Ep 87. Kikyo's Lonely Journey

Kikyo's Lonely Journey is the 87th episode of the animated show Inuyasha's fourth season. This episode begins with a sorrowful Kikyo, a priestess who was previously in love with Inuyasha, walking through the forest. Kikyo is shown to be in a reflective mood, pondering over past events and the choices she has made in her life. She reminisces about her days as a young priestess and the times when she and Inuyasha were in love.

Kikyo's travels take her to a village that is surrounded by a powerful barrier. Kikyo surmises that the barrier is caused by demons and decides to investigate the village. The villagers are initially fearful of Kikyo, but as soon as she reveals that she is a priestess, they become friendly and welcome her. The villagers recount tales of how they have been suffering from attacks by demons, causing them to erect the barrier around the village to protect themselves.

Kikyo decides to help the villagers and sets out to find the source of the problem. She eventually discovers that the demons' leader is actually a dark priestess who is using the villagers as a sacrifice to increase her power. Kikyo is determined to put an end to this and battles with the dark priestess. The battle is fierce, but Kikyo emerges victorious, and the demons are banished from the village.

With her job done, Kikyo prepares to leave the village, but not before a little girl comes up to her and passes on a bunch of flowers. The little girl thanks Kikyo for her help and begs her not to leave, but Kikyo gently explains that it is not possible as she has a duty to fulfill and must continue to travel. Overcome with emotion, the little girl starts crying, but Kikyo consoles her and promises that she will protect the village from the demons and maintain peace for the greater good.

The episode concludes with Kikyo walking away, leaving the village behind, with the flowers in her hand. Her mind is filled with thoughts about the futility of life and the continuation of pain, which she has to bear. She hopes that one day, she will find peace.

Kikyo's Lonely Journey is a poignant episode that showcases Kikyo's character development. It also highlights the themes of sacrifice, duty, and the inevitability of pain in life. The episode is well paced with excellent animation and sound design. The battles are dynamic, and the emotional scenes are impactful. Overall, this episode is a testament to the quality of storytelling in the Inuyasha series.