First Impressions – Inu to Hasami wa Tsukaiyou
Somebody call PETA! There be animal abuse up in this joint!
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Let’s talk real. This post comes a bit very late to the show so I’ve had the pleasure of hearing and reading people’s initial reactions. And to be honest, it’s not looking very good for InuHasa. Or at least, that’s what apparently most people will have you believe. But I have to say I do not agree with “most people”. Despite all the bad rap going around about this show, I hope I can convince you guys that InuHasa isn’t as unenjoyable as some make it out to be. |
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The very first new show of the Summer that I watched was Inu to Hasami, and the question was what kind of tone would it set for the season? How did I like the show? Let me horn in on Sumairii’s post to let you know! |
Addressing the Negativity
Something to be concerned about?
First, we should make one thing clear. Everyone is entitled to his opinion. But declaring a show to be dull and stupid from only one episode is largely unfounded. I can see it if the subject in question is a “one episode” OVA or something along the lines, as we have nothing more with which to judge it. But this is not the case here. And in fact, I don’t understand how people can find Inuhasa stupid. It may not be the next big thing, but it’s far from a bad show. Kazuhito’s dramatic reactions to everything are humorous to hear, and Kirihime’s sadistic streak is quite fun to watch (at Kazuhito’s expense). Sure, the concept of a guy turning into a dog may be silly, but that’s kind of the point. Despite the murder aspect, this show isn’t meant to be taken very seriously. Or at least, that’s my impression. InuHasa could very easily turn into a dramatic murder mystery. But a quick observation of the genre tags would suggest otherwise. No; this will be a comedy murder mystery instead. It’s supposed to be a goofy show about a dog being abused by an otherwise pretty lady after all. And that’s exactly what we get in the first episode. I will say, though, that the only legitimate criticism I’ve heard so far is that InuHasa appears to be relying on a rather small pool of jokes and running gags as of now. This is generally not a good sign for a comedy show.
Sadistic Writers and Bookworm Dogs
This’ll be good.
That said, let’s get on to InuHasa itself. I thought the show had a fairly strong debut, all things considered. They say that ghosts are people with strong regrets or attachments to the world, but boy must Kazuhito’s desire to read Kirihime’s Lust be strong. Forget astral bodies; he’s come back as a full-on, flesh and blood daschund.1 I was wondering how the show would handle his death, but it looks like it might be quite permanent; his death is already all over the news. I don’t believe they named him specifically, but I think his friends and family could have figured it out from just his address. Normally this would make the show quite gloomy and depressing, but evidently that’s not what InuHasa is like. Even throughout the premiere, Kazuhito’s death didn’t seem to have much impact. It’s almost as if it didn’t really sink in. But maybe that’s because we see him right there in dog form, even if his human one might have had its head obliterated by a shotgun. To me, this lack of severity suggests that perhaps there might just be a chance for Kazuhito to return to being a human. It certainly doesn’t seem that the show is taking the route of his desire being fulfilled when he reads Kirihime’s book -whenever that’s done- and his moving on from our world. That would be a bit too depressing for a comedy. There is already a bit of mystery panning out by the end of the episode which might support this idea, so we can only wait and see.
Immediate Comfort Level
As soon as the show started, I liked it, and it’s because Marina Inoue put me in a perfect mood for it. She’s definitely one of my favorite actresses, and this kind of self-assured, tsun, character is what I like the best. I think everyone knows by now how much I like Yozora, Tsukiumi, even Vice Prez Haruka, which have all been the same-ish character type, and again she delivers. And the way that her character interacts with Kazuhito is really interesting to me. I think I can already see the thing that’s going to be the conflict between them, because the only reason that Kazuhito was reincarnated was to read that last book by his favorite writer, the one she hasn’t written. I’m waiting for them both to realize that, and see if that becomes the way that Kirihime can get rid of Kazuhito.
Extras
See, InuHasa isn’t so bad after all, is it? I know I’ve defended it quite a bit, and the topic of how covering a show affects your opinion of it is fascinating, but that’s a story for another time. I just think it’s important to ensure that people realize the show doesn’t belong with the real trainwrecks at the bottom of the pile. At least, not as of now. InuHasa certainly isn’t the next big masterpiece, but it doesn’t make any attempt to appear as such. And while not trying to be a masterpiece is no real defense for not actually being one, the fact remains that not every show needs to be remembered for years to come. InuHasa is enjoyable enough as it is, and though it may not be groundbreaking in any way, I think I’ll continue to enjoy its S&M humor for weeks to come.
I do wonder if scissors have been this popular in culture before, or if it’s just a coincidence that we’ve had so many scissors based protagonists in shows lately, even going back to Nazo no Kanojo X. Or maybe that it’s just that I like fetish-type shows, which this seems to be a bit of. Either way, I really enjoyed the premier episode of Inu to Hasami, and was left wanting to watch another episode right away. A great start to summer for me!
1Correct me if I’m wrong here. I’m no dog expert.
About Tag Team
We live, laugh, enjoy and strictly believe on "more the merrier". When together, we usually come up with very chatty, conversation-based episodics and interesting posts.
POWUH: and LOLi Defender with 10998 comments
I loved the show, it has a great blend of comedy. Reminds me of the old Chevy Chase film, Oh Heavenly Dog!
And, yes, thanks for including that Extra. For some reason or other it really tickled me the right way.
POWUH: 500-599 with 519 comments
I like what this show is doing so far however the one thing that annoyed me was how Kirihime kept threatening Kazuhito. Something about it just bugged me.
Other than that, I liked the comedic tone of the whole thing. ^_^
POWUH: and Vampire Lover with 11746 comments
Maybe Kazuhito happened to be an outlet for her to finally vent on. From the looks of it, she’s a loner and over time from her writing, she was building up stress.
POWUH: Meta Team and Spammy Tamer with 7115 comments
Well, it could be that she’s had his constant voice in her head for over a week with nothing to do about it. That might have driven her temporarily off the deep end. 🙂
POWUH: and Vampire Lover with 11746 comments
That falls along the same line in the DBZ universe. In Broly: The Legendary Super Saiyan, a newborn Goku would be crying night and day next Broly giving him insomnia which lead to his deteriorating mental state as he got older. Piss someone off and you’re bound to regret it even if it’s unintentional.
POWUH: 800-899 and Mad Scientist with 814 comments
I have to say this is probably it. She’s been bothered by a disembodied voice that won’t shut up about books. And her books, at that.
POWUH: 1000-1099 and Pirate King with 1048 comments
I saw the negativity before watching it and came in prepared not to like it, but by the end I thought it was an alright first ep, had some laughs and I liked Kirihime. I’ve yet to fully commit to watching it all the way through, but I’ll watch the next ep or two to see if it’s something I’d like to stick around for.
POWUH: Meta Team and Spammy Tamer with 7115 comments
Yeah, I watched it way before I heard anyone else talking about it, and when it was done, I wanted to watch another episode of it. So when I then read people talking about how bad it was, I was wondering if it was the same show.
POWUH: 800-899 and Mad Scientist with 814 comments
There’s a lot of talk about how InuHasa is “unoriginal”, but I’ve stated my opinion on that in the post. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with a show that isn’t groundbreaking. Heck, if every show were groundbreaking, that very term would cease to have any significance.
POWUH: Meta Resident with 1692 comments
True, something doesn’t have to be original as long as it’s well done. Just because we have The Iliad doesn’t mean there was no reason for War and Peace, The Red Badge of Courage or All Quiet on the Western Front to be written.
Not that this show is ever going to be a classic like those. But if it entertains, isn’t that enough? Like Highway when this first episode was over I was itching for another. As for the animal abuse rap I’ve seen it get–come on, people, lighten up. This isn’t real life; it’s a cartoon and the abuse is for comic effect.
POWUH: and Vampire Lover with 11746 comments
I sense a new fetish on the rise and it’s about scissors. First Nazo no Kanojo X then Dansai Bunri no Crime Edge and now this. Japan never ceases to impress with its unpredictability.
Dear lord! Yuuko Kanoe has come back to life, turned sadistic, has a fetish for scissors and is voiced by Yozora Mikazuki’s seiyuu. The unusal thing here is Takahiro Sakurai playing such an otherwise carefree role. It’s odd to hear his voice like this after Psycho-Pass’s Makishima and Devil Survivor 2’s Alcor.
Not a bad first episode. I can get used to watching this for its absurdity but my main focus would be on Kirihime. Not only is she a sadist but a hot one at that. She has a nice figure and for me, her best trait of appearance is her scarlet red eyes.
POWUH: Meta Team and Spammy Tamer with 7115 comments
She did have a lot of Yuuko’s look, didn’t she.
Sumairii had linked me to some other show this fall that’s supposed to have scissors in it as well. I’m wondering if this is now a ‘thing’.
POWUH: and Vampire Lover with 11746 comments
The difference is, compared to Yuuko, Kirihime is modestly endowed so I had to laugh when she lied about her bust. I guess she’s in denial.
POWUH: 800-899 and Mad Scientist with 814 comments
Haha yeah, that was a funny moment when Kazuhito just had to point out the difference between her supposed size and her actual size.
POWUH: and Vampire Lover with 11746 comments
I think him pressing on that particular button just gives Kirihime more reason to torture him. From this episode, he pointed that out twice.
POWUH: 800-899 and Mad Scientist with 814 comments
This is what I was talking about for posterity. The main girl supposedly wields a “scissor-like sword”.
http://myanimelist.net/anime/18679/Kill_La_Kill
POWUH: 600-699 and LN Enthusiast with 623 comments
Somehow, I feel like Sakurai Takahiro is kind of a miscast in here. Sure he’s a good VA but his enthusiasm doesn’t match the dog’s actions. Or should I attribute that to the animation not matching the VA’s acting? There’s not much impact when the dog overreacts. Though it’s probably intentional since the character is suppose to be a dull person.
They’re pretty much showing off Kirihime’s flatness which will likely be a running gag for this. The fact that she looks like Kanoe Yuuko from Tasogare Amnesia makes it kind of weird as the latter is the epitome of softness and sexiness.
Inoue Marina does her usual deep and sadistic voice and it’s working for the most part I guess.
Overall, I wasn’t really blown away from the episode but there are some elements that will make me stick around some more. I can make some time for watching it. Let’s hope it picks up the pace with the hint of mystery it left near the end.
POWUH: 600-699 with 691 comments
poor dog…kirihime is such a mean person, i liked the show, despite the dogs reaction and the VA been a bit strange, it’s not award winner, but, it’s passable, let’s see if the others episodes will be better…i think i’m afraid of scissors now! T-T
POWUH: and Vampire Lover with 11746 comments
This kind of series is meant to be a “turn off your brain and enjoy” kind of show. It’s pretty average if you ask me.
POWUH: Meta Team and PreCure Mastah with 9203 comments
I will give this two more episodes…yeah…not really feeling this series that much~