At NYCC this year I had a chance to see Akira on the big screen for the first time, but while at the screening there was another movie that had played just before Akira that Funimation was promoting and that fans were rather happy about. The film was an animated titled called Wolf Children, directed by the apparently acclaimed director Mamoru Hosoda. After hearing about the film it only made sense that I had to see it and sure enough was able to get a Blu-ray copy to take a look. Wolf Children wasn’t the movie I expected it to be but that, by no means, doesn’t mean it wasn’t good.
In the beginning of Wolf Children we meet a bight eyed, smiley woman named Hana who is working part time and going to school. There she meets a quiet, mysterious man named Kare whom she took a liking too and soon finds out that he’s a wolf. Regardless of the animal he is, Hana and Kare begin a life together, eventually giving birth to a son, Ame, and a daughter, Yuki, both of whom are wolf children. Soon life takes Kare away from Hana and she must raise and support her two children by herself, not knowing anything about raising wolves all while trying to keep their transformative abilities a secret. Unable to handle everything on her own within the confines of a city, Hana relocated with her children to the countryside where they are free to run around and build a new life, though not without struggles. It is in the countryside where she teaches her children to forge their own path and so we follow Hana kids as they choose their own path as well observe Hana, how she handles her kids’ individuality and how she becomes a member of her small but tight community.
Wolf Children wasn’t the fantastical film I thought I was getting myself into; one filled with the adventures of children who also happen to be wolves, in fact it’s exactly the opposite. Much like how the TV series The Walking Dead focuses on the human element of survival and living with the threat of zombies, using the undead as a backdrop, much of Wolf Children focuses on the three main characters as they try to make their way in the world, living with a secret that dictates their lives but doesn’t distract us from the coming-of-age story that it presents. It’s the character-centric storytelling that, upon reflection, elevates the film’s quality.
I initially wasn’t that impressed with the film when the credits started rolling. The only thing I absolutely loved was the animation and the hybrid use of a hand drawn style with dashes of CGI sprinkled throughout. This is most notable when the effects are used to animate the elements, like when it snows; it makes it feel more realistic and rather comforting. Outside that I thought the film was too long and didn’t offer that much in the way of being engaging or compelling. After waiting a few days to write this review, I realized, upon reflection, that the movie was much better than I initially thought. This had to do with the realization of the type of story Hosoda was trying to tell, that it wasn’t just about a mom raising wolf kids and struggling to do so, it was about the evolution of a struggling family unit trying to find their identity which makes for a more compelling story.
As for everything else, the music is light and appropriate and the English language dub is what you’d expect it to be like for any Japanese animated feature.
Overall, Wolf Children is a film that’s visually appealing, especially on Blu-ray and might be difficult to appreciate story-wise upon an initial viewing if the film fails to captivate you like it did me. After letting the film digest in your mind, it’s hard to deny that the quality in its visuals actually matches the quality in its storytelling as well. This isn’t a film for everyone as anime feature films aren’t something mainstream American audiences typically watch, but for those that do I think you’ll end up feeling pretty satisfied with the results.
Rating: A beautiful looking character driven anime that may take a little time to fully appreciate (7/10)
Wolf Children is now available on Blu-ray and DVD from Funimation
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