Based on a manga by Rumiko Takahashi, Inu-Yasha (2000) melds elements of Japanese folklore and familiar anime devices into a deftly imaginative blend of humor and adventure. Kagome, a modern girl caught in the intrigues of an alternate reality, and the half-demon Inu-Yasha continue squabbling as they search for fragments of the Sacred Jewel. Inu-Yasha defeats his older brother Sesshomaru, who appears in the alternate guises of a mannered dandy and a monstrous wolf, and wins the Tetsusaiga, their father's magic sword. But Kagome discovers the trick that makes it an effective weapon. Together, they defeat a toad monster and take on the powerful Thunder Brothers. The bickering principals recall the fractious Ranma and Akane, but these characters are less farcical and have more at stake. The result is an extremely entertaining series that never falls into cliché.