T5W#277-Top 5 Reasons Why Yashahime Isnt Living Up to the Hype

As of last week, we’re about nine episodes into the much anticipated sequel to Inuyasha, Yashahime: Princess Half Demon.  And as much as it pains me to say it, the show is kind of a mess.  As I told a friend who’s the biggest Inuyasha fan I know, it’s a bit early to say I hate this show…but I am disappointed.  There was such a degree of hype to Yashahime considering Inuyasha is one of the major megahit anime from around the world, remember when it and Cowboy Bebop were two of the most beloved Anime on Adult Swim?  But each week brings some excitement that’s met with a new level of disappointing groans.  What’s brought this about and how could it be fixed?  Well today I’m gonna take a look at the Top 5 Reasons Why Yashahime Isnt Living Up to the Hype and see what can be done going forward. 

#5-SSDD

Inuyasha is a classic and I do enjoy it, don’t get me wrong.  But does every step of it’s original formula need to be replayed down to exact details?  Already we’re at 9 episodes and I feel like 4 have been filler and one, while nostalgic, was ultimately unnecessary.  Inuyasha had a habit of keeping major plot developments from happening for several episodes while Team Inuyasha traveled from village to village, got into arguments and slayed some random demon causing a ruckus.  Yashahime only addition to this routine is that most of these missions are given by Bounty Hunter Overseer Jyubei.  Most episodes start with Moroha, Towa and Setsuna visiting the one eyed hunchback to get the lowdown on some area in need of help like starting a mission in a video game.  It just feels like the show is wasting time and it only just got started.

 

#4-The Villains

Any hero needs a nemesis.  For Inuyasha, for better or worse, it was Naraku.  He was a man who merged with a demon and lusted for Inuyasha’s ex love Kikiyo and her Shikon Jewel.  Naraku was obsessed to the point where he kind of became annoying.  BUT his is the main villain of the original Inuyasha, memorable in his own right.  Yashahime has introduced the supposed big bads of the series, Kirinmaru and the Four Perils, and none of them have brought the same level of menace or intimidation that Naraku and his offspring ever did.  Not to mention, Team Yashahime has dealt with two of the Four Perils pretty easily, what’s up with that?  The bigger question falls to Inuyasha’s big brother, Sesshomaru, who they are setting up to be headed back down the path of the Dark Side.  Personally, I think this is bull and Sesshomaru is doing his own thing to save his young ward, Rin, even if it means playing along with Kinrinmaru for a little bit.  In short, the villains aren’t memorable and the guy they want you to believe is a villain, no one believes that for a second.

 

#3-Towa and Setsuna

When I heard that Yashahime was happening, my immediate assumption was that the show would focus on Inuyasha and Kagome’s kid, who turned out the be the incredibly feisty and entertaining Moroha.  Instead, the promotions focused on Sesshomaru’s kids, Towa and Setsuna, and built them up as the main focus of the show instead.  Somehow, I’m not surprised this has backfired.  For one, Towa and Setsuna are dull characters.  Towa is chalk full of heroes journey cliches I cant list them all here.  And Setsuna is so cold, distant and one note that there’s hardly anything fascinating about her.  Ironically, Moroha seems to have a more interesting story to tell due to her connection to the franchise main hero, Inuyasha, and she actually has a fun and unpredictable personality compared to the dry Setsuna and the been there/done that Towa.  In a way, Moroha has slowly stolen the spotlight from her cousins, even though she isn’t the main character, that’s kind of sad but also this show should have been about her to begin with so there I said it.

 

#2-The Long Game

As a Manga and an Anime, Inuyasha lasted a long time (56 volumes and 193 episodes across 9 seasons, including The Final Act).  It took its sweet time getting from beginning to end with a lot happening in the middle, some of which could have been cut down.  As I told a friend, one reason I stopped watching Inuyasha at a certain point was because it was getting too repetitive.  Yashahime seems to want to follow its parent shows example, and that includes a slow pace and very little pay off to established mysteries and storylines week after week.  I don’t know what the outline for Yashahime is but I wonder if it intends to last as long as Inuyasha did.  If that’s the case, that’s a major problem.  The quest to restore Setsuna’s memories is kind of lame and the threat of Kirinmaru isn’t as worrisome as it should be.  Moroha is doing her best to keep things entertaining but Towa and Setsuna’s blandness, along with the return of the incredibly stale Monster Hunt of the Week approach are hindering Yashahime’s pacing a lot.  In short, this show cant afford to play the long game like One Piece or Boruto.  Plus I doubt Yashahime would last as long as either of those shows based on its flaws right out the gate.

 

#1-Where the F*** IS OG TEAM INUYASHA

Yashahime’s very first episode was basically a bonus epilogue for the original Inuyasha series.  And while it was fun to see Inuyasha, Kagome, Miroku and Sango back in action one more time, none of them have been seen since and no one seems to acknowledge this absence.  Towa and Setsuna being abandoned by Sesshomaru to fend for themselves…that’s very much in Sesshomaru’s character to me.  But Moroha being without Inuyasha and Kagome feels like a massive misstep.  There was a hint of Inuyasha and Kagome possibly being taken by Kirinmaru but what about Sango and Miroku?  Kohaku, Sango’s younger brother now grown up, is still around as is Kagome’s mentor Kaede, and Inuyasha guardian Myoga the Flea.  But none of them seem eager to fill anyone in on why our heroes have gone missing or why they aren’t helping Team Yashahime at all.  You know a show has done wrong when the new legacy characters are secondary concerns to the current whereabouts of our beloved legends.