72 minSeason 1 • Episode 10
LatestHoping for a miracle, Kuramochi heads for Antarctica on the Soya. Meanwhile, a snowstorm separates a weakened Riki from the other two dogs.
Set in the 1950's, a Japanese Antarctic research exploration team and 19 dogs that accompanied the team are stationed at the Showa Base in Antarctica. After a year, the exploration team is ordered to withdraw from the Antarctic station due to severe weather conditions. The dogs have to be left behind. The following year, the next team arrives at the Showa Base station and a miraculous reunion occurs between a dog handler accompanying the new tean and two dogs, Taro and Shiro, that are brothers.
Acting
Kimura's restrained grief hits harder than any screaming.
Production
Frozen Hokkaido standing in for Antarctica—actually convincing.
Writing
True story adaptation that doesn't flinch from bureaucratic cruelty.
Takuya Kimura
Takeshi Kuramochi
Haruka Ayase
Miyuki Takaoka
Kyôhei Shibata
Suguru Shirasaki
Teruyuki Kagawa
Eitaro Hoshino
Masato Sakai
Haruhiko Himuro
Naoto Ogata
Noriaki Utsumi
Yusuke Yamamoto
Natsuo Inuzuka
Susumu Terajima
Naohito Samejima
Hisashi Yoshizawa
Shinkichi Yokomine
Yoshinori Okada
Ikuzo Funaki
Yôsuke Kawamura
Hajime Arashiyama
Doronzu Ishimoto
Kinpei Yamazato
Kotaro Shiga
Kinnosuke Tani
Takako Katou
Junko Samejima
Ito Ohno
Mitsuko Inuzuka
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Based on the 1958 Sakhalin Husky incident—seven dogs died chained to their posts.
The 1983 Japanese film 'Nankyoku Monogatari' made this story a national trauma; this NHK remake arrived during post-Fukushima solidarity nostalgia.
JP
