InuYasha

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Alternative Titles

English: InuYasha

Synonyms: Inu Yasha

Japanese: 犬夜叉

Information

Type: TV

Episodes: 167

Status: Finished Airing

Aired: Oct 16, 2000 to Sep 13, 2004

Premiered: Fall 2000

Broadcast: Mondays at 19:00 (JST)

Producers: Yomiuri Telecasting, Shogakukan

Licensors: Viz Media

Studios: Sunrise

Source: Manga

Genres: Action, Adventure, Comedy, Historical, Demons, Supernatural, Magic, Romance, Fantasy, Shounen

Duration: 24 min. per ep.

Rating: PG-13 - Teens 13 or older

Statistics

Score: 7.90¹ (scored by 183,620 users)

¹ indicates a weighted score. Please note that 'Not yet aired' titles are excluded.

Ranked: #697²

² based on the top anime page. Please note that 'Not yet aired' and 'R18+' titles are excluded.

Popularity: #142

Members: 375,343

Favorites: 12,391

7.90

Ranked #697Popularity #142Members 375,343

Fall 2000TVSunrise

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Episodes: /167

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Synopsis

Based on the Shogakukan award-winning manga of the same name, InuYasha follows Kagome Higurashi, a fifteen-year-old girl whose normal life ends when a demon drags her into a cursed well on the grounds of her family's Shinto shrine. Instead of hitting the bottom of the well, Kagome ends up 500 years in the past during Japan's violent Sengoku period with the demon's true target, a wish-granting jewel called the Shikon Jewel, reborn inside of her.

After a battle with a revived demon accidentally causes the sacred jewel to shatter, Kagome enlists the help of a young hybrid dog-demon/human named Inuyasha to help her collect the shards and prevent them from falling into the wrong hands. Joining Kagome and Inuyasha on their quest are the orphan fox-demon Shippo, the intelligent monk Miroku, and the lethal demon slayer Sango. Together, they must set aside their differences and work together to find the power granting shards spread across feudal Japan and deal with the threats that arise.

[Written by MAL Rewrite]

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Background

The anime won the “Property of the Year” award in ICv2’s Anime Awards for both 2004 and 2005, and received third place in Animage’s Anime Grand Prix “Best Anime” category in 2003.

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Related Anime

Adaptation:	InuYasha
Side story:	InuYasha: Guren no Houraijima, InuYasha: Kagami no Naka no Mugenjo, InuYasha: Tenka Hadou no Ken, InuYasha: Toki wo Koeru Omoi, InuYasha: Kuroi Tessaiga
Sequel:	InuYasha: Kanketsu-hen
Other:	Shounen Sunday CM Gekijou: InuYasha-hen

More characters
Characters & Voice Actors

Inuyasha

Main

Yamaguchi, Kappei
Japanese

Higurashi, Kagome

Main

Yukino, Satsuki
Japanese

Sango

Main

Kuwashima, Houko
Japanese

Miroku

Main

Takagi, Motoki
Japanese

Shippo

Main

Watanabe, Kumiko
Japanese

Sesshoumaru

Supporting

Narita, Ken
Japanese

Kikyou

Supporting

Hidaka, Noriko
Japanese

Kouga

Supporting

Matsuno, Taiki
Japanese

Naraku

Supporting

Morikawa, Toshiyuki
Japanese

Rin

Supporting

Noto, Mamiko
Japanese

More staff
Staff

Suwa, Michihiko

Producer, Planning

Ikeda, Masashi

Director, Script

Tsuruoka, Youta

Sound Director

Ishihara, Tatsuya

Episode Director, Storyboard

Edit Opening Theme

#1: "Change the World" by V6 (eps 01-34)
#2: "I Am" by Hitomi (eps 35-64)
#3: "Owarinai Yume" by Nanase Aikawa (eps 65-95)
#4: "Grip!" by Every Little Thing (eps 96-127)
#5: "One Day, One Dream" by Tackey & Tsubasa (eps 128-153)
#6: "Angelus" by Hitomi Shimatani (eps 154-167)

Edit Ending Theme

#1: "My Will" by Dream (eps 01-20,166-167)
#2: "Fukai Mori" by Do As Infinity (eps 21-41)
#3: "Dearest" by Ayumi Hamasaki (eps 42-60)
#4: "Every Heart - Minna no Kimochi" by BoA (eps 61-85)
#5: "Shinjitsu no Uta" by Do As Infinity (eps 86-108)
#6: "Itazurana Kiss" by day after tomorrow (eps 109-127)
#7: "Come" by Namie Amuro (eps 128-148)
#8: "Brand-New World" by V6 (eps 149-165)

More reviewsReviews

Jan 29, 2012

167 of 167 episodes seen

Overall Rating: 7

tendrillar (All reviews)

233 people found this review helpful

Sometimes I think back on my experience with Inuyasha and my conclusions about it have always been conflicted. It was the first anime that I watched whole heartedly, and it was the first thing that brought me into the realm of Japanese media and culture. I've come to love anime and manga, appreciate the history and the different styles and subtleties that come with every genre and now consider it a very large and colorful part of my life. Naturally I look back on Inuyasha with a sense of fondness,the yellow volumes and DVD's on my shelves only a small testament to the dedication I had to the story. However as I said, Inuyasha is something I think about with a degree of conflict. It was the work that introduced me to the magical world of Japanese television, however in its own right Inuyasha is the most chaotic and exasperating anime I've probably ever seen.

There are flaws in the overall composition. Things one might ask themselves like; why, if you KNEW you we're going to be trekking across feudal Japan for months on end, would you bring only one outfit? And more importantly why would it be your Junior High School uniform - i.e. a bright green miniskirt?

Regardless, the story itself is very weak, as its the random plot arcs and ridiculous character relations that really make the show. To summarize, a young girl falls down a well at her family's shrine, only to be transported back in time to feudal Japan, where she frees a grumpy dog eared half demon man who is stuck to a tree (The result of a bad breakup) and ends up breaking a magical mystical artifact that then shatters into a bazillion pieces. Ditzy teenage girl and pissy dog demon guy now must work together to find all the shards of "The Sacred Jewel" before the bad guys do. Sure there's another load of subplots - pointless, funny and romantic alike - but we'll get to that.
Although the premise is simplistic it does expand further along in the story, but only if one likes the show enough initially to move on in the series through the 160 + episodes.
The subplots and the arcs are what make this series entertaining. (And also agonizing if the arc you're in bores you to tears) We'll have run ins with random demons and get mixed up with numerous characters who may or may not come and go. Each plot brings changes and the characters do a very good job of growing and evolving as a result. The series does, despite its episodic nature, still follow some sense of linearity. Development in the characters remain as they would in a real person. (This excludes the Inuyasha movies, unfortunately)
Despite all that, its still one of those series that makes it very easy to drop in at any time and figure things out eventually. I watched from the middle first before I decided I loved the show and went back to see the beginning - which was drastically different to me considering the amount of change that takes place from beginning to middle to end.
I can't go into detail very well considering the story, as there is so much of it its hard to find a place to start. The elements of the setting and time really come into play with the presence of the spirits and demons all of which offer a uniqueness all to its own. The multiple love triangle issues are superficial but also complex, so there is a degree of decent conflict in that regard. I also really appreciate personally how the development of the relationship between the two main characters, Inuyasha and Kagome, is gradual.

Coming to the characters, there are many. Too many to identify them all in this review. This is a great thing about the show, but can also be annoying and for the casual observer, confusing as hell. I'll touch on the main characters at least:
Kagome is a really plain Junior High School girl. As a heroine she starts out pathetically dull and often comes off as a total ditz. However if you give her a chance she does show you how she can grow to be a capable human being despite the fact that she is a 15 year old idiot running around feudal Japan in a miniskirt. Throughout the show we find shes short tempered, opinionated and rash, but she does keep a sense femininity intact somehow. She also retains an ability to sympathize with and care for the people she comes to know. What I love about her is that she starts out completely incompetent. Literally she is nothing but a Mary-Sue-ish teenage airhead with little care in the world aside doing well in school, and she morphs (gradually) into a priestess who can use a bow and even protect herself. She - going through the show constantly compared to the priestess Kikiyo (Details will become clear if you decide to watch the show) she makes a deliberate effort to break free of that confine and become her own person, and I like that.
Inuyasha is also a great source of character development. I know I keep saying "Development development development!" but really is one of the biggest things this show has going for itself. I almost see this anime as some kind of document of how Inuyasha becomes a man. Hes over 50 years old but despite that he is extremely childish, boorish and often rude and annoying. He also works pretty hard to gain strength and create a name for himself. He is an 'underdog' (lol puns) and also has a bit of a Gary-Stu thing going for him. Being a half demon with a snobby older brother and a messed up undead ex-girlfriend gives him a lot of stuff to complain about.
The characters ARE shallow. But their relationships are entertaining and - if you get all the way to the end of this series and the short Inuyasha Sequel: Inuyasha the Final Act - are rewarding to see until the end.

I'll keep the review of the art quick in saying that it is very traditional for the time it was made. Its got a lot of square and rectangular shapes and brightly colored character designs that fit in well with its shounen genre. The style is very consistent, budget obviously allowed for lots of attention to detail and a tone of seriousness. It has its own sort of beauty, very reminiscent of Takahashi's earlier works like Ranma 1/2 and the like, which aired in the late 1980's. Almost a retro anime style if you get my meaning. Movies have much more bold and sharp lines. Character designs could use work (I can't get over the miniskirt thing, I'm sorry. Its just too stupid. And I get really sick of Inuyasha never wearing anything but his giant red.. thing)

Even quicker, my opinion of the sound. The music is diverse and beautifully complex. One of the best parts of the show. Multiple opening and ending themes, background music all magical and perfectly suitable to the time period. Voice acting is always better in Japanese. English is very harsh on the ears, I strongly dislike it nowadays.

Very long review and I've only just scratched the surface. Inuyasha, as I see it, is a classic shounen. Its time in the limelight long passed when it made room for Naruto and Bleach to move in on the scene. For those of you who can take a long series and like the sound of this show, give it a shot. Perhaps google a list of filler episodes you might feel like skipping if this does tickle your fancy. Inuyasha does have something for everyone. From the action to the supernatural, to the romantic and the historical. Its a story hard to place and hard to review with a fair share of chaos and confusion. Its a mess, really. But its a big fun mess if you're willing to see it through.
As always, keep good humor in mind while watching. This show is bananas and it will make you want to throw objects at the screen from time to time.

For now, I tip my hat to Inuyasha. I thank it for showing me this world, showing me complexity and hilarity, and for showing me how flaws can be celebrated for their entertainment just as well as the parts that shine.

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Jul 28, 2008

167 of 167 episodes seen

Overall Rating: 8

hanyou-chan (All reviews)

133 people found this review helpful

Overall, Inuyasha is very enjoyable. The art is brilliant although in the movies the art does slip because Rumiko Takahashi (the mangaka) helps with the drawings.

The storyline is basic and very easy to follow, however the story does seem to drag on, so if you have patience with animes this could be for you.

The characters are pure genius, each with their own running joke. Each character (with the exception of Kagome) has a dark and kind of upsetting past often including the death of a loved one. My favourite is Miroku by far. He is a perverted womanising monk who flirts with pretty much any read more

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Aug 2, 2007

167 of 167 episodes seen

Overall Rating: 7

palladium (All reviews)

94 people found this review helpful

Inuyasha started off very well, it is fairly entertaining at the beginning of the series, with the story progressing rapidly at the start, coupled with lots of humour by Kagome. However, the series quicly deteriorated when the fillers start kicking in, and even in the later stages, many of the scenes and jokes were repetitive, not to mention the lack of plot development.Probably the only exceptions were episodes relating to Kagome\'s life in the present world - these episodes were definately worth re-watching.

After the intoduction of the fourth protagonist ( Sango), apart from a few side-stories, the plot essentially deteriorates into a viscous cycle. In read more

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Jul 16, 2007

167 of 167 episodes seen

Overall Rating: 9

Hush (All reviews)

71 people found this review helpful

When I watched InuYasha, I had not seen Blue Seed yet. Now that I have, I realize that InuYasha was a bit of a rip off of Blue Seed. Especially the love triangle between Kagome, Kikyo, and InuYasha is exactly the same as in Blue Seed. InuYasha does go in its own direction, but I think that’s mainly because Blue Seed was only 26 episodes and InuYasha is over 150 episodes.

InuYasha does have an exciting story to it, which I admit; I do enjoy InuYasha more than I do Blue Seed. One thing that I just loved about InuYasha was Sesshoumaru. I think InuYasha, read more

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