Sengoku Youko – Season 1 Episode 8 Recap & Review

Mystic swordsman

Sengoku Youko Episode 8 begins with a new day after Shakugan’s death. Shinsuke is furious. The Kagomori arrives, and Tama asks for a place to stay the night. The Kagomori directs them to a hut across the river. In the hut, Shinsuke seems to be talking to himself. Shinsuke hears a little boy begging his sister not to be sacrificed to the Kagomori. Shinsuke sets out to kill the Kagomori, against Tama’s will.

Shinsuke finds the Kagomori getting killed. Resshin appears and a battle between Shinsuke and Resshin ensues. Shinsuke is outskilled by Resshin but soon finds himself falling into a trance right before Resshin can strike him down. The spirit of Arabuki tries to subdue him, but Shinsuke asserts his authority over Arabuki, claiming the swordsman controls the sword and not the other way around.

Shinsuke regains consciousness and swiftly cuts off Resshin’s arm. Resshin regrows his arm and unleashes a Goushinten. Shinsuke retaliates and delivers several punches to Resshin’s face. Just then, The Kagomori arrives and takes down Resshin. As Shinsuke raises his sword to kill Resshin, Shakuyaku’s thoughts stop him. A piece representing Yazen floats up commanding Resshin to retreat.

While leaving, a villager expresses his fears knowing the Kagomori has been killed. Shinsuke tells him to quit whining and protect the village. Later that night, Shinsuke expresses his intentions to continue the journey as he wishes to get stronger. They agree on a common goal to end the Dangaisu.

The next day they continue their journey and come up against two Tengu. The Mountain Goddess escorts them, claiming she is on their side. She takes them to a cave in the mountains for a chat. Meanwhile, Jinun and Senya arrive at the passage, and the Tengu oppose them. Senya uses his powers to slice them down.

The Episode Review

In this episode, we see a major shift in Shinsuke’s demeanour. Shakugan’s death impacts him severely, leading to the development and manifestation of a mixture of emotions. From all this, one thing is for certain: he hates the Dangaisu more than ever and also sets a common goal with Tama and Jinka.

On their journey, they enter a village that is being protected by the Kagomori. Shinsuke overhears a boy begging his sister not to be the sacrifice. Shinsuke sets out to kill the Kagomori and administer justice. He displays heightened skills when facing Resshin instead and also defeats him in the process. Shinsuke has come a long way in mastering the demon sword.

Towards the end of the episode, we see a new development where the trio unexpectedly meets the Mountain goddess who takes them under her wings. It’ll be interesting to watch what unfolds from here.