This scene at the well in Ch 176, when Kagome asks to stay by Inuyasha, meant a lot to me… so I decided to do a whole ass formal translation for myself (which you can read at the way bottom, but it's probably not too different from what's already out there.)
While translating, I came across 3 details from the original text that I felt were super important 🤧
① Everyone knows Inuyasha said that he must "give Kikyo his life" in the official Viz translation. Yes, in the original text, Inuyasha says:
命懸けで応えなくちゃならねえ。
In return, I must stake my life for Kikyo.
But that bolded part implies that staking his life for Kikyo is not something he necessarily wants to do out of his own free will, but something that he must do beyond his own will, if that makes sense. Right here, Inuyasha conveys clearly how he feels about the matter.
If he meant to say that he chose this out of his own volition, he would've said something like "...なくちゃいけない" which implies a will out of choice... But no, he said ならない, which implies it's "out of his control", so that gives clear insight to his feelings. He's not doing this because he wants to. He wants to stay with Kagome if he could, but he thinks his duty binds his fate to Kikyo, so therefore, this must be so.
+
② Usually, Kagome is translated saying (to Inuyasha) "I want you to live." But I noticed something. She says:
"生きててほしい" ....not just "生きてほしい".
You might think, "Wha? That extra little word changes things?" HAHA well, if you care to know why... yes... bc she's using the present progressive form of that verb. So, I feel there's something missing in that translation.
Kagome doesn't just want Inuyasha to live (as in "be alive"), she wants him to keep on living. She wants to see him live past his trauma, to not give up his life. So, this is a bit of an interpretation, but I personally would translate what she's saying as "I want you to live on." Like when we wish for a friend going through hard times to not succumb to darkness :(
③ Finally, Sunrise had Kagome say something different in her final monologue (wow, what a surprise). (Note, Viz actually did translate this appropriately in the manga.)
In the anime, she just says...
楽しんでほしい。
I want you to be happy.
It's cute, but in the manga, she says...
楽しいことがあってもいい。
-> literally: It's okay to have happiness.
-> It's okay (for you) to feel happy.
She's reassuring Inuyasha that it's alright to feel happiness, presumably despite his survivor's guilt. He told her at the start of their conversation, "But… to feel happy, to laugh, I shouldn't be doing these things." This is a response to that. It's so sweet.
+++
THAT'S IT!! There was A LOT of weight to this scene. It made me ugly cry until my eyes got swollen lol...
(if you'd like to read my full translation of their conversation, it is right here below~)
Note: I tried to translate as close to the original nuance of the Japanese text, so the sentence structure may sound unnatural at times.
(SFX: refreshing breeze)
Inuyasha: Kagome...
(Kagome sees him and begins to speak.)
Kagome: I thought about this the whole time I was back home. About you, Kikyo, and me…
Inuyasha: Kagome… I…
Kagome: I know. I know what your feelings are; that's why… I thought I can't be here anymore.
Inuyasha: Kagome… until I met you, I couldn't trust anyone. But you cried for my sake, you were always by my side. When I'm with you, Kagome, I feel happy. My heart is at ease. But… to feel happy, to laugh, I shouldn't be doing these things.
Inuyasha: Kikyo… she followed after me in death. In return, I must stake my life for Kikyo.
Kagome: I understand. I can't compete against her... because I still live.
Kagome: I thought about her a whole lot too. Kikyo and I, we're so completely different. Even with all this stuff about how I'm her reincarnation… well, anyway, I'm not Kikyo. My heart is my own.
Kagome: But you see, there is one thing. How Kikyo is feeling... I get it. I feel the same. We both want to see you, Inuyasha, one more time.
Kagome: You know, somehow, when I thought, "Don't Kikyo and I share the same feelings?", I became a little more at ease. Like, our feelings of wanting to see you are the same, aren't they... So, I gathered up the courage, and came to see you.
Inuyasha: Kagome… As for me, I wanted to see you too. But…
Kagome: I want to be with you*, Inuyasha. To forget about you, I can't do it.
(*T/N: She does not mean "be with you" in a romantic sense. She means to literally be near him, to exist by him, etc.)
Inuyasha: Kagome… what's the best way for me to respond to you?
Kagome: Inuyasha, let me ask you just one thing?
Inuyasha: Yeah…
Kagome: Is it okay if I stay with you?
(SFX: surprise...)
Inuyasha: You'll… stay for me?
Kagome: Yeah… (she smiles.)
Inuyasha and Kikyo's bond absolutely cannot be severed. That... I understand. But you know, Inuyasha? I thought about it… Our meeting was not just a coincidence either.
I want you to live on, Inuyasha.
Kagome: Let's go, Inuyasha.
Inuyasha: O-Oh, yeah, okay...
It's okay to feel happiness. I want you to laugh a lot. I don't know what I can do for you, but…
