I think the movie is overall well balanced and is really worth watching. They have modified the story a little, and that hasn't ruined anything. It is still as good as it would have been if it were original. One thing more, they have shown just enough bonding between the Professor and Hachi, if they were little more into showing the depth of their relationship it would have been so hard for me to watch it. I was already crying at the end, but what made the ending best was that the boy, the grandson of parker gets the same Akita dog and names it Hachi. It is the best ever movie, I think it is exactly how it should have been.