This demotivational poster is highly Anti-Rumiko Takahashi. Sit back, relax, and revel in the evisceration I have in store for this so-called “Queen of Manga” (Bah! Yeah right!). For those of you who adore Rumiko Takahashi, please take a chill pill and take what I have to declare with the finest grain of salt. What I say is going to be quite controversial, but I do my best to back up my arguments with reasoning. I do not wish her any ill as a person and as an artist, but her flaws as an author are more than sufficient to make her valid for the criticism I have in store for her. Rumiko Takahashi, we meet again. If you know me, I have the most formidable love-hate relationship with this particular mangaka. The other mangaka that trail behind her are the likes of Akira Toriyama, Lynn Okamoto, Go Nagai, and Ken Akamatsu because there are occasions where I can spot some misogyny and other gender role flaws in their works, Toriyama-san your Dragonball franchise is not remotely immune to the misogyny I have spotted, especially when it came to how Chi-Chi was developed in Dragonball Z. However, my sentiments towards Takahashi-san lean towards a strong dislike to her as an author because of how she fails at writing healthy relationships for her characters, does not let her characters develop so well, making a good number of men perverts, an equal number of men jerks with hearts of gold who have justifiable reasons for why they show disgust at other characters even though they are in the wrong, Karma Houdinis who get away with their crimes and escape unscathed, certain child characters who end up as nothing more than punching bags for the jerks with a heart of gold, and, worst of all, women who act like horrible, manipulative, abusive shrews who inflict animosity and physical pain on the male protagonist just because they cannot perform to their every whim let alone their petty demands. Even with this proverbial final nail on the coffin for why I find Rumiko Takahashi rather appalling as a writer, she at least knows how to write women to varying degrees, but that is not saying much. Among all of Rumiko Takahashi’s works, the ones I find guilty of these failures, especially on misogynistic and misandrist level, are Urusei Yatsura, Ranma 1/2, and Inuyasha. Not even a fine piece of work such as Maison Ikkoku could escape the criticism it was bound to have. Before I delve into the sexist agenda I have found completely disgusting in several of Rumiko Takahashi’s works, especially the most popular ones, I would like to delve in the problem I have with how she writes interpersonal relationships, which tie in nicely with the sexism that encroached the potential her works have to be great and not just rather decent at best and below mediocre at worst. A lot of her characters have found themselves in horrible, dysfunctional, and toxic relationships. You need not look further than Ataru’s atrocious treatment towards Lum and Shinobu, both the Tendo and the Saotome households filled with animosity just for the sake of some laughs, Akane’s physical abuse against Ranma, Kuno, Ryoga, and Mousse displaying as much animosity towards Ranma for petty reasons, Ginta and Hakkaku sticking by Kouga, even though he himself is a horrible friend to these wolf yokai brothers and despite Hakkaku and Ginta far more confident of Inuyasha’s strength and not Kouga’s, Shippou being used as nothing more than Inuyasha’s punching bag even though he is a young kitsune, Sesshoumaru’s and Inuyasha’s constantly bloodthirsty bickering which tends to get very old after a while, and, the moment you have been all waiting for, Kagome abusing her sit commands towards Inuyasha if he did not obey her. I am specifically calling out Inuyasha and its series of problematic relationships because, despite Miroku aka Daddy Dunderhead and Sango aka Mommy Dunderhead having one attribute in common with Inuyasha which is how Naraku manipulated them to lead lives full of loss and trauma, all Daddy Dunderhead and Mommy Dunderhead ever did was stay by the sidelines, not listen to Inuyasha’s side of the story of how he was still traumatized after Kikyou’s loss, and even restrained Kagome. However, they did not, and they just saw Inuyasha was always in the wrong while giving Kagome free reign to sit him to her petty heart’s content. Shippou aka Baby Dunderhead is just as complicit in not being such a good friend to Inuyasha and always siding with Kagome. Every time I re-watch Inuyasha, Ranma 1/2, and Urusei Yatsura, I cannot help but cringe at the absolute frigidity and putridness I have seen in a lot of the relationships to the point where I believe that some characters deserve better and some deserve much worse. Seriously, Takahashi’s idea of healthy relationships makes DiMartino’s, Konietzko’s, Murakami’s, and Timm’s ideas of healthy relationships seem more like magnum opuses because at least in Avatar: The Last Airbender, Teen Titans, and Justice League the camaraderie is not steeped with animosity nor the putrid scent of toxic relationships. The misandry found in Rumiko Takahashi’s works leave me feeling very ill and disgusted with how men tend to be portrayed. Male characters are often casted as jerks with a heart of gold who are very stubborn yet wonderfully formidable, the romantic rivals who are usually all talk and barely any action and sometimes get away with far too much than they should, and perverts who pleasure themselves with the idea of fondling different women but also objectifying them. I may love Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha to my heart’s content, as they are strong fighters, courageous souls, and brothers who love a good battle. However, these two dog yokai brothers fall in the category of jerks with a heart of gold, with Inuyasha taking that title to a tee and Sesshoumaru starting out as an egotistical jerk but eventually develops slivers of not being as…
Rumiko Takahashi
Happy Holidays, ladies, gentlemen, and readers of all ages. Let us briefly talk about my experience with Inuyasha. This was an anime that I was rather fascinated with when I was an eleven-year-old boy and continued to like it when I was a teenager, especially considering that my gateway episode was “Episode 43: Tetsusaiga Breaks” with the shining moment being Inuyasha’s transformation into a full yokai with red eyes and purple stripes on his cheeks after Goshinki bit off his sword, Tetsusaiga. As I grew, I continued to watch a lot more episodes on Adult Swim and even the movies, thus heightening my fascination for this show and how much fun I was having with it. I grew to like the characters, especially Inuyasha, Sesshoumaru, Bankotsu, Sango, Miroku, Souta, Rin, Jaken, and Kagura, and hate some others too, most notably Naraku. Now as someone in my twenties, I have seen that although there is still an enjoyable factor in terms of nostalgia and having so much fun with it, there are some flaws to be found. There are some filler episodes I never cared for, the whole Status Quo is God card being used, thus not fully fleshing out certain characters, and even Kagome’s occasionally abusive treatment towards Inuyasha, especially with the “Sit, boy!” command with the Beads of Subjugation. Sure, Inuyasha and Kagome can have their moments, but other times, it is just back to bickering and grumbling. I honestly do not understand why InuKag is so well-loved when it is so clear that their “relationship” just seems to fall back into bad habits, which is why InuKag is definitely my NoTP for life, as there are so many other better pairings than this overrated one. This is why I have come up with a list of 10 Inuyasha OTPs I will never tire of in any shape or form. I know some of you who follow me here on DeviantArt are aware that I am so passionate about my ships. So, in this entry, which is also a Red Ribbon Reviewers contribution, I will talk about why I love and ship these particular couples. I am also fully aware that Inuvember may not for another eleven months, but it still gives me the chance to shed light on these Inuyasha OTPs of mine and share with you, my dear readers, the love and passion I have for them. Maybe I might end up having a go at doing more fanart of them seeing how I might not stop talking about them. With that said, sit back, relax, and enjoy. Keep in mind that this is my list, so take it for what it is and do understand that these are my opinions. If you have an OTP you like that is either from this list or not, please post it on the comments below. Thank you and enjoy. 10. Shippou x Souten Yes, I know there are people out there who do not care for Shippou because he ends up being rather cowardly in battle, but he is still just a young child when all is said and done. When being paired up with someone like Souten, I can see Shippou being a little bit more tolerable mostly thanks to how well they work off of each other. As children, they would certainly have a playful way of showing affection while being rather mischievous. As they grow up, they would retain their mischievousness but combine it with a few sweet, gentle moments when they are alone together. I even figure that their kits would be as feisty, fun-loving and cheeky as they are when they were young. 9. Souta x Kanna First of all, I would like to thank Lance-the-young and tailfluffgirl for getting me invested with this particular pairing, as I have been shipping them ever since I was fourteen years old. I am actually surprised this particular pairing based on them being polar opposites of each other still holds up to this very day in my eyes. Combining Souta’s inquisitive, outgoing, friendly nature with Kanna’s reserved, introverted, quiet personality seems like a pretty fascinating and intriguing idea. I have always seen this as a really cute, interesting couple and I enjoy it a lot more than having Souta pair up with Hitomi, as it makes for more interesting dynamics. Kanna would not have to be so much of a reserved introvert and can always be on Souta’s side through thick and thin, thus opening up to him a lot more and showing more trust which then develops into affection, while Souta can prove himself brave, selfless, and strong in the face of battle thanks to her support and they can protect each other from all obstacles, thus showing a strong bond that they could have for each other and stick together in good times and in bad times and healthily breaking each others’ barriers down. 8. Kohaku x Rin Another pairing that I have been shipping as a fourteen-year-old boy that has held up to this day? Oh, heavens, yes! Kohaku x Rin is a couple I will support, defend, cherish, and adore to the ends of the earth until the day I die. I know darn well I will not let this couple go in virtue of how genuine, sweet, down-to-earth, and lovely they are together. What I love about this couple is that there seems to be barely any arguments going on with them and their relationship is on the normal, humble, and lovely side, which makes my support for Kohaku and Rin as an item all the more legitimate. Rin could indubitably reach out to Kohaku’s more sympathetic and human side, while Kohaku can feel more comfortable and at ease with being with someone as optimistic and jolly as Rin. This is essentially a relationship that begins with youthful puppy love, builds up to adolescent admiration and delightful dating, then has marriage as the apotheosis and has Rin bearing Kohaku’s progeny as the icing…
Hey, everybody! Antoni, here, with another piece of fanart I made. This time it’s Inuyasha with three of my most beloved and favorite OTPs. From left to right we have Inuyasha/Ayame, Ginta/Shunran, and Kohaku/Rin. I aged them up to what I would think they would look like this year, even though I did make them look a lot younger than I expected them to look. In this picture, Inuyasha is 35, Ayame is 32, Ginta is 33 going on 34, Shunran is 31, Kohaku is 29, and Rin is 25 going on 26. Yes, I know I could’ve also drawn Sesshoumaru/Kagome, Miroku/Sango, Shippou/Souten, and Souta/Kanna, but there was apparently only room for three couples in my sketchpad. Moreover, I am a bigger Inuyasha/Ayame, Ginta/Shunran, and Kohaku/Rin fan because not only do I find these pairings absolutely adorable, but also plausible in their own ways. So, let’s not waste any time and talk about these respective pairings. Inuyasha/Ayame Given the amount of Inuyasha/Ayame fanfics, I have been recommending and, of course, reviewing, it should come off as no surprise that these two are my OTP for life. From the bottom of my heart, I always knew that Inuyasha should’ve ended up with someone more compatible. I mean, if I were in his position, I would move on from Kikyou, stay the absolute heck away from Kagome, and just settle with someone as tough, strong, and kickass like Ayame. Additionally, if I were in Ayame’s position, I should just let Kouga keep Kagome and I can run off with Inuyasha, with good old gramps giving his approval to someone as sturdy, strong, and steadfast like him. In terms of Inuyasha’s outfit, I did promise I was going to make something out of it after I reviewed darling krash’s fanfic A Hint of Hope, and I had an idea of how it should look. Since Inuyasha is essentially a warrior suitable for Ayame to be her loyal husband, I decided to make him look a little more tribal and dress like one of the wolf youkai, even though Inuyasha is a dog hanyou. Speaking of which, I decided to tap into Inuyasha’s full youkai side without the overall bloodthirsty nature he has in that state and make him have enhanced physical strength, given his physicality here. I also imagine him doing more hand-to-hand combat, as well as using his claws to take down his enemies. Overall, it was such a joy making a more muscular, more mature-looking, and more warlike Inuyasha, it was really envisioning him as this type of warrior. Moreover, I did keep Inuyasha’s trademark badassery, which was one thing about him I found so endearing. Ayame was also a joy to draw. I kept her signature outfit and I also decided to make her a little bit more womanly though still keeping her youth and vivacity. I can certainly see Inuyasha and Ayame fighting side by side on a battlefield and they will come home as the champions. After all of that, it’s a whole night of hot and steamy intimacy. I also envision them having children of their own, what with Inuyasha being the strong, no-nonsense, strict, yet open and cool father and Ayame being the supportive, well-meaning, and strong-minded mother. That also gives me an idea of making their fan-children. Overall, is there anything else I need to say about why I not only fancy the pants off of Inuyasha/Ayame but also love them as a couple? In my mind, they were definitely made for each other. Ginta/Shunran I have been toying with this idea of these two being together for many years. All of the sudden it hit me. No one has even thought about pairing these two together other than me. So, I guess it was up to me to give this coupling the light of day. Since I always saw Ginta’s and Hakkaku’s relationship as more platonic, as they act like fraternal twin brothers with their antics and chemistry, I thought to myself, why not give these two guys some lovely women to be their life partners. On the flipside, the Panther Devas, especially Toran, Karan, and Shunran, have been my favorite Inuyasha filler anti-heroes because of how well they work as a unit and just how fun they are in terms of their personalities. So, I kind of came to the conclusion that Ginta might as well take Shunran to be his mate and Hakkaku can take Karan. As I stated before in my fanfiction recommendation of “An Odd Pair” by JapanLurve101, I like the idea of Ginta and Shunran being together. When you have a nice, kind-hearted, hilarious, and sweet soul like Ginta pair up with someone as mischievous, spirited, vivacious, and cheeky like Shunran, it can actually make for a really adorable yet plausible pairing. At first, they might not agree on a lot of things and may have their own trust issues, but as soon as he sees Shunran in danger, I can imagine Ginta bucking up and saving her. Through time, they will actually grow to like each other, in spite of how different they are with Ginta being a wolf youkai and Shunran being a panther youkai. They will very much challenge and break the system, thus running off together. Plus, I am sure they will have a lot of great interactions with Ginta thinking that Shunran is cute, bubbly, and fun-loving and Shunran thinking that Ginta is hilarious, strong, and charming. With Ginta’s outfit, it is a variation of his trademark one in the anime though I did make a few changes to expose parts of his chest and torso. In terms of his personality, I see him being a lot more independent and strong while still being the gentle, goofy, and kind soul that he’s always been. Plus, he has beefed up a bit as he got older. With Shunran, I made a variation on her outfit while still keeping her trademark colors, as well as the…