Television series

InuYasha

Name: InuYasha
Genre: Action, Adventure, Anime, Fantasy
Released: 2000
Cast: Kira Tozer, Junko Iwao, Satsuki Yukino, Kappei Yamaguchi, Toshihiko Seki

InuYasha is a sprawling action-adventure that launched a thousand anime fan obsessions. A modern Japanese girl falls through time into feudal Japan, bonds with a scrappy dog-demon, and spends 167 episodes collecting magical shards across a gorgeously rendered past. It's earnest, funny, occasionally heartbreaking, and utterly committed to its characters. Peak early-2000s anime.

TVMaze rating

3.5

Should you watch it?

Watch it if you enjoy a long, bickering road-trip quest where the prickly bond between two stubborn leads builds episode by episode, and mythic monster fights feel like part of the journey.

Skip it if the monster-of-the-week rhythm can feel repetitive, and at nearly two hundred episodes it asks a lot of patience before the bigger threads start paying off.

What it asks of you: Plan for a marathon of around 193 half-hour episodes across seven seasons, where each half-hour stands mostly on its own while the slow build of trust between characters does the heavy lifting.

Not sure? Find tonight's pick in a minute.

If you liked this

Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood2009

A tighter, more intellectually ambitious shonen with the same blend of humour, action, and genuine character arcs. The central premise—what you're willing to sacrifice—cuts deeper, and the resolution actually earns its weight.

But Darker in tone overall, and moves faster. If you loved InuYasha's meandering quest structure, this will feel relentless.

Bleach2004

Another long-form battle shonen from the same era with similar DNA: a reluctant hero, a ragtag crew, escalating stakes, and enough filler-free arcs to keep you invested for weeks. The early seasons especially crackle.

But It runs even longer than InuYasha and eventually loses its narrative thread. The middle section drags, and the ending is rushed.

Demon Slayer2019

Modern shonen that learned from InuYasha's strengths: character chemistry, genuine stakes, beautiful animation, and the same core appeal of a found family taking on supernatural threats. Faster-paced but emotionally just as sincere.

But Visually flashy in a way that can feel exhausting. Less room for quiet character moments between the set pieces.

Not sure tonight? Get a pick in a minute, starting from InuYasha

The wildcard

Something you would not have found on your own.

Samurai Champloo2004

Shares InuYasha's structure of a journey across historical Japan with a found family, but inverts it: instead of collecting plot tokens, it explores what it means to wander without purpose.

A time-displaced wanderer and two warriors on a quest across Edo-period Japan, but animated with hip-hop energy and visual invention that makes the mundane spectacular. Each episode stands alone; the through-line emerges slowly. Gorgeous and weird.

But Deliberately episodic, so there's no overarching narrative momentum for the first half. Some might find it style-over-substance.

Rurouni Kenshin: Meiji Kenkaku Romantan1996

Contemporary with InuYasha's spirit—a swordsman with a dark past and a heart of gold, episodic adventures, and a romance that develops naturally over time. The Kyoto arc is genuinely excellent television.

But The animation quality dips significantly, and the final arc is weak. Some tonal whiplash between comedy and serious drama.

Rurouni Kenshin: Meiji Kenkaku Romantan poster

Mahoutsukai no Yome2017

A girl thrust into a magical world, a gruff supernatural mentor, slow-burn romance, and folklore-rich worldbuilding. More melancholic and atmospheric than InuYasha, but built on the same core relationship dynamic.

But Quieter and more meditative. If you're here for constant action and adventure, this will feel precious and slow.

Yu Yu Hakusho: Ghost Files1992

An underrated gem from shonen's golden age. A street thug gains supernatural powers and joins a detective agency. Tighter than InuYasha, funnier than it has any right to be, with character development that actually sticks.

But Only 112 episodes, so it ends before overstaying its welcome—which means less of what you love, and faster closure.

Sword Art Online2012

A vast virtual world to explore, a driven protagonist, high stakes, and a romance that's central to the plot rather than sidelined. The first arc has genuine tension and invention.

But Quality drops sharply after the first season. Later arcs rely on harem dynamics and fanservice instead of story.

Seraph of the End: Vampire Reign2015

A darker, messier shonen with vampires and apocalyptic stakes. The found-family dynamic is strong, and it's unafraid to hurt its characters. Stylish and genuinely tense.

But Unfinished and occasionally incoherent. The manga is still ongoing, so the anime stops mid-arc without resolution.

Princess Mononoke1997

Both use Japanese folklore and demon mythology to explore the collision between the natural and human worlds, but while InuYasha finds humour and hope in that collision, Mononoke sees tragedy as inevitable.

A film that asks the same question InuYasha circles around: can humans and the supernatural coexist? Hayao Miyazaki's masterpiece, with animation that still humbles modern work. Mythic, devastating, and genuinely new each viewing.

But Slow and contemplative; there's no clear villain to defeat. The environmental politics might read as preachy, and it refuses easy resolution.

Jujutsu Kaisen2020

A crew of misfits with complementary powers fighting supernatural threats, but transplanted into a contemporary setting with a school structure that makes the bonds feel more grounded and real.

A modern shonen that cracked the code InuYasha pointed toward: exceptional character dynamics, a school setting that builds ensemble depth, stunning animation, and genuine emotional stakes without losing humour. Addictive, and it knows when to stop.

But Extremely violent and gory in ways InuYasha's fantasy violence isn't. Also very trendy; the hype can oversell it.