Do we like Hachiko?
A character from Hachi: A Dog's Tale (2009)
Our score: 10 out of 10. Yes, without hesitation. He is loyal, gentle and harmless, and he gives his whole heart to one person. You'd back him and bring tissues.
Hachiko is a lost Akita puppy. Parker Wilson, a music professor, finds him abandoned at the train station in the fictional town of Bedridge. The station is closing for the night, so Parker takes the dog home. Hachi turns out to be incredibly loyal to him, and Parker ends up keeping him. The film is an American adaptation of a Japanese tale about a loyal Akita named Hachiko.
Hachi is a quiet, dignified dog who doesn't do tricks on command. Parker's friend Ken explains that Akitas can't be trained, so if Hachi fetches the ball, it will be for a special reason. Over time the bond between dog and professor becomes the centre of the film. Hachi has no schemes, no grudges and no bad days. He just wants to be with his person, and that is why he scores a 10.
The film's best-known sequence is Hachi's devotion after tragedy hits the family. The film ends with Hachi waiting at the station until his own death. The story is based on a real dog. The real Hachiko waited nearly a decade at a Tokyo station for an owner who had already died. That is why he is a symbol of loyalty, and why people are still crying over him.