Anime

Inuyasha

Inuyasha is a rather new anime. It began in September 2000. The manga is written by Rumiko Takahashi, the writer of many famous manga, including Ranma 1/2. Inuyasha, while full of comedy and lightheartedness, is also full of serious moments, great battles, and romance! It's the perfect mix for everyone!

Inuyasha is half youkai, half human, or han-you. Youkai are supernatural animal/human combos, and they usually are much more powerful than average humans. Inuyasha's father was an especially powerful youkai, so even though he's only a han-you, he's a match for the average full youkai.

The story centers around the Shikon no Tama, a magical jewel that confers power on whoever holds it. Inuyasha tries to steal it to become a full youkai, but it's protected by a powerful miko, Kikyou. The first episode begins with Inuyasha snatching the Shikon no Tama from a temple, but Kikyou shoots him with an arrow that pins him to a tree. He drops the jewel, and passes out, falling under a spell of slumber. But Kikyou falls down, her shoulder deeply wounded, but before she dies she instructs her younger sister to burn the Shikon no Tama when her body is cremated.

Then we jump to modern day Tokyo. Kagome is a middle school student who lives in a Shinto shrine, where her grandfather is the priest. The shrine is built to honor a very old tree growing near Tokyo. One day she goes into an old building, chasing the family cat. Suddenly, an old, covered wooden well breaks open from the inside, and a monster pulls Kagome in! She falls through the magic well, and comes out of it in a whole new world...or rather, whole new time! Five hundred years in the past, into the world of Inuyasha!

And so the story begins....

Main Characters

Inuyasha

Main character of the story. He is half youkai, half human. Rude, and at times inconsiderate, he has a good heart underneath the bluster.

Kagome

Junior high student from modern Japan, with hidden powers that she never suspected until she had to battle magical creatures!

Kikyou

Miko who died 50 years before the story began...but comes back. Kagome is the reincarnation of Kikyou, and possesses some similar powers. Kikyou and Inuyasha were close friends until Onigumo, a jealous thief, tricked them into fighting each other. Kikyou, Kagome, and Inuyasha form an emotion-ridden love triangle that often is a driving force behind the story.

Shippou

Young fox (kitsune) youkai, with powers of illusion and a devastating cuteness as his main weapons.

Miroku

Cursed Buddhist priest, with two quests: end the curse on his family, and have a son as soon as possible.

Sango

Youkai exterminator. Her family is all dead, except for one younger brother, Kohaku.

Kirara

Animal youkai, incapable of speech, but a powerful fighter when it wants to be

Myoga

A flea youkai, full of information for Inuyasha in his battles, but also a coward that runs at the slightest sign of trouble!

Kouga

A wolf youkai. Inuyasha and him annoy each other immensly, and both are competing for Kagome's affections, but they are generally allies.

Sesshoumaru

Inuyasha's older brother, and a full youkai. He holds nothing but disgust for his half-human brother, until a certain young girl changes his mind about humans...

Rin

The certain young girl!

Naraku

Main bad guy. He decieved both Kikyou and Inuyasha, resulting in Inuyasha's fifty-year slumber and Kikyou's death. He killed Sango's family and enslaved her brother Kohaku. He cursed Miroku's grandfather, and Miroku himself will die of the curse soon if it isn't lifted.

Kagura and Kanna

The first youkai Naraku creates from his body, and the ones that have survived in his service the longest

Kohaku

Tricked into killing his entire family, except for his older sister Sango, Kohaku is so horrified by what he did that he prefers forgetful enslavement by Naraku to freedom.

As you can see, there are many characters in Inuyasha, and the plot is very involved. The anime follows the manga nearly perfectly, which is good, because Rumiko has a great sense of epic storytelling! If you are a fan of any anime, I would urge you to give Inuyasha a try. It's full of all the things that draw anime fans to the genre, Japanese culture, fighting, epic storylines, magic, drama, and romance! What more could you ask?

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