Kagome’s normal life came to an end one day when a demon dragged her down into a well at the shrine where she lived. When she next woke, Kagome finds herself 500 years in the past in Japan’s feudal area, a time in history fraught with both war and demons. It is there she learns that she is a reincarnation of a priestess tasked with guarding the Shikon Jewel. With the jewel returned to the world with her, Kagome must fight off the demons that want to gain its power, including Inuyasha, a half-demon that was once a lover of her past self right up until she sealed him to a tree.
Likely a childhood staple for many, Inuyasha lured us in with a enchanting mix of shounen-style action, romance, and occasional drama. If you want to recapture the 90’s anime magic, give these anime recommendations for Inuyasha a try.
Anime Like Inuyasha
For Fans of Demon Battles
Demon Girl Zakuro
Kei Agemaki is the son of a famous general, and as such joined the government upon becoming an adult. However, he has had a secret fear of the paranormal his entire life. This becomes a big issue when he is assigned to work in the Ministry of Spirit Affairs where he must work side-by-side with spirits. Alongside half-spirit girl Zakuro who has a distaste for the increasing abandonment of spiritual beliefs spreading around Meiji Era Japan, Kei, Zakuro and the rest of the ministry work to solve a variety of paranormal cases.
Both Inuyasha and Zakuro feature half-demons fighting other demons. However, Zakuro is set in a later period of Japanese history. So instead of the feudal era in Inuyasha, you get the Meiji era where Japan was beginning to modernize and become influenced by Western cultures.
Chrono Crusade
After World War I, monstrous demons began to overrun the world. To combat this menace, the Order of Magdalene was establish from the Catholic Church. This is the story of reckless Sister Rosette Christopher and her demon hunting partner Chrono, who is himself a demon.
In both series, you have a girl that is partnered up with a bad-tempered half-demon in order to fight other demons. The major difference is that Rosette is much more badass than Kagome ever was and Chrono Crusade has many more religious influences instead of Japanese influences.
Blue Exorcist
Humans and demons have always been separated by two different worlds, humans in Assiah and demons in Gehenna. The only way to travel between the worlds is by possession, which is how Satan, the ruler of Gehenna, wages his war. Blue Exorcist follows Rin Okumura, a somewhat trouble teen and son of Satan. However, while his father wants him to help conquer the human world, Rin decides to become an exorcist to fight him instead.
Blue Exorcist is a lot like Inuyasha if they had just kept the setting in the modern world. However, there is really no set female protagonist alongside Rin like Kagome was in Inuyasha, but they are both about half-demons fighting their purebred counterparts.
For Fans of Sappy Romance
Kamisama Kiss
Homeless and in debt, high schooler Nanami Momozono thinks things are looking up when she rescues a man and he offers to let her stay at his home. She soon discovers that his home is a rundown shrine. Trying to leave, she is mistaken for the man she saved – the man that is also the land god of the shrine, Mikage. Finding out she was tricked into being a god and not wanting to be homeless, Nanami tries to embrace her new divine duties, but has to deal with a hot-headed fox familiar to keep things running smoothly.
If you like that romantic bint about two people that are somewhat at odds with each other, but end up bonding over time, then Kamisama Kiss is a great follow up to Inuyasha. They both put modern girls with more traditional assholes whose bad attitude makes those tender moments all the more sweet.
Ranma 1/2
Ranma Saotome is a top-notch martial artist, but while training in China with his father, he meets a terrible fate. After accidentally falling into a cursed spring, he now turns into a girl when splashed with cold water. Luckily, splashing hot water on him and turn him back into a boy. Things are complicated further when Ranma discovers he is arranged to marry a daughter of another dojo, but this girl, Akane, is notorious for hating men.
If there was one series by Inuyasha’s creator Rumiko Takahashi that is more popular than Inuyasha, it would be Ranma 1/2. Both series have that blend of comedy and romance that she has become known for. However, Inuyasha has more of an action bint while Ranma remains more comedy oriented as they go about their adventures.
Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicle
While excavating mysterious ruins, Syaoran discovers his childhood friend Sakura on the site with wings that disperse into many feathers. As these feather disperse into different dimensions, so, too, does Sakura’s memories. In attempt to save her life and restore her memories, he travels throughout the worlds to find and collect these feathers, collecting friends along the way as well.
Not only does Tsubasa share Inuyasha’s will-they, won’t-they style of romance, but it actually has a similar overall plot. Inuyasha is primarily about the quest for gathering shards while Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicle is about gathering up feathers. If you want a show where the male lead is not quite an ass, Tsubasa is the way to go.
For Fans of Modern Meets Mystical
Fushigi Yuugi
One day while visiting the National Library, junior high students Maika and Yui are transported inside a mysterious book about ancient China called The Universe of the Four Gods. Within, Maika finds herself with the responsibility of being the priestess of Suzaku, and must gather all his celestial warriors to summon him for three wishes. However, she is put at odds with Yui when she is manipulated into becoming the priestess of Seiryuu by an enemy nation.
In both stories you have a modern girl (or girls) that get sent back to an ancient era. In Fushigi Yuugi, it is China. In Inuyasha, it is feudal Japan. However, in both of these ancient eras, there are monsters, gods, or some other supernatural beings that weren’t there historically. When it comes to quintessential 90’s anime, both series are classics as well.
Yu Yu Hakusho
Yusuke Urameshi is your average thug, but one day, he sees a kid about to get hit by a car and saves him. Unfortunately, the car kills him instead. Impressed by his heroic deed, the afterlife gives him a second shot at life, but only if he becomes a Spirit Detective and keeps all the demons and other supernatural beings from destroying the human world.
Although Yu Yu Hakusho doesn’t have the main characters going back to a past era, it does focus heavily on the melding of the spirit and modern worlds. In many cases, the characters have to go deep into the spirit world, which is not completely unlike Kagome going back in time in Inuyasha. If a little romance and a lot of action is more your style, both of these series fit the bill.
The Twelve Kingdoms
In what started as a normal day as a normal high school student, Nakajima Youko has her reality shattered when a strange man named Keiki appears before her, swearing his allegiance. When Youko and her friends are attacked by demons, they are pulled into a different world, one she has never known. Separated from Keiki, Youko and her friends must do whatever they have to in order to survive this strange, harsh place.
The Twelve Kingdoms is like a more serious Inuyasha. It doesn’t drag on with endless fights, but there are fights in plenty. Furthermore, you don’t have as much romance, but there is still plenty of drama. Overall, if you were a fan of Inuyasha, it ends up a much more intriguing watch.
If you have any other anime recommendations for Inuyasha that you love, let us know in the comments section below.
