xxxHolic, chapter 189

[snarp]

Is this a deliberate reference to Shunkin? Or is Beautiful Morally-Problematic Blind Shamisen Player Woman a trope in itself, to which Shunkin herself is a reference?

Comments

[snarp]

I'm not sure whether Beautiful and Morally Problematic were requirements of the job or whether that's lore that built up around the inherently romantic profession of blind (tragic!), traveling (exotic!), musician (mysterious!) women (scandalous!).

Seems likely. Or maybe it's just the part where they're outside local family-based social structures that makes them so suspicious. Travelling medicine sellers usually seem to be portrayed as morally gray-to-black, too.