NoaIzumiAnime Review: Inuyasha, The Castle Beyond the Looking Glass
May 19th 2009 16:36
Inuyasha, Kagome, and the others finally kill the demon Naraku in a furious battle. Now that their quest for vengeance is ended, they go their separate ways. But now that Naraku is dead, other demons are stirring. Princess Kaguya has returned to the earth, and intends to stop time and destroy humanity. Inuyasha, Kagome, Shippo, Miroku, and Sango have to reunite to stop her.
The second Inuyasha movies starts off in grand style, with the kind of fight that’s usually reserved for the climax. The group has finally tracked down the evil Naraku, and in a difficult fight, defeat and kill him.
OK, great, a thrilling battle. Now what? “Kill off main villain in opening scene” isn’t exactly recommended procedure for making an interesting and suspenseful movie. So, the creators bring in a new villain, the celestial being Kaguya. In one sense, The Castle Beyond the Looking Glass is similar to Affections Touching Across Time, with a new super-powerful nemesis (a “monster of the week”) that threatens all of Japan, and Inuyasha and company fight it, defeat it, and roll credits.
The difference this time? Naraku. Viewers of the series know that he always has a trick up his sleeve, and he has a great one this time, one that pulls the whole movie together and provides a heart-wrenching, yet hopeful, ending. And although the battle with Naraku is not what it appears to be at first, it’s still probably the best scene in all of the movies. If you know anything about the anime Inuyasha, you likely know that it didn’t really have a proper ending, as if the creators wanted to leave things open in case they were renewed for another season, and that included the Naraku arc. The opening battle of Castle Beyond the Looking Glass was the boss fight that the series always denied us.
The series also provides plenty of emotional meat for the characters. Kaguya offers Inuyasha something he thinks he’s always wanted, and Kagome has to show him just what he’d be giving up if he took it. This leads up to a big breakthrough in their relationship, which has been eagerly awaited by the fans, although, in true Inuyasha fashion, both Kagome and Inuyasha pull back and return to the love-hate pattern that is by now sooooo familiar.
In addition, Sango tracks down her brother who was taken by Naraku, and as with the first movie, several more minor characters are present as well, although in this case, a few of them probably should not be (Cough, Kikyo, cough, cough.).
Like the first movie, this one is a film for Inuyasha fans. There are notes in the prologue on who the characters are, but there are several elements, such as why Inuyasha has black hair in the first scene, that only someone who has seen the anime or read the manga will understand.
Extras: Trailers, line-art gallery, special footage showing the thirty top-rated aspects of the Inuyasha world.
Great moments: Besides the opening battle, there’s the scene in the photo booth between Inuyasha and Kagome, and the scene when the gang cover themselves with bandages when they realize that they protect them from Kaguya’s time-stopping ability.
Summary: One of the better Inuyasha offerings. Well worth seeing, even if you're not a regular viewer. Grade: A minus
Age Rating: 13 and up. More fan service than usual (Kagome and Sango bathe in a hot spring after the battle). Violence.
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