Inu Yasha Vol. #50 (of 56)

By: Luis Cruz
Review Date: Tuesday, February 06, 2007
Release Date: Tuesday, February 06, 2007



What They Say
The relentless attack of Princess Abi's bloodsucking demon birds continues, while Inuyasha and his friends race to find their nest. During their search, they hear rumors of a holy person offering safe haven for victims of the attack. Believing that this Saint Hijiri might be Kikyo, they race to discover the truth. Once they do, Kagome finds herself faced with a difficult decision...

Contains episodes 149-151:
The Single Arrow of Chaos
The Mysterious Light that Guides the Saint
Kagome's Instinctive Choice

The Review!
Inu Yasha has reached fifty volumes and is not aging well.

Audio:
The Japanese audio was used for my primary viewing session; after one hundred plus episodes, it would take an extreme blunder to ruin the audio quality Viz has maintained over time. This volume exhibits the same high quality, problem-free stereo track you can find on every volume of Inu Yasha.

Video:
As with the audio, Viz has their routine down pat and turns in another stellar video experience. At this point, anything I can add to this section is redundant. Viewers will have a gorgeous viewing experience to match their audio experience.

Packaging:
The front cover is a collage of Kikyo, Kagome, and Kikyo's new friends. The series logo is across the top of the cover while the volume name and logos are pushed to the bottom. The back cover contains the requisite synopsis, screenshots, and disc specifications. Inside the case is a one-page insert that has the front cover shot on one side and the chapter listings with a few screenshots from the episodes on the reverse.

Menu:
The main menu features a picture of Kagura standing by a banner waving in the wind. A piece of Japanese scenery floats by in the background. Transition animations are kept to a minimum, and music loops in the background.

Extras:
Viz stays the course and provides a Japanese and English cast list, two brief line art galleries lacking the zoom functionality seen previously, and the Japanese promos for the episodes. A clean version of the new ending is also thrown onto this volume.

Content: (please note that content portions of a review may contain spoilers)
Let us cut right to the chase; to all the writers for Inu Yasha, why are you trying to pretend that the mysterious St. Hijiri might not be Kikyo? You know it is going to be Kikyo, and we know it is going to be Kikyo. Why? Because you have jack squat else to go with at this point. Your story has run itself into the ground, and it was inevitable you reach for the old standby and drag Kikyo back into the mix. But, you know what? I do not care anymore; Kikyo's character and the dynamic around it have lost their novelty.


She is now nothing more than a trite and boring plot device, smoke and mirrors to try to divert our attention from the fact that the series is stalling for time. Kagome decides to save Kikyo's soul and purge the remnants of Naraku's miasma from Kikyo's decaying body. The usual triangle of angst and whining ensues, and nothing has really altered in their relationship. I understand that Kagome is smitten with Inu Yasha and cannot help but feel jealous that he constantly is chasing Kikyo's ghost. However, it would be refreshing to see something other than the usual sulking, some indication that the characters are growing and maturing from this bizarre love debacle.

The only saving grace for this volume is some movement on plot thread left hanging for quite some time. We finally are given a clue to the purpose of the other half of Naraku's demon seed. Hakudoshi's twin might actually be Hakudoshi's heart and has been placed in the care of some humans. Will this revelation be significant? I hope it will be; something has to get this story moving again.

In Summary:
Why the writers feel we care about Kikyo returning once again is beyond my understanding. I have seen this scenario play out too many times in the series to do anything but roll my eyes and hope that something interesting will happen soon. Only one barely interesting thing happens on this volume. The love triangle is doing nothing to make the characters involved grow and mature. It simply repeats the same patterns, and it just does not hold my interest any more.

Features
Japanese 2.0 Language,English 2.0 Language,English Subtitles,Art Galleries,Japanese Promos

Review Equipment
Mitsubishi 27" TV, Panasonic RP-82, Sony STR-DE915 DD receiver, Bose Acoustimass-6 speakers, generic S-Video and optical audio cable