Plot Details: This opinion reveals minor details about the movie's plot.

All right, one more review before I go and do something else with my life (i.e. pop in the Matrix Revolutions movie and do some writing *whoohoo!*). Inuyasha volumes *whew* - it’s a dirty job, but somebody’s gotta do it. =P

F.Y.I. – Inuyasha is brought to you by the talented and creative Rumiko Takahashi, who is also well-known for Ranma ½. If you are new to Inuyasha, don’t start here. It’s a bad idea. You wouldn’t have a clue of what is going on. Scroll to the bottom of this review and choose Volume 1. If you’re a parent and have no idea what you are looking for, I suggest you get help from your children, but if you’re just perusing around, by all means, forge ahead. Inuyasha is a series with a total of 167 episodes with only 3 episodes per DVD. Such was that decision made by Viz to get the episodes out to the public faster.

Episode 61: Kagome has been cursed and Sango and Miroku have gone to find Tsubaki, leaving Inuyasha to try and comfort Kagome. But when they reach the area Tsubaki must be in, they cannot get through due to a barrier that has been created. Then they spot Kikyo, who walks right through the barrier without any problems at all. Kikyo faces Tsubaki, who recalls their 50 year-ago fight, stirring up her rage against Kikyo once again.

Episode 62: The barrier broken, Inuyasha brings Kagome to where Tsubaki is, Sango and Miroku right behind them. But Tsubaki’s powerful demon is giving Inuyasha a tough time – especially since Tsubaki tells him if he uses the Tetsusaiga she’ll kill Kagome. Inuyasha is growing more and more frustrated – can he kill the demon without Tetsusaiga, or will he have to risk Kagome’s life in order to save them all?

Episode 63: With yet another idea in her head, Tsubaki returns to the village she trained in during her childhood. She encounters two young priestesses there, Momiji and Botan, and after considering killing them, decides to use them instead. She tells them that there are demons on the loose coming after her, and it is their job as priestesses to destroy them. Dutifully obeying their elder, the girls go off to find Inuyasha and the others.

Highlights and Issues:
Kikyo. *clears throat and refrains from getting too verbal* So in #61 she told Tsubaki that if she raised a hand to Inuyasha, she would kill her, no ifs ands or buts. Um, yeah, nice threat considering what Inuyasha had to go through. So Kikyo, what were you doing again? Oh, right, nothing. Or I could say you were being useless. Stupid dead priestess. She gets so many chances to kill the bad guys, but does she? No. What a loser. She’s the most annoying dead person I’ve ever encountered – who knew dead people could be so annoying?

Moving on, I’d thought Inuyasha would never use his little blood-claws technique again, but what do you know? I was wrong. Parents, make sure your kids don’t mimic this technique – that could be bad. Haha.

#63 is pretty hilarious – I think I like it better in English. I think it’s because Inuyasha and Kagome just sound that much more annoyed with the situation. It’s just amusing. And then there’s Miroku – he’s such a pig. He deserves Sango banging him upside the head with her Hiraikotsu. And I felt so bad for Kaede because of what those girls kept calling her, though I do agree that if I were them I wouldn’t know if I could fight against Shippou and Kirara – they are really cute. Kawaiiii!

The Usual:
Animation – the animation is awesome. It’s not going to stop being awesome unless the animators suddenly get lazy and start drawing stick figures. But I doubt that because we still have over 100 episodes to go, so that must mean everyone still liked it beyond this point, otherwise I’m sure it would have been cancelled over in Japan. Great use of character design, color, detail (I’m always a fan of detail when it comes to anime – the more the better – we don’t do enough of it here in the US, so sad), and always the facial expressions. Gotta love anime facial expressions.

Music – magical! The opening song is “I Am” by Hitomi Yaida. It’s all right, but her voice is just too high pitched for me to really enjoy it. It’s a good song, but not one of my favorites. The ending song, “Dearest” by Ayumi Hamasaki is a very nice piano and gentle instrument piece, soft and serene. It almost seems to reflect the strained love between Kagome and Inuyasha, or the trials that all their companions have been through and have yet to go through. Very expressive. I approve this song. Instrumental background music done by Kaoru Wada within the show is always good, a lot of the same themes, but they always work well wherever they’re placed. Piano and gentle string themes, such as Kagome and Inuyasha’s songs of when they’re together make for great soft stuff to fall asleep to.

Voices! Japanese is great of course. English; as pleasing as the Japanese. As you can see from the little compiled list below, I’m not always biased toward the Japanese version. It just depends upon the script and who they hire for voices. Sometimes they do a good job and I prefer the English version. Then there are times like this, when I just can’t decide…

Inuyasha – love both VAs, and am unable to pick a favorite. Perfect characterization.
Kagome – enjoy both, but prefer Satsuki Yukino for Japanese version.
Sesshoumaru – I *love* David Kaye for the English version, but just barely over the Japanese VA
Shippou – both are totally cute, and I cannot choose a favorite
Jaken – they both crack me up, prefer Japanese just a *bit* over the English one
Kikyo – definitely prefer the Japanese version, just seems to fit better
Miroku – both VAs are very good, very similar, and I can’t pick a favorite
Naraku – the evil guy, done very well by all VAs (2 Japanese, 1 English), no favorites, though they have different qualities, they’re all good.
Sango – both are very good, though I do have a slight preference for the Japanese version
Kirara – no actual voice here, but I like the sound effects chosen to represent her, such as the snarling jaguar noise in her fired up form, and then the little squeak of a mew in her adorable little form.
Kouga – English favorite hands down, but Japanese is still cool. I just love Scott McNeil.
Everyone else, such as Souta, Kagome’s mother, grandfather, Myouga, Kaede, Kohaku, and demons involved are well done. Kaede would be better if she weren’t speaking in medieval English all the time (“Ye?”), but that’s blame on the scriptwriters.

Note to Parents: There is some language, some implied nudity, a lot of violence, blood, and dead people are involved. Some of the demons themselves are pretty creepy looking and do some bizarre things. Hey, demons are demons. You’re the parent; you decide.

Episodes in this Volume:
Episode 61. Kikyo and the Dark Priestess
Episode 62. Tsubaki's Unrelenting Evil Spell
Episode 63. The Red and White Priestesses

NT


Earlier Inuyasha Volumes:
Volume 1: Down the Well
Volume 2: A Girl’s Best Friend
Volume 3: Fathers and Sons
Volume 4: The Thunder Brothers
Volume 5: Secret of the New Moon
Volume 6: Deadly Liaisons
Volume 7: Face of the Enemy
Volume 8: Kikyo’s Wandering Soul
Volume 9: Origin of the Sacred Jewel
Volume 10: Scars of Battle
Volume 11: Into the Miasma
Volume 12: Swords of Destiny
Volume 13: Den of Wolves
Volume 14: The Wind and the Void
Volume 15: Broken Fang
Volume 16: Heart of the Beast
Volume 17: Shattered Memories
Volume 18: The Demon Within
Volume 19: The Way to Wisdom
Volume 20: Fathers and Sons

Future Inuyasha Volumes:
Volume 22: The True Face Of Evil
Volume 23: Wicked Clutches
Volume 24: Severed Identities
Volume 25: Crimson Blade
Volume 26: Curse of Generations
Volume 27: Brothers In Arms
Volume 28: Promise of the Past
Volume 29: Castle of Evil
Volume 30: Monkey Business
Volume 31: Duplicates and Dilemas
Volume 32: Glow of the False Jewel
Volume 33: Unexpected Encounters
Volume 34: Children of Snow

Inuyasha Movies:
Movie 1: Affections Touching Across Time
Movie 2: The Castle Beyond the Looking Glass
Movie 3: Swords of an Honorable Ruler

Recommended: Yes

Viewing Format: DVD
Video Occasion: Better than Watching TV
Suitability For Children: Suitable for Children Age 13 and Older