English Dub Review: Yashahime: Princess Half-Demon “Sesshomaru’s Daughter”

Overview (Spoilers Below):

Despite recently having been revived with it, Zero breaks Sesshomaru’s Tensaiga in a fit of rage.

She vows to falter no more, and demands Riku bring her the Rainbow Pearls. But before she can use her full demon power to attack Towa and Setsuna, Kirinmaru intervenes.

He apologizes to Sesshomaru for his sister’s actions, saying she’s gone too far. Sesshomaru responds that he wasn’t attached to Tensaiga, and that Bakusaiga is more than adequate to “finish this”. Kirinmaru blocks his first attempt at striking down Zero, but realizes that Sesshomaru is serious.

Kirinmaru scatters Zero’s Rainbow Pearls, and she responds by saying they are no longer brother and sister before taking off. Riku stabs Kirinmaru before leaving to join his mistress.

Sesshomaru leaves to pursue Zero. Kirinmaru asks if he’s leaving his daughters there, and he simply responds that it’s a Rite of Courage and Cowardice.

Kirinmaru moves forward to face off against Towa, Setsuna, and Moroha, pledging to not hold back.

Moroha seems to get knocked out of the fight early on. Kirinmaru mocks her, saying that relying on the Rainbow Pearl held her back.

He then turns to take on Towa, seeking to unleash her full demonic power. After remembering that endangering Setsuna seems to hold the key, he goes after the younger twin.

His actions turn fatal, resulting in the battle reaching literal new heights.

Moroha returns in her Beniyasha form, which is now under her full control. Towa unleashes her full demon power as well, and the two take on Kirinmaru with spectacular force.

Unfortunately, their attempt, while valiant is unsuccessful.

Moroha cries out her apology for failing to avenge Setsuna. While Towa weeps over her fallen twin’s body, racked with regret about being too weak to protect the person she loves the most, Sesshomaru appears. He hands her the Tensaiga, and tells her the choice is hers.

Our Take:

Oof. Ok. I *knew* how this was gonna end (constantly fact checking reviews is a terrible spoiler avoidance strategy!) but I still didn’t expect it to be this intense.

Visually, it’s incredibly varied, but in scenes where it matters, it looks great. The sunbeams reflecting off our main trio while Kirinmaru descends to battle is a brilliant reminder of just how much lighting can impact a scene. Setsuna’s final words, and the apparent dissolution of the dream butterfly are drawn in a somehow softer and more sentimental style that makes them all the more heart wrenching.

Storywise, it’s about par for the course for the series, but it seems to come together enough to feel like a good stopping point, while leaving enough loose ends to chase down in upcoming seasons. Sesshomaru’s attempt on Zero’s life right after resurrecting her still doesn’t make much sense. But the resulting action sequences look great, and I guess it gets everyone on the battlefield, so ok? Zero’s cutting of ties with Kirinmaru is also kind of a wtf moment, but hey, it brings the ~drama~. While I’m still kind of disappointed that her main motivation was like, jealousy and unrequited love, I do appreciate Riku’s loyalty and his actions to defend his mistress.

As for the most dramatic action of this episode (and series for that matter) Towa and Moroha’s attempt to avenge Setsuna does not disappoint. The unleashing of their full demon powers is stunningly animated, and really serves to highlight the power of this art style. Moroha’s Crimson Dragon Wave and Crimson Backlash Wave benefit from what appears to be extra layers of detail, while her and Towa’s full demon powers are rendered with all sorts of impressive translucent glows and glares.

While the battle ascending to uhhh galactic heights doesn’t make much sense plot-wise at this point, it does provide an interesting shift of background as well. Bonus points for that background seemingly being inspired by Hubble telescope shots.

Finally, the voice acting is top notch. Morgan Berry nails Moroha’s dramatic shift in pitch after she finds full control of her Beniyasha form, without losing what makes this character’s voice unique. Erica Mendez is also tasked with lending more gravitas to Towa, and does so with just enough gravel to give the half-demon some bite (fitting, considering her newly sprouted fangs.) Kira Buckland manages to deliver her final words with sincerity that makes this moment a strong contender for my personal “Top 10 Saddest Anime Deaths” list. David Kaye delivers the exceptional quality we’ve come to expect from him as Sesshomaru, and lends even just a touch of bittersweetness to his line about not wanting to make Rin sad, while Carrie Keranen (who, fun fact, also voices Satsuki Kiryuin in Kill la Kill) taunts him with all-out villainous intent as Zero.

Overall, this feels like a perfect finale. Sad, yes, but with enough intrigue into Sesshomaru’s true intentions and the possibility of Setsuna’s resurrection that I’ll be eagerly awaiting next season.