REVIEW: ‘Yashahime: Princess Half-Demon’ Episode 8 – “The Dream Gazing Trap”

Rejoice, Yashahime fans, for this week’s outing actually begins to help viewers piece together what happened in the past, while still letting the ladies do their thing. Yashahime Episode 8 had a lot to make up for after last week, and it lands on its feet with the storytelling stumbles we’ve come to expect from the show. The anime from studio Sunrise is a sequel to the popular Inuyasha. It follows the three daughters of the main characters: Moroha, and twin sisters Setsuna and Towa.

Setsuna and Moroha are in hot pursuit of owl-demon Yotsume. Towa isn’t quite able to keep up with the two, so she hitches a ride with Takechiyo. It then cuts away from the action briefly. Yashahime Episode 8 brings back Riku, who (shocking to no one) is pulling strings behind the scenes. He is on a quest to get the Rainbow Pearls and have The Four Perils destroyed. This doesn’t mean he is an ally to Towa and company, quite the opposite, in fact. That brings up another glaring question about what everyone is trying to obtain. We know the Rainbow Pearls function similarly to the Shikon Jewel, in that they elevate a demon’s power, however not much else has been explained about their importance, where they came from, or what they really are. It is crucial details like this that are frustratingly left out of Yashahime‘s writing week-to-week.

Speaking of the Rainbow Pearls, Yotsume foolishly leads the girls right to Kyuki. She loans him her pearl, thereby amplifying his power, and he sends all but Setsuna into a dream-state to discover their weaknesses. It is here where we are finally given a glimpse into the past. Inuyasha and Kagome are seemingly forced to abandon Moroha in a confrontation with Sesshomaru. Takechiyo might have more ties to the girls then initially let on, as a silent Miroku hands him over to corpse-dealer Jyubei to look after. Also, remember Rin? She’s trapped in the sacred tree. As a reviewer, I’m conflicted. This episode personally excited me, but it feels odd to praise a show for essentially giving scraps of plot explanation with the many threads going on.

Thank goodness for the absolutely wonderful three main characters. Especially Moroha, who, contrary to her father, is pretty rational during the action. She is able to figure out Towa’s powers, and how she was able to absorb demon energy two weeks ago. This results in my personal favorite moment of action animation in the show so far. Towa shines in a classic shonen hero style and it is incredibly satisfying to watch.

Finally, Riku’s presence in the episode is oddly not questioned by the girls? In some ways it makes sense, in others, it absolutely doesn’t and sticks out like a sore thumb. How he plays into all this will be interesting. I have my own personal theory that I’m hoping is wrong, just so the show isn’t that predictable. He knows the girls’ origins, and he seems very interested in Towa on an almost creepy level. Riku’s sinisterness isn’t overt but in his lines and methods. He refuses to kill The Four Perils, this is because he hates them, and Riku only kills people he loves.

Yashahime Episode 8 actually lays down plot breadcrumbs to try and make up for last week. Mileage will vary per viewer on how effective it is. At this point, I’ve reached the stage of acceptance with the plot holes in the show. Moroha, Sestuna, and Towa are so good that no matter what it’s hard not to come back for more.

Yashahime: Princess Half-Demon is streaming now on Crunchyroll and Hulu.