I finally got around to watching the first two episodes of the anime Yashahime season two. Based on the Rumiko Takahashi manga and anime, Inuyasha, it continues the story with Inuyasha and Kagome’s daughter Moroha, and her cousins Towa and Setsuna in feudal (and sometimes modern) Japan. As a big Rumiko fan I’m heavily invested in this new iteration of her work, and am finding it a pleasant experience indeed. It’s been nice revisiting the show (I saw this series on Crunchyroll a couple of years ago now) and the colourful characters and their ongoing quests. I really liked the second episode, where the girls encounter a seaside village that is threatened by an evil gorgon-like creature. Turns out the creature has its own sad story to tell of how it had once been a benevolent spirit, helping the people of the village, until some village fisherman, including the man she loved, killed her when she assumed the shape of a snake. I’m pretty sure this is an old Japanese or Chinese fairytale that’s been woven into the narrative. Rumiko’s work often features such tales, which is one of the things I like about it. I really love the end credits sequence of this show, featuring a wonderful song by Little Glee Monster. For a mostly wholesome show, it can be surprisingly scary at times.
I watched eps 5 and 6 of my Yashahime bluray today. The sixth episode was a lot of fun, with Aiya, a spoiled princess, getting Setsuna to double for her in order to escape her studies, and her tutor is Hisui, demon slayer filling in for his sister Kin’u, who is equally skiving off. Aiya’s insane cackle when she’s enjoying herself (even when she is in the grip of an octopus’s tentacles!) is something to behold. I’m enjoying this even more second time around.
Watched eps 7 and 8 of my Yashahime bluray. The narrative is splitting up, with one story featuring Moroha and the raccoon dog dude, Takechiyo, going to his home to reclaim his birthright, another with Setsuna and Towa joining up with the demon slayers on a job to save a village from demons, and one featuring bad guy Kirinmaru’s machinations to rule the world and his daughter’s efforts trying to stop him. I feel Setsuna and Towa are the centre of the show, so I’m enjoying their story arc most so far. They both have interesting flaws – and goals.
I watched another episode of my season two Yashahime anime. Just three eps to go. It’s coming to a head now as the Grim Comet that threatened to destroy the present world is hurled back in time to the feudal era by Kirin, who was once the arm of main antagonist Kirinmaru. With that, our three MC’s, Towa, Setsuna and Moroha, prepare to depart from the present era to join the fight in the feudal era. But first they must say farewell to Towa’s adoptive family, who consist of Kagome’s (from Inuyasha) mother and grandfather, and her brother and his family, including his daughter, Mei. Mei’s sad, almost angry expression at the three hero’s imminent departure is truly heartbreaking. It’s unusual to see children in animes looking this sad. It illustrates the dramatic power of sadness.
I finished the second season of the Yashahime anime. The core of the Grim Comet splits open to reveal the Grim Butterfly, destined to reap the Apocalypse. But all ends well, and spoiler-free, with the last episode showing us how things happily fall out for our main characters. I loved this to bits and will gladly watch it again and again. It’s just a pity it doesn’t look like there’ll ever be a season three, going by the forums I’ve read about it. As it is, season two wraps the story up pretty nicely. And, interestingly, the manga tie-in, which is still going, seems to be going off on a new tangent. So it looks like there may be new stories to be told in the Yashahime world.