Inuyasha (Dog Demon)

Japanese title: Inuyasha

English adaption title: Inuyasha

Number of episodes: 110+, 25 minutes each

Number of Movies: 3: 1st=n/a minutes, 2nd=n/a minutes, 3rd =n/a minutes

500 years ago, during ancient Japan’s civil-war era, in a world full of demons, spirits, curses, swords, and samurais, the renowned priestess Kikyo fell in love with the half demon Inuyasha. Kikyo was the protector of the mystical Shikon Jewel, a jewel with exceptional powers that must be carefully guraded against demons and evil people who would want to control its power. Kikyo wanted to give the jewel to Inuyasha so that he could become a full human, and she would no longer have to be burdened with protecting it. However, their relationship was soon torn apart when Kikyo took it upon herself to care for Onigumo, a man who was bandaged from head to toe because of intense injuries. He couldn’t do anything but lay down and talk, so he stayed in a cave and Kikyo fed him and cared for him. But Onigumo was a sick and wicked man at heart, and he wanted Kikyo and the Shikon Jewel to be all his for his own twisted desires. He became so obsessed that he allowed a large number of demons inside of him in exchange for them giving him a powerful body of his own. When all the demons fused into Onigumo, the demon Naraku was born.

Naraku’s first goal was to make Inuyasha and Kikyo hate each, for if Kikyo’s heart were to be filled with anger and hatred, the dark energy of the Shikon Jewel would be strong. Disguising himself as both Kikyo and Inuyasha, he tricked both of them into believing that each betrayed the other. His scheme ended with a wounded Kikyo(who had been attacked by Naraku, disguised as Inuyasha) sealing Inuyasha onto a tree with an enchanted arrow. Before she died from her injury, Kikyo told her younger sister Kaede that the Shikon Jewel should “die” along with her. And so, Kikyo’s body was cremated along with the jewel so that no one would be able to obtain it.

500 years later, in the bustling city of Tokyo, Kagome Higurashi is just an average high shool student who lives with her mother, grandfather, younger brother Sota, and cat Buyo. Her family owns an ancient shrine, and one day, while looking for Buyo in the shrine, Kagome is pulled down the old well by a centipede demon! She ends up in ancient Japan, and while wandering around the forest, she sees Inyasha sealed to the tree by Kikyo’s arrow. But when the centipede demon attacks, demanding the Shikon Jewel, it’s discovred that the jewel was inside of Kagome! Kaede believes the Kagome is the reincarnation of Kikyo! Kagome is able to free Inuyasha from his seal and he destroys the centipede demon. However he’s still full of contempt and insolence because of Kikyo’s betrayal, and he demands that Kagome give the Shikon Jewel to him so that he can become a full demon. But Kagome, being the reincarnation of a powerful preistess, has some control over Inuyasha; all she has to do is tell him to “sit” and the rosary around his neck pushes him face-first into the ground! However, before anything can be decided about what to do with the Shikon Jewel, a crow demon steals it, and when Kagome destroys it with her arrow, the jewel is shattered and all the shards become scattered throughout the entire realm of ancient Japan! Even just a small shard of the Shikon Jewel can grant anyone immense power, so Inuyasha and Kagome must travel around and find them all before they fall into the wrong hands!

At first, Inuyasha refuses to accept Kagome, probably because she looks so much like the woman he thought betrayed him. And Kagome tries her best to be friendly with Inuyasha, but she’s sometimes turned off by his hot-headedness. But as they travel around together, facing the deadly powers of evil demons who’ve obtained a Shikon shard, and even Inuyasha’s dangerous brother Sesshomaru, their feelings for each other steadily grow and grow. Although they never admit it, Inuyasha and Kagome form an unbreakable bond with each other that soon goes beyond just companionship. They also pick up many friends along the way; Shippo, a friendly, orphaned little fox demon, Miroku, a mischievous but noble monk, who has a wind tunnel in his right hand(a curse that Naraku put on his family) and a soft spot in his heart for pretty girls, and Sango, a demon exterminator whose family and village were destroyed by Naraku(the only one left alive was her pet demon cat, Kirara). And so Inuyasha, Kagome, Shippo, Miroku, and Sango travel around feudal Japan, fighting demons, collecting pieces of the Shikon Jewel, and most of all, seeking to destroy Naraku!

The Inuyasha Anime is based on the manga by Rumiko Takahashi(who also created Ranma 1/2). It’s still a very popular series in Japan, which is why new episodes and movies are still being made. But what makes Inuyasha so popular? The answer to that lies in its continuing stroy line, action-packed adventures, and great characters. But I think the main reason for its continuing popularity lies in the the relationship between Inuyasha and Kagome. The fact is, that they’re so obviously in love and yet no situation has ever arisen that was great enough for them to flat out admit it. When Kikyo is ressurected, Inuyasha is torn between his love for her and his increasing feelings for Kagome. Kagome is aware that the emotions that she feels for Inuyasha are love, but she’s uncertain about how to deal with them. It’s obvious that fans of Inuyasha would want to see the two main characters get together, so they keep on watching and watching in hopes that one day Inuyasha and Kagome will learn that it’s not so hard to say “I love you.”

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