"Yes, she served the enemy foh several of the earlieh episodes. But slowly grew disgusted with heh formeh masteh's treatment of heh and found a strange kinship with the othehs." Ishyio replied.

"She still has that 'bad girl' vibe, even more then Shana. But she really proves to be a valuable member of the team. Sometimes they throw in a plot of Ayame tempted to return to the side of evil, but so far she has remained loyal to heh new friends. Even when they doubt heh."

Tsugiharu pondered that.

"Hmm, I wonder if that was the author's intention all along, or if her switching sides was decided by outside influences?" he wondered.

"One can never tell...." Ishiyo chuckles, "Half the time it starts that way and the otheh half time someone else pushes down these changes."

She glances at the Spider, "Which do you prefeh to be true? Authorial intent or political pressure?"

Tusigharu considered that.

"A difficult question, Daidoji-sama. One does not wish to compromise an artist's vision for mere politics. However, one does also not wish to be an artist who is so fixated on their own vision, that they're unwilling to listen to outside influence." he offered.

He shrugged a bit.

"And even one who is a skilled artist can be flawed in other ways. Just because someone is a skilled artist does not mean they're wise in other matters. Yet some people don't seem to get that."

He looked over to the Daidoji.

"Hm, what are you tastes in art Daidoji-sama?"

"A cautious answer, Kuchiki-san." She laughs a little at that.

"What do you mean by art?" Ishiyo counters, "My tastes in pop culture or the larger world of artistic movements?"

Tsugiharu chuckles.

"There are some samurai who go through life willing to die on every molehill, Daidoji-sama. I'm not afraid to strike when bold action is required, but it so rarely is." he agrues.

He considers that.

"Hmm, why not start with specific pop culture? Though I'm interesting in your greater philosophy as well."

"Well in that case the best show ever made is The Amazing Adventures of Space Hero Pilot Captain Inu Shikoku-ken, Courageous Warriors of the Stars!" Ishiyo positively beams at that, "Inu-tai has been a companion since I was a child. He is a role model for honorable pilots everywhere. Thirty minutes a day he saves the Empire from the evil forces of Imperator Lupus Malum and his gaijin wolves of Tenebris Imperium."

"Wan! Wan!"

The bark caught Tsugiharu off guard.

"Ah, I see. An influence on your choice of profession I take it?" he said.

Ishiyo shakes her head and chuckles, "Oh no...just helped feed an already growing obsession with space figthehs. Inu-tai was just at the right place at the right time. Fatheh gave me a plushie when I was seven. I still have it actually, it was very well made...neveh seen anotheh like it come to think on it."

It did amuse Tsugiharu somewhat to picture a much younger Ishiyo with her 'magical animal companion.'

"And what of your opinion on the larger world of artistic movements, Daidoji-sama?" he asked, interested in learning more about her.

"Much more complicated..." Ishiyo responds, then thinks better of it, "Well I should say I appreciate when one has to study a piece foh several minutes, noting the nuances of strokes and color use that help to convey the artists thoughts. I tend to prefeh the pieces were theih message is front and centeh. I also tend to prefeh the more classical artistic forms oveh the neweh ones, but that is probably more from my upbringing then anything."

"I do acknowledge some of the ingenious use of technology in the neweh works though. Even if I prefer the old."