Plot[edit]
In modern-day Tokyo, Kagome Higurashi lives on the grounds of her family's Shinto shrine with her mother, grandfather, and younger brother. On her fifteenth birthday, while searching for her cat, Kagome is dragged into the enshrined Bone Eater's Well (骨喰いの井戸, Honekui no Ido) by a centipede demon that emerges from it. But rather than hit the bottom, Kagome finds herself in another universe which is parallelly the past during Japan's Sengoku period. The demon was originally defeated fifty years prior by Kikyo, a warrior priestess who was the previous keeper of the Shikon Jewel (四魂の玉, Shikon no Tama, lit. "The Jewel of Four Souls"), a powerfully magical artifact created from the sacrifice of the priestess Midoriko, which grants its holder any wish their heart desires. Kagome is revealed to be the reincarnation of the now-dead Kikyo. The Shikon Jewel was burned along with Kikyo's body to cast it out of this world entirely, in order to keep it safe from the hands of those who would use its power for evil. Kagome comes across a sleeping boy pinned by a sacred arrow to a tree, learning he is Inuyasha, a half dog-demon (yōkai), whom Kikyo pinned to the tree as her final act when he attempted to steal the jewel. Kagome frees Inuyasha to kill the centipede demon, but when he turns on her and tries to steal the jewel again, he is subdued with a magical beaded necklace to keep him in line with Kagome saying "sit" or "sit boy", which causes him to violently fall to the ground. The Shikon Jewel is extracted from Kagome's body, and is taken by a crow demon, which Kagome destroys with an arrow, but in doing so, accidentally shatters the jewel into many shards that scatter across Japan and into the possession of various demons and humans, thus increasing their powers tremendously and granting their wishes.
After Inuyasha gains his father's sword Tessaiga, placing him at odds with his older half-brother Sesshomaru, a powerful demon who detests Inuyasha and seeks Tessaiga for himself, he aids Kagome in collecting the shards and dealing with the threats they come across as they are joined by Shippo, a young fox demon. Kikyo is later revived and revealed to have been Inuyasha's lover, but her version of how their falling out occurred brings the events into question. It is when the group is joined by the perverted monk Miroku, whose hand is cursed with a Wind Tunnel that was passed on to him from his grandfather, that they learn that his family's curse and the events which resulted in Inuyasha's imprisonment and Kikyo's death were all caused by the half spider-demon Naraku, who was born from the soul of the bandit Onigumo, who, longing for Kikyo, made a pact with demons to acquire the Shikon Jewel for his own ends. Naraku comes into possession of most of the shards while absorbing demons to increase his power and remove any weaknesses. Inuyasha's group is soon joined after by the demon slayer Sango and her two-tailed demon-cat Kirara. Sango's entire clan was killed when they were tricked by Naraku and her younger brother Kohaku fell under his control. Over time, Inuyasha enhances Tessaiga into stronger forms while he contends with Naraku's schemes and minions. Inuyasha's team is loosely allied with Sesshomaru, who also becomes an enemy of Naraku after he attempts to manipulate him into doing his bidding, the resurrected Kikyo who plans to destroy Naraku by purifying the Shikon Jewel once it is completed and him with it, and Koga, the leader of the eastern wolf-demon tribe who seeks to avenge many of his comrades' deaths at the hands of Naraku. As Inuyasha and his companions journey together, he and Kagome begin to fall in love with one another, which is complicated by Inuyasha's lingering feelings for Kikyo.
Desperately hunted by his enemies, Naraku temporarily removes his heart and mortally wounds Kikyo. Kohaku, having been previously killed but later revived by Naraku and kept alive and under his control by a Shikon Jewel shard, eventually regains his free will and memories and attempts to escape Naraku's grasp and avenge his slain family. During that time, Sesshomaru settles things with Inuyasha to enable his brother to perfect Tessaiga to its optimal abilities. Kikyo uses the last of her life force to give eleven-year-old Kohaku a second chance at life as Naraku attempts to fully reassemble the Shikon Jewel. Although Inuyasha and his allies finally defeat him, realizing his true desire is for Kikyo's love despite his hatred towards her and that it can never be granted, Naraku uses his wish to trap himself and Kagome inside the Shikon Jewel before dying. Revealed to be sentient, the Shikon Jewel intends for Kagome to make a selfish wish so she and Naraku will be trapped in an eternal conflict, thus prolonging its existence. But with Inuyasha by her side, Kagome wishes for the Shikon Jewel to disappear forever, allowing Kagome to return to her time with the Well sealed, and she and Inuyasha lose contact for three long years.
In that time, the Sengoku period changes drastically: Sango and Miroku marry and have three children together; Kohaku resumes his journey to become a strong demon slayer with Kirara as his companion; and Shippo trains to make his demon magic stronger. Back in the present, eighteen-year-old Kagome graduates from high school before finally managing to get the Bone Eater's Well in her backyard to work again. Kagome returns to the Sengoku period, where she reunites with Inuyasha, marries him, and continues to train with Lady Kaede to become a topmost-level priestess as Kikyo was.
Anime[edit]
Inuyasha[edit]
The first Inuyasha anime adaptation produced by Sunrise was released in Japan on Yomiuri TV on October 16, 2000, and ran for 167 episodes until its conclusion on September 13, 2004. It was also broadcast on Nippon Television.[29] Avex collected the episodes in a total of seven series of DVDs volumes distributed in Japan between May 30, 2001 and July 27, 2005.[30][31]
The English dub of the anime was licensed to be released in North America by Viz Media.[32] The series was first run on Adult Swim from August 31, 2002, to October 27, 2006,[33] with reruns from 2006 to 2014. When Toonami became a block on Adult Swim, Inuyasha aired there from November 2012 to March 1, 2014,[34] when the network announced that they had lost the broadcast rights to the series.[35] On August 25, 2017, Starz announced that they would be offering episodes of the series for their Video on Demand service starting September 1, 2017.[36] The series aired in Canada on YTV's Bionix programming block from September 5, 2003, to December 1, 2006.[37] Viz collected the series in a total of 55 DVD volumes,[38][39] while seven box sets were also released.[40][41] In September 2020, Funimation announced that they will begin streaming the first 54 episodes of the series and the four films.[42]
Viz Media also released a separate series of ani-manga volumes which are derived from full-color screenshots of the anime episodes. 30 volumes were released from January 14, 2004 to December 9, 2008.[43][44]
Inuyasha: The Final Act[edit]
In 2009's 34th issue of Weekly Shōnen Sunday, published July 22, 2009, it was officially announced that a 26-episode anime adaption of volumes 36 to the end of the manga would be made by the first anime's same cast and crew and would air on Japan's YTV.[45] The following week, Viz Media announced it had licensed the new adaptation, titled Inuyasha: The Final Act (犬夜叉 完結編, Inuyasha Kanketsu-hen).[46] The series premiered on October 3, 2009 in Japan with the episodes being simulcast via Hulu and Weekly Shōnen Sunday in the United States.[47] In other parts of Asia the episodes were aired the same week on Animax Asia.[48] The anime completed its run on March 29, 2010. Aniplex collected the series into a total of seven DVDs released between December 23, 2009, and June 23, 2010.[49][50]
Viz Media released the series in two DVD or Blu-ray sets which included an English dub.[51] The first thirteen episodes, constituting the first set, were released on November 20, 2012,[52][53] and the last thirteen episodes, constituting the second set, were released on February 12, 2013.[54][55][56] The series began broadcasting in the United States and Canada on Viz Media's online network, Neon Alley, on October 2, 2012.[57] On October 24, 2014, it was announced that Adult Swim would air The Final Act on the Toonami block, beginning on November 15, at 2:00 a.m. EST.[58]
Yashahime: Princess Half-Demon[edit]
In May 2020, an anime original spin-off/sequel series was announced, titled Yashahime: Princess Half-Demon (半妖の夜叉姫, Hanyō no Yashahime), following the journey of Towa Higurashi and Setsuna, Sesshomaru's daughters, and Moroha, Inuyasha and Kagome's daughter. It premiered on October 3, 2020.[59][60][61]
The series will be produced by Sunrise, directed by Teruo Sato with main character designs by the original creator Rumiko Takahashi.[62] Staff from Inuyasha will return, with Katsuyuki Sumisawa in charge of the scripts, Yoshihito Hishinuma in charge of the anime character designs and Kaoru Wada as composer.[59] The cast includes Sara Matsumoto as Towa Higurashi, Mikako Komatsu as Setsuna, and Azusa Tadokoro as Moroha.[61]
Viz Media announced the rights to digital streaming, EST, and home video release of the series for North and Latin American territories.[59][63]
Inuyasha
| Inuyasha | |
 Cover of the first tankōbon volume of Inuyasha, as published by Shogakukan on May 18, 1997, featuring Inuyasha and Kagome Higurashi | |
| 戦国お伽草子–犬夜叉 (Sengoku Otogizōshi Inuyasha) | |
|---|---|
| Genre | Adventure, fantasy,[1] romance[2] |
| Manga | |
| Written by | Rumiko Takahashi |
| Published by | Shogakukan |
| English publisher | |
| Imprint | Shōnen Sunday Comics |
| Magazine | Weekly Shōnen Sunday |
| Demographic | Shōnen |
| Original run | November 13, 1996 – June 18, 2008 |
| Volumes | 56 |
| Anime television series | |
| Directed by |
|
| Produced by |
|
| Written by | Katsuyuki Sumisawa |
| Music by | Kaoru Wada |
| Studio | Sunrise |
| Licensed by | |
| Original network | NNS (ytv) |
| English network | |
| Original run | October 16, 2000 – September 13, 2004 |
| Episodes | 167 |
| Anime television series | |
| Inuyasha: The Final Act | |
| Directed by | Yasunao Aoki |
| Produced by |
|
| Written by | Katsuyuki Sumisawa |
| Music by | Kaoru Wada |
| Studio | Sunrise |
| Licensed by | |
| Original network | NNS (ytv) |
| English network | |
| Original run | October 3, 2009 – March 29, 2010 |
| Episodes | 26 |
| Feature films | |
| Related media | |
Inuyasha (犬夜叉, lit. "Dog Yaksha"), also known as Inuyasha: A Feudal Fairy Tale (Japanese: 戦国御伽草子 犬夜叉, Hepburn: Sengoku Otogizōshi Inuyasha), is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Rumiko Takahashi. The series begins with Kagome Higurashi, a fifteen-year-old middle school girl from modern-day Tokyo who is transported to the Japanese era of Sengoku period after falling into a well in her family shrine, where she meets the half-dog demon, half-human Inuyasha. When a centipede demon from the ancient era tries to take the sacred Shikon Jewel that re-emerges from deep inside Kagome's body, she inadvertently shatters the Jewel into dozens of fragments that are scattered across Japan. Inuyasha and Kagome set to recover the Jewel's fragments, and through their quest they are joined by the lecherous monk Miroku, the demon slayer Sango, and the fox demon Shippo. Together, they journey to restore the Shikon Jewel before it falls into the hands of the evil half-demon Naraku.
Inuyasha was serialized in Shogakukan's Weekly Shōnen Sunday from November 1996 to June 2008, with its chapters collected into 56 tankōbon volumes by Shogakukan. In contrast to the typically comedic nature of much of Takahashi's previous work, Inuyasha deals with a darker and more serious subject matter, using the setting of the Sengoku period to easily display the violent content while still retaining some comedic elements.
The manga was adapted into two anime television series produced by Sunrise. The first was broadcast for 167 episodes on Yomiuri TV from October 2000 to September 2004. The second series, Inuyasha: The Final Act, ran for 26 episodes from October 2009 to March 2010, covering the rest of the manga series. Four feature films and an original video animation have also been released. Other merchandise includes video games and a light novel. A spin-off anime television series titled Yashahime: Princess Half-Demon premiered in October 2020.
Viz Media licensed the manga, the two anime series, and movies for North America. Both Inuyasha and Inuyasha: The Final Act aired in the United States on Adult Swim (and later on its revived Toonami block) from 2002 to 2015.
The manga series had over 50 million copies in circulation as of September 2020. In 2002, the manga won the 47th
Σχόλια
Δημοσίευση σχολίου