rylan88 - 2014-06-13 01:12:00

When I first heard of this movie, I thought it would be some boring romance movie, but boy was I wrong. The story is easy to follow, easy to fall in love with. The art style is of normal standards of Mamoru Hosoda, and it is easy to see why is one of Japan's best animators. The sounds are so life like, as if you'd go to similar locations, and hear the exact same things. The characters are so well established, and it misses nothing in the way of character development.

Overall, it was an amazing movie, not because I am a bit of a sucker for Slice of Life, but because of the ending. I have one thing to say to Ame; Why? Why you do dis?

Overall, I give it a 10/10.

~Espurr_gers (Your friendly neighborhood psychopath)

edenesik - 2014-01-05 10:52:46

I cannot sum up in words exactly how great and meaningful this movie really his, however I think I came close with my video review of Wolf Children. Check it out!

feeney.robert - 2013-12-26 01:07:17

Wolf Children was fantastic. It was truly a family kind of anime movie, that I enjoyed emensely.

koepp.america - 2013-11-23 02:04:42

Today I take a look at Mamoru Hosoda's latest film: "The Wolf Children Ame and Yuki". I am a fan of Hosoda's work - that goes without saying - but none of his previous works have emotionally hooked me. Wolf Children changed that.

metz.treva - 2013-09-24 21:01:12

What do you want? To live as humans or as wolves? — Hana

Hello my name is Emerson and today I'm gonna talk about the anime movie: Wolf Children directed by Mamoru Hosoda.

(some music to listen to while reading this review)

The story is about a nineteen year old girl named Hana. She meets a guy who sneaks into classes and falls in love with him almost immediately. Soon after, they start dating but after a while the guy shows her his secret. Hana is surprised by this, but she still loves him regardless if he is a half a wolf or not. They start living together and after a while Hana gets pregnant and gives birth to a baby girl named Yuki (the narrator). A year after she gives birth to another child Ame. But almost immediately after giving birth to her second child the father is gone missing. His animal instincts kicked in, and he died because of it. Hana is devastated by the lost of her beloved, but she has a strong enough resolve to keep raising the children. Not wanting others to find out that her children are half wolf she decides to move to a remote village.

Although the title says wolf children, the story isn't actually about the children but it's about the mother and her struggle trying to raise two children even though she isn't sure how. This is illustrated quite well in the part where Yuki is sick but she isn't sure if she should take her to the hospital or the veterinarian. The beginning of the movie makes you think it's gonna be a love story, since it's about the love between Hana and Ookami. This part of the story is actually quite rushed taking about 20 minutes or so, but may seem quite slow for some people. The real story starts after Ookami dies and she has to raise the children herself. She regrets not asking Ookami how he grew up since she isn't really sure how to raise them herself. Despite the fact that she isn't sure how to raise them she works hard at raising them never complaining. Hana is actually a pretty admirable character, never giving up and trying her hardest at everything no matter what happens. Although the story has a supernatural element to it it feels pretty realistic despite the fact that it has half wolf people. The story is actually quite simple, but it's presented in a way that makes it seem pretty deep. The only problem I had with the story was that there wasn't a real ending it just kind of ended... Overall the story is about raising children and the good times and hardships that come with it.

the animation was done quite well and was very consistent.

The only problem I had with the animation was in the second half where it was very obvious they used CGI but it did accommodate as emotional highlights in the story. The character designs are in the same style as Mamoru's previous movies only upgraded a bit.

The music was fantastic in this movie it gave off a lullaby kind of vibe, ''but it also accommodates trumpeting fanfares, fretful strings and delicately ominous shifts to minor keys'' (ANN). The music in the beginning of the movie is actually what pushed the story forward since there was very little dialogue in it.

(this is the playlist for OST of wolf children if you want to listen to it)

The characters in this movie weren't anything special, but they served their purpose in the story very well. Hana the mother of the wolf children is like I said before a woman with a very strong will and sense of purpose. She will always smile and push forward no matter how bad things get (excluding extreme events). I was given this name in the hope that I'd grow up to be someone whose smile never went out
— Hana

Then we have the 2 wolf children Yuki en Ame, they are the complete opposite of each other in every way. In the beginning Yuki isn't really a feminine type, she collects bugs and death animals, is very energetic en is almost always acting on her wolfish instinct. In the second half of the movie (when she goes to school) she doesn't really fit in, because she does all sorts of things guys usually do. After she figures that out she decides to be more feminine and chooses for the human sort of life instead and denies her wolf part.

That smile of hers makes me... extremely happy. — Yuki

Ame the youngest of the two is the exact opposite of Yuki. He's easily scared cry's a lot and is pretty weak. Later into the story he starts skipping school and goes into the forest to learn more about the lands and become the dark knight of the village hidden in the leaves... Just kidding of course, Ame goes into the forest to learn more about the lands so he can protect the lands he loves so much (I think that's the reason but don't quote me on that)

Why is the wolf always the bad guy? — Ame

This is probably one of my favorite anime movies of all time.

The first time I watched this movie I was also completely surprised because it seemed like slice of life story which I normally don't really care for, but this movie executed it so well that I really cared for the characters and was emotionally invested in them. The second time I watched this movie, I watched it with my mom to give her an idea of what anime is (and to make this review). But guess what, she really enjoyed this movie and I think she finally understands why I enjoy watching anime so much.

I think this movie is definitely a must watch because of how well the struggle of a mom raising her children is portrayed and the way you can connect with these characters. It just shows you how much a mother cares for her children and what she's willing to go through. It doesn't matter what people think or how dangerous it is she's willing to do everything for the sake of her family, because she loves them.

And that’s it for this review guys hope you enjoyed it and if you haven’t watch wolf children yet go watch it you won’t be disappointed.

Take care... and live strong! — Hana

(any pointers on how to make any further reviews better are welcome. Also if you liked my review or this made you want to watch the anime be sure to let met know)

stamm.iva - 2013-08-21 02:44:53

Im glad we are promoting kids droping out of school in the 3rd grade!

Seriously i went in there expecting me to come out a train wreck but i came out of it like WTF was this. This is just a normal coming of age story but with wolf children and a single mom raising them.

Btw the sex scene between Hana and the kids father was seriously weird.

tabitha.quigley - 2013-08-10 20:26:12

This is my first time writing an anime review- it's for a movie, no less!- but this one I will definitely remember. A beautifully told story about how mother and children are each affected by the mystical, this movie manages to be the paragon of falling in love, and growing up. Each character is well crafted and believable, the character development phenomenal, and the "show, not tell" storytelling few and far between in anime; this movie is definitely worth your time, especially if you want to experience a shockingly accurate portrayal of life magnified through the lenses of the "magical transformation" theme.

I'm sure that everyone will be able to connect in some way with the two children protagonists, Ame and Yuki, because each exemplifies our fear of the unknown and our desires to explore the world, respectively. As we watch and understand the rationales behind Ame and Yuki's transformation into "adult wolves", we hopefully can begin to understand our own selves and our own motivations for growing up and leaving home. Wolf Children manages to exquisitely balance love for others, passion for ways of life, and most of all, trust in family (along with great voice acting, artistry, and music).

This movie is a rare gem, both in terms of animation and storytelling quality and in terms of the subject that the movie decides to portray--its very uncommon to see an anime that focuses so intently on our mothers and what they do for us, and this anime certainly highlights Hana's incredibly difficult plight in raising her children in a most beautiful way.

hettinger.nakia - 2013-07-08 13:47:05

Ask any parent what one of the hardest jobs of their life was. They’ll probably tell you that it was raising their child. Now, ask Hana what the hardest job of her life was. She’ll tell you it was raising her wolf children. Yes, you read that right. In this 2012 movie, Madhouse Studio shows you the struggle of a parent raising her children with one big twist in order to keep things even more interesting in her life.The story follows Hana, a 19 year old college student who notices a man in her class one day. She says that this man was different from the rest of her classmates and she takes a very large interest in him. From the point on when she notices him, she enjoys spending her time after work and classes just to be with him. This man has a secret which he only spills to Hana: he is part wolf. The Ookami expect Hana to be scared of him, but she isn’t. With this, she decides to spend much more of her life with him. Their relationship develops to the point where they have two kids with each other, named Ame and Yuki. Unfortunately, Ookami disappears after Ame is born, leaving Hana with the task of raising these kids, living in a new environment, and keeping the secret away from everyone about the kids being part wolves.This story flows well throughout the movie, keeping it right on to the plot given to us. Of course, the story does branch off into us following Ame and Yuki in school, and other very small things like that. In the end, they all piece together perfectly. The dramatic moments done in the show are placed at perfect times and aren’t overused. Wolf Children just has that ideal story that other shows should be following: Stating the plot, moving with the plot, having a twist and/or dramatic event occur, and ending perfectly. I do have one very small quirk with the ending, since I feel that Yuki doesn’t get a proper end, but it should be implied that what happened with Hana and Ookami would happen with Yuki.The characters act as realistically as you would see normal human beings act, which is a pretty big surprise in the Slice of Life genre nowadays. Adults act like adults, children act like children, teenagers act like teenagers, you get the point. Each main character shows great development throughout the story. Shit, it’s really hard to not admire a character like Hana at the end of the movie. The children also show very well written development in the end as well, both showing different paths lead in their life that is logically placed with their character.Wolf Children also contains beautiful art, with the scenery looking as beautiful as a mountain home should look like. Characters are also well-drawn as well, though there are some small issues with some characters faces at the start of the movie not being drawn, but it shouldn’t be left as that big of an issue. For the most part, the animation is also very well done, being a Madhouse production and all. Sadly, the animation does also show problems in the movie, with one example being Ame and Yuki running through the woods on a snowy day, but with the movements of the characters not really matching the pace of the moving background. There are also instances where passing civilians move at 60 FPS, while Hana and other stay at the usual 30.One of my favorite things about this movie is how well the seiyuu’s did at their jobs. I also give a big clap to the director for actually choosing kids to voice Ame and Yuki while they were children. This isn’t something done too often, so a big plus to Wolf Children for this decision. The OST is a made wonderfully, with music throughout the movie fitting in very well. The ED also provides great closure and will be sure to get those tears flowing if the last 25 minutes didn’t.In the end, Wolf Children: Ame to Yuki really shines as a movie and deserves to be called one of the best anime to be released. With a heartwarming story about a mother raising her children, filled with dramatic moments, memorable characters, beautiful scenery, great music, it’s hard to not give something like Wolf Children a try. If you’re like me and Slice of Life isn’t really your thing, give this a try anyway. This is a movie that will really make you think about the genre once again and some of the great works that can come out of it.

lolita.dach - 2013-07-03 04:39:44

My feels were not ready for the amount of feel I felt watching this.

Be prepared, every scene is a moving emotion, brought to life through the music, art, and story telling. This it not a happy, feel good film, but rather a story of a more drastic kind of life and/or situation one might face, and how staying positive can make a world of difference.

mae.rutherford - 2013-05-22 09:19:55

The story starts with a rather plain looking college girl and her romantic adventures with this dashingly attractive young man. It turns out that he’s a wolf-man, but the lady doesn’t care because golly, he really is quite a catch. Besides, wolves are cool, so it could be worse. He could be an uncool animal like a sea-cucumber man. They have kids together but raising them in the big city is a bit of a pain, especially since they keep turning into wolves when they get annoyed. So they move to the countryside and start a new life there. It is one half about the trials and wonders of raising children and providing them with the environment in which they can thrive, and one half about gosh darn isn’t the countryside and nature wonderful. Its closest comparison would be Totoro, what with the family with two kids moving to the countryside away from the smelly city.The mother in Wolf Children is really quite an extraordinary character in how determined and admirable her attitude towards life is. The trials she goes through in order to raise her children the best she can is the main focus of the movie. The kids do lead a fairly happy-go-lucky life under her, ditching off school to wander around the forest, but it comes under the main theme of providing an environment in which your children can pursue any goal they wish. It all has a very strong focus on family values, and it comes across as all being rather hopeful and inspiring. In fact, maybe a bit too much…Here is where I reveal that I am a horrible human being, because I found the aggressively maudlin tone overbearing. Particularly the opening 15-20 minutes of the movie with the relationship between the mother and the wolf dude. It laid on the sap way too thick. It reminds of those movies that are made entirely to win Oscars, with their overly sentimental tone. The way these movies try to draw emotion become almost robotic in their predictable nature. Wolf Children doesn’t have a single twist that isn’t even remotely surprising. That obviously doesn’t preclude it from being good, but it is a nice way of demonstrating how much it plays to this same factory-churned heart-tugging attempts.There are parts to this movie I do genuinely like. The interaction between the two kids when they’re still young is charming as hell, particularly in how they formed opposite personalities in the way siblings do. The older child runs around and lot and is very charismatic, while the younger brother is quiet and withdrawn. It’s rather like myself and my younger sister, where videos of us would be her sitting around reading books patiently while I run around in the background screaming about Sonic the Hedgehog. Wolf Children perfectly captured that boundless energy and curiosity that children have.But the other parts that I might otherwise have liked are fed through this maudlin machine and flip around to be too sentimental. The struggle the mother has to go through to get a garden working is really overdone, or more specifically the part where it says how wonderful the people of the countryside are. Not a message I’m opposed to by any means, but it comes off as way too overblown emotionally. The final part in the movie with what the younger brother eventually decides suffers from the same problem. I won’t spoil, but this is a really huge part of the movie that marks a massive emotional decision on his part and his mother’s, which they still somehow manage to overstate. I would like the movie to let me experience these emotions myself, not to have it smashing me over the head with a saucepan yelling “ISN’T THIS TRAGIC? LOOK AT HOW EMOTIONAL THIS IS! CRY DAMNIT!”I wouldn’t say it’s a bad movie. There was never a stage when I wanted to leave the cinema and visit a trendy coffee shop instead. But the way the movie smashed repeatedly about how emotional everything was paradoxically left me feeling even more indifferent towards the film.