Wolf's Rain

Where do I start? There are so many great things about Wolf's Rain. From the opening strains of the opening theme song, "Stray", to the very last chords of "Gravity" in episode 30, Wolf's Rain is an experience unlike any other. The animation is superb, the characters well developed, the story chock full of action, adventure and has a mythology all its own that captivates from the moment you enter into it. You don't have to like anime or even animation for that matter, to get into Wolf's Rain. The shots are the most cinematic I've ever seen in an animated series and the music conducted and arranged by Yoko Kanno is beautiful and timeless. Also, the story leaves a lot of things open for the viewer to interpret, and delves much deeper into issues of meaning, life and nature than any anime that I've ever seen. It incorporates so much from different genres and cultures, that everyone can find something to like in this series. So, for a great experience, check out Wolf's Rain!

Just finished watching episode 27-30 (which were delayed and only released on DVD for some reason, I think a conflict with the network airing in Japan). The original 26 episodes aired on TV though.

The ending reminded me of the RahXephon one, and probably not without coincidence, since Bones (the studio making the anime) did both series.

It is a sad and dark tale about a pack of wolves trying to survive in a hostile world, on their way to a place they call "Paradise" which apparently is a better place than their present.

Recommended if you like serious, melancholic and a bit thought-provoking series.

8 out of 10

I originally found this series on Adult Swim last summer, midway through the series, while scanning through the channels for something to watch on late-night television. I had never seriously watched anime before, and found myself fascinated with this series, especially with the characters. Not all people will find them so interesting, as some have pointed out, but if they appeal to you at all they will grow on you by the end of the series.

As for the flaws, they mostly are with character depth. Each character really has one main feeling, as you could probably guess from watching any episode. The conflicts, twists, and connections between characters make up for this, though, and while you could probably guess a number of the twists, they still have a great impact.

Take in mind, though, that this comes from someone who is obsessed with the series. After seeing one episode, I fell hopelessly in love with it, though not for anime in general, as some might.

Animation here is much better than typical anime, with many talents from Cowboy Bebop, and the overall feel of it is that you don't really mind the shortcuts taken in animation, as they don't really distract you from enjoying the show.

If you want to sample the show before seeing a good amount of it, see at least the first five episodes (or DVD 1) before giving up, as it takes a short amount of time for the series to get into full gear. But once in full gear, you'll love it.

30 episodes, with 4 recap episodes, probably the worst part of the show. Hence, don't buy DVD 4 if you end up wanting to own the series, unless you're a compulsive anime freak who must have all of the disks for the art/whatever. Even then, the episodes (15-18) really don't mean anything, and probably were a chance for the animators to have a vacation off in the tropics. But definitely watch episodes 27-30 if you watch the rest of the series. These are the most abstract of the series, and are very well done.

Overall: 10 out of 10.

This is one of the single most important anime series ever, it single-handedly helped revive the fan side of the industry and created a digi-sub boom. That is why I love this show. I had waited for this show for ages when I first heard about it, when I finally saw it I was amazed. Atmosphere is the body of the show.

From beginning to end this show is presented as a simple adventure/mystery story, but it is much more than that. There is far more to praise in this show than a great number of what was on at the time of its premier in Japan, but this along with Witch Hunter Robin and Gundam Seed represent the kind of quality that the current industry is capable of.

Enough Praise...

Yes there is a lot going for it, plot, character designs, music, atmosphere, character development, but it has one downside, much like the afore mentioned Witch Hunter Robin, it is essentially an Evangelion clone. This is not evident until the end of the show, and it does not hamper the quality of the show, but it does promote a trend. The ending, unlike Evangelion, is happy, and is the most amazing ending one could possibly ever wish for out of this show, but it is a bit cryptic, but satisfying nonetheless.

Wolf's Rain is gold, the kind of gold that we get today. Hopefully we get more like it in the upcoming years.

I first saw the previews for Wolfs Rain on CN, Adult Swim and was surprised. It's ot often that you see such an interesting plot that grabs you right from the get-go. I of course watched it and fell in love. The animation is amazing and fluid thanx to the people who also animated Cowboy Bebop. The characters are deep and interesting, and their personalities contradict each other making it a lot of fun to watch.

The music is average in my opinion but still it is above normal anime standards for good. The one bad thing is the flashback episodes 15-18. They are a waste of time and get you to forget the story. Other than that it is a spectacular series, right up there with Bebop in my opinion. I would give Wolfs Rain a 9 1/2 out of ten and a jar of cookies. I highly recommend this series to anyone who doesn't mind a little swearing and blood. ^^