Wolf's Rain
Wolf's Rain (ウルフズ・レイン) is a Japanese anime series first broadcast in Japan on January 6, 2003. It ran for a full season of 26 episodes. Four more episodes were released on DVD in Japan in January and February 2004, completing the story.
The story was originally created by Keiko Nobumoto, a writer and story editor (best known for her work on the popular anime series Cowboy Bebop), who also simultaneously published a manga version of the story. The series is available on DVD in the United States, having been licensed for US distribution by Bandai Entertainment. Wolf's Rain aired as part of Cartoon Network's Adult Swim lineup. Wolf's Rain features a soundtrack composed by Yoko Kanno.
The manga version of Wolf's Rain, made by Toshitsugu Iida, began publication in English by VIZ, LLC, starting November 3, 2004.
Story Overview
Wolf's Rain takes place in a post-apocalyptic time when much of the world has been ecologically devastated and most people live in poverty. A legend is told, in the Book of the Moon that wolves are mystical beings who came to the world from a place called Rakuen, or Paradise, at the dawn of time. It is also said that in the future, wolves will, with the help of a mysterious woman called the "Flower Maiden" (a being created from the essence of lunar flowers), find a way to return to paradise and in doing so, bring about the end of the world. This legend is difficult for most to believe though, because wolves were thought to have been hunted to extinction nearly 200 years ago. However, the truth is that the wolves have just become very adept at hiding themselves in human society, with the ability to appear human, including the abilities of speech and manual dexterity, while still retaining their lupine senses, agility, and natural weapons. This seems to put the show in the realm of werewolf fantasy, but the wolves' human form is portrayed as more of a mental effect than shapeshifting. Wolf's Rain is also much more sympathetic to the wolves than most werewolf fiction, casting them clearly as the protagonists.
It is also important to note that in the legend, wolves were set upon the land by Mother Earth to help human beings because humans were once lowly creatures that were prey for the demons and monsters that plagued the world at the dawn of time. Once the wolves defeated the monsters, they created humanity (note: meaning the creation of human society, not human beings) from a part of themselves, and taught them basically everything they know. The wolves then kept watch over humanity from afar, and didn't become involved in their affairs. Certain wolves like the Darcia clan, on the other hand, took on human form and had stayed in that form for years. Eventually, they forgot who they truly were, and became human, permanently. They lived out their lives ruling over humans, as humans..
Major Characters
The story follows a pack of young wolves: Kiba, Tsume, Hige, and Toboe. Each name is the Japanese word for a "part" of a wolf.
- Kiba ("Fang")The leader of the "pack", Kiba follows his instincts towards Paradise, where only wolves may go. When he was young, his pack was killed when the forest where he lived was burned to the ground by Jaguara's troops. He was then raised by a Native who told him that he had a purpose and that's why the forest spared his life. His "master" told him that he would have a great journey ahead of him, and that journey was to find paradise. He begins his quest for paradise in the hope that there he will finally find peace. It is revealed later in the series that he is, in fact, the chosen one who is destined to find paradise. He tends to be distrustful of humans, and in the early episodes is reluctant to take human form, even in the human city.
- Tsume ("Claw"): Tsume is a rough, self-reliant wolf. In his past, he was part of a pack of wolves. However, one day his pack was attacked by Jaguara's troops and many of his friends were killed. During the fight, Tsume attempted to flee, leaving all of his dead and dying brethren behind. Because of this, the rest of his pack disowned him and the leader bit him, which left him with a large X-shaped scar across his chest. He was filled with shame and for many years after, didn't associate with any other wolves. However, he eventually meets Toboe, who at first really seems to annoy him greatly. But, deep down, Tsume feels sympathy and compassion for Toboe because of his small size and lack of survival instincts. Because of this, he befriends Toboe (although he rarely shows it) and tries to protect him for the rest of series. Toboe is the one who eventually convinces him to come with the rest of the pack to Paradise. He initially doesn't believe the stories of Paradise, and only follows the others out of an instinct to protect them and stay part of a pack. However, he does eventually become a believer.
- Hige ("Whisker"): Hige seems to know how to function the best in human society, even wearing a dog collar in wolf form (which shows in human form too) to look less suspicious, although the true meaning behind his collar is revealed later in the series. He tends to use his intuition more than the others, but only when he's not thinking with his stomach instead. Hige is quite the ladies' man and is always on the look-out for a nice she-wolf -- like Blue.
- Toboe ("Howl"): The youngest of the wolves, Toboe grew up in the city under the care of an old lady. Unfortunately, he eventually grows too big for her to handle. One day, while she was bringing him his supper, Toboe got so excited that he tackled her to the ground and started licking her face. In the process, he crushes her chest and suffocates her. He also accidentally kills the pet bird of a girl he tried to befriend. Despite this, Toboe is the most timid and kind wolf in the pack, and forms a particularly strong bond with Tsume.
- Blue: A wolf/dog half-breed who was the Yaiden family pet. After the destruction of Kyrios and most of her family, she travels with Quent hunting wolves using her abilities as a half-wolf to find them. She would have continued doing this if Cheza hadn't told her that she was half-wolf, thus "awakening" that part of her and giving her the ability to assume the form of a human like the other wolves. She is initially ashamed of her wolf heritage and runs away from Quent for fear that he will hate her because of her half-wolf ancestry. However, she eventually comes to accept her wolf identity.
Minor Characters
- Cheza: The "Flower Maiden" - a girl who is artificially created by lost arts of science and alchemy from a Lunar Flower. She shares a special bond with the wolves and is the key to finding Paradise.
- Cher Degre: A scientist involved in studying Cheza. She is fascinated by Cheza and desires to understand her and her purpose. Cheza seems to awaken some of her maternal instincts as the series progresses.
- Hubb Lebowski: A police detective and ex-husband of Cher Degre. He is still very much in love with Cher and seeks to protect her, often half-jokingly asking if they still have a chance together.
- Lord Oakum: One of the Nobles, the leader of Freeze City, where Cher and Hubb used to live. Oakum has stolen Cheza, the Flower Maiden, from Darcia in order to discover her true purpose.
- Quent Yaiden: An ex-sheriff from the town of Kyrios. The destruction of his village and the killing of his family by a pack of wolves have led to his deep and abiding hatred for wolves, which is rivaled only by his perpetual desire for a stiff drink. He lives a life on the go with only Blue to keep him company and aid him in his pursuit of wolves to kill. However, Quint learns that his family was killed by something else.
- Darcia: Third generation of the Darcia family of Nobles, who were said to be cursed after Darcia the First disappeared into "Paradise". Thanks to his grandfather's curse, Darcia is now plagued with an eye that resembles that of a wolf's. He seeks to use Cheza to somehow revive his lover Hamona, who has been stricken with "Paradise sickness", in which her soul is "taken by Paradise", causing her to fall into a coma. Dispite his attemps to save her by getting Cheza, Jaguara destoryed the life support that kept her sister alive. By the finale, Darcia's true nature is revealed.
- Lady Jaguara: A noble. Like all other Nobles, she covets Cheza. Jaguara wants to use Cheza to open a man-made Paradise for herself and Darcia, with whom she is madly in love. However, Darcia's heart belonged to Hamona, Jaguara's younger twin sister, leading to Jaguara only gaining Darcia's hatred when she indirectly murdered his comatose sister.
Episode List
- City of Howls, or Howling Street Corner (咆哮の街角)
- Toboe, Who Doesn't Howl, or Toboe, Who Won't Cry, or even A Howl Doesn't Cry (哭かないトオボエ)
- Bad Fellow
- Scars in the Wasteland, or The Scars In The Wilderness (荒野の傷跡)
- Fallen Wolves (堕ちた狼)
- The Successors (受け継ぐもの)
- The Flower Maiden, or Girl of the Flower (花の少女)
- The Song of Sleep, or Lullaby (眠りの歌)
- Misgivings, or Doubt (疑惑)
- Moon's Doom
- Vanishing Point (消失点)
- Don't Make Me Blue
- Men's Lament (男たちの哀歌)
- The Fallen Keep, or Castle of the Fallen (没落の城)
- Grey Wolf, or Ashen Wolf (灰色狼)
- Dream Journey (夢の旅路)
- Scent of a Flower, Blood of a Wolf (花の香り、狼の血)
- Men, Wolves, and the Book of the Moon (人・狼・月の書)
- Dream of an Oasis (オアシスの夢)
- Consciously
- Battle's Red Glare, or Flares of the Battle (戦いの狼煙)
- Pieces of a Shooting Star, or Meteor Fragment (流星の破片)
- Heartbeat of the Black City (黒い街の鼓動)
- Scent of a Trap (罠の匂い)
- False Memories, or Memory of a Mistake (過ちの記憶)
- Moonlight Crucible, Moonlight Power Plant, or Moonlight Furnace (月光炉)
- Where the Soul Goes, or Soul's Whereabouts (魂の行方)
- Gunshot of Remorse, or Remorseful Gun-Sound (悔恨の銃声)
- High Tide, High Time
- Wolf's Rain
Where Japanese titles are not listed, the original title as seen in the Japanese series was printed in English. The first English title given in each case is the one used on the English DVD; in some cases, Internet translation efforts arrived upon significantly different titles, which are given here as well.