Inuyasha, la película 3: La espada conquistadora

This had to be the best of any Inuyasha movie released in English thus far. Even if you haven't been a geek sworn in to the series, you'll understand the basic storyline, very much unlike the previous two.

This is not for the lovebirds in the audience, it's more for the series' main genre, the action (battle of the brothers to be precise). The movie's OC villain, Takemaru, was surprisingly deep and had an exceptional storyline laced with Izayoi, Inuyasha's mother. The father of Inuyasha and Sesshomaru, however, was probably the highlight of this feature, he himself was worth seeing the entire movie for.

However, there were one or two things that troubled me about this story. There were many out-of-character moments that just irked me, but that's to be expected by the people who write the movies, and are not too familiar with the original manga.

Though, I'm happy to say that this movie's animation is much more consistent and mirrors both the manga and anime stylings very well. The music is amazing, I was happy to see some of the old stuff from the first season mixed in there. "Four Seasons" at the end was also a very nice treat.

All and all, I would say that this is one that needs to be seen by any fan, avid or not.

"Tenka Hadou No Ken" or "Sword of World Conquest" (SOWC) may easily be the best Inuyasha movie ever. My guess is that if you're curious about seeing the third Inuyasha film then you are already an Inuyasha fan, so I'll write this for all you "otakus" out there!

In SOWC, the ghost Soyosama, a former counsel of Inuyasha's father, releases the evil demonic sword Sounga from its sheath after containing it for 700 years. Somehow the sword has ended up in the Higurashi family temple in modern-day Tokyo and Inuyasha and Kagome everywhere throughout Japan. The Sounga is connected intimately with Inuyasha's past and we learn more about Inuyasha's family history and the existence of the three great swords, including the Sounga.

Not only is SOWC a genuine movie (and not just a long tiresome episode), it is more surprisingly a GOOD film! SOWC is well-scripted with excellent pacing, rich setting, and an exciting climax. You can tell that the Inuyasha movie production team finally took the time to learn how a film differs from an animated sitcom. For fans, it fills the gap in our understanding of Inuyasha's origins and the history between his demon father and human mother.

I highly recommend this film and hope the Inuyasha 4: Fire on the Mystical Island proves to be as good or even better. Even though it's a nonsequitur I must add that this female otaku thinks Inuyasha's older brother, Sesshyomaru, is a real babe.

It was weird looking back at a time when this show was everywhere and everyone was talking about it. Now that it's been over for awhile now, people are just more interested in currently running anime. I remember reading a magazine that talked all about the anime and explained all the characters. I feel bad for forgetting a lot of the plot. Then again, I never watched a single episode. I did end up reading the final chapter of the manga. I mean, that was so significant even as someone who wasn't a fan I had to see that! Well, my movie certainly jogged my memory. Maybe the best part is how it begins by giving Inuyasha's origin story.

We even get Kagome tell us about everything that's going on in the show so it's very easy for non fans to catch up with everything! Thanks, Kagome! This was my first time watching "Inuyasha" and it's great to be watching something so popular. The best part about this was probably the animation. I mean, everything is so gorgeous here. It looks brand new! I was able to remember the characters and am glad they all contributed to the plot. This movie's plot features a magic sword that corrupts its users. We get zombies which is always a plus. I rarely see that in anime, so thank you, Inuyasha! ***1/2

Although Tenka Hadou no Ken is the third Inuyasha feature film, it's the first of them to actually have the scope of a full-length feature. The other two movies were basically just longish episodes, and could have easily been divided up into the series itself. Tenka no Hadou Ken has the feel of something bigger.

This may be at least in part because of the storyline of the movie, which reaches back to the time of Inuyasha's birth and his father's death. We finally get a look at his father, Inu no Taisho, and a peek into the pasts of Inuyasha, his parents, and his brother Sesshoumaru.

The plot in brief: most Inuyasha fans probably already know about the two swords Inu no Taisho left his sons, Tessaiga and Tenseiga. The title of Tenka no Hadou Ken - which translates to "The Sword of World Conquest" - refers to a third sword, Sou'unga. While Tessaiga is the sword of man, and Tenseiga is the sword of heaven, Sou'unga is the sword of hell. After Inu no Taisho's death, it was sealed - only to end up at the Higurashi shrine in the present day for Kagome and Inuyasha to run across.

Predictably enough, all hell breaks loose.

Tenka no Hadou Ken is particularly interesting because not only does it give us a glimpse of Inuyasha's father, it also provides a peek at the inner workings of his brother Sesshoumaru, one of the series' more inscrutable characters. The movie also contains all the ingredients that make the series what it is: the semi-mythological setting and most of the regular cast of characters, whose interaction is as layered and satisfying as ever. Although the somewhat grim storyline mostly precludes humor once it gets going, there are a few comedic moments - most notably the opening scene with Inuyasha and Kagome, which is comedy gold.

Fans of the series should definitely not miss this installment.