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Well, anybody here can talk about anything that's by Rumiko Takahashi. I'll start by talking about Urusei Yatsura, which is, as I've stated before, my favorite series. Nobody in the U.S. knows about it, really, though in Japan it's like The Simpsons is over here. There's 200 episodes, 11 OVAs, 6 Movies (only 5 of them were good, the 6th one shouldn't even exist), and it was the first ongoing series to be created by Rumiko Takahashi, whose most recent ongoing series is Inu-Yasha. The manga was first made in 1978, while the first anime episode was done in 1981. The whole anime spans a decade: 1981-1991. That includes everything, though, as the TV show itself is only from 1981-1986. The 5th movie is based on how the manga ended, while the 6th movie is utter crap just a 10th Anniversary Special that was the final nail on the coffin and made Rumiko Takahashi actually make it so that nobody would ever make an anime adaptation of that UY ever again... ya, the 6th movie was pretty bad. Heh... I guess I'm kinda ranting again... but man, do I hate the 6th movie... but I feel justified since Takahashi hates it, too.
Anywho, the TV show was animated by Kitty Films, which also animated Maison Ikkoku (Takahashi's 2nd ongoing series) and Ranma ½ (Takahashi's 3rd ongoing series). Unfortunately, for some reason or another, Kitty Films ended up going bankrupt, which meant Ranma ½ ended abruptly... much like Teen Titans, it didn't have an ending. Well, in the anime, anyway. The manga of Ranma ½ most definitely did have an ending. Ever since Kitty Films went out of business, Sunrise has been doing animated adaptations of Takahashi's work. Currently, Sunrise is animating Inu-Yasha.
While Urusei Yatsura, Maison Ikkoku, Ranma ½, and Inu-Yasha are Rumiko Takahashi's 4 major ongoing series, before, in-between, and after all of these she's also written several short stories, and short series. In fact, Inu-Yasha was kind of inspired by one of her really early stories. As far as I've seen (if you can't tell, I'm a huge fan of Takahashi), here's where I can see where inspiration was drawn from...
Urusei Yatsura was inspired by a short story she wrote earlier called Katte Na Yatsura. Katte Na Yatsura was also the very first story she ever wrote. Maison Ikkoku wasn't inspired by any stories she wrote, but it was inspired by an apartment complex she often wondered about when she was in college. Ranma ½ is inspired by 2 characters from Urusei Yatsura, Ryuunosuke and her father, who are very similar to Ranma and his father Genma. Inu-Yasha was inspired by an early short story of hers called Fire Tripper.
Now, back to Urusei Yatsura, as it's my favorite series of hers, as well as of any anime/manga. Ataru Moroboshi is the main male character of that series. The main female character is Lum, a tiger-striped bikini wearing alien with pointy ears, horns, and green hair. Incidentally... Lum and Toon Version Starfire are waaaaay too similar. And before you ask, Ataru is nothing like Robin... for starters, Ataru is a lecherous loser (he makes Miroku look like a saint... wow, that sentence was a bit ironic) who was born on Friday the 13th and has the worst luck in all the universe (stated as scientific fact in the show). I think I remember reading somewhere that when his mother was pregnant with him, she crossed under a ladder, had a black cat cross her path, broke a mirror, spilled salt, etc, etc, etc.
I've recently started buying more DVDs of this show. So far I've bought up to volume 22... and I'm gonna go pick up my paycheck today, so that means more will be on the way soon! It's pretty cool for me, cuz I've been a fan of this show for 9 years, and it's only now that I'm actually seeing more than just season 1 of the show. Well, to be exact, season 1, 4 episodes from a much later season, one of the OVAs, and movies 1, 2, 4, and 6. But now I'm on my way to seeing the whole series! Today I just got done watching the volume 12 DVD. Btw, each DVD has 4 episodes. They're pretty cheap, too, as they're only 10 bucks each... the reason for being so cheap is because, like I said, here in the U.S. it's a little known show.
Okay, I'm back with more stuff to post! Dunno if anybody cares, but I'll post it anyway.
Oh, and just so ya know, though, her 4 major shows have noticeable characteristics to them.
Urusei Yatsura - Heavy on comedy, light on action, full of romance. It's main motif is sci-fi with a dash of fantasy.
Maison Ikkoku - Medium on comedy, no action, full of romance. It's main motif is real life.
Ranma ½ - Heavy on comedy, medium on action, full of romance. It's main motif is martial-arts with a dash of fantasy.
Inu-Yasha - Light on comedy, full of action, full of romance. It's main motif is fantasy.
Heh, notice one thing they all have in common? They're all full of romance. Actually, maybe it'd be better if I went into more detail!
Yes, what I'm about to do is summarize the start of each of the 4 main Takahashi series. That way it'll be more informative than my ususal ranting.
1) Urusei Yatsura.
Since this one's my favorite, I'll summarize the first episode. I'd do this with the others, too, actually, but I'm sleepy.
There once was a man from Nantucket boy from Tomobiki, a prefecture in the Nerima district of Tokyo. The boy, Ataru Moroboshi, was walking home peacefully when he was suddenly abducted by a bunch of men in black. (Call Conan! Maybe these guys are who he's looking for! ) The men in black won't let you remember took Ataru to his house, which was surrounded by the Japanese army for some reason. Inside he also saw Shinobu, his girlfriend, worried sick about him. His parents were worried as well. He was instructed to a room where he found... a HUGE man in a tiger-striped suit! He was fierce looking and even had small horns on his head. The man had to be a demon! A man in black told Ataru, though, that the huge man was actually an alien who had come several galaxies away to take over the Earth. The man introduced himself as Mr. Invader and handed Ataru his business card.
Is this a good place to start a new paragraph? Well, anywho, Ataru was informed that he was randomly chosen from every living human on the planet to be the one to face off against the aliens. If he won, Mr. Invader would go back home in peace and no invasion would take place. Ataru got angry and said, "Are you crazy?! Look at this guy! I don't wanna get killed, I can't do it!" The man in black asked, "Don't you have pride in being an Earth man? Wouldn't you gladly sacrifice your life for Mother Earth? Aren't you a man?!" Ataru's response was, "Of course I'm a man! That's just it, I'm too much of a man to afford to be killed!"
Suddenly... a giant spaceship arrived. Mr. Invader announced, "Ah, your opponent has finally arrived." The opponent beamed down towards the house, and it was... a beautiful girl in a tiger-striped bikini? Yes... yes it was. It was Mr. Invader's daughter, Lum. Mr. Invader said, "If you can grab my daughter's horns in a game of tag within 10 days, you win!" Ataru was astonished by Lum's beauty, and anxiously announced, "If I have to grab the horns... then naturally I have to touch the body first, right?" Shinobu... wasn't very pleased with Ataru's response... in fact, she's started clawing away at his face.
The next day, helicopters were buzzing around getting live-feed of the event. The news was everywhere, a huge crowd was there as if all of Japan gathered here at downtown. The game of tag was about to begin. "On your mark... get set... GO!!" The gun went of and so did Ataru, right towards Lum. He was about to catch her when suddenly... she flew away.
"Hey! No fair! Nobody told me you could fly!" shouted Ataru. Lum winked and said, "Well, you didn't do your homework!" And now Ataru realized he had to resort to Wile E. Coyote style antics if he had any hope... all of which backfired. I won't go into this in detail, but seeing all the stuff he does to try and catch her is hilarious.
On the ninth night, Ataru and Shinobu were sad and Ataru said, "Man... I can't believe I agreed to this without knowing that Lum could fly." Shinobu said, "That's right, Ataru, it's all your fault! You're just doing this because of her looks!" Ataru agreed and began crying, "You're right, Shinobu! Even if she does have a nice pair, she's my enemy! Man, why do I have to be such a loser." Then... everything changed with Shinobu's following words, "Ataru... if you win... I'll marry you." Ataru was shocked... "Marry? Do you really mean that, Shinobu? No, you're just lying to protect yourself!" Shinobu cried, "Can't you see? I just don't want you to be a loser for the rest of your life." "Oh, Shinobu!" "Oh, Ataru!" The 2 embraced each other romantically, and shared a deep hug in the moonlight. This lasted several seconds and the world seemed to stop turning as they... hey, wait, what's Ataru doing? He started slowly moving his hand towards Shinobu's rear end! Shinobu immediately took notice and grabbed Ataru's arm. As she threw him across the room, she pointed out, "ATARU! Can't you see that your oversexed nature is the cause of all these problems! You lecherous idiot!"
The 10th day had come at last, and Ataru was nervous and desperate, thinking out loud, "No matter how dirty the tricks, I have to make sure I win this so I can get married!" Lum overheard and curiously raised an eyebrow. Ataru used a weird invention to reel in Lum's top as he screamed, "FOR MY MARRIAGE!!" Lum was upset and quickly chased after Ataru, who had her bikini top. "Give it back!" But as she came close to him and reached for her top... he grabbed her horns and Earth was saved. Everybody cheered, and Ataru gleefully announced, "Now I can get married." Lum responded, "If you insist, I'll marry you." Oh... no!
Ataru was taken back by this, and quickly said, "Wait, no, I didn't mean--" Suddenly he was interrupted by several reporters who asked, "Is it true?" Another reporter said, "I did hear something about marriage during the match." Another reporter added, "This is great, this is the best good-will marriage ever!" Shinobu... yet again was angry. Ataru tried to explain that it wasn't what it looked like, but Shinobu saw a topless Lum embracing Ataru and reporters talking about them getting married... how else could this look? Lum said, "Darling... On my planet, marriage proposals are sacred. I'll dedicate my life to living with you forever... but if you cheat on me..." ZAAAAPP!! She used her electricity powers to totally char Ataru to a crisp. This was only the begining...
And now for the synopsis from ThemAnime.org:
QUOTE
We've been waiting to write this review for six years. And where better to start than at the beginning?
Moroboshi Ataru is the world's unluckiest boy. He's also the world's biggest lecher, and can't seem to get any girl to give him the time of day. One fine day, aliens come down to invade the Earth, but they give the hapless Earthlings a chance to save themselves by randomly choosing a hero to play a game of tag against their green-haired sexpot crown princess Lum. Unfortunately for Earth, their hero is Ataru. While everyone prepares for the world to end, Ataru does his best to capture the princess, who can fly and send electric shocks. At the last moment, Ataru's “lady love”, Shinobu, makes a deal with him – if he wins the game of tag, she will marry him. A motivated Ataru wins the match in the final minutes, and upon winning, yells out for all to hear, “Now I can marry her!”
Unfortunately, he doesn't specifically which “her” … and the crown princess Lum and the race of invading aliens accept his heartfelt marriage proposal.
And ThemAnime.org's review:
QUOTE
Anime as we know it now would not be what it is if it weren't for Urusei Yatsura.
Prior to this show, most anime was still relegated to Saturday mornings and family fare. Even anime like Captain Harlock and Space Battleship Yamato were seen as shows for younger people, and while housewives had Sazae-san, anime was not seen as a legitimate form of entertainment for all ages. And while there were a few exceptions, anime was seen as very much “for kids”.
Enter Urusei Yatsura, which still resonates in Japanese culture to an extent rivaled only by Doraemon. But as Doraemon was a success among children, Urusei Yatsura was a show that truly crossed over for both young and old alike. And Lum is considered the first anime idol – no previous non-mascot anime character had ever sparked so much merchandising, records, posters, or simply become such a multimedia phenomenon. Lum was the first anime character that Japanese guys could idolize without being looked at funny – and she remains an icon not just in Japan, but worldwide.
To spark such a phenomenon, one would have to assume that the actual show is good, right? Well, it is.
Urusei Yatsura was truly revolutionary – no show had ever parodied the breadth and width of Japanese culture, past and present, so thoroughly as this one. With a huge cast of memorable, wonderful characters who are the seeds of today's anime archetypes (like anime's first true loser hero, Ataru, and first ditzy, petty magical girl-from-heaven, Lum), UY remains the mold that modern creators look to when creating their series. Most anime of the last twenty years can trace at least some influence to this show, and when anyone says, “It's been done before and better,” odds are that it was done by UY.
It may seem unfair or pretentious to compare all anime from 1981 onwards to Urusei Yatsura, until you realize that this show has everything ... AND the kitchen sink. While the characters are supposedly from a sci-fi show, they lampoon everything from mythology and folktales (the Oni, snow maidens, Momotaro) to modern Japanese society (Ataru's long-suffering parents, the put-upon teacher Onsen-Mark, the deranged and often irrelevant Buddhist monk Cherry) and different aspects of the then-current pop culture (disco music, romance dramas, biker gangs). Of course, UFOs and aliens were hip and cool in early 1980s Japan, which is why Urusei Yatsura is steeped in the sci-fi tradition, but it rarely takes itself seriously unless it wants to. But more often, Tomobiki High School is the backdrop for what can properly only be described as pure insanity.
Of course, no high school is complete without its zany cast of characters. Ataru is a completely irredeemable lout who really does bring on all the misery he gets in his life. And at the same time, you can't help but cheer for him and hope the poor loser catches a break someday. Then there's Lum, who floats around and wallows in the cutesy teenage slang of the time like an interstellar Valley Girl, while she chases Ataru around and zaps him for being unfaithful (since they're “married” and all). There's Ataru's handsome, filthy rich, and equally lecherous rival Mendou Shuutarou, who chases Lum around (because having an alien princess for a wife would be the ultimate status symbol). And there's Ataru's erstwhile fiancée, Shinobu, who can lift and throw large objects (like Mack trucks) in her fits of rage without even really thinking about it. And there's dozens and dozens more characters, who would take the next six years to adequately describe. (Like the goddess of luck, Benten, who is mysteriously now a biker chick. Or Lum's bratty little cousin, Ten, who breathes fire, flies around on a training potty, and torments Ataru any time he can.)
However, for readers of the manga, the anime seems to go along on completely different tangents from the original. Where the manga has plenty of SF hi-jinks with the cast described, the anime brings in a foursome who many fans lovingly refer to as “Lum's Storm Troopers” (Megane “Glasses”, Perm “Curly”, Chibi “Shorty”, and Kakugari “Buzz”) – more often than not instigators of nine-tenths of the craziness in the anime. Initially absent in the manga, these everyday teenage boys are the anchors of the show, everyday Joe Schmoes who idolize Lum but don't have a chance in heck with her – and chase her anyway. In a sense, the “Storm Troopers” epitomized the audience of Urusei Yatsura and are the unheralded secret of the success of the anime. Rarely the true center of the action, they are nonetheless its catalysts, sparking the madness and grounding it at the same time. Where the main cast in the manga often simply runs amok, the anime “Storm Troopers” serve as a foil to Ataru and Mendou, and slow down the action enough so that all the characters get personalities beyond the archetypes presented in the manga.
The animation, for its time, is fairly average. Unfortunately, this means that Urusei Yatsura has noticeably aged, but thankfully they don't try too many neat things with the television budget. It probably would look more dated if they tried to look state-of-the-art. The music is heavily calypso-influenced (as was popular in Japan during the time period), and there is a whole lot of disco dancing going on. But the songs are cute, funny, and enjoyable even now … even younger fans who are normally deathly allergic to disco have been caught grooving to “Lum's Love Song” and “Space is Super-Weird”.
Nothing quite sums up Urusei Yatsura as the word “weird”. UY epitomizes the very idea that the Japanese are completely frickin' insane … and quite proud of it, thank you very much. However, this show isn't just about being weird and funny.
If all UY had to offer was gag-a-minute visuals, then it wouldn't still be airing on reruns even today in Japan like an anime I Love Lucy – and Lum's image wouldn't be selling pasta on a poster in Rome, over twenty years after the show first hit the air. Urusei Yatsura is a timeless comedy that takes a deep, hard look at the Japanese psyche with a funhouse mirror. Younger fans may dismiss it now because they've seen all the jokes in newer anime like Ranma ½, Tenchi Muyo, and Sorcerer Hunters, but Urusei Yatsura is a landmark series that deserves to be remembered for what it is: one of the first megahits … and still one of the best.
An original and unapologetically Japanese classic that earns every star we can give. Newer fans, however, might drop a star or two due to dated animation and not having the fandom and/or cultural background to properly appreciate it.
2) Maison Ikkoku
ThemAnime.org's synopsis:
QUOTE
Set in 1980s Japan, Godai Yusaku is a ronin (someone who has failed university entrance exams) living in a run down apartment complex called Maison Ikkoku. Among the other residents are the nosy Ichinoses, the bombshell Roppongi Akemi, and the mysterious salaryman(or is he?) Yotsuya. The others are given to having wild parties which makes it difficult for Godai to study. Into this mayhem comes the recently widowed Kyoko as the new live-in manager. It's love at first sight for Godai, but of course he doesn't have the nerve to tell her (is he nuts?!). As time passes, their relationship slowly (and realistically) develops amid life at Maison Ikkoku, despite all sorts of romantic hurdles.
ThemAnime.org's review:
QUOTE
Nothing, nothing, nothing can prepare you for this series. When most of you think of Takahashi Rumiko, you think super-dimensional mallets, massive glomping, slapstick humor and an entourage of characters that make the show nothing short of a circus.
You would never expect that the very same Takahashi is a master weaver of subtle, gentle, and poignant relationships--sans resentment, violence, shouting matches, and "I-love-you-but-will-pretend-to-hate-you" a la kindergarten playground antics.
Maison Ikkoku takes you (and nearly any Japanese person) back to the days when love was--well, still anything but simple, but sweeter and quieter than what it is today. "Moe" was nowhere to be seen, Internet and cell phones were absent, preventing a lot of today's modern-day lover mix-ups, and shounen titles were still capable of delivering love stories that made shoujo titles writhe with envy.
Godai Yusaku is the boy you love more than anything, but would avoid associating with at all costs. He is, from an outsider's view, a total loser. He has failed his university exams, living on instant ramen, burying his face in dirty magazines, his life is one bad decision after another...and could very well have been an endless downward spiral into eternal loser-dom, were it not for the fateful arrival of the beautiful, but quite normal Otonashi Kyoko.
Kyoko, a young widow who takes over the seemingly unglamorous and stressful job of managing Ikkoku-kan's tenants, is sweet but firm, mature and graceful--and, let's face it, totally out of Godai's league as it stands. Slowly, as a lustful Godai actually gets to know Kyoko as someone other than "the HAWT manager lady" (I exaggerate), we begin to see the gradual maturation of Godai into an aimless teenager into a mature young man, striving to be husband material for the sympathetically independent Kyoko.
The realism and gradual development between the two main characters is so refreshing and never forced. While we never lose focus of the end goal in sight (this is a love story, after all), there are several detours along the way--some in the form of love triangles, other in the forms of lifetime responsibilities (Godai actually graduating college, for example). A determined Godai and the audience are all taught the virtue of patience--as much as all of us want him to win the girl, we understand (along with the main character) that truely good things are worth waiting for...and in the mean time, life goes on for everyone. Kyoko and Godai both date other people, do different things, take different paths, the only thing keeping them together being sharing the same roof of Ikkoku-kan. At one point, even that is threatened.
On a personal note, it was this series that pushed me over the edge in a sense--in regards to moving to Japan. Maison Ikkoku gives a very accurate portrayal of an average Japanese person's life, especially that of a singleton living alone and fairing for themselves. We see the fun, the not-so-fun, and the very unsavory realities of living in Japan. It is cramped. It is crowded. You do spend most of your time on the floor.
Making the picture of your average Japanese life even more complete is the colorful, slightly zany cast of supporting characters, starting with (but not limited to) the other tenants of Ikkoku-kan. Unlike so many supporting casts, the tenants of Ikkoku-kan are not living in a vacuum, and react to all the things that happen to our main characters. Certain "plot holes" that normally aren't addressed in other titles are questioned here (like "where is Kentaro's father?" and "what does Yotsuya do for a living?"), and each one has identities of their own with events and consequences that leak into each other's lives.
Incredible animation is not necessary for telling such a breathtaking story, but fortunately, we don't have to worry about being short-changed. Of course, the vintage of this series is the early-to-mid eighties, so the animation you can expect is somewhere between the later part of Urusei Yatsura and the earlier part of Ranma 1/2, as much of the creative teams for these series took part in Maison Ikkoku. The music and sound effects are also slightly dated for the times, but the opening the ending animation sequences remain some of my favorites. The Jpop masters of the time (including actress Saitoh Yuki, Pierrot, and now defunct Anzen Chitai featuring Tamaki Kouji) lend their talents to the impressive collection of theme songs, capturing the era, the hope, the passion, and the longing in a way that most anime theme songs fail to do in more recent years.
But with a whopping 96 episodes (has Takahashi ever done a single-season series other than Rumik World?), it might take a bit of convincing to get into something (especially something as emotionally involving as this series) for the long haul. Let me put it this way: if I had my way, I would attend every anime convention and pass out copies of the series like an evangelist would Bible tracts.
Unlike so many of Takahashi's recent (and loooooong!) series, this one has a solid, rewarding conclusion. One that makes you both cry and cheer at the same time. So rarely in an animated series are there characters that you laugh with, drink with, cry with, party with...and Godai and Kyoko open the door to you to join them in Ikkoku-kan...and the greatest days of their young adult lives.
This is Takahashi at her best. Heck, this is anime at its best. There may never be "the greatest anime series of all time," but I would bet a good amount of money that this series would be on most (respected) anime viewers' top five lists.
3) Ranma ½
ThemAnime.org's synopsis:
QUOTE
Tendo Soun receives a postcard from China indicating that his old friend, Saotome Genma, is returning from a training trip with his son, Ranma, to marry one of Soun's daughters to carry on the tradition of the Anything-Goes-School-of-Martial-Arts.
When Ranma arrives, Soun faints in shock when it's revealed to him that Ranma is actually a girl. Here's the catch, though: Ranma's not really a girl, but a boy with a Chinese curse, triggered by cold water while hot water reverses the effect.
Ranma is then given a choice of Soun's three daughters: sweet and demure Kasumi, money-grubbing Nabiki, or cute but violent Akane. Kasumi and Nabiki immediately pick Akane for Ranma, since "Akane hates boys, but Ranma's only half a boy." Akane doesn't like Ranma because he beat her at martial arts (he was a girl at the time), and Ranma doesn't like Akane because she's violent and "uncute." Ranma makes the crack that he's better built as a girl than Akane is, and Akane thanks him by crushing him with the dining table. A healthy start to a beautiful relationship. And this is only the beginning ...
ThemAnime.org's review:
QUOTE
I love this thing. This was one of the first anime titles I saw, and it's still one of my all time favorites.
Ranma 1/2 is one of the funniest things I've ever seen, anime or otherwise. The scripting is great, a laugh a minute, and the situations posed to Ranma and the gang defy all senses of propriety, sanity, or gravity. The characters are all hilarious (and cute too), and help make the series more than just another teenage sitcom. There is no middle ground in Ranma 1/2, which helps create the simply BIZARRE conflicts between the characters. Beverly Hills, 90210 has nothing on Ranma 1/2 when it comes to complex relationships. Love triangles? Heck, try love three-dimensional parallelipideds strewn with secants, diagonals, and singularities.
The martial arts in Ranma 1/2 is also very good. Not very realistic, of course, but the fight scenes well executed enough that even a non-martial arts fan can get caught up in the action (kinda like what Jackie Chan does for martial arts on the silver screen). Of course, it doesn't hurt either that the animation is generally pretty good, especially for a TV series (the OAV series has even better animation). "Romantic" scenes are done well, too, never taking itself too seriously lest it turn into a soap opera.
Soundtrack is done well. Not too complex, not too fancy, but just what the scene needs to pack that extra punch. Of course, the OAV themes put out by Doco (the quintet consisting of the voice actresses for onna-Ranma, Shampoo, Kasumi, Nabiki, and Akane) are in my opinion at least as good as anything else out there.
Dubbing...well, the Japanese version is probably better, but who cares? Ranma 1/2 has some of the best dubbing I've ever heard. All the actors really put effort into their parts, and the voice matches are done amazingly well. In fact, I actually prefer some of the U.S. voices to the Japanese voices (Kuno and Nabiki).
All in all, thumbs up, especially the first season. You want a good time? Ranma 1/2 is the one for you.
4) Inu-Yasha
ThemAnime.org's synopsis:
QUOTE
Kagome, a girl from modern Tokyo, falls into the Bone Eater's Well, which happens to be a portal to and from ancient Japan. When she finds herself the carrier of the Shikon Jewel, the jewel of four souls, the demons arrive, forcing Kagome to release Inuyasha, a half-demon, to protect her. But when a second demon tries for the jewel, the ensuing fracas ends in the jewel being shattered and the pieces spread all over Japan. Unwillingly at first, Kagome teams up with Inuyasha to gather the pieces of the Shikon Jewel, which brings them all over ancient Japan, encountering gods, demons and spirits aplenty in their search.
ThemAnime.org's review:
QUOTE
I'll admit I went a little overboard on my original review of Inuyasha. I am, after all, a big fan of Takahashi's work, which includes Ranma ½, Mermaid Forest and, yes, Inuyasha. I've also looked by Urusei Yatsura with some interest, but haven't gotten to the part of looking any more into that for now.) So those of you who don't share my love for Ms. Takahashi might want to take what I have to say with a pinch of salt.
That being said, I'm very pleased with the way Inuyasha has turned out. Unlike Ranma ½, this series follows the manga almost to the letter, with only some minor changes so as better to suit an animated medium. And good animation at that.
Inuyasha is colorful, has nice character design, and taken into account that it is a TV series, the animation is more than adequate. Perhaps not quite up to the level of Fruits Basket or Happy Lesson, but it works and works well too.
I am, however, less pleased with the music. The in-series music is okay. Mostly ambient, and mostly very good. The opening and ending themes are starting to grate on me, however, even though they tend to change over a period of twenty to thirty episodes. They are more fitting a pure action show and while Inuyasha does have its fair share of action scenes, the series does run a little deeper than that.
The Japanese VAs deserve nothing but praise. They do their roles and they do them well. The English ones are more of a mixed bag, with Sesshoumaru's and Sango's voices being excellent but Kagome's and Kaede's being not quite as good. Kagome starts out being voiced rather badly, but improves a lot as the series progresses and Kaede is suffering from bad and unfitting accent syndrome. I have no idea why they have her talking like ye olde pirate, but they did. (Hell, even Kikyo doesn't talk like that, and she was Kaede's big sister.)
Anyway, that leaves only the story.
Before we start with that, let me just get this straight; Inuyasha is mainly rather lighthearted stuff, but the Takahashi magic does show its presence rather heavily here -- after all, it's her stories that are being animated -- and she does have a knack for writing intricate person to person interaction scenes, not to mention the way she puts these characters up against each other. And while some characters might share similar appearance traits -- like Kagome and Kikyo, but for rather obvious reasons -- their personalities is a far cry from being copies of each other. And as the series progresses, more and more stuff about each characters past is discovered, and how they crossed -- well, mainly Inuyasha's and Kikyo's pasts in that. And while it was, like I said, mainly lighthearted stuff, it does get rather serious and dark-ish at times. I'll tell you this, though; not everything is as it first seems.
Now, with well past a hundred episodes made, it's blindingly obvious that there will be filler material that I don't know for sure whether they are from the manga as it hasn't been released in English this far yet. This being said, the series does descend into the "villain of the week" syndrome from time to time, but the way a lot of these are handled saves it from becoming tedious. Let me just say this, though; not all of them are defeated in fights, but leaves the story with some parting thoughts for you to ponder. Not incredibly deep Zen stuff, but certainly not something to be dismissed as unworthy or simple-minded either.
So what we have is a rather good popular TV show built on what makes Takahashi Rumiko's stories and characterizations work, and work well at that. I personally recommend this series for your collection and, given Viz's slow release pacing, it shouldn't ruin your budget much either. And if you do possess some semblance of patience, I'm sure Viz will release season packages of Inu Yasha like they have with Ranma ½, which might be much better value for your money.
Either way, it's a good choice.
If you don't like any of Takahashi's work -- and you won't mistake it for something different, that's for sure -- you'll probably want to remove a star or two.
Well, that's that... man, this was a pretty long post, eh?
Okay... I think I ranted a bit too much. All this and I didn't talk much about the show itself so much as how I feel about the show and Rumiko Takahashi in general.
Anywho, come on people, if any of you are a fan of anything by Rumiko Takahashi, come here and chat about it! I know most of you watch Adult Swim, so I know there's Inu-Yasha fans out there!
This post has been edited by Clown Prince of Crime on Apr 23 2009, 09:19 AM
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That's a lot of ranting.
But I completely understand why. Though I have not seen any of those other three anime you mentioned, including the one you like so much, I have spent more money on Inu-Yasha than any other anime ever. I've got so many subtitled DVDs it's incredible... not to mention one of the translated DVDs... a bunch of tapes from Adult Swim... several volumes of the manga... even the trading cards which not even I know why I bought and yet I did buy them. O.o Even I don't understand me all of the , most of the sometimes.
So I know that Takahashi is a great creator of things, as I do so love Inu-Yasha.
Urusei Yatsura, huh? Well, if ever there comes a time when I can get my hands on some of it, so I shall! Right now, though, my money is reserved for Wii. >_> Once again Nintendo tempts me with new Zelda and I fall victim to it.
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Yes, indeed you should look into Urusei Yatsura. I'm trying to get everything in order. Once I'm done with UY, I'll move on to MI, then Ranma, then Inu-Yasha. Considering the incredible drop in price in UY DVDs, I should be able to get it done pretty quickly. Actually, I've already seen every episode of Ranma... and quite a bit of IY... so what I mean to say is that's how I'll BUY them.
And here's some playlists that you might find useful. Firstly, all the Urusei Yatsura intros and outros.
And next, a bunch of Urusei Yatsura music videos.
If I ever add any more videos to these playlists, they'll update automatically. Pretty neat, eh?
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And now for more Inu-Yasha. These are Tessaiga's techniques in Inu-Yasha. This is all canonical.
Edit: The Japanese parts of this got all screwed up by the board. >_>
Tessaiga's Techniques (including Manga-Specific) Wind Scar (ïL¤Î‚û, Kaze no Kizu?): A special attack that can take 100 lives with one strike. Inuyasha first used this attack by accident, but eventually learned to see the Wind Scar. This attack uses the collision of y¨kai winds between two enemies to create a path ("the scar") to unleash an attack of cutting wind. Once he has mastered this, he is able to take 100 lives in one strike of his sword. If he does the Kaze no Kizu too many times it eventually will wear him out since the Kaze no Kizu is from his y¨kai spirit. It nearly wore Inuyasha out once when he fought Mus¨. Later on after he stabs the heart of the y¨kai, Ryukotusei, he gains the ability to unleash the Kaze no Kizu whenever he wants. Explosive Flowing Wave (±¬Á÷ÆÆ, Bakury¨±ha?) (Viz's names: Dragon Twister / Backlash Wave): The Tessaiga's ogi (or ultimate technique). Uses the opponent's strong y¨ki and the Kaze no Kizu to return the attack, magnified hundreds of times. With this movement of the Tessaiga, he forms enormous charging twisters that sucks the foes power into the "Wind Scar" and forces it to flow backwards. The wind and the power twist together into a vortex, pushing it backwards and the enemy is attacked by its own y¨ki and Tessaiga's might combined. But to use it, he must see where to cut the y¨kai's aura and have strong enough "ki" himself to overpower his foes. An alternate way to look at it is this: when an enemy fires any type of y¨ki, Inuyasha is able to use that attack and send it back entwined in a twister along with Kaze no Kizu as long as he is more powerful than they. This only works on foes with a y¨ki. Barrier shatter (Red-colored Tessaiga): Gained from the blood of Taigokumaru which was absorbed into Shiori's orb. This technique renders barriers including Naraku's for a while useless. When being used, Tessaiga glows red. Only the strongest barriers cannot be shattered by this attack, such as Naraku's current barrier and Midoriko's barriers. Diamond Spear Wave (½ð„‚˜ŒÆÆ, Kong¨s¨ha?) (Viz's name: Adamant Barrage): Attack gained from Hosenki after Naraku had used the shard to make him fight Inuyasha. After defeating the diamond y¨kai with the power to obliterate any type of barrier, Inuyasha absorbed his power to combine his Kaze no Kizu with the diamonds to wreak havoc on the foe. The Tessaiga turns into a massive diamond, whipping diamond shards from its blade with huge y¨ki explosions to destroy any and foremost Naraku's Barriers. Ry¨±rin no Tessaiga (Dragon Scaled Tessaiga): This attack involves one half of Tessaiga being covered in large dragon scales. This move is different from the rest because it absorbs y¨ki instead of causing direct damage to an opponent. Inuyasha gained this attack when a sword smith that got possessed by a sword forged from a y¨kai's scale, named Datsuki, attacked Inuyasha. During the fight Datsuki absorbed the Kaze no Kizu attack as well as the Bakury¨±ha, and Tessaiga almost snapped, again. In the end, the sword smith couldn't handle it and died, causing the sword to break and give its special power to Tessaiga. This does not appear in the anime as it was discontinued.
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Pretty cool, GS. You're very knowledgable about Inu-Yasha. Man, I still can't believe those idiots at Viz spelled it as Tetsusaiga. Haha, Viz sucks (I have my reasons).
Oh, btw, I found on YouTube Nana Kitade singing the first theme to UY. And who's Nana Kitade? She's the chick that does the first ending theme to Fullmetal Alchemist.
Anywho, to compare, here's the original first opening theme: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YmiP9nB5nBA Ya, I know it's flagged. And if I ever find out who flagged it, I'm gonna do unpleasant things to them. There's no reason it should be flagged at all, whatsoever. So, click with confidence.
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Well, I'll buy my manga... I'm all the way up to graphic novel 15 for Ranma.
Speaking of which, I'll just say why I don't like Viz. Because Viz screwed the Urusei Yatsura manga. They got up to a certain point and then stopped releasing it. But, at least some kind souls on the internet went ahead and scanlated everything that Viz didn't. And that can be found here: http://www.projectilm.net/intro.htm
Oh! And another good place to find info on Ranma (as well as anything and everything Takahashi, for that matter) is at: http://www.furinkan.com/
And so long as Ranma was mentioned, I should state that my favorite character is Ryoga Hibiki. For some weird reason, he reminds me a lot of myself... especially the way he is towards Akane... it's kinda the way I am with most girls I like. Granted, I don't turn into a cute baby piglet with cold water, nor do I have superhuman strength and fantastic martial-arts training... but other than that, I'm pretty much Ryoga.
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I'm bumping and double-posting because I feel like it. It's for great justice!
Anywho, my recent obsessing has lead me to discover a variety of UY cameos in other Takahashi anime.
Cherry having a cameo in Inu-Yasha The Movie 2.
Ataru in episode 28 of Ranma ½.
Ataru appears in a crowd shot in an episode of Ranma ½.
Lum appearing on someone's T-Shirt in an episode of Ranma ½.
This one's from an episode of Inu-Yasha. It's difficult to make out, but I believe that you can see what looks like a bluish-purplish haired Lum running in the background. Either that or it's Shampoo from Ranma ½ wearing Lum's bikini. It's hard to tell since the picture is so fuzzy. Either way, there's no mistaking Lum's trademark bikini. And yes, I'm aware of all the other anime cameos. Most notably that of Jimmy Kudo and Rachel Moore from Case Closed. In fact, here's a better picture of them:
Anywho, ya... man, I'm a sad, sad nerd.
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Interestingly enough, I could tell Lum's outfit in that second-to-last pic from the boots. Also, for whatever reason, the guy in the straw hat in the last two pics makes me think of Luffy from One Piece, only in a different colored version of what you usually see him in.
Tell me if I'm looking too much into those last two pictures with that, 'o Masterful Spoon.
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[10:37:09 PM] CPoC: Eerlcome cbadks.
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[[10:36:08 PM] Tazzy: When I hear "live cultures" I know the word "cultures" doesn't mean what I think it means, but in my head yogurt is filled with families of bacteria that live in tiny civilizations and have traditions they pass down for GENERATIONS. And they dance and stuff
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Nah, you're not looking too much into it. The episode had to do with a school festival, so a lot of people were in costume. That's why there's so many cameos of different anime/manga. So, yes, that IS supposed to be a Luffy cameo. And the girl with him is that one little girl from Magical Do-Re-Mi. That yellow dude... I don't know, but he does look somewhat familiar to me. As for the guy in red at the very bottom right corner? I'm, like, 90% sure that's supposed to be Shin-chan.
Oh, and since it'd probably be more appropriate to have here than in Chatty-Chat, here's those UY scanlations I worked on:
Oh... and I didn't flip any of this, so make sure to read the panels and speech bubbles in the Japanese order they're meant to be read: right to left!
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Well, Spoony, let's do some talkin'!
To answer your Chatty Chat Question, I've actually started Ranma on Season 03. Why? 'cause my friend bought a season 3 VHS. Well... he also bought a DVD containing the final four episodes, but we didn't watch that yet.
So far I think my favorite is Akane... but I haven't watched a whole lot of the series and I don't know many of the characters that well. I just know Ranma, Akane, their dads, that creepy little pervert guy, the pig guy and spatula girl!
Though Ranma is freakin' awesome. I figured it would be, after watching Inuyasha and Urusei Yatsura, but I never got around to watching or reading it.
Do you know if there's a online manga site? I have one, but the images are kind of small and it's not always easy to read.
[...]
Now, I have a InuYasha question! I finally saw the final episode of InuYasha this week... and, well, I assume you saw it and know why I'm so freakin' irritated.
I also recently learned that Takahashi has recently begun the final storyline in the manga. So my question is, do you know if there's been any announcement or speculation that, once she ends the manga, they will make a movie or some new episodes that will give the anime closure?
InuYasha's one of my all-time faves, and it really disappoints me the way they ended it. So I hoped you might know something I don't.
[...]
Also, also... >_> You've likely heard I've had a ton of computer problems over the last so-many months... one of the casualties was all of my old files... including those UY episodes. I don't suppose a wonderfully awesome and exceedingly zuber Lord of Silverware would be willing to help me out? :3 If not, it's cool, but I figured I might as well ask.
I'm wanting to get my friend hooked on UY.
This post has been edited by GoldenSama on Apr 18 2008, 09:41 PM
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I shall now dissect your post, GS!
QUOTE (GoldenSama @ Apr 18 2008, 09:40 PM)
Well, Spoony, let's do some talkin'!
Yes, let's.
QUOTE (GoldenSama @ Apr 18 2008, 09:40 PM)
To answer your Chatty Chat Question, I've actually started Ranma on Season 03. Why? 'cause my friend bought a season 3 VHS. Well... he also bought a DVD containing the final four episodes, but we didn't watch that yet.
If you watch the "final four episodes", it won't be too bad. The anime just ends abruptly, there is no ending. There's a reason for it, which I will discuss in response to something else you said.
QUOTE (GoldenSama @ Apr 18 2008, 09:40 PM)
So far I think my favorite is Akane... but I haven't watched a whole lot of the series and I don't know many of the characters that well. I just know Ranma, Akane, their dads, that creepy little pervert guy, the pig guy and spatula girl!
Hmmm... just Ranma, Akane, their dads (Genma Saotome and Soun Tendo), Happosai, Ryoga, and Ukyo? Okay, there was really no other reason for this response other than to say the names of the characters that you didn't know the names of.
QUOTE (GoldenSama @ Apr 18 2008, 09:40 PM)
Though Ranma is freakin' awesome. I figured it would be, after watching Inuyasha and Urusei Yatsura, but I never got around to watching or reading it.
Well, Ranma ½ has recently been added to the Anime Theater Zone, as well as a few other Takahashi things. Including the OVA of one of her one-shot stories, Fire Tripper! Which as you may recall, was the original story that inspired many of the elements later seen in Inu-Yasha (though don't get mad at me, but I actually kinda liked it more than Inu-Yasha ).
QUOTE (GoldenSama @ Apr 18 2008, 09:40 PM)
Do you know if there's a online manga site? I have one, but the images are kind of small and it's not always easy to read.
Unfortunately, I don't. I think I may have all of it on my computer, though. But I have no idea what the quality is (as I haven't checked them in a long time).
If you want me to give ya these, we'll have to figure out a way for me to give them to you (once I find them), because... well, it'd be a pretty big file transfer.
QUOTE (GoldenSama @ Apr 18 2008, 09:40 PM)
Now, I have a InuYasha question! I finally saw the final episode of InuYasha this week... and, well, I assume you saw it and know why I'm so freakin' irritated.
I also recently learned that Takahashi has recently begun the final storyline in the manga. So my question is, do you know if there's been any announcement or speculation that, once she ends the manga, they will make a movie or some new episodes that will give the anime closure?
InuYasha's one of my all-time faves, and it really disappoints me the way they ended it. So I hoped you might know something I don't.
It's possible that they may go back and make a movie based on the ending in the manga. That's what they did with Urusei Yatsura and Maison Ikkoku. The only reason they didn't do it with Ranma ½ is because the show was actually canceled. Kitty Films, the studio that animated Urusei Yatsura, Maison Ikkoku, and Ranma ½, went out of business/bankrupt or something. Because of that, the anime for Ranma ½ just... stopped. They weren't expecting that to happen to them, so the anime has no ending AT ALL.
You may have noticed that Inu-Yasha is animated by Sunrise rather than Kitty Films. That's because Kitty Films doesn't exist anymore, so starting with Rumiko Takahashi Anthology (which is now on the Anime Theater Zone), all anime based on Takahashi's manga was now being animated by Sunrise.
QUOTE (GoldenSama @ Apr 18 2008, 09:40 PM)
Also, also... >_> You've likely heard I've had a ton of computer problems over the last so-many months... one of the casualties was all of my old files... including those UY episodes. I don't suppose a wonderfully awesome and exceedingly zuber Lord of Silverware would be willing to help me out? :3 If not, it's cool, but I figured I might as well ask.
I'm wanting to get my friend hooked on UY.
Hmmm... perhaps there's something I'd be able to do. However, don't forget that Urusei Yatsura is available for watching on the Anime Theater Zone! I actually think I may have recently just got to the point where you left off (or around it) back when I was giving you those episodes.
EDIT: Holy Crap!! O_O
Apparently, in Star Trek: The Next Generation, there's a ship called the "SS Urusei Yatsura" and another called the "SS Tomobiki"! O_o
Skin credits: SRB 2.1 by BlueRush; Old School by J0HA and Clown Prince of Crime; Dreadlocks by BlueRush; Teh City by Kazuki; Ramen by Damein; Visit IFSZ.
Rumiko Takahashi *SPOILERS*, Urusei Yatsura, Inu-Yasha, Ranma ½, etc.
And before you ask, Ataru is nothing like Robin... for starters, Ataru is a lecherous loser (he makes Miroku look like a saint... wow, that sentence was a bit ironic) who was born on Friday the 13th and has the worst luck in all the universe (stated as scientific fact in the show). I think I remember reading somewhere that when his mother was pregnant with him, she crossed under a ladder, had a black cat cross her path, broke a mirror, spilled salt, etc, etc, etc.
They're all full of romance. Actually, maybe it'd be better if I went into more detail!
& 
= The BEST. That is all. 
Also, for whatever reason, the guy in the straw hat in the last two pics makes me think of Luffy from One Piece, only in a different colored version of what you usually see him in.
So I hoped you might know something I don't.
