Inuyasha Kanketsu-hen Ep. 04
犬夜叉 完結編 Episode 04 Review
Inuyasha: Final Act – 04

SPOILER Summary/Synopsis:

Sesshoumaru continues to use Tenseiga to perfect the Meidou Zangetsuha. Inuyasha consults with Toutousai about Dakki and gathers a clue to the real sword. The swordsmith Toushuu is attacked by a giant youkai named Ryuujin (dragon person) when Toushuu doesn’t want to give up the sword. Toushuu is saved by Inuyasha and Ryuujin is eventually killed but Toushuu wants Dakki to get more powerful by taking Tessaiga’s youryouku — its youkai abilities such as Kaze no Kizu. Initially, the fight does not go well for Inuyasha and Tessaiga cracks under the assault of Dakki. However, the sword ends up killing Toushuu after absorbing too much youki from Tessaiga, needing an outlet to release that energy before breaking and returning all of the stolen energy to Tessaiga, giving Inuyasha’s sword a new dragon-scaled youryouku.

Meanwhile, Kouga finds himself attacked by a young yourouzoku named Kai after his wolf-youkai tribe are slaughtered by a giant youkai badger and he’s given a Shikon shard by a Naraku detachment named Byakuya with orders to obtain Kouga’s shards. Kai fails and flees, followed by Kouga, this seen by Inuyasha’s party. Meeting Byakuya, Kouga understands what is happening and slays the badger youkai. However, Kai’s brother Shinta is bound in a cocoon which a moth youkai emerges from and takes the lad.

Inuyasha and company as well as Kouga, Ginta, and Hakkaku follow to where Mouryoumaru has snagged the moth youkai for consumption and still has Shinta. Mouryoumaru grabs Kai’s shard and obtains the Kongousouha ability briefly from Inuyasha. However, using the dragon-scaled ability of Tessaiga, Inuyasha absorbs youki from Mouryoumaru and he and Kouga, with aid from Kagome, force the giant youkai to flee as Sango rescues Shinta. Byakuya reports to Naraku, who believes that one way or other, Inuyasha is soon to die.

Thoughts/Review:

I laughed when Inuyasha fought Toushuu because as usual, Kagome, Miroku, Sango, and Shippou all stand around and watch Inuyasha do all the work. The nice thing about about the warp-10 speed the series is pressing forward with is that a fight like this won’t get dragged out. So, the fight happens, is long enough to please those who want to see a fight, then ends all within half an episode. Then, its time to move to the next fight with Kouga. In the old series, this would have covered several episodes so no complaints about cutting the extraneous stuff out. Plus, Inuyasha launched four different youryouku attacks from Tessaiga by my count — Kaze no Kizu, Bakuryuuha, Kongousouha, and Ryuurin no Tessaiga (the dragon-scaled youryouku).

I rather enjoyed seeing Inuyasha and Kouga fight together, yet do what they always do — bicker. Having them stop mid-fight to have a bit of an argument amused me quite a bit.

I wonder if the anime will have Kouga in the next episode (I didn’t see a preview) because of how the manga went.

So, Sesshoumaru works on his new attack, Tessaiga gains the dragon-scaled youryouku, Byakuya gets introduced in this episode, and Naraku’s latest plot is hatched. Onward to the next episode.