Episode 4

Yura of the Demon-Hair is the fourth episode of the InuYasha anime series.

Synopsis[]

Inuyasha goes to the present through the Bone-Eater's Well to bring Kagome back.
Inuyasha and Kagome work together to destroy Yura.

Summary[]

Back in Kagome's time, it turns dark and Kagome tells her grandfather and her little brother, Sōta, about what happened to her for three days. Her mom doesn't believe it, however, Grandpa knows a thing or two about the Bone-Eater's-Well's history. To make sure it doesn't happen again, he seals the well up. Kagome dries her hair with a hair-dryer and notices that Grandpa had closed the well, to ensure that no more demons can come out of it. Kagome somehow doubts that. In Inuyasha's time he runs through the forest and picks up Kagome's scent and follows it to the well. He finds she has left her school clothes right by it and jumps into the well, believing she went back to her own time.

Meanwhile, Kagome is laying down on her bed with Buyo right by her resting. She wonders if she truly was back in feudal Japan. She then thinks back to her memories of it; Kaede telling her that she and Inuyasha must work together to get the shards and about her encounter with what Yura. She then recalls Inuyasha telling her to go home since he doesn't need her help. Kagome finally resolves to forget about it and just think of it all as a crazy dream. Her mom calls her down for dinner.

Inuyasha in Kagome's house — Inuyasha finds Kagome at her house

Sōta is worried the seals won't work on the well that Grandpa put on, but Grandpa assures him they work. Kagome doesn't pay attention as Grandpa assures them all that no more demons shall come out of the well. Just as she and her family begin to eat, Inuyasha barges in. Her family are speechless taking in his appearance. He then demands Kagome, "Who told you could go home?" Kagome asks him how he got there and he replies through the well. Grandpa tells him that the well has been sealed off, but Inuyasha tells him that they don't work holding up the seals. Inuyasha tells Kagome she has to go back with him to the well and back to his time to find the shards. As Kagome's mother begins to play with his ears asking if they are real, Kagome notices a hair is over his shoulder, which Inuyasha can't see. The hair moves in Kagome's hand and she realizes that only she and Kaede can see the hair.

She goes to the well and notices more hair coming out of it. Kagome guesses that the hair followed Inuyasha back to her time to finish them off. Kagome finds the main hair that controls it all coming from the well. Kagome puts her hand to show the blood flowing on it and Inuyasha cuts it. Kagome knows Yura still has the shard but wonders what she wants to do with her and Inuyasha. Kagome makes up her mind and wants to go back to protect her family from further harm. Inuyasha lends his kimono over her head and tells her it's made of the hair of the fire-rat and it'll give her protection for the time being. She quietly thanks him, but Inuyasha insults her telling her that she looks even weirder and that if she were stronger she wouldn't even need it.

Inuyasha and Kagome jump back into the well to return to Feudal Japan. They see strands of Yura's hair all over the forest, and find the corpses of dead men from the village who have had their heads cut off by Yura. As they continue through the forest they are attacked by huge strands of hair. Kagome acts as Inuyasha's eyes and tells him where the attacks are coming from. Suddenly the hair gets a hold of Inuyasha and they find a giant hairball. Yura appears and taunts Inuyasha for being a half-demon and she shows him the shards she has collected. She uses a comb to create more hair to tie Inuyasha from moving and she comments on his silver hair but is disappointed to see all the split ends he has. Yura draws her sword from underneath him and slashes him in the side of his body. Kagome shoots an arrow in front and demands her to let Inuyasha go. She fires again, almost hitting Inuyasha causing him to demand to watch where she shoots, but the third arrow shoots into the hairball and destroys it causing skulls to spill from it.

Sword of yura — Yura's sword against Inuyasha

Yura attacks Kagome with a fire attack which she assumes will reduce Kagome to ashes, but she is protected due to Inuyasha's kimono. Inuyasha attacks Yura with his Blades of Blood, which cuts out her right wrist, but she throws out her hand and stabs him through the shoulder. Inuyasha then pierces Yura's chest to get the pouch; also for insulting him for being a half-demon with half-power. Kagome, meanwhile, climbs up the hairball and finds the red skull which happens to be the source of her power. Yura gets a hold her instead and asks why she isn't bleeding, unaware that the kimono is protecting her from harm. Yura decides to test her by putting a strain of hair around her neck, choking her in the process. Inuyasha then uses his Blades of Blood to cut the hair to free her, also making her fall. Inuyasha, however, catches her. Yura mocks them for their attempts to kill her, declaring herself immortal. But Kagome finally realizes that Yura does have a weakness; the red skull which keeps her alive. She then stabs the red skull, shattering it. Inside the broken skull is also a red comb that snaps, finally killing Yura. Both Kagome and Inuyasha realize that Yura was really a comb. Inuyasha believes that it was probably sentient and had powers as it was once used to comb the hair of the dead. The comb may have then became "Yura" after that.

Inuyasha asks Kagome where the shard is which they find in the remains of Yura. Inuyasha then calls Kagome by her name for the first time, surprising Kagome. But Inuyasha tells her that he still thinks she's "pretty worthless." Kagome, upset, tells him not to rely on her when he needs something slapping him on his back inflicting pain on Inuyasha from his wounds. Kagome then says that if he was in pain he should have said something to which Inuyasha responds, "Leave me alone!"

Kaede, still buried, remains waiting for Inuyasha and Kagome to return her back to the village. She then says out loud, "He better not have forgotten where he buried me!"

Characters in Order of Appearance[]

Yura
Kagome Higurashi
Kaede
Inuyasha
Grandpa Higurashi
Ms. Higurashi
Sōta Higurashi
Buyo
Mistress Centipede (Appears in a flashback)
Shibugarasu (Appears in a flashback)

Music[]

Opening Theme — CHANGE THE WORLD — TV OST Vol. 1
Grandpa Higurashi talks about the Bone Eater’s Well — Evil Spirits Desiring the Shikon no Tama (Shikon no Tama o Nerau Chimimōryō) — TV OST Vol. 1
Kagome lies in bed — Kagome and InuYasha — TV OST Vol. 1
InuYasha visits Kagome’s house — Osuwari! — TV OST Vol. 1
Yura’s hairs emerge from the well — Attack (Shūgeki) — TV OST Vol. 1
InuYasha and Kagome come across dead bandits — The Hidden Well to the Sengoku Era (Kakushi Ido kara Sengoku Jidai e) — TV OST Vol. 1
Yura traps InuYasha, he breaks free but is trapped again — Evil Spirits Desiring the Shikon no Tama (Shikon no Tama o Nerau Chimimōryō) — TV OST Vol. 1
Kagome fires arrow at Yura, another arrow pierces the large clump of hair — Sign of Unrest (Fuon na Kehai) — TV OST Vol. 1
Yura envelops Kagome in flames, InuYasha uses Blades of Blood — Fang Sword, Tessaiga (Kiba no Ken Tessaiga) — TV OST Vol. 1
Yura sees Kagome is still alive, she sees the red skull & tries cutting Kagome — Fight to the Death (Shitō) — TV OST Vol. 1
Kagome recovers the stolen shard — One Day in the Village (Mura no Ichi Nichi) — TV OST Vol. 1
Ending Theme — My Will — TV OST Vol. 1

Notes[]

Kagome still has the cut on her face from Yura.
The first time Inuyasha uses Blades of Blood.
This is the first time Inuyasha calls Kagome by her name
This is the last theme song featuring just the main characters. New recurring characters are added.
Yura's hair could travel through the well, while Sōta was unable in Episode 11. With the exception of Kagome and Inuyasha, only objects can pass.
This is the first time Kagome empowers a Sacred Arrow, which destroys Yura's nest.
This is the first time Inuyasha passes through the Bone-Eater's Well. Without the Shikon no Tama, or any of it's shards.

Differences from the manga[]

Yura's obsession with obtaining Inuyasha's silver hair is anime exclusive, though she does mention how wonderful it is in the manga.
The scene with Kagome peering at the sealed well, wondering if the world beyond will be okay, isn't present in the anime.
The entire page of Yura mentioning she's going to put a soul, likely her own, into something as she combs a skull is omitted in the anime.
In the manga, Inuyasha and Kagome are almost immediately attacked by Yura's hair after returning to the Warring States era.
In the manga, Yura uses her sword against Inuyasha primarily because her hair isn't able to cut him. This leads into a conversation where she introduces her blade, "Benigasumi", an oni blade that cuts only flesh and bone, not hair. Her blade is never mentioned by name or given an explanation in the anime.
In the anime, Kagome nearly hits Yura on her first try when she fires an arrow, whereas in the manga she fires two arrows that both end up tangled in Yura's nest of hair, causing the hair to disappear.
In the anime, Yura taunts Kagome by mentioning that, in comparison with Inuyasha's hair, Kagome's hair is nothing special, though she might as well take it as well.
In the manga, the deserting warriors are seen among the skulls, skin intact, whereas they have already become mere skulls in the anime.
After having her hand chopped off by Inuyasha's Hijin Kessō, she restores it with her hair in the anime, while it remains dismembered in the manga. Likewise, Inuyasha thrusting his hand through Yura's chest is much more graphic in the manga and results in Yura stabbing her blade into Inuyasha's hand instead of merely stepping on it.
When Inuyasha cuts Yura with her own blade in the anime, he cuts her in two, though she is immediately restored by her hair. The wound is not nearly as drastic in the manga.
The second time Inuyasha uses Hijin Kessō, he cuts off her other arm which loosens her hold on the hair strangling Kagome in the manga. On the other hand, in the anime, a barrage of his blades of blood cuts the hair.
Yura's existence as an oni isn't ever mentioned in the anime. Instead, Inuyasha explains that the red comb was a comb used to comb the hair of the dead, and probably took the form of Yura. Her soul being transferred into the comb being the reason she wouldn't die is manga exclusive.
Myōga appearing at the very end of the chapter is left out of the anime. Instead, Kaede is shown, still buried, stating that Inuyasha had better not have forgotten about her.