Dear Papa Archives

Dear InuPapa,

I have heard rumors of another Inuyasha film coming out or the possiblility of the anime series returning now that the manga has ended. Do you believe these rumors to be true?

Also, what do think of Sesshomaru in regards of him being paired up with the miko Kagome? Like many others, I happen to be a fan of these sort of fanfictions and would like your view on this.

Oh...and could you also explain Bakusaiga(sp?) a bit more? I know that Sesshomaru was able to weild the sword when he surpassed you in power but is the sword a part of him or made from one of your fangs? Could you please explain a bit more about this new sword like it's powers?
Sincerely,
Elenna

Dear Elenna,
They're just that: rumors. There's no word from any official source that even hints at a new film or a continuation of the anime. The only new animation is the "Black Tessaiga" special that currently is only being shown at a traveling Takahashi convention, and as of yet has no planned television or DVD release.
With regards to the Sesshoumaru/Kagome pairing... no. Just... no. They don't even interact with each other until the very end of the manga, but I know the pairing in the fandom has existed loooong before that bit of "evidence". The pairing isn't based on anything logical, but is rather the fangirl using Kagome as her own avatar and then fantasizing Sesshoumaru falling for her. It's just not gonna happen.
Bakusaiga is not any sort of memento from me, but is rather formed from Sesshoumaru's own power. ... And considering I was long dead by the time that power was realized, your guess as to how the heck it happened is as good as mine.

Dear Papa,
first off i love you your one of the coolest characters on inuyasha. but i read chapter 490 the one about his swords secret well your so cruel to give sesshomaru a sword that he would have to end up breaking and giving to inuyasha. he's your eldest son and yet you want to hurt him even in death. im not sure of you anymore. i want to know what you were planning why did you do that to sesshomaru and did you even care about him!
Sincerely,
your servant

Dear me servant,
Well, let's just say that I didn't exactly expect to die before putting the whole system in place. It was only unfair because he had no idea what was going on and I wasn't there to reassure him. Then again, can you really make difficult, life-altering decisions that actually have any meaning if you know ahead of time you'll be rewarded if you choose a certain way?

Hi Papapa-sama!
I have an inquery...
My doggy is kinda finicky about which dog cookies I feed her. She'll only eat certain colours (flavours, I guess), and absolutely will not eat her vegetable-flavoured ones!
That got me wondering - what's your favourite flavour of dog cookie?

P.S. May I please have a Papa-hug? :3 ... *bribes with multi-flavoured Milk Bones*
Sincerely,
Keira

Dear Poofynarf,
Dogs can have just as slective tastes as humans. I know one that won't eat anything but its daily kibble and rawhide bones, but turns its nose up at any kinds of treats.
As for my favorite flavor? Hm... I don't know if I have a "favorite" flavor, but I don't like cheese-flavored treats. It's not that I don't like cheese, it just seems like a weird texture for something cheese-flavored. Kinda like apple yogurt. I've got nothing against apple flavoring, but you just don't tend to associate apple flavor with "creamy". *huggle*

Dear Papa,

I was a bit confused about some things in the the last chapter of the manga, particularity about the well.

Could Inuyasha not travel back to Kagome's time or did he just want her to make her own decision about coming back?

Could Kagome? Did she just decide to wait 3 years or did the well just suddenly open up one day?

Also, once Kagome choose to stay in the past, could she not return to her time?

Sincerely,
Jinx

Dear Jinx,
I think it was implied that the well closed after the jewel was destroyed, and neither Kagome nor Inuyasha was able to use it anymore. Kagome then went about finishing high school all the while trying to decide if this was really the life she wanted. Upon graduation, she decided she'd really rather be with Inuyasha and more or less "willed" the well back open. The way she parted with her mother also seemed to imply that it would be a one-way trip and that she wouldn't be able to come back (though I don't see why she couldn't just "will" it open again). I dunno, it was all kinda vague.

Dear Papa,

If Sesshomaru was angry and violent when he was little before becoming more stoic, does that mean Inuyasha might also become colder in nature? Or would have, if Kikyo and Kagome hadn't been there?

A chew plush for your trouble. -gives you plush- :)
Sincerely,
Etsuko

Dear Etsuko,
I doubt that Inuyasha would have had much of the same problem, mostly due to different circumstances surrounding their upbringings. Sesshoumaru's problems were mostly my fault, though admittedly there was little else I could have done differently. Both he and Inuyasha I believe were just lonely, though. With my position, I didn't have a whole lot of ability to really "parent" either one of them appropriately. At least Inuyasha had his mother.

Dear Papa,
will the world end in 2012?
Sincerely,
scared

Dear scared,
... No? Though I guess it depends on what you consider the "end of the world". If you mean outright destruction of the planet with no hopes of life returning before the sun extinguishes itself in a few billion years, then no, that is beyond unlikely. If you mean some sort of socio-political change that makes life suck, then that's at least possible. But I don't pay attention to end of the world predictions, since so far absolutely none of them have been right, obviously.

Dear Papa,

When is the next chapter of your memoirs going to be published? I have found myself entranced by them and I can't stand the wait for the next chapter. So please try to speed up the writings of the next chapter if you could. Also, what do you think of your youngest son, Inuyasha getting married? Are you proud of him? Sad you can't be there? And what do you think Inuyasha and Kagome are going to have first, a boy, a girl, or a whole litter?

Well have a Happy Holidays and thanks for reading.
Sincerely,
Zach

Dear Zach,
I appreciate the interest in my memoirs, thank you. I try to get a chapter up every other week or so, but it is based on my real-life schedule, which around the holidays has been hectic. Hopefully once the holidays are over, I'll have more time to work on the site, but there's also the problem of being distracted by shiny new video games (currently messing with Final Fantasy 12).
It's nice that Inuyasha's gotten married, but I'm not going to hold out hopes for children anytime soon. He is a hybrid after all, and quite possibly has the reproductive potency of a mule.

Dear Papa,

Can I have a hug?

Do you know what mokomoko means in japanese? I have heard that is what yours and Sesshomaru's fluff is called (no not fanfics).

Also if you do not have a name, then where have people been getting the name Touga?

oh here's a bag of milkbones.

Sincerely,
Fluffy things will Rule the World

Dear Fluffy Overlord,
*hug* Sure, everyone gets hugs, unless they're creepy. "Mokomoko" is a sound-effect word for something that's fluffy, so it's more or less the Japanese equivalent of "fluffy". "Mokomoko" isn't really it's "official" name, but it seems to be what the Japanese fandom calls it, and Jaken once called it that in an episode of the anime (though the line was not originally in the manga).
The name "Touga" comes from the original production notes from the third movie. Though the name was never actually used officially, it did appear in a draft of the movie 3 soundtrack booklet, and in text in one of the very first trailers (it's the three characters following the dot), which is in the extras on the movie 3 DVD.

Dear Papa,
Who is the most powerful demon, you've ever known?
Sincerely,
Your Simon

Dear My Simon,
I am, duh. I wasn't legendary for nothing.

Dear honey
Would you marry me again?

P.S. love you endless
Sincerely,
your Izayoi

Dear Izayoi,
You seem to have forgotten that I never married you the first time. But if it had been an option, yeah, I would have.

Dear Papa
you are a dog demon right? Than how do you learn to write and read ? Did you ever go to school when you were young?

P.S. I like you! You look so cute :))
Sincerely,
Your Katy

Dear My Katy,
Aw, thanks. It's unusual for people to say they like me or really have anything positive to say to me at all.
I learned to read and write from whoever would teach me. As I got older and gained more power, those around me considered it "uncultured" for someone of my stature to be illiterate, so schooled me fiercely until I was as poetic and eloquent as the great philosophers of the day.

Dear Papa-sama,
Since Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha are using swords made of your fangs, did you get the missing fangs to grow back, or not? I'm concerned, really.

Also, do you have any weapon in afterlife to protect yourself from nasty girlfans? Demon Fly Swatter or something like that? You are too precious for us, admirers, to be kidnapped and tortured by some girlfan.
Sincerely,
Chiro

Dear Chiro,
Tessaiga and Tenseiga were actually both forged from the same fang, so I only lost one. Because I was putting my own power into the swords, I was warned that the fang wouldn't grow back as it would if I were merely giving it as raw material. Therefore, I opted to have it cut off to be level with the rest of my teeth rather than having the whole thing pulled and leaving an unsightly gap.
Also, I don't have a problem with fangirls where I am. I'm comfortably at the border between this world and the next, while everyone knows rabid fangirls go straight to Hell.

Dear lazy Papa,this is like,the 4th letter I send you.Please answer me T.T. Love ya!(I was asking about sessh)
Sincerely,
Your Name

Dear Impatient Person,
I've updated the code for this page to stop allowing people to spam me with multiple letters in a row, which cuts down on the junk I receive. Also, I don't update this page until my inbox is full, so I have enough new material. Because of this, you're just going to have to wait until my inbox fills up with other people's letters, since there's now a safeguard in place to prevent people from spamming it full.

Dear Papa,

Can priestesses get married?
Sincerely,
Sayuri

Dear Sayuri,
While a miko is generally expected to be a virgin, she is allowed to marry. However, upon marriage she usually leaves her role at the shrine. Therefore, while a miko can marry, most acting mikos are not married.

Dear Papa,could you please tell me,how was Sesshoumaru like,when he was little?I mean,tell me, some funny things he did,some embrassing thing he did,oh,and where could I find some cute pictures of him when he was a puppy :D(including you as well) and could I have a kiss?yes?NO...?if no..then at least a hug please..;_;
Sincerely,
Mini-Me

Dear Mini-Me,
No kisses, but you can have a hug. *hug* Sesshoumaru was actually a fairly serious child, even as a baby and toddler. He actually started out quite angry and violent much of the time, before it cooled off into a stoic apathy.

Dear Papa,

I was watching one of the episodes near the beginning, and it shows Kagome taking a bath. The water in the bath is GREEN. Why in the world would it be that color? I mean, is it because she uses wierd bath salts, or that she was so incredibly filthy that it turned a radioactive color, or is it simply an aesthetic choice by the color people that went horribly wrong?

Here's a bone. I don't know if it's big enough for you, but it's better than the stone ones they've got in the quarry.
Sincerely,
TokenResistence

Dear TokenResistence,
Well, it could be because a) hot water turns green, and b) her bathtub is green. Also, Japan is a highly volcanic country, meaning the ground water has a high mineral content. If you've ever seen a volcanic hot spring, the water in those is often green.

Dear Inu-Papa,

It's me again. And Thank you! I thought I was the only one who was disappointed with Kagome and the jewel wish.

Anywho... another Q for you..... or two...

So about you and Sesshy... what's up with your hair. I love it and all but it's like the image of perfection all pretty and shiny and soft-looking... like spun moonlight. What do you guys do to it?

How come when Sesshomaru is bloody and his entire body has some blood on it somewhere, his hair is like blood proof?

And what do you eat? Is there a special youkai brand of doggy treats or do you just absorb your nurishment through somekind of youkai osmosis. I truly doubt the latter but then your the man...err... dog. Gaining sustinance from the air is only one possibility from your numerous abilities.

Last Q: How was your thanksgiving? IF you celebrate it I mean. I know your kicking it in the afterlife and all but you can still enjoy somethings........ nothing really comes to mind what exactly....

Oh! an What do you do other than answer annoying/ weird/funny questions from fans?

Damn that was supposed to be the last question. Ahh well. Much love Inu-papa and happy holidays.
Sincerely,
Curiosity Feind

Dear Curiosity,
I don't really do anything special to take care of my hair. It' just sort of naturally the way it is. Maybe I've got a lot of oil in my pores, so dirt and blood just slip right off. I do stay regularly bathed and groomed, though.
I eat... um... most anything. I do have a big appetite, and I used to steal cows and stuff, which didn't make people very happy. So instead I started asking for offerings in return for protection from local youkai, which worked out quite a bit better. I stayed fed, the people stayed safe, and the livestock they lost to me wasn't an unexpected loss, so they could plan accordingly. Some of them were still ungrateful, anyway, and refused offerings, so I broke off my end of the deal, too, and they got eaten by youkai. I mean, there is a limit to my charity, and I'm not going to starve myself working for free to protect people who don't give a damn, since that makes me that much less able to protect those who do.
I don't really celebrate any holidays in the sense of making note of their religious or cultural origins, but that doesn't mean I don't use them as an excuse to stuff myself and get together with people and have fun, since they're the only times of year when we all get to be available to have those kinds of gatherings. In the meantime, though I... don't really have much of a life. Because I'm dead.

Dear Papa,
I have to know what would you do if you could change anything in your life
Sincerely,
nemikia

Dear nemikia,
I would have been a better friend so I wouldn't be alone now.

Dear Papa,
like OMG i am so happy that i get to write to you!!!!! >.< me and my friend nemikia wre debating on what you would ware if you grew up in modern times like Kagome Nemikia thinks that you would ware black shirt with Inuyasha insignia on it with camo cargo pants with lots and lots pockets! Me on the other hand i think you would ware a button-up blue and white shirt with black cargo pants with 8 pockets. Oh and here is frisbee*throw the flying disk of dog-fundation, and here is habachi stake and chicken*
Sincerely,
Kiki: demon of the future

Dear Kiki,
Cargo pants? What am I, some 15 year-old punk? I'm an old man, a sweater and some jeans would be fine.

Dear Papa,

How do you feel about your (apparently) nameless state? I know that there's quite a bit of speculation in fandom over what your name is and there's several popular fan names floating around...

Also, with regards to the fluff (for lack of a better term at the moment) that you have, is there any particular reason why you have two and Sesshoumaru only has one? I've heard that it's something related to age or genetics or power, but none of the explanations really make sense. (The strangest theory I've heard was that it was because you had a mate and after you slept with her, you got her...fluff-thing...)

Also, Inuyasha is always wearing the fire-rat robe in the anime/manga, but I'm pretty sure that it was ripped/torn/stained/etc. at various points. Does he have to find a tailor to mend it, does someone in the group do it, or does the robe simply mend itself, like I've seen suggested in forums and fanfiction?

...and one more question. Where did you get your clothing from and how hard it is to keep clean?

I'm so sorry for rambling and asking all these questions. I'd give you something, but I'm not quite sure what you like so...I don't know, I'll give you an "I owe you" for later?
Sincerely,
Fallen-chan

Dear Fallen-chan,
It's kind of annoying that I don't have a name, but there's not much I can do about it. It's the main reason that my memoirs are written as first-person memoirs instead of a third-person story, since in first person I don't have to worry about naming myself in the narration, and everyone else can just call me "hey you" or "kid" or "buttface" or whatever.
I have a two-tailed fluff because I'm just that awesome.
Takahashi has stated in an interview that the fire-rat robe is somewhat "alive" and can therefore mend itself over time.
My clothing, on the other hand, was mostly collected over various places or given to me by people who didn't approve of what I was wearing before (apparently even ancient Japan had fashion police).

Dear Papa,
well i dont know but she and sessh would make a cute couple and i am stiking to the idea.

i have another question i read not in a fan fic that sesshomarus fluff is a parasite demon and if this is true then dose the same go for the fluff with you and sessh's mom?
ps heres some pocky!!!!
Sincerely,
Hiro Nakamora

Dear Hiro,
If you're into pedophilia, maybe...
And any question that takes the form of "I read this in a fanfic, is it true?" is going to be answered with a big fat "NO".

Were Tenseiga and Tetsusaiga created before or after your death? I don't remember it being specified in the manga, although I have always assumed it was before you kicked the bucket.
Sincerely,
Mikaela

Dear Mikaela,
The manga actually does state that they were created before I died. In the Shishinki storyline (somewhere around chapter 490, my memory fails me on the exact chapters), it was stated that I used Tessaiga on Shishinki, and then had Toutousai shear Tenseiga from Tessaiga shortly after that battle.

Dear Papa, don't know if someone's asked you this but if some how you got married and the woman you married got pregnant wich would you rather have a baby girl of another son if so what would you name them?
Sincerely,
Hyper and Easily Distracted

Dear Hyper,
It has been asked before, yes, but I think back on the old site, so I'll let it pass. My answer back then is the same as it is now: I'd like to see what it's like to have a girl, but regardless I would have no idea what to name a child until I actually saw it, so I can't give any name ideas before that.

Dear Papa,
Alright...so I must know. Do you prefer your meat cooked or raw?

Oh yes! I almost forgot...In the third movie, Izayoi gave birth to Inuyasha in a castle, that I'm assuming wasn't yours. Did you have a castle, or did you wander like Sesshomaru?

If you did have a castle, why didn't she stay with you in it?

Or is the movie just a movie...not really cannon, so it doesn't matter?
Sincerely,
Laura

Dear Laura,
I did not have a castle per say, but I'd stay in some sometimes. While my first wife had a castle, I was more of a vagrant and only stopped by if I needed a rest, but didn't really "live" there.

Dear Papa,
It's connect again, and thank you for answering my question and I have another one!
I noticed in volume 2 (around pg 165) that Sesshoumaru seems to have a very much ripped up tongue. Did Sesshoumaru accidentally bite his tongue or something and dissolve it, or is it normally for dogs to have somewhat shredded tongues?

Sincerely,
connect

Dear connect,
It's not shredded, it just has a rippled edge. A lot of Asian-style creatures are depicted with rippled tongues, so it's more of an artistic style than anything that's really wrong with him.

Dear Papa,

In the afterlife, do people fight ? How do you deal with idiots who are dead ?

*gives 10 roasted turkeys, and 5 deep fried turkeys*

Sincerely,
Ashley

Dear Ashley,
Urk... I already think I ate more than my fill of turkey yesterday... But thanks for the thought.
I kill dead idiots so hard, they come back to life.

Dear Papa,
well..... i think so.... rin would be cute if she was older come on dont deny it.
Sincerely,
Hiro Nakamora

Dear Hiro,
Tell me, if you adopted a girl at age 5 and raised her until the age of 18, do you think you'd suddenly want to have sex with her?

Dear Inu-Papa,

OMF-ingG I love your story!!!!! So much to say... I can't even convey it in a message. Can't wait till you update.
Sincerely,
Crazy fanatic Puppy lover

Dear Puppy lover,
Aw, thank you. I'm glad at least someone is enjoying it. Hopefully it isn't too nonsensical, as I don't beta read it at all before posting. If I've made any mistakes or something doesn't make sense, there's a section in the forums where you can let me know.

Dear Inu-Papa,

Ok It's Fiend again. Inuyasha won that one. But my next question.....
What do you think of Kagome's wish on the jewel. Personally I thought it was lame. I mean... after all that... "I wish the jewel was gone." How anti-climatic.
Do you think there would be a more creative answer?

Wouldn't Kikyo have wished for that since she wanted the jewel to cease to exist too? I mean wtf Takahashi-sama. Why that?

On the other hand I can see how this would be easier. But what's your opinion on her getting rid of the jewel?

I hope this is an original question......
Sincerely,
Curiosity Fiend

Dear Fiend,
I found Kagome's wish to be a bit anti-climactic as well. The jewel had existed for how many centuries and THAT was all it took to get rid of it? Wishing it gone? A truly unselfish wish would be wishing for it to have never existed in the first place. With that being the case, everyone would lose all the expieriences and friends and abilities they'd acquired along the way. The "I wish the jewel would disappear" wish simply didn't take any sacrifice or effort on Kagome's part, which is why it sucked.

Dear Papa,

It's me again. I have another question for you. I know you've never met him, but what's your take on Naraku? Some people love him, because he's so evil, others hate him, because he's a coward who rarely fights his own battles. Everyone has their own opinions (I myself fall into the latter category), but how do you feel about him?

Also, what's your take on the whole Sesshomaru/Rin thing? I know in the manga, it ends before Rin is old enough to actually choose a mate, but that doesn't mean it won't happen, right? (Just curious. This is one of the most heated arguments going on in the Inuyasha fandom, and I want to know Sesshomaru's father's opinion on it.)

Here are some prime ribs for putting up with my rambles.
Sincerely,
Miyuki

Dear Miyuki,
Dude, prime rib? You're too kind.
As for Naraku, I found him kind of flat, actually. It was like he was evil solely for the sake of being evil and really had no personal motivation behind any of it. When he finally got the completed jewel and was asked what he'd do with it, he responded "Not a thing." Even in the end when he finally did make a wish on the jewel, it was as he was dying and it never really gained him anything. There just never seemed to be a point to his entire fiasco.
With Sesshoumaru and Rin, I see them as a father/daughter or brother/sister relationship, not as lovers. We can assume that he has no sexual attraction to her at her current age and views her as a daughter or a pet, and that initial feeling towards her is not going to change very easily simply because she becomes sexually mature, otherwise it would be normal for fathers to want to marry their daughters as soon as they turn 18.

Dear Papa, i think this question has been asked more then likely but which out of sesshomaru and kagome sesshomaru and kikyo sesshomaru and kagura or sesshomaru and rin, which do you prefer to happen and wich do you think will? Sincerely, Hiro Nakamora

Dear Hiro Nakamura,
Um... Sesshoumaru and himself, maybe? By the end of the series, two of them are dead, one is married, and one is five. Does he really need a romantic interest?

Dear Papa,
I have heard varying reports about this, and was just wondering if you would know... does Sesshoumaru have a house? Home? Castle?
Is there any interview? Or other canon evidence saying he does or he does not? Just thought sesshoumaru's father would know. ^^
I hope you have a nice day!
Sorry if someone's already asked you this before.
Sincerely,
connect

Dear connect,
Strangely enough, there IS an interview regarding this issue. The official answer: No. He does not have a house, home, castle, or den. He just comes and goes as he pleases.

Dear Inu-Papa,

Hiya! I was doing the laundry and thought of something.

Your two sons and I were having a... discussion about your um..delicate preferance. I asked Sesshomaru and he said that you would have like straight briefs on account of the support for your *cough* junk. InuYasha said real men let them swing and I went for the middle ground of boxer-briefs.

Sorry if it offends at all but I'm curious.

What would you prefer?
Sincerely,
Curiosity Fiend

Dear Fiend,
Bum to the breeze, naturally. I have no need for undergarments.

Dear Inu-Papa,

Uh... I was wonderin.

Is Sesshy's mom alive cuz I think she is but my friends are lik "NO! you'd never cheat on Izayoi-sama"

an I'm like "well maybe they just broke it off or something. Maybe he didn't make Inumama his mate. Maybe is was a political union or something?"

then they're lik. "No! he'd never cheat."

Then i got pissed and was like "well you don't know maybe he just was horny as hell and Izayoi was just awesome and he wanted her. What about that!!!???!!!"

and they All gasped and called me bad names and said I hated you which is a lie cuz i love you Inupapa and all your doggy goodness!

So. Long story short: Sesshy's mom... what's up with her is she livin in a castle sippin sake depressed over you ditchin her or is she in the clouds sippin sake wondering what possessed you to mate a human?

Sincerely,
My-friends-have-issues

Dear friends with issues,
Would you believe that she is both living in a castle AND living in the clouds?

Dear Papa,arenīt you a dragon? Inugames donīt have red eyes and lizard-like tongues! You do look like a dog-dragon o.o".
Sincerely,
mesmerize

Dear mesmerize,
Uh... what? Are you confusing me with Falcor from The Neverending Story? While I admit there are some shared characteristics, I can assure you I am not a dragon.

Dear Papa,

Hello again! I've got myself another question!

Alright, so when Sesshoumaru's mother appears in the manga, she is not particularly warm to him, and seems almost disappointed that he has Rin with him. However, when Rin dies, she brings him back. Does that mean that she just felt bad for her son, or that she does love him?

Do most demons treat their children kindly, or is it kind of like with some wild animals, where they'll eat their children soon after birth?

Allllsoo, in fanfction I've notices that there are a lot of OC's paired with the canon characters. Usually those characters seem to be perfect, and are generally referred to as "Mary-Sues." Do you believe that those characters are made by the creator, because of their faults and are insecure? I couldn't really find the right ways to word that, so I apologize if it doesn't make a whole lot of sense. I guess what I'm trying to ask, is are "Mary-Sues," modeled after the author, in order to make that particular person feel special?

Okay okay okay, only one more question. So, Inuyasha is about 200 years old, right? Sesshomaru is obviously much older than that, but Naraku is only like..50, right? However, it seems that Inuyasha acts much younger than Naraku, so does age not have much to do with maturity? Because, I know that that's not always the case, but it seems that Inuyasha should act a bit older. Perhaps it's because when Onigumo allowed himself to be devoured, he was already an adult, and Inuyasha is still growing?

Again, I apologize if that made absolutely no sense.
Sincerely,
Laura

Dear Laura,
Because there are a wide variety of youkai, there really isn't any "usual" amongst them. Some are nuturing parents, while others' children attempt to kill each other (like Kinka-Ginka). I tried to be a nuturing parent, but in all honesty I think I kind of sucked as a dad.
A "Mary-Sue" is a female original character inserted into an existing fictional universe and makes the plot revolve entirely around her. It is an attempt from the author to gain some sort of recognition by using her character as her avatar and writing the existing cast as being completely awestruck by her, and hoping her readership will follow suit. It rarely ever works out that way.
There really is no canon chronological age set for any of the youkai characters. However, Inuyasha grew up with little or no guidance from society, and therefore was likely unable to emotionally mature until he was put in a situation where he had to constantly interact with other people. A wild dog will always be a wild dog until you tame it, no matter how old it is.

Dear Papa,
What is the proper spelling of Kouga's name? I've seen it with and without the "u".

P.S. I think you should get one of your ears pierced. With those pointy ears of yours it would look kickass!

Sincerely,
Jinx

Dear Jinx,
Er... no thanks. I'm not really into "bling". As for Kouga's name, both ways are technically correct, though I prefer preserving the "u" when romanizing Japanese terms. It's sort of like "color" vs "colour". Both are right, just depends on what system of spelling you were taught.

Dear Papa,

How are you?

Anyway I was wondering since Inuyasha is a Half-demon (aka. a Hybrid) does that mean he can't have children?
Sincerely,
Jinx

Dear Jinx,
Well, if he has the reproductive capacity of a mule, it would explain why he's no good at relationships. Though, since I want grandkids, I'm going to insist that both my kids are highly virile.

Dear Papa,
Is Shippo a daiyoukai, like Sesshomaru? I've heard that he was in a couple different places, but I haven't been able to find any reliable source. So I came to you, since you know nearly everything about your son's adventures and such.
Sincerely,
Mikaela

Dear Mikaela,
Shippou isn't a daiyoukai at the moment, but there's probably no reason he couldn't eventually become one. It's mostly a measure of power, not birth. Even Sesshoumaru had to become a daiyoukai. He didn't inherit the title from me.

Dear Papa,

You mentioned earlier than sexual reproduction with demons was somewhat uncommon. What would be some factors in deciding this?

Also, when demons are born the human way, do they get a decrease in power as the generations go on, or do they get all the powers of their mother and father?

Oh, and here's a New York strip steak. It's supposed to be the best!
Sincerely,
Sayuri

Dear Sayuri,
Well, sexual reproduction with youkai is uncommon simply because there aren't that many youkai willing to sleep with a human (at least out of love). Amongst youkai, there is some sexual reproduction, but many youkai are spontaneously formed from the energy in their surroundings, thus reproduction is kind of a moot point. Youkai such as Naraku or Yura didn't have parents, for example.
But when youkai do reproduce sexually, yeah, the children inherit the traits from both parents. They also inherit the potential from their parents, not necessarily the raw power. Some youkai are born with the capacity for great power but never work to mature it, so end up much weaker than their parents.
And, omg, I love New York Strip! Om nom nom!

dear inupap, i read some where that you actully had four swords two from you fang that sessh and inu got and two were made from your claws is this rrue or not?
Sincerely,
narakus new incanation

Dear naraku's bunshin,
No. As a general rule, if you read it in fanfiction, and haven't heard about it anywhere else, it's not true.

Dear Papa, Do you like to swim? what is your favorite food and drink?
Sincerely,
Kaname Kuran

Dear Kaname,
I don't think I should be swimming if I'm eating and drinking. I'll get a cramp.

Dear Papa, ha ha very funny. Im older than you think

Sincerely,
Kaname Kuran

Dear Kaname,
When 900 years you reach, look as good you will not.

Dear Papa,
Do you think that there is any chance that Inuyasha and Sesshomaru will get on?
I think it would be so cute to see them getting along
Sincerely,
A curious Inu-youkai

Dear Inu-youkai,
I doubt they'd ever "get along", but I can see them at least tolerating each other, as they do by the end of the series.

Dear Papa,
I'm so glad to have found your new site, and that you are back online. WHO does your artwork? I really like it. The pic of you as a puppy is so kawaii!
Sincerely,
little25victor

Dear little25victor,
I do all the artwork on the site, though I mess with various styles for different sections.

Dear Papa,
I should have put this with the other letter I sent in, forgive me! *gives hug*

In the english dub, Sesshoumaru seems to address InuYasha in a sneering way; "little brother" quite a bit and I was curious if he did that in the japanese dub because I thought Sesshoumaru probably wouldn't want to draw attention to the fact they are related all the time.
Sincerely,
Sami

Dear Sami,
I'm thinking that's just an oddity of the English dub. Sesshoumaru never refers to Inuyasha as if they're related in Japanese. Inuyasha only refers to Sesshoumaru as "big brother" once, and it was in sarcasm.

Dear Papa,
I've looked through your archives but haven't seen this posted yet, but forgive me if it has!

When InuYasha's youkai blood takes over, we see him transformed with youkai crests, and the red eyes and super long claws. Why do his claws seem super long - longer than Sesshoumaru's and probably your's when he is only a hanyou being taken over?

It's a dumb question, but the little things piss me off the most.

Ooh and before I forget - *hugs* - it seems to be a tradition around here ^__~
Sincerely,
Sami

Dear Sami,
It's probably because he can't control it like we can. When Sesshoumaru goes red-eyed, his marks enlarge and his fangs and claws also get longer. It's sort of like when a cat puffs up. It's a defense mechanism to make them appear more threatening.

Dear Papa,
why doesn`t inuyasha wear shoes?
and can I get a hug?
Sincerely,
Evelyn

Dear Evelyn,
He probably doesn't wear shoes because shoes are darn expensive. I mean, $50 for a pair of footwear? what a ripoff! Besides, the only affordable footwear of his era were wooden sandals with no arch support, or woven hemp sandals that were as effective as being barefoot, just with more splinters.

Dear sweet Papa,
what`s your favourite colour? :) bussi!!!
Sincerely,
brElein

Dear, uh, br.lein?,
I like blue and white, and wear it all the time!

Dear Papa,
in 3. movie sesshoumaru had the chance to get his left arm back,why doesn`t he want it back? And where got demons clothes,maybe from humans? where got you your clothes from?
Sincerely,
Erna

Dear Erna,
The third movie makes no sense. But the arm probably had gangrene by that point, so who would want it? Plus it had been possessed by a number of icky things. Also, my first clothes were... um... stealthily procured, but since then I made a habit of either legitimately purchasing my wardrobe or acquiring it from the loot of defeated enemies.

Dear Papa,

how old is Sesshomaru?
Sincerely,
Kaname Kuran

Dear Kaname,
Older than you, younger than me.

Dear Papa,
now i've been waiting for a relpy to my question but it seems that im one of the people you hate *tear* but i still wish to know what manga you adcice for me to read. please im so alone right now i need comfort.
Sincerely,
A Friendly Vampire

Dear Vampire,
I simply had no answer for the pieces of your question that I could make sense of, therefore I didn't respond. I don't read manga, therefore I am of no help. Sorry.
Also, I'd like to remind people that since I am not a native English speaker, my knowledge of English is highly standardized and dictionary-dependent, so please use real words when writing to me, otherwise I have no idea what you're saying.

Dear Papa,
I'm back to ask another question, and am still eternally grateful that you've answered my previous ones. I suppose I'm not sure why a lot of Japanese fans don't see Kagome's use of the beads around Inuyasha's neck as an abuse, but I'm not sure you can answer why that is. If you could, that would be enlightening.

What I'm really here to talk about though is some advice you could possibly give me. I often hang out with a group of guys who are your typical anime-obsessed dorks, and for a while I was content to talk about anime and manga with them.

Unfortunately, I find that I have little tolerance for it lately for a few reasons. The first is that I never have the chance to talk about what's important to the world outside of anime. I don't know if you know about it, but there's a presidential election coming up in the U.S. and I've been trying to ask for opinions and recent debates they've heard, but I don't get a thing out of them except "well I'd vote for Naruto."

I also try to talk to them about certain political and environmental projects I'm thinking about starting, but I suppose that they're simply not interested, because they either ignore me or talk over me.

Another thing is that one of the men I hang around with is a rather arrogant guy, and I find him a bit insufferable at times. Whenever I can talk to him about an anime series (rare, given I don't know half of the series' that he does) I try to be analytical and logical, but he shoots down any thoughts I have about the series with a few superficial details that have to do with nothing more than his own whims.

What's most irritating to me is the fact that because I'm the only woman that is part of their social group, they label me as a pet, and worse, a sexual object. This behavior has been growing steadily worse over the past few weeks, where they say stupidly suggestive things to me and retort to any arguments I may have about anything with "Yeah, but, you won't have sex with us."

I'm thinking I want to just leave this little group, but I can't help but think about how these things were not always so bad. Maybe, just maybe, if I protest in the correct way, they may start respecting me and my opinions again?

Can I have a hug?
Sincerely,
ConcoidialFracture

Dear ConcoidialFracture,
I should warn from the outset that I am not really the best person to ask for advice concerning social problems. But if a group of people is making you feel uncomfortable, then you have no obligation to hang out with them. I know it sounds easy to say, and I myself have remained in some destructive social relationships far too long simply because I was afraid of having no one else to fall back on if I were to cut the relationship off. It's easy to brush off people who have always been jerks, but harder if they're someone who you've had a good relationship with for some time before.
Honestly, though, group mentality could have something to do with it. If you have a problem with how they're treating you, you need to isolate them first and talk to them individually about it. People's unruly behavior becomes magnified when they're in a group of like-minded people, often trying to one-up each other.
Switching topics to your initial question, the Japanese don't consider Kagome's treatment of Inuyasha as abuse because they see it as slapstick comedy. You don't hear many people complaining about Wile E. Coyote's constant getting mashed or blown up as animal cruelty, and the Japanese view Inuyasha kind of the same way. And here's a hug. *hug*

Dear Papa,

I'm a recently awakened sanguinarian (blood-drinking) vampire. I've decided to tell my friends, and I'm completely open on the internet (no personal info, obviously), and so far the people I've told haven't really given it a second thought. Despite that, I'm really worried that my friends will think I'm crazy, stupid, role-playing, or just looking for attention. There's a lot of misconceptions about us, and I don't want to loose my friends because of that.

Don't suppose I could get a hug?
Sincerely,
Scared Sang

Dear Sang,
You can have a hug, but unfortunately I'm not going to legitimize your delusion. I know this sounds harsh, but you are not a vampire. There is no such thing as vampires. There are people who decide to drink blood and call themselves vampires, but the actual fanged, immortal, bat-like humanoids who drink blood as a means of survival are completely fictional. I'm fictional, too, and I recognize this. Having an imagination is great and there's nothing wrong with role-playing, as long as you keep yourself grounded in reality.
I know there's going to be a lot of "You just don't understand!", but really, I understand. I understand the desire to be special and unique and be something other than the 6 billion other ordinary humans you're competing for attention with. I myself as a young teenager would often claim I wasn't human or had some sort of supernatural abilities. And it WAS a cry for attention. I recognize this now. I pulled out of it when I discovered my real talents. Talents I could demonstrate, refine, and use to my advantage. I know this isn't what you wanted to hear, but I'm not here to support ideas that I've been through myself and understand through personal experience just aren't true.

Dear Papa,

*gently pets fur* Eh, sorry I can't help it I have a hige thing for your-- fur--and you--

Anyways, a friend of mine and I were having a discusion how you always end up the bed guy in fan fics. The father who left the mother for some other slut, the playboy, and probably most disturbing-- molester of his children.

We all know you'd never do that and find it quite sickening to read but we were wondering--

Being a leader, you seem like a wonderful father-- both loving and possible stern. Knowing that you did raise Sesshomaru, we'd like to know:

In his youth, was Sesshomaru ever naughty enough to require your discipline and if so-- how do youkai discipline their children? As my friend and I were debating that you look old school, and we agree you look like the kind of father who'd spank...?

So are we right? Any particular stories about such incidents?

*Passes over special gourmet white chocolate flavored dog cookies*

Sincerely,
Izayois_Dark_Fantasy

Dear Dark Izayoi,
*inches away slowly* Er, hugs are fine, but no touching the fluff, please. I'm certainly not a molester, and I also don't like being molested myself. Anyway, I figure a lot of fanfics use me as a plot device rather than a character, and make me some arbitrarily dick-headed jerk in order to make my kids' pasts look particularly angsty. And yet I still left them all my power and protection. Funny that.
As for discipline, while I was strict, I'm not a fan of direct physical punishment. That just makes me look like a bully, and it makes the kids associate me with pain rather than authority. I needed to get them to associate their bad feelings with what they did wrong instead. So it usually consisted of forcing them to fix their own messes, or otherwise making them suffer consequences directly related to what they did.

Dear Papa,

I wonder if you can answer two questions. I am fascinated by ancient times and how people handled things back then. In Inuyasha's time, how would Kagome and Sango (and other girls) handle their, um, monthly cycles? Also, how would it be handled if a baby needed fed and there were no nursing mothers available (say, the biological mother died?)? Here's some fresh steak for you! NOM! NOM!
Sincerely,
A follower of history

Dear historian,
Er, for "that time of the month" for women... I can honestly say I've never asked. It's just not really something you go around asking women. As for orphaned babies, they'd probably either be given to a wet nurse, or would die.

Dear Papa,

I know that demons eat humns. Surely you don't. You married one. So what do demon dogs eat. Namely, what does Sesshomaru eat?
Sincerely,
skyhime

Dear skyhime,
Humans. ... Honestly, humans are the basic food source of all youkai. Sort of like humans and milk. Youkai can survive on diets other than humans, like I do, but humans are still the bottom of the food chain where youkai are concerned.

Dear Papa,

Thanks a bunch for answering my last question It means a lot to me, and I have a real question for you now.

See, I'm trying really, really hard to write a successful Inuyasha fanfiction. My problem is that I created a female character whom I intended to be Sesshomaru's love interest. (By now, you either think I'm weird, creepy, or plain stupid.) But it isn't like I started writing this on a whim. I spent about a year designing and perfecting my character, Ueya, and even gave her a family that I put in frequently, and she and her family (nuclear and extended alike) have relations with characters besides Sesshomaru's party. (Gasp!) I spent about a month on the first chapter, and have been working on it still. But now I'm stuck on only the fourth chapter, which bothers me because that's when my actual plot gets going. (The first three were to introduce characters and their relations to other characters.)

Anyway, getting to an actual /point/, do you think that I may be able to somehow make this a successful fanfiction? I know that any people have a thing against SesshomaruXOC fnafictions, and I don't blame them. Most of them are bad. (Actually, most fanfiction in general seems to be bad, but I digress.) But I really, really want to make a name for myself in the fandom world. Do you think I might be able to do it? Please be honest, I really want to know if I can, and if you think if not, what I can do to improve.

Many hugs, Milk Bones, and a chicken. (Random note, but did you know that when you call someone a twit, you're calling them a pregnant chicken? Yup, it's true.)
Sincerely,
Mistytail

Dear Mistytail,
First and foremost, writing a character first and a story to go around her is already the biggest warning light possible. When people read fanfiction, they're reading it to read about the existing characters, and expect the story to revolve around them. And giving this character an extended family for the sole purpose of setting them up in other relationships sounds horribly superfluous to me.
To write successful fanfiction, you have to first start with the canon cast, and ONLY the canon cast, and develop a story around them. As the story progresses, only insert original characters as necessary if there is a role that one of the existing cast is unable to fill. This ensures that the canon cast, and not your original characters, remain the main focus of the story. If you want to write something focusing on your original characters, you'd be better off writing a completely original piece of fiction.

Dear Papa,
Does it weird you out that you're living in your own skeleton? And more to the point, how is that even possible?
Here's some bacon for your trouble.
Sincerely,
Tenacious L

Dear Tenacious L,
When you're a noncorporeal spirit, you can kinda live wherever you want.

Dear Papa, why'd you have to die such a miserable death?
Sincerely,
CaptainNinjaPants....(don't ask O.o)

Dear person I won't ask,
Who says I was miserable?

Dear Papa

First of all i love you so much and is the fluff on your back for sale 8D?

Anyway loads of questions

how long can a dog demon live?

who do you love better Inuyasha or Sesshomaru?

When sesshomaru is young does he ever cry?

Do you teach sesshomaru how to transforn into human form?

DO you cook when you are alive?

Does your first cooking taste umm strange

What is your first dish that you cook?

what comes first chicken of egg?

OKay that's for today

seriourly i can't cook even a sunny side up

but at least have a mouthfull of sirloin prime rip steak...i didn't make it though.
Sincerely,
Aoi

Dear Aoi,
-As stated earlier, touching my fluff either means you want to pick a fight, or want to sleep with me.
-Probably a few hundred years, depending on their power. I've never known any to live long enough to die of natural causes, though.
-Inappropriate question.
-Everyone cries at some point, even me.
-Yes.
-Yes.
-No. I kind of have a knack for it.
-Roasted meat.
-Eggs existed long before chickens.

Dear Papa,
what is it that you like about izayoi?
what was your first wife like that made you leave her?
how does your son sesshomaru feel about this affair?
here's a bag of milkbones for your troubles your highness!! =]
Sincerely,
The Feudal Times

Dear Feudal Times,
Wow, I'm getting mail from an entire time period. Anyway, I liked Izayoi because she was pretty much the first person I ever met who wasn't a raging sociopath. She was the only person who EVER comforted me instead of telling me to "suck it up and deal with it like a man". Because having balls is apparently supposed to make me impervious to emotional trauma, which I am expected to casually brush aside with as little fuss as flicking away a gnat. ... Okay, I'm ranting now, sorry.
Sesshoumaru wasn't so much a sociopath as he was apathetic. He cared about me, yeah, but in a "you're a big strong man and you shouldn't need a tiny, weak woman to run crying to" sort of way. He was afraid of me looking weak.

Dear Papa,
sesshomaru's armor. what does it look like. im trying to make it for a sesshomaru costume
Sincerely,
Kaname Kuran

Dear Kaname,
Have you... tried looking at a picture?

Dear Papa,
Hi! Listen cuz i think you want to know! I believe that your first wife's name is tsukami. I believe that is her name. And How is it going in the underworld? i bet you have been working out because of all the bloody dog buiscuts you keep eating!!

Anyways, I was wondering, do you think when Rin grows up, do you think that Sesshomaru will marry her?

I saw the end of the books and I was wondering if as Rin was growing up wouldn't sesshomaru be a bit fond of her?

Thanyou for listening!
Here's a lowcarb diet bag full of milkbones and a big hug!!!

Ps: Izayoi says that she misses you and she'll come down to visit you sometime!
Sincerely,
The Gaurdian of Heaven and Hell

Dear Guardian,
Tsu... kami? Well, given that she has no official name, anyone is welcome to call her whatever they wish. But I have to wonder where you came up with that.
As for Sesshoumaru and Rin, I don't really have an opinion. His interest in her is obviously not romantic at this point, and if he continues to raise her like a daughter, he's never going to see her any other way, even when she grows up. I mean, would you suddenly find your own kid hittable as soon as they reach 18? The only way for the Sesshoumaru/Rin relationship to progress into something romantic would be if he left her in Kaede's village and only stopped by to visit on rare occasions, thus removing him from the active role of raising her to maturity. ... Which is pretty much how the manga ended up, so it's hard to say.
Anyway, thank you for the hug and the snacks, and tell Izayoi I said "hi".

Dear Papa,
Bored and lonely? Wow, looks like there isn't much of a difference between the dead and the living there so...rather than asking for the hug, I'll just give you the hug instead! *hug-hug* There we go (:
Now for a second question. My friend has a Golden Retriever dog that has a rather voluminous coat. They stopped by the other day and I decided to brush what looked like a mound of fur, and found a dog underneath! So, after brushing off enough shedding fur to make a rabbit jealous, he still had a rather impressive mane and tail on him (though he was now half the size)...and it looked rather suspiciously like your own impressive fluff. The way it fell around his neck and then was sleek down his body, only to end in a tail that was bushier than...well, a bush, made me wonder if he was some how related to you. Not saying you've some how had another child, we (all of us that aren't mary sue fangirls anyway) know that you only ever had two children and wouldn't have it any other way but, still. The resemblance is striking. Could he maybe be a long lost litter-mate? You did say that you don't really know weather or not you had any siblings; and if he were to be a really really reallllly old relative if the wonderful super puppy that is yourself, it would make sense that he is as mellow as he is. I mean, the worst he'd do to anyone is lay down and maybe get a little slobber on you but, he'll still jump up to protect my friend at the smallest sign of danger to her.

So, there it is. Do you think I might have stumbled across a long lost brother, or is he just doing as all us dogs do and protect the ones we love most?...while being incredibly furry.

Also, and I apologize that this is completely unrelated but what does "Yosh! Dekita Zo!" mean?
Sincerely,
Puppykinns

Dear Puppykins,
Aww, I almost never get hugs! Thanks so much!
As for the dog, well, I'm sure all dogs at some point descended from some sort of proto-canid common ancestor, so he would be more like a very distant cousin. Though I do get a lot of scolding from the roomie over clogged drains, since I shed like a... very sheddy dog.
And "Yosh! Dekita zo!" is sort of like, "All right! It's done!" "Dekita" literally means "I was able to do it", and in this respect is sort of an exclamation upon finishing making something. If you've ever seen Azumanga Daioh, Chiyo-chan says something similar when she cooks (I think "Hai, dekimashita").

Quick question:
I'm aware that both "daiyoukai" and "taiyoukai" have the same meaning, but what is with the spelling difference? Is one just a typo that caught on and was never corrected, or is it because of how Japanese, when translated using the English alphabet, can have a number of different and correct spellings?
Sincerely,
Rikana

Dear Rikana,
"Daiyoukai" is correct, but it's an understandable error. The "dai" character can also be read as "tai" in other words, and given that "daiyoukai" is sort of a made-up term, it can be hard to decide how it's supposed to be read without hearing it or seeing it spelled out.

Dear Papa, dose koga have a wolf form like you and sesshomaru have a dog form? or is he just the way he is?im confused Sincerely, sugar high

Dear sugar high,
I would assume he has a wolf form, yes, considering someone at some point mentioned that he was the same as the wolves that follow him.

Dear Papa,

Thanks for the answer, I had a feeling that was the case with the whole "mind connection" thing.

Anyway, I come to you again with another question: In the last chapter of the manga, I noticed that Inuyasha kept on that rosary around his neck and didn't ask Kaede to remove it. Why do you think that was? I understand that he missed Kagome, but keeping on that rosary must have been more of a reminder of the abuse she gave him rather than her. Seems a little... masochistic, no?

Sorry, today all I have is a peice of bread... Currently I'm paying more for shelter than food, and that includes the good stuff.
Sincerely,
ConcoidialFracture

Dear ConcoidialFracture,
Honestly, I don't think he even really notices the rosary is there anymore. Kagome barely sat him at all the last few years of the manga, and it's become such a staple of his fashion, it probably never occured to Takahashi to have it removed. Plus the Japanese fandom apparently doesn't see it as abuse.

Dear Papa,
you're back! oh, joyous day! you know the old column got me through my first year of college in a big bad city! and now, in my last year of college you're back again! nice symmetry, wouldn't you say? you lookin' good, there, Papa, I see you lost the glasses and a few hushed pounds you insisted on having put on, though you always looked mighty fine to me!
ok, so on to my question: I'm pretty sure that somewhere in the nine pages of the old archive you answered it, but could you possibly explain to me again the names of the different layers of clothing InuYasha wears?'cause I'm lost in a haze of haori, hakama. kimonos...? @_@

I usually treat my friends with Chocolate Bunnies, but I know the chocolate is bad for Papa's tender stomach, so I'll just go on and give you the bunny and I'll keep the chocolate. Catch! *airborne bunny awaaaaaaay*

Oh, Papa, one more thing, you know from Big writer to Little writer: how do you get over a severe case of writer's block? is there like a secret recipe, some sort of meditation? anything?

Ah well, can hardly wait for your answer. And seeing as I'm patiently waiting and NOT drooling on your cute fluff thingy, could I maybe, possibly, you know...get a hug?
Sincerely,
chano

Dear chano,
Aw, even the hugs are back! *hug* I never realized I was such a meaningful part of people's internet experiences.
As for Inuyasha's clothing, the outer red top is referred to as "koromo", which is just a generic term for clothing, because it doesn't really "fit" any standard clothing style. The top is aaaalmost a suikan, but not quite because it has the wrong collar. The pants are "hakama", and the undershirt is called a "juban".
As for writing, uh... once I can get over my own writer's block, I'll get back to you on that.

Dear Papa, I'm so happy you're taking questions again! I was worried that your computer had finally died for real this time (too much pong perhaps?) or worse, the fan girls had gotten to you. However, I happened to stumble upon this one day and was very pleased to see to see a Dear Papa section. I've been a little down lately, so this blast from the past cheered me up. Unfortunately I don't have much of a question to ask, so I suppose I'll stick with the pleasantries and ask how Izayoi is doing, if you still get into Soul Caliber battles with the Thunder Brothers, and whether or not your dad lost his pants in that poker game. Sorry if there is one too many references in there, but I just really loved the Dear Papa section of Inu-goya and couldn't help myself.

Here's some of those Milk bones that are good for your teeth; and I know that you like wiffle balls, but I thought I'd send you a tennis ball instead because they bounce and bouncy things are fun. (:

Ps: I lied I do have a question for you. I once heard a cute rumor that Sesshoumaru talks in his sleep. Is this true? If so...have any funny stories to tell about it?
Sincerely,
Puppykinns.

Dear Puppykinns,
Sweet, a tennis ball! And, wow, old-school fans. Ah, those were the days, before life got crazy and overly melodramatic. I'm glad that my return has at least made a few people happy. That's all I'm here for. And to keep myself from being bored and lonely.
As for your question, uh... I honestly can't say I've ever known that boy to actually sleep. As soon as you walk in on him, he just opens his eyes like he's been pretending the whole time and looks at you like "What do you want?"

Dear Papa,
will you up date this part already?
Sincerely,
sherlock holmes

Dear sherlock,
Wow, you know you're getting popular when you start having people whine at you for updates.

Dear Papa,
It's,uh ... Me again. anyway, I've got a question.

So, I was re-reading the last couple chapters of the manga, and when Naraku is dieing, he says something along the lines of:

"I guess I won't be going to the same place as you, Kikyou." or something.

Now, does that mean that Naraku himself loved Kikyou? Or did I possibly read it wrong?
Sincerely,
Laura

Dear Laura,
I think Naraku/Onigumo just had a weird obsession with Kikyou that he mistook for love. He reabsorbed his human heart so that he could understand love, and thus have a better understanding of how to destroy it, but his own understanding of love was warped, which is why he ultimately failed.

Dear Papa,

The new site look so good and love every drawing in this site. I just want to ask you why do you name your first son Sesshomaru and is Sesshomaru and Inuyasha are the only sons you have?
Sincerely,
Hikari

Dear Hikari,
They are my only kids, yes. And Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha were named that way because... um... I felt like it? How's a guy with no name of his own supposed to have any naming sense?

Dear Papa, I have some very pressing questions that I simply Must know the answers to:

When you trim your nose hairs, do you use a mirror? Or do you just go freehand?

What is your favorite flavor of toenail?

Furthermore, what is the color of the letter blue?

And do little children taste a little like veal? I assume you've eaten a few little children in your reign as a powerful, scary Youkai...

Do you prefer Coke or Pepsi? What did old Cocaine Cola taste like?

Are you a fan of delicious flavor? Are you a fan at all? Or are you more of an air conditioner?

And why on earth do almost all of my questions have to do with food and drink???
Sincerely,
Ed the Dead in the Head

Dear Dead Head Ed,
-I don't trim my nose hairs. I could give Bo-bo-bo Bo-bo Bobo a run for his money.
-I like middle toes
-Orange
-... No comment
-Root Beer
-I'm a windmill
-Because you're hungry
Hope that answered everything.

Hey Papa,
The new site is beautiful! I'm so glad to see you continue your column. Is that baby Sesshoumaru on the memoirs page? So cute!
On to my question. I've heard some information on Sesshoumaru's clothing being women's clothing. Don't quote me here, but what he's wearing is supposedly a Furisode because of the large sleeves, which is what virgin women wear to show they're available. Couldn't there be a discrepancy between era's? Could you clear this up for me? Thank you!
Ah, one more thing. Will there be anymore recipes? The fried rice was really good!
Thanks Papa! Have some chicken candy!
Sincerely,
Youkai Muffin

Dear Youkai Muffin,
Chicken candy? Is that like boullion or something? Thanks for liking the recipes, I was hoping people would try them. There wil be more when I get around to it. Anyway, a furisode is simply a long-sleeved kimono ("furi" = "flourishing", "sode" = "sleeve"). And while a full furisode is typically a female garment, the way Sesshoumaru wears his is decidedly not feminine. "Furisode" in this case merely refers to the sleeve style.

Your site- www.inu-papa.com is amazing site, good job, admin.
viagra [link removed] drugs.
Sincerely,
viagraAnisivesela

Dear Spambot,
why, thank you for what is I'm sure a sincere compliment. And you're even offering me enhancement drugs, how nice. Looking through the rest of my inbox, you seem to want me to refinance my mortgage and open a savings account through you, too. Wow, isn't that something.
... Seriously, has anyone ever received an e-mail like this and thought, "Wow, this looks legit, and I could really use some \/1@Gr@. Sign me up!" And yet they're so desperate for customers that they've taken to spamming a form on some dead guy's website? Point of advice, people. The fact that no one's buying your stuff is not a problem of having too small an audience. Perhaps you should consider that your offer is just crap, no matter who sees it, and NO ONE WANTS IT.

Dear Papa,
I thought I would come by and ask a question, since I've been meaning to ever since I found the archives on Inu Goya so long ago.

My question is... in chapter 516 of the manga, Miroku speculates that Sesshoumaru and Jaken's minds are connected in some way since Sesshoumaru gave Jaken a dirty look for his imagining that Sesshoumaru was not too bright. Is it true that they have this mental connection? If it is, how does that work, and why would Sesshoumaru connect his mind to Jaken's in the first place? It seems like something that he would do only to regret it later. Perhaps he IS none too bright, heh.

Have a plate of bacon.
Sincerely,
ConcoidialFracture

Dear ConcoidialFracture,
BACON! Baconbaconbaconbaconbacon! OM NOM NOM NOM!
Anyway, um... Miroku's line was supposed to be a joke. The three of them don't actually have some sort of mental connection, it was a joke on Sesshoumaru giving Jaken a dirty glare like, "Oh, I KNOW what you're thinking. And you're gonna get your ass kicked if you say anything." It's not so much a "mind connection" as "knowing each other well enough to have a good idea of what each other is thinking".

Dear Papa,
sleep with you?! your almost as bad as miroku. i cant believe that you said that. id rather fight you. and id probably bite you in bed any way.(meinie ill just touch sesshys) and i dont drink caffean how dar you. though i might have been loopie. but any way! im glad you brought back the web cam i love those pictures.
so i've been looking for some new manga to read i just finished VAMPIRE KNIGHT!!!!!! (one of the best) and i was wondering if you could advice anything for me? thank you so much.

ps id have given you a stake if you hadn't been less perverted.(when it comes to wemon species is of no consern to you ha?)
Sincerely,
a friendly vampire

Dear vampire,
Ah? I wasn't inviting you to sleep with me, just stating that it's a prerequisite for fondling the fluff. I have to be at least somewhat selective over who can feel me up, otherwise all those "Inuyasha's Sister" fanfics might end up coming true.
Though it's kind of ironic to have a vampire threatening to stake me.

Dear Papa,
Do you ever get bored just lounging around in your skeleton? I mean, it's go to get lonely when Hosenki isn't bothering you and your sons aren't prancing around inside your skeleton bickering like a married couple. Or, like me, does your computer keep you occupied? I guess you could have visitors, but I'm not dead - so I wouldn't know if it works that way.
Love the webcam, by the way. You look absolutely brilliant in the morning!
Sincerely,
Mikayla

Dear Mikayla,
I do get bored sometimes, but I have a lot of extra work to do, which keeps me occupied, and is the reason this site gets updated so sporadically. I have video games and stuff, but also translation work and outside employment eat up a good portion of my time. Stuff isn't free in the afterlife, either, so I've got to pull my weight around here to make ends meet, otherwise they'll kick me to an even lower level of Hell.

Dear Papa,
hello, well first off of course i want to say you are so awesome! XD and i love your son Inuyasha! not as much as Kagome does though, heh
ok so heres my question...you see I'm kind of a loner at school, and people bother me about being different, so my question is, whats your thoughts on how people treat others who are different,
well thats it for now *gives huge t-bone steak*

bye <3
Sincerely,
rockroller

Dear Mr. Astley,
Ah, crap, I've been Rickrolled.
Anyway, it's human nature to pick on people who are different. Humans have a "pack" attitude by nature and will resort to it with no outside instruction. Children are especially prone to this before they can grow up and be weaned from their natural tendencies. Sort of like potty training. You naturally wet yourself whenever, but you have to be taught to use the toilet. Humans naturally are mean to people who are different, and have to be taught to be accepting. So, just know that it's a phase that will generally go away as you get older.
... Unless you're gay. For some reason, society isn't so quick to teach their children acceptance of that particular difference, which is a shame. Society always needs a scapegoat...

Dear Papa,
OMG YOU GOT A NEW SITE!!!!IM SOO PROUD OF YOU!!!!!!!
now to my question(s)
why and how did you come up with the name Inu-yasha?was it just a last minute thing cause you were about to die while fighting takemaru or something?if thats what it was i can totally understand.
oh what made you break up with your first wife?
and also something that puzzles me,HOW IS IT THAT YOU DIED WHEN A BURNING HOUSE COLLAPSED ON YOU?!!?!?! YOUR OWN SON TOOK A HOLE IN THE BELLY FOR KAMI'S SAKE!!!!!

oh yeah and im making my own manga (you'll know me soon enough) but will it truly be authentic manga since i have no japanese ancestry whatsoever?!?! are my dreams of being mangaka simply worthless all because of my race??

oh yeah and just to celebrate your new updates imthrowing you a party of 22 boxes of milkbones 10 boxes of beggin strips and a AC to keep you nice and cool down there in hades!!!!=]

and if you answer my letter ill set you and izayoi up in a nice hotel somewhere[=]
tata!!!!
Sincerely,
Naoko queen of blades

Dear Naoko,
"Inuyasha" was... uh... well, I've never been very good at naming things, honestly. With my first kid being "Sesshoumaru", it should have been obvious that it wasn't my talent. Maybe that's why they ended up with such complexes... As for the rest of that, I tend to ignore the movie 3 continuity, since it kinda doesn't fit with the rest of the series.
As for a manga, I say good luck with it, but don't go expecting to hit it big. Only a very tiny fraction of Japanese mangaka are able to make any money off of what they do. With you not being Japanese, I would assume this would be even more difficult. I'm not trying to crush your dreams or anything, but there is some stark reality out there that you're going to have to face.

Dear Papa,
It's me again! Anyway, back to all seriousness. I've got a serious problem on my hands. Alright, so a dear friend of mine, not like a best friend or anything, but a good friend. Anyway she calls me the other day, at like ... One in the afternoon and she said that she just wanted to talk.

So I agreed.

At first she just wanted to talk about life at home and stuff, but then it starts to get pretty serious. She starts to tell me about her mother and father. Her father is in the service and she's gone for about 6 months at the moment. Apparently her mother as emotional issues, and has been emotionally AND physically abusing my friend for YEARS. The thing is, she sometimes overreacts. So I don't know if this is an overreaction or if she's dead serious.

Anyway, she tells me that before she called me her mother had gone through an entire session. So I ask her:

"Have you told anyone?" she says that she hasn't. I counter her and tell her that she should, so she agrees. Unfortunately, I highly doubt that she's actually going to tell anyone.

So here's my questions to you: should I go ahead and someone?
Sincerely,
Laura

Dear Laura,
Personally, I think you should tell someone, but get your friend's permission. Let her know of your intention to tell someone if she won't, but don't betray her trust by going behind her back about it. Or, even better, try to go with her and act as support for her when she goes to tell someone. It's not that she doesn't want help, she's probably just afraid to go it alone.

Dear Papa,
I actually have a question about the French Toast recipe and one of the ingredients. Could the milk possibly be replaced with rice milk and still be okay? I love french toast, but we are a bit health conscious. (I mean, come on. We buy soy butter. XD) Thanks for your time, here's a whiffle ball and a box of low-fat milkbones. :3
Sincerely,
Goku-chan

Dear Goku-chan,
Waaai, a fellow cook! I say screw gender roles, I like doing things for the people I love, and there's no way better than providing them with home-cooked food from the heart. Anyway, as for a substitution in the recipe... I honestly don't know. I've never cooked with rice milk before, but I assume it would cook with a different consistency than regular milk. I would assume it would be okay, though, since the egg base is what holds most of it together. I think the milk is simply there to thin it out a bit.

Dear Papa,

What's up with the fluff, anyways? Is it an adult tail, or a fashion statement?

Was your mother a yokai in disguise in the village? I thought it was odd that you were called a half-breed, when you have been referred to as a full-blooded demon. Is that because you later gained so many other demonic abilities that no one could tell?

Is InuTaishou a name you took on later, is it a form of Inu-papa, or is it just a fan name?

And lastly...I really wish you could have shown up in more than a few minutes in one movie. >.< Because you rock!
Sincerely,
Etsuko Takanashi

Dear Takanashi,
The fluff is just a piece of fur. It started out as a tail, but as I got more powerful, it became more versitile. And I just kept it as a fashion statement. As for my mother... er... if you're referring to the memoirs, I'm not about to give out spoilers here, heh heh... But I will tell you that your question will be answered there in due time. But thank you for reading them, I didn't really think anyone was interested in my life. I was more writing it out for my own amusement.
As for my name, I don't have one. "Inu no Taishou" is a title that I received as "Leader of the Dogs". "Inutaishou" is a fan name that is simply a misspelling of it.

Dear Papa,
do you have archives and a web cam? if you dont have a web cam will you put those cute pictures of you in the gallery. thanks
*throws you a bone*
Sincerely,
love ya

Dear love me,
Oh yeeeeah. I forgot about the webcam. Wow, I've been doing the same five things for years. Life is kind of boring around here, you know? Porting the archives over here would be a hassle since they're all so nicely stored on the other site, so maybe I'll just link them.

Dear Papa,
first i am screeming my head off that they might continue inuyasha. though i only got into it about 4 months ago i am totlay obsesed. me and my BFF were complytly heart broken when it ended. she dosent know about the black tessaiga thing so thanks for that one. i think she'll die if someone dose not get the news to her soon anyway. i have read rumers flying every were that they will continue episodes in september. is this true or not?
BTW can i tuch that fluff pleeeeeeeeaaaaase i love you!
Sincerely,
a friendly vampire

Dear vampire,
Errr.... caffienated much? First off, no, there are no substantiated rumors of a continuation of the TV series. Yeah, the staff and cast would like to do it, but there's nothing going for it yet. Certainly not in September, though, since we would have heard about it by now if it was, I would think. And, er... the fluff is mine. No touchie unless you intend to either do battle with me or sleep with me.

Dear Papa,
I'm glad your column is back up and running again! When I found the first one over on Inu Goya, I was disappointed because it had already been discontinued. Now I can seek an expert opinion on some questions I've had for quite a long time.
First of all, what are the logistics of reincarnation here? I've seen this with Kagome and Kikyou, but also with other characters in different anime/manga as well; the reincarnations look similar, but are completely different in personality. Is this a trend among Japanese writers, and if so, is there a cultural origin for it?
Second, I heard many a reader sigh when when the Inuyasha series finally came to an end. Was that your reaction as well? Any demographic that you know of in particular that was collectively uneasy with the ending?
Third, I have a lot of trouble getting along with other human beings. I generally get very nervous around other people, and I have some trouble communicating how I feel in any given situation, and I don't think it helps that I'm repulsed by human beings and their practices, and that sometimes includes myself. Do you have any advice for me in a way of helping me overcome this apparent anti-social attitude?
Fourth... I've brought you a box of Milkbones for your trouble. Hope it's enough, you being the size you are and everything....
Sincerely,
LittleAnthropologist

Dear LittleAnthropologist,
*munch munch* Mmphh... I'm not too well-versed on the idea of reincarnation, seeing as I wasn't reincarnated and am still just lazing about inside my skeleton. I wonder if youkai just don't get reincarnated. Perhaps reincarnation means that the person has the same capabilities and potential as their previous life, but not necessarily the same attitudes.
I was fine with the ending. I know some people were upset at the lack of a kiss, but I honestly didn't think one was necessary. It didn't leave anything hanging aside from that unresolved tension between Sesshoumaru and Sango, but it was so obvious how that was going to pan out, maybe Takahashi didn't feel like explicitly covering it.
As for not getting along with other people, the best way to get around that is immersion. Getting into a situation that necessitates interacting with them. Group projects, or especially getting a service-oriented job where you have to talk to and help a lot of people. I think helping people is fun, and one of the greatest feelings to me is being able to do something that I know helped someone. Even if it's something as minor as giving someone directions, it just feels good to be of service.

Dear Papa,
I was browsing through some of the other sites I frquent when I stumbled onto this site. You have always been one of my favorite characters, even if you only get about five minutes in the spotlight.
I have always wondered about your past, and how a demon came to have such a tolerance for humans.
In any case, I love the site, and will come here often to read your story.
My question is, how long do you think the story will be, and how often will more be added? Arigato for listening! *leaves pack of porkchops in gratitude*
Sincerely,
MiyukiWolfire

Dear MiyukiWolfire,
*gnaws on pork chops* Heh, thanks for taking an interest in me. I personally find myself rather dull, but that's probably because I have to live with myself, am familiar with myself, and therefore don't find anything fascinating about myself. But the story... eh... updated maybe once a week or whenever I get around to it. I don't have a set schedule, and my personal life can get a bit hectic and unpredictable sometimes, so I work on it when I have the time and don't think the other sections (like this one) are too neglected.

Dear Papa,

You've a beautiful site here, if I may say so. But moving on - I was wondering, after reading the Hell arc over again, Sesshomaru's mother mentioned having gotten the Meidou pendant from your honorable self, but where did your honorable self get it from? Another fine creation of Housenki's, was it? I'm thinking about getting one of those bad boys for myself, I have a skirt that'd look great with it ...
Sincerely,
LittleFoxglove

Dear LittleFoxglove,
It was never stated in canon where the Meidou-seki came from, but Housenki is certainly a good guess, given the fact that he made the Black Pearl, which performs a similar function. I guess it's like the uber Black Pearl. Which is not a pirate ship.

Dear Papa,
1. InuPapa since your in the dearly departed i was hopeing maybe youd know someone in the world of the human dead and you could send a message to my sister i miss her alot and i want her to know i still love her and my best friend Tera too oh and my sisters name is Jessica.
2. Also I have an Inuyasha fan site and i could advertise your site on it if you would like.
3. Thank you Inupapa for giving advice on this site heh heh i read everyday and learn a good bit i read it befor it became a site lol and well u give me more advice then my real dad ( i never see him and mom moms never at home) so thank you^^*hugs and gives steak* I love you inupapa^^
Sincerely,
Tenshii

Dear Tenshii,
Aw... *blush* I probably shouldn't be grateful to be more helpful than your own family. I don't want to be here as a replacement for anyone. I'm not very good at advice, anyway, since my own life was pretty messed up. I'm mostly here to just answer questions about the series, not give personal advice.
Also, no, sorry, I don't have any contact with the human dead, nor do I know anyone who does. *hug*

Dear Papa,
I love your new site! But I miss the old one, too. While this one is epic, that one was comical. *sigh* I miss it already..
Just a question to clear my confusion: The InuYasha Short called Black Tessaiga, what does it mean? Is it a movie, an episode, or the "OVA"??? I'm confused. And I really wanna see it and own it on DVD...
Thanks a lot Papa! And keep updating your memoirs! *throws a squeaky bone*
Sincerely,
Nicole Sternova

Dear Nicole,
Er, sorry about the old site. It's just that when there was no more series, there also wasn't much more "news". And the fact that I translated the manga for the past few years made it hard to build up the desire to write summaries when I'd already written out the entire scripts. Plus I wanted to wait for the series to end before trying to answer any more questions, because I was afraid of giving out bad information.
The "Black Tessaiga" short is a film that is currently only being shown at the "It's a Rumic World" convention. I don't know if it'll ever be on TV or released to DVD, but since the convention's intro video is already being streamed on Yahoo Japan, there's a possibility that once the convention ends, the short will get released to the internet on the Inuyasha Video-on-Demand site.

Dear Sessho-&-Inu-Papa,
I was wondering if there will be any new episodes of InuYasha and if so can one be about you...PLESE?!!!!!!!!!
Sincerely,
Kioumi

Dear Kioumi,
Currently the "Black Tessaiga" short is the only new anime of Inuyasha, but I get the feeling it was made as an attempt to "test the waters" of the marketplace to see if a continuation of the television series was worthwhile. I know the staff really wants to do it. As for any of them being about me, it's doubtful, since I never appear in the manga, which is what the TV series would follow. However, if they added any filler, then anything goes.

Dear Papa, I've never seen the entire anime, or read the manga for that matter, but what's up with the main cast? Why do they (Sango, Miroku, Shippou) act like it's perfectly acceptable for Kagome to get angry when Inuyasha goes to see Kikyou, yet it's not OK for Inuyasha to get angry over Kouga? In one episode, Sango actually accused Inuyasha of 'cheating' on Kagome. Did I miss something there? Are Inuyasha and Kagome in an actual relationship, and I just missed the episode? And does Kagome ever try to set Kouga straight? It seems like every time he's around and spouting his nonsense, she just stands there with this stupid look on her face, then gets angry at Inuyasha. Am I the only one that sees something wrong here? x.x
Sincerely,
Irritated and Confused

Dear Irritated and Confused,
*sigh* Yeah... the misandry there is kind of apparent, with the massive double-standards on what constitutes appropriate behavior between the men and women of the series. If Inuyasha gets pissed at Kagome for seeing Kouga, but nothing happens, then Inuyasha is an insensitive jerk. If Kagome gets pissed at Inuyasha for happening to see Kikyou, but nothing happens, Inuyasha is still an insensitive jerk. I'm all for giving women equal standing as men, but that's just the thing... equal. I'm not going to be okay with a girl being coddled in a situation where a man is not.

Dear Papa,
I one of you other comments you said that the Inuyasha series is coming out with a new short. could you please tell me where you found out about this.
Was it though a website or something.
I really want to know because I miss the Inuyasha series so much and I really want to keep up to date ^3^
Thank you papa sama!

*throws you a bone*
Sincerely,
NeuroticusStupidicus

Dear NeuroticusStupidicus,
The new Inuyasha short is called "Black Tessaiga", which leads me to believe it's an animated version of chapters 500-504 or thereabouts. The information came from Suwa Michihiko (the anime's producer)'s weblog, and stated that the short would be shown during the "It's a Rumic World" event in Japan at the beginning of August. The blog also stated the short was not likely to be televised, though I don't know if it will ever be released for sale. Suwa said that he feels there's still strong interest from the fans for a continuation of the anime series, and is holding out hope that there can be new anime.

Dear Papa,

Hmm... I think I know Kira the Wolf... but I'm not sure. Anyways, can you tell me exactly what your opinions on the movies were and how well you think they went along with the anime series?
*places Milkbones as a gift by the letter*
Sincerely,
Neo Geisha

Dear Neo Geisha,
Man, everyone's trying to fatten me up nowadays. I managed to lose a couple pounds those years away from the column, but now the snackies return. Mm... snackies... *munch munch*. Anyway, the movies didn't go along with the anime series at all. They were stand-alone one-shots that really couldn't be placed anywhere in the anime series timeline.

Dear Papa,
I cosplay as both sesshomaru and inuyasha what suggestions do you have for me? and can i have a hug please*gives milk big juicy steak*
Sincerely,
Your Naminusesshomaru

Dear inusesshomaru,
STEAK! *gobbles it down* ... *burp* .... Ahem... what was the question again? Cosplay? Hrm... I'm not much of a tailor, as all of my articles of clothing were merely... procured throughout my life. So, I guess, um... can I just skip to the hug? *hug*

Dear Papa,

So uh, were you surprised when your first wife just sort of ... showed up? And, like, when Sesshomaru got his arm back? ...I know that I was.

Sincerely,
Laura

Dear Laura,
I'm gonna go out on a limb and say that I had nothing to do with any of that, so yes, I was quite surprised. I initially took down this column years ago after Wife #1 showed up when I realized I'd been passing along false information all this time about her aliveness status, and I was ashamed. I wanted this place at least to have somewhat more integrity than those "omg inuyasha has a sister?!?!" sites. But now that the series is over, I can BS all I want on here about loose threads and missing links and not worry about contradicting canon.

Dear Papa,
Out of curiosity, why did Sesshomaru inherit the Tenseiga, and why did Inuyasha get the Tetsaiga? Sesshomaru keeps trying to kill Inuyasha in order to claim Tetsaiga. Did Inuyasha get Tetsaiga, because only half demons are able to touch it?
Sincerely,
Dog'N'Butterfly

Dear Dog'N'Butterfly,
I guess the simplest explanation I can give is that they each got what they needed, not what they wanted. That and I'm psychic and knew how everything was going to work out. (just kidding. Seriously, it was just a damn lucky guess).

Dear Papa,
Do you read the fanfiction written on the series, and if you do, what is your reaction to yaoi pairings of your sons? Does it make you wanna barf like it does me?
Sincerely,
Mikaela

Dear Mikaela,
Sorry, barfing. *bleh*

Dear Papa,
I really love this site. I also love reading about your side of the story. It's too bad that you didn't get a camio in the manga. I was really looking forward to it. Anyways for my questions.
1. If you did not die how do you think raising Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru would have been like?
2. Do you think that you will ever be a grandfather someday?
3. I know this sounds strange but is it ok to wait until engament to "mate"? I'm asking because my co-workers talk about it and what they did before they got married or how much they still party and flirt with other guys. I'm just so confused. Sorry about talking to much... *gives him a box of Milkbones*
Sincerely,
Jassy

Dear Jassy,
1. Well, I did raise Sesshoumaru, and you can see how he turned out... *cough*. Honestly, though things seemed to have worked out in the end, it doesn't seem like I was all that great a parental figure, since the boys ended up improving their behavior only long after I was gone. So maybe things really did turn out for the best.
2. Oh, I'm sure at least one of the kids will figure the whole horizontal tango thing out eventually.
3. This probably flies in the face of a lot of Western ethics, but I think waiting until marriage for sex is stupid. Sexual compatibility is often a major key in how well a relationship will work out, and to me it is completely disingenious to leave such an important factor a mystery until after you've already committed yourself to someone. It's like buying a pretty shirt with no refunds or exchanges and not trying it on until you get home and only then finding out it doesn't fit. If I'm going to dedicate the rest of my life to someone, I tend to want to make sure there are no surprises before I say "yes". This is, of course, personal preference, and I think you should just follow what you think is right for yourself and your significant other.

Dear Papa,

Have you ever traveled far from your homeland ? And if you have, what customs have struck you as being...well "odd" compared to what you were raised with.

Sincerely,
Sorrel

Dear Sorrel
While I did travel far and wide, I never actually left the country. Kind of difficult when I live on an island and can only doggy-paddle. And since I was initially raised in a very small village with little semblance of real "culture", most of the things that I ran into while growing up were weird to me. Government, religion, warfare... I didn't even know where babies came from until I was an adult. I was sheltered and naive for most of my early life, so reality came as a shock at every turn.

Dear Papa,
How does it feel to be in a fanfiction, I mean to be loved by everyone how do you feel? I have a friend who writes fanfiction and is thinking to write on about you, do you have any ideas you think that might help her.
Sincerely,
Kira the wolf

Dear Kira the wolf
I dunno. Sometimes I'm flattered, sometimes I'm kind of weirded out. I mean... there's more fanfiction pairing me with Kagome than with Izayoi. And don't get me started on ones that depict me as a child molester... *shudders* Though I guess I'm impressed that there's enough interest in me to write fanfiction. I'm honestly a blank slate aside from a few canon tidbits of information, so there's really no limit as to what someone could write about me.

Dear Papa,

What ever happened to all the other Inuyoukai? It seems Sesshomaru, his mom, and Inuyasha are the only ones left alive. This might be a little late but congrats on your very own site! It looks very nice and the little drawings of you are very cute :3
Sincerely,
Steph

Dear Steph
Nothing happened to them. They're just not important enough to be included in the story. Sesshoumaru's mother was presumed dead until she randomly showed up late in the series. I would assume other Inu-youkai are in the same boat. Just because you don't see them doesn't mean they're not there, they just play no part and aren't worth bringing into the picture.

Dear Papa,
Do you see Sesshomaru taking a human as a spouse in the next century? Although I highly doubt it'd be Rin (his relationship seems more paternal -- good influences from the past probably, heh), he has developed a sympathy for short-lives if not tolerance. Given how stubborn each of your sons are, what's your prediction?
Sincerely,
Silent Scribe

Dear Silent Scribe,
Sesshoumaru is... about as asexual as they come. Having tolerance for humans is one thing, but if he can't get it up when he sees one, he's not likely to pursue one romantically.

Dear Papa,

1. Regarding the final chapter of Inuyasha, did you snicker (like I did) at Kagome calling Sesshoumaru "brother-in-law" (and his answering glare) ?

2. I read somewhere (granted, not an official source) that Izayoi was the reason for your split with your first wife, so I was wondering: Do dog demons mate for life? After all, normal dogs don't.

3. I brought you low-cal Milkbones. Can I have a hug?
Sincerely,
Sayuri

Dear Sayuri,
I think the fans have been waiting for Sesshoumaru to be called something like "Onii-san" for a long time, so of course I got a kick out of it.
Dog youkai don't "mate for life". This is a piece of fanon that seems to have spread around like Sesshoumaru's castle or "mating marks". If it were true, I would be incapable of taking a second wife, and Inuyasha would have been incapable of getting over Kikyou. Rule of thumb: If you hear it a lot of places but can't find it anywhere in an official source, it isn't true.
And, holy crap, I can't believe there's still people here who remember the old column. *wolfs down the Milkbones and hugs the crap out of her*

Dear Papa,
First things first! INUPAPA ! MISS YOU! I know this wasn't in the series but have you ever heard of a demon assasin clan? And I saw you in the anime expo 08 on saturday, july 7th!!!!
Sincerely,
Inufefi Nogara

Dear Inufefi Nogara,
Demon... assassin? Like, Sango's tribe or something? They assassinate demons... I guess.
And that was not me at Anime Expo. It was a clever imposter.

Dear Papa sama,
Have you ever considered wearing pig tails instead of your old lonley ponytail?
And if you ever did wear pig-tails would you wear them with big bows or ribbons and bells or maybe some chinese buns with ribbons and chopsticks?
Plus If I drew a picture of you with these styles, how could I show it to you?
Sincerely,
Meguzu

Dear Meguzu,
Er... I'm fine with my lone ponytail, thanks. People already claim I'm too girly, I don't need to start wearing an even more feminine hairstyle. But if for some reason you did want to draw a picture of me as such, you could post a link in the forums or something. I see eeeeeeverything around here.

Dear Papa, is the series really over...? Wow, I really lost track. I have to say, the end of the anime kinda put me off, so I stopped keeping up ages ago. Well, now that it's finished, I hope I can pick it up. I LOVE the new site, by the way. :D I'll definitely be bookmarking this one!
Sincerely,
Goku-chan

Dear Goku-chan,
Yeah, the manga ended on the 18th of June, I believe. The anime merely ended because it had run out of source material and didn't even try to come up with its own ending. However, there's a new animated short coming out next month that may be a means of testing the waters of the fanbase to see if it's still lucrative to continue the anime series to its true ending.

Dear Papa,
Your awsome!!! But so are your sons. I love Inuyasha with all my heart but... I'm not pretty...and i'll probably never meet up to Inuyasha standards. I'm nothing compared to kagome. I'll never be pretty.
Sincerely,
Heather

Dear Heather,
Why do you need to be pretty? Inuyasha was in love with a clay doll, after all. It's your lack of self-esteem that may be driving people away, not your looks. Be content with how you look and win people over with your personality instead. In a long-lasting relationship, looks stop mattering so much and it focuses more on how well you connect emotionally.

Dear Papa,
How old is inuyasha and sesshomaru
anyway? I have a bf that lives far away from me and I've never seen him only talked to him. Is that wrong that hes my bf but ive never seen him but only talked? Tell me what you think. Please.(^-^)
Sincerely,
Confused Love

Dear Confused Love,
How old were they when? When I died, Inuyasha was just a baby and Sesshoumaru was a couple hundred years old, maybe.
And I don't think there's anything wrong with having a long-distance relationship. I've made a lot of friends over the internet without ever seeing them in person and don't find anything unusual about it.

Dear Papa, do you ever wish you had some daughters too instead of all boys?
Sincerely,
Aya

Dear Aya,
Yes, I do sometimes wish I'd had a daughter, just to see what it was like. All things being equal, I only had a 25% chance of both kids being boys, but I guess I must exude so much masculinity that even my my X-sperm swooned in the presence of their Y brothers.

Dear Papa,

i just want to ask dose it get very very hot up there?

second,when your up there do you see your sons fighting
Sincerely,
ILOVEYOU

Dear ILOVEYOU,
"Up there"? You seem to be confused as to where exactly youkai go when they die... (though I've read calculations that Heaven is hotter than Hell, anyway). And I don't really "see" my sons fighting, but I know what they're up to most of the time. I'm psychic like that. And they're lucky I haven't come back yet to kick their butts myself.

Dear Papa,

Do you think that Inuyasha and/or Sesshomaru will tie up their hair, like yours, in the near future?

I mean... surely they won't cut it. Inuyasha probably would, but I don't think Sesshomaru would do it.

What do you think? Thank you for read, Papa.
Sincerely,
Alesha

Dear Alesha,
Inuyasha's hair is a bit too fluffy to tie up. He'd end up looking like Washu or something. As for Sesshoumaru, maybe the only reason you never saw him with his hair up was because he was lacking the dexterity to tie up his hair for most of the series!

Dear Papa,
So, how does it feel to have an amazingly uber-awesome website dedicated to you? Uhm...Yeah, my brain is dead right now, my apologies. Best wishes! ^^
Sincerely,
Mistytail

Dear Mistytail,
It's not so much "dedicated" to me as "maintained" by me. On the old Inu Goya site, I just got rule over my column, but on this site, I'm the master of EVERY section. I'm lord over my own (web) domain again, baby!

what is your opinion on the final chapter of Inuyasha?
*just curious*
Sincerely,
Meguzu

Dear Meguzu,
I was perfectly content with it. It left me with a feeling of resolution without any anxious feelings of what was going to happen after that. Though I did have a bit of an issue with Kagome assuming the miko role in the village, as she essentially became Kikyou and took her place, when the entire rest of the manga had her attempting to establish herself as a completely different person.

I also didn't like that I never got a cameo!

Dear Papa, So glad that you are on the net.
I wish I was as powerful and brave and
beautiful as you. I am just a little mongrel
doing best I can to keep the world on the right
keel.
Sincerely,
Your Name Lussie

Dear Lussie,
Aw, I'm not that great. I had to work long and hard to earn it, and I'm sure you can to in enough time. *hug* I'm rooting for you!

Dear Papa,
What freaked you out more, finding out you were a yokai or finding out Izayoi was pregnant? How come? Both must have been fun.
Sincerely,
HyperMana

Dear HyperMana,
Er... I'm not really sure either particularly "freaked me out". I've known I was a youkai from the start, and Izayoi's pregnancy was planned. The only thing that freaked me out was how utterly adorable my kid was! *grin*

Dear Papa,
Your site looks good. Classy and inventive.
You are one of the very best parts of Inuyasha.
I can't claim to be a seer by any stretch of the imagination, still all and all it looks like a hit from the start.
Sincerely,
sorrel

Dear sorrel,
Thank you very much. I went through a lot of designs before I settled on one. I'm not really sure how much of a "hit" it's going to be, but I figured I should entertain myself with something now the series is over.

Dear Papa,

Love the new website! Here, have some Milk Bones in celebration. *hands over box*
Sincerely,
Suze

Dear Suze,
Thank you! I've spent a lot of time and frustration on it.

Dear Papa, I wonder why the full-demon like you and Sesshoumaru don't have dog ears on the head while the half-demon Inuyasha have it? And also why didn't you leave an fluffy armor just like yours and Sesshoumaru's for Inuyasha? I think Inuyasha is much cooler in that armor than in the red fire-rat fur cloth.
Sincerely,
Takeaki

Dear Takeaki,
I didn't necessarily "leave" Sesshoumaru armor and a fluff, he merely copied me out of respect. Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, after all. Nothing's stopping Inuyasha from wearing armor, he simply chooses not to.

Dear Papa,
ok some one most definetly asked this befor but is Jaken gay? and would it scar you if he tolk any intrest in your son? not that he hasn't
Sincerely,
sigh dont ask

Dear sigh,
I have no issue with the sexual preferences with others as long as they don't act on them in a way that's harmful to someone else. I highly doubt Sesshoumaru would return any affections, though, and I don't see Jaken as the type who could take advantage of him.

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