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R1 DVD Reviews
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Thursday, 12 August 2010 00:00 |
 The end is in sight for Inu Yasha's first incarnation, with just one season left after this set is out of the way. With this volume missing the undeniable quality of season five's Band of Seven, though, is there enough here to keep the interest up for another 20 episodes..?
This being Inu Yasha, it shouldn't come as any surprise that there's a decent amount of filler scattered around the four discs that make up this set, so let's get those out of the way first. There's a decent range of storylines covered by them, from Kagome accidentally carrying some demons from the feudal age to her school culture festival, through Shippo having to deal with the weight of expectations after his reputation as a brave fighter somehow manages to get out of hand, and some fun with invisibility that proves both useful and troublesome for Shippo and Sango. Filler episodes are always something of a mixed bag – on the one hand, you can often get some really good comedy out of them, but all too often you can also find yourself wishing the series would just get on with it and get back to the main storyline. Across these episodes, there's a fairly good balance struck, with no long runs of filler episodes and short scenes with Naraku or his sidekicks often inserted into episodes just to remind us that no, he hasn't disappeared, and is actually up to something behind the scene. I've watched some truly dreadful filler over the years I've been watching Inu Yasha, and I can honestly say that this season compares quite well to some that have gone before, so while I can never get overly enthusiastic about plot-light episodes, there's not too much here to complain about.
There's also plenty to like about how the main story arc is developing, too. With the search for the shikon shards now concentrating on the one remaining unaccounted-for shard (we're ignoring the shards 'owned' by Koga and other fringe characters for the time being, it seems), Naraku has – as ever – delegated his dirty work to someone else: a new offshot, who first appears as a rather creepy infant who has the full faculties of an adult, but who later reappears in the older form of Hakudoshi, and who is accompanied and assissted by Kagura. One of the main problems with Naraku as a villain is that he doesn't do much of his own dirty work – Hakudoshi, on the other hand, does, and a lot of time is spent proving his bad-ass credentials. He's also fully aware of the shaky ground that Kagura's on with Naraku, and it's hesitant about messing with her on that front – which in turn raises Kagura's hackles and raises the loyalty issues she's been having. In short, search for the final shard notwithstanding (and that isn't resolved in this season), Hakudoshi and Kagura make this season worthwhile all on their own.
Inu Yasha also isn't Inu Yasha without a decent dose of romance and romantic comedy, and this season has that too, with most of the usual love polygons getting an airing: some movement on the Miroku – Sango front, the return of Akitoki to add to the ever-growing list of Kagome's admirers, and a feature-length special, The Woman Who Loved Sesshomaru, which deals with… well, the woman who loved Sesshomaru, and the misunderstandings that lead her to offer Sesshomaru the one thing she believes he's been wanting for years: Inuyasha's head on a plate. Sesshomaru has long been my favourite character in the series, well ahead of any of the core cast, so there are no complaints from me to him getting a special of his own. It does no harm that the story in it is surprisingly decent too, with former princess Sara – the woman of the title – being almost a character you can pity, even while she causes real problems for Inuyasha and the others, as you realise early on that she's got no chance of seeing her own wishes granted as Sesshomaru just doesn't tick in the way that she thinks he does. Good stuff.
Season six of Inu Yasha doesn't quite come up to the standard of season five – the Band of Seven arc from that season really is the show's high-water mark – but there's still plenty to entertain here, from intriguing new villain Hakudoshi right down to the inevitable filler episodes. It's also one of the shorter seasons, which makes it a bit easier to plow through without losing track or interest. Inu Yasha regulars will know what to expect from the series by now, and while some past seasons have strayed too far from the main story for comfort, this one won't disappoint.
For full episode summaries and screenshots, check out the reviews of the individual releases (note that only the first half of volume 49 appears in this set, with the second half held over to season seven for some reason):
» Volume 43: Demons in the Modern Age
» Volume 44: The Most Dangerous Confession
» Volume 45: The Woman Who Loved Sesshomaru
» Volume 46: An Ancestor Named Kagome
» Volume 47: On a Pale Horse
» Volume 48: A Father's Love
» Volume 49: Tragic Love Song of Destiny
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