Can someone explain this show to me? It’s horrible. What’s the appeal?
Ah, since upon searching (wish I’d done that before,) I see that we have a number of Inuyasha fans on the Board, let me tone it back a bit.
I’ve tried watching it. I really have. But it just appears to me to be a badly-animated, hideously voice-acted (although that could be explained by overdubbing…but still, the English version’s dialogue is AWFUL) cornball.
Is there some backstory or provenance to this show that I’m missing that makes it brilliant or something?
Full disclosure: I also think ATHF is absolute undiluted genius, so I’m prepared to accept a little bit of de gustibus non disputandum. But I would like insight from a fan.
Can’t comment on the voice actors other than to say that bad acting has successfully made great films come across as rancid waste in my experience (from seeing a film in English first and thinking it sucked, then watching it subtitled or in Japanese after I learned Japanese and learning better.)
Personally I think that Inuyasha has done better because the lady who write the comic has previously written very good and successful stories and so everyone read/watched Inuyasha as well. I read perhaps 20 books in, but the plethora of new villains made it hard to remember what was going on or care much–so I ended up giving up.
The dialogue for both the English and Japanese versions are pretty corny. I can’t say either voice actors excel.
Inuyasha started out as an action adventure with a dash of sexual tension. There were lots of battles, some good humor and Sango was just hot. I love her red make-up. It developed a legion of 13 year olf fangirls who made the life of the Adult Swim crew hell, and that was fun to watch. Oh, these are the people it’s targeting. Because they get to swoon all over Inuyasha as he protects Kagome and then she cares for him after he’s all beat up. Kinda like Indiana Jones.
Then it turned into the show that wouldn’t die. Everytime they make some big gain the bad guy then makes a gain and they never get any closer. I’m up to date on the comic and really who knows when she’ll end it. Inuyasha keeps gaining new abilities only for the bad guy to figure out a way to negate it. Sexual tension while fun at first now just makes you want to beat them over the head.
(spoilers whited out)
There IS no sexual tension anymore. It was fun when Inuyasha couldn’t make his mind up about Kagome and Kikyo, but now Kikyo and Kagome are practically best buddies. I loved the episode when Kagome came right out and said she wanted to kill the bitch, it was a touchingly honest episode. And Sango and Miroku were hilarious before they went and got engaged. That shouldn’t have happened until the end (whenever that’s going to be).
What made the series work for me were the characters. Seissomaru, yum. And Kagura as well, always felt so sorry for her. I am also probably the only person in the world that likes Kikyo. Naraku is just boring, though. Not to mention gross.
I really enjoy Inuyasha, and I’m not much of an anime fan. It combines the sublime with the idiotic in a way only anime really can. It’s wildly popular, and has a substantial fanbase, for a number of reasons: the will-they/won’t-they romance between Inuyasha and Kagome; the battles against sundry bizarre demons; the complicated backstories everyone has regarding Naraku; some goofy humor etc.
I don’t know, I guess it’s useless for me to say that I think the animation’s good, and that the characters are complex and likeable. Someone’s going to disagree, and that’s fine. Gawd knows I don’t understand the appeal of Reign: the Conqueror and it’s ilk.
C’mon, though! The first Sango episode, where she digs her way out of a mass grave, then proceeds to wreak havoc upon Inuyasha and company, is just so badass. Or when Inuyasha goes berserk and Sesshoumaru beats him down, only to spare him because he wasn’t worth killing. Or the episode when Inuyasha is remembering his mother, and child-Inuyasha asks his mother what a “half-breed” is, and his mother starts to cry because she knows how hard his life is going to be. Or…nevermind.
The cartoon is based on the manga. The site is the best capture of it. 
There’s a better one. But it’s … taboo!
Spoiler for up to chapter 413, well really nothing’s happened in this way in awhile so as long as you’re close, read ahead.
I don’t know, he’s been getting quiet after seeing Kikyo lately and pissing her off. BTW, I also like Kikyo and hope he ends up with her. I mean really, how are a half-demon from 500 years ago and a 15 year old girl from the present gonna work out? Plus she’s quite calm and cool. Regarding Kagome, has she had a birthday yet? A whole heck of a lot of stuff has happened. Or is time told by the new moons. I guess there’ve only been about 4 or 5 meaning not even half a year has passed. Was it ber birthday in the first episode?
I’m not against it. It’s just you feel like you’re getting towards the end of the book. You get all excited only everytime you finish a chapter another one pops up. I dare say she’s the Robert Jordan of manga.
My favorite episodes are the comedy relief ones. Like when Kagome and Inuyasha go to her school’s festival. Or the one where Shippo gets challenged by one of the thunder demons. At least those are still new and different.
I have no dog in this fight. I watched a couple of episodes and wasn’t impressed. However, I have the direct opinions of a 12 year old fangirl to relay:
sigh And she wants to be a writer. Let me help make that first paragraph readable:
I don’t swoon for Inuyasha protecting Kagome. She could die. Inuyasha - who really cares about him? Sango and Miroku are cool so I can’t (say) anything bad about them. Sesshomaru is the one the 13 yr old fangirls swoon for! I should go correct them!!! lol
Mt g/f is a big fan of this show. I don’t see much in it myself, but then I’m not a big anime fan. Every now and then an episode will present something that catches my attention. A while back there was some demon that went around killing people and stealing their faces. Kinda freaky and scary, actually.
I know from experience that a particularly shrill, rabid fanbase can really kill one’s enjoyment of a series. In the case of anime, it’s made me loathe Dragonball (not that it was much to begin with), and Gundam still leaves me with a sour taste. So I can’t blame anyone for disliking Inuyasha because of some idiots who are known for, “OMG INU + KAGOME 4-EVA” or some shit.
And it IS dragging out, I agree. There are too many side quests, and the arms race between Inuyasha and Naraku is getting tiresome (although from what I know it seems like they’re gearing up for the final showdown).
I still love the series, though. I was introduced to it with the dub, which I must agree sucks. I’ve heard the VAs do some really good work in the past, but they seem to be phoning this one in. Many of them put no emotion into their work, put it in awkward places, or sound like they’re putting on a puppet show for kindergarteners. They way they set up jokes they may as well just be winking at the audience. It’s like they’re not even trying.
The Japanese VA’s, even though I can’t understand what they’re saying apart from what the subtitles tell me, DO effectively show emotions, and that makes it seem like a completely different series. I really got into the series once I saw it subtitled, and for all the corny or predictable spots in the show, the VA’s still make me able to believe it because they sound sincere. It makes the jokes funnier, the action a bit more intense, and as such it’s much, much more entertaining.
Or perhaps this type of fantasy isn’t your thing. Who knows.
The manga reads like Takahashi took her previous works, threw them in a blender, and pasted the resulting mishmash together.
What I’ve seen of the anime…bleah. The production value isn’t that great, and it doesn’t help my Inner Cynic observation that “IY = Ranma 1/2 in the Dark Ages” when the Lead Doggie’s voice is the same as boy-type Ranma.
But Sesshamarou (sp?) is definitely very hot, and I’m guessing that’s probably why the show is so popular.
<snerk>
Ha! People were going on and on late last year about how there was no way she could make it through that certain book without finishing it. Vol 39 I think. And it sure looked like there was nothing left but the final fight and plenty of chapters to do it right. And now were halfway through 42 and she can’t end this 5 chapters from now meaning we’ve got at least 15 chapters to go. But given all the stuff she’s added I’d say it’s at least 25 chapters to go. Which would put us almost to Thanksgiving.
Ah yes, the Sesshy lovers. Some like the good boy but some like the bad boy. I guess Koga’s the ugly one. But what about poor Hojo? Realistically she should end up with him. Not that there’s anything realistic about any of this. Sesshy’s ok , but really it’s Rin who steals that show even if she’s only given one line.
Sango and Miroku were pretty good. But now adays they never seem to do much but stand around and watch. Although I did love it recently when in Chapter 411 She feels up Miroku’s butt claiming she was looking for a tail.
Oh no, Kagura (remember where I am in the story)had to die. Although I must say I got no satisfaction out of it at all. You see, she was the bearer of the absolute bane of all anime, the instant escape. She shows up, kills all of Koga’s friends (and I like Koga) then gets nearly killed by Inuyasha before escaping right before the gang’s eyes. And then the next time she does it again. And again. And that went on. And on. Week after week. No matter how much Inuyasha learned, she always freakin’ escaped. And then that happened. Rrghghgh
I appreciate the feedback, all. I know I tried to come in very late in the series, and nothing about it has struck me as appealing at all. The animation just seems to be more of the standard-anime stuff with the characters never actually changing expressions…and the mouth having two positions: open and closed. Oh, and snarl. As far as the plot goes, it strikes me as essentially trite and absolutely nothing I haven’t seen a trillion times on He-Man, GI Joe, and Transformers cartoons in my youth.
Now granted, I probably haven’t watched enough to see the subtleties of character interaction, but frankly, I’d prefer more conversation and less cheesy swordplay. I guess the other factor is that I have a difficult time seeing anime-style women as hot in the least bit. Most of the time, they’re drawn so young. I know that this is a cultural artifact of Japan, but it skeeves me out. I mean, Sesshomaru appears to be an adolescent. And Kagome?! Fuhgeddabout it. She’s like, 8! 
As it stands now, as Khan says, I suspect that this type of fantasy is just not my thing.
None of which, of course, should impact your enjoyment yadda yadda yadda standard boilerplate.
Thanks for the input.
The girls do seem to get more curvy when they’re naked. (If that isn’t the weakest defence, I don’t know what is.) In fact from the hot tub scene Kagome actually appeared to be fairly large chested. Well, it is on Adult Swim, TV 14, for a reason and they don’t actually show anything.
Although we do see Kikyou topless from the front in her clay body which has no nipples. And the first demon she fought was also very topless as well as nippleless. Only the manga has them. I know we see Kagura… ummm
Yeah, it makes me feel dirty too. I’m mostly just here because it was on Adult Swim and that got me invested so that now I can’t quit till it ends. And while I think Sango is cute I really swoon over Ryoko.
Come on now. The characters in Inuyasha wouldn’t have a prayer in the Evangelion universe. They’d get their asses handed to them by the Angels before the first eyecatch.