Customer Reviews

Inu-Yasha : A Feudal Fairy Tale, Vol. 1

5 star:		(68)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

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.

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.

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!

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.

...i'm serious about that, don't judge Inu-Yasha by it's cover. For one thing, it *is* a great series, the plot's great, and the artwork is wonderful. But, for those parents out there, please for the love of god don't trust www.amazon.com whole-heartedly. I, a 15 year old male, have this book myself, and know for a fact that there is alot of gore, violence, and some brief nudity. I mean, there WAS a reason why Inu-Yasha (the tv show) aired with a warning before it on Adult Swim saying it was only meant for responsible viewers who are 18 and up. I, for one, may not be 18 and up, but i'm a responsible viewer and i think i'm mature enough to handle gore and intense language.

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i don't think the parents of a 9 year old would like that
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Anyways, the as far as gore goes, i'm sure kids these days have seen a bunch of violence and stuff on tv and soft porn either on their computer or on mtv or something. In my opinion, the age range for this series would more likely be something like 12-18 rather than 9-12....i mean REALLY...jeez, come on people!

...To start out, I have read Inu Yasha mangas, volumes 1-3. It is my favorite manga at the moment. It is the story of a girl named Kagome, a 15 year old high school girl. Her family lives in a house with an ancient minishrine in the yard. Her grandpa even has a gift store that sells all kinds of little trinkets that he claims to have some ancient story behind it... I don't believe him. But one day, she goes inside the shrine to find her cat. omething pops up from it and drags her in, thus beginning he adventures. She will end up in ancient Japan, where the states are still fighting for land, and there are even demons! All of these demons seek the Shikon Jewel, or Jewel of Four Souls, which will make them more powerful.

Inu Yasha, a half demon dog, is one of these who seeks the Shikon Jewel. This is a reat little manga book, a must for just about everyone.

But parents out there take not, there are some things you might not let a more influentuable kid see. There is blood, gore, violence, and nudity. It's all pretty mild, the Inu Yasha anime is rated 13 and up. The reading level up there says 9-12, but I doubt alot of 9-12 year olds would get the story, there are some complicated words in here. So I'd read it first and decide if it's right for your child.

And there you have it, my first review, and of a great manga. Buy this one now, and if youlike it, check out the Inu Yasha anime. Rumiko Takahashi has come up with something great here.

Ok. First, let me got this straight. This is the absolute BEST Japanese comic I've ever read! And let me tell you, I don't often hand out praise like that lightly. I mean it. I was first introduced to this story last year, while sitting on the bus with my friend, when she pulled out a manga (from lack of anything better to do) and started reading. Well, I read over her shoulder, and got so totally engrossed in the story that I didn't even notice when the bus finally stopped! The characters in this book are portrayed so realistically that I was continually laughing, crying, and sympathizing with them as I read. Volume 1, volume 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and god knows how many other volumes sped by my eyes so quickly that I'm amazed I didn't go blind at the speed that I was reading. I even went on the Internet to hunt for the translations from the Japanese version of Inu-Yasha so that I could hurry up and find out what happened next. I'm totally obsessed and in love with this story! Inuyasha is a wonderfully complex yet simple character that makes people totally relate to him, while everything Kagome does brings a warm-hearted, cheerful smile to your face. I am definitely supportive of the two's up and down relationship and I seriously love the action, romance, humour, and adventure that's all crammed into this one book. I recommend it to anybody, everybody, and especially those people who like a little bit of everything. Please take some time to read this comic! It certainly won't be a waste of time, and worth your while. ^_^

Superb! A perfect mixture of comedy/romance and gothic horror! ...Our story begins in the past with the tragic tale of two people who seem to be at war...the priestess, Kikyo slays the ferocious half-demon, Inu-Yasha...her arrow pinning him to a tree under a magical spell...Later, she dies, but the mysteriuos "Shikon Jewel" she takes to her grave; it is burned with her remains... We zoom to the present time...where we meet Kagome. She lives at a temple..so just about everything around has a legend...Kagome never paid much attention to the old stories and legends...nor believed them....until one day...An unexpected time travel through a well...after being pulled through a well at a forgotten shrine by a horrific centipede demon, Kagome finds herself in the past... Demons flock to the area; searching for the powerful "Shikon Jewel" which, as she recently learned, gives power to demons. Somehow, finding herself in a desperate position, she frees the half-demon, Inu-Yasha, by taking the arrow from him... In a flash, he defeats the centipede demon... but now he wants the Shikon Jewel! After its revelation, or putting it bluntly, being ripped out of Kagome by the centipede demon, he wants it in his possesion. Kaede, the little sister of Kikyo, though now fifty years older, takes action. A bead-like necklace in thrown around Inu-Yasha's neck. With the subdueing spell word "sit", Inu-Yasha is under Kagome's control.... A little later, accidentally, the jewel is blown into pieces and scattered around the land... thus, our adventures begin...for even a little piece of the talisman proves very dangerous in the wrong hands... Inu-Yasha and Kagome embark on a wacky mission of comedy, romance, drama, and horror to bring back the Shikon Jewel!...This is one of Rumiko Takahashi's best works! I highly recommend this to anyone who is a fan of manga!

I'll admit it, this was my first foray into Takahashi's manga titles. I wasn't quite sure what to expect, but I was pleasantly surprised. With Ranma 1/2 and Maison Ikkoku, people tend to forget that she's also extremely capable of quite horrific things. The plot of the series isn't *that* spectacular. A girl falls down a well, only to come up in an ancient Japan where demons rampage and she's the spitting image of a long dead priestess. It's been down before, but a few things make up for it. Like the fact that she's bound with a half-demon that was imprisoned by said priestess (and isn't too happy about it).

The best thing about this manga is, though, Takahashi's sense of horror. The Centipide Lady introduced in the first half was geniunely spine-chilling! The horror in this book isn't so much intended to sicken you (not directly, anyway), as there's a certain casualness that Takahashi uses to display truly terrible things. It's more...to further contrast that world and our own, and our young protaginist's risk in this odd new place.

The art is so-so, but the story and creativity in this title more than make up for it. Because of the horrific sights running through this, I wouldn't recommend this one to children (It would give the little darlings nightmares). However, for mature audiences, Inu-Yasha is well worth it.

While I have never been disappointed by a Rumiko Takahashi manga, this is certainly my favorite. Takahashi's fairy-tale style storytelling shines in this series. A modern-day Japanese schoolgirl accidentally travels to feudal Japan by way of a cursed well. Eventually, she ends up releasing a half-demon named Inu-Yasha, from a 50-year enchantment (whoops). While it is a typical pairing of unlikely partners, this series as a whole is far from typical.

The tone of the comic flows seamlessly from humorous (I have laughed aloud in some spots), to action, to romantic, and sometimes to downright creepy. No one pulls off such mood switches like Takahashi. The characters are well developed to the point of being nearly believable (in an imaginary, fantasy sort of way). The artwork, chracters, and story are some of the most imaginative I've seen. If you enjoy a good fantasy manga, I highly recommend Inu-Yasha. It is a super-fun read. I also highly recommend seeing the anime series if you get the opportunity.