REVIEW: ‘Yashahime: Princess Half-Demon,’ Episode 35 – “Battle on the New Moon, Part 2”

Yashahime: Princess Half-Demon (Yashahime) is a fantasy/adventure anime from Sunrise. As Setsuna sleeps through the new moon under the watchful eye of the Demon Slayers, Towa finds herself in the clutches of Lady Zero, and Moroha continues to fight to free Takechiyo’s people from the corrupt Shogen in Yashahime Episode 35.

Just like the last episode, this week’s story focuses mainly on Moroha and her team. As they move to overthrow Shogen, they have to act fast as they only have while the new moon is in the sky to get to the Raccoon Dog Demon. Having seen how futile the brunt frontal assault would be in her previous attempt, Moroha shows some genuine cleverness in Yashahime Episode 35. 

Along with the adventure, Moroha’s story also gets a couple of moments of genuine warmth and emotion. The story takes a second to add some nuance to the situation surrounding Takechiyo’s clan. This layering of the situation was more than I expected of what feels like largely a filler story. While it was a surprise, it was certainly a pleasant one.

Providing a couple of humorous breaks from the main story is Setsuna’s brief moments in this episode. As she sleeps through the night, local demons that sense her presence come looking for her. Having enlisted the protection of her demon slayer comrades, Setsuna leaves detailed and somewhat comical instructions on how to deal with the threats the group is likely to face. These breaks from the primary story are thoroughly enjoyable and utilize the classic shounen style of goofiness admirably.

While Setsuna’s interludes in Yashahime Episode 35 manage to deliver some thoroughly enjoyable moments, the same cannot be said for Towa. The couple of times we see Towa in this episode, it is to simply see her grunt and struggle against Lady Zero’s trap. There feels like there is no actual reason to keep going back to her, aside from assuring the viewer the series hasn’t forgotten about this plot thread. While these sorts of interludes have always frustrated me, it is doubly so here, as Towa’s story is the only one that feels central to the show’s main story. Whether or not it is allowed to move the main plot forward remains to be seen.

The animation in this episode delivers all of its stories well. It manages to deliver the show’s style consistently, bringing both the moments of action as well as levity to the viewer clearly and enjoyably. The visual presentation hits its peak right when it needs to during Moroha’s story, allowing the action to bring all it can to the episode’s closing moments.

So, when all is said and done, Yashahime Episode 35 manages to deliver an enjoyable entry into the series. While it still seems intent on holding up the main story, it at least does so with content that entertains the viewer in a variety of ways. Hopefully, the next episode will see the story shift back to Towa and get the narrative surrounding Rika’s fate moving again.

Yashahime Episode 35 is streaming on Funimation and Crunchyroll.