Inuyasha is a legendary name in the anime community as it is known to be one of the most beloved anime from the equally legendary mangaka Rumiko Takahashi. Not only is it one of the most beloved anime titles, but it is also one of the oldest and long-running series with an iconic storyline and cast of characters. As such, it’s no surprise that in a time where beloved media never dies and is instead always brought back for capitalistic purposes, Inuyasha is back in the form of Yashahime: Princess Half-Demon. However, this continuation seems more promising than most others this year.
Storyline & Synopsis
Yashahime: Princess Half-Demon takes place after the events of the Inuyasha series and follows the daughters of Sesshomaru and Inuyasha; Towa, Setsuna, and Moroha. In feudal Japan, the half-demon twins Towa and Setsuna are separated from each other during a forest fire. While desperately searching for her younger sister, Towa wanders into a mysterious tunnel that sends her into present-day Japan, where she is found and raised by Kagome Higurashi’s brother, Sota, and his family. Ten years later, the portal reopens, and the sisters reunite, but Setsuna seems to have lost all memories of her sister. Joined by Moroha, the daughter of Inuyasha and Kagome, the three princesses will go on an adventure between the two eras.
In the first episode, we are briefly introduced to Towa, the elder of the twins, as she seems to have been captured, but before we can learn more of her situation, we are instead shown a flashback to a past event concerning Inuyasha, Kagome, and the old gang as they fight a new “Root Head” demon that’s recently surfaced. The demon was previously sealed away by Kikyo and seeks the Shikon Jewel. As it searches for Kikyo, it expectedly points its attention towards Reiwa village, where it terrorizes the villagers by cutting off their heads and feeding off their energy.
So it’s up to the old gang Inuyasha, Kagome, Sango, Miroku, Shippo, and Kirara to put a stop to it. The episode does a good job of showing the excellent dynamic of the group yet again. While it seemed like a random episode to start off the show, it ended with a revelation that the demon wasn’t completely destroyed, after all, hinting at its return as a potential threat to the girls.
An Odd Introduction
While I enjoyed seeing the old characters and their new lives as well as watching the whole gang work together again, I can’t help but feel the episode took an odd approach for its introduction. Instead of being properly introduced to the new characters, we are instead given a quick glimpse of the past and a rushed introduction to the three girls at the end.
Not sure if this was the studio’s way of providing fan service or a way to reintroduce the old characters, but it is still noteworthy as the new characters got more screen time in the opening and ending than in the actual episode. Though this issue will most likely be solved in the coming episode. Other than that, I’d also like to point out the high-quality animation by Studio Sunrise as it manages to keep the nostalgic animation style and character designs from the original series while also updating the visuals for a modern audience.
Final Thoughts
All in all, I highly appreciated the first episode of Yashahime: Princess Half-Demon, despite the lack of focus on the new characters. It succeeded in reminding fans what makes the anime so great while also leaving hope for the new generation.
If you haven’t seen the first episode of Yashahime: Princess Half-Demon, it’s available to stream right now on Crunchyroll and Funimation.
Are you an Inuyasha fan? Have you seen the first episode of Yashahime: Princess Half-Demon? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.