Inuyasha

Hello friend! 

I have brought you a new blog post today. Happy reading!

[Warning: this contains MAJOR spoilers.]

Inuyasha, also known as Inuyasha: A Feudal Fairy Tale [“Sengoku Otogizoshi Inuyasha” in Japanese] is a manga written and illustrated by Rumiko Takahashi. It ran from November 13, 1996, to June 18, 2008 [Oh my! Pretty long, right? Quite old, too.] It’s really well-written—it’s my second favourite manga! The characterisation of the titular protagonist, a half dog-demon named Inuyasha [“inu” is “dog” in Japanese] is amazing! He’s a very rough-edged, impulsive and short-tempered [as well as bad-tempered] brat, but later in the series, we see a vulnerable, emotional side to him [ he has a major inferiority complex as he considers himself vastly inferior to demons; his perpetual scowl and stand-offish behaviour are simply facades to hide the pain and trauma in his heart.] He isn’t my favourite character, though—the female protagonist, Kagome Higurashi, bags that spot! She’s an incredibly strong girl, and possesses great spiritual powers [why, even the main antagonist, Naraku, is afraid of her abilities.] She’s also really brave [to the point of being foolhardy at times. She and Inuyasha are alike in that respect. Both push themselves above and beyond their limits.] Also, she is the real star of this manga—she’s the one who saves the day in the end. There’s another character whom I really, really like—Sesshoumaru, Inuyasha’s elder half-brother [They have the same father, but Sesshoumaru’s mother is a demon as well, while Inuyasha’s late mother was human.] Sesshoumaru shows up as a horrible jerk in the beginning [he thinks his little brother is worthless because of his hybrid status, and tries to kill him several times], but as time passes, he learns the true meaning of “compassion”, and reconciles with Inuyasha to an extent. I think he’s one of the author’s finest creations! Anyway, I’d better get on with the story!

In the Sengoku Jidai [Japan’s feudal period; in the 15^th century, the country was divided into several small states which were constantly at war with each other], a half dog-demon called Inuyasha steals the Shikon no Tama [the Jewel of the Four Souls. It was created by the sacrifice of a powerful priestess named Midoriko; it grants its holder’s desires. He intends to use it to become a complete demon.] However, unfortunately for him, he is unable to escape with the jewel; he is shot by the priestess who was protecting the Shikon no Tama, Kikyou. [She shot him in the chest with a purifying arrow.] He ends up being sealed and pinned to a tree, while Kikyou, who is well aware of the evil that fills people’s hearts when they think of the jewel, decides to take it with her to the afterlife [she’s already wounded and doesn’t have much time left. She instructs her younger sister, Kaede, to burn the jewel along with her body in the hope that it will be destroyed.] However, the jewel is far more tenacious than she thought; it’s not going to be destroyed anytime soon. The scene shifts to 1997, Tokyo, where a young girl called Kagome Higurashi lives on the grounds of her family’s Shinto shrine with her mother, grandfather and little brother. She’s a rational, practical girl with no interest in her grandfather’s historical stories; however, she gets a huge shock [this is an understatement. Seriously] when, on her fifteenth birthday, she is attacked by a centipede monster and dragged into the enshrined Bone Eater’s Well [yeah, I know. It’s a very morbid name]. But rather than hit the bottom, Kagome finds herself in the Sengoku Jidai [coooool! Time travel! That’s probably what you’re thinking, right? But it is not cool—she was dragged here by a disgusting centipede woman who was after the Shikon no Tama. I know, I know, why would Kagome have it? You’ll find out soon.] She tries to find her way home, but comes across a silver-haired youth bound to a tree. Anyone else would freak out, right? Not Kagome, though—she’s surprisingly level-headed for a girl her age. She’s taken prisoner by the villagers, but Kaede frees her, and is surprised at her resemblance to Kikyou. The centipede woman attacks again, and it is revealed that Kagome is the reincarnation of Kikyou [she was carrying the jewel in her body. The centipede woman bit her in the side.] Kagome ends up freeing Inuyasha by pulling out the sacred arrow [the psychotic centipede woman is ready to kill her—and the villagers, too; they can’t fight her.] He kills the demoness in one strike [ he is rude and abrasive, but really strong, too]. He tries to kill Kagome for the jewel, but is subdued by a magical necklace [Kagome just has to say a word—any word—to keep him in line. She chooses “sit” [as in the command used for dogs. Figures.] She says “sit” whenever she’s mad at him; the command makes him fall flat on his face.] Inuyasha initially dislikes Kagome because looking at her makes his heart ache [she reminds him of Kikyou. He was in love with the priestess.] Shortly after, the jewel is stolen by a crow-demon; Kagome shoots it with a sacred arrow, causing the jewel to shatter into several fragments that scatter across the country. Kagome and Inuyasha [reluctantly] team up in order to gather all the fragments lest they fall into the wrong hands [Kikyou’s duty of protecting the jewel now rests on Kagome’s shoulders.]

Sesshoumaru is introduced soon after—he’s after a sword named Tessaiga, which was forged from his and Inuyasha’s father’s fang. Poor [not really poor, though] guy! Turns out he wasn’t meant to have the sword after all; their father left it to Inuyasha [the sword was created to protect Inuyasha’s human mother. It cannot be wielded without strong feelings towards humans. Inuyasha’s desire to protect Kagome is what enables him to use it.] Sesshoumaru gets whacked, but refuses to give up; he tries to kill Inuyasha several times [he’s obsessed with the sword and can’t get over the fact that a nondescript half-demon inherited it.] Meanwhile, Inuyasha and Kagome grow closer, and he begins seeing her as a comrade and someone he can rely on [ in the beginning, he just saw her a tool.] He begins to fall in love with her. Shortly after, it is revealed that Kikyou has been given an imitation body and has been revived by a witch; she insists that she was going to give Inuyasha the jewel so he could become completely human and they could live happily ever after, but he betrayed her and stole the jewel, which is why she sealed him. Inuyasha vehemently denies this accusation. When they are joined by a little fox-demon named Shippou and a cursed monk called Miroku [this man has an incredibly strong soul. He could die anytime because of his curse, but he’s still able to hide his pain], it is revealed that a horrible [a huge understatement] half-demon named Naraku [enter one of the darkest antagonists in manga and anime history] tricked both Inuyasha and Kikyou, resulting in the former’s imprisonment and the latter’s death.

Naraku was born from the soul of an evil lowlife called Onigumo.  Onigumo willingly submitted his body to several demons, who gave rise to a single demon—Naraku. […that’s obvious.] Naraku is collecting all the Shikon fragments for his own evil ends; he constantly absorbs demons and reforms his body in order to become stronger. Inuyasha and co. are soon joined by a sixteen-year-old demon slayer named Sango [I really like her—she’s strong-willed and quick-witted]. Her entire clan was massacred by her younger brother, Kohaku, who was being controlled by Naraku. The boy dies, but is revived by Naraku and kept alive with a Shikon fragment in his neck. While Inuyasha enhances Tessaiga in an effort to get strong enough to kill Naraku, the little band gains several allies, such as Kikyou [who has let go of her hatred now that she knows the reason behind her death], a wolf-demon called Kouga, and Sesshoumaru [yes, the one and only Sesshoumaru. He’s made his peace with his brother, and is now accompanied by a little human girl, Rin. He has a really cool sword—Tenseiga, a sword that heals; it can even call one back from the dead. Rin was the first person to be revived this way.] The battle with Naraku is really long [and brutal, of course]; he’s really, really powerful, and has several minions to do his bidding. Kohaku is one of them initially, but regains his freewill and turns against Naraku. Kikyou plans to let Naraku assemble the entire jewel and then purify them both together, but her plans are thwarted when Naraku fatally injures her [this is the second time she’s dying…. Ugh] and corrupts the jewel with his evil influence. Choosing to save Kohaku’s life over destroying Naraku, she uses the last of her life force to give the boy another chance at life. Naraku is eventually defeated by Inuyasha and his allies, but uses his final wish to entrap Kagome and himself in the jewel as forces representing good and evil. The Shikon no Tama is revealed to be sentient, and attempts to have Kagome make a selfish wish so she and Naraku will be engaged in eternal conflict and prolong the jewel’s existence; instead, she wishes for it to disappear. However, the action causes her to return to her own time with the Bone Eater’s Well sealed, and she and Inuyasha lose contact for three years.

Three years! Such a long time. A lot happens in those three years-- Miroku and Sango have three children together; Kohaku leaves to become a strong demon slayer; Rin begins living with Kaede; Shippou attains a high rank as a fox demon. Back in the present, Kagome graduates from high school [the Well reappears in her backyard, allowing her to travel back and forth again]. She returns to the Sengoku period, where she stays with Inuyasha and becomes his wife.  Happily ever after! That’s all for now. See you next time…

Thank you! I hope you liked my article!