STORY 9/10
There's nothing like a post-apocalyptic world to set the scene for a heart-wrenching story of courage and loss, but beyond this veil of seemingly familiar territory lies an curios tale of wolves and an eternal search for paradise. Wolf's Rain if first and foremost a beautiful story about wolves, not humans, and this is what immediately sets this anime apart from others. Four wolves travel together in an instinctual attempt to find 'Paradise', all with their own reasons led by the mysterious scent of a lunar flower.
There is much depth and emotion within the story of Wolf's Rain and although seemingly dark themed there are plentiful warm moments that will make you smile. Action is squeezed into nearly every episode; after all they are wolves, they want to fight. But never does this overdose and turn into a blood bath, nor does it leave you staring at grass for an episode, there is a healthy balance of conflict and peace. There is a sense of mystery surrounding many characters, particularly the nobles, and this is another aspect which will keep you interested until the end.
The story is however very heavy. For some this may be more 'crying on the couch' than desired and it is certainly aimed at a more mature level, but for those who are willing to invest themselves in the feel and wonder of the world of wolves, they will find it a refreshing and spiritual journey far above the usual monotonous anime.
ANIMATION 9/10
With the backdrop of a post-apocalyptic world riddled with death and decay it would seem a hard task to illuminate any beauty into this anime, yet at no time did this grim setting hinder the quality of the animation. The environments are striking, varying widely from dank bars to lush forests, but it is the natural settings that are really eye-capturing, starkly contrasted with the barren cities. Character designs also look great, in particular the wolves where the attention to detail really shows. There has been much research into how wolves look and act by the animation team, and this is clearly reflected in the series. Overall the animation is clean and fluid, beautiful and endearing. You won't be disappointed by the efforts put into bringing these wolves to life.
SOUND 10/10
Where 'Wolf's Rain' truly shines is in its soundtrack. Yoko Kanno once again works her magic with this anime, injecting emotion and ambiance into the backdrops. There is much diversity in the genres of music used, ranging from acoustic guitar solos to piano performances, which provide great depth to the emotional feel of this anime. The closing song in particular echoes the sombre feel of the show and is really a beautiful piece of music. There was practically nothing negative about the music and it is one of the main reasons 'Wolf's Rain' is such a stunning anime.
CHARACTERS 8.5/10
For the most part the characters were thoroughly interesting to watch. The contrast between the human and wolf interactions were of particular interest as something not usually seen in an anime. The four main wolves were also well constructed, each having a completely different personalities yet still fitting together. Cheza also proved to be another unexpectedly interesting character, also non-human leading to unfamiliar behaviors which were as intriguing as those of the wolves. If there was one thing negative to say about the characters it would be the cliche of certain aspects of them. The 'bad boy with a heart of gold' (Tsume) has been done many times before and although it didn't seem misplaced, there could have been some more originality with some characters. However in saying that overall the characters felt thoroughly genuine and were enjoyable to watch, love and feel connected to.
OVERALL 9.5/10
Never has any anime, movie, tv show or any other multimedia touched me so emotionally as Wolf's Rain has. The music, the animation and the wonderful characters all create such a sensational journey that I would easily recommend to anyone. This is not an anime you should just see, it's one you have to see to experience the depth and magnitude of its creativity. It is the perfect blend of melancholy and beauty and is the reason why many anime should be considered art.
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Coudn't put it better myself! Wolf's Rain is wonderfully philosophical and is one of those animes whose story you can apply to other works, shows, books and stories. I haven't been able to get WR out of my mind since I finished it yesterday and I almost wish I could erase my memory and watch it all over again! Aha! Thank you for the review.
dude soooo true but one one part that really got me on this anime is the ending how sad was it. i had never cryed so much befor than. but i believe they should make a season 2 of wolfs rain. it should be about what happens in paradise.