spatattack
oh my gosh where do i begin, oh hi! didn't see you there! this is my first review! let us see what i am reviewing! *looks at paper and burns it* NOPE NOPE NOPE I'M NOT DOING THIS *gets dragged back into studio* this is wolf children, just so you know there are spoilers so watch out the movie begins with someone talking about a dream or something, it then shows a school, a girl is having trouble with stuff or something (it has been a long time since i watched this) and sees a guy who it is obvious he gonna be a wolf or something and gonna marry her! after her chasing him they get married later and he can become a wolf (if this is like twilight although i haven't seen it get me out of here) they have 2 children then the dad dies (did Disney work on this?) and, wait, he was a wolf when he died and he was getting food, what was he gonna get her? you know what i don't want to know. after some troubles where she lives they move, one of the children wants to be a wolf and another accidentally cut someone's ear, after tons of boring stuff the children grow, they boy being a wolf to take the place of a dead fox, and the other grows up and probably gets married the mom lives on her own blah blah blah happy ending, this was just bad, i would watch Garfield's fun fest over this and that movie is terrible! in the end if you want to watch a movie about animals that is anime watch the cat returns, how do people like this and it got awards and stuff? i don't know to be honest.
aileencorcoran
A1|10/10|**** I have not watched many Japanese animated films; I've seen three Ghibli films (I loved "Grave of the Fireflies"), and that's it. I just never had much incentive to seek out Japanese animation, which is odd for one who adores the medium. Despite this, I wanted to check out "Wolf Children." I watch my animated films on Kiss Cartoon (unless I own a physical copy), so I headed over to its anime equivalent, and found a version with subtitles, since I always try and watch films in their native tongue. I could barely keep my eyes off the screen, for what I saw was a wonderfully simple film of what is something so complex and bizarre. Its design is so quaint, yet so artistic. Much like Brad Bird did with "Ratatouille," Momaru Hosoda manages to take a very odd concept, and transform it into an involving, moving and ironically real experience."Wolf Children" tells the story of Hana, a nineteen year old college student, who falls quickly in love with a man, who harbours a personal secret. The unnamed man, who I will refer to as Wolf Man, has the ability to transform into a full wolf at will. He has found an accepting person in Hana, who loves him and his lupine ways, and the two move into a small flat, and have two children; Yuki, born on a snowy day, and Ame, born on a rainy day. Together, the quiet, loyal Wolf Man and peppy Hana raise their two children, but struggle to make ends meet; Wolf Man, who works as a moving man, hearkens to the wolfish instinct of hunting for his mate and cubs. While doing so, he dies in an unfortunate accident, when in wolf form, in a heartbreaking scene where a devastated Hana falls to her knees as she sees her husband being thrown in the back of a garbage truck. Hana is forced to drop out of college and quit her job, as she makes use of the Wolf Man's savings to help raise their two kids, who, like their father, can change into wolves at will.We watch Hana struggle even more without her lover, as she is not only raising two young children, but wolf cubs, who chew on her belongings and cause chaos, especially the hyperactive Yuki. Hana is at a loss of how to care for them, as is shown in a darkly humorous scene where Yuki falls ill, and she is not sure whether to bring her to the vets or to a doctor. She studies parenting books and books on raising puppies and wolf behaviour, exhausting herself so she can raise her children to be happy and healthy. Obstacles are inevitable, for Hana cannot bring her children to hospitals for checkups and vaccinations due to their condition, and, in order to keep them hers and to avoid prying eyes, she moves to a large house in the country.For such a strange set up, Hosoda managed to produce a moving feature full or reliability and heart. It seems rather simple, and in a way it is, but complexities lurk under this wolf's skin; here we have a story of a devoted mother and wife, who refuses to give up on her family, no matter how tiring the circumstances may be. We see Hana farm fields of potatoes, only to fail time after time, until help comes when she least expects it. She ends up making unlikely friends, despite the difficulties of keeping her children's secret hidden, and trying to protect them from the world. As time goes on, we see Hana come to terms with the fact, that the wolf ages faster than the child, and even though they may be ten years old as children, they are fully grown wolves, who need to find their own paths. For Yuki and Ame, we see two children trapped between two worlds, who are unsure of whether to follow the call of the wild, act more human, or try and balance on the edge between man and beast. What we have is a multi faceted story, about motherhood, family and love. We have three people facing the trials of adolescence and childhood all at once, of dealing with disability and how others may perceive them. Here we have three individuals, who struggle with who they are and who they may become, with the only person who can understand dead and gone.So many beautiful themes, all handled so delicately and with great care. Such likable characters, such a pleasant, homely tone. The animation is lovely, and reminded me so much of these story books I had as a child, which happened to be translated from Japanese into English. So in watching this film, I had a sense of nostalgia I was not expecting. There are no scenes of epic triumph, but moments of life and joy and glorious happiness, of crippling sadness. We see privilege, prejudice, acceptance and passion. With Hana, Yuki and Ame, we see life in a way we have never seen it before; through the eyes of both man and beast. There's no magic, or ultimatums or deadlines. "Wolf Children" is complex in its simplicity, and simple in its complexity; it's refreshing and engrossing to the last second.All the pure loveliness and heart of this wonderful film shine in not only the relationships between the characters, but in two scenes; one that is before the climax, and another in the snow, with Tagaki Masakatsu's score accenting the simple joy and pure emotion of what dances before us on screen A must see.
Catwings
It's another heartwarming animation directed by Mamoru Hosoda, who is famous for "Summer Wars" and "The Girl Who Leapt Through Time."I tend to choose a film based on its trailer and rating on IMDb or other film sites, so this film is also no exception: I thought it would be a heartwarming human drama depicting wolf children. However, this is more than just a wolf children's story, assumed that wolf children might be trouble living their life along with human.It's a story about a mother and her children, and independence of their parent. The story focuses on how the mother struggles with raising her half-wolf children without their father, and the children choosing their life as either a wolf or a human through adolescence.Although it describes how the mother got to know the wolf man and her financial background such as where her money comes from without job, it's not so important to the story. It shows how hard child rearing is, yet how enjoyable and proud it is as a mother to see children grow- up. I realize again that a mother is strong.One of the striking scenes was that Yuki cries a lot in a car because she can't keep a promise to her mother, and lets her appear as a wolf in front of a boy at school. Going to school has a profound effect on Yuki as a human, so she apologizes to her mother. The mother never scolds Yuki and Ame. I was touched by her attitude that she accepts anything from her children, and she tries so hard in order to bring up them.This film was awarded an Academy Award for the best animation. I like the film deserves the award. I recommend this film to girls, boys, mothers, and people who are struggling in their life.
