![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
kawaii-shieru.livejournal.com posting in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
ship_manifestoTitle: Requiem Romantic
Author: Lythande – http://fancy-random.lythande.com
Fandom: Inuyasha
Pairing: Inu no Taishou/Sesshoumaru
Spoilers: All of the important (that is, Sesshoumaru-related) manga, some of the third movie Warnings: Incest
I should note that the anime and manga of Inuyasha have subtexts that are substantially different, especially where Sesshoumaru is concerned – the anime makes it seem that Inu no Taishou's goal was for his children to work together and for Sesshoumaru to accept Inuyasha as an equal, whereas the manga subtext indicates that Sesshoumaru is being systematically humbled and is intended to accept Inuyasha as his better. This is a pretty significant difference, and because I don't particularly care for the anime, and so haven't watched it in some years, the characterizations and subtexts are all from the manga. The third movie's characterization of Sesshoumaru, in specific, should be ignored, as 'power-hungry' and 'hateful' are actively out of character for him. Also this is a joint project by Lythande and Kawaii_Sheiru, credit for most of this goes to the wonderful Lythande however the Evidence part of this essay is by Kawaii_Sheiru, enjoy.
-----
Roles:
Beautifully Chilling - A Truly Merciful Heart Shrouded in Ice
Beautiful yet inhuman, delicate yet dangerous, merciless and yet inexplicably sentimental - Sesshoumaru, arguably the most powerful youkai of the fuedal era, is best described in absolutes and contradictions. He is an unrepentant killer who is given a sword meant for a "truly merciful heart", and it accepts him as its master. He views humans with unmitigated contempt, yet takes two children under his protection, putting his life in danger for either of them.
Throughout the series, he is shown to grow more respectful and more emotional; he never does quite manage to learn humility, but he is able to acknowledge that Inuyasha is ultimately the master of the Tetsusaiga – that someone is better or more worthy of something than he. The fact that he doesn't yet at the end have the "truly merciful heart" that could save a hundred lives in one stroke with the Tenseiga indicates that his growth is not yet complete, either.
Omnipotent Enigma - Lord of the Western Lands
Very little is known of the man who was Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha's father. Even his name is lost, and he is known only by his title; he is Inu no Taishou, the great dog general, although fanon would name him 'Touga'. At the time of the series he has been dead for two hundred years, yet his far-reaching will in the form of his inheritance swords still shapes his two sons, forcing them both to reach their respective potential.
-------
Relations:
Sesshoumaru is demonstrably obsessed with his father. Throughout the series he was counseled repeatedly to let go of his attachment to his father's mementos, and it was only by eventually doing so that he was able to finally 'surpass' his legacy and stand on his own as a taiyoukai, a full demon lord in his own right. This shows that for the first 53 volumes of manga, and all the time preceding, he was unable to let him go although he had been dead for over two hundred years.
Sesshoumaru's obsession may or may not have been with the man himself, but it seems clear that he yearned for, at the least, his respect and approval. His ceaseless desire for the Tetsusaiga was not a desire for the power of the sword itself; he is not a power-hungry person and has no attachment to his tools. Rather his hunger was for the honor and the unspoken acceptance that being given the precious sword would have granted him - and when he could not have it naturally, he sought to win it by force.
Despite treatment that he sees as insulting and cruel, such as being passed over for the powerful sword, which even has a shield to repel him, Sesshoumaru honors his father deeply. He bypassed Naraku in the middle of a fight for the last jewel shard to smack Inuyasha for desecrating his grave, and has never spoken of him with anything less than respect (though in truth after his initial quest for the sword he rarely speaks of him at all, moodily sitting out of conversations on the subject of his father). At the point when it was revealed his newly-powerful sword was only a cast-off piece of Tetsusaiga and destined to be returned to it, he was so deeply hurt that he stood unmoving as he was attacked and would have been killed if not for Inuyasha's interference.
Did the dog general feel anything for Sesshoumaru? It's hard to say. Certainly they weren't in any normal sort of relationship when Inu no Taishou was killed, given that he was obviously in love enough with Inuyasha's mother Izayoi to die for her. In fact, looking at the few clues in the series, I could more reasonably argue that Inu no Taishou did not even like Sesshoumaru, and certainly didn't respect him. Doesn't that make it more tragic that Sesshoumaru so obviously wants his attention and respect, then?
Evidence: (This section is by Kawaii_Shieru)
While Sesshomaru/Inutaisho has never been outright stated to be a canon pairing, I think there is sufficient enough evidence for this pairing to consider it a canon pairing or at the very least *semi canon* Here is the evidence. The evidence that Sesshomaru has feelings for his father is quite large and while it's not canon there is alot of subtext in the series, more so than for Sesshomaru/Rin I think the 3rd movie gives plenty of evidence in that arena, and just how Sesshomaru is towards humans and half-demon's throughout the whole series, there's definitely something deeper going on there than just mere hatred.
Now fans might attribute this to the fact that Sesshomaru is just angry that his father betrayed his mother and abandoned the family (This is a very common fanon explanation that I've come across.) However as we have seen from both the manga and the anime when we meet Sesshomaru's mother, she doesn't seem bothered at all by the fact that Inutaisho mated with a human, she appears very neutral about it and Sesshomaru doesn't seem to hold such great attachments to her either so that fanon idea is scrapped.
So then why DID Sesshomaru get so angry about his father mating with Izayoi and having Inuyasha?? Why is he so obsessed with getting all the best swords his father has and why does everything he do relate to his father in some way or another?? I think these are very interesting questions that support evidence for this fanon pairing.
Of course some might argue that alright maybe Sesshomaru wasn't against his father being with Izayoi because of his mother, but because he's just cold that way and looks down on anyone that's weaker than him. However that argument fails too, because it has been proven that deep down Sesshomaru has a merciful, gentle heart, he didn't learn it from Rin (As some fangirls are always trying to point out, uggh .) It was already there. If it wasn't then Tenseiga wouldn't have chosen him as it's true master. According to canon, only someone with a merciful and gentle heart can wield Tenseiga, not someone who learns to be kind but someone who is already kind.
So if his hatred of humans and half-demons specifically Izayoi and Inuyasha doesn't come from feelings of empathy with his mother, nor does it come from his cold nature then where does it come from???? The only explanation is, is that there's something deeper going on inside Sesshomaru regarding his father, and it's not just platonic familial love, which could explain his feelings of jealousy.
Again there is a quote in the ACTUAL manga that states that "only someone who has a merciful heart can wield the Tenseiga" therefore Sesshomaru must have always had a merciful heart otherwise he would of never been able to wield it before he met Rin. There seems to be a fanon perception in the Inuyasha fandom that Sesshomaru learned compassion and became able to wield Tenseiga because of Rin. However that is simply not true, as the series clearly states and shows that Sesshomaru was in fact able to wield Tenseiga long before meeting Rin. Which means Sesshomaru was always kind to begin with, which means something must have happened in his past to make him become cold, and again it definitely wasn't his mother's breakup with his father as she seemed perfectly fine with it and Sesshomaru does not seem close to her to begin with. So what was it then that made Sesshomaru so cold?? All evidence points to he was in love with his father.
Here's some more evidence for Sesshomaru/Inutaisho everything Sesshomaru does (Besides the whole trying to kill Naraku thing) is motivated by his obsession with his father and like the previous poster above me said, even in the manga though we see no interaction between them like in the movie, everytime Sesshomaru's father is mentioned Sesshomaru displays the most emotion, much more than again even when Rin died that second time.
I really feel that's sufficient enough evidence, along with his mother's indifference/neutrality on the issue, his hatred of Inuyasha and his mother and humans/half-demons in general despite him saving humans and traveling with them(i.e Rin and Kohaku) and his outward coldness and ruthlessness, despite having a gentle kind heart from the beginning or else Tenseiga wouldn't have chosen him.
Add that with the third movie being supervised by Miss Rumiko herself and I think we have a case. :) Also here's some actual quotes from the canon series itself that counts towards the evidence: Now as for actual evidence from the canon that supports that Sesshomaru hated Izayoi, let's look at this quote from the third movie when Sesshomaru is fighting Inuyasha: "Inuyasha you and your mother caused his miserable death" This clearly demonstrates that he hated Izayoi, again you say it was just because Izayoi caused him to die before Sesshomaru could defeat him and gain power, but again we have to look at the subtleties of this. Sesshomaru being the way he is would of course not openly state his true feelings.We should not take everything he says at face value as it's been proved that there are more layers of him than just the "obsessed with power" one. You have to try to "read" into the mind and actions of a character and that's what I'm doing.
Also in the Inuyasha Wiki: http://inuyasha.wikia.com/wiki/Sesshōmaru It clearly states this regarding how he started hating humans and how he felt towards Izayoi. "His relationship with his father is dinset and estgented due that his father has fallen in love with Izayoi, a human, who is the mother of his younger half-brother, Inuyasha. In other words, at the the beginning of the series, Sesshomaru despised humans and considered them as weak or useless, and since his father decided to be with a human (and left his ex-wife), leading later to his death; for this reason, Sesshomaru possibly started his hatred and despise towards them. Although 200 years later, he realized that his father's wise words were true and this led him to protect someone, Rin and Jaken" Also this quote from the wiki: "He blames Inuyasha's mother for his father's death." So yes I have clearly proven with quotes that Sesshomaru did in fact hate Izayoi.
Now as for more evidence as to how Sesshomaru felt towards his father. Watch episode 13 of Inuyasha The Final Act and/or read the equivalent chapters in the manga. Sesshomaru is clearly distressed with the fact that Tenseiga is not a whole sword and was also made for Inuyasha's sake. Hell when the enemy they're fighting in that episode baits Sesshomaru with the this line "Sesshomaru I pity you, your father must have really hated you" Sesshomaru explodes!! He literally explodes all over the place in that episode but none more-so than when he hears this line. If Sesshomaru just had platonic feelings for his father why would he care so much if his father hated him or not?? Also none of the people who have become important to him, ala Rin and Kagura have been able to provoke such an intense response from him like his father provokes from him throughout this entire episode and the series throughout. His father, is and always has been the one he's felt the most strongly for.
Also at the end of the episode he says to Inuyasha this when Inuyasha is trying to comfort him and feels sorry for how their father treated him: "Inuyasha, you and I are fated to be enemies I am destined to kill you" Again that is NOT normal sibling rivarly/envy.
Also this quote here from episode 7 when Inuyasha first gets Tessaiga. Sesshomaru says to Inuyasha these EXACT words. "Inuyasha, you protect this girl, indulge her, even seem to love her." Clearly these feelings of mercy you have are not from our great and powerful father. It must have been that mother of yours….that human mother who led our great father to his despair, her blood affects you as well."
This quote clearly shows besides the fact that Sesshomaru had great affection for his father, but also that his main problem with Inuyasha was his mother and not Inuyasha himself. Why could this be…. Well clearly he must have had romantic feelings for his father, this definitely wasn't a case of ordinary sibling rivalry.
Finally we have to look at Rumiko Takahashi's own views on gay relationships and we can see from Inuyasha and her past work Ranma 1/2 which had gay undertones to it that she is not opposed to homosexuality and is willing to depict it in her works. Hell she created an openly flamboyant gay character in Inuyasha, that of Jakotsu, so why would it be so far-fetched to assume in that case that she wouldn't have Sesshomaru be like that.
I rest my case.
-------
Reflections:
Their relationship is open to all sorts of interpretation. Might it have been inappropriate? It might or might not have been. If there was love, was it love one-sided on Sesshoumaru's part? Was their relationship abusive and left Sesshoumaru messed up? Was their story loving and tragic?
Personally, I find it hard to envision a healthy relationship for them; that wouldn't exactly fit with what's shown in the series and the sort of attitude Inu no Taishou seems to have had toward Sesshoumaru. However, I actually find that attitude fascinating, especially in conjunction with Sesshoumaru's obsession, and tend to take a somewhat dark view of the pairing; with some effort you could interpret it however you like, but I find this most realistic and it is what I prefer.
The fact that they are completely inhuman is also intriguing. On the one hand, they are taiyoukai, powerful but wild entities connected to nature who consider humans little better than animals, and themselves far above their little world and their little societies, even hunting them as prey and food. On the other hand, they are dogs – really and truly dogs, unrepentant predators with simpler emotions and motivations and even a dog's mentality. It's implied that they even lose a lot of their intelligence when they're in their true canine form. Their own society seems to be anarchic and shallow, based if anything on personal strength and hierarchy rather than commonly acknowledged rules – more like a dog than a human world. The kinds of interactions they might have had is almost limitless, and there's so much fascinating unexplored grey area to look into.
Incestuous pairings may not be for everyone, but I feel it's more likely than normal for them based simply on the fact that they don't have anything like human morals, if the two shown extant dog youkai – Sesshoumaru and his mother – are any example, and they are anything like the other youkai in the series. They don't apparently have any real society in which it would be judged 'acceptable' or 'unacceptable', nor would Inu no Taishou seemingly have any greater authority to which he would answer, much as Sesshoumaru does not now that he is dead.
I won't actually say anyone should follow this pairing, since I'm not here to convince anyone... but I will respectfully point out that the only other viable options for Sesshoumaru yaoi are Inuyasha and Naraku; they have their places and this pairing has its own. The desire for something new was a lot of how I found this pairing, and I hope some others are as intrigued as I was.
-------
References:
If you just want information on the series, I find the Wikipedia entries would be a good place to start: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/InuYasha .
As for stories, it may be gauche to advertise yourself, but InT/Sesshoumaru is a rather uncommon common pairing, especially where Inuyasha is not involved. Therefore, I will offer my own "Home" series as an example. Take note that this site (and these stories) are not suitable for minors. I can't call it definitive, even for myself, but it's one version of how I see them.
http://inu.adultfanfiction.net/story.php?no=600095737 – Homecoming
http://inu.adultfanfiction.net/story.php?no=600095732 – Home in Memory
http://inu.adultfanfiction.net/story.php?no=600095722 – Home in Body
http://inu.adultfanfiction.net/story.php?no=600095733 – Home in Mind
http://inu.adultfanfiction.net/story.php?no=600096512 – Home Bound
http://inu.adultfanfiction.net/story.php?no=600096497 – Home Wrecker
http://www.fanfiction.net/s/4937693/1/Pride_In_the_Name_of_Love – "Pride In the Name Of Love" by Jezz-Ra, a massive epic that includes Inu no Taishou/Sesshumaru, among other pairings. I admit I stopped reading at the point where Sesshoumaru told Rin he would have taken her as his mate, but it was suggested to me and I dutifully include it. http://www.fanfiction.net/s/5688067/1/Unreal – "Unreal" by God of Insanity, a Naraku/Sesshoumaru story with a lot of Inu no Taishou/Sesshoumaru. It's actually unfinished, unfortunately. http://www.fanfiction.net/s/4915479/1/My_Lord_Father – "My Lord Father" by Salome Sensei. The author describes them best: "This series of 100-word drabbles describes the passage into young adulthood of Sesshoumaru through his intense, turbulent, and intimate relationship with his father, the Lord of the Western Lands." The 40-ish drabbles go more into the canine aspect of them and seem to actually keep Sesshoumaru in character, so I highly recommend the story.
Sesshoumaru's icy character is almost always sacrificed to pair him with anyone, and this pairing adds a built-in excuse for it in his youth, so... beware and be careful out there.
Author: Lythande – http://fancy-random.lythande.com
Fandom: Inuyasha
Pairing: Inu no Taishou/Sesshoumaru
Spoilers: All of the important (that is, Sesshoumaru-related) manga, some of the third movie Warnings: Incest
I should note that the anime and manga of Inuyasha have subtexts that are substantially different, especially where Sesshoumaru is concerned – the anime makes it seem that Inu no Taishou's goal was for his children to work together and for Sesshoumaru to accept Inuyasha as an equal, whereas the manga subtext indicates that Sesshoumaru is being systematically humbled and is intended to accept Inuyasha as his better. This is a pretty significant difference, and because I don't particularly care for the anime, and so haven't watched it in some years, the characterizations and subtexts are all from the manga. The third movie's characterization of Sesshoumaru, in specific, should be ignored, as 'power-hungry' and 'hateful' are actively out of character for him. Also this is a joint project by Lythande and Kawaii_Sheiru, credit for most of this goes to the wonderful Lythande however the Evidence part of this essay is by Kawaii_Sheiru, enjoy.
-----
Roles:
Beautifully Chilling - A Truly Merciful Heart Shrouded in Ice
Beautiful yet inhuman, delicate yet dangerous, merciless and yet inexplicably sentimental - Sesshoumaru, arguably the most powerful youkai of the fuedal era, is best described in absolutes and contradictions. He is an unrepentant killer who is given a sword meant for a "truly merciful heart", and it accepts him as its master. He views humans with unmitigated contempt, yet takes two children under his protection, putting his life in danger for either of them.
Throughout the series, he is shown to grow more respectful and more emotional; he never does quite manage to learn humility, but he is able to acknowledge that Inuyasha is ultimately the master of the Tetsusaiga – that someone is better or more worthy of something than he. The fact that he doesn't yet at the end have the "truly merciful heart" that could save a hundred lives in one stroke with the Tenseiga indicates that his growth is not yet complete, either.
Omnipotent Enigma - Lord of the Western Lands
Very little is known of the man who was Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha's father. Even his name is lost, and he is known only by his title; he is Inu no Taishou, the great dog general, although fanon would name him 'Touga'. At the time of the series he has been dead for two hundred years, yet his far-reaching will in the form of his inheritance swords still shapes his two sons, forcing them both to reach their respective potential.
-------
Relations:
Sesshoumaru is demonstrably obsessed with his father. Throughout the series he was counseled repeatedly to let go of his attachment to his father's mementos, and it was only by eventually doing so that he was able to finally 'surpass' his legacy and stand on his own as a taiyoukai, a full demon lord in his own right. This shows that for the first 53 volumes of manga, and all the time preceding, he was unable to let him go although he had been dead for over two hundred years.
Sesshoumaru's obsession may or may not have been with the man himself, but it seems clear that he yearned for, at the least, his respect and approval. His ceaseless desire for the Tetsusaiga was not a desire for the power of the sword itself; he is not a power-hungry person and has no attachment to his tools. Rather his hunger was for the honor and the unspoken acceptance that being given the precious sword would have granted him - and when he could not have it naturally, he sought to win it by force.
Despite treatment that he sees as insulting and cruel, such as being passed over for the powerful sword, which even has a shield to repel him, Sesshoumaru honors his father deeply. He bypassed Naraku in the middle of a fight for the last jewel shard to smack Inuyasha for desecrating his grave, and has never spoken of him with anything less than respect (though in truth after his initial quest for the sword he rarely speaks of him at all, moodily sitting out of conversations on the subject of his father). At the point when it was revealed his newly-powerful sword was only a cast-off piece of Tetsusaiga and destined to be returned to it, he was so deeply hurt that he stood unmoving as he was attacked and would have been killed if not for Inuyasha's interference.
Did the dog general feel anything for Sesshoumaru? It's hard to say. Certainly they weren't in any normal sort of relationship when Inu no Taishou was killed, given that he was obviously in love enough with Inuyasha's mother Izayoi to die for her. In fact, looking at the few clues in the series, I could more reasonably argue that Inu no Taishou did not even like Sesshoumaru, and certainly didn't respect him. Doesn't that make it more tragic that Sesshoumaru so obviously wants his attention and respect, then?
Evidence: (This section is by Kawaii_Shieru)
While Sesshomaru/Inutaisho has never been outright stated to be a canon pairing, I think there is sufficient enough evidence for this pairing to consider it a canon pairing or at the very least *semi canon* Here is the evidence. The evidence that Sesshomaru has feelings for his father is quite large and while it's not canon there is alot of subtext in the series, more so than for Sesshomaru/Rin I think the 3rd movie gives plenty of evidence in that arena, and just how Sesshomaru is towards humans and half-demon's throughout the whole series, there's definitely something deeper going on there than just mere hatred.
Now fans might attribute this to the fact that Sesshomaru is just angry that his father betrayed his mother and abandoned the family (This is a very common fanon explanation that I've come across.) However as we have seen from both the manga and the anime when we meet Sesshomaru's mother, she doesn't seem bothered at all by the fact that Inutaisho mated with a human, she appears very neutral about it and Sesshomaru doesn't seem to hold such great attachments to her either so that fanon idea is scrapped.
So then why DID Sesshomaru get so angry about his father mating with Izayoi and having Inuyasha?? Why is he so obsessed with getting all the best swords his father has and why does everything he do relate to his father in some way or another?? I think these are very interesting questions that support evidence for this fanon pairing.
Of course some might argue that alright maybe Sesshomaru wasn't against his father being with Izayoi because of his mother, but because he's just cold that way and looks down on anyone that's weaker than him. However that argument fails too, because it has been proven that deep down Sesshomaru has a merciful, gentle heart, he didn't learn it from Rin (As some fangirls are always trying to point out, uggh .) It was already there. If it wasn't then Tenseiga wouldn't have chosen him as it's true master. According to canon, only someone with a merciful and gentle heart can wield Tenseiga, not someone who learns to be kind but someone who is already kind.
So if his hatred of humans and half-demons specifically Izayoi and Inuyasha doesn't come from feelings of empathy with his mother, nor does it come from his cold nature then where does it come from???? The only explanation is, is that there's something deeper going on inside Sesshomaru regarding his father, and it's not just platonic familial love, which could explain his feelings of jealousy.
Again there is a quote in the ACTUAL manga that states that "only someone who has a merciful heart can wield the Tenseiga" therefore Sesshomaru must have always had a merciful heart otherwise he would of never been able to wield it before he met Rin. There seems to be a fanon perception in the Inuyasha fandom that Sesshomaru learned compassion and became able to wield Tenseiga because of Rin. However that is simply not true, as the series clearly states and shows that Sesshomaru was in fact able to wield Tenseiga long before meeting Rin. Which means Sesshomaru was always kind to begin with, which means something must have happened in his past to make him become cold, and again it definitely wasn't his mother's breakup with his father as she seemed perfectly fine with it and Sesshomaru does not seem close to her to begin with. So what was it then that made Sesshomaru so cold?? All evidence points to he was in love with his father.
Here's some more evidence for Sesshomaru/Inutaisho everything Sesshomaru does (Besides the whole trying to kill Naraku thing) is motivated by his obsession with his father and like the previous poster above me said, even in the manga though we see no interaction between them like in the movie, everytime Sesshomaru's father is mentioned Sesshomaru displays the most emotion, much more than again even when Rin died that second time.
I really feel that's sufficient enough evidence, along with his mother's indifference/neutrality on the issue, his hatred of Inuyasha and his mother and humans/half-demons in general despite him saving humans and traveling with them(i.e Rin and Kohaku) and his outward coldness and ruthlessness, despite having a gentle kind heart from the beginning or else Tenseiga wouldn't have chosen him.
Add that with the third movie being supervised by Miss Rumiko herself and I think we have a case. :) Also here's some actual quotes from the canon series itself that counts towards the evidence: Now as for actual evidence from the canon that supports that Sesshomaru hated Izayoi, let's look at this quote from the third movie when Sesshomaru is fighting Inuyasha: "Inuyasha you and your mother caused his miserable death" This clearly demonstrates that he hated Izayoi, again you say it was just because Izayoi caused him to die before Sesshomaru could defeat him and gain power, but again we have to look at the subtleties of this. Sesshomaru being the way he is would of course not openly state his true feelings.We should not take everything he says at face value as it's been proved that there are more layers of him than just the "obsessed with power" one. You have to try to "read" into the mind and actions of a character and that's what I'm doing.
Also in the Inuyasha Wiki: http://inuyasha.wikia.com/wiki/Sesshōmaru It clearly states this regarding how he started hating humans and how he felt towards Izayoi. "His relationship with his father is dinset and estgented due that his father has fallen in love with Izayoi, a human, who is the mother of his younger half-brother, Inuyasha. In other words, at the the beginning of the series, Sesshomaru despised humans and considered them as weak or useless, and since his father decided to be with a human (and left his ex-wife), leading later to his death; for this reason, Sesshomaru possibly started his hatred and despise towards them. Although 200 years later, he realized that his father's wise words were true and this led him to protect someone, Rin and Jaken" Also this quote from the wiki: "He blames Inuyasha's mother for his father's death." So yes I have clearly proven with quotes that Sesshomaru did in fact hate Izayoi.
Now as for more evidence as to how Sesshomaru felt towards his father. Watch episode 13 of Inuyasha The Final Act and/or read the equivalent chapters in the manga. Sesshomaru is clearly distressed with the fact that Tenseiga is not a whole sword and was also made for Inuyasha's sake. Hell when the enemy they're fighting in that episode baits Sesshomaru with the this line "Sesshomaru I pity you, your father must have really hated you" Sesshomaru explodes!! He literally explodes all over the place in that episode but none more-so than when he hears this line. If Sesshomaru just had platonic feelings for his father why would he care so much if his father hated him or not?? Also none of the people who have become important to him, ala Rin and Kagura have been able to provoke such an intense response from him like his father provokes from him throughout this entire episode and the series throughout. His father, is and always has been the one he's felt the most strongly for.
Also at the end of the episode he says to Inuyasha this when Inuyasha is trying to comfort him and feels sorry for how their father treated him: "Inuyasha, you and I are fated to be enemies I am destined to kill you" Again that is NOT normal sibling rivarly/envy.
Also this quote here from episode 7 when Inuyasha first gets Tessaiga. Sesshomaru says to Inuyasha these EXACT words. "Inuyasha, you protect this girl, indulge her, even seem to love her." Clearly these feelings of mercy you have are not from our great and powerful father. It must have been that mother of yours….that human mother who led our great father to his despair, her blood affects you as well."
This quote clearly shows besides the fact that Sesshomaru had great affection for his father, but also that his main problem with Inuyasha was his mother and not Inuyasha himself. Why could this be…. Well clearly he must have had romantic feelings for his father, this definitely wasn't a case of ordinary sibling rivalry.
Finally we have to look at Rumiko Takahashi's own views on gay relationships and we can see from Inuyasha and her past work Ranma 1/2 which had gay undertones to it that she is not opposed to homosexuality and is willing to depict it in her works. Hell she created an openly flamboyant gay character in Inuyasha, that of Jakotsu, so why would it be so far-fetched to assume in that case that she wouldn't have Sesshomaru be like that.
I rest my case.
-------
Reflections:
Their relationship is open to all sorts of interpretation. Might it have been inappropriate? It might or might not have been. If there was love, was it love one-sided on Sesshoumaru's part? Was their relationship abusive and left Sesshoumaru messed up? Was their story loving and tragic?
Personally, I find it hard to envision a healthy relationship for them; that wouldn't exactly fit with what's shown in the series and the sort of attitude Inu no Taishou seems to have had toward Sesshoumaru. However, I actually find that attitude fascinating, especially in conjunction with Sesshoumaru's obsession, and tend to take a somewhat dark view of the pairing; with some effort you could interpret it however you like, but I find this most realistic and it is what I prefer.
The fact that they are completely inhuman is also intriguing. On the one hand, they are taiyoukai, powerful but wild entities connected to nature who consider humans little better than animals, and themselves far above their little world and their little societies, even hunting them as prey and food. On the other hand, they are dogs – really and truly dogs, unrepentant predators with simpler emotions and motivations and even a dog's mentality. It's implied that they even lose a lot of their intelligence when they're in their true canine form. Their own society seems to be anarchic and shallow, based if anything on personal strength and hierarchy rather than commonly acknowledged rules – more like a dog than a human world. The kinds of interactions they might have had is almost limitless, and there's so much fascinating unexplored grey area to look into.
Incestuous pairings may not be for everyone, but I feel it's more likely than normal for them based simply on the fact that they don't have anything like human morals, if the two shown extant dog youkai – Sesshoumaru and his mother – are any example, and they are anything like the other youkai in the series. They don't apparently have any real society in which it would be judged 'acceptable' or 'unacceptable', nor would Inu no Taishou seemingly have any greater authority to which he would answer, much as Sesshoumaru does not now that he is dead.
I won't actually say anyone should follow this pairing, since I'm not here to convince anyone... but I will respectfully point out that the only other viable options for Sesshoumaru yaoi are Inuyasha and Naraku; they have their places and this pairing has its own. The desire for something new was a lot of how I found this pairing, and I hope some others are as intrigued as I was.
-------
References:
If you just want information on the series, I find the Wikipedia entries would be a good place to start: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/InuYasha .
As for stories, it may be gauche to advertise yourself, but InT/Sesshoumaru is a rather uncommon common pairing, especially where Inuyasha is not involved. Therefore, I will offer my own "Home" series as an example. Take note that this site (and these stories) are not suitable for minors. I can't call it definitive, even for myself, but it's one version of how I see them.
http://inu.adultfanfiction.net/story.php?no=600095737 – Homecoming
http://inu.adultfanfiction.net/story.php?no=600095732 – Home in Memory
http://inu.adultfanfiction.net/story.php?no=600095722 – Home in Body
http://inu.adultfanfiction.net/story.php?no=600095733 – Home in Mind
http://inu.adultfanfiction.net/story.php?no=600096512 – Home Bound
http://inu.adultfanfiction.net/story.php?no=600096497 – Home Wrecker
http://www.fanfiction.net/s/4937693/1/Pride_In_the_Name_of_Love – "Pride In the Name Of Love" by Jezz-Ra, a massive epic that includes Inu no Taishou/Sesshumaru, among other pairings. I admit I stopped reading at the point where Sesshoumaru told Rin he would have taken her as his mate, but it was suggested to me and I dutifully include it. http://www.fanfiction.net/s/5688067/1/Unreal – "Unreal" by God of Insanity, a Naraku/Sesshoumaru story with a lot of Inu no Taishou/Sesshoumaru. It's actually unfinished, unfortunately. http://www.fanfiction.net/s/4915479/1/My_Lord_Father – "My Lord Father" by Salome Sensei. The author describes them best: "This series of 100-word drabbles describes the passage into young adulthood of Sesshoumaru through his intense, turbulent, and intimate relationship with his father, the Lord of the Western Lands." The 40-ish drabbles go more into the canine aspect of them and seem to actually keep Sesshoumaru in character, so I highly recommend the story.
Sesshoumaru's icy character is almost always sacrificed to pair him with anyone, and this pairing adds a built-in excuse for it in his youth, so... beware and be careful out there.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}