Inuyasha
Genre: Adventure, Fantasy, Romance
Studio: Sunrise
Hello guys.
Welcome to another entry of my blog. I want to start by posting this image.
Why am I saying this? Because I want to start by doing something very special. Not just a normal anime reviews, but also a really beautiful gem that I have come to love and care with the path of time, or, in other words, I realise that it is more wonderful than you think. And since we are just days from the release of Yashahime: Princess Half-Demon, I consider appropriate to talk about this.
But first, I have a question for you;
Haven’t you seen a TV series, a movie, a cartoon, a song, that you are simply curious about, but then you see that, with the path of the years, has become something more valuable and loved, like a symbol of one of the greatest times of your life?
Sorry for the long question, but you get the idea.
Well… that is exactly what I feel about Inuyasha.
It all started in 2002. I was about to begin college, and then, when I saw Cartoon Network LA, I found a TV series, about a schoolgirl, called Kagome Higurashi, that travelled to Feudal Japan, and found a yokai, a feisty and hotheaded half-dog demon, by the name of Inuyasha, who was pinned in a tree, due to an attempt to steal a very powerful, yet cursed, gem, called the Pearl of Shikon (or Shikon Jewel). Kagome removes the seal and the arrows that hold Inuyasha, immediately forcing her to travel with Inuyasha; luckily for her, Inuyasha has a magical necklace that halts him every time Kagome says «Sit» or «Sit down».
The point is that I really got hooked by Inuyasha, especially because then I learned this fact:
«Inuyasha was created by Rumiko Takahashi.»
Do you which other cult franchise did Takahashi write?
I really loved Ranma 1/2, but I honestly prefer Inuyasha, because the former can be mean-spirited sometimes, and it mostly mixes comedy and romance. But Inuyasha does more, at least from my perspective.
The point is that I started to watch Inuyasha, every single week, and I started to love it more and more, especially after knowing the rest of its wonderful cast, Miroku, Sango, Kirara, Shippo, Sota, Koga.
All right. I know what I will do.
I will start from the top, reviewing the story, the characters, and the premise for this first part; then on Part II, I will continue talking about my experiences about Inuyasha, and the impact that had in my life, because there is a lot to say about this wonderful gem.
But before I continue, I must ask you the question:
Are you guys ok? Feeling healthy?
If the answer is yes, then I am happy. Now, let’s go on the review.
PREMISE
Based on the manga written by Rumiko Takahashi, Inuyasha tells the story of Kagome Higurashi lives in the shrine of the family, with her mother, her grandfather, and her younger brother Sota. One day, while investigating a strange noise on the well of the shrine, Kagome gets dragged by a centipede demon into the feudal Japan; much to her surprise; and after releasing Inuyasha, he continues his journey to steal Shikon Jewel; but suddenly, Kagome shoots an arm against another demon who stole the jewel, shattering it in many pieces. Now both Kagome and Inuyasha must embark in an amazing journey to find all the pieces of Shikon, a journey that will comprise a season of 167 episodes, a sequel called Inuyasha: The Final Act, released between October 2009 and March 2010, and four movies.
Without mentioning amazing characters, but I will get to that later. As I mentioned earlier, all the franchise of Inuyasha combines action, adventure, romance, horror, and suspense, with a great roster of beasts, mythological beings and enemies, all paying a great tribute to this wonderful imagination of Japanese folklore, and the great talent of Rumiko Takahashi, who, from now on, I will call her Takahashi-sensei (My respects); and combining to give us one of the best anime of the 21st century.
And the music is in charge of Kaoru Wada, famous for composing music from amazing anime, such as Saint Seiya; the Lost Canvas, Samurai 7, and Ace Attorney among others.
Furthermore, how can you forget memorable songs, like «Change the World» or «My Will»? In fact, I think that the music of Inuyasha deeply influenced anime like Demon Slayer. Check this out.
And now…
There is more vibes of Inuyasha inside Demon Slayer. I will go there later.
STORY
Now. Where to start here?
Overall, Inuyasha starts introducing Kagome and Inuyasha in a smooth and coherent fashion, who are they? What do they want? Which are the stakes? Where to go? Then, it introduces characters like Shippo, Miroku and Sango, giving them a «prologue» in which everyone has a reason, intimate reason, to go with Inuyasha and Kagome, developing an everlasting friendship, and some of the most poignant moments in anime (We are talking about Takahashi-sensei, she is an expert in romance.). Then, we are introduced to very engaging antagonists, like Sesshomaru and Naraku, who, personally, is one of the most diabolical and most complex villains in anime.
Then, every episode has its arc, and a genre that moves the story, sometimes romance, sometimes action, but overall, the driving force of the story is the relationship between Kagome and Inuyasha; but does not mean that Sango, Miroku and Shippo are less important. All of them has their own arc, and all are developed in such an organic and beautiful narrative, leading us to love the characters.
Of course, this does not mean there is not space for comedy, like in Ranma 1/2.
But by the end episode 15, you will see Inuyasha as a great story, perhaps not as a classic. To be honest, with almost 180 episodes and four movies, it is hard to choose some favourite episodes, but you don’t have to. This is another strength of the story. With Inuyasha, you can choose from romantic episodes, to action episodes. While Ranma 1/2, from my viewpoint, mostly divides between comedy and status quo, much like The Simpsons, Inuyasha is a more complex franchise.
And I am sure that, by the time Yashahime is released, the mythos will be expanded.
CHARACTERS
But what will be of Inuyasha without its characters? We got all the types: Inuyasha, the half-demon yokai that wants to become a full demon; Kagome, a normal schoolgirl from modern-day Japan that becomes the partner of Inuyasha; Shippo, the kitsune who seeks to avenge his father and becomes a small brother for Kagome; Miroku, our monk with a terrible curse that will destroy him; Sango, the demon slayer who seeks to avenge her family and saves her brother, Kohaku, and her companion Kirara.
And of course, some great antagonists, including Sesshomaru, Inuyasha half-brother, who then turns into something of anti-hero, and Naraku, a very diabolical being with a twisted backstory.
Speaking of Naraku, I think he influenced the main antagonist of Demon Slayer. I will show you.
You see? Definitely Muzan Kibutsuji had a great influence from Naraku.
There are more characters, but I will talk about them in Part II.
CONCLUSION
Like I said, Inuyasha has a very special place in my heart, and I will be talking about this special jewel in the next days.
Stay tuned for Part II.
Until then, a small tease for the future.
Jainituos Presents 