REVIEW: ‘Yashahime: Princess Half-Demon,’ Episode 36 – “A Place (Not) for Towa”

Yashahime: Princess Half-Demon (Yashahime) is a fantasy/adventure anime from Sunrise. Having been captured by Lady Zero previously, Towa is now faced with her captor’s cruel intention: to force her to face all her pain and loneliness in the hopes of breaking Towa’s spirit in Yashahime Episode 36.

The past is a complicated thing. While we often generalize our personal experiences with broad terms like “I had a happy childhood,” the truth is rarely so simple. Life is filled with countless moments that are both good and bad. And while which moments we choose to focus on can greatly impact our outlooks and personalities, the whole of our experiences still effect and inform who we are. While we may try to bury the bad under all the good we experience, it will still be there. Sometimes it just takes the wrong trigger to bring it all back to us. Or in the case of Yashahime Episode 36, an embittered demon.

This week’s episode focuses on Lady Zero’s attempt to break Towa’s will by forcing her to relive the most painful moments of her life. From her separation from Setsuna to her outcast status growing up, Towa has been forced to deal with a lot of pain and grief that she keeps bottled up. Lady Zero hopes to force Towa to unleash her pain in order to bend the young woman to her will. But there are others who seek Towa in order to save her from making a grave mistake.

This episode’s exploration of Towa’s past and the pain that she bears from does a good job of exploring how intricate life can be. Some of the scenes that play out for the viewer would generally be seen as positive moments. Yet, when the curtain is peeled back a bit further there is more to them. There are aspects that even Towa is generally not aware of, yet she still carries these aches It is a well-implemented reminder that even when one is raised in a loving family and surrounded by joy, pain and trauma can still form. It isn’t just born of lives filled with neglect and hardship. We all hurt.

While I enjoyed the core premise of Yashahime Episode 36, it does drag its key moments out a little bit. Not enough to lose the impact of them, but enough to have me checking to see how much time was left in the episode. Knowing when to let go of a moment is something that this series has struggled with throughout its run. Happily, this episode doesn’t wear out its welcome nearly as bad as previous moments did. Hopefully, this is a sign of improvement for the show.

The visual side of Yashahime Episode 36 does a solid job of bringing the episode’s drama to the viewer. Towa’s struggle with the hardships in her past is put forward for the viewer to experience well. The camera doesn’t shy away from putting the viewer right into the moment, allowing the emotion to land surprisingly well.

So, despite some minor pacing issues, Yashahime Episode 36 brings a strong entry into the series. With Lady Zero’s intentions for Towa laid bare, the next episode promises to be a key moment in this series narrative.

Yashahime Episode 36 is streaming on Funimation and Crunchyroll.