"Inu-Oh" review: A moving story and deep themes explored

The appeal and reputation of Inuou

■ Public Media

theater

■ Original Media

novel

■ Release date

May 28, 2022

■Distribution company

Aniplex, Asmik Ace

■Frequencies

98 min

■ Number of Episodes

Episode 1

■Original Story

・Original story: "The Tale of the Heike: The Inu-Oh Chapter" by Hideo Furukawa, published by Kawade Bunko

■ Director

・Director: Masaaki Yuasa

■ Production

・Animation Production: Science SARU

■Works

©2021 “INU-OH” Film Partners

■ Story

In the city of Kyoto during the Muromachi period, a deformed child named Inu-oh was born into a sarugaku troupe. He was shunned by those around him and his face was hidden by a gourd mask.
One day, Inuou meets Tomoo, a young biwa priest who has been blinded by a curse from the Heike clan. Before they even know each other's names, the two of them exchange songs and dances. Tomoo plucks the strings of the biwa, and Inuou stomps his foot. In an instant, their breathing and their world expands into a world that is just for the two of them.
"This is where it all begins for us."
Inuou even enjoys his brutal fate, carving out his own path in life with his powerful dance. Tomoo seeks the truth behind the curse and resonates with another world by playing the biwa. The two become partners to survive in troubled times, and each of them brings out their talents, becoming one-of-a-kind entertainers who thrill people. What awaits the two who reach the top?
A story of timeless friendship born between pop star Inuou and Tomoo, a real Noh performer hidden in history.

■Explanation

The latest work from Masaaki Yuasa, the creator of "The Night is Short, Walk on Girl" and "Keep Your Hands Off Eizouken!"
Director Yuasa, who continues to expand the possibilities of animation expression, is taking on Noh, the world's oldest performing art.

Inu-oh, a real-life Noh actor from the Muromachi period who thrilled audiences, is portrayed as a vibrant and powerful pop star.
Top creators whose next works are always highly anticipated have come together for this work, which depicts strong friendship and the world of Nohgaku from a vivid perspective! Manga artist Matsumoto Taiyo, who designed the original characters, teams up with Director Yuasa for the second time in five years since "Ping Pong the Animation". The screenplay was written by Nogi Akiko, who has produced a string of popular works such as "Unnatural", "MIU404" and "Voice of Sin", and this is her first feature-length animation. Otomo Yoshihide, who has worked on "Amachan", "Idaten: Tokyo Olympic Banashi", and "We Made a Bouquet of Love", participated in the music, amplifying the emotions of the story with a variety of tones from all over the world and throughout history.

Inu-oh is played by Avu-chan, who has made unstoppable progress, not only in her musical career as Queen Bee, but also in providing songs to artists of various genres. Tomoo is played by Moriyama Mirai, who has outstanding acting and singing skills as an artist who is not bound by categories, such as dance, theater, and video. Both actors add an overwhelming presence to this buddy film.

The original work is "The Tale of the Heike: Inu-oh no Maki" by Hideo Furukawa, a writer who uses the power of storytelling to create a narrative world that transcends fact and fiction.
A musical animation drawn with an ever-changing imagination, based on the story of Inu-oh, a Noh actor who disappeared into history.

■Cast

・Inu-oh/Ave-chan (Queen Bee)
・Tomo-o/Moriyama Mirai ・Ashikaga Yoshimitsu/Emoto Tasuku ・Inu-oh's father/Tsuda Kenjiro ・Tomo-o's father/Matsushige Yutaka

■ Main staff

・Original story: "The Tale of the Heike: Inu-oh no Maki" by Hideo Furukawa, published by Kawade Bunko ・Director: Masaaki Yuasa ・Screenplay: Akiko Nogi ・Character design: Taiyo Matsumoto ・Music: Yoshihide Otomo

・Chief animation director / Yoshinori Kameda, Satoshi Nakano・Character design / Nobutaka Ito・Director / Fuga Yamashiro・Animation directors / Shuto Enomoto, Kenji Maeba, Noriyuki Matsutake, Takashi Mukouda, Atsuko Fukushima, Yasuhiro Nagura, Hideo Hariganeya, Toshihiko Masuda, Nobutaka Ito・Art director / Gouki Nakamura・Color design / Yuko Kobari・Director of photography / Yoshihiro Sekiya・Editing / Kiyoshi Hirose・Sound director / Eriko Kimura・Sound effects / Katsuhiro Nakano・Sound recording / Takeshi Imaizumi・Sound production / Tohokushinsha・History supervision / Yoshihiko Sata・Nohgaku supervision / Keizo Miyamoto・Nohgaku performance supervision / Hirotada Kamei・Biwa supervision / Yukihiro Goto・Animation production / Science SARU
Distributor: Aniplex, Asmik Ace

■ Main Characters

・A deformed child born into the Hiei-za troupe, a member of the Inuou Sarugaku troupe. Because of his appearance, he was shunned by those around him and his face was hidden by a gourd mask. He learned Noh by watching others and mastered a unique dance. After meeting Tomoo in the city of Kyoto, his talent as a Noh performer blossomed and he captivated audiences with a performance never before seen.

He lived in the fishing village of Tomogyodan-no-ura, but went out to sea with his father to search for a box that a samurai wanted, and was blinded by divine punishment for exposing a sacred treasure. On the way to the capital, he became an apprentice to a biwa priest and was welcomed into the Kaku troupe. He met Inu-oh and became his partner, and he captivated those around him with his unprecedented playing style.

・Ashikaga Yoshimitsu The third Shogun of the Muromachi Shogunate, who plotted to unify the Northern and Southern Courts. He loved the arts, favored Fujiwaka (later known as Zeami), and had an eye on the Hiei troupe. Along with the trends of the times, he was the man who held the fate of Inuou and Tomoo in his hands.

Inu-oh's father. The head of the Hiei-za troupe of Sarugaku, a Noh performer who pursues the ultimate in beauty. He oppresses his son Inu-oh, who was born deformed, but when he sees Inu-oh embody the ultimate in beauty in his place and gain popularity, he begins to resent him.

Tomoo's father: A fisherman and the descendant of a clan that rose to prominence by finding treasure at Dannoura. He was punished by heaven and lost his life along with his son Tomoo after revealing the sacred treasures they had found at the command of a samurai. He occasionally appears before Tomoo as a ghost, encouraging him to get revenge.

■ Theme songs and music

・IN1
・Sennin Biwa ・Lyrics: from "The Tale of the Heike" ・Music: Yukihiro Goto ・Composition: Yoshihide Otomo

・IN2
・Bibawa Memorial Service ・Lyrics: from "Ryōjin Hisho" ・Music: Yukihiro Goto ・Composition: Yoshihide Otomo

・IN3
・Soliloquy ・Lyrics by Avu Rose Garden ・Composition by Avu Rose Garden ・Singer by Inu-oh (Avu-chan)

・IN4
・Inu-oh Ichi・Lyrics: Yohei Matsui, Masaaki Yuasa・Music: Yoshihide Otomo・Singer: Yuichi (Mirai Moriyama)

・IN5
・Lyrics by Avu Rose Garden ・Music by Yoshihide Otomo ・Singer by Inu-oh (Avu-chan)

・IN6
・Inu-oh 2 ・Lyrics by Yohei Matsui and Masaaki Yuasa ・Music by Yoshihide Otomo ・Singer by Yuichi (Mirai Moriyama)

・IN6
・Kujira・Lyrics by Avu Rose Garden・Music by Yoshihide Otomo・Singer by Inu-oh (Avu-chan)

・IN7
・Inu-oh III ・Lyrics by Yohei Matsui and Masaaki Yuasa ・Music by Yoshihide Otomo ・Singer by Tomoari (Mirai Moriyama)

・IN8
・Lyrics by Avu Rose Garden ・Music by Yoshihide Otomo ・Singer by Inuou (Avu-chan), Tomoari (Mirai Moriyama)

The appeal and reputation of Inuou

"Inuou" is a theatrical animation released on May 28, 2022, and is based on Hideo Furukawa's novel "The Tale of the Heike: Inuou no Maki." The director is Masaaki Yuasa, known for "The Night is Short, Walk on Girl" and "Keep Your Hands Off Eizouken!", and the animation is produced by Science SARU. This work is a musical animation based on the story of Inuou, a Noh actor from the Muromachi period, depicting the glamor and strength of a pop star.

The appeal of the story

The story of "Inu-Oh" begins with the encounter between Inu-Oh, who was born deformed, and Tomoo, a young biwa priest who was blinded by a curse from the Taira clan. The two recognize each other's talents and build a deep friendship through song and dance. As Inu-Oh captivates people with his unique dancing and Tomoo resonates with another world through his biwa performance, the two grow into unique entertainers. While enjoying their dramatic fate, the story is fascinating to watch right up to the end, as you wonder what awaits the two who reach the pinnacle.

The story is based on the true story of Inu-oh, a Noh actor hidden in history, but Director Yuasa's unique perspective and imagination have allowed him to depict universal themes that modern audiences can relate to. Themes such as friendship, talent, and destiny are fused with the classical performing art of Noh, elevating them into a new form of entertainment.

Character Appeal

Inuoh is an unusual child born into the Hiei troupe of Sarugaku, and is shunned by those around him because of his appearance. However, he learns Noh by watching and imitating others, and gradually masters the unique dance. After meeting Tomoo in the streets of Kyoto, he develops his talent as a Noh performer, and his performances captivate audiences with performances never before seen, leaving a strong impression on viewers. Avu's portrayal of Inuoh brings out the charm of the character to the fullest with her powerful presence and voice.

Tomou lived in the fishing village of Dannoura, but went out to sea with his father in search of a box desired by a samurai, where he uncovered a sacred treasure and became blind as a divine punishment. On the way to the capital, he became an apprentice to a biwa priest and was welcomed into the Kaku troupe. He meets Inu-oh and they become partners, and viewers are moved by the sight of him drawing those around him in with his unprecedented playing style. Tomou, played by Moriyama Mirai, expresses the depth of the character with his outstanding acting and singing abilities.

Ashikaga Yoshimitsu is the third Shogun of the Muromachi Shogunate who plots to unify the Northern and Southern Courts. He is an art lover, a favorite of Fujiwaka (later known as Zeami), and has an eye for the Hiei troupe. Along with the trends of the times, he is an important character who holds the fate of Inuou and Tomoo in his hands, and Emoto Tasuku's performance brings out his presence.

Inu-oh's father is the head of the Hiei-za troupe of Sarugaku, a Noh performer who pursues the ultimate in beauty. He oppresses his son Inu-oh, who was born deformed, but as he sees Inu-oh embodying the ultimate in beauty and gaining popularity, he begins to resent him. Kenjiro Tsuda's performance portrays the complex emotions of the character.

Tomoo's father is a fisherman and the descendant of a clan that rose to prominence by finding treasure at Dannoura. He and his son Tomoo were punished by God and lost their lives after revealing the sacred treasures they had found at the command of a samurai. As a ghost, he occasionally appears before Tomoo, encouraging him to get revenge, and this scene is portrayed realistically by Matsushige Yutaka.

The appeal of music

The music for "Inuoh" was written by Otomo Yoshihide, and the various tones from all over the world and throughout history amplify the emotions of the story. The theme song and other songs are sung by Avu, who plays Inuoh, and Mirai Moriyama, who plays Tomoo, and their vocal ability and expressiveness add excitement to the story. In particular, Inuoh's solo songs "Dokugo," "Udezuka," and "Kujira," Tomoo's solo songs "Inuoh Ichi," "Inuoh Ni," and "Inuoh San," as well as the duet "Ryuchusho" by the two of them, color important scenes in the story and deeply move the viewers' hearts.

In addition, the music pieces such as Sennin Biwa and Biwa Memorial Service deeply express the worldview of Nohgaku, and are a perfect fusion of the scores by Yukihiro Goto and the composition by Yoshihide Otomo. These pieces richly depict the background of the story and the emotions of the characters, deeply moving the audience.

The charm of animation

The animation of "Inuoh" is a fusion of Director Masaaki Yuasa's unique style and the technical capabilities of Science SARU, and is remarkable for its visual beauty and powerful movements. In particular, the scenes of Inuoh's dance and Tomoo's biwa performance are depicted with the expressiveness that can only be achieved through animation, and have a captivating appeal that draws the viewer in.

The designs of Matsumoto Taiyo, who was in charge of the original character draft, emphasize the individuality of Inu-oh and Tomoo, enriching the worldview of the story. In addition, with the cooperation of staff members such as chief animation directors Kameda Yoshinori and Nakano Satoshi, character designer Ito Nobutaka, director Yamashiro Fuuga, animation directors Enomoto Shuto, Maeba Kenji, Matsutake Noriyuki, Mukoda Takashi, Fukushima Atsuko, Nagura Yasuhiro, Hariganeya Hideo, Masuda Toshihiko, and Ito Nobutaka, beautiful animation with attention to detail has been realized.

The world of the story is depicted realistically thanks to the cooperation of the production staff, including art director Nakamura Gouki, color designer Kobari Yuko, cinematographer Sekiya Yoshihiro, editor Hirose Kiyoshi, sound director Kimura Eriko, sound effects director Nakano Katsuhiro, sound recordist Imaizumi Takeshi, sound production by Tohokushinsha, history supervisor Sata Yoshihiko, Noh performance supervisor Miyamoto Keizo, Noh performance supervisor Kamei Hirotada, and biwa supervisor Goto Yukihiro. Thanks to the efforts of these staff, the viewer is drawn into the world of Noh and can feel deeply the story of Inu-oh and Tomoo.

Ratings and Recommendations

"Inu-Oh" has been highly praised for its story, characters, music, and animation, and is a work that deeply moves viewers. In particular, the unique perspective and imagination of Director Masaaki Yuasa, the technical capabilities of Science SARU, and the cooperation of a stellar cast and staff have elevated the classical performing art of Noh to entertainment that modern audiences can relate to.

This work depicts universal themes such as friendship, talent, and destiny, while also delving deeply into the world of Noh, providing viewers with new discoveries and emotions. The story of Inu-oh and Tomoo-o will deeply move viewers and linger in their memories long after they have finished watching.

"Inuou" was released in theaters and was able to deeply move viewers in its compact 98-minute length. Distributed by Aniplex and Asmik Ace, it reached many viewers and became a hot topic.

The reason I recommend this work is because it has a fascinating story, fascinating characters, fascinating music, and fascinating animation. In particular, the story of the friendship and talent of Inu-oh and Tomoo will deeply move the viewer and allow them to enjoy the classical performing art of Noh from a new perspective. In addition, Otomo Yoshihide's music and the singing ability of Avu-chan and Moriyama Mirai will liven up the story and deeply move the viewer's heart. Director Yuasa Masaaki's unique style and the technical capabilities of Science SARU make the visual beauty and powerful movement stand out, and it has the appeal to draw the viewer in.

"Inuou" depicts universal themes such as friendship, talent, and destiny, while also delving deeply into the world of Noh, giving viewers new discoveries and inspiration. Please come and see this work at the theater and experience the story of Inuou and Tomoo.