The penultimate volume of Inuyasha hits a trio of stand alone episodes focusing on the dynamics of specific characters. First, Miroku and friends stumble upon a home that needs help. A maiden is in peril. But this is no stranger. It seems this pretty girl knows Miroku from the past and he promised to marry her! Engaged to Sango, the demon slayer sees red when she hears the womanizing monk had promised himself to another woman years ago. But he’s not the only one this girl is promised to. It seems a fish demon also has been promised her hand in marriage and now Miroku has to marry the girl to save her life! Torn between heroism and Sango’s broken heart, what’s a philandering monk to do?

This next-to-last volume is highly unusual for three episodes before the series finale. None of the episodes really touch on anything to do with the underlying plot of finding the last jewel shard and stopping Naraku (with the brief mention of Naraku by Kohaku being the only exception). Instead, we are given three ‘day in the life’ stories. The first focuses on Miroku and Sango, cementing their relationship through this most recent stumbling block. The next episode deals with Rin and Sesshomaru and a child-stealing demon as well as some demon-slaying monks.  Although the episode showcasing Sesshomaru contains some wonderful animation, showing Sesshomaru off in all his handsome glory, it doesn’t really achieve anything story wise. The relationship between him and Rin is still the same, no confessions are heard about him suddenly loving humanity. It is as obvious as it has always been in his dealings with the orphaned girl that he cares for her despite his aloof manner (which doesn’t fool Rin for a second).

The final episode on this volume is primarily from the point of view of Kirara, who remembers the closeness of the siblings Kohaku and Sango before Naraku’s dastardly evil tore them apart. Sango still doesn’t know that Kohaku now remembers everything and plans to use his position as Naraku’s slave to kill the demon who caused them all so much torment. The episode is filled with a bittersweet sentimentality and has flashbacks to the precious younger days of this brother and sister. However, one has to wonder by the end of it, if Sango doesn’t guess at what her brother is truly up to.

Volume 54 contains episodes 161 to 163.

EXTRAS:
Bonus features include cast list, sketch gallery, and original Japanese episode promos.

IN SUMMARY:
It’s a bittersweet day in the life of this feudal fairytale in this penultimate volume of the wondrous fantasy anime InuYasha.

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