“The Stolen Seal”
What They Say:
Set in feudal Japan, half-demon twins Towa and Setsuna are separated from each other during a forest fire. While desperately searching for her younger sister, Towa wanders into a mysterious tunnel that sends her into present-day Japan, where she is found by Kagome Higurashi’s brother, Sota, and his family. Ten years later, the tunnel that connects the two eras had reopened, allowing Towa to be reunited with Setsuna, who is now a demon slayer working for Kohaku. But to Towa’s shock, Setsuna appears to have lost all memories of her older sister.
Content (please note that content portions of a review may contain spoilers):
As Miroku continues his self imposed thousand days of training in the mountains, an alluring woman approaches his isolated retreat and greets the monk, praising him for his tireless dedication. She introduces herself as Otsuyu and asks him for directions on her journey, however it is then when she recites a familiar chant and the priest then realizes this is no ordinary person, declaring she is no human and yet also does not have any demonic powers. After inquiring what her true purpose was for this visit, the sly visitor states she wishes for Miroku to release the half-demon girl’s seal, with him immediately realizing she is speaking of Setsuna. Asking what would happen if he should refuse, the woman coldly tells the monk she then will resort to force, smoothly pulling pack her traveling hat to reveal a hidden walking stick which shoots forth a stream of tsuchigumo silk to entrap the priest. Surprised into thinking this intruder had no devilish abilities Miroku now finds himself secured to the ground within a sticky web, unable to free himself and thus allowing the deceptive woman to easily touch his hand and steal the technique which she desires.
Meanwhile back in their home village, the twins are walking within the midday sun with a dazed Towa reflecting upon why she still recalls the embrace of Riku, unable to compare it to the numerous hugs she received from Papa Sota, only causing Setsuna to wonder why her sister is so slow today. However as they continue their conversation, Moroha strolls by and questions what is wrong, stating she gave them the share of the bounty from Totetsu, to which the demon slayer replies they are going to visit Jyubei for a recommendation of a good blade sharpener. It is only then when their cousin asks why they need one, with Setsuna stating that it feels as if Kanemitsu no Tomoe has lost its edge, only to be annoyed as this rowdy teen begins to prod at her cherished weapon. Angrily questioning why Moroha is inspecting the naginata, the inquisitive girl declares she cannot do her job properly if she is not allowed to determine its condition, then boldly announcing she is the craftsman who will hone the blade back to its proper sharpness. However after a lengthy period with no reasonable results, the bounty hunter is confused as to why she cannot hone Kanemitsu no Tomoe, only then concluding it must due to Setsuna’s growing demonic powers affecting the weapon’s effectiveness, leaving her with no other choice than option to visit Miroku and find out how to remedy the situation.
In Summary:
While it is enlightening to see how the Great Dog Demon and Kirinmaru once cooperated to destroy the Grim Comet, the convoluted complexities of Lady Zero’s plans to please her brother are becoming tiresome, with everyone within the Four Peril’s faction needing to manipulate others in order to achieve their goals. And although it is refreshing to see this cold-hearted woman care for someone, it is also confusing since she supposedly gave up her emotions along with her demonic powers to create the Rainbow Pearls, so how can this concern still exist? With so many coincidental plot devices to create a story, this episode does open a new side for the half-demon princesses, but at the same time, it also seems too convenient to conclude all of the problems at the same time, only to raise new ones with the next showing.
Grade: A
Streamed By: Crunchyroll
