Wolf Children/Ookami kodomo no Ame to Yuki (2012)

A1|10/10|****

**SPOILER ALERT!!!**

I have not watched many Japanese animated films; I’ve seen three Ghibli films (I loved “Grave of the Fireflies”), and that’s it. I just never had much incentive to seek out Japanese animation, which is odd for one who adores the medium. Despite this, I wanted to check out “Wolf Children.” I watch my animated films on Kiss Cartoon (unless I own a physical copy), so I headed over to its anime equivalent, and found a version with subtitles, since I always try and watch films in their native tongue. I could barely keep my eyes off the screen, for what I saw was a wonderfully simple film of what is something so complex and bizarre. Its design is so quaint, yet so artistic. Much like Brad Bird did with “Ratatouille,” Momaru Hosoda manages to take a very odd concept, and transform it into an involving, moving and ironically real experience.



“Wolf Children” tells the story of Hana, a nineteen year old college student, who falls quickly in love with a man, who harbours a personal secret. The unnamed man, who I will refer to as Wolf Man, has the ability to transform into a full wolf at will. He has found an accepting person in Hana, who loves him and his lupine ways, and the two move into a small flat, and have two children; Yuki, born on a snowy day, and Ame, born on a rainy day. Together, the quiet, loyal Wolf Man and peppy Hana raise their two children, but struggle to make ends meet; Wolf Man, who works as a moving man, harkens to the wolfish instinct of hunting for his mate and cubs. While doing so, he dies in an unfortunate accident, when in wolf form, in a heartbreaking scene where a devastated Hana falls to her knees as she sees her husband being thrown in the back of a garbage truck. Hana is forced to drop out of college and quit her job, as she makes use of the Wolf Man’s savings to help raise their two kids, who, like their father, can change into wolves at will.



We watch Hana struggle even more without her lover, as she is not only raising two young children, but wolf cubs, who chew on her belongings and cause chaos, especially the hyperactive Yuki. Hana is at a loss of how to care for them, as is shown in a darkly humorous scene where Yuki falls ill, and she is not sure whether to bring her to the vets or to a doctor. She studies parenting books and books on raising puppies and wolf behaviour, exhausting herself so she can raise her children to be happy and healthy. Obstacles are inevitable, for Hana cannot bring her children to hospitals for checkups and vaccinations due to their condition, and, in order to keep them hers and to avoid prying eyes, she moves to a large house in the country.



For such a strange set up, Hosoda managed to produce a moving feature full or charm and heart. It seems rather simple, and in a way it is, but complexities lurk under this wolf’s skin; here we have a story of a devoted mother and wife, who refuses to give up on her family, no matter how tiring the circumstances may be. We see Hana farm fields of potatoes, only to fail time after time, until help comes when she least expects it. She ends up making unlikely friends, despite the difficulties of keeping her children’s secret hidden, and trying to protect them from the world. As time goes on, we see Hana come to terms with the fact, that the wolf ages faster than the child, and even though they may be ten years old as children, they are fully grown wolves, who need to find their own paths. For Yuki and Ame, we see two children trapped between two worlds, who are unsure of whether to follow the call of the wild, act more human, or try and balance on the edge between man and beast. What we have is a multi faceted story, about motherhood, family and love. We have three people facing the trials of adolescence and childhood all at once, of dealing with disability and how others may perceive them. Here we have three individuals, who struggle with who they are and who they may become, with the only person who can understand dead and gone.



So many beautiful themes, all handled so delicately and with great care. Such likable characters, such a pleasant, homely tone. The animation is lovely, and reminded me so much of these story books I had as a child, which happened to be translated from Japanese into English. So in watching this film, I had a sense of nostalgia I was not expecting. There are no scenes of epic triumph, but moments of life and joy and glorious happiness, of crippling sadness. We see privilege, prejudice, acceptance and passion. With Hana, Yuki and Ame, we see life in a way we have never seen it before; through the eyes of both man and beast. There’s no magic, or ultimatums or deadlines. “Wolf Children” is complex in its simplicity, and simple in its complexity; it’s refreshing and engrossing to the last second.


*this is the cover of one of the books I had as a kid, except mine was in English*

All the pure loveliness and heart of this wonderful film shine in not only the relationships between the characters, but in two scenes; one that is before the climax, and another in the snow, with Tagaki Masakatsu’s score accenting the simple joy and pure emotion of what dances before us on screen



A must see.