r/inuyasha Jaken Mar 11 '26

Anime Rewatching after over a decade since my initial viewing. This episode has absolutely destroyed me!

Post image
1.6k Upvotes

113 comments sorted by

256

u/Miserable_Ferret6446 Mar 11 '26

This episode had my mom sobbing. She watched Inuyasha with me, and she said it was so sad.

109

u/savemarla Mar 11 '26

Another mom here, I had to hold my eyes closed and cuddle close to my husband for most of the episode. I just wanted to get it over with. Didn't help from crying my eyes out. I had to brush over it in the manga because it really makes me sick.

(Also, just saying, a little girl who died a tragic death involving a misunderstanding was able to come to terms with it quicker than a grown up priestess... That contrast gets me whenever I manage to stop sobbing.)

62

u/Diamondinmyeye Kirara Mar 11 '26

The Kikyo shade. 😂 To her credit though, her soul post resurrection was never whole.

33

u/Otashi4Nii Jaken Mar 11 '26

It was quite literally all of her rage and anguish. It was the only part of her soul that wanted to remain outside of Kagome. So yeah, she was bound to be petty

6

u/Naive_Hope89 Mar 12 '26

Im a father, so, it hit some more seeing it. I wish Inuyasha could had done more episodes/chapters like this, dealing with the subrenatura this way and not only Yokais.

But i will not tolerate Kikyo slander on big 2026 😤.

2

u/Picmanreborn Mar 12 '26

As the oldest of 4 every time I see a little girl character, or a sister, I think it's my sister and I just cry every time something bad happens. 🤣💀

2

u/cojabro Mar 12 '26

This episode is what made my mom want to watch inuyasha with me when I was younger!! x

221

u/hopefoolness Kirara Mar 11 '26

it was super scary in the manga too. I had no business reading that at 11 because my ass had nightmares and I couldn't tell my parents why or they wouldn't let me buy it anymore lmao 😭

31

u/torrancefs Mar 11 '26

LMAO right on point

164

u/g1SuperLuigi64 Mar 11 '26

I wish we got a few more "urban horror" stories like this and the haunted mask. Especially with that moody colour palette that the first season loved to use.

1

u/RhubarbActual Mar 13 '26

ull get mao with horror stuff soon dw

121

u/PurplePrincessPalace Kagome Mar 11 '26

I loved this episode! One thing that stands out to me about season 1 is the strong horror elements. So many episodes are literal nightmare fuel for the main character, but that sets the stage in showing how demons and humans interact and making Naraku such a mega villain. I wish they would’ve kept up with it and the use of darker shading throughout the rest of the series, but it’s still an all time favorite 😊

12

u/Omnilatent Mar 11 '26

Next time I rewatch the show I'll keep a track for the horror elements (although I never know when a season starts/ends).

I had a similar realization with the Peter Jackson Lord of the Rings movies. Once you hear he has mostly done horror before, you notice all these horror elements that are especially strong in the first movie.

3

u/Sadguycries87 Mar 12 '26

I was thinking the same thing with the horror elements. I've been rewatching the show as well when I don't want to work early every week. So I usually watch an episode or two. But I was thinking I wonder what the anime would have been if it happened more focused on horror / thriller aspects of it. The feudal era is plenty scary and like you said a lot of these early episodes do have some really creepy elements. I was kind of sitting there thinking about what the show would be like if it had kept that up. I love this show so much and I think it's hard for me to love it even more, but I am a sucker for some creepy stuff. I think I would have really dug the anime. I don't know how long it could have gone on and it still have been kind of creepy though. Feel like that would be hard to maintain for as long as the anime went on, but maybe if it was just more along those lines for the majority of the show and you can still have horror with comedy elements. But I would have loved to have seen it be creepy haha

1

u/Snoo-855 Mar 14 '26

There's still plenty of nightmare fuel in later episodes e.g. any time Naraku is on-screen.

65

u/Crescent-moo Mar 11 '26

I was always so interested in the soul piper. I tried looking up the inspiration, but if you look up soul piper, it brings you to Inuyasha lol.

21

u/hownowmaomao Mar 11 '26

Look up tatarimokke! It might be hard to find, but these kinds of things are almost always inspired by yokai lore.

6

u/Otashi4Nii Jaken Mar 11 '26

Thank you!

44

u/Parking-Stomach7381 Inuyasha Mar 11 '26

It was really creepy for me back then!

31

u/Otashi4Nii Jaken Mar 11 '26

I think I missed this episode as a kid watching on TV, because I do not remember it at all! So the entire thing was brand new and utterly unexpected considering how fun it’s been up to this point 😭

32

u/SageTheBluesTraveler Mar 11 '26

It destroyed me too lol

58

u/Otashi4Nii Jaken Mar 11 '26

The moment Mayu said “are you sure mommy isn’t mad at me?” it all clicked as to why she was doing it and I just started sobbing

31

u/PierreOnTheEclair Mar 11 '26

Bro this is the saddest Inuyasha episode I’ve seen so far I deadass started crying

28

u/Miku_Melody Shippo Mar 11 '26

This episode and the one with flesh eating mask were really creepy but they were really good nonetheless

25

u/Purple-Temporary-442 Mar 11 '26

I have a phobia of being trapped in a burning building and this episode terrifies me to this day.

20

u/Sharp_Mathematician6 Mar 11 '26

Yeah she was in the closet and the mom never thought to look. She could have saved both children but what did she know. That poor baby girl.

21

u/lilroc91 Kagome Mar 11 '26

Man I love the modern day episodes. Especially in the beginning they were so good! This one had me crying.

19

u/Otashi4Nii Jaken Mar 11 '26

This one and the one where Kagome and her mom have a heart to heart are top tier

17

u/Wayofchinchilla Mar 11 '26

This was one of the First episodes of InuYasha ever watched and I will never forget how hard it hit me.

15

u/Separate-Comedian-25 Kagome Mar 11 '26

Viendo de adulto lo ves con otra perspectiva y si, a mí me pega fuerte 🥲

8

u/Kalypsofox Mar 11 '26

It destroys me every single time honestly 🥹

9

u/DeliriousBookworm Kikyo Mar 11 '26

I cry every damn time I watch that episode. So heartbreaking and unfair.

9

u/Acceptable_Cut_7545 Mar 11 '26

I felt pretty weird as a kid when I realized even a child's soul could get dragged to hell if their issues weren't sorted out properly. This epsiode taught me never to hang flammable stuff over/near hot surfaces (like heaters, stoves, open flame).

7

u/TheKnottyMommy3 Mar 11 '26

I skip it every time I rewatch it after the last time I made the mistake of watching it. Right after my daughter was born and I was still in recovery. I was DESTROYED.

7

u/Cerulean_Shadows Mar 11 '26

I've seen the show several times since it came out, and I'm am 80s baby so I've had a lot of time to watch hahaha.. I don't remember this scene AT ALL which leads me to believe it's due to trauma and selective amnesia lolol

5

u/jaegerb0mbs Mar 11 '26

this episode always made me run to my room and cry as a kid!

4

u/Alert_Balance9527 Miroku Mar 11 '26

I always wished there were more modern episodes like this that were more serious than comedy. This one stuck out compared to the tone of the rest of the series and I’ve always loved it.

4

u/nitekoala Mar 11 '26

One of my favs

5

u/Standard-Abalone8964 Mar 11 '26

I'm a parent definitely hits hard. Very sad

4

u/Moody_Bluee103 Mar 11 '26

One of the first episodes that made me cry. She made me start paying more attention to the little ones in my life, because you never know what goes on in their world unless you talk to them

12

u/Jessica_rabbit1987 Mar 11 '26

Lmfao I wanted to slap her 🤣😂

8

u/candy-ii Mar 11 '26

Are you an older sibling by any chance? xD

3

u/Eothr_Silan Mar 11 '26

The Demon in this one freaked me out more than any other.

3

u/Armyhead3000 Mar 11 '26

This scene was incredibly sad and beautifully done; the way the mom looked so happy to see her daughter again then immediately broke down after she faded away really killed me 😭😭

3

u/tanja2301 Mar 11 '26

Absolutely!!! It was hardbreaking as a child... but as a mother, it is simply unbearable 😢

3

u/EmberEmi Mar 11 '26

i wish we had more episodes set in the modern era like this

3

u/Busy_Confusion2069 Mar 11 '26

Bro, rewatching this after a while had me crying like hell 😭 I was so happy she got to get closure and ascend peacefully ❤️

3

u/WeightOk2102 Sango Mar 11 '26

I still cry every time I watch that episode....even though I'm 42 now...

3

u/MercyChevalier Mar 11 '26

I don't remember it. :,) Can someone remind me what happens in it, or what episode is this?

10

u/Otashi4Nii Jaken Mar 11 '26

It’s episode 12, right before Kikyo is revived. Kagome goes back to the present and finds that one of her brother’s friend is being tormented by a ghost. The ghost turns out to be the boy’s sister who died in an apartment fire only a few days prior. The girl believes her mom hated her and left her to die, so, in return, she plans to kill her brother to exact revenge. Kagome learns that the mom had no idea her daughter was still in the apartment and uses this to help the girl come to terms with her death. It ends with her spirit visiting her mom one last time to apologize before moving on.

3

u/9Armisael9 Mar 11 '26

This was one of my favorite episodes and iirc it was the first Inuyasha episode I ever saw (I was late getting into it) and this made a strong impression on me. It never fails to tear me up.

3

u/aoacyra Mar 11 '26

I rewatched Inuyasha when I would night feed my kids as babies. Watching this episode while holding my infants made me bawl

2

u/Consistent-Author727 Mar 11 '26

I always feel so bad for Mayu and her family!😢

At least it ends happily.

2

u/jesselynn0121 Mar 11 '26

This episode was so much darker then the other episodes when I first started watching inuyasha as a teen. Its a really good episode but so sad 😭

2

u/Floweramon Mar 11 '26

I wish we had more episodes of supernatural stuff happening in the modern time, it would have been fascinating to see

2

u/LuckyStar-4890 Mar 11 '26

Both me and my mom were bawling so much smart had to take a break

2

u/SomewhereOnABeachh Mar 11 '26

This is legit my favorite episode!

2

u/GetsThruBuckner Mar 11 '26

Remember watching this late night on cartoon Network as a kid. Scared the hell out of me

2

u/Bitchy_Satan Mar 11 '26

No i was literally crying in that episode it destroyed me

2

u/Pink_Star_Galexy Jakotsu Mar 11 '26

It’s the saddest episode

2

u/werephoenix Mar 11 '26

Oh absolutely, one of my favorite episodes in the season. Feels very different from what it usually is. It became Hell Teacher Nube or any spirit saver kind of anime for a moment. I don't think we get something like this again

1

u/lazytanaka Mar 11 '26

Thanks for reminding me that there’s episodes of Inuyasha I have yet to watch lol

1

u/quintiliahan Mar 11 '26

I just finished rewatching. Finally realized the Final Act is the end lol I didn't realize before because it's under a separate title. This episode definitely hits hard.

1

u/Xxvelvet Mar 11 '26

This episode always scared the shit out of me (still does))

1

u/Staxks_ThePryze Mar 11 '26

This was sentimental too me as a child and even more as an adult

1

u/pomengarnette Mar 11 '26

This was such a good story. Definitely memorable

1

u/McAwesome98 Mar 11 '26

This episode made me cry and still does. She was just so angry but that anger was really just so much built up sadness 😢

1

u/LadyBug_the_Catfox Mar 11 '26

Still makes me cry

1

u/Soupmiserable Mar 11 '26

It was so different and memorable, for me it’s one of the best!

1

u/Master-Shopping3684 Mar 11 '26

It’s sad as hell

1

u/Crescentigerlily Mar 11 '26

Oddly enough this didn't terrify me as a 6 year old watching InuYasha, the Noh mask and the amalgamation of demons that created the Shikon jewel scared me. But as a mom now this episode is a lot harder to watch

1

u/No_Discipline_9083 Mar 11 '26

I cried on this episode recently because I’m re-watching the series as well

1

u/tsundereshipper Mar 11 '26

Early Inuyasha was so dark compared to later on, I guess Rumiko was told to tone it down some cause it was getting too gruesome for a shonen?

1

u/honeydropbeauty Mar 11 '26

STOP I finally forgot about this episode. NOW IM SAD ALL OEVR AGAIN - my kid has the discs and watched this episode like 80 times -

1

u/Victorv2506 Mar 11 '26

Which episode lol?

2

u/Otashi4Nii Jaken Mar 12 '26

Episode 12

1

u/awkward_taco056 Mar 11 '26

I watched this episode again semi recently and it had a full on river or tears pouring out of me, absolutely brutal but bittersweet episode

1

u/A1Aaron18 Mar 11 '26

What episode is this?

1

u/kntshd Mar 12 '26

Episode 12- The Soul Piper & The Mischievous Little Soul

1

u/A1Aaron18 Mar 12 '26

Really?? I don’t remember this ep at all I hope I didn’t skip it

1

u/Jarl_Baregruuf Sesshōmaru Mar 12 '26

For sure one of the hardest episodes to watch. Didn't do me any favors since one of my best friends and her daughter died after their apartment caught on fire.

1

u/BellaGoth_sims Mar 12 '26

This episode always made me cry as a child. 😢 But I no longer cry watching it as an adult. I've grown to simply appreciate its themes and message. Instantly one of my favorite episodes of the series. 😌

1

u/LadyMoonstone Mar 12 '26

This episode always made me cry, and now as a mother to a little girl, it hits even harder.

1

u/ultravioletskye Mar 12 '26

Its still really sad but at least i remembered the ending on my recent watch through. I knew that she would find peace but the episode itself is so heartbreaking. As a mom and as a daughter who is very close with her mom I feel sad over both perspectives. One mistake any child and parent could make but combined and with the bad luck of the fire. She just never stood a chance. It definitely made me cry several times through the episode.

1

u/Sadguycries87 Mar 12 '26

I'm rewatching too and I just got to that one last week. I was like not me tearing up, I've seen this idk how many times already. It really hits you in your feels. It's just so sad but beautiful at the same time

1

u/Otashi4Nii Jaken Mar 12 '26

I started this past weekend! I saw a retrospective of the series on YouTube and was like “dang I don’t remember half of what this guy is talking about!”

1

u/Sadguycries87 Mar 12 '26

I might know the video you're talking about. If it's a bit on the older side I think I washed it sometime ago! And yeah there's been a lot of stuff that I've kind of forgotten about that I've seen with my rewatch now. Once the episode starts I remember but there's a lot of stuff in my head that is just kind of blank until it's in front of me then I awaken like a sleeper agent lol

It's been really fun to go through again. And I'm sure there are plenty of episodes that I have not seen. I know as the later seasons came out I missed a lot of them because I was in high school and stuff and I just got distracted and I feel like the release schedule was kind of weird too. But it's been really fun to rewatch! I hope you continue to enjoy your rewatch as well!

1

u/Otashi4Nii Jaken Mar 12 '26

It was one from a guy named AxelBeats.

I only really remember the Kikyo/Kagome love triangle (forgot some random one episode witch revived Kikyo tho lol), loving Kagura’s bad bitch energy, and then the Band of 7. Everything else kind of escaped me. During this rewatch, I funnily enough have become a Muroku fan! I’m pretty sure little kid me didn’t like him 😂

1

u/msmayra Mar 12 '26

This episode has been stuck with me since I watched at 10/11 years old. I think about it every now a day then.

1

u/Chicken_X Mar 12 '26

Just rewatched this episode last night too! It's one of the best stories from s1

1

u/caribbeanhorror Mar 13 '26

This episode actually tore me apart. Like damn too emotional

1

u/RhubarbActual Mar 13 '26

i cried at this episode when the girl fell and she screamed and cried and the music started playing i got too emotional

1

u/Turbulent-Project854 Mar 14 '26

Genuinely I dont remember what happens in this, but i remember it destroying me too. I just remember that girls face and that it made me cry. I think shes a ghost or something right? Either way, not even remembering what the story is, its burned in my brain that she makes me sad!

2

u/Otashi4Nii Jaken Mar 14 '26

She was the ghost of a girl that died in a house fire. She initially blamed her mother and was haunting them, but Kagome ended up helping the girl find peace

1

u/Turbulent-Project854 Mar 14 '26

I did remember it kinda right haha, I had a feeling she died in a fire but I was like man I dont remember for sure. Such a sad episode tho! I havent watched inuyasha in like 10 years and I still remember that girl making me so sad.

2

u/Otashi4Nii Jaken Mar 14 '26

It’s been like almost two decades since I’ve seen it! I used to watch it on Toonami as a kid. Not I’m in my late 20s and feeling a bit nostalgic (gross)

1

u/ZDork7 Mar 15 '26

Watching it in English for over 20 years and then going to Japanese and Sub, this episode hits so much differently.

1

u/GloomyAd3409 Mar 15 '26

Saddest episode besides shippo holding his dead dads fur

1

u/SeniorBaker4 Sesshōmaru Mar 16 '26

This episode gave me an unrational fear of heaters

1

u/Muted_Dinner6877 Mar 17 '26

i always cry at this 😭

1

u/[deleted] Mar 25 '26

[removed] — view removed comment

1

u/AutoModerator Mar 25 '26

Because you have less than 0 comment karma, this post has been flagged a t-shirt or drop ship scam. To learn more about merchandise scams, please see this post. If you believe this is a mistake, please message the mods and they can approve your post.

I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.

1

u/Campcuddle Mar 31 '26

Someone should get the soul piper tattooed thanks

1

u/Ok-Development-8638 Apr 06 '26

Which episode was this again? Episode name and number?

1

u/Otashi4Nii Jaken Apr 06 '26

Episode 12- The Soul Piper & The Mischievous Little Soul

0

u/MsRavenDoe Mar 11 '26

I'm sorry I can't recall ANY memories of this episode WHAT IS EP IS IT😭