Adapted from the Japanese novel “Goodbye, Khoru”, Little Q follows the story of the titular guide dog who is paired up with a reluctant blind man. Lee Po Ting (Simon Yam) is a talented master chef who has learned that he is going blind and will soon lose his eyesight completely. He had always a bit of a Gordon Ramsay type of chef, but this news has made him even more depressed, angry and bitter. On a TV cooking show he once stated “a good chef needs all 5 of his senses… you can’t leave out a single one”. Once he goes blind, will he even be able to pursue his passion? Po Ting now spends most of his time sitting at home alone, wallowing and drinking. When he does go into his restaurant, he takes his anger out on his apprentices and his sister, Po Yi (Gigi Leung), and gets riled up whenever anyone tries to assist or help him.

Meanwhile, family friend/vet Mr. Lo (Frankie Lam) has recently delivered some puppies, which have been sent to a guide dog company for training. He has insisted that, after they are trained, one of the dogs be given to Po Ting—despite the fact that Po Ting has demanded otherwise. One of these puppies is a particularly mischievous one named Little Q, who has a unique birthmark on her side. Before she can be used as a guide dog, Little Q needs to be trained, and so she spends some time with host family the Chans and their young daughter Tsz Kiu (Angela Yuen). Tsz Kiu quickly grows attached to the puppy, but once her training is complete, she must say a tearful goodbye. However, trainer Simon (Him Law) is reluctant to hand Little Q over to Po Ting, knowing that he has no interest in working with a guide dog. However, he does so because of Mr. Lo’s request.

It’s a rough start for Po Ting and Little Q. The chef wants nothing to do with this dog. Every time she comes near him, he yells at her, or forcefully puts her outside to spend the night in the rain. He’s too full of self pity to care for another creature, especially one that reminds him of his helplessness. However, Little Q refuses to give up on her stubborn partner, and with Simon’s help Po Ting reluctantly learns how to feed and walk Little Q, and utilize her services as a guide dog. But this is very much a one-sided relationship. Little Q is kind and helpful even though she gets little to nothing in return. It takes a scary and dangerous situation to really turn Po Ting’s attitude around, and a loving bond to form. Afterwards, he and Little Q to start to become inseparable and invaluable friends, who always look out for one another (so-to-speak), and even risk their own lives for one another.

Little Q is based on a true story. It is both heartwarming and humorous, but also a bit heart-wrenching and scary. The film is more like two tales in one. While the majority of the movie explores the dog’s rollercoaster of a relationship with Po Ting, there is also a quarter of the film that follows the bond between Little Q and Chan Tsz Kiu. This latter portion probably could have been removed in order to speed things up, but it also serves as a nice contrast between the loving relationship the puppy has with this girl to the more confrontational one with Po Ting. While there have been films like this following the bond between an animal and its owner, and how a pet can even melt even the coldest heart, this has the added element of Little Q being a service dog. I would say that the film would be a big draw for animal lovers, however, when Po Ting first gets Little Q, he is extremely rough with her. While I’m sure there were precautions taken on the set, it was a bit uneasy to watch at times, and I’m not even a pet person. But the bond that forms between these two characters over time feels quite genuine and leads to some fun and heartwarming moments, even causing Po Ting to go above and beyond to help his new partner when she gets into trouble.

Well Go’s Blu-ray release is pretty barebones, with no bonus material except for the film’s trailer, as well as previews for some other Well Go releases. The film’s presentation is pretty solid. The picture is clean, with bright colors and a nice level of detail. The film often switches to Little Q’s point of view as she’s exploring her surroundings. For this POV, the picture loses its color to mimic a dog’s eyesight. This release offers two versions of the original Cantonese audio track, bur no English dub. However, the subtitles are well-written and clear, and the audio track often makes nice use of the surround channel to provide a more-immersive experience. This is especially noticeable as Po Ting deals with lots of voices in his head, or when surrounded by barking dogs at a kennel.

What’s Included:

Film: (1:46:58)

Blu-ray:
• 1080p / Widescreen 2.39:1
• Audio: Cantonese DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1, Cantonese Stereo
• Subtitles: English, Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese

Extras:
All remaining material plays back-to-back once one item is selected.

• Trailer (2:23)
• Previews
  • Previews
    • The Paper Tigers (2:30)
    • The Great War of Archimedes (1:42)
    • Cosmoball (1:59)

Final Thoughts:

Little Q is based on a true story, exploring two different relationships with the same dog. The first is with the little girl who takes in the puppy as it is being trained, and the second is with a reluctant, bitter blind man whose outlook on life his completely changed by the bond that forms with the dog. The film mixes humor and drama and takes viewers on a rollercoaster ride of emotions. It is worth checking out for fans of these kinds of animal relationship tales, such as Marley & Me, though it my be a bit of a rough watch in some scenes.