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23 of 23 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The search for the shards of the Shikon no Tama begins., February 1, 2003
Before I begin, there's something I must say: the "Inu-Yasha" DVDs are not edited! Repeat, they are not edited! Many people are under the assumption that the edited version found on Cartoon Network's Adult Swim block is what Viz is releasing. Rest assured that is not the case. I have seen the original Japanese versions of the show and there is no edited material on these DVDs. With that said, let's begin the review of the third "Inu-Yasha" DVD, "Fathers and Sons".When Inu-Yasha, the stubborn and short-tempered half-demon, and his elder full-demon brother Sesshoumaru meet inside their father's grave, they begin to battle it out for possession of their father's precious sword, the Tetsusaiga. Who will inherit this mighty demon blade, said to possess the power to slay 100 demons in a single swing? Then, beginning their hunt for the fragments of the Shikon no Tama, Inu-Yasha, Kagome, and Myoga run into Nobunaga, a young man hoping to find and rescue a princess from her betrothed lord, who has allegedly gone mad. Is this the work of a demon, and could a Shikon shard be involved? Then, the group meets Shippo, a young fox demon who steals Kagome's shards in hopes to lure Hiten and Manten, the Thunder Brothers, who killed his father. But when circumstances cause Kagome to fall into the Thunder Brothers' hands, can Shippo do anything to help her, especially with an irritated Inu-Yasha breathing down his neck? With the end of the Tetsusaiga story arc begins the main task of the series: collect the shards of the Shikon Jewel before they fall into evil hands. Some people may think this is where the series gets dull and formulaic, as collection quests are hardly an original idea in anime. However, Rumiko Takahashi, the author of the original manga, manages to craft intelligent and refreshing spins in her stories, adding in her unique humor and unmatched wit. In all honesty, the real meat of the series doesn't happen until much later; the episodes that lead up to that point are used to set the mood and introduce important characters. But these three episodes are hardly dull, as they're well crafted and do justice to their source material. People just need to realize that further down the road there lies something even better. Visually, "Inu-Yasha" continues to dazzle with its stunning art direction. Determined to do justice to Takahashi's newest series, the show's creators went all out to give it a solid production. Character models are terrific, giving substance to their manga counterparts. Movement is smooth and flowing, and backgrounds are rich with detail. Rarely does the anime make the viewer feel cheated out of some level of quality; the show's quality is high enough already. Music-wise, Kaoru Wada still manages to weave his emotionally charged masterpieces. It's rare that someone can create music that defines a series perfectly, yet Kaoru accomplishes this task beautifully. He rightfully deserves comparison to other Japanese composer greats such as Yoko Kanno ("Cowboy Bebop", "Escaflowne"). If you've remained faithful to the dub through its slightly above average performances, your patience is beginning to bear fruit. Richard Cox has now firmly established himself as the English Inu-Yasha. Moneca Stori has finally gotten into her character, although she still needs to work on her emotional subtleties. Paul Dobson (Myoga), David Kaye (Sesshoumaru), and Don Brown (Jaken) all give admirable performances. And Jillian Michaels does an acceptable job as Shippo. As for guest appearances, Brad Swaile does a wonderful job as the well-meant but clumsy Nobunaga. And both Andrew Francis and Alvin Sanders give superb performances as the deadly Thunder Brothers Hiten and Manten, respectively. Even the script is getting noticable better, although it still likes to take liberties with the original dialogue now and then. Some may find scriptwriter Trish Ledoux's use of cliches and catchphrases annoying, but thankfully they're not as painful as they were in episode 4. Still, if you'd rather watch the show with faithful dialogue, you can always watch the sub. Overall, "Fathers and Sons" continues to take us down the road that leads to an incredible journey. There will be bumps along the way, but the ride will most certainly be worth it. Rarely has a story such as "Inu-Yasha" surfaced, and it's very unlikely one like it will appear. Very recommended.
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