Story and Art by Takahashi Rumiko
English Translation by Morimoto Mari
Copyright © 1998 Rumiko Takahashi/Shogakukan, Inc.

It is no coincidence that many characters in INU-YASHA so closely resemble those in manga like RANMA 1/2 and URUSEI YATSURA. The adventures of Inu-Yasha and Kagome are very much the work of the legendary Takahashi Rumiko. And while this manga is a bit more serious than the others, the same comic style and familiar faces are easily identified.
In fact, that may be the one flaw in this wonderful story. The faces and relationship dynamics are such that it's sometimes hard to remember which story is being followed. That's not to say that the manga as a whole is unoriginal; this isn't a spin-off (like the PROJECT A-KO incarnations), but it's easy to see the family resemblance.
We've seen a fairly detailed summary of the story in Eri Izawa's review of the original Shonen Sunday release in issue 2.5<../2.5/28-manga_Inu-Yasha2.html>. Essentially, Kagome is a school girl who finds herself helping a somewhat reformed half-dog demon, Inu-Yasha, recover the shards of a powerful artifact her ancestors had been guarding from villains (like Inu-Yasha). These shards are now in possession of various bad guys who must be convinced to part with them. It's sort of like RANMA meets USHIO & TORA, only with more romantic tension...
This is a great series, if only for the loads of Japanese myths and legendary creatures Inu-Yasha and Kagome meet. (Everything from ghosts to talking fleas...) And with this large array of characters comes the potential for an almost unlimited variety of stories. One story arc dealt with a fox's revenge against a lightning god, while the most recent one followed the touching story of a little girl's ghost and her surviving family. The upshot is that this manga has more to offer than just fight scenes and slapstick.
The artwork, again, is Takahashi, meaning an efficient use of lines and very expressive faces. While not as detailed as something like RAYEARTH, it's also not as goofy.
This is a strong manga title, even for people who might not have liked RANMA or its other siblings. This one is more adventuresome, less comical, and also offers a look into Japan's supernatural world. And for longtime Takahashi fans, INU-YASHA delivers.

English version published in N. America by Viz Comics
Released monthly
black/white pages
Vol 2 ISBN 82009 03703 00711
$3.25
Available now in the USA
Where to buy