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Inu-Yasha - Special Limited Edition (Vols. 1-3)

Inu-Yasha - Special Limited Edition (Vols. 1-3)

List Price: $49.98
Your Price: $44.98
Product Info Reviews

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Rating: 5 stars
Summary: The Beginning of the (so far) Neverending Series
Review: Inu Yasha, my first violent anime ever. I began the series from episode 20 something but now I've seen them all (I'm even ahead one episode from Adultswim as of June 6th!) and I must say, this is a great way to start the series.

The DVD is pretty standard in extras (by anime standards): names of English and Japanese cast, character bios, etc. but what you're really here for is the episodes.

The beginning episodes, though easy to explain, cannot be explained here because since I know several spoilers that are revealed throughout the series, I can only give this synopsis: In the Japanese Feudal Era, Inu Yasha, a half-demon, has spent 50 years on a tree where a priestess called Kikyo pinned him before her death. Inu Yasha was supposedly stealing the Sacred Shikon Jewel, a powerful object that would be able to fully release Inu Yasha's demon powers. In the modern era, a schoolgirl called Kagome falls into the Bone Eater's Well and is taken into Inu Yasha's time. She frees him and all hell breaks loose with it.
The first three volumes (or around nine episodes) contains the following: Inu Yasha and Kagome not getting along, Kagome bringing the Shikon Jewel back and breaking it by accident, Yura of the Demon Hair trying to kill Inu Yasha for his Jewel Shards, Inu Yasha's full-demon brother Sesshomaru attempting to steal his father's heirloom sword Tetsusaiga from their father's tomb, and a very odd fox-demon called Shippo.

All in all: this is just the first of a possibly endless (that's impossible but whatever) series that I found the best action/comedy/romance/mystery anime yet.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Just Pointing Out A Few Misunderstandings! ^_^
Review: Inu-Yasha is a great series! With this official special edition limited to just 15,000 copies worldwide and considering the popularity of this series, buy this one NOW! This one is sure to sell out very quickly! Well, enough of my rave... after reading two reviews below, what I am going to do now is teach you all little class about bootlegs and how to avoid them.

Bootlegging is not a new practice with anime, it has been around since the early 80's. There are good bootleggers, otherwise known as fansubbers, who spend the money out of their own pockets and use up a lot their own free time to translate and subtitle unlicensed anime from Japan and they don't even charge a dime for all of their hard work, distributing their work free of charge! The moral fansubber always ceases production and distribution of a series once it has been licensed by American anime publishing studios. Fansubbers are actually directly responsible for the current popularity of anime in America today. After seeing the initial demand for these unique animated works, official studios were formed in the USA. There are several official American anime publishing studios with licensing rights that were founded by former fansubbers. And then there are the bad bootleggers...

Lately this practice has become a plague of sorts, go to any online auction site and you will find many these illegal copies for sale. Once a series has been completely or even partially released in the US and Japan, pirates from Hong Kong, China, are already at work illegally copying and selling these to the uneducated newbie and the cheapskate consumer. Illegal copies are becoming more and more sophisticated, lately they have become difficult to discern if they are legal or not, some of them even coming with an English audio stream. These bad bootlegs hurt the anime industry by taking away money that could be used by Anime publishers to bring more new series to the US. It is for this very reason that I recommend that you avoid bootlegs, if you really love anime stay away from them.

How to tell a bootleg from the real thing.

1. Many HK (Hong Kong) bootlegs contain 8 or more episodes per disc. 26 episodes on three discs is definitely bootleg. Official American versions typically contain between 3 to 5 episodes per disc and Official Japanese versions 2 to 3. However, on rare occasion, American discs contain over 5 episodes as in the Tenchi Muyo! OAV collection, 7 and 6 respectively.

2. Most HK bootlegs usually come packaged in printed cardboard gatefold packaging. American and Japanese versions usually come packaged in the traditional plastic clamshell cases. With an exception being the Tenchi Muyo! OAV collection, which comes packaged as a gatefold and some Japanese discs which come in jewel cases.

3. If the seller is only asking $20 to $40 for a complete set of Cowboy Bebop, it is very likely a bootleg. Completed American sets should run you anywhere between $120 and $180. Official Japanese versions are even more expensive, usually around $50 to $60 per DVD.

4. HK bootlegs generally have a poor quality picture, some even ripped off of broadcast TV, including Japanese commercials. Things to look for are distorted pixilation, faded colors, snow, and tape dub distortion. You will not find any of these on American DVDs. Official Japanese discs usually offer the best quality although American discs have been catching up the past few years.

5. Many HK bootlegs have Chinese subtitles and lots of spelling mistakes with English subtitles. Official Japanese DVDs very rarely, if ever, have English subtitles and when they do they are usually easily comprehendible and error free, Japanese normally have strong tendencies towards perfectionism. American discs usually have only Japanese and English audio with English subtitles with no errors. However sometimes American discs have French and Spanish translations as well, our other two major languages.

6. HK bootlegs are said to be compatible with all regions 1-6, or region free. Official American discs are always region 1 and sometimes region 4 is included (as in Pioneer/Geneon's Ai Yori Aoshi). Japanese DVDs are region 2 only.

Not to mention there is no collectible value with HK bootlegs, they will never appreciate in value like many of the official limited edition American and Japanese DVDs.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Inuyasha
Review: Let me start by saying that I love this show. The fact that I'm giving this only 3 stars has nothing to do with the show itself. I brought this when I started my Inu DVD collection a little while back, and I was pretty excited about it. Until I found out I could get the first 36 eps. in two boxed sets for roughly the same amount of money. Sure, this is a limited edition set, and it's worth something to collectors on that level. Also it comes with a desk calendar, which I love, but it's not really a good way to start your collection.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Oh my gosh this is a good deal!!!!(by Kasem M. Abdullah)
Review: NOt only is this a set a hot item, its a great way for you to find out if you want to spend your money and buy the entire series. You get to see the first 9 episodes uncut and subtitled if you want, or dubbed, and see if this is a series you want to get into. I did, now as soon as im done writing this im going to buy myself the first season because of this special boxset. Special features are also available, and as someone has all ready listed them in a review i wont waste your time listing them again...if your not sure of the series....buy this...then you'll know for sure. But if you want my advice...dont buy this and get the entire series instead...becuase i gaurentee you will love Inu Yasha.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Solid action anime
Review: She's a practical if confused Japanese schoolgirl from the present day. He's a crabby, belligerent half-demon from centuries in the past. Together, they make a pair even weirder than the Odd Couple, in an anime mix of romance, action, comedy and plenty of fantasy.

Kagome Higurashi is an ordinary girl living with her family at an old Shinto shrine. That is, until an old well takes her back in time to an era of warring lords and demons, where she finds that she is the reincarnation of the venerated priestess Kikyo, who died clutching the Sacred Shikon Jewel fifty years before. As the jewel resurfaces (from inside Kagome's body), she inadvertantly wakes a powerful half-demon, Inu-yasha, from the spell Kikyo used when he stole the jewel.

Since Kagome is the spitting image of Kikyo, Inuyasha doesn't like her. But when Kagome accidently shatters and scatters the jewel, they have to work together (she can sense where they are, he can fight for them). They battle the prissy Yura, who uses hair as a weapon, a monstrous toad, Inuyasha's cold-as-ice half-brother Sesshoumaru, who is trying to find an incredibly powerful sword made from their father's fang, and the deadly (and very immature) Thunder Brothers, one of whom wants to turn Kagome into a hair-growth remedy.

If there were some way of cross-breeding "Lord of the Rings" with "Much Ado About Nothing" and a few of those great old martial arts movies, the result might be something like "Inu-yasha." At least, that's as close as it can get. One of the major complications with this DVD set is that, since it has the first three DVDs, it ends on a massive cliffhanger (as many of the Inu-yasha DVDs do). So have Volume Four on hand, or prepare to shriek with frustration.

The picture of a fantastical medieval Japan is pretty exciting, with demons popping up all over the place. The animation is pretty good, although occasionally flawed (Inu-yasha's sword, the Tetsusaiga, keeps changing size); while the early episodes don't have as many "romantic-cute" moments of later episodes, they do have some comedy (Kagome trying to rip Inu-yasha's clothes off) sprinkled through the drama and action.

Inu-yasha is, at first glance, a rude and very crabby teen boy with superhuman strength and some serious emotional issues. But you get to see his softer side, like when he thinks he's seeing his dead mother again. Kagome seems a little dizzy at first, but by the second DVD she's adjusted enough to be smart, capable, and good backup for Inuyasha. Regulars such as the orphaned fox-demon Shippo and the wise but wussy flea Myoga also join Inu-yasha and Kagome on their quest.

The first three volumes of the Inu-yasha series are solid and enjoyable, full of action, humor, and in the wind-up for some romance too. If they had included the fourth DVD in this set, rather than leaving it at a cliffhanger, then it would have been even better.

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: Impractical
Review: There are over 100 episodes of Inuyasha, ordering the first three parts only for this price is a bit of a waste of money, especially because this doesn't even cover the first 25 episodes. My recommendation would be instead to go to Amazon zShops or perhaps Auctions, and order any of the boxed sets. At the very least, these cover the first 25, and some even contain 40 episodes per pack if you know where to shop. However, if you must have the episodes in english, this is what to get.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Good!!!
Review: This box set is an excellent way to start your collection. It has the frist 3 discs. be warned however that you need vol. 4 (the Thunder Brothers) to complete the last episode, and it ends on a one off, so you can leave it at that for a while without too much suspense. The animation is astonishing, the sound quality is superb, the story is very well presented, and it can keep you laughing for days, if you have the right sense of humor. I give this 6 out of 5 stars.

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: Volumes 1-3
Review: This cartoon is ridiculous and unethical. This cartoon is fantastical and unrealistic. I don't like this cartoon. BOBOBOBOBO. BOBOBOBOBO.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: A Must-Have Collectors Set
Review: This is a great gift from Viz to us. In the Special Edition boxed set are the first 3 DVDs in the series, all in one case, not individually boxed (like they are usually sold), two trading cards, mini-poster (If you have the Action Pack, its that same poster), a calendar which is held in a CD-like case (each month is seperate, but still very nice graphics), and they are all packaged in a silver Collector's box. ^_^ The DVD quiality is the greatest you can have (a HUGE improvement from the Parts 1-9 in Japanese only) but I recommend having DVD 4 around so you don't get annoyed .

I highly recommend this DVD and all the others in the series for all Anime fans. Action, Romance, Horror, Mystery, this anime has it all.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: An Awesome Buy
Review: this is an awesome buy for any Inuyasha collector.The three DVDs come in their own special case. There is a month-by-month special calendar only available with the DVD. Then, there are two cards and a poster with the order. I find this to be a worthy buy and recommend it for any fan of this wonderful amine (watch it subbed and in Japanse)


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