28 of 30 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Down the well, December 13, 2004
This review is from: Inuyasha - Season 1 Boxed Set (Limited Edition With Necklace from Japan) (DVD)
Kagome is a stressed teenage schoolgirl from the present day. Inuyasha is a surly half-demon from five hundred years in the past. And they're one of the more unlikely action pairs you could imagine, in the first-season boxed set of hit animated series "Inuyasha."
On Kagome's fifteenth birthday, she's suddenly pulled into a well on her family's shrine grounds -- and emerges five hundred years in the past. After bumbling around for awhile, she accidently frees a half-demon boy, Inuyasha, who is stuck to a tree. Inuyasha loathes her because of her resemblance to the woman Kikyo, who pinned him to that tree -- especially when he learns that Kagome is Kikyo's reincarnation.
Even though they fight constantly, they have to team up to recover the shard of the powerful Shikon Jewel (which Inuyasha wants to use to eradicate his human half). Things take a sudden twist when Kagome learns that the much-abused Inuyasha was once in love with Kikyo, and that his feelings for Kagome herself are starting to change. Unfortunately, Kikyo has been brought back to unnatural half-life, which makes Inuyasha and Kagome even more confused.
And then a monk, Miroku, reveals the truth -- Kikyo and Inuyasha were turned against one another by an evil demon, Naraku. What's more, Naraku is collecting fragments of the Shikon jewel, so Inuyasha can get his revenge and his jewel shards at the same time. With the lovable, lecherous Miroku, beautiful and haunted demon-slayer Sango, and outspoken fox Shippo, Inuyasha and Kagome set out to stop Naraku.
Rumiko Takahashi is known for her romance and comedies. "Inuyasha" is a bit different -- it's darker, bloodier, though still with plenty of humor like naughty monk Miroku fondling the backside of every pretty woman he meets, or Kagome using her "sit" command to slam Inuyasha to the ground. But there's plenty of darkness, unresolved romance, and plenty of slam-bang action with enormous swords.
As in Takahashi's original comics, there's several standalone episodes, but the series overall is a continuing story about battling Naraku. There's plenty of other villains like Inuyasha's chilly half-brother Sesshomaru, the Thunder Brothers, and a cowardly painter with magical ink. Even Kikyo has a villainous moment or two. Overall the episodes cleave to the original translated material, with a few exceptions (such as Kagome calling Inuyasha a "pig" instead of "animal").
Inuyasha and Kagome are good leads -- they play off each other well, whether they're yelling at each other ("I didn't say 'get naked,' stupid!") or sharing tender moments ("You smell kinda nice..."). Miroku and Sango are a good secondary pair, with Miroku's lovable naughtiness and Sango's vulnerability. And Shippo serves as good comic relief. He can get a bit annoying, but he grows on you.
An action-packed fantasy with tinges of comedy, drama and romance, "Inuyasha"'s first season is a solid slam-bang experience that will leave viewers checking out what comes next.
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7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
SIT, boy! and enjoy the first season of InuYasha, November 9, 2005
This review is from: Inuyasha - Season 1 Boxed Set (Limited Edition With Necklace from Japan) (DVD)
Rumiko Takahashi's the queen of manga series that yield long-airing anime series. Ranma œ., Maison Ikkoku, and probably her most popular series, one that's already at least four seasons so far, InuYasha, on the adventures of a 15-year old junior high school girl and a half-demon and their quest to find the shards of the Shikon No Tama, or Jewel of the Four Souls. Season 1 comprises the first 27 episodes on 5 discs.
"Everything has origins," says Kagome Higurashi, such as the origins of historical artifacts owned by her grandfather-her family is a shrine family. Well, the origin to Kagome's adventures begin when she falls down a well inside her family's shrine and is transported to 16th century Japan during the Sengoku Jidai, or Warring States Period. She carries within her body the Shikon No Tama, or Jewel of the Four Souls, a fragment of which causes someone to become very powerful, and more often than not, for evil purposes. Kagome awakens InuYasha, a half-demon pinned to a sacred tree, in order to rescue her from a centipede woman. However, in trying to recover the jewel, Kagome accidentally causes the jewel to shatter into thousands of pieces. It's up to Kagome, who can detect the jewel, and InuYasha, whose strength is an asset.
To say InuYasha has an attitude is like saying the Titanic is a boat. His obnoxiousness, childish anger and pouting, and arrogance grates on Kagome's nerves. Fortunately, when he goes too far, all she has to do is say "Osuwari!" or "Sit!" and that causes him to crash to the ground, thanks to some beads of subjugation cast on him by Kaede, an old village priestess who befriends Kagome. Turns out that Kagome is the reincarnation of her older sister Kikyo, who after pinning InuYasha to the sacred tree 50 years ago, died from her wounds and ordered the Jewel burned with her. InuYasha does soften towards her sometimes,
However, when Kikyo is resurrected by the hag Urasue, something emerges. Kikyo was prepared to give InuYasha the Jewel so he could become human and they could live together. Kikyo claims InuYasha inflicted the wound that killed her. InuYasha claims Kikyo tried to kill him on the appointed day. Somehow, their stories don't match.
They are joined by a few companions. First off there is Myoga-jiji, the Old Flea-Man, who is full of knowledge but has the cowardly tendency to flee from the scene whenever danger is upon them. Shippo, a young fox-boy, joins them after his father is murdered by the Thunder Brothers, whom InuYasha triumphs over. He looks up to Kagome, but chastises InuYasha for his attitude and often gives some mischievous sass to the half-demon, which earns him a couple of bumps on the head.
They meet many villains and monsters, but the deadliest is Sesshomaru, InuYasha's older brother, a full-fledged demon who despises humans. Accompanied by the tiny impish goblin Jaken, he first faces InuYasha when they fight for the sword Tensaiga, carved out of the fang of their father, in a scene within their father's belly. InuYasha gets the sword and proceeds to cut off his brother's left arm. Sesshomaru's very popular with female fans of the series, a cool villain with a low, chilling voice.
With Miroku, a monk who makes his living going to nobles houses, claiming they need his exorcism services, and often absconding with their loot, they meet another person collecting fragments of the Shikon Jewel. Miroku has the ability to create a wind tunnel with his right hand, but that was a curse visited upon his grandfather by the demon Naraku, and passed down the generations.
Towards the end of the season, there's Sango, the survivor of a family of demon exterminators whose entire family is slaughtered by Naraku's machinations. She joins them, along with Kirara, a cat-demon with two tails that can turn gigantic and fly through the air.
A running gag involves Kagome's grandfather, who in order to cover Kagome's trips to the past, lies to her friends by saying she has all these ailments, such as gout, rheumatism, throwing her back out, and being tested for diabetes, result of which her friends are very concerned for her, much to Kagome's consternation.
It's part Japanese folklore and mythology, Alice In Wonderland (Kagome down the well), Lord of the Rings, and the concept of a jewel shard that corrupts reminds me of Stephen R. Donaldson's first Thomas Covenant trilogy and the Illearth Stone. The score during the gripping action scenes, some great demons, and good storytelling and cliffhangers make InuYasha one of the most popular anime series of all time.
Oh, and the beads of subjugation are included in this limited edition box set.
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6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The best Anime ever!, December 14, 2004
This review is from: Inuyasha - Season 1 Boxed Set (Limited Edition With Necklace from Japan) (DVD)
This season box is worth all of the money, nomatter if you buy this one or the one without a necklace.
Inu-Yasha is the best anime ever. The caracters backgrounds are soooooooo deep, sad and tragic, and the whole Inu-Yasha - Kikyo thing makes you wanna cry because Kikyo was brutally killed, and also when Sango's 11 year old brother kills their entire family...
There are so many places in the anime, where you'll get tears in your eyes, and your heart beats faster, because of all the sadness, the deep tragic emotions and just everything
This Anime will touch your heart in so many ways, it's almost
undescribe able.
It's not the most Well-drawn anime, but the deep, thought-through backgrounds for every caracter,
the VERY beautiful music in the anime ( Background- and songs )will make sure you love it!
It's worth all of the money... though i wouldn't mind if it was just a liiittle cheaper...
Cuz i'm from DenmarK and it's very expensive to buy with dollar ^_^;
But all in all, the best Anime! Buy the season box,
you will so NOT regret it ^_~
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