“Hachiko 2: Always by your side” fictionalizes a real event that occurred a century ago in Japan, which motivated two previous films, books and works of art.
In 2009, Richard Gere starred in the endearing film “Hachi: A Dog’s Tale,” based on the true story of a faithful pet that had already been portrayed in the 1987 Japanese film “Hachikō Monogatari,” by Kaneto Shindo.
Now a third version arrives in Argentine cinemas: “Hachiko 2. Always by your side” is not a sequel but a recreation of a story of loyalty starring the Japanese dog Akita, similar to the shepherd. The dog was born in November 1923 and the following year he was adopted by the professor Hidesaburo Ueno from the University of Tokyo as a pet for his daughter, but ended up becoming her most faithful companion.
A daily routine developed between them of accompanying their owner to the Shibuya train station every morning and waiting for him at the same place every afternoon when he returned from work. In May 1925, Professor Ueno died suddenly and unexpectedly while at work, but Hachiko continued to go to the terminal every day for almost 10 years, awaiting the return of its owner, rain or snow. He was collectively adopted and many people took over the care and feeding of him until he passed away on March 8, 1935.
A bronze statue was erected at the site a year earlier, in honor of their loyalty, and to this day it remains a popular gathering place. This behavior became a sensation in Tokyo, and people began to refer to him as Chuken Hachiko, which means “Hachiko the faithful dog”, to the point of inspiring works of art and books, apart from his arrival on the big screen.
In this new approach to history, the names and facts of reality transmute without changing the meaning of the story. The little dog at the beginning is abandoned and the new owner, Chen Jingxiu, rescues him and takes him to his home, where he becomes the darling of the entire family. The scene takes place in the present day, so the puppy’s initial antics have an everyday nature recognizable to anyone. Instead of a train station it refers to a house that was once beautiful but is no longer there, although the dog, named Batong in this new production, is still waiting for the return to what it was before.
The movie of Xu Ang is starring Jugang Bai, Joan Chen and Xiaogang Feng.
