When Toonami in the early 2000s, I was more invested in other anime at the time to give it a try and, before I knew it, decades had ed. I probably would have never even attempted watching the series today if I hadn't taken it upon myself to start watching classics that I was aware of in the 2000s but never took the plunge with, beginning with Cardcaptor Sakura. After watching the first four episodes of Inuyasha, I can safely say that I definitely missed out back in the day.
Going into the series, the most I knew about Inuyasha was a hilarious commercial that Toonami always used to air in the 2000s where Inuyasha and Kagome just say their names to each other during various circumstances and in varying ways. While I don't exactly what the Toonami host quipped after witnessing this pattern, I recall it had something to do with stating the obvious.
That said, I do watching an episode of Inuyasha at my cousin's house when we were kids, since she was a massive fan, but the only thing that stood out to me was that they were looking for something - and that's ironically what I dislike most about the show so far.
If Inuyasha Was Truly an Isekai, Then It Would Be Completely Innovative
However, The Ways Inuyasha and Kagome Travel Are Very Unconventional By Today's Standards
More recently, the name Inuyasha has appeared on my radar because it was featured in lists of retro isekai before the genre became a massive trend. Of course, I never read why it was included, since I don't like reading about anime or manga I've never read or watched before, but after watching the first four episodes of the anime, I now understand where everyone was coming from.
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The author of Inuyasha, Ranma 1/2, and Urusei Yatsura, Rumiko Takahashi, towers among the greatest manga artists of all generations.
Apart from the fact that these lists are confusing reincarnation with isekai, Inuyasha's use of reincarnation and time travel would, ironically, be considered very innovative if it came out today. If Kagome was actually transported to another world instead of back in time, her methodology and frequency of travel would stand out by today's standards. There's actually a place that serves as a physical portal instead of some unattainable summoning spell, which is now the norm. Better yet, Kagome and Inuyasha travel back and forth between their times, in what would be considered a combination of isekai and reverse isekai.
Of course, this isn't to say this doesn't happen in modern-day anime, like I Got a Cheat Skill in Another World and Became Unrivaled in the Real World, Too. The protagonist not only goes back and forth between worlds, but his grandfather's house serves as a physical gateway between them. But, in the case of Inuyasha, there's also the topic of reincarnation to consider. Kagome is the reincarnation of the warrior Kikyo. If this were a modern-day reincarnation anime, then the story would be told from Kikyo's perspective, where she is reborn as Kagome. But the story is about our sassy fearless high schooler.
Inuyasha Fixes A Major Prevalent Problem In Most Anime Regardless of Genre
Mystery Is The Bane of My Enjoyment of Anime
The fact that we're told right out that Kagome is the reincarnation of Kikyo is also a refreshing change from an unfortunate prevalent trend in anime overall, where the story perplexingly leaves everything a mystery. To prove how much mystery is recklessly used in anime, all I have to do is discuss what I now know and can assume from this information in Inuyasha. In the first scene, Kikyo is the one who defeats Inuyasha and then dies to protect the Sacred Jewel. In later interactions between the half-demon and priestess, I got vibes that Inuyasha didn't completely hate Kikyo.
Inuyasha's feelings for Kikyo make his disdain for Kagome all the more powerful in the present day since his treatment of the young girl is based on how he felt about the previous priestess.
There's some implied respect mixed in there with probable hints of intimacy. These implications, or possible misdirections, are massive when taking into consideration that we know that Kagome is the reincarnation of Kikyo. Based on the budding relationship between Inuyasha and Kagome and the commercials I saw as a child, it's clear that the two will likely become romantically involved.
Inuyasha's Creator is Officially a Real World Knight
Rumiko Takahashi has numerous hit manga works including Inuyasha, Ranma 1/2, and Urusei Yatsura, which set her apart from other mangaka.
The fact that Inuyasha possibly had similar feelings for Kikyo would likely make this confusing for him and Kagome, down the road. Even if I am wrong about Inuyasha's feelings for Kikyo, it makes his disdain for Kagome all the more powerful in the present, since his treatment of the young girl is based on how he felt about the previous priestess. If Inuyasha had left this as a mystery like most anime unfortunately, do, all of these readings would be lost to unappealing "what if" questions that have no basis.
Inuyasha Isn't Perfect
The First Few Episodes Imply A Worse Version of the Dragon Ball Effect
Despite these positive outlooks, there are many things about Inuyasha that I dread. It all began when the Sacred Jewel shattered into uncountable pieces. The original concept of Inuyasha and Kagome protecting the Sacred Jewel or, at least, retrieving it should the artifact ever get stolen was less daunting since it serves as a more tangible, understandable mission. But now there are, in essence, millions of shards they have to find.
Inuyasha is the Embodiment of Turn-of-the-Millennium Anime
For better and for worse, Inuyasha is the perfect poster child for the anime of the late 90s and early 2000s, when the industry struggled with tech.
This exacerbates the whole Dragon Ball effect from the eponymous original shōnen series. The fact that Goku and his friends always had to find seven of the Dragon Balls in the original series felt ridiculous, especially when finding one alone took so much time. This is undoubtedly why the original series skipped a few of these instances to expedite the story, in the case of DBZ conducting the whole search off-screen, and why Super and DAIMA reduced the number of items needed to three and two, respectively.
That's why I was a little disappointed when Inuyasha and Kagome quickly returned to Feudal Japan after their brief stint in Kagome's time. I was more intrigued by the dynamic of Inuyasha mes Kagome's life than watching them collect millions of shards, even though it meant they got to fight more intriguing villains like Yura and Mistress Centipede.
Inuyasha and Kagome Have Great Chemistry
I Am Also Not Annoyed By Kagome's Fearlessness
Regardless, I am intrigued by many other aspects of Inuyasha. I am surprisingly fine with Kagome's unprecedented courageousness and her ability to adapt to any situation despite her obvious disadvantages. I would have normally preferred more "realistic" reactions in dealing with these problems because her fearlessness makes no sense. Part of why this doesn't bother me is because Kagome's forwardness is part of her charm, like when she humorously had the urge to play with Inuyasha's ears when she first saw him, just like her mother.
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I also appreciate how Inuyasha isn't like most half-race protagonists who want to embrace their humanity. Instead, he's driven by his desire to become a full demon.
What's The Deal with Miroku?
I Have An Odd Theory About This Inuyasha Character Even Though I Know Nothing About Him
Looking ahead, out of all the new characters coming my way, I'm mostly curious about Miroku. Although many will eventually Inuyasha and Kagome's party, I recall Miroku the most from the clips or images I've seen over the decades. I didn't even know his name and had to look it up, but I did know that there was a guy with some sort of staff who was always there with Inuyasha and Kagome. Miroku could stand out in my mind more than others because he's the first one to the main cast besides the series' two leads.
Suffice it to say, this peculiarity might seem very random to longtime Inuyasha fans, especially since I'm aware of some white-haired male antagonist who constantly pops up in the best shonen villains lists of all time. But there's also something about Miroku that makes me wonder if he's also a time traveler like Kagome. I could be completely off base here, but if this ends up being true, then that would connect Inuyasha even more with some isekai.
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Sometimes, there are suspicious characters who have a vested interest in the isekai's protagonist, and a major twist later on in these series normally reveals that this conspicuously "off" character is actually from the protagonist's other world. I secretly hope that Miroku or another character ends up fitting this particular category because it would prove, once again, how influential Inuyasha is on anime as a whole.
Regardless, while I am a little intimidated by the main premise of Kagome and Inuyasha having to gather countless numbers of shards, the one thing that makes it feel bearable to me is that we'll get to see them interact on their journey. After all, characters are, or should be, the main driving force of any story, and, luckily, they have great chemistry, in part because Inuyasha doesn't make everything a secret when it's not always warranted.
