Spin-off Series

I seriously think that out of all of anime adapations of Rumiko Takahashi’s manga series that I have seen so far.  I think that InuYasha is the only one series where many and I mean MANY fans would have loved to have seen a spin-off series occur where it involves InuYasha’s older half-brother Sesshomaru, Rin and Jaken.

That mainly being also that out of all the other anime series based on her work, InuYasha is also the one where a secondary character became just as popular as the main character and that of course being Sesshomaru.

Some of you might even recall when I posted that motivational screenshot of Sesshomaru quite possibly being the “breakout character” to the InuYasha series which is actually true in many ways as the series itself might not have become as popular if not for the development of Sesshomaru and his character.

But for the spin-off series, I would imagine it taking place a few years after Kagome has returned to the Feudal Era and settled into a new life with InuYasha with Rin being around the same age as Kagome.

Rin would return to be with Sesshomaru (of course ) and depending on what is going on around this time, Sesshomaru is probably “semi-retired” from his wandering days and is settling in to a new life in his own home somewhere in the western lands. He would still patrol the borders of his lands while also taking on new responsibilities as Lord of the Western Lands such as dealing with politics while Rin would get settled in to more of her training to become a noble woman with rank and some other forms of training as well.

Some people have told me about how if Rin and Sesshomaru ever get their own spin-off they should go on their own journey but the only thing about that is it would be like a “mirror version” of InuYasha and that is not something viewers/readers would want to see.

I can see Sesshomaru and Rin having some adventures but unfortunately it wouldn’t be like it was back during their wandering days. If a spin-off series were to occur I would see it being kind of like how it was in the Manga/Anime series Rurouni Kenshin Samurai X, where they would leave home for a while on an important mission but would return later, not have it where they are travelling all around Japan looking for something like Inuyasha and his group did.

Another thing that I could see not happening, plus this could be marking it as a fresh start as well is for Rin and Sesshomaru not to fall into the category of the usual “Takahashi Couples”  a term used by anime fans to refer to the romantic pairing of a “Tsundere” with a “Jerk with a Heart of Gold”, and the inevitable misunderstandings and conflicts that arise. Despite the conflict, there is an attraction. This is obvious to everyone except the couple. Confront them with the obvious, they'll deny it. When one gets clued in, they will do everything in their power to play it off. The other soon does the same. Sometimes they will progress to admitting their friendship but insist they are “just friends”.

The thing about that is Rin and Sesshomaru would definitely not fall into this category as just from the way their relationship was in the series and also from how it further evolved in the drama CD Asatte.  It is already different from Kagome’s and InuYasha’s relationship, also from my own personal point of view it would be a nice change from what we are so used to seeing in all of Rumiko Takahashi’s works too. 

Rin and Sesshomaru would already be together at this point but that doesn’t mean that they won’t have their own obstacles to pass in order for them to strengthen their bond further and unlike InuYasha and Kikyo (sorry InuYasha and Kikyo fans) they already have a strong bond of trust(or the power of trust as Sesshomaru stated in the Drama CD) between them as well.

As for Jaken he would continue to remain loyal to Sesshomaru while starting to show a bit more respect to Rin (or else Sesshomaru would kill him). He would in more ways be the comical relief for the spin-off.  

I really wish that Manga series did not end as many others have also wished the same. I have seen a lot of comments saying things like; “I wish it would have continued, I would have like to have seen Sesshomaru--.”.  That was really it right there. The series unfortunately was not about Sesshomaru (T^T) but about his brother InuYasha and his story and adventure has finally come to an end but I can understand what they meant.

But unfortunately, I don’t think we will ever see a spin-off series ever occur as Rumiko Takahashi has never done a spinoff series to any of her other mangas so it seems unlikely that we will ever see one done that involves the Dog-Demon, Sesshomaru.

But luckily, that is why fanfiction stories exist so that writers can create their own version of adventures for Sesshomaru and Rin. I have come across A LOT some that were well done and very believable while others were good but could have used a bit more a plot to it.

So even if we never get to see Sesshomaru with his own manga or anime series at least we can read the fanfiction work of others who keeps the possibility alive in their stories. J

 I acknowledge that I don't own Inuyasha or the screenshots. They belong to Rumiko Takahashi.