REVIEW: ‘Yashahime: Princess Half-Demon,’ Episode 40 – “The Three Princesses Escape”

Yashahime: Princess Half-Demon (Yashahime) is a fantasy/adventure anime from Sunrise. While pleased to see Moroha reunited with her parents, there is little time to waste on happy reunions. With Lord Sesshomaru’s life slipping away, Towa must once more call upon the Tenseiga to escape the Black Pearl. Will Towa free them in time to save her dying father in Yashahime Episode 40?

One of the things I love most about consuming ongoing media like television is when I see a good thing get better. When it feels like creatives may have learned from an earlier stumble so that when a similar situation shows up later in the narrative, they handle it much better. This was my feeling as I watched Yashahime Episode 40. Having observed the ongoing crisis outside the Black Pearl, Inuyasha informs the girls that for them all to escape and save Lord Sesshomaru, Towa needs to summon the Tenseiga.

No sooner did these words leave Inuyasha’s mouth than my mind leaped back to this season’s opening when Towa spent the entire episode trying to utilize that same sword. Dreading a repeat of watching Towa snap, crackle, and pop for 20 minutes left a sinking feeling in me, especially since the show has displayed so much improvement with its pacing. Happily, my dread was unnecessary as the show allowed Towa to manage her new task without nearly so much struggle. And what’s more, her swift victory comes to pass thanks to the growth and journey that she, Moroha, and Setsuna have experienced since that moment 15 episodes ago.

Aside from Yashahime Episode 40‘s focus point within the Black Pearl, the show also spends a solid amount of time following the events of characters still outside the prison, with Rin and Jaken doing their best to keep the failing Lord going until Towa and the others can return. Plus, Shippo and Tekechiyo stay on the move as they struggle to figure out how they might aid the imprisoned heroes.

The visual side of Yashahime Episode 40 delivers on the key moments of its narrative with a presentation that delivers on the power and spectacle of their moments. The struggle to claim the Tenseiga once more is given all the punch needed to make it feel like the epic, narrative-changing moment it is intended to be.

With a lot already happening in this episode, Yashahime Episode 40 raises the stakes even more by ending its narrative on a massive cliffhanger that will leave any long-time fan eager for the next episode. How the fallout from Towa’s choices plays out will likely be some of the critical narrative points as the show steams toward its season finale.

Yashahime Episode 40 is streaming on Funimation and Crunchyroll.