mysticwolfieeclair

[mysticwolfieeclair]

I really need to talk about Kagome’s emotional strength, because in my opinion it is extremely and consistently under-appreciated. And what a shame that is, because it's one of her defining characteristics. This scene beautifully demonstrates it.

First of all, can we please appreciate how Kagome sees right through the infant's supernatural gaslighting? He's taking kernels of Kagome's negative emotions and using them to spin a narrative about Kagome's "true feelings," and about who she is as a person. The infant tries to define Kagome by reducing her to the feelings of resentment and jealousy she's experiencing in the moment. He tries to convince her that she's nothing more than the the worst things she's ever felt. "You feel resentment, therefore you are a resentful person."

But Kagome understands that feelings—even negative, unsettling feelings like resentment and jealousy—are generally temporary and ultimately besides the point. Feelings, in and of themselves, don't define us. How we choose to act with those feelings—what we do with them, whether and how we cultivate them—defines us. And, what had Kagome done with her jealousy earlier in the same arc? She urged InuYasha to look for Kikyo when it became known that Kikyo could still be alive and in need of help. That's what she did. Kagome didn't allow her jealousy to influence her behavior when it counted, or keep her from acting in InuYasha's—and even Kikyo's—best interest. And so Kagome can rightly say, "They're just normal emotions that anyone could have... not hatred." She has the wisdom to discern between the two, and that wisdom stems from an emotional strength and rootedness (of which I am frankly envious).

In this scene, Kagome faces off with an enemy who literally weaponizes her own feelings against her, in an effort to deceive and manipulate her, spinning lies as truth. And Kagome has the strength and wisdom to say, "No, you're wrong. No, that's a lie. This is the truth."

Throughout the series, other people—both friends and foes alike—try to define who Kagome is, usually by comparing her to Kikyo in one way or another. And throughout the entire series, Kagome affirms her own identity again and again. "I'm Kagome, not anyone else. No, that's not who I am — this is who I am." And in this scene she's doing it again: the infant tries to tell her, "What you truly feel is hatred," and Kagome—alone, unaided, her very soul infiltrated by her enemy—has the strength to affirm the truth: "No, that's not what I feel — this is what I feel."

She is so 👏🏼 stinkin' 👏🏼 strong! 👏🏼

[mysticwolfieeclair]

Sorry to tell you, Inuyasha, but your motivation to hunt down Naraku and the Shikon jewel changed a long time ago. Glad you're finally realizing it for yourself.

[mysticwolfieeclair]

Inuyasha is genuinely intelligent and quick thinking. He knows not to underestimate his opponent and get too cocky

[mysticwolfieeclair]

So I was once again reading the Inuyasha manga and I'd gotten to the part where Miroku was going to use his wind tunnel to try and save himself and Sango from a hoard of demons despite being told not to and I noticed something. This panel-

Like this panel really just hit me in a way. It reminded me that Miroku has never really had anyone he could count on. All of his life he's really only had himself to keep him safe and who could understand his struggles with his curse. Then he meets Inuyasha, Kagome, Sango and Shippo and he's suddenly not alone anymore in fighting the battle that he's been in for his entire life.

It just makes me so stupidly sentimental knowing that Miroku has people who will have his back no matter what and seeing him love and appreciate these friends that he's grown close to over the series is one of the nicest things in the world.

[mysticwolfieeclair]

[mysticwolfieeclair]

Another mythological comparison of Inuyasha.

“ All youkai are the ruins of humans. Youkai continue to exist both inside and outside humans. They wish to return to a human form, but are unable to do so. They live in fields, mountains, seas, grasses and trees, full of sadness at not being able to return to a human form.” - Abe Masamichi

This is a quote that I pulled from the book: Japanese Demon Lore by Noriko T. Reider. Which aside from so far being an interesting read as far as the history of Oni and their many representations in both myth and fables. It also has a section that covers how youkai are represented in anime and Inuyasha is one of the examples used. I wanted to share a couple of interesting points from this section in case anyone was interested. For me this was a delight as my headcanons surrounding my muses in particular are heavily inspired by mythology. 

The white dog in Japanese Folklore. 

Through medieval times the dog was seen as not only a trusted companion but as a creature associated with the dead. That was due to the fact that dogs often ate the corpses of the dead left without proper burial. Or dug up the corpses that weren’t buried deep enough. People who saw this began to believe that the dogs were retrieving the soul to bring to the other world. 

This brought up the opinion that dogs were in tune with the supernatural forces around them. Some even capable of developing their own powers. There are many stories of dogs saving their masters from supernatural threats. Or protecting people from the dangers of yurei and youkai alike. 

Then there is the deeper belief that some dogs can become trans-boundary creatures, allowing them to travel between this world and the underworld. Making them excellent guides to those who dare tread in the world of the dead. One such story is told by a priest named Kobo Daishi, who’s trek to the sacred grounds of Mt. Koya was only made possible by the aid of a magical white dog.

The story of the Yasha.

In Indian Buddhist mythology, a Yasha is a frightening and violent monster. There is a story where a Buddhist Guardian by the name of Bishamonten crossed paths with one particularly ferocious Yasha, a beast so wild and uncontrollable that it looked as if killing it was the only solution. 

However Bishamonten opted to instead subdue the Yasha, calming the demon and giving it a greater purpose. In the end the Yasha became a protector and kin to the Guardian. 

Tsuchigumo: The Earth Spider. 

There are a few youkai spiders through out japanese mythology, but the Tsuchigumo has some of the deepest roots. It’s one of the oldest recorded youkai and it’s name can be used to refer to other things. 

In the very earliest years of Japanese history Tsuchigumo was used to refer to people who did not conform to society. Either because they were outlaws, pit dwellers or those who simply defy the emperors divine rule. Essentially a Tsuchigumo was a person destined for hell. 

Unfortunately Tsuchigumo was also a derogatory term used to refer to the indigenous people of the land, or anyone who did not share the same physiological features of a typical Japanese person. Or anyone in general who lived apart from society. Which is where the ‘pit dwelling’ part comes in. 

#inuyasha #mythology

[mysticwolfieeclair]

Thank you for your analysis I enjoy reading that. I hve slightly disagree on the previous post you make on Kagome. You stated that “Inuyasha was going to set her free but Kagome choose to stay”. I think it’s not that simple. In the manga and anime Inuyasha himself saying that him too want to see her. Even when Miroku Sango ask him to have clean break up the gesture from Inuyasha that he does not want to break up but he can’t also be selfish to hurt Kagome. I find Kagome have superhuman level of understanding and endurance, he sacrifice so much and ask so little. Just being with Inuyasha is enough for her she don’t ask anything in return. That’s love ... all she want is Inuyasha to live and be happy, smile a lot, she love him of who he is, she like his flaw his strength and ask nothing in return. That’s why I like Kagome. If Kagome not stepping up and they end up separate both of them will not be happy in their own world. Sometime when we love someone we don’t calculate what we gain from relationship because we not asking anything in return but the person we love to be happy. This is just my humble opinion.

Thank you so much! I'm over the moon that you enjoy reading my ramblings. And I appreciate your input as well!

It was never my intention to imply it was simple. Especially when people trying to reduce the whole thing to a black and white, uncomplicated situation, it's a huge pet peeve of mine. I agree with you. It was anything but.

It doesn't change the fact that he was going to set her free and she decided to stay, though. I don't think these affirmations are mutual exclusive, I just happened to not have focused specifically in this aspect of it in my last post, but I can do that now, piling on what you already said to make my instance known, since we actually agree that it was complicated.

Of course Inuyasha wanted to see her again. It was obvious from very early on the story that he wanted Kagome by his side. We were shown this much through his actions alone, but he even says it in no uncertain terms, at some point.

See, it’s precisely because he wants her to stay that letting her go is so difficult and meaningful. If he wasn’t reticent about it, if he wasn’t struggling with the decision, if he wasn’t still holding on so tighly, then ultimately deciding to do the right thing by her, which he did, wouldn’t have any emotional weight or narrative impact.

And sure, Shippo, Miroku and Sango were right to ask him to set Kagome free, their insistence was probably what speed up things on that regard. However, we know Inuyasha. It’s actually very in character for him to do the exact opposite of what he is told to do. If, deep down, he didn’t think they were right, he wouldn’t have done it.

Personally, I think he would have chosen to let Kagome go even if their friends hadn't intervened. He knew how fucked up the situation was and, just like you said, he knew he couldn’t be selfish with Kagome. But regardless, he did walk to the Well with every inttention to let her go. And what does he find?

The thing is, people often act like Inuyasha didn’t have any regard for Kagome’s feelings, almost like he wanted to break her heart. And this couldn’t be farther from the truth. He was trying to do his best with the bad cards that he have been dealt and it mostly blew on his face in the end, but he did feel bad for hurting her.

He knew he wanted her to stay. He also knew it was impossibly selfish to ask her to, so he never does. But he doesn’t have to. She decides to stay, despite everything. And this is a part of why I love their relationship so much: they always put each other’s happiness first.

Inuyasha wanted her to stay, but he needed to let her go for her own sake. And Kagome wanted to have a romantic relationship with him, but she needed to be a part of his life even if just as a friend. They put aside what they truly want to prioritize each other’s well being and meet half way, pushing each other’s character development in the process.

#Inuyasha #Inukag

[mysticwolfieeclair]

I just think it’s cute how Kagome immediately grabs for InuYasha when she’s startled.

Let’s get a closeup:

[mysticwolfieeclair]

His little "whoa!" always gets me. 😁

[mysticwolfieeclair]

Read the new Rumiko Q&A. Nothing impactful but at least we got Jaken's species some talk about Sessmom's powers and a snippet of Kikyo's early years

Tldr

Jaken is a Gaki. A type of imp like yokai.

Sessmom isn't as strong as Toga and isn't really a fighter. She's all political power, scheming and doing stuff from behind the scenes.

Kikyo and Kaede were born with the talent for the spiritual they didn't seem to get it from their parents.

[mysticwolfieeclair]

“Wait until I’m by your side!” VS. “Wait until I get there!”

This line is so much better than what the anime had him say. One of the biggest themes in InuKag’s relationship is the fact that they always want to stay by eachother’s side. Kagome says she’ll always be by his side in episode 48 and Inuyasha says he’s glad she was by his side in episode 167. Inuyasha and Kagome are eachother’s life partners and have gone through some serious shit together. They’re by eachother’s side in the worst of times too, Inuyasha asking Kagome to stand by his side in freaking acid for a little while longer to support him and how Inuyasha refused to leave Kagome’s side when she was possessed in the Tsubaki arc. They both were in danger but they didn’t wanna leave eachother’s side for the sake of the other’s wellbeing.

Pretty sure this like wasn’t even added into the anime. Inuyasha going into the meidou, following after Kagome all but implies his desire to be with her. He didn’t even look back as he dove in. This is the same Inuyasha who in the beginning, cared so much about getting the jewel to make himself stronger and could care less about being with this priestess from the future to wanting her to be part of his future, so much that he thought there must be a way he can be with her, forever.

“I wanted to see you.” vs “I wanted to be with you.” Kagome is happiest when she’s with Inuyasha. She loves being with him, just as he does with her. Simply seeing him wasn’t gonna be enough for her. She wanted to get out of here with him by her side. No matter how much she wanted to be with him though, she had to be strong and not wish on the jewel.

This screencap just destroys me. The fact that she lays her hand on his chest, to feel if he’s really in front of her is so intimate to me. I know we got a kiss in the anime and Kagome says the same line, but the actions that go along with that one line are so important. Kagome needed to reassure herself. Inuyasha and Kagome have always had that physical closeness and it’s so apparent in desperate situations such as these.

[mysticwolfieeclair]

Hi! I love following your meta and detailed analyses and I swear you had one somewhere about the actual chapters/instances that had InuKik in the manga as compared to the anime but I can't find it :( Did I imagine it? (Why I'm asking is I'm writing one of my fics IWFA and I had someone ask me why I write InuKik the way I do and I was about to say cuz in the manga they give off the impression of being distant like that. Then I second guessed myself and wanted to reread the parts... anyway I blab.

Hi! Thank you so much! This means a lot because I do love writing meta. Unfortunatelly, I don’t think I made the post you’re looking for.

I’m still in the process of reading the manga and even though I use a panel here and there to make my points across, I refrain from going into deep, side by side comparisons because I feel like smarter people than me have already done it to exhaustion. And with a level of coherence I can only dream to achieve.

One of these people is definitely @inukag so maybe you’ll have more luck asking her? If Cynthia didn’t wrote it, she’s still your best shot at figuring out who did.

And for whatever is worth, I think your interpretation of manga Inukik is actually pretty spot on. In fact, I’d go even further and say that anime Inukik was almost just as distant. The difference is that at least Sunrise tried to give them some substance, which in my opinion didn’t work at all, since it butchered their characterization (Inuyasha’s especially) by omitting very important scenes and adding meaningless fillers that in my opinion only made more obvious how superficial their relationship really was.

To me, love is something you build and trust is the foundation in which you’re building on. To trust — and consequently to truly love — takes time. On top of that, a strong relationship requires efffort, honesty and fully acceptance from both parts, none of which I believe Takahashi or Sunrise showed us.

Boat dates under the sunset and passionate kisses are just bells and whistles. Yes, it looks great on screen, but it doesn’t necessarily equal to real love. Infatuation, sure. But love? It’s easy to make you characters go on boat dates under the sunset. It’s easy to make them kiss passionately. It’s even easier for the writers, for the audience and for characters themselves to confuse it for love.

What’s hard is to actually take the time to create, develop, test and expand a romantic connection. To show how deep it runs instead of just telling. To make it unfold and progress and grow stronger before our eyes. To make it dynamic rather than stagnant. Inuyasha and Kikyo didn’t have that at all, be it in the manga, be it in the anime.

Their relationship was based on mutual loneliness, on seeing each other through rose colered glasses and of the fundamentally wrong idealization of the life they thought they’d have together.

That being said, here’s my unsolicited advice: if you’re anything like me, I can totally understand why you’d feel the need to try and defend your point of view, especially if the person asked you to explain it in good faith.

However, even if your interpretation of the Inukik relationship was way off — which, again, I don’t believe it is — remember that you don’t owe anyone an explanation for your writing choices, but you do owe it to yourself to write what feels right. It’s your story to tell and you can tell it any way you see fit.

I know our takes on this matter aren’t particularly popular within the fandom, but they are just as valid. I lost count of how many Inukag fanfics I’ve read where Inukik was written to be a much bigger thing than I personally believe it originally was, but even though I disagree with that interpretation, I’m also not entitled to an explanation other than… that’s the author’s vision. And that’s okay.

The important thing was that people had fun and were proud of what they wrote. As they should, because it takes courage to post your stories online. And if I’m bothered by an specific story to the point of not being able to enjoy it, that’s my problem and I should probably search for something closer to my own interests to read.

Anyway… I can’t wait to read If We Fall Anyway. It has been on my to read list for a while now and I’m sure I’ll love it.

[mysticwolfieeclair]

Then you appear Together we’re here And that’s all that matters somehow

[mysticwolfieeclair]

@pugoata ´s new fanfic “Tideline”  is so good!😭 Y'all really need to check it out if you haven’t already!! I fell in love instantly 🥰 I can’t wait for more.<33

[mysticwolfieeclair]

Don’t mind me, just crying about how Miroku loves Sango so much that he was gonna sacrifice his life so she wouldn't have to lose her brother. 😭😭

[mysticwolfieeclair]

Can we all appreciate how Kagome throws her own body over Kikyo's in a desperate bid to save her? Knowing full well she could die as a result? This girl. 😤👏

[mysticwolfieeclair]

Hello. I wanted to ask one thing. Why is everyone, including Rumiko, saying that Inuyasha and Kikyo dated? Maybe I'm just TOO stupid and blind, because I only read the manga and didn't watch the anime, but I didn't see anything hint that they were dating... Eh, they hardly even knew each other. How long had they known each other before Naraku's trap? Or the moment where Kikyo asks him to become a human is date? I don’t understand, where is the love and trust that everyone constantly talks about? I saw something like affection for each other, but love...

Honestly when I first read the manga I thought Inuyasha and Kikyo were labeled as “exes” because it was the simplest way to explain their situation, even if it’s hard for me to see them as such since they had so few interactions pre-betrayal. I mean, even during their last conversation when Kikyo dies the only "happy memory" they have of their time "together" is still just them sitting 5ft apart while Kikyo talks about the jewel, which makes it pretty clear to me that they never really had the chance to start a romantic relationship. I think we’re supposed to feel bad that Naraku “prevented them from being happy together” but that falls flat to me when we learn that the jewel is the real villain and Kikyo’s plan to make Inuyasha human most likely would have gotten them both killed.

In the story itself tho I think it makes sense for most characters (Sango, Miroku, Shippo, Koga, Kagome, etc) to assume Inuyasha and Kikyo were "dating" before the betrayal, because they weren't there to see it and Inuyasha never explained anything to them so they can only guess what his relationship with Kikyo was really like. Also Kagome not knowing anything about Inuyasha and Kikyo’s past is 90% of what drives the “love triangle”. Like in the Mt Azusa arc when she says “Inuyasha has a past with Kikyo that I can’t make him forget, I understand that!” she has no idea what this “past” is, and it’s one of the main sources of her insecurities. If she knew that Kikyo was jealous of how she healed Inuyasha’s heart, and how Inuyasha wasn’t open with Kikyo like he is with her, Kagome would be a lot less insecure and Rumiko wouldn’t have been able to drag out the love triangle drama for as long as she did. 

There might be some cultural differences to consider as well. If you remove Miroku groping Sango and his “bear my children” schtick, him and Sango did not have that many genuine romantic interactions before he proposed to her. From what I’ve heard romance is a lot more “subtle” in Japan, especially in a different time period. 

And finally If you haven't seen the anime anon there's a 1 hour long special episode that adds a lot of nonsensical "backstory" to Inuyasha and Kikyo that makes it seems like they had this long, hyper-romanticized relationship. Inuyasha gives her his mother's rouge and Kikyo decides not to put the subjugation beads on him, which makes a lot of anime-only fans believe that they did trust each other and would have lived happily ever after if it weren't for Naraku (which also isn't true as I said before, since Kikyo’s plan to make Inuyasha use to jewel is the real reason why their relationship failed).  I mean, personally I’m not in the “Inuyasha didn’t actually love Kikyo he was just confused” camp, I think Inuyasha is someone who cares deeply and quickly about people who show him kindness and Kikyo was that for him so I do believe he loved her. I don’t believe Kikyo truly loved Inuyasha tho, but that’s a discussion for another day. 

#the InuKik relationship is complicated but not developed especially well imo #InuKag #analysis