Hey, there! Welcome to my main world. Look here for my personal take on anything and everything InuYasha. I'll probably post reflections on the newest episodes Kanketsu-Hen, character profiles, relationship analysis, rants/ramblings, and fun stuff as well! Keep an eye out for updates frequently! :D

A Primer on Character Themes: Other Main Characters.

Last time I posted, I gave you an introduction to the character themes of the main protagonists of the series. For length reasons, I decided to split this into a few shorter posts instead of one painfully long one. So, for the second post in this series, I'm going to introduce you to the themes for some of the other major characters in the show: Kikyou, Sesshoumaru, Naraku, Kouga, and Kagura.

Everyone Else!:

"Misfortunate Priestess, Kikyou"

I would guess that it's because she's probably my favorite anime character ever, but I think Kikyou's theme is the most emotionally powerful in the entire series. It is beautiful and haunting, just like her. The series uses it masterfully as well, employing her theme at the most opportune and appropriate moments. The other arrangements are gorgeous as well.

"Demon, Sesshoumaru"

Sesshoumaru's theme is probably one of the coolest in the whole series, just because it uses some really nifty instruments to create the sound Wada was looking for. This theme was somewhat abandoned after the first few seasons, but when Sesshoumaru was first introduced it was used during each of his appearances.

"Evil Demon, Naraku"

Naraku's theme is probably the song most deserving of the designation "character theme." It's familiar harpsicord plays during nearly every single appearance he makes, even up through Kanketsu-Hen -- be it as himself or as a puppet. Other arrangements vary little form the original, making Naraku's theme one of the most recognizable in the entire show.

"Wolf Demon Tribe, Kouga"

Kouga's theme is seriously one of the coolest in the show, with a mariachi kind of feel, but honestly, I can't name a single instance when I've ever heard it. Maybe I need to re-watch some of Kouga's introductory episodes or something, but it's not recognizable as his theme. Doesn't make it any less cool, though!

"Wind Sorceress, Kagura"

Definitely a great, but underrated character theme. Mostly used when InuYasha (or another character) is in battle with Kagura, this theme embodies Kagura's wind-based attacks and adds a cool touch to her battle scenes. However, it lacks her emotional depth, which was only revealed in later episodes. Kagura develops, but her theme doesn't really develop with her.

All right, that's enough for this installment. Check back soon for the minor characters post. I've also decided to add a fourth post to this series, as each member of the Shichinintai has a unique theme song as well. And while they're not major protagonists, they are memorable characters who hang around for a long time in the series.

And feel free to leave comments! What do you think of InuYasha's BGM??

- Paige

A Primer on Character Themes: The Inu-Tachi.

InuYasha is known for the quality of its background music (which will be referred to as BGM from now on). All of the instrumental themes in the series were written by the fabulous composer Kaoru Wada, who has also composed music for the Kingdom Hearts games, Vampire Princess Miyu, Ninja Scroll, and a plethora of other animes and games. So, I thought it would be fun to put together a post about the different characters and their unique theme songs. Every major character in the series has one and there are several variants of each that are used for different types of scenes throughout the series (serious, cute and fun, romantic, and so on). Plus, this gave me an excuse to troll around YouTube for a while! ^__^

The Inu-Tachi:

"Hanyou InuYasha"
One of my favorite themes in the whole series belongs to our protagonist and favorite fuzzy-eared half demon. Most notably, this song plays during each and every episode preview throughout the series and variations of it are used for dramatic scenes, romantic interludes, and intense battle music.

"Crossing Time - Kagome"
The original version of this theme is probably not the most recognizable arrangement of it. Generally Kagome's theme is heard in the anime when she's going through some kind of intense emotions -- meaning, she sees Kikyou with InuYasha or she's feeling especially romantic. You hear a "vocal" version a lot in the series as well.

"The Little Fox Demon, Shippou"
This is one of those themes noted for its prominent use in filler episodes. It's cute and fun, very telling of Shippou's character. As Shippou is, generally, a comic relief character, this theme definitely has a major use in funny, light-hearted episodes.

"Delinquent Monk, Miroku"
As with Shippou's theme, Miroku's main theme gets used a lot during filler episodes(or when he's asking girls to bear his child and whatnot) . However, there are plenty more serious arrangements that get used during battle scenes, and there is a beautiful love theme for him and Sango. I can definitely picture Miroku grabbing butts to this song... XD

"Demon Slayer, Sango"
This one is probably my second-favorite theme, after Kikyou's. It is absolutely gorgeous. Sango is one of the few characters whose theme is actually used relatively frequently with her own actions. It starts out pretty somber, then picks up half-way through. It definitely embodies her personality perfectly.

This post was going to originally have all of the themes, but I decided to break it up a bit for length reasons. I may do something cool and link to the different sections later, but this works for now. Check back soon for the rest of the main characters (Kikyou, Naraku, Sesshoumaru, and so on), and then a post featuring some minor characters (Houjou, Toutousai, Myouga, etc.).

Also, feel free to discuss the songs! Which one is your favorite? Do you have an arrangement you really like? Is there another BGM piece you like from the series?

-Paige