Before visionary director Masaaki Yuasa’s trippy, devastating anime adaptation

arrived, Inu-Oh was a book by celebrated Japanese novelist Hideo Furukawa. Its full
title is Tales of the Heike: Inu-Oh. Set in 14th century Japan, it tells the story of the
friendship that develops between visually-impaired biwa player Tomona and Inu-Oh,
a Noh dancer born with disabilities and who wears a mask to conceal his disfigured
face. The story focuses on revealing hidden truths and the idea that history has
multiple sides that we don’t always hear.

Occultism and Hair Metal

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“What attracted me [to the project] was that it’s a period drama, but it was different
from what I knew or would imagine,” says Yuasa, co-founder of Japanese animation
studio Science SARU (responsible for episodes of Adventure Time and Star Wars:
Visions), who’s chatting with Fandom over Zoom. Yuasa is also known for directing
acclaimed series Devilman Crybaby, Keep Your Hands Off Eizouken!, and Japan
Sinks: 2020.

“There’s a kind of mystic, occult even, feel to it. The character Inu-Oh is hugely
positive — he’s in this really hard situation, but he is determined and he realizes his
dreams at the end, and I wanted to depict him in my animation.”

The film knits together psychedelic sequences with graphic scenes of violence and an
immersive animation style. At every turn, it’s surprising but perhaps none more so
than in its use of contemporary music. The last thing you might expect from a
medieval Muromachi-period anime is an injection of hair metal. But a dose of hard
rockin’ is exactly what you get.

“The genre, I thought, is just suitable for the characters,” explains Yuasa of his
decision. “They want to be free from their destiny and it’s about rebellion. So I
thought that the music is just perfect.”