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Inu-Oh

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Inu-Oh
Theatrical release poster
Directed byMasaaki Yuasa
Written byAkiko Nogi
Produced by
Starring
CinematographyYoshihiro Sekiya
Edited byKiyoshi Hirose
Music byYoshihide Otomo
Production
company
Distributed by
Release dates
  • September 9, 2021 (2021-09-09) (Venice)
  • May 28, 2022 (2022-05-28) (Japan)
Running time
98 minutes
CountryJapan
LanguageJapanese

Inu-Oh (Japanese: 犬王) is a 2021 Japanese animated film directed by Masaaki Yuasa and produced by Science SARU. Based upon the novel Tales of the Heike: INU-OH by Hideo Furukawa, the film is set in 14th Century Japan and centres on the friendship between Inu-Oh, a dancer born with unique physical characteristics, and Tomona, a blind musician. Ostracized by society due to their physical differences, Inu-Oh and Tomona nonetheless utilize their artistic abilities to propel themselves to stardom. The film premiered at the 78th Venice International Film Festival on September 9, 2021, with a worldwide theatrical release to follow in May 28, 2022.[2][3][4]

Premise

In 14th Century Japan, during the Muromachi period, political instability reigned. Three hundred years earlier, a terrible civil war between two powerful clans, known as the Genpei War, led to devastation and the annihilation of the Heike clan. In the centuries since, Japan was rocked by aftershocks of conflict, and legends began to grow of the ghosts of the Heike, who would curse anyone who inadvertently dishonored their memory. Despite the ever-looming threat of conflict and the lurking danger of ancient ghosts, artistic culture flourished during the Muromachi period, and unique forms of Japanese art, including noh dance and drama, were born.[5]

Also born during this time is Inu-Oh, a boy with unique physical characteristics. The adults who see him are horrified, and they cover every inch of his body with garments and hide his face behind an ever-present mask.[2]

Characters

Inu-Oh (犬王)
Voiced by: Avu-chan[2]
The titular character and co-protagonist of the film, Inu-Oh is an outcast whose body is always covered with clothing designed to hide his appearance; even his face is perpetually masked. Inu-Oh's character is based upon a real noh performer of the same name, though little is known about him aside from legends. While developing his novel about Inu-Oh, which served as the basis for the film, writer Hideo Furukawa expanded upon these legends to re-imagine the historical Inu-Oh as a performer who subverts societal prejudice to become a cultural icon.[6]
Tomona (友魚)
Voiced by: Mirai Moriyama[2]
The co-protagonist of the film alongside Inu-Oh, Tomona is a blind musician who plays the biwa, an instrument used to accompany the telling of tales. Following the conclusion of the Genpei War, it was common for biwa players to recite The Tale of the Heike, a historical account of the conflict which mourned the fallen and valorized the losing Heike clan in order to pacify their spirits.[7]
Ashikaga Yoshimitsu (足利義満)
Voiced by: Tasuku Emoto[8]
Inu-Oh's father (犬王の父)
Voiced by: Kenjiro Tsuda[8]
Tomona's father (友魚の父)
Voiced by: Yutaka Matsushige[8]

Production

Hideo Furukawa's novel Tales of the Heike: INU-OH was published in Japan in 2017.[9] In adapting this story about ancient times, director Masaaki Yuasa described the film as a tale with parallels and relevance to the modern day, a story which asks "whether to align with fate and fashion to seize glory, or to forgo reward to live according to your beliefs."[10]

The film was scored by composer and multi-instrumentalist Otomo Yoshihide. The soundtrack to the film will be released on May 25, and features original songs performed in character by Avu-chan and Moriyama, as well as instrumental interstitial music performed by Otomo.[11] The original songs were written by Avu-chan, Otomo, director Masaaki Yuasa and soundtrack musician Yohei Matsui.[11]

Release

Inu-Oh had its world premiere at the Venice International Film Festival on September 9, 2021.[3] The film was the first Japanese hand-drawn animated film to screen in competition in the festival's Horizons category.[2] The film was subsequently screened at the 2021 Toronto International Film Festival, where it made its North American debut.[12] Inu-Oh held its Japanese premiere on November 3, 2021 at the Tokyo International Film Festival.[13] The film is slated for a wide theatrical release in Japan in May 28, 2022, with Asmik Ace and Aniplex serving as co-distributors.[2][10][14]

In North America, the film has been licensed for theatrical and home-video distribution by GKIDS,[15] while Anime Limited has licensed the film for the UK, Ireland, France, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg.[16][17] The film is slated to receive a theatrical release in the UK in the summer of 2022.[18] Outside of these territories and Asia, sales agency Fortissimo Films has acquired international rights and will represent the film to distributors.[17]

Reception

Critical reception

Upon its premiere at the Venice International Film Festival, Inu-Oh received immediate critical acclaim. On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds a 100% approval rating based on 5 reviews, with an average rating of 8.5/10.[19] On Metacritic, which assigns a weighted average score out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the film received an average score of 84 out of 100 based on 4 reviews, indicating "universal acclaim".[20]

William Bibbiani of TheWrap noted that "Inu-Oh is a story about using art to speak truth to power... It’s a story about why some stories go untold, and why some people tell them anyway, no matter what the cost," and praised the film as "a siren scream of a musical: angry and beautiful, rapturously animated and highly infectious."[21] Writing for IndieWire, David Ehrlich rated the film a B+, highlighted the film's "affection for the marginalized and misunderstood," and noted that "not since 1973’s Belladonna of Sadness has an anime feature reimagined ancient history in such hypnotically psychedelic fashion."[22] Wendy Ide of Screen Daily called the work a "singular piece of filmmaking" with "an originality of approach which should set it apart within the anime landscape."[1]

Accolades

Year Award Category Recipient Result
2021 Bucheon International Animation Festival International Competition: Feature Film - Special Distinction Prize Inu-Oh Won[23]

References

  1. ^ a b Ide, Wendy (September 9, 2021). "Inu-Oh: Venice Review". Screen Daily. Retrieved September 20, 2021.
  2. ^ a b c d e f Mateo, Alex (July 26, 2021). "Masaaki Yuasa's Inu-Oh Anime Film Reveals Trailer, Cast, Staff, Early Summer 2022 Opening". Anime News Network. Retrieved August 9, 2021.
  3. ^ a b Milligan, Mercedes (September 1, 2021). "Masaaki Yuasa's Inu-Oh Sets World Premiere at Venice". Animation Magazine. Retrieved September 3, 2021.
  4. ^ Pineda, Rafael Antonio (March 14, 2022). "Inu-Oh Anime Film's Trailer Reveals May 28 Opening". Anime News Network. Retrieved March 14, 2022.
  5. ^ "Muromachi Period (1392–1573)". The Metropolitan Museum of Art. October 2002. Retrieved August 10, 2021.
  6. ^ Frater, Patrick (June 11, 2019). "Annecy Winner Masaaki Yuasa Unveils Inu-Oh as Next Project". Variety. Retrieved August 11, 2021.
  7. ^ Baron, Reuben (June 16, 2020). "Annecy 2020: An Inside Look at Masaaki Yuasa's Inu-Oh Film". Anime News Network. Retrieved August 11, 2021.
  8. ^ a b c Pineda, Rafael Antonio (September 10, 2021). "Masaaki Yuasa's Inu-Oh Anime Film Adds 3 Cast Members". Anime News Network. Retrieved September 10, 2021.
  9. ^ "Inu-Oh Official Website". Inu-Oh Film Partners (in Japanese). Retrieved August 11, 2021.
  10. ^ a b Milligan, Mercedes (July 28, 2021). "Trailer: Masaaki Yuasa's Historic Musical Inu-Oh Sets Cast, 2022 Release". Animation Magazine. Retrieved August 11, 2021.
  11. ^ a b "女王蜂アヴちゃん＆森山未來が熱唱する「犬王」本予告、大友良英が手がけるサントラも発売決定". Natalie (in Japanese). March 15, 2022. Retrieved March 15, 2022.
  12. ^ @TIFF_NET (July 28, 2021). "The North American Premiere of INU-OH, directed by Masaaki Yuasa, follows two boys marginalized by society in 14th-century Japan who find power through dance and song. Starring Avu-chan and Mirai Moriyama" (Tweet). Retrieved August 11, 2021 – via Twitter.
  13. ^ "Inu-Oh - 34th Tokyo International Film Festival". Tokyo International Film Festival. Retrieved November 3, 2021.
  14. ^ "劇場アニメーション『犬王』本予告（60秒） 5月28日（土）全国ロードショー！". YouTube.
  15. ^ Dudok de Wit, Alex (June 25, 2020). "GKIDS Will Release Masaaki Yuasa's Inu-Oh Theatrically In The U.S. Next Year". Cartoon Brew. Retrieved August 11, 2021.
  16. ^ Osmond, Andrew (June 17, 2020). "Anime Limited Acquires Masaaki Yuasa's Inu-Oh". Anime News Network. Retrieved August 11, 2021.
  17. ^ a b Macnab, Geoffrey (August 18, 2021). "Fortissimo Films boards Venice Horizons title Inu-Oh". Screen Daily. Retrieved September 20, 2021.
  18. ^ Osmond, Andrew (September 12, 2021). "Masaaki Yuasa's Inu-Oh Willl Have U.K. Cinema Release in Summer 2022". Anime News Network. Retrieved October 25, 2021.
  19. ^ "Inu-Oh (2021)". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango. Retrieved September 20, 2021.
  20. ^ "Inu-Oh Reviews - Metacritic". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved September 20, 2021.
  21. ^ Bibbiani, William (September 9, 2021). "Inu-Oh Film Review: Feudal Anime Mixes Headbanging Pyrotechnics and Political Defiance". TheWrap. Retrieved September 20, 2021.
  22. ^ Ehrlich, David (September 9, 2021). "Inu-Oh Review: Masaaki Yuasa's Psychedelic Anime Rock Opera Updates a 12th Century Epic". IndieWire. Retrieved September 20, 2021.
  23. ^ "BIAF2021 Award Winner Announcement". Bucheon International Animation Festival. October 24, 2021. Retrieved October 25, 2021.
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