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Title: InuYasha
Author: Rumiko Takahashi (Ranma 1/2)
Publisher: Viz Media (Shonen Sunday)
Volume: Volume 50 (of 56) $9.99
Vintage: 2007 from Shogakukan in Japan, by Viz on July 13, 2010
Genre: Action, drama, comedy, more action, even a little bit of romance now and then

What is InuYasha?  For the uninitiated, a small description of the series:
High school student Kagome lives on the grounds of an old shrine that has been passed down through her family.  One day, a huge centipede demon climbs out of the old, sealed up well in the yard and attacks her.  The demon drags her into the well…and into another world.  500 years in the past, Kagome finds herself in a strange forest, and spies a dog-eared boy pinned and sleeping to a large tree.  The local peasants bring her to their village, where an old priestess sees the image of her deceased older sister in Kagome.  Somehow Kagome is in possession of the Jewel of Four Souls, which the priestess Kikyo had burned with her body to prevent it from falling into the wrong hands.  When the centipede demon returns for the jewel, Kagome releases the dog-eared boy, a half-demon named Inuyasha, from the tree to help defeat it.  The demon is defeated, but the jewel immediately begins drawing others to its power, including Inuyasha, who is thwarted by the old priestess Kaede when she places a spell of control on him through Kagome.  When the jewel is stolen by a bird demon, Kagome shoots it with an arrow, which strikes the jewel, breaking it into countless tiny shards that are scattered across the land.  With Inuyasha by her side, Kagome sets out to gather the shards before they can be tainted and used by evil creatures.  They are eventually joined by a cursed and lecherous monk named Miroku, a small fox demon named Shippo, and a demon slayer named Sango.  Together they face many enemies, including Inuyasha’s brother Sesshomaru, a resurrected Kiyko, and an evil and manipulative demon named Naraku, the main antagonist for the series.

Prior to volume 50, Naraku has managed to get a hold of the larger portion of the sacred jewel, and has corrupted it.  Sango was seriously injured in a battle, and her boomerang destroyed.  A demon sage sent her into an urn to fight for her life against demons, to restore her weapon, Hiraikotsu.  Sesshomaru has set out to discover the secrets behind his sword, Tenseiga.  Inuyasha and Kagome have set out to track down the last pure shard of the jewel.

Some seriously awesome and exciting things unfold in this volume.  The secrets of Tetsusaiga (Inuyasha’s sword) and Tenseiga are revealed.  The reason why Inuyasha and Sesshomaru’s demon father gave Tensaiga to Sesshomaru, and the secret of its creation, is finally revealed to him, much to his chagrin.  There’s a sweet and tender moment between Inuyasha and Kagome back in the modern world to break the tension.  Followed by a display of the new power bestowed to Sango’s newly reforged Hiraikotsu, which saves the day.

Secrets revealed, new powers gains, an encounter with Naraku….  An impressive display of Tensaiga’s full power and another of Sango’s new found strength.  Classic cowardly maneuvering and misinformation from Myoga.  Some downtime in the middle with a touch of romance.  Plenty of action. As the story nears its conclusion, both Inuyasha and Kagome are seriously thinking about what the future will hold, and where (or rather, when) they belong.  A well-rounded volume for the fans, there’s a little something for everyone.

Volume 50 of InuYasha is scheduled to come out on July 13, and contains the chapters from “A Complete Meido” through “The New Hiraikotsu.”  You can preview the first chapter (of the first volume) on ShonenSunday.com.

Kris
kristin@comicattack.net
@girlg33k_Kris

Review copy provided by Viz Media.