Dog Signal (2023) — Story, Release Date, Rating

Synopsis:

Miyu Samura's life takes an unexpected turn when his ex-girlfriend unexpectedly re-enters his world, leaving him with a spirited toy poodle he’s ill-prepared for. The puppy’s energetic nature quickly disrupts Miyu's routine and threatens his stability, forcing him to confront his inexperience with animal care. A chance encounter with renowned dog trainer Shinichirou Niwa and his impeccably trained standard poodle, Ourson, offers a potential solution.

Intrigued by Niwa's methods, Miyu impulsively resigns from his job to become the trainer’s assistant, hoping to help revitalize his struggling business. However, Niwa finds himself less adept at navigating human interactions than canine behavior. The series explores themes of responsibility, personal growth, and the unexpected bonds formed through shared passions, set against a backdrop of everyday life and the challenges of pursuing unconventional career paths.

Episodes:

Episode 1: Homeless with You (Aired: 10/22/2023)
Episode 2: Your New Name (Aired: 10/29/2023)
Episode 3: Living in Bliss (Aired: 11/05/2023)
Episode 4: Spinning Dog (Aired: 11/12/2023)
Episode 5: Farewell Ceremony (Aired: 11/19/2023)
... and 15 more episodes

Characters:

Niwa, Shinichirou (Main) - Voice Actors: Suzumura, Kenichi
Ourson (Main) - Voice Actors: Matsuda, Kenichirou
Samura, Miyu (Main) - Voice Actors: Ono, Kensho
Singe (Main) - Voice Actors: Mugiho, Anna
Asanuma, Akari (Supporting) - Voice Actors: Yahagi, Sayuri
Eguchi (Supporting) - Voice Actors: Hanawa, Eiko
Fujiwara, Seiji (Supporting) - Voice Actors: Matsuda, Kenichirou
Hayashi, Haruyuki (Supporting) - Voice Actors: Irino, Miyu
Izumi, Ritsuka (Supporting) - Voice Actors: Kaida, Yuuko
Izumi, Mother (Supporting) - Voice Actors: Higa, Kumiko
Kadota (Supporting) - Voice Actors: Takeuchi, Junko
Kanon's Father (Supporting) - Voice Actors: Suzuki, Takuma
Katou's Wife (Supporting) - Voice Actors: Mizuki, Nana
Katou's Father (Supporting) - Voice Actors: Itou, Kentarou
Kozuka (Supporting) - Voice Actors: Koshimizu, Ami
Kubo, Suzunosuke (Supporting) - Voice Actors: KENN
Mame and Mugi's Father (Supporting) - Voice Actors: Nishiyama, Koutarou
Miyake (Supporting) - Voice Actors: Toyoguchi, Megumi
Miyake, Kanon (Supporting) - Voice Actors: Shutou, Yukina
Miyu and Saki's Mother (Supporting) - Voice Actors: Orikasa, Ai
Niwa, Mother (Supporting) - Voice Actors: Shimada, Aino
Niwa, Father (Supporting) - Voice Actors: Morikawa, Toshiyuki
Shikishima (Supporting) - Voice Actors: Hirano, Aya
Touyama, Ema (Supporting) - Voice Actors: Kanemoto, Hisako
Yuuko (Supporting) - Voice Actors: Ise, Mariya

Staff:

Furuhashi, Kazuhiro (Director, Series Composition)
Yoshida, Kouhei (Sound Director)
Fujishiro, Kazuya (Episode Director)
Fukumoto, Shinichi (Episode Director)
Hattori, Fukutarou (Episode Director)
Kawana, Kana (Episode Director, Storyboard)
Kimura, Hiroshi (Episode Director)
Kuramoto, Hotaka (Episode Director)
Matsui, Hitoyuki (Episode Director, Storyboard)
Nishiyama, Yuuki (Episode Director)
Ashino, Satomi (Script)
Hakata, Masatoshi (Storyboard)
Masuda, Toshihiko (Storyboard)
Miyazaki, Nagisa (Storyboard)
Mori, Takeshi (Storyboard)
Suzuki, Hideyuki Daichi (Theme Song Arrangement)
Takahashi, Yuu (Theme Song Performance)
knoak (Theme Song Arrangement)
nishina (Theme Song Composition, Theme Song Performance, Theme Song Lyrics)
Chen, Yufeng (Animation Director)
Ge, Huan (Animation Director)
Hang, Xinhua (Animation Director)
Hayashi, Asuka (Animation Director)
Huang, Jiaxian (Chief Animation Director)
Kametani, Kyouko (Chief Animation Director)
Kamura, Hiroyuki (Animation Director)
Kataoka, Emiko (Animation Director)
Matsushita, Junko (Animation Director)
Miyauchi, Saya (Original Creator)
Oleynikov, Igor (Animation Director)
Oshima, Michiru (Music)
SAI (Chief Animation Director)
Saitou, Kaori (Animation Director)
Sakurai, Takurou (Animation Director)
Shigekuni, Hiroko (Chief Animation Director)
Uzaki, Kazu (Animation Director)
Wang, Min (Animation Director)
YUKI (Animation Director)
Yamanaka, Izumi (Chief Animation Director)
Ye, Yujing (Animation Director)
Ye, Zengyao (Chief Animation Director)
Yoon, Su-bin (Animation Director)
Zhu, Yang (Animation Director)

Reviews:

User aqua11alta (Score: 10/10):
UNDERRATED UNDERRATED UNDERRATED. I think it's very clear since all reviewers before me said the same thing. Certainly this anime deserves higher rating than 6.90. This anime has it all except one thing, great animation. It's not the best, but not the worst. I'd say decent. This is not action anime, so I don't really care much about that part. What I care is story and character. And this anime delivers. Relatable characters, heartwarming stories, great moral messages, very educational especially if you have or want to have a pet. Or even if you don't. The humans in this anime has their own stories andwe get to see how they overcome their struggles in life. So it's not just about pets. If you like slice of life especially the heartwarming one, like Natsume Yuujincho, Deaimon, Gakuen Babysitter, Koutarou wa Hitorigurashi etc, try this anime. You gonna love it.
User SacredArrow2000 (Score: 8/10):
Highly recommended anime to anyone that has owned a dog, or is thinking of becoming a dog-owner. It has accurate information on canine psychology, canine physical health, grooming, and of course, both basic and advanced training methods. Walking audiences through these methods with step by step instruction! The story and plot moves forward with realistic scenarios that many dogs and their owners have experienced. The characters are well rounded, in the sense that their personalities and emotional depths are properly explored and we come to understand each of the main cast. At times, their sense of canine justice may have been overly exaggerated, but audiencesunderstood the value of speaking and caring for an animal that cannot speak for themselves. The side-characters were never neglected, nor written off, each dog and customer are made to feel important. Their issues were not judged, but properly evaluated. nnWhile the soundtrack is nothing special, and the animation itself is not overly flashy, nor vibrant. The attention to detail on the individual dog's features, movements and behaviours was impressive. This held true to the 'Slice of Life' genre, with each episode having uplifting tones and had proper resolve for each 'problematic behaviour'. More then that, audiences could feel the loving relationships and genuine empathy the owners experiences with their dogs.nnIt is surprising that this series was not given English Dubbing, since there was so much condensed information, you'll find yourself reading and re-watching the same scenes till it all sinks in.nnIt may feel slow passed at times, but every episode is a 'treat' (haha). nnThis anime truly brought me back to the early days of training my own puppy, and acted as a helpful reminder in the many ways a dog-owner can contribute to their dog's happiness. They will always be there for us, so we need to do our best to care for them and cherish the time we have together.

News:

Fall 2023 Simulcast List [Update 10/22] (09/29/2023)
Fall 2023 Preview (09/22/2023)
'Dog Signal' Reveals Additional Cast, Staff, October 22 Premiere (09/20/2023)
'Dog Signal' Announces Main Cast, Staff (07/26/2023)
Manga 'Dog Signal' Gets TV Anime in Fall 2023 (01/19/2023)

Forum Topics:

External Links:

Related Anime/Manga:

Dog Signal (manga - Adaptation)

Genres: Adult Cast, Josei, Pets, Slice of Life, Workplace
Themes: Adult Cast, Pets, Workplace
Demographics: Josei
Studios: Fugaku
Producers: NHK, NHK Enterprises
Rating: 7.1 / 10
Rank: #4000
Popularity: #7530
Users Listed: 8,176
Users Scored: 1,652
NSFW: No
Last Updated: 12/28/2023
Aired: October 22, 2023 – March 17, 2024 (Fall)
Type: tv
Source: manga
Age Rating: PG 13
Episodes: 20
Broadcast: Sunday at 17:00 (JST)

Dog Signal