Plot: Having entered the modern era, Setsuna and Moroha take their battle with Mistress Three-Eyes to the modern era. Towa breaks her sword trying to save Setsuna, but discovers that she can create a sword made out of demonic energy from the hilt. Together, they defeat Mistress Three-Eyes.
Towa tries to reunite with her long-lost sister, but Setsuna doesn’t remember her at all. Setsuna, angered at Towa’s implications and insistence, challenges her to a battle. Towa doesn’t want to participate, but is suddenly overtaken by the wooden demon, Hitokon.
Setsuna is not about to hold back in the battle, but the tides turn when Hitokon switches hosts to Towa’s little sister, Mei. Setsuna aims to cut the demon out of her face, but Towa vehemently defends Mei and refuses to let her face get scarred.
Choosing to back down, Setsuna puts them all to sleep and uses a special concoction made by her fellow demon slayers to remove the demon and kill it.
Later that night, Setsuna discusses her situation with Moroha. She cannot accept Towa’s claims so easily, even if they are both half-demons that smell of Sesshomaru. It’s not simply that she’s stubborn – she actually doesn’t remember Towa and she doesn’t respect Towa as her sister considering how leisurely and weak she seems.
Years ago, Setsuna was attacked by the dream butterfly – an entity which ate her dreams, memories of her past and made her unable to sleep or dream ever again.
Hearing her plight, Towa blames herself and confronts Setsuna.
Breakdown: Ladies and gentlemen things. Are. HAPPENING!
On the old cast/timeline side, we…kinda get confirmation on the timeline. Kaede said it’s been over 15 years since the well was closed, but we basically figured that out. I’m still erring on the side of around 20 years, but she probably would have said 20 years, so…eh.
We also get in-universe confirmation that Setsuna and Towa are Sesshomaru’s kids, though still no confirmation on who their mother is. (Rin is seemingly not still in Kaede’s village, though, at least as far as I see.) They also all but confirm that Moroha is Kagome and Inuyasha’s kid. (I remain confused about why her powers seemed dragon themed, though. Where do dragons come in with a half dog demon and a human priestess?)
The first episode’s story actually wasn’t a complete waste of time, kinda, because we learn that the demon Hitokon is a part of the Root Head demon that Inuyasha and the others fought at that time. It merged or gained powers from the Sacred Tree, which allowed it to open a portal to the modern era.
It’s dead now, though, so that’s a problem.
The first episode was still basically a waste of time, though, because we could have just gone over it in the B plot with Kohaku and Kaede talking about it.
Anyhoo, Sesshomaru seems to have somewhat abandoned his kids? Maybe? According to Setsuna, she started a ‘rite of courage and cowardice’ which Kaede explains as basically being a trial by fire – children are just thrust into the world on the their own to see if they survive. This makes me a little suspicious that Sesshomaru might have been responsible for the forest fire that drove Towa and Setsuna apart.
I can’t imagine Rin would’ve been cool with all of this, but she did mostly just do whatever Sesshomaru said.
I suppose this means Sesshomaru is still alive and around somewhere, but as for where literally everyone else is
It’s a bit suspect, because Setsuna’s fluffy boa literally does come right out of nowhere. Between the last time Kaede saw the twins as babies, the last time Towa saw Setsuna and when Setsuna had returned to Kaede’s village, she somehow managed to obtain one. I theorize that she was actually with Sesshomaru for a couple of years after the fire but then lost her memories via the dream butterfly. I just can’t see any other way she would have obtained it. Towa never got one, so it can’t be something they just get, right? Also, she says she doesn’t remember Sesshomaru but claimed she was on the rite of passage, so who sent her on this mission? Did she lose her memories after she came back to the village?
Got some cool battles going on here as well as some new abilities being put on display. I love that Towa basically has a Spirit Sword ala Yu Yu Hakusho (It even basically turns into the Spirit Flyswatter at one point) that she even discovers in the same way Kuwabara discovered his.
Moroha was a delight, again, though we still haven’t really delved into her character’s story at all. I can’t imagine Inuyasha and Kagome are pulling the same ‘rite of courage and cowardice’ thing that Sesshomaru is. I love how she’s goofy and high-spirited but also very knowledgeable about weapons and demon lore. Makes her a pretty unique character.
I feel like the reasoning behind Setsuna not remembering Towa is a little on the cheap side. I dunno, I’ve reached a point where any plotline involving lost memories just makes me roll my eyes.
However,
I finally give a crap about the actual story and characters now, not just the old cast.
I mean, there’s still not much to go on, but I am getting invested.
Golly, I’m actually excited about next week’s episode. I wonder what new things we’ll see–
AH! NO! Please no! Why are you here?! Why is it implied that you’re part of the well or the tree of ages something!? Go be dead!
Alright, alright, I have to chill out. There’s obviously not going to be any love triangle stuff, Inuyasha and Kagome are nowhere to be seen, and I’d assume she’s not going to do anything bad.
…Although what was up with her saying “Daughters of Sesshomaru, I have a request for you.” Is she not addressing Moroha too? Does she not count? I wonder if she’ll be a little pissy towards her because she’s Inuyasha and Kagome’s kid. Hm.
Anyway, happy day, things are happening, the plot is getting in gear, kinda, and hopefully it will just keep going upwards from here.
Rating: 7.5/10
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The Anime Madhouse 