Now I'm very fond of all different kinds of movies, whether they be live-action or animated. It doesn't even matter what kind of genre it is as long as it entertains me in some kind of fashion or form. But today, I'm here to talk about a movie that doesn't have any violence, or much cursing. In fact, it's a movie directed more towards kids than it is towards adults. The name of that movie is Wolf Children.
Promotional picture used for the movie. Also the BD/DVD Cover Image
Wolf Children is about a young woman named Hana who is still in college. At 19, she lives alone and works to pay for her tuition. One day during class, she notices a man that always sits in the class, but yet is not even enrolled in the college itself. Hana becomes curious and follows the man. She soon finds out that he is just sitting in to learn, to be something in this world. The two soon grow close to each other and live together. One night while Hana is coming home from work, the man tells her that he has a secret. He reveals to her that he is a wolf-man, and he is the last of his species in Japan. Hana is shocked, but her feelings for him do not change. Soon after, she gets pregnant and has their first child, a girl named Yuki. A year later, she gets pregnant again, and has another child named Ame.
The story goes on as a love story, but turns really sad, and ultimately made me cry at this point. One day during a rainstorm, Hana's boyfriend goes out for food so he can feed her and the kids. When he is gone for way too long, she takes the kids and rushes out to go find him. While searching, she comes across some sanitation people pulling something out of the city's canal. It is in fact him, dead in his wolf form. Hana breaks down right there and then, and has a hard time going on. In the end, she appreciates all he has done for her, and continues to raise her kids and make sure they live their lives to the fullest, just as she had done with him.
Hands down, this is one of the best movies I have ever seen in a long time. The animation is nice, the characters are well thought out, and the story always keeps on pace, despite it being shorter than I thought it would be. There's really not that much to complain about this movie. Yes, people may complain that all the work Hana does in the movie is not what a single mom could ever do, and raise two kids at the same time. She never has any break downs, and she is always upbeat and happy, even when her daughter drives her nuts. It may seem unrealistic, but sometimes things out of the ordinary can be a good thing in movies.
Hana's two kids, Yuki and Ame
Now let me talk about the kids. At first, Yuki is the wild one. She is the upbeat, outgoing wolf that drives her mom nuts. She is a trouble maker, but at the same time, knows what's right from wrong. As the story progresses, this changes. I won't spoil anything, but you'll have to see to know what I'm talking about. Now for Ame. Ame is very shy. He doesn't like much people, and he's scared. He always wants to be around Hana because he feels safe in her arms. Just like Yuki, Ame also changes, but it's a change that know one would ever expect, including me. You'll have to watch to see what I'm talking about.
In the end, it's a sweet, fun loving movie that anyone could enjoy, old or young. There's a part or two in the movie that are probably not for younger kids, but they're like 10 seconds long, so don't even waste your time trying to think that they change the movie, because I'll tell you now, they don't. Colleen Clinkenbeard, who is one of my favorite voice actors of all time, plays Hana, and does an outstanding job at it. You can't really tell that it's her at times, besides when she is calling out to the kids. David Matranga, who plays the Wolf Man, is another character that I didn't even know that was his voice. The only voice I recognized right off the bat was Micah Soulsod, who plays Ame. Besides that, the cast did a great job unintentionally disguising their voices. Again, I didn't even know that was Jad Saxton playing Yuki.
Hana and the Wolf Man
So enough of my ranting about voice actors, and let me say my final verdict on this movie. In the end, it gets a 9.5/10. My only complaint is that I wish that Hana was a little more assertive at times with the kids when they got really out of hand. She kind of brushed it aside in a way. Ultimately, go and watch this movie. You'll cry, you'll laugh, and in the end, you'll wish they made a sequel. Until next time guys, signing off.
Wolf Children is now available from FUNimation on Blu-Ray and DVD.
Published by- Daniel DiNatale
Tumblr- djddueces.tumblr.com
