The TV series was originally an Italian-Japanese collaboration involving Hayao Miyazaki and other key staff in their pre-Studio Ghibli days.
The current theatrical release is a remastered version of two compilation films of the series composed of episodes directed by Miyazaki.
Sherlock Hound is particularly meaningful to our now 36-year-old Japanese-language reporter K. Masami, who hated school as a child but managed to motivate herself to go because she could watch Sherlock Hound once she got home.
The remastered and re-released theatrical feature is back in Japanese theaters for a limited time to celebrate its 40th anniversary.