Inuyasha’s Anime Endures: Celebrating 25 Years of Timeless Appeal

Anime enthusiasts often scrutinize 1990s shows, pinpointing flaws that fall short of today’s benchmarks. From overused ideas to outdated clichés, older anime typically struggle to prove their relevance to contemporary audiences. However, Inuyasha defies this trend. While it isn’t without its imperfections, it comes remarkably close to being exemplary.

During an era dominated by battle shonen centered on formidable powers and grand duels, Inuyasha stood out by seamlessly merging various genres. Though primarily a shonen series, it incorporated shojo and isekai elements, along with a unique fantasy-world twist. This blend set it apart from other anime of its time, and it continues to do so, making it a timeless classic that modern viewers should experience at least once.

A key factor contributing to Inuyasha‘s enduring appeal, even when compared to other ’90s shonen, is the central romance that underpins the narrative. The love triangle involving Kikyo, Inuyasha, and Kagome spans the entire series, with the protagonists grappling with their true feelings until the very end. This dynamic, while occasionally as frustrating as love itself, ultimately works to the show’s advantage.

Inuyasha Executes Teen Romance Beautifully

One of the reasons Inuyasha still holds up surprisingly well when compared to a lot of other ’90s shonen anime is the core romance driving the story from the start. The love triangle between Kikyo, Inuyasha and Kagome stretches across the entire series, with the two main protagonists never truly facing the truth about their feelings for each other until the end. That may sound frustrating, and just like love, it is sometimes, but it works.

Between Inuyasha’s tsundere grumpiness and Kagome’s deredere sweetness, it’s obvious they’re made for each other. The lingering heartache of the past makes it impossible for them to recognize their feelings openly. Coupled with the fact that there is a lot more going on in the Feudal Era than a happy-go-lucky modern girl falling in love with a half-demon, and even though their love story lingers and grows under the surface, it doesn’t fully define the series’ every waking moment.

The same can’t be said for a lot of other popular ’90s anime, or even anime that launched in the early 2000s. Sailor Moon, for example, was written for a primarily female audience, so the romance was everything to the story. 2002’s Naruto anime introduced one of shonen anime’s most controversial romances in Sakura Haruno and Sasuke Uchiha, largely in part due to poor treatment of the female characters and romance for the sake of romance. The same can’t be said for Inuyasha, which held its ground when it came to the underlying romantic tension between Inuyasha and Kagome and the shadow of heartache Kikyo left in her wake. There’s just enough jealousy there to affect their moods, and Inuyasha gets just as jealous every time Koga comes around to woo an oblivious Kagome.

Not every aspect of romance in Inuyasha’s works, of course. There’s probably not a woman alive today who doesn’t want to push Miroku into a deep well and drop the bucket, including Sango before (and likely after) she married him. The perverted character trope has been toned down a lot since the ’90s, which makes watching Miroku difficult to stomach. Even once Sango starts trying to keep Miroku in line, it’s still a bit extreme, and that can make it a bit hard to watch by today’s viewers. That being said, it’s one small hiccup in an otherwise strong romance story.

Some of the ’90s Greatest Shonen Battles Happen In Inuyasha

Anime has certainly come a long way since the 1990s, but there’s no deny that Inuyasha still has some of the most striking battles in shonen anime. Considering the mission Inuyasha and Kagome are on to collect the sacred jewel shards, they face a lot of pretty brutal enemies along the way. From battling Inuyasha’s own brother, Sesshomaru, to fighting off Naraku and his many minions at every turn, a battle-free episode of Inuyasha is a rarity. Even when Inuyasha followed Kagome home during the school festival, they found themselves fighting off an accidental demon infestation in modern day Japan.

Avenging Shippo’s father against the Thunder Brothers early on was a particularly brutal fight that still resonates with viewers nearly two-and-a-half decades later. Every time Inuyasha had to face off against Sesshomaru, the tension was palpable, especially after their first battle cost the full-blooded dog demon his arm. The entire Band of Seven arc is driven beautifully by its incredible battles, making it an unforgettable stop on the road to destroying Naraku once and for all.

No Anime Does Redemption Like Inuyasha

There are a lot of characters in Inuyasha searching for redemption, but none more prominent than Songo’s younger brother, Kohaku. Across the entire series, Kohaku can’t fight his connection to Naraku, and it pits him against his own sister and her friends repeatedly. Kohaku, while under Naraku’s spell, killed his and Songo’s father, along with the other Demon Slayers who joined them at the castle. At just 11 years old, he becomes Naraku’s puppet assassin, carrying out his dirty work with no free will of his own.

More than once, it seems like he’s found his humanity again, but no matter how he fights it, he can’t break free from Naraku’s hold over him. But it becomes obvious pretty quickly that he’s not irredeemable. He tries to put distance between himself and Songo when he realizes he’s probably going to kill her, and later, when Rin is abducted he helps her escape because there’s still humanity inside him. Little details like that go a long way toward strengthening Inuyasha enough to make it still worth watching today.

With Rin in mind, the little girl also had a deep effect on Sesshomaru after he brought her back to life, and she began following him around. Sesshomaru, who had always been disgusted by humans because of his father’s relationship with Inuyasha’s mother, didn’t seem to react much to Rin’s presence, at least not at first. Whether it was her generally happy nature and smile or her innocence that got under his skin, Sesshomaru protected Rin and kept her safe, even rescuing her when Kagura abducted her for Naraku. It’s a long way from redemption, but it is proof that even the hardest of hearts is capable of softening.

With such solid and timeless themes at its core, it’s undeniable that Inuyasha is more than worth watching today. It should be required viewing for anime fans with a softspot for romance, strong character arcs, and epic battles.