The Inuyasha Update

AHHHHHHHHHH, IT'S TAKING SO LONG!

Sorry, I lost my cool there for a second. Regardless of my impatience, we have made decent progress, so I thought I would give you an update! But first, let's explain what Inuyasha is, for anyone who might not be familiar with this feudal fairytale!

Inuyasha is the story of a girl named Kagome Higurashi, who lives in present day Japan but one day accidently finds herself 500 years in the past. Well, accidently isn't the word...what is it...ohhh- dragged into a time warped ancient well by a demon! That's what I was looking for! In feudal Japan, there are priestesses, monks, demons and a lot of trouble to get into! While Kagome tries to figure out how to get home, she finds that she is actually the reincarnation of a powerful priestess named Kikyo who, in the feudal time line, died 50 years ago in a fight against a powerful half-demon named Inuyasha.

Luckily, Inuyasha was sealed to a tree by Kikyo before she died. Unluckily, the demon that dragged Kagome into this nightmare is still alive and determined to kill Kagome for the sacred jewel. Wait, hold on, what's that? You didn't mention that before! Shhh, I'm getting there, peanut gallery, quiet down! Kagome vaguely remembers the legend of the jewel told to her by her grandfather- a powerful jewel sought after by demons and evil men, but she has no idea what that has to do with her! After the demon attacks the village she is staying at, she decides to try and trap it back in the magic well where they both came out of. Kagome runs on alone to hopefully protect the villagers. The plan works!...in the sense that the demon chases her but backfires considering she has no way to fight it. Fate brings her to the tree where Inuyasha was bound in a 50-year deep sleep, yet she finds him awake. It is then that she is attacked and the sacred jewel is ripped from her body where it has remained dormant her whole life. Making a decision, Kagome frees Inuyasha from the seal placed on him by the dying priestess and thus starts a timeless adventure.

This anime is a classic! It is a part of the fantasy genre and has something for everyone. There are awesome fight scenes and terribly romantic moments to make you swoon. Don't worry though they are often interrupted by comedic relief! It is super well balanced and has one of the best character and story developments I have seen to date. The snip-it I gave you above was more of the first episode than you probably needed, but I just wanted to give you a taste! What the story actually follows is what happens after that episode. Due to a series of unfortunate events, Kagome accidently- and I do mean accidently this time- shatters the sacred jewel into an unknown number of pieces. It's unknown because when it shattered, the fragments scattered across the land. Together, Kagome with her spiritual powers and Inuyasha with his demonic powers and strength must work together to find the jewel shards (which are immensely powerful on their own) to put the cursed jewel back together and hopefully purify it. Along the way, you learn what really happened between Kikyo and Inuyasha, they make some friends, they make even more enemies, and a twisted web is spun.

This story started as a manga in 1996 and ran till completion in 2008. The first show [Inuyasha] came out in 2000 and ran till 2004, the sequel series [Inuyasha: The Final Act] ran from 2009 to 2010, and they had 4 movies that were made throughout the original series airtime, as well. Ten years later, this year, we now get a second sequel series titled Yashahime: Princess Half-Demon! I talked about this recently and how I was completely blindsided by this creation. I am excited to watch it, though! The problem is, I have to finish guiding James and Chase through everything else first! Luckily, I think I'm a good guide and I've done this journey so many times, I've lost count. It's one of my favorites, don't judge me! Unluckily, there is quite a bit to get through.

We are almost to season 4 out of 7 for Inuyasha, with one movie under our belt and about to watch the second. Inuyasha: The Final Act is only one season, so that means: 5 show seasons and 3 movies to go....could be worse, though- we could be re-watching Bleach. (For those who don't know Bleach is another anime, and has nearly twice as many episodes as Inuyasha). Ultimately, the best news is they like it! I am so glad, too, it has taken years for me to get them to watch it and all reports are good! My favorite part is them struggling to figure out what is going to happen because the show isn't as predictable as most shows. The best is when things click too late for them and I just hear "oh no" somewhere in the darkness while we're watching! Ahh, it's the little things in life, honestly. Now I'm basically just sitting on the edge of my seat waiting to see their faces at certain twists, realizations, betrayals, and the like. That's the fun of being the guide and I'm loving every minute of it!

All this to say, if you have not checked out this series please do so, it's so fun and so well done especially for its time. I know the animation style is older, but it was cutting edge at the time, trust me! If you have seen it but haven't checked out Yashahime: Princess Half-Demon, definitely make sure to do so! Just don't message me any spoilers! Instead, wish me luck that we get through this soon so I can tell YOU the spoilers!

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Thank you so much for joining me for some Nerdom tonight! I hope your week is going well, and either continues to go well or improves from here on out! I will be back with you guys this Sunday for The Mess, but in the meantime, stay nerdy and stay messy otaku! Love you guys!