Nakago is not one of the best-liked characters of Fushigi Yuugi. He is blamed for much that wrong in the lives of the Suzaku and the Seiryuu seishi, and there are even hate shrines for him. This is understandable to a certain extent; he is the villain after all. But this does not automatically mean that he is utterly evil and capable of doing anything that would serve his goal. He is by no means good, but his 'evil' comes from his blindness to the suffering of others, his belief that his actions are justified, his willingness to see others as necessary sacrifices standing in the way of his revenge.

Nakago is certainly not perfect; he has committed terrible deeds. But there have also been times when he has refrained from acts which would work to his advantage  because of his own sense of honor. He has had reasons for doing what he has done, and understanding these reasons helps make him a deeper character, someone who is more than the stereotypical thoroughly evil villain.

So what do people commonly accuse him of?
 

Treatment of Soi

Soi is devoted to Nakago. She states that she would do anything for him and has shown this through the series; attacking the Suzaku seishi, attempting to seduce Tamahome and in the end giving her own life to save his. Despite all this Nakago shows little to no affection for her. He does not hesitate to send her into another man's bed, he plays with Yui's emotions and rejects Soi when she attempts to reach his heart. While she was living Nakago did not seem to do anything which would justify her deep love for him. Was he needlessly cruel toward her and simply using her to strengthen his powers?

I believe Nakago cared for Soi as much as he was capable of caring for anyone. He simply could not show it because of his own belief that love is a weakness and because he himself was probably not aware of how much Soi meant to him until her death. He did not exactly treat her as a lover, but we do have evidence that he was kinder towards her than others under his command. When Soi fails to kill the Suzaku seishi and is injured he does not punish her, but instead lets her use his chi to heal herself. Ashitare was punished for a similar failure with a beating.

Nakago's actions are influenced by his earlier experiences. He has seen terrible things happen to his loved ones because of who he is. He was also the victim of sexual abuse as a child. All this has resulted in an inability to deal with love. He does not know how to react, which results in acts of coldness where Soi is concerned. He is not cruel to her because he delights in it or does not care for her; he simply cannot face his feelings and tries to avoid any potential future risk of rejection or hurt. He has learned that love only results in pain.
 
 

Manipulating Yui

Was Nakago to blame for Yui's decision to become Seiryuu no Miko? He certainly wasn't without fault, but Yui did choose to believe him over Miaka. She heard her best friend's explanations for what had happened, yet she still turned to Nakago. I believe that Nakago did increase Yui's distrust of Miaka and her willingness to go against the Suzaku seishi, but Yui made her own decisions as well.

Nakago took advantage of Yui's confusion and depression when she first entered the book. She was in a vulnerable state, alone in a strange country and under the belief that she had been raped. Whatever doubts she had in those moments Nakago noticed and worked to strengthen. He left her with the impression that she had been abandoned by Miaka. In the end Yui turns against Miaka.

But is she free of blame for her actions during the series? Miaka made several attempts to explain what had happened. Yui only began to doubt Nakago when she had the physical proof of being devoured by Seiryuu backing Miaka's words. She chose a man she hardly knew over a girl who had been her best friend since childhood. Yui was willing to believe Nakago, because she needed someone to blame for her situation. It is easier to accuse others than to accept the fact that bad things can happen without meaning or because of your own actions. Nakago gave her what she wanted by telling her she had been betrayed. She could count on him to agree with her, to support the view she'd formed of matters. They were both using each other. Yui received attention and respect from Nakago. He also helped her seek revenge against Miaka, who she might have always subconsciously envied for being so well-loved without any effort on her part. Nakago, in turn, worked to gain Yui's trust in order to make his own revenge reality with the wish he wanted her to grant him.
 

The Miaka 'rape' scene

I could not analyze this better than the Nakago Fan Club already has done. Go here to see their take on the scene.
 
 

Coming soon: manipulating Suboshi and the Suzaku seishi.

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