is a 2010 Japanese film based on a true story of a dog trainer.
It was released in Japanese cinemas throughout Japan on 14 August 2010.
Story
This movie is based on the true story of a female dog trainer, Kyoko Mochizuki, nicknamed "Anko", and a
Labrador retriever which repeatedly fails the police dog trials despite numerous tries. Kyoko Mochizuki is an 18-year-old girl who dreams of becoming a police dog trainer. She is admitted to a police dog training school and meets a young Kinako, a Labrador retriever puppy. An instructor there informs Kyoko that Kinako is too weak to become a police dog, but Kyoko is determined that she will make Kinako into one.
Cast
*
Kaho as Kyoko Mochizuki
*
Yasufumi Terawaki
is a Japanese actor. He was nominated for Best Supporting Actor at the 32nd Japan Academy Prize for '' Aibō The Movie''.
Selected filmography
Film
* '' Mangetsu no Kuchizuke'' (1989)
* ''Kinako'' (2011)
* ''Samurai Hustle'' (2014)
* ''My Lov ...
as Seijiro Banba
*
Naho Toda
is a Japanese actress.
Career
In 1990, she successfully passed an audition called Horipro Talent Scout Caravan( Ja).
Personal life
She had graduated from Tamagawa University.
Her sister was an actress, and her brother Kōhei Toda ( Ja: ...
as Utako Banba
*
Yusuke Yamamoto
is a Japanese actor and DJ. He was born in Aichi, Japan. His debut role was as Tsurugi Kamishiro, a.k.a. Kamen Rider Sasword, in ''Kamen Rider Kabuto
is a Japanese tokusatsu superhero television series. It is the sixteenth installment in the ...
as Wataru Tashiro
*
Kenichi Endō
is a Japanese actor and writer. He also worked as a narrator for many documentaries, both on television and film. He is best known for his roles in ''Visitor Q'' (2001), ''Crows Zero'' (2007), ''Crows Zero 2'' (2009), and '' The Raid 2: Berand ...
as Ryoichi Mochizuki
*
Miyoko Asada
is a Japanese actress. She is a former pop idol.
Biography
Miyoko Asada debuted as an idol in April 1973 with the single ''"Akai Fuusen"'' (The Red Balloon), which sold over 800,000 copies and peaked at #1 on the Japanese Oricon chart list. ...
as Sonoko Mochizuki
*
Mitsuru Hirata
is a Japanese actor. He won the award for best actor at the 7th Hochi Film Award and the award for best supporting actor at the 4th Yokohama Film Festival for ''Fall Guy''.
Filmography
Films
*''Fall Guy'' (1982), Yasu
*''Theater of Life'' (198 ...
as Takashi Sakuraba
*
Ryohei Hirota as Keita Banba
*
Momoka Ono
Momoka (written: 杏果, 百夏, 桃花 or 桃華) is a feminine Japanese given name. Notable people with the name include:
*, Japanese singer
* (born 1995), Japanese idol and singer
*, Japanese idol from Magical² and ''Girls²''
*, Japanese foot ...
as Niina Banba
Production
Theme song
The film's theme song was provided by the singer
Metis
Metis or Métis may refer to:
Ethnic groups
* Métis, recognized Indigenous communities in Canada and America whose distinct culture and language emerged after early intermarriage between First Nations peoples and early European settlers, primar ...
.
The theme song is a newly written piece of music, and is entitled .
Media
DVD
The DVD version was released on 14 January 2011.
Photo book
A photobook by
Kaho, entitled “Breeze with Kinako”, was on 4 August 2010. The photos were taken at the filming location this movie.
Reception
Critical reception
Mark Schilling from
The Japan Times
''The Japan Times'' is Japan's largest and oldest English-language daily newspaper. It is published by , a subsidiary of News2u Holdings, Inc.. It is headquartered in the in Kioicho, Chiyoda, Tokyo.
History
''The Japan Times'' was launched by ...
, criticized the film for using "cliche after cornball cliche from local "guts-to-glory" films, while inflicting shot after shamelessly adorable shot of its title pooch and teen trainer" and gave the film a rating of 1.5 out of 5.
He also derided the film's actress Kaho whom he described as "a bit old to pull it (her role) off".
The reviewer also added that "the best actor in the film is the dog" and advised viewers who are looking for "stress relief with funny animal tricks" to "save time and try YouTube".
Accolades
References
External links
*
* {{IMDb title , 1583288
2010 films
2010s Japanese-language films
Shochiku films
Films scored by Takayuki Hattori
Police dogs in fiction
Films set in Kagawa Prefecture