In medieval Japan, Kagome, Inuyasha, Miroku and Sango finally seemingly manage to defeat demon Naraku. Kagome therefore returns back to modern Tokyo to attend high school, where she listens to a lecture about the Kaguya legend, but is quickly deplored by Inuyasha to come back to the medieval Japan. Once back, Kagome meets Akitoki Hojo, a great ancestor to one of her classmates. A new threat emerges: spirit woman Kaguya, who kidnaps Kagome and locks her up in her castle. Kaguya uses a spell to encompass the entire forest with dark energy, causing the time to freeze, but Inuyasha and the others are exempt, since they touched Kagome's band-aid from the future. Inuyasha storms the castle and is almost transformed into a full demon by Kaguya, but Kagome's kiss saves him. Naraku shows up, since he only feigned his death in order to merge with Kaguya and become stronger. Inuyasha and company manage to stop Kaguya's plan and everything returns back to normal.
"Inuyasha" seems as if it was made by a Schizophrenic person: in the anime series, the first 80 episodes were great, only for the next 80 episodes to be terribly repetitive and action based, as if they were made by a completely different author. Then the 1st movie was great again. The 2nd movie, "The Castle Beyond the Looking Glass", is somewhere in between: its storyline was rejuvenated thanks to a few refreshing, comical and romantic moments, characteristic for its author, Rumiko Takahashi, yet it still drags in the 2nd half, and leans again more towards generic, empty action and battle sequences, which is why some viewers will find them boring to sit through. The convoluted story meanders too much, and it isn't all until the last 30 minutes until it finally leads to a plot tangle, whereas the finale is somewhat rushed and not quite satisfying. Kagome is again a very sweet character, and her quandary as to leave her modern teenage life to fight some medieval demons is something people can (allegorically) identify with: it is based on the old notion that tasks and obligations don't ask for a convenient time. One of the best moments is a comical one: six samurais encircle a young lad, Hojo, on a bridge, assaulting him, but are deliciously "interrupted" when Inuyasha nonchalantly just wants to pass between them to cross the bridge. The samurais are insulted that someone just ignores their "fuss", even a complete stranger, and thus now aim their anger against Inuyasha—only to be thrown into the river, since, unbeknownst to them, Inuyasha is a half-demon. Another great little moment has Kagome arguing with her little brother, yet some dogs are barking at them from a pet store. Kagome thus turns around and orders them: "Sit!" Only for the sound of a falling Inuyasha to be heard behind her, who was there all the time. More of these moments would have been welcomed, since they reach the viewers better than the routine battle sequences, yet this is still a good little edition of the long franchise.
Grade:++
No comments:
Post a Comment