INU-OH (2021): cast, story & where to watch

Released in 2021, INU-OH is a drama, animation and music film directed by Masaaki Yuasa, running about 98 minutes.

What it’s about. Inu-oh is born with unique physical characteristics, and the horrified adults cover every inch of his body with garments, including a mask on his face. One day, he meets a boy named Tomona, a blind biwa player. As Tomona plays a delicate song of tangled fate, Inu-oh discovers an incredible ability to dance. Inu-oh and Tomona become business partners and inseparable friends, using their creative gifts to survive on the margins of society, as song after song gain them notoriety and propel them to stardom. Through the songs, Inu-oh mesmerizes his audiences on stage, and he gradually begins to transform into someone of unequaled beauty. But why is Tomona blind? Why was Inu-oh born with unique characteristics? It is a story about the friendship of Inu-oh and Tomona, who dance and sing to get to the truth and break each other's curse.

Who’s in it. INU-OH stars Avu-chan as Inu-oh (voice), Mirai Moriyama as Tomona (voice), Tasuku Emoto as Shogun Ashikaga (voice) and Kenjiro Tsuda as Inu-oh's Father (voice), among others.

How it landed. With an audience score of 4.0/10, INU-OH has proved divisive with audiences.

Where to watch. In US you can stream it on HBO Max Amazon Channel, YouTube TV and HBO Max and rent or buy it from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies and YouTube. See the full, country-by-country breakdown on our where to watch INU-OH page.

If you liked it. Fans of INU-OH tend to enjoy The Shawshank Redemption, The Godfather, Schindler's List and The Godfather Part II.