Inuyasha (literally translated to “Dog Demon”) is a manga series written and illustrated by Rumiko Takahashi. The manga was serialized in Weekly Shonen Sunday by Shogakukan from November 1996 to June 2008, with a total of 56 volumes.

Fan of Takahashi’s works that are used to her comedic manga series, with the most famous being Ranma ½, will soon discover Inuyasha’s darker and more serious tone. Nevertheless, the manga still has its fill of romantic scenes and heartfelt stories. Inuyasha had over 50 million copies in circulation as of September 2020. In 2002, the manga won the 47th Shogakukan Manga Award in the shonen category.

Inuyasha was later adapted into 2 anime series by Sunrise. The first series was broadcast on Yomiuri TV from October 2000 to September 2004, and ran for 167 episodes. The second series, named Inuyasha: The Final Act, ran for 26 episodes from October 2009 to March 2010. Not only that, Inuyasha also inspired 4 feature films and a video animation. Following the original manga’s huge success, a sequel anime series named Yashahime: Princess Half-Demon, premiered in October 2020.

The story of Inuyasha started when a half-demon named Inuyasha attacked the village to steal a jewel known as the Shikon no Tama, (literally translated as Jewel of Four Souls). Inuyasha had white long hair, with ears and fangs like a dog. He jumped around the village and tried to escape with the jewel.

That was when a young priestess named Kikyo appeared and shot an arrow right at Inuyasha’s heart. He was pinned to a huge tree in the forest just outside of the village, immediately stopped on his track. The sacred tree was named Goshinboku and it seemed that Inuyasha has been sealed by Kikyo.

However, Kikyo herself also suffered from a severe wound on her chest. Kikyo looked at Inuyasha and the jewel with anguish and regret as she couldn’t believe Inuyasha would commit such a crime just for the jewel.

Right before dying from the wound, Kikyo told her sister Kaede to burn her body along with the jewel so that she could take that cursed jewel to the next world. “It shall never again fall into evil hands”.

550 years later, it was the year of 1997 in Tokyo, Kagome Higurashi was talking to her grandfather in her home and also her family shrine. Kagome’s grandfather showed her a glass ball that resemble Shikon no Tama, but now has been turned into an ordinary keychain.

He also gave Kagome her birthday present as it would soon be her 15th birthday. Kagome opened the present and found a freakish, dried hand inside. Kagome’s grandfather told her that it was a mummified kappa hand that would bring good luck. She was disgusted by the hand and even gave it to her cat Buyo.

Kagome was living peacefully at the shrine with her grandfather, mother and younger brother. The forest near her home had a giant tree and a mysterious, concealed well.

The day of her 15th birthday, as Kagome prepared to leave for school, she heard her brother Sota calling for their cat in front of a room that housed the well.

Knowing that Sota was really scared to go down the staircase that led to the well, Kagome went instead. There was some creepy sound that came out of the well but Kagome thought it was their cat. The moment Kagome found Buyo and was about to bring him up, a centipede-like monster with long hair and the face of a woman suddenly appeared from the well. She broke the talisman that was sealing the well and tried to pull Kagome down.

While the monster was pulling Kagome deeper down the well, its skeleton body started to grow back and its power increased. The monster said that it could sense the Shikon no Tama from Kagome. Kagome was shocked and tried to push the monster away. An unknown burst of spiritual power from Kagome’s touch repelled and subdued the monster. Kagome’s power even destroyed the hand that was pulling her down.

The monster fell down the well while Kagome finally regained her balance as her feet touched dry land. She thought it was a nightmare but seeing the detached hand of the monster, Kagome realized that it was reality. Kagome climbed out of the well but the scenery outside has vastly changed.

She could no longer see her house or her younger brother. Kagome spotted the giant tree that was always in the forest near her house and ran towards it, thinking it would lead to her family shrine. However, she found Inuyasha in a state of deep sleep and pinned to the tree.

It turned out that Kagome’s house was right at the spot where Inuyasha was sealed and the tree she knew all her life was indeed the sacred Goshinboku.

Kagome curiously climbed up the tree to touch Inuyasha’s ears while a parade of arrows rained down on her. The villagers then captured Kagome, thinking she was a foreign intruder or a spy. Kagome looked at their clothes and thought that they looked like people from the Sengoku period. That was when the village’s priestess Kaede appeared. She was Kikyo’s younger sister.

At the house, Kaede, now an old lady, told Kagome that she bore a close resemblance to Kikyo, who passed away 50 years ago. While they were talking and having dinner, a sudden loud sound could be heard from outside.

The centipede monster from the well had come back. It attacked the village in search of the Shikon no Tama. Kagome tried to lead the demon away from the village and ran for her life. Kaede told Kagome to lead the monster back to the well and Kagome instantly saw a source of glowing light where the well would be. It was not something a normal human could do but Kagome hadn’t realized that yet. Meanwhile, Inuyasha finally awakened at the smell of Kagome running towards him, who had the same scent as Kikyo.

What will happen on the first encounter of Kagome and Inuyasha? How will their story unfold?