Not only my most anticipated anime, but my most anticipated event period of 2020.
When I first watched Inuyasha four years ago in October of 2016 it was my fourth anime series but my first really longer running one, I watched it in two months' time, it was the longest series of any kind I had ever watched consciously in order from the first episode to the last, and it steadily grew to be not only my favorite anime of all time but my favorite piece of media in anything bar none; a position in which it still remains unchallenged today. Lots of anime have come and gone for me since, but Inuyasha is one of the only ones I can say without exaggerating was transformative.
And back then, I remember thinking one of the many aspects which made Inuyasha so great was its perfect conclusive ending which so many stories lack. It hit every emotional beat, every plot thread and detail, maximum excitement, resolution, and catharsis in a way that made sense and in line with what I'd watched for almost 200 episodes prior, and they even managed to take the time out of the last episode to provide closure for all minor and supporting characters. It was so caring and respectful of its audience, an ending befitting of a grand saga - stately, majestic, and truly whole.
I've always been in the camp to say anything within the bounds of physics is possible and that includes unlikely anime sequels, but this was just about dead last on the list of series I ever expected a sequel to due to the sense of finality and neatness of its ending. Not impossible, but extremely unlikely. And then after reading about the 2013 manga addition or "extra chapter", containing the Root Head youkai story which was made to promote relief and reconstruction efforts for the 2011 Tohoku tsunami and earthquake, I thought "That's the last bit of the Inuyasha story, a kind of minor sequel or after credits bonus following the denouement which we'll never actually see on screen." Well, that and the supposedly non-canonical drama CDs.
And today it is and I'm glad to have been wrong. And now we stand at the precipice - all new anime original territory ahead. Just having the main characters back when I never imagined we'd see a second of their timeline past episode 193 (26 of The Final Act) induces chills. Also, getting Satsuki Yukino and many of the same voice cast (a shame about Miroku's seiyuu and he's the only one that sounds like a different person rather than just aged up and in a new context, but nothing can be done about that; they clearly are trying to match his tone and cadence), several familiar OST tracks and their integration with the action sequences as well, similar art style not to break continuity, an ED especially which evokes that mid-2000s ambience, are all positive steps. The charm, beauty, and serenity of Kaede's village around the Goshinboku but also how manic and lawless things can become at a moment's notice, the chaos and lurking malice and malevolence, were all at the fore. It moves and breathes like the original. Well, Sunrise studio and Kaoru Wada's renewed involvement were already the positive indicators.
Honestly, as much as I love Inuyasha, I'm of two minds with this sequel going into it and now after having watched the first episode. On the one hand it's a completely unnecessary sequel for one of the longer series and also one of the most complete and fulfilling stories out there - For those who this sparks interest in, just go back and watch it. A sequel can never be a substitute or replacement. I don't think it's easy to tack on anything after a story that explored so much ground and have it measure up. So my expectations, especially now as it goes on for the rest with presumably anime original content, are actually rather low. It's more accurate to say actually that I basically expect nothing from this and that will continue to be my expectation for a while as I'm cautious and guarded.
On the other hand, I feel safe with the assurance than even if it's 5% as good as the original series, that will still make it 100x better and more appealing to me than a lot of contemporary anime, so basically even if it's a big flop with nothing new or insightful or poignant to offer it will still be like a 7/10 in my worst estimations. Because it's Inuyasha. And in whatever form - It's back. That's enough. I'm glad to be alive to see the day when Inuyasha as a franchise is producing new content.
Roch2001 said:I've decided not to rate it as it would be around 5. There was far to many characters calling out each others names and it felt like I should know who they are. I'm assuming this is a continuation of a show I've not watched and not a remake of something. Nothing was very clear, tons of characters and a war versus demons with no explanation or world /character introductions. Couldn't feel any connection to it at all.
It's a sequel rather than a remake. And the Inuyasha film series was notorious for this - they'd give just some front loaded quick exposition with the opening credit sequence and some character title cards and expect you to catch up and know what's what almost immediately. They're probably making it with the primary audience being those already familiar with the Inuyasha-verse (whether through the original or through the manga and console or mobile games) in mind.
|