Did Inuyasha copy Berserk?

[Papasmurf]

If you think of the following as parallels:

Guts - Inuyasha
Onigumo/Naraku - Cripple Griffith/Femto
Casca/Potato Casca - Kikyou/Kagome
Dragon Slayer - Tessaiga

Then the similarities are pretty obvious. Obviously most would agree Berserk is the better and more epic series, and Takahashi took some inspiration from Go Nagai as well, but I have a feeling she based the Inuyasha/Naraku/Kikyou love triangle dynamic on that between Guts, Griffith and Casca right down to the woman being mentally destroyed or killed by the reborn villain and the protag getting a new group of friends during his quest for vengeance.

 

[Yoshi]

The biggest similarity is that they both fall under the demon genre in Anime & Manga. The Dragon Slayer and the Tessaiga is another similarity, I agree.

 

[Papasmurf]

Doesn't Onigumo selling his body to demons to be reborn as a more powerful demonic being and ruin Inuyasha and Kikyou's relationship and obtain the Jewel seem like it takes inspiration from Griffith selling his soul to the Godhand to become Femto and violate Casca so that he can spite Guts and ruin his relationship with her and then obtain greater power by becoming a King? That seems like a Berserk inspired event. The difference is that Griffith is the secondary protagonist after Guts and has far more development and depth than Onigumo/Naraku who are pure evil and that Kikyou was reincarnated instead of having her mind shattered and turned into an infantile girl.

 

[Yoshi]

Considering both series about demons, yes. In general, there are plenty of series about trading away something important for more power, however.

 

[Papasmurf]

Griffith and Onigumo both were cripples before the fact and invalid and covered in bandages, plus they specifically targeted the protag's girlfriend to drive them apart (albeit through murder rather than a graphic rape in Inuyasha's case due to the target audience). That seems too similar to be coincidence.