Under the Dog follows Hana, who promptly informs us that her family is awkward. Walking down the stairs and towards the door. Off to an entrance exam where something greater lies ahead. Her dad wishes her luck, but this is a lie. Even with these lies, Hana wishes fervently to help her family. Against this apparent contradiction , the story unfolds.
It is a baffling tale where soldiers invade a high school
with little warning. And Hana is revealed to be a not so normal person. Rather a person sent to protect a boy named Nanase. The story appears to stumble numerous times, especially when introducing characters who scarcely appear again.
The end product is stilted but still there are hints of the themes it promises. It is a firm belief on this site that the phrase "nothing remotely good" is typically a lie. So let me offer how Under the Dog could be made compelling. And not simply things like reducing the scope and rewriting the dialogue.
Rather than a standard glimpse into Hana the "ordinary" person, begin up front with her eyes turning green. They hint at her true identity as an assassin and her quest to protect her family. If she is fleshed out in such a way, she becomes a plausible character. By pouring more emphasis, the audience would right away understand her mission. In this way, the opening scene of Gunslinger Girl, which showcases Henrietta as a killer, would be an apt template to follow. We would see immediately that Hana can serve as protector.
In her effort to protect Nanase, which does provide some sorely needed characterization, we see Hana again take on this guardian role. In a way, his struggle is hers as a result. So I wish the work had given more thought as to why Nanase matters so keenly, and in turn why her mission matters. To this end, the opening should demonstrate that, using glitch imagery that aligns with the green eyes, Nanase's father is the monster plaguing that world. To give us hope that he could persevere. That Hana could persevere.
Allowing both to die at the end flies in the face of the hope described do gingerly but earnestly described by Hana. By tearing emphasis away from the minute battles, the work would have been much more powerful if it had focused on self discovery through fighting the monster and learning that it is Nanase's father. And had lived in the process. For me, that would lead to a more satisfying and connected ending.
Ultimately, Under the Dog desperately needed to step back. Reduce the scope, and aim for psychological battles and defeats, less on actual blood and violence. Restructure the story, and make it move faster during worldbuilcing moments. And most importantly, convince the viewer of the importance of Hana and Nanase by digging much more deeply into their motivations and skills. By giving us reason to care deeply for Hana and Nanase, this work could drive home its potentially powerful theme of hope in the face of the worst humanity can offer.
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