REVIEW: ‘Yashahime: Princess Half-Demon,’ Episode 39 – “Moroha and Family, Together Again”

Yashahime: Princess Half-Demon (Yashahime) is a fantasy/adventure anime from Sunrise. Having been imprisoned in the Black Pearl, Moroha, Setsuna, and Towa are finally poised to meet Moroha’s parents. In the outside world, Sesshomaru managed to stop Kirinmaru’s super attack, though the strain leaves him at death’s door. Now it’s up to Rin and Jaken to find a way to save Sesshomaru before his Haku completely leaves him unless our trapped heroes can find a way to escape the Black Pearl in Yashahime Episode 39.

While a significant amount happens in this episode, it is all easily outshined by Moroha’s long-awaited reunion with Inuyasha and Kagome. While this moment is delivered with lots of emotion and tears, it sadly doesn’t manage to be quite flawless with how it brings the moment to life. Some poorly timed goofiness interrupts the moment, breaking the heartfelt energy for a second. While I know such awkwardness is normal for shonen characters faced with highly emotional moments, it still felt out of place and jarring.

The other spot where this key moment in Yashahime Episode 39 fails is in its need to momentarily shift focus from Moroha’s reunion to Towa and Setsuna. While it makes sense that her friends would have their own deep feeling in the presence of such an event, I felt like their moment should’ve been postponed till a later time. With so much more of the series to date being centered on the sisters, it felt unnecessary to steal the moment from Moroha, even for a brief second. I’m sure none of us were going to forget that Towa and Setsuna exist for that one scene.

Meanwhile, outside the Black Pearl, Lord Kirinmaru seeks to finish his confrontation with Sesshomaru and reclaim the Black Pearl. This side of Yashahime Episode 39 is far less notable, and it is comprised mainly of the sort of manic moments that long-time shonen fans will be accustomed to. The heroes run around in a panic, searching for the key item while the villain hangs in the air, bragging to no one in particular. By the end of the episode, there is a payoff to this side of the story that moves the story forward, setting up some strong potential for the next episode.

The visual presentation does a great job of bringing Yashahime Episode 39‘s key moment to life. The point of view chosen for the pivotal reunion does a great job of allowing the viewer to feel the emotions of the moment. The mixture of joy and relief with finally getting to be reunited is portrayed wonderfully on the faces of Moroha’s family. Even Towa and Setsuna’s moment, while poorly timed, is still delivered wonderfully from a visual and emotional standpoint.

So, when all is said and done, Yashahime Episode 39 delivers its most critical element wonderfully. The long-awaited reunion easily steals the show, providing a wonderful amount of emotion.

Yashahime Episode 39 is streaming on Funimation and Crunchyroll.