THE STORY
The story of Wolf Children is quite simple really. It tells the story of Ame and Yuki, a brother and sister raised by they're mother, Hana. We, the viewer, are shows the first 15-ish years of they're lives, as well as several years before they are born. We get to experience the roller coaster of life for what it is. We get to feel the heartache and loss of love and death, as well as celebrate the great moments of joy and achievement from motherhood and childhood. We get all of that, with a small twist. Actually, a big twist. Ame and Yuki are sometimes human, yet sometimes wolf.
THE CHARACTERS
I'm going to skip art and come back to it later as I feel like in this scenario, the characters should be addressed before hand. Our cast is quite small, and out list of major characters is tiny. We have Hana, arguably the main character of the movie. She is a kind, motherly figure who parents and raises Ame and Yuki. She has the experience of a new mom, and this becomes a large part of the movie as she attempts to learn about parenting and raising kids, as well as raising wolves. She is one of my favorite female characters in anime, and is one of the best parts of this film. Yuki is her firstborn, a fiery dedicated girl who loves to chase animals and get dirty outside. Her brother, Ame, is quite opposite. He is a quiet, sensitive kid who loves to read and isn't one for change. The characteristics of Ame and Yuki change throughout the film as they get older, and that is another reason Wolf Children scores this high. Character Development. Ame, Yuki, Hana, and even some of the supporting characters change over the course of the film. Hats off to the writers for creating such a believable story as it feels realistic. None of the characters are static, not even Grandpa Nirasaki, a rude and somewhat sad old man who believes Hana is out of her league when she moves out to the country. All of these characters blend together well and really never really throw off the family mood of the story. Speaking of mood...
THE ART
There is not much to say about the art style of Wolf Children. It isn't the centerpiece of the film, but it is very pretty. The daytime scenes use light as a major medium of focus. The colors are dulled out and relaxed, unlike typical anime where the color seems to pop out of the screen. The nighttime scenes are gorgeous, however, as the light is artificial, tinting some of the colors florescent yellow and shading other colors with the absence of the sun. I was shocked when I found out that the majority of the film was hand drawn, as the quality and fluentness in the animation surpasses most CG animated films to date. Don't believe me? Go to YouTube, and look up Playtime in the Winter's First Snow. There will be an official clip by Funimation. The video contains no spoilers, just breathtaking, hand-drawn animation.
SOUNDTRACK AND VOICE ACTING
And this is where Wolf Children goes from being a fun, enjoyable film to just short of a masterpiece. The soundtrack of Wolf Children is nothing short of incredible, and truly ties my top spot for OSTs with Yoko Kanno's Cowboy Bebop. Takagi Masakatsu, an almost unheard of name in anime, composed and directed this beautiful work of music. A portion of the tracks sound very natural, made with odd instruments like boxes for drums, childish noises, and harmonicas. These tracks are fun and soothing and fit the film perfectly, giving it a country feel. An example of this is the song titled The Day I Got The Sun, a song that will make you want to have fun. Another side of the soundtrack is incredibly piano based, providing comforting sounds that I could honestly wind down and fall asleep to. The other two parts of the OST, however, are what make the experience so incredible. First we have this beautiful, orchestral feel that represents excitement and the peak of the season, with this type of track occurring in each major time in the character's lives. These anthems range from violin filled, bittersweet ballads, to piano and cello heavy, fast, upbeat, joyous numbers like Dance of Your Nature. The other exceptional part of this soundtrack is its lullabies. They truly represent what the majority of the film is about: motherhood. These tracks feature piano, and sometimes light violin, accompanying subtle, natural sounding, motherly singing. My hat goes off to Ann Sally, the performer of the credit track, Mother's Song. She absolutely nails this piece, a semi-lullaby, but really a study into the hopes of a mother for her children.
The voice acting of wolf children is also really incredible. Colleen Clinkenbeard flawlessly portrays Hana, which is an odd casting choice in my opinion, as Clinkenbeard usually plays strong women like Hawkeye from FMA, or Urza Scarlet from Fairy Tail. The voice acting for Ame and Yuki are both strong choices as well. Two different voice actors portray each character, one for the younger years, and one for the adolescent ages. Something that surprised me was how well the two actors lined up, as the older sounds like an older version of the younger, instead of two totally separate people. Sound-wise, overall, Wolf Children rises above most anime films to date.
THE ENDING (no spoilers)
Wolf Children has few flaws. The ending, sadly enough, is what makes this film just falling short of a masterpiece. The movie doesn't really end, which some may have a problem with, but that is not where my problem stands. There is only about 10 minutes of film left after the climax, which is a let down, because there was more that could have been said. There is not really a falling action, and the conclusion feels rushed and somewhat unrealistic compared to the pacing of the rest of the film. I'm not saying the ending spoils the film, because it certainly does not. It just is a bit of a letdown compared to the rest of the journey we get to experience.
FINAL REMARKS
This film is incredible. You should buy it as soon as you can, or at least watch it. Through a heartwarming story, it shows us beauty, filling the screen with relatable characters, a subtle, yet pretty art style, and a soundtrack that is truly top of the line. What excites me the most, however, is how young Hosoda is, opening a world of possibilities for other films to come.
So, with that, and until my next review, enjoy anime.
