Yashahime: Princess Half-Demon, Vol. 1

Gr 7 Up–No matter what school she’s in, poor Towa has a difficult time fitting in. In the face of her commanding eyes and unusually colored hair, Towa’s peers either idolize her (of which she’s not a huge fan) or fear her (which she likes even less). Towa stands out in another way, too: she’s particularly skilled at putting away demons who disturb the peace. After one attack causes her to be transported to a different era altogether, she meets Setsuna and Moroha, her sister and cousin, respectively. Thus begins a new generation of adventures in the “Inuyasha” universe, and what a fun ride it is! Fans of the original Takahashi series will absolutely devour this title and all its homages, though new fans can absolutely begin here without feeling lost. While the art style differs from Takahashi-san’s signature technique, Shiina does a fine job in his own right, particularly when it comes to action sequences. The story is decently paced and picks up more steam as it goes. The final pages clearly lay out where Towa and company’s efforts are going to be focused on in future volumes. While it’s easy to compare this sequel to its original source material, that’s also not quite the fairest of fights; “Inuyasha” has left a legacy that most mangaka can only dream of achieving.