Kevinroc
02-22-2004, 03:07 PM
Populer manga get turned into anime. And populer anime get turned back into manga. I've seen them called "Film Comics" but Viz has called it "Ani-Manga". Essentially, frames from the anime are taken and reproduced as a manga.
English Title: InuYasha (Ani-Manga)
Japanese title: Inuyasha (Film Comic)
Publisher: Viz
Creator: Rumiko Takahashi
Price: $11.95 (US)
Pages: 216
Rated: T+ (Older teens)
Editor: Ian Robertson
ISBN: 1-59116-202-5
First Printing: January 2004
Review Date: February 22, 2004
Reviewer: Kevin O'Connell
Grading----
Packaging: A
Artwork: A-
Text: B
Content: A
Packaging: Inuyasha's face in extreme close-up. He also has a hold of the Tetsusaiga and it's sheath despite neither item appearing in this volume. Kagome is sitting down with her arms under her legs.
Artwork: Frames from the tv series are placed onto the printed page. And like one would expect a prime-time anime from 2000, it looks very good. The designs are a little more stream-lined as compared to Takahashi's own art.
Text: Essentially, the dub script is ripped from the anime and placed here. So we do get lines like Kagome's "Toto, I don't think we're in Tokyo anymore" and Inuyasha's "Hella nasty". There are no mistakes with spelling or grammar. But some odd translation points do affect this grade.
Orientation: Unlike Viz's release of the original manga, Inuyasha Ani-Manga is unflipped and has untranslated SFX. A glossery in the back explains what the SFX mean.
What They Say:
Legend becomes reality.
Kagome was always just a typical Japanese high school girl. Sure, her grandfather is obsessed with ancient myths, the family house is crammed with mystical talismans, and everything around her seems to have a legend attached to it, but none of it ever matter to Kagome... until one day.
One amazing day a hideous, otherwordly creature literally pulls her out of her own world and into Japan's ancient past, where it seems that more than a few of those dusty old legends are true. Her destiny is linked to one legendary creature in particular.
Content: (This portion of the review may contain spoilers)
<span style='color:#dddddd;background:#dddddd'>Containing the first 3 episodes of the anime, the volume kicks off with Inuyasha attacking the villaige, only to get subdued by the priestess Kikyo. Dying, Kikyo wishes for the Sacred Jewel (or Shikon no Tama) to be burned with her remains. In the present, on Kagome's 15th birthday she is pulled into the well by a monster and comes out in the past. 50 years after Kikyo sealed Inuyasha. As the monster that originally pulled Kagome into the past attacks again, she runs into Inuyasha's forest (where the Jewel is ripped from her body when the monster bites her) and frees Inuyasha from Kikyo's spell. After dispatching the monster, Inuyasha demands the Jewel but when Kikyo's younger sister (now an old woman) Kaede places a magical rosary around Inuyasha's neck, Kagome's command of "Sit" or "Sit, boy" forces him to the ground. The story continues with Kagome wishing to find a way home but is captured by some bandits. Inuyasha arrives but a crow demon swallows the jewel. During battle, Kagome strikes the crow with an arrow and shatters the Jewel into many pieces. The final part picks up when Yura arrives for the jewel. She uses hair to posses the villaigers. She steals Kagome's shard and Kagome is forced back down the well where she returns to her time period. After rescuing Kaede, Inuyasha looks for Kagome but she's nowhere to be found, and Yura has Inuyasha in her sights.</span>
The first thing to note about this series is how different it is from Rumiko Takahashi's other major works. A little closer to her Mermaid stuff then Ranma 1/2, Maison Ikkoku or Urusei Yatsura. In fact, even Inuyasha and Kagome are much different then the main couples of her major shounen series (UY & Ranma) in that they are not automatically betrothed. Inuyasha is also downright antagonistic while Kagome is trying to be friendly.
The first volume doesn't have much in the way of humor. Odd considiring that Takahashi is known for her sense of humor. She has a very good grasp on shounen action, and the anime adaption is very faithful to that in this first volume.
One thing I liked is that flashback panels (or lines) had a gray borderline. So it was easy to tell what was a flashback and what was not. The staff at Sunrise have done a very nice job with the material.
English Title: InuYasha (Ani-Manga)
Japanese title: Inuyasha (Film Comic)
Publisher: Viz
Creator: Rumiko Takahashi
Price: $11.95 (US)
Pages: 216
Rated: T+ (Older teens)
Editor: Ian Robertson
ISBN: 1-59116-202-5
First Printing: January 2004
Review Date: February 22, 2004
Reviewer: Kevin O'Connell
Grading----
Packaging: A
Artwork: A-
Text: B
Content: A
Packaging: Inuyasha's face in extreme close-up. He also has a hold of the Tetsusaiga and it's sheath despite neither item appearing in this volume. Kagome is sitting down with her arms under her legs.
Artwork: Frames from the tv series are placed onto the printed page. And like one would expect a prime-time anime from 2000, it looks very good. The designs are a little more stream-lined as compared to Takahashi's own art.
Text: Essentially, the dub script is ripped from the anime and placed here. So we do get lines like Kagome's "Toto, I don't think we're in Tokyo anymore" and Inuyasha's "Hella nasty". There are no mistakes with spelling or grammar. But some odd translation points do affect this grade.
Orientation: Unlike Viz's release of the original manga, Inuyasha Ani-Manga is unflipped and has untranslated SFX. A glossery in the back explains what the SFX mean.
What They Say:
Legend becomes reality.
Kagome was always just a typical Japanese high school girl. Sure, her grandfather is obsessed with ancient myths, the family house is crammed with mystical talismans, and everything around her seems to have a legend attached to it, but none of it ever matter to Kagome... until one day.
One amazing day a hideous, otherwordly creature literally pulls her out of her own world and into Japan's ancient past, where it seems that more than a few of those dusty old legends are true. Her destiny is linked to one legendary creature in particular.
Content: (This portion of the review may contain spoilers)
<span style='color:#dddddd;background:#dddddd'>Containing the first 3 episodes of the anime, the volume kicks off with Inuyasha attacking the villaige, only to get subdued by the priestess Kikyo. Dying, Kikyo wishes for the Sacred Jewel (or Shikon no Tama) to be burned with her remains. In the present, on Kagome's 15th birthday she is pulled into the well by a monster and comes out in the past. 50 years after Kikyo sealed Inuyasha. As the monster that originally pulled Kagome into the past attacks again, she runs into Inuyasha's forest (where the Jewel is ripped from her body when the monster bites her) and frees Inuyasha from Kikyo's spell. After dispatching the monster, Inuyasha demands the Jewel but when Kikyo's younger sister (now an old woman) Kaede places a magical rosary around Inuyasha's neck, Kagome's command of "Sit" or "Sit, boy" forces him to the ground. The story continues with Kagome wishing to find a way home but is captured by some bandits. Inuyasha arrives but a crow demon swallows the jewel. During battle, Kagome strikes the crow with an arrow and shatters the Jewel into many pieces. The final part picks up when Yura arrives for the jewel. She uses hair to posses the villaigers. She steals Kagome's shard and Kagome is forced back down the well where she returns to her time period. After rescuing Kaede, Inuyasha looks for Kagome but she's nowhere to be found, and Yura has Inuyasha in her sights.</span>
The first thing to note about this series is how different it is from Rumiko Takahashi's other major works. A little closer to her Mermaid stuff then Ranma 1/2, Maison Ikkoku or Urusei Yatsura. In fact, even Inuyasha and Kagome are much different then the main couples of her major shounen series (UY & Ranma) in that they are not automatically betrothed. Inuyasha is also downright antagonistic while Kagome is trying to be friendly.
The first volume doesn't have much in the way of humor. Odd considiring that Takahashi is known for her sense of humor. She has a very good grasp on shounen action, and the anime adaption is very faithful to that in this first volume.
One thing I liked is that flashback panels (or lines) had a gray borderline. So it was easy to tell what was a flashback and what was not. The staff at Sunrise have done a very nice job with the material.