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This movie is an absolute joy to watch. Full of hard hitting action, and sweet emotion.

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InuYasha The Movie

Affections Touching Across Time

Review by Matthew Anderson

Company: Viz Video

Running Time:90 minutes

Region: 1

Rated: PG-13 (Violence, language and Adult situations)

EXTERNAL EXAM

Kagome's life has taken a weird turn. One day, she was a typical high school student, living in Tokyo. The next, she finds herself transported in time to feudal Japan by the "Jewel of Four Souls". As the reincarnation of Kikyou, the last guardian of the jewel, she must protect it from all manor of demons.

One such demon is InuYasha. His life isn't going much better. Thanks to Kikyou, he was mystically tied to a tree for 50 years. When Kagome frees him, Kikyo's sister Kaede binds him to Kagome with an enchanted necklace. Now, he has to do what ever Kagome says, or find his face in the dirt. Worst of all, the Jewel of Four Souls was shattered, and its pieces were spread all over Japan. Now, the two of them must recover every single fragment before the demons use the shards for their own evil ends.

Unbeknownst to them, there is an even greater danger on the horizon. Menomaru, an ancient Chinese god has appeared, looking for InuYasha's sword, the Tessaiga. With it, he can be reborn, and enslave the world in a never ending darkness. Sending his minions Hari and Ruri, he lures all of Inu Yasha's friends into a devious trap.

Rushing to their rescue, InuYasha quickly learns that Menomaru is more powerful than even he is. Can brute force stop an ancient evil, or is it the power of love that will help him win the day.

DVD VISION TEST

VIDEO: The video quality is top notch. There were no color bleeds, pixels, or rainbows to be found. The image was sharp and clear, with no edge enhancement.

AUDIO: Both the English and Japanese 2.0 are pretty evenly matched. The Japanese has a little more treble than it's English counterpart. There is a fuller soundstage on the English track, but it's softer than the Japanese.

EDITS: During the opening, English titles have been placed under the Japanese credits, and the Japanese Inu Yasha logo is covered by the English movie logo. The ending animation uses the clean version in a small series of windows with English credits in the center.

EXTRAS: We have the original Japanese promos, a trailer for movie two, character features, an Inu Yasha special report, and the original Japanese closing credits.

WIDESCREEN REVIEW

STORY: Like all of Rumiko Takahashi's work, this is a love story disguised as an action comedy. Katsuyuki Sumisawa does a wonderful job adapting Takahashi's entertaining manga for the big screen. He packs it with enough humor, action, and drama to satisfy any taste. He also makes it accessible to new fans, who may be unfamiliar with InuYasha.

ACTING: I am extremely happy with the work on the English dub. Richard Cox (InuYasha) and Moneca Stori and they do a fantastic job. Besides the regular tiffs, there are moments where they have to share some very tender moments. They have a lot of emotional range, and can emote quite well.

On the Japanese side, Kappei Yamaguchi was the right choice to play the arrogant and cocky InuYasha. His sense of comedic timing is impeccable, along with his ability to switch from silly to serious in a snap. Few can match the energy he brings to the table.

Satsuki Yukino's voice is also wonderful. She brings the right amount of cuteness and sincerity to the character of Kagome. Since she and Kappei Yamaguchi have to carry most of the movie, you need good actors to do the job right.

FAN SERVICE: All of the major characters make an appearance in this movie, and there are references to the series peppered throughout. Nothing in the nudity or panty shots category.

FINAL EXAM

In Japan, if a television series is considered popular, a theatrical release is sure to follow. These movies, usually about 60 to 90 minutes in length, are nothing more than extended episodes, with high quality animation, improved CG, and have little to no relation to the main plot. "Affections Touching Across Time", the first of the InuYasha movies, is a perfect example of a theatrical release. This does not mean that this movie is in any way, shape, or form, a bad movie.

Far from it. This movie is an absolute joy to watch. Full of hard hitting action, and sweet emotion.

The movie starts off with an extended prologue, setting up the big picture for those not in the know. From there, we meet the major characters, and learn about their unique abilities. Once the introductions are out of the way, the movie goes into the main plot.

Thanks to the shattering of the Jewel of Four Souls, the Chinese god Menomaru is released from his own tree of life. In order for him to restore his awesome power, he needs the use of a special sword. His minions go after Sesshoumaru, InuYasha's half brother first. Once Menomaru learns that it is InuYasha who has what he needs, things get really rough for our heroes. While "might makes right", there are times when love is the greatest weapon of all. It's up to InuYasha and Kagome to figure out if it's strength or love that will defeat this ancient evil.

Katsuyuki Sumisawa story may not break any new ground, but it will keep you entertained. He deftly weaves plenty of character development in-between the kick butt action scenes. Right from the start, he lets you know exactly how the characters feel about each other. You can see that Kagome has a serious crush on Inu Yasha, and vise versa. You know that Miroku and Sango not only like each other, but have a mutual respect for their abilities. Naturally, you know that Menomaru and his minions are evil, but Sumisawa still makes sure you know why they are so bad. This give you more of an emotional investment in the characters than an action driven story could.

Now, if you are worried that this move is all character development and no action, don't be. There is plenty of intense combat to keep you adrenaline going, thanks to the fast paced direction of Toshiya Shinohara. The animation is ten times better than on TV, and Shinohara uses the expanded budget to give you some earth shattering fights.

Now, this isn't a perfect movie. There are some slow parts, and a few plot holes that never quite get answered. The outcome is pretty predictable, and everything goes back to normal by the end of the film. While these are minor issues, they still need to be addressed.

VIZ has done an excellent job with the presentation. The video is beautiful, the audio is solid, and the extras are plentiful. I always love it when you can see the Japanese commercials. It's like going home all over again.

"InuYasha: Affections Touching Across Time" is not only a wonderful addition to the Inu Yasha series, but to your anime collection as well. Full of action, adventure, and romance, if you were not a fan of Inu Yasha before, you will be by the time this movie is over.

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