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by Eri Izawa
INUYASHA is Takahashi Rumiko's latest manga series, currently running in
Shonen Sunday. Unlike her previous best-known works of URUSEI YATSURA and
RANMA 1/2, INUYASHA is less of a "gag" manga and more of an
action-adventure manga. But, as Takahashi Rumiko fans know, she is a master
of combining action and comedy, and Inuyasha is an example of such a combination.
Background of INUYASHA
The series' main characters are Kagome, a 15-year old modern Japanese girl,
and Inuyasha, a half-monster boy in 15th or 16th century Japan. Early in
the series, Kagome falls into an ancient dry well on her family's property,
and finds herself about five hundred years in the past. She meets Inuyasha,
whose goal is to own the mysterious "Shikon No Tama," a marble-sized sphere
whose power is coveted by every evil-hearted human and monster in Japan.
But Kagome inadvertently shatters the Shikon No Tama into many fragments,
which scatter across the land. Now she and Inuyasha are seeking to recover
the fragments Inuyasha because he wants the sphere's power for himself,
and Kagome because she wants to stop the evil that is done via the sphere's
power.
Summary of INUYASHA 2
INUYASHA 2 finishes the story of Yura, the girl who uses magical hair as a
deadly weapon that can grab, bind and slice. Kagome and Inuyasha return
from modern Japan, where they had been pursued by Yura's hair; Kagome
wonders why Yura is still after them, since she'd already taken Kagome's
single fragment of the Shikon No Tama. Yura, it turns out, is of the Oni
(ogre) race; having heard Oni rumors about how Inuyasha and Kagome were
seeking the Shikon No Tama's fragments, Yura had decided it would be best
to kill them off early.
What
follows is a multi-part combat between Yura and Inuyasha. Meanwhile,
Kagome who has mystical vision and a few powers of her own is busy
trying to help Inuyasha from the side. Oddly, though, Yura survives what
should have been fatal attacks from Inuyasha. At last, Kagome finds Yura's
secret: a hidden magical comb in which Yura had placed her soul. With the
comb's destruction, Yura disappears. But most surprising to Kagome is that
Inuyasha, at battle's end, actually calls her by her name for the firsttime.
The next story in Book 2 reveals a great deal about Inuyasha's past. We are
introduced to his elder half-brother, a thoroughly cold and heartless,
full-blooded monster named Sesshoumaru. Sesshoumaru is seeking his father's
tomb, in search of the sword Tetsusaiga. His servant suggests that Inuyasha
might know the location of the tomb.
Inuyasha learns of Sesshoumaru's quest from the elderly flea Miouga, who
had once been a friend of Inuyasha's father a demon dog of great power.
Inuyasha does not seem interested in stopping Sesshoumaru - until
Sesshoumaru uses a Mu-onna (a female entity formed from the sorrows of
mothers who had lost their children) to "seduce" Inuyasha with the illusion
of being his long dead mother. The Mu-onna, as she absorbs the dreaming
Inuyasha into herself, finds out enough to give Sesshoumaru the location of
the entrance to the tomb a black pearl hidden in Inuyasha's right eye.
Sesshoumaru takes the pearl and seeks to kill Inuyasha. But the Mu-onna,
being formed of the unhappy regrets of mothers, sacrifices herself to save
Inuyasha.
Sesshoumaru uses the pearl to open a gateway and goes within. Kagome and
Inuyasha follow. They find Sesshoumaru, who has found the Tetsusaiga sword
- and discover that Sesshoumaru can't pull up the sword from its resting
place. Inuyasha, though not interested in the sword at first, begins to
think it might be useful after a few rounds of combat with his brother. But
he finds that he can't pull it up either. Inuyasha is beginning to lose
against Sesshoumaru, when suddenly Kagome discovers that she can pull it
up. She quickly gives the sword to Inuyasha, but Inuyasha is frustrated by
the rickety old sword. Sesshoumaru takes on his true form, that of a giant
demon-dog, and Inuyasha seems doomed; the sword won't damage Sesshoumaru.
But when Inuyasha declares to Kagome, on the spur of the moment, that he
will protect her, the sword transforms into a powerful, sharp fang. With
the transformed sword, Inuyasha manages to defeat his brother, who flees.
Kagome later learns from Miouga that the sword had been made by Inuyasha's
father for the purpose of protecting Inuyasha's human mother in other
words, the will to protect a human activates the sword. She offers to tell
Inuyasha the secret, but Inuyasha has returned to his usual petty,
obnoxious self - and the sword, of course, is its usual rickety old self
again too. She leaves him to wonder.
Review
INUYASHA Book 2 combines many of the best Takahashi Rumiko elements
fast paced action, interesting characters, deep doses of imaginative
fantasy, a bit of horror, and those famous touches of Takahashi humor.
More, Kagome and Inuyasha continue the tradition of combat teamwork so
common with Akane and Ranma in RANMA 1/2 - despite their personal problems,
the two characters combine their different talents to create a powerful and
undefeatable team. In fact, it is refreshing to see Kagome in action; she
is undeniably intelligent and observant, and not nearly as prone to
misunderstanding and pettiness as Akane.
The main faults of INUYASHA 2 are subtle and minor sometimes the combat
drags a bit, and for long-time fans of her work, some of the characters
seem maddeningly familiar. The young and handsome Sesshoumaru, for example,
is the epitome of Takahashi bad guys visually and behaviorally.
Inuyasha himself is too often like a cross between Ranma and those same
villains. Again, though, Kagome's straightforward personality helps carry
the show.
INUYASHA 2 is highly recommended for any Takahashi fan, and is a great
choice for anyone looking for a well-rounded action manga.
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INUYASHA BOOK 2
Author: Takahashi Rumiko
Copyright © Shonen Sunday/Shogakukan
Release date: June 18, 1997
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