The Life and Times of Inu-Oh - Renegade Animation #71

In this mini-episode, Captain Kaye and the Animation Guru review Inu-Oh, the latest film from the critically acclaimed director Masaaki Yuasa.

How’s it going everyone? This is your Captain speaking, welcoming you back for another episode of Renegade Animation! In this mini-episode, Cameron and I review the latest film from Science Saru, directed by the critically acclaimed filmmaker Masaaki Yuasa, Inu-Oh.

---

---

“Born to an esteemed family, Inu-oh is afflicted with an ancient curse that has left him on the margins of society. When he meets the blind musician Tomona, a young biwa priest haunted by his past, Inu-oh discovers a captivating ability to dance. The pair quickly become business partners and inseparable friends as crowds flock to their electric, larger-than-life concerts. But when those in power threaten to break up the band, Inu-oh and Tomona must dance and sing to uncover the truth behind their creative gifts.”

We can debate another time whether or not I actually believe this to be Yuasa's final directorial effort, as I'm of the opinion that creative individuals do not simply retire from being creative. That being said, for a swan song, Yuasa certainly went out with a bang! I don't know if I'm going to see anything quite as captivating for the rest of the year, animated or otherwise! Cameron and I go further in depth on the podcast, but for now, I’ll let him summarize our collective thoughts. Take it away, Cam!

Inu-Oh

“There will never be enough words to describe the experience of watching a film like Inu-Oh. It’s a fantastical experience, it’s magical, it’s a political drama, it’s a sharp-edged social commentary, it’s a bombastic stadium rock opera, it’s a grand-scale epic, it’s a small-scale emotionally-driven human story, it’s an LGBTQ+ infused journey of two souls looking to tell the stories of the forgotten, and it’s a highly-condensed cinematic experience that could only come from the mind of someone like Masaaki Yuasa. Inu-Oh is everything that he stands for, not only in filmmaking, but in storytelling, his ideals, and as a human being. Inu-Oh, just like Everything Everywhere All At Once, is a cinematic journey through the making of art on screen. It shows you what kind of creative adventures filmmakers can take you on. It’s a film that is firing on all cylinders with its visuals. It’s a film that proudly and definitely spits in the face of filmmakers and critics who talk down to the medium of animation. It viscerally stands and rebels against the naysayers and “Negative Nancies” who keep confining and limiting the medium of animation and storytelling. It’s, once again, everything everywhere all at once. If this thick slice of word loaf didn’t say so already, Inu-Oh is my favorite film of the year. It’s not only the best animated film of the year, but it’s also, bluntly, the best film of the year. You will never see something like Inu-Oh. If you can see it, please do. More people need to see the cinematic brilliance of something so distinct like Inu-Oh. It’s also a fun companion piece to Science Saru and Naoko Yamada’s adaptation of The Heike Story. We may never see a new film by Masaaki Yuasa, but for now, his story has been told, and his journey through the beauty of animation ends here. He rightfully deserves a break, and hopefully, one day, he may return to tell more stories like this one.” -The Animation Guru

That’ll be it for this episode of Renegade Animation! Thank you for joining, and stay tuned as always for more awesome content coming your way!