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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Dec 23, 2022

Turtles_cute

Recommended

Well-written

Bear with me, for this is my first review on this website, but more importantly, this is the first anime for which I feel the need to write one.

Inu-Ou is a musical in the truest sense of the word, in that it presents almost all of its story beats through the art of music. A fantastic musical at that, as the use of the biwa in the film alongside some other instruments as well as their melding with modern music left me in awe, as I am a person who is not particularly interested in music. The music is magisterial, commanding the progression of the ... story every time it swells and falls.

Speaking of stories, Inu-Ou tells three in its runtime of an hour and a half and some odd minutes. It is hard to follow, and the film moves at breakneck speed without any regard for the viewer's convenience, with much being left up to the watcher to infer at certain times. The three tales are those of the Heike clan (for context, I would HIGHLY recommend watching 'The Heike Story', also from studio Science Saru), of Tomona, and of Inu-Ou himself. One might think that all this would jumble up the themes and make the entire ordeal seem muddy in its message, however, I argue that these three storylines are intrinsically connected to one another, and exploring one leads to the natural exploration of the other in the film. Without spoiling much, I believe the film succeeds entirely in portraying themes of historical reclamation, rejection of that which is new, greed, as well as, believe it or not, the power of friendship. It explores successfully the treatment of an outsider and the power of a name.

Alongside being masterful in its storytelling, Inu-Ou looks fantastic. Although not as grand as theatrical productions from the likes of Kyoto Animations or the films of Makoto Shinkai, the studio has made a film which makes brilliant use of camera angles, tight editing, and a sort of look that just perfectly fits it (I don't know how to explain it, not that experienced with techniques of animation and stuff) to make a movie that is just as beautiful to look at as it is to listen to.

I admit that this film is a challenging watch, and requires some prior knowledge of Japanese history. However, to readers who are willing to overlook some minor problems with a small lack of character development (the movie does the best it can in its short runtime) and the apprehension it requires, you will be met with an experience worth remembering.

Reviewer’s Rating: 10

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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