Due to vocalist Sayuri's poor health, Silver Forest is disbanding.
Tewi Inaba
Tewi Inaba Tei Inaba | |
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 Tewi Inaba in Phantasmagoria of Flower View White Rabbit of Good FortuneMore Character Titles | |
| Species | Youkai Rabbit |
| Abilities | Conferring good luck to humans |
| Age | At least 1,300 years old, most likely at least 1,792,470 years old. |
| Occupation | Leader of rabbits in Eientei |
| Location | Eientei |
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Appearances | |
| Official Games | |
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| Print Works | |
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Tewi Inaba (因幡 てゐ Inaba tewi) is one of the many, many youkai rabbits that lives at and guards Eientei, a mansion deep in a bamboo forest - though she's the one all the earth rabbits actually listen to. Because Tewi is known to help lost people find their way and sometimes grants good fortune, she's one of the few youkai that's not harmful to humans at all (as long as you aren't trying to invade Eientei).
A very lighthearted and playful youkai that's known to lie at times, she even tries to scam Aya Shameimaru out of pocket change during Phantasmagoria of Flower View.
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Concept
Name
Her full name is Tewi Inaba (因幡 てゐ). Unlike Reisen Udongein Inaba, Tewi's title of "Inaba" is assigned Kanji characters, which refer to the old Inaba Province in the Kansai era. The legendary story, "The White Hare of Inaba" (or "The Hare of Inaba" for short) is mentioned in the Kojiki, which is the most likely reason for the name, and Tewi is very commonly associated with the hare of that story.
The "wi" (ゐ) in Tewi is a kana that was removed from the official Japanese language use by the post-war government in 1954. In present day Japanese, her name is pronounced "Tei". The kana "wi" is still used artistically or stylistically as it is here in the case of Tewi (or cf. Nikka Brand Whiskey "ニッカウヰスキー"; using the katakana form of "wi" (ヰ) versus the hiragana form of "wi" (ゐ)), and is similar to "thy" or "thou" in English: recognizable and still used, but almost never for official documents. Additionally, since she's at least 1300 years old, she would have received her name centuries before "wi" was legislated out of official use by the government. The kanji 帝 can be used to represent her name, but this can only be said to be ateji at best, but this has gained common usage in China.
Appearance
When she first appeard in Imperishable Night, she had dark red eyes, black shoulder-length hair, and white fluffy rabbit ears. She is dresses in a frilly, pink nightgown and had nothing on her feet. When she appeard in Phantasmagoria of Flower View, she wpre some white socks and a carrot necklace.
Her alternative outfit in Phantasmagoria of Flower View was just as same, except her dress is black.
Story
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- Imperishable Night
- Main article: Story
<Insert Summary>
Tewi dashed out to enjoy the flowers blooming. She forgot to tell anyone where she was going, causing Reisen Udongein Inaba to go after her.
Tewi mainly watched the events on the sidelines while managing the earth rabbits pounding mochi for the Monthly Lunar Festival. Eirin's handling of the situation impressed the rabbit. When Eirin indicated she had realized who the true culprit behind the unrest was, Tewi mocked how those earth youkai were trying to invade the Moon again even though they already failed before, and said she was glad she sided with Eirin and the Lunarians that had come to Eientei.
At the end, the culprit, Yukari Yakumo, was captured by Watatsuki no Toyohime, in part thanks to Eirin's intervention. Yukari and Ran Yakumo were held under arrest by Toyohime, who told them they would make excellent souvenirs on the moon.
The two youkai were tied up with femtofiber fabric, which the Lunarians have always used to bind the impure. As Toyohime explained what femtofiber fabric was, Yukari realized that it was the same as shimenawa rope. Yukari mocked Toyohime's claims of sealing away the impure using shimenawa, pointing out that the Lunarians even sealed away native gods as well. Toyohime was slightly stunned, but clarified, saying that shimenawa were used to seal those who defy the moon. Confused, Ran asked Yukari what she was talking about, causing the boundary youkai to explain that Lunarians first used shimenawa to prevent the sun goddess Amaterasu from returning to the cave she used to hide in, and since then, Lunarians have used the fabric to limit the movements of the impure. Toyohime agreed, saying that this kept the Lunar Capital safe. At that point, Yukari angrily added that shimenawa wasn't used just to seal the impure, but gods as well. As an example, she told Ran that Lord Daikoku was sealed away long ago at his shrine because the heavenly gods, implied to be the Lunarians, feared him after taking his lands. Ran was shocked that Lord Daikoku was sealed away, and remarked that he was the god that the rabbits were always singing about. As proof of her accusation, Yukari pointed out that the shimenawa at Lord Daikoku's shrine in Izumo were too thick to merely seal away something impure, leaving Toyohime speechless. Yukari, now smiling, smugly pointed out that there was shimenawa at the Moriya Shrine as well, which must have been used to seal away one of Daikoku's sons, Take-Minakata. Ran then realized that must have been why the shimenawa there was so thick.
Fortunately for Toyohime, Reisen interupted to tell her the other invaders at the moon had been defeated, and Watatsuki no Yorihime needed Toyohime to send them away. Toyohime smiled and prepared to return to the moon, but Reisen was ordered to deliver one last letter to Eientei.
At Eientei, rabbits were pounding mochi in Lord Daikoku's name for the latest Monthly Lunar Festival. Reisen arrived, causing them to pause. Tewi wondered what was going on, and Reisen nervously explained and handed her the letter before leaving. After Reisen was gone, Tewi realized that she must have been one of the Lunar emissaries and wondered why the residents of Eientei feared someone that pathetic in the first place. She then proclaimed to the other rabbits that the Lunar emissary was nothing compared to Lord Daikoku, causing them all to laugh, apparently ignorant of what had become of him.
Tewi plays pranks on Reisen. Lots and lots and lots of pranks.
Backstory
After taking good care of her health and living for a long time, Tewi Inaba became a youkai rabbit. She had become known as the Rabbit of Good Fortune to humans for the good luck she brought them. She is more than 3,000 years old, as she knew Lord Daikoku (also known as Ookuninushi) personally, confident that he made medicine better on chapter 18 of Silent Sinner in Blue than even Eirin Yagokoro. It's possible that she's the White Hare of Inaba, itself. She has existed since the Bamboo Forest of the Lost was known as "The Tall Grass Cluster", and is said to be the only being that knows it completely. However, it appears she never found out that Lord Daikoku, whom she revers so much, was taken captive and is sealed at his shrine in Izumo to this day. She and the earth rabbits continue to pound mochi in his name, much to Reisen's annoyance as she insists on them pounding it in an Lunarian figure's name.
Tewi had lived in the Bamboo Forest before Eientei was built. Despite Kaguya Houraisan's power over eternity concealing it. In Cage in Lunatic Runagate Tewi said that she knew that it was always there. She finally made herself known to Eirin Yagokoro after a few hundred years. By then, Tewi had already achieved enlightenment. She was master of the Bamboo Forest and the rabbits that lived there.
Eirin and Tewi made a deal. Tewi would protect Eientei from humans, and in return, Eirin would spread her knowledge to the rabbits. Perhaps this was so the beasts could keep up with the youkai, Youkai Mountain, humans, and (later) vampires in Gensokyo's delicate power balance in Perfect Memento in Strict Sense.
Tewi abides by that deal to this day. When she isn't playing pranks on Reisen Udongein Inaba or scamming Gensokyo's general populace, at least.
Relationships
Kaguya Houraisan
Eirin Yagokoro
Tewi made a deal with Eirin to defend Eientei in exchange for Eirin imparting her knowledge to the rabbits. Thus Eirin is an ally, employer, and a Shishou to Tewi, and Tewi appropriately addresses her as Master. Eirin realizes Tewi's importance to Eientei due to her control over the rabbits, and despite Tewi's pranks, knows that Tewi is there whenever they really need her, should the circumstance arise.[1].
Reisen Udongein Inaba
Reisen is Tewi's fellow youkai rabbit serving under Eirin, like Tewi. Unlike the earth rabbits, Reisen acts as Tewi's superior, ordering Tewi around and being in charge of looking after her. It is, however, completely up to Tewi's discretion whether to listen to Reisen or not. Around Eientei, Reisen also tends to be the unfortunate primary recipient of Tewi's pranks.
Gensokyo's youkai rabbits
All of Gensokyo's youkai rabbits (from Earth, not the Moon) obey Tewi. This is either a sign or a result of Tewi's enlightenment and power. Tewi knows every single youkai rabbit currently in Gensokyo, although this does not stem from the psychic connection that rabbits have. If a new youkai rabbit hypothetically came into being, Tewi would not automatically know about it, although youkai birth rates are so low that Tewi would probably find out very fast.[2]
Additional Information
Trivia/Fanon
- It is said that ordinary animals who live a long time may develop profound magical abilities. Tewi is one of them.
- She seems to be much of a prankster, both in fan and official work such as in Inaba of the Moon and Inaba of the Earth and Eastern and Little Nature Deity. The most common victim is Reisen Udongein Inaba. Despite being older than Reisen, she often acts in a childish manner compared to the moon rabbit.
- Though some think the reason behind it is how the younger rabbit attempts to boss her around. This line of thought implies Eirin makes requests in a more respectful manner.
- Tewi is also a shady/suspicious character seen through Inaba of the Moon and Inaba of the Earth, such as her pillaging mode (強奪モード, gōdatsumōdo), which was seen in chapter 22, carrying a machine gun and wearing sunglasses and a mask. In Oriental Sacred Place chapter 12, she was again seen with sunglasses, but also holding a cigarette while selling colored rabbits during the Hakurei Shrine festival. Earlier, Inaba of the Moon and Inaba of the Earth shows that those colored rabbits were a scam (they're just painted).
- In Inaba of the Moon and Inaba of the Earth, she's depicted as being fond of beer.
- Tewi is the only original midboss character to become a fully playable character.
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Imperishable Night - キャラ設定.txt
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Official Sources
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- ↑ Cage in Lunatic Runagate: First Chapter — "She'd be beside you before you know it, and she'd disappear just as quickly. Still, she'd always be around when you really needed her"
- ↑ Cage in Lunatic Runagate: First Chapter — "There aren't any youkai rabbits that Tewi doesn't know." "Would it be so strange to think that one youkai rabbit nobody knows could show up?" "That cannot possibly be true. It's much harder for a new youkai to be born than it is for a human." "It's true that Tewi knows all the youkai rabbits. If Tewi says none of them were hurt, the youkai rabbit at the shrine must be a fake."
