Final Thoughts: Inukami.

When I did my initial reviews of Inukami many months ago, I had to recognize that fact I hadn't watched all of the anime. Well I have, and even the movie (that's an hour of my life I'll never get back.)

Let's start with the anime. To reset, I thought that the anime of Inukami was very well animated and the stories and character development were outstanding. However I was very much disappointed at the incessant display of rather uncleverly censored male nudity. That's just not my thing. It wouldn't have bothered me so much if some balance was struck with Yoko topless once in a while. I'm against nudity in cartoons, but I recognize the fact that there is a substantial demand for it. If you can make money off of it, go for it. However, after reading and liking the manga, I wasn't expecting to have enormous amounts of wiener shoved in my face.

Now with the final few episodes, all the good writing was pretty much thrown out the window. It became the hack premise of delay tactics to fill out a bunch of unnecessary episodes. It is one battle after another with the badguy using some fanfic like plot contrivance to win. Dai Yoko is about to beat Sekidosai when Sekidosai says he is more powerful and defeats Dai Yoko. When everybody is about to beat Sekidosai, he's not Sekidosai he's actually Jasei and beats everybody. Then the truth behind Nadeshiko is revealed. I was seriously expecting her to be Yoko's sister or even mother. The writing was that good. But no, Nadeshiko is the most powerful Inukami ever who destroyed a village and sealed her powers. Ho-hum. As she is about to totally defeat Jasei, he turns back time a few minutes to before Nadeshiko unlocks her powers and beats her.

Like I said, the writing took a downturn. And it got worse.

All the while where was Keita? He got turned into a baby and flung to the other side of Japan. He has to crawl his way back and every negative element of this series helps him out. Anime had a really tough time at first. From the poorly animated stuff being brought over, to bad writing, and bad voice acting. Now we have the celebration of nudity, guys hugging painted pillows, sadomasochism, poopie diapers, panty perverts, furries, and on and on and on. Let's not give anti-anime people anymore bullet points to use. (On several occasions Bob Kevoian mentioned that is what he thinks anime is all about.)

This is one reason why I say fact checking is a bitch. Sitting through all that so I will have some idea of what it is I'm bitching about.

Back to the action. At the last possible moment Keita and Yoko reach the wish machine, Keita is turned back into a grown up and confesses his love for Yoko. They beat the badguy and wiener is shoved in our face one final time.

The one positive part was Kaoru's back story. While essentially just filler, it was well written filler and tugged at the heart strings. The the fight between Keita and Kaoru was good and unexpected. I knew Keita was going to win, I just didn't know how he was.

The movie. I did a quick check, it turns out that it is only 25 minutes long. Sure felt like a hour. The animation was once again top notch. But, all the stuff I liked about the anime was pretty much absent, all the stuff I didn't like was there times 100. Let's just ignore all that and focus on Keita's speech. Towards the end Keita had a good line about people being left alone to enjoy what gives them pleasure in life. It really was the solid gold moment of the movie. While I certainly don't share in these perversions, I have no problem with CONSENTING ADULTS having a good time.

I just don't want to be blind sided and have it shoved in my face. (Like when I'm picking up a shrink wrapped triple volume of Hustler Humor and sandwiched between is a magazine of a "family way.")

To sum up. Parents, don't let your kids anywhere near Inukami. All because of the nudity. Female in the manga, male in the anime and movie. Still, it is some of the best animation and story telling I have seen.