Answerbox #128: The cruncylotusroot Edition
Okay, a lot of questions came in from @cruncylotusroot, many of which I answered, but conisdering they gave me so many questions, I thought I’d just consolidate and answer them in all one post.
"Hello I stumble across your analysis and kind of interesting. I just watching Inuyasha and reading the manga but a few things I couldn't understand. I will break down in few question and would like to know you thought on it. I could not understand why there is stake to throw around in manga and anime that Kikyo die following Inuyasha? Inuyasha is not dead, he is in fact being sealed and also Kikyo was pretty much wounded. So I don't really get the idea of Kikyo die following Inuyasha."
"What's your thought about Kikyo and Inuyasha mentioned and he owe Kikyo his life? Earlier in the Manga Inuyasha was saying that can't she rest in peace without him giving his life etc."
Okay I'll answer these two questions together.
Naraku was the one that pushed the idea of Kikyo following Inuyasha in death. While he was indeed there to see what happened, he was pretty out of earshot of what was happening. That and you generally have to factor in Naraku's jealousy approach, to him nobody does anything for a selfless reason.
And yes, we do indeed hear earlier in the series that Kikyo sealed Inuyasha away, she didn't have the power to kill him and that they were never meant to meet ever again.
It's actually amusing how it's one of the things that everyone takes at face value from him.
"Kikyo known as a powerful miko, if she wanted to free herself from duty before resurrection why she not wishes for shikon no tama to disappear instead of suggesting Inuyasha to turn himself human? She put the idea in Inu head it's appears that she did not know him well where Inu is showing throughout the series that he doesn't like in human form as he feel that is life is in danger."
Truth be told I don't think anyone ever thought of the idea of wishing it away, but at the same time we also know that the jewel tempts people. It “calls” to people, and when it gets into the hands of someone all that person usually desires is power.
Kikyo is one of the few able to avoid that temptation for herself. That said, her logic was a bit flawed as to Inuyasha's wish being selfless all around.
I'm not honestly a fan of how she coaxes him into it all things considered.
"One way or the other I feel sad for Kagome around the love triangle, i know kikyo present is necessary for Kagome development. If Inu is happy with Kikyo, I just wish Kagome to get better person for herself. What's your thought as why Inu not joing Kikyo during the quest and stick with Kagome? As Kikyo also could see the jewel just like how Kagome did. Iu want to protect Kikyo so much would not be better for him to travel with her instead?"
Kagome is him walking away from his past, while Kikyo is his past. When Inuyasha goes and meets Kikyo he's confronting his past.
He wants to be happy, but feels he can't be or he doesn't deserve to be. Honestly it's a pretty bad place for anyone to be in, hope and happiness is right in front of him, and Kagome is holding her hand out to him to grab so she can pull him away from the darkness, but that darkness is tugging back on him.
He cares for Kikyo, he wants to help her, but he's finally reached a point in his life, after years of abuse and rejection for most of his life that he can escape that, but now he feels trapped.
Situations like the Illusionary Death and Kaou, even when Kikyo tries to kill him) represent that point more than ever, all situations use Kikyo to drag him into darkness, and in both instances Kagome reaches out to him and pulls him back to the light.
"What's your thought about many comments posted on the internet that Inuyasha end up with Kagome by default because Kikyo's death?"
It's an odd thing to say though when you have one relationship (Kagome/Inuyasha) consistently on the forefront and developed on, and then you have a relationship (Kikyo/Inuyasha) built in the past and remaining pretty stagnant by comparison.
That or I'd point to Mt. Asuza where it was pretty explicitly stated Kagome learned more about Inuyasha than Kikyo ever did.
Honestly, I think for that to apply there would have to be even a chance that Inuyasha would die with Kikyo, and honestly I don't think that was going to happen.
"What's your thought of Kikyo plan to eliminate Naraku alone? I feel that plan has many flaws. She was saying that giving the jewel to Naraku will speed up the process, what different does it make to take the jewel to Naraku and combine with the one in Kagome possession instead? By doing so would that not also speed up the process too?"
I hate it, but I also realize that it was in heavy part for plot convenience as well. It was meant to toy around with the power structure, make Naraku more of a threat for Kagome, Inuyasha and Sesshomaru, while bringing Kikyo up to the forefront.
In that way I actually understand it being around. As a plan? I dislike just about everything about the method that she took, but that all being said, the plan actually told us a lot about Kikyo's character. I'm pretty negative about it in general, but I can't help but like it because it gives us an interesting view into how Kikyo approached things, her agenda and characterization.
'Sorry to shower you with questions. Kikyo seems to be powerful but I have not find where she try to eliminate or kill Naraku by shooting the arrow or things like that. Was there an agenda behind it?"
Kikyo's powers can be debated, most of what carried her was her experience, but generally speaking she wasn't on the level of Naraku. She felt that helping Naraku with the jewel would actually keep her safe from him, when he turned around and attempted to actually kill her she had to find a way around that by using Onigumo.
She early on admits that Kagome is now a bigger threat to Naraku, after that she more or less did whatever she could to move her way up to make herself the primary threat. By all accounts, even her own, she couldn't do much of anything to Naraku.
"Inuyasha having rough childhood and struggle himself to survive. He deserve to be happy, it doesn't matter with who. Who do you think will be more happy with? Leading life as a human with Kikyo as be a# her is with Kagome? I notice he behaving differently around the 2 ladies, so I wonder which one is the real Inuyasha?"
If for no other reason, turning human would have been the death-kneel for any potential of a relationship.
Rumiko actually did this pretty brilliantly. She showed that being human for Inuyasha was one of the worst experiences of his life, he felt helpless. The she showed that him becoming a full demon could lead to an even worse experience in his life, again he felt helpless and now even fearful about the prospects. Staying the way he was, was the most obvious choice and really all he wanted was people to accept him, Kagome offered that, she then introduced them to others that did too.
"Kikyo said that she trust Inuyasha so much, but it seems to me that she doubt Inu capability and keep saying that he can't eliminate Naraku and she will be the only one could do it. I thought Inuyasha wounded Naraku in the castle when fighting with Sesshomaru.
I don't believe that Kikyo actually believed for a second that Inuyasha wasn't capable of doing it, the fact that she says it to his face is really discouraging, but I believe that was the idea. I full believe she understood that Inuyasha and Kagome could defeat Naraku, both came extremely close on numerous occasions, but think about that. Why try to discourage potential threats from going after Naraku?
Kikyo's plan actually had a two-fold effect, it made her more of a threat to Naraku, but it was equally making Naraku that much harder for Inuyasha, Kagome and Sesshomaru to take down. Her telling Inuyasha that she would be the one to defeat Naraku and he could not was an attempt to discourage him from even trying.
What is the one thing that Inuyasha can do to “repay his debt” without having to give up his life in the process? Killing Naraku and avenging the death of Kikyo. If he actually achieved that he wouldn't feel that he owed Kikyo.
