Chapter
40: 四十ノ章 夢の浮橋 Yonjuu no sho Yume no ukihashi (Journey 40 - The Floating Bridge of Dreams)
Towa and Setsuna are jarred by the crowds and business of modern Tokyo. Staring at the sprawl from the top of Tokyo Tower, the girls comment how all of this seems like living in a fairytale. With no progress being made on finding Riku, Towa explains that Sota is taking time off work to scour the internet in hopes of finding comments that may lead them to Riku or the Grim Comet. At home, Sota finds an online news article about an unusual comet that is making a close approach to earth after hundreds of years. Suddenly the root head demon bursts through the door. When the girls arrive home, they find the apartment in disarray and the demon threatening to kill Sota, Moe and Mei. The demon holds out a phone and the voice that comes through is that of Riku, revealing that he arrived to the present years earlier and has been living as Towa's homeroom teacher, Osamu Kirin. He tells Towa to come meet him face-to-face while he continues to have the root head demon hold her family hostage and insists that Setsuna and Moroha stay behind as well. Trapped, Sota wishes that Kagome and Inuyasha were there to help. In the past Kagome awakes with a start sensing something is amiss. She finds Inuyasha outside sitting on the roof of their house saying that he too senses something. Kagome and Inuyasha follow Rin into the forest where they find her meeting with the spirit of the Tree of Ages. Inuyasha is stunned that the spirit resembles Kikyo. The spirit gives Rin a small toy pinwheel, the Weathervane of Time. The spirit explains that she stole it from Lord Akuru, but as she has broken the laws of time to try and help Towa, Setsuna and Moroha she is destroyed as punishment. As she dies, the Tree of Ages thinks that she was happy to live in the guise of Kikyo and do what she too would have done. Rin thinks about how the Tree of Ages gave strength to Sesshomaru during the thousand years he was trapped in the time loop, and she wishes she could give him the same support and strength that he has always given her. Rin realizes she can help by asking Kagome to use the Weathervane of Time, because Sesshomaru would be too prideful to ask Kagome for help. Back in the present, Towa arrives at school to confront Osamu Kirin, or rather, Riku. Removing his glasses, Riku tells Towa that he prefers to be called Kirinmaru instead, and that he wants the demonic aura she learned to absorb during her time in the past. Kirinmaru summons root head from the ground, revealing that the creature will possess Towa to make her use her powers to support Riku/Kirinmaru. It seems the present day has very little demonic energy to draw from, and in peparation for this Kirinmaru buried parts of the Grim Comet as a catalyst. However centuries of war and natural disasters destroyed much of it, and so Towa is needed to replace the power lost over the centuries. In the past, Kagome has tied the pinwheel given to her by Rin to her arrow and fires it, telling Inuyasha that she knows it will be able to travel through time to help Towa, Setsuna and Moroha against their attackers.
Published In:
Shonen Sunday Super 2025 Vol. 2
Yashahime Vol. 10
Publication Date: December 25, 2024
Pages: 42 (black and white)
Anime Adaptation: None
Notes:
We see a billboard featuring Shampoo as a cat as Towa and Setsuna wander around Tokyo.
After visiting Tokyo Tower, the girls go to WacDonald's, the restaurant chain that made a number of appearances in Inuyasha and Kyokai no RINNE.
"Drat this country's firearm and sword law." - Moroha is not carrying her sword in the modern age due to the illegality of it. Moroha refers to it in hiragana "じゅ-と-ほ-" (Juutouhou) rather than kanji "銃刀法". She refers to the internet in the same fashion (ねっと rather than ネット). The law Moroha is referring to "The Firearms and Swords Possession Control Law" (銃砲刀剣類所持等取締法/じゅうほうとうけんるいしょじとうとりしまりほう/Juuhou toukenrui syojitou torimarihou) was passed on March 10, 1958.
"As the Hyakunin Isshu puts it, 'A morning in disarray leaves one deep in thought.'" - Osamu Kirin is referring to the Hyakunin Isshu (百人一首) is a collection of poems by one hundred poets.
Kikyo-oneesama made a special appearance in Yashahime: Princess Half-Demon as The Tree of Ages, but this will probably be her last appearance. Unlike actors, characters don't have a set schedule, so they can be called upon whenever they want. So even if their role in the story is over, they may appear in flashbacks, for example, but when I'm drawing the manga, there are times when I get the feeling "Ah, this girl won't be appearing anymore."
Basically, the characters in this manga are those who have come from Rumic World to my workshop temporarily. But even so, they still exist inside me while I'm drawing. They suddenly disappeared after this scene, so I think they must have returned to Rumiko Takahashi-sensei's place. When I'm writing, in my head, it's like a scene in a movie or the set of a drama: "Kikyo-san, we're done. Thank you for your hard work! Clap, clap, clap, clap."
By the way, Satsuki Yukino, who plays Kagome, mentioned a funny episode in an interview when she talked about the time of recording Inuyasha. I won't go into the details here, but I touched on it a little in this chapter (laughs). It's a fun episode about the characters inside that is well known to fans of Inuyasha and Ranma 1/2... well, only those who know will laugh.
It was a lot of fun drawing the half-demon princesses wandering around modern-day Tokyo. I wanted to describe their time there more, but considering the overall balance, it's a bit disappointing that I couldn't devote any more pages to it. The hamburger restaurant where the princesses took a break is the same chain that Kagome sometimes visited in Inuyasha. However, it's a different branch because it's a scene where she says, "After touring the city center, I won't be hungry until I get home, so I'll have a quick meal."
The "Flying Root Head" that appeared at the beginning of the anime is introduced here along with the "Root Neck". The setting is that Kirinmaru buried these two types of yokai in a safe place along with the materials in preparation for starting the windmill in the future. Well, you see, if you dry them out, they can be stored in a dormant state for a long time (laughs).
The root head that attacked the apartment is assumed to have invaded the water system. That means that even if they get rid of it, repairs will be necessary, which will cause problems for the residents there. The scene where the princesses say goodbye to the Higurashi family should be set at a shrine, so it would be natural for Sota's family, who can no longer live in the apartment, to live with the Higurashi family for a while.
Rin-chan was asked a favor by Sesshomaru after their conversation in "Embrace" and before she went to Towa's place. In fact, that's the only time it could happen. Rereading it, it seems like the conversation was cut short, but that's not necessarily the case, so let's just go with that.
Rumiko Takahashi-sensei was pleased with the setting of "Riku changed his appearance and was next to Towa before she met him [in the past]." It would have been better if we had included hints at this earlier in the story, but honestly, I didn't have time to do that when I was writing the first chapter, so it was unavoidable. However, while it does incorporate a flavor of time-based sci-fi romance similar to The Girl Who Leapt Through Time (時をかける少女/Toki o kakeru shojo) and Somewhere in Time (ある日どこかで/Aru hi dokoka de), the structure towards the end is quite simple, so it looks like it can be wrapped up in 10 volumes.
It's difficult to presume what Shiina is referencing in regards to an event related by Satsuki Yukino that was alluded to in this chapter and would be known to Inuyasha and Ranma 1/2 fans. Perhaps it could be their interview where Kappei Yamaguchi (Inuyasha and Ranma) repeatedly called Kagome (Satsuki Yukino) "Akane" during the early days of recording. Akane is portrayed by Noriko Hidaka (Kikyo).
Table of Contents
A: Rin-chan was asked to do this immediately after the conversation at the beginning of chapter 31.
Chapter
41: 四十一ノ章 伝心 Yonjuuichi no sho Denshin (Journey 41 - Telepathy)
Root head attacks Towa, trying to force her to begin absorbing demonic energy to power the Windmill of Time. Riku tells Towa that Kirinmaru will remake the world where everyone can be happy, Inuyasha and Sesshomaru's father will have lived, Rin and Sesshomaru could still meet, fall in love and raise the girls together as proper parents. He tells her that she could even meet Riku and fall in love. As Towa begins to surrender, suddenly energy appears in the sky and Kagome's arrow from the past crosses time and explodes into Sota' apartment building, killing the root head there and freeing Setsuna and Moroha to go and help Towa. Sota drives off with Moroha and Setsuna in search of Towa, and he thinks back to when Inuyasha came to the present to help save Kagome and brought Sota along on the adventure. The spiritual energy from Kagome's arrow allows Towa to free herself and kill the root head trying to control her. She refuses to accept a false, unearned happiness in the world Riku is promising her, knowing it would mean she never would know Sota, Moe and Mei. In the past Rion is freed from her collar and tries to help an injured Jaken as Sesshomaru continues to battle with Kirinmaru. Towa tells Riku that she resists because she hates what he has become prompting him to laugh and tell her that he will kill her and simply wait another 500 years until the 26th century when the Grim Comet will pass this way again, but then he will have gathered enough demonic energy without depending on Towa. Moroha gets Stoa out of the way after he brings Towa her sword. Together Towa and Setsuna battle against Riku who uses all of Kirinmaru's powers against them. Setsuna's naginata is shattered during the battle. Realizing they should not try to match Riku's enhanced Kirinmaru powers, they use Yukari no Tachikiri to cut Riku's thread of fate using Tenseiken. With Riku's true, honorable soul freed from this Kirinmaru controlled puppet, Riku returns to normal. Towa and Riku's reunion is cut short as Moroha warns them of the approaching Grim Comet.
Published In:
Shonen Sunday Super 2025 Vol. 3
Yashahime Vol. 10
Publication Date: January 24, 2024
Pages: 47 (black and white)
Anime Adaptation: None
Notes:
Sota's flashback to his childhood with Inuyasha is when they went to help save Kagome from the Mask of Flesh in chapter 26.
The item around Rion's neck is translated as a "cangue" which is a Chinese implement (known in Chinese as a 枷/jia) used for public humiliations. In the Japanese text it is called a "kubikase" (首枷) which is more often translated into English as a "pillory".
"...what the folks in your time call 'salty ay eff'." - In the original Japanese, Moroha makes much the same comment using modern Japanese slang. There she uses the modern term "gekioko" (げきおこ) which is short for "Gekiokopunpunmaru" (激おこぷんぷん丸). This is a "gyaru" phrase to mean "very angry".
The drama is nearing the end. The task of reconstructing the anime and putting it into a simple manga format is even more difficult when you also have to calculate the number of remaining chapters.
Amidst all of this, I was able to complete my personal theme, "the feelings of those left behind," and I am quite satisfied with the end result. In the comicalization, Sota is the hidden protagonist, and he is my alter ego. I was so excited when I came up with the idea of setting the road where Moroha and Setsuna go to save Towa next to the apartment complex where they went to save Kagome in Inuyasha. Although he was unable to enter the world of Sengoku Otogi Zoushi, he was able to resolve something that was unfulfilled by playing the role of someone he admired. I think Sota has personally experienced the common story line of "he lives on inside you." Well, Inuyasha-senpai is alive and well in the Sengoku period, though.
The insanity or incompleteness of Kirin-sensei in the anime version was a variation on the creepiness of the mental structure of the monsters in Sengoku Otogi Zoushi. It's a bit of a shame that they omitted that, but I think the arrangement of making him the same person as Riku was an idea to neatly summarise Riku's theme in a short page count. It was good up until the point where the modern era and the Sengoku period were synchronized, but Kirinmaru and Sesshomaru have been in a matchmaking state for months (laughs), so I want to bring it to a conclusion soon.
In the part where Towa turns down Kirin-sensei's temptation, right up until the last minute I thought she would just say "I can't throw it away because of the time I spent with the Higurashi family is important to me". However, while I was writing, I received a signal from Towa and Lord Sesshomaru saying "I have a suggestion for this scene". After discussing it, they said "It's because I don't like you!" (laughs). It certainly sounds more like them that way. I've introduced examples of this kind of ad-lib several times before, and receiving suggestions from characters is the best part of writing manga. When you create a scenario in your head, you tend to just put it together with logical consistency, but if you treat the characters as real colleagues and creative partners, they will bring in these kinds of leaps that go beyond logic. I've been very grateful to Mikami and the [Zettai Karen] Children, but I never imagined I'd be able to have such a relationship with Sesshomaru from Rumiko Takahashi-sensei's family. Also, "Kohaku picking up Lord Jaken" was actually an ad-lib from Kohaku, and I was secretly grinning while drawing it. I felt Kohaku's maturity after Inuyasha and thought, "He's grown up."
It was a fun job, and the three years went by in a flash. I'm very sad to say goodbye to the characters and the world of the work in just a few more chapters. I feel the pressure to end it nicely, though. I'm also worried about what I'll do with my next project after this is over.
There's still quite a bit to do until the conclusion, when the battle with the Grim Comet will be resolved, the battle between Kirinmaru and Sesshomaru will be resolved, and Towa and the others will return to the Sengoku period, so please stay with us...there's still quite a bit to do.
Table of Contents
A: The entire production staff has been wiped out by the flu.
Chapter
42: 四十二ノ章 結集 Yonjuuni no sho Kesshuu (Journey 42 - Assembly)
Speeding away in his car, Towa takes a call from Moe as they flee from the rampaging Grim Comet as it rains debris down onto Tokyo. Setsuna warns Riku not to keep at Towa as she changes clothes in the back seat while shards of the comet crash down around them. Mei remade Towa's uniform for her, though Towa teases that white is a difficult color to keep clean. As the Touto Dome is hit by the Grim Comet firing down on them, the girls realize that they need to stop fleeing as it is only spreading destruction. Setsuna say that with the Tenseiken and the Yukari no Tachikiri they can reach the distant comet and attack it. They drive to Tokyo Tower, a high enough point to wage an attack against the Grim Comet. Riku has done his best to repair Setsuna's blade using knowledge he retained from his Osamu Kirin persona. Parting with Sota, everyone heads to the tower. Riku explains that the one-eyed comet they see in the sky is just a manifestation, the actual body of the comet, its core, is following the orbit of the moon. They realize that severing the demonic spirit that is connected to the core of the comet is the key to defeating it, even though the core is 400,000 kilometers away. Towa is able to slice all the way into orbit, but her power, even combined with Moroha, Riku and Setsuna is not enough to cut the huge cord that binds the Grim Comet. Setsuna realizes they can rely on the power of other demons. She realizes that perhaps if they can sever threads they can also make them. She prays to connect with the past and the small pinwheel begins to spin as the Grim Comet appears through portals to the past. Inuyasha, Kagome and Rin see it, as do Miroku, Sango, Kin'u and Gyokuto. The comet then appears above Kirinmaru and Sesshomaru's battle. Even Sesshomaru's mother, Koga and Shiori see the comet. Kohaku marshalls Kirara, Hisui, Jaken, Takechiyo and Rion to help as well as Sesshomaru smirks at what the girls have managed to accomplish.
Published In:
Shonen Sunday Super 2025 Vol. 4
Yashahime Vol. 10
Publication Date: February 25, 2024
Pages: 31 (black and white)
Anime Adaptation: None
Notes:
As debris from the comet rains down it strikes Ikkoku-kan, the apartment from Maison Ikkoku.
"Did the strap of your "brah" snap?" - Moroha says "brassiere" in hiragana (ぶらじゃ) rather than katakana (ブラジャー) since it is an unfamiliar word to her.
The Touto Dome is obviously the Tokyo Dome. It is currently holding a concert for "Six Mews" which is a reference to SixTONES and NEWS, both groups having done theme songs for the Yashahime anime.
"An 'Eye-Dol' event?" - Just as she did with "bra", Moroha says "idol" in hiragana as "あいどる" rather than in katakana "アイドル".
The final battle takes place in a certain tower, in keeping with the anime. In the anime, there is a wide scaffolding on the upper floor, and the princesses are stationed there. After looking into it, I found that there is no structure like that in reality. Please understand that "the building in the story is fictional, with the scaffolding on top of the digital terrestrial broadcasting antenna."
Although the storyline in which the dome stadium in Tokyo was cut, I found a spot where the dome can be seen from the Shuto Expressway when I checked Google Maps, so I briefly depicted it there. By the way, Moroha's line "It's not peaceful" is a little joke that references the voice actor and Sunrise's work. Also, Ikkoku-kan makes a cameo appearance (?) in the confusion, and the actual location is said to be an image of Higashi-Nagasaki, where Rumiko Takahashi-sensei lived at the time, so it would be strange for it to appear when the attack is heading towards the city center from Nerima. However, I couldn't help but include it even though I was worried that Takahashi-sensei might get angry at me, which is my complicated fanboy mentality.
If the Earth is the size of a soccer ball, the Moon is about the size of a tennis ball, with an orbital radius of about 7 meters. It's surprisingly far away. But on a cosmic scale, another small celestial body passing that distance is a near miss. If they get that close over a period of several hundred years, it seems like a collision would be inevitable over a span of hundreds of millions of years, but I guess that's what's made it work with the divine powers of Amaterasu. I interpreted the fact that it "appears above Japan" as being made possible by some spiritual mechanism, and that's why the setting for the Grim Comet is like that. I connected that to the logic that "cutting off the connection will make it work somehow."
Towa-chan needs to wear her original suit in the final battle, so she changed in the car. And then I realized that if I went with the flow of the manga, I could draw "Riku fighting in a suit" (laughs).
Although it's a bit forced, preparations are complete for the all-star cast to gather at the climax. It looks like we'll be able to land the story in a way that's close to the anime. However, in the comicalization, Sango-sama is set to be 3-4 months pregnant, so even though her belly isn't that noticeable, I can't let her go on a rampage. So, I thought of a projectile to replace the "Black Hiraikotsu", but the idea I'm currently working on is a literal projectile, or rather, it's a bit of a foul play, so I'm not sure if it's okay until I actually draw it. So, whether I use it or not, I'll tell you the details next time.
Oh, that's right, last time it was Inuyasha sleeping in the futon next to Kagome. I drew it thinking that they were a married couple, so of course they were sleeping with their pillows side by side, but later my family said to me, "No, this also looks like a depiction of Rin-chan being there," and I was like, "Ah" (laughs). It was a rare opportunity to casually depict daily life after Inuyasha, but what a jerk I was.
Table of Contents
A: Why do I keep buying more plastic models even though I only put them together occasionally?
Chapter
43: 四十三ノ章 超越 Yonjuusan no sho Chouetsu (Journey 43 - Transcendence)
In the present the girls ask for their friends to lend their strength to the cause of battling against the Grim Comet. In the past Koga attacks, followed by Sesshomaru's mother and Shiori. Mahiruma and Oharu offer their help as well as Hisui, Kirara and Kohaku all join the attack. Akuru trie to explain that the comet is attacking from both the past and future simultaneously, but is shocked when he realizes he has lost his Pinwheel of Time. At the demon slayer village, Miroku leads the attack and Sango quickly comes to join him. Miroku is worried about Sango's participation due to her pregnancy, but she unveals her secret weapon- a cannon made from the remains of Ginkotsu of the Band of Seven. Kin'u and Gyokuto join the assault as the village fires bows, arrows, rifles and cannons at the Grim Comet. The comet cannot understand how everyone is able to attack it from the present and past simultaneously, but suddenly the goddess Amaterasu appears and explains that only those who can transcend all barriers are able to as Kagome and Inuyasha leap into battle. As Shippo watches on, Kaede and Rin join the battle wielding bows and a rifle. With the comet injured Towa, Setsuna and Moroha attack and sever the thread holding the Grim Comet together, destroying it in the past and present simultaneously. However in the past Kirinmaru screams as Sesshomaru and Rion look on.
Published In:
Shonen Sunday Super 2025 Vol. 5
Yashahime Vol. 10
Publication Date: March 25, 2024
Pages: 31 (black and white)
Anime Adaptation: None
Notes:
Mahiruma (Mayonaka) and Oharu return, having debuted back in chapter 18.
Shiina explained that Ginkotsu was a character he particularly liked during Inuyasha on his Twitter account. He explained that the character reminded him of someone from Kamen no Ninja Akakage (仮面の忍者・赤影) He humorously added that he felt that he was the only one that could replace Sango's black Hiraikotsu. Further he stated, "I remember that when firing, Sango said "Rampage!" and it made me sad. No, it was a joke in the character song. Those who know will know." This is a reference to the character song "Abarero!!" by Bankotsu and Jakotsu.
So, I decided that the weapon that Sango used to replace the "Black Hiraikotsu" from the anime version would be Ginkotsu-senpai. To be precise, it's just the shell of Ginkotsu.
I had been thinking about whether I could touch on the Band of Seven at least briefly somewhere. But if I did, their characters would have stood out too much and it would have ruined the flow of the story of Yashahime, so this appearance was the limit for me, sorry. I don't think the fans were expecting Ginkotsu (laughs), but I thought it would be a good cameo appearance for a demon exterminator, touching on the past of that world where there was a battle with them, in a setting that seemed plausible.
Actually, a few chapters ago, when Towa and the others were chasing Riku back to the present, I had the idea that they would get lost in a space-time rift and go to the past, briefly breaking into the world of Inuyasha (that would allow for various past characters, including the Band of Seven, to appear, or even have them interact with their parents from the past and play at Back to the Future. At the end, Kanna would guide them with her mirror and they would return to the future), and so on. I was excited for a moment as the fan-made dreams unfolded. But this comicalization is based on the anime Yashahime: Princess Half-Demon, and my mission is to reconstruct it compactly as a manga. It's been quite a while since the anime ended, and I thought it would be too much of a hassle to take such an interesting detour instead of heading straight for the conclusion, so I gave up.
I think the plot of overlapping battles from two different eras and locations into one is not a bad shortcut to the story, but when I actually drew it, I realized that the tempo got worse because I had to explain it every time the scene changed, so I had a hard time with the rough drafts. I came up with an approach where the characters are beaten one after another without knowing why, from the perspective of the Grim Comet, and I managed to get it just right. I wanted Rin-chan to play an important role, so I put her sniper shot at the end to manipulate the impression that it was the final blow. In reality, the Ginkotsu Cannon was probably the fatal blow (laughs). I was also happy to be able to draw the coordinated attack of Inuyasha and Kagome, the main characters of the original series.
After all that, Rumiko Takahashi-sensei said, "It was momentous and amusing," and I managed to clear the last challenging part, the climax festival battle event where all the stars appear. The next chapter will be the conclusion of the relationship between Sesshomaru and Kirinmaru.
It looks like the story will be able to continue right up to the final scene, "while the details have been reconstructed to make it something completely different, the framework remains similar to the anime."
Table of Contents
A: Every time I pay the bill at a convenience store I think, "It's more expensive than I thought."
Chapter
44: 四十四ノ章 旅の終わり Yonjuuyon no sho Tabi no owari (Journey 44 - Journey's End)
Clarity falls over Kirinmaru with the Grim Comet destroyed and the Windmill of Time crumbling before him. He turns to Rion, begging he forgiveness that he allowed her death to rob him of his senses so long ago. Rion forgive him and tells him that now that he is back to himself she can pass on to the next world. However, Sesshomaru approaches and punches the kneeling Kirinmaru, knocking him down and telling him that their fight to the death is not over yet. Kirinmaru quickly realizes that Sesshomaru viewed Kirinmaru as his father's equal. If he kills Kirinmaru, then he will know that he has surpassed his own father. Kirinmaru laughs and agrees to face Sesshomaru as equals. Sesshomaru and Kirinmaru prepare to duel on the seashore as the remnant demons of Kirinmaru's army begin to gather to watch. Rion begs Jaken to stop the duel, telling him that Sesshomaru should not risk his life when Kirinmaru has already decided that he will die and depart to the afterlife with his daughter shortly. In a flash of blades, Sesshomaru is bloodid and Kirinmaru's chest is sliced open. Neither of these great demons show an ounce of pain and Kirinmaru tells Sesshomaru that he senses Sesshomaru's father in his blade. He tells him he should dream of bigger things that simply surpassing the great dog demon. Then he takes Rion in his arms and walks away, passing into the next life as Zero's shadow greets them. Sesshomaru stands alone on the beach, realizing there are no more demons he would consider his equal, no more footsteps for him to follow. Sesshomaru wonders what path his daughters will take. In the present day Rion and Zero's ghosts appear at the Higurashi shrine as Rion's spirit quietly looks upon the sleeping half-demon princesses and hopes that they will find their way home.
Published In:
Shonen Sunday Super 2025 Vol. 6
Yashahime Vol. 10
Publication Date: April 25, 2025
Pages: 32 (black and white)
Anime Adaptation: None
Notes:
Four days before the publication of the chapter, Shiina-sensei tweeted, "The rough draft is done. There is still an epilogue, but this is essentially the final chapter."
He also tweeted, "For all Kirinmaru x Sesshomaru fans, we will deliver a conclusion between the two with a different flavor from the anime version. The June issue of Sunday S special edition, which features the 44th chapter of Yashahime: Princess Half-Demon, 'Journey's End,' has been released!"
What did you think of the end of the battle between Kirinmaru and Sesshomaru, which was finally depicted?
The anime focused primarily on the story of the Yashahime, minimizing the fact that it was a sequel to Inuyasha, but the comicalization was reconstructed as a derivative work of an Inuyasha spin-off, with Sesshomaru at the core. While it depicts the growth of the daughters as the main characters, it is actually also a story of Sesshomaru's growth. So the story ended with a one-on-one battle between Sesshomaru and Kirinmaru. I thought that the presentation of "a battle that is decided with one blow, and for a moment it looks like the enemy has won, but in fact the main character has won" was a very cliched element that I've seen countless times since I was a child, but that was the only option here...or rather, I couldn't think of anything better, so I went with the cliched approach.
The relationship between Rion and Kirinmaru was simplified and abbreviated. By simply saying that he had lost his mind and become a villain, a number of pages was saved, but he may have become a little weak as a villain. The power relationship between Kirinmaru and Sesshomaru has been reversed in many ways since the end of the anime, but it adds depth and a different direction, such as "Kirinmaru was also one of the family members that Sesshomaru wanted to save" and "He was someone he admired as a boy and compared him to his late father." It also has more of an appeal as a sequel to the anime original masterpiece "Swords of an Honorable Ruler," so this is good in its own way. Also, I was amused by the very minor detail that "Kirinmaru punches Kirin-sensei" was changed to "Sesshomaru punches Kirinmaru," but maybe it's too minor and doesn't matter (laughs).
My favorite scene this time was not even the duel or the ending, but rather "Jaken talking about his feelings for Sesshomaru." The meeting between the two was depicted in an original episode of the TV anime version of Inuyasha, and the flashback of him receiving the Staff of Two Heads at the waterfall was picked up from there. In the anime, it's depicted a little comically, with Jaken saying things like "He's so handsome!!" but it's so emotional that he says, "I met the angel of slaughter on the battlefield, and fell in love at first sight with his strength and beauty, and I threw everything away and dedicated my life to him." It was a joy for me as a Jaken and Kohaku fan to be able to add Kohaku, who gently stands by the elderly Jaken as he talks about his feelings. It's a small scene, but it's filled with respect for Sumisawa-sensei, who skillfully delved into the world of Rumiko Takahashi-sensei's Sengoku Otogi Zoushi, and my love for the characters. Just like Sesshomaru-sama in the series, I also follow in the footsteps of Takahashi-sensei and Sumisawa-sensei.
Well, with this, all the battles in the story have been settled. Next time, there will be an extra page, epilogue part 1, set in the present day. The storyboard turned out better than I expected, and I received praise from Rumiko Takahashi-sensei and my editor, so please look forward to it.
Table of Contents
A: Gundam plastic models are too expensive for me to afford.
Chapter
45: 四十五ノ章 呼び声 Yonjuugo no sho Yobi goe (Journey 45 - Call)
While waiting in front of the train station, Towa is flirted with by two boys as she awaits Moroha and Setsuna's arrival. When her sister and cousin arrive the boys become frightened of how intense and intimidating the girls seem, and then Riku arrives and bullies them before intimidating the boys into paying for the half-demon princesses' lunches. Over their meal everyone reports on the research they've been conducting in the wake of the Grim Comet's destruction. It seems there was very little damage from the shards of the comet that impacted Tokyo, and the small pieces that crashed to earth hold no demonic energy. With the destruction of the comet, the Windmill of Time was also destroyed and the Root Head demon vanished, seemingly all connections with the past are now gone. Moroha tries to hide her sadness about not being able to return, but Setsuna reminds the others that the personification of the Tree of Ages told them that if they were successful in their mission, all would be reunited where they belong. They mention their dream of Rion as further proof that there is some chance they will see their families in the past again one day. Seasons pass, the girls go to festivals and the beach together, playing music with one another and enjoying the modern era. Soon, six months have passed and the girls realize they may have to enroll in school and accept the fact that it may be years or even decades before they can return to the past. Moroha wears Kagome's old school uniform as Riku proclaims he can use the knowledge he gained from "Mr. Kirin" to help the girls with their studies. Suddenly the girls hear their names whispered and rush to the Bone-Eater's Well which is aglow in energy. They find a laquered box containing letters from Kagome to the girls and to her family along with Akuru's pinwheel. At the well, Towa and Setsuna reach deep inside and are hauled out by Sesshomaru who is awaiting their return with Rin. Inuyasha pushes past to bring a souvenir-laden Moroha out of the well followed by Riku. The girls are overjoyed to return to the past, where they feel like they belong, reunited with their families once more. In the present, Sota asks his mother if this is how she felt when she had to say goodbye to Kagome for the final time before she left for the past.
Published In:
Shonen Sunday Super 2025 Vol. 7
Yashahime Vol. 10
Publication Date: May 23, 2025
Pages: 42 (black and white)
Anime Adaptation: None
Notes:
Towa is waiting in front of the statue of Hachiko, the loyal dog who awaited the return of her deceased master at Shibuya Station in Tokyo. This is a common meet-up spot in Tokyo.
The girls are shown catching the pool demon from Urusei Yatsura.
As this is effectively the final chapter, the story could have ended here without any problems.
By making Riku and Kirin-sensei the same individual, an option arises for Riku and Towa to live in the present day. The reason I had the pool monster from Urusei Yatsura make a cameo appearance in the sea scene is to allow readers to imagine that "while the Yashahime and Riku are in the present day, there will be many lively and fun adventures." Since it's a monster, it doesn't destroy the worldview... I think. I also wanted to draw a school arc, so the title page is an illustration to represent that.
Towa and Setsuna live in Sota's apartment, Moroha and Riku live in the Higurashi household, and Riku seems to have been helping and taking care of grandpa. Although Moe-Mama in the manga world is not a professional musician, I thought "maybe she graduated from music college and is a teacher or something?", so I mixed in some scenes of her playing instruments. I had previously drawn Setsuna's violin on the cover, so I thought it was fine, but I thought the electronic violin was fresh, so I used it. Towa plays the melodica, thinking "Should I play a flute like in the anime? If there's one in this house, it's a flute? But it's hard to play, right?" Playing the violin is difficult, too (laughs), but unlike Towa, who has become a little blunter after coming into contact with modern common sense during her growth, Setsuna has the undiluted cheat protagonist correction power that the inhabitants of the fairy tale world have...or so I interpret it. So she can play it at first sight.
I decided that the route back would be the Bone-Eater's Well. I didn't completely omit the setting of Akuru from the anime version, who opened the way in exchange for his life, but rather split it into the Tree of Ages and the windmill. If you could travel back and forth between time and space so easily, the foundation of the story world would crumble, so I think the contextual structure that something has to be sacrificed for that is correct. So meta-wise, the disappearance of the Tree of Ages is a substitute for Akuru. In addition, I also constructed a logic that "due to the scheme of the Tree of Ages, the only way for Akuru to get the windmill back was to retrieve the Yashahime from the future," and in fact this is written in Kagome's letter to Towa... but I decided to omit it all because I thought it would be better to devote pages to the description of the main characters rather than explaining it. At the very least, you can understand that "they were able to return because of the power of the windmill."
As a result, the scene where Sesshomaru re-enacts the last scene from Inuyasha turned out quite well. Rather than a sci-fi-like manga logic, the time travel is based on the sentimental theme of "If you believe and love with all your heart, the world of fairy tales will welcome you," and Sesshomaru embodies this by coming to welcome you...isn't this the dream of every Inuyasha fan? No matter what anyone says, this is the only depiction that will be used in the manga...well, it's no good if Rumiko Takahashi-sensei says it's not okay. But I was happy that I got the okay and was praised.
(*^_^*)
Moroha's luggage was originally going to be the backpack Kagome used to carry. But it was more interesting to make it huge so it's easy to see, and I also wanted to give Kagome a lot of supplies before we say goodbye, so that's how it is. It's rude to point out that "there's no way you can fit that through the well." But we made it much smaller so that it was just within the limits of acceptable fiction with digital adjustments. If we'd made it a size that you could actually fit through, it would have been too small and boring, so there was no point.
I was worried about the last page, wondering if it would be better to end with Sesshomaru flying off into the sky. However, I chose to end it from the perspective of the Higurashi family, who were left behind. Since I started this comicalization with the idea of "I want to draw it as my work that speaks of my love for Rumiko Takahashi-sensei's works," it was right for me to end the story from the perspective of the real world, not the world of Otogi-zoshi world. However, that would force the reader to end it from the perspective of the "left behind," which is a pretty bitter ending. When I thought, "What should I do... it's practically the final chapter...", I realized, "Well, the next episode is the final chapter, so it's okay to end it bitterly here." In other words, the actual final chapter is not necessarily the final chapter, but it is an chapter that shows the possibility that such an ending is possible.
So next installment will be the true final chapter! There will be no secret final chapter or new final installment. While there will be some adjustments, the comicalization will generally follow the same outline as the anime, and it will end in line with the flow of the anime. We'll stick to that style until the very end, with lots of little adjustments thrown in, so please look forward to the finished product!
In subsequent tweets after the publication of this chapter but prior to the final chapter's release Shiina stated, "The final chapter of Yashahime was so much fun to draw. I think it's good for manga artists to draw some kind of comicalization on a regular basis. At least for me, I feel like something is fulfilled when I do an adaptation." and further added, "It'll be sad to say goodbye to Inuyasha and the others once this is completed, but even though he's the son of Rumiko Takahashi-sensei, we've been working together for three and a half years."
Table of Contents
A: The next chapter will be the final chapter.
Chapter
46: 終章 また明日 Shusho Mata ashita (Final Journey - See You Tomorrow)
Shippo lures out a huge demon from the forest for Inuyasha, Moroha, Setsuna and Towa to attack. They nearly fell the beast but Kagome lands the killing blow with a sacred arrow. Back at the village Towa uses ice crystals from the demon Unei to make ice cream, a novelty in the feudal era. When Rin tries it she is shocked by how delicious it tastes. Inuyasha shows that he is still rather petty when he grumbles that everyone is flattering Kagome for helping to fell Unei instead of cheering him on. Suddenly Sesshomaru appears bearing gifts for his daughters- armor much like his own. Jaken explains it is in honor of the training trip the girls are preparing to go on, and Sesshomaru even acquired a new Robe of the Fire Rat for Moroha. Sesshomaru moves away from the others to have a private moment with Rin as the girls think about how he spent a thousand years stuck in a time loop fighting to save the world. Inuyasha seems unimpressed, but Kagome says that she knows Sesshomaru could not have done it without Inuyasha, and that she is sure, deep down, Sesshomaru is glad to have Inuyasha in his life. Takechiyo has decided to appretice under Jyubei as a corpse dealer in order to make money to restore his clan. As they talk, Riku appears, telling the girls that Shiori is ready to set sail to take them westward to the mainland in China. Everyone sees the girls off as Moroha calls back for Kagome and Inuyasha to give her a sibling while she's gone. Miroku, Sango, Kohaku, Kin'u Gyokuto and their new little baby sibling are there to see Hisui off as he is also leaving with the girls. As Riku draws close to Towa, the two notice that Setsuna and Hisui also seem increasingly fond of one another. Overhead Sesshomaru soars with Rin and Jaken. It seems Sesshomaru must return to battle the demons rising up with the death of Kirinmaru to prove that he is the greatest demon in Japan. This time however, Rin will join him in his adventures instead of being left behind. At sea a huge demon bursts from the ocean and the girls attack, telling it has three options. To flee, to die, or to become their friend and ally as they introduce themselves as the daughter of Kagome and Inuyasha and the legendary demon Sesshomaru.
Published In:
Shonen Sunday Super 2025 Vol. 8
Yashahime Vol. 10
Publication Date: June 25, 2025
Pages: 1 (full color) 44 (black and white)
Anime Adaptation: None
Notes:
Written on the final page of the Shonen Sunday S publication is a message saying, "Thank you for reading for the past four years. The final volume of the manga, the final eight chapters, will be released on August 18th (Monday)!! Please look forward to Takashi Shiina-sensei's next work."
The title of the chapter "See You Tomorrow" (また明日/Mata Ashita) is a call back to the final chapter of Inuyasha, simple called "Tomorrow" (明日/Ashita).
As mentioned in chapter 23 the boatman who works with Shiori is meant to look like Mermaid Saga's Sakagami Headman.
I think the final chapter is structured pretty close to the original anime. I don't need to explain the arrangements here, but I think you'll understand my intentions and the amount I put into it.
That said, "Not only the daughters, but Sesshomaru and Rin also go on a honeymoon (?)"... this was actually something I didn't expect. I wanted to end it with a line that was similar to Kagome's in the final chapter of Inuyasha, saying "Sesshomaru has ended the time loop and is walking towards a new tomorrow," and "He will build that new tomorrow with Rin," and as I was directing the conversation in that direction, that couple ended up going on a trip too.
On the one hand, I thought, "It ends with a boy and girl setting off into the future, as is typical in a shonen manga, but the parents who are supposed to see them off also set off into the future, which is a pattern you don't see very often (laughs)," but on the other hand, I'm excited that Sesshomaru, Rin, and Jaken-sama's journey is about to begin again. Well, while depicting the tale of Yashahime's coming of age, the underlying theme was Sesshomaru's youth and growth, so this might be okay... and so the comicalization ends with a double departure.
Personally, I think I did a pretty good job all the way through. Of course, when I reread it, I have regrets about various imperfections and shortcomings, but I did my best to draw it given the conditions I was in at the time, so now I feel a great sense of accomplishment having completed it to the end.
It's impossible to get everyone to agree on the interpretation of someone else's intellectual property, so I apologize to those who didn't like it. After many twists and turns, the anime project turned out to be what it was, and I put in what I wanted to do as long as it didn't destroy the general framework, and put it together as a manga, which was approved by Rumiko Takahashi-sensei. At the very least, it is in line with the shared tastes of Takahashi-sensei, Sumisawa-san, myself, the editor in charge, and especially Sunday's Okamoto-san, who is a big fan of Inuyasha, and my wife who was a former chief assistant at Rumiko Pro, so please enjoy it as one of the possible solutions to the Sengoku Otogi Zoshi world. In the play, I said that "the universe spreads its branches and leaves" so as not to deny other possibilities that everyone has. Somewhere, there may be a universe where Takahashi-sensei changes her mind one day and draws a completely new Sengoku Otogi Zoshi world that is different from this one...I certainly hope so.
Anyway, thanks to the enthusiasm of those involved, the anime Yashahime: Princess Half-Demon was born, and thanks to it, we fans were able to miraculously meet Inuyasha, Sesshomaru, and the others again. While I am grateful for that, I did the best I could to turn it into a manga, and at this point, I probably couldn't do more than this or do it in any other way. So, all I can do now is pray that as many Inuyasha and Yashahime: Princess Half-Demon fans as possible will enjoy this manga. The 10 volumes of the book are easy to read, so please buy them. The final volume, volume 10, will be released around August.
And so, the comicalization of Yashahime: Princess Half-Demon, which I have been writing for nearly four years, is now complete. While I was writing, I always felt like the characters were family to me. It was a dreamlike pleasure to be able to spend this time with the characters and world of my beloved Rumiko Takahashi-sensei's work.
Thank you to Rumiko Takahashi-sensei and everyone involved, and to all the Rumic fans, for staying with me until the end! I hope to see you again somewhere, with another manga.
Shiina-sensei mentions "Sunday's Okamoto and his own wife. This is referring to Riri Okamoto (岡本吏莉), Rumiko Takahashi's current editor and Aya Shimizu (清水彩), who worked as Takahashi's assistant during Urusei Yatsura, Maison Ikkoku and Ranma 1/2.
Table of Contents
A: It's been a wonderful four years for Rumic fans. Let's meet again somewhere.
