In many respects Tamahome is a typical shoujo manga hero.
From his harsh past and struggling childhood to his seemingly cold and
brash attitude towards others, he fits into the well worn mold and yet
in some ways is very different from your run-of-the-mill shoujo
heroine's love interest. The sad early death of his mother left
Tamahome as the main caretaker of his family, his father debilitated
by a serious illness. From the responsibility stems his endless
obsession with collecting money. This responsibility also leaves
Tamahome so concerned about his family that he matures much faster
than his peers most likely did.
The appearance of Miaka in his life threw Tamahome out of
gear. In Miaka, Tamahome found innocence and good naturedness that he
was deprived of as a child. Miaka's clumsy but heartfelt profession
of love only serves to drive home this point within Tamahome. Miaka
had fallen in love with someone she barely knew and Tamahome was left
questioning this new disrupting facet of his life. It isn't until her
presence is missed that Tamahome begins to admit to himself about his
feelings for her.
Miaka's effervescent presence had awakened a part of Tamahome
that he couldn't deny with her return. When Miaka saw Tamahome in the
presence of his family, she realized that despite his seemingly cold
exterior Tamahome was a caring, loving, and generous person. We will
probably never know whether this cold exterior was caused by the early
death of his mother, the responsibility forced on his as a child, the
alienation caused by his connection to Suzaku, or the combination of
these events.
The only thing that sets Tamahome apart from many other shoujo
heroes is his quickness in accepting his own feelings. He doesn't
spend a lot of time questioning his own feelings, Tamahome is sure of
himself and able to accept that he loves another. It is through his
love of Miaka that Tamahome begins to open up in other respects. He
become good friends with both Nuriko and Tasuki, something he would
never have bothered wasting time on before he met Miaka.
It is in an unusual fight over Miaka that Tamahome and Tasuki
first meet; their friendship is very much centered around their
similar perspectives. Neither had had any experience in dealing with
women in a truly romantic sense and both were unsure on exactly how to
deal with Miaka and her completely foreign motivations. Through the
series their friendship deepens, though it still contains elements of
competition.
Tamahome's strength of character and determination are his
strongest and most admirable points. Even when he felt that he had
lost everything, his determination and fierce loyalty remained. After
his family was brutally murdered by Suboshi, Tamahome was brought back
from his murderous rage when he saw the emotional pain Miaka was in.
With his family gone, Tamahome had no strong connections to the world
he was born in, leaving him alone except for his miko and fellow
seishi.
Tamhome's childhood teacher, Tokaki, urges Tamahome to give up
his love for Miaka. Having seen the trauma that Tatara went through
after loosing Suzuno, he tries to convince Tamahome to give up on
Miaka while he is still 'unattached.' Tamahome tries to forget her
but he soon realizes that he is already too emotionally involved with
Miaka to ever leave her. It is this love that Tamahome draws strength
from when he enters Miaka's world and feels utterly alone. Though he
may seem sappy to some at times, Tamahome's capacity to love is
overwhelming (well, at least to me ^.~).
Comments go here: tamahomenomiko@hotmail.com
Article copyright 1999 Tanzy (aka Tamahome no Fujo)
