A Tale of Mari and Three Puppies (2007): Cast, Box Office & Plot

On the way home, Ryota Ishikawa and Aya Ishikawa encounter an abandoned Shiba Inu that keeps following them. At first, they hesitate to keep a dog because their father dislikes dogs, but the animal’s persistence wins them over, and they hide the dog at home. To make the adoption official, Aya tells their grandfather that she wants the dog for her birthday, and since he promised to grant her wishes, he reluctantly agrees. This sparks a tense quarrel between him and his son, who is weighing a move from their village of Yamakoshi to Nagaoka city to shorten travel time to the hospital and keep the children closer to school, despite the grandfather’s objections. The dog is named Mari, and she quickly becomes a cherished member of the family.