Episode 135 - The Last Banquet of Miroku's Master
In a remote mountain temple, a solitary monk pours over scrolls on a stormy night. Unwelcome visitors -- Kagura and Naraku’s evil infant, interrupt his devotions. On a sunny hillside overlooking Kaede’s village, Inuyasha and the gang enjoy leisure time when Hachimon the Tanuki, Miroku’s vassal, arrives bearing terrible news. Mushin, Miroku‘s foster father and mentor, is gravely ill. Hachimon witnessed the old man having a terrible attack. Careless about his health, Miroku and Hachimon both fear Mushin’s end is coming soon! Miroku travels back to the temple of his youth accompanied by his friends. When they arrive, they find Mushin engaged in his favorite activity -- consuming mass quantities of sake. Asking about his health, Mushin replies he’ll be “happy when he’s dead” and staggers off drunkenly. Next morning the gang is quiet and reflective. The only one unmoved by the situation is Inuyasha, who can’t believe everyone is moping around. Although irritating, his comments inspire Miroku, Sango and Kagome -- rather than mourn Mushin after he’s dead, they decide to make Mushin happy before he dies. Over morning tea, the group offers their services to Mushin for whatever he wants them to do. Unable to resist the bargain, Mushin puts everyone to work, including a conscripted Inuyasha! The first chore is clean the temple. The next task is laundry. The third chore is entertaining: Mushin wants to have a banquet. Later, when Kagome recaps the things they’ve done for Mushin, he hints he’d like to have some very special sake to drink. The unique sake is distilled by yokai on a distant mountain. Mushin’s wish is Miroku’s command so Miroku and his companions set off to find the rare nectar. Their errand is plagued by doubt. Just as the trip seems pointless, Sango spots the mountain: if it’s real, so is the sake! Reaching the summit, the team is overwhelmed by a mysterious, demonic fog. Wary, Inuyasha warns everyone to be on guard. Anxiety and toxic smog smother the group, until Kagome shatters the tense silence by bursting into song. Her solo performance escalates into a trio when she is joined by Hachimon and Shippo (transformed into two more Kagomes). Perplexed, Miroku deduces that the fog is made from sake and everyone who breathes it becomes intoxicated. Sango then staggers out of the haze giggling madly, and stumbles purposefully towards Inuyasha. She flings her arms around him, flirting with him shamelessly. Inuyasha squirms pathetically trying to escape Sango’s clutches with no success as Miroku and the Kagome chorus line gawk in horror. Kagome finally regains enough of herself to hammer Inuyasha with a string of angry ‘sit‘ commands, adding injury to insult. Fed up with the nonsense, Miroku releases his Kazaana and sucks up the toxic fog. When the mist clears, the team spots five little yokai cowering behind a rock. The team has found the brewers of the demon sake. Miroku returns to the temple with Mushin’s prized sake. Enjoying his gift, Mushin and Miroku reminisce about the past. Miroku looks away, reflectively. When he looks back, Mushin is motionless, his eyes are closed and a cup of unfinished sake drops from his lifeless hand. Frantically, Miroku tries to revive the elder with no success. Miroku tearfully embraces his foster father -- until he hears Mushin’s soft snore. The old man is dead all right, dead drunk! Later, Miroku and company learn Mushin wasn’t dying after all: Hachimon saw an accident and jumped to the wrong conclusion! The good news is the old fellow has lots of life left: the bad news is everyone else did a lot of hard work! Back at the isolated monastery, the demon baby is probing the old monk’s heart. Like Inuyasha and his companions, Kagura and the infant also search for clues to the last Shikon fragment’s location.
