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Yashahime

From Alfawiki
Yashahime: Princess Half-Demon
Company typeAnime television series
IndustryAnimation, Entertainment
PredecessorInuyasha
FoundedOctober 3, 2020; 6 years ago (2020-10-03)
FounderSunrise
Headquarters
Japan
Area served
Worldwide (via various distributors)
Key people
Teruo Sato (director), Katsuyuki Sumisawa (scriptwriter), Yoshihito Hishinuma (character designer), Kaoru Wada (composer)
ProductsAnime series, manga adaptation
OwnerSunrise
ParentBandai Namco Filmworks
Websiteyashahime.jp

Yashahime: Princess Half-Demon is a Japanese anime TV series developed and animated by Sunrise. Acting as a sequel spin-off to the Inuyasha anime—which itself was adapted from Rumiko Takahashi's manga—the narrative follows Towa Higurashi and Setsuna, daughters of Sesshomaru and Rin, alongside Moroha, the offspring of Inuyasha and Kagome Higurashi.

The initial season was broadcast from October 2020 through March 2021, with a second season airing between October 2021 and March 2022. Distribution rights for North America are held by Viz Media, while Medialink manages the Southeast and South Asian regions.

A manga version, illustrated by Takashi Shiina, was serialized in Shogakukan's shōnen magazine Shōnen Sunday S spanning from September 2021 until June 2025.

Plot

Set ten years after the climactic confrontation with Naraku, Towa, the daughter of Sesshomaru and Rin, becomes separated from her twin sister Setsuna and finds herself stranded in the modern era. She is taken in by the Higurashi family, where she is raised by Sōta Higurashi and his wife Moe. After several years, Towa reunites with Setsuna by passing through the Sacred Tree of Ages. She discovers that Setsuna has become a demon slayer under the guidance of Kohaku, but has lost her memories due to the influence of the Dream Butterfly. The sisters then embark on a journey accompanied by their cousin Moroha, daughter of Kagome and Inuyasha, who has limited knowledge about her powerful priestess mother and half-demon father.

The Sacred Tree alerts them to an impending danger—an ancient adversary of their grandfather, the Great Dog-Demon, who aims to manipulate time itself. While Sesshomaru remains aloof, Rin is trapped in suspended animation by an entity capable of altering time. Her survival is connected to Zero, Kirinmaru’s elder sister and creator of the Rainbow Pearls, whose power rivals that of the Sacred Jewel of Four Souls.

At the ruins of Izayoi's mansion, Setsuna appears to be killed by Kirinmaru; however, Towa revives her using a reforged Tenseiga blade renamed Yukari no Tachikiri, which can sever the threads of fate. Towa inherits the Zanseiken sword from Rion, Kirinmaru's late daughter whose soul resides within an artificial body. After Zero lifts Rin’s curse, the twins reunite with her, though Zero soon passes away. Kirinmaru compels Moroha to decide between saving her parents or seizing Akuru's time-manipulating pinwheel.

The conflict between Sesshomaru and Kirinmaru resumes; Sesshomaru protects the twins at great personal sacrifice. Weakened, he sends them into the Black Pearl dimension where they encounter Inuyasha and Kagome. Upon escaping, they learn that Kirinmaru plans to travel to the Reiwa era to destroy the Grim Comet, a cosmic threat to humanity, intending to dominate both humans and demons. Towa understands that Kirinmaru allowed her to wield Zanseiken so he could possess her body as Rion’s vessel; meanwhile, Moroha receives a spiritually enhanced longbow crafted by her parents.

Using Akuru's pinwheel, the twins return to the modern era to face the comet, pursued by Kirinmaru. They encounter Osamu Kirin, Kirinmaru’s former subordinate and Towa's mentor, who initially claims aligned objectives but betrays them by relocating the comet to the feudal era. Akuru sacrifices himself to reopen the gateway, enabling the twins to reunite with their family and prevent the Degenerate Age.

Anime

The series was unveiled in May 2020 and broadcast from October 3, 2020, through March 20, 2021, on Yomiuri TV and Nippon TV. Sunrise handled both production and animation, with Teruo Sato serving as director and original creator Rumiko Takahashi providing the character designs. Key personnel from Inuyasha returned to contribute, including scriptwriter Katsuyuki Sumisawa and storyboard supervisor Takahashi. Yoshihito Hishinuma took charge of the anime's character designs, while Kaoru Wada composed the musical score. The opening song "New Era" was performed by the idol group SixTones, and the ending theme "Break" was sung by Uru. Subsequent opening and ending themes featured music by NEWS and Ryokuōshoku Shakai, respectively.

For North America, Viz Media acquired digital streaming, electronic sell-through (EST), and home video distribution rights. The series became accessible on platforms such as Crunchyroll, Funimation, and Hulu. Funimation collaborated with Viz to produce an English dub starring the original Inuyasha voice cast; this version began streaming in November 2020 and later aired on Adult Swim's Toonami block in June 2021. In Southeast Asia, Medialink licensed the show, which premiered on Animax Asia in June 2021.

After episode 24 aired, a second season titled Yashahime: Princess Half-Demon – The Second Act was confirmed on March 20, 2021. This installment ran from October 2, 2021, to March 26, 2022. Its opening theme was "ReBorn" by NEWS, while Little Glee Monster performed the ending theme "Toumei na Sekai." Later musical themes included "Kyōmei" by SixTones and "Anaaki no Sora" by Adieu (Moka Kamishiraishi).

Manga

The manga adaptation was created by Takashi Shiina with script collaboration from Katsuyuki Sumisawa and serialized in Shogakukan’s Shōnen Sunday S from September 25, 2021, until June 25, 2025. The first compiled volume was published by Shogakukan on January 18, 2022. As of May 16, 2025, nine volumes have been released.

Viz Media holds the English licensing rights for North America and issued the debut volume on June 21, 2022. On May 9, 2023, Viz Media introduced their digital platform Viz Manga, enabling simultaneous English releases of chapters concurrent with their Japanese publication.

Reception

At the 43rd edition of Animage's Anime Grand Prix in 2020, the series achieved ninth place. Both Rumiko Takahashi and Yoshihito Hishinuma received nominations for Best Character Design at the 5th Crunchyroll Anime Awards in 2021.

Kara Dennison of Otaku USA commended the series for its ensemble cast and its capacity to resonate with Inuyasha’s narrative without merely replicating it. Conversely, James Beckett and Monique Thomas from Anime News Network ranked Yashahime: Princess Half-Demon among the least favorable anime of winter 2021. Additionally, Rebecca Silverman later identified it as one of the poorest anime of that year overall.

Certain critics expressed disapproval regarding Sesshomaru and Rin’s depiction as a romantic pair due to their original relationship in Inuyasha, where Sesshomaru accompanied Rin as a child—leading some to characterize their pairing as "grooming."

Additional resources

External links

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