Episode 127 - Don't Boil! The Horror Dried Youkai
Naraku has vanished with most of the Shikon Jewel but the whereabouts of the last missing shard eludes him and everyone else. Taking advantage of the lull, Kagome returns home with a gift for the family: a package of 'hoshimono' (dried food) gathered back in the feudal era. Kagome settles back quickly into the comforts of home but she’s preoccupied with thoughts of Inuyasha. When she left him, he was acting too nice and it worries her. Her troubled thoughts evaporate when Kagome arrives at school the next morning. The school is in a turmoil preparing for a cultural festival. Kagome's three friends, Eri, Yuka & Ayumi, browbeat Kagome into joining their festival committees: chorus, refreshments and the class play. Kagome is quickly over-whelmed by her new commitments. On the other side of the well, Inuyasha and the others wonder why Naraku kidnapped Kagome, and conclude that he can't find the last missing shard without her help. In a dank swamp, Naraku visits Mimiseri, a demon with powerful hearing. Naraku orders Mimiseri to listen for information about the jewel shard and keep him advised. While Naraku enlists another ally, Inuyasha, Miroku and Sango dolefully ponder their own options. It's a depressing scenario: Naraku has most of the jewel, Koga has two shards, and then there is the jewel shard that keeps Kohaku alive. Sango is troubled by Kohaku's fate if Naraku gets the last shard, but Inuyasha reassures her they'll succeed. Inuyasha then notices Shippo munching on something strange. It also draws Sango's attention. Disgusted, Sango snatches the snack away from Shippo, telling him it's bad for him and eating it may make him sick. Back in Tokyo, festival preparations are in full swing when tragedy strikes: the soloist for the chorus gets sick and Kagome is recruited to take her part. The school play's leading lady injures herself and Kagome must take on her role. Last, but not least, Kagome's kitchen chores become challenging. Pushed to the brink by stress, Kagome hides out on school's roof where she bumps into Hojo. As they chat Hojo confesses his crush on Kagome, but his declaration falls on non-existent ears -- Kagome left, abandoning Hojo as usual. After her break, Kagome resumes her festival duties with new enthusiasm, even sharing her special hoshimono with the refreshment committee. Meanwhile, Inuyasha runs out of patience and goes to pick up Kagome. At the Higurashi house, Grandpa is finding the hoshimono tough to chew and decides to boil it to make it tender. As the hoshimono bubbles away a hideous steam demon is released. Grandpa continues to read his paper, blissfully unaware of the threat. Inuyasha arrives in the kitchen just as the creature is about to pounce, clobbering the vaporous ghoul. Peace is restored to the Higurashi home until Kagome arrives from school and finds Inuyasha waiting for her. They pick up the threads of their usual argument and Kagome is relieved, happy Inuyasha is back to normal. Waiting back at the well, Shippo prepares to snack on hoshimono he's hidden from Sango. He heats it when the hoshimono explodes into a demon. Sango rescues Shippo from being eaten by his own snack, and confiscates the remainder of the hoshimono. Shippo confesses he got the stuff from Kagome: it was part of the dried food she took home with her. Sango, Miroku and Shippo peer down the well, wondering if Inuyasha will encounter hoshimono-related problems. In Tokyo, the school festival begins. The food is cooked, rehearsals are finished and kids are in costume. In the Home Economics room, a lone pot boils over, splattering hot water on Kagome's package of hoshimono. As the festival events heat up, so do the demon sealed within the hoshimono!
