Just thought it would be fun to spark a debate amongst the die-hard Inuyasha fans, so please bear with me. ^_^
"Kikyou vs. Kagome" is one of those on-going points of contention for those who follow the series, so here I
will lay out my thoughts on the matter and invite others to do so. Personally, I prefer Kagome to Kikyou. Yes,
I'm not afraid to admit it - I prefer genki over, well, dead. Before you Kikyou fans type your scathing rebuttals,
please read my points.
As for you Kagome fans - feel free to contribute!
Sylvacoer's Logic: Anti-Kikyou
1. The Kikyou currently wandering around is NOT the real Kikyou - she was killed fifty years ago, remember? Her present character is a copy, one forged of witch magic and hatred. Summarily, the present Kikyou is no more than a perversion, a shade of the true Kikyou.
2. She's dead.
3. She feeds on the souls of others to maintain her false life - she even says as much. So, obviously, damning others to Oblivion is not something she is too squeamish about. Oh yes, fluffy feelings abound in this one. -_-
4. Necrophilia is just nasty. Can somebody please buy that boy Inuyasha a clue?!
5. She gave that huge chunk of the Shikon no Tama to Naraku, increasing his powers exponentially. She claims that it is all part of her plan to destroy him, but, er, hello? Has she made any progress on that yet? It seems Naraku became more than she could handle - it was only because of Kagome, Inuyasha and everyone else working together that he is in the present fix he is now. Oh, and did Kikyou contribute? No - she only managed to nearly get wiped out by the Shichinintai. Darn.
6. Two words - tragic character. Like Ophelia before her, Kikyou's primary role seems to be a) to make the protagonist doubt himself, and b) cause lots of angst and suffering in said protagonist and anyone remotely connected to him. A necessary plot device, but one most appreciated when she finally bites the big one and everyone can have one last big sob fest before moving on with their lives. Emphasis on the "lives," seeing as how Kikyou does not have one.
7. Have I mentioned that she is dead yet?
8. She tried to drag Inuyasha down to Hell with her; failing at that, she guilted him into pledging his life to her. Good Heavens, is true love really that selfish?
9. I have lost count of how many times she has tried to kill/maim Kagome or drive her away. Her claim that there should only be one incarnation of Kikyou at one time is valid, but I think she is forgetting something - she is not really Kikyou either. And Kagome has no interest in being Kikyou anyway. And I hated that nonsense she spouted to Inuyasha about trying to protect Kagome by stealing the Shikon shard. Although I will admit, Kagome would not be targeted by Naraku if she was dead, now would she?
10. I am beginning to get the impression that Kikyou knows that she does not belong among the living, and that Kagome has rightful claim as her true incarnation to Inuyasha?s heart. Evidence? Watch the Kuro-miko Tsubaki Arc carefully - even though she lets Tsubaki target Kagome, she acknowledges that Kagome can probably defeat Tsubaki because of her spiritual power. Spiritual power which comes from, oh, guess what?
11. She is quicker to surrender. Just watch episode 98 ["Kikyou and Kagome Together in a Cave"] and compare her and Kagome's reactions to the situation. ( I will not spoil it for anyone who has not yet seen it)
12. This is just a personal pet peeve of mine - I really hate anime characters who do not blink. I don't care if they do not need to, but to have a perfect deadpan in all situations is really irritating. Kikyou might have an excuse because she is dead, but it still annoys me.
And now to the other half of my argument!
Sylvacoer's Logic: Pro-Kagome
1. She is alive. Major points there.
2. She acts against Naraku out of a pure, unselfish desire for justice, whereas Kikyou's motivations are based on revenge, as well they should be. But it sure takes a whole heck of a lot more spiritual backbone to involve oneself in a fight one has no personal stake in.
3. A lot of people knock Kagome because they feel her cheerfulness is irritating, that she is unrealistically bubbly and would crumble if ever confronted with a real life-or-death situation. Um, if you have not noticed, Kagome has had to go through multiple life-or-death situations, emotionally destructive ones I might add, and yet she can still smile and support others in the aftermath. Such character is admirable, not despicable.
4. She admits to her weaknesses and shortcomings, and then tries to get over them.
5. One word: scrappy. She does not take crap from anyone, perhaps with the exception of Inuyasha. I thought her decision to stay at his side even after he told her he would choose Kikyou showed both extreme moral courage and idiocy. Well, you cannot expect everyone to be perfectly sane in all aspects of life, can you now. (Inuyasha needs to be hurt very badly, though.)
6. In regards to Kikyou, Kagome admits that she is jealous and even once thought it would be better for Kikyou to just die (again, no argument there honey!). Despite this, she tells herself such emotions are wrong. Her predilection for justice and mercy overwhelms her negative emotions whenever she comes in contact with her erstwhile incarnation. Whenever Kikyou is in danger, Kagome risks her life for her, even though Kikyou would certainly never do the same. Her motivations in this regard are complex and even conflicting, which contributes to the wholeness of her character.
7. Episode 98.
Whereas Kikyou serves as a point of angst, Kagome acts as a point of hope. Kagome does not surrender, and will keep fighting for what she believes is right, despite her personal desires and wants. Kikyou is self-centered - I will not split hairs on this point.
All right, that is my argument. Please respond however your personal beliefs tell you to.
Salute!
