May contain spoilers<br /><br />Intro<br /><br />Once upon a time in Japan, a great demon fell in love with a beautiful (but mortal) woman. This love affair led to the birth of a very unique creature - not a human being, yet not fully demon either. His name...Inuyasha (literraly, "dog demon").<br /><br />Rumiko Takahashi's "Inuyasha" (named after its central character) is one of the most popular mangas of all time. It has inspired a popular anime series and several movies. Among these movies is this one, titled "Swords of an Honorable Ruler." <br /><br />Story <br /><br />The "Swords of an Honorable Ruler" referred to in the title are swords that once belonged toInuyasha's father - the Tetsuiga of Earth (wielded by none other than our hero), the Tensaiga of Heaven (wielded by Inuyasha's full demon older bro Sesshomaru), and a third one - Sounga of Hell, a sword so powerful that it can cause great destruction and open the door to the Netherworld.<br /><br />Now, it so happens that this Sounga sword finds its way into Inuyasha's possession and it starts wrecking havoc everywhere. To stop this evil sword from causing destruction, Inuyasha must combine his Wind Scar (his sword's special attack) with Sesshomaru's sword attack. But can these two brothers who are completely different from each other (one is a haughty full demon, the other a stubborn half-demon) cooperate to stop this evil?<br /><br />Comments<br /><br />This third "Inuyasha" movie is perhaps the best one I've seen so far. It's got better (achingly beautiful) animation and there's so much action. The music by Kaoru Wada also keeps getting better.<br /><br />Like all "Inuyasha" movie, this one includes the main cast of characters - Inuyasha, the hero himself and Kagome, the human girl from the future who travels back in time via an enchanted well. Other famous characters include the lecherous yet lovable monk Miroku and the feisty demon slayer Sango. It was too bad that they didn't have other well-loved characters such as Kikyo or Kagura. But does that really matter? <br /><br />An addition to the cast of characters is Takemaru, a samurai lord who loved Inuyasha's mother and died in battle with Inuyasha's father. He has just been resurrected by the Sounga and, with that demonic sword having taken possession of his body, he's out to get Inuyasha and Sesshomaru. He's an interesting character and great addition to the cast.<br /><br />Sesshomaru, our hero's older bro, plays a major role in this movie and he's the one who really steals the show. Furthermore, we get to see Inuyasha's mother (last seen in the first season of the anime) and (finally) his father, the Great Dog Demon. This film delves into Inuyasha's family history and explores his relationship with his haughtily full demon older brother, who looks down on Inuyasha for being only a half-demon.<br /><br />"Swords of an Honorable Ruler" is also packed with powerful, moving scenes. Gotta love that scene where Sesshomaru is asked by his father whether he has someone to protect and year later sternly replies that he has no one to protect but later save Rin and Jaken. Such a perfect blend of Sesshomaru's haughty arrogance and his caring, fatherly side.<br /><br />Conclusion <br /><br />Without a doubt, this is one of the best "Inuyasha" movies, if not the very best.