Sesshoumaru and Rin Official Info Translation Collection
@lettherebewisdomtalks sent me a collection of Japanese Twitter posts containing scans of official material talking about Sesshoumaru and Rin. Since it is official material and some interview questions, I figured they were relevant to post here, and it’s easier than trying to post these long text pieces in a reply box.
[source] did not mention a source of this scan so it’s unknown who wrote this or where it came from.
Sesshoumaru is a man not concerned with ruminations of good and evil. To achieve his goals, he has no qualms sacrificing others or resorting to murder. And one other particular trait is his unusually elevated pride. Thus he thoroughly despises plots involving manipulating others. Conversely, he does not use others the way Naraku does. He acts only for himself, and the grandeur in which Sesshoumaru refuses reliance on others could appropriately be referred to as “nobility”.
So for someone such as Sesshoumaru to carry the healing sword Tenseiga, it appeared a transformation was trying to assert itself. When Sesshoumaru saved an unknown child, Rin, even his attendant, Jaken, was unable to hide his surprise at his unusual behavior. The lonesome yet courageous Rin stimulated something in Sesshoumaru’s otherwise cool heart.
[source] does not provide a source, but it appears to be an interview answer from Narita Ken (Sesshoumaru’s voice actor)
– Do you think that Sesshoumaru saving Rin with Tenseiga was unusual behavior for him?
Narita: I think that he might have felt some sort of kindred spirit with Rin. I feel like it was the first time he ever cared about anyone else. I decided on my own that when he calls Rin’s name, to give it the feel of one calling on a disciple.
[source] says this is from an interview with Takahashi that appeared in the magazine “Stranger Sorento” in the 2015-04 issue. “Stranger Sorento” ran a segment in every issue during that time called “Takahashi Rumiko Character box” that explored one of her characters each installment. If anyone can find back copies of those magazines or other scans from these interviews, it would be greatly appreciated.
Takahashi: Sesshoumaru has a few of his own monologues, but Sesshoumaru’s follower Jaken ended up being a very important character for voicing most of his goals and motives. Sesshoumaru’s actions are dictated by, quite simply, “I cannot abide by my esteemed daiyoukai father showing preferential treatment to my half-youkai younger brother (Inuyasha) rather than me, when I am a direct-line pure-blooded offspring.” The readers understood that well enough, but in some circumstances I feel like they thought his situation was unfortunate. So Sesshoumaru’s story in “Inuyasha” became one of “freeing himself from his father”.
– Thanks to meeting the human girl Rin, Sesshoumaru was able to learn the emotion of “Fear and sadness of losing someone precious to you: anger for someone’s sake other than your own” and finally matured into a powerful daiyoukai.
Takahashi: When I initially introduced Rin, I was thinking that there would eventually be a part where Sesshoumaru was killed by a human in order to protect Rin, but as I continued writing I dropped that idea from my head. I thought this would be an easily-understood impetus for Sesshoumaru’s limited emotions to start coming to the surface and mature the sword he inherited from his father. I think it’s fun to have a character’s emotional state gradually change over the course of a long-running series.
[source] doesn’t cite a source in this tweet, but another page posted later that appears to be from the same place says it’s from the Wide-ban release of the manga.
Feelings awakened from the healing sword
When Sesshoumaru was healing from his injuries, he met a human girl called Rin. Under normal circumstances Sesshoumaru would have paid her no mind. However, due to his injuries he was unable to move, and as a result he ended up interacting with Rin. Rin was attacked by wolves and killed. Sesshoumaru initially thought to just leave her that way, but an image of her smiling face came to mind. Sesshoumaru drew Tenseiga for the first time and restored Rin’s life. Emotions that he had never felt before were beginning to stir in Sesshoumaru’s heart, which had never held a shred of interest in others, to say nothing of a powerless human girl. Likely a large part of it was also simply a test of Tenseiga’s effect. However, as the revived Rin travelled with him, Sesshoumaru’s actions with her gradually began to indicate that wasn’t the case. Through his strength, Sesshoumaru’s neglected heart was gradually showing signs of growth.
[source] gives this as being from Wide-ban volume 28.
Emotions Sesshoumaru has never felt made to surface, his soul grows
Sesshoumaru steps into the Meidou in order to mature Tenseiga and grow Meidou Zangetsuha’s power. He believes that by going there he can widen Meidou Zangetsuha’s circle, but he is forced to make an unexpected sacrifice. The living are not supposed to set foot into the Meidou but he and Rin entered, and thanks to Sesshoumaru being a powerful youkai it had little effect on him, but Rin, being a mere human girl, lost her life. Furthermore, even Tenseiga could not save Rin’s life. For the first time in his life, Sesshoumaru felt incomparable grief and fear at losing something precious: the feeling of remorse.
Then, when faced with countless dead souls, he embraced a compassionate heart. Holding Rin to his chest, when he purified the souls of the dead with Tenseiga, the Meidou created by Tenseiga widened. Originally ruthlessly seeking only power, Sesshoumaru knew nothing of compassion. But in the Meidou, Sesshoumaru learned both grief and compassion. Tenseiga was able to mature by Sesshoumaru maturing himself and growing his soul.
[source] does not cite a source for these but they also appear to be from the Wide-ban, however they’re written as someone’s thoughts rather than a glossary summary. It doesn’t say whose words these are.
The souls of the dead bound to that world were purified, so their dead souls could pass on… This was because Sesshoumaru, faced with Rin’s death, finally knew the grief and fear of losing something precious, and was able to wield Tenseiga’s true power. Thanks to that, Tenseiga’s Meidou Zangetsuha grew and became closer to completion.
I think the story of Sesshoumaru’s journey and return from the Meidou was fairly important. It was a story of Tenseiga, first of all. By the end of it, Tenseiga had matured, meaning Sesshoumaru had matured as well… I feel like that means it was a significant story.
