Inuyasha, The Movie 1 - Affections Touching Across Time
The firstInu-Yashatheatrical feature plays like an extended episode of the popular television series. Kagome, Inu-Yasha, Shippo, Miroku, and Sango are pitted not against Naraku, but against the moth-demon Menomaru, who was awakened by a falling shard from the enchanted Shikon Jewel. Menomaru seeks to recapture the power of his father Hyoga, who was defeated by Inu-Yasha's father when Hyoga came to Japan "from the continent" (i.e., during the Mongol invasion of 1274). Only the combined power of Kagome's arrows and Inu-Yasha's sword Tetsusaiga can defeat this mighty demon.Affections Touching Across Timeis unusually handsome for a feature based on a broadcast series: When snow falls on Kagome's 20th-century home, the designers evoke the prints of Kawase Hasui. Unfortunately, the images have been compressed to fit the TV format, and there's no widescreen option. Still, it's a must-have forInu-Yashafans. (Unrated: suitable for ages 13 and older: violence, grotesque imagery)--Charles Solomon