2002 / 125m - Japan
Drama, Romance
3.0*/5.0*
Dog Star poster

Watches

June 15, 2020

3.0*/5.0*

A pretty decent drama by Zeze, though not as edgy as you might expect it to be. I also don't think Zeze's style is particularly well-suited for these more subdued dramas, but the film itself has its moments. It's a little uneven in places, nothing everything works as well as intended, but fans of the genre should be able to get something out of it.

Etsushi Toyokawa and Ryo Ishibashi make a fun duo here, Haruka Igawa's part felt less confident. The story, about a dog turned human who ends up with his former owner is a tad cheesy though, the soundtrack borders on the verge of kitsch and the runtime is a bit long for a film of this caliber.

Luckily Zeze knows to balance this with some solid drama, the kind that is quite typical for those early millennial Japanese films. Important events are almost shown like static manga panels, focusing more on the aftermath than on certain faithful events. It's a bit dry, but it helps to contrast the sappier bits elsewhere. Overall a pretty solid film in other words, but not a real highlight.