Wolf's Rain
Encyclopedia
is an anime
series created by writer
and story editor
Keiko Nobumoto
and produced by Bones Studio
. The series was directed by Tensai Okamura and featured character designs by Toshihiro Kawamoto
with a soundtrack produced and arranged by Yoko Kanno
. It focuses on the journey of four lone wolves who cross paths while following the scent of the Lunar Flowers. They form a pack and decide to seek out the Flower Maiden in order to open the way to Paradise. Along the way, they must avoid a fanatical wolf hunter and the nobles who wish to use the Flower Maiden to create their own Paradise. The wolves have an advantage in the form of a curious ability to take on a human guise, but this power brings its own complications when it gives rise to entanglements in human society.
Wolf's Rain spans twenty-six television episodes and four original video animation
(OVA) episodes, with each episode running approximately twenty-four minutes. The series was originally broadcast in Japan on Fuji TV and the anime CS
television network, Animax
. The complete thirty episode series is licensed for Region 1 release by Bandai Entertainment, in Region 2 (Europe) by Beez Entertainment
and in Region 4 by Madman Entertainment
. The series was adapted into a shorttwo- volume
manga
series written by Keiko Nobumoto and illustrated by Toshitsugu Iida. The manga, which was released while the series was airing, is a retelling of the story rather than a straight adaptation. It was originally serialized in Magazine Z
and has been released in North America
by Viz Media
.
The anime series was well received in Japan, being the third ranked anime series in its time slot while airing on Fuji TV. The Bandai Entertainment English language release sold well in North America. It helped Bandai gain the 2004 Anime Company of the Year award from industry news company ICv2 in the ICv2 Retailers Guide to Anime/Manga. The manga adaptation was selected as one of their top ten anime products of 2005 and sold well in North America. Reviewers of the series gave it high marks for characterization, visual presentation, and its soundtrack, while disparaging the existence of four recapitulation episodes in the middle of the series. The manga adaptation also sold well in North America and received good reviews, though reviewers felt its short length resulted in a rushed plot and neglected supporting characters.
Kiba, an injured lone white wolf, goes to Freeze City following the scent of the Lunar Flower, which is the key to opening Paradise. There he encounters Tsume, Hige, and Toboe, three other wolves who were drawn to Freeze City by the scent of the Lunar Flower and are now living in the city. The wolves encounter Quent Yaiden, a former Sheriff of Kyrios who is obsessed with hunting down wolves, and his dog Blue. Cheza, the Flower Maiden who is destined to lead the wolves to Paradise, is being studied at a laboratory under the care of Cher Degré. She is awakened by the smell of wolf's blood. As Kiba and Hige approach the lab to find her, she is stolen away by Lord Darcia the Third, whose people created Cheza.
With the Flower Maiden gone, the wolves have no reason to stay in the city. Despite some initial misgivings and suspicions, they decide to stay together and follow Kiba in his search for the Flower Maiden and Paradise. As they pursue Cheza, the wolves travel through various cities and the remnants of former habitations. Cher joins the city's army to try to recover Cheza, while Cher's ex-husband Hubb Lebowski searches desperately for Cher, and Quent continues his relentless pursuit of the wolves. When Blue eventually encounters Cheza, it awakens her wolf blood from dormancy and causes her to leave Quent and take on her own human illusion. She joins Kiba's pack and travels with them for a while, developing a relationship with Hige. After she becomes separated from the pack, she travels with Cher, while Hubb finds himself traveling with Quent, who is now searching for Blue as well as the wolves.
The wolves and the humans come together in Jaguara's city, where the captured Cheza is being held. In attempting to rescue the abducted Cheza, Kiba, Tsume, and Toboe are captured. Tsume and Toboe are thrown into a dungeon with Hubb while Jaguara attempts to use Kiba's blood to force Paradise to open. Blue and Cher also make their way into the Keep, as does Quent. Darcia interrupts the ceremony as Kiba and the other wolves break free and rush to free the Flower Maiden. Darcia battles Jagara along with Kiba, and finally slays her as the keep begins to collapse. The wolves and the humans barely escape with their lives, and Quent is gravely wounded saving Blue from an oncoming vehicle after escaping from Jaguara's city.
The wolves, now accompanied by Cheza, Cher, Hubb, and Quent, continue trying to make their way to Paradise, pursued by the now insane
Darcia. A combination of environmental factors and Darcia's hostility cause most of the characters to die, leaving only Kiba, Cheza, and Darcia alive at the place where Paradise can be opened. Darcia is killed when he attempts to enter Paradise, and Cheza's body disintegrates into seeds. Fatally wounded, Kiba concludes that his quest has failed, but as he lays dying, rain begins to fall and Cheza's seeds grow into thousands of lunar flowers. Kiba is then plunged into the waters depths as he dies, the blood red moon turning back to its normal color.
At the series' close, Toboe, Tsume, Hige, and Kiba are in a modern city. They appear to be human (Reincarnated); Tsume is riding a motorbike and Toboe is holding a small kitten (some speculate that this may be Blue). Hige is eating a hotdog while walking down the street. Kiba, walking down a busy sidewalk, begins running faster and faster. Nearby a lunar flower in a puddle (Cheza) waits, waiting for wolves to search for paradise once again.
and rumors that Paradise has been found abound.
In the manga most of the characters are similar in appearance and personality to their anime counterparts, but some characters seen in the anime do not appear in the manga, including the Nobles Lord Orkham and Lady Jaguara.
dedicated to finding the Lunar Flower and opening the way to Paradise. Kiba primarily acts on his instincts, which sometimes lead him to act rashly. Full of wolf pride, Kiba initially expresses disgust at wolves who use human disguises, but eventually realizes that it is necessary to survive. He then later dies of the wounds Darcia gives him in episode 30.
is a Grey Wolf with a scar across his chest. Rough and self-reliant, Tsume is portrayed as a strong fighter who keeps his true feelings to himself. He joins the others out of boredom and does not initially believe in Paradise. Though he frequently quarrels with Kiba over their journey, he eventually comes to believe as strongly as Kiba. He dies in episode 30 when Daria rips open his side and legs.
is a Mexican Wolf
with a carefree attitude, who seems quite comfortable living in human societies. After meeting Kiba, he goes along with the idea of searching for Paradise without much argument, though he doesn't show the same passion as Kiba. Hige wears a collar around his neck, but he doesn't remember how he got it. He also has the strongest sense of smell in the group. He is killed by Darcia in episode 30 when he tears his throat open.
is a Red Wolf
and the youngest of the group. He is considered the pup or the runt
by the others in the early part of the series. He was raised by an old woman who found him as a very small pup outside the city, and still wears the bracelets she gave him. Due to his raising, Toboe is friendly and protective towards most humans. Toboe has the strongest sense of hearing in the pack. He is shot by Darcia in episode 29.
is also called the "Flower Maiden." The wolves need Cheza to find and open the gateway to Paradise. She was created via alchemy
from a Lunar Flower. Originally asleep and under study in a lab in Freeze City, Cheza is eventually able to join the wolves, whom she loves. She often refers to herself in the third person, usually adapting to the words 'This One'. The spilling of a wolf's blood makes Cheza scream, and she has the ability to heal and put wolves into a restful sleep through her song and touch.
is a black Wolfdog
. At first, she travels along with Quent Yaiden, hunting wolves. But Cheza tells her that she's half-wolf, and unwilling to hunt her kind, she leaves Quent and joins the wolves.
and directed by Tensai Okamura. Keiko Nobumoto
was the writer
and story editor
, while Toshihiro Kawamoto
created the character designs. The series premiered in Japan
on Fuji TV on January 6, 2003 and ran for a full season of twenty-six episodes, with the final episode airing on July 29, 2003. A four episode original video animation
(OVA) was later created and released to DVD to provide a fuller conclusion to the story than the original television run did, and to make up for the four recapitulation
episodes that originally broadcast in the middle of the series. The first two OVA episodes were released on January 23, 2004, with the final two released a month later on February 25, 2004. Animax
also aired the series on its respective networks worldwide, including East Asia
, Southeast Asia
, South Asia
, Latin America
, and other regions.
Except for the four recap episodes, the entire Wolf's Rain anime series aired in the United States
as part of Cartoon Network
's Adult Swim
lineup in 2004. It was broadcast on Europe
's digital specialty station Rapture TV
from November 14, 2005 to July 6, 2006. It also aired in the UK on Anime Central
starting November 4, 2007, with only the first 26 episodes airing.
Wolf's Rain is licensed for Region 1 DVD release by Bandai Entertainment. The entire series, including the four OVAs, were released in seven individual volumes that contained four episodes, except for the first two volumes, which had five episodes. With the first volume, Bandai offered a stand-alone version and a limited edition version, which included an art box, Kiba plushie, and the first CD soundtrack. Bandai also released the thirty episodes in a complete series box set and in a two part "Anime Legends" collection.
In Region 2 (Europe) the series is licensed by Beez Entertainment
, which also released the entire series, including the OVAs, in seven individual volumes, and later as a box set which also included the first soundtrack CD (see below). In Region 4, Madman Entertainment
owns the series license and released all twenty-six episodes and four OVA episodes in the form of a complete series box set.
was composed and arranged by Yoko Kanno
. The vocal songs are performed by various artists, including Maaya Sakamoto
, Raj Ramayya
, Ilaria Graziano
, Steve Conte
, and Joyce
, and they were recorded around the world, including Japan
, Poland
, Brazil
, the United States
, and Italy
to offer a diverse range of music and give the soundtrack an international flavor. Two CD soundtracks, produced by Yoko Kanno, Toshiaki Ota, and Shiro Sasaki
, were released in Japan by Victor Entertainment
.
Wolf's Rain Original Soundtrack, Volume 1 was released March 29, 2003. It contains twenty-one tracks, including the opening and closing themes throughout most of the main series "Stray" and "Gravity" and many of the background sounds used during key points in the main series. The soundtrack was released in the United States by Bandai Entertainment on May 11, 2004 under the title of Wolf's Rain Original Soundtrack.
Wolf's Rain Original Soundtrack, Volume 2 was released on January 21, 2004. It contains an additional 23 tracks, including the closing theme for the final episode of the main series "Tell Me What The Rain Knows", sung by Maaya Sakamoto and with lyrics by Chris Mosdell
. It also includes background music from the final episode not included in the broadcast version, and music from the four OVA episodes. The second CD has not been licensed for release outside of Japan.
manga series was originally serialized in Magazine Z
, a monthly seinen
magazine, with the first chapter premiering in April 2003. The manga, which was written by Nobumoto and illustrated by Toshitsugu Iida, is an almost complete retelling of the anime story. Each chapter of the manga series is called a "grope" which is a reference to a Japanese phrase for arriving somewhere after enduring hardships.
The two volumes were released in North America
by VIZ Media
as individual volumes in 2004 and 2005. An exclusive edition of the first volume was released on November 5, 2004 in Borders
and Waldenbooks
stores that included a collectible box to hold both volumes and a 3D lenticular card
. The Viz English release is adapted by David Ury
, who also acted as translator and Egan Loo. The series has also been released in German
by Heyne
, in Italian
by Shin Vision
, and in Polish
by Japonica Polonica Fantastica
.
, Wolf's Rain ranked third among anime series airing in the same time slot behind Air Master
and Dear Boys
. The series was considered "a big hit in 2004" for the North American market, selling well in mass markets as well as in on-line markets and at independent retailers. ICv2 notes that it has "a strong appeal to the growing teen and older anime audience." The series was selected as one of the top ten anime properties of 2005 for the ICv2 Retailers Guide to Anime/Manga. Its release was also a central reason Bandai Entertainment earned the ICv2 Anime Company of the Year award for 2004.
Tasha Robinson of SciFi Weekly praised the series for its unusual focus on non-human characters and the interesting dynamic of wolves behaving like wolves as they interact with the human characters and environments in the series. Carlo Santos of Anime News Network
praised the visuals of the series, noting that they "showcase Studio BONES at their most imaginative, with beautiful backgrounds that depict settings from high-tech mysticism to urban decay to open wilderness. The character designs are equally striking: in their human form, the wolves wear contemporary outfits, making them the most accessible of all characters." Both Santos and Chris Beveridge of Mania.com noted that the Region 1 DVD volume containing the four recapitulation episodes should be left unbought and skipped as a waste of money; however, they praised Bandai's release of the episodes for putting the episodes on a single volume, unlike in the Japanese release where they were spread over two DVDs requiring them to be bought to get the new episodes on the same volumes. Other critics have complained that while the show had an original and innovative storyline with beautiful visuals and appealing characters, the episodes themselves were poorly paced, undeveloped, and plagued with plot holes.
In The Anime Encyclopedia, Jonathan Clements and Helen McCarthy
criticized the production delays and the haituses that led to the creation of the four recap episodes, stating that "if the makers had spent less time recounting the story so far, they might have had more than enough space to finish the entire run within the requisite 26 episodes." They praised the series soundtrack, feeling it supported "the atmosphere and character development", and felt the "moody, dark, and understated" art was attractive.
Yoko Kanno's soundtrack for the series has also been hailed for its beauty and the way it adds to the series' emotional impact. The instrumental tracks were found to mirror the show's tone perfectly, evoking feelings of sorrow and loss. According to one reviewer, the soundtrack "...shows [Kanno's] skills as both composer and pianist..." and is "...a treat to hear." Kanno's work in the series was nominated for an Annie Award
in the "Music in an Animated Television Production" category in 2006.
The Wolf's Rain manga adaptation has also enjoyed success in the North American market, with the second volume being the ninth best selling graphic novel on the Nielsen BookScan
list for February 13, 2007. It was considered a "major manga hit" among manga series adapted from an anime series. Anime News Network
's Liann Cooper praised its artwork, but also felt its short length and rushed story line made it hard to connect to the characters. He also felt the supporting characters, Cher, Hubb and Quent, were only included "just to have them included". Carlos Santos, also of Anime News Network
praised the "snappy pacing" while also considering it the primary downfall of the series. In reviewing the series for Manga: The Complete Guide
, Rebecca Brown felt the series was a "transparent grab for cash" and criticized its extreme brievity and the art, which she felt was "barely adequate and at times not even that."
Anime
is the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation". The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, the term most commonly refers to Japanese animated cartoons....
series created by writer
Writer
A writer is a person who produces literature, such as novels, short stories, plays, screenplays, poetry, or other literary art. Skilled writers are able to use language to portray ideas and images....
and story editor
Story editor
Story editor is a job title in motion picture and television production, also sometimes called "supervising producer". A story editor is a member of the screenwriting staff who edits stories for screenplays....
Keiko Nobumoto
Keiko Nobumoto
is a Japanese screenwriter. She is best known for having written the screenplay for Cowboy Bebop and having created Wolf's Rain.-Filmography :*Wolf's Rain *Tokyo Godfathers...
and produced by Bones Studio
Bones (studio)
is a Japanese anime studio. It has produced numerous series, including RahXephon, Wolf's Rain, Scrapped Princess, Eureka Seven, Angelic Layer, Darker than Black, Soul Eater, Ouran High School Host Club and two adaptions of the Fullmetal Alchemist manga along with Star Driver: Kagayaki no Takuto and...
. The series was directed by Tensai Okamura and featured character designs by Toshihiro Kawamoto
Toshihiro Kawamoto
is a Japanese animator. He is co-founder and director of the anime studio Bones. He was character designer and animation director of Cowboy Bebop.-Early period:...
with a soundtrack produced and arranged by Yoko Kanno
Yoko Kanno
is a composer, arranger and musician best known for her work on the soundtracks for many games, anime films, TV series, live-action movies, and advertisements...
. It focuses on the journey of four lone wolves who cross paths while following the scent of the Lunar Flowers. They form a pack and decide to seek out the Flower Maiden in order to open the way to Paradise. Along the way, they must avoid a fanatical wolf hunter and the nobles who wish to use the Flower Maiden to create their own Paradise. The wolves have an advantage in the form of a curious ability to take on a human guise, but this power brings its own complications when it gives rise to entanglements in human society.
Wolf's Rain spans twenty-six television episodes and four original video animation
Original video animation
, abbreviated as media , are animated films and series made specially for release in home-video formats. The term originated in relation to Japanese animation...
(OVA) episodes, with each episode running approximately twenty-four minutes. The series was originally broadcast in Japan on Fuji TV and the anime CS
Communications satellite
A communications satellite is an artificial satellite stationed in space for the purpose of telecommunications...
television network, Animax
Animax
is a Japanese anime satellite television network, dedicated to broadcasting anime programming. A subsidiary of Japanese media conglomerate Sony, it is headquartered in in Minato, Tokyo, Japan, with its co-founders and shareholders including Sony Pictures Entertainment and the noted anime studios...
. The complete thirty episode series is licensed for Region 1 release by Bandai Entertainment, in Region 2 (Europe) by Beez Entertainment
Beez Entertainment
Beez Entertainment is a European anime distributor, and they also distribute anime soundtracks. They mainly act as the European branch for Bandai Visual as it is owned by Namco Bandai Holdings...
and in Region 4 by Madman Entertainment
Madman Entertainment
Madman Entertainment is an Australian company that distributes international films as well as Japanese anime and manga in Australia and New Zealand. The company is owned by Funtastic Limited and is one of the major entertainment companies in Australia. It employs 130 people and has an annual...
. The series was adapted into a short
Tankobon
, with a literal meaning close to "independently appearing book", is the Japanese term for a book that is complete in itself and is not part of a series , though the manga industry uses it for volumes which may be in a series...
manga
Manga
Manga is the Japanese word for "comics" and consists of comics and print cartoons . In the West, the term "manga" has been appropriated to refer specifically to comics created in Japan, or by Japanese authors, in the Japanese language and conforming to the style developed in Japan in the late 19th...
series written by Keiko Nobumoto and illustrated by Toshitsugu Iida. The manga, which was released while the series was airing, is a retelling of the story rather than a straight adaptation. It was originally serialized in Magazine Z
Magazine Z
was a Japanese seinen mixed-media magazine published by Kodansha, aimed at teenage males and above, but particularly at hardcore anime and manga fans, featuring articles as well as manga tied into popular franchises. Original manga were also featured in the magazine.It was announced in September...
and has been released in North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
by Viz Media
VIZ Media
VIZ Media, LLC, headquartered in San Francisco, is an anime, manga, and Japanese entertainment company. It was founded in 1986 as VIZ LLC. In 2005, VIZ LLC and ShoPro Entertainment merged to form the current VIZ Media LLC, which is jointly owned by Japanese publishers Shogakukan and Shueisha, and...
.
The anime series was well received in Japan, being the third ranked anime series in its time slot while airing on Fuji TV. The Bandai Entertainment English language release sold well in North America. It helped Bandai gain the 2004 Anime Company of the Year award from industry news company ICv2 in the ICv2 Retailers Guide to Anime/Manga. The manga adaptation was selected as one of their top ten anime products of 2005 and sold well in North America. Reviewers of the series gave it high marks for characterization, visual presentation, and its soundtrack, while disparaging the existence of four recapitulation episodes in the middle of the series. The manga adaptation also sold well in North America and received good reviews, though reviewers felt its short length resulted in a rushed plot and neglected supporting characters.
Plot
According to an old legend, when the end of the world comes, Paradise will appear; however, only wolves will know how to find it. Although wolves are believed to have been hunted to extinction nearly two hundred years ago, they still exist, surviving by taking human form. Freeze City is a northern human city in a world where the majority of people live in poverty and hardship.Kiba, an injured lone white wolf, goes to Freeze City following the scent of the Lunar Flower, which is the key to opening Paradise. There he encounters Tsume, Hige, and Toboe, three other wolves who were drawn to Freeze City by the scent of the Lunar Flower and are now living in the city. The wolves encounter Quent Yaiden, a former Sheriff of Kyrios who is obsessed with hunting down wolves, and his dog Blue. Cheza, the Flower Maiden who is destined to lead the wolves to Paradise, is being studied at a laboratory under the care of Cher Degré. She is awakened by the smell of wolf's blood. As Kiba and Hige approach the lab to find her, she is stolen away by Lord Darcia the Third, whose people created Cheza.
With the Flower Maiden gone, the wolves have no reason to stay in the city. Despite some initial misgivings and suspicions, they decide to stay together and follow Kiba in his search for the Flower Maiden and Paradise. As they pursue Cheza, the wolves travel through various cities and the remnants of former habitations. Cher joins the city's army to try to recover Cheza, while Cher's ex-husband Hubb Lebowski searches desperately for Cher, and Quent continues his relentless pursuit of the wolves. When Blue eventually encounters Cheza, it awakens her wolf blood from dormancy and causes her to leave Quent and take on her own human illusion. She joins Kiba's pack and travels with them for a while, developing a relationship with Hige. After she becomes separated from the pack, she travels with Cher, while Hubb finds himself traveling with Quent, who is now searching for Blue as well as the wolves.
The wolves and the humans come together in Jaguara's city, where the captured Cheza is being held. In attempting to rescue the abducted Cheza, Kiba, Tsume, and Toboe are captured. Tsume and Toboe are thrown into a dungeon with Hubb while Jaguara attempts to use Kiba's blood to force Paradise to open. Blue and Cher also make their way into the Keep, as does Quent. Darcia interrupts the ceremony as Kiba and the other wolves break free and rush to free the Flower Maiden. Darcia battles Jagara along with Kiba, and finally slays her as the keep begins to collapse. The wolves and the humans barely escape with their lives, and Quent is gravely wounded saving Blue from an oncoming vehicle after escaping from Jaguara's city.
The wolves, now accompanied by Cheza, Cher, Hubb, and Quent, continue trying to make their way to Paradise, pursued by the now insane
Insanity
Insanity, craziness or madness is a spectrum of behaviors characterized by certain abnormal mental or behavioral patterns. Insanity may manifest as violations of societal norms, including becoming a danger to themselves and others, though not all such acts are considered insanity...
Darcia. A combination of environmental factors and Darcia's hostility cause most of the characters to die, leaving only Kiba, Cheza, and Darcia alive at the place where Paradise can be opened. Darcia is killed when he attempts to enter Paradise, and Cheza's body disintegrates into seeds. Fatally wounded, Kiba concludes that his quest has failed, but as he lays dying, rain begins to fall and Cheza's seeds grow into thousands of lunar flowers. Kiba is then plunged into the waters depths as he dies, the blood red moon turning back to its normal color.
At the series' close, Toboe, Tsume, Hige, and Kiba are in a modern city. They appear to be human (Reincarnated); Tsume is riding a motorbike and Toboe is holding a small kitten (some speculate that this may be Blue). Hige is eating a hotdog while walking down the street. Kiba, walking down a busy sidewalk, begins running faster and faster. Nearby a lunar flower in a puddle (Cheza) waits, waiting for wolves to search for paradise once again.
Changes in manga adaptation
The two-volume manga adaptation includes some of the core events of the anime series with few changes, but as a whole the manga veers greatly from its anime inspiration. Many events from the anime do not occur in the manga, and some of the events from the anime that are presented in the manga are completely different in terms of dialogue, chronological sequence, and final outcomes. In particular, the second volume tells an almost completely different story, with Darcia recruiting Blue to help him open the door to Paradise with her blood. The wolves must go to Darcia's keep, rather than Jaguara's, in order to free Cheza, with Kiba missing but appearing at the end to make the final rescue effort. At the end of the manga, the four wolves and Cheza are sitting on a rock as the clouds break and sunlight streams through for the first time. The world rejoices the end of the Ice AgeIce age
An ice age or, more precisely, glacial age, is a generic geological period of long-term reduction in the temperature of the Earth's surface and atmosphere, resulting in the presence or expansion of continental ice sheets, polar ice sheets and alpine glaciers...
and rumors that Paradise has been found abound.
In the manga most of the characters are similar in appearance and personality to their anime counterparts, but some characters seen in the anime do not appear in the manga, including the Nobles Lord Orkham and Lady Jaguara.
Characters
is an Arctic WolfArctic Wolf
The Arctic Wolf , also called Polar Wolf or White Wolf, is a subspecies of the Gray Wolf, a mammal of the family Canidae. Arctic Wolves inhabit the Canadian Arctic, Alaska and the northern parts of Greenland....
dedicated to finding the Lunar Flower and opening the way to Paradise. Kiba primarily acts on his instincts, which sometimes lead him to act rashly. Full of wolf pride, Kiba initially expresses disgust at wolves who use human disguises, but eventually realizes that it is necessary to survive. He then later dies of the wounds Darcia gives him in episode 30.
is a Grey Wolf with a scar across his chest. Rough and self-reliant, Tsume is portrayed as a strong fighter who keeps his true feelings to himself. He joins the others out of boredom and does not initially believe in Paradise. Though he frequently quarrels with Kiba over their journey, he eventually comes to believe as strongly as Kiba. He dies in episode 30 when Daria rips open his side and legs.
is a Mexican Wolf
Mexican Wolf
The Mexican Wolf is a subspecies of the Gray Wolf. It is native to North America, where it is the rarest and most genetically distinct subspecies.- Physical features :...
with a carefree attitude, who seems quite comfortable living in human societies. After meeting Kiba, he goes along with the idea of searching for Paradise without much argument, though he doesn't show the same passion as Kiba. Hige wears a collar around his neck, but he doesn't remember how he got it. He also has the strongest sense of smell in the group. He is killed by Darcia in episode 30 when he tears his throat open.
is a Red Wolf
Red Wolf
The red wolf is a North American canid which once roamed throughout the Southeastern United States and is a glacial period survivor of the Late Pleistocene epoch...
and the youngest of the group. He is considered the pup or the runt
Runt
A runt is a smaller specimen in a group of animals, usually of offspring in a litter.Runt may also refer to:*Runt , a 1970 album by Todd Rundgren, originally credited to the band Runt...
by the others in the early part of the series. He was raised by an old woman who found him as a very small pup outside the city, and still wears the bracelets she gave him. Due to his raising, Toboe is friendly and protective towards most humans. Toboe has the strongest sense of hearing in the pack. He is shot by Darcia in episode 29.
is also called the "Flower Maiden." The wolves need Cheza to find and open the gateway to Paradise. She was created via alchemy
Alchemy
Alchemy is an influential philosophical tradition whose early practitioners’ claims to profound powers were known from antiquity. The defining objectives of alchemy are varied; these include the creation of the fabled philosopher's stone possessing powers including the capability of turning base...
from a Lunar Flower. Originally asleep and under study in a lab in Freeze City, Cheza is eventually able to join the wolves, whom she loves. She often refers to herself in the third person, usually adapting to the words 'This One'. The spilling of a wolf's blood makes Cheza scream, and she has the ability to heal and put wolves into a restful sleep through her song and touch.
is a black Wolfdog
Wolfdog
A wolfdog is a canid hybrid resulting from the mating of a wolf and a dog . The term "wolfdog" is preferred by most of the animals' proponents and breeders because the domestic dog recently was taxonomically recategorized as a subspecies of wolf...
. At first, she travels along with Quent Yaiden, hunting wolves. But Cheza tells her that she's half-wolf, and unwilling to hunt her kind, she leaves Quent and joins the wolves.
Anime
The Wolf's Rain anime series was produced by BONESBones (studio)
is a Japanese anime studio. It has produced numerous series, including RahXephon, Wolf's Rain, Scrapped Princess, Eureka Seven, Angelic Layer, Darker than Black, Soul Eater, Ouran High School Host Club and two adaptions of the Fullmetal Alchemist manga along with Star Driver: Kagayaki no Takuto and...
and directed by Tensai Okamura. Keiko Nobumoto
Keiko Nobumoto
is a Japanese screenwriter. She is best known for having written the screenplay for Cowboy Bebop and having created Wolf's Rain.-Filmography :*Wolf's Rain *Tokyo Godfathers...
was the writer
Writer
A writer is a person who produces literature, such as novels, short stories, plays, screenplays, poetry, or other literary art. Skilled writers are able to use language to portray ideas and images....
and story editor
Story editor
Story editor is a job title in motion picture and television production, also sometimes called "supervising producer". A story editor is a member of the screenwriting staff who edits stories for screenplays....
, while Toshihiro Kawamoto
Toshihiro Kawamoto
is a Japanese animator. He is co-founder and director of the anime studio Bones. He was character designer and animation director of Cowboy Bebop.-Early period:...
created the character designs. The series premiered in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
on Fuji TV on January 6, 2003 and ran for a full season of twenty-six episodes, with the final episode airing on July 29, 2003. A four episode original video animation
Original video animation
, abbreviated as media , are animated films and series made specially for release in home-video formats. The term originated in relation to Japanese animation...
(OVA) was later created and released to DVD to provide a fuller conclusion to the story than the original television run did, and to make up for the four recapitulation
Recapitulation
Recapitulation may refer to:* Recapitulation , a section of musical sonata form where the exposition is repeated in an altered form and the development is concluded...
episodes that originally broadcast in the middle of the series. The first two OVA episodes were released on January 23, 2004, with the final two released a month later on February 25, 2004. Animax
Animax
is a Japanese anime satellite television network, dedicated to broadcasting anime programming. A subsidiary of Japanese media conglomerate Sony, it is headquartered in in Minato, Tokyo, Japan, with its co-founders and shareholders including Sony Pictures Entertainment and the noted anime studios...
also aired the series on its respective networks worldwide, including East Asia
East Asia
East Asia or Eastern Asia is a subregion of Asia that can be defined in either geographical or cultural terms...
, Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia, South-East Asia, South East Asia or Southeastern Asia is a subregion of Asia, consisting of the countries that are geographically south of China, east of India, west of New Guinea and north of Australia. The region lies on the intersection of geological plates, with heavy seismic...
, South Asia
South Asia
South Asia, also known as Southern Asia, is the southern region of the Asian continent, which comprises the sub-Himalayan countries and, for some authorities , also includes the adjoining countries to the west and the east...
, Latin America
Latin America
Latin America is a region of the Americas where Romance languages – particularly Spanish and Portuguese, and variably French – are primarily spoken. Latin America has an area of approximately 21,069,500 km² , almost 3.9% of the Earth's surface or 14.1% of its land surface area...
, and other regions.
Except for the four recap episodes, the entire Wolf's Rain anime series aired in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
as part of Cartoon Network
Cartoon Network
Cartoon Network is a name of television channels worldwide created by Turner Broadcasting which used to primarily show animated programming. The channel began broadcasting on October 1, 1992 in the United States....
's Adult Swim
Adult Swim
Adult Swim is an adult-oriented Cable network that shares channel space with Cartoon Network from 9:00 pm until 6:00 am ET/PT in the United States, and broadcasts in countries such as Australia and New Zealand...
lineup in 2004. It was broadcast on Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
's digital specialty station Rapture TV
Rapture TV
Rapture TV was a previously free-to-air satellite television station operated from the United Kingdom, founded in 1997...
from November 14, 2005 to July 6, 2006. It also aired in the UK on Anime Central
AnimeCentral
Anime Central was a British television channel owned by CSC Media Group. The channel launched on 13 September 2007. It was first announced on 5 August 2007 though its licence first appeared on the Ofcom website in January...
starting November 4, 2007, with only the first 26 episodes airing.
Wolf's Rain is licensed for Region 1 DVD release by Bandai Entertainment. The entire series, including the four OVAs, were released in seven individual volumes that contained four episodes, except for the first two volumes, which had five episodes. With the first volume, Bandai offered a stand-alone version and a limited edition version, which included an art box, Kiba plushie, and the first CD soundtrack. Bandai also released the thirty episodes in a complete series box set and in a two part "Anime Legends" collection.
In Region 2 (Europe) the series is licensed by Beez Entertainment
Beez Entertainment
Beez Entertainment is a European anime distributor, and they also distribute anime soundtracks. They mainly act as the European branch for Bandai Visual as it is owned by Namco Bandai Holdings...
, which also released the entire series, including the OVAs, in seven individual volumes, and later as a box set which also included the first soundtrack CD (see below). In Region 4, Madman Entertainment
Madman Entertainment
Madman Entertainment is an Australian company that distributes international films as well as Japanese anime and manga in Australia and New Zealand. The company is owned by Funtastic Limited and is one of the major entertainment companies in Australia. It employs 130 people and has an annual...
owns the series license and released all twenty-six episodes and four OVA episodes in the form of a complete series box set.
CDs
All of the music for the Wolf's Rain soundtrackSoundtrack
A soundtrack can be recorded music accompanying and synchronized to the images of a motion picture, book, television program or video game; a commercially released soundtrack album of music as featured in the soundtrack of a film or TV show; or the physical area of a film that contains the...
was composed and arranged by Yoko Kanno
Yoko Kanno
is a composer, arranger and musician best known for her work on the soundtracks for many games, anime films, TV series, live-action movies, and advertisements...
. The vocal songs are performed by various artists, including Maaya Sakamoto
Maaya Sakamoto
is a Japanese singer-songwriter, actress, and voice actress. She made her debut as a voice actress in 1992 as the voice of Chifuru in the anime series Little Twins, but is more well known for her role as Hitomi Kanzaki in the hit anime series The Vision of Escaflowne...
, Raj Ramayya
Raj Ramayya
Raj Ramayya is a Session Singer/Composer and part of the duo Beautiful Losers with guitarist Brett Boyd. Ramayya was born in Saskatchewan, and is of Indian heritage...
, Ilaria Graziano
Ilaria Graziano
Ilaria Graziano is an Italian singer and vocalist. She gained popularity with the release of Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex and the subsequent original soundtrack, written by composer Yoko Kanno....
, Steve Conte
Steve Conte
Steve Conte is an American singer and rock musician and lead singer of the band The Contes, along with his brother John Conte, both formerly members of the band Crown Jewels. He is perhaps more popularly known for his collaborations with composer Yoko Kanno, as well as being former lead guitarist...
, and Joyce
Joyce (singer)
Joyce Silveira Moreno, commonly known as Joyce is a Brazilian singer/songwriter, as well as an accomplished guitarist and arranger. She was born in Rio de Janeiro on 31 January 1948...
, and they were recorded around the world, including Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
, Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
, the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, and Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
to offer a diverse range of music and give the soundtrack an international flavor. Two CD soundtracks, produced by Yoko Kanno, Toshiaki Ota, and Shiro Sasaki
Shiro Sasaki
is a Japanese anime producer and music producer working for Victor Entertainment.-External links:...
, were released in Japan by Victor Entertainment
Victor Entertainment
is a subsidiary of Japan Victor Company that produces and distributes music, movies and other entertainment products such as anime and television shows in Japan. It was formerly known as...
.
Wolf's Rain Original Soundtrack, Volume 1 was released March 29, 2003. It contains twenty-one tracks, including the opening and closing themes throughout most of the main series "Stray" and "Gravity" and many of the background sounds used during key points in the main series. The soundtrack was released in the United States by Bandai Entertainment on May 11, 2004 under the title of Wolf's Rain Original Soundtrack.
Wolf's Rain Original Soundtrack, Volume 2 was released on January 21, 2004. It contains an additional 23 tracks, including the closing theme for the final episode of the main series "Tell Me What The Rain Knows", sung by Maaya Sakamoto and with lyrics by Chris Mosdell
Chris Mosdell
Chris Mosdell is a British lyricist, poet, author, composer, vocalist and illustrator, based in Tokyo, Japan, and Boulder, Colorado, USA.He has worked with a wide range of Japanese musicians and artists—the documentary Ink Music: In the Land of the Hundred-Tongued Lyricist bills him as the...
. It also includes background music from the final episode not included in the broadcast version, and music from the four OVA episodes. The second CD has not been licensed for release outside of Japan.
Manga
The two volumeTankobon
, with a literal meaning close to "independently appearing book", is the Japanese term for a book that is complete in itself and is not part of a series , though the manga industry uses it for volumes which may be in a series...
manga series was originally serialized in Magazine Z
Magazine Z
was a Japanese seinen mixed-media magazine published by Kodansha, aimed at teenage males and above, but particularly at hardcore anime and manga fans, featuring articles as well as manga tied into popular franchises. Original manga were also featured in the magazine.It was announced in September...
, a monthly seinen
Seinen
is a subset of manga that is generally targeted at a 20–30 year old male audience, but the audience can be older with some manga aimed at businessmen well into their 40s. In Japanese, the word Seinen means "young man" or "young men" and is not suggestive of sexual matters...
magazine, with the first chapter premiering in April 2003. The manga, which was written by Nobumoto and illustrated by Toshitsugu Iida, is an almost complete retelling of the anime story. Each chapter of the manga series is called a "grope" which is a reference to a Japanese phrase for arriving somewhere after enduring hardships.
The two volumes were released in North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
by VIZ Media
VIZ Media
VIZ Media, LLC, headquartered in San Francisco, is an anime, manga, and Japanese entertainment company. It was founded in 1986 as VIZ LLC. In 2005, VIZ LLC and ShoPro Entertainment merged to form the current VIZ Media LLC, which is jointly owned by Japanese publishers Shogakukan and Shueisha, and...
as individual volumes in 2004 and 2005. An exclusive edition of the first volume was released on November 5, 2004 in Borders
Borders Group
Borders Group, Inc. was an international book and music retailer based in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The company employed approximately 19,500 throughout the U.S., primarily in its Borders and Waldenbooks stores....
and Waldenbooks
Waldenbooks
Waldenbooks , operated by the Walden Book Company, Inc., was an American shopping mall-based bookstore chain and a subsidiary of Borders Group. The chain also ran a video game and software chain under the name Waldensoftware as well as a children's edutainment chain under Walden Kids...
stores that included a collectible box to hold both volumes and a 3D lenticular card
Lenticular printing
Lenticular printing is a technology in which a lenticular lens is used to produce images with an illusion of depth, or the ability to change or move as the image is viewed from different angles...
. The Viz English release is adapted by David Ury
David Ury
David Brian Ury is an American film and television actor, stand-up comedian and Japanese film, anime and manga translation specialist. He is a descendant of German impressionist painter Lesser Ury.- Career :...
, who also acted as translator and Egan Loo. The series has also been released in German
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
by Heyne
Heyne
Heyne is the surname of:* Christian Gottlob Heyne , a German classical scholar and archaeologist* Ernst Bernard Heyne , German Botanist* Moritz Heyne , Germanic linguist* Paul Heyne , an American economist...
, in Italian
Italian language
Italian is a Romance language spoken mainly in Europe: Italy, Switzerland, San Marino, Vatican City, by minorities in Malta, Monaco, Croatia, Slovenia, France, Libya, Eritrea, and Somalia, and by immigrant communities in the Americas and Australia...
by Shin Vision
Shin Vision
Shin Vision Srl was an Italian company based in Rome that published Japanese anime and manga, as well as in merchandising, film/live action, non-Japanese cartoons, and music...
, and in Polish
Polish language
Polish is a language of the Lechitic subgroup of West Slavic languages, used throughout Poland and by Polish minorities in other countries...
by Japonica Polonica Fantastica
Japonica Polonica Fantastica
Japonica Polonica Fantastica, also known as JPF, is a Polish manga publisher, located in Mierzyn near Szczecin, Poland. The founder of JPF is Shin Yasuda.-Titles published:*.hack//Legend of the Twilight*Akira*Angel Sanctuary...
.
Reception
In JapanJapan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, Wolf's Rain ranked third among anime series airing in the same time slot behind Air Master
Air Master
is a seinen manga created by Yokusaru Shibata and serialized in Hakusensha's Young Animal. The story focuses on Maki Aikawa, an ex-gymnast turned street fighter. A 27-episode anime adaptation was produced by Toei Animation. The manga ended in 2006 after a 28 volume run.Geneon had signed an...
and Dear Boys
Dear Boys
is a sports manga by Hiroki Yagami, published by Kodansha in Monthly Shōnen Magazine. As of June 2007, the Dear Boys series has 25 volumes in total, including the Dear Boys: The Early Days and Dear Boys: Act 2...
. The series was considered "a big hit in 2004" for the North American market, selling well in mass markets as well as in on-line markets and at independent retailers. ICv2 notes that it has "a strong appeal to the growing teen and older anime audience." The series was selected as one of the top ten anime properties of 2005 for the ICv2 Retailers Guide to Anime/Manga. Its release was also a central reason Bandai Entertainment earned the ICv2 Anime Company of the Year award for 2004.
Tasha Robinson of SciFi Weekly praised the series for its unusual focus on non-human characters and the interesting dynamic of wolves behaving like wolves as they interact with the human characters and environments in the series. Carlo Santos of Anime News Network
Anime News Network
Anime News Network is an anime industry news website that reports on the status of anime, manga, Japanese popular music and other otaku-related culture within North America, Australia and Japan. Additionally, it sometimes features similar happenings throughout the Anglosphere and elsewhere in the...
praised the visuals of the series, noting that they "showcase Studio BONES at their most imaginative, with beautiful backgrounds that depict settings from high-tech mysticism to urban decay to open wilderness. The character designs are equally striking: in their human form, the wolves wear contemporary outfits, making them the most accessible of all characters." Both Santos and Chris Beveridge of Mania.com noted that the Region 1 DVD volume containing the four recapitulation episodes should be left unbought and skipped as a waste of money; however, they praised Bandai's release of the episodes for putting the episodes on a single volume, unlike in the Japanese release where they were spread over two DVDs requiring them to be bought to get the new episodes on the same volumes. Other critics have complained that while the show had an original and innovative storyline with beautiful visuals and appealing characters, the episodes themselves were poorly paced, undeveloped, and plagued with plot holes.
In The Anime Encyclopedia, Jonathan Clements and Helen McCarthy
Helen McCarthy
Helen McCarthy is the British author of such anime reference books as 500 Manga Heroes and Villains, Anime!, The Anime Movie Guide and Hayao Miyazaki: Master of Japanese Animation. She is the co-author of The Erotic Anime Movie Guide and the exhaustive The Anime Encyclopedia with Jonathan Clements...
criticized the production delays and the haituses that led to the creation of the four recap episodes, stating that "if the makers had spent less time recounting the story so far, they might have had more than enough space to finish the entire run within the requisite 26 episodes." They praised the series soundtrack, feeling it supported "the atmosphere and character development", and felt the "moody, dark, and understated" art was attractive.
Yoko Kanno's soundtrack for the series has also been hailed for its beauty and the way it adds to the series' emotional impact. The instrumental tracks were found to mirror the show's tone perfectly, evoking feelings of sorrow and loss. According to one reviewer, the soundtrack "...shows [Kanno's] skills as both composer and pianist..." and is "...a treat to hear." Kanno's work in the series was nominated for an Annie Award
Annie Award
The Annie Awards have been presented by the Los Angeles, California branch of the International Animated Film Association, ASIFA-Hollywood since 1972...
in the "Music in an Animated Television Production" category in 2006.
The Wolf's Rain manga adaptation has also enjoyed success in the North American market, with the second volume being the ninth best selling graphic novel on the Nielsen BookScan
Nielsen BookScan
Nielsen BookScan is a data provider for the book publishing industry, owned by the Nielsen Company. BookScan compiles point of sale data for book sales.-History:...
list for February 13, 2007. It was considered a "major manga hit" among manga series adapted from an anime series. Anime News Network
Anime News Network
Anime News Network is an anime industry news website that reports on the status of anime, manga, Japanese popular music and other otaku-related culture within North America, Australia and Japan. Additionally, it sometimes features similar happenings throughout the Anglosphere and elsewhere in the...
's Liann Cooper praised its artwork, but also felt its short length and rushed story line made it hard to connect to the characters. He also felt the supporting characters, Cher, Hubb and Quent, were only included "just to have them included". Carlos Santos, also of Anime News Network
Anime News Network
Anime News Network is an anime industry news website that reports on the status of anime, manga, Japanese popular music and other otaku-related culture within North America, Australia and Japan. Additionally, it sometimes features similar happenings throughout the Anglosphere and elsewhere in the...
praised the "snappy pacing" while also considering it the primary downfall of the series. In reviewing the series for Manga: The Complete Guide
Manga: The Complete Guide
Manga: The Complete Guide is a 2007 encyclopedia written by Jason Thompson and published by Del Rey which provides basic details and short reviews of over 1000 Japanese manga titles that have been translated and released in English in North America...
, Rebecca Brown felt the series was a "transparent grab for cash" and criticized its extreme brievity and the art, which she felt was "barely adequate and at times not even that."