Info
Director: Mamoru Hosoda
Producers:
- Yuichiro Saito
- Takuya Ito
- Takafumi Watanabe
Screenplay by:
- Satoko Okudera
- Mamoru Hosoda
Story by: Mamoru Hosoda
Starring:
- Aoi Miyazaki
- Takao Osawa
Music by: Masakatsu Takagi
Edit by: Shigeru Nishiyama
Production Companies:
- Studio Chizu
- Madhouse
Distributed by: Toho
Release date: July 21, 2012
Running time: 117 minutes
Country: Japan
Language: Japanese
IMDb rating: 8.1 / 10
My rating: 10 / 10
Movie Summary
Hana, a young college student in Tokyo, falls in love with an enigmatic man who turns out to be a werewolf. Their life together is peaceful and they later have two wolf children: a daughter, Yuki and a son, Ame.
The father is killed the day Ame was born in an accident while hunting food for the children. Hana’s journey as a single mother is difficult but she soon decides to move with her children to the countryside, away from prying neighbors and into a place where they can choose their own path in life…
Character Development
Hana, the young mother of the wolf children, is a strong and patient woman who’s motto in life is to always put a smile on when faced with difficulties. Open-minded and with a lack of prejudice she accepts the Wolf Man’s true identity without question. She puts her children’s needs before her own and strives to give them the flexibility to choose between their human and wolf sides.
Yuki, the eldest child, seems to have embraced her wolf side from early childhood. Bold, adventurous and with a curiosity that often leads her into trouble she grows up to a young woman who wants to fit in with her classmates and must choose between been ”normal and her wolf heritage.
Ame, the youngest child, is at first terrified with the people’s cruel behavior towards wolves and reluctant to accept his wolf side. A near death experience and the tutoring from a wise master will open his eyes to another world he knew nothing of, as well as make him stray way from the human world he so once cherished.
Themes
Maternity and the difficulty of raising children as a single parent are shown wonderfully through young Hana’s experience with nurturing Yuki and Ame.
Personal growth is another aspect which is shown with Hana carrying out her role as a young college student, a wife/mother and then a single parent and with Yuki and Ame trying to find their own meaning in life.
Young love, as portrayed with Hana and the Wolfman’s relationship, brings happiness and peace into one’s life but, sometimes, it doesn’t last forever.
Last but not least, trying to be ”normal” and fit into a social circle often means to lose a part of your identity, as shown through Yuki.
My Thoughts
Wolf Children is without doubt one of the best anime films I have ever had the pleasure of watching. With a combination of both fantasy and realistic elements it is a story of motherhood, love and choosing your own way in life that everyone should give a try.
