Anime aficionados might turn their nose up at this one but there is a reason why I am choosing Inuyasha as the anime of the week. For me, Inuyasha reminds me of home. When I first moved to Florida, I was having a hard time feeling happy about the big move to a new state. Sitting in my empty room in an unfamiliar house, all I had to entertain myself was a small TV on the floor. It was probably around midnight that I decided to turn the TV on and find something to watch and this is when I discovered Inuyasha on Cartoon Network’s Toonami.
Inuyasha is a pretty well-known anime by anime fans a-like. The series started airing in 2000 and finished in 2004. Besides the successful long-running anime series, Inuyasha is also a manga which has published 56 volumes. The anime is known for containing a lot of filler and having a pretty generic plot, however, the show has still been successful not only in Japan but also in various countries including the United States.
Why is Inuyasha the anime of the week? It’s a show I can always come back to and remember the reason why I fell in love with Japanese animation. Inuyasha certainly was not the first anime I had ever experienced but it was one that made a huge impact on my life as an otaku. The fandom I had for Inuyasha was very high. I covered my room in posters, bought clothing with character’s from the anime on them, sported tote-bags bearing my love for Inuyasha, and even naming my cat after one of the characters in the show. Regardless of the reputation Inuyasha has on the anime community, it’s something that I loved in my younger years and threw me farther into the world of Japanese anime.
So for those of you who haven’t seen Inuyasha or even heard of it, here’s a bit of information. Inuyasha is set in a feudal and also modern day Japan. The story focuses on the main character, Kagome, who is a 15 year old school girl who lives on the grounds of a Shinto shrine. One day, Kagome discovers a portal in her well that takes her back in time to the feudal era and this is where she first meets Inuyasha, the half demon. Yup demons. Demons and humans all over are in search of a jewel called the Shikon jewel. This jewel helps demons and humans become stronger, immortal, imbues their weapons with abilities, and much more. Kagome finds out that this jewel was once protected by a priestess but has broken into several shards all over feudal Japan. Kagome also discovers that this jewel, the priestess, and Inuyasha are all connected and with Kagome’s help along with several other unique characters; the group must recover all of the Shikon jewel shares before a stronger demon gets their hands on them and destroys the world that not only Inuyasha lives in but also modern day Japan that Kagome lives in.
The anime features incredible music, tragic characters, and moments that will leave you laughing and smiling. It’s an anime that should be given a chance but it’s definitely not for everyone!