With huge titles like Naruto, Dragon Ball Z, and My Hero Academia dominating mainstream media, it may be easy to think that the anime world is small. However, thousand of anime titles exist, many being original stories never seen before. With so many titles available, there are definitely some with similar themes and concepts.
Inuyasha and Kamisama Kiss are among some of the many anime casual fans may confuse at first glance. With similar looking leads and some of the same tropes, it can be easy to confuse the two. While no two anime are exactly the same, both of these titles have enough similarities that it's worth comparing the two.
10 Same: The Leads Look Similar
When describing a white-haired character with animal ears, anime watchers will either think of Inuyasha or Tomoe. Their similarities do not end there, though, as they both have bright-colored eyes, Inuyasha's being a golden hue and Tomoe's a purple tone. Both Inuyasha and Tomoe dress in more traditional style clothing.
Inuyasha and Tomoe may have the most obvious similarities, but Kagome and Nanami look alike too! They both have long, dark hair with bangs and they both primarily wear their school uniforms.
9 Different: Kagome & Nanami's Lives
At first glance, it appears that Kagome and Nanami have a lot of similarities. When it comes to their background stories, it gets a bit more complicated. Kagome comes from a very loving and supportive family. She lives with her mom, brother, and grandpa, who all help her balance her life between the feudal era and the current time.
Nanami's life hasn't been so easy. Nanami's mother died when she was younger and her father is an irresponsible gambler. As a result, Nanami grew up distrusting men and leaning towards being independent. Nanami accepts the role of the Shrine God because she does not have a place to live.
8 Same: Inuyasha & Tomoe are Both Demons (Who Can Turn Human)
Inuyasha is plagued by the fact that he is a Dog half-demon. He spends the majority of the anime hunting down the Sacred Jewel shards to use it to become a full demon. Inuyasha becomes human every new moon and can become a full demon during moments of distress. Inuyasha also has the choice to turn human, as he planned to do while he was with Kikyo.
Tomoe is a fox demon and has been alive for a long time. Before becoming a familiar, he was an evil demon who wreaked havoc until he meets a human he falls in love with. As he serves Mikage, he becomes docile but is still strong. He ends up turning into a human to live alongside Nanami.
7 Different: Inuyasha & Tomoe's Maturity
One of Inuyasha's defining characteristics is his hot-headedness. Inuyasha is short-tempered and likes to fight first, think later. He can be easily angered and provoked to battle. When it comes to his relationship with Kagome, he is prideful and can be immature.
Tomoe is the opposite. Tomoe initially comes off as aloof, as he doesn't care for Nanami. He does have moments where he snaps at Nanami, but overall he isn't quick to get angry. He is very honest and straightforward. He is also charming and sly, which he uses to his advantage to get his way.
6 Same: The First Loves
At the time Kagome and Nanami enter the lives of Inuyasha and Tomoe, both of them have had their first loves. Inuyasha fell in love with Kikyo 50 years before meeting Kagome. Inuyasha lives haunted by Kikyo's death and when she returns to life, he is conflicted between Kagome and his first love. Kagome is troubled between wanting to be with Inuyasha but having to accept he loves someone else.
Tomoe was in love 500 years prior to meeting Nanami with Yukiji, a human woman who changed his life. Tomoe has a hard time accepting his feelings for Nanami because he is under a spell that has caused him to "forget" his first love. As Nanami comes to terms with her feelings, she also has to deal with the role Yukiji played in Tomoe's life.
5 Different: Supporting Characters
Inuyasha and Kagome are the main characters of Inuyasha but the anime would be incomplete without its amazing cast of characters. Sango, Miroku, and Shippo all provide their own unique stories that contribute to the overall plot. They also provide a lot of comic relief and make enemy battles more fun.
In Kamisama Kiss, the set-up with the other characters is almost a reverse-harem situation. There is Mizuki, a snake demon who becomes Nanami's second familiar; Kurama, a fallen angel who develops a crush on Nanami; and Akura-Ou, Tomoe's enemy who also seems to develop an attraction to Nanami that is beyond using her to hurt Tomoe.
4 Same: Rivals in Love
The women aren't the only ones with reasons to be jealous in Inuyasha and Kamisama Kiss. Both Kagome and Nanami have other suitors vying for their attention. In Kagome's case, there is Koga. Koga is a wolf-demon who fell in love with Kagome essentially at first sight. He declares that she will be his woman and spends the remainder of the series arguing with Inuyasha over Kagome.
Tomoe's main rival in Kamisama Kiss seems to be Mizuki. He appears seemingly out of nowhere and kisses Nanami to become her familiar. At the beginning of the series, he works hard to try and sway Nanami towards him and away from Tomoe.
3 Different: The Villians
In Inuyasha, there are many characters that try and create conflict, however, the biggest enemy is Naraku. Naraku has directly and deliberately hurt every single character in the series. His main goal is to collect all the Jewel Shards and to kill Inuyasha. It also appears that he wants to Kikyo as well. Naraku is evil to be evil.
For Tomoe and Nanami, their nemesis isn't quite as calculated. Akura-Ou and Tomoe were partners in crime, set on doing whatever they wanted to whoever they wanted. When Tomoe falls in love with a human, their dynamic is ruined and Akura-Ou falls to his demise. Once he makes a comeback, he wants to seek revenge on Tomeo.
2 Same: Time Traveling
Both Inuyasha and Kamisama Kiss incorporate time travel in an interesting way for their respective series. In Inuyasha, Kagome accidentally travels to the past through a well in her home. She spends the entire series using the well to join Inuyasha and the others in the hunt of the Jewel Shards. In addition, Kagome is the future reincarnation of Kikyo.
Kamisama Kiss takes place in the current time but does have a time-traveling arc that unravels a major plot point. Nanami travels back 500 years to save Tomoe and discovers that he never fell in love with Yukiji. Instead, he fell in love with Nanami and thought it was Yukiji. This casual loop completely changes the series and intensifies Nanami and Tomoe's relationship.
1 Different: The Overall Tone
The romances in anime are usually the most memorable parts because fans love to root for love. While Inuyasha does have some notable romances and one of the most famous love triangles, the overall plot is not a love story. Inuyasha is a shounen anime. It is an action-based series with comedy, romance, supernatural, and fantasy elements. Inuyasha is also darker and gorier.
Kamisama Kiss, on the other hand, is a shojo anime. It is a romantic comedy that has elements of fantasy and magic. While both anime are rated PG 13, Kamisama Kiss is the lighter title with themes suitable for most audiences.