There is always a lot of excitement about a sequel. What has happened to the characters that you love so much? Did they live happily ever after? Is there a new peril that the world needs to fight? It is even more exciting if the sequel involves the children of the former protagonist.
Yashahime: Princess Half-Demon is one such sequel. It is a continuation of the Inuyasha series. Inuyasha is one of my favorite anime from my childhood, I even wrote a review about it. So I was extremely excited when Yashahime: Princess Half-Demon was announced. Inuyasha was a popular manga series that hit the shelves in 1997. It was created by Rumiko Takahashi who is one of the top paid manga artists in Japan.
Towa has always known that she is different from other girls in her class. Very different in fact. She is originally from the feudal era of Japan. A tragic turn of events sent her from her home and her twin sister, Setsuna, at a very young age. Thankfully she was adopted and cared for by a very familiar face to fans of the original series. She also has trouble fitting in at school due to constantly getting in fights. One day Towa is given the opportunity to be reunited with not only her sister but her cousin as well and return to the feudal era. She is torn though, wondering how can she leave the people she loves in the modern world behind?
Yashahime: Princess Half-Demon has fantastic characters. They are interesting enough that you care about their stories just as much as you do the original characters, which is a triumph for any sequel. The designs for the characters are great and give little clues to the audience about the story. Every episode a little more is revealed and it is almost torture not to know everything about them right away. The writing team has found the perfect balance of mystery and revealing just enough to keep us coming back for more.
The settings are also beautiful. This is one more aspect of balance that Yashahime: Princess Half-Demon has really nailed. The art is reminiscent of the original series but has also moved forward to give the viewer many rich images. The music is also wonderful, setting the mood for different scenes and teasing fans with old melodies.
I am really enjoying Yashahime: Princess Half-Demon. While I would highly recommend it, I would also advise to watch Inuyasha first. At least the series anyway. The series does give the viewers some information about who all of the characters are. It also has it’s own rich world. However I think it is richer to know the previous story. It helps the viewers to appreciate the balance that Yashahime: Half-Princess Demon has created.
ALWAYS KEEP SPARKLING!!!
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