Ever since the conclusion of Ranma 1/2, Rumiko Takahashi's many fans have been eagerly awaiting her next long, serialized project. The wait is over with the first volume of Inu-Yasha. The story begins in Feudal Japan (technically, the Warring States period of the Muromachi era) where a mythical creature named Inu-Yasha, half dog and half boy, pillages a small town in search of a magical jewel. He is stopped by the village priestess who takes the jewel with her to the afterlife. Cut to modern times where Kagome (a splitting image of the village priestess) finds herself lost in a time portal and runs into Inu-Yasha himself. Her reaction is priceless: "Is he a demon or a junior high school kid?" This is the magic of Rumiko Takahashi--she has woven an intriguing historical fantasy that is filled with horror, humor, and romance in a way that most people would not think possible. --Jim Pascoe