Ah, I had no idea how much fun these forums were. It's nice to meet you guys and gals.

Anyway, I was thinking about Miroku again after Ep 113 when he yet again makes a pass at Sango. Reading through some of the posts on the forum, most of you think he's just being a loveable insensitive jerk, but I take a different idea. Indulge me with my dime-store pop psych.

Most people seem to think he's just your typical young adult lech, but how about looking at it this way. He has a terminal condition: the air void in his hand. If you remember, he doesn't expect to live much longer. So you might think he's just indulging in hedonism until the end, but how about this:

He's deathly afraid of getting close to someone and hurting them when he finally "sucks" himself (insert your self-felatio jokes here). By acting the ass, he can still show/get affection, but never let anyone get close enough to get hurt.

So why do it with Sango, when even he has to notice that she likes him if he isn't being a perv? Is he dense? Possibly. His tanuki friend seem to have a better clue at hitting it off with the ladies. But Sango has been through so much pain (losing her village, family and Kohaku) that the thought of her falling in love and then watching him implode is too much for him to bear. She might be willing to get close to Miroku, but maybe because Miroku cares for her too much, he won't let her be hurt again so he deliberately goes out of his way to antagonize her so she won't come any closer.

That's why when that prince comes courting for Sango, he doesn't put up a fight. It's a relief: the woman he could go "straight" for will finally have a chance for happiness than he could never hope to provide for her.

So the next time you see Miroku and Sango flirting around like that, you can look at it with some compassion and hope that those two hook up soon.

Wow--those are my thoughts exactly! He's purposely pushing people away so that he doesn't hurt them with what he probably thinks is his all-but-inevitable death. He cares about Sango too much to let her grow to care for him. (Unfortunately, he either doesn't seem to realize or is in denial that she's come to care about him anyway.) Groping her constantly is a surefire way to turn her off... not to mention he probably still does have a lecherous side to him that he might as well indulge.


Spoilers (sorry, but like I've said before, it's really hard for me now to talk about Sango and Miroku now without mentioning the manga...)





In the not-so-distant future, a little after the end of the Shichinin-tai arc, Miroku actually asks Sango to bear his child--but he does it on the condition that they only get together after Naraku is defeated. Seems to support this theory.






I analyze the characters quite a lot myself, so it's nice to see a post by someone of a similar mind.

Yes, I agree somewhat with what you guys already said... but I think he would have always been a pervert, kazaana or not...

First off, it's hereditary, or tradition in his family, or something like that. Remember he told Kagome that his grandfather got cursed in the first place because, surprise surprise, his grandfather was a lech? I imagine his father was a womanizer, too.

Also, there's different ways of "pushing" people away from you and not letting them get close, and if Miroku wasn't such a perv, he could have chosen a different way to keep people at a distance. For example, Inuyasha chooses to be rude and mean to everyone, which shows his inherent immaturity. Likewise, Miroku chooses to grope every female ass in sight, which shows his inherent perversion.

But still, Miroku is the best! "I WILL TOUCH HER!" LOL.

That was some damn good points on Miroku.
I'd like to see Kikyou getting analyzed...
she's so strange at times, you know?
Is she jealous or not of Kagome and Inuyasha?
She seems a little jealouse in ep. 23,
after talking to Kaede about Kagome and IY.

And now time for everyone's favorite time, "Patrioil Freaks Out":

DAMMIT!! DAMMIT!! DAMMIT!! DAMMIT!! DAMMIT!! DAMMIT!!
HIKARU NO GO HAS BEEN LICENSED!! CHIKUSHOU~~!!
Why!? WHY!? Why did this have to happen with only 30 chap. left?!?
Now it will take years until we get to read it! *cries* WHY!?

I agree with that too. I didn't add it in the original, but I agree that if he wasn't facing certain doom, he'd still be a young guy trying to get the ladies. I think he figures "If I don't have long to live, I might as well go all the way!" If he didn't have the hole in his hand, his lechery would be a bit more subtle, and successful.

Everyone has their own way of pushing people away, but you tend to gravitate to something you would naturally do anyway. So for Miroku, he just lets his hand have a bit more fun. ;-)

As for Sango, I'm sure she was put off by his lechery at first, but I think she enjoys it now. Put it this way: without the fighting or slapping Miroku, what else would she have to think about? Her village destroyed and in ruins (which back then was a HUGE deal), her family murdered and her cherished little brother manipulated by Naraku. Now, one tends to obsess on these bad thoughts unless someone distracts you. Miroku distracts her very well so teasing him and acting all grumpy gives her a respite from having to dwell on the misery that is her life.

So this little act that Sango and Miroku go through actually helps Sango survive and otherwise impossible situation.

That's why I think the Sango and Miroku relationship is way more interesting than Inuyasha and Kagome (you know they're going to hook up), and what I really want o know is if Sango and Miroku get to live happily ever after.

Kikyou needs to go on thorazine. But then again, she is the pure embodiment of Kikyou/Kagome's betrayal and rage. I always figured she'd make a great Jerry Springer guest:

JS: "Now, we introduce a love triangle. (Audience oohs) Wait, it gets more twisted. First, let me introduce Kagome."

Kagome: "Konichiwa. Hajimemashite." (Subtitled: Hello, Nice to meet you)

JS: "Kagome met this boy, Inuyasha. He was just getting over a painful breakup. She had sealed him to a tree in a fit of rage, but then she ends up dying and gets reincarnated as Kagome. So the ex-girlfriend is dead, and you are the reincarnation of his lost love. What's the problem?"

Kagome: "Well, she kind of came back from the dead. It's a long story, but this old witch in the mountains tried to suck my soul out and put it into Kikyo's remains. But I managed to pull back most of my soul except the part that was still wanted to kill Inuyasha."

JS: "Let's bring out Inuyasha!"

INUYASHA comes out pumping his fist in the air and riling up the crowd. He hands KAGOME a bouquet of flowers.

JS: "Inuyasha. Tell us how do you feel that your ex-girlfriend is trying to kill you?"
Inuyasha (subtitled): "Feh?"
JS: "Do you still have feelings for her?"
Inuyasha: "What!? (Looks at KAGOME) No, of course not!"
JS: "You don't look sincere, Inuyasha. Let's bring out Kikyo."

KIKYO comes out and takes a seat. INUYASHA blushes, KAGOME looks fit to be tied.

JS: "Kikyo, why the anger? Why do you want to kill Inuyasha and Kagome?"
Kikyo: "No, I just want to kill Inuyasha. Kagome could be roasted alive or not for all I care."
Kagome: "HEY!"

JS: "Calm down, everybody. So, why the revenge thing? He slept around on you? Always hung out wit the boys too late?"

Kikyo: "No. Because I want Inuyasha all to myself, even if it's in hell. Inuyasha, come to me now! Let death embrace us both and live together in the afterlife."

Inuyasha: (Looking beatific) "OK."

Kagome: (enraged) "Inuyasha, no!"

INUYASHA walks over to KIKYO with open arms.

Kagome: "This isn't happening! Damn it. OSUWARI! OSUWARI! OSUWARI!"

*BOOM* *BOOM* *BOOM*

JERRY SPRINGER lifts off his mask and reveals he is in fact, NARAKU while Kagome still keeps screaming OSUWARI in the background and INUYASHA keeps hitting the floor.

NARAKU: "Now for my final thoughts. I am a youkai that thrives on chaos and the misery of others. If I had known about TV talk shows back in the Feuding States era, I could have saved myself a lot of trouble. HAHAHAHAHAHA!"

I don't think she really enjoys the lechery. I think she just feels that Miroku is worth the trouble, because after all, he is strong, intelligent, good-looking, and trustworthy (on the battlefield), and he does really care for her...

He just has these bad habits on the side, kinda like smoking and drinking.

btw, the Jerry Springer thing was killer funny. Especially the last bit by Naraku.

OH GOD, I laughed my ass off on that Springer thing.
The thought of Jerry Springer being Naraku! *LOL*
This makes me think of "Senshi's on Jerry Springer".
*still laughing... ten min. later... still laughing...
remembers that Hikago has been liscenced...
doesn't care and continues to laugh... still laughing*

Woot! another topic I have something to say on. First off the Jerry springer thing was the funniest thing that I have seen in a while.
I think you guys might have went a little to deep into Miroku. It could be true,But I just don't see him being that deep. Well I guess I'll wait till somene analyizes some of the other characters.

I do this too. Most of the characters are surprisingly deep for a "cartoon". One of the things I love about the show.

And I agree with MirokuKun. And I think his analysis of Miroku was the creators'/writers' vision for the character too. The fact that his lecherous side only comes out during appropriate spots of comic relief shows this. In other words, you never see him taking advantage of women during really serious situations or when they're incapacitated-- which obviously he wouldn't think twice about doing if he were truly a lech and perv. Also has anyone actually seen him follow-through on any of his lecherous endeavors? I doubt he's even been past 1st base.

This is kind of hinted at in the one episode where Miroku's tanuki friend goes around impersonating him. The tanuki ends up having way more luck than Miroku. When Miroku catched up with him, he asks his tanuki friend to teach *him!*

I am not alone anymore (*sniff*). Others believe the Pooch Posse rates an appearance on Jerry Springer. Actually, Montel or Riki Lake might be more appropriate.

It would seem everyone on our favorite hero team (along with 'fiends' and family) is a tad disfunctional: Inuyasha, Sesshomaru and Kikyo have anger management issues. Inuyasha, Kagome and Miroku are all insecure and afraid of expressing their feelings. Inuyasha and Sango have relationship difficulties with family members. And every last one of kids, including Shippo, is missing a father! Hmmm. Do you detect a pattern? Can you say missing authority figure? I knew you could.

There's supposed to be a book released earlier this year in Japan which is genuine pschological study of the characters in Inuyasha. While I'm eagerly await this rumored publication to surface in NA, translated of course, we can continue to play "armchair shrink" and enjoy our mutual observations.