This review might contain spoilers. You may proceed if you can handle the truth... The 102minute 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 Ram 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 bestselling novel Under Two Flags released in 1867. Albeit the fiction A Dog of Flanders is more obscure childrens literature in many European countries it is considered a childrens classic in much of Asia. Because of its high popularity in Japan it has several anime adaptations: the 1975 tvseries Dog of Flanders the 1992 tvseries My Patrasche and the 1997 movie remake of the first tvseries The Dog of Flanders. To the regret of some readers this review will only focus on the film. In contrast to modern childrens stories the wellwritten 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 wellpaced 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 protagonists 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 welldeveloped protagonist the protagonists heartwarming bond with the dog and the absorbing interactions with the side characters compensate for this flaw. Without the wellchosen 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 Ghiblis Grave of Fireflies in terms of sadness. Even though not everybody likes gloomy films it is a mustwatch 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.