Inu-Yasha 10 (VizBig ed.)
November 9, 2014
Rumiko Takahashi – Viz – 2012 – 56 volumes
(this is an omnibus containing vols. 28-30)
Again, I haven’t been reading much manga lately. But I’ve still seen some of the hype about the new Ranma 1/2 omnibuses, and as a result, my roommate and I have been watching the anime. Still good! I would re-read the Ranma 1/2 manga, but it’s stored in another state right now. What I do have handy is the second half of Inu-Yasha. It’s not Ranma, but it’s still Rumiko Takahashi goodness.
It’s hard to be disappointed when I pick this one up. I know exactly what I’m going to get. In this 3-for-1 volume, Inu-Yasha fights an undead bandit leader while Sango and Miroku break a shield around a mountain that Naraku was resurrecting himself behind. They find a room of creepy dead babies, Naraku beats them up, and then he leaves when Sesshomaru shows up, for some reason. Volume 2 is mostly the characters trying to figure out what Naraku is doing, and some more Kikyo drama. Volume 3 is a return to the old-style stories where the gang is tracking down demon stories and helping villagers. They are also currently looking for the “last” Shikon jewel shard. As there are another 26 volumes, I don’t really believe them, but whatever.
There’s some fun new stuff, too. An alternate, split form for Naraku that’s sort of cheerfully menacing. A huge demon fire-horse. Lots of character development for Kagome, Inu-Yasha, Miroku, and Sango, which you don’t normally see.
There’s also human Inu-Yasha, who’s my favorite. And, with the return of the regular-type demons at the end of the collection, we also get a refreshing return/reminder that Inu-Yasha is actually very powerful, something that power escalation in these types of series often overlook. Demons he struggled with at the beginning are now going down with a swipe of his claws.
Still enjoyable stuff! I don’t know if I’m going for the next anthology next or something else, but finishing up with Inu-Yasha is definitely in my future.
November 10, 2014 at 7:43 am
I’m glad you’re back. You’ve been missed. I’m sorry that you got burned out. I hope writing review will become enjoyable again for you. You got me to read From Eroica With Love. Thank you. What a great series.
November 11, 2014 at 11:52 am
Glad to see you back