After this film, I have been forced to side with the argument that a story alone can make a(n) anime/movie great. And story is at the forefront of this movie's accomplishments. At least in this regard, Flanders no Inu is transcendant, subverting the genre and common tropes. I wasn't expecting the film to be as powerful as it was in it's presentation of love and loss. Also, character development was very true-to-form; as the narrative is extremely humanistic, granting the viewer some escape from the weary and lackluster stuff in the medium, often being force-fed at an alarming rate (Come on Netflix...don't "original titles" imply originality?).
The Dog of Flanders makes you care. In the words of Roger Ebert, it's an exemplar of cathartic films: "empathy machines". Often movies miss the point that when tragedy strikes a character, there must have been some vicarious bond between them and the viewer. Relationships are tricky, because in any (anime) film, a director/writer must keep in mind that everything is interrelated; and many overlook this subtle, albeit important characteristic. It's clear, however, that Flanders no Inu accomplishes what it does because of it's attention to human nature. For example, each individual character's relationship with the dog implicitly (yet powerfully) expands our understanding of them. Much like a dog owner's mistrust in a new boy/girlfriend simply because their dog doesn't like them. Really, pack mentality is not dissimilar to tribe mentality. Hence: "A man's best friend". Ultimately, eliminating the 'tell' in "show don't tell" is a good move.
The story of loss, love, and companionship is age-old. Therefore, no matter the score, art, etc. the movie can never seem dated. I almost cried three or four times and I haven't cried for years. I'm stoic, so the fact that an animated film can moisten my eyes is an impressive feat altogether. Among all this, nothing better expresses an art form than "catharsis", as wrote by Aristotle himself.
