Anime: More Inuyasha Is On The Way – But What Will That Look Like?
Is it 1999 again, or is Inuyasha back on everyone’s radar? The beloved shoujo is back, sort of, with a sequel following the partially demonic kids.
Topping out at 56 manga volumes, 193 episodes, and 4 feature films, Inuyasha was one of those titles that were around for years and years. The original run had an ending that managed to wrap everything up in a tidy and sweet little bow that left us content and warm of heart. Sometimes it’s just nice when all of your childhood ships sail instead of sinking in the front half of the story, you know?
But now, ten years later, Inuyasha is back with Yashahime: Princess Half-Demon (半妖の夜叉姫, Hanyo no Yashahime). This series will follow the children of Kagome and Inuyasha and Sesshomaru and….. somebody, but how much more do we know than that? And is this a show that anybody asked for or a Fall 2020 surprise we’re receiving?
Here’s what we know:
Moroha is Inuyasha and Kagome’s daughter, making her quarter demon and a 14-year-old bounty hunter with a wild streak. Based on this art she takes after both of her parents quite a bit, but she’s lived alone for some time. As an interesting note, she has human ears making the large wolf ears on her head fake? Part of her hair bow? I’m not sure.
Next up is Towa, one of the two half-demon half-human twin daughters of Sesshomaru. She will be spending most of her time in the modern-day.
Finally, Setsuna is Sesshomaru’s other daughter, a demon hunter trained by Kohaku.
From what I’m seeing, none of these kids know too much about their parents, which is surprising to say the least. There’s been some speculation as to what could have happened that Kagome and Inuyasha aren’t in Maroha’s life at all. Perhaps demons and demon hybrids age slowly and she naturally and un-tragically outlived her mother. Or maybe she has a heartbreaking backstory; only time will tell.
As for Sesshomaru’s twin girls, they are separated young when Towa fell into modern-day Japan, presumably through the Bone Eater’s Well, while her sister trains to be a demon hunter, but it’s not clear if “young” means a week ago while they’re both 14 or years ago when they were children or where their father is for any of this.
And of course, the question on everyone’s mind; who did Sesshomaru have children with1? The internet is torn between “Rin!” and “Please anybody but Rin,” but again we’ll just have to wait and see. Personally, I’m on team “Not Rin please.” Their closeness when she was a child would feel just a little too much like grooming to me.
Are We Excited?
The internet sure is! The response to Yashahime: Princess Half-Demon’s announcement has been by and large tremendously positive with people engaging, asking questions, and sharing art and warm memories of their Inuyasha days like mad.
But for me? I’m cautiously optimistic. While creatively much of the original team is coming back with Rumiko Takahashi on character design and direction by Terou Sato, the thing that drew a lot of us in was the dynamic between Inuyasha and Kagome (and eventually Sango and Miroku and Shippo). Plus, the nostalgia audience has grown and matured in the last ten years. We know all too well that some shows don’t ride the coattails of their predecessors as strongly as we’d like (I’m looking at you, Boruto) while other sequels are delightful love letters to the original.
But will I be tuning in this autumn for at least a few episodes? Heck yes. Let’s party like it’s 1999.
Are you looking forward to Yashahime: Princess Half-Demon? Who was your favorite character in the original show? (Mine was Sango.) How old does seeing new news about Inuyasha make you feel? Let us know in the comments!
Ja ne, Adventurers!
