English Dub Review: Yashahime: Princess Half-Demon “The Gateway to the Past”

Overview (Spoilers Below)

Moroha and Setsuna are fitting right in during modern times, with the former impressing the old folks with her martial arts moves while the latter has mastered violin in just a few days, under Moe’s instruction and to her utter delight. Moroha explained to the twins earlier that the only way to get Setsuna’s dreams back is to capture the Dream Butterfly in the feudal era. Towa reflects on having never really fit in with life in the modern age, and is excited to join her newfound friends in the world of the past. After some heartfelt goodbyes and promises to return to her time, the girls set off to the past, by promising Root Head their rainbow pearls in exchange for time travelling abilities. Unfortunately, they don’t arrive directly in the “Warring Era” as Setsuna calls it, as quickly as intended. Their path has been redirected by The Tree of Ages, appearing as Kikyo. The tree explains it gained this form from the arrowhead of the sacred arrow that bound Inuyasha to the tree before their time, and calls upon these “Half-Demon Princesses” to save the world by slaying the demon Kirinmaru, who plans to plunge the world into devastation. Treekyo further explains that they’ve been selected because they’re the descendants of the Great Dog Demon. Moroha initially accepts the mission, eager to fight and hoping for a bounty, but Setsuna flatly refuses and Towa supports her twin’s decision. The Tree’s spirit retaliates by sending them to Root Head, who they defeat with their combined efforts, and an impressive dragon of demon energy from Towa. After they wrap up this encounter, the trio finally finds themselves in the feudal era, where they’re greeted by Setsuna’s old crew: Kohaku, Hisui, and Kaede. Meanwhile, the Tree of Ages/Kikyo muses about the fighting spirit of our young protagonists to Rin, who seems to be trapped in an eternal sleep her realm. The after credits scene hints at a grand ol’ demon slaying time in the next episode, and possibly some of Moroha’s past catching up with her.

Our take

Fantastic visuals this episode. From the pink tones of Papa Sota and Towa’s tearful goodbye (in Kagome’s old room, while looking at a scrapbook, no less) to the ink painting explanation of Kirinmaru’s association with Sesshomaru, Inuyash, and their father, Toga, there’s some impressive variation that really shows off this show’s range.

Similarly, the blend of comedy, heartfelt gratitude for family, action, world building and story development hit especially perfectly this time of year. Moroha’s enthusiastic acceptance of Grandpa Higurashi’s gift (and her later use of it in battle) nicely encapsulates both the heartfelt humor, and the unique approach to taking action and demon fighting seriously, while still keeping things lighthearted. Admittedly, there’s plenty of confusion (still!) as to the fate of the original cast, although we appear to be building up towards an in-show confirmation that Rin is the twin’s mother, and (based on an entirely unreliable scene from the after credits, Miroku might make an appearance?) Regardless, the real mystery of this sequel remains “how the hell is Kaede still alive?” Also, I know I talk a lot of shit about other anime series being confusing, so I must confess that this one likely isn’t any more clear for the casual viewer, but since I’m INTO it, the additional Wiki reading and cross referencing to the original series is less of a chore.

While I’m probably biased, I do believe that this show brings a decent amount to the table, both with the aforementioned visuals and plenty of interesting scenes that don’t require extensive knowledge of this world to make it worth the watch. There’s occasional explanations that seem redundant to me, but would hopefully help key in any first time viewers to crucial details, but I’m sure there’s still plenty of plot holes that I’m conveniently overlooking.

Despite the confusion it may create by referencing past characters, I still feel as though this series is effective and interesting as a continuation, rather than a reboot or expansion that follows Inuyasha and Kagome. I of course hope we see them again in this series, but the focus on the new generation of half-demon princesses saving the world is ultimately what I’m here for, and i’m excited to see where their adventures take them.