Dog Demon

It was a beautiful fall day, the sun was out and the breeze was cool, and InuYasha and I were sitting cross legged under the sacred tree. I was anxious to begin the interview, but I didn't know where to start. We had been sitting there for a few minutes in silence, and I could tell that he was becoming impatient. InuYasha's eyes were closed, and his arms were folded around his Tetsusaiga, the sword forged from his father's fang. The wind started to blow again, and a few leaves fell onto his silvery, long hair. The dog demon reached his clawed hand up to violently brush off the leaves, bending his dog like ears on the way down and then returned to his position.

Finally, I broke the ice by asking him, "do you ever hate yourself for being what you are, a hybrid?"

In Japanese folklore, a hanyou (hybrid) is a mixture of a human and a yokai (demon), either by birth or by unnatural means. InuYasha was born a hanyou: his father, Inu no Taishō, was The Great Dog Demon, and his mother, Izayoi, was born into a wealthy family ("Izayoi"). I was curious to know how he felt about this, and how he defined himself, living in a mixed world where he doesn't belong anywhere.

InuYasha opened his eyes suddenly and he jerked his body upright. I thought to myself oh darn—had I offended him?

After a few seconds, he eased his body and responded, "not much hate, but I feel lonely. I don't fit in this world, I'm not really a demon; nor human. I'm not either. That's all. There is no place for me, so I had to find one myself." He looked down, his bangs over his eyes, refusing to make eye contact. When he spoke again, his voice was deep and soft "but then I realized, I had a place, but I was the only one in it. I don't know any other way to live."

As I heard his response to my question, I felt my heart being extracted from my chest. I was feeling his pain, the way he forced himself to fit in this world. It reminded me of how I had often felt: how could I be so close to other people, yet so far away? I understood how InuYasha felt. He looked straight ahead without saying a word. I noticed he was watching a squirrel attempting to crack a nut open on a nearby rock. He was trying to ease his own pain in the comfort of his own personal space.

I sat there for a few seconds in silence before he spoke again.

"Are we done yet? I do have a life, you know." He half-turned and looked at me over his shoulder, his expression blank.

"You are unbelievable! We just started and you want to leave?" I frowned.

InuYasha jerked his body away from me and tilted his face upward, stating, "Let's get on with it then."

As I tried to think of my next question, I noticed the dark, red crimson robe he was wearing.

"Why do you wear a red robe? What's it to ya?" I asked, trying to lighten up the mood.

"This robe belonged to my father. He gave it to my mother for protection" InuYasha's expression was blank as he spoke, but I could tell this must be an emotional subject for him. "It was inherited by me when my mother passed away. Ever since then, it's been in my possession," he continued, his face growing long and sad. "This robe is the Robe of the Fire-Rat. It is a tough armor and can withstand intense heat" ("Robe of the Fire-Rat").

I looked at him, trying to absorb all the feelings he wanted me to understand. I looked down at my hands and spoke, "What does that robe mean to you?"

He turned his face and recoiled, with his eyes wide open. He was almost making an are you stupid face? Finally, he replied, "This robe is the only thing I have left of my mother. I only have vague memories of her, so this robe means a lot to me".

As InuYasha spoke, the light started to shine on his kimono, turning it a bright, fiery red. I thought of what a beautiful color it was-my favorite color. Red, to me, is strength, passion, and dedication to anything and everything. I realized that these qualities perfectly described InuYasha: in many ways, he was his robe. He was what I want to be, or become. InuYasha was strong, powerful, and dedicated in such depth that it would be hard for me to ever forget him.

I've known of Inuyasha as long as I can remember. I was so dedicated to him that I used to get up every Sunday morning at six AM to watch his show. I would lay on my stomach upside down on my bed, with my feet where my head would usually be, staring at the flickering TV screen. I was really drawn to the struggles the characters faced in the show, and how friendship overcame everything. InuYasha gave me the strength to really be strong, to survive in a world where I don't belong, where I have to make a place for myself where I'm the only one.

A blossom from the sacred tree floated down from the branches and landed between us. I looked at it, admiring the pink color.

InuYasha was watching it too. "Humans are more arrogant and greedy than any other living creature, and I'm part human too, which is why I refuse to give up! On top of that, when a human has someone he's gotta protect, his powers grow exponentially. I have what it takes to destroy [my enemies]. All thanks to my human mother!" ("InuYasha"). When he spoke of this, I thought of my own mother: she is so strong, and she never gives up on what she believes in. Like InuYasha, I have learned so much from my mom. She has passed onto me the strength to never give up.

Although InuYasha obviously respected his mother, he didn't seem to have many other interactions with humans. "Have you ever trusted anyone else?" I asked him.

He looked at me straight in the eyes while his own started to water, and said "Yes, but not before I met Kagome. I even said this to her, 'Kagome... before I met you, I never trusted a living soul. But you've cried for my sake. You've always stayed by my side. When I'm with you, I feel so peaceful and happy.' There's no one like her."

I had to agree with him, here. I had met Kagome when I was setting up the interview. She is a skinny, pale, middle-school girl from modern day Tokyo. She has long black hair, and hazel eyes, and she's always wearing her sailor fuku. When I asked if I could interview InuYasha, she happily agreed. She kept going on and on about InuYasha while we were talking, telling me how stubborn he was, how he never listened to her. But I could tell that she is in love with him. Kagome struck me as the kind of person who would never hold a grudge, or hate anyone for the mistakes they make. She's just not that type of person. It definitely seemed like they were made for each other.

As my mind wandered, I stared into the forest before me. The sun was beginning to set, turning the leaves a fiery orange. I asked him, "How does it feel when the whole world is against your existence, but you know you have someone there to count on to never leave your side?"

"It feels… good." He replied "I know I've been looked down on and tossed around for what I am, but I will stand before everyone and fight until I die."

I was amazed by how passionate InuYasha was when he spoke about what he believed in. He follows his heart, and he doesn't give up. He never gives up. Inuyasha is stubborn in ways that help him succeed, and I felt I had learned so much from him about finding the strength to make my own place in the world.

"I want to leave," he turned to me, eyes wide and his arms folded across his chest.

At first I stared at him blankly, amazed by how quickly he had become impatient. But then I started to smile. It was difficult to stay mad at him.

InuYasha blushed, and looked away. "Don't stare at me!" he snapped, as he stood up and brushed off his robe.

As he rose to his feet, the sun was beginning to set over the horizon, shining its orange-red light directly at him. His shadow stretched out behind him, tangling with the shadow of the sacred tree.

"Goodbye, then, InuYasha" I said, still smiling, satisfied with the conversation we'd had.

He did not reply. He simply started walking towards the horizon, the blood-red sun illuminating his fiery robe.

wiki/InuYasha

wiki/Hany%C5%8D

wiki/Robe_of_the_Fire-Rat