PONY CANYON

INTERNATIONAL LICENSING

The Imaginary Dog and the Lying Cat

Original Title

架空の犬と嘘をつく猫
Kakuu no Inu to Uso wo tsuku Neko

INTRODUCTION

This is a story that delicately, gently, and respectfully portrays a family’s journey over 25 years, from 1988 to 2013.
We aim to showcase Japanese culture and its unique perspective on the universal theme of “family.”

The film stars Mahiro Takasugi, who played the lead role in Smiles Leading To Happiness (2019), which won the Best Picture award at the 16th Monaco International Film Festival. He is joined by actors who have appeared across various media, including film,
stage, and art: Marika Ito (Solitude Ability, It’s A Summer Film!), Ken Yasuda (I Love Irene, Kuchinai Sakura), and Kimiko Yo (Departures, A Tale of Samurai Cooking: A True Love Story).

The film explores the struggles of a family in crisis, triggered by the death of the youngest brother, with a style inspired by the works of Yasujiro Ozu and Mikio Naruse.

STORY

Yamabuki Haneko, an 8-year-old boy, lives with his parents, grandparents, and a 2-year-old older sister. Everyone in this family hides small, strange secrets.
The father, Jungo, is barely managing a construction company while having an affair with a local bar owner.
The mother, Yukino, is in denial about the death of the youngest child and acts as though he is still alive. The grandfather, Shougo, insists on building an amusement park, despite having repeatedly failed in previous ventures. The grandmother, Sumie, runs a small boutique where she sells items with fake origins. The sister, Beni, is tired of the lies and is looking for a chance to escape.

When Yamabuki can’t cope with his emotions, he finds comfort in petting an imaginary dog. As he enters junior high, he falls in love with Kanako, an older girl who lives in the tutoring school he attends.

After high school, Yamabuki accidentally reunites with Yori, who had moved away when they were young. One day, an orphan disappears from the orphanage where Yori volunteers. Drawing on his own childhood experiences, Yamabuki successfully finds the boy and begins to confess something to him.

Years later, Yamabuki, now engaged to Yori, attempts to locate Beni, who ran away from home in high school, to invite her to Sumie’s funeral. At the funeral, the Haneko family gathers for the first time in years. But then, Kanako suddenly appears in front of Yamabuki...

As time passes, all the lies unravel, revealing the true nature of the family. This is the story of a family, told over 25 years, from 1988 to 2013.