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At this point it’s probably no exaggeration to say that Toyota Japan is the master of making automotive commercials. Their commercials thus far have been heartwarming, bizarre, even more bizarre, and are more like minute-long movies than advertisements.

And the same thing goes for the most recent Toyota commercial. It’s about a man whose daughter leaves to go to college, and suddenly feels a lot lonelier at home with only his pet dog. What’s the twist ending that has Japanese netizens talking? And how does this all tie back to making us want to buy a Toyota? Read on to find out!

Here’s the commercial in its entirety. It’s in Japanese, but scroll down for some highlights and translations:

▼ “Well, you’re off to a university in Tokyo. Now it’s just going to be me and Taro around here.”

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▼ “With you gone I don’t go fishing anymore. It’s so quiet and lonely without you around.”

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▼ “Hey Taro, it’s hard to fill an empty hole in your heart.”

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▼ “Hey Taro, no matter what I do, it never seems to work out.”

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▼ “Taro, I understand how you feel. I just wish… you’d understand how I felt a little too.”

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▼ “…just a little.”

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▼ “Hey Taro, don’t you remember those fishing trips we used to go on?”

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▼ “I just want you to smile again, Taro.”

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▼ “Jon?” Oh! Plot twist! Taro is the name of the father, and Jon the dog has been narrating the whole time!

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▼ And the two of them go on a fishing trip together that’s almost as satisfying as the financing rates they got on their new Toyota.

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▼ “Even dogs have memories of going places together.”

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D’aww the dog just wanted his owner to feel better the whole time. It’s so cute… and I’m getting an urge to visit my local Toyota dealership too.

Here’s what some Japanese netizens had to say about the commercial:

“So touching. I’ve got to take our dog more places.”
“As soon as he said ‘Jon,’ I realized what was going on.”
“The first time I watched, I cried. The second time, I cried. I will treasure my dog!”
“Wait, so did the dog tell him to buy a Toyota Sienta? I don’t get it….”

The last Toyota commercial that tugged at our heartstrings reminded us all to take a moment and appreciate our dads, and this one does the same for our pets. So whether you have a dog, cat, goldfish or gila monster, be sure to take some time to have fun with them… in a new Toyota Sienta of course.

Source: YouTube (toyotajpchannel) via NetLab
Images: YouTube (toyotajpchannel)