Missing Nostalgia: Inuyasha Episode 3--Bad Hair Day

As you can tell, I’m spending a lot of time thinking up fitting post titles.

If I'd forgotten, I'd probably need to see a doctor

This episode starts off by recapping what’s happened in the last two episodes, in case no one was paying attention. For a minute I thought that this would be a full recap episode, even though it’s far too early in the show’s run for that. I realize that series like to make it so that people can “jump in” and start watching at any point, but a recap at the beginning of the third episode? It’s barely established anything yet!

...Ok, but she still broke it

In fact, not that much has been explained at all, now that I think about it. The basic gist of the situation is that every evil-coded character in this show wants the stone for some reason. Why? Kaede speaks very vaguely about it, saying that it’s full of power that shouldn’t be in the wrong hands. But what even is the power of the Sacred Jewel? The monsters who’ve come after Kagome already seem pretty strong in the first place, so what do they need it for? It’s also revealed in this episode that even a shard of the Jewel is powerful. But again, what is its power in the first place? It’s feeling increasingly like the show is just making things up as it goes along…

For instance, why do Inuyasha and Kagome need to work together? Inuyasha has made it abundantly clear over the last two episodes that all he wants is the jewel. While he does have a compelling reason to stick by Kagome in order to get what he wants (since apparently she’s the only one who can find the shards, another detail that’s tossed out there without a full explanation), the same isn’t true for Kagome. She just wants to go home.

Also, Kagome’s connection to Kikyo makes things a little more complicated. This is the only part of the show where it makes sense that it’s gone unexplained, since it’s being very obvious that it’s leading up to something. But in the meantime, it’s being used to show how little respect Inuyasha has for Kagome in the first place. She’s not really who she looks like, she’s a means to an end for him. So why respect her at all?

Which leads to this:

As well as this:

W O W

Thankfully, Kagome is not going to sit around and take any of this verbal abuse. She feels bad about the village, but her goal is to go home. Inuyasha needs Kagome far more than she needs him regardless of how strong he is against the monsters, and right now their goals aren’t the same. I imagine this is going to change in the next couple episodes because as funny as it is to watch them bicker, a plot can only have two characters who are supposed to work together hate each other for so long.

In any case, at the moment Kagome is done with Inuyasha and decides to try to find a way home again, making it all the way to the well. The good news is, she makes it that far without being attacked again. The bad news is it’s full of bones and doesn’t look like the kind of place that can warp Japanese teenagers through time.

However, Kagome has bigger problems to deal with, since yet another creepy villain is after the Sacred Jewel. This one uses hair (ew) to control people, and Kagome has walked right into her web.

Also, the hair can work like whips. Which sound really painful. Ouch.

Yura of the Hair does clarify one thing—Kagome will still be targeted for the Sacred Jewel, whether she has all the shards or not. But since one shard is all her attacker needs, there’s no reason to keep Kagome around, and Yura knocks her back into the well, making her disappear.

Understatement of the year

This has the unexpected side effect of sending Kagome back home. The same amount of time she spent in the past has also gone by in the present, which is an interesting narrative choice. I was sure that this show would go with the “it’s been five minutes, it was probably just a dream” angle, but it looks like they’re committing to this! Kagome kept her shrine maiden outfit and everything.

First pun in this episode: 12 minutes in. A new record.

Meanwhile, the village in the past is under attack from Yura, and there isn’t much that Inuyasha can do about it, since the hair is invisible to him. He wants to just take out everyone, but is stopped by Kaede, who tells him the people are being controlled against their will.

...It took Inuyasha five minutes to notice this

Inuyasha gets thrown around a bit before retreating with Kaede. They need someone who can see the hair in order to beat Yura, but Kaede is too injured to help. The only other person who can see it is Kagome, but she just found her way back home.

And why would she go back? Kagome got what she really wanted, to get back home. She obviously will, but I’m curious what her reasoning will be. Her guilt while she was there wasn’t enough to stop her from trying to leave, but maybe Kagome will get concerned enough to try to return.

Well, even though he can’t see the hair, I’m sure that Inuyasha is trying something else in the meantime—

—Is he digging a grave?

HE IS

THE FUNNIEST JOKE IN THIS SHOW SO FAR INVOLVES PARTIALLY BURYING SOMEONE ALIVE.
WHAT AM I WATCHING

And that marks this show’s first “to be continued” moment! I’m still loving the action and the banter between the two main characters, but I hope that the show at least gives out a few answers soon about why everyone and their neighbor wants the Sacred Jewel. Also, if having a shard of the jewel is just as good as the whole thing, then why is Yura still terrorizing the village after getting her hands on one? Or maybe I’m just overthinking things as usual.

Until next time, WHY AM I LAUGHING SO HARD

Images from Neon Alley via Hulu. 

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