A classic of Japanese drama if ever there was one. It does come of as sort of a rip-off of several other classic things, like the Dog of Flanders or Little Orphan Annie. There's also a lot of ridiculousness, particularly most of the stuff her dog does. The grown up's evils don't come off as humorous in spite of being quite over the top. The young star's acting is likewise convincing. This all adds up to a surprisingly realistic story, dog included. Though it's certainly on the "cartoonish" side.