How Did I Not Realize Inuyasha and Dragon Ball Are the Same?
When I recently began watching Inuyasha for the first time, I quickly realized that it was emulating the original Dragon Ball series, since it was clear that the basic premise of Inuyashawould involve the half-demon and his human companion Kagome searching for the Sacred Jewel's shards. Such a quest involving multiple magical relics is, obviously, not proprietary to only Dragon Ball or even anime, for that matter, but Dragon Ball did popularize that overall plot with the eponymous magical orbs, so the connection was warranted.
Despite this realization, I never thought that Inuyasha would follow so closely with Dragon Ball beyond that. After the first few fights against random demons or demonically controlled humans, I prematurely, or more precisely, foolishly assumed that Inuyasha would continue this same basic formula. It began with Mistress Centipede attacking Kagome because she sensed the Sacred Jewel inside of her. A crow demon then helped cement this trend by having it make the first move, except it actually succeeded in stealing the jewel. Later, Kagome was captured by bandits, whose leader was controlled by the same crow demon.
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The author of Inuyasha, Ranma 1/2, and Urusei Yatsura, Rumiko Takahashi, towers among the greatest manga artists of all generations.
The fact that the series soon afterward introduced Inuyasha's brother Sesshomaru led me to wrongfully conclude that his character would allow this basic formula of demons coming to Inuyasha and Kagome to continue by breaking up the monotony with his random appearances. However, episode #8 proves just how wrong I was.
Inuyasha Is Forced Into Similar Types of Situations That Goku Found Himself In
This Is The Same Formula That Greatly Inspired One Piece
The eighth episode's premise either shares or was directly influenced by one of the original Dragon Ball series' most iconic tropes. Basically, Inuyasha and Kagome get swept up in a situation where a village is besieged by an ostensibly human lord. This eventually leads to the realization that the lord is a demon who possesses one of the Sacred Jewel shards, aligning with their quest perfectly. The catalyst for this encounter, which at first appeared to be nothing but a side mission, was another human character, whose mission was in response to that besieged village.
Inuyasha's Creator is Officially a Real World Knight
Rumiko Takahashi has numerous hit manga works including Inuyasha, Ranma 1/2, and Urusei Yatsura, which set her apart from other mangaka.
Luckily for that character, Kagome forced Inuyasha to help, and luckily for Inuyasha, the lord turned out to not only be a demon but a demon with a shard.
The fact that Inuyasha and Kagome must solve a village's problem in order to obtain what they are after is critical because it is such an influential aspect of Dragon Ball, for it greatly inspired One Piece's whole formulaic approach. In the original Dragon Ball, Goku must involve himself in various situations that oftentimes require helping people to retrieve one of the Dragon Balls. Similar to how the various arcs where Goku participates in the Strongest Under the Heavens Tournament helped break up the monotony, these special quests helped make the quest for the Dragon Balls more than just a "search and find" scenario.
Inuyasha Had Its Own Version of Oolong
This "Oolong" Also Stole Women But For A Different Reason
Ironically, this particular story in Inuyasha episode #8 actually takes after a specific instance in Dragon Ball almost quite literally. The demon that Inuyasha and Kagome contend with has been terrorizing a village by taking its women, and none of them ever return. As Inuyasha and Kagome investigate, it's revealed that the demon has been collecting them to ripen their souls for devouring.
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This situation is quite similar to the predicament in Dragon Ball where Goku meets Oolong. In that case, Oolong is the monster, and he has also been taking women from a specific village, but his intent is to force them to do housework. However, the last girl Oolong intended to kidnap was for her to become his bride.
Poor Inuyasha and Goku Get Dragged Into Everything
Kagome and Bulma Are Moving The Stories Forward
Interestingly, both Inuyasha and Goku don't volunteer to help the villagers out. It is their female companions, Kagome and Bulma, respectively, who make the offer. The difference, however, is that Bulma only suggests they help once she discovers that one of the villagers has a Dragon Ball, whereby they'll help on the condition that they get the Dragon Ball in return. By comparison, Kagome's reasons for helping were actually pure.
Although I still have a lot more to go in Inuyasha, I have a feeling that the series will likely keep up this more compelling form of storytelling that Dragon Ball helped popularize. I would be very much surprised if there weren't other situations like this one in episode #8, but with 167 episodes in the original series and 26 more in Inuyasha: The Final Act, anything is possible.
- Created by
- Akira Toriyama
- First Film
- Dragon Ball: Curse of the Blood Rubies
- Latest Film
- Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero
- First TV Show
- Dragon Ball
- Latest TV Show
- Super Dragon Ball Heroes
- First Episode Air Date
- April 26, 1989
From the creative mind of Akira Toriyama, Dragon Ball is a mega multimedia franchise that spans back to the 1980s. Dragon Ball expanded quickly, starting as a serialized manga for Weekly Shonen Jump in Japan. It made its way overseas via manga and an anime adaptation that is enjoyed worldwide. Dragon Ball was the initial starting animated series that followed the adventures of the young Son Goku as he sought after the Dragon Balls. These mystical orbs would grant the wish of any who gathered them together. Then, the series would branch off into the immensely popular Dragon Ball Z, which followed Goku as an adult and featured high-intensity battles and Goku's never-ending search to be the strongest. The series has also enjoyed several popular video game adaptations and continues to release several new animated series and theatrical films up to the recent popular Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero.
- Created by
- Rumiko Takahashi
- First Film
- Inuyasha the Movie: Affections Touching Across Time
- Latest Film
- Inuyasha the Movie: Fire on the Mystic Island
- First TV Show
- Inuyasha
- Latest TV Show
- Yashahime: Princess Half-Demon
- First Episode Air Date
- October 16, 2000
Inuyasha is a Japanese manga series created by Rumiko Takahashi. The narrative follows Kagome Higurashi, a modern-day high school girl who is transported to Japan's Sengoku period, where she encounters Inuyasha, a half-demon. Together, they embark on a quest to retrieve the shards of the shattered Shikon Jewel to prevent its misuse by malevolent entities. The series seamlessly blends adventure, fantasy, and romance, captivating audiences worldwide.
