Introduction
How you’re doing, fellow adventurers? Blaziker here, and this time, as we rest after our adventure in the Mushroom Kingdom, it is time to cover one more animated movie before I take a break in anticipation of the blockbuster summer season. It is another animated movie I had been very looking forward to, but was very difficult to find. That was, until I found my way to access this movie, and that movie was Masaaki Yuasa’s newest animated movie, Inu-Oh!
Taking place in ancient Japan, cursed and masked dancer Inu-Oh and a blind musician Tomona crossed paths and discovered their talents complement each other, winning the townsfolk over with their electric concerts. However, when those with more power threaten to break up the band, the pair must pursue on hoping to discover the truth behind their curses.
I am going to shock you in that I had watched no movie produced by Yuasa before. In fact, the only Yuasa work I had watched was Netflix’s Japan Sinks: 2020, and that had unexpected plot twists, a cast of unique and well-realised characters and above all, a sense of Yuasa quirkiness. Hence, this will be my very first Masaaki Yuasa movie, so I am excited.
Will Masaaki Yuasa leave me a very good first impression with his movie? Let us find out!
Key Information
- Director: Masaaki Yuasa
- Animation Studio: Science SARU
- Country of Origin: Japan
- Rating: PG
- Release Date: 12 August 2022 (In United States)
Trailer
The Review
Story and Characters
Masaaki Yuasa is one of the most creative animated movie directors living today, with some wildly original stories to share. Yes, it may be my first time watching one of his movies, but I had seen trailers to his previous movies, such as The Night is Short, Walk on Girl, Lu Over the Wall and Ride Your Wave. All of them are pretty ambitious films, I must say. Still, Inu-Oh is so unique of a movie, I am unsure whether to put in on the same level as his other movies.
What I meant is… Inu-Oh was on a higher plane.
Kicking off, while Inu-Oh has a standard three-act structure, what sold was the uniqueness behind the two main characters of Inu-Oh and Tomona. Despite being inferior (with Inu-Oh being cursed and Tomona being blind), the friendship between the two, especially once they found a common bond, was beautiful to see. Yes, there were a couple of side plots, but the guys at Science SARU knew people wanted to watch it for them, so I was happy they did not make the side plots take up space.
It is also worth noting that this is a movie pays homage to classic Japanese culture, from the sounds of the Biwa to traditional Japanese dances, and storytelling about Japanese mythology, the story is a sensory overlord that may require the audience to get adjusted to, but once they do, most of them will be on their feet to the songs in the movie (more on the soundtrack later).
However, like a double-edged sword, this sensory overload of Japanese culture could be too much for an ordinary moviegoer. The fast (but well-timed) pacing can tire these moviegoers out, especially if this is the first anime movie you will ever watch. Moreover, the rushed conclusion that tries to wrap things up, but cinemagoers will almost feel cheated by the abruptness. Still, these negatives will not derail the overall experience.
As for characters, while there are other characters throughout the movie, the primary focus is on both Inu-Oh and Tomona. Both represent a different, undesirable class the townsfolk often ridicule or not care about. One is cursed, and the other is blind, yet their bond and confidence throughout the movie, not to mention trying to prove that they can still contribute to the society through song and dance, especially in an era where such representation is undesired. Once again, voice acting is excellent as per usual.
Still, while the script is once again great and the characters are pure shock and awe, the visual storytelling is where Inu-Oh truly shines, which leads us to…
Animation
Masaaki Yuasa loves to be creative with his animation, as seen in Mind Game and Ride Your Wave. While it may not be the most out-there animation from him, he and the team at Science SARU made up for that with some excellent visual storytelling.
Even within the realms of anime movies, which had some of the most original animation styles on offer, Inu-Oh still stood out with inspiration from both classic Japanese paintings and Japanese folklore. Whether it is the freakish design of Inu-Oh (complete with his own gourd mask to boot) or the intricate character and background designs, Inu-Oh has such a distinct design language and I was immersed in the movie’s animation. It felt like I was stepping back in time to ancient Japan, and I was watching a painting coming to life.
Of course, the quality of the animation is top-notch and fluid, with a brilliant combination of muted colours and none of the ugly, neon stuff that would feel out of place in an animated movie taking place in ancient Japan. In fact, just by the opening shot alone, I knew the animation was going to be something spectacular altogether. One special thing to note, however, was how Science SARU depicts Tomona’s perspective as a blind Biwa player, which looks different, but gels well with the rest of the animation.
Overall, I had little to no complaints about Inu-Oh’s superb animation, but to see how you can take the already well-crafted anime style to the next level is a different beast altogether. You can tell Yuasa and his team were having a blast with the animation, because the final work definitely shows.
Soundtrack, Other Elements and Level of Enjoyment
Soundtracks are very important to me. A great soundtrack helps to elevate a scene in a particular movie and it is even better if they are wildly original. Inu-Oh’s soundtrack is honestly competing with Suzume for the best animated movie soundtrack of 2023, which is very exciting, to say the least. With Inu-Oh being a rock opera, I expect a level of excitement when it comes to rock, especially since I am a rock fan myself (especially with the Japanese band One Ok Rock). Boy, the composers exceeded my high expectations!
The rock songs, which are all lost stories about the Hei-Ke clan and sung by Tomona (Mirai Moriyama) and Inu-Oh (Avu-Chan) themselves, are electrifying. You got a rock and roll song with “Inu-Oh I” and “Inu-Oh II“, which tells about Inu-Oh himself while telling a Hei-Ke story, “The Whale” which is yet another Hei-Ke song that has similarities to Queen’s “We Will Rock You” and an epic 13-minute song of “Dragon Commander”, which riffs well with the combination of rock sub-genres with Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody”. All the songs are long, but epic in their own way, so it is not surprising that it attracted everyone that heard even a second of their songs.
It is not just that the songs are top-notch, it also quell a pet peeve I have with animated movie soundtracks. Sometimes, the producers love to bring in a few needle drops made during the modern time, but do not fit into the timeline of the movie themselves. “Gangnam Style” in The Nut Job and the UK Cut of Paws of Fury, anyone? However, with the combination of rock and traditional Japanese music, the songs fit well with the timeline, even though rock did not exist during that time.
Inu-Oh also embraces the weird with the combination of Japanese mythology, not too dissimilar to what Suzume does with that subject. However, Inu-Oh embraces its rich culture front and centre, which makes this movie stand out even more.
As for how much I enjoyed Inu-Oh, I unsurprisingly enjoyed every single moment this movie offers. It was none of the dull and insensible nonsense and more of a revelation that seeks to excite and delight its moviegoers. Inu-Oh was fun and exciting from start to finish and just like with Suzume, it will keep you wanting for an encore.
Conclusion
I love to explore new territories of animation, but more often than not, I will get tired of seeing the same old, same old animated movies all over again. Hence, something that is very different, even within the realms of anime, will delight me and man, Inu-Oh is no exception.
From some of the most unconventional writing for any anime movie that works super well, to characters that connect with you despite their shortcoming, a unique, traditional style of animation that pays tribute to classic Japanese paintings and one of the most mesmerising soundtracks as of late, Inu-Oh has everything a top-tier rock concert has to offer. This is one unique experience you had to see to believe, and once again proves Masaaki Yuasa is one unique anime visionary. If you are tired of seeing the same, generic animated movie repeatedly, Inu-Oh will revitalise you to a brand new person.
Thank you so much for reading this review. Before June arrives with a barrage of exciting animated movies, it is time for something that is as exciting as watching animated movies, but you will have to wait until the middle of May to find out. I will see you on the next adventure, and until then, k thanks bye!
Blaziker’s Hot Sauce Movie Rating
