Kaba-Enchou no Doubutsuen Nikki

Synopsis

Aging zoo keeper Toshio Nishiyama acquires two young trainees: short-tempered former chef Takeshi Ishizawa and gentle vet Ichiro Hasegawa. Both are surprised by the difficulties they face in a deceptively easy job but persevere through troubles such as an escaped pelican, a dying camel, and the birth of a hippo. A semi-autobiographical TV special of anecdotes from real-life Tobu Animal Park zookeeper Toshio Nishiyama, who appears at the beginning and end of the film to talk about his love for animals-and to reveal that Ishizawa is in fact a projection of his younger self.