Inuyasha

Rumiko Takahashi launched Inuyasha in November 1996 within Weekly Shōnen Sunday, a run that concluded in June 2008 with 56 collected volumes. The narrative centers on Kagome Higurashi, a fifteen-year-old student from modern Tokyo who tumbles into an ancient well at her family shrine. She arrives in the Sengoku period to find Inuyasha, a half-demon bound by a tree until she frees him. When the sacred Shikon Jewel shatters inside Kagome, its fragments scatter across Japan, drawing both allies and enemies. Kagome teams up with Inuyasha, the lecherous monk Miroku, demon slayer Sango, and the young fox spirit Shippō to collect the shards before the villainous Naraku uses them for power. Unlike Takahashi's earlier comedies, this series balances dark violence with humor while exploring themes of redemption and prejudice. The story expanded beyond print into a massive multimedia franchise. Sunrise produced two anime adaptations: the first ran for 167 episodes from 2000 to 2004, followed by Inuyasha: The Final Act, which completed the manga adaptation in 26 episodes during 2009 and 2010. Four theatrical films and an original video animation joined the collection, alongside video games and light novels. Viz Media brought the manga and animated shows to North America, where they aired on Adult Swim starting in 2002. A spin-off sequel titled Yashahime: Princess Half-Demon continued the saga with new characters from 2020 to 2022. By September 2020, the series had moved 50 million copies worldwide and secured the 47th Shogakukan Manga Award for the shōnen category in 2002.[edit]