NTSC/Region 1. 4 Dvd set. Includes the four Inu Yasha movies: Affections Touching Across Time (2001), The Castle Beyond the Looking Glass (2002), Swords of an Honorable Ruler (2003), Fire on Mystic Island (2004) .
The four Inu-Yasha theatrical features pit the cast of Rumiko Takahashi's "feudal fairy tale" against new foes: The search for the shards of the Shikon Jewel falls by the wayside as Kagome, Inu-Yasha, Shippo, Miroku, and Sango tackle these supernatural enemies. In Affections Touching Across Time (2001), the moth-demon Menomaru seeks to reclaim the powers of his father, who was defeated by Inu-Yasha's father during the attempted Mongol invasion of 1274. The Castle Beyond the Looking Glass (2002) evokes the Japanese legend "The Tale of the Bamboo-Cutter," when Kaguya appears, claiming to be the legendary Moon Princess. Swords of an Honorable Ruler (2003) reveals that Inu-Yasha's father, the Great Dog Demon, possessed not two but three swords: Tetsusaiga, Tenseiga, and Sounga, which are linked to Earth, Heaven, and Hell, respectively. When the Sounga is accidentally freed, its aura raises the soul of Takemaru, the samurai who murdered Inu-Yasha's mother. The villains in Fire on Mystic Island (2004) are the Four War Gods, powerful demons on the island of Houraijima, who preserve and augment their power by sacrificing half-demon children. The later films are darker and more violent, although the directors balance the mayhem against familiar comedic elements, especially Kagome and Inu-Yasha squabbling. The features all reflect larger budgets than the television series, as the filmmakers employ a variety of CG effects: explosions, lightning bolts, insects, monsters, and strangling tree roots. Affections Touching Across Time stands out as the handsomest of the films, with designs that suggest the woodblock prints of Kawase Hasui. A must-have for Inu-Yasha fans. (Rated Teen: suitable for ages 13 and older: violence, grotesque imagery, brief nudity, alcohol use, risqué humor) --Charles Solomon
