Hachi-ko

Only few films have made me cry, but not as many times as this one , it is a really captivating story and just to know it was a real one amazes me even more. You may never find a best friend but a dog will never disappoint you nor abandon you, and this movie just proves that.

Apart from being a great story, I found the camera-work to be really good, and the scenography in some parts of the film does not get left behind.

I also found the acting fitting to what it was being presented,it was in no way overdone nor was it lacking anything, it was just normal and good acting.

I would recommend this film to everyone because it is meant for all audiences, but I can't guarantee if it will make you cry or at least feel any emotion. Most of you probably will at least feel something, though (mostly if you're fond of pets or animals in general).

Don't miss the chance to watch this.

While humans are weird on these things, dogs are companions for life. Dogs show eternal loyalty for the simplest things. Giving them food and water is enough for them to stay loyal forever, but if that includes love and attention that loyalty is taken to another degree. It is true that dogs CAN and DO chose their own masters and they are loyal to one person. It seems that, for them, life has no meaning if it's not with their first owner.

This film is very, very moving and sad, like no other I've ever seen. It tells the (real) story of Hachi, the dog that waited 10 long years for his owner after his death. Hachi kept waiting for him for the rest of his life and only didn't wait more because he died. Besides that hard reality, that dog was a victim of violence, went through a lot of pain, sorrow and even illness. It's already very depressing to imagine what the real Hachi went through and seeing what we see in this movie is so heartbreaking. It breaks my heart how much he waits for a master that won't be back anymore, the cruelty of humans towards innocent animals, the bad condition and fragile health he is after years.

The movie itself is far from being great, let alone a masterpiece. But it's unquestionably a valuable lesson about the loyalty of dogs in the highest sense and it shows that dog is definitely man's best friend, a companion for life in the good and bad moments, everything.

There are many hateful human characters and this movie is so depressing and painful that I can't even watch it anymore and I couldn't help but cry hard. Having that said, it's impossible not to love Hachi and our hearts melt over him.

This movie had an American remake with Richard Gere but it's very different. The original is a far more realistic approach to the real story, as it takes place in Japan in the 1920's/1930's - which is the place and time when this story really happened.

I watched this movie after seeing the American version (Hatchi: A Dogs Tale) with Richard Gere, as a dog owner it left a mark and I felt compelled to follow up on both films to see the true story.

I managed to find a book on Hatchi - The Truth of the Life and Legend of the Most Famous Dog in Japan by Mayumi Itoh. This book was just as compelling as the film and set out to confirm the facts from the fiction with amazing detail.

Hachiko Monogatari is the version closer to the true tale in most ways and you know the ending is going to be painful to watch but you watch it to the end anyway. This film also peeks into the culture at the time in Japan. If this film does not pull at your heart strings then nothing will.

Last year I was reading a two pages article about Hachiko in a local magazine,and the movie called a lot my attention but I never managed to get the film. However, last night a friend of mine gave me the film... And I loved it from the first to last minutes. Believe me, I have been a film lover since lots of years, but I can tell you that no other movie makes me cry as Hachiko did. I had never cried so much for a movie since "Life is Beautiful" and "The grave of the Fireflies". Just to think about an Akita Inu dog that has been waiting for his dead master for 10 years; its sad just to imagine it, and more when you know that its based on a TRUE story. Believe me that Hachiko is like no other dog-film you have ever seen, its completely beyond every dog movie ever created. The acting was great, the dog who acted as Hachiko was perfect,the ambientation was excellent, the soundtrack is very touchy and accords with the emotional nature of the film. Sorry, I really don't have words to describe it, Its a beautiful film that can touch everybodies heart and I personally think that only a no hearted bastard would not cry watching this film, just my opinion. Its very hard to get, but if you manage to get it, you wont be disappointed, trust me... Hachiko will show the meaning of loyalty.

We saw this movie once on Hong Kong Television when we lived there until the year 2000 and remember it as a true tear jerker but in a positive sense.

It stuck in our memories for all those years which must mean something; and it may therefore mean a great deal to people who are not yet to emotionally in such deep freeze that the story of Hachiko can no longer warm their hearts.

If I recall correctly the original was in Japanese but it had English subtitles.

In the last four years we have tried to buy a copy but cannot find any.

Thankful for any pointers in that direction

Konrad Vienna