Ostracized by society due to their physical differences, Inu-Oh and Tomona nonetheless utilize their artistic abilities to propel themselves to stardom.

A withered biwa player narrates a tale of how 900 years ago, the Genji clan sought the Imperial Regalia to unite the emperor's throne.

They defeat the rival Heike clan at the Battle of Dan-no-ura, wherein the child emperor drowns while carrying the Grasscutter Sword.

Three hundred years later, agents of Ashikaga Yoshimitsu hire young Tomona and his father to retrieve a box from a Heike shipwreck.

A series of murders of biwa players follow, and then the leader's third son is born with three stubby limbs, a very elongated right arm, skin covered in scales, and a hideously deformed face.

Soon after, a long-haired Tomoari debuts the new act on a bridge, performing his song in a style resembling modern hair metal.

Below the bridge, Inu-Oh dances to the music, telling a story of how the Heike soldiers clung on to their ship in retreat but had all their arms cut off.

The troupe's next act reveals the truth behind Inu-Oh's origin: his father made a deal with the demon mask for fame.

[11] The original songs were written by Avu-chan, Otomo, director Masaaki Yuasa and soundtrack musician Yohei Matsui.

[16] The film received a wide theatrical release in Japan in May 28, 2022, with Asmik Ace and Aniplex serving as co-distributors.

[4][10][17] In North America, the film has been licensed for theatrical and home-video distribution by GKIDS, with theatrical exhibition set to begin August 12, 2022[18] while Anime Limited has licensed distribution in the United Kingdom, Ireland, France, Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg.

The site's critical consensus reads: "Masaaki Yuasa fans will come to Inu-Oh expecting a visual feast - and this musical animated extravaganza won't leave them disappointed.

"[25] Wendy Ide of Screen Daily called the work a "singular piece of filmmaking" with "an originality of approach which should set it apart within the anime landscape.