Newest Post
// On :Monday, July 15, 2019
Hey guys, kanna here. And BOY am I sorry I haven't posted anything in almost a year (it feels like it's been almost a year). If you've been following my Facebook, you'll know what's been going on. If not, click on the link and click that like button! Anyway, I'm here and I'm ready.
Let's get in the TARDIS and travel back in time to the Warring States Era (or the Feudal Era as it's called in the dub) of Japan so we can take a look at the second movie of the feudal fairytale, Inuyasha! More specifically, the second movie, The Castle Beyond the Looking Glass.
First off, the thing I love about the Inuyasha movies is that movie-exclusive characters and events (save for one character and a minor event) are never referenced in the anime. As long as you know who the characters from Inuyasha are, you should be ok. Then again, I went into this movie completely blind; not knowing any of the characters. So...each to their own, I guess. I won't be going into too much detail as to who everyone is, so on with it! Let's dive into Inuyasha: The Castle Beyond the Looking Glass.
This is going to be more of a commentary than a review because I was curious as to how this movie held up over the 10+ years since I last saw it. So I decided to give it a watch today, and there were a few things that...well, I'll get to them later. Let's jump into a feudal fairytale! Here is Inuyasha: The Castle Beyond the Looking Glass. FYI, I'll be talking about the dub and NOT the sub. Nothing against the sub, but I saw the dub first and feel there are more things I can get some decent material out of with it.
So after a fight with the series' main antagonist, Naraku (Paul Dobson, who also voices Myoga, the flea demon), a half-demon that takes the form of a...ok, can I just take this one instance to swear? Please? I seldom swear, but dear G-d...
I can? Seriously?! YES!!!
*deep breath*
F**K IT'S A SPIDER! A GIANT F**KING SPIDER! OH MY G-D! F**K S**T F**K F**K F**K F**K!!!
*deep breath*
Ok, I'm calm now. Is the spider off-screen? *looks* Thank G-d...it's the pincers, guys. Or the legs. Or both...no, the more I think about it, the more likely I am to go ballistic. So enjoy this gif of Harry imitating a spider in the second-worst Harry Potter movie (in my opinion), Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (the book was better, just saying).
Anyway, this fight, while it is well-animated for its time, is also a fight that makes you think "wow, that was way too easy." I mean...this fight isn't even that long. You can tell something is up right away, even if you haven't seen the movie or the main series before. They all defeat Naraku, Miroku's (Kirby Morrow) wind tunnel disappears, and everyone goes their separate ways until they can come up with a plan to get the remaining jewel shards.
We then cut to shots of all the main characters sensing Naraku is dead. And by everyone, I mean four characters: Fluffy (aka Sesshomaru...poor guy doesn't even get a line of dialog in this WHOLE FREAKING MOVIE), Kikyo (Willow Johnson; I don't really like Kikyo that much, although I can neither confirm nor deny that I actually shed a tear or two when she actually died in The Final Act. Damn you, soundtrack), and our two kinda-sorta-not-really-antagonists for the film, Kagura (Janyse Jaud) and Kanna (also Janyse Jaud).
Oh, I should probably clarify: since Kanna is an incarnation of Naraku and I'm kanna, I'll be using a lowercase k for myself and a capital K for Naraku's incarnation. Clear? Clear.
Kagura says that she can feel her heart beating in her chest again, and Kanna realizes aloud that Naraku is dead. What Kagura means might be a little complicated if you haven't seen the main series, so I'll try my best to explain this as briefly as possible.
Kagura and Kanna are both incarnations of Naraku. While Kanna may look younger than Kagura by a considerable amount of years, Kanna was actually Naraku's first incarnation, making her Kagura's older sister. Furthermore, Naraku holds the hearts of all his incarnations (too many to name, but Kagura and Kanna are the main ones in this, so we'll focus on them). So when Naraku died, Kagura got her heart back in her body. That brief enough? Things a tad less confusing now? Ok. Let's move on.
This is Kagura:
And this is Kanna:
We then cut to Sango (Kelly Sheridan), Kagome (Moneca Stori, but they changed Kagome's voice actress for The Final Act for reasons unknown to me), and Shippo (Jillian Michaels) all relaxing in a hot spring now that Naraku is dead (I read in some Inuyasha guide-type book that Shippo did this kind of stuff with them because it's stuff he did with his family before they were killed, and now he looks to Kagome and Sango as mother-figures). They discuss what they're going to do now that their arch-nemesis is dead, and then we cut to...well, I'll just let this scene speak for itself.
This is actually an interesting scene that is fairly similar to the Japanese myth, The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter, which this movie bases its storyline off of. In that story, a passerby happens upon a celestial maiden (Kaguya) who is bathing. The maiden becomes angry and the passerby steals the celestial robe. Kaguya then proceeds to SLAUGHTER an ENTIRE VILLAGE of innocents. Because...reasons. Yeah, this wasn't incredibly clear in the original myth, come to think of it. C'est la vie (such is life...and that's the extent of my French for those wondering).
In this scene, Akitoki Hojo is the passerby, who comments on how Kagome and Sango look like celestial maidens. He has the celestial robe at the time. However, Miroku and Inuyasha are standing guard so the girls can relax in peace, and Akitoki narrowly escapes the wrath of Kagome and Sango (which is basically Kagome saying "sit" to Inuyasha and calling him a pervert and Sango throwing a giant rock at Miroku). Now, one could argue that this is just fan-service or comedy, and while you would be right, it is interesting to look at this scene from an analytical perspective.
Kagura and Kanna have become restless now that Naraku has died, so they walk through this forest and come across a mirror at a shrine. They awaken a maiden sealed in the mirror who reveals herself as Kaguya (Nicole Oliver), Princess of the Heavens. She looks like this:
This is an interesting depiction of her because, in many other forms of media, Kaguya is depicted as a child. So, to see her as a full-grown adult makes things fairly interesting and allows for a lot more possibilities.
Anyway, Kaguya says that she can grant Kagura her wish of true freedom if she and Kanna release Kaguya from the mirror. To do this, Kagura and Kanna need five treasures; each representing one of the five elements: wood (the jeweled sprig), fire (cloth from the fire-rat), water (the swallow's cowrie shell), earth (the stone bowl of Buddha), and metal (the crystal from the dragon's neck). Another interesting addition, as according to the original myth that this movie is getting Kaguya from, Kaguya made her suitors undertake rigorous tasks that involved getting these treasures.
So Kagura and Kanna are already in possession of the jeweled sprig, having taken it from the shrine the mirror was at. They also locate the crystal from the dragon's neck. Kanna decides their next target is the cloth from the fire-rat, and the one who wears that is Inuyasha. So they decide to go after him. After a short fight scene where Kagura and Kanna get a piece of Inuyasha's kimono, Kaguya makes her debut appearance to our heroes. We see some of her capabilities (and by some, I mean only a FRACTION), and Inuyasha attacks, only to have his attack thrown right back at him. Kaguya and co leave, but Kaguya notices that the flow of time is different around Kagome.
Meanwhile, Kohaku, Sango's younger brother who was part of Naraku's group via possession (it's a long story), returns to the village of the demon slayers. He doesn't remember much, but some things come in waves. While tending to his wounds, Sango notices a strange welt on Kohaku's back. She tries to touch it, but this causes Kohaku pain. The two share an emotional moment where they just sit next to each other in silence, only for Kagura to ruin the moment and take the swallow's cowrie shell from Kohaku. Only one treasure remains, and it's the stone bowl of Buddha.
This is going to be more of a commentary than a review because I was curious as to how this movie held up over the 10+ years since I last saw it. So I decided to give it a watch today, and there were a few things that...well, I'll get to them later. Let's jump into a feudal fairytale! Here is Inuyasha: The Castle Beyond the Looking Glass. FYI, I'll be talking about the dub and NOT the sub. Nothing against the sub, but I saw the dub first and feel there are more things I can get some decent material out of with it.
So after a fight with the series' main antagonist, Naraku (Paul Dobson, who also voices Myoga, the flea demon), a half-demon that takes the form of a...ok, can I just take this one instance to swear? Please? I seldom swear, but dear G-d...
I can? Seriously?! YES!!!
*deep breath*
F**K IT'S A SPIDER! A GIANT F**KING SPIDER! OH MY G-D! F**K S**T F**K F**K F**K F**K!!!
*deep breath*
Ok, I'm calm now. Is the spider off-screen? *looks* Thank G-d...it's the pincers, guys. Or the legs. Or both...no, the more I think about it, the more likely I am to go ballistic. So enjoy this gif of Harry imitating a spider in the second-worst Harry Potter movie (in my opinion), Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (the book was better, just saying).
Anyway, this fight, while it is well-animated for its time, is also a fight that makes you think "wow, that was way too easy." I mean...this fight isn't even that long. You can tell something is up right away, even if you haven't seen the movie or the main series before. They all defeat Naraku, Miroku's (Kirby Morrow) wind tunnel disappears, and everyone goes their separate ways until they can come up with a plan to get the remaining jewel shards.
We then cut to shots of all the main characters sensing Naraku is dead. And by everyone, I mean four characters: Fluffy (aka Sesshomaru...poor guy doesn't even get a line of dialog in this WHOLE FREAKING MOVIE), Kikyo (Willow Johnson; I don't really like Kikyo that much, although I can neither confirm nor deny that I actually shed a tear or two when she actually died in The Final Act. Damn you, soundtrack), and our two kinda-sorta-not-really-antagonists for the film, Kagura (Janyse Jaud) and Kanna (also Janyse Jaud).
Oh, I should probably clarify: since Kanna is an incarnation of Naraku and I'm kanna, I'll be using a lowercase k for myself and a capital K for Naraku's incarnation. Clear? Clear.
Kagura says that she can feel her heart beating in her chest again, and Kanna realizes aloud that Naraku is dead. What Kagura means might be a little complicated if you haven't seen the main series, so I'll try my best to explain this as briefly as possible.
Kagura and Kanna are both incarnations of Naraku. While Kanna may look younger than Kagura by a considerable amount of years, Kanna was actually Naraku's first incarnation, making her Kagura's older sister. Furthermore, Naraku holds the hearts of all his incarnations (too many to name, but Kagura and Kanna are the main ones in this, so we'll focus on them). So when Naraku died, Kagura got her heart back in her body. That brief enough? Things a tad less confusing now? Ok. Let's move on.
This is Kagura:
And this is Kanna:
We then cut to Sango (Kelly Sheridan), Kagome (Moneca Stori, but they changed Kagome's voice actress for The Final Act for reasons unknown to me), and Shippo (Jillian Michaels) all relaxing in a hot spring now that Naraku is dead (I read in some Inuyasha guide-type book that Shippo did this kind of stuff with them because it's stuff he did with his family before they were killed, and now he looks to Kagome and Sango as mother-figures). They discuss what they're going to do now that their arch-nemesis is dead, and then we cut to...well, I'll just let this scene speak for itself.
This is actually an interesting scene that is fairly similar to the Japanese myth, The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter, which this movie bases its storyline off of. In that story, a passerby happens upon a celestial maiden (Kaguya) who is bathing. The maiden becomes angry and the passerby steals the celestial robe. Kaguya then proceeds to SLAUGHTER an ENTIRE VILLAGE of innocents. Because...reasons. Yeah, this wasn't incredibly clear in the original myth, come to think of it. C'est la vie (such is life...and that's the extent of my French for those wondering).
In this scene, Akitoki Hojo is the passerby, who comments on how Kagome and Sango look like celestial maidens. He has the celestial robe at the time. However, Miroku and Inuyasha are standing guard so the girls can relax in peace, and Akitoki narrowly escapes the wrath of Kagome and Sango (which is basically Kagome saying "sit" to Inuyasha and calling him a pervert and Sango throwing a giant rock at Miroku). Now, one could argue that this is just fan-service or comedy, and while you would be right, it is interesting to look at this scene from an analytical perspective.
Kagura and Kanna have become restless now that Naraku has died, so they walk through this forest and come across a mirror at a shrine. They awaken a maiden sealed in the mirror who reveals herself as Kaguya (Nicole Oliver), Princess of the Heavens. She looks like this:
This is an interesting depiction of her because, in many other forms of media, Kaguya is depicted as a child. So, to see her as a full-grown adult makes things fairly interesting and allows for a lot more possibilities.
Anyway, Kaguya says that she can grant Kagura her wish of true freedom if she and Kanna release Kaguya from the mirror. To do this, Kagura and Kanna need five treasures; each representing one of the five elements: wood (the jeweled sprig), fire (cloth from the fire-rat), water (the swallow's cowrie shell), earth (the stone bowl of Buddha), and metal (the crystal from the dragon's neck). Another interesting addition, as according to the original myth that this movie is getting Kaguya from, Kaguya made her suitors undertake rigorous tasks that involved getting these treasures.
So Kagura and Kanna are already in possession of the jeweled sprig, having taken it from the shrine the mirror was at. They also locate the crystal from the dragon's neck. Kanna decides their next target is the cloth from the fire-rat, and the one who wears that is Inuyasha. So they decide to go after him. After a short fight scene where Kagura and Kanna get a piece of Inuyasha's kimono, Kaguya makes her debut appearance to our heroes. We see some of her capabilities (and by some, I mean only a FRACTION), and Inuyasha attacks, only to have his attack thrown right back at him. Kaguya and co leave, but Kaguya notices that the flow of time is different around Kagome.
Meanwhile, Kohaku, Sango's younger brother who was part of Naraku's group via possession (it's a long story), returns to the village of the demon slayers. He doesn't remember much, but some things come in waves. While tending to his wounds, Sango notices a strange welt on Kohaku's back. She tries to touch it, but this causes Kohaku pain. The two share an emotional moment where they just sit next to each other in silence, only for Kagura to ruin the moment and take the swallow's cowrie shell from Kohaku. Only one treasure remains, and it's the stone bowl of Buddha.
While Kaguya and co search for that, we cut to Miroku, the monk Mushin, and their vassal, Hatchiemon (Hatchi for short). Hatchiemon is a raccoon-dog demon (a tanuki in Japanese).
Wait...does that mean a raccoon and a dog...
*thinks*
I NEED AN ADULT! I NEED AN ADULT!
Ok, kanna, calm down. You’re over analyzing this. Some things are better left not figured out. Deep breaths. In and out.
I think I’m calm now. A little mentally scarred, but calm.
So, after we get beyond...that mindf**k (seriously, where is the logic? I feel like Spock!), we learn that Miroku's grandfather, the monk Miyatsu, sealed Kaguya into a mirror, but was ultimately unable to kill her because of his perverted ways and her beautiful appearance. Guess it runs in the family, considering how perverted Miroku is.
So, after giving Hatchi a beating that would make you want to call the Feudal Era's version of the ASPCA (I'm pretty sure they had one; just send a carrier pigeon and...ok, not funny), Hatchi decides to accompany Miroku to visit his grandfather's grave, in the hopes that they'll get some answers. They meet a villager who tells a version of The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter that's closer to the original than the one Hatchi gives us.
We then see Kikyo encounter a village that was slaughtered. A dying girl gives Kikyo the stone bowl of Buddha, and this is where I get REALLY pissed. Why? Because Kikyo encounters Kagura in a forest and gives up the object...without a fight.
Translation: THIS WHOLE THING COULD HAVE BEEN COMPLETELY AVOIDED IF KIKYO HADN'T GIVEN UP THE STONE BOWL OF BUDDHA!!!
Ok, talk about the movie now, save the rant for later.
So after getting the last object, Kaguya is released from the mirror and we see her full body appearance. She says to Kagura that she won't give her the "true freedom" she speaks of because she needs the celestial robe. And...not going to lie, she looks and sounds pretty creepy. Nicole Oliver really went all out in this. Then again, I don't know what she actually sounds like because I haven't seen anything she did voice work for or any of her live-action stuff. So maybe she did, maybe she didn't. I'd love to interview her and ask about what it was like to play a villain like Kaguya. Readers, use those connections and get me that interview!
Inuyasha, Kagome, and Shippo meet up with Akitoki Hojo, an ancestor of one of Kagome's classmates, who is on his way to throw the celestial robe into the crater of Mount Fuji. He accompanies them because he has a small crush on Kagome and was blackmailed by Shippo for the earlier incident (see above clip). A few hours pass and Inuyasha and Kagome share a semi-romantic moment. Kagome tells Inuyasha, who wants to become a full-fledged demon with the power of the sacred jewel, that she likes him just the way he is as a half-demon.
Too bad no further romantic development can take place, as Kaguya makes her grand entrance. She pins Inuyasha to a tree and says that she wondered why he was so weak before she realizes that he's only a half-demon. Kagome tries to free him but is sent flying. Shippo and Akitoki run to Inuyasha and Kagome, only for Akitoki to trip on a tree root (because...writing), fall on top of Shippo, and reveal the celestial robe to Kaguya.
Kaguya starts to chant a spell, and this is what I find interesting: I can't confirm this, but I'm 99% sure that they kept Kaguya's Japanese voice actress's voice (Mieko Harada) in the English dub of the film just for the scenes where Kaguya uses magic. It sounds like Mieko Harada, at any rate.
Back to the movie.
Akitoki is trying to get the robe together but is too stupid to actually run (well, it's true). Kagome shoots Kaguya with an arrow and interrupts the spell and Kaguya notes that the arrow is sacred (in other words, it has the powers of a priestess). Kagome then prepares to shoot Kaguya, fires, and the arrow is absorbed by the mirror before it's sent back at Inuyasha.
Kagome takes the arrow in her back for Inuyasha, but it was cushioned (or something) by the celestial robe. She falls to the ground, unconscious. Kaguya laughs and takes off with Kagome in tow while Inuyasha protests. Inuyasha, Akitoki, and Shippo go after Kagome. They get separated when Inuyasha runs ahead and encounters a demon called an Orochi (in Japanese, it’s called Yamata no Orochi, which translates out to "8-branched giant snake").
Goof on the movie's part (I think): in Japanese mythology, the Yamata no Orochi had eight heads and eight tails, but in the movie, it only had five or six heads and tails (it's a little hard to tell).
So during this fight, Kagome wakes up and her wound is healed by the celestial robe. Kaguya is approached by Kagura and Kanna, and it's revealed that Kaguya isn't actually Kaguya, but a demon who ate the real Kaguya and took on her name, beauty, and power. In other words: not a real celestial being and just like Naraku. Both absorbed the power of other demons to increase their own strength.
Kanna tries absorbing "Kaguya's" soul into her mirror, but it's not that simple (good; this movie wouldn't be entertaining if it was that easy. Not to mention we have at least half an hour to go). "Kaguya" uses her Power of the Mirror of Stillness to make time stop, and Kagura and Kanna are shown sinking to the bottom of a lake (how they survive this is beyond me, because they show up time and time again in the main series, and if this is supposed to be canon...I'm overthinking it).
This doesn't affect our heroes, as Inuyasha and everyone are wearing Kagome's bandages and those put up some kind of time barrier. They all meet up at the castle to rescue Kagome, only for them to be stopped by "Kaguya" in her demonic form. And...she's pretty creepy looking; not going to lie. She's a strong fighter; a real femme fatale. She manages to get Inuyasha's sword, the Tetsusaiga, away from him and stab him just below the heart with a vine-type-thing. You know s**t’s about to go down because that sword is what keeps Inuyasha’s demonic powers in check.
So, after giving Hatchi a beating that would make you want to call the Feudal Era's version of the ASPCA (I'm pretty sure they had one; just send a carrier pigeon and...ok, not funny), Hatchi decides to accompany Miroku to visit his grandfather's grave, in the hopes that they'll get some answers. They meet a villager who tells a version of The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter that's closer to the original than the one Hatchi gives us.
We then see Kikyo encounter a village that was slaughtered. A dying girl gives Kikyo the stone bowl of Buddha, and this is where I get REALLY pissed. Why? Because Kikyo encounters Kagura in a forest and gives up the object...without a fight.
Translation: THIS WHOLE THING COULD HAVE BEEN COMPLETELY AVOIDED IF KIKYO HADN'T GIVEN UP THE STONE BOWL OF BUDDHA!!!
Ok, talk about the movie now, save the rant for later.
So after getting the last object, Kaguya is released from the mirror and we see her full body appearance. She says to Kagura that she won't give her the "true freedom" she speaks of because she needs the celestial robe. And...not going to lie, she looks and sounds pretty creepy. Nicole Oliver really went all out in this. Then again, I don't know what she actually sounds like because I haven't seen anything she did voice work for or any of her live-action stuff. So maybe she did, maybe she didn't. I'd love to interview her and ask about what it was like to play a villain like Kaguya. Readers, use those connections and get me that interview!
Inuyasha, Kagome, and Shippo meet up with Akitoki Hojo, an ancestor of one of Kagome's classmates, who is on his way to throw the celestial robe into the crater of Mount Fuji. He accompanies them because he has a small crush on Kagome and was blackmailed by Shippo for the earlier incident (see above clip). A few hours pass and Inuyasha and Kagome share a semi-romantic moment. Kagome tells Inuyasha, who wants to become a full-fledged demon with the power of the sacred jewel, that she likes him just the way he is as a half-demon.
Too bad no further romantic development can take place, as Kaguya makes her grand entrance. She pins Inuyasha to a tree and says that she wondered why he was so weak before she realizes that he's only a half-demon. Kagome tries to free him but is sent flying. Shippo and Akitoki run to Inuyasha and Kagome, only for Akitoki to trip on a tree root (because...writing), fall on top of Shippo, and reveal the celestial robe to Kaguya.
Kaguya starts to chant a spell, and this is what I find interesting: I can't confirm this, but I'm 99% sure that they kept Kaguya's Japanese voice actress's voice (Mieko Harada) in the English dub of the film just for the scenes where Kaguya uses magic. It sounds like Mieko Harada, at any rate.
Back to the movie.
Akitoki is trying to get the robe together but is too stupid to actually run (well, it's true). Kagome shoots Kaguya with an arrow and interrupts the spell and Kaguya notes that the arrow is sacred (in other words, it has the powers of a priestess). Kagome then prepares to shoot Kaguya, fires, and the arrow is absorbed by the mirror before it's sent back at Inuyasha.
Kagome takes the arrow in her back for Inuyasha, but it was cushioned (or something) by the celestial robe. She falls to the ground, unconscious. Kaguya laughs and takes off with Kagome in tow while Inuyasha protests. Inuyasha, Akitoki, and Shippo go after Kagome. They get separated when Inuyasha runs ahead and encounters a demon called an Orochi (in Japanese, it’s called Yamata no Orochi, which translates out to "8-branched giant snake").
Goof on the movie's part (I think): in Japanese mythology, the Yamata no Orochi had eight heads and eight tails, but in the movie, it only had five or six heads and tails (it's a little hard to tell).
So during this fight, Kagome wakes up and her wound is healed by the celestial robe. Kaguya is approached by Kagura and Kanna, and it's revealed that Kaguya isn't actually Kaguya, but a demon who ate the real Kaguya and took on her name, beauty, and power. In other words: not a real celestial being and just like Naraku. Both absorbed the power of other demons to increase their own strength.
Kanna tries absorbing "Kaguya's" soul into her mirror, but it's not that simple (good; this movie wouldn't be entertaining if it was that easy. Not to mention we have at least half an hour to go). "Kaguya" uses her Power of the Mirror of Stillness to make time stop, and Kagura and Kanna are shown sinking to the bottom of a lake (how they survive this is beyond me, because they show up time and time again in the main series, and if this is supposed to be canon...I'm overthinking it).
This doesn't affect our heroes, as Inuyasha and everyone are wearing Kagome's bandages and those put up some kind of time barrier. They all meet up at the castle to rescue Kagome, only for them to be stopped by "Kaguya" in her demonic form. And...she's pretty creepy looking; not going to lie. She's a strong fighter; a real femme fatale. She manages to get Inuyasha's sword, the Tetsusaiga, away from him and stab him just below the heart with a vine-type-thing. You know s**t’s about to go down because that sword is what keeps Inuyasha’s demonic powers in check.
“Kaguya” starts to chant and Inuyasha begins turning into a full-demon. The others (minus Kagome, who is still trapped) try to break the mirror and stop the change, but it’s no use; “Kaguya” is too powerful and stops them all with ease. Suddenly, Kagome stops screaming at Inuyasha not to transform and has an epiphany. She tells Shippo to throw the bottle of sacred jewel shards at her. He does, and Kagome is free. She runs to Inuyasha, who is still transforming. His eyes are red. And then, well...I can’t believe I’m saying this about my favorite Inuyasha movie, but the “power of love” takes over, Kagome kisses Inuyasha, and this breaks the spell. He transforms back into a half-demon and returns the kiss.
*sigh*
Look, this is the first kiss that they share in the whole anime, and quite possibly one of my favorite kiss scenes in an anime. HOWEVER...why did it have to be all “power of love?” Inuyasha still has feelings for Kikyo! I mean, I ship Inuyasha and Kagome as much as the next girl, maybe more than the next girl, but when are we going to come across something where the “power of love” DOES NOT work or IS NOT used?
Whatever. Moving on.
Inuyasha says he’ll stay a half-demon a little while longer; just for Kagome. The mirror cracks and the sacred objects all return to where they came from. Inuyasha attacks “Kaguya” and it ALMOST works...except for the fact that her arm comes back. They all realize that “Kaguya” is just like Naraku, which, according to Miroku, “will make destroying her even easier.”
Yeah...about that...
They all prepare to attack Kaguya when Kohaku groans in pain. Sango checks on him and sees that the welt that she noticed on his shoulder from earlier has expanded into the shape of a—oh dear G-d, not again...
*deep breath*
F**K IT'S A SPIDER! A F**KING SPIDER! OH MY G-D! F**K S**T F**K F**K F**K F**K!!!
It’s not even a real spider; it’s just a mark, so I don't know why I'm freaking out.
Moving on, I guess.
Miroku screams in pain and his wind tunnel is coming back to the palm of his right hand. Sango tries to tell Kohaku she'll never leave him again, only for Naraku to come right out of Kohaku's back in the most grotesque way you can think of. It's pretty...ugh. Words can't sum up how grossed out I was by this scene as a kid, and even now, it still grosses me out.
Anyway, Naraku is, in fact, very much alive. We learn that he and Kaguya had a history of some kind when he says "it's been far too long, Kaguya." Yeah...they don't exactly expand beyond this; we just know they had a history. Kinda disappointing (among other things), but we'll get to that later.
So Naraku faked his death to lure Kaguya out of hiding. Paul Dobson's voice acting is really on-point in this scene.
Anyway, there's a big fight, Kaguya is destroyed by a combination of the Tetsusaiga and a sacred arrow, then sucked into Miroku's wind tunnel, and everyone (plus Naraku and Kohaku) escape through the mirror. So it's safe to say the good guys win and their journey isn't over yet.
So...how has this movie held up?
Rating: 7/10
Why: Look, I'm a little biased; Inuyasha was my first anime from when I actually knew what anime was (that's why I don't count Pokemon, Yu-Gi-Oh, Beyblade...pretty much any anime after 1995). So cut me a little slack with the high rating.
This movie is good. The animation is great for the time (yes, there are a few animation goofs), and the character designs aren't based on the anime, but on the manga designs that Rumiko Takahashi drew. The writing, while it was mostly copy-paste from the subtitles of the original Japanese, wasn't too lazy.
The movie did a great job making parallels to The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter. Having Kaguya depicted as an adult rather than a child is probably what allowed for all the action. Although, depicting Kaguya as a psychotic teen would be interesting.
HOWEVER:
There are a few (three or four I think) rants I'm about to have here, so get ready.
Rant #1: I referenced this above, but I'm going to say it again. This whole thing could have been COMPLETELY AVOIDED if Kikyo hadn't given up the stone bowl of Buddha to Kagura without a fight. Why did she do it? We don't know! We're never given a reason! She's just like "What's the matter? It's what you want, is it not?". She "tried" to make up for it when she helped Inuyasha slay the Yamata no Orochi, but that doesn't quite cut it with me. Heck, I don't even think THE WRITERS were clear on what her intent was.
I suppose I can give Kikyo the benefit of the doubt because, without all of this, we wouldn't have this movie, but...wait a sec.
The only reason Kaguya came out of that mirror was that Naraku "died." I'm all for keeping that part of the movie in. What I'm not for is that Naraku reappeared after Kaguya was released from the mirror. So...this whole entire thing was Kikyo's fault! She singlehandedly...ok, I can't. I just can't. I just can't believe I only NOW came to this realization.
Rant #2: This isn't so much a rant as it is another goof on the movie's part. In the movie, Miroku tries to suck Naraku into his wind tunnel. Great idea, if it wasn't for the fact that Naraku has a freaking army of poisonous insects, called Saimyosho, at his disposal. Miroku sucks those into the wind tunnel instead, and he says, "what, Saimyosho?".
This is premature knowledge, as according to what I've read online, this movie aired in Japan between episodes 95 and 96 of the anime. The Saimyosho hadn't been mentioned by name until episode 96. So Miroku's knowledge is premature.
Rant #3: The innuendos. Good G-D, the innuendos. You could play a drinking game with all the innuendos. You hear "become one with my flesh/body" and variations of it SO MANY FREAKING TIMES. I swear; it's like this movie wants you to get drunk.
I know, you're probably thinking, "kanna, get your mind out of the gutter!" But watch the movie and tell me you don't have those same thoughts of, "that could be taken the wrong way." Especially with "Kaguya's" whole, "become my servant" thing. That could be taken the wrong way easily! I just...wow. I'm trying to remember if the original Japanese movie was this heavy with innuendos.
I think that's it for my ranting. Both the English dub and the original Japanese movie are great, so watch whichever one you want. I personally prefer the English dub because I saw that first, but I also like the original Japanese.
Let me know what you want me to review next! For now:
And I plan on sticking around!
Moving on, I guess.
Miroku screams in pain and his wind tunnel is coming back to the palm of his right hand. Sango tries to tell Kohaku she'll never leave him again, only for Naraku to come right out of Kohaku's back in the most grotesque way you can think of. It's pretty...ugh. Words can't sum up how grossed out I was by this scene as a kid, and even now, it still grosses me out.
Anyway, Naraku is, in fact, very much alive. We learn that he and Kaguya had a history of some kind when he says "it's been far too long, Kaguya." Yeah...they don't exactly expand beyond this; we just know they had a history. Kinda disappointing (among other things), but we'll get to that later.
So Naraku faked his death to lure Kaguya out of hiding. Paul Dobson's voice acting is really on-point in this scene.
Anyway, there's a big fight, Kaguya is destroyed by a combination of the Tetsusaiga and a sacred arrow, then sucked into Miroku's wind tunnel, and everyone (plus Naraku and Kohaku) escape through the mirror. So it's safe to say the good guys win and their journey isn't over yet.
So...how has this movie held up?
Rating: 7/10
Why: Look, I'm a little biased; Inuyasha was my first anime from when I actually knew what anime was (that's why I don't count Pokemon, Yu-Gi-Oh, Beyblade...pretty much any anime after 1995). So cut me a little slack with the high rating.
This movie is good. The animation is great for the time (yes, there are a few animation goofs), and the character designs aren't based on the anime, but on the manga designs that Rumiko Takahashi drew. The writing, while it was mostly copy-paste from the subtitles of the original Japanese, wasn't too lazy.
The movie did a great job making parallels to The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter. Having Kaguya depicted as an adult rather than a child is probably what allowed for all the action. Although, depicting Kaguya as a psychotic teen would be interesting.
HOWEVER:
There are a few (three or four I think) rants I'm about to have here, so get ready.
Rant #1: I referenced this above, but I'm going to say it again. This whole thing could have been COMPLETELY AVOIDED if Kikyo hadn't given up the stone bowl of Buddha to Kagura without a fight. Why did she do it? We don't know! We're never given a reason! She's just like "What's the matter? It's what you want, is it not?". She "tried" to make up for it when she helped Inuyasha slay the Yamata no Orochi, but that doesn't quite cut it with me. Heck, I don't even think THE WRITERS were clear on what her intent was.
I suppose I can give Kikyo the benefit of the doubt because, without all of this, we wouldn't have this movie, but...wait a sec.
The only reason Kaguya came out of that mirror was that Naraku "died." I'm all for keeping that part of the movie in. What I'm not for is that Naraku reappeared after Kaguya was released from the mirror. So...this whole entire thing was Kikyo's fault! She singlehandedly...ok, I can't. I just can't. I just can't believe I only NOW came to this realization.
Rant #2: This isn't so much a rant as it is another goof on the movie's part. In the movie, Miroku tries to suck Naraku into his wind tunnel. Great idea, if it wasn't for the fact that Naraku has a freaking army of poisonous insects, called Saimyosho, at his disposal. Miroku sucks those into the wind tunnel instead, and he says, "what, Saimyosho?".
This is premature knowledge, as according to what I've read online, this movie aired in Japan between episodes 95 and 96 of the anime. The Saimyosho hadn't been mentioned by name until episode 96. So Miroku's knowledge is premature.
Rant #3: The innuendos. Good G-D, the innuendos. You could play a drinking game with all the innuendos. You hear "become one with my flesh/body" and variations of it SO MANY FREAKING TIMES. I swear; it's like this movie wants you to get drunk.
I know, you're probably thinking, "kanna, get your mind out of the gutter!" But watch the movie and tell me you don't have those same thoughts of, "that could be taken the wrong way." Especially with "Kaguya's" whole, "become my servant" thing. That could be taken the wrong way easily! I just...wow. I'm trying to remember if the original Japanese movie was this heavy with innuendos.
I think that's it for my ranting. Both the English dub and the original Japanese movie are great, so watch whichever one you want. I personally prefer the English dub because I saw that first, but I also like the original Japanese.
Let me know what you want me to review next! For now:
And I plan on sticking around!
