#zero yashahime

Zero's design based on the image of Oiran

"Since she is Kirinmaru's older sister, I thought she should have a suitable appearance, so I consulted with Yoshihito Hishinuma (animation character designer) to flesh her out. At the time, I assumed that there would not be much action in the story, so I asked him to create a character that would leave a lasting impression with the image of a oiran, which didn't appear during that time period. The scenario progressed and, by the story's end, the characters were fighting so much that I felt sorry for the drawing. I'm sorry for that…" [Director: Teruo Satou]

Edo period

The profession of oiran arose in the early Edo period (1600–1868)

"Characteristics of an Oiran

Oiran were selected based on their exceptional beauty, charm, and intellect. They were meticulously trained in various traditional arts, including dance, music, poetry, calligraphy, and tea ceremony. Unlike common geishas, who focused on conversation and entertainment, Oiran were primarily skilled in the art of seduction. Their allure lay not just in their physical beauty but also in their ability to engage in witty conversations and perform intellectually stimulating acts.

The Oiran Culture

The Oiran culture was not just limited to entertainment. It significantly impacted the arts, fashion, and even popular trends of the time. Oiran were fashion trendsetters, and their elaborate costumes and hairstyles inspired the upper echelons of society. They wore vibrant and ornate kimono adorned with intricate patterns, and their hairstyles were intricately crafted, often with striking ornaments and combs.

The Decline of the Oiran Tradition

As the Edo period came to a close, Japan underwent significant political and social changes during the Meiji Restoration in the late 19th century. The new government aimed to modernize the nation and viewed the Oiran tradition as an impediment to progress. With the abolishment of feudalism and the decline of the samurai class, the Oiran tradition gradually lost its significance.

Legacy and Modern Perception

Although the tradition of the Oiran diminished over time, its influence on Japanese culture remains evident even today. The allure and mystique surrounding the Oiran continue to captivate people’s imaginations, making them enduring symbols of Japan’s rich history and art.

In contemporary Japan, there has been a revival of interest in the Oiran tradition. Some festivals and events pay homage to this fascinating aspect of history, allowing visitors to catch a glimpse of the past. Additionally, the Oiran’s portrayal in movies, television dramas, and literature has kept the legend alive, further contributing to their enduring legacy.

Conclusion

This has been stewing in my head since Xmas, and I think it's finally time to write down how the main characters of the contested InuYasha sequel are defined by their grief. Each of them has their own loss to mourn. Towa and Setsuna, the twins separated by time, grieve for one another. Moroha grieves for parents she's only known as legends. Sesshomaru grieves for Rin, Zero grieves for Toga and Kirinmaru grieves for Rion.

On the healthiest side, we have, surprisingly enough, Sesshomaru. He kept his vigil at the Tree of Time, going out of his way to care for the girls Rin loved more than life itself. He's also the main character who's in the best position to cope, since there he had that faint hope that Rin's terminal illness will be halted until it can be cured, which it was in "Zero's Wish".

His lookalike daughter, Towa, isn't considered the strongest for her story-breaking power or the blood she inherited from Toga. No, it's her strength of character, to maintain her modern-day morals in thee world she's found herself in, that makes her strong. She was separated from her twin sister as a toddler, and by the time the series begins, everyone in the modern era thinks Setsuna is dead, if they believe she even existed. Unlike her sister and cousin, Towa carries the weight of her grief every day of her life. But in time, the load gets lighter as she grows older, gains another sister to distract her from the void, integrates herself as much as she can as a hybrid in a world where her kind simply don't exist. I have to give Sota and Moe an A+ on being adoptive parents, if the only time Towa was dissatisfied with her life with them was when Zero was psychologically torturing her. Giving a child a strong support network and emotional fortitude is hard enough when it comes to one's birth child, but a child from a context you've only seen in passing, and therefore could probably never relate to? Higurashi Gen 2 are the real heroes here. Towa could've easily grown hardened and bitter like InuYasha was, if it wasn't for them.

And then we have Moroha, who lost her parents to an interdimensional pearl as a baby. The tribe that raised her trained her more than anything, and her guardian pawned her off to pay their gambling debts. And on could say Moroha seems rather unaffected by this, but I think that in S2, we start seeing how this is all an act. Like Towa, Moroha has been carrying her grief with her throughout her life, hiding it behind a brash façade. It's not healed, which is why I rank it lower than Sessh or Towa, but it's realistic and functional.

It's not fair to rank Setsuna so low, since she wasn't given the choice her relatives were. She was essentially mindwiped into forgetting Towa even existed. But it is much more realistic. Yeah, I know having a dream-eating butterfly link you to your temporally-suspended mom isn't exactly realistic, but a very young child repressing a trauma they couldn't process is. So Zero's taunts that Setsuna's started a new life, that she was happier? Absolute bullshit. She was emotionally subdued, even as a small child. She felt the same void as Towa but without the context to process it, even if Shiori did all she could to help.

Zero is where we see the dynamic nature of grief and what makes it consume a person. Her entire agenda is her lashing out on how she couldn't save her beloved Toga, how he died for the sake of a human and their hybrid son. So she denies he could have died, lashes out in rage against all hybrids and drags Towa off the deep end with her just to see some semblance of the man she loved in that girl's blind rage. And to top it all off, most of those are when her own sorrow is encased in the rainbow pearls, who were created because she couldn't process her feelings. And she's so consumed with grief, that once Sessh's twins help her let go, there's nothing of her left. She kills herself to pass on while she's still at peace.

But even she isn't the worst example, oh no. That'd be Kirinmaru.

Kirinmaru was a devoted father when Rion was alive. Doting on her, taking her everywhere with him, despite Toga's warnings. I'd even say she was the center of his world.

And then she died.

Kirinmaru refused to make peace with the fact his daughter is gone, so he took notes from both the denial and the consuming hatred playbook: He lashes out at the world while keeping his daughter in a state of undeath, against her wishes. From Rion's perspective, she's had a good life. She got to see the world, she's had a family in Zero and eventually friends in Towa and Riku. She's at peace with finally dying. But Kirinmaru won't let her. Moreover, he is determined to jump forward in time, with two contesting interpertations as to why. His is that he'll save the planet from a demonic comet, but I doubt he's doing it out of the goodness of his heart. Maybe it's his last-ditch effort to have his daughter look up to him again, part of his refusal to let her go. But to me, it seems more likely that he's got the memo that Rion hates him and wants to stay dead, and rather than making peace with that, he wants to take everything with her.

“I really loved this final episode! I’m so glad that Towa finally got to see what truly happened back at that burning forest. And Setsuna also got to see what she needed to see as well, and ask some other people have said, finally got her memories back that the dream butterfly took. And it was extremely heartfelt and wonderful when Setsuna finally called Towa, “sister”. Sure Towa can definitely be very annoying, and I really did like it when Setsuna literally slapped some sense into her, but I absolutely loved that whole scene! I mean completely, without a doubt.

It was definitely a bit sad to see Zro go, just after she herself saw all those memories and had that personal transformation. But hey, because of that, Towa and Setsuna know why Kinimaru despises half demons, and know how to better tackle him going forward. And finally, Rin is free not just of the curse, but from the tree itself as we see in the closing credits. So finally, Rin and the twins will actually have a physical, in person meeting for the first time since who knows how long?

And to end it all off, Mohora has to go on a quest, just at the point where it looked like that she was going to free her parents from that black pearl of hers. I guess I shouldn’t be surprised, but it’s like, how low can Kinimaru go? Well it was certainly a lot better than what Zero did to Towa, by like a mile I might add!

Well this was certainly a great way to end 2021, for this series I might add. I was looking forward to 2022 already, now I’m even more excited about 2022! Can’t wait to see all the old faces and reunions that are obviously going to take place!”

And you can actually see it for yourself in the link here. You may have to scroll down a bit, which is why I just reposted the text of the post, just in case you didn’t wanna do that. But if you do, here’s the link: