A Koumyou thought

[louiselux]

I am a slow thinker. This morning I had a fragment or two of thought about the Koumyou bit of the Reload Burial arc,
the bit where Koumyou meets Kenyuu for the first time. I'm sure this occured to everyone ages ago.

Kenyuu listens to the students gossiping about Koumyou and his pretty young boy. Kenyuu is bored by them, but he's listening anyway because I'm sure he doesn't like to miss out on things.

Later, with this in mind, when Koumyou says that Kenyuu reminds him of his Kouryuu it strikes me that initially Kenyuu might consider this to be a chat-up line, if he thinks that Koumyou likes boys.

Plus, randomly, I always think it's so sweet that Koumyou says 'I'm 39' when Kenyuu then asks 'How old?

And another thing. The Ukoku Burial arc appears to show that sanzos are chosen by seeing which of the students can kill (is this right, or have I misread it?) the old sanzo. So a sanzo has to die before another can be made. Does this mean then that Kouryuu would have had to kill Koumyou or just wait until Kouryuu died of natural causes? And is Kouryuu being unconventional when he simply passes on the sutra. Either way, Koumyou dies on the night that Kouryuu is crowned Sanzo thus carrying on the tradition.  So either Koumyou was breaking with tradition, or more likely he knew he was going to die that night, or soon. How or why did he think that? I think this must be a vital plot point.

I should probably stop thinking now. It's not helping.

Comments

[mistressrenet.livejournal.com]

In no particular order: I think Koumyou knew he was going to die, but I think he had originally planned to name Genjo before he died-- having two sutras is a big responsibility and I think he wanted to give Genjo the experience of carrying just one at first.

As far as I can tell Sanzos choose their successor and then Heaven gives the chakra mark of approval. I think they all know when they're going to die-- that's in keeping with a lot of Buddhist legend.

I thought he was just succeding Gou', not becoming a Sanzo in that arc. Am I remembering it wrong?

[louiselux.livejournal.com]

You're right-- Goudai's duel was to choose the successor for his scripture, so Kenyuu isn't actually made a sanzo but he becomes the successor in that arc.

It seemed to me like Goudai knew he was ill. Either that or, like Koumyou appeared to do, he had some sort of foreknowledge.

I think he had originally planned to name Genjo before he died

That seems likely. I wonder if having more than one sutra affects you physically? Koumyou does look very tired in the Ukoku arc, yet is also incredibly strong.

[mistressrenet.livejournal.com]

I wonder if having more than one sutra affects you physically?
I don't know. I'm not sure you can speculate that from his being tired in the Ukoku arc, because he seems to be in pretty good shape in Genjo's flashbacks of him, and he's quite a bit older then.

[louiselux.livejournal.com]

because he seems to be in pretty good shape in Genjo's flashbacks of him

And just pretty, too. XD

[mistressrenet.livejournal.com]

Indeed. He does look older in the flashbacks, I noticed-- skinnier too. Also, while we're on the subject:



Pour vous, and from a Genjo flashback. XD

[louiselux.livejournal.com]

Eeeeeeee! My very own Gay Koumyou! Thank you. XD

*hugs icon and Renet*

[mistressrenet.livejournal.com]

Thank you! The 'gay' is a little smaller but I really wanted his pipe in the crop. XD ::hugs back::

[louiselux.livejournal.com]

Small but perfectly formed. *g* Koumyou's hashpipe is an essential item, methinks.

[mistressrenet.livejournal.com]

Yes, exactly. Stoner chic n' all. XD

[akisawana.livejournal.com]

Koumyou reminds me somewhat of Gandalf. What with the massive amounts of patience and all. And the pipe. Definetly the pipe.

[mistressrenet.livejournal.com]

Dude, yes.