This screenshot demotivational poster is highly Anti-InuKag. So, please, take what I have to say with a grain of salt.
As for all of my Anti-InuKag friends, fellow artists, fans, and brethren, do endeavor to sit back, relax, and revel in the pummeling evisceration of one of my biggest NOTPs of all time.
At the opposite end of my venomous hatred against InuKag, do expect some hints of pro-InuAya and pro-BanKag moments.
This failure of a couple certainly had it coming in terms of what I am going to dish out on them, considering the extremely complicated relationship I had with InuKag growing up when I was an eleven-year-old boy until now that I am approaching twenty-eight years old in more than a week.
I never comprehended the appeal of this “couple” when I was a young lad and I even tried liking InuKag when I was fourteen. Unfortunately, all hopes of me seeing the positives of InuKag fell miserably flat as the years rolled by because all I saw in them was an unhealthy, unfulfilling, upsettingly frustrating dynamic.
Repeated viewings of Inuyasha, research I have done about this “couple”, better alternative pairings for Inuyasha and Kagome, getting to the root of what makes this them not work together so well, and my own dislike on Kagome for how she has been treating Inuyasha and how she cannot always stand up on her own two feet as a heroine have made me very determined to express why my hatred for InuKag is not only visceral but also why this poor excuse of a couple is indubitably unhealthy in terms of their relationship patterns.
Thanks to one of my greatest friends, fellow artists, and fellow writers, RivaAnime, I was able to fully realize that Inuyasha and Kagome are a clear example of being in a Karmic Relationships. This means that they repeat vicious cycles such as the bickering, squabbling, and grumbling, pushing each others’ buttons to the nth degree, emotional stress especially what Inuyasha had to go through before and after he met Kikyou who he swore to protect with all his life but failed due to Naraku playing a vile trick on the both of them, and Kagome’s unnecessary jealousy towards Kikyou, even though the latter wanted to cross over to the next life and not be alive to relive certain pains anymore.
The only positive facet about Inuyasha’s and Kagome’s relationship was mainly reflected in the first few seasons, when there were moments that Kagome wanted to get to know Inuyasha a lot more. Eventually, she did show him acceptance and what it feels like to have decent company.
However, that aspect goes downhill due to Kagome not fully understanding all of the pains Inuyasha had to go through, her refusal to trust him and his side of the story, showing no motivation to want to become better as a fighter let alone as her own person, not taking full responsibility that she was the one who accidentally shattered the Shikon Jewel while saving a boy from a crow demon, constantly getting herself kidnapped, stringing Kouga along to stir Inuyasha’s jealousy, and the control that Kagome thinks she has over Inuyasha with the Beads of Subjugation, which were initially supposed to be used for protection but is nothing more than a tool for asserting her domineering, manipulative nature.
Kagome’s abuse of the Beads of Subjugation is so terrible that I was gnashing my teeth at the final moments of Episode 109 when Kagome “sat” Inuyasha for twenty plus times, the picnic scene when Inuyasha wanted boiled water for his ramen, which she brought, and the final moment when Inuyasha wanted the pickled eggplant on rice in the first movie, and the end of the third movie when Kagome placed back the Beads of Subjugation on Inuyasha stating that she does not want to see him running off on his own again, even if he was trying to protect her. This same mistrust even extends to the final moments of “Inuyasha: The Final Act” in which the beads were never off.
Speaking of “Inuyasha: The Final Act”, while it was amazing to see Naraku finally defeated, as well as the Shikon Jewel gone from existence, it was a huge bummer when Inuyasha had to wait three years for Kagome to come back, when she should have had her priorities more straightened out. If she wanted to graduate High School and go back to her normal life, that would be fine. If she wanted to ditch High School to end up with Inuyasha, that would also be fine. But making him wait for three years just so that she can graduate High School, even after all of the fantastic amount of absences she incurred, was really crossing the line and shows just how skewered Kagome’s priorities really were. Moreover, the only thing that drew not only Inuyasha and Kagome but also Miroku, Sango, and even Shippou and Kirara together along with Sesshoumaru, Kohaku, and Rin was banding together to destroy Naraku and nothing more. Sure, Inuyasha and Kagome were destined to be there for each other because at least she showed Inuyasha trust, but the many times Kagome proved herself to be incompetent, whiny, and helpless displayed how utterly undeserving they were for each other.
So, where do the alternative pairings, which are guaranteed to be healthier, come in the fray in order to alleviate InuKag’s brand of being insufferable? At least with me, they come in my AU headcanon.
Since Inuyasha and Kagome never had anything to do with each other, it would be Ayame and Bankotsu who would really show them what unconditional love, synergy, and compassion can look and feel like.
Inuyasha would certainly be blessed to have someone as strong, capable, and determined as Ayame because of how wonderfully their personalities can mesh. They can also see the best in each other and compliment on each others’ strengths and help each other overcome their weaknesses with bravado, finesse, and heaps of determination and confidence. Ayame would even state that it does not matter if Inuyasha is a hanyou or a yokai, he would still be amazing, courageous, and steadfast in her eyes. As for Inuyasha, he would easily go out of his way to be always strong for his beloved Ayame.
Kagome would be absolutely pleased to have Bankotsu by her side, as he can help her become a more formidable combatant. He can even tap in to her dark side and let her embrace that with all of her being. As for Kagome, she would make Bankotsu see that there is more to life than glory and conquest, as there can be relaxation in forests they can do together. Bankotsu would even prove himself to be more of a gentleman by not taking crap from Kagome and even treating her like a princess while wearing the pants in this relationship. Ergo, they would make for an extremely anti-heroic yet somewhat pro-villainous couple given their unscrupulous deeds.
In conclusion, I know I am going to be crucified for exclaiming this, but I have always been proud to have branded InuKag as my NOTP for life. I am not being funny, but the emotional stress and unhealthy dynamics I have seen from the both of them has been monumentally and awfully sickening, gut-wrenching, and barf-worthy, and they truly deserved better. At least, Ayame can endeavor to provide Inuyasha the unconditional love and compassion he needs and Bankotsu can be the gentleman wearing the pants in his relationship with Kagome.
I hope you all enjoyed this Anti-InuKag demotivational poster and I will see you in the next submission. Take care and stay safe, everybody.
Inuyasha and Kagome from Inuyasha belong to Rumiko Takahashi and Sunrise.
