Wolf Children

Wolf+Children

Cassi Misciagna, Feature Editor

Rating: PG

Score: 8 out of 10

 

Wolf Children is a two-hour-long anime movie released in the United States in 2013 by Funimation Entertainment, created by Mamoru Hosoda, who is best known for directing Digimon: The Movie in 2000 and The Girl Who Leapt Through Time in 2006. Upon Wolf Children’s worldwide theater release, it garnered around $55 million dollars and today has been released in both subtitles and English dubbing for both DVD and Blu-ray players.

 

The story follows the lives of a small family living in Japan that consists of a human mother, Hana, and her two half-wolf children Yuki and Ame, as they try to find their place in the world following the death of their half-wolf father during their infancy. As one could imagine, raising werewolf children is not always the easiest of tasks for Hana, especially since she herself knows nothing about the wolf people’s culture or lifestyle. In addition, as she must conceal her kids’ abilities from the world so they can survive without judgment or hazard, she also has difficulty coming to accept each for who they are and what they want to be either human or a wolf.

 

The issue of being half-animal is in no way realistic, but struggles such as finding your place in the world, self-acceptance, and feeling different are realistic battles the main cast and many of people worldwide must face. Through these more relatable conflicts, the entire film is inspiring to those viewing it while the more apparat issue of the living as a wolf solely entertains and enchants spectators through the odd and enchanting imagery. The main cast may not always be relatable, but by the conclusion of the film, each character becomes the viewer’s friend with conflicts that each party wants to insure is overcome by the final segments.

 

Though some characteristics, each character is what many would expect of anyone placed in such a situation and fit perfectly into the animated world. Hana is the caring mom who only wants to see her children make the right choices in life, like many of our own mothers in this world, while the children both love and care each other, yet fight with one another about the most ridiculous issues (much like a typical sibling relationship). However, many of the background characters don’t have much screen time, leaving them to be used either to further the plot or as comic relief within the story without much of their own development.  

 

Unlike modern mainstream animes such as Clannad or Death Parade, the graphics in this film feature less glossy and bold colors, while instead opting to utilize soft pastel and muted colors to create a hand-drawn look which only assist in enhancing the story’s overall feel. Through bold scenes, such as running through the winter on a cold snowy morning, and images of exploring the entire forest, the movie leaves a lasting sense of wonder in the viewer. Blending animal features into humans and vice versa with wolves might initially be odd to those unfamiliar with anime, but to fans of the genre they are scenes they have come to love as they are executed to perfection by the artists in a touching and thoughtful way.

 

Sound quality is smooth, consistent, and audible throughout the entire duration of the film, and is never detracting from the viewer’s enjoyment. The absence of loud, or even annoying, noises such as the crying or complaining of small children for extended periods of time, also helps to ensure that nobody will be reaching for the volume remote. Even in scenes with sounds such with rain, thunder, or fighting, the sounds remain balanced with the dialogue.  

 

The movie is certainly worth the cost ($20 for the Blu-ray or $15 for just the standard DVD). For any lover of animation, fantasy, or the growing up genre, the film is more than entertaining because, despite lasting two hours, the movie flies by and leaves the viewer wanting to see more of the characters’ incredible world. Plus, by using the nontraditional werewolves of western media, the movie becomes timeless and original, making the viewer want to rewatch the movie over repeatedly!