Inuyasha

InuYasha (犬夜叉, Inu Yasha) is the titular character and one of the main protagonists of the InuYasha series.

Description
Born from a dog demon father and a human mother, InuYasha is a Hanyō who initially wanted to use the powers of the Shikon Jewel to become a full Yōkai. After falling in love with Kikyo, the Miko who guarded the jewel, he changed his mind and wanted to become human so he could live with her, but Naraku manipulated both of them into believing they have been betrayed by one another. Kikyo had been fatally wounded, but before she died, she shot an arrow through InuYasha'a chest to pin him to the sacred tree. InuYasha remained in suspended animation for fifty years until Kagome Higurashi, Kikyo's reincarnation, pulled out the arrow and freed him. After the Shikon Jewel shattered, InuYasha and Kagome travel together to retrieve its shards. Initially wary of Kagome's resemblance to Kikyo, InuYasha and her develop a complicated friendship and eventually fall in love. He also forms strong friendships with the other companions they gain. His sword, Tetsusaiga, was made from one of his father's fangs (and later incorporates one of InuYasha's fangs as well); its full power cannot be unleashed until he learned how to trust in himself and his father's fang unleasheing all of the Tetsaigai's power its sheath has a barrier that protects its bearer from almost any attack, and can repely or send back any attack thrown at him. Almost like the Backlash Wave (in japanese Backruha).

Story
The plotline of the series of InuYasha can be summarized in a capsulation of the first episode "Kagome, your average teenage girl, is happily leading a normal life in contemporary Japan. But on her 15th birthday, a mysterious centipede demon emerges from an ancient well on her family’s property and drags her back through the well to the world of feudal Japan."

In Feudal Japan, she meets our Hero, InuYasha ( 犬夜叉 ) apparently asleep, pinned to a tree through the shoulder by a  Hamaya  or sacred arrow.

Author Rumiko Takahashi once stated in an interview that InuYasha is an akita inu. According to Ms. Takahashi's official Zusetsutaizen Ougikaiden character databook, Inuyasha's age in human years is unknown but his appearance and general behavior are "equivalent" to a human 17-year-old at the start of the series. However, the movie canon suggests an actual age of 203 human years since the Sou'unga was sealed two hundred years prior to the feudal era period. Inuyasha was shown to be born at that time, and he was sealed away for fifty years, providing 253 - 50 = 203 years. This is consistant with European concepts of the Fay, Faerie, Elvish, or Tuatha De Danaan (various spirits, sprites, daemons, etc) as aging far more slowly than humans, even to the point of appearing immortal.

Intent on becoming stronger, InuYasha originally intended to use the Shikon no Tama (Jewel of Four Souls, also known as the Shikon Jewel) to change from a half-yokai to a full Youkai. To acquire this jewel, he would have to steal it from Kikyo, the Shinto priestess tasked with purifying and protecting the jewel. After several unsuccesful attempts to even approach  Kikyo, InuYasha began to develop feelings by her. Their subsequent encounters lead to a closer relationship, and she eventually talked him into using the Jewel to become human (he wished to gain acceptance, and she wished to be a normal woman).

Another hanyou, (formerly a human known only as Onigumo, but now called Naraku) had been observing them and made them believe they betrayed each other. Because of Naraku's schemes, and their own lack of faith in each other, their relationship ended when InuYasha broke into Kikyo's village and stole the Shikon Jewel. In defense of the village, and to keep him from escaping with the jewel, Kikyo shot InuYasha with a Hamaya (sacred arrow), sealing him to a tree in an eternal enchanted sleep. Moments afterward, Kikyo collapses from a wound she received from Naraku -- though at first the viewer is lead to believe that InuYasha wounded her -- and she dies within a few short moments. Part of her final instructions to her sister Kaede was to have the jewel burned with her body so that Yokai and evil men could never use it.

50 years later, InuYasha was released from the tree by Kagome Higurashi, a young girl from the present (present being 1997)who unknowingly carried the Shikon no Tama inside her body. Kagome accidentally shattered the jewel while shooting at a demon trying to flee with it, and the shards were scattered around Japan. InuYasha, Kagome, and their friends (InuYasha-tachi) then began the search for the shards of the Shikon no Tama.

InuYasha has very clearly come to love Kagome. He calls her "the first person he has ever trusted." This is significant when we realize that the reason Naraku was able to break InuYasha and Kikyo apart was due to their mistrust. InuYasha is often seen touching or holding Kagome, blushes when in contact with her, and it's her near death that causes him to shed his first tears. Due to his shy nature and obligations to Kikyo, after witnessing what her thought was her "betrayal"; he finds it difficult to directly display his feelings for Kagome. However, his actions towards her are romantic. In Japanese culture, it is considered a romantic gesture to (of course) hug, but also to hold one's hand and touch a woman below the shoulders. He does this continually.

InuYasha is offended when someone calls him a dog or suggests that he is inferior to full Yōkai. His arrogance and hostility can readily be explained by his upbringing. We know that he was raised from his birth by his human mother in her father's court. He was ostracized and rejected by all humans except his mother and she died while he was still a very young child. All we know from that time until his meeting with Kikyo is that he was rejected by his brother Sesshomarou, the Youkai world (since he is a half-blood), and the Humans alike. All that he knows of his father is what he has been told by his mother and others such as Old Myoga the Flea. All that he has from his mother are the Robe of the Fire Rat and his memories. All that he has from his father are his Youkai blood and the Tessaiga.

Knowing this, we surmise that InuYasha was on his own from an early age. His "bad attitude", foul language, (such as swearing in the manga, and occasionally in the anime, and calling his elders (in human equivelance, -baba or -jiji whitch translates as old hag/witch or old geezer respectively.) and extreme self-confidence are comparable to that of an orphaned teenage street punk who has been forced to fend for himself from the age of perhaps 6 or 7 (human equivalence). While there is much speculation amongst fans that perhaps Sesshomaru had some hand in Inuyasha's upbringing after his mother's death, there is no support for this theory in canon.

With the incredible strength and healing powers inherited from his Yokai father and his Fire Rat robe, InuYasha would be able to survive hostile encounters with humans. Encounters with other demons might be another matter. Thus his desire to "become stronger". His only weakness is that a hanyo loses its power during a certain time period each month; Inuyasha's time is the night of a new moon (when he was born and also when the moon is not visible). His hair turns black and he loses his superhuman strength, speed and defensive abilities, as well as his dog ears, claws, fangs, etc. In this form, basically all of his Yokai powers are gone and he turns human; however, he returns to normal at dawn. He prefers to keep it a secret because on that night he is vulnerable, and only his group and a few others know his secret, and protect it wisely, but even this does not stop some as Naraku and Sesshomaru.

Relationships

 * Kagome Higurashi - Being the reincarnation of Inuyasha's dead love, Kikyo, Kagome's relationship with Inuyasha is hardly an ordinary one. Inuyasha's inital reaction to Kagome was extremely hostile, as he literally thought she was Kikyo. They fight all the time, their quarrels usually ending with Kagome using the power of the rosary around Inuyasha's neck to make him fall to the ground with a command of osuwari! (sit). Inuyasha clearly cares for her very deeply, even loves her, but whether he loves Kagome more than Kikyo remains unknown. However, he clearly stated that Kagome was the first human that he could ever trust; and further that his feelings for Kikyo were due to his being responsible for her death. At the end of the series he marries Kagome.


 * Miroku - Inuyasha clearly respects Miroku for his skills, powers, and knowledge. Although they often bicker for one reason or another, both know that they can trust the other with their life if need be. Whenever Miroku is sucking Naraku's saimyousho (poisonous wasps) into his Kazaana (Wind Tunnel) or otherwise putting himself in danger to help his friends, Inuyasha forces him to stop these dangerous tricks. Once he even promised to break Miroku's arm if he tried to open it again -- Inuyasha's way of saying that he cares.


 * Shippo - Inuyasha is continuously annoyed by him, who is rather smart for his age. Mostly their interaction consists of Shippo annoying Inuyasha and the hanyou then hitting him -- and Inuyasha being scolded by Kagome for it. However, the interaction is reminiscent of squabbling between two brothers.


 * Sango - Inuyasha and Sango don't interact often. He doesn't pay much attention to her in any romantic sense, being more centered on Kagome, but he does care for Sango, like for all his friends -- not that he'd ever admit that. However, he has admitted that she is an excellent and formidable foe in combat.


 * Kikyo - Inuyasha's relationship with Kikyo is a very troublesome one. He clearly loved her, and was once ready to become a human in order to be with her. However, Naraku tricked them both, making them hate each other. After learning the truth, Inuyasha is still clearly in love with Kikyo, even to the point of being willing to die together with Kikyo to finally be with her. However, towards the end of the anime, Inuyasha explains that his feelings toward Kikyo are primarily a sense of having been responsible for her death. Whether his love for Kikyo is stronger than the love he feels for Kagome remains unknown.


 * Sota Higurashi - Ever since Inuyasha began visiting the Modern Era, Kagome's little brother Sota has idolized the hanyo, even offering to scrub his back (a common expression of friendliness in the land of communal family baths). Inuyasha did his part: first he saved Souta from the Noh Mask. Later to help Sota find the courage to express his feelings to a girl, Inuyasha has coached Sota to "be strong", tried to teach him fighting techniques, and given him a great deal of encouragement and "help advise".

Abilities

 * Strength: InuYasha's yokai blood gives him superhuman strength. No upper limit has yet been shown in the canon, but, according to the Zusetsutaizen Ougikaiden official character data book, he is at least "strong enough to easily lift a boulder - with a diameter greater than the height of his body - over his head with one hand." (direct translated quote - Ougikaiden page 27) (Assuming that boulder is near-spherical, is made of granite with a density of 2.7g/cm³, and has a diameter of 200 cm (InuYasha's height being assumed at an average 175 cm), a boulder of that size would weigh approximately between 9000 kg (9 metric tons or 19,800 lb) and 11,000 kg (11 metric tons or 24,250 lb), or approximately the weight of a large city bus or the combined weight of 5-6 standard cars. He has also been shown to be able to uproot trees and break through walls and fortress gates, and has a punch feared by yokai many times his size. InuYasha has also shown the ability to be able to throw enemies hundreds of times his size; he did so in "Nursing Battle of the Rival Lover" by throwing a mountain-sized green ogre (presumably heavier than an InuYasha-sized boulder, hence the "at least" mentioned in the Ougikaiden above). In the battle against the Noh mask in the manga, he is shown to be able to punch through solid steel, as he did while destroying the mask. This is further corroborated on page 30 of the Ougikaiden, where Takahashi comments that Inuyasha's Sankon Tessou attack probably has the power to rip clean through the type of steel I-beam (tekkou in Japanese) used in modern construction. Similarly, in later manga chapters, he accidentally deformed Kagome's bike with his hands while attempting to fix it.


 * Speed: While not as fast as Entei the yokai horse that served as Hakudoshi's steed, InuYasha's speed has been shown to easily exceed that of a normal horse. He is able to cross great distances with a single jump, sometimes creating the illusion that he is flying. The Ougikaiden says he can reach the top of tall cliffs with a single leap as well. As seen in the movie canon, InuYasha can move fast enough that he appears to regular humans as nothing more than a brief and indistinct red blur and can apparently move fast enough to run over water.


 * Defensive Ability: His robe of Fire Rat skin provides added protection, but InuYasha's body is capable of taking a lot of damage - at the very least, it is capable of withstanding Yura's yokai hair, which was able to decapitate humans and slice through trees. He has also been seen to be unaffected by severe blunt force attacks - he was hit on the head with a log hard enough for the log to break in two without any effect. He appears weak against strong smells because of his sensitive nose (like smoke or poison gas), but has shown the ability to withstand direct contact with fire and tremendous heat (for example, against Renkotsu's flame attacks and in many other situations - the Fire-Rat Robe may be partly responsible for this, but parts of his body not covered by the robe appear equally invulnerable), does not need additional clothing in extreme cold (see the one-hour prequel special involving Kikyo) and appears resistant to acid (as when trapped by Naraku in the Ogre's Belly). He is, however, susceptible to a lot of yokai and holy weapons, but appears to be invulnerable to most human weapons, able to catch arrows out of the air and break swords with his hands. Even when injured, his recovery rate is much faster than that of a human's. Similarly, attacks powerful enough to severely injure him are rarely fatal - he recovered quickly from numerous serious attacks, including a fist-sized hole punched through his gut. This may be because of his possibly altered physiology.

Attacks

 * Soul-Shattering Iron Claw (Sankon Tessō): An attack where he focuses his demonic energy into his claws; also translated (mostly in the anime) as Iron Reaver Soul Stealer.


 * Blades of Blood (Hijin Ketsusō): A technique where he flings his blood at his opponent, creating crimson blades of energy.


 * Tessaiga: (Tetsusaiga). lit. Iron Crushing Fang A special sword made from one of his deceased father's fangs. It contains a protective aura which makes full yōkai unable to touch it.
 * Wound of the Wind (Kaze no Kizu): A special attack that can kill 100 yokai with one strike, and does not need to connect with the opponent(s)to hit.
 * Crushing Dragon Stream (Bakuryūha): Tessaiga's ōgi (or ultimate technique). Uses the opponent's own strong youki and the Kaze no Kizu (Wind Scar) to return the attack, magnified hundreds of times. Sometimes misstranslated to Dragon Twister (seen in the InuYasha: a Feudal Fairytale Playstation game's English Version)
 * Barrier Shattering: Gained from Shiori's orb for saving her from her grandfather and his bat yōkai, this technique renders barriers (including Naraku's for a while) useless. When being used, Tessaiga glows red. Only the strongest (or most holy) barriers cannot be shattered by this attack.
 * Diamond Shard Blast (Kongōsōha, 金剛槍破): Attack gained from Housenki after Naraku had used the shard to make him fight InuYasha. Able to pierce Naraku's stronger barriers; reffered to as "Adamant Barrage" in the English version.
 * Dragon Scale:This technique was gained after breaking the youkai sword Datsuki, which could absorb an opponent's youki. When being used allows Tessaiga to absorb the youki of it's enemy. It can also cut the large amount of youki emitting from a strong youkai, which can be fatal.
 * Dawn of the Dark Moon Path: An attack gained from Tenseiga after Sesshomaru smashes it over Inuyasha's Tessaiga, breaking it. This technique when used, opens a path to the world of the dead(Hell)in the form of a circle or flying blades.


 * Sheath of Tessaiga (Tessaiga no Saya): Can deflect energy attacks with the barrier used to contain Tessaiga's power.


 * Robe of the Fire Rat: Inuyasha's Suikan (robe) allows him to resist fire. It is also shown to be impervious to normal weapons such as swords, though it can be penetrated by magical, holy or demonic weapons.

Outfit
One aspect of Rumiko Takahashi's work is the considerable amount of historically correct detail. Inuyasha is set during the "Warring States " period, which is "Pre-Edo", or Muromachi, and Ms. Takahashi has mentioned in interviews that Inuyasha's clothing was based on standard "priest's garb" of the era. Here we can assume she refers to Shinto Priests, as at that time there were Shinto priests, Zen priests, and Buddhist priests among others. (Miroku is typical of the wandering Buddhist priests, while Kagome's grandfather and Kikyo are typical of the Shinto Shrine priest/priestesses.)

Inuyasha's red garments are made of the legendary "Fire-Rat (Hinezumi) Fur" which is said to be fireproof. The historical reference can be found in the ancient Japanese folk tale "Taketori Monogatari", or "The Bamboo Cutter's Tale".

From canon, we read "hinezumi no ke de otta koromo da, heta na yoroi yori tsuyoi ze" (火鼠の毛で織った衣だ、下手な鎧より強いぜ. ); the literal translation is: "It's clothes woven from fire rat's fur, stronger than poor armor." These claims are substantiated in numerous incidents throughout canon.

We can see that Inuyasha's garments are a jacket with "separated" sleeves, kosode (shirt), hakama (pants) bloused at the ankles and obi (belt).

Hakama
Inuysha's hakama, quite likely the Sashinuki style. Hakama of that era were often made leaving the crotch seam hemmed, but unclosed. This allowed one to accomodate the neccessary bodily functions without the need to disrobe entirely. Other styles of hakama had a fly created by overlaping seams. Modern hakama, especially those used in the martial arts, are usually sewn shut.

During the Sengoku period, a style of hakama developed to mimick the ballooning trousers seen upon the visiting Portuguese sailors. The hem of the hakama was cut narrower than the body, and ended in a sewn cuff to provide the balooning effect. The style continued into the Edo period, as Karusan-Bakama.

The Sashinuki hakama are a more formal somewhat larger style, often worn by court nobles Heian era. They are as much as 1.5 to 2 times the length of "normal" Hakama, and comprised of 6 panels as opposed to the "low class" four-panel hakama. This amount of fabric allows them to blouse voluminously over the leg, and is then secured about the ankle by a cord run through the hem. This, then becomes another subclass of hakama: the kukuri- (tied).

Suikan/Hitoe
by two decorative cords and the hitatare sleeve cords went thru a hidden seam. Since his jacket is tucked into the pants, and his white shirt clearly shows through the slits, perhaps it is a modified hitoe. However due to the length seen in several manga episodes, it may be more correctly a kariginu.

Other discussions point to the similarity between Inuyasha's jacket and the archaic kariginu, a samurai's hunting jacket commonly worn by court nobles. Jaken's jacket, while similar, is clearly a jo-e - we can see the differences in that Jaken's jo-e is neither tucked into the hakama, ( is is a belted over-garment) nor is it sewn shut along the sides.

According to sengokudaimyo.com the description of the hitoe corresponds quite closely to the appearance of Inuyasha's robe. It is an unlined robe, two panels wide. The back is arranged in a double fold like a large dart to accomodate the extra fabric. The color is traditionally a red-orange, although thay have been found in a pale green.

The sleeves are "separate" from the body (so the body is almost vestlike), and held on at the bottom. This feature allows the white shirt worn underneath to be seen clearly (Jaken's jacket has the same feature). When worn, the seam will separate somewhat at the top showing the white shirt beneath.
 * Sleeves

When worn, the sleeves appear to "bell" -- that is they are much wider at the wrist than at the shoulder. However it is clearly seen as early as manga vol 2, scroll 1 (Yura's Web) his jacket was hung to dry, that the sleaves appeared square. In another, vol 7 scroll 9 (When we are Two), Inuyasha was reclined upon his jacket showing clearly that the sleeves were square cut and the length was much longer than hitoe. Thus it may be more correctly a Kariginu.

The sleeves have the ribbon or cord sewn through the hem, at the wrist called sode-kukuri. This can serve at least two purposes: it would allow the sleeve to be gathered at the wrist (like the hakama at the ankle) and it is often used to gather the material for easy folding for storage.

The shoulders of the jacket body are wider than the wearer (deliberately) so that the shoulder of the jacket "hangs" past the wearers shoulders. This appears to be a fashion feature, as it is also repeated in the garments worn by Jaken, Kikyo, Kaede, and Kagome's grandfather.
 * Shoulders

The hitoe is shorter than a kimono, and is tucked into the hakama. It is so short in fact that the white shirt (Kosode) shows through the side Hakama slits instead of the jacket. The Jacket has a narrow collar, and a diagonal Front, closing left over right. It and is held shut with tied strips, like a Karate Gi top.
 * Hitoe Erratta

The jacket appears to be "too large" so that a fold of cloth is seen absolutely horizontal, about sternum height.

There is a black cord across the chest from the right shoulder to the left hip, tied in a simple bow. It is not a sword cord, but appears to be holding the excess fold of the jacket in place.

New
further research indicates that InuYasha's jacket is most likely the Court jacket called Suikan, which was worn at court by high-ranking retainers. from the above named source:

"This is an upper-body garment whose name is derived from the fabric having been soaked in water (sui) and spread out on a frame to dry (kan). It is similar in cut to the kariginu and hoi (i.e., having a standing collar, open sides, a one panel-wide body, sleeves only marginally attached at the shoulder blades). The fastening is different. Instead of a frog fastening at the collar as with a kariginu, two long round cords (one from the center back of the collar, one from the end of the front collar) are provided. The cords can be tied at the neck, or the garment can be worn with an open collar and the cords tied at the chest to keep everything together. The suikan is shorter than the kariginu and hoi, and is worn inside the hakama."

Thus, these cords correspond directly to the cord seen across Inuyasha's chest.

"During the Kamakura period the kariginu became the dress of the upper-class bushi, the suikan became the formal court dress of the middle-class bushi. When it became so, the depth of the sleeve was made greater... When kuge (the court nobles) wore suikan, they invariably wore them with the collar tied shut, unlike buke (or samurai class) who often wore the collar open in the manner of their more familiar hitatare.... At the end of Muromachi, it was virtually the formal costume of a young buke."

We find that the Suikan fits the pictures better than the hitoe; Suikan has extremely full sleeves attached only at the shoulder blade; the sleeves incoporate the drawstrings (as seen on Inuyasha's coat); it has a horizontal flap across the chest which is held closed by strings tied from the upper right collar across the chest (as worn by buke); and finally it has the length seen in canon, but with the slit sides would allow the white Kosode to show through.

Kosode
Kosode (literally: "little sleeve") were originally worn as underwear but by the Kamakura era, became accepted outer layer garments; more dressy with less sculpted sleeves. Kosode of the Heian and Kamakura Periods were always white. Inuyasha's kosode would be very much like a modern Kendo or Naginata Keikogi, with the sleeve fitting somewhat closely like a modern loose shirt, and extending to slightly past the wrist.

The slits in the side of the hakama show the white kosode, and the openings at the sleeves and shoulders of the suikan (jacket) show it as well. This is a deliberate fashion effect.

Obi
The belt appears to be a standard obi: a wide, stout cotton or silk belt about 12 to 15 feet long, and about 4 to 6 inches in width. It is often made of six or more folds or layers of cotton cloth heavily stitched together. The obi is worn over the top of other garments (except for the kimono, long vest, or outer coats) and is the belt through which the sword sheath (saya) is thrust.

Order of Dressing
Generally, the kosode is put on first, then the suikan, then the hakama. Both the shirt and jacket have two or more (sometimes internal) ties for holding it closed, just like a Karate Gi. In all cases, the garments are overlapped "left over right" as viewed by the wearer.

"To wear a kimono, wrap the right side of the kimono over the body, then overlap it with the left side. Right on top of the left is only used to dress a corpse for burial."

The hakama has a separate front and back, with a two ties attached to each, resulting in 4 belts to attempt to handle. Inuyasha's hakama appears to be the style which does not have a "back board", as is found on modern martial arts hakama, and Kagome's grandfather's hakama.

In the martial arts, the small board of the hakama is centered at the small of ones back, not higher. This is to position the obi correctly just over the hips so the sword is "low" in the sash making drawing the sword much easier.

However, we can see that Inuyasha wears his obi and his hakama much higher up around his waist, nearly to his ribs.

The hakama knots should be simple and flat for comfort. They will be covered by the obi. The obi knot is usually square and tight.

Inuyasha's obi knot is more of a slightly floppy bow knot.

Regarding color, while the manga started with an interesting "pink" color, the bright red is the accepted color now.

Accoutrements

 * The "Kotodama no Nenju" (necklace of subjugation) is introduced in the very first manga as a spritual device to control Inuyasha. It was originally intended to keep Inuyasha from killing or hurting Kagome. It consists of a number of round beads (estimated at between 42 and 49 in number) and between seven and ten magatama (comma shaped) beads which are often mistaken as claws. The magatama is an ancient comma-shaped bead imbude with great spiritual and mystial powers. These beads have been found as far back as the Jomon period (jo-mon-jidai, about 10,000 BC to 300 BC).
 * side note: The most famous Magatama are the Yasakani no Magatama - one of The Three Sacred Treasures of the Founding of Japan. Clearly the influence of the sacred sword, Magatama, and Mirror can be seen in the Inuyasha story line as similar but lesser items are used by various characters ...


 * Saya (sword sheath): The Tessaiga's sheath is made of wood from a sacred tree which is not only strong enough to contain the Tessaiga's energy, but can ward off attacks. It is so powerful that when Tetsaiga/Tessaiga is sheathed, sparks of yellow light fly off it. The saya does not have a sageo (sword cord).


 * Tsuba: The Tessaiga does have a traditional golden-bronze tsuba (guard) but we never are shown any detail. There is considerable discussion over the guard after transformation - whether it is flame or strong fur such as Sesshoumaru's "boa."


 * Tsuka: The tsuka (grip) is wrapped with ratty tsuka-ito (grip-ribbon) in a simple X fashion rather than the traditional more complicated weaving.

Lastly, we see that InuYasha wears his sword either edge-upward or edge-downward indiscriminately -- he doesn't seem to care either way. Traditionally the katana is worn edge-up for quickest draw. The archaic Tachi (war sword) is worn edge-down, the sheath suspended from rings attached to a sword belt which is typically incorporated into the samurai's armor.