What you see is what you get

// Synopsis: After vanquishing their hated nemesis, Inuyasha and friends are able to finally go home and try to pick up the pieces of their lives. But soon the seals on an imprisoned demon are broken and everybody must re-unite to end the threat of an eternal night.

// Review: This second movie stays intimately close to the Inuyasha formula: generic demon XYZ comes out of nowhere, Kagome gets in harm’s way and must be rescued by the impulsive Inuyasha who is then saved by Kagome’s emotions. Whenever I review another Inuyasha anime, I wonder why I even bothered in the first place. It’s pretty much the same old predictable re-hash. And yet I’m a fan.

/ I was really hoping that this movie would be the one that wrapped up the storyline that abruptly ended at the conclusion of the tv series. But after watching all 4 films, I’ve accepted that the movies are basic stand alone OVAs and if I want to know how the story ends then I have to read the manga. While Naraku makes an appearance in this movie, he just represents the evil half of a light vs darkness battle that will happen until the end of time. And I’m okay with that. The biggest disappointment is that none of the characters evolve or change.

/ A problem that seemed to develop for the franchise was that Sango, Miroku, and Shippo are just along for the ride and it’s Inuyasha who does all of the heavy lifting. Basically it was like how the Superfriends were Superman’s glorified entourage. In this movie, instead of the others just tagging along with Inuyasha, each were separately drawn to track down this demon for their own reasons. While they each try to play a part and contribute, in the end as always it comes down to Inuyasha swinging his telephone pole of a sword and Kagome saving him by appealing to his humanity. The demon and her back story weren’t particularly compelling. It was just another vehicle to showcase Inuyasha’s and Kagome’s feelings for each other.

// Wrap up: No surprises, nothing shocking, but for many Inuyasha fans that’s not necessarily a bad a thing. If that’s you and you are looking for another familiar romp through feudal Japan, then enjoy.

Entertainment rating: 3