Ranked #319

Wolf's Rain

Earth's decay has long provided anime with many disquieted plots over the past 30 years, but few have been more genuine than Keiko Nobumoto's "Wolf's Rain". Facing the long and dreary tundra before him, the mysterious canine protagonist, Kiba (meaning "Fang" in Japanese) reluctantly moves forward, being called to something he can only describe as paradise. The world has fallen in on itself, as humans have tarnished the earth and almost wiped out the wolf race. Kiba, along with a handful of his remaining kind have learned to blend to their environment, one day hoping to find salvation in the form of a wolf paradise. And now, finally grouped with his own pack, and a guide in the form of a beautiful young flower maiden named Cheza, Kiba must face the dangerous plight to find rebirth. This compelling journey in conjunction with the amazing characters involved makes Wolf's rain easily likeable, as well as admirable because it addresses the end of life as a new beginning to an ironically never ending journey. The paradise it describes is brought forth from the journey's experiences, rather than the journey's conclusion.

Directed by Tensei Okamura, who has delighted with his past collaborations on Full Metal Panic and Cowboy Bebop, this genuinely compelling series is only set with a few anime conventions: the hard pressed rival to the leader (Tsume), the insane but devoted antagonist (Darcia) and the mysterious hunter who wants to settle a score (Quent). Besides these, Wolf's Rain is a plot on its own. The whole pack is in search for paradise for their own reasons and gradually learn more about themselves on the way. They stop by various towns to face obstacles that instigate these learning experiences. While this is happening, the larger picture of the story deals with the remaining three nobles of the world. They all vie for supremacy for their individual purposes, but all come into contact with the wolf pack in one way or another. Like a kick in the pants, it was insane to see the wolf pack take on the noble's soldiers and display their canine powers. Likewise, it was great to see them fail in their attempts because it showed how real they actually were. If you enjoy being attached to characters even with their shortcomings then I strongly recommend this series.

One of the great things about Wolf's Rain is that the only really beautiful characters are the wolves themselves. Everything else the art depicts is very alive, but in a darker, more decayed way. All of the landscapes are hauntingly dismal, even when the story shifts to the more modern settings. The art is very realistic in this way, and beauty is only used as a reflection for the characters who are the purest.

Bad music could have really hindered a series with this much melancholy and drama. Luckily, Yoko Kanno, the jazz queen composer from Cowboy Bebop also blessed Wolf's Rain with her talents. Its so amazing the way she sets the tones for scenes in the series. She never over does anything, which makes the really big "holy shit" scenes far more impactful. There are actually many long scenes in which nothing but music is used to describe the mood of the situation, and it was refreshing to see a series that didn't jabber on to describe what was happening. All you really have to do is listen during Wolf's Rain to appreciate what is going on below the surface. Thank you for that Ms. Kanno.

The characters are what make this series a classic. Every one of them, even the minor ones only have to speak or make a certain facial expression to show you how they LIVE. By this I mean, we only have to look at the way they act to get a feel of who they are right off the bat. I was sort of expecting this, because Nobumoto's writing is always so real. She was never afraid to pull punches in this series, and none of the characters are set in stone. They all grow at their own paces and aren't always the same person. The pack becomes more of an extended family as it progresses and does so through many conflicts. What I loved most is that when things really got bad, none of them really went into the predictable dramatic speech about life and death. Everything was always quiet when something bad in the series happen, and only loud when it really needed to be. This subtle realism is what made the wolves seems all the more relatable and ironically human. If you want real drama in your characters, than you'll love these wolves.

Now, I'm a guy who has been brought up in fast paced, shounen style anime, and Wolf's Rain was really the first serious piece of art for me. I mean I've seen some mildly toned anime sure, but this series really gets you in the gut from the beginning. Its very dark, I mean the world is ending throughout the plot, who wouldn't be depressed? It had some lighter, happier moments, but they were often offset with depressing, real ones. I wouldn't recommend this series if you want to escape reality, but if your someone who wants to see a more genuine, less optimistic piece of art than you'll like it. I only scored the enjoyment at a 7 because even for me, a natural pessimist, the story did drag out the harshness of reality sometimes. It makes you sort of hate Nietszhe. Well, maybe not that much, but you know what I'm saying.




"They say there's no such place... as Paradise. Even if you search to the ends of the Earth, there's nothing there. No matter how far you walk, it's always the same road. It just goes on and on. But, in spite of that... Why am I so driven to find it? A voice calls to me... It says, Search for Paradise." - Kiba read more

The new millennium has brought us many new anime titles. Most of which seem to involve a sad story, a sad main character, and an overall sad feel. Wolf's Rain may indeed fall into that category, but there are unique differences that make this series more complex than that.

Take first, the main character Kiba. He has a goal and he'll do anything to reach it. But he has two distinct sides to his character. One is his proud, rash, and arrogant self that attacks anything that stands in his way. And the other is a quiet, mysterious, and observing type that is expressed when meeting new friends (For instance, when he was reluctant to say his name to Hige) and whenever he is around Cheza. Though not technically the sorrowful character one would expect him to be in an orphaned and lonely state, he still makes sad connections to his past.

As this was an anime before it became a manga series, BONES (the same company that made Fullmetal Alchemist) had unlimited freedom on where to go with the series. Except for a few "flashback" or "clip" episodes in the middle of the series, there is almost no filler and the pacing of each episode is excellent. The animation is amazing (as expected of BONES) and the music just as well. Beautiful orchestral music is played throughout the series, and, unique to most anime, the opening and ending themes are in perfect English (as are other soundtracks songs during the actual show).

The main story follows an unusual cast of characters, most of which are not even human. Kiba and his crew are all wolves with the power to create the illusion that they are human (though it is not perfect as their shadows and pawprints are still shown through). There are also the typical human characters, like the greedy Dracia that wants Paradise to himself and a pair of lovers that rekindle their relationship through hardship. Plus there's also the ghost of a cryptic owl that gives advice in proverbs. (Whether or not this is a Legend of Zelda reference is still beyond me)

But there is never a time when an anime can be perfect. There are still plot-holes within Wolf's Rain. Mainly the ending: It's open-ended and leaves more to be desired. But as a more thought-provoking series, the ending does its job... Kind of. But besides a few odd turns, Wolf's Rain is good at creating plot twists. And BONES was so confident about the series that most episodes don't even end in a cliffhanger. They just find a natural stopping point.

Overall, Wolf's Rain is an enjoyable series if you love wolves, action, the supernatural, and beautiful music. Though don't expect it to be happy or provide fan-service. read more

Wolf's Rain is one of my most favourite anime series ever. Its *very* rare that I'd give an anime I�m reviewing a 10 for EVERYTHING, I always review fairly - even if I didn't enjoy the anime. For me, Wolf's Rain is a perfect anime. I love literally everything about it.
The story was created by Keiko Nobumoto (Screenwriter for Cowboy Bebop) and animated by studio BONES, well known throughout the anime world as the studio who brought us such popular shows as Eureka seveN, RahXephon, Scrapped Princess, Jyu Oh Sei and producing the anime versions of FullMetal Alchemist, Ouran High School Host Club and Angelic Layer. The Soundtrack was compossed by Yoko Kanno (who also compossed OSTs for; Cowboy Bebop, Ghost in the Shell: S.A.C. and Escaflowne amongst others) and the series contained 26 episodes (followed by a 4 episode OVA.)

The story takes place in a post-apocalyptic world where much of the world is dead or dying, most of the worlds people live in poverty and most species of animals are now extinct, including wolves - or so people thought. Wolves (and other animals) are able to take human form and live amongst people - and so beginning to become almost more human then animal, they no longer believe they have a purpose anymore. According to the legendary �Book of the Moon,� when the world comes to an end wolves will lead the world to Paradise. Most people no-one longer believe this legend however, as the wolves are supposedly extinct.
The series follows four wolves as they try to find paradise together.

The characters, as well as character development in this show is amazing. In the beginning it starts of with 4 wolves who have nothing in common what so ever - Kiba, the mysterious, distant leader, Tsume - the cold ex-gang leader, with a shameful past, Hige - the laidback, street-smart, food lover, and Toboe - the young na�ve kid who sees the good in everyone. At first they constantly argue but thought out the series they grow to depend on each other as a real pack.
Blue, Darcia, Quent, Jagura, Hubb and Cher are also quite interesting for secondary characters.

The animation through out is perfect - although fight scenes are short, the animation is nothing short of amazing.
The soundtrack is outstanding - my favourite anime OST ever, the vocal songs are mainly in English but there are also Japanese, French, Italian and Portuguese songs - which are all beautiful. The background music is equally as beautiful, �Go to Rakuen� is easily the most beautiful piece of music I�ve heard, ever.

The one bad point to the series (30 episodes in total) is that in the middle of the series there�s not one, but four recap episodes. They are told from the point of view of some of the characters (One episode for Tsume, one for Hige, one for Toboe, and one for Quent and Hubb.) Although, they are easily skip-able.

Oo, another thing to add to the long list of brilliance that is Wolf�s Rain - the English dub is great, in fact I even prefer it to the orginal Japanese version. Literally every voice is perfectly suited, no cuts, no major script or story change, e.g.

Well, I could go on and on, but I think I�d better stop now� this reviews� long enough as it is. 10/10 - anime at its best.
WATCH WOLF�S RAIN ~ YOU WON�T REGRET IT! :3 read more

Wolf's Rain is a very good series. It's placed in a largely action-oriented, urban environment, and incorporates many science-fiction themes. It feels like a shounen anime, though with a greater dramatic emphasis than most. The dub is fine, if that's your preference.

I'll leave the story summaries and the general praise of the series up to other reviewers. In my opinion, it really doesn't deserve perfect 10s all the way. There are more than a few plotholes throughout, the characters can be bland at times, and I personally couldn't stand the opening song. It started out well, but slowed down in the middle. In truth, I give it an overall of about 7.5.

Let me say this, though: the series is VERY GOOD in its entirety. Whether you're thinking of watching it or only partially through, realize that the middle of the series gets dull, and it may kill your desire to continue. But keep watching! Skim past the four recap episodes if you have to, just watch it! The end makes up for the dullness.

The final advice I give is this: regardless of what anyone has told you, watch the OVAs as if they were part of the series! These are the final episodes... 27-30. Though better than most anime, the original "ending" of episode 26 is slightly disappointing and doesn't provide much closure. The scores I have given here do not reflect the OVAs, but if they did, they would definitely have to be higher!

In short, I found the bulk of the anime far from perfect, but keep watching, and I promise you will NOT be disappointed. read more

Wolf's Rain is a Shounen, Action, Adventure anime with something different about it. It is based on a post apocalyptic Earth that is slowly dying out, yet the main focus is on a pack of Wolves on their journey to paradise.

The show has a very promising start as it kicks off with plenty fast paced action in the first couple episodes and it's not even an issue that a lot of things are unexplained, like why the wolves are able to disguise as humans. Of course a lot is slowing explained throughout the series at a steady pace. Following the initial excitement of the series, it does loose a bit of its essence, from the beginning, but it still remains interesting to watch. It is just before the halfway point that the story becomes inconsistent and confusing, as it just adds in a completely different plotline about some war that just happens to be going on, which is when you begin to wonder "What is going on?". At least the series manages to redeem itself by the end and the main characters, with their different quirks and personalities, are what helped. Yet some may not like the few depressing episodes before Wolf's Rain reaches it's climatic finale (OVA ending).

The animation and music are of the sort of quality that you'll expect from BONES. With a good choice of dark tones, for the color palette gives this series a very sombre mood. The music is a good variety of Jazz tunes and Piano melodies that also go with the mood of this anime.

Overall this turned out to be an enjoyable anime to watch (except for the chunk of re-cap episodes), which is about something out of the ordinary but still remain level-headed. The best thing about this series is really the characters and how you can form some kind of attachment to some of them as the story goes on. However there are also characters like the Nobles, which are just there to further complicate the story. I recommend this anime to anyone, as there is no specified preference, because it is a series you will grow to enjoy or end up bored.

^_^ read more

It's kinda hard to write a review about this anime, since there isn't much for me to criticize on. The story is extraordinary good, the characters are well designed with loads of character development going on, the art is of a superb standard and well, it has everything going for it...

This is the anime that made me an instant Bones fan, they made something unique here. The amount of depth they put into the story is incredible, the main characters are all very different and and all the backgrounds are pretty much explored, even those of most of the supporting characters. The plot progression is good, there are hardly any filler episodes and the pace just keeps you interested and captivated.

It's really hard for me to write this review... If you have read any of my previous reviews you would know that most of them are driven by what I don't like about a certain anime, and all I can really do with this one is pretty much the same as my review of SaiKano, which turns into a stream of praises.

Well, onto the scores then...

Story: 10
The story is outstanding, the amount of depth in the story is out of this world, the progression and pace are great and it really captures the imagination. The plot twists are sudden but well placed and the entire theme is pretty much unique.
This is the kind of quality I've hardly ever encountered in an anime before.

Art: 10
The artwork is simply stunning, the characters are well designed, the motions are fluid and natural and the action sequences are great. It really fits perfectly with the story and the sound and becomes one stunning experience.

Sound: 9
The sound is great. The voice-actors are well chosen and Yoko Kanno shows again why she's one of the best in the business. The opening theme is also really well chosen and fits perfectly with the whole anime.

Character: 10
Like I said, the character design and character development is amazing. The interactions between the characters are natural and throughout the story we get to see more and more about the characters and their backgrounds. The development hardly ever ends and every time the veil is lifted just a little more.
The characters feel like they belong in the story and there isn't a single character that seems out of place or useless to the story.
A perfect score for pulling that off!

Enjoyment: 9
The anime is highly enjoyable, it isn't a perfect score since at times it loses sight of the story and progression slows down a bit, a sudden lull in the pace. But I guess that's also good, if you stay at a constant high all the time you'll exhaust the audience.

Overall: 10
A superb anime. The story is clearly unique and the characters are great. This anime will really suck the viewer in and won't let go even after it's finished. It has great action, drama and a well rounded deep story.
There is hardly anything left that I can comment on, truelly one of my favourite anime!

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Thank you in advance. read more

When I first heard the name Wolf's Rain, I was like, hm, I wonder if it has wolves and when I found it that not only did it have wolves, but the main characters ARE WOLVES, I was so overjoyed, so I had to start watching it.

First thing, I hate to say it and be superficial, but I will - I love Kiba. When I first saw him, he moved my soul and my heart, he was so beautiful in both human form and wolf form, I loved him. I watched in English the first time and I even loved his voice, since Johnny is amazing.

As I continued to watch it, I got more and more attached and I really liked the characters and their different storylines and then the overall storyline is absolutely amazing - it's extremely original and engrossing and I adored watching it and looked forward to the next episodes that aired each week very much.

I went through all the emotions with this anime ranging from sadness to crying to happiness, anger and fear. I totally suggest this anime to anyone that likes wolves, serious dramas, awesome fighting, blood and an awesomely intense and original storyline, beautiful BEAUTIFUL art and good music! read more

To be honest I got addicted to this anime from a trailer I saw. And I am proud to admit I don't regret buying the boxset.

Wolf's Rain is based in a post-apocalyptic earth where the planet has begun to die and decay. Humanity clings to existence in it's cities. out of the cities lies a barren wasteland devoid of most living things. It is said in the legendary "book of the moon" that when the earth is about to die completely wolves (which are thought to be extinct) will lead everyone to paradise. (paradise being similar to the garden of Eden. (well that's what I thought)
In reality wolves still exist and thrive however have made themselves appear human. The story follow four lone wolves who eventually form their own small pack as they gain each others trust and respect.

Kiba: The main character and the supposed pack leader. He is driven relentlessly to find paradise. He has the largest sense of pride in the group
Tsume: The tough guy of the pack. He is stubborn, cold and introverted.
Hige: The odd one of the group. He loves food and women. He also seems to have the strongest sense of smell.
Toboe: The pup of the group. He is somewhat shy and passive most of the time. He also gets along with humans the best in the pack.

Throughout the series they come across many hardships which test their limits. Whilst this is going on a war between people known as the nobles rages through the countryside. One of the nobles, Lord Darcia the 3rd is the main protagonist of the story. He seeks paradise also in order to fulfill his own dreams and desires. However in order to open paradise both the wolves and Darcia need to find the Flower Maiden Cheza, an entity whom was made from lunar flowers. She is basically the key to paradise.

there are a multitude of sub plots and a few flashback episodes thrown in the midst of the series, but in all a worthy series to any anime collection. amongst anime I have seen this one is extremely unique as the plot is rather original and the characters you do come to like or love. The soundtrack suits the tone of the series perfectly. The artwork is fantastic. The action is past paced and also gruesome and the voice acting in both languages is excellent. 10/10 read more

On the technical side of things, Wolf’s Rain’s animation is gorgeous. You can almost always count on Studio Bones to put out good work, but Wolf’s Rain has a particularly proficient pedigree. Fantastical backgrounds are detailed, varied and engrossing, character designs are distinct and very attractive, and the fights and chases are breathtaking.

The music was composed by Yoko Kanno, which means I might not have to say anymore, but I will. All her work is magnificent, but this may be some of her best. Insert songs and orchestration are beautiful as standalone but absolutely MAKE the emotional moments too. It’s a wonderful soundtrack to listen to without the anime, but it never overwhelms the story either, matching the action onscreen beat for beat.

In terms of voice acting, the Japanese is a solid listen, but also, Wolf’s Rain has one of the best dubs ever made. There’s not one askew line in the whole package, and what’s more, while I usually use this time to mention the standout players of the cast, I can’t even do that for Wolf’s Rain. Every single voice actor goes beyond the call of duty in their roles, all of them. Even some of the extras leave a strong impression in their five-minutes in the spotlight. This dub is perfect.

So the production values are top dog, but the real important things are story and characters, right? Well, that’s where your mileage may vary. Some people will shout, “This is brilliant!” only to be echoed by others saying “Uh…what is?”

Wolf’s Rain takes place in a complex fantasy world with a rich history, but doesn’t feel like sharing any of that history with the class directly. This is good because that leads to greater focus on the characters, and almost NO exposition spouting. Speaking of the characters, they all start out as flat archetypes and slowly flesh out into very complex personalities, which is kinda different. Still, this approach of showing very little and telling far less really forces you to think and catch fine details in order to understand why wolves are considered divine, what makes the nobles different from normal human beings, and most importantly, just what happened 200 years ago to make the world what it is in the story. It is possible to figure it all out, but it’s NOT easy.

This is because, and this is a little known fact about the show, Wolf’s Rain is an allegory, whereby most everything is actually symbolic of something else. Pilgrim’s Progress was a religious allegory, The Little Prince was a sociological allegory, and Wolf’s Rain is both, but not as obvious as either of them. The show cross-references several religions and mythologies to portray a unified theme. The wolves face trials of doubt, despair, mistrust, confusion and even a false paradise that offers bliss in exchange for identity, and this is in addition to the villains that hound them. The humans in the story struggle with issues of self-worth, denial, choosing comfort over facing the truth, etc., all leading up to a whizbang climax featuring one noble’s idea of the “perfect city for humans.” Think Brave New World or 1984.

The thing I like about this approach is that it’s subliminal. It’s not like Evangelion or Lain where you know there’s this big philosophy being waggled at you, you may not recognize any of the references in Wolf’s Rain, but its powerful message gets through just fine without mentioning a hedgehog’s dilemma or a god in the Wired. Simply put, Wolf’s Rain is powerful and it will make you think, but you’ll get even more out of it if you’ve say, read Revelation or know anything about Shinto animal symbolism, but the writers don’t expect you to. I learned a lot more about the show after I did some research, but I only researched because it was already fascinating.

If there’s a problem with Wolf’s Rain, it’s the infamous recaps. There are four completely useless recap episodes right in the middle of the show together, and I still don’t know why they are there. Still, this isn’t much of a detriment as all four of them can be skipped without missing any new info. And if you’re buying the DVDs, they’re all on one disc by themselves! Unless you’re a masochist, don’t buy the disc.

In the end, though, even if you want to turn your brain off and be a little confused while you watch, the outward beauty and emotional resonance of the series cannot be denied, even in its fairly controversial conclusion. I’ve watched it through several times now and every single time I discover something new and profound. It’s pure magic, it will make you cry, but I hope in the end you’ll be howling-happy.

All in all, I almost pulled this series down a level because of its slightly alienating religious themes and focus on animals instead of humans, but then I thought, how can I punish a show for being both incredibly deep and refreshingly different? It may not be perfect, and I can’t promise you’ll like it, but it is a quality work of art amongst anime and a whole new breed of fantasy.

*THIS IS A PARTIAL TRANSCRIPT OF MY VIDEO REVIEW WHICH CAN BE FOUND HERE:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ULVBUd-OHs0

Thanks for reading! read more

Story: 9/10
Long ago, it had been predicted that the end of the world will come, and wolves will be the only ones to unlock it. Wolves have stayed alive by tricking the eyes of the humans who inhabit the earth, appearing as humans themselves. The story follows a divorced couple, a hunter and his dog, and the young wolf Kiba who seeks paradise.

The story was very intriguing, there were a lot of questions laid away and it got me thinking a lot of the time. It was very poetic, down to every last scene, it felt like it was trying to say something, but purposely left it alone for the mind to figure out. I’m surprised they put so many different meanings into one story; it was a buffet for the mind. Its ending is very controversial, with good reason. Some people get it and love it; some people don’t and dislike it. I personally, was not necessarily satisfied towards the end, but it did capture my attention.

Animation: 10/10
This is one of BONES best works of art, every frame is done to perfection, just gorgeous.

Music: 9/10
The music is great, it has a wide verity of different sounds, but everything is wonderful to listen to. Wolf’s Rain has an awesome soundtrack, they double in quality when put to the scenes they’re written for.

Voice Acting: (Dub) 9/10
Excellent Dub work, I was VERY impressed. Johnny Yong Bosch did wonderfully as Kiba; every single line was delivered just right for his character. Joshua Seth Mona Marshall and Crispin Freeman were perfectly cast. In fact, everyone did just plane awesome in this Anime.

Characters: 8/10
Some characters are more out of the box then others; if you don’t like one character another will probably end up being your favorite. Either way all of them had a unique story to tell and were very original.

Over-All: 9/10 (Very Good)
Everyone should watch this at least once, it’s the word, “Unique,” I’ve never seen another Anime like it. However, it really varies on the person watching it.

Link to Full Review: http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/SpeedyAlchemistReviews/742150/ read more