Inu-Yasha
Overview
Inu-Yasha, a Feudal Fairy Tale is another wonderous creation by Rumiko Takahashi. A dramatic, romantic action-comedy, it's also set for the most part in ancient Japan - for all those history buffs out there. Being a big romance/action fan, I instantly fell in love with the anime. It's currently being aired in Japan and is only available in NA through fansubs.
Storyline & Narrative
Kagome, a high school student in Japan, falls through the ancient well at her family shrine and is transported back into time into the Feudal age. Interestingly enough, she is instantly recognized to be the reincarnation of a powerful priestess who has been dead for over 50 years.
She discovers that she was in possession of the Shikon jewel, an item that attracts demons since it heightens their power. The second main character and the namesake of the anime, Inu-Yasha, is a half-human, half-dogdemon who is also after the jewel. The Shikon jewel accidently gets broken into hundreds of shards and are spread all over the land.
The anime is about the adventures of Kagome, who, with the help of Inu-Yasha, have to collect all the Shikon shards before other monsters get to them. They also get a few friends and a set of impressive enemies.
As is typical with Rumiko Takahashi stories, there are lots of small funny scenes throughout the series. But generally speaking, this series is a lot more drama than comedy, compared with Ranma 1/2 for instance.
Characters & Dynamics
Unique characters that are developped in depth as the story goes along. There's an interesting relationship between the two main characters, Kagome and Inu-Yasha, who also have to confront their personal fears/demons. Kagome has somewhat of an identity crisis due to the entire reincarnation theory and Inu-Yasha is caught between his human compassion and his inability to show weaknesses.
The other members of their party are Shippou, a very young and orphaned kitsune; Miroku, a sex-depraved and surprisingly powerful priest; along with others still to come. Sessho-Maru, Inu-Yasha's full-demon half-brother is the main enemy at this time.
Animation & Visual Direction
Well done, nice colours and lots of background music used to enhance the atmosphere of the story. The fight scenes are pretty good and I like the way the monsters have been portrayed. There are just so many different kinds of them. ;)
Voice Acting & Soundtrack
Well, the voice acting appears to be pretty good. I certainly had no problems getting into the story or liking the characters. However, I have to be honest and say that I usually don't pay *that* much attention to the voice acting.
