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ayuuria · 2 years

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Yashahime Translation: Animage Magazine May 2022 Issue

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Strongest as Three!

Combining their powers, Towa, Setsuna, and Moroha overcame their battle that crossed between the Feudal Era and Reiwa Era. What they obtained after their fierce battle was a time of rest with their family and the strongest bond!

The end game of the battle between the Yashahimes and Kirinmaru took an unexpected direction. In order to write history anew, Kirin Osamu, Kirinmaru’s right arm that lived in the Reiwa Era, had the giant “Grim Butterfly” take in Rion and enter the feudal world, plunging it into chaos. To defeat Kirin and rescue Rion, the three princesses infiltrated the Grim Butterfly with Riku. They cut Rion’s complex threads of “fate” which have been mixed with love and hate towards her father. Then, with Towa giving Rion a push of encouragement by risking her life, Rion gains the courage to fight. Having gained independence from her father’s protection, she was able to reconcile with Kirinmaru. Father and daughter return to the sword of Amatsu-Mikaboshi and ascend to heaven.

Thus, the Yashahimes’ long battle finally came to an end. Moroha exchanged smiles with her parents, Inuyasha and Kagome, and Towa and Setsuna finally hugged Rin. Then, there was also Sesshōmaru who watched with a quiet gaze—.

Towa, Setsuna, and Moroha’s journey, called life, will continue from here on for a long time. There’s no doubt that the three Yashahimes, who have become connected with the strongest bond, will cut open a bright future by combining their strength!

Character Bios

Higurashi Towa Though she once lost her life, she was revived with the kon and haku of the parent-child pair of Kirinmaru (and Rion) as they ascended to heaven. She chooses to live in the Feudal Era that Setsuna and her mother, Rin, live in.

Setsuna She can see the threads of fate that connect people and cut them. By cutting the thread of fate between Kirinmaru and Rion, she lends them her strength to undo the ill feelings between the two of them.

Moroha She helps Setsuna in the final battle by severing Rion’s threads of fate with the bow and arrow that she received from her mother, Kagome. With the help of her father, Inuyasha, the last of her debt is paid off!!

Sesshōmaru Though he overwhelmed Kirinmaru with extraordinary strength, he did not strike the final blow for the sake of his daughters. After the string of battles ended, he gifted high quality fabric to the girls.

Rin She attains the long wished for embrace with her daughters, saying “I have waited for this day.” Using the fabrics that Sesshōmaru gifted, she tailors the girls’ kimonos.

Inuyasha While socially awkward, he shows a fatherly figure by helping Moroha pay off her debt. When Moroha holds his hand, his face turns completely red in bashfulness.

Kagome When she learns that Moroha is shouldering debt, she immediately decides to pay it off. As if to make up for the time they spent apart, as a mother, she tries to be of strength to her daughter.

Takechiyo Though he previously had a cowardice side, he gradually matured through traveling with Moroha and the others. In the decisive final battle, he assisted in stopping the Grim Butterfly alongside Inuyasha and the others.

Hisui Having an unrequited love for Setsuna, he decides to go through special training with Kohaku to become a man worthy of her. He has the favor of Princess Aiya of the Kantō Deputy Shogun family of Ōgigayatsu Hiiragi.

Kirinmaru With Sesshōmaru’s words, he comes to realize he’s been caught up over that which he’s lost. Having Setsuna cut his thread of fate with Rion, he ascended to heaven with his daughter.

Rion Though she always wished to take down Kirinmaru, she actually loved her father. With Towa’s aid, she was able to overcome her trauma with the half-demon, Sakasa, and reconcile with her father.

Kirin Osamu He planned to write a new history by having the Grim Butterfly take in Rion and wipe out demons from the world. However, he was defeated by Towa and Riku in the end.

Riku Having been severely wounded in the battle with Kirin, he tells Towa “I love you” and perishes but revives later on. Calling himself “Kai”, he appears before Towa once again.

Their Last Work as Sunrise Director Hishida Masakazu

A Story Built on the Exchanging of Various Opinions

— Thank you for your hard work in the running of Hanyō no Yashahime, The Second Chapter! Having finished production, what are your thoughts?

Hishida: I must say, it was very hard. While listening to the opinions of each area involved and having arguments, how to bring this story together was A LOT of trial and error. The broadcasting period for cour 2 was merely half a year. However, I’ve been participating in this work since around the summer of the year before last and while I cried like a baby like “It’s not finishing no matter how much I work”, I somehow managed to get through it (laughs).

— In episode 48 (the final episode) “A Future That Goes on For Eternity”, the parents and children who were long separated were finally able to spend a peaceful time together. With Riku, who we thought had perished, reviving, it was a (grand) finale.

Hishida: If that’s how you feel, then it was worth the hardship. It’s just that, there were a lot of ideas for the final episode. Actually, in terms of Riku, there was an idea to leave him extinguished as is.

— What, really?!

Hishida: I think this is where tastes differentiate. Even amongst the staff, there was quite a split in opinion. I was on the extinguish Riku side by the way. To elaborate, I was on the side of having Riku perish, lose his memories, and then come back to life as a completely different person, Kai. As for Towa, she currently doesn’t recognize it as love but 10, 20 years down the road, having her think like “That may have been my first love……” would’ve been heartrending but beautiful, I think.

— And a different flavor…...

Hishida: On the other hand, Sunrise’s literature producer, Takahashi (Tetsuko)-san and others were on the revive Riku side. Various opinions came up, but in the end, (the original creator of Inuyasha, Takahashi) Rumiko-sensei said “Towa would be pitiable” so it shaped into Riku being revived.

— In other words, when Riku revived and called himself “Kai”, that was a remnant of Director Hishida’s idea?

Hishida: Oh, about that, there was a plan a further while back for two more characters that were exactly like Riku to appear. Kai and one more who was named “Kuu”, so the three of them would be like Land, Sea, and Sky.

— Hence the saying early on of “Pirate come ashore”.

Hishida: However, there were all sorts of difficulties in introducing two new characters, so we decided on just Kai. Then after that, Kai also vanished and at the very end, it was decided that (Riku) would be revived after all.

— By the way, what sort of mechanism allowed Riku to revive?

Hishida: After perishing in the battle with Kirin-sensei, Riku turned back into a horn and Towa placed that into her breast pocket. Then, when Towa revived receiving kon and haku from Kirinmaru and Rion, the horn in her pocket also received kon and haku. After some time, (Riku) revived; that’s the mechanism.

— A coincidental result so to speak.

Hishida: Regarding that as well, there was an idea to not use the kon and haku element anymore in the final stage. However, there were repeated exchanges of ‘this element was especially brought out so wouldn’t it be best to use it until the end’ and as a result, it came out like this. That’s how much the staff exchanged heated discussions on whether to use an element and tempered things out. Putting all that together was the really hard part.

You Won’t Mature Unless You Toil Yourself

— While producing the climax, what sort of things were you conscious of Director Hishida?

Hishida: Having been passed the baton at The Second Chapter, I felt that my role was to figure out how to make the Yashahimes grow within cour 2. In any case, the number one thing on my mind as I worked was how will the girls, including Towa, Setsuna, Moroha, and Rion, move forward? To start with, if it’s just defeating a powerful enemy, then having Sesshōmaru and Inuyasha is fine. Afterall, put those two together and they can defeat anyone. Then what exactly can three girls do? When I thought about it, I felt “How can they save Rion who has the same position as a daughter” was the only thing. As a result of probing into that, the final battled turned out the way it did instead of a Kirinmaru vs Yashahimes composition.

— I really thought the plot would pan out so that…… the three princesses would combine their strength to defeat Kirinmaru while getting assistance from Sesshōmaru. Hence, the final battle of the three princesses helping Rion to overcome her trauma of the half-demon, Sakasa, was a little unexpected.

Hishida: Children grow up arbitrarily, even if their parents don’t look after them. If anything, if a parent anticipates and helps them with everything, they end up like Kirinmaru and Rion instead. It’s not like “not enough to live but not enough to die”, but I think fundamentally, leaving (a child) alone and only giving them a lifeboat when needed is important in child rearing. Children won’t mature if they themselves don’t toil after all. That is also the hidden theme* of this work.

(translator’s note: Hidden theme is basically what the creator themself thinks the story is about. There’s the apparent/surface theme for the general public and then there’s the hidden theme for the creator.)

— In the final episode, Rin spoke of this message (on your behalf). Rion herself rejected her father, but in a way, there was a part of her that still depended on him.

Hishida: That is what I think. I think there was an aspect of even though she’s the child of a greater demon, she herself didn’t fight and instead, left it completely to her father. Despite possessing the Star Slicer Flute (= Zanseiken) as a sword of protection from the start, Rion probably never used it when she was alive; not even once. For that reason, when Sakasa seized her, she was killed while at her wit’s end. If that’s the case, when she does use it, I thought that would become a step forward in her growth. Hence why climactic battle had that kind of composition. Although, there was actually quite a bit of controversy on that development. Among the staff opinions, there was one that voiced “I don’t get the meaning of Rion fighting”. However, that’s when I said “No, I do!” and conveyed my view. This is where I’m glad my view came through (strained laugh).

— In the January issue interview, Director Hishida, you mentioned “Having done anime geared towards elementary school girls for the past 10 years, the answer I came up with was ‘I think battles between girls cannot be resolved with brute strength’” and it certainly felt like “a non-brute force method of resolution”.

Hishida: Yes, I think I crammed in everything I gained from working on anime geared towards elementary school girls. To start with, in the beginning, there was an idea to have the last battle be a “battle with the Spirit of the Tree of Ages”. I mean, the ultimate mastermind behind this story was the Spirit of the Tree of Ages.

— That is true.

Hishida: The one who instigated Sesshōmaru was the Spirit of the Tree of Ages and in the end, Inuyasha’s family got separated because Sesshōmaru didn’t go against what the Spirit of the Tree of Ages said. I feel a little bad that Inuyasha’s family got caught up in all this and not just Sesshōmaru’s family. However, we just couldn’t have the Spirit of the Tree of Ages brought down (strained laugh).

— There really was a variety of opinions exchanges while working on this.

Hishida: There were heated arguments with fellow staff members at times too (laughs). Including Rumiko-sensei and Shōgakukan, there’s no mistake that we discussed unreservedly to make this. We repeatedly had conversations that were quite secretive regarding the plot for the final decisive battle, starting from around episode 43 “The Blackout Stage”. The final episode became one that was especially packed with Rumiko-sensei’s feelings.

— In the final episode, there was also a scene where Rin made kimonos for the girls using fabric that Sesshōmaru delivered. Seeing them wearing the clothes they wore in the ED (ending theme) was a happy surprise.

Hishida: It’s an homage to Inuyasha, The Final Act. There was originally this idea that “I want to make plain clothes for the three princess and have them wear it at some point”, and so then it became “then let’s have them wear it in the ED first”.

— Moroha in the ED wore a priestess outfit, but does she not wear a priestess outfit?

Hishida: I’m sure she’ll wear priestess attire when she’s helping Kagome with priestess work. Hishinuma (Yoshihito)-san (animation character design and chief animation director) strongly wished that since “Towa and Setsuna are going to wear new clothes. I want Moroha to wear (new clothes) too!”. Moroha is cute so she looks good in anything.

If People Can Feel Something from the Various Family Dynamics

— Was there a scene within the end game that particularly left an impression on you?

Hishida: Mmmm, I want to say all of it but…… if we’re going to praise one as strong, I’d have to say it’s the scene I mentioned earlier about Rion fighting, I think. I mean, we did push aside all sorts of opposition to do it and it was message to the kids watching too. Encouraged by Towa’s figure of fighting with the Zanseiken, I think the part where Rion wields the sword herself is a scene that’s packed with one of the themes for The Second Chapter which is “stop hiding behind your parent’s back, take a step forward, and fight.”

— Then which character was the most memorable? As an average viewer, (I thought) Kirin Osamu’s strong character was very entertaining.

Hishida: I’m glad. I was also fixated on Kirin-sensei. He was a more ordinary character in the beginning, but Rumiko-sensei pointed out that “Kirin-sensei’s character is a little weak” and after all sorts of trial and error, he became the strong character (that you see). Although, the person in charge of producing the storyboard for episode 44, “The Time of The Grim Comet’s Crash”, did go overboard so it did leave a taste like Kirin Osamu alone was from a different work (laughs); however, it was entertaining, so it was fine.

— His eyes that periodically peaked out from his glasses were just like Kirinmaru’s which was also interesting.

Hishida: He really only showed his eyes during critical moments. There aren’t any bottle bottom glasses in the Feudal Era, so we were able to use that idea because he was a character in the Modern Era.

— By the way, why was Kirin-sensei naked when he came out of the well when Riku was born clothed?

Hishida: When Riku was created, Zero and Rion were in the vicinity, so perhaps Kirinmaru was mindful of the women in his process, maybe? Kirin-sensei was…… inspired by The Terminator (laughs). Truthfully, I was just thinking a silhouette, so when I was saw the footage, I was surprised like “The view is unexpectedly clear?!”. I think everyone (as in the audience) was surprised too but I was surprised as well (laughs).

— Around how many years prior to the story of Hanyō no Yashahime was Kirin-sensei born?

Hishida: It was during a time when the Bone Eater’s Well was open, so probably around the time of Inuyasha, when Kagome was going between the feudal and modern era. Starting from that naked state, he first got clothes somewhere, travelled around the world somehow, and then became a teacher. Although he was unable to become a history teacher and became an English teacher instead, I think he can speak the language of the places he’s visited. Chinese, Arabic, and French.

— Was it just by chance that Kirin-sensei worked at the school Towa transferred to?

Hishida: It was by chance. Although I think the Spirit of the Tree of Ages had something to do with that too. I bet (the Spirit) manipulated something so that the “fellow foreign bodies in the era” could meet. In my mind, this entire incident is connected to the Spirit of the Tree of Ages. Afterall, this incident had already started way before the start of the story, Hanyō no Yashahime.

— Well then, were there any characters that you felt were difficult to move?

Hishida: Noo, there was nothing but difficult characters (laughs). It really was a constant struggle. But I have to say, I felt that the Inuyasha characters were difficult to move. I once again felt that calling back characters from a completed work is truly an arduous task.

— It was worth the hardship as I think the characters moved very vividly. There were all sorts of family dynamics depicted like Sesshōmaru’s family, Inuyasha’s family, and Kirinmaru’s family.

Hishida: In addition to Sesshōmaru’s and Inuyasha’s daughters being the protagonists for Hanyō no Yashahime this time, this work was created during a time where those who watched Inuyasha as a kid now have families of their own and watch anime with their kids. Since there was that circumstance, we depicted “a parent and child story”, including the relationship between Rion and Kirinmaru. Right around the time we were making this, the term “*parent lottery” became popular, so I thought if I could convey something to those watching through this work…... That being said, even though the family environments of Sesshōmaru’s family and Inuyasha’s family are completely different, all three princesses were separated from their parents at a young age. However, everyone turned out decent. Reversely, with Kirinmaru’s family, father and daughter were always close together but things didn’t go well. I felt that if people could feel something from the various dynamics, I’d be happy.

(translator’s note: The idea that one cannot choose who their parents are and/or one’s prospects and circumstances in life is determined by their parents.)

— One more important thing was the relationship between the Higurashi family and Towa. This was a contrast to Kirinmaru’s family (parent and child).

Hishida: Yes, Towa and the people of the Higurashi family aren’t blood related, but I think Towa was able to become such a good kid thanks to Sōta, Mama Moe, and Mei-chan. The thing is, when Towa was in the Modern Era, the issue regarding Setsuna was big, so her heart was closed off to her surroundings in some respect. However, after that issue was resolved, that which she had closed off opened, and I think she became a gentle kid. In episode 43 when she returned to the Modern Era, she greeted her classmates. At that moment, I felt “Towa’s matured!”. Earlier, I spoke about how I felt my role was “to figure out how the Yashahimes will grow” and truthfully, I worried about how I would make them grow at first. But before I knew it, they had matured, so I thought “Oh thank goodness”.

— By the way, was there an idea to have Towa return to the Modern Era at the end?

Hishida: There certainly was. Would she stay in the Feudal Era or return to the Modern Era? The thing is, we discussed this at a pretty early stage. You see, I was on the “return to the modern era side” for this too (laughs). I thought the pattern of resolving the various issues in the Feudal Era and then having the final decisive battle in the Modern Era was the right path. However, (series composition writer) Sumisawa (Katsuyuki)-san said “I want the end to go back to the Feudal Era after all” so things turned out in accordance with that. From there, we thought about “then how can we progress the story so that it sticks well” and that’s how things turned out like this pretty much.

The Possibilities of the Three Princesses’ Future Is Endless

— Earlier, you talked about Towa’s growth, but please tell us about Setsuna and Moroha’s as well.

Hishida: Moroha was hotheaded, short tempered, and in a way, a fool. However, she’s become aware that Towa and Setsuna are her comrades and properly worries about them. In the final episode when the three of them are together, there’s a scene where she’s moved to tears when she’s told “we’re comrades”. Even when you see that, I think you get this feeling of going from she’s still childish to she’s become a little bit of an adult. For Setsuna, perhaps because she strongly inherited Sesshōmaru’s blood, she was unsociable and completely unaffectionate in the beginning; however, she gradually became affectionate over time. Seeing that figure of her, I felt that she became a proper grown up.

— In that sense, the direction of Towa and Setsuna’s growth is perhaps similar.

Hishida: You’re right. I get the feeling that the traits Setsuna got from Rin especially came out. It’s just that the three princesses becoming adults makes me a little lonely. Moroha being Moroha, I want her to stay a hotheaded fool forever and I also have this feeling of wanting Setsuna to stay aloof and not see her affectionate figure (laughs). Even so, within this story, it’s because the girls went through various hardships and battled a lot that they became adults.

— Your mental state is completely that of a parent who feels both happy and lonely over their child’s growth as they watch over them (laughs). In the final episode, Towa, Setsuna, and Moroha, go on a demon slaying journey with Riku and Takechiyo. When they return from their journey, will they then live with their parents as a family?

Hishida: Who knows. They might return or they may just go on a new journey from there or perhaps they might even get caught up in another incident. I think the possibilities are already endless. I think it would be good if everyone can have fun coming up with all sorts of wild ideas. Me personally, I think even if Towa and the others go back to Rin after finishing their journey, Sesshōmaru will likely be off somewhere again and won’t quite come back. He’ll appear in a flash if Rin and the girls are in imminent danger but once the issue is resolved, he’ll probably leave again (laughs).

— Then, what do you think will happen with Towa and Riku going forward?

Hishida: That too, who knows what’ll happen. The guy who said “I love you” towards Towa came back to life, so you never know what’ll happen (laughs).

— Come to think of it, the “I only kill those I love” ideology that Riku always spoke of; was that second-hand knowledge from Zero?

Hishida: Yes, that it is. While he may have a “kill those you love” mentality, I get the feeling that Riku still didn’t quite know what love was after all. I mean, normally, there’s no way you can kill a person you love. If you’re able to easily kill (that person), then you don’t love them. In episode 42, “The Collapsing Windmill of Time”, even though Rion had a chance to kill Kirinmaru, she couldn’t. There is the fact that Kirinmaru purposely showed an opening too but in the end, it was proof that “you can’t kill those you love”. Riku also saw that. When he teamed up with Towa in episode 47, “Father and Daughter”, it’s possible that it really did look like he was going to kill her. However, the fact that he couldn’t kill her there goes to show what I mean.

— The conclusion also made us curious about Setsuna and Hisui’s relationship going forward.

Hishida: Yes. Although, I think it’s better if a love during one’s youth doesn’t come to fruition, so regarding this too, I’m personally on the side of not wanting them to become intimate. Setsuna and Towa are Sesshōmaru’s daughters so instead of a human and horn, I want them to date greater demons of Sesshōmaru’s rank! ..…. I sound completely like an unpleasant father who meddles in his daughter’s love life (laughs). I’m a warped person like that but it was through Rumiko-sensei and Shōgakukan’s intentions that the relationship settled into something warm and fuzzy. I would be happy if everyone could imagine a variety of ideas about the future from here on.

— Are there any flags for Moroha?

Hishida: I think Moroha is just getting started. She was always alone but she finally reunited with her parents, so she’s gotten to a point where she’s come to recognize what family is. I think right now she enjoys squawking with her father. That slightly awkward feeling Moroha has when she’s with her parents is great. I’m sure everyone was looking forward this kind of figure of Inuyasha and the others for a long time. It was quite a long wait, but it feels like we finally made it to this point.

— Thank you very much. Now then, lastly, a message for our readers please.

Hishida: Even if broadcasting has ended, the fact that you’re reading this article makes me happy. I have a feeling that in a past interview, I said “if I could make this a work that families can enjoy”, but if through this work, you were able to get a feel of what a parent and child bond is and what it means to mature and become an adult, then I am happy.

And oddly enough, Hanyō no Yashahime became the last work under (the) Sunrise (name). At the end of March, the curtains will fall on Sunrise Studio #1 which created the Heisei (Era) TV anime, Inuyasha. It will then open anew as Bandai Namco Film Works Studio #1 starting April. Inheriting the world of a work that started over 20 years ago, I feel honored that we were able to adorn a single turning point in history. Once again, thank you for watching Hanyō no Yashahime to the very end.

Love and Hate That Are Two Sides of the Same Coin

Rion opposed her father, Kirinmaru, who bound her. However, it was the result of various emotions becoming jumbled up such as her longing for her strong and kind father and feeling anxious for her father who continued to fight without considering the dangers. She comes up with a plan to defeat Kirinmaru who’s trying to plunge the feudal world into a degenerate age for her sake, but she couldn’t kill her father after all……

A Humanlike Greater Demon

Being told by Kirin that “Rion’s wish is for Sesshōmaru to be brought down”, Kirinmaru challenges Sesshōmaru to battle. However, Sesshōmaru throws the following words at Kirinmaru “It’s as if you’re human”. Kirinmaru overlaps Rin, who’s watching over Sesshōmaru’s battle, with the former Rion and realizes he’s been averting his eyes from his daughter’s death. Shaking off his doubt, he battles Sesshōmaru on pure demonic instinct and is defeated.

Strong Like Father!

In a final struggle, Kirin, who was defeated by Towa, shows an illusion of Sakasa, the half-demon who took Rion’s life. At her wit’s end, Rion ran away in circles at first, but encouraged by Towa’s figure supporting her with the Zanseiken, she receives the courage to face Sakasa. Strongly wielding a sword, Rion firmly takes a step forward from being the girl who was only protected by her father.

Parent’s Gift to their Child

Each of the parents gives their daughters a present after their battle is over. To Towa and Setsuna are kimonos that Rin tailored using fabric that Sesshōmaru acquired. Both of their new outfits closely resemble Sesshōmaru’s kimono. Inuyasha and Kagome help Moroha pay off her debt. Showing a bashful face, Moroha’s expression as she tries to close the gap between her father little by little, is adorable.

The Parental Love of a Greater Demon

Because of Sesshōmaru, Towa and Setsuna were separated from their parents at a young age and had a harsh early childhood. At first glance, it looks like a cool-headed act, but it seems to be parental love as his half-demon daughters will gain the strength to survive in the feudal world by purposely putting them in a harsh environment. Despite Towa and Setsuna being surprised by his form of affection that’s too hard to understand, their understanding of their father deepened slightly.

The Three’s Journey Still Continues!

The mysterious young man who showed up at the corpse shop, Kai. His true identity: Riku, who miraculously revived from Rion and Kirinmaru’s kon and haku. Towa, Setsuna, and Moroha decide to set out on a demon slaying journey to the Land of Iyo because of Riku’s request. Moroha, who tells Inuyasha and Kagome that she’s going on the expedition, strongly and proudly says “We’re strongest as three!”. It seems the Yashahimes’ adventure is nowhere near over yet.

Hanyō no Yashahime Timeline

This story was already in motion long before Towa, Setsuna, and Moroha met. Exactly where did the various threads of fate intertwine? Let’s organize a timeline and review.

※ The start of the story is the basis for the time periods

#Yashahime #Hanyou no Yashahime #Yashahime: Princess Half-Demon #translation

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