I like this kid.
I really enjoyed Shippo’s characterization in this episode. Despite being a magical fox in the vein of Japanese folklore, he felt a lot like the kind of kid who takes themselves way too seriously and overestimates what they can do. He has that kind of personality where I wouldn’t be surprised to hear him claim that he’s “already an adult” at some point in the future.
But despite the fact that his powers are the opposite of threatening—while he was able to hold up Inuyasha for a bit, his magic seems to fall in the vein of “general annoyance”—he does have compelling reasons to want the jewel shard. So far, the show has structured its storylines around demons who want the shards for some kind of personal gain, and while that is true of the Thunder Brothers, Shippo just wants a power-up so that he can get revenge.
And the Thunder Brothers themselves are pretty impressive enemies, even considering the slapstick moments in this episode with the non-humanoid brother. They’re introduced by a scene where they destroy two armies for kicks, and while the dub version doesn’t say it directly, I’m convinced that the fox skin one of the brothers was wearing was from Shippo’s dad.
They’re set up as power-hungry narcissists that likely won’t be given any more depth, but I am glad that the show is finally presenting a scenario where the main characters have to fight some demons who have multiple shards already. Up until now, the show has only generally stated that this is a Bad Thing, but now that the boost in power from only a handful of shards has been made clear, it’s easier to see why someone with bad intentions getting their hands on the jewel is something to worry about.
However, I’m not a big fan of how the show seems to have a habit of underscoring how “evil” each of their villains are through their treatment of women. It was already well established that they were dangerous, so while the above scene is shocking and re-establishes the stakes, I’m not sure if that was needed at all.
However, on that same topic I have to say again how much I love Kagome’s character. She’s well aware of the situation she’s in, but she still finds ways to assert herself. I love it.
And speaking of Kagome, her bickering with Inuyasha stole the whole episode once again. I’m getting more and more on board with this relationship with every passing episode. They’re not anything approaching romantic just yet, but they do have a pretty strong bond of trust. And romantic feelings or not, they already snark at each other like a married couple.
Regardless of the current status of their relationship though, the show also seems intent on putting up giant flashing neon signs that point to them being endgame with hilarious reactions. Although my favorite one for this episode was Inuyasha’s reaction to the Thunder Brothers trying to ransom Kagome as his “lover:”
As much as Inuyasha is against the idea, the show has made it pretty obvious how this is going to play out. And I can’t say that I dislike the idea of watching more episodes with banter like this in the middle of life-threatening situations:
In any case, it looks like this storyline is another two-parter at least, and I imagine most of the next episode will be fighting. Nine episodes in, and it feels like the show is starting to find its pace. Hopefully I’m still far off from from more filler material since episodes like this are a lot more fun to dig into!
Until next time, I think I should start a counter:
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| Inuyasha and Kagome Yelling Each Other's Names Counter: 2 |
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