History WMG / Mononoke

[[WMG:Episodea are given in the anachronic order]]
So the story goes like this: first we have Nue arc (aka that sory about murderous aromatic log with self-esteem issues). Todaiji aka Nue is a jerkass entity but to be fair given how cruel Medicine Seller is to the dead suitors, he is no better.
Second goes arc with Zashiki-warashi (one with dead babies). Here Medicine Seller learned something about human nature and behaviour.
Third & Forth respecyively are the original Bakeneko.
And the last one will be Noperrabo.
The new Bakeneko arc is a flashback.
Do what you will with this.

*** A bit of secondary evidence pointing to "Reason" or (more accurately) "Motivation" as well--in the (nonrelated) ''BreathOfFire IV'', particularly the manga, dragons are described as the ''kotowari'' of the world (the Something-Or-Other FanTranslation goes with "truth" with the translator's note "Sort of a truth of the world", whilst the official game translation changes this to describing dragons as the force that moves the world). This is what we get for Japanese having different words for different varieties of "Truthiness" that are not directly translatable in English.

<<|WildMassGuessing|>>

* How to explain the Medicine Seller's "Hyper-Mode" persona? Well, the classic series had Romana swapping bodies so her character could be played by another actress; (the scene itself was considered controversial, as it seemed to imply that Time Lords could swap bodies without regeneration, which some fans of the series refuse to accept as canon.) But let's assume for a moment that it's true--a Time Lord can change bodies without regenerating, or at least, without regenerating FULLY.) The "sealing sword" which the Medicine Seller uses might give off a dangerous aura (or it might be the kind of tool which can be used only by someone with certain physical characteristics, high stamina, etc.) The body which the Medicine seller switches to whenever he uses the sword could be one he keeps in a pocket dimension and which he dons like a hazmat suit whenever he needs it. Doing this might require a regeneration-like transformation sequence, (but it doesn't "count" towards an actual regeneration. At least as long as the MS returns to his original body after using it.) Mononoke sealing might be a niche field which requires a set of very specific, highly unusual tools, tools which a generalist like The Doctor might never had reason to stumble upon.

* The Medicine Seller's TARDIS is his medicine chest. It's what he uses to travel through time and space. (in the Original Doctor Who, it's shown that only the main console is needed to travel through time, one merely has to be touching it. The rest of the TARDIS is just a container.) It's clear from the medicine chest's operation that it's far bigger on the inside than on the outside (given how many scales it can hold.) and not only can the medicine chest travel through time, it can also open pocket dimensions and project illusions (things the Doctor was never inclined to do, but things the Medicine Seller would have needed to do in order to deal with mononoke in an effective way.)

* Traveling Time Lords tend to not be known by their names, but rather by titles they choose for themselves. (The Doctor, The Master, The Rani, and now, the Medicine Seller.) The Doctor's "doctor" persona gives him an air of authority and wisdom which makes other people more inclined to listen to him. Likewise, the Medicine Seller's persona is carefully designed to let him travel around Japan without much suspicion (at a time when people rarely left their home villages.)

*** A bit of secondary evidence pointing to "Reason" or (more accurately) "Motivation" as well--in the (nonrelated) ''BreathOfFire IV'', particularly the manga, dragons are described as the ''kotowari'' of the world (the Something-Or-Other FanTranslation goes with "truth" with the translator's note "Sort of a truth of the world", whilst the official game translation changes this to describing dragons as the force that moves the world). This is what we get for Japanese having different words for different varieties of "Truthiness" that are not directly translatable in English. :D

* Getting back to the original subject, the Medicine Seller (in addition to the Immortal, Empowered, Motivated bits) even has subtle hints in his appearance (particularly PointedEars, Fangs, and being very pale) that he is NotHuman. His facial markings in his "default form" also resemble those used for supernatural beings, particularly gods and kitsune (fox spirits) in ''kabuki'' theatre; [[http://kaigou.livejournal.com/517043.html MUCH more in-depth writeup here]]. At least one interpretation [[http://kaigou.livejournal.com/515720.html specifically notes that red around the eyes denotes Supernatural Beings]].

At the end of the episode, she starts bleeding , which might suggest that the innkeeper and/or the mononoke might have terminated her pregnancy. She's tied by the red string of fate to her child (Represented by the sole doll), and surrounded by many other dolls with unattached red strings. Her child starts cracking (Miscarriage), states she can't be its mother, and is then attached to the mononoke. Her stomach is much smaller than before, and she might have willingly terminated, or accepted her original child's death, because that means she would no longer be attached to her lover or to her much hated child.

It potentially explains the coloration of the characters. Shino is the product of Dutch liaisons with Japanese women, who could have children with recessive blonde/blue-eye traits that, if two of these children had children themselves, ''might'' results in a blonde-haired, blue-eyed Japanese girl. Some of Tokuji's ancestors would have been black or South Indian slaves, which European traders sometimes brought with them. A bit of a stretch, true, but possible.