Yashahime: Princess Half-Demon

Yashahime: Princess Half-Demon (Japanese: 半妖の夜叉姫, Hepburn: Han'yō no Yashahime) is a Japanese anime television series produced by Sunrise. It is a sequel to the Inuyasha anime series, which itself is based on the original manga series of the same title written and illustrated by Rumiko Takahashi. It follows the adventures of Towa Higurashi and Setsuna, Sesshomaru and Rin's twin daughters, and Moroha, Inuyasha and Kagome Higurashi's daughter. The series' first season aired from October 2020 to March 2021. A second season premiered in October 2021.

Yashahime: Princess Half-Demon
Anime key visual
半妖の夜叉姫
(Han'yō no Yashahime)
GenreAdventure, fantasy[1]
Anime television series
Directed by
  • Teruo Sato (#1–24)
  • Masakazu Hishida (#25–)
Written byKatsuyuki Sumisawa
Music byKaoru Wada
StudioSunrise
Licensed by
Original networkNNS (ytv)
English network
Original run October 3, 2020 – present
Episodes35
Manga
Written byTakashi Shiina
Published byShogakukan
English publisher
Viz Media
MagazineShōnen Sunday S
DemographicShōnen
Original runSeptember 25, 2021 – present

Viz Media has licensed the series for North and Latin American territories, while Medialink has licensed it for Southeast Asian and South Asian territories.

Plot
See also: List of Inuyasha characters § Yashahime: Princess Half-Demon characters

Several years after the events of Inuyasha: The Final Act, Sesshomaru and Rin's four-year-old daughter Towa is separated from her twin sister Setsuna, and gets stranded in the modern era, where she is adopted into her paternal half-aunt Kagome Higurashi's family, raised by Kagome's younger brother Sota and his warmhearted wife Moe. Towa becomes close to her younger adopted sister, six-year-old Mei, who is Towa's "substitute" for Setsuna.

Ten years later, Towa is reunited with Setsuna, when she leaves the modern era through the vast time-traveling power of the mystical Sacred Tree of Ages. During their separation, Setsuna became a hardhearted, feisty demon-slayer working with Kohaku and does not remember her past as they and her dreams were stolen by the mythical Dream Butterfly. In order to restore them, the half-demon twins embark on an adventure alongside their quarter-demon bounty hunter cousin Moroha, the feisty, hard-as-nails fourteen-year-old daughter of Kagome and Inuyasha, who lacks knowledge of her parents; except that her human mother is an uppermost-level priestess and that her equally feisty and impulsively rash father is half dog-demon, half-human hybrid.

At times, the vital essence of the mighty and powerful Sacred Tree of Ages finally reveals itself after many centuries of dormancy, warning them that a longtime rival of their paternal dog-demon grandfather is planning on warping time itself, since Sesshomaru refuses to fight him directly in place of his late father. At the same time, the unparalleled time-based unsurpassable entity is harboring adult Rin in suspended animation for her husband Sesshomaru because of her fatal connection to Zero, the elder sister of Kirinmaru and creator of the seven mystical Rainbow Pearls, whose respective mighty demonic abilities rival those of the Sacred Jewel of Four Souls.

Media

Anime
See also: List of Yashahime: Princess Half-Demon episodes

The series was first announced in May 2020.[2] It aired from October 3, 2020 to March 20, 2021 on Yomiuri TV and Nippon TV.[3][4] The series was produced by Sunrise, directed by Teruo Sato with main character designs by Inuyasha original creator Rumiko Takahashi.[2] Staff from Inuyasha returned, with Katsuyuki Sumisawa in charge of the scripts while Rumiko Takahashi acted as storyboard supervisor,[5] Yoshihito Hishinuma in charge of the anime character designs and Kaoru Wada composing the music.[2] The opening theme "New Era" is performed by the male idol group SixTONES, while the ending theme "Break" is performed by Uru.[6][7] The second opening theme "Burn" is performed by NEWS, while the second ending theme "Kesshō" is performed by Ryokuōshoku Shakai.[8][9]

Viz Media announced the rights to digital streaming, EST, and home video release of the series for North and Latin American territories.[2][10] Viz Media streamed the series on Crunchyroll, Funimation and Hulu.[11] On October 26, 2020, Funimation announced a partnership with Viz Media to release an English dub of the series, with the English cast of Inuyasha reprising their roles.[12][13] Funimation began streaming the English dub on November 6, 2020 along with Hulu and Crunchyroll.[14] The English dub of the series began broadcasting on Adult Swim's Toonami programming block beginning on June 27, 2021.[15] Medialink licensed the series in Southeast Asian territories.[16] The series premiered on Animax Asia on June 21, 2021.[17]

On March 20, 2021, a second season of the series was announced following the release of Episode 24.[18][19] The second season, titled Yashahime: Princess Half-Demon - The Second Act, premiered on October 2, 2021.[20][21] The opening theme is "ReBorn" performed by NEWS, while the ending theme is "Toumei na Sekai" performed by Little Glee Monster.[22]

Manga

A manga adaptation by Takashi Shiina started in Shogakukan's Shōnen Sunday S on September 25, 2021.[23][24] Viz Media has licensed the manga for North American territories.[25]

Reception

Yashahime: Princess Half-Demon ranked 9th on Animage's 43rd Anime Grand Prix in 2020.[26] Rumiko Takahashi and Yoshihito Hishinuma were nominated for the Best Character Design category in the Crunchyroll's 2021 Anime Awards.[27]

In her review of the first two episodes, Kara Dennison of Otaku USA made positive comments about the series, praising its cast and its way to "echo the story of Inuyasha without simply retreading it."[28] James Beckett and Monique Thomas of Anime News Network listed Yashahime: Princess Half-Demon as one of the worst anime of the winter 2021 season.[29] The series received criticism from some reviewers for its portrayal of Sesshomaru and Rin as a couple, considering the fact that in the original Inuyasha series Sesshomaru traveled along with Rin when she was a young girl, calling their relationship as "grooming".[30][31][32][33]

References
  1. "Yashahime: Princess Half-Demon". Yomiuri Telecasting Corporation. Archived from the original on October 3, 2020. Retrieved October 3, 2020.
  2. Pineda, Rafael Antonio (May 8, 2020). "Inuyasha Anime Gets Yashahime: Princess Half-Demon TV Spinoff This Fall". Anime News Network. Retrieved May 9, 2020.
  3. Pineda, Rafael Antonio (June 21, 2020). "Inuyasha Anime Spinoff Yashahime: Princess Half-Demon Airs on Saturdays This Fall". Anime News Network. Retrieved June 22, 2020.
  4. Pineda, Rafael Antonio (August 6, 2020). "Inuyasha Spinoff Anime Yashahime: Princess Half-Demon's 1st Trailer Reveals Cast, October 3 Debut". Anime News Network. Retrieved August 7, 2020.
  5. vizmedia (December 5, 2020). "Yashahime: Princess Half- Demon | Series Composition Interview". YouTube. Retrieved March 20, 2021.
  6. Pineda, Rafael Antonio (September 16, 2020). "SixTONES Idols Perform Inuyasha Spinoff Anime Yashahime's Opening Song". Anime News Network. Retrieved September 17, 2020.
  7. Hodgkins, Crystalyn (September 6, 2020). "Uru Performs Ending Theme for Inuyasha Spinoff Anime Yashahime". Anime News Network. Retrieved September 6, 2020.
  8. Hodgkins, Crystalyn (December 6, 2020). "4-Member Band Ryokuōshoku Shakai Perform New Ending Theme for Yashahime Anime". Anime News Network. Retrieved December 6, 2020.
  9. Hodgkins, Crystalyn (December 26, 2020). "Idol Group NEWS Perform New Opening Theme for Yashahime: Princess Half-Demon Anime". Anime News Network. Retrieved December 26, 2020.
  10. Frater, Patrick (May 11, 2020). "Iconic 'Inuyasha' Anime Rebooted as 'Yashahime: Princess Half-Demon'". Variety. Retrieved May 17, 2020.
  11. Sherman, Jennifer (September 23, 2020). "Inuyasha Spinoff Anime Yashahime to Stream on Crunchyroll, Funimation, Hulu". Anime News Network. Retrieved September 23, 2020.
  12. Sherman, Jennifer (October 26, 2020). "Funimation Announces Inuyasha Spinoff Anime Yashahime's Dub Cast". Anime News Network. Retrieved October 27, 2020.
  13. Mateo, Alex (November 3, 2020). "Viz Announces Inuyasha Spinoff Anime Yashahime's New, Returning Dub Cast". Anime News Network. Retrieved November 6, 2020.
  14. Funimation [@FUNimation] (November 3, 2020). "They're back! @richardiancox, @dkayevo, Jillian Michaels and more are returning to their iconic roles for the Yashahime: Princess Half-Demon dub!" (Tweet). Retrieved November 3, 2020 – via Twitter.
  15. Mateo, Alex (June 8, 2021). "Toonami Airs Yashahime: Princess Half-Demon Anime on June 26". Anime News Network. June 26 at 1:00 a.m. EDT (effectively, June 27)
  16. Pineda, Rafael Antonio (September 3, 2020). "Ani-One Asia Licenses Inuyasha Spinoff Anime Yashahime: Princess Half-Demon". Anime News Network. Retrieved September 15, 2020.
  17. Animax Asia [@animaxasiatv] (June 13, 2021). "A great month awaits InuYasha fans as the story continues years later! Join Towa, Setsuna and Moroha as they take fate into their own hands. 'Yashahime: Princess Half-Demon', premieres Jun 21, Mon & Tue at 10PM (9PM JKT/BKK) with double episodes" (Tweet). Retrieved November 17, 2021 – via Twitter.
  18. Harding, Daryl (March 20, 2021). "Yashahime: Princess Half-Demon TV Anime Gets 2nd Season". Crunchyroll. Retrieved March 20, 2021.
  19. Loo, Egan (March 20, 2021). "Yashahime: Princess Half-Demon TV Anime Gets 'Part II' Sequel". Anime News Network. Retrieved March 20, 2021.
  20. Mateo, Alex (April 26, 2021). "Yashahime: Princess Half-Demon TV Anime's 'Part II' Sequel Premieres in Fall". Anime News Network. Retrieved April 26, 2021.
  21. Pineda, Rafael Antonio (June 30, 2021). "Yashahime: Princess Half-Demon Part II Anime Reveals Opening Song Artists, October 2 Debut". Anime News Network. Retrieved June 30, 2021.
  22. Pineda, Rafael Antonio (August 5, 2021). "Yashahime: Princess Half-Demon - The Second Act Anime Reveals New Trailer, More Cast, Ending Song Artists". Anime News Network. Retrieved August 5, 2021.
  23. Pineda, Rafael Antonio (August 20, 2021). "Yashahime Anime Gets Manga by Zettai Karen Children's Takashi Shiina". Anime News Network. Retrieved August 20, 2021.
  24. 少年サンデーＳ（スーパー） ２０２１年１１月号 (in Japanese). Shogakukan. Archived from the original on September 24, 2021. Retrieved September 24, 2021.
  25. Hodgkins, Crystalyn (October 10, 2021). "Viz Announces Summer 2022 Book Releases Including Junji Ito's The Liminal Zone, Takashi Shiina's Yashahime Manga". Anime News Network. Retrieved October 10, 2021.
  26. 第43回アニメグランプリ [43rd Anime Grand Prix]. Animage (in Japanese). No. 8. Tokuma Shoten. July 1, 2021. p. 33. ASIN B097BSPBMF.
  27. Luster, Joseph (February 19, 2021). "Rewatch the 2021 Anime Awards Here (and Find Out Who Won!)". Crunchyroll. Archived from the original on May 17, 2021. Retrieved July 7, 2021.
  28. Dennison, Kara (October 12, 2020). "Yashahime: Princess Half Demon Is Already a Worthy Successor". Otaku USA. Archived from the original on October 27, 2020. Retrieved November 20, 2021.
  29. The Anime News Network Editorial Team (March 29, 2021). "The Best and Worst Anime of Winter 2021". Anime News Network. Retrieved May 30, 2021.
  30. Beckett, James (October 17, 2020). "Episodes 1-3 - Yashahime: Princess Half-Demon". Anime News Network. Retrieved November 17, 2021.
  31. Beckett, James (January 19, 2021). "Episode 15". Anime News Network. Retrieved November 17, 2021.
  32. Ashford, Sage (February 3, 2021). "10 Anime Sequels That Ruined The Original Series (& How)". Comic Book Resources. Retrieved November 17, 2021.
  33. St. Sauver, Olive (January 16, 2021). "Yashahime Episode 15 Review – "Farewell Under the Lunar Eclipse"". butwhythopodcast.com. Retrieved November 17, 2021.
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