"Wolf's Rain" (2003) TV series

Creator:

Keiko Nobumoto

Seasons:

1

Release Date:

19 March 2003 (Japan)

Genre:

Action | Sci-Fi | Animation | Fantasy | Adventure | Drama

Plot:

In a post-apocalyptic future where humans live in domed cities surrounded by wasteland, wolves are assumed to be two hundred years extinct.

Plot Keywords:

Future | Quest | Legend | Paradise | Shape Shifter

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

Steve Blum	...	Darcia (30 episodes, 2003-2004)
Bob Buchholz	...	Hubb Lebowski (15 episodes, 2003-2004)

Country:

Japan

Language:

Japanese

Color:

Color

Certification:

South Korea:15 (DVD rating) | Australia:M | Spain:13 | USA:TV-14

Company:

Bandai Visual Company

Trivia:

In the first episode, when one of the auto-defense mecha is disabled, the sound it makes is that of the Millennium Falcon's hyperdrive failing to work from Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (1980).

Goofs:

Audio/visual unsynchronized: In episode 13, when Hubb is telling Quent in the car about why he became a police officer, Quent starts laughing. However, Quent's reflection in the car's rear view mirror never changes while he is laughing.

Quotes:

Blue: Are you there, Hige?
Hige: Yeah, I'm here.
Blue: My vision is blurred. And I...
Hige: There's no need to worry. I'm not going anywhere. We can stay together like this forever.
[puts his hand on Blue's forehead, brushes her hair away to show blood]
Blue: [closes her eyes, sighs] So warm.

Soundtrack:

Tell Me What the Rain Knows

Beautiful, tragic series

This series is absolutely beautiful! It attempts to blend cultures and legends of many countries (North America, Russia, Japan) and does so in a way that is believable. It flows nicely until the end (except for the four OVAs which are really just flashbacks of the previous episodes) and is one of the saddest, yet somehow comforting endings of any series I've ever seen. The characters are easy to relate to, and their relationships are wonderfully portrayed by both the Japanese and English voice actors. The most touching relationship in this series is that between Kiba, the alpha wolf who desperately searches for Paradise, and Cheza, the Flower Maiden who can lead him there. It is so sweet that I found myself thinking 'aww' several times while watching. Although some may be disappointed with the conclusion, I think it's one of the better ways to end a series (much better than the manga did, by the way) and leaves the viewer thinking about philosophy, religion, and spirituality. An imaginative, creative, and all around great series that everyone (especially wolf lovers like me!) should take the time to watch. If you just want to hear the story, skip the four OVAs (I believe they are the last four on the first volume). You're really not going to miss much if you cut those out.