InuYasha Movie 4: Guren no Houraijima

Synopsis

Hourai is a mysterious island that appears for a limited period once every 50 years. Some say that the isle holds the secret of eternal youth; others believe that it brings disaster to their land. When Inuyasha's group saves a half-demon child from being hunted by a monstrous creature, they learn that her name is Ai and that she fled from Hourai. Surprisingly, the girl is an acquaintance of Inuyasha and begs him to rescue her friends, who are being held prisoner by vicious demons calling themselves the Four War Gods—an enemy Inuyasha remembers well.

Upon reaching Hourai, Ai's guests are horrified to discover that only a handful of orphans still inhabit the island and are destined to become sacrifices to increase the Four War Gods' powers. Furthermore, the victims bear their oppressors' enchanted mark, which prevents them from escaping. Defeating the four demons remains Inuyasha's most viable option, but their superiority in strength will require daring initiatives achievable only by the group's combined teamwork.

Background


InuYasha Movie 4: Guren no Houraijima was released shortly after the InuYasha TV series' finale. Unlike the previous movies, the film had the same character designer as the series, resulting in a difference in art style.

In Japan, the DVD version became available on August 26, 2005 and included a booklet and a bonus CD with an audio drama episode titled Guren no Hourai Land. The latter was originally broadcasted at the Japanese radio show "Anime Scramble," on December 10 and December 17, 2004. The English DVD was released by Viz Media on August 1, 2006 as both a single disc and one including a cell phone charm and a trading card. A limited-edition version followed on August 15, 2006, containing a lenticular card and an exclusive collector coin.

Shogakukan issued two comic volumes of the film on July 15, 2005 and August 8, 2005, respectively.

Characters