Inuyasha The Movie 4: Fire on the Mystic Island

Inuyasha The Movie 4: Fire On The Mystic Island, also known as Fire On Horai Island, is the 4th and final film of the Inuyasha series released in 2004 in Japan and 2006 in the USA. This film is meant to be watched after completing the original anime series, but before viewing Inuyasha: the Final Act. This film, is the closest to a stand alone film in the series. Not knowing the series has less of an impact than it would in the other movies, though the viewer might be slightly confused by who the characters are, but the only back story really necessary to the plot is given within the film. However, I would still recommend watching the series before this film, as it does greatly heighten the enjoyment of the film. The movie looks really good, with the usual beautiful animation would expects from the Inuyasha series though there was some difference in character design, there is the consistency of the same great voice actors as the rest of the series as well. One reason why this film feels like it could stand alone, is that some describe it as a filler-episode, as in it doesn't progress the story at all, just takes up time, and that being said it is actually the most pointless of the movies. The film also has a few inconsistencies but not as much as some of the other films did, which again is partially due to it not progressing the over-all story of the series. I did mention the character design, they characters honestly don't look as well done as the rest of the films, which is slightly disappointing. Being that for these reviews I am not watching the films in coordination with the series, I would say that this is the most enjoyable of the films, because remembering story arcs and plot lines isn't necessary, the film can be just enjoyed on its own merits. The story line is interesting, and engaging, the characters are all well done as usual, and the story has a beginning and ending that are not reliant on the series. The film is well done and fun to watch. The characters are all well cast, the art is beautiful (though not on par with the rest of the series), and the story is well done. Would I recommend this film? Yes, though I would still recommend it mostly only to fans of the Inuyasha series, as those unfamiliar with the series I feel would get less enjoyment from it, and could find a better film to watch. That being said I do really like this film a lot, and of the series, would most likely pick this one to re-watch. Sorry these reviews are so brief, I really couldn't find a lot to say about them, and when researching each film, there is very little background information or reviews to gather research for the review. I usually prefer to be more in depth, but with these films, honestly it is like reviewing one episode of a television series, without doing the whole series, so in a way these are awkward to review when done separate from the anime or manga series. If you are a fan, and you feel like I did not give the films the attention they deserve, I apologize, but it has been years since I've seen the series, so there was a lot that I had forgotten, so I am not reviewing them as an Inuyasha expert, but more as a film critic with a little basic knowledge of the series from what I remembered of it, so I apologize if you feel like I wasn't fair to them.