Parents' Guide to

InuYasha

By Scout Davidson, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 11+

Fantasy-themed anime features strong female lead.

TV Cartoon Network Anime 2002
InuYasha Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this TV show.

  • InuYasha
  • InuYasha
  • InuYasha
  • InuYasha

Community Reviews

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age 12+

Based on 21 parent reviews

rachelm123
rachelm123 Adult
October 5, 2022
age 16+

Not for kids

I am a female in my 20s and I love this show. But if I had children I would definitely not let them watch this. It has a great storyline but may be difficult for younger children to follow. Lots of violence of course. It also has multiple scenes of groups of men beating up a young girl for disobeying, a group of boys beating up a very young orphaned girl for stealing food, among other things. The main characters in this show often hit/ punch and hurt the old man who helps them on occasion. Not a great messages for kids/ teens. It also contains some nudity. Though animated, the young girls in the show ( I think supposed to be around 13-14 max because she talks about getting into highschool) are often shown bathing and shown in a sexual way (men touching them, saying sexual things about them) and the main character is always wearing an extremely short skirt and has abnormally long legs and when they bathe it shows half their boobs which are unusually large for what is supposed to be their age and this tells me a lot about the creators of this show. Also one of the main characters always asks every female he meets (even one girl who they say is age 11) to bear his child and always rubs their butts without permission, sometimes even when they are passed out. Most women swat him away or slap him but for young children they pickup on these things and may think it’s okay to do and get into some serious trouble. Also young females may accept this behavior as okay and it is not. Not something you want your children thinking is normal. I have always worked with kids and deeply studied their psychology in college, kids do often like to copy their favorite tv characters so please keep this in mind if you want to lookout for your children. There are some strong female leads but often women are portrayed as defenseless and they are often called defenseless in this show. I would say at least 16 to watch but talk to your kids about this regardless of their age and point out what behavior is good and what behavior is not acceptable! Other than that, great show for adults or kids in their late teens. Not any smoking or drug use that I noticed, a bit of drinking here and there but only by adults and it’s not often. Great teamwork in this show. I think the 14 age rating is incorrect but close.
4 people found this helpful.
1028Ashley
1028Ashley Adult
November 1, 2019
age 16+

Really good anime filled with action and dangerous scenes

This is such a great anime and it teaches teens how to make friends and trust others within your life and I think this anime is awesome just not rated for younger Inuyasha fans to watch

This title has:

Too much violence
1 person found this helpful.
See all 21 parent reviews

What's the Story?

INUYASHA (voiced by Richard Ian Cox) is a half-dog/half-human demon who's controlled, via magic beads, by a time-traveling Japanese schoolgirl named Kagome (Moneca Stori). Together they lead a team that includes a monk, a fox demon, and a demon slayer on a quest through feudal Japan to locate the shards of the Jewel of Four Souls. They must keep the Jewel out of the hands of Naraku, who needs all the shards to become a full demon. Kagome is a strong female character -- the reincarnation of a powerful priestess -- and possesses the strong powers to fulfill her task of protecting the Jewel. InuYasha, which has some cartoon violence and suggestive scenes, and airs as part of the Cartoon Network's Adult Swim lineup, is tamer than many of the other shows in that group.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (21 ):
Kids say (106 ):

InuYasha features a lot of characters and a lengthy backstory, making it difficult to follow when jumping in at midpoint. Erratic scheduling doesn't help (not all episodes are broadcast, and the ones that are shown sometimes air out of order), nor does the fact that the original Japanese series ceased production before the story's natural end (four feature-length movies have been produced so far to continue the tale). Still, the show weaves an interesting tale of adventure, romance, and fantasy, and depicts strong female characters. When Kagome becomes attracted to InuYasha, her crush sometimes lends the series an air of middle-school drama, but overall the show offers teen and older tween girls a fascinating fantasy world to explore.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about what this show has in common with other anime series -- and what sets it apart. What makes it more kid-friendly than other anime shows? What makes it a fantasy? What are the main differences between fantasy and science fiction genres? Families can also discuss what it means to work together as a team. What happens when one member of a team loses patience and strikes out on their own? How does that affect the rest of the team?

TV Details

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