Hoshi mamoru inu

The story follows a lonely, bookish bureaucrat who takes it upon himself to identify the body of a homeless man and his dog discovered on the outskirts of town following the melting of the snow.

While one element of this story plays tribute to Hachiko, the movie is essentially about relationships and the need to have purpose in one's life. The absence of either being the downfall of even the strongest character.

Similar to Requiem for a Dream or Spring Snow, the fate of the characters waxes and wanes with the seasons, beginning in spring and finally ending in winter.

We went and saw this at the cinema and by half way most of the audience were crying with one person openly sobbing. Such was the nature of the film however, that this was not out of place. Instead it added to emotional rawness and helped soften some of the more clichéd moments.

Overall, probably the most emotionally involved film I have seen all year, although you'll be pleased to note aside from the odd bit of dust in my eye I managed to keep it bottled up!