Series of the Week: InuYasha by Rumiko Takahashi

Ah, Adult Swim was the beacon for many of us weebs back in the day. The nights I would stay up late with my sister so we would catch episodes of Cowboy Bebop, Trigun, Rurouni Kenshin, and of course InuYasha. We had always been fans of anime but Adult Swim made it possible that we were introduced to even more and if us going to school bleary eyed and yawning the next day so be it. We had bigger fish to fry. We had anime to watch.

This is a story about time travel, hold on, it’s going to get bumpy. In modern day Tokyo we meet a girl named Kagome who one day falls in a well on her family’s grounds trying to retrieve her cat. If that doesn’t suck enough she is then transported in time back to feudal Japan.

But wait, it gets worse.

Kagome is being attacked by a demon who is attracted to her because she carries a most precious gift inside of her. The most coveted Shikon Jewel. And she quickly learns that she holds this because she is a reincarnation of a powerful priestess named Kikyo who was in charge of this powerful jewel. This jewel of course is coveted by all because it grants great power and the holders most precious desires thus why Kagome is being attacked. This leads to…our main man showing up. Introducing…

InuYasha

Half dog demon, half human. He has been pinned to a tree by a sacred arrow for years and is freed by Kagome. He quickly slays the monster and then attempts to steal the Shikon jewel but is subdued by Kikyo’s youngest sister with a charmed necklace. The Shikon Jewel is then pierced by an arrow and split into hundreds of tiny pieces and it is up to InuYasha and Kagome to recover them before they fall into the wrong hands. It’s a journey through the past with a modern human girl and an aggravating half demon. It’s time to slay some monsters and meet some new friends along the way.

Let me begin here.

I never finished the show or the manga lmaoooo.

IT’S SIMPLY TOO LONG OKAY.

I have a thing about mangas and animes that never end and that is that my attention span cannot take it. It just can’t. InuYasha is basically a monster of the week series and that’s fine if you like it but my god. And I know this is extremely hypocritical of me considering I’m a HUGEEEE Sailor Moon fan BUT THAT’S COMPLETELY DIFFERENT.

It DID end eventually I did read so I will have to go back into it.

There are so many fun characters. Besides Kagome and InuYasha, you meet a lecherous monk with a hole in his hand, a demon slayer, a young fox demon, InuYasha’s full demon brother, and a slew of other demons who want to bash your brains in.

I love that there are strong women in this manga. Kikyo, Kagome, and Sango take no shit and fight as well if not better than the men don’t get it twisted. Also, ofc there has a love triangle thrown in the mix. Kikyo DID pin Inuyasha to a tree but there’s no love lost between them. But watch out girl because now Kagome is in the mix and she’s not letting go so easily.

The absolute best part…to tame a dog demon you must have a phrase to go with it and that is of course

Signing off with one of the best songs in anime history:

Thanks for joining me for another series of the week!!!