InuYasha, Volume 2

The second manga puts a spot light on Inuyasha, we get to learn about his past and without giving out spoilers he goes through a bit of character arc as he fights someone quite formidable. He also receives an important weapon and his feelings on Kagome become clearer to the reader. If you’re a fan of the series or just Inuyasha himself then you’ll definitely want to add this to your collection. I personally really enjoyed this volume because it was so action packed!!!

In Inuyasha volume 2, the story of Inuyasha and Kagome continues. If you haven't read volume 1 and haven't seen the anime, go read it! otherwise you won't understand the following review: Our two main heroes Inuyasha and Kagome return to the Feudal Era to confront Yura, an evil being that has the power to control hair. Such a power might not seem too dangerous, but she really is deadly! How will our heroes fair in their first fight as a team? When the volume continues, we are introduced to several new characters, but very important ones since they'll be in the story for its remainder. First, an old flea named Myoga,a vassal to his late demon father, tells Inuyasha someone is trying to break into his father's tomb to steal his treasure. As Myoga explains what's happening, Inuyasha's late mortal mother is also discussed. Just who is the theif? Why it's Sesshomaru, Inuyasha's older full demon brother! Sesshomaru is arguably the most popular character in the series and definitely my favorite. He has brought with him his toad like servant Jaken who wields the Staff of Two Heads(sometimes referred to as Staff of the Skulls) to locate the tomb. It soon becomes clear that Sesshomaru will have to confront Inuyasha to get to their father's treasure. This makes for a very interesting and emotional meeting leaving you with a sense of Sesshomaru's huge level of cruelty(for now). Just what is the treasure though? It's the Tetsusaiga, a sword made from a fang of Inuyasha's father! The powerful sword can slay 100 demons in one sweep, but it rejects Sesshomaru. When Inuyasha is also unable to get it, Kagome surprises all! Inuyasha eventually gets the weapon, but now that Sesshomaru has transformed into his full demon form, can Inuyasha win? Overall, this is a roughly 200 page terrific installment of Inuyasha. It reads from left to right which may bother some, though not me personally. I suggest this for all 13 and up as their is nudity and much violence including multiple decapitations. This volume is EXTREMELY action packed. The volume has much fighting, but does a nice job of blending emotion and character introductions. This volume definitely has a great story, introduces interesting new characters, and has much action. The story will only continue to get better!

The book begins when the shard-hungry demon Yura gathers a huge ball of skulls, then ties the skulls' hair to her fingers to use as a weapon. Kagome finds a bow on their way to confront Yura, and when they run into her InuYasha is trapped in a web of hair! After suffering blows from Yura's hair and her special sword, InuYasha resorts to using his own blood as a deadly weapon. When Kagome is set on fire and InuYasha's struggling proves futile, how will they discover Yura's weakness? The second story introduces us to InuYasha's half-brother, the shady Sesshomaru. Determined to find their father's secret treasure, he searches high and low for his gravesight. Upon discovering that InuYasha doesn't know where the grave is but rather holds the key to it, Sesshomaru races to the grave, but finds that he cannot take the treasure. After Kagome and Myoga convince InuYasha to pursue Sesshomaru and get the treasure, he finally takes up the challenge when he realizes it would hurt Sesshomaru's pride if a half-demon could take the treasure and a full demon could not. When neither InuYasha nor Sesshomaru are able to claim the sword treasure, who can? InuYasha had better find a way to get that sword soon - Sesshomaru isn't in a happy mood!

Note that I didn't say "long white hair". At one point, Ranma has extremely long hair; but that's a story only true Ranma 1/2 fans would know about ;-)That said, here yet again is more of the usual character cloning for which Takahashi is infamous. The plot is original, but only if you haven't played a singly fantasy game, read any other fantasy books, or have simply been living under a rock your entire life. The story goes on for dozens more books and gets redundant very quickly. The artwork is good and just that; good, not outstanding.So why does this review have 5 stars? Well...It's nice to see that Rumiko Takahashi has not lost her comedic touch. It's also hard not to empathize with the characters while watching them develop in depth and complexity; there is a good deal of character development in this series. I'm already an avid fan of the anime (my first introduction to Inu Yasha was through the Thunder Brothers episodes). The story, though humorous along the way, is darker than most of Takahashi's other books. It's a nice change of pace from a slapstick like Ranma 1/2. Anyone with the slightest bit of interest in mythology and creature legends will want to pick up these books. The mere sillyness of the Kappa (water sprites) in volume 1 is a big chuckle. And the undead mother in volume 2 is just plain eerie. These are testaments to the enduring (and endearing) affinity of Japanese pop culture for mythical creatures.Lastly, this book and others in the series are simply enjoyable. It's light reading to entertain manga fans.So there you have it.

Rumiko Takahashi is the creator of InuYasha, which is known by fans has being a Feudal Fairy Tale. InuYasha is a story about a average schoolgirl who is taken back in time through a well on her family's property. She soon discovers many facts abut herself and her destiny that makes one realize that she in no average schoolgirl. She, with the help of Inuyasha, a half human, half demon hybrid, must gather the shards of a Sacred Jewel that gan give demons enormous amounts of power. Now, one might think that this is just a simple story, that can't be very interesting, but one would be very wrong. InuYasha is a `historical action and romance from one of Japan's most beloved creators' with a touch of gothic horror. What more could one want? With a cast full of interesting characters, and even more interesting villains, anyone reading InuYasha will instantly fall in love with at least one of the characters, and instantly hate a few has well. I myself have read all the books in this series to date (Jan. 7, 2004) that are available. But, if you want to find anymore out about Kagome and Inuyasha's adventures, well... you'll just have to read the book yourself.In Vol. two we meet one of the more favored, though, sometimes hated characters of the series. Who is he you might ask, Inuyasha's older brother, that's who. And unlike Inuyasha, Sesshomaru (Inuyasha's brother) is a full fledged demon. What could be instore for Kagome and Inuyasha has Sesshomaru goes to cruel lengths to get their deceased father's sword.Allison R.

Well, it's offical. This is one, if not the best, of Rumiko Takahashi's manga series. This is, of course, volume two of the series, and it more than lives up to the previous volume. It even out does it! This volume introduces new characters, and adds slightly to the already existing ones. Of course, being written by Rumiko Takahashi, it's very funny and very good to read. It's a must have for any Takahashi or manga fans!