Inu-Ou

After diving for an ancient sword in the waters where the battle of Dan-no-ura was fought and the Heike clan fell, Tomona loses both his sight and his father. Left with few options other than learning to play the biwa, Tomona gains enough skill to join a prestigious troupe of storytelling performers and takes the name "Tomoichi."

Soon after, Tomoichi meets a strange person who finds joy in terrorizing others with his deformed appearance, but is surprised when the sightless storyteller treats him as an equal. The pair become fast friends and begin performing together after the stranger—who chooses the name "Inu-Ou"—discovers that he is able to hear spirits telling forgotten tales of the Heike clan.

Tomoichi changes his name again to Tomoari and uses his music to promote Inu-Ou's underground dance performances, achieving incredible popularity among the masses. However, the brazen and unconventional style they develop challenges traditions that the shogunate values deeply. As the pair's fame continues to increase, they must contend with the forces of tradition that control the society around them.

[Written by MAL Rewrite]

Inu-Ou Main

Avu-chan Japanese

Tomona Main

Moriyama, Mirai Japanese

Tomona's Mother Supporting

Edamoto, Moe Japanese

Hino, Nariko Supporting

Matsuoka, Misato Japanese

Fujiwaka Supporting

Yoshinari, Shoutarou Japanese

Inu-Oh's Mother Supporting

Mori, Nanako Japanese

Taniichi Supporting

Gotou, Yukihiro Japanese

Inu-Oh's Father Supporting

Tsuda, Kenjirou Japanese

Tomona's Father Supporting

Matsushige, Yutaka Japanese

Teiichi Supporting

Yamamoto, Kensho Japanese

Yodo, Akiko Producer

Sakita, Kouhei Producer

Takeuchi, Fumie Producer

Yuasa, Masaaki Director

Reviews

Jun 30, 2022

HannahFantasia

Recommended

Sat next to the director himself while watching it at Annecy 2022.

INU-OH is an absolute masterpiece on it's own. While Yuasa is becoming more orthodox with his art style which does not bother me but leaves me with an odd aftertaste, it does not take away the fact that he can still make fantastic movies.

What really helps to watch this film is to absolutely not watch it at home on a laptop if you have the means not to! It is a musical, a concert and theater show at once. The totals, medium close ups and visual effects are deliberately chosen to compliment that style ... of storytelling. INU-OH is an absolutely progressive film with two characters going through their mental and physical transition. Choosing between what is right and what is wrong.

A big 10 for sure.
Again, watch it in a cinema, your laptop or TV will not hold up to a true festival film.

Reviewer’s Rating: 10

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Jun 27, 2022

ichin

Recommended

Inu ou can be a very good movie if you go into it with an open mind.

I watched it a year ago at the Venice Biennale. It was the only Japanese animated entry of the festival, which happened to screen somewhat close to where I lived. I went there just to see it thinking that no matter what, even if I wouldn't get the story at least I would let my eyes feast on what looked like the next great feat of animation, provided by such an indie and original studio as SCIENCE SARU, known for jewels like Devil Man Cry Baby and later ... Heike Monogatari.

What I got was the complete opposite.
Even if I didn't get it completely, the story was heartrendingly beautiful and well executed, while the animation.. well I would not have paid the full ticket just for that. No Makoto Shinkai level of detail for sure, but not even the elegance seen in previous features like the Night is Short.
It has a gritty, almost dirty, yet precise style that nevertheless manages to perfectly portray the vibe of a story revolving around the poor and outcast. Realistic and vibrant, with uncensored sweat and spit and bodily hair which is pretty refreshing to see in the contemporary hyper-idealised anime landscape. The character design and the action is great, bold, intense.
What did not sit with me was the conspicuous use of frame recycling. There were many instances where the scene is exactly the same and just the color or the context change, while the animation goes in a loop.
But allow me a little digression. I need to mention how this anime is, first and foremost, a musical. It is a story told almost entirely through musical lines, like a biwa player singing in the streets used to do.
There is an incredible amount of time (like 10+ minutes) in multiple sections throughout the movie dedicated to the full development of a song, which makes it feel as if you were really witnessing a rock concert in real time. The music the two protagonists craft with just their voice and a biwa pimped to electric guitar has a visceral, universal allure that will probably make you hum the lyrics while clapping your hands to the beat. If you like festival folk music you'll have a blast and will be avle to grasp what I think is the most important message in the movie: how the power of music and art unites people through the ages, through their differences, through their struggle against society and against fate.
Just like the development of the folklore fairytale it is based upon, the story and the music in this movie go through a repetition with variations scheme until they gradually reach a climax. It's an elementary old way of treading a story, something I only remember hearing in my grandparents bedtime stories or some Grimm Brothers. Not the kind you'd expect in an anime. Which is probably what makes Inu Ou a unique viewing experience.
I deeply appreciated this decision to honor the forgotten ways, but to come back to my point, I still felt like I was being cheated on a bit in terms of the looping animation. Was it laziness, lack of finances or time? Or was it done on purpose for full coherence in all facets of the medium? In that case I could accept it, as radical and weird as it feels.

In all other aspects Inu Ou is successfully fleshing out character dynamics and their ambitions, the clashes within society and the politics of that historical period that so often tend to blend into myth.
More than anything, it reveals how magic is intimately connected to human psychology and spirituality.
And that sometimes, what originates a legend is the sheer energy turned sacrality of certain extraordinary instants we live in our ordinary life.

Reviewer’s Rating: 8

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Aug 21, 2022

beargolfer

Mixed Feelings

Just saw this in theaters, and I'm not sure if I can call this good or not. I won't make this horribly long, just sharing the vibes of it.

First off, I cannot overstate just how fantastic this film was from an artistic standpoint. Whenever there's a music number (that's right babey, this is a musical), I was absolutely entranced. Mirai Moriyama and Avu-chan absolutely killed it, their performances sucked me into this underdeveloped story more than they should have. Side note, I think it's hilarious that the professional dancer voices the singer character and vice versa? The animation and choreography had the messiness that Yuasa ... is known for, and it worked perfectly for the rock-inspired songs. I was a bit frustrated when scenes reused the same piece of animation four times in a row, but that's my only major gripe visually.

"Why is this a 6/10 then? " Well, you see, the story was barely there. I felt as if it needed more time to show us the main characters were friends, to show us how much time had passed outside of "this character's hair grew". Everything just went so fast and I walked out of the theater feeling empty, wishing that there were maybe 15 more minutes and maybe a different ending.

I would never call this film good, honestly, but it was a damn fun time and I don't regret seeing it. If you're not too hung up on a film having a loose/unsatisfying plot and just want to see some crazy Queen-esque songs with cool animation? Go for it.

Reviewer’s Rating: 6

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	Poll: Inu-Ou Episode 1 Discussion DatRandomDude - Aug 19, 2022	27 replies	by aestroyd »» Aug 28, 8:36 AM
	watching at 5am helps with immersing mydaddy - Jan 13, 2023	5 replies	by TeeRaySays »» Dec 12, 2023 8:33 PM
	Inu-Oh is finally available for streaming after a long wait! S0UVIK - Dec 21, 2022	3 replies	by TheFlyingOrange »» Apr 17, 2023 7:57 PM
	Inu-oh is nominated for Best Animated Feature at the Golden Globes! DatRandomDude - Dec 12, 2022	4 replies	by ZXEAN »» Jan 24, 2023 7:12 AM
	Where can i watch this Pink_Chipmunk - Aug 15, 2022	9 replies	by UltimateKai »» Dec 19, 2022 2:44 AM