All those dumb jokes aside guys- Wolf Children is an anime movie that is one quarter a wonderful love story and three quarters a touching tale about family. Now, the love story aspect was handled excellently and something I didn’t think that was going to be relevant in the movie. I thought it was all about the wolf babies- but no, the love story too contributes in making the movie way more memorable than it needed it to be.
This was mainly because of the emotional impact it had on me and countless others out there. My only issue with the love story part would be is that I wish that Hana’s and Wolfman’s relationship would have been fleshed out more. I felt that he revealed his identity to her way too early. I mean, if we saw them share more moments with one another- then it would have made more sense why he was willing to share such a deep and dark secret with her. But, other than that tiny issue - Wolfman and Hana is a great couple and the moments that they did share together were adorable.
This anime if it teaches you anything, is that mothers are the real superheroes in our lives. Sorry, Saitama- but you’re epic too. Seeing Hana struggling to raise her children was something eye opening. She had no one to depend on- and it’s inspirational how she could accomplish such a feat to take care of her children with such determination and hard work.
Majority of people might have dumped Ame and Yuki on the streets if they were in Hana’s shoes. Heck, I wouldn’t even know where to even start taking on such huge responsibilities. The fact that these children are half wolves- just makes things harder for Hana. She has to constantly hide her children from society- and she can’t even take them to the hospital if they get sick or injured.
But, yet not a single complaint came out of her mouth when raising her kids- especially Yuki who was quite the annoying brat at first. It breaks my heart seeing her go through all these troubles- and it’s like you want to help her but you can’t. All you can do is sit back with a box of tissues and root from her behind the computer scene.Hana’s trials and tribulations as a mother is hands down the best thing about Wolf Children.
So, yeah Kayo’s Mom I suggest you take some pointers from Hana on how be a good mother. Or better yet, head over to Saitama to get punched in the face!
Her children too as the anime progresses gets properly developed and they both start out with having clashing personalities. Yuki starts off by being very loud, annoying, stubborn but yet pretty cute. Ame on the other hand is a spitting image of his father and starts off being an adorable boy who is always scared and weak. The anime not only gave Hana importance- but they all took their time to focus on her children too.
Hana, yes she has her fair share of troubles- but the children too have to deal with being werewolves. They have a choice of either being a wolf or a human and this was another important theme of this movie. It was handled extremely well- and was incredibly prevalent with Yuki specifically, who starts shedding her weird personality and becomes more mature with time. Ame too, becomes stronger and less dependent on others- but, seeing Yuki deal with the situation was something I liked and appreciated a lot for being included in this film.
The animation was done by Madhouse and goddammit at this point I feel like I might have reviewed every anime by this studio. The animation is beautiful in this one- with being more consistent than The Girl Who Leapt through Time. The background scenes you notice when Hana is farming- were just really detailed and nice to look at. Again, the faces from a distance do tend to disappear- but not that big of a glaring problem. The scenes including all the snow was dare I say it magical- and again something that made me both happy and sad inside as they made such emotional moments look outstanding.
I have watched this anime in both dub and sub and honestly I like them both. I don’t think I personally prefer one over the other and they are just equal for me. I would honestly say they both are worth the listen.
In a nutshell, Wolf Children is one of those stories which may sound weird at first – but end up being something truly marvelous. I don’t have hardly any issues with this anime- but I would say this that I wish we got to see more of the relationship between Hana and Wolfman. I thought I would be completely depressed when finishing this anime- but I wasn’t. I was actually really happy seeing a caring mother give it her all in facing such a difficult challenge- while also seeing her bond with her children.
This movie made me want to be a better person and I now I could only hope of being half the saint Hana is. This movie does have a slew of depressing moments- and I was on the verge of tears by the end of the first half of this movie.
Thank you so much, Mamoru Hosoda for giving us this masterpiece of an anime movie!
