Danica Davidson
July 28, 2022 
The Fantasia International Film Festival started on July 14 and will continue until August 3, but they’ve already announced that some otaku titles have won awards.
INU-OH by Masaaki Yuasa (based on the novel Heike Monogatari: INU-OH no Maki — translated as Tales of the Heike: Inu-Oh— by Hideo Furukawa) nabbed The Satoshi Kon Award for Best Animated Feature.
Meanwhile, the Satoshi Kon Jury gave loundraw’s Summer Ghost a special mention.
The Best Screenplay Award (Cheval Noir Competition) went to My Broken Mariko and how Kosuke Mukai and Yuki Tanada adapted the original manga for the big screen.
The New Flesh Award for Best First Feature went to Kappei from Takashi Hirano.
The festival is also giving the opportunity for people to watch these anime and Japanese live-action movies: Shin Ultraman; Goodbye, Don Glees!; The Girl from the Other Side: Siúil, a Rún; Convenience Story; What to do With the Dead Kaiju?; Just Remembering; Baby Assassins; Popran: Dicks on the Run; Missing; SHARI; The Pass: Last Days of the Samurai.
INU-OH is coming to American theaters on August 12, and GKIDS gave this description of it:
“From visionary director Masaaki Yuasa, hailed by IndieWire as ‘one of the most creatively unbridled minds in all of modern animation,’ comes a revisionist rock opera about a 14th-century superstar whose dance moves take Japan by storm.
Born to an esteemed family, Inu-oh is afflicted with an ancient curse that has left him on the margins of society. When he meets the blind musician Tomona, a young biwa priest haunted by his past, Inu-oh discovers a captivating ability to dance. The pair quickly become business partners and inseparable friends as crowds flock to their electric, larger-than-life concerts. But when those in power threaten to break up the band, Inu-oh and Tomona must dance and sing to uncover the truth behind their creative gifts.
Featuring character creation by Taiyo Matsumoto (Tekkonkinkreet, ‘Ping Pong the Animation’) and awe-inspiring vocals by Avu-chan (Queen Bee) and Mirai Moriyama, INU-OH is a glam-rock ode to the power of music and a forceful statement on artistic freedom from one of animation’s singular talents.”
Source: ANN
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Danica Davidson is the author of the bestselling Manga Art for Beginners with artist Melanie Westin, plus its sequel, Manga Art for Everyone, and the first-of-its-kind manga chalk book Chalk Art Manga, both illustrated by professional Japanese mangaka Rena Saiya. Check out her other comics and books at www.danicadavidson.com.
