Inuyasha - Season 2 (2002)
Inu Yasha DVDs
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Hearts and swords are the focus of the second season of Inu-Yasha,
Rumiko Takahashi's popular "feudal fairy tale." Inu-Yasha's icily
elegant half-brother Sesshomaru discovers that the sword their demon
father left him, the Tenseiga, is useless to him in battle. It
doesn't kill, but heals--an imaginative twist typical of Takahashi.
Inu-Yasha has to learn to master his sword, the Tetsusaiga, that was
forged from his father's fang. When the monster Goshinki bites the
Tetsusaiga in two, the addled smith Totosai reforges it, using a
fang of Inu-Yasha's to join the shards. Inu-Yasha must learn to
wield the newly heavy sword that reflects his increased
responsibility: his father is no longer protecting him, so he must
use his own strength.
Inu-Yasha also faces two powerful internal struggles. He begins
to question his desire to become a full demon after he transforms
into a mindless killing machine. The Tetsusaiga keeps his
demon-blood in check, and Inu-Yasha is grateful for its strength.
But he has no exterior support in the battle within his heart: Does
he love the resurrected Kikyo, whom he adored 50 years earlier, or
Kagome, who has shared so many adventures and who loves him? These
struggles demand more than the battles with the evil Naraku and his
avatars.
The adventures, emotional crises, and ferocious battles are
balanced against the friendship and slapstick comedy Kagome, Sango,
Miroku, and Shippo provide. Through it all, Inu-Yasha remains the
impulsive hot-head viewers love--whom only Kagome can keep in check.
(Unrated, suitable for ages 13 and older: violence, grotesque
imagery, brief nudity)
Fans of this popular series will also want to see
The Art of Inu-Yasha by Rumiko Takahashi, which features
original artwork, notes on minor characters, a glossary, and
interviews with the principal Japanese voice actors, director
Masashi Ikeda, character designer Yoshihito Hishinuma, and art
direrctor Shigemi Ikeda.Takahashi also discusses the differences in
the manga and the animated versions of two key sequences.
--Charles Solomon
