Musical fantasy film based on Hideo Furukawa's Heike Monogatari: Inu-Ou no Maki (Tales of the Heike:
Inu-Ou) novel.
Inu-Oh is born with unique physical characteristics. His parents cover every inch of his body with
garments, including a mask on his face. One day, Inu-Oh meets a blind boy named Tomona, a biwa player.
As Tomona starts to sing and play, Inu-Oh is amazed to discover he has an incredible ability to dance.
The two become inseparable. Tomona and Inu-Oh start sharing their talent with audiences. Their
performances quickly gain acclaim and draw crowds. But why is Tomona blind? Why was Inu-Oh born
looking like he does? A story about a legendary artist from 14th-century Japan, who defied fate to
forge his own destiny. An anime in the form of a rock operetta with spectacular music and dance
sequences.
(Source: Warsaw Film Festival)
Note: The film received an early premiere at the 78th Venice International Film Festival on
September 9, 2021.
img(https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/839734152470724661/1124783801772539914/Inu-oh-1080x608-3679573502.png) There are going to be reviews out there that compare Inu-Oh to Heike Monogatari, and this is on basis of source material alone. Both are based on the Heike periods of Japan, both have watercolor styling, and both are done by production studio Science SARU. These reviews are wrong. Inu-Oh has more in common with a street-side concert or a friend’s house party gig. It has more in common with a small venue and a loud local band that’s a few notches too loud; It has more in common with the street musician you pass by and almost think about giving a couple bucks. It's a psycho-sexual self-actualization amidst a culturally stagnant society, where putting your axe to the grindstone everyday for a shave you don't like is the only thing you do because you've been told to stay alive your whole life. “Staying alive”, what does that mean? It means to reveling in the endless passion of your feats, honing every ounce of spirit you can feel leaving your body, grabbing them and forcing them back into a purified essence that is true life. Not establishment, but self-actualization. Inu-Oh's rejection of normalcy comes in multiple ways. The rejection of gender, the rejection of stagnation, and the rejection of mundanity all at once. The rejection of a one-size-fits-all cookie cutter marries the acceptance of the ever-changing mold of our being. # ***“Here we are. You and me.”*** img(https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/839734152470724661/1124783802032603207/FZpzbnIXwAI913u-4049913916.jpg) No matter how big-armed or demon-faced or otherwise indescribably ugly you are, you must realize you are the only iteration of you that truly exists. Flaunt your big-ass gross-ass nasty-ass arm because people adore that. Is it normal? Far from it, and far be it for you to hide it any longer! What happens when society takes that same arm away from you? You grow it back. # ***“I hear it’s out of this world.”*** img(https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/839734152470724661/1124783802229731428/inu-oh-trailer-social-824411405.jpg) Organized society is old news. As long as we love others and love ourselves, that is true wealth. So says the overwhelming spirit of Inu-Oh. Inu-Oh is a ballad to the soul, a strike to the veins, and a performance of life. Why embrace tradition when you can embrace yourself instead? Everyone wants to be somebody, then embody that somebody. BE grisly, BE disheveled, BE unsightly, but above all, BE unreasonably you. Dare to be darkness in the light. # ***“Hey, you! Are you seeing this? Yeah, I’m seeing it, too!”*** img(https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/839734152470724661/1124783802460405890/Inuohmoviestill-492920079.jpg) This is our moment. Let it never be anything else than this. Let it never be the future or the past, let it be now. Inu-Oh laughs in the face of rules, mocking repeats them aloud, chews them up, and spits them out. It's not so much a portrayal of man’s evolution as much as men have always been this. Not just men, but conscious entities, the first of the globe, built with purpose and drive. We are the first creatures we know to completely wallow into ourselves. This world is an endless source of beauty that resounds against every establishment, every rule we’ve ever known, and it's irrevocably tragic how many of us will never realize our full potential. Those are the bounds of society, meant for guidelines but taken as rules, taken as the status quo. You are never taught to be yourself or to try something outside the box, you must discover that all by yourself. That is Inu-Oh. A creature born of something, some demonic force not meant to exist, but that exists anyways, and must cope with its reason for life. For Inu-Oh, it is a life of performance. For you, that may be something different. However, there’s always that looming ceiling above our heads. Conformity may want you to be something else; it may want you to revel in the disgusting, morphing, unsightly parts of yourself and critique them, instead of acknowledging the unique beauty of you, as no one else can be who you are. The combination, the sum of what makes you you is something that will never be replaced to such a specific degree so why care about fitting any mold? Wear makeup. Dance in the street. Scream your heart out. # ***“Sing, dance, and go wild.”*** / ***“Everything is fiction.”*** img(https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/839734152470724661/1124784378506129418/Screenshot_2023-07-01_at_1.31.23_PM.png) They will clip your branches, you will bleed, it will hurt to push forward. But keep playing. Playing is the ultimate rebellion. Everything is fiction, so act accordingly. If this film is a closing ceremony for Yuasa, there is not a better note to end on. It is what he's always done - broke the norm, stretched the envelope, rejected tradition. At the same time, while it may be a goodbye to himself, it's a hello to the new in the same breath. It’s a passing of the baton to new talent, to a promise of the future whilst acknowledging the past in a single brush stoke. Art is never over. Inu-Oh portrays the Heike as humanity, and Inu-Oh themself as its vassal, in form of an extravagant creative. Those who embrace themselves embrace the world. Let it never be otherwise. Let us perform our song. # ***“Here we are.”*** img(https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/839734152470724661/1124783802695303221/inu-oh_still_02-1024x512-2055651040.jpg) if you only perform it once, let it be yours. it's not all glory, there has to be pain. there must be. always. but that's okay. because you did indeed perform. because you did that yourself. and because you did it once, you'll do it for eternity. climb on the back of history and write yourself into it.
While Yuasa is a director who I have been somewhat mixed on, not in terms of his visuals (they are basically always gorgeous with Japan Sinks 2020 the exception), but moreso the overall emotional connection I have to his works and their narratives in general. Tatami Galaxy and Ping Pong I adore, for their respective stories on appreciating the life you have and on coming to terms with your place in life and sports and where you want to go with them. Plus, I really like Night is Short too but have more problems with it. However, I don't quite love Kaiba or Eizouken, as the former is too messy in my eyes for the emotions to fully land, and the latter just didn't do much for me in general but may need a rewatch. On top of these middle grounds, I hate Japan Sinks 2020 which I doubt I need to explain and Devilman Crybaby which I found morally hypocritical and unnecessarily shock-based. His work is capable of incredible highs, and rarely fails visually, yet narratively I don't always connect. As a result, I was aprehensive going into Inu-Oh because I was concerned the narrative and emotions would crumble for me. Ultimately, while the narrative was messy, I adored Inu-Oh, as the emotions still came through. Inu-Oh is an imperfect scream of passion. The film's pacing felt a bit off and occasionally lost my attention, the ending a bit abrupt, and the repeated animation and music a bit annoying and distracting. Yet, it is great in so many ways. Anyone who says Yuasa has been toned down in recent years and more commercialised is in my opinion not entirely wrong, though they downplay the worth of those stories and the formal genius still on display, plus the fact he still innovates and teaches. However, this is not withholding anything in my eyes, an absolute explosion of art. Formally pushing itself, with incredible shifts in art style, each as well considered and expressively raw as the last. It is very impressive how much Yuasa pushes the visuals in here, and how strong the sound design and passionate the vocals such as those by Avu-chan are etc. Not a return to form per se, but an exclamation that the form never left. Yet more than that too. Is it about art and making art? About finding your own path separate from your parents and the past? About the need for telling stories and the difficulties that come with that (and thus a nice bounce off of Yamada's companion piece of sorts)? Is it about finding your voice? About how many people and voices were drowned out in the past, and shouldn't be now; how the people alive today should let voices be heard? About marginalised communities? About the stories that are and aren't (or aren't allowed to be) told? About stories of the old and lost needing to be kept and new needing to be forged? About greed? As an expressive art piece about making art is it semi-autobiographical to Yuasa's recent works and changes in style? Is it about gender identity and identity in general? Is it about all these things and maybe more? Probably. Damn. >Here we are
This is an edited version of my past review, I wasn't feeling happy about it so I added things that felt important to me. Also this isn't spoiler free especially toward the end of the review so beware. Fuck society, standards, establishment, traditions and everything that binds you, just be who you are, do what you want and love people. That's what Inu-ou told me through these 1h37, supposedly a story about the heike it's actually closer to something like Shiori experience, even Macross 7 and it's going to break your expectations to pieces and build something even crazier with these pieces just like Yuasa knows how to do. We follow the story of tomona and Inu-Ou who stray off the path their life shoulda been established on. Tomona was meant to be a biwa priest and player the day he became blind and went on a journey. He changes his name throughout the movie, going from Tomona, his original name, to Tomoichi, the name he was given when he joined the biwa priests troupe and finally Tomoari, the name he chose . The troupe of biwa priests he was in is a group of blind and bald men who are under the authority of the shogunate, they are the symbol of traditionalism and authority . When Tomoichi becomes Tomoari he breaks these shackles, empancipates from the mold of traditionalism, revoke the authority, ignore the few priests who hates and criticize him because of the way he is and that's how he definitely becomes himself. He becomes a rockstar and rock is the perfect choice of music to fit his character, it breaks with the traditions and what has been established before, he wears make up, lipsticks, perfumes, extravagant clothes, very high okobos (the type of geta he wears I think), he even holds his biwa like a guitar. His performances are live spectacular shows outside with fire eaters, he becomes a real rockstar on stage taking off his clothes and throwing them, playing his biwa behind his head like Jimi Hendrix, jumping around, climbing on the bridge fence. I love the contrast between Tomona and the setting of the story he literally is a rockstar in feodal japan and that's what makes him so unique. He is fucking free and he does what he wants. Inu-Ou was not even supposed to exist, he isn't named, was living with the dogs, his hideous body hidden yet even destined to not exist, he forged ahead and did what he wants understanding that his uniqueness was what made him who he is. He actually was the most free person, he didn't have a name restraining him so he chose his own name and his destiny alongside it. Aware of his uniqueness and along Tomona he kept dancing, performing and singing under the name Inu-Ou in a unique way on the polar opposite of what "Noh" is, a very slow and elegant performance. He pulled up with crazy and impressive shows and used what makes him different to get the show to even higher skies, and people loved it because he is himself, he's the only one having a giant ass long arm and a scaly back He coulda hated everyone and everything considering is life but he didn't give a fuck, he loved and forgave everyone, even his father and did whatever he wanted without caring about what he was. That's why he could shine that brightly. Their performances are about lost Heike stories who are told by spirits to Inu-ou, which is something not to the pleasure of the current shogunate because Heike are products of a tumultuous past and the authority wants the control over it to bring order and unity. They don't give a fuck though, whether its the Heike spirits, Inu-ou or Tomona they play to their hearts content, have the best fun and best laughs, embrace everything they do to the utmost without caring about anything, they are here to keep the story of the Heike alive, even if they are banned and hated you can't forget about them because they were their own person too, and even if the shogunate will cut their branches, hurt them, threaten them, censor them, they keep playing because that's what they are about, never submitting, being who they are, they go crazy, sing like no one ever did before, perform biwa like no one has ever seen before, may it be called a bastardized or disgusting art, they don't care, they reject every tradition that tries to restrict them and they live fucking free. When Inu-Ou finishes a performance, if the spirits who keeps him cursed are rejoiced they leave happily and his curse gets lift off bit by bit. To me that's how Inu-Ou loses is uniqueness, he is slowly but surely conceding and fitting in the mold to the point where he accepts to lift his mask in the last performance, truly a grand finale but in my opinion that's when he finally gave up. After their immense finale performance, the shogunate bans and censor every new tale about the Heike and Inu-Ou that they didn't allow to be told. They banish, execute and strip the Tomoari's troupe of everything, they are erased, them and everything they did. Inu-Ou joins the shogunate but he isn't allowed to perform any of his Heike tales anymore. Though he was known as the most talented performer of his time, he was forgotten and Zeami had his name written down in history instead of him. However "Everything is fiction" and "That face is just another mask" that's what Inu-Ou says when he's dining with politicians and he will stay true to this up to the end. In one of the last scene while the shogun is telling him that he won't be performing anymore, that the Tomoari troupe is disbanded and that he won't be able to see Tomoari ever again, while he is bowing it's clear that he his in madness. So he chooses to perform his actual final show, he puts on a new mask and will perform up until he can meet Tomoari again. On the other side, Tomoari became Tomona again, he wasn't a biwa priest or a rockstar anymore and he gave up on the name he chose. He picked the name Tomona again, conceded to the hate and became what his father wanted him to be. He then kept singing his hate toward the shogunate instead of singing the life of Inu-Ou. But they'll meet again, two spirits whose story has since been forgotten. They'll perform again together with the name he gave himself and him without any mask, free to be who they are and free to do what they want. Fuck traditions and establishment, You are free to be who you want to be and do what you want to do. What makes this movie even better aside from what I said before, the visuals, animation etc is how it echoes with Yuasa's career as a director. As his most likely last directed show I feel like he conveyed all his feelings he had on his career in this movie, this man never gave a fuck about pre established standards he did things his own way, was criticized for it, hated, misunderstood, people tried to make him like everyone wants him to be, they tried to make him do what everyone wants to see but he didn't, he kept doing his things his way despite everything and now he is recognized. The direction is as great as Yuasa usually does, lots of frames are talking by themselves but my favourites are probably the scenes from the pov of Tomona's blind eyes, the way things slowly appears on the screen when he hears em because he originally know hows they look like since he isn't born blind or how he's not turning toward the fire on the scene where he's on the bridge with Inu-Ou. All the Inu-Ou performances were also crazy especially the last one that lasts for like 15min and is just splendid. I think I definitely missed a lof things in this movie but I'm happy I was able to write down the feelings I got watching it for the first time since It's not something I usually do, I'll definitely watch it a 2nd time one of these days. I fucking love you Yuasa Masaaki, I have yet to watch everything you made and I wish it to stay this way so I know I'll always have something to watch that will be made by you if I need to, at least Natsume Shingo works gives me the same feeling as yours so I should be fine for now.
--- #~~~__ Art as Self-Expression and Self-Expression as Art__~~~ --- >“Taken from us and forgotten, this is our story.” img(https://i.postimg.cc/cHWdb76G/Screenshot-2023-04-01-164706.png) Simply living life is something it seems people have become more and more alienated from. Humanity has taken on such a severe self-importance that we make the mistake of trying to find some kind of meaning in our lives. Everything we do seems to be centered around trying to figure out some grand importance behind our miniscule existence. Something that makes us special in comparison to the rest of the world and universe. But this misses the point entirely. The beauty and importance to life is self-evident. Life is in itself an unimaginable coincidence–An impossible opportunity, and an experience to treasure. And the way to treasure it isn’t to prescribe any additional significance to things that only serves to distract from what is actually important, it is to live it. Don’t find meaning, it isn’t there; instead find yourself, and find your art. ~~~img650(https://i.postimg.cc/FHV7TJj1/inu-oh-gif-2-Trim.gif)~~~ --- Masaaki Yuasa is probably _the_ biggest name in the auteur side of the anime industry, especially in the Western fandom. His catalog of creatively driven projects that make the most of the medium they are within have gained him the notoriety he has today. In early 2020, he stepped down as president of the studio he helped found, Science Saru, and announced that he would essentially be retiring. He has since clarified that he isn’t actually done working in the anime industry entirely, but is just taking a break and seeing what happens from there. But Inu-Oh, his latest film, feels like the final celebratory work that comes at the end of any good creative’s career to synthesize all that has come prior–To bookend a life of creating art to express oneself, and to encourage all those that may carry on that torch going forward. If the rest of Yuasa’s career is working on nothing but cash-grab Netflix productions that use A.I. generated art to churn out anime with little to no artistic value, well, I’d be pretty disappointed, but I couldn’t blame him too much. But in the meantime before A.I. has completely taken over the world, let’s keep talking about Inu-oh and how cool it is as essentially the antithesis to the current trend of producers trying to adapt everything possible all at once for monetary gain resulting in rushed, uninspired products. --- Inu-oh is one half of Science Saru’s recent journey back in time through Japanese history–the other being Naoko Yamada’s take on The Heike Story. The Heike Story is originally a compilation of orally-passed-down accounts of the legendary reign of the Heike clan. Inu-oh is a fictionalized story about a lost piece of history regarding the storytellers who would go on to pass down those accounts and others that are now lost to time. Yamada’s adaptation serves largely to breathe new life into the restating of the messages behind the work and insist on the importance of continuing the tradition of passing it down. Yuasa’s film recontextualizes that tradition in a new, unique way. It celebrates the stories that haven’t been able to be passed down–the art and expression of the unheard. It also celebrates the telling of stories not only for the sake of them living on, but as a means of self-expression. In doing this, he really makes this film into his own in what feels like a more intimate way than he’s ever done before. What are his best works prior to this in my opinion are those that are TV adaptations of others’ stories–Tatami and Ping Pong. In an interview following the release of Inu-oh, he stated, “The film world and the TV world are completely different, with TV projects being much longer [...] This means I need a lot of people who work joyfully for me in order to work on what I need them to work on. On the other hand, movie making is something that is very personal, and for me, it’s better that I do most of the work” ([interview here](https://blog.funimation.com/2021/10/15/interview-masaaki-yuasa-discusses-film-vs-tv-the-music-of-inu-oh-and-whats-next/)). This resulted in Inu-oh functioning as what feels like a personal statement on collaboration and the art-making process. And the film where he feels most himself is the story where he is telling us to try and be ourselves. Perhaps this wasn't even purposefully the message of the film in the first place and he used the process of creating it to actualize the ideas for himself in his own life. ~~~img600(https://www.liveakhbar.in/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/MV5BYTAyN2IxZDMtYmZjNC00YzE2LThkZmItZGMwODUwZWYwODFlXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyOTc4OTAwMjU@._V1_.jpg) img600(https://media2.firstshowing.net/firstshowing/img12/inuohTrailerstarsPlayingmainimg599.jpg)~~~ (top image: The Heike Story, bottom image: Inu-Oh) --- As a production, Inu-oh pretty much follows suit with what we’ve come to expect from Yuasa and whatever team he works with. A shifting art style used to convey the specificity of each and every scene. Character designs by Taiyo Matsumoto, as Yuasa also worked with on Ping Pong, that have a distinct charm that seems to perfectly match Yuasa’s characterization and sense of humor. Gorgeous and intentional color design by Yuuko Kobari, who has done consistently stand-out work on projects such as Redline, Space Dandy, Texhnolyze, and Great Pretender. A fluidity to the animation that flows wonderfully to depict emotion. When asked about his use of the medium of animation, Yuasa stated that “space is very different from what you would capture with a camera or in a more intellectual fashion. It’s through emotion that space changes” ([interview here](https://offscreen.com/view/an-interview-with-masaaki-yuasa)). And in this film’s case, it's a wonder how constantly engaging it managed to be while broken apart by such lengthy musical numbers. What is unique about Inu-oh in his catalog is its ability to somehow capture such a unified aesthetic of its historical period while still retaining all the experimentation we’ve come to know and love from him. All-in-all, a joyful and inspiring form that expresses the film’s messages better than any script ever could. --- Inu-oh spends a lot of time detailing the societal constructs that serve to limit our personal expression. Tomona’s character in particular navigates and fights against these forces that restrict him as the film progresses. Familial expectations, artistic standards, gender norms, societal tradition; Hegemony and convention impose countless explicit and implicit limitations onto us. Initially, Tomona is driven by a motivation imposed onto him by his father, which he wants to respect, but at the same time can’t let control him. He breaks free from this control as he takes on a new name in joining the community of biwa players. But again, he feels restricted by the rules of this community, and breaks free by performing whatever and however he wants to on his own, and telling stories not often performed by others. His music as it’s depicted to us takes on a modern rock feel. This is utilized to simulate the contrast between what the music back then was like and how new and original his was in comparison, in our context sounding ahead of its time in a literal sense. As the film progresses we see his appearance also reflect a more free form of expressing himself, growing his hair out longer, wearing makeup, and dressing in more gender non-conforming ways–Gender often being easily one of the largest factors that contributes to limiting our self-perception and identity. ~~~img650(https://i.postimg.cc/W1QZtyYm/Screenshot-2023-04-01-165914.png)~~~ However, Ashikaga, the leader of the reigning clan at the time, works to shut down Tomona and Inu-oh’s acts. He states that only officially sanctioned heike stories are allowed to be performed. The inspiring, revolutionary performances by those outcast by society attempting to take it back for themselves are extradited. The forces of authority that impose these many norms and limitations onto us in the first place often take on this kind of austere self-importance. An arrogance with their control and at times even a belief that what they enforce is righteous or true. However, this is proven arbitrary and absurd in the face of the endless march of time which brings change to all things. >“Under the mask is yet another mask. Everything is fiction.” The only thing left, the only thing that proves to be truly real no matter the circumstance, is pure untethered self-expression. “I really think that music is freedom”, Yuasa said when asked why music plays such a huge role in the film ([interview here](https://screenrant.com/inu-oh-director-masaaki-yuasa-interview/)). This freedom in this film extends to any creation of art and self-expression. So you should make your mask your own. Inu-oh attempts to give new life to stories once repressed and forgotten by hegemony and convention, and in the process, celebrate the timeless phenomena that is expressing them. This is why time is such a significant aspect in Inu-oh. It begins by framing our story from the present, as something we are going back in time to be told. One of the first scenes of the film is rapid cuts of the location of the Noh theater school in different times as we see how drastically it has changed dating all the way back to the story’s setting over 600 years ago. And the final scene depicts the spirits of Tomona and Inu-oh who have lived on into the modern day–those that have been true to themselves and expressed their art made eternal. ~~~img650(https://i.postimg.cc/sXdTncxS/inu-oh-gif-1-Trim-new.gif)~~~ --- The relationship between art, such as the music and stories performed by Tomona and Inu-oh, and the power structures of society will always be tumultuous. The hierarchical tendency to control the stories and art that are normalized and accepted chips away at the freedom and creativity of the wider population. The social constructs and artistic standards defined by the hegemonic force will always be used to subdue the wider population to a second-class status. Self-actualization and class consciousness are antithetical to the maintaining of this status quo. Art, and all forms of expression don’t belong in such a structuralist environment–they belong to the people. They are an expression of the collective experience, and should be made and shared with the collective. The stories of the performances in Inu-oh are the stories of the people that have been taken away from them and forgotten, and Tomona and Inu-oh’s mission is to give them back. The composer for Inu-oh, Yoshihide Otomo, put it wonderfully in an interview following its release. “What I feel is important is to express that the act of combining words, stories, songs and dances, before being bound by words like “art” or “music,” always appears to people as a mass of noise. I think the director wanted to express the dynamic range of those things, and how that mass of noise is always something those in power will hate” ([interview here](https://otakuusamagazine.com/interview-inu-oh-composer-otomo-yoshihide-on-using-classical-instruments-for-modern-music/)). People are creating new stories each and every day just by living out their lives. Stories that deserve to be heard just as much as any other. Inu-oh insists on the validity and value of all people's stories. In depicting a blind biwa player and a cursed, monster-like dancer, it affirms the lives of those one would normally think have a handicapped perspective. It argues that the value you ascribe to one person’s perspective over anothers is false. Even Tomona, whose perspective of the physical world is limited in a very literal way, is able to gain a different kind of value through that experience that someone who isn’t blind wouldn’t be able to gain. Here Yuasa is urging us to let our own stories be heard–no matter who we are and what we’ve been through. And this doesn’t necessarily mean to create music, or stories, or drawings. It means to express yourself in whatever way fits. Find the art in your life, be it dance, fashion, sports, writing–any hobby that contributes to your journey of finding yourself. There are those out there already doing it–even people from 600 years ago–so there is no reason you yourself can’t do the same. --- Just as much as he is celebrating the forgotten stories of the past, and he is affirming his own passion for creativity and creation, Yuasa is telling us the audience to go forward in our lives with passion of our own–whatever it may be–in spite of all the forces that may restrict us. In the context of the anime industry, he is urging those that come after him to embrace their own creativity instead of cowering away due to trends or convention. But it really applies to any and all forms of creation. With this, Inu-oh is a synthetization of the transcendent nature of art and storytelling. >“Where past, present, and future become one.” ~~~img650(https://i.postimg.cc/vBPHxgHR/Screenshot-2023-04-01-170447.png)~~~ The immortalization of our ideas and emotions into art–in yuasa's case, into anime–is a life-affirming practice. Taking influence and grounding from the past, expressing one's own present moment, and presenting it to the world in which it will live on past yourself and affect the future. This film embodies this more than perhaps any other piece of media I’ve seen. A period piece back in time through Japanese history about the importance of living in the moment and being yourself, focused on inspiring the audience and the industry it’s a part of going forward. Expression through art, any art, is the most effective way to treasure the experience of life. To live life and to express the inherent beauty and importance of it. The value of stories and art, just like the value of life, is self-evident. As a perspective unlike any other, your experience has value–All experiences have value–It’s only a matter of expressing them to actualize that value in your own life. --- s/o to @Wavieff , who made the original, best review for Inu-Oh, which helped inspire mine, so if you’re reading this and haven’t checked that out, do so :)
~~~ # img220(https://64.media.tumblr.com/30ed06f3338543251081780790cd128b/8c1c55206df69631-4a/s540x810/5698fce62ff4064b51a127774b639230f321ffa0.gif)~~~ ____ ~~~【ＣＯＵＬＤ ＣＯＮＴＡＩＮ ＳＰＯＩＬＥＲＳ！】 ~~~ ~~~youtube(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nIJbty1HkSA&ab_channel=Inuoh%28CV%3AAvuchan%29-Topic) (if you want you can read the review while listening to this one above!)~~~ ____ # ~~~img220(https://www.animeclick.it/immagini/anime/Inu-Oh/cover/Inu-Oh-cover.jpg)~~~ ~~~_"That's why I have to turn their lives into songs... Why I tell their stories. To honor their memory."_~~~ ~~~Inu-Oh, Inu-Oh~~~ __"Inu-Oh" is an animated film directed by Masaaki Yuasa, known for his unique and innovative style in the world of Japanese animation.__ This film is an extraordinary work that expertly combines historical, musical, and fantastical elements to create an immersive and unique cinematic experience, offering a fascinating view of an ancient historical period through a contemporary lens. ______ ~~~WHAT IS IT ABOUT?~~~ ~~~img220(https://64.media.tumblr.com/668b554a5c42e33ccc90ad62163dbb0b/1e3774916820a4a4-4a/s540x810/99aab36204a6421155c65760864c8cd44005cef6.gif)~~~ The story is based on the novel "THE TALE OF THE HEIKE: THE INU-OH CHAPTERS" by Hideo Furukawa and follows the story of Inu-Oh, a young man born with abnormal physical deformities who has an extraordinary talent for singing and dancing, and Tomona, a blind biwa artist who plays a traditional Japanese musical instrument, all set in Muromachi-period Japan. Their paths cross when Tomona, driven by a desire to avenge his father, sets out for the capital city of Kyoto, in which he meets an old biwa musician who will become his teacher. Meanwhile, Inu-oh, raised as an outcast and abandoned as a dog, has inherited a talent for dance from his father, who, however, disowns him. Out of this, the boy gives himself the name "Inu-oh," meaning "the king of dogs." When the two finally meet, they discover an extraordinary artistic chemistry that will enable them to perform together, even reaching high audiences. ____ ~~~MUSIC AND ANIMATION IN HARMONY~~~ ~~~img220(https://64.media.tumblr.com/6d160d36318e7cf37ed0aa6f6da5e1ad/8c1c55206df69631-48/s540x810/9198b4ecd0b01dca93a6abe842ec7ee53b8975ed.gif)~~~ The artistic style of "Inu-Oh" is characterized by creative and experimental use of animation. Yuasa Masaaki is known for this unconventional approach, and this film is not an exception. The dance scenes and musical performances are precisely choreographed and show an extraordinary variety of styles and movements, capturing the viewer's attention with their energy and expressiveness. In fact, one of the most distinctive features of the film is the integration of music into the plot. The musical performances are not mere interruptions, but are an integral part of the story itself, communicating emotions and developing the characters. The music, composed by Yoshihide Otomo and performed by Avu-chan, adds a deep emotional dimension to the scenes, conveying an endless range of emotions. Moreover, this film was made in a special way: before thinking about the music, it was decided to work on the animation and storyboards. In most productions, the music is recorded without giving too much weight to the animation, focusing mostly on the general moment; in short, it is not specifically tailored to. But, Yuasa found it difficult to convey and narrate through music by going through the classical creative process, so Yoshihide Otomo advised him to approach it differently and start with making the animated choreography. The result is indeed excellent: this method demonstrated a deep understanding of the importance of synchronizing music and action in an extraordinarily effective way, creating an engaging visual and sound experience for anyone. The choice to work in this way led to an extraordinary collaboration, more unique than rare, between the director, composer, and animators, resulting in one of the most striking and unique components of the film. ____ ~~~THE NARRATIVE STYLE~~~ ~~~img220(https://64.media.tumblr.com/8b8282f2a0614be743ca5fa17c2299a1/51a63f1dfe9834bf-a4/s540x810/d0e04d8fbb1d92a649d0fd6ace591d64e3ff49b5.gif)~~~ In the narrative context, "Inu-Oh" explores deep and universal themes, such as friendship, identity, success and downfall. The film follows the lives of Inu-Oh and Tomona, two complex and well-developed characters who evolve throughout the story thanks to music. You could say that their friendship is the heart of the film. The narrative of "Inu-Oh" is structured in a way that is not entirely linear, shifting several times between past and present, creating an intriguing plot that keeps the viewer involved. This approach allows the psychology of the characters to be explored in depth and the details of their personal histories to be gradually revealed, generating interest and curiosity. ____ ~~~THE MESSAGE~~~ ~~~img220(https://64.media.tumblr.com/79375f2cf80ab344b7fa84527d906abe/8c1c55206df69631-5e/s540x810/d28ddbb1bac5df2c6907375fc7afa744b9f534b9.gif)~~~ The story is not limited to a simple happy ending, but deals with the complexity of human relationships and life itself, perfectly describing the desire for recognition and the importance of understanding the people around us. Here art is what transforms people's destinies by interacting with both the past and the future. Yuasa Masaaki through the story of "Inu-Oh" offers a powerful message about the importance of understanding and empathy, demonstrating how this is an important theme in any era due to the historical setting of the feature film. Through the stories of Inu-Oh and Tomona, the director reminds us that each of us has the potential to positively influence the lives of others, even if we are not necessarily destined to become historical or famous figures. Somewhat as Yuasa has already done in his other works, he passes along a life thought of his own: no matter what you become socially, no matter if you don't become the best in your field, and no matter if you are not the most important figure in history, what is really important in our lives is what we decide to leave behind for others ( because that will remain of us in the annals), in other words, how we are able to positively influence the lives of others. We have the power to improve others and ourselves, and this can only happen through understanding others and communication. The idea of "recognizing another person" emphasizes the necessity of going beyond external appearances and trying to understand the experiences, desires and challenges of the one we are interacting with, to empathize. Yuasa is telling us to live "with" the people around us, especially considering that we live in a society that de-values and outcasts the nameless. A timeless message that reminds us of the importance of building sincere human connections and valuing each individual we encounter on our journey. The relationship between Inu-Oh and Tomona, which evolves over the course of the story, is touching and authentic, and demonstrates Yuasa's message. ____ ~~~FINAL COMMENT~~~ ~~~img220(https://64.media.tumblr.com/5e9dc6764adf7c27d283e1c83df1f3af/041a265a0fa40979-37/s540x810/bbc526f81113f730376524e862caa40886563067.gif)~~~ "Inu-oh" is a work of art that skillfully combines animation and music while weaving a fascinating and unique plot that makes this film a must-see cinematic experience for animation lovers and anyone looking for something beyond the graphic: a touching and thoughtful narrative. Yuasa Masaaki has demonstrated for the umpteenth time his ability to mix different art forms. His experimental art style and complex storytelling place him among the most important authors in modern animation. All of this again highlights how animation is not just entertainment, but a true expressive art form for exploring deep and universal themes and emotionally engaging audiences. "Inu-Oh" is a triumph of creativity and experimentation. The animation is fluid, dynamic and rich in detail, transforming the musical and dance performances into true works of art in motion. What makes this film truly impressive is without a doubt this very special use of music: that it becomes a way to explore the emotions of the characters and to express their deepest desires. ____ ~~~If you disagree or didn't like the review, please contact me to talk about it, I am always open to changes.~~~ ____ ~~~__Rated:__~~~