Shippo
From Free net encyclopedia
Template:This article is about Template:IY Character
Shippo (七宝 Shippō) is a character in the anime and manga series Inuyasha.
Contents |
Name roots
'Shippō' means 'the seven treasures' (as in gold, silver, pearls, agate, crystal, coral, and lapis lazuli) in Japanese. (The English anime of Inuyasha spells his name in a manner that ignores the double "o" - "Shippo" has a different meaning than "Shippō"). The similar-sounding 'shippo' (しっぽ) means 'tail', which is likely a deliberate pun.
About
He is a kitsune, a (yōkai-fox) who tags along with Kagome and Inuyasha after they defeat the Thunder Brothers. At first, Shippō attacks Inuyasha and Kagome in an effort to steal their shards of the Jewel of the Four Souls (Shikon no Tama). He wants to use them to become stronger so he can avenge his father's death at the hands of the Thunder Brothers. After Inuyasha and Kagome hear Shippō's story, they help him fulfill his revenge and he becomes the first new member of the group. Shippō, unlike some yōkai, has no problem with humans, but Inuyasha and Shippō always tease each other while Kagome acts like a combination of mother and sister to Shippō. Though young and rather naïve, he has a very good grasp of the emotions and motives of his companions, and has oddly accurate moments of insight. He wishes very much that Kagome and Inuyasha would not fight, and when they do, he is right there trying to convince Inuyasha to apologize for whatever he did, resulting in a quick bop to the noggin for the kitsune.
As a kitsune, his specialty is trickery. He has fooled with Inuyasha in particular on a few occasions, once abandoning him on the side of a road with his hands trapped beneath a stone with a sutra on it, one act among several that have garnered Inuyasha's mild resentment. Shippō's illusions aren't always complete and don't always last for very long, leaving Shippo to face trouble from the people or yōkai he may be trying to deceive.
Character relationships
Girls along the way
Shippō meets a variety of young girls upon his travels. They are drawn to him due to his innocent sense of fun, his cuteness and tiny size, his sense of humour, and general pleasantness. Some of these include:
- Souten, the younger sister of the Thunder Brother. Shippou accepted her challenge to duel, thinking that she was a boy. Later, when she revealed her true gender, Shippou called off the battle and permitted her to keep his box of coloring crayons (which Souten had found extremely fascinating). After witnessing this act of chivalry on Shippou's part, Souten develops a crush for the kitsune.
- Satsuki, who he saved from a lizard yōkai who tricked her into believing that it was her brother.
- Mitsuki, a girl who he was pressured into playing a trick on by a band of fox demons who idolized him.
Kirara
Shippō has a special relationship with Kirara, Sango's pet, and he is often found talking to her, particularly during battles in which their skills are not needed. Shippō is the weak member of the group, Kirara the one who cannot speak. They're both quite small, are the only full demons of their group, and both specialize in fire techniques. These similarities lead to a strong sense of comradery, even if they are fox and cat.
Inuyasha
Shippō focuses many of his tricks upon the main character. Also being a canine demon, he sees Inuyasha in the role of an older brother. He values his strength, and emulates him, even asking to borrow his Tessaiga, and mimicking his 'Wind Scar' with his own 'Heart Scar'. Despite this, like any bratty younger brother, Shippō constantly torments Inuyasha with practical jokes and thinly veiled insults. This often causes Inuyasha to physically abuse Shippō.
Kagome and Sango
Kagome and Sango view Shippō like a younger brother, and take on a rather motherly role. When Inuyasha begins his assault, Kagome tells him to "Sit Boy!", punishing him for beating on the younger and weaker demon.
Miroku
Other characters have remarked that Shippo has been emulating Miroku's flirtatiousness with women (in Shippō's case, girls), and gained his natural charm. Shippo has shown his affection for Miroku by crying when he was willing to kill himself to destroy Naraku.
Voice Actor
- Japanese Seiyū: Kumiko Watanabe
- English Voice Actor: Jillian Michaels (actress)
Abilities
- Kitsune Youjutsu (Fox Magic): A umbrella term for all his magical ability
- Naki Kinoko (Weeping Mushrooms): Leaves a trail of wailing, crying mushrooms that can be followed to his current location.
- Tsubushi Goma (Smashing Top): Illusionary magic using a small toy top that gives the appearance and presence of a very large top, often used to pin opponents to the ground.
- Bunshin (Divide): Using special happa (leaves), creates many illusionary clones of Shippō that distract the enemy.
- Kitsune-bi (狐火 Fox Fire): Summons a ghostly-looking blue fire. Used mostly for defense but works as an effective attack against weak yōkai.
- Transformation: Deceives the enemy by transforming into another creature. These transformations are often incomplete, his untransformed tail usually gives him away, and the appearance usually can't be maintained for very long. He is also able to transform to a pink balloon-like shape with limited flying ability to carry one light person like Kagome. Shippō is also able to transform into a spider, thinking that Inuyasha was afraid of spiders (he does so in episode 13).
- Kokoro no Kizu (Wound of the Heart) (Dub: Heart Scar): Shippo learned this new attack while fighting a lizard demon. Shippō simply inflicts a painful but not deadly bite. This technique may release some of the yōkai's energy every time it strikes, as Shippo says that he saw the Kaze no Kizu.Template:InuyashaCharacter