Film Review - Inuyasha

This extremely popular anime series also has a few movies. This one I actually use when discussing the Mongol invasions. The movie is set between Feudal and Modern Japan. A young woman (Kagome) travels between her family's home near the shrine where her grandfather is a priest using the "Well of Souls" that sealed evil away. She is the reincarnation of a priestess from the feudal era, and has the "Shikon Jewel" in her body, thus enabling her to pass through time. The Jewel is said to give strength to the owner, making humans and demons more powerful. The movie demonstrates the idea that demons in Japan, then and now, are not always evil, but are not always trusted either. It also shows how the villages of feudal Japan were structured, the importance of priests and priestesses, and of course embellishes as needed to move the story along.
The portion in particular that I use is at 30 minutes and 20 seconds into the movie. The "hero," InuYasha (a half-demon), has been defeated by Menomary, a demon from the mainland. Menomaru's father, Huyoga, was a powerful demon that was able to lead an army of men (Mongols) and demons to attack Japan twice. InuYasha's father defeated the army, and sealed the demon and his horde away in a tree. I make this a point demonstrating how facts can be true, but adjusted to fit the story teller and makes for a great myth as time passes.
edited by canderson on 6/15/2017