Written by Jordan Santiago. Photo by Jordan Santiago.
“Inu-Oh”, was a visually stunning animated film with a compelling story. The dynamic between characters Tomona and Inu-Oh as well as the film’s visual style was intriguing and thrilling. The music is also something to note, incorporating rock into a 14th-century setting. Every song was masterfully developed and added an exciting element to the film.
Following the film was a Q&A featuring the director, Masaaki Yuasa. During the Q&A, the director was asked various questions including his inspirations behind aspects of the film such as the story and musical style. He spoke about the difficulties that both the animators and music composers had in the making of the film, as well as the trials of collaboration that they experienced. Because music plays such an integral role in the film, the animators needed the music to know what to animate. Therefore, the composers would not know what to compose without any visuals. In the end, Masaaki ended up making storyboards to help guide the composers, which in turn would help the animators. Overall, “Inu-Oh” explores the relationship between music and animation through a riveting story and stunning art style.
