Wolf's Rain

Warning: Wikipedia contains spoilers

Wolf's Rain is a Japanese anime first broadcast in Japan on January 6, 2003. It ran for a full season of 26 episodes. Four more episodes are planned to be released on DVD in Japan in December 2003. The show has not yet been released in the US, but has been licensed for US distribution by Bandai Entertainment.

Overview

Wolf's Rain takes place in a post-apocalyptic future, where much of the world has been ecologically devastated, and most people live in poverty. A legend is told that wolves know the way to Paradise, and will lead everyone to it before the end of the world. This legend is difficult for most to believe, howewer, because wolves are believed to have been extinct for 200 years. However, the truth is that the wolves have just become very adept at hiding themselves in human society, with the ability to show a human form, 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 a physical transformation. Wolf's Rain is also much more sympathetic to the wolves than most werewolf fiction, casting them clearly as the protagonists.

Characters

The story follows four 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 can go. He tends to be mistrustful of humans, and in the early episodes is reluctant to take human form even in the city.

• Tsume ("Claw"): Tsume is a rough, self-reliant wolf who led a street gang (of humans) in the city in the beginning of the series. 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.

• Hige ("Whiskers"): 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. He tends to use his wits more than the others, when he's not thinking with his stomach instead.

• Toboe ("Howling"): The youngest wolf, Toboe grew up in the city under the care of and old lady. He doesn't seem comfortable with his own wolfish abilities, having accidentally killed his caretaker and the pet bird of a girl he tried to befriend. Despite this, Toboe is the most timid and kind wolf in the pack, and has formed a particularly strong bond with Tsume.