Season
overview:
The first season of Inuyasha begins with a bang. Rumiko Takahashi leaves Kitty Animation and makes Inuyasha the first non-Kitty production of her work. Sunrise, known for their work on Mobile Suit Gundam is awarded the project and hires a top notch creative staff to closely follow Takahashi's original stories. Director Masashi Ikeda's previous work includes Ronin Warriors, Gundam Wing, and Darkstalkers: Night Warriors Revenge.
Episode 1: 時代を越えた少女と封印された少年
Toki o Koeta Shoujo to Fuuinsareta Shonen (The Girl Who Overcame Time...and the Boy Who Was Just Overcome)
The first episode opens showing the fateful battle between Kikyo and Inuyasha over the Shikon Jewel. As a result of their battle, Kikyo lay dying and Inuyasha was stuck to a tree by one of her arrows, where he remained for 50 years. Cut to present day where we meet Kagome Higurashi, a modern 15 year old Tokyoite who lives with her family at a shrine. The shrine is built near an old well, called The Bone-Eater's Well. While looking for her younger brother, Sota, Kagome is attacked by a Centipede demon searching for the Shikon Jewel. Kagome tumbles down the well and before long realizes she is now in feudal Japan. There she meets Kaeda, Kikyo's little sister who is now an old woman (50 years have passed since the opening scene). Soon, Mistress Centipede is back looking for the Shikon Jewel that is inside of Kagome's body. She rips it from her side, but not before a very angry Inuyasha awakens from his 50 year slumber.
In the Higurashi House they are listening to a newscast from NTK News, a play on NHK, Japan's public broadcaster.
“Perhaps she’s a fox in disguise?” – Kitsune (狐) or fox demons traditionally transform into others to play tricks on innocent bystanders, of course a fox demon will play a large role in the series later.
The chonmage (丁髷) is a type of traditional Japanese topknot haircut worn by men. It is most commonly associated with the Edo period (1603–1867) and samurai. Between the 1580s (towards the end of the Sengoku period, 1467–1615) and the 1630s (the beginning of the Edo period, 1603–1867), Japanese cultural attitudes to men's hair shifted; where a full head of hair and a beard had been valued as a sign of manliness in the preceding militaristic era, in the ensuing period of peace, this gradually shifted until a beard and an unshaven pate were viewed as barbaric, and resistant of the peace that had resulted from two centuries of civil war.
Miko (巫女), or shrine maiden,is a young priestess who works at a Shinto shrine. Miko were once likely seen as shamans, but are understood in modern Japanese culture to be an institutionalized role in daily life, trained to perform tasks, ranging from sacred cleansing to traditional dances known as Kagura. The position is usually passed down from one generation to the next which makes sense in the case of both Kikyo's family with Kaede inheriting the role, and Kagome acting as one as her family runs the family shrine.
“With so many wars these days our young people have become rash.” – The Sengoku period (Warring States Period/戦国時代) is the period in Japanese history in which civil wars and social upheavals took place almost continuously in the 15th and 16th centuries. Though the Ōnin War (1467) is generally chosen as the Sengoku period's start date, there are many competing historiographies for its end date, ranging from 1568, the date of Oda Nobunaga's march on Kyoto, to the suppression of the Shimabara Rebellion in 1638, deep into what is traditionally considered the Edo period. With the references to Oda Nobunaga later in the series, Inuyasha can be placed near in end of the Sengoku Era, roughly 1560-1570.
“Tokyo? Never heard of it.” – In the Sengoku Era Tokyo was still known as Edo, and Edo Castle was constructed in 1457 during the Muromachi Era.
Episode 2: 四魂の玉を狙う者たち
Shikon no Tama o Nerau Monotachi (Seekers of the Sacred Jewel)
Inuyasha confuses Kagome for Kikyo, who he still harbors an extreme hatred for. He tries to take the Shikon Jewel from her, but not before Kaede steps in and places a magical rosary around his neck, causing him to crash to the ground whenever Kagome yells "sit!". With Inuyasha subdued Kagome makes her way back to the Bone-Eater's Well, but not before getting side-tracked by a possessed bandit who manages to take the Shikon Jewel from her. Inuyasha arrives just in the nick of time and pursues the crow demon who stole it, but not before one of Kagome's arrows shatters the Jewel into dozens of tiny shards.
In the historical novel, Jouney to the West the monk Tang could punish Sun Wokong, the monkey king, by chanting "headache spell" to make the monkey's circlet tighten on his head. This is likely an inspiration for Kagome's "sit" command that could make Inuyasha's Beads of Subjugation send him crashing to the ground.
Roofs were clad in thin wooden shingles so owners would put stones on top to prevent the shingles from flying away in the wind.
Tall watchtowers in villages are known as hinomi yagura (火の見櫓) and served as fire lookouts as well as for sounding the alarm and alerting villagers of incoming attacks by brigands.
Outside of Kaede's house a >water wheel tiller can be seen. This device was used by farmers to irrigate their rice paddys.
“She’s a water imp!” - The peasants are shocked to see Kagome swimming in the river, and with good reason. Formal swimming techniques were not widely introduced to Japan until the Meiji Era (1858-1912). Known as nihon eiho (日本泳法), before the Meiji Era, only samurai practiced swimming in various styles which includes not only the normal swimming, but swimming in armor and combat techniques in the water as a military art.
The Shikon Jewel is shattered and Kagome retrieves her first shard.
In the historical novel, Jouney to the West the monk Tang could punish Sun Wokong, the monkey king, by chanting "headache spell" to make the monkey's circlet tighten on his head. This is likely an inspiration for Kagome's "sit" command that makes Inuyasha's Beads of Subjugation send him crashing to the ground.
Episode 3: 骨喰いの井戸からただいまっ!
Honekui no Ido kara Tadaima (Down the Rabbit Hole and Back Again)
After an arguement between Inuyasha and Kagome over his peeping at her while she was bathing, the pair decide to call it quits. Inuyasha wants to search for the Shikon Jewel alone and Kagome wants nothing more than to return home. On her way back to the well she is attacked by Yura of the Hair, a demon who is using her hair to control the villagers and make them attack Inuyasha and Kaede. Luckily for them, Kagome is able to see the strands of hair that are invisible to everyone else. Thus, Inuyasha must make amends and try to find Kagome and get her to help.
Kagome's idea of bathing is very different from what those in the Sengoku Era would consider bathing. Nowadays a bath can be considered anywhere you can bathe in water, but a traditional Japanese furo bath was more like a modern day sauna or steam room; the body was cleansed mostly via heat and steam. At this time bathers would often take a change of clothes wrapped in fabric, which is the origin of furoshiki, the traditional art of wrapping objects so they can be carried. However, this style of bathing was a great luxury at the time: a pursuit rather than a necessity. The warrior class and commoners alike would usually wash in a washtub or by using water from a pail.
Chapter 8 of Yashahime manga adaptation goes into greater detail on bathing habits of the era.
An irori (囲炉裏) is a traditional Japanese sunken hearth fired with charcoal. Used for heating the home and for cooking food, it is essentially a square, stone-lined pit in the floor.
Miko clothing (巫女装束/miko shōzoku) is the clothing worn by miko at Shinto shrines. The white robe (白衣) worn on the upper half of the body is a white kosode, with sleeves the length of a tome sleeve. The scarlet hakama (緋袴/hibakama), which covers the lower half of the body, is composed of scarlet (緋, hi) and hakama (袴, hakama, combining form: -bakama), a scarlet hakama, but in actuality, scarlet or vermilion is used.
A traditional light source in the Sengoku Era consisted of burning a cotton or pith wick in a bowl of oil. Rapeseed or sardine oil was frequently used as candles made of wax were too expensive for most peasants of the day.
Episode 4: 逆髪の妖魔 結羅
Sakasagami no Youma, Yura (Yura of the Demon-Hair)
Out of nowhere Inuyasha arrives in present day Tokyo to get Kagome to return to the past with him. Immediately, Kagome notices one of Yura's hairs on Inuyasha and quickly realizes that her family could be in jeopardy if she doesn't help out. Returning to the past Inuyasha and Kagome confront Yura, and while she and Inuyasha fight, Kagome manages to locate the source of her power, a comb, and destroy it.
In Shinto and Buddhism in Japan, an ofuda (お札) is a talisman made out of various materials such as paper, wood, cloth or metal. Ofuda are commonly found in both Shinto shrines and Buddhist temples and are considered to be imbued with the power of the deities (kami) or Buddhist figures revered therein.
The Higurashi household has an eggplant scroll on the wall of their living room. Eggplants are traditionally considered a symbol of good luck in Japan.
Oden (おでん, 御田) is a type of nabemono (Japanese one-pot dishes) consisting of several ingredients such as boiled eggs, daikon or konjac, and processed fishcakes stewed in a light, soy-flavored dashi broth.
This episode features the first mention of the Robe of the Fire-Rat. The Fire Rat Robe has its origin in The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter (かぐや姫の物語). Locating it is one of the five impossible tasks that Princess Kaguya assigns to her suitors.
This episode features the first use of Hijin Kesso (飛刃血爪/Blades of Blood).
The second shard of the Shikon Jewel is retrieved from Yura.
Episode 5: 戦慄の貴公子 殺生丸
Senritsu no Kikoushi Sesshomaru (Aristocratic Assassin, Sesshomaru)
Sesshomaru, Inuyasha's half brother and his servant Jaken are introduced as they search for a sword, Tetsusaga, that was left to Inuyasha by his late father. Myoga, an old flea demon watches as they search, and quickly relays the news to Inuyasha. After awhile, a carriage containing Inuyasha's mother is spotted and a demon carrying Jaken soon attacks it. After saving his mother, Inuyasha and Kagome are transported to a serene location, where Kagome quickly realizes Inuyasha's mother isn't who she appears to be.
When asked what sort of demon Jaken is supposed to be Rumiko Takahashi responded, "The visual image of Jaken was a "hell demon" (jigoku no gaki/地獄の餓). I also had him wear a kariginu (狩衣, the style of robes and hat Jaken wears) to give him a feeling of middle management."
First appearance of the Staff of Two Heads and Kagome’s bicycle.
Shide (紙垂, 四手) are zigzag-shaped paper streamers, often seen attached to shimenawa or tamagushi to demarcate holy spaces, and used in Shinto rituals in Japan.
Jinmaku (陣幕) is a curtain used in setting up a military encampment commonly seen from the pre-modern era in Japan. The jinmaku were also historically known as a gunmaku (軍幕), or "military curtain".
Gissha (牛車) is the ox-cart/palanquin that the Un Woman appears in. In Urusei Yatsura, Mrs. Mendo frequently rides in one. This along with her long sleeved Kariginu (狩衣) or formal clothing marks her as a member of the upper class.
Episode 6: 不気味な妖刀 鉄砕牙
Bukimina Buddou, Tessaiga (Tessaiga, the Phantom Sword)
Kagome brings Inuyasha to his senses and they both quickly realize that his mother is actually a Nothing Woman, a collection of the spirits of mother's who have lost their children. The Nothing Woman uses her powers to find out where the entrance to Inuyasha's father's grave is, reveals it is in the Black Pearl hidden behind Inuyasha's eye. Sesshomaru quickly pulls the pearl out and steps into their father's graveyard, but soon realizes he is unable to pull the Tetsusaga out. Soon there after, Kagome does it with ease.
This episode is one of the highest audience viewership rating of the entire series. For more information please see our article "Inuyasha Top 10 Highest Rated Episodes".
Jaken's Staff of Two Heads may seem like a completely fantasical, fictional item, but it is actually based on a real artifact.
Episode 7: 激対決! 殺生丸VS鉄砕牙!!
Geki Taiketsu! Sesshomaru vs Tessaiga (Showdown! Inuyasha vs. Sesshomaru)
Sesshomaru is amazed that Kagome was able to remove the sword, so he talks to her for a few moments before attacking and seemingly killing her. Inuyasha begins fighting against his brother, but is shocked when he sees Kagome rising up from the bones that everyone thought was hers. She hands the sword to Inuyasha and Sesshomaru reverts to his true form to finish the battle. In the midst of battle, Inuyasha promises to protect Kagome, and the Tetsusaga reacts by growing into a huge fang, which lops off Sesshomaru's left arm. Sesshomaru is left with no choice but to retreat, and Inuyasha, Kagome, and Myoga return to the village to tell Kaede about the sword. It is revealed that the Tetsusaga's hidden powers will reveal themselves when it is used to protect humans.
Sesshomaru's distinctive crescent facial marking was actually inspired by the classic samurai film and television seriesHatamoto Taikutsu Otoko (旗本退屈男) or Bored Hatamoto which ran from 1929 to 1963. The lead character of Mondonosuke Saotome has a crescent shaped scar on his forehead. In an interview, Takahashi said she planned for the marking to play into the story at some point, but never got around to it.
When Inuyasha swings Tessaiga back and forth after it transforms for the first time, it makes lightsaber like humming sounds.
Episode 8: 殿様妖怪 九十九の蝦蟇
Donosama Youkai, Tsukumo no Gama (The Toad Who Would Be Prince)
Nobunaga is introduced in this episode. While swimming a monkey steals Kagome's clothes. Once she gets her clothes back, she meets the owner of the monkey, Nobunaga. Kagome and Inuyasha learn that he is on his way to meet a princess. They travel together and learn of a local lord that has been possessed. When they arrive at his castle, everyone is asleep, and Nobunaga finds his princess. The evil lord appears, and Myoga points out that it is a Tsugumo no Gama. Inuyasha rushes in to kill him, but Nobunaga stops him, because the innocent lord's mind is still intact inside the demon. Tsugumo no Gama attacks Nobunaga, and Inuyasha refuses to help. Kagome uses her hairspray and some fire to drive the demon from the lord's body. After that Inuyasha quickly dispatches it.
“Maybe there aren’t any shards left in Musashi.” - Musashi's Domain (武蔵国) is the historic area which encompasses most of metropolitan Tokyo, the Saitama prefecture and part of Kanagawa prefecture.
“My name is Nobunaga.” - Kagome confuses Amari Nobunaga with Oda Nobunaga, the most famous figures of the Sengoku Era and was considered the ruler of Japan.
The humor in Nobunaga not being the historical Nobunaga is compounded by the name of his pet monkey, Hiyoshimaru (日吉丸). This is the childhood name of Oda Nobunaga's rival Toyotomi Hideyoshi.
The kanji character on Nobunaga's robes is 田 (da) the second character in his clan's name (武田/Takeda). It is also the second character in the Oda clan's name (織田) which is the where the more famous Oda Nobunaga hails from.
“I’m from the Takeda clan of Kai.” - The Takeda Clan (武田氏) was a samurai clan based in Kai, which was a neighboring province to Musashi, as mentioned above. The clan would begin to decline after the death of Takeda Shingen in 1573.
In the preview for the next episode Kagome mentions possibly meeting warlords like Oda Nobunaga, Toyotomi Hideyoshi and Tokugawa Ieyasu, the three great unifers of Japan. Tying many of the figures from this episode together, the Battle of Nagashino in 1575 saw the defeat of Takeda Shingen and then decline of the Takeda Clan by Oda Nobunaga and Tokugawa Ieyasu.
The third Shikon Shard is retrieved from the Tsukumo no Gama.
Episode 9: 七宝登場! 雷獣兄弟 飛天満天!!
Shippo Toujou! Raijuu Kyodai Hiten, Manten (Enter Shippo, Plus the Amazing Thunder Brothers!)
While wandering through a battlefield, a bit of foxfire appears and transforms into a large balloon shape, in an attempt to frighten Kagome and Inuyasha into giving him their Shikon shards, the demon reveals himself as Shippo, a fox demon. Shippo tells them that he needs the shards in order to become more powerful so that he can avenge his father's death at the hands of Hiten and Manten, the Thunder Brothers. Shippo travels with Kagome and Inuyasha a short distance before stealing the Shikon shards and running into the forest. There he meets Hiten and Manten, who demand that he give up the shards to them. Kagome tries to save Shippo but gets knocked out. Manten finds her very attractive and decides to take her. Shippo runs to get Inuyasha and beg for his help. When Inuyasha arrives the brothers are ready for a fight with Hiten starting off the battle with his Raigekijin.
Ramen noodles in space. - Instant ramen came onto the market in 1958. It was invented by Momofuku Ando after seeing food shortages in Japan after World War II. He came up with a way of flavoring noodles with chicken soup and frying them. Then boiling water could be added to the dry noodles for an easy and nutritious dish. Thus, instant noodles were born. Kagome mentions them being used as a food for outer space but all the information we found on this fact was that Ando did not do research into that until 2005, which would have been after this episode aired. Likely what Kagome is referring to is the process of rehydrating. Foods that have been dehydrated by various technologies (such as drying with heat, osmotic drying, and freeze drying) and allowed to rehydrate in hot water prior to consumption.
“That’s foxfire!” – In reality foxfire is the glow from a forest fungus. However mythological kitsune have always been associated with the ability to generate fire.
The Buddhist monk Kṣitigarbha, known as Jizō in Japan is one of the most loved of all Japanese divinities. His statues are a common sight, especially by roadsides and in graveyards. He is portrayed as a protector of children's souls. Shippo uses a Jizo statue to pin Inuyasha's hand to the ground.
Hiten (飛天) means "fly heaven". Manten (満天) means "full heaven". But they way the names are pronouced have more common meaning (hence the pun). They can mean "correction marks" and "perfect score" respectively.
Kagome calls the wheels on Hiten's feet "pulleys" (滑車/kassha). The flaming wheels are an item from Chinese mythology that are associated with Nezha, a Buddhist deity, who also features in Journey to the West fable. It may be easy to confuse the flaming wheels on Hiten's feet with the Japanese demon Wanyudo (輪入道), but these are different concepts/creatures.
Manten's cloud is likely a reference to Jīndǒuyún (筋斗云 Somersault Cloud) of which Goku's Kintoun (筋斗雲;) from Dragonball is based.
Episode 10: 妖刀激突! 雷撃刃VS鉄砕牙!!
Geki Taiketsu! Raigekijin vs Tessaiga!! (Phantom Showdown- The Thunder Brothers vs. Tessaiga)
The battle between Inuyasha and Hiten rages on, and Kagome tries to take out Manten, but to no avail. Shippo comes to her rescue and sends Manten into a rage as the last hair falls from his head. He begins punching Shippo and choking Kagome to death while Inuyasha watches. Inuyasha decides to take out Manten first and throws his Tetsusaga through him, killing him. Hiten goes crazy and blasts Kagome and the Tetsusaga away from Inuyasha. As his brother dies in his arms, Hiten consumes all five of the collected Shikon shards and launches another attack against Inuyasha. Hiten blasts Kagome and Shippo again, and it appears he has killed them. Inuyasha only has the Tetsusaga's scabbard to protect himself, but soon the scabbard summons the sword, which Inuyasha quickly uses to finish Hiten. Inuyasha learns that Shippo's father's pelt protected Kagome and Shippo from Hiten's blast.
“Fox magic is actually trickery.” – Beginning in the Edo period, kitsune have been more often depicted as mischievous tricksters.
In the manga it is made clear that Hiten does actually cannibalize his brother’s heart to add to his own power.
Hiten’s spear is known as the Raigekijin (雷撃刃/Thunder Pike).
Kagome receives five Shikon shards from the Thunder Brothers, bringing her total to eight.
Episode 11: 現代によみがえる呪いの能面
Gendai ni Yomigaeru, Noroi no Noumen (Terror of the Ancient Noh Mask)
Kagome tells Inuyasha that due to upcoming tests, she has to go back to her own time for awhile. Taking the Shikon shards with her, she hops through the Bone Eater's Well and arrives back in her own time. Kagome's grandfather notices that the Mask of Flesh has escaped from the seals he used to keep it at bay. The mask darts around the room trying to find a body for itself and starts a fire, trapping Grandfather. The Mask is able to capture the body of a fireman and leaves in search of more bodies. Later in the night, it is drawn back to the Higurashi house and Kagome's room in particular because of the Shikon shards in her room. The Mask attacks and Kagome manages to save both the shards and Sota. As they get outside and the Mask continues to attack, Kagome tells Sota to go to the well and bring Inuyasha back. Sota does as he's asked but is unable to travel through the well. He's shocked when Inuyasha appears in front of him. Sota quickly tells Inuyasha whats going on and he's off to save Kagome, brining Sota along with him. Inuyasha arrives in time to rescue Kagome, but once the battle is over she realizes that she has her tests in a few hours and heads home to do some last minute cramming, leaving Inuyasha more than a little angry.
In the original manga, this story comes before the introduction of Shippo and the battle with the Thunder Brothers.
Grandpa Higurashi is shown wearing his Shinto vestments. These outfits are known as shōzoku, and are worn during the performance of religious ceremonies. Most of the costumes appear to date from the Heian period (794–1185) and originated as the dress of noblemen.
The basic garment is the hakama, a wide split skirt that falls to the ankles and is colored white, light blue, or (for high dignitaries) purple. Over this are worn two or more layers of kimono-type garments, the most formal of which is the white silk saifuku. Over the saifuku is worn the hō, colored black, red, or light blue. Less formal are the jōe, a robe of white silk, and the vari-colored kariginu (which means “hunting garment,” attesting to the use made of it during the Heian period) and is what Grandpa is wearing in this episode.
The priest’s headgear may be either the black lacquered-silk eboshi, for less formal attire, or the more elaborate kanmuri, worn with the saifuku costume. Priests usually carry a shaku, a flat wooden sceptre, either held in the hand or thrust into the belt.
The “momo” eraser on Kagome’s desk is a parody of a real Japanese eraser brand called Mono that utilizes the same blue, white and black color sceme.
Grandpa throws Ofuda at the Mask of Flesh in an attempt to subjugate it. Ofuda (お札) is a talisman made out of various materials such as paper, wood, cloth or metal. Ofuda are commonly found in both Shinto shrines and Buddhist temples and are considered to be imbued with the power of the deities (kami) or Buddhist figures revered therein.
The Mask of Flesh is made from a katsura tree, which is native to Japan.
Noh masks (能面/nō-men) are usually carved from blocks of Japanese cypress and painted with natural pigments on a neutral base of glue and crunched seashell. There are approximately 450 different masks mostly based on sixty types, all of which have distinctive names. Some masks are representative and frequently used in many different plays, while some are very specific and may only be used in one or two plays.
Kagome receives a Shikon Shard from the Mask of Flesh bringing her total to nine.
The fact that a Shikon Shard exists in the present era could cause a time paradox. When it is transported back to the the Sengoku era the shard should exist in two places at once.
Episode 12: タタリモッケと小さな悪霊
Tatari Mokke to Chiisaina Akuryou (Soul Piper and the Mischievous Little Soul)
While Kagome is walking home from school she sees a little girl playing a mean prank on some other children. After telling her to stop and chasing her off, the little girl is shocked that Kagome can even see her, but quickly dissapears. Inuyasha meanwhile is repairing the damage done to his scabbard by the Thunder Brothers. As he, Myoga, and Shippo wait for the repairs to finish they notice a Tatari Mokke. Myoga explains that this demon plays a flute to help recently deceased children's spirits find their way into the afterlife. As long as the Tatari Mokke's eyes are closed it is completely harmless and actually quite helpful. In the present, Kagome takes Sota to visit a friend of his in the hospital. His friend, Satoru has been in a coma ever since his apartment caught on fire. His sister Mayu died tragically in the fire because the children's mother didn't know she was in the apartment. Mayu died thinking her mother abandoned her to die alone and has been haunting her family ever since. In a fit of anger Mayu knocks her mother out and tries to kill Satoru when the Tatarimokke appears behind her with its eyes almost fully open. When its eyes do open, the demon takes children's spirits to hell. Kagome follows Mayu and recreates the moment of her death, only this time Kagome rescues her from the closet. Mayu's ghost asks her mother for forgiveness and goes on to heaven, allowing Satoru to come out of his coma.
Kagome is shown learning English vocabulary by studying Martin Luther King and his “I Have a Dream” speech from 1963.
Tatari Mokke (祟り蛙/Soul Piper) in Japanese folklore are the embodiment of dead children. They resemble owls because the hoot of an owl is thought to sound similar to the cries of a child. Many families honor and respect owls for this reason. The tatari mokke can be thought of as a good yokai, like the Zashikiwarashi from Rumiko Takahashi’s Extra-Large Size Happiness. However murdered children, or children who were killed by their parents due to being unable to feed them during times of strife also returned as tatarimokke and took revenge on those who hurt them in life.
Sota is seen carrying a bundle of origami cranes for his friend Satoru in the hospital. This practice originates with the story of One Thousand Origami Cranes (千羽鶴, senbazuru). Cranes are often given to a person who is seriously ill, to wish for their recovery. They are usually created by friends, classmates, or colleagues as a collective effort, offered to a shrine on the person's behalf or directly gifted to. The gift of cranes is also tied to Sadako Sasaki, a young girl who was exposed to radiation after the atomic bombing of Hiroshima. Inspired by the legend of Senzaburu, she attempted to fold 1,000 origami cranes in order to get well, but only made 644 before passing away. In her honor, her classmates folded the remaining 356 cranes.
“I come from a shrine family!” - Since ancient times, the Shake (社家) families dominated Shinto shrines through hereditary positions, and at some shrines the hereditary succession continues to present day.
A yukata (浴衣, lit. 'bathrobe') is an unlined cotton summer kimono, worn in casual settings such as summer festivals and to nearby bathhouses. Mayu wants her mother to make her a yukata with goldfish on it for the summer festival season.
This particular story has much in common with Rumiko Takahashi’s series that follows Inuyasha’s conclusion, Kyokai no RINNE. Just as Inuyasha mentions that he can do nothing to help Kagome deal with an angry ghost, Rinne Rokudo is a Shinigami who’s job finds him attempting to send restless spirits to the afterlife. Aiding him in his work is Sakura Mamiya, a human girl who can see spirits, much like Kagome in this storyline.
Episode 13: 新月の謎 黒髪の犬夜叉
Shingetsu no Nazo: Kurokami no Inuyasha (The Mystery of the New Moon and the Black-Haired Inuyasha)
Hojo, Kagome's friend from school decides to ask her out and Kagome accepts. Afterwards, Kagome meets up with Inuyasha, Myoga and Shippo to find the next Shikon shard. As they are sailing along a river, they see a girl falling from a cliff. Inuyasha manages to catch her, and she tells them her story. Her name is Nazuna and her village has been attacked by spider demons. The group offers to help, but Nazuna flatly refuses them. They take her home and meet the old monk who has become her surrogate father. The monk asks them to spend the night and they accept, much to Inuyasha's dissapointment. As night falls Inuyasha begins to get fidgety and goes off by himself. Just then he notices that the spider demon's have them completely surrounded and has the monk captured. Shippo, Myoga, Kagome, Inuyasha and Nazuna manage to escape when Kagome notices that Inuyasha's hair is black and his ears are gone. Myoga tells her Inuyasha's secret. When the new moon comes every month, Inuyasha loses all his demonic powers and reverts completely to a normal human being. Kagome realizes she's left the Shikon shards back in the temple so Shippo and Inuyasha return to get the shards and try to save the monk. Once they arrive, they see that the monk is actually the spider demon. Kagome and Nazuna arrive and get the injured Inuyasha into a safe room to spend the night. Kagome and Inuyasha share a few romantic moments before the demon attacks and devours the Shikon shards. Inuyasha is about to be finished off as the sun rises and he reverts back to his true self. He quickly kills the spider and everyone is surprised to see that the Shikon shards fused together inside the demon to create a large half-completed jewel.
In Japan, there is a tradition that the students themselves clean their schools. For just 15 minutes at the end of the day, students use brooms, vaccuums, and cloths to clean the classrooms, bathrooms, and other school spaces.
A new Moon is essentially the opposite of a full Moon. During a full Moon, we see the side of the Moon that is being illuminated by the Sun, giving the Moon its bright, glowing appearance. During a new Moon, however, we see the side of the Moon that is not being illuminated by the Sun, which makes the Moon blend in with the dark night sky. When the Moon is “new,” it’s located between
the Earth and the Sun. In other words, the Moon is in line with the Sun, and the Sun and Earth are on opposite sides of the Moon. The new Moon marks the beginning of a lunar cycle. This means that there’s a new Moon about once a month, because the Moon takes about a month (29.5 days) to orbit Earth.
The wooden objects that Inuyasha uses to fight the spider head demons are grave markers called "itatoba" (板塔婆) or occasionally "sotoba" (卒塔婆). We talk about this and other funerary aspects of Japanese culture shown in Takahashi's work in this video.
Episode 14: 盗まれた桔梗の霊骨
Nuzumareta Kikyou no Reikotsu (Kikyo's Stolen Ashes)
An old woman named Urasue attacks Kaede's village and steals Kikyo's bones. Inuyasha is dreaming about Kikyo and notices the old woman escape. Kaede tells him what happened, but he is reluctant to do anything about it because of his hatred for Kikyo. They finally decide to get Kikyo's bones back, and Kagome begins to wonder about Inuyasha's relationship toward Kikyo. She soon learns that he was in fact in love with her, but that they couldn't be together because of her role as a priestess and the fact that he's a demon. They enter Urasue's cave and learn that she has created a new body for Kikyo, and is planning on using her to gather Shikon shards. As they are attacked by her guards, Urasue learns that Kikyo no longer has a soul that can be brought back from the afterlife and is very upset by this. She soon notices the resemblance between Kikyo and Kagome and manages to abduct Kagome for use in her plot to ressurrect Kikyo.
Urasue debuts in this chapter. One of the kanji in her name is "pottery" a reference to the way that she reanimates the dead.
The small shrine that contained Kikyo's ashes is called a "hokora" (祠). Technically hokora are associated with Shintoism, however in modern Japan they often have markings more connected with Buddhism. Ashes are not typically placed inside a hokora, though it is unclear if the jar of Kikyo's ashes were meant to be inside the hokora or buried in the earth beneath it.
Urasue describes herself as a "kijyo" (鬼女). This can be translated as an "ogress", "witch", or "demoness".
The box Urasue carries with her on her back is a "kyu" (笈). Sometimes this is also known as an "oi". These boxes are typically used by pilgrims to carry scrolls, books and other needed items. Natsuno in Rumiko Takahashi's later series MAO also carries a kyu on her back.
When Kaede's village is shown, traditionally large fields of rice paddy's are visible. During the shogunate period rice was grown in every mura (村,/village), in open wet fields called ta (田) though almost all the rice harvested went towards paying the village tax burden. For themselves villagers grew beans along the edges of the raised paths between their ‘ta’ fields. They also grew fruit in their small fenced orchards, vegetables in their fenced gardens and other crops were grown in hatake (畑/dry fields), often these dry fields were fenced. In their gardens villagers grew vegetables according to the region and season, fruit such as oranges, grapes, and cherries as well as plant materials like mulberry, tea and bamboo were grown in their orchards. Village gardens and orchards were fenced by ‘Mura Mokusei no Kade’ (village wooden walls). The dry crop fields were fenced with ‘Mokusei no Kade’ (wooden walls). In these dry fields wheat and millet were grown for their food, cotton and hemp were grown for weaving to make their common folk clothing; as any silk harvested by the villages was only worn by samurai families and the richest of chonin (町人/ownsman).
Episode 15: 悲運の巫女 桔梗復活
Hiun no Miko, Kikyou Fukkatsu (Return of the Tragic Priestess, Kikyo)
After defeating the clay warriors that Urasue pitted against them, Kaede realizes what her plot is and why she's taken Kikyo's bones along with Kagome. Meanwhile, Urasue has placed Kagome in a cauldron of herbs that will pull her soul out and allow the new body of Kikyo to absorb it and be ressurected. Inuyasha and Shippo arrive in time to see Kagome's soul leave her body. They hear Kikyo tell them not to speak her name, but Inuyasha is so shocked, that he inadvertently does. This causes Kikyo to awaken. Urasue tells her to kill everyone, but Kikyo quickly decides to kill Urasue and demands to know why Inuyasha killed her. He has no idea what she's talking about, as it was Naraku disguised as Inuyasha that fatally wounder Kikyo. Kikyo begins attacking Inuyasha while Shippo pulls Kagome out of the cauldron. Kaede tells Shippo that Kagome will never reawaken until Kikyo has had her vengeance against Inuyasha. Just then, Kikyo wounds Inuyasha and Kagome begins to reawaken, parts of of sould leave Kikyo, but strangely as she fully recovers Kikyo is still alive. The barely living Urasue explains that Kikyo is only alive because her hate for Inuyasha is so great. Kikyo leaves and Inuyasha follows her. He saves her from jumping off a cliff and tries to get her to give the last of Kagome's soul back. Kikyo instead loosens herself from his grasp and falls, dissapearing into the fog below.
Masashi Ikeda mentions this as being one of the most difficult episodes he worked on.
Urasue mentions eating Kagome, which indicates that aspects of her character could be based on the legend of yamauba (山姥). Yamauba means an old woman who lives in the mountains, an appellation indicating a creature living on the periphery of society. Medieval Japanese literature equates the yamauba to a female oni (ogre/demon), sometimes devouring human beings who unwittingly cross her path.
Kikyo is shown at a waterfall pouring water over herself. This is a Shinto purification ritual (祓/harae). Kikyo is specifically practicing misogi, in which a participant stands under a cold waterfall while chanting a liturgy. Misogi (禊) is said to be done on the 11th day of the month, including the winter months at the Tsubaki Grand Shrine.[7] As both are related they are collectively referred to as Misogiharae (禊祓).
“I died hating you.” – In Japanese traditional beliefs and literature, onryō (怨霊/vengeful spirit) are a type of ghost believed to be capable of causing harm in the world of the living, injuring or killing enemies, or even causing natural disasters to exact vengeance to "redress" the wrongs it received while alive, then taking their spirits from their dying bodies. Onryō are often depicted as wronged women, who are traumatized by what happened during life and exact revenge in death. The onryō is a staple of the J-Horror genre, most notable being Sadako Yamamura and Kayako Saeki from the Ring and Ju-On franchises, respectively. The characters in these works are almost exclusively women who were wronged in life and returned as onryō to wreak havoc on the living and obtain revenge.
Episode 16: 右手に風穴 不良法師 弥勒
Migi Te ni Kazaana Furyou Houshi MirokuTatari Mokke to Chiisaina Akuryou (Mystical Hand of the Amorous Monk, Miroku)
The episode opens with the group remembering the events of the previous episode. Then we see a monk trying to decide which path to follow. Upon hearing that some women are down one path, the monk, Miroku, decides to investigate. Unfortunately for him, they wind up being rather large, but he then heads off to exorcise a demon from a Buddha statue and rob the family blind in the process. Later, Miroku spies on Kagome as she bathes and realizes that the group has some of the Shikon shards. The next morning Miroku along with his Tanuki partner confront the group and he and Inuyasha square off. Kagome saves Inuyasha from the void in Miroku's hand. After some flirting on Miroku's part it is revealed that Naraku is the one responsible for the void in Miroku's hand and he decides to join up with our party and fight Naraku together.
This episode is one of the highest audience viewership rating of the entire series. For more information please see our article "Inuyasha Top 10 Highest Rated Episodes".
This episode also marks the first use of the Kazaana (風穴/Wind Tunnel).
The ringed staff that Miroku carries is a "shakujou" (錫杖) or in the original Sanskrit a "khakkhara". The rings are intended to make sounds to chase away small insects and animals that might get beneath the feet of the monk and accidently be hurt or killed.
The weasel demon disguises itself as a Buddha statue.
The monkeys in hotsprings with Miroku are not an unusual sight in Japan. Jigokudani Monkey Park is the most famous area for tourists to see bathing monkies.
Miroku takes a Shikon shard from the weasel demon, and ends up giving it to Kagome when he joins the group, upping the total shard count to ten.
“I serve Buddha.” – To learn more about Buddhist monks please see our note here.
Episode 17: 地獄絵師の汚れた墨
Jigoku Eshi no Kegareta Sumi (The Cursed Ink of the Hell-Painter)
Inuyasha and the others come across a battlefield, but he does not smell any blood, only ink. Upon further investigation they discover an artist who is able to make his drawings of demons come to life and attack people. The artist manages to escape, but soon a local lord becomes involved as he seeks the power of the artist's Shikon shard. While trying to save the lord Inuyasha manages to cut the inkwell of the artist in half destroying the monsters. The artist is killed by his own creations as well and another shard is gained.
Japanese paintings are made with ink rather than tempera or oil paints that were being used in Europe at the time. Ink (墨/sumi) can be made from octopus ink, but most commonly it is charcoal ash that is formed into an ink stick (松煙/shoen) using sap. This stick is then ground into a small trough of water (墨池/bokuchi) to reactivate the ink.
“Bull Head and Horse Head demons! I’ve only seen them in paintings!” – Miroku comments about seeing the demons that Kotatsu summons in paintings. The Ushi-Oni (牛鬼/Ox Oni), or gyūki, is a yōkai from the folklore of western Japan. The folklore describes more than one kind of ushi-oni, but the depiction of a bovine-headed monster occurs in most. Ushi-oni generally appear on beaches and attack people who walk there. Additionally, Gozu and Mezu are cow-headed and horse-headed guardians of the gates of hell, and appear in Japanese iconography dating back to before the Sengoku era.
Kotatsu’s paintings of hell are based on The Jigoku-zoshi ("Handscrolls of Buddhist Hell") is a late 12th-century Japanese scroll (絵巻物/emakimono), depicting the eight great hells and the 16 lesser hells in text and painting.
Kotatsu is played by Issei Futamata. Futamata has appeared in all of Takahashi’s previous television anime adaptations, first as Chibi in Urusei Yatsura, then starring as Yusaku Godai in Maison Ikkoku, and finally portraying Hikaru Gosunkugi in Ranma 1/2.
Miroku is in possession of three Shikon shards in this episode and Kotatsu has one, upping Kagome’s total to 14.
Episode 18: 手を組んだ奈落と殺生丸
Te o Kunda Naraku to Sesshomaru (Naraku and Sesshomaru Join Forces)
Sesshomaru returns with an oni's arm replacing the one he lost in his first battle with Inuyasha. Naraku arrives and offers Sesshomaru a new arm- a human arm that will allow him to hold the Tessiaga and a Shikon shard to increase his power. Sesshomaru manages to get the Tessiaga from Inuyasha after tracking the group down and shows his expertise by slaying hundreds of mountain demons in one blow. He uses the Saimyosho bees that Naraku gave him to keep Miroku from using his void and then he and Inuyasha begin to square off. Luckily Kagome steps in with an impressive save and takes aim for Sesshomaru's head.
This is the first non-flashback appearance of Naraku and the
Saimyosho.
The paper talismen or charms that Miroku uses are ofuda (お札), which are generally Buddhist or Shinto in origin. Ofuda were introduced to Japan via onmyodo before eventually becoming appropriated by Buddhism and Shintoism.
An old man gives Miroku dango as thanks for purifying the estate the group spends the night at. Dango (団子) is a Japanese dumpling made from rice flour mixed with uruchi rice flour and glutinous rice flour. It is different from the method of making mochi, which is made after steaming glutinous rice. Dango is usually finished round shaped, three to five dango are often served on a skewer (skewered dango pieces called kushi-dango (串団子)).
Sesshomaru uses the Kaze no Kizu (風の傷/Wind Scar) in this episode, demonstrating the technique for the first time.
Why does Naraku wear the pelt of an ape? It all has to do with an old Japanese idiom: "kenen no naka" (犬猿の仲/the relationship between dogs and monkeys). In Japan the idea is that monkies and dogs don't get along, just like the English phrase about cats and dogs being mortal enemies.
Episode 19: 帰れ、かごめ! お前の時代に
Kaere, Kagome! Omae no Jidai ni (Go Home to Your Own Time, Kagome!)
Kagome fires the arrow, but misses Sesshomaru. Inuyasha steps in to protect her while she tries to treat Miroku who was poisoned by the bees. Miroku learns from Jaken that it was Naraku who gave Sesshomaru these new tricks. Inuyasha manages to get the sword (and Sesshomaru's human hand) back but is severely wounded in the process. Without a human hand or the sword, Sesshomaru decides to retreat. The Saimyosho follow Sesshomaru trying to get the Shikon shard back for their master, and as the remnants of the arm begin to act up, Sesshomaru quickly discards it. A gravely wounded Inuyasha escorts Kagome back to the well to send her home, hugs her, takes her Shikon shards and then tosses her down the well. With the well blocked on Inuyasha's end Kagome is stuck in the present.
This episode is one of the highest audience viewership rating of the entire series. For more information please see our article "Inuyasha Top 10 Highest Rated Episodes".
Though never specifically mentioned, this episode hints that Kagome’s ability to travel through time is somehow linked to possession of the Shikon Jewel or its shards, however this is not the case. Immediately after Kagome is sent through the well, in the next episode we see that Inuyasha has stuffed an entire tree down inside it to block it, which is what prevents her return.
Episode 20: あさましき野盗 鬼蜘蛛の謎
Asamashiki Yatou, Onigumo no Nazo (Despicable Villain! The Mystery of Onigumo)
Kagome returns to her normal routine of going to school and being a typical 21st century teenager while in the past Inuyasha is learning the origin of the evil Naraku. Kaede tells the group of a theif who was severely burned all over his body and was unable to walk. Kikyo cared for him in a small cave where he lived. Onigumo lusted for Kikyo. Kaede takes Miroku and Inuyasha to visit the cave where Onigumo once lived and explains how he allowed powerful demons to eat him which combined their power with his and created Naraku. Soon Miroku and Inuyasha hear Shippo calling from near the well. He is being attacked by Royakan, a wolf demon. During the fight, Inuyasha reopens his wounds from his battle with Sesshomaru. In the present three days have passed and Kagome is still trying unsuccessfully to get back through the well. Royakan attacks again with even more power thanks to a second Shikon shard Naraku has placed on his head. Naraku releases the Saimyosho to prevent Miroku from opening his void and Inuyasha is too weak to fight back.
Onigumo and Royakan debuts in this chapter. The kanji in Royakan's name is "wolf", "plains" and "recede".
This episode is one of the highest audience viewership rating of the entire series. For more information please see our article "Inuyasha Top 10 Highest Rated Episodes".
Kagome is shown wearing short-shorts and a white shirt as she is excercising at school. Known as buruma (ブルマ), also burumā (ブルマー), bloomers were introduced in Japan as women's clothing for physical education in 1903. After the 1964 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, in response to the styles worn by the foreign women athletes, a newer style of bloomers, pittari, which fit the body closer, similar to volleyball uniforms, became commonplace. Around the mid-1990s, however, schools and individuals began to choose sports shorts instead, citing modesty concerns. Some people are interested in bloomers in clothing fetish context.
Episode 21: 奈落の真実に迫る桔梗の魂
Naraku no Shinjitsu ni Semaru (Naraku's True Identity Unveiled)
In the present Kagome decides to go on a date with Hojo, her classmate. She stops by the well one last time before leaving. In the past things are getting rough as Shippo runs away from Royakan's wolves and manages to squeeze past the tree and down to the bottom of the well. Kagome senses the shard on the other side, but sees nothing so she decides to leave for her date. Hojo thinks she's sick so she ends the date early and heads back to the well. After some digging she manages to make it through. While this is happening Naraku reveals that he is the one behind the fight that caused Inuyasha and Kikyo to hate each other 50 years ago. Inuyasha manages enough strength to drive Naraku away and Kagome helps remove the Shikon shards from Royakan's head.
This episode was originally part of the hour long Spring Special.
There are scenes that are trimmed from the Spring Special in order to make the show cleanly fit into two thirty-minute time slots for later broadcast. The scenes in question are near the beginning of episode 21. When Kagome argues with Sota as he plays video games, in the final version, she grumbles at Sota and then the scene cuts to Hojo asking Kagome out, before cutting back to the "Game Over" screen of Sota's game as Kagome walks to the shrine. In the Spring Special, Kagome argues with Sota, walks off, Sota gets the game over, then asks Kagome to show him how to play the game, since she uses a sword in the past and his fighting game character is using a sword. She remarks that she uses a bow and arrow, and puts down Inuyasha, as they are having a fight. Sota teases her when she reveals Inuyasha hugged her and runs to tell their mother and continue his teasing as Kagome leaves the house, headed for the shrine, she continues to think that she's old enough to hug guys if she wants to, then remembers Hojo asking her out, her friends asking her if she's interested in someone else, remembers Inuyasha taking the Shikon Jewel from her and sending her back to her own time as she then enters the shrine. The deleted scenes comparison can be seen here.
Based on the controller he is using, Sota is obviously playing a Playstation, with the game appearing to be a parody of the early, popular 3D fighting game Battle Arena Toshinden (闘神伝).
Even though the logo isn’t shown, the restaurant that Hojo and Kagome go on their date to is likely Rumiko Takahashi’s staple McDonald’s parody, WacDonalds.
The song playing in the restaurant is an instrumental version of My Will that was unreleased on any soundtrack album.
When Onigumo becomes Naraku we see him use his body as something of a kodoku (蠱毒), the poison jar or pit where creatures fight one another in order to transform into a strong demonic creature (or an intensely powerful poison). This was later repeated during the Mount Hakurei chapters as Naraku tried to enhance himself. It is also frequently referenced in Rumiko Takahashi's MAO.
Kagome notes that Naraku already has more than 20 shards of the Shikon Jewel at this point.
Fukai Mori makes its debut as the second ending theme with this episode.
Episode 22: 悪しき微笑 さまよう桔梗の魂
Ashiki bisho samayo Kikyo no tamashī (A Wicked Smile; Kikyo's Wandering Soul)
The group are spending the night in a small village guarding a diseased girl's soul from soul stealing demons that have been seen in the area. In another small town it appears that Kikyo has survived her fall and is trying to start a new life. One of the local priests, Seikai, senses something is different about her and attempts to use a ward on her. Nothing happens to Kikyo but she gives the preist a jolt for his trouble. Kikyo has developed a friendship with a young girl in the town by the name of Sayo. Sayo has noticed that Kikyo seems troubled by something, and that night follows her down to the river. She watches as Seikai and his assistant attempt to exorcise Kikyo who proves too powerful for the priests. After seeing this Sayo runs away and Kikyo realizes that she will be unable to return to the village. The next morning Inuyasha and the others see Seikai's assistant floating unconscious in the river. After saving him he tells them about a a preistess that resembles Kagome and they learn that Kikyo is the one responsible for the soul stealing demons that they had come across. Inuyasha is very upset about the news and goes off on his own, and soon Kagome finds herself seperated from Miroku and Shippo and face to face with Kikyo.
This episode was originally part of the hour long Spring Special.
There are scenes that are trimmed from the Spring Special in order to make the show cleanly fit into two thirty-minute time slots for later broadcast. The deleted scene is near the beginning of episode 22, after the battle where Inuyasha pursues Naraku, Miroku remarks that the spider-shaped scar will be Naraku's sign. Kagome then turns to see Inuyasha sitting on a tree branch. In the Spring Special after Miroku makes this comment, Royakan collapses and Kagome removes the Shikon Shard from his head. At which point he goes back to normal and runs away with Shippo commenting that he did not show much gratitude, Kagome then turns to see Inuyasha in the tree. The deleted scenes comparison can be seen here.
Seikai, his junior monk, and the little girl that Kikyo befriends, Sayo all make their first appearances in this chapter.
Seikai's name means "blue sea" while Sayo's means "evening".
The scroll that Seikai tosses at Kikyo to test and see if she can touch it is simply called a 経文 (kyomon) which translates as "scriptural Buddhist text". There is no indication of which particular text this is.
Kikyo's shinidamachu soul collectors appear for the first time in this chapter. The kanji in their name translates as "dead soul insects".
The junior monk describes Seikai as his 師匠 (shisho). His "master/teacher".
Both Seikai and his junior monk are shown wearing Takuhatsugasa (托鉢笠), a Buddhist mendicant's kasa (笠/hat). A woven rice-straw kasa worn by mendicant Buddhist monks, the takuhatsugasa is made overlarge and in a bowl or mushroom shape. Unlike an Asian conical hat, it does not come to a point, nor does it ride high on the head like a samurai's traveling hat, instead covering the upper half to two-thirds of the face, masking the identity of the monk and allowing him to travel undistracted on his journey.
Why is the princess’ dead body kept inside? Well this is a funeral rite known as tsuya (通夜), lit. "passing the night". A vigil is usually held overnight as loved one’s stay near a deceased body until it is time for the funeral ceremony itself. For more on Japanese funeral traditions, please see our video.
Episode 23: かごめの声と桔梗の口づけ
Kagome no Koe to Kikyo no Kuchizuke (Kagome's Voice & Kikyo's Kiss)
Inuyasha searches the riverbank for any signs of Kikyo and finds her ribbon. Kagome is magically bound by Kikyo and tries her best to tell her how Naraku was the one that actually killed her and not Inuyasha. Kikyo no longer cares and just wishes to be reunited with Inuyasha in death rather than life. She says she can not overcome the deep hatred she has harbored for him. Soon Inuyasha arrives and confronts Kikyo. He tells her how much he still cares for her and how often the thinks of her, but Kikyo no longer cares. She explains that she needs the souls of the dead to stay "alive". Inuyasha is unable to see Kagome thanks to Kikyo's spell, and he speaks about his feelings from the heart. Kikyo takes him in her arms and Kagome watches as the begin to sink into hell. Kagome manages to free herself from Kikyo's spell and awakens Inuyasha who then escapes from Kikyo's grasp. Kagome then begins to pull the souls that Kikyo had taken back out of her which causes Kikyo to flee. Now out of danger, Kagome tells Inuyasha that she wants to be alone for awhile. Kikyo it seems has travelled back to see her sister Kaede and learn about Naraku. Kagome heads back home through the well and becomes furious when she overhears Inuyasha say he wishes he could have them both.
Rumiko Takahashi has said that Kikyo is one of the characters she cares most about in the series, and stated of her early appearances around this time, “Kikyo always seemed to have plans of her own, and she was the sort of person that brought tension to any situation. She only appeared in moments of tension, or maybe it was that she never showed weakness, so there were no moments of comedy with her. This was especially true at the beginning of the story when she was constantly angry.”
In Japanese folklore, hitodama (人魂/human soul) are balls of fire that mainly float in the middle of the night. They are said to be souls of the dead that have separated from their bodies, which is where their name comes from.
Episode 24: 妖怪退治屋 珊瑚登場!
Yokai Taijiya: Sango Toujou! (Enter Sango, the Demon Slayer)
Inuyasha, Miroku and Shippo are sitting around a fire discussing the Shikon Jewel. Miroku explains that no good has ever come of it, and that if Inuyasha uses the jewel to become a full-blooded demon, he will probably slay his companions. Inuyasha seems a bit concerned about this. In the Exterminator Village a young girl named Sango prepares her brother Kohaku for his first demon extermination that night. The two siblings and their father travel to the castle where they will be working. Upon arriving the lord expresses his doubts about the abilities of Sango and Kohaku, but their father reassures the lord they are the best in the business. After fighting a large spider demon, Kohaku seems to lose control and begins killing his fellow exterminators, his father, and then stabbing his sister in the back. Sango realizes that the lord of the manor is in fact the demon controlling her little brother, and tries to kill him, but the manor guards kill Kohaku with a volley of arrows and then shoot Sango as well. Out of nowhere the young master of the manor emerges and kills the demon posing as the lord of the manor. He orders that the exterminators be buried in the garden. Inuyasha and the others notice a large swarm of demons flying through the air and decide they should follow them to see what is going on. When they finally catch up to them, they see that the Exterminator Village has been completely destroyed and that everyone there has been killed. Back at the young lord's manor he is shocked to see that Sango is still barely alive and has treated her wounds as best he could. As she recovers she overhears the young master being told of the village's destruction by Naraku. Sango is obviously upset and Naraku tells her that Inuyasha is the one that destroyed her home. Meanwhile at the Exterminator Village the group help to bury the dead, and Kirara, a giant cat creature arrives with Myoga who informs them of what took place.
Sango makes her first appearance in this episode. Her name (珊瑚) means "coral" and all of the characters connected with the demon slayers have mineral/material-based names.
Kagewaki Hitomi (人見蔭刀) debuts in this episode along with his lordly father. An archaic use of the word "hitomi" is "the feeling of being watched" while Kagewaki means "shadow sword".
This story is moved earlier in the anime than its placement in the manga, where it follows the battle with Tokajin.
Sango's boomerang, Hiraikotsu (飛来骨), means "flying bone".
Sango and her family are typically called 退治屋 (taijiya). This word is "extermination seller", but it is typically translated as "demon exterminator" or "demon slayer".
Sango’s father places the Shikon shard on an altar known as a kamidana. Kamidana (神棚/god-shelf') are miniature household altars provided to enshrine a Shinto kami. They are most commonly found in Japan, the home of kami worship. The kamidana is typically placed high on a wall and contains a wide variety of items related to Shinto-style ceremonies, the most prominent of which is the shintai, an object meant to house a chosen kami, thus giving it a physical form to allow worship. Kamidana shintai are most commonly small circular mirrors, though they can also be magatama jewels, or some other object with largely symbolic value.
Sango retrieves a single shard of the Shikon jewel from a centipede demon and takes it back to her village. When demons destroy the Slayer’s Village it is shown they possessed a total of five shards, which Naraku obtains.
Rumiko Takahashi states in an interview that it was Miroku's helping to bury the demon exterminator's remains that she first decided that they could potentially become a couple.
Episode 25: 奈落の謀略をうち破れ!
Naraku no Bouryaku o Uchi Yabure (Naraku's Insidious Plot)
Inuyasha and the others investigate the Shikon Cave near the Exterminator's Village. Myoga tells them this is where the exterminators used to dump the corpses of the demons they slayed, and that the Shikon Jewel was created in this cave. Sango is traveling back to her village with Naraku, but she is still too severely injured to make the trip. Naraku puts a Shikon shard in her back to give her more strength and help he make the trek. Upon arrive she immediately attacks Inuyasha, and when Miroku steps in to help, the Saimyosho enter to ensure he can not help by using his void. Where the Saimyosho are Naraku usually is, and Miroku manages to spot him and chop his hand off. This Naraku proves only to be a copy of the real thing, and the decapitated hand snatches Kagome's shards and vanishes in a puff of smoke. Seeing this, Sango becomes suspicious and sends Kirara to track the fleeing Naraku while she fights Inuyasha. Sango eventually passes out because of loosing too much blood from her previous injuries, and the group manage to catch back up to Miroku who had pursued the fake Naraku. Once Miroku is out of danger Sango learns what truly happened and the fake Naraku is killed and the Shikon shards he had stolen are retrieved. Back at the young lord's manor it is revealed that he is actually Naraku.
After destroying Naraku's golem duplicate Miroku finds a wooden doll with a hair wrapped around it. The wooden doll is a Juso no Hitogata (呪詛の人形), literally a "curse doll" or a "kugutsu" (傀儡/puppet). These dolls originated during the Heian period and likely made originated in China. This is similar to a "wara ningyo" (藁人形). Frequently these dolls have a strand of hair stuffed inside.
Episode 26: ついに明かされた四魂の秘密
Tsui ni Akasareta Shikon no Himitsu (The Secret of the Sacred Jewel Revealed!)
Sango pays her respect to her fallen exterminators and then escorts the others to the Shikon Cave to tell them the origins of the Shikon Jewel. She shows them the crystallized corpse of a priestess named Midoriko who, hundreds of years ago, was sent to purify the souls of the growing number of demons. The demons proved to be too strong, and Midoriko had to sacrifice herself to capture the demons souls. Her soul, along with those of the demons created the Shikon Jewel. Sango goes on to tell of how her fellow exterminators found the jewel inside a demon they slew and gave it to a priestess, Kikyo, to purify it. Later that night Myoga and Kirara return to the cave alone with the Shikon shards they have. Suddenly they are attacked by some of the undead spirits of the demons and Inuyasha and the others arrive just in time to help save them. They all return to the village, except for Kirara who stays and remembers serving Midoriko centuries ago.
The origins of the Shikon Jewel are revealed in this episode, more information can be found here.
Magatsuhi is first mentioned, a name that will prove very important much later in the series.
Inuyasha and Myoga’s bickering holds special significance, as their voice actors, Kappei Yamaguchi and Kenichi Ogata played the constantly arguing father and son
Ranma and
Genma Saotome in Rumiko Takahashi’s previous series, Ranma 1/2.
