Inuyasha the Movie 2: The Castle Beyond the Looking Glass

The great enemy has been defeated and the group is returning to ordinary life. Then a castle appears in the sky. In it is a being named Menomaru; his father was killed years ago by Inuyasha's father and now he is returning, gathering power. The seal on Kagome's arrow breaks and the enemy turns it to his own use. The group falls apart: Kagome loses control, Sango and Miroku are separated, and Inuyasha is left alone. To reach the castle he first has to fight his own side. Toshiya Shinohara directs. It is the second feature in the Inuyasha series. It stands as a continuation of the television series and the plot sits at a particular point in it. The animation is markedly better than the series; the fights and backgrounds were reworked for cinema. The matter the narrative builds is a debt inherited from a father; both sides carry the consequence of their fathers' decisions. Kagome's position here is more active than in the series and the narrative puts that at the centre. Its limit is independence; for anyone who has not seen the series the relationships and the background are missing. It is short and the plot is direct; the narrative does not branch much. Who it is for: people following the series and viewers who like Japanese fantasy animation. Who it is not for: it is not an entry point, the villain is thinly written, and the resolution is quick.