Wolf Children [Blu-ray]

I was a little doubtful when I decided to watch this movie with my mom on Mother's Day, because I'd heard about the ending being sad, but we both enjoyed the film very much. It has many meaningful and relatable messages; a mother's love is powerful, choice is paramount for children, and that most, if not all parents, experience similar emotions when their children come of age. The mother, Hana, is a single mother who takes care of her two children, who have the ability to change into wolves. I won't talk about the specifics of what happened to her husband, but something obviously does, and it is explained in the film. She is incredibly kind, tolerant, and cares deeply for her children. Taking care of them on her own is difficult, especially when they start off in a new home on the countryside and she must make repairs to the decrepit home she purchased and later, learn to raise crops. But some of the times they share together are heartwarming, funny, and beautiful to see. The artwork for this film is simply staggering, and I look forward to more quality works like this from the director, Mamoru Hosuda. About halfway through, the movie begins to deal more with the children, Ame and Yuki, and about how they are growing up and finding their own paths in life - something that Hana wanted to give them when she decided to move them out of the big city and to the countryside. All I will say is that the siblings' paths diverge; they both make different choices. One is not better than the other, and neither are bad choices. In this half of the movie, you also start getting some feeling for what parents experience when their children grow up. I'm no parent, but I could feel it because I was right beside my mom when we watched the film - and she was crying. ***Minor SPOILER alert here, so skip to the next paragraph if you deem it necessary.*** Many parents raise their children with great love and care, but when it's finally time for them to "spread their wings and fly," it can be an emotional time. It's hard to let go sometimes, or rather, to accept the reality. I think parents fully understand that, but it's still hard. Hana has to deal with the same thing, and seemingly very early on to Western parents. The ending is bittersweet, I'd say. It's happy, but sad at the same time. I guess it depends on how you look at it, and especially depends on what position you have in the family (father, mother, child, etc) - that is all I'm going to say. All in all, it's a great family movie. I watched it twice with my mom already, once with just her, and then again with my dad and brother. Even if you aren't into anime or you have family members that aren't into anime, you can still pick up this film and enjoy it without any problems. I highly recommend it! ***Note: I've noticed these criticisms in some of the lower-rated reviews I've read for this film. I'm not here to argue or to say anyone is wrong, I would just like to give some insight to readers who may have concerns. What I'm talking about is what some have called "implied bestiality." ***SPOILER, READ ON ONLY IF YOU HAVE CONCERNS ABOUT THE AFOREMENTIONED*** Shortly after the husband reveals his wolf side to Hana, they return home to consummate their love. They are both in a dark room with only their silhouettes showing, but the husband stays in his half-wolf form. He touches her cheek, asks her if she is afraid of him, and then they both lay down off-screen. That's the extent of the scene. For adults and young teens, it's clear that they're about to have sex - but personally, at least, I didn't see it as that. It was more about Hana's ultimate acceptance of her mate, and reassurance to the husband about the woman he loves. I don't think the scene was depicted as sexual. If you have concerns about this because of the "implied bestiality," however, I've already described the full scene. That's all there is, so you can make your judgment from there.

This movie is a wonderful surprise as it approaches a subject often the topic of horror and violence. From the high def graphics to the innocent humor of a truly unique plot, it tells the story of a woman who falls in love with a very gentle man, only to find out he is a werewolf. Forget what you know about the legends, this one deals with the reality, where even as a wolf, the human intellect remains. More over, it is the tale of a mother, Hana, earning to cope with her children's journey to become themselves. Having been a single parent, I can honestly tell you the authors got this part of the film correct. Being a single parent is hard. It is extremely difficult, however, when the children switch back and forth from kid to puppy. When they get sick, do you take them to the doctor? Or is a veterinarian the correct choice? Laugh if you want to, but for Hana, it's a real problem. The same goes for trying to explain to the landlord why there were barking/baying sounds coming from an apartment when pets are NOT allowed! And just what vaccinations to you give the kids? The list goes on . . . Only after moving to an isolated rural community does Hana finally learn the value of having friends she can trust. The graphics are excellent. One sequence in particular is stunning: the first country snowfall. The morning where Hana runs and plays with the children (in wolf form) through the woods and down a steep hillside feels very three dimensional even though it isn't. The kingfisher/river part of this sequence is especially as well done as it is poignant. All and all, this film earned every one of the awards it has been given. Regardless of fantasy element, this is one of the more heart-warmingly HUMAN stories I've seen in a while. It rightfully deserves to become a classic!

**Small Spoiler Alert** I went into this movie blind as I had not watched another movie from this director. But, I'm a big Hiyazaki fan so I figured I'd give it a try. I was nothing short of blown away, I can't think of another movie in recent memory that I have enjoyed as much as Wolf children. The movie starts with college age Hana meeting a man and falling in love. The man, however, turns out to be a wolf. Hana decides that love can overcome any challenges that might arise from his condition and the two eventually bring two beautiful children into the world together. Unfortunately, a cruel twist of fate takes Hana's mate from her all too soon and leaves her alone to raise their two children. This section is quick and not entirely the focus of the movie, but is very important nonetheless. Seeing how deeply Hana cared for her husband and the loss that she suffers is critical to understanding her motivation as a character and more importantly, as a mother. Just keep smiling. Hana is left living in a small apartment with two quickly growing wolf children and no source of income. Being the mother of children who can't control whether or not they remain in their human form, or turn into a wolf-pup and trash the apartment is no easy task, especially once prying eyes begin to suspect something is amiss. Hana decides that it would be best for her small family to move far out into the countryside where they can have more privacy and give her time to learn the best ways to raise her young pups. Watching the children slowly grow into who they choose to be, and seeing Hana overcome so many struggles is where this movie shines. There are no stereotypical archetypes that are so common in these types of movies. everything feels genuine and heartfelt. You will fall in love with Hana, Yuki and Ame. The animation throughout is stellar and absolutely beautiful. The picture quality on this Blu-Ray release is fantastic, and the English dub is very good, one of the best in my recent memory. I would wholeheartedly recommend this movie to anyone who is even slightly interested. Note: Check out 'Summer Wars' as well! Totally different feel than Wolf Children, but a great movie in its own regards!

This is a great movie, really made me cry when I watched it. I also loved the packaging. I would recommend this for anyone who likes a good bittersweet anime film and a good cry.

I discovered Wolf Children when it was new (and only available in Japanese at the time), and I was pretty much just discovering anime. The film hooked me from the start with its storytelling, attention to detail, and beautiful, soothing music. I've seen most of the Disney movies, a lot of the other animation studios' films, and even a few Miyazaki/Ghibli movies. But this film is on a whole other level. This is the story of a single mother raising two special needs children on her own, at first in a small apartment, and then out in the country in a run-down, fixer-upper home, when city life proves impossible. The special needs is that, when they get emotional, they transform into wolves, and act like puppies. It's very cute, but it is a burden and she handles it well. The problem is, one child wants to live as a human, and the other wants to live as a wolf. So their mother has to do right for each child's needs. After seeing it several times in both Japanese, and later English (it's a new recording, it isn't dubbed over the Japanese audio), it's easy to say that it is the best animated film I've ever seen, and I have seen quite a few of them. But it is also one of the best films in any medium that I have seen. While I recommend it to everyone, the best way to watch it is with a mother, whether it's your mother, your sister, your wife, or another mother you know. It's hard to put into words, especially as a man, the gratitude we have for mothers, but to show them this film, and share with them this story, is to go a long way towards that. And while it isn't a tragedy — it's no Grave of the Fireflies by any means — you may want to have some tissues handy. When the credits hit, I could have used some. And definitely stay for the credits. Great song, great little recap of the film. Side note: I actually do not own a Blu-ray player. I bought this for the DVD and for this to be my first Blu-ray when I finally get a Blu-ray player. Aside from the original Star Wars trilogy, I can't think of a better "first Blu-ray" to have.

This film is one of the most incredible, beautiful, and heart wrenching works of art I have ever seen. Whether you're into anime or not, anybody should be able to appreciate this fantastic movie. This is a story about love, and familial bonds, and just how strong those forces can be. Don't watch if you aren't prepared to cry like a baby. The animation is stunning. It has that kind of older, hand-drawn feel that we saw a lot of in the 90s, with the high definition that can only come with more recent projects. The soundtrack is fantastic, giving feelings of both elation and devastation when appropriate. The Japanese voice cast is great, and while I can't as of yet speak for the English dub, I will be editing this review with my thoughts on that, as well as the box set itself and the features, when the product is actually released. A final note that I want to drive home. In a time when piracy is at an all time high, it has become extremely important to support official releases, especially in the American anime market, which in particular suffers from the perils of the information age. So please, don't just stream this online and not bother to support the company. This isn't to say don't watch it online at all, but if you do, and you enjoy it (and I don't see how you couldn't) please be sure to purchase the official release.

After recently watching The Tale of the Princess Kaguya, maybe is was not such a good idea to watch this. With Kaguya everything looked like it was drawn by the same artist in the same very high standards drawing style, ....where-as with Wolf Children the people often looked drawn several notches below the landscapes. Its not a killer, but it did distract for me from the otherwise great story line. To me more attention needed to be payed to the way people were drawn through every scene. Sometimes it worked well enough and this is a very good movie. I did debate though on giving it 3 stars instead of 4 because of some of the drawing short-cut taken with the people. This is a slower paced movie, almost for the parents to relate to than the kids/teens. Lots of heart and soul to it.

This movie was truly beautiful in every way. I loved the animation. The characters were great, and the story was beautiful. I loved this movie. There were so many moments that overwhelmed me with how cute they were. The kids were so adorable, both in their human and wolf pup forms. The kids had the cutest personalities that got a lot of laughs from me. I honestly wasn't expecting how funny this movie would be, but it had a lot of great funny moments. I watched this movie with my mother (who doesn't normally watch many animated films), and she really enjoyed it too. I already knew the story before I watched the movie, so I often knew what was going to happen, but nevertheless, this film still managed to keep me quite enthralled with what was going on. There were some really heart wrenching moments that had me getting watery eyed whether I knew it was going to happen or not. For the most part, it has a pretty mellow story, but it's so touching that it's hard not to like it. Plus, movie is very character focused, and the characters do a very good job of keeping the story going at a good pace since they themselves are the story. I really liked this film. It had couple flaws. Overall, I felt that the flaws were few and far between. This movie is an awesome experience. Especially if you like animals, then this movie will be hitting your cute buttons a lot.

Now I LOVE this movie, but what I dont love is when the things I pay for is broken. The discs are fine but as you can see in the pohto the case came broken. I am not going to buy a new or return it. I am just going to buy a new empty "non broken" case...

I didn't think too much about wolf children when I ordered the bluray/dvd, but the number of awards to this title meant there must be a lot to see in this film. And it delivers an experience that I find difficult to describe. While the plot is fairly straight forward (a young woman falls in love, happily delivers two children, husband dies, finds herself ostracised from urban society, escapes to mountain village and endures much hardships so her children may have the freedom to become who they want to be), the beauty in this film is in the way it conveys the inner emotions in the heroine, both within herself and when she interacts with her children and the villagers. The background music adds resolve to the emotional depth of the film; in spite of great adversity and turmoil, the music keeps a steady, light and somewhat content kind of mood. Even when the hardships seem unbearable (maybe they're hardships only relatively to all the comforts of urban middle class affluence), I can follow with the heroine on her journey without excessive anguish or sorrow that the story represents. At times I wonder if it is humanly possible to have this kind of endurance, but of course there must be countless stories of single mothers or single parents who have to endure many kinds of hardships to raise their precious little ones. It is actually unfortunate that their tales are rarely told. The picture - the art work, cinematography etc. - is superb in quality and realism. I first started watching it on a 55" TV, and after switching to my home theatre projector (~120" diagonal), I could see more details in the scenes. Overall this is a wonderfully constructed and emotionally engaging film, a subdued spectacle of love, faith and inner strength of a single parent with a seemingly impossible task of raising two half wolf, half human children in today's society.

normalmente me gusta que las ediciones coleccionista vengan en una caja metálica y no de plástico pero el contenido sin duda alguna suple esta pequeña carencia, te trae los dos discos con las películas en DVD y blu-ray además del disco de contenidos el cual es bastante entretenido y el libro de 24 páginas el cual es muy bonito, trae información sobre la película, imágenes de esta y en algunas bocetos de los niños lobo, sin duda alguna es una compra de la cual no me arrepiento en lo más mínimo.

Ein wirklich sehr schöner und gelungener Film über das Leben und die Wege, die man einschlägt und zu Ende geht. Einen Stern Abzug gibt es für den allgegenwärtigen und hier zum Glück nur manchmal vorkommenden Anime-Kitsch, der mich schon immer gestört hat.

Outside Japan it can sometimes feel like we're over-exposed to Studio Ghibli, and it's easy to think that that's where Family Anime starts and ends. But of course, there are other Anime studios, and this film is from Studio Chizu, one of the studios which, based on this and other recent offerings, may well take the crown, just as Pixar shoved aside Disney in Hollywood. This is a beautifully made film, with a very simple story about a woman who brings up two children who can change at will between human and wolf, having been fathered by a man who could do likewise. The woman, Hana, is entirely human, so when the Wolf Father dies, she struggles to raise these two half wild children in her Tokyo apartment. She therefore takes them to the countryside, where her struggles continue, but are more manageable. The second half of the film then focuses on the children themselves as they mature into adolescence and undertake their own struggles - for them its the struggle to find their places as wolf/human hybrids, and discover themselves. So the second half is very much "coming of age" or "rites of passage". The main character is Yuki, the girl wolf, the narrator. She's a terribly cute little girl, and just as cute as a wolf cub. Her little brother Ame is just as cute, but features very slightly less in the story. The mother Hana is a perfect and devoted mother. The whole family set-up is very sweet and endearing, but not overly-sentimental because the characters are very three dimensional and very engaging. The struggles that the three of them go through are nothing like the struggles that we ourselves might face, and are each very different, but I was drawn into those struggles completely. This is definitely a lovely family film to watch with kids, from age 5 and above, but adults can enjoy it on their own too. With Studio Gibli and Hayao Miyazaki we became accustomed to some quite serious themes in films such as Princess Mononoke, Spirited Away and The Wind Rises. This film is not like that at all. It focuses on telling a simple story with engaging characters. It is proper family entertainment. The animations is a little mixed. Most of the nature animation is breath-takingly beautiful, but the animation of the human and animal characters is just plain, simple anime.