Audience reviews
20 · Sample from the first available page, separate from the total number of ratings.
MurderofCrows13
I'm actually surprised I got through this whole anime. I knew I hated it halfway through, but I also wanted to finish it to see if it would get any better somehow, or, at the very least, to be able to say I finished it.
Story - 2
I think the story starts off decently well. Initially, I liked the darker tone it seemed to be going for, and I was curious about the supernatural elements, as well as the overall setting the story takes place in. The anime proceeds, past the beginning episodes, to have episodes focused on side characters and random towns that have nothing of value - no character development, no real world building. The only thing these episodes might be helping is to contribute to some thematic elements, but honestly, after watching the whole show, I have no idea what those ele…
Read at the sourceVegetaOver9000
Wolf's Rain is in a word: OneoftheworstanimesIhaveeeverseen
I can not believe I watched this whole thing.
The only reason I watched past episode 6 was because someone jokingly lied to me and told me it got better...it only got worse. It was boring with some lame action. A few people claim that the story line is deep and thought provoking (blah blah blah). It felt more like the story writers were trying to be deep, but didn't know what to be deep about.
I was conflicted when it came to the characters. I wanted to like them, but I just couldn't. There wasn't any one who stood out or that I could highlight as the hero of the story. They all had slightly different personalities, but overall they were just different shades of dull. Usually, if I can attach myself to at least one character, I…
Read at the sourcebooksandgreydays
Overall Rating would be a 7,5.
I have JUST finished watching this anime, and I've got to say, I am indeed a little bit mindblown. (I apologize for any mistakes since it is 1 AM.)
Wolf's Rain was a beautiful anime to watch, since the characters are very well developed, in my opinion. It had a rather open ending which was kind of upsetting me because I am not a fan of such things, but I think that the characters were all really relatable. (If you look besides the fact that Kiba really got on my nerves sometimes.) The character development of Tsume was just amazing.
I loved seeing the friendship grow in their little group, and also the relationship of Blue and Hige was really interesting to me.
I really loved the concept of this anime, and I would definitely recommend it to people to give…
Read at the sourceSeyfert
It does do everything it intended (*spoilers* throughout - this is more of an analysis of the aftermath)... it uses grey colours, but it's about a dystopia... it's about bleakness... there's ice caps all over, it's the end of the world. It's a kill-or-be-killed world... if there were any cheerful characters it would seem odd (this makes it more poignant, I think). I'd say that makes it an appropriate vehicle for both the visuals and characterizations.
For anyone who thinks Kiba's expressions are bland, or binary... what would one expect, if he was the sole survivor of his clan? The only white wolf... should he be cheery? All he could do is obsess about the flower, as that was his idea of peace. Tsume also knew the realities of Freeze City... he spouted some angry lines, but it was the mos…
Read at the sourcebrynolf
Well, this certainly was interesting. A pre-apocalyptic world with both gothpunk, fantasy and sci-fi elements. Could have been a total mess, but the mashup actually works. Much thanks to the great graphic design that makes the dying ashes of the world really believeable. The strong cast makes for a great pallet to paint up the core structure of the setting and the music brings the mood to even higher levels.
Sadly, while the world itself is a masterpiece, the story that takes place in it, is not. It is a tale of the Journey variety, and an unusually boring one at that. The cast moves in a straight line during the whole anime, and although there are lots of characters, they all walk in the same direction. The only thing that varies is the constellations of characters, due to a lot of rand…
Read at the sourceFear_the_Reefer
It’s the distant future, and the Earth has been caught in an endless winter. Humanity has pressed on, as it is known to do, by building enclosed communities where they can keep the weather at just where they need it to be in order to eek out what little living they can, brazenly defying the worsening condition of the world around them. Theirs is a world on the brink of apocalypse, and according to an old legend, it’s heralds will not be humans themselves... But wolves. But didn’t wolves go extinct 200 years ago?
Well, no, they didn’t. They acquired the ability to project the image of humans upon themselves, and to the eyes of most humans, they can walk among us completely undetected. Whether they act on it or not, these wolves are drawn to the presence of an entity called The Lunar Flower…
Read at the sourceredmoon_wolf
This is the show that turned me on to anime. This show means so much to me, and has seriously impacted my life and it took me several days after finishing the series to process all the symbolism. That's the thing about Wolf's Rain, it has an incredible amount of depth, metaphors, and symbolism.
STORY: Set in a distant future, the world is falling apart. Most humans don't seem to notice anything that's going on outside of the cities they live in. Just slowly working themselves into the ground, it appears. The end of the world is near. The plot of Wolf's Rain is amazing, and is an amazing take on the classic story of good versus evil. I don't want to give much away here, but trust me... It's worth it to watch all the way through. I know a lot of people have watched it, and stopped towards t…
Read at the source5camp
::Note:: This review includes the OVA. Those final 4 episodes were supposed to be included with the original TV airing run but had to be delayed because of a SARS outbreak in Japan at the time so they aired a few recaps. Note that this review ignores these recaps because it's fucking 2013 and if you watch recap episodes then it's your own bloody fault
Aaanyway
It used to be the case that if you wanted to start a fight in an anime clubroom, all you had to do was stand up and proclaim “Wolf’s Rain is pretentious” and watch the chaos unfold. Fandom has since moved on. Now they get fights about whether Madoka Magica is a deconstruction or not. I’m going to see if I can rekindle a few of those old flames by calling Wolf’s Rain a load of pretentious old twaddle. Also Madoka Magica is a deconst…
Read at the sourceStryder
Wolf's Rain was, to say the least, and interesting, but not overly involving anime. Although I liked the concept, setting, sound and art direction, I could not find myself getting attatched to the characters or involved in the plot.
When I look back at it, I honestly believe that the characters just followed common stereotypes, and really didn't evolve throughout the plot. The supporting characters were able to garner a little interest from me, but the lead was dull and drab, and the only dialogue I can remember from him is "we have to get to paradise". A lead character is supposed to get a viewer emotionally attatched, not bore the viewer to tears.
Then there is the plot. Basically it follows a rather dull and drawn out journey to find the wolves "Paradise", with a few twists and turns…
Read at the sourcedublincore
*Note that for the purposes of this review and the rating I'm ignoring the existence of the 4 back-to-back recap episodes (15-18) and factoring in the four OVA episodes that bring the series to an actual conclusion. Also, expect some spoilers!*
I have a lot of problems with Wolf's Rain. More problems with it than any other anime on my top ten list. Yet it's also on my top ten list. How did this happen? Let's find out! :-D
Wolf's Rain is about four wolves, which in this post-apocalyptic future/past/alternate universe aren't your standard pack of wolves. They demonstrate great resistance to physical injury and possess remarkable regenerative capabilities. They can perform feats of physical skill that no living creature could possibly match. They are capable of disguising themselves as huma…
Read at the sourceangelsreview
Have you ever watched a show that played with your heart so much that you actually cried when watching it? This is what happen to me when I watched Wolf’s Rain. Now before I get pegged for saying that it’s the best show ever, that is not the case. While I love most of the concepts and ideas, followed by music and characters, the show does have one or two downfalls that keep me from saying it’s the best. The story is very slow and almost always seems to go one step forward and two steps back in many different places, leaving you feeling like you don’t want to watch anymore once in a while. I warn people that this is not exactly the show you want to be marathoning, especially if you have a tendency for feeling too much for a character or get to involved in the show.
The characters are almos…
Read at the sourcektulu007
Before I begin I should say that this review will cover the 26 episode series and the four episode OVA. So just be aware of that fact. The reason I don't review them separately is because they only tell a complete story together.
Wolf's Rain has a fairly simple premise. Four wolves who can disguise themselves as humans in an apocalyptic future search for the flower maiden so that they can reach Paradise. It seems simple enough, but the story has a lot of layers. Throughout most of the series there are three or our sub-plots running at the same time and it isn't until the end that they all converge. The story is actually pretty spectacular. Nobumoto Keiko is a very talented writer. The use of symbolism throughout is very subtle and well done. That being said there are a few story problems.…
Read at the sourcechilon
This anime revels in dreariness and repetition.
The contrived and cliched storyline is fed in drabs and threatens to turn into something good without ever realising this threat. After getting halfway through the show, it spends at least 3 episodes just repeating old material. Then when you get near the end, like a second punch in the face when you're down it has another 5 whole episodes of material repeated from previous episodes. And WHAT material! Repetitions of nothing much happening at all. Now I love movies and series where not much happen and where the enjoyment comes from the portrayal rather than a traditional climax driven storyline; but this series has nothing else going for it.
The biggest tragedy of this series is the ending that is so pseudo-metaphysical I want to give the…
Read at the sourceFOLC0N
Wolf rain; if you like carousels this is the anime for you. These wolfs will run on a 2d slant across amazing backs drops they will past mounts, grassy fields, snowy mountains, woods, volcanic mountains, oceans, city’s, deserts, rocks, snow, trees, forests, roads, LAZER BEAMS, spaceships, shops, relics, labourites, streets and many other locations.
Wolf rain is a lot like that sentence too long and only one eight interesting. I enjoyed wolf rain enough to watch all of it but I would not recommend this anime.
Read at the sourceIppoSRB
When you want to put a mark and your own opinion regarding show like this, you first need to think about every detail. Because in this anime, nothing is so obvious. There is always some hidden meaning.
This is the story about friendship, strong bonds between characters, that are yet to be formed, the tasks and dangers that they need to get through together. The love, the honor, the pride.
This is not the story about wolves. This is the story about humans. About US. We take everything for granted now. And in our lives, there will be the moment when those things we took for granted, cease to exist. And then we will face ourselves.
And wolves are trying to tell us that. Only people that still have something human in them will prevail, and live, when the judgment day arrives.
And that thing…
Read at the sourceJesuOtaku_
On the technical side of things, Wolf’s Rain’s animation is gorgeous. You can almost always count on Studio Bones to put out good work, but Wolf’s Rain has a particularly proficient pedigree. Fantastical backgrounds are detailed, varied and engrossing, character designs are distinct and very attractive, and the fights and chases are breathtaking.
The music was composed by Yoko Kanno, which means I might not have to say anymore, but I will. All her work is magnificent, but this may be some of her best. Insert songs and orchestration are beautiful as standalone but absolutely MAKE the emotional moments too. It’s a wonderful soundtrack to listen to without the anime, but it never overwhelms the story either, matching the action onscreen beat for beat.
In terms of voice acting, the Japanes…
Read at the sourcealex264
Earth's decay has long provided anime with many disquieted plots over the past 30 years, but few have been more genuine than Keiko Nobumoto's "Wolf's Rain". Facing the long and dreary tundra before him, the mysterious canine protagonist, Kiba (meaning "Fang" in Japanese) reluctantly moves forward, being called to something he can only describe as paradise. The world has fallen in on itself, as humans have tarnished the earth and almost wiped out the wolf race. Kiba, along with a handful of his remaining kind have learned to blend to their environment, one day hoping to find salvation in the form of a wolf paradise. And now, finally grouped with his own pack, and a guide in the form of a beautiful young flower maiden named Cheza, Kiba must face the dangerous plight to find rebirth. This com…
Read at the sourceGin-iro
The new millennium has brought us many new anime titles. Most of which seem to involve a sad story, a sad main character, and an overall sad feel. Wolf's Rain may indeed fall into that category, but there are unique differences that make this series more complex than that.
Take first, the main character Kiba. He has a goal and he'll do anything to reach it. But he has two distinct sides to his character. One is his proud, rash, and arrogant self that attacks anything that stands in his way. And the other is a quiet, mysterious, and observing type that is expressed when meeting new friends (For instance, when he was reluctant to say his name to Hige) and whenever he is around Cheza. Though not technically the sorrowful character one would expect him to be in an orphaned and lonely state, h…
Read at the sourceMaster10K
Wolf's Rain is a Shounen, Action, Adventure anime with something different about it. It is based on a post apocalyptic Earth that is slowly dying out, yet the main focus is on a pack of Wolves on their journey to paradise.
The show has a very promising start as it kicks off with plenty fast paced action in the first couple episodes and it's not even an issue that a lot of things are unexplained, like why the wolves are able to disguise as humans. Of course a lot is slowing explained throughout the series at a steady pace. Following the initial excitement of the series, it does loose a bit of its essence, from the beginning, but it still remains interesting to watch. It is just before the halfway point that the story becomes inconsistent and confusing, as it just adds in a completely diffe…
Read at the sourceYandere
When I first heard the name Wolf's Rain, I was like, hm, I wonder if it has wolves and when I found it that not only did it have wolves, but the main characters ARE WOLVES, I was so overjoyed, so I had to start watching it.
First thing, I hate to say it and be superficial, but I will - I love Kiba. When I first saw him, he moved my soul and my heart, he was so beautiful in both human form and wolf form, I loved him. I watched in English the first time and I even loved his voice, since Johnny is amazing.
As I continued to watch it, I got more and more attached and I really liked the characters and their different storylines and then the overall storyline is absolutely amazing - it's extremely original and engrossing and I adored watching it and looked forward to the next episodes that air…
Read at the source