Inu-Yasha 2 (Big ed.)
Posted: April 22, 2010 Filed under: Inu-Yasha 5 Comments »Rumiko Takahashi – Viz – 2010 – 56 volumes
This omnibus contains vols. 4-6 of the series.
I don’t know if this is a fair assessment to make since it’s been years since I touched her other series, but I think this is my favorite long work by Takahashi. Judging by the six volumes I’ve read, at least. I love that it’s got a loose overarching plot, and I also love the slightly meatier stories, usually spanning about a volume rather than just three chapters. I like that it still incorporates some humor without being a gag series, and I really like all its ties to mythology. It’s very well done and deserves all the attention it gets.
My favorite story in this volume was the spider-monk one that reveals Inu-Yasha’s secret weakness. In addition to being a little heartbreaking and creepy on the story side, I like that Inu-Yasha has times that he can’t be a tough guy.
Later on, Miroku appears in his story, and he’s about what I expected. Good at defending himself, good at stealing, good at beating demons, smooth talker, loves the ladies, cursed by a demon, et cetera. I was a little surprised to see so much hostility between he and Inu-Yasha’s group, especially since he’s such an easygoing guy. I did like the way the first… er, demon slaying led to their amicable partnership in the end. Oh, and Miroku is the one who drags Naraku into the story. Thanks, Miroku.
The first story in the volume was the continuation of the Thunder Bros story from last time. It went on longer than I expected, but only because I was thinking it was going to be Ranma 1/2 3-5 chapters long. It got far more serious and involved than I expected too (at one point, one of the brothers punched a hole straight through a beautiful lady’s face and out the back of her head), and was a great way to set the mood for the rest of the volume.
The one thing I was disappointed with was the use of Kikyo as an ongoing villain. I liked that story, but was sad when she wound up living on at the end. Especially since that leaves her open to be drafted by other bad guys in the future. Major points for her totally slaughtering that ogress, though.
Now traveling in the party: Inu-Yasha, Kagome, Shippo, and Myouga. Next volume looks like it’s going back to Sesshoumaru and will also introduce Naraku for real. Hooray for that, since I’ve never actually seen Naraku.
I wonder when you will get bored with Inuyasha. But if you read all volumes of Ranma, maybe you will also endure Inuyasha.. That reminds me that I still have the whole Maison Ikkoku series to read.. ^_^
[...] Blade (Manga Jouhou) Sean Gaffney on vol. 9 of Excel Saga (A Case Suitable for Treatment) Connie on vol. 2 of InuYasha (VizBig edition) (Slightly Biased Manga) Leroy Douresseaux on Love Knot (The Comic Book Bin) Julie [...]
Haha, I can see how it might get repetitive really fast, but you’re right, I did read all of Ranma 1/2 and really liked it. I think it helps that the volumes are coming out a few months apart, so other than the 3-in-1 volume, I’m not actually reading huge chunks of the series at once and getting bored with the monster-of-the-day formula. That’s probably what helped get me through Ranma 1/2, too, I could only read a volume every other month.
I still haven’t had the chance to pick up anything after the first volume of Maison Ikkoku, but I didn’t really like the first one too much. Too slapstick-y for me, but I’m told it gets much better later.
I like Maison Ikkoku also because I really enjoyed the whole 50 episodes long anime series while I watched only some 20 episodes of Inuyasha when I got bored so I stopped watching.. ^_^
Hmm, I should try a bit more Takahashi anime. I’ve seen a handful of Ranma 1/2 episodes, but didn’t like them very much since they were all taken verbatim from the manga. I did like the 2nd Ranma 1/2 movie, though. I also liked most of the Urusei Yatsura movies, and the handful of random episodes of Inu-Yasha I’ve seen. I didn’t like either of them enough to watch the rest of the episodes of those series, though. ^_^; I haven’t tried Maison Ikkoku, and I would love to see the new Mermaid Saga anime or the old OVA series that came out years ago. I think Mermaid Saga is probably my absolute favorite of the stuff I’ve read by her, it’s so completely unlike her other work. I wish she would go back to it.