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犬夜叉 [Inuyasha] #13
Inuyasha, Volume 13
FOR USE IN SCHOOLS AND LIBRARIES ONLY. Aided by the priestess Kikyo, the demon Naraku continues to manipulate Inu-Yasha, Kagome, and their companions with illusions, and when it seems things cannot get worse for them, Inu-Yasha's brother, Sessho-Maru, returns.
Library Binding
First published November 18, 1999
6 people are currently reading
628 people want to read
About the author
Rumiko Takahashi
1,582 books2,141 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 56 reviews
September 4, 2015
The story continues. Kikyo is showing a few different sides of her new life. It's clear in this one that she is playing all sides of the fight - to the point of attempting to kill Kagome.
The relationship between Kagome, Inuyasha and Kikyo is a fun one. They say love triangles are really overdone, which they are. But it is not often that you see a character be as firm in his emotions as Inuyasha can be. He is determined when it comes to Kagome, which is pretty heartwarming and refreshing. I fangirled a couple of times in this volume.
We also get to learn about the history and power of both Inuyasha's and Sesshomaru's swords. The origin of them, the secret power they both hold, and get to meet the creator of them. Pretty interesting stuff.
The relationship between Kagome, Inuyasha and Kikyo is a fun one. They say love triangles are really overdone, which they are. But it is not often that you see a character be as firm in his emotions as Inuyasha can be. He is determined when it comes to Kagome, which is pretty heartwarming and refreshing. I fangirled a couple of times in this volume.
We also get to learn about the history and power of both Inuyasha's and Sesshomaru's swords. The origin of them, the secret power they both hold, and get to meet the creator of them. Pretty interesting stuff.
May 20, 2018
Kikyo! I love you bitch. I'm shipping her with Fluffy-chan (Sesshoumaur-sama)
May 18, 2018
*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 posession, *wink. But 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 posession, *wink. But 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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August 9, 2025
4.5⭐️
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 13 In-Depth Review
Chapter 119: Kikyo's Arrow
Probably a 5/5 chapter. Continues to explore established themes and digs into the characters of Kikyo, Inuyasha, and Kagome and their “love triangle.” This chapter essentially is the "love triangle" manifesting in a physical fight while Miroku remains fixated on how Inuyasha's body will fuse with the demon's whether he wins or loses the fight.
There is not a lot regarding Inuyasha’s thoughts on the situation, at least not directly, but his actions enable us to draw conclusions about his feelings while also leaving some wiggle room for interpretation. Kikyo and Kagome are a more direct commentary on the dynamic between these three characters, with both girls coming at the situation with their own biased perspectives.
We get "'I've got to get Kikyo's body to a safe place!' If I don't, Inuyasha will continue fighting that demon, in order to protect her...because Inuyasha will never abandon Kikyo!" from Kagome and "Fool...now that you've shown up...Inuyasha has lost his reason..." from Kikyo. Though Kikyo’s perspective is informed by her dislike for Kagome and her belief that Inuyasha prefers Kagome, she comes off as a more objective observer simply because she can tell that what Kagome says about Kikyo is true for Kagome as well: Inuyasha will never abandon her. Kagome’s reflections are also tainted by sadness–she is hurt by Inuyasha’s dedication to Kikyo–while Kikyo’s are more tainted by annoyance and anger.
Inuyasha fights to defend both girls, but when he notices Kagome is there, it does come across as his rage slamming into a wall of shock, like a weightier role of protector falls on his shoulders. His thoughts reiterate: "Blast it. My only choice is to fight!" Kikyo’s presence made him think “Why is she here…?!” whereas Kagome’s feels more like “oh shit.” To be fair–her arrival means he now has to protect two people he loves.
Regarding Kikyo specifically, she continues to be a fascinating character. The poison imp steals the souls of the dead inside of Kikyo's body and declares: "The woman...she ain't human, eh? Then I'll make her part of me..." and so we get the continuation of the question: what is Kikyo? And what are the impacts of death? Kikyo possesses a body made of clay; a fragment of Kagome/her original soul; and the stolen souls of girls who have died, but she is not human and not living. And now this demon, which consumes other demons, wants to make her part of it. Has Kikyo become a semi-demonic figure? She wanted Inuyasha to become human but has ended up becoming something not quite human herself.
This also connects back to Kikyo’s observations about Naraku in the previous volume: “The evil aura that permeates the castle…emanates from this man…?! What is this man?! I cannot feel any life force within his body at all. It’s as if he’s dead from the neck down.” There’s a bunch of should-be-dead people in this love tangle (adding Naraku to the triangle), with demons giving Kikyo and Naraku new “life.” If the Shikon Jewel keeps playing out its own history in an endless cycle, I guess it is fitting that it now goes through the motions of that history with the dead like a haunting.
Chapter 120: The Imp's Whereabouts
More of a 4/5 chapter. Kagome and Kikyo continue to be explored with the addition of Naraku and a focus on character motivations. Thematically, there is more on demons vs humans with some fun plays on fairy tale imagery. Kikyo continues to be mysterious and fascinating, not only to the reader but to the characters, Naraku in particular.
Kagome seems to try to see Kikyo in a positive light, in part because of her compassionate self and in part for Inuyasha’s sake. She is adamant that Kikyo only acted for Inuyasha's benefit, that she was protecting him and guided by her love. I think this is again Kagome projecting and missing some perspective because if she had been in Kikyo's position, that's what would have driven her actions.
Naraku, on the other hand, makes comments about Kikyo that cut into Inuyasha, poking at his feelings for her and placing blame for her fate on him and her love for him. There is emphasis placed on how Naraku interacting with Kikyo gets to Inuyasha as well, and as Naraku bridal carries Kikyo away, Inuyasha exclaims: "Keep your filthy hands off her!"
For all he claims, Naraku in truth does not understand why Kikyo chose to both save Inuyasha and give Naraku a new body when she could have saved Inuyasha while stopping Naraku’s plans. An "I do not understand" from a character who acts like they are always in the know makes it seem like Kikyo might be a real formidable foe for Naraku.
Kikyo's motivations continue to grow murkier and more complicated.
Chapter 121: Kikyo Captured
This lands as a 4/5 chapter for me as it continues to explore the Kikyo-Inuyasha-Kagome dynamic with Naraku thrown in as well. Unlike other parts of the story, it does not abandon the important ideas and threads that were just introduced. Yay for continuous development, moments ripe for analysis, and more on what exactly are Kikyo and Naraku? How do death, humanity, and demons intersect?
Naraku takes Kikyo back to his castle and we see how she is limited without the souls of the dead. She is in need of a constant supply–it’s not a very sustainable approximation of “life.”
Still, Kikyo is powerful, and now we get more information on her motives.
"If you had truly wanted to save Inuyasha from fusing with that demon's body...You would have shot at the demon"
"I had to know…What would be waiting at the demon's destination." She doesn't deny Naraku's claims, but I don't think she didn't want to save Inuyasha. She just opted to kill two birds with one stone, saving Inuyasha in the process of finding out the source of the evil energy she's been detecting. Naraku and Kikyo have such an interesting relationship; it's like she knew it would be him. "You've become quite the monster, eh...Onigumo?"
And then Naraku was not expecting Kikyo as a player on his board and has been debating about whether or not it could really be her, the Kikyo from 50 years ago. And he says she is, but is she? Kikyo does the opposite of Naraku in some regards–while he rejects Onigumo as a crucial part of his identity, referring to him as a separate entity, Kikyo seems to really refer to herself as if she is the same girl she once was when in reality, she is more of a fragment of that girl taped together with a bunch of other stuff. They take different forms but are both a bit like the walking dead.
Regardless, Naraku has reached the same conclusion as Kagome–that Inuyasha will never abandon Kikyo. "You may come in handy again, Kikyo.” But though he says this, there’s no denying she threw a wrench in his plans–she may prove a weakness for him as well.
Meanwhile, knowing where his head is at, Kagome says to Inuyasha: "Let's go. We've got to rescue Kikyo."
Inuyasha tries to tell the entire group to stay behind, but Miroku insists: "This is not your problem alone." Kagome supports this but taps back into the relationship drama:
"Inuyasha, if you're trying to spare my feelings or something, don't."
"Eh...?"
"We're a team! We have to save her now–with no sneaking around!"
"Who do you think is 'sneaking around'...?!"
Kagome is basically like "if we're going to rescue Kikyo, let's do it together where I can see you." Oh dear. There's the assumption that something romantic will happen between Inuyasha and Kikyo if they are alone together, which isn't completely unwarranted considering what Kagome has been forced to witness in the past, but I think Inuyasha wanting to go alone is less about having a moment with Kikyo and more about protecting his friends and taking care of his own business. He thinks of Kikyo as his responsibility and the situation as dangerous.
The group heading off to find Kikyo zeros in on the opposing perspectives of Kagome and Inuyasha. Kagome puts some distance between the two of them because: "Right now...his thoughts are all on Kikyo. I said some pretty noble things just now...but the truth is...I am jealous..." It is true that her actions are usually noble regarding Kikyo, like when she went to save her in the demon pit, even if the motivations have to do with Inuyasha rather than Kikyo herself. And it is also true that she is very in her feelings about the whole "love triangle" situation.
Inuyasha, on the other hand (as he often is), is fixated on saving and protecting. "Kikyo died because of Naraku! I can't let him take her again!" There's also the guilt of what happened previously. Should we read too much into all of this and note how he behaves when protecting Kagome and how these thoughts of his are not very romantic and make it feel like this rescue mission is an obligation? I'm not going to erase Inuyasha's feelings for Kikyo and pretend they are not there, but I do want to unpack the dynamics here.
Much has changed for Inuyasha, but Naraku's trap of worst fears still sends him back to experience the day of his and Kikyo's death 50 years ago. Even if he loves Kagome now, Kikyo and that day weigh heavily on him. But how will he act in that moment with his new perspective?
The "trapped in the illusion of one's worst fear" bit is honestly something that feels deep when you first think of it and then loses its luster as you realize how many times it has been done. But the fact that it is happening now will surely say something about Inuyasha as a character. Regretfully, I don't think Sango and Miroku's experiences are as successful explorations of character, but that all comes next chapter!
Chapter 122: Death by Illusion
When it originally happened, Inuyasha thought he had been betrayed and rejected by Kikyo, which led him to steal the Shikon Jewel. Kikyo thought he had attacked and betrayed her and was going to kill the villagers in addition to taking the jewel and so sealed him to the tree. Now Inuyasha knows the truth, and he wishes to tell her: "No! You're wrong, Kikyo! We were both caught in Naraku's trap! I didn't betray you!!"
Inuyasha seems fixated on the idea of betraying Kikyo, as when she is first resurrected, he is insistent in telling her that he did no such thing. It is also interesting how Kikyo shooting Inuyasha with an arrow is framed–it keeps being referred to as a "death" but he didn't really die, instead remaining frozen in time in a state more similar to sleep. This adds more to the exploration of death within the entire story.
"'Inuyasha...I won't let you die alone...' Yes...she followed me...followed me in death. I understand, Kikyo...we must go together..." In the actual moment, Kikyo was gravely injured. Here, her death is framed as more of a choice and one based on Inuyasha and specifically love for Inuyasha as if Kikyo decided if she had to kill Inuyasha, she would die as well. As if she did not want to live without him, even after thinking he had betrayed her. I think in how it is presented, Kikyo really was focused more on the Shikon Jewel as she died and preventing such a betrayal from happening again.
Naraku has seemed to convince Inuyasha that Kikyo died because of him rather than Naraku's manipulations. And as Inuyasha is responsible for her death, then he should die with her. The resurrected Kikyo shared her intention to kill Inuyasha and bring him with her into death and Inuyasha seemingly accepts this, almost like a debt he owes. Thinking Kikyo chose to die because of him only strengthens his resolve to meet this fate.
Again, Miroku and Sango's illusions are less compelling and serve more as reminders of their personal beef with Naraku, though Sango fearing Kohaku killing everyone is haunting and positions her as feeling responsible for the deaths of those Kohaku did actually kill. She and Inuyasha overlap in this regard, which is a nice bit of storytelling.
"My, my...how frail human hearts are, indeed. Sadness...fear...confusion...the dark illusion will rise in them and consume their souls...Only that girl Kagome...as I suspected...is impervious to my spell"
Although the others experience the illusions, it seems Kagome was the real target of this particular plan. Naraku knows she is a threat and observes: "If I can't destroy her soul...I will destroy the flesh that harbors it!"
Love Kagome and her badassery/powers being resistant to the spell and love her finding the appearance of Naraku hovering over Kikyo like a monster guarding a maiden in an enchanted sleep. More twisted fairytale elements! Naraku's plot also brings further attention to soul vs body, with him aiming to destroy what holds her soul since he cannot go for her soul directly. Kagome's soul is some special stuff. And though not through illusion, will Kagoem be facing her biggest fear as well?
Chapter 123: Death Wish
Now we get a Kikyo-Kagome confrontation.
“Heh. If he’s using a golem…Naraku must truly fear you.”
“I could have moved whenever I wanted to. But first, I had to know what Naraku intended. It seems that Naraku also sees you as the greatest nuisance.”
More of Naraku acting from afar/by proxy and actions vs words–Naraku claims to be so tough and confident, but his actions show that he is, in fact, wary of Kagome. Love that for her. Kikyo too recognizes Kagome’s abilities but is quick to assert that hers are superior while demonstrating her unpredictability. This continues when it seems like Kikyo is saving Kagome only to take the Shikon Jewel (“[it] was originally mine to protect and purify. It is not yours to possess”) and then seemingly leaving Kagome to die. Her resentment and jealousy are on display. What are we to make of her and her motivations?
Learning Kikyo could have moved the whole time and was only pretending is interestingly positioned against Inuyasha reflecting: “Kikyo, if I’d only trusted you back then…Instead, I hated you.” It is important to note that the Kikyo he faces is an illusion and also that he did hate her (more love vs. hate and powerful emotions between these two).
Inuyasha’s experience emphasizes his trials with loneliness as well as how much Kagome means to him, as just thinking of her is able to shake him out of the illusion.
“I was impaled by your arrow and I was alone again. Alone…” “Inuyasha, you’re not alone anymore!”
It is also of note that the illusion isolates Inuyasha and Kikyo, as if they are the only two in existence (which was not how things occurred with the arrow in the past either), while Kagome has brought him into a world with a circle of friends. Yes, Kagome is his primary concern, but he is not alone because he has her and the others.
“I met Kagome and regained the soul that I’d lost. I can’t let her die here. Someday, I’ll go where you are, Kikyo! But not today!”
This chapter leaves us with Inuyasha’s current headspace: he has accepted he must ultimately join Kikyo in death but he has something to do first, which primarily relates to protecting Kagome. Furthermore, previously dying wouldn’t have been as much of a sacrifice, but as the illusion of Kikyo notes: “So you’ve come to treasure your life, eh?” Maybe he doesn’t even realize it, focusing solely on treasuring the lives of Kagome and the others, but he enjoys being with them too.
I think this was an important conversation between Inuyasha and Kikyo, but sadly, it wasn’t really her. Inuyasha claiming Kagome helped him regain his soul is also crucial.
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 13 In-Depth Review
Chapter 119: Kikyo's Arrow
Probably a 5/5 chapter. Continues to explore established themes and digs into the characters of Kikyo, Inuyasha, and Kagome and their “love triangle.” This chapter essentially is the "love triangle" manifesting in a physical fight while Miroku remains fixated on how Inuyasha's body will fuse with the demon's whether he wins or loses the fight.
There is not a lot regarding Inuyasha’s thoughts on the situation, at least not directly, but his actions enable us to draw conclusions about his feelings while also leaving some wiggle room for interpretation. Kikyo and Kagome are a more direct commentary on the dynamic between these three characters, with both girls coming at the situation with their own biased perspectives.
We get "'I've got to get Kikyo's body to a safe place!' If I don't, Inuyasha will continue fighting that demon, in order to protect her...because Inuyasha will never abandon Kikyo!" from Kagome and "Fool...now that you've shown up...Inuyasha has lost his reason..." from Kikyo. Though Kikyo’s perspective is informed by her dislike for Kagome and her belief that Inuyasha prefers Kagome, she comes off as a more objective observer simply because she can tell that what Kagome says about Kikyo is true for Kagome as well: Inuyasha will never abandon her. Kagome’s reflections are also tainted by sadness–she is hurt by Inuyasha’s dedication to Kikyo–while Kikyo’s are more tainted by annoyance and anger.
Inuyasha fights to defend both girls, but when he notices Kagome is there, it does come across as his rage slamming into a wall of shock, like a weightier role of protector falls on his shoulders. His thoughts reiterate: "Blast it. My only choice is to fight!" Kikyo’s presence made him think “Why is she here…?!” whereas Kagome’s feels more like “oh shit.” To be fair–her arrival means he now has to protect two people he loves.
Regarding Kikyo specifically, she continues to be a fascinating character. The poison imp steals the souls of the dead inside of Kikyo's body and declares: "The woman...she ain't human, eh? Then I'll make her part of me..." and so we get the continuation of the question: what is Kikyo? And what are the impacts of death? Kikyo possesses a body made of clay; a fragment of Kagome/her original soul; and the stolen souls of girls who have died, but she is not human and not living. And now this demon, which consumes other demons, wants to make her part of it. Has Kikyo become a semi-demonic figure? She wanted Inuyasha to become human but has ended up becoming something not quite human herself.
This also connects back to Kikyo’s observations about Naraku in the previous volume: “The evil aura that permeates the castle…emanates from this man…?! What is this man?! I cannot feel any life force within his body at all. It’s as if he’s dead from the neck down.” There’s a bunch of should-be-dead people in this love tangle (adding Naraku to the triangle), with demons giving Kikyo and Naraku new “life.” If the Shikon Jewel keeps playing out its own history in an endless cycle, I guess it is fitting that it now goes through the motions of that history with the dead like a haunting.
Chapter 120: The Imp's Whereabouts
More of a 4/5 chapter. Kagome and Kikyo continue to be explored with the addition of Naraku and a focus on character motivations. Thematically, there is more on demons vs humans with some fun plays on fairy tale imagery. Kikyo continues to be mysterious and fascinating, not only to the reader but to the characters, Naraku in particular.
Kagome seems to try to see Kikyo in a positive light, in part because of her compassionate self and in part for Inuyasha’s sake. She is adamant that Kikyo only acted for Inuyasha's benefit, that she was protecting him and guided by her love. I think this is again Kagome projecting and missing some perspective because if she had been in Kikyo's position, that's what would have driven her actions.
Naraku, on the other hand, makes comments about Kikyo that cut into Inuyasha, poking at his feelings for her and placing blame for her fate on him and her love for him. There is emphasis placed on how Naraku interacting with Kikyo gets to Inuyasha as well, and as Naraku bridal carries Kikyo away, Inuyasha exclaims: "Keep your filthy hands off her!"
For all he claims, Naraku in truth does not understand why Kikyo chose to both save Inuyasha and give Naraku a new body when she could have saved Inuyasha while stopping Naraku’s plans. An "I do not understand" from a character who acts like they are always in the know makes it seem like Kikyo might be a real formidable foe for Naraku.
Kikyo's motivations continue to grow murkier and more complicated.
Chapter 121: Kikyo Captured
This lands as a 4/5 chapter for me as it continues to explore the Kikyo-Inuyasha-Kagome dynamic with Naraku thrown in as well. Unlike other parts of the story, it does not abandon the important ideas and threads that were just introduced. Yay for continuous development, moments ripe for analysis, and more on what exactly are Kikyo and Naraku? How do death, humanity, and demons intersect?
Naraku takes Kikyo back to his castle and we see how she is limited without the souls of the dead. She is in need of a constant supply–it’s not a very sustainable approximation of “life.”
Still, Kikyo is powerful, and now we get more information on her motives.
"If you had truly wanted to save Inuyasha from fusing with that demon's body...You would have shot at the demon"
"I had to know…What would be waiting at the demon's destination." She doesn't deny Naraku's claims, but I don't think she didn't want to save Inuyasha. She just opted to kill two birds with one stone, saving Inuyasha in the process of finding out the source of the evil energy she's been detecting. Naraku and Kikyo have such an interesting relationship; it's like she knew it would be him. "You've become quite the monster, eh...Onigumo?"
And then Naraku was not expecting Kikyo as a player on his board and has been debating about whether or not it could really be her, the Kikyo from 50 years ago. And he says she is, but is she? Kikyo does the opposite of Naraku in some regards–while he rejects Onigumo as a crucial part of his identity, referring to him as a separate entity, Kikyo seems to really refer to herself as if she is the same girl she once was when in reality, she is more of a fragment of that girl taped together with a bunch of other stuff. They take different forms but are both a bit like the walking dead.
Regardless, Naraku has reached the same conclusion as Kagome–that Inuyasha will never abandon Kikyo. "You may come in handy again, Kikyo.” But though he says this, there’s no denying she threw a wrench in his plans–she may prove a weakness for him as well.
Meanwhile, knowing where his head is at, Kagome says to Inuyasha: "Let's go. We've got to rescue Kikyo."
Inuyasha tries to tell the entire group to stay behind, but Miroku insists: "This is not your problem alone." Kagome supports this but taps back into the relationship drama:
"Inuyasha, if you're trying to spare my feelings or something, don't."
"Eh...?"
"We're a team! We have to save her now–with no sneaking around!"
"Who do you think is 'sneaking around'...?!"
Kagome is basically like "if we're going to rescue Kikyo, let's do it together where I can see you." Oh dear. There's the assumption that something romantic will happen between Inuyasha and Kikyo if they are alone together, which isn't completely unwarranted considering what Kagome has been forced to witness in the past, but I think Inuyasha wanting to go alone is less about having a moment with Kikyo and more about protecting his friends and taking care of his own business. He thinks of Kikyo as his responsibility and the situation as dangerous.
The group heading off to find Kikyo zeros in on the opposing perspectives of Kagome and Inuyasha. Kagome puts some distance between the two of them because: "Right now...his thoughts are all on Kikyo. I said some pretty noble things just now...but the truth is...I am jealous..." It is true that her actions are usually noble regarding Kikyo, like when she went to save her in the demon pit, even if the motivations have to do with Inuyasha rather than Kikyo herself. And it is also true that she is very in her feelings about the whole "love triangle" situation.
Inuyasha, on the other hand (as he often is), is fixated on saving and protecting. "Kikyo died because of Naraku! I can't let him take her again!" There's also the guilt of what happened previously. Should we read too much into all of this and note how he behaves when protecting Kagome and how these thoughts of his are not very romantic and make it feel like this rescue mission is an obligation? I'm not going to erase Inuyasha's feelings for Kikyo and pretend they are not there, but I do want to unpack the dynamics here.
Much has changed for Inuyasha, but Naraku's trap of worst fears still sends him back to experience the day of his and Kikyo's death 50 years ago. Even if he loves Kagome now, Kikyo and that day weigh heavily on him. But how will he act in that moment with his new perspective?
The "trapped in the illusion of one's worst fear" bit is honestly something that feels deep when you first think of it and then loses its luster as you realize how many times it has been done. But the fact that it is happening now will surely say something about Inuyasha as a character. Regretfully, I don't think Sango and Miroku's experiences are as successful explorations of character, but that all comes next chapter!
Chapter 122: Death by Illusion
When it originally happened, Inuyasha thought he had been betrayed and rejected by Kikyo, which led him to steal the Shikon Jewel. Kikyo thought he had attacked and betrayed her and was going to kill the villagers in addition to taking the jewel and so sealed him to the tree. Now Inuyasha knows the truth, and he wishes to tell her: "No! You're wrong, Kikyo! We were both caught in Naraku's trap! I didn't betray you!!"
Inuyasha seems fixated on the idea of betraying Kikyo, as when she is first resurrected, he is insistent in telling her that he did no such thing. It is also interesting how Kikyo shooting Inuyasha with an arrow is framed–it keeps being referred to as a "death" but he didn't really die, instead remaining frozen in time in a state more similar to sleep. This adds more to the exploration of death within the entire story.
"'Inuyasha...I won't let you die alone...' Yes...she followed me...followed me in death. I understand, Kikyo...we must go together..." In the actual moment, Kikyo was gravely injured. Here, her death is framed as more of a choice and one based on Inuyasha and specifically love for Inuyasha as if Kikyo decided if she had to kill Inuyasha, she would die as well. As if she did not want to live without him, even after thinking he had betrayed her. I think in how it is presented, Kikyo really was focused more on the Shikon Jewel as she died and preventing such a betrayal from happening again.
Naraku has seemed to convince Inuyasha that Kikyo died because of him rather than Naraku's manipulations. And as Inuyasha is responsible for her death, then he should die with her. The resurrected Kikyo shared her intention to kill Inuyasha and bring him with her into death and Inuyasha seemingly accepts this, almost like a debt he owes. Thinking Kikyo chose to die because of him only strengthens his resolve to meet this fate.
Again, Miroku and Sango's illusions are less compelling and serve more as reminders of their personal beef with Naraku, though Sango fearing Kohaku killing everyone is haunting and positions her as feeling responsible for the deaths of those Kohaku did actually kill. She and Inuyasha overlap in this regard, which is a nice bit of storytelling.
"My, my...how frail human hearts are, indeed. Sadness...fear...confusion...the dark illusion will rise in them and consume their souls...Only that girl Kagome...as I suspected...is impervious to my spell"
Although the others experience the illusions, it seems Kagome was the real target of this particular plan. Naraku knows she is a threat and observes: "If I can't destroy her soul...I will destroy the flesh that harbors it!"
Love Kagome and her badassery/powers being resistant to the spell and love her finding the appearance of Naraku hovering over Kikyo like a monster guarding a maiden in an enchanted sleep. More twisted fairytale elements! Naraku's plot also brings further attention to soul vs body, with him aiming to destroy what holds her soul since he cannot go for her soul directly. Kagome's soul is some special stuff. And though not through illusion, will Kagoem be facing her biggest fear as well?
Chapter 123: Death Wish
Now we get a Kikyo-Kagome confrontation.
“Heh. If he’s using a golem…Naraku must truly fear you.”
“I could have moved whenever I wanted to. But first, I had to know what Naraku intended. It seems that Naraku also sees you as the greatest nuisance.”
More of Naraku acting from afar/by proxy and actions vs words–Naraku claims to be so tough and confident, but his actions show that he is, in fact, wary of Kagome. Love that for her. Kikyo too recognizes Kagome’s abilities but is quick to assert that hers are superior while demonstrating her unpredictability. This continues when it seems like Kikyo is saving Kagome only to take the Shikon Jewel (“[it] was originally mine to protect and purify. It is not yours to possess”) and then seemingly leaving Kagome to die. Her resentment and jealousy are on display. What are we to make of her and her motivations?
Learning Kikyo could have moved the whole time and was only pretending is interestingly positioned against Inuyasha reflecting: “Kikyo, if I’d only trusted you back then…Instead, I hated you.” It is important to note that the Kikyo he faces is an illusion and also that he did hate her (more love vs. hate and powerful emotions between these two).
Inuyasha’s experience emphasizes his trials with loneliness as well as how much Kagome means to him, as just thinking of her is able to shake him out of the illusion.
“I was impaled by your arrow and I was alone again. Alone…” “Inuyasha, you’re not alone anymore!”
It is also of note that the illusion isolates Inuyasha and Kikyo, as if they are the only two in existence (which was not how things occurred with the arrow in the past either), while Kagome has brought him into a world with a circle of friends. Yes, Kagome is his primary concern, but he is not alone because he has her and the others.
“I met Kagome and regained the soul that I’d lost. I can’t let her die here. Someday, I’ll go where you are, Kikyo! But not today!”
This chapter leaves us with Inuyasha’s current headspace: he has accepted he must ultimately join Kikyo in death but he has something to do first, which primarily relates to protecting Kagome. Furthermore, previously dying wouldn’t have been as much of a sacrifice, but as the illusion of Kikyo notes: “So you’ve come to treasure your life, eh?” Maybe he doesn’t even realize it, focusing solely on treasuring the lives of Kagome and the others, but he enjoys being with them too.
I think this was an important conversation between Inuyasha and Kikyo, but sadly, it wasn’t really her. Inuyasha claiming Kagome helped him regain his soul is also crucial.
September 17, 2019
Inuyasha y el grupo están en búsqueda de Naraku, al mismo tiempo Koga sigue el rastro pero no encuentran nada, solo descubre que está oculto en un lugar donde no puede ser descubierto.
Aparecen los Shichinintai , 7 seres revividos de sus rumbas aparentemente por Naraku , cuantos problemas les causarán a Inuyasha?
Aparecen los Shichinintai , 7 seres revividos de sus rumbas aparentemente por Naraku , cuantos problemas les causarán a Inuyasha?
May 5, 2024
Are we getting a redemption arc? I’m down for a redemption arc.
July 15, 2024
I'm liking having Kikyo around a lot more than I thought I would. Also, it's good to see InuYasha's brother again. He's a good villain.
June 8, 2021
So much going on in this volume!
Inuyasha is finally being more up front with his feelings, Kikyo is playing aaaall the sides, Sesshoumaru's comin' for the Tetsusaiga again, and we finally meet Totosai, the creator of the brothers' swords!
I love how nostalgic this all feels to me nearly twenty years after first watching these parts in the anime, but also how differently I view some of the characters and scenes now that I'm older.
Inuyasha is finally being more up front with his feelings, Kikyo is playing aaaall the sides, Sesshoumaru's comin' for the Tetsusaiga again, and we finally meet Totosai, the creator of the brothers' swords!
I love how nostalgic this all feels to me nearly twenty years after first watching these parts in the anime, but also how differently I view some of the characters and scenes now that I'm older.
August 11, 2023
I love the backstory regarding Inuyasha’s and Sesshomaru’s swords! The swords’ creator and their true power are introduced, which is pretty interesting. Inuyasha learns the Scar of the Wind and Sesshomaru surprisingly uses his sword to help someone. It’s also so much fun when Kikyo is in the picture; the interactions between her, Kagome, and Inuyasha are quite emotional. I wonder what will happen next with Naraku and the Shikon jewel shards.
October 14, 2017
A me Kikyo sta sulle balle, non so cosa dirvi :p
June 5, 2023
La situazione precedente si svolge e si risolve rapidamente. Kikyo dà una mano ad Inuyasha, anche se alla fine sembra di aver aiutato anche Naraku, che se la porta via generando un’altra situazione risolta e dunque anche un nuovo punto a capo.
Inuyasha e gli altri si avviano verso Naraku inseguendo gli spiriti che prima popolavano il corpo di Kikyo e così cadono in un incantesimo di Naraku. Una nebbia intrappola le loro anime facendo loro avere delle allucinazioni pericolose dettate dalle angosce. Solo Kagome non ha allucinazioni, ma cade in una trappola fisica. Kikyo sopraggiunge e la salva, solo per prendere il frammento della sfera che conserva, lasciandola poi sempre in bilico. Sarà Inuyasha ad agire e a salvarla.
Finalmente un po’ di romance: Kagome è gelosa, ma Inuyasha le fa presente che è riuscito ad uscire dalla sua allucinazione solo pensando a lei. Kikyo lascia il frammento della sfera a Naraku, fingendo di voler collaborare con lui, ma in realtà ha intenzione di lasciare che raccolga tutti i frammenti per poi ucciderlo definitivamente.
Entra in scena Totosai, colui che ha forgiato dalla zanna del padre di Inuyasha la spada Tessaiga, molto ambita da Sesshomaru, il fratello di Inuyasha. Per questo proprio Sesshomaru si è rivolto al costruttore per avere una nuova spada, ma questo si rifiuta di farla perché gli ricorda che gliene aveva già data una di nome Tenseiga, una spada incapace di uccidere, ma che serve a curare le persone, fatta da un’altra zanna del padre. Inutile dire che Sesshomaru la trova assurda.
Myoga incontra Totosai, il costruttore di Tessaiga, che cercando di sfuggire a Sesshomaru incontra Inuyasha e così, sopraggiungendo Sesshomaru al suo inseguimento, i due fratelli si scontrano.
Questa parte, anche se interessante, è fatta da molti giri di parole e da una situazione di stallo in cui sono tutti in scena. Dalle conversazioni durante lo scontro dei due fratelli viene fuori il “taglio del vento”, ovvero la linea da seguire per poter sfruttare appieno la vera essenza di Tessaiga, ossia il grande segreto di quella spada. Totosai spiega che non può essere insegnato e l’unico modo è imparare da solo. “Se non riesce a vederlo con i suoi occhi, Inuyasha non potrà mai diventare il vero padrone della spada.”
La spada, però, ha scelto Inuyasha come padrone. Sesshomaru acceca Inuyasha, che perde temporaneamente la vista e grazie a questo, proprio nell’ultima pagina, utilizzando il suo fiuto, dice di aver scoperto finalmente cos’è il taglio del vento.
Questo numero non è male perché è tutto incentrato nella storia, la trama non è off-topic, è intensa e senza troppi combattimenti. Per quanto non mi piacciano i combattimenti, trovo sempre affascinante vedere i due fratelli scontrarsi perché sono i personaggi migliori del manga ed è solo per loro che lo leggo. Sono talmente affascinanti che stento a credere che siano dei manga.
February 11, 2025
I don't know if I would go as far as to call the main character caught in a love triangle...but it's a love situation. InuYasha, Kagume and Kikyo is definitely the most interesting and dynamic relationship. When you think you have it all figured out, it shifts at least slightly and keeps you guessing. At this point in the story, I kind of feel I know how it will all play out, but as a fan of Rumiko Takahashi, she has finalized relationships and also left then unconcluded and maybe unsatisfied. It's a tossup how she will play this one. One thing is for sure, I bet on Kikyo any day of the week. She is in this to win by any means necessary. There is some knowledge dropping about the power of InuYasha as well as Sessho-Maru's swords which was a pretty good treat!
February 24, 2023
Die Vergangheit ist wieder da, der Erzfeind Naraku hat seine dämonischen Finger überall im Spiel. Doch auch Kikyo scheint eine andere Person zu sein als gedacht. Es passiert so einiges im 13. Band von "Inu Yasha", es werden die Klingen mit Familienmitgliedern gekreuzt, das Herz springt hin und her.
Wie immer bei Rumiko Takahashi sind die Figuren und Monster toll gezeichnet, es geht temporeich voran.
Wie immer bei Rumiko Takahashi sind die Figuren und Monster toll gezeichnet, es geht temporeich voran.
September 6, 2018
STUPID DIRT-HAG.
Oh, the sword maker that made Tetsusaiga! I love Toto-Sai, he really makes me laugh. And Sesshomaru came back to show that his resurrection sword is useless (is not!!). A new move for InuYasha to use with his sword, the Wind Scar! Now Sesshomaru is heavily damaged!!
Oh, the sword maker that made Tetsusaiga! I love Toto-Sai, he really makes me laugh. And Sesshomaru came back to show that his resurrection sword is useless (is not!!). A new move for InuYasha to use with his sword, the Wind Scar! Now Sesshomaru is heavily damaged!!
May 22, 2017
１３巻は特に素晴らしい。
仲間の弱さと決心がよく分かる。
それに１３巻の殺生丸は特にすてき。殺生丸とじゃけんの関係はとても面白い。アート的にも１３巻が特にいい絵がある。殺生丸とア-ウンが最初現れるときにはすごく感動した。
仲間の弱さと決心がよく分かる。
それに１３巻の殺生丸は特にすてき。殺生丸とじゃけんの関係はとても面白い。アート的にも１３巻が特にいい絵がある。殺生丸とア-ウンが最初現れるときにはすごく感動した。
July 10, 2017
Most of those stars are for Sesshōmaru
August 27, 2018
Sesshōmaru is back!!! <3
January 22, 2019
Pretty pointless stupid worthless supposedly powerful super-side-villain made an appearance again. Whatever, this stupidity is not amusing at all.
March 21, 2020
Sesshoumaru se aburre tanto que no puedo vivir sin chingar al prójimo.
El arco de Kikyo que interesa mucho
El arco de Kikyo que interesa mucho
May 1, 2020
The pacing of this one was a bit off in areas, but honestly, any amount of page time with my angry boy Sesshomaru is perfection.
January 5, 2021
I love Kikyo. She such a strong character with such attitude and power. I really liked this volume because we get to see Kikyo and Naraku interact, which is always tense and plot-heavy.
March 10, 2021
5/5
we love a complicated sibling relationship in this house
we love a complicated sibling relationship in this house
February 24, 2022
Really love the anime and the manga is really good so far! Really love the characters and story😻👌❤️
March 29, 2022
It's time to A clash between brothers. The development and the mystery was deep enough. Indeed Reading the manga was the best supplement of watching the anime.
December 11, 2022
Yesssss, more Sesshomaru
January 16, 2023
Rin is and will always be a darling.
March 25, 2023
Terminando de leer un libro que me dio todas las vibes a Inuyasha obviamente tenía que leer el tomo que me tocaba .
September 7, 2023
This is one of my favorite volumes so far
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