Masaaki Yuasu’s “Inu-Oh” To Debut At Venice and Toronto

Masaaki Yuasu’s “Inu-Oh” To Debut At Venice and Toronto

July 28th, 2021

Jerry Beck

GKIDS’ latest feature from celebrated director Masaaki Yuasa (Mind Game, Ride Your Wave) Inu-Oh, is an Official Selection of the 2021 Venice Film Festival and Toronto International Film Festival. The film will make its world debut at the Venice Film Festival in the Horizons section, followed by its North American premiere in the Toronto International Film Festival’s Special Presentations section. This marks a career-first invitation to both film festivals for director Masaaki Yuasa, whose most recent series “Keep Your Hands Off Eizouken!” was named one of “The Best TV Shows of 2020” by the New York Times.

Inu-Oh is a musical animated feature that tells the story of the friendship between the legendary 14th century Noh performer Inu-Oh, and the blind Biwa player Tomona. As the two rise from hardship to stardom through their creative partnership, they may break each other’s curse. The film features character creation from manga artist Taiyo Matsumoto (Tekkonkinkreet), who previously collaborated with Yuasa on the anime adaptation of Matsumoto’s series Ping Pong the Animation.

“A performer named Inu-oh really existed 600 years ago; he shook the world but left nary a trace,” said director Masaaki Yuasa in a statement about the film. “Author Hideo Furukawa, giving him a partner in Tomona, retold his story as one of two young men who defy fate to forge their own destinies. Yet it is also a story of life today – whether to align with fate and fashion to seize glory, or to forgo reward to live according to your beliefs. The two offer recompense to the defeated by telling their stories, and this film offers the same to them in kind, while also affirming those who go unrewarded for living according to their beliefs. Perhaps, like OOPArts, Inu-oh and Tomona’s music really did exist. There are many stories we don’t know, but through this film, you can bear witness to theirs.”

Inu-Oh marks GKIDS’ fifth title from visionary director Masaaki Yuasa, following local releases of Lu Over the Wall, The Night is Short, Walk On Girl, Mind Game, and most recently, Ride Your Wave. GKIDS will release INU-OH theatrically in North America in both its original Japanese language and a new English dubbed version in Summer 2022. Inu-Oh is also scheduled to be released in theaters in Japan next summer.

SYNOPSIS
Inu-Oh is born with unique physical characteristics, and the horrified adults cover every inch of his body with garments, including a mask on his face. One day, he meets a boy named Tomona, a blind biwa player, and as Tomona plays a delicate song of tangled fate, Inu-Oh discovers an incredible ability to dance.

Inu-Oh and Tomona become business partners and inseparable friends, using their creative gifts to survive on the margins of society, as song after song gain them notoriety and propel them to stardom. Through the songs, Inu-Oh mesmerizes his audiences on stage, and gradually begins to transform into someone of unequaled beauty. But why is Tomona blind? Why was Inu-Oh born with unique characteristics? It is a story about the friendship of Inu-Oh and Tomona, who dance and sing to get to the truth and break each other’s curse.

ABOUT Science SARU
Science SARU is an animation studio founded by Masaaki Yuasa and Eunyoung Choi in 2013. Its debut animated feature film, NIGHT IS SHORT, WALK ON GIRL, was awarded Animation of the Year at The Japan Academy Awards in 2017. Its second feature film, LU OVER THE WALL, also received various accolades. Science SARU’s other productions include DEVILMAN crybaby, RIDE YOUR WAVE, SUPER SHIRO, Keep Your Hands off Eizouken! and Japan Sinks: 2020, directed by Masaaki Yuasa. In addition, the studio announced their participation in the Star Wars Visions project, with directing duties on the project going to Eunyoung Choi with Abel Gongora.

Author
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Jerry Beck

Writer, cartoon producer and author of more than 15 books on animation history. A former studio exec with Nickelodeon and Disney; currently on the faculty at both CalArts in Valencia and Woodbury University in Burbank, California.