Japanese: 半妖の夜叉姫 -戦国御伽草子- (Hanyou no Yashahime: Sengoku Otogizoushi)
Episodes: 24
Aired: Oct 3, 2020 to Mar 20, 2021
Studio: Sunrise
Genre: Action, Adventure, Demon
Duration: 24 min. per ep.
Rating: PG-13 – Teens 13 or older
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MY RATING: 7 out of 10
Half-demon twins Towa and Setsuna were always together, living happily in Feudal Japan. But their joyous days come to an end when a forest fire separates them and Towa is thrown through a portal to modern-day Japan. There, she is found by Souta Higurashi, who raises her as his daughter after Towa finds herself unable to return to her time.
Ten years later, 14-year-old Towa is a relatively well-adjusted student, despite the fact that she often gets into fights. However, unexpected trouble arrives on her doorstep in the form of three visitors from Feudal Japan; Moroha, a bounty hunter; Setsuna, a demon slayer and Towa’s long-lost twin sister; and Mistress Three-Eyes, a demon seeking a mystical object. Working together, the girls defeat their foe, but in the process, Towa discovers to her horror that Setsuna has no memory of her at all. Hanyou no Yashahime: Sengoku Otogizoushi follows the three girls as they endeavor to remedy Setsuna’s memory loss, as well as discover the truth about their linked destinies.
When I first heard about this anime, I was really ecstatic. Inuyasha is one of my favorite manga/anime so imagine how happy I was when I heard of Inuyasha and Sesshomaru having their own kids in a new anime series!
Opening & Ending Themes + Songs
The opening theme and the song fueled my already excited blood. The opening theme style reminds me so much of Inuyasha. The “bright” animation is just what I like considering this series is all about demons lol. This series is made by the same studio as Inuyasha, so I shouldn’t be surprise by that, *wink.
The first opening is giving me that “chill” vibe about this anime, which is really understandable since we are starting a new series. But the second opening is giving me an “action packed” vibe, which it definitely delivered, *wink.
I also like how simple the ending themes are, and the songs fit perfectly. And speaking of songs, I absolutely love all 4 of them (2 each for opening & ending), they’re just perfect for this series!
Plot
It was really a great treat that this series started the first episode with Inuyasha and the gang. That part almost left me in tears, waaaah, I just miss them so much <3
Sorry, I had to start it with that because I was just so happy seeing the gang in a new series. Don’t get me wrong, Yashahime is definitely not about them but with the next generation. There were some flashbacks about our old gangs once in a while which are really nostalgic to watch.
After showing a bit of the old gangs, at the start, the pace starts a bit fast on how things are dealt with easily, then introduces the 3 heroines and the story develops on that. No complaints for me, since that’s pretty much what I like, *wink.
I’ve read some reviews saying that the twins have more screen time than Moroha and they think it was unfair. But then again, before this series was aired, it was mentioned that it is about Sesshoumaru’s daughters’ story. Moroha is one of the main characters, but this is not her show. It’s just like with the Inuyasha series, there were 5 main characters, but it was Inuyasha (and Kagome’s) story.
There’s some room for improvement, but I really like this start of the series so far. And before I forgot, I actually like the main bad guy in this show. It’s pretty much hard to hate him honestly. Let’s just see what will happen in the next season. I’ve got a feeling that it’s going to be really intense.
And lastly, I don’t think you are required to watch the Inuyasha series before watching this one, because the story is pretty much understandable. (Although, as a fan, I wouldn’t recommend not to watch Inuyasha. It’s pretty long, but it’s worth it, *wink)
Characters
I absolutely love the design of the main characters. But I would be lying if I wasn’t expecting Sesshomaru and Rin’s twins to have adorable dog ears like Inuyasha since they are half-demons. But then again, with or without dog ears, they are still cute anyway, *wink.
Moroha is a badass as Kagome but with a troublemaker streak like his father, hahaha. The three of them together are very enjoyable to watch since they all have their own sets of characteristics that I’m sure you will enjoy following.
It was also nice seeing some of the characters from the Inuyasha series. I was right when I said that Kaede will live another more years with the way she’s going, wahahaha.
Art
The art as well as the sound effects is pretty much the same with the Inuyasha series, and I definitely love that! However, the very first thing that really bothered me a little when I first saw the Inuyasha gang were their ears. It just looks different, quite bigger than before lol. But other than that, everything looks so good.
Voice Actors
I watched this one in an English dub, and it took me quite a while to really get used to it lol. The voice actors for the Inuyasha gang were different so it was a bit hard for me to feel the character at first. It’s a good thing that the voice actor for Inuyasha (which is one of my favorite english VA) is still the same, weew. But the VA for the main leads (half-demon princesses) were really good, I actually liked Towa’s. Of all the three, I think hers has the most fitting VA for her character.
I also rewatched a few episodes (the one with most action scenes) in the original Japanese dub and it was great to know that the VA is still the same for the Inuyasha gang except for Miroku’s character.
***
As a big Inuyasha fan, I have to say that Yashahime: Princess Half-Demon is a fun watch.
You may read a lot of hate about this series, but I suppose that’s pretty much normal with a new generation series. If you enjoy Inuyasha so much, then you should give this series a chance.
On my end, I pretty much enjoy watching the 3 heroines on their adventure together. It makes me imagine Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha hanging out together, without killing each other, wahahaha.
Fun that the next generation series is pretty good and you found a lot to enjoy even while still loving the original series. And, yes, a good villain is as important as good hero characters to enjoy the story. 🙂
Most new generation series tends to be a disappointment, so it was really a relief to find that this one is still a very enjoyable watch. And I think it was a nice move to create such great character for a villain. Now I can’t wait for the second season hehehe
I’m glad it didn’t disappoint you! I admit that I still have to give Inuyasha a proper go . . . I used to watch some episodes on TV when I was a teen, but never made it through the end. Not because it wasn’t good, though! Also, this new series sounds enjoyable for sure, and I just love that we get to see the kids in this anime 😃 Hope you keep having a fantastic time with the series!
I really love the Inuyasha series so much, that’s why I was really delighted that they created this series which focuses on their kids. This makes me miss Inuyasha even more hehehe.