Jaken's Plan To Steal The Tetsusaiga is the seventy-ninth episode of the InuYasha anime.
Synopsis[]
- Jaken, acting on his own accord, resolves to steal Inuyasha's Tessaiga, so that he might please his master, Sesshōmaru.
- After multiple failed attempts, Jaken is ultimately unable to steal the Tessaiga.
- Rin is abducted by Kagura.
Summary[]
At night with a crimson moon, Kagura is seen departing from Naraku's castle, seemingly under orders as she is not too happy.
Elsewhere, Rin's stomach growled and Sesshōmaru instructs her to find food; she complies happily. To ensure her safety, Jaken and A-Un are sent with her. Rin wonder how far they'll go, infuriating Jaken as they obviously have to keep going until they find food. Taking notice of the crimson color of the moon, Jaken remembers the Tessaiga becoming that color and cutting through the barrier of the Panther yōkai. Believing his master will be in danger if he continues to let Inuyasha keep Tessaiga, Jaken informs Rin he will prove to her just how useful he is to their Lord.
The next day, Inuyasha's group is playing Rock-Paper-Scissors, with Miroku and Sango losing. Miroku laments losing, blaming his cursed hand for his losing, but then thinks Sango purposely loses to stay with him. She quickly corrects him and they continue the game, with Miroku constantly thinking the others may cheat. Jaken, a short distance away, summons No-man, a demon born from the regrets of humans. he instructs the demon to steal Inuyasha's precious treasure and laughs in joy. The demon creates a smokescreen and robs everyone but Inuyasha, leaving the sword behind. Kagome notices the jewel shards have been taken, meaning serious trouble. No-man presents the items he stole to Jaken, but is scolded for not getting the sword; he leaves to correct his mistake.
No-man tries making another smokescreen, but is caught. After being repelled by the Tessaiga, he gives everything back and leaves in peace. Jaken takes notice and rages that his plans are backfiring. He catches fire and runs off a cliff. Kagome hears his screams, but is told she's just imagining things. Rin goes to Jaken and asks how he is, only to be sent away in anger. Rin washes A-Un and decides to pick flowers.
A short while later, Jaken has set up a false sharpener business to take Tessaiga. He cleverly burns an incense to cover his scent to prevent his ruse from being discovered. However, because he offered his sharpening services for free, Kagome, Sango, Miroku and Shippō take him up on the off, leaving the Hiraikotsu, Kagome's arrows, Shippō's spinning top and Miroku's staff behind to get sharpened while they take a walk. Annoyed, Jaken decides that if he sharpens the weapons to perfection, Inuyasha may want to have his sword worked on as well; he gets to work, fervently going about his business.
Come sunset, everyone has returned, but Jaken has worked himself to sleep. Inuyasha indeed wishes he left his sword behind, but since it would be rude to wake him, they leave a "Thank You" note behind and cover Jaken with his mat. Awakening soon after, Jaken throws a fit over another failed plan and decides to use a magic talisman to create a hot spring to distract Inuyasha.
That night, everyone is tired from their day of walking and wish for a way to relax. They find Jaken's hot spring and the girls, plus Shippō, immediately bathe. Jaken is annoyed, thinking Inuyasha (like dogs) hates bathing; however, upon hearing the compliment about his sharpening skills and regrets, however, that he did not give him the Tessaiga to sharpen. Jaken decides to pose as the sharpener again. However, Inuyasha and Miroku take their turn in the spring, making Jaken abandon his disguise. Jaken runs to the Tessaiga and is first repelled by the barrier but then he wraps it in the Robe of the Fire-Rat and can transport it away. Rin, however, flies with A-Un over the group's camp to Jaken, so that Inuyasha realizes that someone from Sesshōmaru's group must be present. Sango follows A-Un while Inuyasha and Miroku get dressed again. When Sango arrives at the fugitives, Jaken throws Tessaiga to Rin and tells her to bring it to Sesshōmaru. Sango wants Kirara to chase A-Un, but Jakens stops her with the staff of two heads. Inuyasha and the others arrive and Inuyasha demand the return of his sword. Jaken is luckily saved when Rin returns and pulls him onto A-Un, though she drops the sword in the process. Kagome is surprised that Sesshōmaru is obviously having a relationship with a human girl, but nobody but her has noticed. As Sesshōmaru wasn't around. They all believe Jaken did this on his own.
In a melon field elsewhere, Jaken is appalled that Rin threw Tessaiga away again, but he is also happy that Rin when he remembers she came back out of concern for him and he realizes that he is important to her and if she hadn't came back he would've been punished by Inuyasha. Just then Kagura appears in the field and kidnaps Rin, taking her off into the night sky. Jaken calls out Rin's name in terror, knowing his master will pound him in anger for letting this happen.
Characters in Order of Appearance[]
- Sesshōmaru
- Inuyasha
- Izayoi (Appears in a flashback)
- Kagura
- Rin
- Jaken
- Panther King (Appears in a flashback)
- A-Un
- Shippō
- Kagome Higurashi
- Sango
- Miroku
- Muotoko (First appearance)
- Bikuni (First appearance) (Appears in a flashback)
Music[]
- Opening Theme — Owarinai Yume — TV OST Vol. 3
- Jaken speaks of Sesshōmaru’s greatness — Demon Brother Sesshōmaru (Yōkei Sesshōmaru) — TV OST Vol. 1
- Jaken recalls Inuyasha’s Red Tessaiga — Shōki — TV OST Vol. 2
- Inuyasha’s group play a game with each other — Osuwari! — TV OST Vol. 1
- Fog envelops Inuyasha’s group, Kagome’s jewel shards are gone — Sign of Unrest (Fuon na Kehai) — TV OST Vol. 1
- Jaken recalls his days as his group’s leader — Ryūkotsusei Resurrected (Yomigaeru Ryūkotsusei) — TV OST Vol. 2
- Jaken decides to follow Sesshōmaru — Demon Brother Sesshōmaru (Yōkei Sesshōmaru) — TV OST Vol. 1
- Kagome recommends they let go of the demon if he gives back their possessions — The Hidden Well to the Sengoku Era (Kakushi Ido kara Sengoku Jidai e) — TV OST Vol. 1
- Inuyasha’s group gives Jaken their weapons to polish — Swordsmith, Tōtōsai (Katanakaji Tōtōsai) — TV OST Vol. 2
- Jaken creates a water stream — Inuyasha’s Metamorphosis (Hengeshita Inuyasha) — TV OST Vol. 2
- Shippō and Kagome bathe, Jaken tries to get the sword — Light-Hearted Beat (Dokidoki Ukiuki) — TV OST Vol. 1
- Jaken tells Rin to deliver the Tessaiga to Sesshōmaru — Fight to the Death (Shitō) — TV OST Vol. 1
- Kagome and Jaken both wonder why Sesshōmaru has a human girl with him — Searching for the Shikon no Tama (Shikon no Tama o Motomete) — TV OST Vol. 1
- Ending Theme — Every Heart — TV OST Vol. 3
Notes[]
- All of this episode but the last scene, where Kagura kidnaps Rin, is anime filler.
- It was probably for the better that Jaken's plan failed. Sesshōmaru had on several occasions made it clear that if he was ever going to claim the Tessaiga, he'd claim it personally and without resorting to trickery.
- Inuyasha's group is unusually proactive with attacking when they spot A-Un (believing Sesshōmaru was riding on it). It was clearly flying past them. In all past encounters, Sesshōmaru attacked quickly and without warning; though he had since stopped attacking them since acquiring Tōkijin. The last time they met (canonically to the manga; not counting the Panther Deva filler arc), Sesshōmaru only showed up to stop Inuyasha's rampage after his demon blood woke.
- When playing Rock-Paper-Scissors, the following techniques were named for each gesture;
- Rock= Iron-Reaver Soul-Stealer.
- Paper= Wind Tunnel.
- Scissors= Hiraikotsu.