Episode 23

Kagome's Voice and Kikyo's Kiss is the twenty-third episode of the InuYasha anime. It first aired in Japan on April 16, 2001.

Synopsis

 * 1) Kagome confronts Kikyō; Explaining Inuyasha didn't betray her, but victims of an elaborate ruse.
 * 2) Kikyō ignores Kagome, and is resolved to destroy Inuyasha.
 * 3) Inuyasha and Kikyō meet, Inuyasha declares that he's never stopped thinking about her and they kiss.
 * 4) Kikyō attempts to drag Inuyasha to hell so that they will be together; but Kagome's voice saves Inuyasha.
 * 5) Witnessing the whole thing, Kagome goes home.

Summary
Inuyasha separates from the group to find Kikyō, and goes to the location Sayo told him then sees a hairband and wonders if she's still alive. Kagome finds Kikyō sleeping in a tree and stands in front of her before she wakes up to see her.

Kikyō asks how was Kagome able to get past her barrier, who didn't notice. Kagome sees the Soul Collectors carrying souls of the dead women and told Kikyō that she has to set them free. Kikyō ignores Kagome's words and asks Inuyasha's whereabouts, who says he went off to find her. Filled with jealousy towards her living reincarnation, Kikyō paralyzed Kagome with her touch and tied her to a tree so that Inuyasha couldn't see or hear Kagome when he arrived. Inuyasha notices Soul Collectors going into a barrier but couldn't go in and wonders if Kikyō is behind it. However, Kikyō immobilizes Kagome by tying her to a tree with her Soul Collectors so that she does not intervene with her plan to kill Inuyasha but can only talk to Kikyō, who announces to Kagome that Inuyasha is there and opens the barrier for him, he says that Inuyasha only wants to see her and she will not interfere. When Kagome tried to explain to Kikyō the true circumstances that led to her death, because of Naraku's plan and not because of Inuyasha. Kikyō silenced her, saying that whoever caused her death is not important, as she cannot bring her back to life. Her plan consists of taking Inuyasha to hell with her so they can be together. Before Kagome could convince Kikyō otherwise, Inuyasha arrives, who only notices the presence of Kikyō. Kagome tries to talk to Inuyasha to explain to Kikyō about Naraku but immediately notices that he can't hear nor see her.

Inuyasha asks Kikyō if it's her gathering souls of the dead women and says she must recharge herself with dead souls if she was to remain in the world of the living. Kikyō tells Inuyasha that he must despise her for collecting souls to lead her revenge because of her hatred of him, but Inuyasha tells her that even if she hated him he doesn't to her, he hadn't spent a single day without thinking about her. Inuyasha says that he wouldn't hate Kikyō either if she killed him. Kagome overhears everything and is sad, which she cannot fully grasp herself. Touched, Kikyō kissed Inuyasha and professed her love for him and embraces him in his arms. Kagome blames herself for getting into such a situation in the first place. Sensing that Kikyō's body lacks warmth, Inuyasha realized that he couldn't help her and wished for time to stop, to which Kikyō responded by trying to take him with her to the underworld to join her in death.

Kikyō takes Inuyasha's statement as permission to drag him to underworld, she begins to open a portal to take Inuyasha away. However, Kagome intervenes that Kikyō should leave him alone, since he is no longer conscious and has not made this decision himself. Suddenly Kikyō releases the spell on Kagome, but she does not recognize her arguments and they are dragged further down. Then Kagome calls out that she should finally leave Inuyasha alone and suddenly Kikyō's souls begin to disappear. Kagome tries to wake him but is useless at first. However, Kagome was able to reach Inuyasha with her voice in time, and Inuyasha left Kikyō to free Kagome. Inuyasha kills the Soul Collectors who tie Kagome to the tree. Kikyō, heartbroken, asked Inuyasha if Kagome was more important to him than she was, and leaves with her Soul Collectors, telling Inuyasha, who was telling her to wait, not to forget that her feelings when they kissed were true.

After witnessing Kikyō leave, Kagome also gets up and decides to go back home, not being held back by Inuyasha, who decides to follow her. Kagome decides she no longer wants to help with the jewel shards search and when Inuyasha says that only she can sense the jewel shards, whereupon Kagome thinks, that it is only thing she is needed for this. She tells him that she has seen everything from the beginning and that he should leave her alone and when he doesn't hear. Kagome stops walking before she angrily tells Inuyasha, who continues to follow her, to "SIT" and walks away. Miroku and Shippō find Inuyasha and notices imbedded agroof in the ground.

Meanwhile, Kikyō visits her sister Kaede, who was surprised to see her survived the fall. Kikyō reveals to Kaede she met Inuyasha earlier and announces that she wants to destroy Inuyasha, but she wants to find out more about Naraku and confirm that he was responsible for her death and her separation from Inuyasha. She learns how it originated from Onigumo because it coveted Kikyō. When Kikyō leaves, she says that Inuyasha's eyes are no longer as cold as they did 50 years ago and Kaede says that Kagome is a strange girl but she's slowly healing Inuyasha's heart, which makes Kikyō jealous and says she could've healed his heart, but then she just disappears. The next day, Kagome travels all the way back to the well to return to the modern era.

Miroku wants to know what Inuyasha actually did with Kikyō and is horrified when he learns that they have kissed. Shippō wonders if Kagome will ever come back as confused as she is. Miroku and Shippō meanwhile accost Inuyasha about who he wants to be with, Kagome or Kikyō. Kagome returns to the Feudal Era as she forgot her belongs and secretly listens to their conversation. Inuyasha asks if he can't just be with them both, much to Shippō's annoyance. Miroku tells Inuyasha that Kagome must never find out about this. Kagome tells Inuyasha to "SIT" and Miroku and Shippō looked to see him imbedded agroof in the ground again. Shippō says karma includes bad thoughts.

Quotes
[Shippō and Miroku find Inuyasha imbedded agroof in the ground]

Shippō: Inuyasha! What're you doing here? Have you seen Kagome?

Miroku: I've seen him like this before. Kagome is just fine.

Kikyō: By the way, Inuyasha has changed. His face had a softness. In the past, he trusted no one. His eyes were cold.

Kaede: That Kagome is a strange girl. She has been able to slowly heal Inuyasha's heart.

Kikyō: That girl, again. So she's the one who changed him... [bitterly] ...If I had lived, I would have been the one to heal his heart...

Miroku: "She's gone. Inuyasha, Kagome wasn't her usual self. What on earth happened with Kikyō?"

Inuyasha: "The same thing you always do with women."

Miroku: [jumps back; shocked, appalled] "Wha—?! You mean—?! You did something like that in front of Kagome?!"

Inuyasha: "What do you usually do?!"

Kagome: [reappearing in bottom of well] "What's the matter with me? I was in such a state I forgot my things here. Hey, is anyone out there?" [hears others talking]

Miroku: "What'll you do, Inuyasha?"

Shippō: "Who will you choose?"

Miroku: "Decide now(!)"

Shippō: "Well?"

Inuyasha: "...Can't I choose them both?"

Shippō: "You mean— Two-timing?!"

Miroku: "Well, it often happens with men. But regardless, no matter what happens, Kagome must never find out about this. If she were ever to hear what you just said..."

Kagome: SIT!!!

Miroku: "That's right, BIG sit."

Shippō: "They say karma includes bad thoughts."

Differences from the manga

 * In the anime, Inuyasha is shown to have traveled all the way to the lake where Kikyō killed Seikai.
 * The conversation between Kikyō and Kagome is much longer in the anime than in the manga.
 * The anime omits the scene of Miroku and Shippō noticing the souls escaping from Kikyō.
 * The anime and the manga are nearly completely different in their handling of the fight between Inuyasha and Kagome after Kikyō leaves. In the anime, Kagome's anger leads her to travel all the way back to the well to return to the modern era. Miroku and Shippō meanwhile accost Inuyasha about who he wants to be with. In the manga, Kagome and Inuyasha continue walking around the river area they previously made camp at, and eventually have a heartfelt conversation.

Episod 23 第二十三集 Tập 23