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犬夜叉 [Inuyasha] #14
InuYasha, Vol. 14: Gray Areas
Japanese comic
192 pages, Paperback
First published February 18, 2000
8 people are currently reading
670 people want to read
About the author
Rumiko Takahashi
1,584 books2,143 followersRumiko Takahashi (高橋留美子) was born in Niigata, Japan. She is not only one of the richest women in Japan but also one of the top paid manga artists. She is also the most successful female comic artist in history. She has been writing manga non-stop for 31 years.
Rumiko Takahashi is one of the wealthiest women in Japan. The manga she creates (and its anime adaptations) are very popular in the United States and Europe where they have been released as both manga and anime in English translation. Her works are relatively famous worldwide, and many of her series were some of the forerunners of early English language manga to be released in the nineties. Takahashi is also the best selling female comics artist in history; well over 100 million copies of her various works have been sold.
Though she was said to occasionally doodle in the margins of her papers while attending Niigata Chūō High School, Takahashi's interest in manga did not come until later. During her college years, she enrolled in Gekiga Sonjuku, a manga school founded by Kazuo Koike, mangaka of Crying Freeman and Lone Wolf and Cub. Under his guidance Rumiko Takahashi began to publish her first doujinshi creations in 1975, such as Bye-Bye Road and Star of Futile Dust. Kozue Koike often urged his students to create well-thought out, interesting characters, and this influence would greatly impact Rumiko Takahashi's works throughout her career.
Career and major works:
Takahashi's professional career began in 1978. Her first published story was Those Selfish Aliens, a comedic science fiction story. During the same year, she published Time Warp Trouble, Shake Your Buddha, and the Golden Gods of Poverty in Shōnen Sunday, which would remain the home to most of her major works for the next twenty years. Later that year, Rumiko attempted her first full-length series, Urusei Yatsura. Though it had a rocky start due to publishing difficulties, Urusei Yatsura would become one of the most beloved anime and manga comedies in Japan.
In 1980, Rumiko Takahashi found her niche and began to publish with regularity. At this time she started her second major series, Maison Ikkoku, in Big Comic Spirits. Written for an older audience, Maison Ikkoku is often considered to be one of the all-time best romance manga. Takahashi managed to work on Maison Ikkoku on and off simultaneously with Urusei Yatsura. She concluded both series in 1987, with Urusei Yatsura ending at 34 volumes, and Maison Ikkoku being 15.
During the 1980s, Takahashi became a prolific writer of short story manga, which is surprising considering the massive lengths of most of her works. Her stories The Laughing Target, Maris the Chojo, and Fire Tripper all were adapted into original video animations (OVAs). In 1984, after the end of Urusei Yatsura and Maison Ikkoku, Takahashi took a different approach to storytelling and began the dark, macabre Mermaid Saga. This series of short segments was published sporadically until 1994, with the final story being Mermaid's Mask. Many fans contend that this work remains unfinished by Takahashi, since the final story does not end on a conclusive note.
Another short work left untouched is One-Pound Gospel, which, like Mermaid Saga, was published erratically. The last story to be drawn was published in 2001, however just recently she wrote one final chapter concluding the series
Later in 1987, Takahashi began her third major series, Ranma ½. Following the late 80s and early 90s trend of shōnen martial arts manga, Ranma ½ features a gender-bending twist. The series continued for nearly a decade until 1996, when it ended at 38 volumes. Ranma ½ is one of Rumiko Takahashi's most popular series with the Western world.
During the later half of the 1990s, Rumiko Takahashi continued with short stories and her installments of Mermaid Saga and One-Pound Gospel until beginning her fourth major work, InuYasha. While Ran
Rumiko Takahashi is one of the wealthiest women in Japan. The manga she creates (and its anime adaptations) are very popular in the United States and Europe where they have been released as both manga and anime in English translation. Her works are relatively famous worldwide, and many of her series were some of the forerunners of early English language manga to be released in the nineties. Takahashi is also the best selling female comics artist in history; well over 100 million copies of her various works have been sold.
Though she was said to occasionally doodle in the margins of her papers while attending Niigata Chūō High School, Takahashi's interest in manga did not come until later. During her college years, she enrolled in Gekiga Sonjuku, a manga school founded by Kazuo Koike, mangaka of Crying Freeman and Lone Wolf and Cub. Under his guidance Rumiko Takahashi began to publish her first doujinshi creations in 1975, such as Bye-Bye Road and Star of Futile Dust. Kozue Koike often urged his students to create well-thought out, interesting characters, and this influence would greatly impact Rumiko Takahashi's works throughout her career.
Career and major works:
Takahashi's professional career began in 1978. Her first published story was Those Selfish Aliens, a comedic science fiction story. During the same year, she published Time Warp Trouble, Shake Your Buddha, and the Golden Gods of Poverty in Shōnen Sunday, which would remain the home to most of her major works for the next twenty years. Later that year, Rumiko attempted her first full-length series, Urusei Yatsura. Though it had a rocky start due to publishing difficulties, Urusei Yatsura would become one of the most beloved anime and manga comedies in Japan.
In 1980, Rumiko Takahashi found her niche and began to publish with regularity. At this time she started her second major series, Maison Ikkoku, in Big Comic Spirits. Written for an older audience, Maison Ikkoku is often considered to be one of the all-time best romance manga. Takahashi managed to work on Maison Ikkoku on and off simultaneously with Urusei Yatsura. She concluded both series in 1987, with Urusei Yatsura ending at 34 volumes, and Maison Ikkoku being 15.
During the 1980s, Takahashi became a prolific writer of short story manga, which is surprising considering the massive lengths of most of her works. Her stories The Laughing Target, Maris the Chojo, and Fire Tripper all were adapted into original video animations (OVAs). In 1984, after the end of Urusei Yatsura and Maison Ikkoku, Takahashi took a different approach to storytelling and began the dark, macabre Mermaid Saga. This series of short segments was published sporadically until 1994, with the final story being Mermaid's Mask. Many fans contend that this work remains unfinished by Takahashi, since the final story does not end on a conclusive note.
Another short work left untouched is One-Pound Gospel, which, like Mermaid Saga, was published erratically. The last story to be drawn was published in 2001, however just recently she wrote one final chapter concluding the series
Later in 1987, Takahashi began her third major series, Ranma ½. Following the late 80s and early 90s trend of shōnen martial arts manga, Ranma ½ features a gender-bending twist. The series continued for nearly a decade until 1996, when it ended at 38 volumes. Ranma ½ is one of Rumiko Takahashi's most popular series with the Western world.
During the later half of the 1990s, Rumiko Takahashi continued with short stories and her installments of Mermaid Saga and One-Pound Gospel until beginning her fourth major work, InuYasha. While Ran
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 73 reviews
May 6, 2018
I'm not sure we really needed yet another new antagonist here, but the wolf demons were interesting in their social structure. I am looking forward to seeing where the plot arc with Inu-yasha's a-hole brother and his unsuitable magic sword ends up.
May 27, 2015
Los encontronazos de Inuyasha y Koga son lo mejor xD
December 12, 2020
Inuyasha being jealous of Kagome is the funniest thing ever lmao. Couldn't stop laughing
And finally Rin joined Sesshomaru. I've been waiting for ages!!
And finally Rin joined Sesshomaru. I've been waiting for ages!!
May 7, 2020
Not nearly enough Sesshomaru (but then again is there ever enough Sesshomaru?) and too much Koga, but still a really awesome volume.
August 10, 2025
3.8 ⭐️
Below is an in-depth chapter by chapter review of the first half of the volume. A chapter by chapter review of the entire volume can be found here: Inuyasha Volume 14 In-Depth Review
Chapter 129: The True Master
Inuyasha officially gets his sword power-up here and it's a little convenient and thrown in there, but the use of "my other senses have weakened so this particular sense is currently heightened" (in this case his sense of smell) is fair. Not my favorite, but I'll allow it. Especially since the Wind Scar was introduced previously, but man, I really neglected it and need to reread to track it (and Inuyasha's fighting abilities) progression.
What really works in this chapter is how Inuyasha's discovery of the Wind Scar reflects his character.
Inuyasha's "human" heart–something Kagome was quick to notice in the beginning is clocked by Totosai here. It is a part of him Miroku and Sango discovered early on from his behavior towards them and around them as well. You could say it's the heart of his character.
His reaction to being called out for not wanting to kill Sesshomaru is also telling: "Feh! You don't know me, do you, old fool?! I couldn't give it a full swing because my body was paralyzed by venom!" This is clearly not true and Shippo's observation of how "he doesn't seem very paralyzed now, does he?" further disproves Inuyasha's words. In essence, don't listen to what Inuyasha says but look at what he does. He is very much action over words. Though I think he notably makes an effort to be a better communicator with Kagome. He has a special type of denial regarding his character and his motivations since he wants to appear tough and like a full demon.
Speaking of full demons vs half demons, I love the simple note of how Sesshomaru could easily detect the Wind Scar because as he is a full demon, he has a better nose. It is interesting how proud Sesshomaru is of skills he simply has due to chance. And how he thinks he's so much better than Inuyasha when Inuyasha is the one who has it harder and has to therefore work harder to accomplish what he does. The fact that he pretty much always ends up winning to some degree against Sesshomaru, whose abilities come more naturally, could be seen as evidence that he is actually the stronger of the two. That's a little Mulan (1998) "The flower that blooms in adversity is the most rare and beautiful of all" for you.
What exactly does Sesshomaru have to be so proud about? Clearly, he's in need of some ~character development~ and here we have a hint of its arrival. Inuyasha and Sesshomaru's father was one wise demon. Sesshomaru's blade, Tenseiga, "can heal and save people" so "don't you need a kind heart to wield that blade too?"
And thus a gravely injured Sesshomaru is happened upon by a young human girl who tries to save him.
4/5 chapter for fun lore drop and thematic exploration, acquisition of skills, and reflection of character.
Chapter 130: Wolves
"Does he call this 'honed'? It doesn't look very different from before, does it...?" Can't say exactly why, but this sticks out to me. Whether it's because it is a nod of sorts to the general bluntness/contrived nature of Tessaiga/Inuyasha's power-up or because it could allude to things yet to come (or both!) is unclear for now.
Regardless, we're back to the main goal. A lot has been happening and the group has kind of gotten away from tracking down Shikon Jewel shards, but Kagome senses the presence of one and sets them on their way. But before they can find out much, it's back to Sesshomaru, who is really not doing well.
Though he initially presented a pretty scary, demon-featured version of himself to the little girl and called her a "brat," there's a Sesshomaru level of kindness to his interactions with her as she tries to care for him. He's being polite and saying "no thank you" and even expresses curiosity about her. We are endeared to this girl, Rin, through her actions and her sympathetic backstory. She's a little like Kagome in how she is not afraid of the demon Sesshomaru and remains kind in the face of her circumstances–circumstances that show us more awfulness by humans, those that killed her family and those that mistreat her now.
I think it becomes quite clear rather quickly how Rin and Sesshomaru could benefit each other.
Enter Koga in a bit of brutal introduction. He demonstrates a ruthlessness that is reminiscent of Sesshomaru and then lets loose his wolves on Rin's village. Sesshomaru can finally move and is ready to go home, not thinking of Rin, but then he catches "the scent of blood."
Not a truly noteworthy chapter, but it has good groundwork for Sesshomaru and Rin and the connection between Inuyasha's group finding the aftermath of a wolf attack and the wolves at the end is satisfying. Another 4/5.
Chapter 131: The Maiden's Life
"The scent of blood–and wolves. From there...where the little human girl always goes home...was her village attacked?" Sesshomaru expresses emotion upon finding Rin! There is a sadness and an anger clear on his face.
"Lord Sesshomaru, did you have some use for this human...?" "No..." No, Sesshomaru doesn't have a "use" for Rin, but he is affected by her death. A shift has occurred within him.
"Perhaps I should test Tenseiga's power!" In a very Inuyasha move, Sesshomaru finds a use for Rin and thus a reason to save her–she can be a test for the power of his sword. It's all an excuse. The way Tenseiga operates is fascinating–"I can see them...these messengers from the world beyond," a physical manifestation or enemy come to take away a soul, and Rin gives the reader an excuse to see how it works as well.
"'L...Lord Sesshomaru? Did you save that maiden with the Tenseiga..?!' He did. But...that is so unlike my Lord..." It is indeed.
"Hmph. The Tenseiga...this blade...if I use it well...may come in handy after all. My dear Inuyasha–you simply didn't have the heart to kill your brother–you will regret that!" But Sesshomaru is not completely changed. Or even so significantly changed...yet. He recognizes Tenseiga may be useful after all but surely plots to use it like a weapon. It's noteworthy that he recognizes Inuyasha held back and that if he hadn't, Sesshomaru would be dead. He knows his brother and now he also knows his brother's power. But "Didn't have the heart to kill your brother" he says while saving a human girl's life. A human girl who he unnecessarily clutched to him, partly as if needing to confirm her heart was beating again by having it "b-bmp..." against him. The shift in Sesshomaru is accompanied by a new path–one that will include both Tenseiga and Rin–as well as the change occurring within.
The chapter ends with Inuyasha and co coming across Rin's village and the man-eating wolves, who they fight off and kill. This brings Koga to them. "You...killed my children..." Koga, who values his wolves–his pack–but not human lives. Or the life of the demon who stole from him.
Another solid 4/5 chapter. Lots of focus on Sesshomaru development and the unveiling of Tenseiga.
Chapter 132: Koga
Before we get into the more personal, Kagome-centric conflict between Koga and Inuyasha, there's the beginning of their relationship/rivalry.
"So you're the leader of this pack of man-eaters, eh?"
"You did this! You murdered my darlings! I'll never forgive you!"
"Your pets made the ground run red with human blood! How many have you killed?!"
"I was just letting them feed, you insolent puppy."
Not only does Koga have Shikon Jewel shards, something Inuyasha doesn't actually know until midway into their fight when Kagome tells him, but Koga's wolves are going around killing human villages. That's what Inuyasha is upset about when they first meet. He's really gone from pretending he doesn't care about humans to actively defending them. Koga again demonstrates his loyalty to his pack and his more Sesshomaru-style demon point of view, with humans being just another animal of sorts (and here food for his wolves) and then gets a jab at Inuyasha by calling him an "insolent puppy." Suddenly the conflict is more personal as this gets to the more easily offended Inuyasha.
"I am Koga, master of the Wolf Demon Clan!"
"They may take human form, but their true nature is that of their beasts–wild and violent"
A special shoutout to how Rumiko Takahashi conveys information naturally through her respective characters. Previously, Miroku observed how the wolves only went after humans and now we get Sango telling the group, and the reader, about wolf demons.
Kagome being the human jewel detector of the group, yells to Inuyasha about the shards in Koga's wrist and legs, which gets Koga's attention. Inuyasha and Koga continue to fight and throw slightly immature insults at each other, making Miroku note that they are a "stubborn, impulsive pair." There are demon qualities in Koga that overlap with Sesshomaru, but really he is in many ways similar to Inuyasha. Especially the Inuyasha Kagome met in chapter one. He's also a wolf demon while Inuyasha is half dog demon, making him a somewhat wilder, more fully demon Inuyasha. Where's the line drawn between wolf and dog?
Speaking of Sesshomaru and similarities, Inuyasha sees Koga as the perfect chance to test Tessaiga's Wind Scar, but Koga senses the danger and runs off.
"'If he ran away because he instinctively sensed the danger...' 'Then he's no ordinary demon'" Interesting. Also more use of character when providing explanations as Miroku and Sango demonstrate that they are on the same wavelength and complete each other's thoughts.
"In any case, we can't let the leader of a pack of man-eating wolves hold onto three Shikon shards."
"I know that! That bluffing coward...calling me a puppy"
Koga pointing to Inuyasha's dog-like behaviors adds some fun humor and is also amusingly what Inuyasha fixates on. He's often telling the others that they need to focus on the shards or Naraku, but when it comes to his pride and true motivators, it's clear his priorities are elsewhere. And those priorities are really going to shine soon, with Koga ending the chapter by declaring his intentions to capture Kagome and make her work for him to detect jewel shards.
4/5 again!
Chapter 133: Hostage
"Say Inuyasha, isn't it just the same as always? So don't get so worked up about it, okay? You know, I think you're really great, Inuyasha. So strong and...and..."
"What are you going on about now?"
"You know how kind she is. She's probably trying to console you because you were hurt by being called an 'insolent puppy.'"
As the group chases after Koga, Kagome shows how she quickly recognized the rivalry forming between Koga and Inuyasha and how Koga's comments are getting to Inuyasha. Girl is putting in the work. They come across an ambush of wolves and Inuyasha notes "at this rate Kagome will be in danger," true to character for his main priorities. He's self-conscious and values Kagome's safety above all.
Putting the pieces together as he does, Miroku realizes that "Koga's plan was to kidnap Lady Kagome from the start" using the wolves as a lure and distraction. This is also a bit amusing considering Miroku enacted a similar plan to steal the large Shikon Jewel fragment Kagome used to carry. It also points back to Kikyo's claim a few chapters back–that Kagome having the fragment put her in danger. That claim is proving to both be true and not. It drew the attention of Miroku, but now even without it, Kagome is still in danger because of who she is–even without the jewel, Kagome has skills revolving around it that draws the interest of others and makes her a valuable player. Kikyo's claim was a bit of an excuse to take the fragment, but I think she also assumed Kagome doesn't really have any value in herself. She may possess the skills of a powerful Miko, but Kikyo sees that as a mere effect of Kagome being her reincarnation and not really anything Kagome can utilize in a meaningful way. Although more of the true shell herself, she probably views Kagome as a shell simply holding onto her own soul and talents. But Kagome is more than the Shikon Jewel and more than a reincarnation.
Koga takes Kagome the lair of the Wolf Demon Tribe/Clan. On the way, they run into Birds of Paradise and then Koga explains how the birds' leader possesses jewel shards, which has enabled them to attack and devour many wolf demons. Thus Koga wants Kagome to locate where in the leader's body the shards are so that Koga can take the shards, gaining more for himself and eliminating the threat to his people. Kagome agrees, hoping to find Inuyasha in the process and because she doesn't really have a choice if she wishes to keep her and Shippo safe for the moment.
Once again, Koga resembles the Inuyasha from the beginning of the story, using Kagome as a jewel detector and protecting her for that means (in Inuyasha's case, that was at least his claim). He's loud, impulsive, violent, and seemingly self-assured. Unlike Inuyasha, he is a leader of a large group of demons.
This chapter feels more transitional/like set-up, but it is well done regardless. Maybe more of a 3.5/5. I'd prefer a little less focus on action and an elaboration on character.
Chapter 134: The Wolves' Cave
To start, we flash back to the moment Koga took Inuyasha. A small note is the difference in the depiction of Koga carrying Kagome. In the previous chapter, she looked more angry and we could only see the back of Koga's head. This time, from Inuyasha's perspective, Kagome looks more afraid and Koga is flashing Inuyasha a grin. Is that all totally on purpose by Rumiko Takahashi? Probably, but regardless, it factors into the storytelling.
Sango ran into the Birds of Paradise in her attempt to follow Koga and Kagome and then it's back to Kagome, who is focused on somehow escaping. Despite how she might have been somewhat endeared to the cause of the Wolf Tribe, she is not so swayed as to prioritize helping them.
"Kagome...that's your name, isn't it? Now that I look at you...you have quite a pretty face, you know that? All right, I've decided! You'll be my woman!"
The similarities and differences between Koga and Inuyasha continue to stand out. Inuyasha stubbornly refused to use Kagome's name for a while after they met, but here, Koga is quick to put it into play and turn on the flattery. It's like he wants to bring them closer. But he's also quick to stake a claim on her without any regard for her feelings on the matter.
"You mean you're not going to eat her after you're finished with her?" "She's just a human girl, isn't she?"
"Fools–this girl can see Shikon shards! She's ten times the worth of any demon wench!"
"Then...you mean...we'll be able to gather all the Shikon shards?!"
"Mm. And then our pack will be invincible!"
Again, like Inuyasha, Koga's goal is acquiring the Shikon Jewel shards and using them to become stronger. Kagome is a jewel detector; however, with Inuyasha, he claimed she was an inconvenience he was stuck with while Koga boasts of her usefulness. Inuyasha would (and still does) downplay Kagome's attractiveness while Koga revels in it like it's an added bonus. I'm also bookmarking the idea of Kagome being better/more useful than a demon woman.
"So that's it. I trust you understand."
"Hey–don't touch me, you wolf! Oh...I'm sorry but...I'm already seeing someone else, so..."
Kagome's reaction to Koga stands out as well. He tries to be grab her and she pushes him away to the point of slapping him. And like with the Thunder Brothers, Kagome uses the "Inuyasha and I are a couple" card, only it's kind of more true this time. This will all become more relevant as the Inuyasha-Koga rivalry escalates.
"'Don't tell me it's...that insolent puppy?!'
'His name is Inuyasha! Quit calling him an 'insolent puppy'!!' Though I might have said I was seeing him, but...we haven't even kissed"
"Heh. How interesting. So, then, if this puppy Inuyasha were to be removed from this world, there'd be nothing standing between us? Because you know...the next time we meet, I'm going to kill him"
Kagome is facing a dangerous demon, but she defends Inuyasha anyway. And Koga is delighted that now he not only has to kill Inuyasha for killing his wolves but to free Kagome to be his. Because of course that's how that would work. This way of thinking is humorous, but the death of a love equating freeing a person to get into a relationship with someone else is ringing some bells.
Inuyasha, Sango, and Miroku continue their search for Kagome (and Shippo) and Koga takes Kagome on his raid, leaving Kagome thinking: "Inuyasha...please hurry!" There's no doubt in her mind that he's coming to get her.
4/5 chapter for some interesting character work within the incoming action.
Below is an in-depth chapter by chapter review of the first half of the volume. A chapter by chapter review of the entire volume can be found here: Inuyasha Volume 14 In-Depth Review
Chapter 129: The True Master
Inuyasha officially gets his sword power-up here and it's a little convenient and thrown in there, but the use of "my other senses have weakened so this particular sense is currently heightened" (in this case his sense of smell) is fair. Not my favorite, but I'll allow it. Especially since the Wind Scar was introduced previously, but man, I really neglected it and need to reread to track it (and Inuyasha's fighting abilities) progression.
What really works in this chapter is how Inuyasha's discovery of the Wind Scar reflects his character.
"I will give you credit for sniffing out the 'Wind Scar.' And despite being blinded by venom and in great pain. But Inuyasha...you didn't swing Tessaiga all the way through, did you? No matter how much you hate him...Sesshomaru is still your elder brother. You couldn't make yourself cold-hearted enough to kill your own brother, could you?!"
Inuyasha's "human" heart–something Kagome was quick to notice in the beginning is clocked by Totosai here. It is a part of him Miroku and Sango discovered early on from his behavior towards them and around them as well. You could say it's the heart of his character.
His reaction to being called out for not wanting to kill Sesshomaru is also telling: "Feh! You don't know me, do you, old fool?! I couldn't give it a full swing because my body was paralyzed by venom!" This is clearly not true and Shippo's observation of how "he doesn't seem very paralyzed now, does he?" further disproves Inuyasha's words. In essence, don't listen to what Inuyasha says but look at what he does. He is very much action over words. Though I think he notably makes an effort to be a better communicator with Kagome. He has a special type of denial regarding his character and his motivations since he wants to appear tough and like a full demon.
Speaking of full demons vs half demons, I love the simple note of how Sesshomaru could easily detect the Wind Scar because as he is a full demon, he has a better nose. It is interesting how proud Sesshomaru is of skills he simply has due to chance. And how he thinks he's so much better than Inuyasha when Inuyasha is the one who has it harder and has to therefore work harder to accomplish what he does. The fact that he pretty much always ends up winning to some degree against Sesshomaru, whose abilities come more naturally, could be seen as evidence that he is actually the stronger of the two. That's a little Mulan (1998) "The flower that blooms in adversity is the most rare and beautiful of all" for you.
What exactly does Sesshomaru have to be so proud about? Clearly, he's in need of some ~character development~ and here we have a hint of its arrival. Inuyasha and Sesshomaru's father was one wise demon. Sesshomaru's blade, Tenseiga, "can heal and save people" so "don't you need a kind heart to wield that blade too?"
"You'd think it would reject Sesshomaru. But instead it protected him from Tessaiga's force. And that, more than anything else...is a sign that Tenseiga has chosen Sesshomaru as its wielder. Whether Tenseiga is to flourish oir wane...is up to Sesshomaru's heart"
And thus a gravely injured Sesshomaru is happened upon by a young human girl who tries to save him.
4/5 chapter for fun lore drop and thematic exploration, acquisition of skills, and reflection of character.
Chapter 130: Wolves
"Does he call this 'honed'? It doesn't look very different from before, does it...?" Can't say exactly why, but this sticks out to me. Whether it's because it is a nod of sorts to the general bluntness/contrived nature of Tessaiga/Inuyasha's power-up or because it could allude to things yet to come (or both!) is unclear for now.
Regardless, we're back to the main goal. A lot has been happening and the group has kind of gotten away from tracking down Shikon Jewel shards, but Kagome senses the presence of one and sets them on their way. But before they can find out much, it's back to Sesshomaru, who is really not doing well.
Though he initially presented a pretty scary, demon-featured version of himself to the little girl and called her a "brat," there's a Sesshomaru level of kindness to his interactions with her as she tries to care for him. He's being polite and saying "no thank you" and even expresses curiosity about her. We are endeared to this girl, Rin, through her actions and her sympathetic backstory. She's a little like Kagome in how she is not afraid of the demon Sesshomaru and remains kind in the face of her circumstances–circumstances that show us more awfulness by humans, those that killed her family and those that mistreat her now.
"What happened to your face? All right then, don't tell me." Grinnn. What's there to be so happy about? All I did was ask about her...
I think it becomes quite clear rather quickly how Rin and Sesshomaru could benefit each other.
Enter Koga in a bit of brutal introduction. He demonstrates a ruthlessness that is reminiscent of Sesshomaru and then lets loose his wolves on Rin's village. Sesshomaru can finally move and is ready to go home, not thinking of Rin, but then he catches "the scent of blood."
Not a truly noteworthy chapter, but it has good groundwork for Sesshomaru and Rin and the connection between Inuyasha's group finding the aftermath of a wolf attack and the wolves at the end is satisfying. Another 4/5.
Chapter 131: The Maiden's Life
"The scent of blood–and wolves. From there...where the little human girl always goes home...was her village attacked?" Sesshomaru expresses emotion upon finding Rin! There is a sadness and an anger clear on his face.
"Lord Sesshomaru, did you have some use for this human...?" "No..." No, Sesshomaru doesn't have a "use" for Rin, but he is affected by her death. A shift has occurred within him.
"Perhaps I should test Tenseiga's power!" In a very Inuyasha move, Sesshomaru finds a use for Rin and thus a reason to save her–she can be a test for the power of his sword. It's all an excuse. The way Tenseiga operates is fascinating–"I can see them...these messengers from the world beyond," a physical manifestation or enemy come to take away a soul, and Rin gives the reader an excuse to see how it works as well.
"'L...Lord Sesshomaru? Did you save that maiden with the Tenseiga..?!' He did. But...that is so unlike my Lord..." It is indeed.
"Hmph. The Tenseiga...this blade...if I use it well...may come in handy after all. My dear Inuyasha–you simply didn't have the heart to kill your brother–you will regret that!" But Sesshomaru is not completely changed. Or even so significantly changed...yet. He recognizes Tenseiga may be useful after all but surely plots to use it like a weapon. It's noteworthy that he recognizes Inuyasha held back and that if he hadn't, Sesshomaru would be dead. He knows his brother and now he also knows his brother's power. But "Didn't have the heart to kill your brother" he says while saving a human girl's life. A human girl who he unnecessarily clutched to him, partly as if needing to confirm her heart was beating again by having it "b-bmp..." against him. The shift in Sesshomaru is accompanied by a new path–one that will include both Tenseiga and Rin–as well as the change occurring within.
The chapter ends with Inuyasha and co coming across Rin's village and the man-eating wolves, who they fight off and kill. This brings Koga to them. "You...killed my children..." Koga, who values his wolves–his pack–but not human lives. Or the life of the demon who stole from him.
Another solid 4/5 chapter. Lots of focus on Sesshomaru development and the unveiling of Tenseiga.
Chapter 132: Koga
Before we get into the more personal, Kagome-centric conflict between Koga and Inuyasha, there's the beginning of their relationship/rivalry.
"So you're the leader of this pack of man-eaters, eh?"
"You did this! You murdered my darlings! I'll never forgive you!"
"Your pets made the ground run red with human blood! How many have you killed?!"
"I was just letting them feed, you insolent puppy."
Not only does Koga have Shikon Jewel shards, something Inuyasha doesn't actually know until midway into their fight when Kagome tells him, but Koga's wolves are going around killing human villages. That's what Inuyasha is upset about when they first meet. He's really gone from pretending he doesn't care about humans to actively defending them. Koga again demonstrates his loyalty to his pack and his more Sesshomaru-style demon point of view, with humans being just another animal of sorts (and here food for his wolves) and then gets a jab at Inuyasha by calling him an "insolent puppy." Suddenly the conflict is more personal as this gets to the more easily offended Inuyasha.
"I am Koga, master of the Wolf Demon Clan!"
"They may take human form, but their true nature is that of their beasts–wild and violent"
A special shoutout to how Rumiko Takahashi conveys information naturally through her respective characters. Previously, Miroku observed how the wolves only went after humans and now we get Sango telling the group, and the reader, about wolf demons.
Kagome being the human jewel detector of the group, yells to Inuyasha about the shards in Koga's wrist and legs, which gets Koga's attention. Inuyasha and Koga continue to fight and throw slightly immature insults at each other, making Miroku note that they are a "stubborn, impulsive pair." There are demon qualities in Koga that overlap with Sesshomaru, but really he is in many ways similar to Inuyasha. Especially the Inuyasha Kagome met in chapter one. He's also a wolf demon while Inuyasha is half dog demon, making him a somewhat wilder, more fully demon Inuyasha. Where's the line drawn between wolf and dog?
Speaking of Sesshomaru and similarities, Inuyasha sees Koga as the perfect chance to test Tessaiga's Wind Scar, but Koga senses the danger and runs off.
"'If he ran away because he instinctively sensed the danger...' 'Then he's no ordinary demon'" Interesting. Also more use of character when providing explanations as Miroku and Sango demonstrate that they are on the same wavelength and complete each other's thoughts.
"In any case, we can't let the leader of a pack of man-eating wolves hold onto three Shikon shards."
"I know that! That bluffing coward...calling me a puppy"
Koga pointing to Inuyasha's dog-like behaviors adds some fun humor and is also amusingly what Inuyasha fixates on. He's often telling the others that they need to focus on the shards or Naraku, but when it comes to his pride and true motivators, it's clear his priorities are elsewhere. And those priorities are really going to shine soon, with Koga ending the chapter by declaring his intentions to capture Kagome and make her work for him to detect jewel shards.
4/5 again!
Chapter 133: Hostage
"Say Inuyasha, isn't it just the same as always? So don't get so worked up about it, okay? You know, I think you're really great, Inuyasha. So strong and...and..."
"What are you going on about now?"
"You know how kind she is. She's probably trying to console you because you were hurt by being called an 'insolent puppy.'"
As the group chases after Koga, Kagome shows how she quickly recognized the rivalry forming between Koga and Inuyasha and how Koga's comments are getting to Inuyasha. Girl is putting in the work. They come across an ambush of wolves and Inuyasha notes "at this rate Kagome will be in danger," true to character for his main priorities. He's self-conscious and values Kagome's safety above all.
Putting the pieces together as he does, Miroku realizes that "Koga's plan was to kidnap Lady Kagome from the start" using the wolves as a lure and distraction. This is also a bit amusing considering Miroku enacted a similar plan to steal the large Shikon Jewel fragment Kagome used to carry. It also points back to Kikyo's claim a few chapters back–that Kagome having the fragment put her in danger. That claim is proving to both be true and not. It drew the attention of Miroku, but now even without it, Kagome is still in danger because of who she is–even without the jewel, Kagome has skills revolving around it that draws the interest of others and makes her a valuable player. Kikyo's claim was a bit of an excuse to take the fragment, but I think she also assumed Kagome doesn't really have any value in herself. She may possess the skills of a powerful Miko, but Kikyo sees that as a mere effect of Kagome being her reincarnation and not really anything Kagome can utilize in a meaningful way. Although more of the true shell herself, she probably views Kagome as a shell simply holding onto her own soul and talents. But Kagome is more than the Shikon Jewel and more than a reincarnation.
Koga takes Kagome the lair of the Wolf Demon Tribe/Clan. On the way, they run into Birds of Paradise and then Koga explains how the birds' leader possesses jewel shards, which has enabled them to attack and devour many wolf demons. Thus Koga wants Kagome to locate where in the leader's body the shards are so that Koga can take the shards, gaining more for himself and eliminating the threat to his people. Kagome agrees, hoping to find Inuyasha in the process and because she doesn't really have a choice if she wishes to keep her and Shippo safe for the moment.
Once again, Koga resembles the Inuyasha from the beginning of the story, using Kagome as a jewel detector and protecting her for that means (in Inuyasha's case, that was at least his claim). He's loud, impulsive, violent, and seemingly self-assured. Unlike Inuyasha, he is a leader of a large group of demons.
This chapter feels more transitional/like set-up, but it is well done regardless. Maybe more of a 3.5/5. I'd prefer a little less focus on action and an elaboration on character.
Chapter 134: The Wolves' Cave
To start, we flash back to the moment Koga took Inuyasha. A small note is the difference in the depiction of Koga carrying Kagome. In the previous chapter, she looked more angry and we could only see the back of Koga's head. This time, from Inuyasha's perspective, Kagome looks more afraid and Koga is flashing Inuyasha a grin. Is that all totally on purpose by Rumiko Takahashi? Probably, but regardless, it factors into the storytelling.
Sango ran into the Birds of Paradise in her attempt to follow Koga and Kagome and then it's back to Kagome, who is focused on somehow escaping. Despite how she might have been somewhat endeared to the cause of the Wolf Tribe, she is not so swayed as to prioritize helping them.
"Kagome...that's your name, isn't it? Now that I look at you...you have quite a pretty face, you know that? All right, I've decided! You'll be my woman!"
The similarities and differences between Koga and Inuyasha continue to stand out. Inuyasha stubbornly refused to use Kagome's name for a while after they met, but here, Koga is quick to put it into play and turn on the flattery. It's like he wants to bring them closer. But he's also quick to stake a claim on her without any regard for her feelings on the matter.
"You mean you're not going to eat her after you're finished with her?" "She's just a human girl, isn't she?"
"Fools–this girl can see Shikon shards! She's ten times the worth of any demon wench!"
"Then...you mean...we'll be able to gather all the Shikon shards?!"
"Mm. And then our pack will be invincible!"
Again, like Inuyasha, Koga's goal is acquiring the Shikon Jewel shards and using them to become stronger. Kagome is a jewel detector; however, with Inuyasha, he claimed she was an inconvenience he was stuck with while Koga boasts of her usefulness. Inuyasha would (and still does) downplay Kagome's attractiveness while Koga revels in it like it's an added bonus. I'm also bookmarking the idea of Kagome being better/more useful than a demon woman.
"So that's it. I trust you understand."
"Hey–don't touch me, you wolf! Oh...I'm sorry but...I'm already seeing someone else, so..."
Kagome's reaction to Koga stands out as well. He tries to be grab her and she pushes him away to the point of slapping him. And like with the Thunder Brothers, Kagome uses the "Inuyasha and I are a couple" card, only it's kind of more true this time. This will all become more relevant as the Inuyasha-Koga rivalry escalates.
"'Don't tell me it's...that insolent puppy?!'
'His name is Inuyasha! Quit calling him an 'insolent puppy'!!' Though I might have said I was seeing him, but...we haven't even kissed"
"Heh. How interesting. So, then, if this puppy Inuyasha were to be removed from this world, there'd be nothing standing between us? Because you know...the next time we meet, I'm going to kill him"
Kagome is facing a dangerous demon, but she defends Inuyasha anyway. And Koga is delighted that now he not only has to kill Inuyasha for killing his wolves but to free Kagome to be his. Because of course that's how that would work. This way of thinking is humorous, but the death of a love equating freeing a person to get into a relationship with someone else is ringing some bells.
Inuyasha, Sango, and Miroku continue their search for Kagome (and Shippo) and Koga takes Kagome on his raid, leaving Kagome thinking: "Inuyasha...please hurry!" There's no doubt in her mind that he's coming to get her.
4/5 chapter for some interesting character work within the incoming action.
December 18, 2020
MARAVILLA DE TOMO. CON RIN Y KÔGA YA EMPIEZAN COSAS MÁS INTERESANTES.
May 5, 2024
Nobody let wolfe see this manga. There were wolves and talks of mates. I know he’d eat this up if it wasn’t so straight core
September 21, 2024
It's hard to rate these. This one was fine though. We finally get to see InuYasha and Kagome start to recognize their feelings for each other.
June 9, 2021
While I don't LOVE Koga (and he's def not the worst), I've always really liked the brotherhood feeling of the wolf tribe, and I adore Ginta and Hakkaku. The besties aren't identified by name in this volume, but I'm looking forward to more of them.
Lots of action and humor in this volume. Pretty solid balance.
Also, the introduction of Rin. While I always appreciated her for her role as Sesshoumaru's moral compass of sorts in this series, I've always been against the Sess/Rin ship. The reveal with the new sequel show is disgusting so I'm probably never going to watch that. (I'm also a big Sess/Kagome fan but that has nothing to do with it.)
Lots of action and humor in this volume. Pretty solid balance.
Also, the introduction of Rin. While I always appreciated her for her role as Sesshoumaru's moral compass of sorts in this series, I've always been against the Sess/Rin ship. The reveal with the new sequel show is disgusting so I'm probably never going to watch that. (I'm also a big Sess/Kagome fan but that has nothing to do with it.)
Read
September 18, 2009This is one of my favorite books of the series because it is where Koga and Kagome first meet. I think it's kind of cute how Koga gets obsessed with the thought that Kagome will be his mate.
August 25, 2021
love Koga ugh
January 25, 2017
*This review is for the series as a whole with 4.5 out of 5 stars*
This series is absolutely the longest series I’ve ever read so far, with a total of 56 volumes containing 559 chapters. Yeah right? I grew up watching anime and when I stumbled to this one, I instantly got hook. I’m so in love with this anime that I have the complete anime series in my possession. Yep! It occupy mostly the memory of my external drive haha sucker I know. And it’s just now that I finally had the courage to read its manga. I started reading this last December but had a 1 week off because of the Holiday until finally I finished it!
This story is about this modern Japanese girl, Kagome, that was pulled from her own time and went to feudal Japan. It is where she met the half yokai (supernatural monster in Japanese folklore) or also called Hanyou, Inuyasha. Two opposite personalities that were forced to travel together because of the Shikon Jewel or the Jewel of Four Souls.
Kagome (female lead) is so much fun and a wonderful heroine. If she’s a real person, she could be my hero. And Inuyasha on the other hand is such an awesome badass that thinking about him hurts. And as a couple, they sure are mind blowing. After writing this review, I’ll definitely re-watch the anime hehe.
Speaking of which, Inuyasha is a bad boy. But he’s the awesome kind of bad boy with humor and with a touch of dumbness at the same time. When he first met Kagome, I swear he could really be a great pain in the ass and is a straight-up a-hole. And as the story progresses, he became this kind of awesome person without losing his bad boy image ofcourse. And when it comes to Kagome, he sure is kind of protective and I love their usual bantering. It could get annoying sometimes but mostly entertaining lol, especially when Kagome really gets angry at him.
His character is so realistic too. Behind the bad boy image is the guy who lost his first love and when she returned, he’s torn between her and Kagome. Which to be honest, made me kind of mad at him. Well, I’m 100% with Kagome and I totally hate Kikyou. But after reading the manga, I still don’t like her, but she is kind of likeable now especially when she saved Kohaku. And also Inuyasha’s inner battle with his demon blood and his human heart, and you know what’s awesome about it? It’s because it’s only Kagome who can make him back to his senses, isn’t that just sweet?
(I was a bit teary-eyed when the Spider youkai were after them and he got bitten while he’s in his human form. And speaking of human form, he sure still rock it even with black hair minus the cute doggy ears. Then he lay on Kagome’s lap and told her that he love her scent even if he told her otherwise before. They’re in the middle of a dangerous situation but because of that, it became kind of romantic and unforgettable scene for me.)
Kagome on the other hand is a typical female lead. She started as a helpless girl until they found out about her being the reincarnation of Kikyou which was Inuyasha’s first love and the strongest Miko in the feudal Japan. I love how she became badass as the story progresses. Kikyou may be the first woman Inuyasha loved, but it is Kagome who really changed Inuyasha as a person. Plus, did I tell you how many times she saved Kikyou? Also, even how many times she got hurt because she’s Inuyasha’s first love, her heart remains pure.
I have to be honest, there’s some point in this series that totally got my nerve and made me flipped. That’s mostly about Inuyasha being torn between Kikyou and Kagome and how many times he chose Kikyou over Kagome. I mean, that’ quite of cruel really. But even that’s the case, I learn to outgrow it simply because he still travels with her, plus, once in a while they have their own moments. And speaking of moment, I need to step ahead and point out the lack of kissing scenes between them. In anime there’s quite a lot, but in manga, almost none. Yeah right?
As they travel, their group of two grows into a group of 6 where they met the kitsune Shippou, the monk Miroku, cool Sango and her cute Kirara.
Shippou is a cute Kitsune (fox) yokai that specializes in making pranks which he mostly use to Inuyasha lol. At first, they both hate each other and argues which is kind of funny lol. But as they both travels together, their relationship improved. He is really adorable and so attached to Kagome.
Miroku – A playboy and pervert who loves caressing women’s butt. But his proposal to Sango was pretty sweet.
Sango – a really tough cookie. I love her character and the fact that she can man handle guys. And her relationship with Miroku was so kawaii.
(Quite cliche eh? Inuyasha and Kagome fell in love with each other and Miroku, Sango with each other too. Well, IDC haha. I just love their group.)
Kirara – is a cute yokai that transforms into a ferocious beast during battles. Plus, he flies!
With a very long series, a long list of character isn’t a surprise at all. But what’s really hard with manga or anime is to get familiarize with the character’s names. But as for my favorites or the ones that totally got my attention here’s my list. (I’m being mean today, so I’m not going to add Kikyou in my list, blee)
1. Number one in my list is Sesshoumaru. I never thought I’d say this, but I’m one of those really annoying fangirls who love him. Deym! When I first saw him in the anime, I’ve got to say that there’s something dangerous about him. Inuyasha has this bad boy image, but Sesshoumaru is on the highest level. I really hate him at first. Unlike Inuyasha, he really is living the bad boy life. He’s rude, full of pride and all things bad. I specifically hated how he keeps on stealing their Father’s memento, Tessaiga, that is originally given to I But everything changed when he met Rin, and then we got to find out about Tenseiga and everything about it. Then, it just happens, I love Sesshoumaru. And then I came to the part about Meidou Zangetsuha, I feel so sorry for him. Huhu, and then after that my admiration for him intensified. He made me feel so many emotions, I almost cried because of him. It will take too much writing if I’ll enumerate the things that made me love Sesshoumaru so I’ll just let these images speaks for itself.
2. Well, obviously, it’s Rin. I love her character simply because she’s the reason why Sesshoumaru became compassionate, which is also the reason how he was now able to use his healing sword T And I love her teasing with Jaken. I love how the boring team of two grows and became lively because of her.Honestly, at first, I’m one of those fans that ships Rin to Sesshoumaru. But after I read the manga, I realized how absurd that is. I don’t know, but I think Jaken is right. Sesshoumaru is like a father to Rin in a strange way, and he sure is a great one.
3. Kagome’s family, her mother, younger brother Shouta, grandpa including their cat Buyo. I thought it’s going to be a big shocker when they met Inuyasha, but end up petting him like a pet dog lol. They’re all touching Inuyasha’s ears haha. Well, that couldn’t be help lol especially if he has that adorable doggy ears.
4. Kouga – The moment he was introduced in this series, I can’t stop laughing. He’s the third party between Inuyasha and Kagome and I can’t really stop laughing whenever I remember the scene where he boldly said that he loves Kagome and he’s determine to make her his woman. Well, after what Kagome went through because of Kikyou, I can’t help but send Inuyasha a dirty sign. Blee!
5. Miyouga – The coward flea. He’s some sort of the guy who knows it all, well, not totally all but mostly about Inuyasha and his father. I wish this series was able to show something about the past especially about Inuyasha’s father and mother. Well, it did actually in the anime.
6. Totosai – The swordsmith who forged Tessaiga and Tenseiga due to Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru’s father’s request. I would have love it more if they included a back story of him too.
7. Kaede – Kikyou’s younger sister. A strong lady who would probably live another 50 years the way she’s going.
8. Kohaku – The younger brother of Sango. For a young age, he’s been through a lot. But I’m happy how he was able to regain or fight for his humanity after what Naraku did to him.
9. Jaken – Originally, I didn’t have the intention of adding him in this list but looking back, I have to say that he made my whole reading experience so enjoyable too. He’s Sesshoumaru’s companion. He’s arrogant and even pitiful sometimes especially when he receives death glare or punches from Sesshoumaru when he’s pissed but he is mostly funny especially when Rin joined the group.
10. Naraku – For the ultimate cunning supervilain, I guess he quite deserve to be in this list lol. He’s a hanyou like Inuyasha. He’s the reason why Kikyou died 50 years ago and is the reason why Kikyou and Inuyasha had a rough past.
When I think about it, this is obviously a typical adventure anime/manga. For an adventure stories, the idea of different set of individuals forming a group while traveling is quite cliche too, let alone falling in love with each other! But what sets this story different from others is on the adventures each characters went through. When I though it’s the end and the ideas are already sucked out dry from the author, we then introduced to a new unexpected scene. I’ve been watching anime and they all gave me the same reaction. And what is that? It’s astonishment. We might already encountered the story’s plot before, but the twists and turns, the scenes, the lines are so unique. I can’t count how many times I said out loud “I didn’t expected that!” while reading this series.
All we’re covered too. I love that each characters has their own background covered, so we all got the chance to really know more about them and where they come from. I love that each characters have the chance to stand out and we’ve got to see how they matured with each chapters. As the title goes, without watching the anime, I really thought this series would only revolves around Inuyasha, well, it kind of does since each characters have a connection with Inuyasha. But what I like to say is that the author didn’t made a selfish decision to just make Inuyasha the hero all the time. We’ve got the chance to see the weaker side of him, the annoying one, the part where others from the group became the hero and saved him, and ofcourse the funny and dense Inuyasha which is my favorite.
As I said, this series has a total of 559 chapters so it will absolutely take us a lot of time if I talk about the adventures the group encountered one by one. So to make it short, I’ll just “kind of share” my favorite chapters from this series. Before I decided to read this manga, I have a lot of favorite scenes from the anime, mostly? Well, all of them we’re from Kagome and Inuyasha. But after reading the manga, I have to say that my favorite scenes were from Sesshoumaru (Inuyasha’s youkai brother). The first one was when he met Rin (human girl) and resurrected her. I really love how little by little he changed from this full mean badboy image to a compassionate one. He’s still a badboy but when he’s with Rin, dayum, I just can’t help but squeal in delight. And another favorite scene was when he went inside the meidou (a place where the living are not suppose to go) to save Rin. It’s also the most touching scene ever because of how he discarded his sword tenseiga (his father’s memento) because it can’t save Rin. Like dang! (just zoom the image to read the lines)
For my rating, I’m detracting a half star. It really is painful but I guess I really need to. It’s because even with the 559 chapters, it failed to tell us an introduction of what really is a yokai or hanyou or everything about those so-called monster. I mean, it’s been 50 years after that the story resumed but Sesshoumaru look as fabulous as ever and so is Inuyasha. I mean, if Inuyasha and Kagome will live together as man and wife, Kagome will age and Inuyasha would still be looking the same? The slowness of the villains too is quite so-so but I understand that to make this series long. Also, about crossing time through the well, in its first few chapters, we’ve got to find out that it’s the Shikon Jewel that connects the two worlds, but I remembered after Naraku seized all the shards of the Jewel, Kagome was still able to go back to her world. That really is kinda confusing though. And lastly, the epilogue. Dang! Sango and Miroku had their three little angels, how come Inuyasha and Kagome didn’t have atleast 1 son or daughter?! Oh well, I guess you can’t really have all.
You might be wondering which one of the two I love, manga or anime, I have to say that I love both. All the scenes from manga can be seen in anime, but what’s great with anime is that there’s some new scenes added to it. So if you’re planning to read the manga, I would highly recommend watching the anime too.
I would highly recommend this series, if you’re down for a good solid adventure and a kickass heroine with a sexy demon badboy. It’s often hilariously funny and the drawing is so lovely. It’s just simply awesome.
Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
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This series is absolutely the longest series I’ve ever read so far, with a total of 56 volumes containing 559 chapters. Yeah right? I grew up watching anime and when I stumbled to this one, I instantly got hook. I’m so in love with this anime that I have the complete anime series in my possession. Yep! It occupy mostly the memory of my external drive haha sucker I know. And it’s just now that I finally had the courage to read its manga. I started reading this last December but had a 1 week off because of the Holiday until finally I finished it!
This story is about this modern Japanese girl, Kagome, that was pulled from her own time and went to feudal Japan. It is where she met the half yokai (supernatural monster in Japanese folklore) or also called Hanyou, Inuyasha. Two opposite personalities that were forced to travel together because of the Shikon Jewel or the Jewel of Four Souls.
Kagome (female lead) is so much fun and a wonderful heroine. If she’s a real person, she could be my hero. And Inuyasha on the other hand is such an awesome badass that thinking about him hurts. And as a couple, they sure are mind blowing. After writing this review, I’ll definitely re-watch the anime hehe.
Speaking of which, Inuyasha is a bad boy. But he’s the awesome kind of bad boy with humor and with a touch of dumbness at the same time. When he first met Kagome, I swear he could really be a great pain in the ass and is a straight-up a-hole. And as the story progresses, he became this kind of awesome person without losing his bad boy image ofcourse. And when it comes to Kagome, he sure is kind of protective and I love their usual bantering. It could get annoying sometimes but mostly entertaining lol, especially when Kagome really gets angry at him.
His character is so realistic too. Behind the bad boy image is the guy who lost his first love and when she returned, he’s torn between her and Kagome. Which to be honest, made me kind of mad at him. Well, I’m 100% with Kagome and I totally hate Kikyou. But after reading the manga, I still don’t like her, but she is kind of likeable now especially when she saved Kohaku. And also Inuyasha’s inner battle with his demon blood and his human heart, and you know what’s awesome about it? It’s because it’s only Kagome who can make him back to his senses, isn’t that just sweet?
(I was a bit teary-eyed when the Spider youkai were after them and he got bitten while he’s in his human form. And speaking of human form, he sure still rock it even with black hair minus the cute doggy ears. Then he lay on Kagome’s lap and told her that he love her scent even if he told her otherwise before. They’re in the middle of a dangerous situation but because of that, it became kind of romantic and unforgettable scene for me.)
Kagome on the other hand is a typical female lead. She started as a helpless girl until they found out about her being the reincarnation of Kikyou which was Inuyasha’s first love and the strongest Miko in the feudal Japan. I love how she became badass as the story progresses. Kikyou may be the first woman Inuyasha loved, but it is Kagome who really changed Inuyasha as a person. Plus, did I tell you how many times she saved Kikyou? Also, even how many times she got hurt because she’s Inuyasha’s first love, her heart remains pure.
I have to be honest, there’s some point in this series that totally got my nerve and made me flipped. That’s mostly about Inuyasha being torn between Kikyou and Kagome and how many times he chose Kikyou over Kagome. I mean, that’ quite of cruel really. But even that’s the case, I learn to outgrow it simply because he still travels with her, plus, once in a while they have their own moments. And speaking of moment, I need to step ahead and point out the lack of kissing scenes between them. In anime there’s quite a lot, but in manga, almost none. Yeah right?
As they travel, their group of two grows into a group of 6 where they met the kitsune Shippou, the monk Miroku, cool Sango and her cute Kirara.
Shippou is a cute Kitsune (fox) yokai that specializes in making pranks which he mostly use to Inuyasha lol. At first, they both hate each other and argues which is kind of funny lol. But as they both travels together, their relationship improved. He is really adorable and so attached to Kagome.
Miroku – A playboy and pervert who loves caressing women’s butt. But his proposal to Sango was pretty sweet.
Sango – a really tough cookie. I love her character and the fact that she can man handle guys. And her relationship with Miroku was so kawaii.
(Quite cliche eh? Inuyasha and Kagome fell in love with each other and Miroku, Sango with each other too. Well, IDC haha. I just love their group.)
Kirara – is a cute yokai that transforms into a ferocious beast during battles. Plus, he flies!
With a very long series, a long list of character isn’t a surprise at all. But what’s really hard with manga or anime is to get familiarize with the character’s names. But as for my favorites or the ones that totally got my attention here’s my list. (I’m being mean today, so I’m not going to add Kikyou in my list, blee)
1. Number one in my list is Sesshoumaru. I never thought I’d say this, but I’m one of those really annoying fangirls who love him. Deym! When I first saw him in the anime, I’ve got to say that there’s something dangerous about him. Inuyasha has this bad boy image, but Sesshoumaru is on the highest level. I really hate him at first. Unlike Inuyasha, he really is living the bad boy life. He’s rude, full of pride and all things bad. I specifically hated how he keeps on stealing their Father’s memento, Tessaiga, that is originally given to I But everything changed when he met Rin, and then we got to find out about Tenseiga and everything about it. Then, it just happens, I love Sesshoumaru. And then I came to the part about Meidou Zangetsuha, I feel so sorry for him. Huhu, and then after that my admiration for him intensified. He made me feel so many emotions, I almost cried because of him. It will take too much writing if I’ll enumerate the things that made me love Sesshoumaru so I’ll just let these images speaks for itself.
2. Well, obviously, it’s Rin. I love her character simply because she’s the reason why Sesshoumaru became compassionate, which is also the reason how he was now able to use his healing sword T And I love her teasing with Jaken. I love how the boring team of two grows and became lively because of her.Honestly, at first, I’m one of those fans that ships Rin to Sesshoumaru. But after I read the manga, I realized how absurd that is. I don’t know, but I think Jaken is right. Sesshoumaru is like a father to Rin in a strange way, and he sure is a great one.
3. Kagome’s family, her mother, younger brother Shouta, grandpa including their cat Buyo. I thought it’s going to be a big shocker when they met Inuyasha, but end up petting him like a pet dog lol. They’re all touching Inuyasha’s ears haha. Well, that couldn’t be help lol especially if he has that adorable doggy ears.
4. Kouga – The moment he was introduced in this series, I can’t stop laughing. He’s the third party between Inuyasha and Kagome and I can’t really stop laughing whenever I remember the scene where he boldly said that he loves Kagome and he’s determine to make her his woman. Well, after what Kagome went through because of Kikyou, I can’t help but send Inuyasha a dirty sign. Blee!
5. Miyouga – The coward flea. He’s some sort of the guy who knows it all, well, not totally all but mostly about Inuyasha and his father. I wish this series was able to show something about the past especially about Inuyasha’s father and mother. Well, it did actually in the anime.
6. Totosai – The swordsmith who forged Tessaiga and Tenseiga due to Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru’s father’s request. I would have love it more if they included a back story of him too.
7. Kaede – Kikyou’s younger sister. A strong lady who would probably live another 50 years the way she’s going.
8. Kohaku – The younger brother of Sango. For a young age, he’s been through a lot. But I’m happy how he was able to regain or fight for his humanity after what Naraku did to him.
9. Jaken – Originally, I didn’t have the intention of adding him in this list but looking back, I have to say that he made my whole reading experience so enjoyable too. He’s Sesshoumaru’s companion. He’s arrogant and even pitiful sometimes especially when he receives death glare or punches from Sesshoumaru when he’s pissed but he is mostly funny especially when Rin joined the group.
10. Naraku – For the ultimate cunning supervilain, I guess he quite deserve to be in this list lol. He’s a hanyou like Inuyasha. He’s the reason why Kikyou died 50 years ago and is the reason why Kikyou and Inuyasha had a rough past.
When I think about it, this is obviously a typical adventure anime/manga. For an adventure stories, the idea of different set of individuals forming a group while traveling is quite cliche too, let alone falling in love with each other! But what sets this story different from others is on the adventures each characters went through. When I though it’s the end and the ideas are already sucked out dry from the author, we then introduced to a new unexpected scene. I’ve been watching anime and they all gave me the same reaction. And what is that? It’s astonishment. We might already encountered the story’s plot before, but the twists and turns, the scenes, the lines are so unique. I can’t count how many times I said out loud “I didn’t expected that!” while reading this series.
All we’re covered too. I love that each characters has their own background covered, so we all got the chance to really know more about them and where they come from. I love that each characters have the chance to stand out and we’ve got to see how they matured with each chapters. As the title goes, without watching the anime, I really thought this series would only revolves around Inuyasha, well, it kind of does since each characters have a connection with Inuyasha. But what I like to say is that the author didn’t made a selfish decision to just make Inuyasha the hero all the time. We’ve got the chance to see the weaker side of him, the annoying one, the part where others from the group became the hero and saved him, and ofcourse the funny and dense Inuyasha which is my favorite.
As I said, this series has a total of 559 chapters so it will absolutely take us a lot of time if I talk about the adventures the group encountered one by one. So to make it short, I’ll just “kind of share” my favorite chapters from this series. Before I decided to read this manga, I have a lot of favorite scenes from the anime, mostly? Well, all of them we’re from Kagome and Inuyasha. But after reading the manga, I have to say that my favorite scenes were from Sesshoumaru (Inuyasha’s youkai brother). The first one was when he met Rin (human girl) and resurrected her. I really love how little by little he changed from this full mean badboy image to a compassionate one. He’s still a badboy but when he’s with Rin, dayum, I just can’t help but squeal in delight. And another favorite scene was when he went inside the meidou (a place where the living are not suppose to go) to save Rin. It’s also the most touching scene ever because of how he discarded his sword tenseiga (his father’s memento) because it can’t save Rin. Like dang! (just zoom the image to read the lines)
For my rating, I’m detracting a half star. It really is painful but I guess I really need to. It’s because even with the 559 chapters, it failed to tell us an introduction of what really is a yokai or hanyou or everything about those so-called monster. I mean, it’s been 50 years after that the story resumed but Sesshoumaru look as fabulous as ever and so is Inuyasha. I mean, if Inuyasha and Kagome will live together as man and wife, Kagome will age and Inuyasha would still be looking the same? The slowness of the villains too is quite so-so but I understand that to make this series long. Also, about crossing time through the well, in its first few chapters, we’ve got to find out that it’s the Shikon Jewel that connects the two worlds, but I remembered after Naraku seized all the shards of the Jewel, Kagome was still able to go back to her world. That really is kinda confusing though. And lastly, the epilogue. Dang! Sango and Miroku had their three little angels, how come Inuyasha and Kagome didn’t have atleast 1 son or daughter?! Oh well, I guess you can’t really have all.
You might be wondering which one of the two I love, manga or anime, I have to say that I love both. All the scenes from manga can be seen in anime, but what’s great with anime is that there’s some new scenes added to it. So if you’re planning to read the manga, I would highly recommend watching the anime too.
I would highly recommend this series, if you’re down for a good solid adventure and a kickass heroine with a sexy demon badboy. It’s often hilariously funny and the drawing is so lovely. It’s just simply awesome.
Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
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June 7, 2023
La situazione che era iniziata nel numero precedente, che sembrava essere al culmine, si risolve in un paio di facciate. Riuscito a trovare il modo di sfruttare il taglio del vento, Inuyasha da un colpo al fratello senza però volerlo uccidere. Totosai, il fabbricante di spade, decide di lasciargli Tessaiga proprio perché ha fatto questo gesto buono nei confronti di Sesshomaru. Totosai, così come è venuto, se ne va e ricomincia l’inseguimento degli altri frammenti della sfera.
Sesshomaru, mentre si sta riprendendo, incontra una ragazzina che è di nuovo uguale alle precedenti, con la stessa fisionomia di Kagome. Mi è dispiaciuto vedere questo personaggio cattivo mostrarsi gentile. Quando i cattivi vengono sporcati dalla bontà, ci rimango male. La ragazzina viene attaccata da un branco di lupi e uccisa, e allora Sesshomaru decide di provare la sua spada Tenseiga su di lei facendola risorgere. Non mi piace, il cattivo deve rimanere sempre cattivo e fedele a se stesso.
Nel frattempo, anche gli altri vengono a contatto con il branco di lupi guidato da un certo Koga. Koga è il capo della tribù yoro dei demoni lupo e inoltre ha frammenti della sfera nel corpo. Subito lui e Inuyasha si scontrano, ma Koga se ne va quando Inuyasha sferra il taglio del vento. Qui c’è già un altro problema: lupi morti. No, no e poi no! Non voglio vedere animali morti e poi, sinceramente, basta. Già avevamo visto branchi di lupi, ecco che il manga di nuovo arranca e va off topic cercando di allungare il brodo!
Koga rapisce Kagome e la porta nel suo covo. In quel momento vengono attaccati da quelli che vengono definiti le Paradisee e credo che siano le creature più brutte che siano state inventate per Inuyasha. Sono degli uccelli, ma uccelli è un termine troppo paradisiaco per queste schifezze. Sono delle ali attaccate a zampe di gallina, un corpo con una faccia enorme e sopra c’è attaccato un mezzo corpo semi-umano. Che schifo. Koga vuole prendere loro i frammenti della sfera che hanno e lo stesso vogliono loro.
Alla fine c’è uno scontro (ma guarda un po’): il gruppo di Koga contro quello degli uccelli malefici orribili, e arriva anche Inuyasha con gli altri. Miroku con il foro del vento toglie di mezzo quasi tutti gli uccellacci, solo che l’ultimo è grosso, addirittura ha due mezzi corpi attaccati sopra (sempre più brutto) ed è Inuyasha ha sconfiggerlo con il taglio del vento. Koga, che è rimasto ferito, si allontana con il suo branco ma torna presto. Inuyasha, Kagome e Koga litigano per una questione di gelosia, dato che Koga ci aveva provato con lei, e alla fine Kagome torna a casa (nel presente) decisa a non tornare indietro se Inuyasha non la viene a chiamare.
Questo numero è stato terribile sia per gli innumerevoli lupi che sono stati fatti fuori nei combattimenti, ma anche per questi mostruosi demoni dalle ali di uccello che erano veramente orribili. Anche l’occhio vuole la sua parte, dato che si tratta di un manga e non di un libro. Per non parlare del gesto caritatevole di Sesshomaru. Bocciato su tutta la linea, come se non bastasse, è totalmente off topic.
Speriamo bene per il prossimo.
February 11, 2025
We finally get to see InuYasha and Kagome start to recognize their feelings for each other but that is not the big take away from this volume for me. I feel like I can see InuYasha and Sessho-Maru coming to a place of reconciliation. I don't think any time soon but the way Sessho-Maru acted in this volume definitely lets me think that I can more clearly see a finale that will please all (or as many as possible) parties within this series. Sessho-Maru recovering and his interaction with the mute girl really just was a big part of my enjoyment in this volume.
September 6, 2018
I like this volume for multiple reasons. (First no dirt-hag LOLLOL)
No, I love this volume for Sesshomaru and Rin, for Kagome and InuYasha, and for the introduction of Koga! Koga and the wolf tribe. I felt the time with Koga was so short, and that the situation was solved really, really fast.
Also, the idiot-couple fight and Kagome runs back home. (My favorite episode of the anime, btw.)
No, I love this volume for Sesshomaru and Rin, for Kagome and InuYasha, and for the introduction of Koga! Koga and the wolf tribe. I felt the time with Koga was so short, and that the situation was solved really, really fast.
Also, the idiot-couple fight and Kagome runs back home. (My favorite episode of the anime, btw.)
April 11, 2025
This is the first time Rin and Sesshomaru meet!! Okay so—when I first read this series, I was obsessed with Kagome and Inuyasha, obviously. BUT the couple that had me absolutely feral later on? Rin and Sesshomaru. AGHHHH 😭 This volume is where we finally see Sesshomaru’s softer side, and I loved that so much 🥹
September 5, 2018
En el manga, Kouga llama a Inu-yasha "orejas de perro" para molestarlo pero en el anime; Sota (hermano de Kagome) lo llama de la misma forma pero InuYasha no se molesta...¿será porque sabe que Sota se convertirá en su cuñado?
January 5, 2021
At its core, Inuyasha is a story about young love. This volume really hits that theme hard as Kouga and Inuyasha fight over Kagome. While I found this little feud a bit immature, I think it's relateable, especially to young readers who may not feel as secure in their relationships.
April 1, 2023
Mi tomo favorito por el momento 💓😍.
Siempre he adorado las apariciones de koga y sus momentos con kagome .Estr tomo es sobre la primera vez que se conocen y todas las batallas que eso conlleva.
Ver a Inuyasha celoso es simplemente superior 😭🙇♀️.
Siempre he adorado las apariciones de koga y sus momentos con kagome .Estr tomo es sobre la primera vez que se conocen y todas las batallas que eso conlleva.
Ver a Inuyasha celoso es simplemente superior 😭🙇♀️.
August 11, 2023
Inuyasha tries to rescue Kagome from Koga and his wolf demon pack! This love triangle was humorous but ends with Kagome leaving and going back to present-day Japan. I love the contrast between her modern life and her adventures in feudal, demon-ridden past.
May 6, 2017
Koga coming into the story line has always been one of my favourites.
May 20, 2017
I love love loveeee this one!
July 10, 2017
Because Rin and Sesshōmaru are the best and Koga. XD
October 14, 2017
Cinque stelle solo per Rin, che vi farà conoscere il lato tenero di Sesshoumaru ;)
November 22, 2017
Kuoga!!😍
February 12, 2018
I adore Inuyasha being jealous of Kouga, even Kagome want Inuyasha he's insecure about it. One of my favorites.♡
August 28, 2018
this volume was more action heavy than the previous one and i didnt enjoy it quite as much as there was less dialogue...but as always the art was amazing and the book was a quick read.
January 22, 2019
A little side story to include a new character into the universe. Not a bad idea, but didn't feel necessary for the time being. So giving only 3 starts to this volume.
February 17, 2019
God, I cannot with this series. It's ridiculously funny. I just love it. It's so entertaining. Full action packed as well. It is how I remember it to be.
March 23, 2020
Sesshoumaru es precioso y Koga me da muchísima risa.
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