Cover Image: Yashahime: Princess Half-Demon, Vol. 1

Yashahime: Princess Half-Demon, Vol. 1

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A sequel to the Inuyasha series that lives up to expectations. I read this with little knowledge of Inuyasha and was able to pick up some of the story but eventually did have to look up some of the Inuyasha plot and characters. Yashahime follows the children of the Inuyasha characters -- Towa is the child of Sesshomaru and the story starts with her growing up as the foster child of her human aunt and uncle in our world with no memory of her past. But she is transported to feudal-era Japan, where she discovers she is part demon and meets her twin and cousin. Together they must find their parents and fix the rift in time. All in all, this is for libraries serving very dedicated fans of the Inuyasha series.

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I usually am not a fan about reading books or storylines that follow the children of beloved og characters, however I fell in love with this one! It was so easy to fall in love with the characters and story, it was nice to also see some of the old characters be seen or mentioned. Reading this manga brought on a feeling of reminiscences of how good Inuyasha is and the nice balance of having comedy, adventure, romance, and character development all together. Good balance of making it into something “new” while keeping some parts from the og Inuyasha mangas

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As someone who grew up with original Inuyasha manga and anime I was so excited to see this. I haven't watched the anime for it just yet. But I am loving this new manga series.
Getting to see all the old favorites, and seeing how true to character they were was amazing. I am so excited to see where this story goes!

Thank you to Viz Media and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

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I watched the yashahime anime first after learning about it, dying to relive some childhood memories. The anime had some high points but was overall not superb. I’m really glad I discovered the manga adaptation because it had much of what the anime was missing: more interesting storylines and character development. I also liked the direction the manga took the story rather than the more bizarre backstory of the anime adaptation.

Yashahime follows the three half-demon princesses: Moroha, daughter of Kagome and Inuyasha, and Towa and Setsuna, twin daughters or Sesshomaru and Rin. Towa was living in the modern era and gets returned to her cousin and sister in the feudal era. This volume introduces the characters and starts the storyline of how the girls became separated and what happened to their parents.

I enjoyed this volume and will definitely keep up with it, the story time seems way more promising than the anime adaptation and it seems like there will be more backstory to the relationships which is great.


Thank you to NetGalley for allowing early access in exchange for this honest review.

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I have watched all of Inuyasha (one of my all time favorite comfort shows) and I've seen all of Yashahime. I was really excited to see the English manga available on NetGalley. I expected it to be exactly like the anime since it was developed afterwards, but it's not.

I really liked how much deeper it went into explaining Towa's motivations and her upbringing. I also enjoyed the Higurashi family and that they mentioned Kagome more than once. It was interesting that Sota dedicated himself to researching the feudal era not only when he was young and having a bit of hero-worship complex over Inuyasha, but also in preparation for the day that Towa would return. When watching the anime, I thought it was weird that the other kids at school ignored Towa unless they were trying to fight her. The whispers at school about how different she looked came across as a bit over the top, but still more realistic. The principal at her previous school asking Sota to dye her hair and make her wear glasses to fit in better are pretty on point for a Japanese school.

The HIgurashi family's reaction to Moroha being Kagome's daughter made a lot more sense to me. There were some hints that Kagome might get to see her family again, which I was hoping for in the anime and I was disappointed that it didn't happen.

The plot is also different, but still just as mysteries. I had no idea what was going on in the anime which made it fun to see how the plot would move forward each week since really I was just looking forward to seeing the characters I knew and loved from Inuyasha. The manga is similar in that the girls' parents are missing and they want to free them, but it's much more center stage with Zero being name dropped, one of the four perils making a brief appearance, and I think I spotted Riku.

I'm intrigued to see where the manga goes and how similar or dissimilar it will be to the anime. I love the characters I I'm happy to see them in a new format. The art is gorgeous. I love Towa's more intense look. I'm looking forward to introducing a new audience to the world of Inuyasha at our library!

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YashaHime: Princess Half-Demon is a continuation of the original story InuYasha. And, both are highly popular television series, just like Naruto!

Yashahime Princess Half-Demon is the second manga that I have touched. And I have since asked myself why haven’t I picked up mangas before? YashaHime is filled with action and some unexpected humor. What I also love is that both InuYasha and YashaHime are popular television series, which I most probably will delve into at some point.

A little side note, there has been some controversy around Sesshomaru and Rin’s relationship due to the age difference. InuYasha, the original story takes place during the Sengoku period. Being in a relationship in that era at such a young age, well. It wasn’t taboo.

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I have never read Inu Yasha, but reading this has made me want to pick up the series and read it all for myself. The characters are already interesting, but I don’t feel like I’m getting chosen one vibes, because it feels like all three of them will be important. I’m interested in getting to know Towas sister and cousin more, as well as seeing more of the Feudal realm. Great start to a new series, and you don’t need to read Inu Yasha to enjoy!

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Yashahime: Princess Half-Demon Volume One is a manga reimagining of the anime series.

Yashahime: Princess Half-Demon Volume One
Written by: Takashi Shiina
Publisher: Shogakukan
English Publisher: VIZ Media
Release Date: June 21, 2022

I have to admit that when I went into Yashahime: Princess Half-Demon Volume One, I was expecting to read something that stayed relatively faithful to the anime source material. So it was a pleasant surprise to discover that while I recognized the characters and some of the basic plot and story elements, the execution of those elements were drastically different from their anime counterparts.

For those who haven’t seen the anime series, Yashahime: Princess Half-Demon is a sequel series to Inuyasha, and the main characters are children of important characters from that series (Towa and Setsuna are the twin daughters of Sesshomaru and Rin, and Moroha is the daughter of Inuyasha and Kagome). When they were kids, Towa and Setsuna were separated, and Towa ended up going through a portal in the Tree of Ages, which took her to the Higurashi shrine in modern day Japan. Here, she is found by Kagome’s younger brother, Sota, and is taken in by him and his wife, Moe, and raised as if she was their own daughter. 10 years later, Setsuna and Moroha are chasing a demon in feudal Japan and end up coming into modern day Japan. The three girls end up going back to feudal Japan and having adventures there.

Volume One of the manga was able to spend some time developing Towa a little more as a character, and it also established that Towa can exorcise spirits. One night, after exorcising a spirit, a portal opens up in the Tree of Ages, and a caterpillar-type demon emerges. Following behind are Setsuna and Moroha. Unlike in the anime, though, Moroha and Setsuna already know who Towa is and they knew that they would find her when they came through the portal.

As the volume continues, there are more differences between the anime and the manga. For example, Moroha is raised with Towa and Setsuna at an almost manor-like location, and they were watched over by a lot of “un-mothers.” It’s revealed that watching over all of this is Jaken, who is in disguise. I thought this worked a lot better than Towa and Setsuna just being left alone in the forest to fend for themselves. At this point in the manga, though, we don’t know how Inuyasha and Kagome were separated from the kids, although the end of the volume establishes that Rin is in suspended animation, just like she was in the anime. We also learn it was during an attack on the manor-like location that Towa and Setsuna were separated, and that Towa was purposefully sent through the portal at the Tree of Ages.

In the manga, I appreciated getting a scene of when Moroha and Setsuna were found as kids, and Miroku and Sango are trying to question them as to what happened. Of course, since they were young children, they really couldn’t answer their questions very well. It was nice to see Miroku and Sango acknowledged at this point in the manga. We also get to see a brief glimpse of Shippo when Kaede is talking about being able to get along with the smaller, animal-like demons. This was a much earlier acknowledgement of Shippo than in the anime.

Another change I appreciated in this manga telling is Moroha’s characterization. She is shown as being greedy, but it’s not because she owes the ridiculous debt to Jyubei like she did in the anime. With the way the story is set up here, there doesn’t really appear to be a way for that debt to exist. And if that’s the case, this gets rid of one of the problematic issues I had with Moroha’s backstory in the anime. Also, I appreciated that Moroha isn’t being treated like a comedic relief character, which is what she came across as for much of the Yashahime: Princess Half-Demon anime.

I have to be honest and say that after reading Yashahime: Princess Half-Demon Volume One, I thought that Shiina’s version of the story has a much stronger start than the anime’s telling. If the anime telling had been closer to this, then perhaps the first half of the anime would have ended up being stronger than what it was. Hopefully, Shiina will be able to continue telling a strong story in this manga adaptation.

When it comes to the art, I have to give Shiina credit for being able to capture the feel of Rumiko Takahashi’s designs yet bring his own style into the presentation. There is an interview with both Shiina and Takahashi at the end of the volume, and this aspect is addressed during part of it.

If you’re a fan of the Yashahime: Princess Half-Demon anime or a fan of the Inuyasha series, then you’ll probably enjoy this manga version of the story. If you were someone who started watching the Yashahime: Princess Half-Demon anime but dropped it due to not being happy with how it was progressing, you might also find enjoyment in this manga telling. Shiina gives a new way of looking at this story and at these characters, and his version could potentially “correct” some of the issues that disappointed anime viewers had with it.

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adventurous lighthearted mysterious fast-paced
Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? N/A
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
3.25 stars

A great first volume (especially considering I haven't actually finished Inu-Yasha) I felt like I could glean what happened and was given enough to context-clue what the current-day happenings were all about. Loving the art and I'm really excited to see where this goes! I'm very curious about Towa's vibe too!

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I was worried that this would be a beat-for-beat retelling of the anime, which was good, but I love the manga adaptation. Shiina did an excellent job adapting the anime and making the manga a fun read even if you've watched the anime. The mystery is laid out very well, and you get to see more of the girls' personalities. Overall, it's a great follow-up to Takahashi's work and I can't wait to read the rest!

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Beautiful! I have been waiting for the translations to come out! InuYasha was my first anime ever. Most people grew up on Pokemon, but for me InuYasha was my introduction to the anime world. I grew up with Kagome going between worlds. And have been reading fanfiction about the characters having children for over a decade. To finally see it come to fruition is amazing! Much like how Boruto will raise the new generation of Naruto fans, Yashahime will raise the new generation of InuYasha fans. Its an exciting way for kids and parents to connect over their favorite anime!

So, now that I am done reminiscing, Yashahime opens with Towa one of Sesshomaru and Rin's twin daughters who slipped through from the Feudal era to modern Japan. She has been raised by Souta, Kagome's kid brother, and is now hurtled back into the past with her twin sister, Setsuma, and her cousin, Moroha. The three teenage girls have to pull themselves together in order to save their parents whom they haven't seen in quite some time. Its a fun and nostalgic series to bring together both new fans and old! I am so excited for this series!

10/10

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I am glad to be able to read this! I have watched the anime but I knew that watching the anime of something that will have a book means that some details may be left out. And boy was I wrong, it follows extremely closely to it. I just wished that we could have kept the idea that Kagome and Inuyasha had a happy ending instead of changing it to make it sounds like something devious happened to them.

This manga is different in its art. This book is different from what plenty of mangaka go for in terms of art. The art of the manga is something that is from the 80's, something that I remember from Inuyasha and a few of the early 90's manga. It is not bad but it took some getting used to since I was more used to the extremely clean lines of manga being made now instead of the more dark lines and art. But it could also be the way the artwork formats itself on a kindle device.
With that in mind, I am glad to be getting a continuation of something that I fell in love with when I was younger. I remember reading Inuyasha, and that is why it did not take me too long to get back into the artwork.

I cannot wait to read the next volume. It seems so far to be better than the anime, so I'll most likely pause on the anime and just reads the manga as they come out.

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THIS IS LITERALLY SO GOOD!! I'm riding on both the nostalgia of Inuyasha, and of the fact there are literally 3 half-demon princess characters to obsess over. The characters are literally so much fun!!!

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I loved this manga. Inuyasha is one of my original manga and anime favourites, so to see a continuation of the series just warms my heart. I was so excited to see characters from the original series make an appearance and the transition from the previous story to this one is flawless. The manga gives us an idea of what happened in Inuyasha and an explanation of what occured in the middle space between the two series. I am so excited to see where the story will go and just who might make an appearance in the future. The art as well as the story is equally amazing. I only found out after reading the manga that this series has a different illustrator than Inuyasha but you would never know it. The styles are so similar that I thought that it was the same person. Rumiko Takahashi is a master and to see someone else able to replicate the style and add a touch of themselves as well is amazing. If anyone is a fan of Inuyasha, they will not be dissapointed in this manga. Old fans and new readers both will be able to enjoy this manga. I highly recommend!

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5/5

Yashahime: Princess Half-Demon is a manga series that is actually being produced AFTER it’s respective anime. Though it is Rumiko Takahashi’s beloved world and characters, the task of creating the manga actually goes to Takashi Shiina.

[Enter sigh of contentment here] Its like coming home after 5 long years at sea. Inuyasha and Takahashi’s story has and always will be one of my favourite franchises. I grew up on it and I’m so happy that it has continued to make an impact on the world. I kid you not I squealed when I first heard of the anime, so when I learned there was a manga I jumped on the chance to read it as well. I cannot say this enough but Inuyasha is just ingrained in the very being of my person. But anyway, on to the review!

Shiina does a really good job of keeping the feeling of Takahashi’s world and characters alive while also adding some of his own flair to the story and the art. I’m really impressed by his creation. The art style is different from Takahashi’s original mangas but Shiina’s art does a great job of portraying the world and characters.

I did read an electronic copy, and I’m not sure if it was a scanner problem or file problem, but the version I read was a little pixelated. But I’m sure that will be fixed in the physical form (which I will be purchasing as soon as I can).

I literally have nothing bad to say about this manga. I loved it and I cannot wait to continue reading its serialization.

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Thank you to NetGalley and Viz Media for providing a digital copy of this volume in exchange for an honest review.

As a longtime fan of Inuyasha (both the anime and manga), I was beyond ecstatic to hear that it would be getting a sequel anime series that focused on a new generation, namely Inuyasha and Kagome's daughter Moroha. Unfortunately, like many others, I found that the anime was a severe disappointment and a poor addition to the legacy of the Inuyasha franchise.

The manga, on the other hand, breathes fresh life into the story where its predecessor failed. Though neither is written by Rumiko Takahashi herself, Shiina is able to capture the wonder and adventure of the original work while making it his own. The premise and themes are essentially the same as the Yashahime anime, but now the story is comprehensive instead of passing off poorly thought out concepts without any logical sense.

The main issue that I raise with the manga is that it still has to follow the basic outline of the anime. For example, the plot itself that Inuyasha and Kagome have gone missing and it is up to their daughter to find them. We had a happy ending with the original manga, but now that happiness has been uprooted to push a sequel series and is largely unfair to readers that rooted for the main couple through the entirety of Inuyasha. There is very little in between shown from the ending of Inuyasha to the start of Yashahime, when arguably, that is exactly what the fans wanted to see. The other issue is the parents of Setsuna and Towa are revealed to be Sesshomaru and Rin, his ward that was a young child in the original. Supposedly she is an adult now, but it still leaves an extremely uneasy feeling because she is still not out of her teens when she gave birth so there was very little room for them to "fall in love."

That all aside, the manga is still miles better than the anime. OG characters are done justice, actually feeling like their past selves instead of cardboard cutouts with little emotion. People now seem to care that Inuyasha and Kagome are missing when in the anime, they are hardly ever even mentioned and when they are, it is only in passing and with little regard for their well-being (Kagome's family is a HUGE example of this improvement). The animation in the anime is also notoriously terrible, but on the other hand, Shiina's manga, though different from Takahashi's style, is dynamic and oftentimes beautiful to look at.

As for the translation, I don't pretend to be fluent in Japanese, but even I knew there were several instances in the original Inuyasha manga that were so completely different from the source material that it was baffling. Yashahime does a better job with this, though after reading some fan translations, there are moments that don't have as much impact just because of the wording. But overall, it is much easier to understand when they drop plot details (especially since we're varying so far from the anime).

Overall, I'd give this 4/5 stars and do highly recommend anyone who has not yet watched Yashahime to just read the manga instead. I cannot wait to see where the story goes from here!

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I really loved that this was very different from the anime! I was worried it would just be a play-by-play so I was excited. The additions to this story were really great, and I will definitely be buying it for my library. Inuyasha is both a classic and one of my favorite series, so this spinoff was highly anticipated.

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Even half demons have trouble fitting in at school. Separated by time and realm, a journey to save all while finding each other and finding yourself.

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Ahhhh, this was really fun! Inuyasha was one of my first manga series when I was in middle school/junior high, and to see that it’s come to the point of a new generation is really heartwarming. I’m glad people still love this cast of fools, haha.

Yashahime is interesting in that it was an anime before it became a manga, according to the interview in the back of this novel. I myself haven’t watched the show (yet), so I don’t know how they differ, but I enjoyed this! It was fun meeting the new cast of characters and learning about them—there’s enough mystery to make you want to read more: for example, when I first heard that this show existed but the main cast wasn’t in it, I remember thinking there was no way Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru would be absent parents after what they went through with their own parents, so why weren’t they around? Well, now I know!

The art style is noticeably different from the original, but that’s to be expected with a new person drawing the panels. It’s a pretty faithful representation, though!

I’ll definitely be keeping my eye out for the next volume.

PS, the fact that every girl in Towa’s class has a crush on her…love it, I have a crush on her too, she’s so cool.

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I was supper excited about this graphic novel, I ended up disappointed. It lacks the wit of the original story and only keeps the unliked and mostly forgotten side characters. The panel arrangement made the story very confusing and jumpy.

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