Moonlight Soldier wrote:I have yet to read the Inuyasha manga.... Though let's be honest, most of the time the two don't correlate very well and the anime/manga scene both differ in plot and character.
Also I wouldn't call it incredibly original with the character conflicts and plot line if you consider the typical archetype of said sort of story.
EarthCurrent wrote:There's little "original" about Inu Yasha. Takahashi just takes her small portfolio of overused archtypal personalities, gives them some slightly different character designs (by different, I mean different hair 'cause all that really differentiate anything in a typical Takahashi character is the hair), and puts them in a setting borrowing heavily from Fire Tripper and a few other feudal stories from Rumic World.
It might be original if she were "borrowing" from other manga-ka and putting a different twist on their ideas, but with Inu Yasha, she's just rehashing her own works.
According to the director, the only major difference between the two in the first 2 seasons of the show was, well nothing really. He said that he made kikyo less "harsh" in the series. Thats about it.
Well, no surprise, I really disagree with that. I believe that Inuyasha is two stories, the first is a really gripping story of betrayal, regret, and "coulda/shoulda's." The other is the main plot itself, the *admittably dumbed down almost formula action based storyline (because the show runs in primetime and is hugely popular, targeting all age groups). I say admittably because the director confessed as much in the Newtype interview. As far as "borrowing" goes, I dont consider myself a RT expert, but I know that she primarily relies on light hearted life centered comedies, like Ranma 1/2 and Maison Ikkoku. I also know she has lightly dabbled in some dark waters, but not in terms of a long running manga or huge TV series (not enough material to rehash a long running manga and 140+ episode series). More on this later. I believe that she has a touch for endearing comedy, but I wouldnt call most of it "rehashing." The furthest extent of rehashing I have detected is these two things: The "Sit" maneuver, that is a cute girl beating up her male companion for unfair or uninformed reasons. THe other is the "rock-on" hand gesture (pinkie, thumb, and index finger extended), which is used (rarely) when a character is blown up, flattened, etc. This was (I think) just a signiture of hers, as it is used in her previous works.
Spoiler wrote:The Kikyo/Inuyasha relationship was well set up in the anime. They wait until her apparent 2nd death to really spill the beans about her life and how she was really a victim instead of a villain. Most people see her as "stubborn" in death, but if you pay close attention at key points in the series (listen to the Monk who is killed by kikyo around episode 20), you see that she is actually "forced" to hold on to her hate in order to remain in the plane of the living. She stays in this plane because she never stopped loving inuyasha and because it is the only way for her to remain with him, the only other way being to kill Inuyasha herself (So they "could be together in hell" as she put it). That situation is a contradiction so complete its mind boggling to most people and I believe they fail to understand her miserable situation (No matter what she does, its seems she cannot "win"). In addition to that, she must come to terms with the fact that her love is selfish and that she has other reasons to survive. There are times when Naraku and Kikyo almost seem to be flirting with each other (remember that Onigumo's infatuation for Kikyo was the catalyst for his transformation).
To me this is irony on a Shakespearean level. The Naraku/Kikyo/inuyasha relationship is the most amazing and mindblowing character relationship I have ever seen in anything, (not just anime). I can understand how so many people miss it, because it takes it little bit of probing and understanding to even understand Kikyo's apparently insane behavior. I'm sure to many people, they only see a good guy fighting a bad guy with a crazy bitch intervening for no reason, which on the surface on could make an arguement that it is generic, but that arguement is both shallow and disturbingly overaccepted (to me).
If that is REALLY a rehash of something, I WANT TO SEE IT.
Spoiler wrote:I found the Sango saga to be nearly equally as emotional. Its a shame they brought Kohaku back to life, and I think leaving Sango as "dead" would have been a nice surprise as well. I also liked how Rin dies, in a very sad, tragic manner. I think reviving her was a mistake, because it undid one of the better moments in the show I thought. Inuyasha is not my favorite anime series, but it would be if it took things a bit farther and was a little "ballsier", (no offense) instead of also having to be friendly for younger viewers and the mainstream japanese audience.
The series rides on those three stories, (maybe a 4th story would be miroku's history). Well, that is, the "good" part of the series relies on those stories. Admittably, too much of the show is distracted by sometimes mindless action and oversimplified sub-villians (this is the part of the show I don't like). Character designs obviously have the RT signature (hairstyle, eyes, etc) but they are not rehashes at all, with perhaps the minor exception of Koga and Ryoga, they both wear yellowish bandanas, can run well, look slightly similar, are the principal rival of the principal protagonist, and are involved in a similar love rivalry.
Inuyasha may have some situational similarities to Ranma Saotome, but they are shallow ones. Ranma would never admit to having feelings for anyone (perhaps because he had none), whereas Inuyasha realizes that he is in love with two women and must live with that situation. I think when you really analyse RT's various animes, you will find again and again that every series she makes begins with shallow similarities to her others, but it eventually creates its own mood and identity. I would say for example, that of all her works, Inuyasha stands out the most. Its may have some romantic comedy elements, but it isnt a fraction the romantic comedy that Ranma 1/2 was, and conversely, Ranma 1/2 isn't nearly as dark. The moods of the two shows are almost opposites.
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The manga, currently, is leaving off with lots of tension and cliffhangers. Tension not only in the since of 'what's going to happen next?' but also surrounding the characters.
