aliensamba | sunshine challenge 2022: rose quartz

Medium: tv series
Fandom: Inuyasha, Inuyasha The Final Act
Characters: Sesshomaru, Rin, Shippo, Sango, Miroku, Inuyasha, and Kagome
Notes: Analysis of Inuyasha characters for the Rose Quartz prompt at Sunshine Challenge. Spoiler warning for the abovementioned fandoms.

Prompt 2: Rose Quartz
Soft pink in color, Rose Quartz has been a popular stone since as far back as 800-600 BCE. Today, as in the past, it’s most associated with love, compassion, and healing in all its forms both towards oneself and others. In the Greek myths it’s mentioned at least twice: once where Eros is said to have brought it to man to inspire love, and again in the story of Aphrodite and Adonis where it came to represent love triumphant. It’s a stone of beauty and sentiment and will likely be favored for years to come.

keywords: love, compassion, and healing in all its forms both towards oneself and others

Rose Quartz reminds me of the characters from Inuyasha: Sesshomaru, Rin, Shippo, Sango, Miroku, Kagome, and Inuyasha. There are many instances in the series where the characters showed compassion and love which led to healing towards oneself and others.

Sesshomaru and Rin: They meet at a low point of Sesshomaru's life. He is wounded and recuperating from fighting Inuyasha and nearly getting killed by the Wind Scar. Rin sees him in the forest and decides to help him. This is the first time we see Sesshomaru experience kindness plus it is from a small human (he doesn't like humans). Later on, Sesshomaru asks Rin about her injuries which is the first time we see Sesshomaru express curiousity in another being. Suffice to say, this is a turning point in Sesshomaru's character. He starts to develop a little compassion which helps him be worthy of Tenseiga and its full potential.

Shippo: Shippo is an orphaned fox demon. He joins Kagome and the gang after avenging his father. He begs Sesshomaru to save a beheaded badger demon because he doesn't want the little badger demon to experience what he felt when he lost his own father. Sesshomaru saves the badger demon using Tenseiga. In this scene, Sango(?) has commented that Sesshomaru wouldn't be able to use Tenseiga because he doesn't have compassion but he did use it. Later, Totosai visits Sesshomaru and deems him worthy of Tenseiga and able to level up the weapon.

Sango and Miroku: In one episode, Sango spreads poison onto Hiraikotsu to defeat a bone demon. The gang travel to a Master of Potions Demon to fix the weapon. Sango must pacify the demon spirits of Hiraikotsu but she can't promise them that she won't help Miroku in the future. Miroku in turn decides to drink the poison which would numb him from the pain of the miasma (which he absorbs using the Wind Tunnel) and cure Hiraikotsu because he loves Sango.

Kagome and Inuyasha: Once when Inuyasha was overcome with demonic energy and couldn't get his body to move, Kagome hugs him despite stepping into acid and burning her feet. Her hug and love for Inuyasha is enough that Inuyasha regains control of his body and doesn't give in to his demon side.

Kagome: Kagome helps Kikyo and this saves Kikyo's soul. Kikyo is a priestess who loved Inuyasha before being manipulated to her death by Naraku. She is resurrected and is essentially a ghost (someone who can't move on because of unfinished business and/or negative emotions which tether her to the mortal plane).

At the start, Kikyo doesn't like Kagome but Kagome shows her time and time again that she wouldn't leave her to die because Inuyasha would be sad and later on states that she (Kagome) would help her if she could. I think Kagome's kindness changes Kikyo and she changes her thoughts on how to defeat Naraku (she doesn't sacrifice Kohaku but rather saves him).

Kagome also heals Naraku's soul in a way when she makes the right wish on the Shikon jewel. Naraku finds peace and is able to transcend rather than being stuck in the Shikon jewel.