When I first saw the first movie, I was great disappointed by what I saw, especially for a series as good as Inu-Yasha. My expectations first watching Castle Beyond the Looking Glass were not as high, but I was in for a surprise. In every single way I can think of, Castle Beyond the Looking Glass is a vast improvement over Affections Touching Across Time.
For the most part, the second movie's story is as stock quality as the first movie. It does however try to go into the realm of alternate universe (though it still really takes place in the canon storyline) by posing the question "What would it be like if Naraku died right now?" And, in my opinion, the interpretation is pretty good. Castle Beyond the Looking Glass does something however that really makes it just like many other Japanese animated movies by incorporating story elements from the fairy tale, Tale of the Bamboo Cutter. While it does so in a tasteful way, it kind of gave me the impression of "overused" just as the first movie's story felt. Getting past that though, the villain Kaguya is far superior to Menomaru, if only because she was less corny. So the story, which features all our favorite characters rather evenly (meaning there is something for everybody to enjoy), is actually more compelling.
The animation and music is about the same level as the first movie. Actually, I say the music was better for this movie because the first movie sounded as though it ripped a lot of tracks right off the television show. In contrast, I'm pretty sure most, if not all the music used for Castle Beyond the Looking Glass, was original (using the same melodies possibly, but at least played in a different way).
I thoroughly enjoyed Castle Beyond the Looking Glass much more than Affections Touching Across Time. The DVD also has some nice features that you shouldn't miss.
For the most part, the second movie's story is as stock quality as the first movie. It does however try to go into the realm of alternate universe (though it still really takes place in the canon storyline) by posing the question "What would it be like if Naraku died right now?" And, in my opinion, the interpretation is pretty good. Castle Beyond the Looking Glass does something however that really makes it just like many other Japanese animated movies by incorporating story elements from the fairy tale, Tale of the Bamboo Cutter. While it does so in a tasteful way, it kind of gave me the impression of "overused" just as the first movie's story felt. Getting past that though, the villain Kaguya is far superior to Menomaru, if only because she was less corny. So the story, which features all our favorite characters rather evenly (meaning there is something for everybody to enjoy), is actually more compelling.
The animation and music is about the same level as the first movie. Actually, I say the music was better for this movie because the first movie sounded as though it ripped a lot of tracks right off the television show. In contrast, I'm pretty sure most, if not all the music used for Castle Beyond the Looking Glass, was original (using the same melodies possibly, but at least played in a different way).
I thoroughly enjoyed Castle Beyond the Looking Glass much more than Affections Touching Across Time. The DVD also has some nice features that you shouldn't miss.