Animal movies are a thriving genre of Japanese films that foreign critics, scholars and viewers by and large cordially detest. It's similar to the typical gaijin reaction to natto (fermented soy beans) — i.e., disgust at a humble, but beloved, made-in-Japan specialty.
The sight of a dog, cat or other furry beast on a film flyer here triggers an instant rejection reaction. It's usually a guarantee of badness on every level, from hammy J-drama performances to twee scenes of animal antics. The exceptions, such as Yoichi Sai's 2004 "Quill," a relatively realistic and unsentimental look at the life of a seeing-eye dog, hardly disprove the rule.
Yoshinori Kobayashi's "Kinako — Minarai Keisatsuken no Monogatari" ("Kinako — The Story of an Apprentice Police Dog) is another film about a canine professional — an aspiring police dog — also based on a true story, but another "Quill" it is not. Instead, it recycles cliche after cornball cliche from local "guts-to-glory" films, while inflicting shot after shamelessly adorable shot of its title pooch and teen trainer (Kaho), who is the human equivalent to a bumbling, lovable puppy.
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