Wolf Children

[pfarber]

This is really a movie, not a series, but its often cited as one of the 'ZMFG BEST ANIME EVAR!'

SPOILERS

Its billed as a romance, and in the beginning its true.. Hana, a typical lonely female Japanese student meets 'the Wolfman' (he never has a name) and he's a hard working blah blah blah. Well he's 'hot'... and also a wolf. Yeah, a wolf. So Hana falls for the dark, brooding stranger who wins here over with about 10 lines of dialog (oh you silly Japan... still can't figure out how relationships work) and they mate. Yes, I say mate. Because in anime if your male lead is a wolf/man than can change from wolf (like, 4 legged looks like a dog not a werewolf) to human form if he bangs the female lead he HAS to be a wolf when he does her. So yeah.. chick gets fucked by a dog.. well, wolf, but still, bestiality is evidently a kink in Japan. To be fair they DO NOT SHOW ANY NUDITY... just when they kiss and start to lie on the bed.. while they are 'falling' the dude starts to change into a wolf. Now my fiancee has a shit fit if I forget to brush my teeth before bed... I can only imagine what would happen if I turned into a wolf and tried to sleep with her... I mean we don't even allow dogs up the stairs anymore (sorry Yeager, Kimber and Shilo.. you have been banished to the couch forever).

So she gets preggers and has a daughter, Yuki. Who is half wolf. Evidently doggy style is her thing and shortly thereafter they have another baby, a son, Ane. While mom is raising two half wolf babies daddy is doing odd jobs and bringing home small mammals for food because, you know nature of the wolf and all. So Hana is ok with roadkill... I mean she's a housewife raising two small kids with a husband that is half wolf.. of course eating rabbit that he kills is not gonna faze her a bit. God Damn it Japan... how? Why?

Well 'the Wolfman' get killed (the only show the dead wolf, and Hana knowing its her husband/mate) and she stays in the city living off savings while raising kids that howl. No, the neighbors DO NOT love her. So she moves to the country and rents a farm to raise her kids in peace. Of course she does not know how to farm.. whaa whaa. Some stuff happens and well, the end. Really.

Her two kids take separate paths, Yuki lives as a human, and Ane lives as a wolf. The end is basically Hana accepting that her son is more like her husband and wants to live as a wolf... so the end of the movie is her accepting that. While there are some feels as she accepts his choice, the story just ends... Yuki, who has been narrating in the second person, says that her mother is happy that her son is happy..... so everyone is happy.

The animation is the real highpoint of the movie. Its well above average and the landscapes are very well done... but 'Sensi' a fox that is teaching Ane to be a wolf is at best average and there are a few scene''s where the animation get bland. But overall its a beautifully animated film. The English dub is also very well done. Hana and Yuki are voice very well but Ane is a little to monotone.. as all confused half boy/wolfs would be. Hana, is a machine.. she is determined to raise her kids as normally as possible.. even if it is A TWO AND A HALF HOUR BUS RIDE TO SCHOOL EVERY DAY!!!!!! I'm surprised Yuki didn't have a breakdown just from the 12 hour day going to school and back.

The story... meh. Its a drama, and the plot meanders... the country folk characters are predictable and ok.. but other than knowing their names you learn little about them.. other then they take bets on how long the 'city slickers' will last in the country before they miss the convenience of the local quicky mart.

If you can stream it, its worth a watch. I didn't find it groundbreaking, emotional or much of anything.. just a well drawn animation.