Inuyasha, Vol. 12

Takahashi has an absolute masterpiece here, in my book. This is the perfect combination of constructed love story (that is, it IS a love story, unlike the out-of-hand romantic wackiness that is "Ranma1/2" and "Urusei Yatsura") and the great strange creatures of the "Mermaid Scar."Inu Yasha bears a great resemblance to Ranma, from "Ranma1/2," but the resemblance ends with their equal impetuousness, desire to fight, and solid knowledge that they are the absolute best at brawling. They both possess the hidden heart of gold that they hide beneath arrogance, but there is a big difference: Inu Yasha is more open about his feelings. Perhaps this has to do with his being a half-demon and having been in a relationship with a beautiful young priestess. Maybe it is because their relationship ended tragically, hating each other into death, and Kagome is the priestess' reincarnation, dragged through time into feudal Japan. I don't know, but Inu Yasha is a much more willing to admit to having affection than Ranma ever has.Now, the monster part is great. Much like "Mermaid Scar" and "Rumic Trilogy," there are monsters trying to collect power. There is a soul jewel called the "Jewel of Four Souls" or "Shikon Jewel" that shattered (long story!). This is the best part. Inu Yasha and Kagome must join forces and collect the shards of jewel. This means Kagome locates them, and Inu Yasha battles for them. Why does he want the jewel? Once, he wanted to become human and love the priestess Kikyo; now he wants to become a full demon and never be hurt by a woman again. See? Tender hearted!They are joined by a small fox demon, Shippô, a flea demon, Myoga, the lascivious Buddhist priest, Miroku, and a demon hunter, Sango.I personally love this manga. It's the best fantasy manga that I have come across in a long time (er... well, I've been reading "Bastard!" and that's equally good, but for different reasons!). Enjoy it from book 1-11...I know I did!

If you've every heard about the basic plot of "Inu-Yasha" -- unlikely allies must collect the pieces of a mystical object before it falls into the wrong hands -- then you might think of this series as a rehack with boring, stale story. Think again!Despite the reused plot device, Rumiko Takahashi's "Inu-Yasha" is actually one of the most refreshing things to come along in a long time. And while it does have the usual "magical Japanese school girl" theme, take a look at some other great manga -- "Fushigi Yuugi", "Magic Knight Rayearth", "Ayashi no Ceres" -- that uses the exact same concept yet still manages to amaze and develop a mass following.With "Inu-Yasha", however, there's an added bonus other than Kagome, the magical school girl: the title character, half-dog demon Inu-Yasha. You may not know it from the first volume of the series, but Inu-Yasha is more than the typical anti-hero. Add to the mix a bunch of other odd yet interesting characters, and you have the setting to a terrific manga series.Visually, Takahashi probably can't get any better (although, I must admit, I haven't seen any other other works to compare this to). Everything -- the characters, monsters, surroundings -- is beautifully depicted, often using the Japanese method of "blending" scenes together. But it must be mentioned that this manga isn't suitable for young children. There are scenes containing nudity (although it is very mild), and some scenes contain a lot of blood and gore that might make even some older readers squirm uncomfortably.One of the main attractions of "Inu-Yasha" has to be Takahashi's humor. I have never found anything that made me laugh so hard in my entire life. But another main attraction has to be the complexity of the characters. You might have to read two or three volumes to really understand the complex relationships between the characters, but the farther the story goes, the more "fleshed-out" the characters become. I won't write any spoilers, but I will say this: why is Rumiko Takahashi called the "Queen of Romantic Comedy"?At the time of this review, nine volumes of "Inu-Yasha" have been translated and published by VIZ. From a person who has read all these volumes, I can say that "Inu-Yasha" is turning into a profound and intriguing story. The series in Japanese is (currently) 22 volumes long, and I'm sure it's going to continue even farther. So I warn you: if you're interested in "Inu-Yasha", make sure you have ample resources to buy the entire series, because this is a difficult series to let go of once you start!With that in mind, enjoy! "Inu-Yasha" is a must-have for any serious manga collector's collection!

After being entranced by anime such as "Gundam Wing" and "Princess Mononoke," I decided to give manga a try, so I asked a friend, "What's a good manga series to have if you have to have just one?" His response: " 'Inu-Yasha,' hands down." Taking his advice, I tried the first volume. After reading it, one word: "Wow!""Inu-Yasha" is definately one of the best things I've come across in a long time, and this is from a guy who spent most of his life reading sci-fi/fantasy novels. The story isn't too original -- Japanese high-school girl Kagome gets transported into the past and must collect the pieces of a mystical jewel with the help of the half-demon Inu-Yasha -- but then again, take a look at other outstanding manga: "Magic Knight Rayearth", "Fushigi Yuugi"...you get my point. Although the plot might not be original, a manga artist has to come up with a way to approach that plot in a fresh way. And Rumiko Takahashi does that in a well-crafted and satisfying way.Takahashi's artwork is superb...the ideal thing to start off any newbie's manga collection. The way she frames scenes is so good I can picture it in my mind. Blood and gore are present, and it's not just like a person's head being cut off; it's like a person's head being EATEN off! Luckily, however, the violence doesn't abound too much to draw the reader away from the manga's main attraction: Takahashi's humor. Never in my entire life have I laughed so hard at a work of fiction. The humor is so perfect it'll be hard to find another "anything" that can even compare to this. And while there is some nudity, it is very, very minor and doesn't interfere with the story at all.All in all, "Inu-Yasha" is probably the best way to jump-start a manga collection. The plot might be old, but Takahashi breathes new life into it with her own personal style. There will never be another "Inu-Yasha." Even the "Inu-Yasha" animated series, which follows this manga very closely, can't even come close to the beauty this graphic novel offers.

Packed with gothic creepiness, action-filled adventure, and witty humor, this new Japanese fable takes place where a pubescent young schoolgirl named Kagome goes tumbling just like Alice in Wonderland into the otherworldly land of the feudal times to meet an arrogant dog-eared demon called Inu-Yasha. With his help, Kagome wards off the very repulsive Centipede Lady, who is after the magical jewel that she had been unknowingly carrying ever since ... she had been laid to burn on the pate in the olden days. Could she be the very recarnation of the courageous young priestess who had bravely sacrificed herself to put the destructive Inu-Yasha under the spell in the first place? The long tapestry will unroll as Kagome and Inu-Yasha who had reluctantly befriended her encounter even more bloodthirsty foes and vemonous monsters, including a very sexy and busty young mistress of razor-sharp hair strands. A very chilling but interesting read for all the fans of manga and Rumiko Takahashi.

As a devotee of Ranma 1/2, I decided to give Takahashi sensei's new title Inu Yasha a look. I was so surprised and pleased by it! In fact I think Takahashi sensei has vastly improved her repertoire with the introduction of Inu Yasha. The most notable instance is that of the heroine. I hate to admit this, but sometimes Akane just grates on my nerves. She's just a bit too bullheaded to use all her charm, strength, and intelligence to their utmost. Kagome, the heroine of Inu Yasha, definately does not have this problem. This girl knows what needs to be done and does it. She is strong and savy enough to battle the creepiest demons and monsters. She is smart and sensible enough to take care of herself even when her world is turned completely upside down. She is also sweet and sensitive enough to see the truth behind the tough veneer of a little girl's lost spirit (and sometimes behind a demon dog-boy's facade as well ^_^). Should you get Inu Yasha solely based on the merits of Kagome? It is worth it, but the complex and well-plotted story and the amazingly likeable and always interesting other characters are great too. Takahashi sensei combines horror, mystery, adventure and comedy with her signature touch of romance to sweeten the deal.