InuYasha

You stepped into my newest lens and now you are looking around and saying: "Oh no, another lens about comic books? Not again!". Yep, you guessed it: MORE COMIC BOOKS! Yay! OMG! I am soooo addicted to these books. Rumiko Takahashi both writes and illustrates these amazing books.

These are by far the best book to ever come out of Japan, and they are quickly moving up the ranks to becoming my all time fave books ever.

Kagome is your average high school girl, until the day a demon jumps out of a magic well and transports her 500 years into the past to Japan in 1568 when demons controlled the world and humans were in constant civil war.

Soon after arriving in the past she finds a half human/half dog-demon trapped by a priestess's spell and sets him free. Soon she and the dog demon InuYasha join forces in search of the shattered pieces of a sacred jewel, and it becomes a race against time to gather up the magic shards before they get into the hands of evil demon Naraku. As the series goes on, more and more character join Kagome and InuYasha on their travels.

My favorite character from this series is InuYasha's full demon older brother, the evil Lord Sesshomaru Dog Demon of Death and Destruction.

These are not your standard comic books, each beautifully illustrated 6"x4" paperback volume contains 200 - 275 pages and reads like a very fast paced novel. These books went on to become the second highest, best selling comic book series of all time, and later resulted in an equally popular, long running (8 season) TV series.

NOTE: These books are Rated T-16 by the publisher, which means they are not recommended for teens under 16. This is an action - adventure - comedy - romance series which includes intense scenes of graphic violence, adult dialog (swearing), and light romantic situations which may not be suitable for younger readers.

Watch out! I'm going to try to list every volume of this VERY long running series, which currently stands at 52 volumes! Unfortunately these books are not all translated into English, and only about the first 20 volumes are available in English translated editions. The rest of the series is still only available in their original Japanese language, so you'll have to buy them in Japanese and than do what I did, find English transcripts on the internet to read as you go.

The animated TV series based on these books, however is rated M (for mature audiences only.) It should be noted that the version played in America on Saterday mornings on Cartoon Network during the late 1990's had been edited for American TV and is rated PG-LV. Adult Swim was the only American TV station to ever air the unedited M-rated version of this show. Note that if you plan to buy this series on DVD you would be buying the UNEDITED M-rated version as it was aired in Japan and not Cartoon Network's edited Saturday morning American version, which you may remember watching. There is a quite a big difference between the edited and unedited versions of the show, enough to make some viewers not like it, so be sure you know that before you buy the DVDs. If you've only ever seen the Cartoon Network's edited version, know that the unedited DVD version has A LOT of blood, gore, violence, swearing, and adult situations (romance) not suitable for younger viewers, which Cartoon Network cut out of the show before airing it on American television.

Expect it to take me at least 3 weeks to get this entire section written! There are nearly 70 characters in these books and I'll try to profile all of them,but it may take me a while to go through the list, so keep checking back.

Half dog half human, InuYasha is the spit-fire half demon, who befriended Kagome. Though 200 years old, in human years he is just a boy of 15.

InuYasha is the second character of the manga and anime. InuYasha is a "hanyo", his father was an inu yokai and his mother was human. He wields the Tessaiga, a supernatural sword made from one of his deceased father's fangs. InuYasha has a tendency for massive regeneration and can recover from injuries which would be fatal for any average human. This ability is likely derived from his yokai powers. On the night of the new moon each month, InuYasha loses his yokai powers and changes into a normal human with black hair and violet eyes. Prior to meeting his current companions, he would conceal himself during this time. InuYasha loved Kagome, but now is in love with the miko Kikyo. InuYasha appears and acts 15 years old, but, since he is half demon, is really much older. InuYasha means dog demon. ("Inu" meaning "Dog and "Yasha" meaning "Demon.")

Kagome is the 15 year old girl from modern day Japan, who falls down a well and is transported 500 years into the past, to a time when the world was ruled by demons and humans were at constant civil war with one another.

Kagome is the main character of the manga and anime. Kagome can be extremely sweet, but can also become very dangerous when provoked. She is the reincarnation of Kikyo, a priestess who died 50 years before the time Kagome first emerges from the Bone Eater's Well in the Feudal era. Kagome takes over Kikyo's task of protecting the Jewel of Four Souls after she accidentally shattered it. Kagome has also developed feelings for InuYasha. This relationship proves to be a driving point of the series. Kagome has great spiritual power due to the fact she is Kikyo's reincarnation. But it was recently revealed in the manga, that Kagome's true power is being sealed by the evil side of the Jewel, out of fear that she might be able to purify it. Kagome means "Woven Bamboo Pattern."

Orphaned when the Thunder Brothers murdered his family, Shippo is a fox demon approximately 7 years old. One of only two humanoid-type characters with a tail.

Shippo is an orphaned young kitsune whose father was killed by the Thunder Brothers, Hiten and Manten, and the first character in the story to join InuYasha and Kagome in their travels as a group. Shippo can shape-shift, but his forms are temporary, often incomplete and ineffective, and he is usually given away by his telltale tail. His other noteworthy abilities are turning into a large pink flying balloon, illusionary tricks with toys like his giant spinning top attack, weak fox fire magic, and making things multiply. He tends to be naively observant and often makes pointed and cheeky comments directed towards InuYasha, earning him a retaliatory bonk on the head. InuYasha and Kagome serve as older sibling figures to Shippo. Because he so small and light, whenever the group is traveling anywhere Shippo is almost always seen hitching a ride. Shippo's exact age is not known, but he looks and acts 7 years old. Shippo means "Seven Jewels."

Sango is the mild mannered young woman, who becomes the fierce demon slayer when humans are in trouble. Though she can easily slay a dozen demons without a thought, her real trouble is hiding her love for the monk Miroku.

Sango is a yokai slayer (taijiya) who hails from a village of professional yokai slayers. Sango wields the Hiraikotsu, a massive boomerang made of yokai bones, along with a broad repertoire of tools and tricks for battling yokai. Sango's family was killed and her entire village destroyed by Naraku's y%u014Dkai so that Naraku could steal their jewel shards. He then blamed InuYasha and manipulated Sango into trying to kill him. When that ploy failed, Naraku used a shard of the Shikon Jewel to revive and control her little brother Kohaku, forcing him to fight InuYasha and company, and using him as a means by which to manipulate Sango. She seeks vengeance against Naraku, but her primary goal is to rescue Kohaku from Naraku's influence and somehow save his life. She has feelings for Miroku, although she is offended by his constant groping and lechery. Miroku eventually asks Sango to live with him and bear his children after Naraku is destroyed, which Sango agrees to. Sango means "Coral."

The monk cursed to posse the wind tunnel in his hand and doomed to walk life in search of the demon who cursed him, Miroku spends most of his time is search of beautiful young women, much to Sango's dismay.

Miroku is a Buddhist 'houshi,' or low-ranking, itinerant monk who traveled the countryside performing services such as exorcisms and yokai exterminations to earn his living. He suffers from a hereditary curse originally inflicted upon his grandfather Miyatsu by Naraku. The hole in his hand became a kazana (wind tunnel) which sucks in almost anything in its path. Miroku uses the kazana as a powerful weapon against yokai, but the longer he has it the larger it grows. If the curse is not broken by Naraku's death, it will consume Miroku just like his grandfather and father.

Miroku's behavior is uncharacteristic of a proper monk. He is a talented con artist who does not hesitate to invent fictitious supernatural menaces which he can then offer to combat in return for food and shelter, and like his grandfather he has a distinct weakness for pretty women. He makes a point of asking every attractive woman he meets if she will bear his child, claiming that he wants to be sure of an heir to continue his pursuit of Naraku if he dies. In spite of his lecherous behavior, Miroku has a core of deep spirituality and impressive spiritual powers. He also gains feelings for Sango as the series continue. He even asks her to marry him after they kill Naraku. Miroku's name comes from the Buddhist god Maitreya.

Pronounced "Kilala", Kirara is the twin-tail cat demon belonging to Sango. She can transform into a giant, fire breathing saber-tooth tiger when angry.

Kirara is Sango's faithful, yokai-nekomata companion. She has cream-colored fur, black ears, two black stripes near the end of each of her two bushy tails, and black-tipped paws. Kirara can change between two forms, a ferocious yokai the size of a lion with the ability to fly, and a cute little kitten. Sango often uses Kirara's flying ability in her large transformed form as transportation to keep up with InuYasha's running and leaping ability. As well, Miroku and Shippo also use Kirara's large transformed flying ability for transportation. Kirara's age is unknown; but she used to be Midoriko's companion. Kirara means "Mica."

InuYasha's cruel older half-brother, a full dog demon who despises humans and half-demons. Though the most powerful demon alive, and 250 years old, in human years he is only a boy 19 years old. One of only two humanoid-type characters with a tail. Originally a villain, he becomes one of InuYasha's allies by the end of the series. When angry he transforms into his true form, a giant 40 foot tall dog.

InuYasha's older half-brother. Unlike InuYasha, Sesshomaru is a full-blooded Inu-demon and is contemptuous of InuYasha for being a half-demon and for consorting with humans. He is a very powerful demon who seems to have no true equal when it comes to raw power; although given the chance in volume twenty-three, he could not defeat Naraku. Takahashi also stated that Sesshomaru has no permanent home. Unlike almost every other demon in the world of InuYasha, he has no interest in possessing even one shard of the Shikon Jewel.

Sesshomaru first appears in search of the sword called Tessaiga, created from their father Inu no Taishou's fang, which has the power to kill a hundred yokai with one swing. However, Inu no Taishou left Tessaiga to InuYasha, and Sesshomaru instead inherited the Tenseiga, a sword which cannot harm the living, but can bring the dead back to life. Inu no Taishou did this in the hopes that Sesshomaru would learn compassion. Considering Tenseiga useless to him, Sesshomaru battles InuYasha several times for possession of Tessaiga, and when Tessaiga is broken by a bite from Naraku's incarnation Goshinki, Sesshomaru has Goshinki's fangs forged into the evil blade called Tokijin, which only he is powerful enough to control.

Initially, Sesshomaru is ruthless and cruel in his pursuit of Tessaiga and his dealings with his brother. However, as the series progresses, he begins to undergo a change in his behavior, one largely brought about by the influence of Tenseiga and the human child Rin (see below). He stops trying to claim or destroy Tessaiga, and while still hostile in his attitude toward InuYasha, he is sometimes helpful in his encounters with InuYasha's group, occasionally showing up to intervene in desperate situations (and generally making the excuse that he was only there to get information from them regarding Naraku's whereabouts). He, like InuYasha and his friends, becomes determined to destroy Naraku after Naraku attempts to manipulate him using Rin as a hostage, and his growing compassion for people like Rin and Kagura finally prompts T%u014Dt%u014Dsai to volunteer to reforge Tenseiga and make it able to perform the Meidou Zangetsuha ("dark path of the dawn's moon blast") attack. Sessho means destroyer. Maru is a suffix commonly adding to boys' names.

The strange little toad demon, who has devoted his life completely and unfathomably to serving Lord Sesshomaru, in spite of the abuse he constantly receives from Sesshomaru. He claims to be 3,000 years old, and says he follows Sesshomaru because no other demon has an aura stronger.

A yokai who is Sesshomaru's servant: not especially powerful but extremely loyal, he is usually a comical character. Sesshomaru typically responds to Jaken's failures or more annoying behavior with a sound beating, but Jaken believes this is Sesshomaru's right and never wavers in his loyalty. Jaken started following him in the first place after being captivated by his power and majesty when he slew a threatening demon, saving Jaken's life (this was incidental; Sesshomaru killed the demon simply because it was in his way. Note: these events were related ONLY in the anime). Jaken means "Blunt" or "Unkind"

The 8 year old human girl, who was the first and only person to ever show Sesshomaru any kindness. After her entire village was destroyed by Koga and his wolves, Sesshomaru found Rin's dead body and brought her back to life. She has remained in his constant protection ever since.

Rin is an orphan girl who discovers Sesshomaru in the woods after he is recuperating from a battle with InuYasha. Mute after the trauma of seeing her family killed by bandits, she lived on the outskirts of a small village, mostly fending for herself. Although Sesshomaru snubs her efforts to care for him, she continues to bring him food and water, and is disproportionately happy when he inquires idly about the injuries she received at the hands of the villagers, a reaction he does not understand. As Sesshomaru prepares to leave the area, he smells blood and follows the scent to discover that she has been killed by wolves. He revives her with Tenseiga, and Rin now follows him with fanatical loyalty and regained her ability to speak. Sesshomaru comes to her aid when she is in danger. Rin means "Park."

A two-headed horse-like dragon, originally Sesshomaru's feirce stead, Sesshomaru gave him to Rin as her pet, he's now as playful as a puppy and guards Rin like a watchdog.

A two-headed dragon yokai who has traveled with Sesshomaru for centuries as his loyal/domesticated beast of burden. He is one of the only two yokai in the series who is explicitly stated to be a herbivore. Ah-Un did not have a name until after Rin gave him one, naming the right head "Ah," and the left head "Un." Ah-Un can fire yokai energy from both mouths. The right head can shoot blue beams of lightening, while the left can shoot green lightning that can control clouds and possibly the weather. Also when it flies, grey cloud-like gas gather around its legs that are similar to the flaming versions of those around Kirara's

On their journeys, Rin and Jaken often rest on his back when they are flying over great distances. When Sesshomaru leaves Rin in a safe place, either with Jaken or by herself, Ah-Un stays with her and will act as her protector if she is threatened. He saved Rin from a group of lesser demons when she went to collect an herb to save Jaken, who was dying from being poisoned by Naraku's Saimyosho. Ah-Un also defeated many of Setsuna no Takemaru's zombie warriors in InuYasha the Movie: Swords of an Honorable Ruler. When Sesshomaru takes Jaken with him, Rin will remind him to "come back and get us," indicating that she considers Ah-Un to be a part of the family on the same level as herself and Jaken.

What? oh . . you noticed that, huh? Okay, yeah, so he's a minor character who doesn't appear in the books until the 4th volume, than isn't seen again for 10 more volumes, and only shows up once in every 4 or 5 volumes after that, and is in only about 30 of the 167 tv episodes. Yeah, I know. Minor character. But you know what? Who cares! Lord Sesshomaru is my fave character in the series and, this is my lens, so it's his picture that I'm gonna put all over it, not InuYasha's! :P