Episode 2

Seekers of the Sacred Jewel is the second episode of the InuYasha anime.

Synopsis[]

Kaede puts the Beads of Subjugation around Inuyasha's neck, thus allowing Kagome to have minor control over him while using a specific command.
The Shikon no Tama is stolen by a crow demon.
Kagome inadvertently shatters the jewel into hundreds of shards.

Summary[]

Inuyasha threatens Kagome, determined to get the Sacred Jewel. After saying how he hates the smell of her, he chases after Kagome into the nearby forest.

Kaede, fearing one day it would come in handy, takes out a necklace, the Beads of Subjugation, that has a spell on it. Inuyasha chases Kagome through the forest and she narrowly evades his fatal blows. Kaede then magically puts it around Inuyasha's neck and tells Kagome to use a word to restrain him. Kagome is at first confused at how she is to know what word to use. But after he nearly captures the Sacred Jewel, she quickly yells "Sit boy!" and Inuyasha plummets to the ground, smashing directly onto his face. He tries to yank off the necklace, but Kaede reveals that he does not have the power to remove it.

The next day, as the villagers repair their huts from Mistress Centipede's attack, Kaede informs Kagome that all kinds of evil will be after the Sacred Jewel. Inuyasha is no longer a threat due to the necklace Kaede had placed on him. Kagome asks Inuyasha why he wants the Sacred Jewel as he's awfully strong already and he doesn't really need its power. Kaede says Inuyasha is only a hanyō. Inuyasha punches the wooden floor and calls Kaede 'an old hag' and asks her who she thinks she is and tells her not to act like she knows all about him. Kaede explains that she is Kikyō's younger sister. Inuyasha recognizes Kaede, and Kaede informs Inuyasha that 50 years have passed since he was sealed to the Sacred Tree and she has grown old. Inuyasha remarks that Kikyō must be really old now too. Kaede informs Inuyasha that Kikyō died, causing Inuyasha's ears to perk up. Kaede tells Inuyasha that Kikyō died the same day that she bound Inuyasha to the tree. Inuyasha smirks and says it's a relief. Kaede says to Inuyasha it is too early to breathe a sigh of relief. Kaede tells Kagome that she is the reincarnation of her older sister Kikyō, shocking Kagome. Kaede tells Kagome it's not just her appearance or psychic powers. Kaede tells Kagome that the fact that she carried the Sacred Jewel within herself is irrefutable proof and she must protect the Sacred Jewel. Word soon spreads how Kagome is Kikyō's reincarnation, creeping Kagome out when the other villagers start believing she is Kikyō herself. Afterwards, Inuyasha is sitting in a tree and still coming to terms with the fact Kikyō is dead and he never knew. Kagome invites Inuyasha for a meal. Inuyasha is suspicious of Kagome and says she's up to something. Kagome says she isn't and asks Inuyasha if he hates her. Inuyasha tells Kagome that she has no idea how much. Kagome tells Inuyasha the one he hates is not her but Kikyō. Inuyasha becomes annoyed as he jumps into a tree. Kagome tells Inuyasha that she's 'Kagome' and not 'Kikyō' and asks him to be nicer to her. Inuyasha says he doesn't care who she is, and that he would do anything to get the Sacred Jewel. Kagome tells Inuyasha that in case he should decide to get violent then all she have to do is say 'Sit' as Inuyasha falls to the ground. Kagome apologizes to an annoyed Inuyasha.

That night a demonic crow sees that Kagome has the Shikon no Tama but is chased away by Inuyasha. The next morning, Kagome takes a walk in the woods, trying to find the Bone-Eater's Well so that she might go back home, but is captured by a group of thieves. Kaede realizes Kagome is missing and discusses this with some local villagers and Inuyasha is in the background and overhears. Meanwhile, the thieves who kidnapped Kagome take her to their leader, who is also after the Shikon no Tama. The boss takes out his sword and prepares to kill Kagome, but misses and starts swinging wildly, killing one of his men, and starts destroying their hideout. In order to keep the jewel safe from them, Kagome throws the Shikon no Tama out of the hut through a small opening. Just as the boss is about to kill Kagome, Inuyasha bursts through the side of the wall and saves her before knocking down the boss (though stating he only saved her to make sure the jewel didn't get stolen). The thieves escape and Inuyasha asks Kagome if the jewel is safe as she stammers.

The boss gets up and his chest plate breaks and reveals a hole in his chest where the demonic crow has burrowed. Inuyasha chases the crow out of the boss and the crow flies out of the hut and snatches the Shikon no Tama in its mouth. Inuyasha is irritated to learn that Kagome doesn't have the jewel and he and Kagome chase after the crow. Before the chase, Inuyasha hands Kagome a bow and arrow that he found on a horse nearby. Kagome rides on Inuyasha's back.

Inuyasha says the demon crow is not getting away. Inuyasha asks Kagome what was she doing and to hurry up and shoot the demon crow down. Kagome says she's never used a bow and arrow in her life. Inuyasha tells Kagome the Corpse Crow survives by eating human flesh and with the Sacred Jewel it might transform. The Corpse Crow swallows the Sacred Jewel. Kagome tells Inuyasha the Corpse Crow swallowed the Sacred Jewel and she'll try to hit it. Inuyasha thinks to himself that once the crow is shot down he won't need Kagome anymore. Inuyasha tells Kagome to take it down in one shot as Kikyō was a master archer, with Kagome once again asserting that she's not Kikyō. Kagome asks Kikyō to lend her power and fires an arrow but it misses. Inuyasha falls to the ground stunned. Kagome says that Kikyō was supposed to be a master archer, and Inuyasha exclaims that Kikyō was a master archer, Kagome is just a klutz. The Corpse Crow starts to transform as Inuyasha and Kagome continue to chase after it. Inuyasha tells Kagome the Corpse Crow is getting bigger and to aim. Kagome attempts to shoot the crow down again but fails. Inuyasha stops and drops Kagome from his back. Inuyasha berates Kagome and tells her that there's no way that she is Kikyō's incarnation as he chases after the crow alone.

The crow arrives at a riverside village and picks up a boy with its talons and Inuyasha slices up the crow with his Sankon Tessō, sending the boy falling into the river. Kagome quickly saves the boy by jumping into the river and swimming and retrieving the boy, shocking the villagers who apparently have never seen someone swim before.

Sacred Jewel Breaks — The Shikon no Tama shatters

The crow reassembles itself and flies off and Kagome notices one of the crow's feet is still attached to the boy. Kagome attaches the foot to an arrow and shoots the crow, knowing the foot will directly guide the arrow to the crow. The arrow, however, hits the jewel instead and shatters it, sending hundreds of pieces flying off in different directions. Later, Kagome and Inuyasha look for the Jewel and when the head of the crow attempts to attack Kagome, Inuyasha slices it and finds a piece of the Shikon no Tama. Kagome realizes that she shattered it and informs Inuyasha of this who yells, "What did you say?!"

Characters in Order of Appearance[]

Kagome Higurashi
Sōta Higurashi (Appears in a flashback)
Mistress Centipede (Appears in a flashback)
Inuyasha
Kikyō (Appears in a flashback)
Kaede
Grandpa Higurashi (Appears in a flashback)
Ms. Higurashi (Appears in a flashback)
Shibugarasu (First appearance)
Kokichi
Rikichi

Music[]

Opening Theme — CHANGE THE WORLD — TV OST Vol. 1
Kagome recaps last episode — Dilemma (Kyūchi) — TV OST Vol. 1
InuYasha tries attacking Kagome — Attack (Shūgeki) — TV OST Vol. 1
Villagers rebuild, InuYasha waits for Jewel — Searching for the Shikon no Tama (Shikon no Tama o Motomete) —TV OST Vol. 1
Flashback to Kagome fending off centipede — Evil Spirits Desiring the Shikon no Tama (Shikon no Tama o Nerau Chimimōryō) — TV OST Vol. 1
Kagome eats and InuYasha sits next to her — Osuwari! — TV OST Vol. 1
Bandit corpse tries attacking Kagome — Fang Sword, Tessaiga (Kiba no Ken Tessaiga) — TV OST Vol. 1
Crow leaves body, flies off with jewel — Evil Spirits Desiring the Shikon no Tama (Shikon no Tama o Nerau Chimimōryō) — TV OST Vol. 1
InuYasha slashes crow, Kagome saves child from water — Fight to the Death (Shitō) — TV OST Vol. 1)
Kagome realizes that the Shikon no Tama is fragmented — Attack (Shūgeki) — TV OST Vol. 1
Ending Theme — My Will — TV OST Vol. 1

Notes[]

In the English dub, the Crow Demon (through the bandit chief) tells Kagome to give it the "Oni Jewel". This is a mistake in choice of words; "Oni" is the Japanese term for "ogre", and the Shikon Jewel would be more accurately referred to as the "yōkai ("demon") jewel", because its powers are sought by demons.
We learn from Kagome that she took swimming lessons.
Despite being severely wounded in the previous episode, Kagome's shirt is ripped open, but there is no longer a wound.
Appearance of the first Shikon Shard.

Differences from the manga[]

In the anime, Inuyasha's attempt to steal the Shikon Jewel is extended to include scenes of the villagers attempting to ward him off, as well as a scene on a bridge where Inuyasha inevitable falls through and into a river after Kagome tells him to sit.
In the anime, the Crow Demon watches Kagome from a tree with a murder of crows, whereas in the manga it watches Kagome from a window alone.
The fight with the bandit boss is quite different in the anime. In the manga, the bandit boss is visibly drunk, and first forcibly steals the Shikon Jewel from Kagome before trying to kill her. Kagome also attempts to defend herself with a spear. In the anime, however, the fight with the bandit boss is extended to include the destruction of the abandoned building, as well as Kagome tossing the Shikon Jewel outside to keep it out of the bandit boss's reach. The bandits also refer to Kagome as their boss after she helps them many times over, and escape from the building without her. None of this occurs in the manga.
In the manga, when the crow demon transformed, it looked considerably different than in the anime. It appeared to be a serpent with wings rather than an actual bird.
In the anime, during their chase of the crow demon, Inuyasha, irritated that Kagome can't use a bow properly, leaves her behind to chase after it himself. This leads to the scene with the stolen boy ending up much different than the manga. The anime version has the boy falling into a river and Kagome saving him, whereas there is no river present in the manga.