InuYasha: Set 1 Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		3.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		3.5
Overall		4.0

InuYasha: Set 1 Blu-ray Movie Review

A classic action-adventure anime arrives on Blu-ray for the first time

Based on the beloved original manga by Rumiko Takahashi (Ranma ½, Urusei Yatsura), InuYasha is one of the most entertaining and action-packed anime series ever made. The long-running series is produced by Michihiko Suwa (Detective Conan, City Hunter) and Hideyuki Tomioka (Mobile Suit Gundam Wing, Steamboy) and comes from acclaimed anime studio Sunrise (Cowboy Bebop, Mobile Suit Gundam Wing). The introductory set is the perfect place for established fans (and newcomers) to start as the world-building begins. Get ready for action-packed fun!

The tale begins with high-school girl Kagome Higurashi finding herself accidentally flung into the past: she time travels through a well to feudal Japan. The world she discovers is far different from what she knows back home: she encounters a world of demons and magic. It isn't long before she learns that she is the reincarnation of the long-deceased Kikyo. Kikyo was a powerful priestess who ensnared the half-human/half-demon Inuyasha for decades. Now re-awakened, Inyuasha comes face-to-face with Kikyo's reincarnation, Kagome. What does the future hold in store for Inuyasha and Kagome?

As the storyline of InuYasha unfolds, it is revealed that Kagome has special powers and that she can use these abilities to hold power over the Shikon jewels (which are believed to be able to help increase a demon's powers). For starters, Kagome uses her ability to make Inuyasha “sit” on command. As the journey of the series deepens, the characters must search for the missing shards of the Shijon jewel while the mystery of the feudal era other-world becomes even more enticing.

"Thanks for the help, Pikachu!"

One of the best elements at play in this wonderful action-adventure anime series is the characters and the way their stories unfold. Inuyasha and Kagome are both compelling characters who manage to make the series an easy one to become engaged with from the start. Throughout the entire first set, InuYasha explores the back-story of the events between Kikyo and Inuyasha while developing the relationship between the Inuyasha and Kagome. These elements make the show much more fun to watch. The journey that unfolds is one with solid characters and notable character-development.

InuYasha features an engaging music score composed by Kaoru Wada (Ninja Scroll, Samurai 7). Unlike some anime series, the music is not simple background music. The compositions make everything much more engaging and intense as the storyline develops. Wada keeps the action downright exciting. The character-moments are well highlighted too. An outstanding score.

Any anime worth watching has to have a compelling artistic and visual component. InuYasha is a visually stunning anime. The animation is exquisite and manages to create an impressive fantasy landscape (while keeping the art more grounded during the present-day scenes).With art direction by Shigemi Ikeda (My Hero Academia, Gantz), InuYasha showcases the talents of its animators with an amazing style that is truly unmistakable.

The beginning of InuYasha was directed by the great Masashi Ikeda (Mobile Suit Gundam Wing, Ronin Warriors). InuYasha gets off to a solid start during its introductory episodes. The action sequences are intense and the story is thought provoking. The screenplay written by Katsuyuki Sumisawa (Dragon Ball Z, Sailor Moon) is a perfect match for Ikeda's action-packed creative-style. InuYasha is a true anime classic and one that no fan of the medium should go without seeing.

InuYasha: Set 1 Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Arriving on Blu-ray from VIZ, InuYasha has received a 1080p MPEG-4 AVC encoded high definition presentation in the original 4:3 full frame aspect ratio. Fans don't have to worry about dealing with a terrible crop-job (as found on the original DBZ season sets) and the presentation is true to the series intended ratio. However, the picture-quality found on the release is a bit of a mixed bag.

The animation looks lovely here: beautiful colors and crisp line art are reason enough to be thrilled to see the acclaimed anime series finally arrive on Blu-ray disc. Most of the presentation is impressive and having seen episodes on previously-released DVD season sets, I found that I was more pleased with the Blu-ray presentation quality. The compression seems more refined on the Blu-ray discs. I wasn't finding issues with problematic compression artifacts. The animation certainly shines in high definition.

There are drawbacks as well, though: the video encode has one particularly serious issue. The entire run of episodes suffers from a truly bizarre habit of frame-skipping. This is not that noticeable for most of the animation. Yet it is obvious during any panning shots. These moments tend to always look a little bit unnatural and jerky in motion. This is the sort of thing that some might find entirely unacceptable. I personally hope VIZ corrects the issue on future sets and perhaps re-authors these discs without these issues. (Please Note: Should VIZ media contact us at Blu- ray.com with an update the review will be updated accordingly.)

One final note: there are moments where the film scan seems to showcase unnatural framing around the edge of the scan. This is not noticeable in motion. In a way, I consider it a positive. It means that these scenes were not cropped unnecessarily to format for the 4:3 presentation. No animation is thereby cut out of the equation.

InuYasha: Set 1 Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The release features English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 and Japanese DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 (with English subtitles). The lossless audio presentation is quite impressive and manages to expand the sonic landscape when compared to earlier releases of the series on home media. The lossless tracks seem to have a bit more bass (without sounding over-bearing) and the tracks are crisp, clear, and exciting to listen to. The opening/ending Japanese theme songs are in-tact on the release as well (a concern for some viewers as streaming options removed the songs). The subtitle translations also include notes concerning songs/signs as selected via the menu.

InuYasha: Set 1 Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

The set comes packaged with an attractive o-card slip and an inner art print.

On disc extras are as follows:

Interview with Japanese Script Writer Katsuyuki Sumisawa (HD, 14:39) is a particularly exciting supplement. The screenwriter discusses his involvement on InuYasha (and other anime classics like Dragon Ball & Dragon Ball Z) while delving into his participation in adapting the source material. Anime fans who want to gain some insights into the creative process of adapting manga to anime should consider checking out this entertaining and engaging interview. Sumisawa is a gentleman: discussing his views on the process without ever taking credit for the original source material he ultimately adapted. (Though he did pen the original InuYasha feature-films.) A must- see interview.

Character Profiles can be browsed via click-through selection and replicate the end-credits information seen episode-to-episode. These profiles are actually a bit easier to read this way (at one's own pace).

Clean Opening: Change the World (HD, 1:36)

Clean Ending: My Will (HD, 1:36)

The release also includes promotional videos for other anime releases available on home media from VIZ entertainment.

InuYasha: Set 1 Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

One of the most entertaining anime series ever produced, InuYasha arrives on Blu-ray for the first time. The series is an essential classic of the anime medium and is one that no fan should go without having in their collection. The first set does a great job of introducing the characters and universe while also setting the stage for some of the world-building and characters to come. The animation is top-notch. Stunning. The Blu-ray release isn't perfect (it has a somewhat problematic video-presentation) but it is still a decent way to watch the series and comes recommended.