Missing Nostalgia: Inuyasha Episode 7--The Desire to Protect Someone

I’ve already talked a lot about being impressed with the fight scenes in this show, but this one felt like it could’ve been a season finale!

(A/N: This post contains some disturbing and graphic images. Please read with caution.)

After treating Kagome like background decoration for a few episodes, the show gets back to the point that it established at the end of the fight against the hair comb demon—Inuyasha and Kagome balance each other out, and one can’t succeed without the other’s help.

Sesshoumaru decides to chalk this up to love. I know that the series will be going that way eventually, but it still feels too early to make that kind of statement about their relationship. After all, they only recently decided that they could even co-exist in the same time era. That said, I’m glad I finally got to see the part of their relationship that has been parodied a thousand times over:

But seeing Kagome supposedly be dissolved into muck by a poison attack that can melt bone does trigger a realization for Inuyasha. He claims not to care about being a half-breed, but at this point everyone watching knows that’s not true—he wants the Jewel in order to change that part of himself, and yet it’s his humanity that makes him different from his brother and the other demons the show has introduced so far. He’s better than that, and for a moment when he thinks that Kagome’s gone he understands that being a “half breed” really doesn’t matter.

Sesshoumaru also becomes a great counterpoint for Inuyasha’s realization in this episode when he reverts to his true form, leaving behind any semblance of humanity. Their physical differences are obvious, but this also plays up their motivations—Sesshoumaru just wants more of the kind of power that only demons can have, while Inuyasha works with what he’s given in order to protect what’s important to him. In this case, Inuyasha only cares about having the power to keep Kagome safe.

ROMANCE

Even though they’ve just learned to get along, Kagome is his inspiration to do better. It kind of sucks that Inuyasha only has this realization when he thinks Kagome is dead, but this episode sets a lot of groundwork for their relationship to grow. If they’d been characterized even a little bit differently, then the conversation above would’ve taken on a different tone. Also, I appreciate that while Inuyasha plays with the damsel in distress trope, Kagome never feels like one. She just rolls with each crazy situation she finds herself in and kicks Inuyasha’s butt into gear.

Also, this is the best reaction I've seen to a near-death experience

It’s not a romance yet, but the show makes it clear that all signs point in that direction. It even drops a tidbit of information that the true power of the sword only coming out to protect humans has to do with Inuyasha’s parents. I guess there’s more to that relationship than the last few episodes implied...

In any case, the show has set up not only the basis for romance, but also Inuyasha’s character arc. He needs to learn to accept the human side of himself and that being all demon may not solve all his problems. However, it’ll probably take him a while on both of those fronts since Kagome is ahead of the curve as usual:

*facepalm*

Until next time, check out this cool shot of Inuyasha about to be eaten!

Images are from Neon Alley via Hulu.com. Please support official simulcasts.

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