Inuyasha is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Rumiko Takahashi. It was serialized in Shogakukan's Weekly Shōnen Sunday magazine from November 1996 to June 2008, with its chapters collected into 56 tankōbon volumes. The story follows Kagome Higurashi, a fifteen-year-old girl from modern Tokyo who is pulled into a well at her family's shrine and transported to the Sengoku period of feudal Japan. There she meets Inuyasha, a half-dog demon, half-human boy, and together they embark on a quest to recover the shattered fragments of the sacred Shikon Jewel before they fall into the hands of evil forces. Along the way, they are joined by a lecherous monk, a demon slayer, and a fox demon.
Takahashi blends romance, action, and comedy with a darker, more violent tone than her earlier works, using the historical setting to explore themes of reincarnation, prejudice, and the struggle between humanity and demonic power. The manga became a massive commercial and critical success, influencing a generation of shōnen titles and paving the way for a multimedia franchise that includes anime series, films, video games, and merchandise, earning a devoted international fanbase.
