lot, anyway) and I don't think that she was trying to guilt him into staying. During the Dark Tournament, Keiko admits that Yusuke is only home when he's fighting. For all her selfishness, I am fairly certain that Keiko wouldn't try to stop him from that, because she wants to see him happy. I'm not saying it wouldn't be hard for her or painful, but that, ultimately, she would always let him go if she had to.
I think Keiko made the boyfriend remark because it was her only defense. Most of us can remember a time when we were shocked with news by a friend or family member that upset us; at least, I know I can. It's not uncommon to lash out without realizing it or without meaning it simply because one cannot put one's feelings into words. I am pretty sure that Keiko would never consider another boy while Yusuke was gone, no matter what she told him. I'm pretty sure that she said what she did because she was terrified of losing him again and didn't want him to leave. A testament to her character is that she did, even if she was a b***h about it. A testament to Yusuke is that he understood Keiko enough not to allow her comment to hurt him, at least not visibly. If Yusuke, the victim of the remark, can understand and forgive her, hopefully we can do the same.

I also agree that putting herself in danger is a dumb thing for Keiko to do. But when precisely did that happen? It wasn't when Hiei kidnapped her or when the Makai insects came after her, because she did nothing to warrant those attacks. I assume you're talking about when she went to the tournament, considering everyone was in danger in Chapter Black and she wasn't really in Three Kings. If she deliberately put herself in danger by going to the tournament, then couldn't the same be said of all the girls who went, such as Shizuru? I know Shizuru went not as a romantic lead, but as a big sister, however, it boils down to the fact that Keiko wasn't the only one being selfish when she went to the tournament. (I guess that's not really defending her, but I think it sheds a little light on the situation.) I'm not sure that she went there trying to get herself killed, either. Like I said earlier, it's probably better that she went and understood what Yusuke was involved with than sat at home going to school and simply worrying all the time.

EDIT: It's occurred to me also that Keiko already was in danger before she went to the Tournament. Toguro said that he would kill everyone Yusuke knew, which obviously includes Keiko. She was putting herself further into danger, yes, but not by much because she was at the top of the list to be killed if Yusuke failed.

Then of course there's the fact that in the Spirit Detective arc, Keiko casts away her own safety to rescue Yusuke when she saves him from the fire. That, at least, attests to the fact that she isn't always selfish and she can forget her own plight when necessary.

I think Keiko screaming at the last episode was the desperate action of a lonely girl who was terribly worried that the man she loved wouldn't return. Her words were a bit spiteful. However, most of us can't really imagine how terrible we'd feel if our only love had gone away for three years and might have died. The worst part of that, I think, was that if Yusuke had died in the Demon World, Keiko would have never known. She was strong to wait those three years, and broke down when they were done because she was worried not that he was late, but that he was dead and gone.

As for Yusuke and Keiko's relationship in the long run, I really rather think that depends a lot upon what Yusuke's future as a fighter looks like. If he were to become a boxer in the Human World and leave Demon World for good, I think they could be a successful couple. But it's likely that Yusuke ended up returned to Demon World at one point, or that other fights came in the way of the relationship. One of the bittersweet elements of the final episode and the series' conclusion is that we'll never know.

It's true enough that she does do extra work for the school,‭ ‬and I didn't mean to imply that she never works for anything‭ (‬although I‭ did‭ ‬refer to her being able to get a job anytime she wanted because her parents would give her one at the ramen shop pretty much instantly if she asked for it‭; ‬I wasn't really referring to her being able to get‭ any‭ ‬job she wanted‭)‬.‭ ‬But the contrast is that no matter how hard Yuusuke tries,‭ ‬he doesn't really get anywhere.‭ ‬Bad s**t happens to him even above and beyond the stuff he initiates‭ (‬like the entire wallet incident in the first episode‭)‬,‭ ‬and he can't even seem to do things right with Keiko,‭ ‬given the enormous amount that she scolds and censures him.‭ ‬By the time the series starts,‭ ‬he's clearly given up trying for the most part,‭ ‬but a person doesn't just start out that way.

They both have their own unique kinds of selfish.‭ ‬Yuusuke's selfish because he no longer cares about anything he can't affect,‭ ‬which includes most things.‭ ‬Keiko's selfish because she's never really been deprived,‭ ‬and her efforts have all gotten her exactly what they were designed to get.



Opposites do attract,‭ ‬but that doesn't actually mean they're suited for one another.‭ ‬Yuusuke has needed Keiko to balance him out,‭ ‬it's true,‭ ‬but he's not always going to need that.‭ ‬In a lot of ways,‭ ‬he stops needing it long before the series is over.‭ ‬We see him become disillusioned even more with‭ "‬normal‭" ‬life,‭ ‬and everything to do with it,‭ ‬and the only reason she's an exception is because he loves her.‭ ‬Love,‭ ‬unfortunately,‭ ‬doesn't conquer all,‭ ‬and it isn't enough to hold together two people who simply don't need each other anymore.

I view Keiko's need for Yuusuke as a need for something outside the rigid structure she's set up for herself.‭ ‬By being so very precise and perfect about school,‭ ‬home,‭ ‬and everything else,‭ ‬in order to get everything she wanted‭ (‬popularity,‭ ‬good grades,‭ ‬good reputation,‭ ‬et cetera‭) ‬she's squashed any variety and uncertainty that her life might otherwise have.‭ ‬Yuusuke is her wild card‭ ‬--‭ ‬he keeps things new and gives her a consistent project on which to focus her energy,‭ ‬a project that will neither run out nor always be predictable.‭ ‬Ironically,‭ ‬that project often involves her trying to sway him to be‭ less‭ ‬of a wild card,‭ ‬which is probably because while she needs that side of him,‭ ‬it also scares her and makes her uncomfortable.‭ ‬She wouldn't try so hard for order in her life if it weren't extremely important to her,‭ ‬even if it's also stifling her,‭ ‬and Yuusuke threatens that order.

Imagine if he'd asked her to come to the Makai with him,‭ ‬and live there‭ ‬--‭ ‬what would her reaction have been‭? ‬Even if you discard the fact that she has no applicable skills,‭ ‬even if you discard her attachment to family and friends,‭ ‬just the thought of leaving her comfortable life would probably have scared her silly.‭ ‬It's outside the image of herself that she's always taken for granted.‭ ‬While Yuusuke is trying to redefine himself and become a new person,‭ ‬Keiko is standing in the same place she's always been and waiting for him to come back around to the way he was before,‭ ‬unable and unwilling to change and resenting the changes that are happening in him.

I respect that she has emotional needs,‭ ‬and none of this makes her a particularly bad person,‭ ‬but it's fair to neither her nor Yuusuke for her to hold the expectations that she does,‭ ‬and I'm of the opinion that their relationship would probably fail solely because of that.



Yes,‭ ‬she's‭ ‬14.‭ ‬So is Yuusuke‭ ‬--‭ ‬physically.‭ ‬Consider that he's been forced to grow up a hell of a lot faster than she has,‭ ‬and is more mature than she in a lot of ways.‭ ‬He's a brat,‭ ‬and holds on to some immature ideals,‭ ‬but by the end of the series,‭ ‬he's grown much wiser and more experienced and is simply‭ older‭ ‬than she is emotionally.‭ ‬I dislike Keiko for several reasons, not all of them objective,‭ ‬but in this context, I believe they still stand because I believe they make her wrong for Yuusuke.‭ ‬I think the difference in maturity,‭ ‬priorities,‭ ‬and overall experience would be difficult for either of them to accept or understand.



Witnessing his power does help her understand better,‭ ‬but I don't know that it necessarily makes her better suited to him.‭ ‬Better understanding of someone doesn't heighten compatibility,‭ ‬and it doesn't overcome differences in priorities and needs.‭ ‬She recognizes that he's only happy when fighting,‭ ‬but whether she can emotionally accept that over a long period of time is questionable at best.‭ ‬Keiko is the sort of person who needs to be held first in someone's heart,‭ ‬and she may never have that with Yuusuke because he's not the kind of person who can choose between one loved one and another.‭ ‬His friends will always be just as important to him as she is,‭ ‬even if it's in a different way‭ ‬--‭ ‬she'll never be‭ special‭ ‬in the way that she needs.

Yuusuke chooses to come back to her,‭ ‬but whether he ultimately chooses to‭ stay‭ ‬in the human world is unknown.



I'd accept that the boyfriend remark was made as a shock-reaction,‭ ‬except that she continued with it hours later,‭ ‬after she'd had time to sort herself out and think about what she'd said.‭ ‬There was no remorse,‭ ‬not even a hint of anything but resentment.‭ ‬It's perfectly plausible that she said what she said because she was terrified of losing him and didn't want him to leave,‭ ‬but I do think she was genuinely vindictive about it as well.‭ ‬Every time Yuusuke leaves for any reason,‭ ‬he reminds her that she's less important than his other life,‭ ‬and she's resentful of it.‭ ‬Yuusuke was,‭ ‬by that point,‭ ‬mature enough to recognize that,‭ ‬which is why he reacted the way he did,‭ ‬but I don't particularly think it didn't hurt him, or that he necessarily forgave her.‭ ‬He's just past the point where he lets everything show.



True enough‭ ‬--‭ ‬but consider what the difference is between her being at the top of that list and her being physically‭ there‭‬,‭ ‬especially when Toguro threatened to kill her outright in front of Yuusuke.‭ ‬Suddenly Yuusuke can't concentrate properly because he can see the danger she's in,‭ ‬and it becomes much more immediate and difficult for him.‭ ‬It's about the same as the Saint Beasts arc‭ ‬--‭ ‬he knew she was in danger because the entire city was in danger,‭ ‬but the moment he‭ saw‭ ‬her running for her life,‭ ‬he all but panicked.‭ ‬In the context of the Dark Tournament,‭ ‬when he's been stretched to his emotional limit and doesn't know how to reach his power,‭ ‬seeing her threatened right in front of him hurt his ability to fight far more than it helped.‭ ‬Her being there not only put her in more direct danger,‭ ‬it lowered the chances that Yuusuke would manage to win,‭ ‬and therefore increased the danger for‭ everyone‭.

She didn't think about this at all when she demanded to go.‭ ‬She wasn't going there to understand Yuusuke better.‭ ‬She heard where he was and she immediately wanted to see him.‭ ‬I honestly don't believe she had much of an idea why she was going,‭ ‬or that she cared‭; ‬she was going to see for herself knowing it was not something she could help with‭ (‬unless she really thought that somehow she'd be of use to him while he was fighting against‭ "‬teams of demons from an entirely different world‭")‬.

No,‭ ‬she wasn't going there to get herself killed,‭ ‬but that doesn't mean she was going there in order to understand Yuusuke better.



Yes,‭ ‬she can.‭ ‬This I'll agree on without qualification.‭ ‬I'm not sure it applies in context,‭ ‬however,‭ ‬since in that situation she actually had a direct chance to positively affect‭ his‭ ‬safety,‭ ‬which is something she never has again in the entire series. When that's not possible, it looks like she doesn't really deem it "necessary".



I'll dispute that last bit because Kuwabara had just finished talking about what Yuusuke was up to,‭ ‬and also because she knows how strong he is.‭ ‬Everything in the context points to the fact that she had just become tired of waiting,‭ ‬not that she feared he was dead,‭ ‬because the rest of the team knew exactly where he was and had told her.

Whether she was strong to wait those three years or whether she really‭ should‭‬have grown up and moved on is debatable‭; ‬and especially because she didn't know if he was ever going to return‭ (‬despite his promise,‭ ‬he had also admitted that he didn't know if he‭ could‭ ‬come back,‭ ‬and without the kekkai barrier being dropped‭ [‬which was a very,‭ ‬very unlikely turn of events closely related to a major series plothole‭]‬,‭ ‬he'd have been stuck in Makai forever‭)‬,‭ ‬and knowing that even if he did he would be a different person in at least a few ways,‭ ‬it seems more like stubbornness than strength to declare that she would move on and then be unable to do so.‭ ‬Holding a torch like that is classically romantic,‭ ‬but that doesn't mean it's not an unwise and rather immature thing to do.‭ ‬Finding someone else who met her needs and with whom she could have found happiness would have been perfectly natural,‭ ‬and would not have been any less‭ "‬strong‭" ‬than waiting for someone who,‭ ‬at much better than even odds,‭ ‬she'd never see again.

To be honest,‭ ‬screaming out like that when she did,‭ ‬it almost felt like she'd waited those three years just to see if he kept his promise,‭ ‬and not out of devotion at all.‭ ‬Granted,‭ ‬there probably was devotion involved,‭ ‬but to give up right on the mark and then to‭ blame him ‬for the fact that she waited doesn't strike me as the most loving response.‭ ‬Yes,‭ ‬she was probably hurting,‭ ‬but she did a lot of it to herself,‭ ‬and had no right to blame him for it.



As a boxer in the human world,‭ ‬Yuusuke would be pulling every single punch for fear of outright‭ shattering‭ ‬his human opponent,‭ ‬as well as continually checking his speed,‭ ‬reflexes,‭ ‬and instinctive go-for-the-kill moves.‭ ‬He'd also never get to use his energy techniques or most of what Genkai taught him.‭ ‬It kind of strikes me as asking a doctorate-level college professor with a passionate love for sharing his full knowledge to turn around and teach preschool for the rest of his life.‭ ‬I really don't think the human world holds any place for Yuusuke in the long term,‭ ‬because he's moved so far beyond human in the one area he needs to express the most.‭ ‬You're right,‭ ‬though,‭ ‬it's likely that even if he tried,‭ ‬things would get in the way.


I don't mean to be overly harsh or anything‭; ‬it's actually kind of nice to have debate. ^^

(I got WAY long-winded with this one. Sorry. ^^')



I've always experienced love as distinctly separate from need.‭ ‬It's difficult to love someone without needing them on some level,‭ ‬but the level of need that forms a lasting bond,‭ ‬that keeps people together,‭ ‬is a strong level indeed,‭ ‬and operates independently from being in love.‭ ‬I agree that if Yuusuke had wanted to leave her,‭ ‬he could have,‭ ‬but just because he didn't doesn't invalidate my point.‭ ‬No one WANTS to leave someone they love,‭ ‬even if they recognize that things aren't the same.‭ ‬I myself stayed in a relationship for a very long time with someone whom I did not need and who didn't need me,‭ ‬even though I knew for absolutely certain that it wasn't going to work,‭ ‬because I couldn't bear to leave the person I loved.‭ ‬I had needed her once,‭ ‬and I did love her for that,‭ ‬but it was still something that should have ended a long time before it did.

Yuusuke isn't conditioned to intentionally let people down,‭ ‬and he knows that marriage and a future together is what Keiko wants.‭ ‬He has to give it a try,‭ ‬at least,‭ ‬so that if it does fail,‭ ‬it won't be because they never let it begin.‭ ‬He also wants to make it work as much as she does‭ ‬--‭ ‬but again,‭ ‬that doesn't mean it's going to.‭ ‬Loving her because he once needed her isn't enough to build a long-term relationship,‭ ‬especially not a marriage.



It isn't that she dislikes the changes in him,‭ ‬it's that she resents them,‭ ‬and on some level denies them.‭ ‬I think,‭ ‬for the most part,‭ ‬that she doesn't necessarily see them as‭ "‬improvements‭"‬,‭ ‬just as differences.‭ ‬She resents that he has a second life that he won't share with her‭ (‬as evidenced by her trying to make him promise to tell her about his cases,‭ ‬thrusting herself into the Dark Tournament,‭ ‬et cetera‭) ‬and denies what it means for him‭ (‬going into active,‭ ‬catatonic denial towards the end of the Tournament,‭ ‬denying his need to go to Makai,‭ ‬et cetera‭)‬.‭ ‬She's smart,‭ ‬but smart has nothing to do with whether or not one realizes the extent of one's emotional responses and habits.‭ ‬Almost nobody actually self-analyzes to that point unless they absolutely have to,‭ ‬because those responses and habits are reflexive,‭ ‬not deliberate.‭ ‬She might not even get a clue if Yuusuke left her,‭ ‬unless he told her exactly why he was leaving.‭ ‬And as for changing her ways on a permanent basis‭ ‬.‭ ‬.‭ ‬.‭ ‬that's a really,‭ ‬really difficult thing to do,‭ ‬and it first requires her to admit,‭ ‬to herself,‭ ‬that she's in the wrong.‭ ‬For someone as stubborn as Keiko,‭ ‬that might never happen.



I personally don't think she develops much during the series,‭ ‬if at all.‭ ‬Sure,‭ ‬she responds to new information,‭ ‬but she doesn't exhibit any more maturity throughout than she does at the beginning,‭ ‬giving us the same set of emotional responses on a consistent,‭ ‬predictable basis.‭ ‬Responding to new information,‭ ‬having realizations about the way Yuusuke works,‭ ‬doesn't denote maturity‭; ‬it denotes intelligence,‭ ‬on which we both agree.‭ ‬A large problem with assuming Keiko's level of maturity at the end is the fact that she got time-skipped for three entire years.‭ ‬Before those three years,‭ ‬she was essentially the same Keiko she'd been at the start of the series,‭ ‬and after those three years,‭ ‬even though one can assume she's grown up some,‭ ‬what little we're shown seems the same as well.

This could be different in the manga, but that's not the source material with which I'm working here.

My general point,‭ ‬though,‭ ‬was not that she is inferior to him when it comes to his demon-fighting life‭ (‬another thing on which we appear to agree already‭); ‬it's a question of relative maturity.‭ ‬She's seen things that have been traumatic and strange,‭ ‬had to redefine her outlook on the person she loves,‭ ‬and been in danger a few times‭; ‬whereas Yuusuke has died,‭ ‬resurrected,‭ ‬learned of other worlds by being essentially shoved into them,‭ ‬been given power he never knew he had,‭ ‬been drafted into a job he never wanted and that threatens not only him but everyone he knows and loves,‭ ‬learned how to commit,‭ ‬killed uncounted demon enemies‭ (‬Doctor being the one human whose life he took‭)‬,‭ ‬sacrificed his own life more than once,‭ ‬seen friends and loved ones die and be tortured,‭ ‬had enemies tell him that these things happened because HE wasn't strong enough,‭ ‬felt like he failed on the deepest emotional level he has,‭ ‬given his all even after that failure,‭ ‬placed everything and everyone in existence before his own self,‭ ‬knowingly walked into a fight he couldn't win because the alternative was failing his friends,‭ ‬lost his humanity and become another species altogether,‭ ‬had his free will taken from him by an outside source,‭ ‬learned to accept demons on their own level instead of his,‭ ‬learned how to be one of the most destructive forces in the known universe,‭ ‬become ruler of a kingdom‭ (‬albeit temporarily‭)‬,‭ ‬willingly given up that kind of power when it conflicted with his loyalty,‭ ‬fought battles he didn't want to win,‭ ‬and STILL given up everything he is to come back to a world in which he's never belonged‭ ‬--‭ ‬for Keiko's sake.

His priorities at the end of the series,‭ ‬while they include her,‭ ‬cannot possibly be the same as hers,‭ ‬because he isn't in even remotely the same place that she is,‭ ‬emotionally speaking.‭ ‬He hasn't just matured,‭ ‬he's changed in fundamental ways that she'll never be able to understand and which will never happen to her.‭ ‬Growing up and having life experience in a high school setting pales vastly in comparison to even just those short times she was exposed to danger from Yuusuke's enemies.‭ ‬Having deliberately avoided romantic relationships,‭ ‬she hasn't even really learned anything about love,‭ ‬loss,‭ ‬or compromise in the entire three years he was gone.‭ ‬The two of them are literally and in nearly all ways coming from two separate worlds now,‭ ‬with only their shared childhood in common against everything that's changed.‭ ‬Just because she might be smart enough to realize that she isn't as mature as he is does not mean that they're ever going to level out,‭ ‬or that they're ever going to be able to accept the discrepancy.



I think it's only something she's accepted up until this point because she believed it would change.‭ ‬When she first realized how much fighting meant to him,‭ ‬she withdrew,‭ ‬and for a while she didn't even want to see him.‭ ‬And she HAS been special to him‭ ‬--‭ ‬before he died,‭ ‬she was virtually the only person he cared about in the entire world,‭ ‬except for his mother,‭ ‬and she knew it even though he didn't pay her constant attention.‭ ‬She also knew that fighting itself meant very little to him except as an escape‭; ‬he wasn't fulfilled or happy before he died.‭ ‬Fighting was something he needed,‭ ‬an instinctual outlet for his aggression and frustration and disillusionment with life in general,‭ ‬but it was only important to him insofar as without it he would have had to find another way to cope.‭ ‬It only becomes important,‭ ‬becomes HOME,‭ ‬when he becomes a Reikai detective,‭ ‬which brings him real challenge,‭ ‬a higher ideal,‭ ‬and the chance to protect his loved ones.‭ ‬The pattern of resentment and bewilderment she adopts as the series progresses speaks to how much she's hurt and confused by no longer being first in his priorities.



Manga versus anime canon is a bit tricky.‭ ‬I'll be happy to concede on the manga side,‭ ‬but in the anime,‭ ‬it was definitely very spiteful and emotionally charged.‭ ‬Yes,‭ ‬the restaurant was the scene to which I was referring.‭ ‬And yes,‭ ‬I agree that he understands her enough to know where it's coming from,‭ ‬or else he'd have reacted differently regardless‭ ‬--‭ ‬but the hurt would still be there,‭ ‬understanding or not.



They don't explain it properly in the series,‭ ‬but here's my take:‭ ‬Yuusuke spent the entire Tournament up until that point locking down his fear and all the rest of his emotional reaction to the danger everyone was in,‭ ‬because he knew it was there from the start.‭ ‬He'd probably have folded under the stress otherwise‭; ‬when Toguro first told him that he would either fight or everyone he knew would be killed,‭ ‬he was visibly terrified out of his mind.‭ ‬Unfortunately,‭ ‬by squelching that fear so thoroughly in order to function properly,‭ ‬it ceased to be motivating in the way he needed it to be.‭ ‬To have it actually be realized‭ ‬--‭ ‬to watch a friend die in front of him‭ ‬--‭ ‬was necessary in order to punch through his emotional walls and bring it back to the surface.

It's possible that she didn't understand,‭ ‬true‭; ‬but what did she think she could possibly do‭? ‬Being unable to realize what danger she'd be putting Yuusuke in doesn't preclude her being able to recognize the danger to herself or the fact that there was absolutely nothing she could do to help.‭ ‬It comes off as a foolish,‭ ‬badly-thought-out action based entirely off of emotions,‭ ‬with her just not bothering to think about consequences or purpose.



That's an intriguing thought.‭ ‬My general interpretation of Keiko is that she often doesn't care whether or not she can actually help Yuusuke‭; ‬that she'll help when she can,‭ ‬but otherwise she'll just try to BE there,‭ ‬as if she's certain her mere presence is going to do something for him.‭ ‬I do know that there have been times she's begged other people to help him,‭ ‬though,‭ ‬so it's hard to think of her as pretending he doesn't need it.



I think you may be correct,‭ ‬but I'm going off of the general feel of the conversation.‭ ‬Kuwabara said something about how Yuusuke had said he had a few things to take care of but was probably basically screwing around so he wouldn't have to come back yet,‭ ‬and that he was choosing fighting over his friends.‭ ‬This doesn't strike me as causing an‭ "‬Or maybe he's really in trouble or dead instead‭!" ‬reaction in Keiko,‭ ‬unless she's so heavily in denial that he's choosing fighting over her that she can't accept it.‭ ‬But then again,‭ ‬her speech out over the water tells me she was able to accept things like that.‭ *‬shrug‭* ‬It just didn't read to me at all like she was afraid he was dead.



This reminds me of something Botan said in the beginning of the series:‭ "‬There's no point in her saving herself for someone she will never have.‭" ‬Keiko didn't know at the time that Yuusuke might never have come back to life,‭ ‬and would probably have waited for him for a very long time‭ ‬--‭ ‬and knowing that she was waiting when he was never returning to her would have hurt Yuusuke a great deal.‭ ‬He'd have been happier to know she'd moved on and found love elsewhere.‭ ‬By the same token,‭ ‬if he'd really been stuck in the Makai forever‭ (‬the most likely scenario‭)‬,‭ ‬I think that if he ever found out that she was still waiting for him after all that time when he would never be able to honor his promise,‭ ‬he'd have been torn up about it.‭ ‬It would not have been cruel for her to move on unless she knew for certain that he would be back,‭ ‬which she didn't.‭ ‬NOT moving on was more cruel,‭ ‬in an objective sense,‭ ‬because the chances were much higher that he wouldn't,‭ ‬and it would have hurt them both much more.

In both the beginning of the series and the end of the series,‭ ‬he made a promise to her that he was going to come back to her,‭ ‬knowing he might have to break that promise‭; ‬the crucial difference is that at the beginning,‭ ‬he took for granted that she would wait for him,‭ ‬but at the end,‭ ‬he accepted her word that she wouldn't,‭ ‬and almost seemed relieved by it even though it hurt him.‭ ‬This is a sign of his maturity,‭ ‬and of the fact that while he intends to keep that promise if he can,‭ ‬he knows it may be impossible and he doesn't want her to sacrifice years of her life for a moment that might never come.‭ ‬It's very poignant,‭ ‬actually,‭ ‬that they've come full circle that way.‭ ‬At the beginning she told him she'd wait forever,‭ ‬and at the end she told him she wouldn't wait at all‭; ‬at the beginning he hoped she would,‭ ‬and at the end he hoped she wouldn't.



Yuusuke went in for the fight with Kido because he hadn't been able to readjust to normal life after the Tournament,‭ ‬and needed to be in SOME kind of fight just to quell his restlessness and frustration.‭ ‬On a long-term basis,‭ ‬I don't think he'd ever be content to shut off that part of himself so much.‭ ‬He's spent years becoming what he is,‭ ‬and it would render all of that a waste if he were never to use it again.‭ ‬He's got enough of a warrior spirit that he needs challenge,‭ ‬and he'd never get that being a boxer in the human world.‭ ‬The only place that holds any challenge for him anymore is the Makai‭; ‬it's a testament to how much he loves Keiko,‭ ‬and how much keeping his word means to him,‭ ‬that he came back at all.‭ ‬I really,‭ ‬truly don't think he'd be able to stay.‭ ‬Back before he died,‭ ‬he was the top thug around,‭ ‬and it bored him silly because it was easy.‭ ‬I don't see as it would end up being much different.

I'm not sure if I see him as a teacher.‭ ‬He does have more patience than he had at the beginning,‭ ‬it's true,‭ ‬but it's not the kind nor the quantity that one sees in a successful career instructor.‭ ‬He would probably take on a student at one point or another because Genkai felt strongly about passing on her abilities and he wouldn't want them to be lost,‭ ‬but I'm not sure that would be enough for him,‭ ‬at least not as something to keep him in the human world.‭ ‬It also remains that even if he taught the strongest humans he could find,‭ ‬he'd still be leagues ahead of them in power.‭ ‬He's strong enough that he's in the top ten‭ ‬--‭ ‬what,‭ ‬sixth,‭ ‬maybe eighth‭? ‬--‭ ‬in the entire Makai.‭ ‬He's going to have enough trouble finding challenge even there,‭ ‬much less having to hunt for it among humans.‭ ‬As for fighting demons whether the Reikai wants him to or not,‭ ‬I agree he'd probably do that,‭ ‬but that might never be consistent enough for him,‭ ‬nor would most of the demons who stuck a toe over the line pose any more threat to him than a human.‭ ‬Without the status of Reikai detective,‭ ‬which gives him inside information telling him when and where the real threat is,‭ ‬he'd have to take whatever showed up,‭ ‬no matter how seldom or how weak it was.‭ ‬He'd also be restricted by whatever regulations Enma wanted to enforce‭; ‬he can still get himself thrown in prison if he breaks Spirit World law,‭ ‬and they'd be looking for an excuse at that point.

I can accept that maybe,‭ ‬if he took weekly trips into the Makai just to bash something senseless and blow off steam,‭ ‬and if he found a fulfilling enough job or vocation for the rest of the time,‭ ‬he could stay in the human world for a while.‭ ‬Maybe even years.‭ ‬Maybe even long enough for both him and Keiko to realize that he's going to stay young and she isn't.‭ ‬I almost think that not only is it more likely that their relationship will fail,‭ ‬it's probably better sooner than later.


Debating‭ = ‬awesome.‭ ‬ heart