Inuyasha the Movie: Swords of an Honorable Ruler

InuYasha the Movie: Swords of an Honorable Ruler
The American DVD cover
Directed by	Toshiya Shinohara
Written by	Rumiko Takahashi (based on the comics by)
Produced by	Michihiko Suwa
Starring	Kappei Yamaguchi (Japanese original), Richard Ian Cox (2005 dub)
Music by	Kaoru Wada
Distributed by	Sunrise (Japan), Columbia Pictures
Release date	2003
Running time	104 min.
Language	Japanese

InuYasha the Movie: Swords of an Honorable Ruler ("Eiga Inuyasha: Tenka Hadō no Ken"; 映画犬夜叉　天下覇道の剣; also known as InuYasha the Movie 3: Swords of an Honorable Ruler) is the third of four movies in the InuYasha franchise. It was released in Japan on December 20, 2003, and in the United States on September 6, 2005. It premiered on Adult Swim on August 12,2006.

Plot

File:OST3 outside.jpg

The English logo used in Japan

Background

The protagonist, InuYasha is a han'yō - half-human, half-demon. His half-brother, Sesshōmaru, is a yōkai, a full demon. Their father died, protecting InuYasha's human mother Izayoi from Setsuna no Takemaru, a suitor who yearned for InuYasha's mother, 200 years before the events of the original series. InuYasha's father left each of his sons a very powerful sword; the Tetsusaiga to InuYasha; and the Tenseiga, to Sesshōmaru. The inheritance of Tenseiga rather than the more destructive Tetsusaiga leaves Sesshōmaru bitter and he ponders why his father leaves him with none of the two seemingly more powerful swords.

Synopsis

The film opens with events that happened at InuYasha's birth. The suitor Takemaru kills Izayoi just before InuYasha's father arrives. InuYasha's father arrives and resurrects Izayoi, telling her to escape with their son, whom he names as InuYasha and gives her the red Fire Rat Armor to protect them from the burning palace. Presumably, InuYasha's father died with Takemaru when the entire complex crashed and burned down as the two dueled inside the palace.

In the present era, Kagome's Grandfather comes by with a sword which he calls a 'national treasure'; as Grandfather is about to put it in the storehouse for "safe keeping", Kagome's younger brother goes over to the sword, and it speaks. The sword is Sō'unga, the sword of hell, and it possesses a connection to InuYasha's father. It tried to possess InuYasha, but InuYasha tried his best to resist being controlled and finally brings the sword back to the past, but in the process unleashes the deadly powers the sword holds on an evacuated village.

Sesshomaru is also alerted of the presence of Sō'unga, and he follows the scent to find that InuYasha is in possession of the sword. The two of them duel and at a crucial moment, Kagome saves the day and forces the Sō'unga to release InuYasha from its grasp. It finds a new demon host and recovers Sesshomaru's lost left arm, then revives Takemaru and subsequently possess him, aiming to take revenge on InuYasha and Sesshomaru.

So'unga was the third sword that InuYasha's father possessed. Individually, it was stronger than either the Tenseiga or the Tessaiga. Sesshomaru wields the Tenseiga, and InuYasha wields the Tessaiga, can the two arch nemesis find a way to bring an end to Sō'unga, the Sword of World Conquest?

File:InuYasha Movie 3 Poster.jpg

Movie Poster from Japan

Cast and credits

• Director: Toshiya Shinohara
• Screenplay: Katsuyuki Sumizawa
• Music: Kaoru Wada
• Character Designs: Hideyuki Motohashi & Yoshihito Hishinuma
• Theme Song: "Four Seasons"

Lyrics: JUSME, Music: MONK, Arrangement: MONK, Performed by: Namie Amuro

See Also

• Inuyasha the Movie: Affections Touching Across Time
• Inuyasha the Movie: The Castle Beyond the Looking Glass
• Inuyasha the Movie: Fire on the Mystic Island

External links

• Inuyasha the Movies VIZ Media's official website for all Inuyasha movies
• Inuyasha the Movie: Swords of an Honorable Ruler ({{{type}}}) at Anime News Network's encyclopedia
• Inuyasha the Movie: Swords of an Honorable Ruler at IMDb
• Inuyasha Movies - Screencaps and Summaries