Inu-Yasha Tragic Coincidence?

This is just an incredibly random observation, but I was thinking about the background stories of the main Inuyasha characters, and I began to wonder whether or not it was mere coincidence that almost EVERY SINGLE character has had some horrible tragedy in their past.

Inuyasha- dead parents... not to mention the fact that he was practically killed by his ex girlfriend (who is now also dead) and his brother is out to kill him.

Miroku- also dead parents... and the fact that he'll eventually be killed by his own curse

Sango- not only are her parents dead but they were killed by her own brother! (who is now a slave to a maniacal monkey man and trying to finish her off as well)

Kikyo- well she's dead. That must suck pretty bad.

Sesshomaru- we don't really see too many signs that he actually cares about this at all, but they could be hidden. His parents are dead as well, and his little brother has the one thing he would absolutely kill for...not to mention the fact that he's missing an arm.

Naraku- this guy's just a mental case. That's pitiful enough.

Shippo- Another set of dead parents... and he's only a little kid!

Rin- more dead parents not to mention the fact that she was once killed. That had to be a pretty traumatic experience.

Kaede- her sister was murdered and her parents are probably dead as well (but that's to be expected considering her age).

Yeah, there's probably more, but so far the only main character I've found without any true horrors in their past is Kagome, and that's probably because she lives in modern times without dangerous predators after her family's lives. Then again, we never recieve much information about her father. He could've died some horrific and gory death as well. You never know.

 

Yeah, I know what you mean. You also can link most everyone on the show with Naraku, but that's a given.

 

I'd have to agree that most is linked to Naraku too. i guess the tragedies to each character would be a strong reason as to why the InuYasha gang are so determined to kill Naraku and so make more sense in the show as to why the gang risks so much to get back at him. It would be quite odd if a character that had a happy life with no tragedies would want to go after Naraku as badly as the Inu gang. The tragedies shows why Naraku is gonna get his arse kicked soon.

 

Well I guess you could chalk it up to coincidence...

Or you could just say they all of **** luck...

Or my personal preference, chalk it up to lack of originality on the creator's part.

Take your pick.

 

That is a very interesting point. I never even thought about it before, but you're right. Everyone except Kagome has a good reason to go after Naraku, and as we all know or guess, Kagome is in love with Inuyasha. Since Naraku is the one person Inuyasha wants to kill more than any other, (and likely the other way around), Kagome would likely be tagging along to protect him with her inherited skills (such as the holy arrows).

 

Ah, but what you're forgetting is that whether or not Naraku has affected their past, he could very well affect their future. If a guy that sneaky and powerful gets ahold of the completed Shikon Jewel, he could do 10 times the amount of damage he's done so far, if not more. So it would make sense for someone to want to go after Naraku if they knew of his capabilities, whether or not he'd harmed them in the past.

 

Kagome does have trouble from her past. The fact that her past is literally out to get her could be fairly traumatic. Kikyou tried to kill her or have her killed a few times doesnt she?

 

hmm, maybe it's because i've seen too many Inu episodes, but i can't really remember a time as to where Kikyo literally meant to KILL Kagome. In the show now though, it doesn't seem like she's very traumatized(sp?) by that. She's just there with the gang to get the shikon shards back (because she broke the dang thing) and it's soooo obvious she wants the dog boy...and i guess she would want to go after Naraku too because of what he's done to all of her friends. and the thing about Naraku hurting more people in the future if he gets the all of the Shikon shards...well, Kagome could just go back down the well :sweat:

 

Naraku could do more damage if he had the whole Shikon no Tama, but going back down the well would not help her. Anything Naraku does could affect the furture. Don't you think she would jump out of her skin if she saw Naraku or Sesshoumaru or any demons in her time?

 

Ugh, i hate conversations involving past and future and affects, etc. i've seen too many animes that's dealt with that in different ways like in DBZ the past can't affect the future and some other crazyness. i don't know how this show deals with past and future-ness and the affects since the topic has never really showed up in an episode. i know Kagome would never ditch her friends to go down the well and run away. but..er...i'm pretty sure Naraku is going to die at the end of this series so i don't have to think about him and his affects in the future :anime:

 

Well once, actually. If you remember in Episode 33 (I think that's it anyway.. It's called Kikyo, Captured by Naraku), Kikyo shoots an arrow behind Kagome, opening up an enormous hole in the ground which Kagome, of course, falls into. Kikyo then uses her soul stealers to bring Kagome back to the surface before ripping the jewel shards from around her neck and summoning roots to banish Kagome back into the depths of who knows where. The attempt to kill her nearly succeeded, but Inuyasha arrived (of course) just in the nick of time.

But aside from that incident, no, Kikyo hasn't made any attempts on Kagome's life. And I don't think she will either, especially after that one episode where they're stuck in a cave together (can't remember the name).

 

Kagome had a pretty easy-going life. Sometimes she makes me so mad when she stomps home like a pouty, spoiled, little child when she lets Inu-Yasha get to her, and doesn't think about hunting for the jewel shards which she accidently sent scattering everywhere, and how they've already caused so much trauma to Sango (for example) because of it. Unless she really has to go home in order to study, but I just think she can be very disrespectful because her friends have had it so hard, and she's had it so easy. She's so self-centered at times. No offense to Kagome fans, but she just makes me so mad because of this. I really hope she IS maturing.

 

i've never really thought of it in that way before? i agree with ya on why you'd be mad if Kagome goes storming off...again. Since Kagome is supposed to be from our time (or somewhere near it) you have to take to fact that most girls are snobby, and short tempered nowadays....okay, maybe not, but Kagome's acting "normal" i guess because she's from this era (if you can even get what i'm trying to say). Also, InuYasha is the one that always ticks her off and she's SO in love with the dog and yet he can be a real pr*** at times and have no thought to her feelings whenever she does nice things.

 

Yay! Usually everyone's so caught up in hating on Kikyo that I never have a chance or reason to defend Kagome ^_^

Well, as wing_goddess said, you have to take into account that Kagome (unlike Kikyo, Sango, Inuyasha etc.) is not originally from feudal Japan, and thus she may be slightly different from the feudal Japanese girls. As time goes on people grow accustomed to their modern luxuries and sometime forget about the obstacles their ansectors were forced to go through. Kagome, as a girl from modern civilization, has not spent her life battling demons and fearing for her life around every turn. Instead she'd led a completely normal life: attending school, achieving good grades, watching her brother, yatta, yatta, yatta. A typical life for a typical Japanese girl. Her worst problem was probably what to do about Hojo and the incessant annoyances of her friends urging her to date him.

So then she's transported into feudal Japan, and quite frankly, she acts loads less cowardly then I ever would if I were in her shoes. While it WAS her fault that the jewel was shattered, she comes back to the fuedal era of her own free will because she feels the need to set things right. That's a pretty noble thing for a 15 year old girl to do, especially when it involves battling demons, watching your friends practically die right before your eyes, and sit back in the shadows while your loved one goes chasing after your incarnation, who he constantly compares you to.

As for her constant visits home, they really aren't all that constant. After the first twenty or so episodes she seems to better understand the implications of Naraku's power (and what sort of damage it could inflict) and only goes home when she's in desperate need of studying. (Because, after all, she may eventually have to lead the feudal era for good, and it wouldn't do to become broke and quite possibly homeless because her education only stressed to freshman level). She also usually chooses convenient times to go home (i.e. she wouldn't leave if Naraku would be coming the next day or something), and she never stays for longer then she truly needs to (except on rare occasions, but come on, everybody needs a break once in awhile).

Her anger toward Inuyasha? I think it's justified, I know I'd have yelled at Inuyasha a fair few times if I were her. He constantly puts her down, cusses at her (in the subs anyway), compares her to her incarnation, or just plain ignores her. Though deep down she knows he truly cares for her, his day to day company, while enjoyable, could probably get very aggravating for Kagome at times. Usually if Inuyasha gets Kagome angry (again, after about the first twenty or so episodes) she doesn't really storm off back to the present, rather, she just goes off on her own for a little while and returns shortly after (a little cool down period), or she just ignores it altogether, rolls her eyes, and continues whatever she's doing. Once in awhile she'll use the sit command, but from what I've seen it's been getting rarer and rarer the longer she stays in the feudal era.


Also, Kagome is not a perfect person, and there's no reason to expect her to be. If she had no faults, she'd be no better then a fanfiction "Mary Sue" type, and those types annoy me to no end. You have to expect that, at times, Kagome may seem a little self centered or temperamental (or whatever else), and it's natural for her to feel that way. I'm sure that everyone at times experiences negative emotions, whether they be jealousy or anger, or just fatigue (which will in turn make you cranky and irritable). I know a lot of people that subconciously think that because Kagome (or any main female heroine) is an anime character, not to mention taking the main female role, she's probably going to be nothing short of perfect. But that isn't so, and it shouldn't be. Everybody else in Inuyasha has their faults, why not Kagome?

 

Ha Ha, why am i not surprised that Kagome's Arrow would have a long say in this. *sighs* i've seem to notice that in defense of their fave character, people can write crazily long replies. Like me and Banko and Kagome's Arrow with...Kagome, and DevoVamp with Sessh....

I have one question though. WHAT'S A MARY SUE?! all of a sudden people are mentioning Marry Sue...what or who is it?

 

I think it means the perfect anime girl that you find in most fanfictions. You know, the beautiful, social butterfly that has tons of friends and good grades and a hot bf. I think thats it.

 

Yea, that seems true from what i've seen as well. Heh, but Kagome has not so good grades now and she doesn't have a boyfriend (she has a boy chasing after her) she's not social anymore because she's in another era, pretty....sure...*shakes fist* dang anime girls...most of them acting so perfect.

 

I know what you mean. Yes, every character is flawed. I'm glad there are those who aren't afraid to admit that their favorite characters have flaws. I'm sure not afraid to admit it either.

You musn't mind me, though. Kagome just rubs me the wrong way. I don't know why exactly. Maybe it's her dub voice, maybe it's because she's too cutesy (she gorgeous in the manga though), or maybe it's because she sounds too American in the dub, rather than a Japanese girl. I guess it's because I also see her as kind of a goody-two-shoes, that and how she didn't carry her arrows very often in the past, but I think I'm beginning to respect her a little more. I mean, she doesn't throw a fit as much as she used to, she carries her arrows now, and I'm starting to see her mature.

And with Inu-Yasha, he can be a jerk. I don't deny that. He, in fact, ticks me off sometimes too. I mean, I would NEVER go out with someone like him. :sweat2: It's just that sometimes I feel that Kagome really lets it get to her too much(like with the whole Koga nonsense). I'm still really having a hard time liking her. :sweat:

 

About seeing Kagome mature, I noticed something rather strange when I first began viewing the show. I started out around episode 40 and took almost an immediate liking to Kagome, so I was pleased when I found out I'd have the opportunity to watch the reruns and enjoy the whole thing from it's beginning.

But wow, I must admit that after the first seven episodes or so, I was feeling slightly annoyed by Kagome's personality. She hadn't changed all that much, but her demeanor was much more cutesy and much less that of the Kagome I'd grown used to. Her naivette was cute for awhile, but around episode seven it just got a little irritating. But as the episodes progressed, I saw Kagome almost immediately change from this naive cute little girl to the Kagome I'd grown used to. I think possibly Rumiko may have been unhappy with the way her character was developing, and thus decided to make a few minor changes to her personality. Sure she's still somewhat naive (which isn't neccasarily a bad thing), but she seems slightly more emotionally in tune with the people around her and less easily irritated.