A dog loves a rose like it's the only thing that matters, and the film treats that devotion as genuinely tragic. The 70s jazz score doesn't undercut the heartbreak, it amplifies it, turning a simple premise into something that stays with you. Sanrio made this when they still believed animation could be an art form, not a product line.

Joe is a dog who falls in love with a rose and sets himself up as its guardian against a spiteful crow. Sanrio's film mixes the feel of an anime art film with that of a classic Warner Bros. cartoon. It leans on inventive visuals and a groovy 1970s jazz score, with very little dialogue. Lively slapstick action sits alongside some surprisingly grim moments of tragedy.