The dark brilliance of a dying soul
about YnM and the relationship
Yami no Matsuei, or descendants of Darkness in english, is a manga and anime by Yoko Matsushita first published in 1997. The story I get from ANN is:Even after death, life is full of paperwork and criminals. Tsuzuki Asato is a 26 year old, happy-go-lucky, and dorky shinigami (god of death) whose job is to makes sure that those who are dead remain dead and stay in their proper realms. Even though he's had this job for over 70 years, he is in the worst division with horrible pay. He also has a knack for not keeping partners (since shinigami work in pairs), but now he seems to have one that will stick around; stubborn, smart-mouthed, serious and defensive 16 year old, Kurosaki Hisoka. With each case they investigate, they come closer to the conspiracies of the serial killer Dr. Muraki Kazutaka. From the plots of Muraki, to other cases, and the dramatic events of the shikigami (animal gods) world, afterlife is very busy. Amidst all this, Tsuzuki's relationship with Hisoka is growing stronger and closer...but there is a dark past to how Tsuzuki died that will not give him peace.
However, the summary doesn't make the series sound like much: when in fact it is quite brilliant. Anyway- enough about Ynm, to the relationship!
On it's most basic level, Muraki is the one that killed Hisoka. It happened when Hisoka was in hospital. Unable to sleep, Hisoka went for a walk. He then witnessed Muraki murdering someone. Of course, Muraki would not let him get away. However, under the moonlight Muraki noticed how beautiful Hisoka was. Thus, before he killed him he raped him and carved a curse on him. For the next three years the curse would keep Hisoka alive, torturing him, until he finally died at age 16 and his memories of the night were taken from him. It was only when he was a shinigami (volume one) when he would meet Muraki again and get his memories back of exactly how he died.
When it comes to the relationship between Muraki and Hisoka, I can only view it on a romantic level. Well, not particulary romantic. The relationship between Muraki and Hisoka can be very disturbing on some levels. In volume three when Hisoka confesses to Tsubaki hime about what Muraki did to him it makes clear the stark reality of Muraki's torture:
Actually, I died when I was 16...which was a year ago. Four years ago, Muraki placed a curse on me. I died three years after that.
I saw him commit a murder so he cursed me...and he robbed me of my memory that night and tortured me for three years before death.
From this, we can see Hisoka must have been only 13 when he met Muraki for the first time. The three years of torture suggest it may not have been the last time either. It all depends on when Hisoka lost his memory.
On both parts though, it is a relationship with obsession. Muraki does not hate Hisoka, nor love him. He merely likes the feeling of controlling him, "my puppet" or "my doll". Muraki also finds Hisoka very beautiful. Hisoka on the other hand has been maimed by Muraki, and is obsessed with the idea of getting revenge- thus why he became a Shinigami. Hisoka cannot forget what Muraki did to him. It is also made clear in volume three that Muraki has not forgotten Hisoka or that night, "I do not dream alot but when I do dream I remember that night"- though he is probably not affected in the same way as Hisoka.
I think the best volumes for Muraki and Hisoka's relationship are volumes one and three. In volume three particulary, we get a full confession from Hisoka and also a hint at what Muraki feels for Hisoka. Also, there is the outside view of the relationship from Tzuki- who may know far more than Muraki just murdered Hisoka. Thre is also Tsubaki hime who notes that Hisoka's eyes are colder than ice when he looks at Muraki.
What makes the relationship so interesting for me is that it is not 100% clear what has passed between them, or their feelings for one another. In particular, why Muraki did it and how it has affected him. I wish that instead of focusing on the relationship between Tsuki and Muraki we could have got more interaction between Muraki and Hisoka, and possibly a bit more background information. In truth their is no relationship relationship between them, instead Hisoka has been connected to Muraki against his will.
The curse I carved onto your body seeped to the bone. After destroying your original cells, it created a different pattern of cells. You can feel me calling for you, becoming my puppet...a puppet I completly control.
To be honest, I was shocked that no one had made a fanlisting for this relationship. Every other of the obvious relationships from Yami no Matsuei has been covered but not this one. Though, it's a good thing as I'm really proud I have this fanlisting. I waited two months before applying, and another month before getting it- this is a fanlisting I desperatly wanted and am proud to finally get.Yami no Matsuei is one of my favourite manga, and both Hisoka and Muraki are favourite characters- both for their individual pasts and characters, and the past they both share together.