My newest obsession! Here's the scoop on it, most of the info from Wikipedia.
Wolf's Rain (??????? Urufuzu Rein?) is a Japanese anime series created by writer and story editor Keiko Nobumoto and produced by Bones Studio. The series was directed by Tensai Okamura and featured character designs by Toshihiro Kawamoto with a soundtrack produced and arranged by Yoko Kanno. It focuses on the journey of four lone wolves who cross paths while following the scent of the Lunar Flowers. They form a pack and decide to seek out the Flower Maiden in order to open the way to Paradise. Along the way, they must avoid a fanatical wolf hunter and the nobles who wish to use the Flower Maiden to create their own Paradise.
Wolf's Rain spans twenty-six television episodes and four original video animation (OVA) episodes, with each episode running approximately twenty-four minutes. The series was originally broadcast in Japan on Fuji TV and the anime CS television network, Animax. The complete thirty episode series is licensed for Region 1 release by Bandai Entertainment, in Region 2 (Europe) by Beez Entertainment and in Region 4 by Madman Entertainment. The series was adapted into a short two-volume manga series written by Keiko Nobumoto and illustrated by Toshitsugu Iida. The manga, which was released while the series was airing, is a retelling of the story rather than a straight adaptation. It was originally serialized in Magazine Z and has been released in North America by Viz Media.
The anime series was well received in Japan, being the third ranked anime series in its time slot while airing on Fuji TV. The Bandai Entertainment English language release sold well in North America. It helped Bandai gain the 2004 Anime Company of the Year award from industry news company ICv2 in the ICv2 Retailers Guide to Anime/Manga. The manga adaptation was selected as one of their top ten anime products of 2005 and sold well in North America. Reviewers of the series gave it high marks for characterization, visual presentation, and its soundtrack, while disparaging the existence of four recapitulation episodes in the middle of the series. The manga adaptation also sold well in North America and received good reviews, though reviewers felt its short length resulted in a rushed plot and neglected supporting characters.
PLOT:
According to an old legend, when the end of the world comes, Paradise will appear; however, only wolves will know how to find it. Although wolves are believed to have been hunted to extinction nearly two hundred years ago, they still exist, surviving by taking human form.[1] Freeze City is a northern human city in a world where the majority of people live in poverty and hardship.
SPOILERS AHEAD:
Kiba, an injured lone white wolf, goes to Freeze City following the scent of the Lunar Flower, which is the key to opening Paradise. There he encounters Tsume, Hige, and Toboe, three other wolves who were drawn to Freeze City by the scent of the Lunar Flower and are now living in the city. The wolves encounter Quent Yaiden, a former Sheriff of Kyrios, obsessed with hunting down wolves, and his dog Blue. Cheza, the Flower Maiden who is destined to lead the wolves to Paradise, is being studied at a laboratory under the care of Cher Degré. She is awakened by the smell of wolf's blood. As Kiba and Hige approach the lab to find her, she is stolen away by Lord Darcia the Third, whose people created Cheza.
Hidden text : click to show
With the Flower Maiden gone, the wolves have no reason to stay in the city. Despite some initial misgivings and suspicions, they decide to stay together and follow Kiba in his search for the Flower Maiden and Paradise. As they pursue Cheza, the wolves travel through various cities and the remnants of former habitations. Cher joins the city's army to try to recover Cheza, while Cher's ex-husband Hubb Lebowski searches desperately for Cher, and Quent continues his relentless pursuit of the wolves. When Blue eventually encounters Cheza, it awakens her wolf blood from dormancy and causes her to leave Quent and take on her own human illusion. She joins Kiba's pack and travels with them for a while, developing a relationship with Hige. After she becomes separated from the pack, she travels with Cher, while Hubb finds himself traveling with Quent, who is now searching for Blue as well as the wolves.
The wolves and the humans come together in Jaguara's city, where the captured Cheza is being held. In attempting to rescue the abducted Cheza, Kiba, Tsume, and Toboe are captured. Tsume and Toboe are thrown into a dungeon with Hubb while Jaguara attempts to use Kiba's blood to force Paradise to open. Blue and Cher also make their way into the Keep, as does Quent. Darcia interrupts the ceremony as Kiba and the other wolves break free and rush to free the Flower Maiden. Darcia battles Jagara along with Kiba, and finally slays her as the keep begins to collapse. The wolves and the humans barely escape with their lives, and Quent is gravely wounded saving Blue from an oncoming vehicle after escaping from Jaguara's city.
The wolves, now accompanied by Cheza, Cher, Hubb, and Quent, continue trying to make their way to Paradise, pursued by the now insane Darcia. A combination of environmental factors and Darcia's hostility cause most of the characters to die, leaving only Kiba, Cheza, and Darcia alive at the place where Paradise can be opened. Darcia is killed when he attempts to enter Paradise, and Cheza's body disintegrates into seeds. Fatally wounded, Kiba concludes that his quest has failed, but as he lays dying, rain begins to fall and Cheza's seeds grow into thousands of lunar flowers.
At the series' close, Toboe, Tsume, Hige, and Kiba are in a modern city. They appear to be human; Tsume is riding a motorbike and Toboe is holding a small kitten. Hige is eating a hotdog while walking down the street. Kiba, walking down a busy sidewalk, begins running towards a lunar flower lying in a puddle in an alley.
CHARACTERS:
Kiba: (?? lit. "Fang"?) is a white wolf dedicated to finding the Lunar Flower and opening the way to Paradise. Kiba primarily acts on his instincts, which sometimes lead him to act rashly. Full of wolf pride, Kiba initially expresses disgust at wolves who use human disguises, but eventually realizes that it is necessary to survive. Voiced by: Mamoru Miyano (Japanese), Johnny Yong Bosch (English)
Tsume: (?? lit. "Claw"?) is a gray wolf with a scar across his chest. Rough and self-reliant, Tsume is portrayed as a strong fighter who keeps his true feelings to himself. He joins the others out of boredom and does not initially believe in Paradise. Though he frequently quarrels with Kiba over their journey, he eventually comes to believe as strongly as Kiba. Voiced by: Kenta Miyake (Japanese), Crispin Freeman (English)
Hige: (?? lit. "Whisker"?) is a tan wolf with a carefree attitude, who seems quite comfortable living in human societies. After meeting Kiba, he goes along with the idea of searching for Paradise without much argument, though he doesn't show the same passion as Kiba. Hige wears a collar around his neck that he doesn't remember how he got it. He also has the strongest sense of smell in the group. Voiced by: Akio Suyama (Japanese), Joshua Seth (English)
Toboe: (???? T?boe?, lit. "Howling") is a brown wolf and the youngest of the group. He is considered the pup or the runt by the others in the early part of the series. He was raised by an old woman who found him as a very small pup outside the city, and still wears the bracelets she gave him. Due to his raising, Toboe is friendly and protective towards most humans. Toboe has the strongest sense of hearing in the pack. Voiced by: Hiroki Shimowada (Japanese), Mona Marshall (English)
Cheza: (????) is also called the "Flower Maiden." The wolves need Cheza to find and open the gateway to Paradise. She was created via alchemy from a Lunar Flower. Originally asleep and under study in a lab in Freeze City, Cheza is eventually able to join the wolves, whom she loves. She often refers to herself in the third person, usually adapting to the words 'This One'. The spilling of a wolf's blood makes Cheza scream, and she has the ability to heal and put wolves into a restful sleep through her song and touch. Voiced by: Arisa Ogasawara (Japanese), Sherry Lynn (English)
As you may know, Wolf's Rain was very successful in anime, manga and soundtrack sales. And yet, they decided to end the season so soon.
I'd like to know all your guys' opinions about this show, but please don't give just an "I like it" or "I don't like it". Elaborate on your decision and respect other members' opinions, and don't be like, "I hate it when they all die in the end"
(I'm not saying this happens, I'm just using it as an example) if the member hasn't gotten to that part yet, I put my information in a spoiler tag for a reason.
MY opinion is that this show is clearly incredible in many ways (aside from the Paganism referrence,
that I'm not a fan of) but other than that, the plot is developed and interesting, and they stayed true to the characters. I especially like how the wolves acted like wolves (protecting their turf, scrounging for food, etc.) in a human environment.
I, for one, think they should make a new season, or even a movie based on the series. It's a very original and interesting idea, and think it would do well.
What are your thoughts? (Remember, no flaming please)
And the animation still to this day leaves me in awe ^.^
