Inuyasha Season 5

The 5th season of Rumiko Takahashi's "feudal fairy tale" Inu Yasha is the darkest, as the familiar characters confront questions of survival, death, and love. Naraku remains hidden, creating a new body for himself as his protective barrier was shattered at end of Season 3. Kagome, Sango, Miroku, Shippo, and Inu-Yasha spend most of these episodes battling the Band of Seven, a group of bloodthirsty mercenaries whom Naraku brought back from the dead with shards of the Sacred Jewel. More savage in death than they were in life, the seven zombies must be fought with strength and intelligence. But dangerous as they are, the Band of Seven are minor players. Naraku's schemes force Kagome and Inu-Yasha to acknowledge their feelings for each other--and even shed tears. Using others as pawns, Naruto succeeds in his monstrous plot, turning his human heart (the heart of Onigumo, the thief who loved Kikyo decades earlier), into a malevolent infant. But there's still plenty of time for comedy--Inu-Yasha and wolf-demon Koga squabble endlessly, and Miroku is still an unapologetic lecher. Although the shards of the Sacred Jewel play an important role, the mission to assemble them all is rarely mentioned. Presumably, that plotline will return in the two remaining seasons. The Deluxe Edition Box Set, which is limited to 15,000 copies, includes a hanging scroll of Sesshomaru.(Rated "Teen:" suitable for ages 13 and older: violence, grotesque imagery, alcohol use, brief nudity) --Charles Solomon