So I joined up on a Debate Team that is taking the Anti Sess-Rin Stance.

I have been enlightened via some talented Dokugans that Fuedal Lords would raise young girls to be eventual wives (education in clan etiquette, traditions, etc)and it was pretty much common practice.

I don't want to walk through the door with the only argument that Rin is an unacceptable choice because of the fandoms and Western view she is his child. Which is what I do believe. Some of us are actually tossed the theory around Kagome is the Mother of the twins in passing and Moroha came after.

I'll definitely be reading up on Rin's and Sesshomaru's bios.

And I honestly have no idea what I just signed up for but if it devolves I'm out.

Thanks for the reply, and what you've stated has been my response.

Culturally speaking, even during the European Dark Ages, girls were married off young but it usually involved marriages of political affiliations and gains.

I don't see what Sesshomaru would gain marrying an orphan.

Dokuga has spoiled me by introducing Sesshomaru's insight into caring for Rin as a ward and I honestly thought it would be Rin and Kohaku.

Thanks for your reply, I truly do appreciate you getting back to me.

Because he never states his feelings or thoughts its hard to tell what Sesshomaru's motivations are, but even if you argue that he never saw Rin as his daughter and always just considered her a unique and special person the power imbalance between them is problematic. Rin has complete blind faith in Sesshomaru and follows him unhesitatingly. She never questions him and always immediately obeys him. The may work in a caretaker/child situation, but its hardly healthy in a romantic relationship.

I think that regardless of the time and place the story is set in, the exploitation (particularly the sexual exploitation) of children isn't something to be romanticized.

It isn't as though children are never groomed to be brides or are never married off at young ages in Western culture either, but I think that the way it is presented as good or bad is important.

I could never ship Sess/Rin because I see them as having more of a father/daughter relationship. If we had more information to fill in the blanks between Inuyasha and Yashahime that could shift the dynamic somewhat and make it marginally more acceptable to me, but I'm automatically wary of any relationship that includes a child and an adult eventually procreating.