Soi was a representation of feminine strength in Fushigi Yuugi. For those of you who haven't met her yet, Soi is a Seiryuu no Seishi.  Her real name was Haku Kaen and she was 19 years old at the time of the anime.  Her glowing blue kanji symbol, "Bo", appears on her left thigh and means, "Tassel".  Her seishi powers include the ability to control lightning, electromagnetism, and Bouchuu magic. Bouchuu magic is the magic of seduction and the knowledge of various sexual techniques.

We first met her as a tall figure covered in a flowing black cloak that covered all but a slim strip of her face. She appeared to save another younger and lesser experienced Seiryuu no Seishi from defeat during a fight with a Suzaku no Seishi. She effortlessly appeared, scooped up the fallen Seiryuu no Seishi and left just as quickly and mysteriously.  At that time, her identity was kept hidden beneath the cloak, however she revealed herself not too long after that incident, when she appeared for a second time with the mission of eliminating Suzaku no Miko. The tall, menacing yet beautiful woman seemed ruthless and arrogant while summoning lightning and a wind storm in the middle of the sea in her attempt to take out Miaka and her seishi. Needless to say, Soi failed to carry out her orders and retreated in defeat. It's not until she let her guard down in the comforting presence of Nakago, the leader of the Seiryuu no Seishi and the Shogun of Kutou, that we saw just how hard she tried to act ruthless and arrogant. In the presence of Nakago, who was also the love of her life, she really wasn't that ruthless or arrogant at all but was intent on showing her loyalty and dedication to her man and kicking herself for failing in her assignment. Without any use of her Bouchuu magic to charm or influence him, Soi managed to obtain Nakago's forgiveness without any effort whatsoever with the reassurance that she would be given another opportunity to be a successful. This was quite an accomplishment considering Nakago seemed to be the truly ruthless and unforgiving soldier who had no feelings or loyalty towards his fellow seishi and disposed of them on a whim.

Later in the story, we found out that Soi was sold to a brothel by her own poverty-inflicted family when she was a young girl. Nakago showed up to rescue her while she was being coerced into submission by her owner. He slayed them and took in Soi. Ever since what she thought was a grand display of compassion, she has been in love with and devoted to Nakago. It was this drive to please Nakago that motivated her, rather than her role of Seiryuu no Seishi. When it comes to Nakago and his goals, there is nothing Soi wouldn't do to help him. For example, she teamed up with Tomo, her rival for Nakago's attention, in an effort to further Nakago's goal.

It was left to interpretation by this author as to whether Nakago saved Soi out of true compassion or because he knew she was a Seiryuu no Seishi and would need her later. She often used her seishi power of Bouchuu magic to up Nakago's chi, however, no matter how much she loved him and tried to express that love, he never showed her a return of that love and actually denied it instead. That never stopped her from believing in him and continuing to support him. She never feared showing her emotions and communicating her devotion to him. It wasn't until she took a sword blade for Nakago and died in his arms during a battle that he realized how much she loved him.  Again, the love that Nakago may or may not have had for Soi was left up to interpretation for despite all his denials he must have felt some feelings for her, as Soi's last sacrifice made enough of an impression on him to make him care for her body while finishing up the battle, even to the point of taking a sword blade himself to prevent it from marring her body. It might even be said that he didn't realize how much he loved her until she was gone.

I once wrote this of Soi a while back and liked it. So I am concluding with this: Soi was strong and self-sufficient without sacrificing the tenderness of being a woman, so she was able to find a balance between the two. She was a powerful enemy, but she was capable of showing mercy. She caught the heart of someone whom everyone thought didn't have a heart to capture, which shows that she not only has a strong drive for fight, but also for love. The love for her man didn't smother her or make her weak. It made her stronger and braver.

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Article copyright 1999 Rence