Inuyasha - Season 2
Hearts and swords are the focus of the second season ofInu-Yasha, Rumiko Takahashi's popular "feudal fairy tale." Inu-Yasha's icily elegant half-brother Sesshomaru discovers that the sword their demon father left him, the Tenseiga, is useless to him in battle. It doesn't kill, but heals--an imaginative twist typical of Takahashi. Inu-Yasha has to learn to master his sword, the Tetsusaiga, that was forged from his father's fang. When the monster Goshinki bites the Tetsusaiga in two, the addled smith Totosai reforges it, using a fang of Inu-Yasha's to join the shards. Inu-Yasha must learn to wield the newly heavy sword that reflects his increased responsibility: his father is no longer protecting him, so he must use his own strength.Inu-Yasha also faces two powerful internal struggles. He begins to question his desire to become a full demon after he transforms into a mindless killing machine. The Tetsusaiga keeps his demon-blood in check, and Inu-Yasha is grateful for its strength. But he has no exterior support in the battle within his heart: Does he love the resurrected Kikyo, whom he adored 50 years earlier, or Kagome, who has shared so many adventures and who loves him? These struggles demand more than the battles with the evil Naraku and his avatars.The adventures, emotional crises, and ferocious battles are balanced against the friendship and slapstick comedy Kagome, Sango, Miroku, and Shippo provide. Through it all, Inu-Yasha remains the impulsive hot-head viewers love--whom only Kagome can keep in check. (Unrated, suitable for ages 13 and older: violence, grotesque imagery, brief nudity)Fans of this popular series will also want to seeThe Art of  Inu-Yashaby Rumiko Takahashi, which features original artwork,  notes on minor characters, a glossary, and interviews with the  principal Japanese voice actors, director Masashi Ikeda, character  designer Yoshihito Hishinuma, and art direrctor Shigemi Ikeda.Takahashi  also discusses the differences in the manga and the animated versions  of two key sequences.--Charles Solomon