is a

manga Manga (Japanese: 漫画 ) are comics or graphic novels originating from Japan. Most manga conform to a style developed in Japan in the late 19th century, and the form has a long prehistory in earlier Japanese art. The term ''manga'' is u ...

series by Shuji Kishihara and Yasuharu Tomono serialized in

Nakayoshi is a monthly ''shōjo'' manga magazine published by Kodansha in Japan. First issued in December 1954, it is a long-running magazine with over 60 years of manga publication history. Notable titles serialized in Nakayoshi include ''Princess Knight ...

, about the lives of 48 puppies. An

anime is Traditional animation, hand-drawn and computer animation, computer-generated animation originating from Japan. Outside of Japan and in English, ''anime'' refers specifically to animation produced in Japan. However, in Japan and in Japane ...

television series A television show – or simply TV show – is any content produced for viewing on a television set which can be broadcast via over-the-air, satellite television, satellite, or cable television, cable, excluding breaking news, television adverti ...

was produced based on the manga. The main character's story presents the journey of the archetypal hero found in world mythologies and religions (the

Monomyth In narratology and comparative mythology, the hero's journey, or the monomyth, is the common template of stories that involve a hero who goes on an adventure, is victorious in a decisive crisis, and comes home changed or transformed. Earlie ...

), a theory developed by

Joseph Campbell Joseph John Campbell (March 26, 1904 – October 30, 1987) was an American writer. He was a professor of literature at Sarah Lawrence College who worked in comparative mythology and comparative religion. His work covers many aspects of the ...

in his book ''

The Hero with a Thousand Faces ''The Hero with a Thousand Faces'' (first published in 1949) is a work of comparative mythology by Joseph Campbell, in which the author discusses his theory of the mythological structure of the journey of the archetypal hero found in world myths ...

''.

Plot

A French Bulldog is adopted from the Happy Kennel by a girl named Ai and is given the name Alex. She tells him stories and reads to him from a book titled ''The Adventures of Freddy'' about dog who leaves home to find the Fortune Tree. However, he is separated from Ai when he mistakenly follows a girl wearing the same clothes as Ai on a bus. Adopting the name Freddy, after the hero in Ai's storybook, Alex begins his quest to return to Ai. But before he can return to his owner, Freddy and his new friends must find the Fortune Tree and save it from dying, otherwise all the humans in the world will lose their good will and no longer care about their pets.

Characters

Dogs

*Alex/Freddy (フレディー) - A male French Bulldog. He embarked on a quest to return to Ai when he mistakenly followed a girl wearing the same clothes as Ai into a bus in episode 2. In episode 3, Alex took on the name Freddy, after the hero in Ai's story book titled ''The Adventures of Freddy'', about a dog leaving home to find the Fortune Tree. *Shibata (シバタ) -

Shiba Inu The is a breed of hunting dog from Japan. A small-to-medium breed, it is the smallest of the six original and distinct spitz breeds of dog native to Japan. Its name literally translates to "firewood dog". A small, alert, and agile dog that c ...

*Chibiyama (チビヤマ) -

Chihuahua Chihuahua may refer to: Places *Chihuahua (state), a Mexican state **Chihuahua (dog), a breed of dog named after the state **Chihuahua cheese, a type of cheese originating in the state **Chihuahua City, the capital city of the state **Chihuahua Mun ...

*Don Corocorone (ドン・コロコローネ) - A

Bulldog The Bulldog is a British breed of dog of mastiff type. It may also be known as the English Bulldog or British Bulldog. It is of medium size, a muscular, hefty dog with a wrinkled face and a distinctive pushed-in nose.Shih Tzu The Shih Tzu (, ; literally " Hsi Shih dog") is a toy dog breed originating from Tibet and was bred from the Pekingese and the Lhasa Apso. Shih Tzus are known for their short snouts and large round eyes, as well as their long coat, floppy ear ...

*Cammy (キャミー) - A female

Cavalier King Charles Spaniel The Cavalier King Charles Spaniel is a British breed of toy dog of spaniel type. Four colours are recognised: Blenheim (chestnut and white), tricolour (black/white/tan), black and tan, and ruby; the coat is smooth and silky. The lifespan is usual ...

show dog Freddy met in episode 4. She was raised by humans who rarely let her to go outside. Dach showed affection over her, but left her in the end. *Pappy (パピー) - Papillon *Dach (ドッチ) - A male field

Dachshund The dachshund ( or ; German: "badger dog"), also known as the wiener dog, badger dog, and sausage dog, is a short-legged, long-bodied, hound-type dog breed. The dog may be smooth-haired, wire-haired, or long-haired, and comes in a variety of c ...

Alex met in episode 3. He was an expert digger, once owned by the human Jack. Dach taught Alex about interacting with humans. Freddy joined Dach's travel quest at the end of episode 3. *Max (マックス) - A male

Boxer Boxer most commonly refers to: * Boxer (boxing), a competitor in the sport of boxing *Boxer (dog), a breed of dog Boxer or boxers may also refer to: Animal kingdom * Boxer crab * Boxer shrimp, a small group of decapod crustaceans * Boxer snipe ee ...

who had come from Happy Kennel, and had met Alex while both were still in the kennel. Although inexperienced as a guard dog, it has a strong sense of food. Its favourite food is milk. It was evicted by its owner in episode 8 after a male robber had broken into the same house twice, and the owner discovered Freddy, Dach, Max were inside the damaged house. *Lovely (ラブリー) - Labrador Retriever *Yoko (ヨーコ) -

Yorkshire Terrier The Yorkshire Terrier (often shortened as Yorkie) is one of the smallest dog breeds of the terrier type and indeed of any dog breed. The breed developed during the 19th century in Yorkshire, England.Weimaraner The Weimaraner ( ) is a large dog that was originally bred as a hunting dog in the early 19th century. Early Weimaraners were used by royalty for hunting large game such as boar, bear and deer. As the popularity of large game hunting began to d ...

*Minich - (ミニッチ)

Miniature Pinscher The Miniature Pinscher, also known as the Zwergpinscher and Mini Pin, is a small breed of dog of the pinscher type originating in Germany. The breed's earliest ancestors may have included the German Pinscher mixed with Italian greyhounds and dachs ...

*Ryoma (リョウマ) - An old male Tosa who had grown up in mountains. Ryoma started to live in the wild when delivery truck that carries Ryoma to its customer crashed. He taught Freddy about being a wild dog, identifying and marking dog scents, circular patrolling. After losing a fight against Freezer, Ryoma told Freddy to leave, but Freddy found Ryoma in episode 6. At the end of episode 6, an old woman was identified to be Ryoma's owner. However, Ryoma felt betrayed by its owner when the owner was sick and could not take care of Ryoma while in hospital. When Ryoma's owner collapsed again in episode 6, Ryoma defeated Freezer on its way to the owner, and reunited with the owner at the end. *Bruto (ブルート) -

Doberman Pinscher The Dobermann (; ), or Doberman Pinscher in the United States and Canada, is a medium-large breed of domestic dog that was originally developed around 1890 by Louis Dobermann, a tax collector from Germany.Akita Inu The is a historic dog breed of large size originating from the mountains of northern Japan. The two separate varieties of Akita are a pure Japanese strain, commonly called Akita-ken (''ken'' is the on'yomi for ''inu'' meaning dog in Japanese), and ...

. Episode based on real Japanese Akita

Hachikō was a Japanese Akita dog remembered for his remarkable loyalty to his owner, Hidesaburō Ueno, for whom he continued to wait for over nine years following Ueno's death. Hachikō was born on November 10, 1923, at a farm near the city of Ōdate, ...

. *Sanbe (サンペー) -

Welsh Corgi Pembroke The Pembroke Welsh Corgi (; Welsh for "dwarf dog") is a cattle herding dog breed that originated in Pembrokeshire, Wales. It is one of two breeds known as a Welsh Corgi. Pembroke Welsh Corgis descended from the Spitz family of dogs. The other ...

*Kinta (キンタ) -

Golden Retriever The Golden Retriever is a Scottish breed of retriever dog of medium size. It is characterised by a gentle and affectionate nature and a striking golden coat. It is commonly kept as a pet and is among the most frequently registered breeds ...

*Jess (ジャズ) -

, Kinta's mother *Himechin (ヒメチン) -

Japanese Chin The Japanese Chin ( ja, 狆, ), also known as the Japanese Spaniel, is a dog known for its strabismus of the eyes. Being both a lap dog and a companion dog, this toy breed has a distinctive heritage. History While most believe that the sou ...

*Daltian (ダルジャン) - A female Dalmatian from episode 6 with unidentified owner. *Poron - (ポロン) Pomeranian *B-chan - (ビーチャン)

Beagle The beagle is a breed of small scent hound, similar in appearance to the much larger foxhound. The beagle was developed primarily for hunting hare, known as beagling. Possessing a great sense of smell and superior tracking instincts, the ...

*Marco - (マルコ) Maltese *Arnest (アーネスト) - A female

Afghan Hound The Afghan Hound is a hound that is distinguished by its thick, fine, silky coat and its tail with a ring curl at the end. The breed is selectively bred for its unique features in the cold mountains of Afghanistan. Its local name is ( ps, تاژ ...

Alex met in episode 2 outside bakery. *Leon (レオン) -

Bloodhound The bloodhound is a large scent hound, originally bred for hunting deer, wild boar and, since the Middle Ages, for tracking people. Believed to be descended from hounds once kept at the Abbey of Saint-Hubert, Belgium, in French it is called, ''l ...

*Pugbou (パグボー) -

Pug The Pug is a breed of dog originally from China, with physically distinctive features of a wrinkly, short-muzzled face and curled tail. The breed has a fine, glossy coat that comes in a variety of colors, most often light brown (fawn) or blac ...

, arrested by the police dogs, asks Freddy to help him *Mook (ムック) - A male

Old English Sheepdog The Old English Sheepdog is a large breed of dog that emerged in England from early types of herding dog. Obsolete names for the breed include Shepherd's Dog and . The nickname ''Bob-tail'' (or ''Bobtail'') originates from how dogs of the breed ...

raised by Rogers in episode 9. *Eiji (エージ) - Male

German Shepherd The German Shepherd or Alsatian is a German breed of working dog of medium to large size. The breed was developed by Max von Stephanitz using various traditional German herding dogs from 1899. It was originally bred as a herding dog, for he ...

owned by Happy Kennel that used to work for police as sniffing dog, and always travel with Cammy. *Bright (ブライト) - Samoyed *Wang (ワン) -

Chow Chow The Chow Chow is a spitz-type of dog breed originally from northern China. The Chow Chow is a sturdily built dog, square in profile, with a broad skull and small, triangular, erect ears with rounded tips. The breed is known for a very dense ...

*Jackie (ジャッキー) -

Jack Russell Terrier The Jack Russell Terrier is a small terrier that has its origins in fox hunting in England. It is principally white-bodied and smooth, rough or broken-coated and can be any colour. Small tan and white terriers that technically belong to oth ...

*Yubi (ユーピー) - A

robot A robot is a machine—especially one programmable by a computer—capable of carrying out a complex series of actions automatically. A robot can be guided by an external control device, or the control may be embedded within. Robots may be c ...

*Kosuke (コースケ) -

Norwich Terrier The Norwich Terrier is a breed of dog originating in the United Kingdom, and was bred to hunt small rodents. With a friendly personality, Norwich Terriers are today mostly a companion dog breed. One of the smallest terriers, these dogs are gen ...

, a police dog, pursues Corocorone's owner. *Zenji - (ゼンジー)

Pekingese The Pekingese (also spelled Pekinese) is a breed of toy dog, originating in China. The breed was favored by royalty of the Chinese Imperial court as a companion dog, and its name refers to the city of Peking (Beijing) where the Forbidden City i ...

*Cocco (コッコ) - An

American Cocker Spaniel The American Cocker Spaniel is a breed of sporting dog. It is a spaniel type dog that is closely related to the English Cocker Spaniel; the two breeds diverged during the 20th century due to differing breed standards in the US and the UK. In th ...

. *Tomiko - (トミコ)

Shar Pei The Shar Pei (Cantonese: ''shā pèih'' or Mandarin: 沙皮 ''shā pí'') is a dog breed from southern China. Traditionally kept as a property guardian, the Shar Pei was driven to the brink of extinction in the 20th century. The breed is known i ...

*Noppe - (ノッペ)

Bull Terrier The Bull Terrier is a breed of dog in the terrier family. There is also a miniature version of this breed which is officially known as the Miniature Bull Terrier. Appearance The Bull Terrier's most recognizable feature is its head, described ...

*Kitchen (キッチン) - A male

Rough Collie The Rough Collie (also known as the Long-Haired Collie) is a long-coated dog breed of medium to large size that, in its original form, was a type of collie used and bred for herding sheep in Scotland. More recent breeding has focused on the Co ...

Shetland Sheepdog The Shetland Sheepdog, often known as the Sheltie, is a breed of herding dog that originated in the Shetland Islands of Scotland. The original name was ''Shetland Collie,'' but this caused controversy amongst Rough Collie breeders of the time, s ...

from episode 6 with a male owner. In episode 7, Kitchen altered its owner for the collapsed Ryoma's owner after hearing Ryoma's call. *Bernadon (バーナードン) - St. Bernard *Wealthy (ウエルシー) -

West Highland White Terrier The West Highland White Terrier, commonly known as the Westie, is a breed of dog from Scotland with a distinctive white harsh coat with a somewhat soft white undercoat. It is a medium-sized terrier, although with longer legs than other Scott ...

*Freezer (フリーザー) - Siberian Husky, male dog that defeated Ryoma in a territorial fight in episode 5, but beaten by Ryoma in episode 7. *Airi (アイリ) -

Irish Setter The Irish Setter ( ga, sotar rua, literally "red setter") is a setter, a breed of gundog, and family dog. The term ''Irish Setter'' is commonly used to encompass the show-bred dog recognised by the American Kennel Club as well as the field-bred ...

*Whity (ホワイティ) - A female

Poodle , nickname = , stock = , country = Germany or France (see history) , height = , maleheight = , femaleheight = , weight = , maleweight = , femaleweight = , coat ...

in episode 9, owned by Rogers. *Shunaemon (シュナエモン) -

Standard Schnauzer The Schnauzer or Mittelschnauzer is a German breed of dog in the Pinscher and Schnauzer group. It is characterised by an abundant bristly beard and moustache, usually lighter than the coat. It is one of three Schnauzer breeds, the others being t ...

*Shetlan (シェトラン) -

*Edgar (エドガー) - A Wire Fox Terrier that taught Freddy to get food by begging to sausage vendor in episode 6. *Mace (メース) -

Great Dane The Great Dane is a large sized dog breed originating from Germany. The Great Dane descends from hunting dogs from the Middle Ages used to hunt wild boar and deer, and as guardians of German nobility. It is one of the largest breeds in the world ...

owned by Happy Kennel that used to work for police as sniffing dog, and always travel with Grace. *Police Dog -

Giant Schnauzer The Giant Schnauzer is a breed of dog developed in the 17th century in Germany. It is the largest of the three breeds of Schnauzerthe other two breeds being the Standard Schnauzer and the Miniature Schnauzer. Numerous breeds were used in its ...

*Police Dog -

English Pointer The Pointer, sometimes called the English Pointer, is a medium-sized breed of pointing dog developed in England. Pointers are used to find game for hunters, and are considered by gundog enthusiasts to be one of the finest breeds of its type; h ...

*Police Dog -

Birds

Myna The myna (; also spelled mynah) is a bird of the starling family (Sturnidae). This is a group of passerine birds which are native to southern Asia, especially India, Pakistan and Bangladesh. Several species have been introduced to areas like ...

(九官鳥) - A bird that guarded bakery in episode 3.

Humans

*Alex (アレックス) - Owner of Happy Kennel. In addition to selling dogs, he also visits the owners of the dogs he sold. *Ai-chan (愛ちゃん) - Freddy's adopter in episode 1. *Jack (ジャック) - Dooch's former human owner in episode 3. Jack is obsessed on taking any dog he sees to home. *Rogers (ロジャース) - Owner of Whitety, Mook, and Rogers farm, a farm for cows and sheep.

Cast

* Freddy -

Yumiko Kobayashi is a freelance Japanese voice actress from Chiba Prefecture. She was formerly affiliated with Arts Vision until August 2007. She made her voice acting debut as Mita in '' Kirara'' while still in college in 1998, and her first lead role was as Ken ...

* Alice - Rie Satou * Cocco - Chiaki Takashi * Shibata-

Akeno Watanabe is a Japanese voice actress and narrator affiliated with Office Osawa. Some of her notable voice roles include Robin Sena in ''Witch Hunter Robin'', Chachamaru Karakuri in ''Negima! Magister Negi Magi'', Halle Lidner in ''Death Note'', Rito ...

* B-Chan -

Chika Sakamoto is a Japanese voice actress who is affiliated with Arts Vision. Filmography Television animation ;1980s *''Captain Tsubasa'' (1983) – Sanae Nakazawa *'' Cat's Eye'' (1983) – Ai Kisugi *'' Nine'' (1983) – Yukimi Yasuda *'' Super Dimension C ...

* Max - Kouichi Toochika * Chibiyama -

Miwa Matsumoto is a Japanese voice actress. Filmography Television *''Digimon Adventure'' – Patamon *'' Digimon Adventure 02'' – Patamon *''Digimon Tamers'' – Mako *'' Digimon Frontier'' – Kokuwamon *''Cardcaptor Sakura'' – Chiharu Mihara *'' Car ...

* Leon -

Dai Matsumoto , also credited Hiroshi Matsumoto, is a Japanese actor, Seiyū, voice actor and narrator from Tokyo. His major roles include List of Saiyuki characters#Dokugakuji, Dokugakuji in ''Saiyuki (manga), Saiyuki'', List of Lord Marksman and Vanadis char ...

* Pochi -

Rica Matsumoto is a Japanese actress, voice actress and singer who was born in Yokohama, Japan. Her name is also sometimes romanized as Rica Matsumoto. She was one of the founders of the anison band JAM Project. After early stage work, she began both voice ac ...

* Bluto - Junichi Endou * Rikyu - Cho * Dach -

Yuu Mizushima Yuu or YUU may refer to: * Yū, Yamaguchi, or Yuu, a town in Kuga District, Yamaguchi Prefecture, Japan * Yuu (wrestler), Japanese professional wrestler * Yuu Shiina, usually written You Shiina is a Japanese freelance illustrator and manga arti ...

* Kowalski - Shoto Kashii

External links

Fortune Dogs homepageTV Tokyo's FD page
* {{ann, anime, 2011 2002 anime television series debuts Animated television series about dogs Manga (year of release missing) Comics about dogs Kodansha manga