Name: Pointy-Headed Gonta: The Story of the Two-Named Dog in the Fukushima Disaster
Director: Akio Nishizawa
Genre: Animation, Drama
Released: 2022-06-03
Duration: 114 min
Cast: Yui Ishikawa, Satoru Saito, Yū Kamio, Rina Honnizumi, Ryotaro Okiayu

A dog with two names and one impossible journey through Japan's worst disaster.

Watch(JP)

A dog with two names and one impossible journey through Japan's worst disaster.

Watch(JP)

Quiet devastationGentle resilienceFound family chaos

Overview

Animation Drama

After Gonta is left behind reluctantly by its family in Namie, Fukushima during the evacuation due to the 2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami disaster, Gonta's family rallies a rescue team to save all the pets left behind.

JP Japanese

Content warning

anime earthquake survival animals natural disaster rescue mission disaster aftermath great east japan earthquake aftermath

Standout Aspects

Direction

Nishizawa balances documentary weight with anime warmth.

Writing

Gonta's dual names mirror fractured identities post-disaster.

Score

Understated music lets silence hit harder.

Best for:Solo·Family

Heads up:Emotional·Triggers

Director

Akio Nishizawa

ReleasedJun 3, 2022

Runtime1h 54m

StatusReleased

Vibe

Pacesteady

Intensitymedium

Tonemixed

Feelheavy

Top Cast

Yui Ishikawa

Yuki Yoshino (voice)

Satoru Saito

Kiyoshi Tomita (voice)

Yū Kamio

Masaki Tomita (voice)

Rina Honnizumi

Rika Tomita (voice)

Ryotaro Okiayu

Ishihara (voice)

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Deep Dive

Trivia, insights & behind the scenes

Cultural

Based on real Namie town evacuations where over 1,000 pets were abandoned; the 'two names' refers to Gonta being renamed by different temporary caretakers.

Trivia

Director Nishizawa spent six years interviewing actual evacuees; Yui Ishikawa recorded her lines after visiting the real exclusion zone.

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