One of the first things I ever learned about fandom is that people are hypocrits, and one of the characters people love to be hypocritical about is Tomo. What do I mean? I mean people hate him for stupid reasons such as "he's evil." Now, this isn't a stupid reason if you're a die hard Suzaku no Seishi fan who hates all Seiryuu no Seishi for even existing. However, if I hear one more person offer up the statement "Tomo is horrible and evil and I hate him! Now Nakago/Suboshi, there's a cool character" I think I'm going to have to homicidal.
Now, this isn't a defence of Tomo being a sweet, innocent, misguided character. Far from it! This is simply an argument for Tomo not being more horrible and evil than Nakago and Suboshi. So, on to the complaints against my pretty, psycho actor.
1. He tried to rape Miaka!
This is true, he did, indeed try to rape Miaka. And rape is, beyond a shadow of a doubt, bad, although the debate of whether being raped is better than being killed is one I will leave up to other people. HOwever, if I might point something out - Nakago and Suboshi both tried raping her too! It's in the Seiryuu no Seishi contract: "If given the opportunity, you must attempt to rape/kill Suzaku no Miko." If nothing else his attempt to rape her makes him as horrible and evil as the other two.
Now that we've covered that, let's look at approach.
Tomo: I will create a world that makes you happy, cast myself as your boyfriend and seduce you in a fairly pleasant manner. What? You won't let me? Damn you, looks like I have no choice but to rape you.Now, I don't know about you, but out of the three of them I'd want Tomo coming after me, thank you. I would also let the man seduce me! Hell, even if I had the nasty shock of finding out that it was all deception after the fact, at least I would have said yes at the time and it would have done less physical damage.
2. He tried to molest/kill Tamahome!
May I direct your attention, once again, to the Seiryuu no Seishi contract? "If you are given the opportunity, you must attempt to molest/kill Suzaku no Miko's boyfriend." May I point out that Nakago both kissed and licked Tama-chan? Even if it was only meant as a psych-out (which many fanfic authors debate, but that's neither here nor there), that's a heck of a lot more intimate than Tomo's petting.
I'm also fairly certain that Suboshi wasn't trying to show his undying worship of Tama-chan with his whirrling balls of painful bloody death.
Call it a hunch.
3. He tried to kill Amiboshi!
Now, I love the little musician as well as the next person, but can you say traitor?
I knew you could.
If Tamahome had really sided with Yui and Nakago, we'd have hated his guts and wished him a slow and painful death. But we like Amiboshi and he turned to the side of Good and Light, so it doesn't matter that he was a little turn-coat, now does it?
No. Of course not.
It also doesn't matter that Tomo didn't do squat to actually hurt Amiboshi until said traitor fucked up "the plan." Before that he just tied him up. Had Nakago been there, Amiboshi would have probably been a little pile of ash the second he showed up and championed Miaka and Tamahome.
4. He hates Soi!
Of course. With a burning passion. This is why he complimented her several times when they were heading after Tamahome and asked for her aid specifically. Uh-huh.
If you will re-read the translations of his biography (they're on every other Tomo shrine out there, which is why I don't have them), you will notice it says the two of them don't get along when Nakago is in the room! This just means that they get a bit catty around the object of their mutual affection. Duh.
Those are the most common (stupid) reasons I hear. If I hear any more that leave me wanting to scream, I shall add them. Of course, there are other reasons such as "He creeps me out" which, well, those are personal and you're welcome to them.
~Owari~