Kagura (神楽, かぐら, Kagura^? lit. the dance of the gods) is a fictional character in the anime and manga series InuYasha. She is first seen in volume 15 of the manga and in episode 39 of the anime. Her name is pronounced "Kah-gu-ra"; however, most characters pronounce her name so fast it's pronounced more like "Kah-gra". Takahashi is one of the wealthiest women in Japan. ... For the Buddhist underworld, see Naraka (Buddhism). ... Kanna (神無, かん な, godless world; sometimes romanised Kanna) her name is pronounced Kah-n-naa is a character in the manga and anime series Inuyasha. ... Goshinki (悟心鬼) is a character in the anime and manga series InuYasha. ... Kageromaru Kagerōmaru is a fictional character in the manga and anime Inuyasha. ... Juromaru pictured without his chains and metal mask. ... For the Buddhist underworld, see Naraka (Buddhism). ... Muso (無双, ã‚€ そう, Musō peerless) is a character in the manga and anime series InuYasha. ... For the Buddhist underworld, see Naraka (Buddhism). ... Akago (赤子, あか ご, literally imperial child), also referred to as Akanbo (baby boy), is a character in the anime and manga series InuYasha. ... Hakudōshi is a character in the manga and anime series Inuyasha. ... Byakuya (白夜, meaning midnight sun, white (arctic) night or short night) is a character from the popular manga series InuYasha. He is Narakus latest offspring (9th) meant to replace Kagura. ... Alice, a fictional character based on a real character from the work of Lewis Carroll. ... “Animé” redirects here. ... This article is about the comics published in East Asian countries. ... “Inuyasha” redirects here. ...

Overview

Kagura the wind sorceress is the second detachment of Naraku. She dresses in a three-layer kimono typical of Kagura dancers and wears a pair of earrings (each is a string of five light green beads with a tuft of hair at the end). The irises of her eyes are red and she has no pupils. Kagura uses her wind-manipulating fan to create slicing winds and powerful tornadoes with which to attack her foes. Even without the fan, Kagura can control wind; it merely helps focus her abilities. A pair of feathers in her hair can be enlarged to allow her escape on the wind if need be. For the Buddhist underworld, see Naraka (Buddhism). ... Kagura is the Japanese word for sacred Shinto dances. ...

From very early on, Kagura's chief desire is to kill Naraku in order to free herself from his control. However, because Naraku carries her heart, her defiance could lead to her death in a heartbeat. Like the wind she was born of, she wishes to be free and will try to gain that freedom any way she can. Despite such impediments, she works toward his death, mostly by manipulating the two camps opposed to Naraku, those of InuYasha (she finds out about the night he loses his powers, but chooses to keep it a secret so InuYasha can defeat Naraku) and Sesshomaru. Slight arrogance and foolhardiness define her personality, and she likes to make wisecracks. InuYasha also romanized as Inuyasha) is the eponymous title character and male protagonist of the manga and anime series InuYasha by Rumiko Takahashi. ... Sesshomaru ) is a fictional character and anti-hero in the anime and manga series InuYasha created by Rumiko Takahashi. ...

Death

In the manga, Naraku charges her with her final job, which is to guard Goryōmaru at a prison. Hakudōshi convinces her to release him secretly, because he is secretly plotting with Akago to destroy Naraku. During this time, Kohaku inadvertently reveals to Kagura he has recovered his memory. The two end up becoming unlikely allies, sharing information as to Naraku's weaknesses and somewhat gaining the other's trust due to their common desire for his destruction. Kagura grows protective of Kohaku and ultimately defies Naraku openly in order to protect him and allow him to escape. As a result, Naraku grants Kagura her wish by giving her back her heart - but then pumps her full of his corrosive shōki by impaling her with his tentacles, ensuring her death, and leaves her to live out her brief moment of freedom in a constant state of pain. Akago (赤子, あか ご, literally imperial child), also referred to as Akanbo (baby boy), is a character in the anime and manga series InuYasha. ... Kohaku is a fictional character in the anime and manga series InuYasha. ...

Catching the scent of Naraku's shōki, Sesshomaru tracks Kagura down in this state, and when she tells him Naraku is not there he reveals that he knew it was her. He briefly considers trying to use Tenseiga to save her life, but the sword is unable to do so and does not respond. However, Kagura seems content to have seen Sesshomaru one more time. She thinks: "In the end, I was with you..." She dies peacefully as the free wind, her body dissolving into the air as InuYasha and the gang stand helplessly on the side. When InuYasha later asks if Kagura was suffering, Sesshomaru simply says that she was smiling. And Kagura's last thoughts were: "I am the wind. The free wind..." The Tenseiga (天生牙) is a fictional demon sword from the anime and manga series InuYasha. ...

Only in the manga does Kagura die; she was still alive at the end of the anime as it ended before reaching that point.

Abilities

Kagura can create and control the winds, giving her a broad range of abilities. She always carries a large folding fan which she uses to summon and focus her powers. In battle, she will usually drop the right sleeve of her kimono to increase her movement.

Main (Wind) Attacks:

Dance of Blades (Fujin no Mai, "dance of the wind") 

Kagura's basic attack. With a sharp wave of her fan, she flings multiple crescent-shaped wind blades towards her enemies. These missiles strike with deadly, often explosive force.

Dance of the Dead (Shikabane-Mai) 

Kagura animates and controls corpses or soulless beings (those taken by Kanna's mirror) to fight for her or serve as messengers.They are almost unstoppable

Dance of the Dragon (Ryuuja no Mai) 

Her strongest attack, where she forms several twisters or one huge twister to launch at her enemies. It is used to suppress the wind scar, hold off a strong assault or trap a foe within the vortex. The twisters are at high speed and are entirely under Kagura's control.

Kagura also has the ability to enlarge one of the feathers she wears in her hairband. Once expanded, the feather can be used as a sort of magic carpet for Kagura and at least one passenger to ride, powered by the winds she creates.

Relationships

Naraku 

Despite the fact Naraku created her, Kagura despises him because she is nothing but a dispensable tool to him. Because he holds her heart, she cannot hope to defy him without fear that he can easily kill her.

Kanna 

The first detachment of Naraku, Kagura's older sister. Unlike Kagura, she is loyal, likely because she does not care about her fate. She looks younger than Kagura, but is often the wiser of the two. Kagura finds her somewhat creepy and submissive while Kanna seems to consider Kagura foolhardy. They do not seem to have a particular opinion of the other, especially since Kanna thinks nothing of obeying Naraku's orders to lure her sister towards Naraku when he separated into the countless demons and punished her for disobeying him. Of Naraku's detachments, they are the only two besides Hakudōshi to survive multiple battles.

Sesshomaru 

Kagura initially intends to use Sesshomaru in the same way she hopes to use InuYasha, encouraging him to destroy Naraku so that she can be free. Impressed by his strength, she approaches him, offering a shard of the Shikon Jewel if he will kill Naraku. He flatly refuses. However, after seeing him in action several times, Kagura's opinion of Sesshomaru only grows, and she becomes convinced that only he will be able to kill Naraku and she helps Sesshomaru on several occasions by providing him with information. During a near-death experience, she flew, severly injured, "just to see him one more time". Sesshomaru was also with her when she died.

Kohaku 

Sango's younger brother, who is resurrected by Naraku with a shard of the Shikon no Tama. After he secretly recovers his memory, he works to destroy Naraku by learning of Naraku's secrets. He inadvertently reveals the truth to Kagura and the two become somewhat allied, probably because of the similarity of their situations. She protects Kohaku from Hakudōshi, helping him escape when Hakudōshi plans to take his jewel shard even though such an act of open defiance puts her own life in danger and she could have protected herself by remaining uninvolved.

Koga 

The leader of the Yōrō-Zoku (wolf-yōkai tribe). He despises Kagura because she slew his kin and set him up to fight InuYasha (whom he already disliked) while she has a very low opinion of him and thinks he is weak.

Goshinki 

Kagura's younger brother, Naraku's third detachment. He does not last more than one battle against InuYasha and his friends. Kagura thinks that Goshinki is nothing but a brainless glutton until he reads her mind.

Akago and Hakudōshi 

Originally one entity, a baby that can read minds and find darkness in people's hearts and use it to take control of them. A priest slices the child in two and Kanna and Kagura each take a half, Kanna's half remaining the baby Akago while Kagura's half becomes Hakudōshi. Kagura does not trust Hakudōshi anymore than Naraku, despite the fact he appears to be defying Naraku as well.

InuYasha 

While Kagura is not exactly an ally of InuYasha, she has no intention of destroying him because he may be the key to freeing her from Naraku. When she learns that he will become a human during the night of the new moon, she chooses not to tell Naraku knowing that InuYasha could very well be her trump card. InuYasha, while initially he sees her only as an ally of Naraku, manages to gain some sympathy for her, particularly when he realizes she has been protecting Sango's brother Kohaku and she wishes for Naraku's destruction.

Kikyo 

Kagura often refers to her as "that woman" and Kikyo knows Kagura only as an agent of Naraku. They have had several encounters, one of which had Kikyo firing a warning arrow at her when Kagura attempted to attack a weakened InuYasha. In the second InuYasha movie, Kagura appears to acquire an item from Kikyo. Rather than fighting Kagura, Kikyo simply gives her the item and goes on her way, Kagura seems surprised and thinks to herself "such a creepy woman".

Kaguya 

In InuYasha the Movie: The Castle Beyond the Looking Glass, Kagura and Kanna were walking through a forest when Kanna felt she was being called to a mirror decides to awaken princess Kaguya-hime. When awake Kaguya tells Kagura that she is able to grant Kagura true freedom. So Kagura eagerly agrees to gain that promised freedom from Kaguya. However, after Kaguya is freed from her mirror, Kagura asked for the freedom that she had been promised, but is turned down by Kaguya. When Kagura and Kanna are in Kaguya's castle, Kagura tried to have Kaguya's soul stolen and fails.

For the Buddhist underworld, see Naraka (Buddhism). ... Kanna (神無, かん な, godless world; sometimes romanised Kanna) her name is pronounced Kah-n-naa is a character in the manga and anime series Inuyasha. ... Sesshomaru ) is a fictional character and anti-hero in the anime and manga series InuYasha created by Rumiko Takahashi. ... Kohaku is a fictional character in the anime and manga series InuYasha. ... The Jewel of Four Souls (四魂の玉, Shikon no Tama) or Shikon Jewel, is a fictional, magical jewel in the anime and manga series InuYasha. ... Kōga lit. ... Goshinki (悟心鬼) is a character in the anime and manga series InuYasha. ... Akago (赤子, あか ご, literally imperial child), also referred to as Akanbo (baby boy), is a character in the anime and manga series InuYasha. ... Hakudōshi is a character in the manga and anime series Inuyasha. ... InuYasha also romanized as Inuyasha) is the eponymous title character and male protagonist of the manga and anime series InuYasha by Rumiko Takahashi. ... Kikyo ) is a character in the manga and anime series InuYasha. ... Kaguya is a fictional character from the popular anime and manga series InuYasha. ...

Music

InuYasha Ongaku Hen Ni

• "Kaze Tsukai Kagura" (「風使い神楽」, Wind-User Kagura^?) — Kagura's theme, a fast-moving piece that gives the effect of a strongly blowing wind.

Eiga InuYasha: Kagami no Naka no Mugenjō Ongaku Hen

• "Ubawareta Koromo" (「奪われた衣」, "Stolen Night"^?) — An orchestration of Kagura's theme that plays when Kagura, Kanna and Kaguya attempt to steal the sleeve from InuYasha's robe.

Kanna (神無, かん な, godless world; sometimes romanised Kanna) her name is pronounced Kah-n-naa is a character in the manga and anime series Inuyasha. ... InuYasha also romanized as Inuyasha) is the eponymous title character and male protagonist of the manga and anime series InuYasha by Rumiko Takahashi. ...

Notes and references

Voice actresses

• Japanese seiyū: Izumi Ōgami
• English: Janyse Jaud
• Spanish: Diana Pérez
• Portuguese: Raquel Marinho
• German: Tatjana Pokorny
• Italian: Cinzia De Cariolis
• Hungarian: Csampisz Ildikó