Wolf’s Rain Review - 62/100
Wolf’s Rain is quite an interesting anime. It’s an action-adventure series, with an overall dark and grey mood. Some parts of the story are very creative and original. A world in which wolves are thought to have been extinct for 200 years. The wolves still being alive because they can take the appearance of a human. A religion which believe that humans have evolved from wolves. A quest for the wolves to paradise. Quite interesting, isn’t it? The anime also features some interesting-sounding side-stories, which seem really good on paper. However.
This could have become a good show, weren’t for the fact that the plot was so badly written, to the point it actually becomes laughable. The largest problem was that it seemed that the creators were trying to test the boundaries of coincidences. People conveniently run into each other for no reason at all, at exactly the right time. Twenty times. Per episode. It really becomes funny if this happens so many times in one anime.
That, however, isn’t the only thing wrong with the plot of this show. The creators seemed to have thrown in certain events which don’t make any friggin’ sense at all. For example, wolves who travel for about a month through harsh, snowy terrain, making several pitstops at towns as well make as much progress as a hypermodern spacecraft. piloted by the bad guy. People also get hit by gunshots, and just keep walking around like nothing happened and it’s also nowhere explained why the wolves are so incredibly strong other than give the main characters an excuse to stand out.
And I haven’t even started to talk about the predictability of some of the scenes yet. It was quite funny to see the show take a predictable turn each and every time. The creators’ attempts at romance also totally backfired, as these were the most predictable and hilarious of the entire show. Especially when two lovers were portrayed happily dancing and running in a field full of flowers, and were actually serious about it.
The main characters also were a collection of clichés: tough, impulsive silent guy, annoying brat, carefree dude and hardened streetpunk. Especially the main character likes to go into fights without a reason at all. And these characters are also stupid enough to take a flower girl who needs only sunlight and water to survive into a forest so thick that sunlight and water don’t come through. Still, I have to admit. The side-characters definitely were interesting, when they weren’t entangled by the show’s predictability.
This show really surpasses every other show at episode 15, when it comes with not one, not two, but actually four friggin’ recap episodes. All these episodes do is tell the exact same thing, compressed in four episodes. It was really annoying, trying to get through these episodes. Then the show continues again, with it’s mildly interesting pacing, like nothing ever happened.
Then, at episode 26, this anime actually takes a turn for the better, and the final five episodes actually were surprisingly good and well-written. That is, until you realize the kind of ending the creators were going for, after which the thing turns predictable again. Still, I have to admit. Especially the first half of these final five episodes was worth seeing. But perhaps that was because they focused more at the side-characters than the main characters… hmmm…. In any case, the ending itself was rather dull. Still, the final bad guy was quite interesting to see.
And yes, I have to admit. This show’s got a big budget, which means pretty graphics and music. There’s nothing wrong with the art, and especially near the end, the music really contributes to the series. The art, animation and sounds are one thing not messed up in this anime.
Overall, I still enjoyed watching this anime. This really is a good example of an anime which is so bad, that it actually becomes good. If you really like to mock anime, I definitely recommend this anime, as it’s got so many flaws up to the point that it becomes laughable. Still, if you combine this with the good points, the result ends up being quite entertaining.
I dunno if you check often, but I really hope u read my post.
I too had the same opinion when I completed the 26 episodes. But Wolf’s Rain is actually 30 ep’s long. They included the four recap eps becoz of the SARS outbreak across asia at the time of production (they still had to meet contract agreements with TV channels and publishers.) The additional 4 eps were released in Japan on an OAV(OVA?) disc the same year. I owe it to yourself to watch these 4 eps, as depressing as they are. Most complete box sets available today have all 30 eps. It may not completely change your opinion on Wolf’s Rain (I still think the journey was better than the destination), but I guarantee you’ll like it a lot better.;
Comment by Lithium17 — October 14, 2006 @ 11:57
Naah, don’t worry. I get an e-mail every time someone comments.
i have seen the final four episodes, and in terms of quality, they were indeed better than the series. But still, they remained disappointing. The creators were just way too focused on killing each of the characters off that it lost its substance. Still, the first episode of this final OVA was great to seel.
I’m also glad to see that the recap-block actually has a reason.
Comment by psgels — October 14, 2006 @ 12:44
What?
It was a quite surprising and it gave me some special impressions so that I can still remember the last scene.
Comment by L.A — January 3, 2008 @ 6:02
Antes de dizer o que penso sobre os seus comentários, acho pertinente declarar que sou fã de Wolf´s Rain. Para mim, Wolf´s Rain é um dos 30 mais legais animês que já vi!
Não me entenda mal: não discordo das suas opiniões expressas neste blog. São coerentes, objetivas, decorrem de sólidos e bem levantados argumentos.
Eu discordo, sim, é da sua sensibilidade, da sua idiossincrasia. Não existe nenhum método lógico, cartesiano, racionalmente infalível para se avaliar animês, filmes, músicas ou qualquer obra artística.
Partindo da “minha idiossincrasia”, julgo relevante assinalar que as mínimas partes de uma obra podem redimir o todo. E o prazer de se assistir a qualquer animê depende, em grande medida, de boa vontade e da tentativa sincera de se deixar levar pelo espírito da obra.
Confesso que tive dificuldade em gostar de Wolf´s Rain nos primeiros episódios. Eu também senti que vários elementos do enredo não se ajustavam muito bem. Mas… algo me dizia que valia a pena insistir, valia a pena acreditar.
Em primeiro lugar, o Opening me conquistou imediatamente. Gostei das imagens (sou admirador de lobos…), gostei muito mais ainda da canção-tema (sou fã da Yoko Kanno).
Em segundo lugar, embora a história não fizesse nenhum sentido para mim, senti que existia uma atmosfera mágica, uma certa sensibilidade imanente, que se expressava ocasionalmente com uma vibração desconcertante, até empolgante, porque nascia do apreço pelos valores mais pueris. (E justamente esses valores pueris não são a matéria-prima de quase todas as ficções?)
Em terceiro lugar, a personagem Cheza me pareceu estranhamente fascinante, absurdamente fascinante, porque não gostei muito nem do design nem do traço, embora tenha gostado muito da ideia, do conceito da personagem. Uma garota frágil (como uma flor, e isso é mais do que um mero símbolo), que precisa ser protegida a todo custo, porque guarda com ela a direção a ser tomada, guarda com ela a esperança de que existe um paraíso possível. Cheza passa a sensação de ser muito mais do que uma garota linda, meiga e tão despojadamente afetuosa, objeto de amor adolescente. Cheza passa também a sensação de ser algo maior, algo como a mãe amorosa daqueles meninos-lobos. Ela é a portadora do singelo mistério de um Paraíso tão inalcançável: o mistério da inocência, da pureza, sem os quais qualquer felicidade é impossível, porque é maculada pelo sarcasmo, pela cobiça, pela aridez no coração das pessoas.
Dito isto, você pode estar sorrindo de tanta puerilidade, mas raramente pude testemunhar em qualquer obra de ficção uma mensagem tão bela e tão óbvia, sem as máculas das ideologias religiosas ou de dogmatismos moralistas.
Wolf´s Rain é um animê para se sentir, não é para raciocinar.
Em quarto lugar, o score musical da Yoko Kanno: um dos mais sensíveis e inspirados que já ouvi. Sem exagero, um dos mais belos BGMs de todos os tempos, de uma beleza bucólica e transcendental.
Em quinto lugar, o significado da busca, as dores, os arrependimentos, as mortes, a redenção, em plena agonia, dos vários personagens, e a via-crucis do Kiba, o único que conseguia verdadeiramente intuir o Paraíso, acreditar em Cheza (nos valores que ela simboliza).
Os últimos episódios são tão exacerbadamente comoventes que me levaram às lágrimas, não porque eu me sentia apiedado pela triste sorte dos personagens, mas porque eu percebi que eles sim, finalmente, encontravam algo que haviam perdido em suas vidas, e somente a proximidade da morte lhes devolvia tudo aquilo que haviam perdido.
O último episódio pode ser descrito como qualquer coisa, menos monótono. Pelo menos para quem captou e assimilou a mensagem. A perda deixa um vazio tão imenso que parece impossível superar. Mas a vida prossegue. Tudo passa. A dor, por maior que seja, desaparece, e tudo recomeça. Um dos desfechos mais pungentes, mais emotivos que já tive o prazer de presenciar, seja em animê, seja em qualquer gênero de ficção.
E, em sexto lugar, os Endings. Aquele lobo que corre sem parar, sob o sol ou sob a neve, metáfora da própria animação (e também da própria vida, em busca de algum sentido), é um desses marcos inesquecíveis, amados, daqueles momentos supremos de que não podemos nos cansar de ver e rever, tanta é a beleza da imagem, da canção, da poesia, do conceito tão simples e tão pueril. Isso é poesia.
Para encerrar: Wolf´s Rain é um dos raros casos de obras de ficção em que alguns detalhes são tão maravilhosos, tão plenos de sentimento e de significado, que as suas muitas falhas se tornam perdoáveis. Tolerância e perdão são, enfim, algumas das mensagens mais presentes nesse animê único e inesquecível.
Quantos animês “certinhos” e “sem falhas” são inesquecíveis? Quantos podem se gabar de ocupar um lugar definitivo no coração das pessoas?
Wolf´s Rain tem muitos erros, sim, como tantos erros que todos cometemos em nossas vidas. Mas tem também os seus grandes, verdadeiramente belos e grandes momentos.
Comment by hifaso — August 31, 2009 @ 18:08
The last four episodes made me cry so hard. Especially the ending (disagreeing with you). That was rather perfect. I mean,
[SPOILER]
The second I saw the water puddle, I was like “Wait a minute…” When I saw some of the characters doing their thing, I was like “Awe! This is so sweet.” But once Kiba starting running and the music started playing, I was in tears yelling *in my head* “OMFG!!! T~T”
It’s so interesting how Kiba was really the only one who could go through the gates of Paradise. You know?
[END SPOILER]
Before that, I hated the opening theme. After wards, however, I played it thrice. What a well done show.
Comment by Yarow12 — October 2, 2010 @ 19:37
My favorite anime of all time :) I disagree with what you had to say about it, but this is your blog not mine. I thought Wolf’s Rain was an excellent anime and I absolutely loved the ending. One reason I loved this so much was because of how the writers were able to show the different natures between the wolves and the humans. They added in many real wolf characteristics into the “wolves” in the anime. Maybe I only recognized them because I have studied wolves as kind of a hobby (i know, im a major nerd)but for me Wolf’s Rain was awesome and was worth a 98/100. I must agree thought that the recap episodes were very boring and thanks @Lithium17, because it makes me a lot happier knowing they actually had a purpose:)
Comment by Topaz — June 23, 2011 @ 22:57