Inu-Oh (犬王) is a historical musical anime film directed by Masaaki Yuasa and produced by Science SARU. It is based on the novel Tales of the Heike: Inu-Oh by Hideo Furukawa.
In 14th century Japan during the Muromachi era, a friendship is formed between Tomona, a blind biwa player, and Inu-Oh, a deformed man with a talent for Noh dancing. As the two set up a troupe and become musical sensations with their unorthodox method of telling Heike stories, they become the target of Ashikaga Yoshimitsu, who only wants his clan’s version of the Heike stories told and is willing to work with Inu-Oh’s ambitious, but cruel father to fulfill such a decree.
It premiered at the Venice International Film Festival on September 9, 2021 and was later released in Japanese theaters on May 28, 2022.
Tropes present in Inu-Oh
- Anachronistic Soundtrack: The Tomoari troupe performs similarly to rock concerts of the modern era (complete with the audience joining in on the songs) rather than the traditional Noh dancing that’s expected from 14th century Japan.
- Archnemesis Dad: Inu-Oh’s father is one of the primary antagonists of the film and is determined to become a famed Noh performer at the expense of not just his own son, but others that get in his way.
- Blind and the Beast: Tomona, a blind biwa player, and Inu-Oh, a dancer with a grotesque body, get along great with each other and start a troupe that proves to be popular among the residents of Muromachi era Japan.
- Blind Musician: Tomona went blind at a young age and discovers his talent in playing the biwa while traveling with an elderly player. Tomona then joins a troupe of blind biwa players before making his own troupe with the deformed dancer Inu-Oh and finding success from there.
- Body Horror: Inu-Oh was born with three stubby limbs, an elongated arm, scales on his back, and a distorted face with an eye where the mouth should be as a result of a curse that was set by his father. He initially goes around town scaring others with his grotesque looks before befriending Tomona, who isn’t bothered by it because he’s blind.
- Deal with the Devil: Inu-Oh’s father’s desire to become famous results in him unboxing a demon mask that makes him kill some biwa musicians. He then agrees to the mask’s demands to sacrifice the innocence of his unborn son, which leads to Inu-Oh being born with several physical deformities. When Inu-Oh’s father orders the mask to kill his son during a performance, the mask refuses as it went against the original terms of the agreement, resulting in Inu-Oh’s father meeting a bloody end.
- Evil Mask: The demon mask that Inu-Oh’s father uses to seek fame is what pushed him to commit violent acts and worsened his already-loose grip on his sanity.
- Ghost Reunion Ending: It’s an afterlife reunion that took 600 years for it to happen since Tomona renaming himself made it hard for Inu-Oh to find him. After reuniting, Inu-Oh’s spirit reverts to his deformed self and rejuvenates a heavily aged Tomona to his youthful self and the two perform together.
- Glory Hound: Inu-Oh’s father only cares about being famous for Noh performances and will do anything, including murdering other biwa players and attempting the same thing to his own son, to achieve such fame.
- Half the Man He Used to Be: The fate of Tomona’s father, who unknowingly finds the Grasscutter Sword and unsheathes it, letting loose a blade of energy that kills him and blinds Tomona.
- Historical Domain Character: The Inu-Oh character in the film and novel it’s based on is inspired by a real-life Noh performer of the same name, of whom little is known aside from legends. Muromachi era shogun Ashikaga Yoshimitsu, who in real-life contributed to the rise of Noh theater, also appears in the film as an antagonist who is opposed to the Tomoari troupe’s style of Noh performances.
- Ludicrous Gibs: As a result of trying and failing to get the demon mask to kill Inu-Oh and violating the original agreement in doing so, Inu-Oh’s father explodes into a puddle of blood by the mask.
- Masking the Deformity: Inu-Oh wears several different masks to cover his disfigured face, which continues even as his body magically recovers from the physical deformities he is born with. It’s only after his face is restored that Inu-Oh stops wearing the masks.
- Meaningful Rename: Tomona renames himself twice over the course of the film: first as Tomoichi when he joins the blind biwa player troupe and again as Tomoari when he sets up a separate troupe with Inu-Oh. He then changes his name back to Tomona moments before his death.
- Once More, with Clarity: Early in the film, a series of biwa players are murdered at the hands of a masked individual and is followed by the birth of the highly deformed Inu-Oh. During the Tomoari troupe’s final on-screen performance, Tomoari learns of Inu-Oh’s backstory that puts these earlier events into a different perspective. The murders were a result of Inu-Oh’s father working with a demon mask and Inu-Oh’s birth and physical deformities happened when the spirits of the Heike warriors released from the biwa players flocked to the unborn Inu-Oh as a result of his father willing to sacrifice his unborn son’s innocence at the behest of the mask.
- Silence Is Golden: When Inu-Oh ascends to become the Emperor's dancer, there's no sound or music. On top of perhaps conveying how the real Inu-Oh slipped into obscurity, this implies that he spent the rest of his life mourning Tomoari and was drained of the creative joys of making his own music.
- Technician Versus Performer: The main conflict of the film is centered around Ashikaga’s insistence on the official Heike stories being told through traditional means (Technician) against the more radical presentation style and unique stories the Tomoari troupe have at hand (Performer).
- Treated Worse than the Pet: Inu-Oh’s father hates him to a great extent that he forces Inu-Oh to live outside with the other dogs and eat dog food instead of teaching him Noh dancing compared to his other sons. Blink-or-you'd-miss-it, and Inu-Oh's mother (whose coffin is seen later through Inu-Oh's eyehold) is also implied to regard him with scorn.
- Unnamed Parent: Neither Inu-Oh nor Tomona’s parents are given full names at any point in the film.
- Womb Horror: As the origin of Inu-Oh comes into play, Tomoari (as a child) sees the fetus of the not-yet-born Inu-Oh. As Inu-Oh’s father becomes willing to sacrifice his unborn son in order to achieve fame, the fetus becomes deformed and on the verge of death, with the mother struggling as the curse takes effect. It’s only through the spirits of the Heike warriors that were released by the biwa players the father had previously killed that the fetus makes it out alive.
