InuYasha... Sit Boy!

nobody@vox.com(Dreamer) — Sun, 10 Aug 2008 20:38:21 +0000

I've currently fallen in love with this anime. It's based on Rumiko Takahashi's latest manga, after Ranma 1/2. The characters are more complex and the story is more mature and imaginative.. though I still miss Ranma's madcap humour. I really love how each of the characters has so many shades.. not just black and white like the norm with kids' shows. Also, I really appreciate that the female characters are on an equal footing with the males, being both strong protagonists and twisted antagonists.

Inu with Kagome and Shippo

The title character InuYasha is a half-demon and initially we're not even sure if he's good. He attacks the protagonist, school girl Kagome, because he wants a jewel that will turn him into a whole demon. As we learn the back story, it's revealed that InuYasha was betrayed by the priestess Kikyo who shot him with an arrow and trapped him in a sacred tree. But Kikyo believed he had betrayed her, when in reality it was a demon who turned them both against each other. InuYasha is a very sympathetic character... living between the mortal and demon worlds, without his parents, and fighting against his brother, Sesshomaru. He constantly fights to defend the very mortals who have rejected him, though he finds human allies such as Kagome, Miroku and Sango. He is not given to pensive thought, but he has a lot of demons of his own to exorcise (no pun intended). The one frustrating thing is, he doesn't seem to realize that the Kikyo who has been resurrected is far from his original Kikyo. Through an ill-fated sense of obligation he chooses to repay his debt to Kikyo rather than loving Kagome.

Inu with Kagome

Kagome is an interesting character in that she really has no personal stake in the quest for the Shikon jewel... yet she constantly places herself in danger to help the others. She's fearless, both about physical danger and about emotional turmoil. She loves InuYasha without hope of reciprocation and stays with him knowing that he loves Kikyo. She's a selfless, pure person, but not boring in the least, managing to stay a compelling character. The only puzzling thing is why her mother lets her slack off in school completely whilst she goes playing in the feudal era. Makes me think that because she's a girl, education is just not as important.

Miroku

Miroku.. he's an interesting paradox because he's a monk but he's a lecher, and also because he has a dark curse, a black hole in his left hand which will eventually suck him in, but he manages to be light-hearted and comic. He rarely lets his melancholy show, and he seems to be the indefatigable spirit of the group. He's also shown deeper emotions towards Sango, and risks his life countless times for his comrades, though he won't hesitate to cheat the rich folk for a free night's food and lodging.

Sango has perhaps the darkest burden to bear. She is the last of the demon slayers and saw her father and kinsmen cut down in front of her eyes by her own kid brother. Now, her kid brother has been resurrected and is cruelly controlled in order to perform horrific deeds like wiping out entire villages. Sango has to fight her natural love and compassion, and her last loved one. She's incredibly loyal and brave and willing to die for the cause. She also has a faithful companion in cute kitty demon Kirara (pronounced Kilala).

Come

Sesshomaru is an interesting character because though he initially opposes InuYasha and shows contempt for his half-breed status, he evolves to have compassion. He's not a "mwahahaha" type villain, but instead a great foil for InuYasha, a mirror of what InuYasha could become if he gets his wish to be a full demon. Sesshomaru is always aloof and enigmatic, not voicing any emotion, either angry and bitter or pleasurable. He isn't very vindictive or even extremely jealous. Though he desires to posses the Tetsuseiga (InuYasha's sword) he gives up when he realizes that his brother needs it in order to avoid his demon blood taking control of him. He opposes InuYasha, but not with any venom. He even saves a human girl, allowing her to follow him everywhere. Though he might deny it when asked point blank, he is a kinder soul than initially thought. He also exudes a grace that InuYasha lacks, perhaps showing what their father might have been like and what InuYasha might mature into.

Inu with Kikyo

***SPOILERS***
Kikyo is one of the most divisive characters in the show. Initially she seems a pure, heroic and strong character, sacrificing her life to prevent the sacred jewel falling into the wrong hands. However, when she is resurrected she shows herself to be a vindictive, fickle and cruel person, separating Kagome and InuYasha and tempting InuYasha while simultaneously repelling him (saying she will spend eternity with him in hell). It could be argued that this isn't really her, but an echo of her anger and jealousy at being betrayed (though it was Naraku who betrayed them both). Of course the feelings of dislike are intensified by how she attacks Kagome, takes the jewel and hands it over to Naraku. She also has a chilling laugh that she reserves for Onigumo and other villains, which seems to show her true nature. She also has no feeling for her sister, Kaede, instead threatening her life as any others. She also steals souls to keep her on Earth, but criticizes other demons for doing the same. How hypocritical. She seems to drive a wedge between Kagome and InuYasha with a sentiment similar to "If I can't have him, no one can." In the first InuYasha movie she pushes Kagome down the well, saying that she's an outsider who doesn't belong (also hypocritical because (1) she herself is an outsider because she's dead and (2) she blames Kagome for shooting InuYasha while possessed but she herself shot InuYasha 50 years ago while fully conscious of herself). It's difficult to see her motivations and she seems to lurk around without aim, interfering and constantly distracting InuYasha from his true match, Kagome.
***END SPOILERS****

*phew* Glad I got this out of the way. Will be sure to update this once I get further in the anime.

Got much further into the anime, but things stand as above. I got InuYasha fatigue and got tired of watching with about 20 odd episodes left. The plot kept repeating with some additional incarnation of Naraku and the personal relationships were just not evolving. I guess this is what happens when it goes on for too long. But it's still a lovely anime, still highly recommended.

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InuYasha... Sit Boy!