The two stars of the movie are Mirai Moriyama as Tomona and Avu-chan as Inu-Oh. (PC Engine fans will be right in there, too – Ed.) This partnership opens lots of doors for the pair, allowing them to keep the stories of the past alive while discovering the truth behind their disabilities. I knew my otome gaming hobby would pay off one day. The pair instantly become the best of friends and strike a deal to form a duo, intending to obtain notoriety by performing tales of the Heike clan within Genji-controlled territories. The adults around him cover him up, and as a village outsider, he observes the art of dancing from a distance, picking up a keen interest in it.Įventually, as Inu-Oh does his best to keep himself entertained on his own, he crosses paths with the story’s other main character: the blind biwa player Tomona. As yet another music-focused anime movie - one of several that released in our cinemas this year - Inu-Oh packs excellent visuals, gorgeous vocal tracks and a charmingly appealing storyline that makes the entire package an unforgettable experience.Ĭlocking in at just over an hour and a half, its story follows Inu-Oh who is born impaired, and is treated as a monster due to his appearance. Inu-Oh was fully released outside of the Venice Film Festival on May 28 of 2022 and, for my money, achieved what Belle failed to do. Visually breath-taking, narratively intriguing So let’s look at why it’s worth your attention. So it’s certainly critically acclaimed - but it’s still a long way from the appreciation it deserves from mainstream audiences. It also won the Feature Film category at the Bucheon International Animation Film Festival’s international competition. This latter point is noteworthy, as it’s the first time an anime has ever been nominated for this award. While we’ve had a few opportunities to watch it on the big screen here in the west, the movie debuted at 2021’s Venice International Film Festival, and bagged a nomination for the Venice Horizons Award. Inu-Oh is based on the book Tales of the Heike: Inu-Oh by Hideo Furukawa, and it’s inspired by a real 14th century Japanese figure. While the majority of his works are psychedelic and bizarre, Inu-Oh strikes a happy medium with its creative visuals and streamlined story, the latter of which has plenty of heart and easy to decipher meanings and messages for everyone to enjoy.

Rock opera movies