This review might contain spoilers. You may proceed if you can handle the truth...

The 102-minute film The Dog of Flanders, directed by Yoshio Kuroda, is an adaptation of the 1872 novel A Dog of Flanders by the English author Maria Louise Ramé, published under her pseudonym "Ouida". During her moderately successful career, she wrote over 40 books for adults and children. Her most famous work is the best-selling novel Under Two Flags, released in 1867. Albeit the fiction A Dog of Flanders is more obscure children's literature in many European countries, it is considered a children's classic in much of Asia. Because of its high popularity in Japan, it has several anime adaptations: the 1975 tv-series Dog of Flanders, the 1992 tv-series My Patrasche and the 1997 movie remake of the first tv-series The Dog of Flanders. To the regret of some readers, this review will only focus on the film.

In contrast to modern children's stories, the well-written plot stands out for its realistic portrayal of unequal opportunity, class discrimination, consequences of poverty and sorrow caused by the death of loved ones. As the well-paced story progresses, the young, naive protagonist faces one hardship after another, whereby each is more unjust or gloomy than the other. Despite the harsh reality of 19th century Belgium, the adorable, relatable child finds joy in drawing pictures, playing with his dog and spending time with his grandfather. Instead of a deus ex machina to resolve the protagonist's predicament, the emotionally devastating ending is the premature, inevitable future caused by the past nature of human society. Most of the social criticism contained within the story is still relevant nowadays.

As polished as the plot are the characters. Although the movie has a few redundant, minimal characterized or stereotypical side characters, the well-developed protagonist, the protagonist's heart-warming bond with the dog, and the absorbing interactions with the side characters compensate for this flaw. Without the well-chosen selection of supporting characters, the emotional impact and the social criticism would not be as effective. While the picture targets a more youthful audience, younger anime lovers might dislike the Nippon animation style, which the older generation appreciations more due to childhood nostalgia. Similar to other animated movies around the time, the classical music score is neither distracting nor astounding.

To summarize, The Dog of Flanders is an emotionally intense drama with relevant social criticism suitable for children and adults. Furthermore, it is one of the few animated movies that can rival Studio Ghibli's Grave of Fireflies in terms of sadness. Even though not everybody likes gloomy films, it is a must-watch for any serious and dedicated anime fan. Unfortunately, no streaming service offers the picture at the point of writing. If you get the chance to see it in the future, you should do it.