Inu-Yasha

Inu-Yasha (Sengoku Otogi Zōshi InuYasha) is an extremely popular manga and anime series created by one of Japan’s most known manga writers: Rumiko Takahashi. Takahashi has become one of the wealthiest women in Japan, due to her talent in writing mangas that tend to be enjoyed by both men and women; something that a lot of manga writers are never able to accomplish. Fans of Takahashi know all of her shows by heart, but Inu-Yasha is one of the most well-known and love animes in both Japan and America.

Synopsis

Inu-Yasha is a fairly complex story that involves time-traveling, magic, and romance. The basic plot of the story is that of a girl who gets pulled back in time and breaks a spell that has been holding Inu-Yasha captive in a tree for over fifty years. The two then head on an adventure to bring together the broken pieces of a mystical piece of jewelry known as the Jewel of Four Souls.

Characters

• Inu-Yasha – Inu-Yasha literally translates to dog demon. While Inu-Yasha is not exactly a demon, he is a half-demon. In the beginning of the series, Inu-Yasha was trying to steal the Jewel of Four Souls when he was sealed into a tree by a hero named Kikyo. Kikyo is wounded, and has her sister burn the jewel with her after her death so that it does not get taken by the wrong people. Inu-Yasha begins as a sort of “bad guy”, after he is released from the tree, but winds up becoming a hero of sorts.

• Kagome Higurashi – Kagome is a 15 year old student who is the reincarnation of Kikyo, some 500 years after she died. She gets pulled back in time, to fifty years after Kikyo died. It is Kagome that releases Inu-Yasha from the tree. She places a necklace known as the Beads of Subjugation on Inu-Yasha to keep him under control. Whenever she yells, “Sit boy”, the beads become extremely heavy and force Inu-Yasha to the ground.

• Miroku – This Buddhist monk travels with Inu-Yasha and Kagome in an effort to destroy Naraku, one of the evil villains of the anime. Miroku is a womanizer who is constantly asking women to bear his child. His family was cursed by Naraku, so that his right hand, unless it is covered by a cloth and a strand of magical beads, becomes a wind tunnel.

• Sango – As the only member of the group that does not have any magical abilities, Sango is still able to prove herself a valuable ally. She uses a large boomerang and other tools to aid the group and in order to rescue her brother, Kahaku, from Naraku’s control.

Like almost all of Rumiko Takahashi’s work, Inu-Yasha is filled with humor and with love, as eventually Inu-Yasha and Kagome come to care for each other. Although they come to love each other, neither of the pair admits it, but both are easily brought to jealousy and concern over the other. They are often seen holding hands and touching, which shows how much the duo really do care about each other.