‘INU-OH’: Masaaki Yuasa’s Period Musical Anime Gets North American Release Date

New York-based producer and distributor, GKIDS, has announced that it will be bringing Masaaki Yuasa’s latest animated feature, INU-OH (translated to “King Dog” in English), to North American theaters this August.

Produced and animated by Science SARU in collaboration with Asmik Ace, the rock-opera animated musical follows the life of legendary 14th century Noh performer, Inu-oh, who forms a friendship with a blind biwa player named, Tomona. Although born to an esteemed family, Inu-oh is forced to keep every inch of his skin covered due to an ancient curse that he has suffered from since childhood and has driven him to the margins of society. After meeting Tomona, who is haunted by his past, Inu-oh discovers his gift for dancing and performing.

Together the pair form a mutually beneficial partnership as crowds from all over the country come to attend their mesmerizing concerts. However, when those in power attempt to break up their bond, Inu-oh and Tomona must sing and dance to discover the truth behind their artistic geniuses and break each other’s curses. This intriguing re-imagining of the life of Inu-Oh is based on the few documents that have survived the test of time; these allowed Yuasa to fill in the gaps and portray his version of the tale on the screen.

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INU-OH is Yuasa’s fifth title to be distributed by GKIDS, following the releases of Lu Over the Wall, The Night is Short, Walk On Girl, Mind Game, and Ride Your Wave.

The critically acclaimed film first premiered on September 9, 2021, at the 78th Venice International Film Festival, followed by a North American premiere on September 18 at the 46th Toronto International Film Festival; these marked Yuasa’s first time participating in both festivals with the same film. INU-OH is based on the original novel by Hideo Furukawa which was adapted as a screenplay by Akiko Nogi. The movie features character design by manga artist Taiyo Matsumoto, and amazing vocals by Avu-chan, lead singer of the band Queen Bee, and Mirai Moriyama.

The 98-minute-long film is produced by Fumie Takeuchi and Eunyoung Choi. Yoshihiro Sekiya was in charge of cinematography, with Kiyoshi Hirose as editor, Hideki Nakamaru as production designer, and sound by Eriko Kimura.

INU-OH premiered domestically in Japan on May 28 and will be coming to theaters in North America on August 12.

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