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Inu Yasha, Episode #48, and thoughts
Sep. 12th, 2003 12:59 am::squeal:: I love this episode! I'd forgotten about this one (I've seen up to 56 in downloaded subbed.) It's so.... well analyzed. Kagome and InuYasha finally talk about the thing they never let themselves talk about until now: their emotional loyalties. They have the kind of honest, blunt conversation that Ranma and Akane (another Rumiko Takahashi couple) never had--- about how they feel, who they choose, and why. And this is not even halfway into the show!
I think having IY choose Kikyo at this point is a wise story-telling choice, because it allows the Kagome/IY relationship to come to a head, and then back down again. The suspence is a different kind now-- IY has already chosen, but maybe the longer he stays with Kagome, that will eventually change. Or not, being as he and Kikyo are long-lived creatures and Kagome is not. Kagome says the most telling thing of all in this episode:
"I can't complete with Kikyo, because after all.... I'm still alive."
Kagome also thinks a very important thought to herself-- that she wants, above all things, to keep Inu Yasha part of the living world. This is not so much about his being alive in the mortal sense, but about not letting him become drawn too deeply into darkness, away from humans and humanity. And though Kagome tells herself she'll stand aside for Kikyo (the tricksy soul-eating murderous bitch), keeping Inu Yasha "alive" means keeping him away from Kikyo, who wants to drag him into hell with her eternally as soon as she kills off Naraku. Kagome can't hide behind her noble relationship-martyrdom forever, not if she wants to save Inu Yasha's soul. That will have to come to a head some day, because now I'm starting to think that Inu Yasha never WILL leave Kikyo, not willingly. Loyalty to loved ones is the most important thing to him, and right now Kikyo's at the top of that list.. If Inu Yasha's soul is going to be saved, then eventaully either Kikyo must free him of his loyalty to her, or she must die, or Kagome or someone else forcefully keeps them apart. Otherwise, he will let her kill him.
The relationship between Kagome and Kikyo has been one of the best, most interesting thigns about this show to me. I've thought about writing fic about it, but haven't yet. Sometimes I just wonder though-- Kikyo as a demon is an abomination-- Kaede her sister said so herself. She's not a naturally born demon like Inu Yasha, Kouga, or Shippou. In fact, she's more like Naraku than anyone else. Except-- Naraku has all of his orginal soul. He has Onigumo's memories, and his thoughts. Kikyo has only a fraction of a soul, and so must consume other souls in order to survive. She has only memories filled with pain, and everything about her that was good and pure is still inside Kagome.
What I wonder is.... does this mean Kagome, as she is now, is unwhole? Is part of Kagome's soul incomplete as long as Kikyo wanders the Earth in this half-alive demonic state? When the series eventually ends, will Takahashi do what is the most logical and necessary story-choice?-- have Kikyo die, and the last bits of her soul returned to Kagome, who is the rightful person in the first place? Right now Kikyo only exists as a pale shadow of Kagome. If Kikyo died and her soully bits rejoined with Kagome's soul, as they belong, would Inu Yasha then be free to love Kagome? Or would he resent that Kikyo has to die in order for Kagome to be a complete person again? Would he eventually be like Aeryn Sun of Farscape when it came to the "twinned" Crichtons, and realize that it's all the same person in the end?
I think having IY choose Kikyo at this point is a wise story-telling choice, because it allows the Kagome/IY relationship to come to a head, and then back down again. The suspence is a different kind now-- IY has already chosen, but maybe the longer he stays with Kagome, that will eventually change. Or not, being as he and Kikyo are long-lived creatures and Kagome is not. Kagome says the most telling thing of all in this episode:
"I can't complete with Kikyo, because after all.... I'm still alive."
Kagome also thinks a very important thought to herself-- that she wants, above all things, to keep Inu Yasha part of the living world. This is not so much about his being alive in the mortal sense, but about not letting him become drawn too deeply into darkness, away from humans and humanity. And though Kagome tells herself she'll stand aside for Kikyo (the tricksy soul-eating murderous bitch), keeping Inu Yasha "alive" means keeping him away from Kikyo, who wants to drag him into hell with her eternally as soon as she kills off Naraku. Kagome can't hide behind her noble relationship-martyrdom forever, not if she wants to save Inu Yasha's soul. That will have to come to a head some day, because now I'm starting to think that Inu Yasha never WILL leave Kikyo, not willingly. Loyalty to loved ones is the most important thing to him, and right now Kikyo's at the top of that list.. If Inu Yasha's soul is going to be saved, then eventaully either Kikyo must free him of his loyalty to her, or she must die, or Kagome or someone else forcefully keeps them apart. Otherwise, he will let her kill him.
The relationship between Kagome and Kikyo has been one of the best, most interesting thigns about this show to me. I've thought about writing fic about it, but haven't yet. Sometimes I just wonder though-- Kikyo as a demon is an abomination-- Kaede her sister said so herself. She's not a naturally born demon like Inu Yasha, Kouga, or Shippou. In fact, she's more like Naraku than anyone else. Except-- Naraku has all of his orginal soul. He has Onigumo's memories, and his thoughts. Kikyo has only a fraction of a soul, and so must consume other souls in order to survive. She has only memories filled with pain, and everything about her that was good and pure is still inside Kagome.
What I wonder is.... does this mean Kagome, as she is now, is unwhole? Is part of Kagome's soul incomplete as long as Kikyo wanders the Earth in this half-alive demonic state? When the series eventually ends, will Takahashi do what is the most logical and necessary story-choice?-- have Kikyo die, and the last bits of her soul returned to Kagome, who is the rightful person in the first place? Right now Kikyo only exists as a pale shadow of Kagome. If Kikyo died and her soully bits rejoined with Kagome's soul, as they belong, would Inu Yasha then be free to love Kagome? Or would he resent that Kikyo has to die in order for Kagome to be a complete person again? Would he eventually be like Aeryn Sun of Farscape when it came to the "twinned" Crichtons, and realize that it's all the same person in the end?
