3000 Leagues in Search of Father is the one hundred forty-third episode of the InuYasha anime.
Synopsis[]
- Hakudōshi continues to behead more and more demons in his search for the border between this world and the next, leading to many headless demons to be causing chaos throughout the land.
- Inuyasha and his friends meet a young otter demon named Kanta whose father has also been beheaded, with the hopes of reattaching his head to bring him back to life.
- However, they are too late, and Kanta's father's body has been destroyed; luckily, he is saved by Sesshōmaru and Tenseiga and describes where he was while he was beheaded: a land shrouded in white mist, with many bones strewn about.
- Inuyasha and Kagome realize that the place that Kanta's father is describing is the grave of Inuyasha's father.
Summary[]
Inuyasha, Kagome, Sango, Shippō and Miroku come to a small village. They see that the villagers are gathering and talk about something. Suddenly, Miroku spots two women and flirts with one of them. And as always, Sango gets angry and pulls his ear. then, the villagers explain that they were being attacked by a headless demon. The companions follow the wake of destruction the demon has left and arrive in time to save a young otter demon from being trampled by the headless monster rampaging through the forest.
Kanta
The young otter demon, Kanta tells a story of how a young boy, wearing all white, astride a demon horse, came and beheaded his father. The head flew into the river and was swept away. Kanta chased the head, but when he returned could not find the body of his father.
Realizing that Hakudōshi must be the boy the otter spoke of, the companions discuss what Hakudōshi's plan might be.
Meanwhile, Hakudōshi sits, surrounded by the demon heads he has collected. He peers into the eyes of demons, but seems displeased by what he sees - or does not.
Rin and Jaken sit by a campfire. Sesshōmaru overlooks a valley and wonders what disturbs Tenseiga.
A headless demon attacks a village. The arrow- and spear-ridden body collapses at Sesshōmaru's feet. Inuyasha and companions arrive, and the young otter, Kanta tries to re-attach his father's head to its body, but it appears to be too late.
Kagome asks Sesshōmaru to heal the otter demon with his sword, but he walks away. Shippō pleads with Sesshōmaru on behalf of his new friend. Sesshōmaru begins to leave again, but Tenseiga pulses, and Sesshōmaru draws his blade and cuts away the emissaries of the afterlife, healing the demon at his feet.
The now recovering demon tells them of a misty, white place he saw, with giant bones clad in armor. Sesshōmaru departs, wondering if the misty land is related to his own quest.
As the gang move on, Miroku and Sango wonder about the place of white mist and whether Hakudōshi knows about it. They are shocked when InuYasha says he thinks he has been there. Kagome realizes that he is thinking the same thing she is, that it is the Border of the Afterlife; the grave of Inuyasha's Father.
Characters in Order of Appearance[]
Music[]
- Opening Theme — One Day, One Dream — Best of Inuyasha II
- Recap of episode 142 — Hakudōshi — TV OST Vol. 3
- Miroku volunteers to help, villagers talk about a demon that terrorized them — Please Bear My Child… (Watashi no Ko wo…) — TV OST Vol. 3
- Headless demon chases child, Inuyasha kills it — Fang Sword, Tessaiga (Kiba no Ken Tessaiga) — TV OST Vol. 1
- Kanta recalls playing with their father — One Day in the Village (Mura no Ichi Nichi) — TV OST Vol. 1
- Hakudōshi kills Kanta’s father — The Disaster at Mount Hakurei (Hakureizan no Ihen) — TV OST Vol. 3
- Hakudōshi uses the demon heads to look for his destination — Hakudōshi — TV OST Vol. 3
- Kanta says their father can still be saved — Shōki — TV OST Vol. 2
- Sesshōmaru’s Tenseiga wants to be used — Tsubaki the Dark Miko (Kuromiko Tsubaki) — TV OST Vol. 2
- Inuyasha smells Kanta’s father’s body — Inuyasha’s Metamorphosis (Hengeshita Inuyasha) — TV OST Vol. 2
- Sesshōmaru appears and refuses to say why he is there — Demon Brother Sesshōmaru (Yōkei Sesshōmaru) — TV OST Vol. 1
- Kanta cries and Shippō pleads with Sesshōmaru to save the father — Pure Shards (Yasashisa no Kakera) — TV OST Vol. 3
- Sesshōmaru’s sword calls for him again, he kills the underworld demons — Demon Charm (Yōen) — TV OST Vol. 1
- Kanta’s father wakes up — Beautiful Memories (Utsukushii Omoide) — TV OST Vol. 2
- Kanta’s father recalls what he saw while he was dead — Sign of Unrest (Fuon na Kehai) — TV OST Vol. 1
- Kanta and his father bid goodbye to Inuyasha’s group — Searching for the Shikon no Tama (Shikon no Tama o Motomete) — TV OST Vol. 1
- Inuyasha and Kagome know where the border of the afterlife is — Sign of Unrest (Fuon na Kehai) — TV OST Vol. 1
- Ending Theme — Come — Best of Inuyasha II
Notes[]
- This episode marks the second and third time a character has been mistaken for a raccoon dog. Inuyasha thought Kanta was a raccoon dog and Kanta thought Shippō was a raccoon dog.
- This is the only episode to depict Shippō's father when he was alive.
- At one point, Miroku states that Sesshōmaru would be unable to use Tenseiga, as he does not possess a caring heart, possibly in an attempt to goad Sesshōmaru into using it to revive Kanta's father. However, Sesshōmaru bluffs by agreeing with Miroku and confirms that this is indeed the case, despite knowing full well that he has already used it twice before to revive both Jaken and Rin on separate occasions, as well as Goshinki's head on a third occasion. Sesshōmaru most likely lies in order to avoid being manipulated into helping Inuyasha's friends, as Naraku has pointed out that Sesshōmaru despises doing the bidding of others.
- The title of this episode is based on the 1976 anime 3000 Leagues in Search of Mother, which was directed by future Studio Ghibli icon Isao Takahata.