Kirara
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Kirara 雲母 |
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| Alternate Name(s) | Kilala |
| Age | Unknown (over 300 years old) |
| Race | nekomata yōkai |
| Weapons | Claws and fangs |
| First Appearance (Anime) | {{{FirstShow}}} |
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Sango (Owner)
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Kirara (雲母, pronounced as Kilala in the English dubbed anime) is a character in the manga and anime series InuYasha.
Kirara is the nekomata companion of Sango, the yōkai exterminator (退治屋, taijiya) that hails from a mountain village of other exterminators. Despite her yōkai blood and appearance, she is fiercely loyal to Sango and her friends and has been in Sango's family for generations. She has taken a particular shine to Shippo, keeping the young feline company when her presence is not required in battle, and she has aided InuYasha on occasion by teaching him how to wield his sword, the Tessaiga. Kirara is a formidable opponent, and she displays her strength and agility on several occasions. She also seems to have an unusual resistance to most poisons but is still susceptible to Naraku's Miasma attack. She is also able to pass through certain kinds of barriers.
Kirara usually appears as a tiny and cute feline no larger than a kitten with light tan fur, various black markings, large red eyes, and two tails, but her true form is a large Saber toothed like yōkai-cat. She has long, saber fangs and fire that briefly envelops her during her transformation and wreaths her legs and tails. She is also able to fly in her larger form and can easily carry three people on her back.
It is strongly hinted at in the anime (but not in the manga) that Kirara, or one of her ancestors, was at one time the companion of Midoriko, creator of the Shikon no Tama (The Jewel of Four Souls). As the taijiya village was built near the site of the legendary battle between Midoriko and the yōkai that nearly consumed her, this is a logical assumption. In episode 91 of the anime, Shippo encounters another nekomata named Kuroro that is similar in appearance to Kirara and has several cubs, showing that there are others of her kind in the world (though it's unknown whether these others are capable of transforming as Kirara can).
[edit] Voice actress
Kirara is voiced by Tarako in both English and Japanese.
[edit] Trivia
- The name Kirara is a rarely-used feminine personal name that translates roughly to "cloud-mother". The kanji used for Kirara (雲母) is normally pronounced "yunmu" which means "mica" or "isinglass", and the "kirara" comes from the Japanese sound effect for a jewel or stone glittering.
- In the English dub, her name is pronounced "kee-LAH-lah." This is because the Japanese language does not have separate "R" and "L" sounds, instead having a slightly trilled "R" that falls somewhere in between. This language difference often causes confusion in translation.
- Interestingly enough, in spite of the pronunciation chosen, the name is still spelled "Kirara" in the English dub and can be seen in the captions and titles.
- It should be noted that although Kirara has the appearance of a nekomata, she does not exhibit the traditional traits of such, which normally include feeding on carrion (In the manga, she ate a dead bird), shapeshifting into human form, and necromancy.
