We already know part of how the Yashahime: Princess Half-Demon story goes thanks to the anime. It follows Sesshomaru’s daughters Towa and Setsuna, as well as Inuyasha and Kagome’s daughter Moroha. However starting in June 2022, there’s another way to learn about what happens next in Inuyasha. The first volume of the Yashahime manga features a more deliberate start that spends more time getting to know characters, specifically Towa.
The manga version of Yashahime begins in a far different manner than the anime. With the show, things kick off in medias res. Towa, Setsuna, and Moroha already met up and are working together. Those scenes are interspersed with ones of the original “gang” fighting alongside each other. The trio meet “properly” in the second episode. There’s also more ambiguity about characters’ identities, the past, and a bit more resistance to working together. In general, the anime adaptation can feel like it evenly divides attention among the three young women.
With the manga, Towa is firmly the focus. The story begins with her at a new school. She transferred, as her last one took issue with her white hair. They considered it a distraction, even though Sota and his wife asserted it was natural. As she walks home, a girl comes to confess to her. After assessing the girl’s friend is possessed by a demon, Towa invites both to her family’s shrine. There, she performs the exorcism in her more traditional suit while her family watches. It is then that a stronger demon appears. Setsuna and Moroha show up, with both already working together as a duo. Towa is also more unaware of her twin, with the whole life in the past more of a surprise to her.
This isn’t to say Setsuna and Moroha don’t get any development. However, the first volume of the Yashahime manga is more about establishing who Towa is, showing her coming to terms with things, and learning more about the past. The story is more upfront with what happened to Inuyasha, Kagome, and Sesshoumaru. This also means we know who the twins’ mother is immediately. In this storyline, Moroha and Setsuna grew up together. Towa arriving is something of a missing piece. This means that when an attack launches on the trio and Kaede, Towa regains more of her memories and they better understand about certain concepts like their (brief) unmother guardians. We also see Towa begin to accept more of her power. Moroha and Setsuna are established. They’re steady supporting cast members. Towa is the one seeing real development in this initial installment.
The result is a story that feels very much like the Yashahime anime, only with a bit more substance, lore, and attention to Towa. Someone coming to the manga will immediately have a better idea of what Towa’s life was like with Sota and his family. The foundation is laid early on for what happened to the twins and their cousin. It also feels like there’s more lore here and the potential for less of a monster-of-the-week approach to some situations. I’m actually more excited to see where this version goes, compared to the anime adaptation.
The first volume of the Yashahime: Princess Half-Demon manga will debut on June 21, 2022. Viz Media is handling the English release. The anime adaptation can be found on Crunchyroll.
