Rumiko Takahashi fans, this one is going to feel very familiar — and honestly, that is not automatically a bad thing.
Anime News Network’s review of MAO Episodes 1-3 points out something many longtime anime fans will probably notice fast: this new supernatural series carries a lot of InuYasha DNA. Not just in the broad setup, but in the smaller story details too.
We are talking about a modern-day girl being pulled into a different time, a mysterious supernatural boy positioned as the obvious romantic lead, classmates trying to pair her with another boy in the present, and even a grandfather covering for her absence at school. The early villain setup also apparently echoes familiar Takahashi territory, with one major enemy using thread-like attacks.
For Malaysian and SEA fans who grew up catching InuYasha on TV, DVD, fansubs, or later streaming, this is the kind of thing that will immediately trigger nostalgia. MAO is not being framed as an InuYasha remake, but based on the first three episodes, the comparison is hard to avoid. ANN even argues that MAO feels more like InuYasha than Yashahime did, which is a pretty spicy but understandable take depending on how you felt about that sequel series.
The important part: the review still comes away positive.
According to ANN, MAO’s early episodes work because the atmosphere is strong, the central mystery has a solid pull, and the main characters are already charming enough to carry the ride. That matters because nostalgia alone can only get a series so far. SEA anime fans are spoiled for choice every season now — if a show does not hook quickly, it gets dropped from the watchlist fast, especially when everyone is juggling seasonal anime, games, gacha dailies, and esports streams.
Where MAO may separate itself from InuYasha is tone. The review highlights that this series leans harder into horror and mystery, rather than just action-romance adventure. It is described as darker than many Takahashi works, though not necessarily depressing or bleak. That balance could be the key. If MAO keeps the supernatural tension sharp while still letting Takahashi’s character writing breathe, it can become more than just “the new thing that reminds everyone of InuYasha.”
The setting also gives MAO an interesting angle. Instead of the Sengoku-era flavour people associate with InuYasha, MAO’s past timeline takes place in the Taisho era, roughly 1912 to 1926. That was a period of rapid change in Japan, with modernisation, cultural shifts, and old beliefs colliding with a newer world. If the anime actually uses that historical backdrop meaningfully, it could give the series a stronger identity of its own.
That is the big question going forward. Will MAO fully lean into its Taisho-era setting, supernatural detective energy, and darker mood? Or will it keep inviting direct InuYasha comparisons every episode? Either way, the first three episodes seem to have landed well enough for Takahashi fans.
For Malaysian viewers, the recommendation is pretty straightforward: if InuYasha was part of your anime upbringing, MAO is worth checking out. If you are younger and somehow skipped InuYasha, MAO might also be a gateway into why older fans still talk about Takahashi’s work with so much respect.
So far, MAO sounds familiar, but not lazy. The bones are classic Takahashi, the mood is slightly sharper, and the mystery angle has room to grow. Let’s see whether the next episodes turn it from “InuYasha-coded” into something that can stand proudly on its own.
Source: Anime News Network