xoxoSimplicity

Today, the second of the four InuYasha movies!

Title: InuYasha the Movie: The Castle Beyond the Looking Glass
Released: 2002
Running Time: 100 min.
Theme Song: “Yura Yura” by Every Little Thing

Synopsis: The story begins with the defeat of Naraku by InuYasha and the gang. After the introduction of a new character, Akitoki Hojo (ancestor of the Hojo from Kagome’s school), the group disbands with InuYasha, Kagome and Shippo pursuing the remaining Shikon Jewel shards, Sango returning to her village with Kirara, and Miroku returning to his master’s.

Back at school, Kagome learns the legend of Princess Kaguya, who is said to be very beautiful, but turned away all her suitors. Kagura and Kanna, meanwhile, stumble upon a mirror shrine, and the spirit in the mirror claims to be Kaguya. She promises Kagura freedom if she and Kanna will find the five items that will free her from the mirror. After a scuffle with InuYasha (as a piece of his robe was one of the five items), Kagura and Kanna succeed in freeing Kaguya, who then starts to eclipse the world in eternal night, and it is up to InuYasha and the gang to stop her.

Comments: Another very heart-warming movie, I especially liked this one because it goes into a little bit more of each of the gang’s lives, plus there’s the scene in Kaguya’s castle that made this movie such a favourite among fans! This movie was released in between episodes 95 and 96 of the anime. Plus, another plus of this film is the character designs are all similar to the way Rumiko Takahashi draws them in the manga, not like the anime series.

reichiru’s Rating: 8.5/10

NEXT TIME… InuYasha (Part Three): The third InuYasha movie

Today, the first of the four InuYasha movies!

Title: InuYasha the Movie: Affections Across Time (Eiga InuYasha: Jidai o Koeru Omoi)
Released: 2001
Running Time: 100 min.
Theme Song: “No More Words” by Hamasaki Ayumi

Synopsis: 200 years ago, InuYasha’s father defeated the Chinese youkai Hyoga. Now, a Shikon Jewel shard has awakened his son, Menomaru, who is bent on revenge against Sesshomaru and InuYasha. Menomaru gains access to his father’s powers after some time and begins to change the essence of time and absorbs the souls of countless people in order to feed his great power. It is up to InuYasha and the gang to combine their powers and defeat Menomaru.

Comments: This movie was released in between episodes 54 and 55 of the anime, and features InuYasha using his new move , the “Bakuryuha” (Backlash Wave). The story is very touching, what with all the tragedy and passion in it. This is definitely a very good movie to watch (as is all three of the other InuYasha movies). This one I enjoyed equally on par with the others, so there’s not much to say about that. If you get into the anime, you definitely have to take the time to watch the movies!

reichiru’s Rating: 8/10

NEXT TIME… InuYasha (Part Three): The second InuYasha movie

Today, here’s the manga review on InuYasha!

Title: InuYasha, A Feudal Fairy Tale (Sengoku Otogizoshi InuYasha)
Author: Rumiko Takahashi
Genre: Shonen
Volumes: 56
Original Run: November 13, 1996 - June 18, 2008

Comments: The manga is almost identical to the anime (please refer to the synopsis in previous post), and carries on after the anime ends. My opinion is that it’s better than the anime itself, and gives more of an insight to each of the characters and develops them further than the anime does. It also has more of a chance to introduce new characters, which Rumiko Takahashi does. She immediately introduces more of Naraku’s puppets, similar to Kagura and Kanna. Of course, I cannot go too in-depth into it for fear of ruining some good plot lines and revealing spoilers, so I will not go on much more than this. But I do highly recommend that you take time to read the manga also if you are interested in the anime (see previous review).

reichiru’s Rating: 8/10

Next time… a review on each of the four InuYasha movies.

Today (the first post) will be made about InuYasha, anime only.

Title: InuYasha, A Feudal Fairy Tale (Sengoku Otogizoshi InuYasha)
Author: Rumiko Takahashi
Genre: Adventure, Comedy, Drama, Fantasy, Romance
Original Run: October 16, 2000 - September 13, 2004
Number of Episodes: 167

Synopsis: On her fifteenth birthday, middle-schooler Kagome Higurashi was pulled into the Bone-Eaters Well on the Higurashi Shrine by a centipede-demon back in time to feudal Japan, where she meets a half-demon by the name of InuYasha. Almost a hundred years previously, InuYasha had tried to steal the Shikon Jewel from the village priestess, Kikyo, and was shot by a sacred arrow and sealed to a tree, where Kagome now finds him. Kaede, the current village priestess and younger sister of Kikyo, tells Kagome the story between Kikyo and InuYasha. It is revealed that Kagome is the reincarnation of Kikyo, and the Shikon Jewel now resides in her body. The centipede-demon later comes to find her, and the Jewel is ripped from her body, and Kagome is forced to release InuYasha from the seal. InuYasha kills the demon and was about to run off with the Jewel when Kaede puts a necklace made of rosary beads around his neck which allows Kagome to control him.

A few days later, a large crow demon steals the Jewel from Kagome. Thus InuYasha and Kagome both set off to retrieve the Jewel before the demon can make full use of it. Kagome decides to try her luck with a bow and arrows, and eventually uses the crow’s own foot to target it. The Jewel shatters, and the shards were spread out all over the land. Now InuYasha and Kagome set out to retrieve the shards of the Shikon Jewel. What will their adventures bring them?

Comments: The storyline of the anime is quite nice at first, but after a while it just gets incredibly repetitive, for it’s always “oh Naraku got away with another shard, we have to go chase him now.” The artwork isn’t all that great either, but Rumiko Takahashi definitely isn’t known for drawing well. Nevertheless, InuYasha is quite an enjoyable anime for those who like fantasy and action genres. The anime left off around manga volume 31 or 32, which means that the 167 episodes does not reach a conclusion. I personally did not watch them all - I contented myself with reading the manga after reaching around episode 110. I did however, watch the last two episodes (166 and 167) so I can say for certain that the anime does not have a conclusion. But from what I watched, it is a very enjoyable series. The voice acting is fairly good, and it is one of the few series where I think the dubbed voice acting is up to scratch with the original Japanese cast.

reichiru’s Rating: 7.5/10

NEXT TIME… InuYasha (Part Two): The Manga Review