^_^ 

Jakensama: I would disagree. Byakuya does not look that much like Kagura. Pointy ears, dark, hair, make up and bangs. However, a large chunk of the youkai cast has all of those. More like a fusion of Jakotsu and Abi-hime, imho. Regardless of, his personality is original. He's wisecracking and clever, and provides a lightness to the manga that some of those battles really needed. Also, his powers are extremely creative.  That aside, I was not applauding her for his design. I was commenting that it's awesome that RT bucks gender stereotypes. Androgynous characters are cool, I think. It is neat that Byakuya's gender and sexuality are completely irelevant to his character.

As for Sesshoumaru's fluff. I was, as I said, providing a counter. All I meant to say was that if Byakuya is a crossdresser, so is Sess. It is a tail, but it's not attached at the rear. It's not attached at all so I don't know why he couldn't carry it around it around. It IS however, living and is in a sense part of him I suppose.  This is according to the character book by RT. Regardless, I am not holding it against him, as I wouldn't hold it against him no matter how he dressed. Sesshoumaru could traipse around in a dress and I would not care and it would not influence my opinion on his character negatively. If anything I'd find it amusing. But there is nothing feminine about Byakuya's garments, is all I was trying to say.

And I am also okay with ending this.

1- The reason we have not seen many big fights with Byakuya is because his powers aren't really of the hack and slash nature that Kagura and Hakudoushi were. He works with illusions, which basically means it is not so much him fighting as the illusions he creates. Kouga has a sword he did not draw until very late in the series. Sword fighting is not what Byakuya does. As weird as it is, a character having a sword at their hip doesn't make them a swordsman. Also, regardless of how many times he flees battle- that does not make him feminine which is why I am boggled it was even brought up and why people were debating against it. And additionally, several male characters have been pointed out as doing the same thing.

2- I do not recall him being called the most powerful of Naraku's detachments, although if he was, please clarify. I would disagree and say that is Kanna. She can kill within an instant, and there's really no escape. The only reason she is not such an asset is because Kagome can counteract her. But Kagome being able to counteract her is an extremely unusual situation. Otherwise, it's all Kanna.

3- Why draw a woman but then call it a man? 

Because why adhere to traditional gender and sexuality stereotypes when designing your characters? Personally, A+ to RT for not doing so.

Also, Byakuya is not a crossdresser. That is a man's outfit, completely. Sesshoumaru's fluff though, is a feminine garment piece. I am not saying he is a crossdresser of course, but it confuses me that someone could fault Byakuya for looking a woman and not (earlier at least) manga Sesshoumaru. I have met so many people who thought he was a girl.

Elise96 and Tanuki are also right, I think.

Perhaps Naraku intentionally made Byakuya less aggressive so he would be more more compliant and less independent. Other than Kanna, Naraku's other creations have all been very aggressive. These aggressive ones were disobedient or downright treacherous, except for Goshinki, who was killed before we had a chance to learn much about his personality.

As far as Byakuya's "prettyness" goes, maybe he is being drawn this way to appeal to a certain segment of the female fan-base, but isn't there a tradition in many mythologies where supernatural beings in human form are described as being either too beautiful or too grotesque to actually be human?