Wolf's Rain
a review by EveVon
a review by EveVon
Wolf’s rain is a clear example of a niche anime that has something unique going for it. In part because of its uniqueness, it is remembered fondly by a small group of people, and it’s why you’ll see it pop up as a recommendation once in a blue moon. Before picking it up, I did not know much about the context of the series or what it was about. But, as someone who loves to hunt down hidden gems, I wanted to give Wolf’s rain a try.
Right off the bat, we are in the middle of an amazing action scene. We get some beautifully subtle exposition of the world we are in, and my god does that world look interesting! Wolf’s rain does a fantastic job hooking in the viewer and making them invested in the story. It’s only when we keep on watching, that we notice something is off. The base premise is simple and well thought out: wolves are searching for paradise in a shitty, post-apocalyptic world. It is reminiscent of the core premise of Vinland Saga, which was created around the same time. But, when the show covers the details in between story beats, it drops the ball. While I love the fact that Wolf’s rain doesn’t fall into the trap of endless exposition-dumps, part of me at times almost wishes it had. Around halfway through the story, key plot points and elements occur that either weren’t foreshadowed or weren’t properly introduced. During some scenes I found myself wondering what was going on and why I should care about what happens, because the author didn’t care to explain character motivations or how certain devices worked. Why could one character summon magic rings? Why did another character have a wolf's eye? Why did the villains need to hook up a wolf to a device to make the device work and why did they restrain the wolf so poorly if that was their masterplan?
In addition to missing information, Wolf’s rain also had the problem of conflicting information - otherwise known as plot holes. Some of the plot holes will contain major spoilers for the series, so I will not describe them in detail. There are plot holes in this series where the audience is informed that certain characters have obtained a power, but then we see them use the power in flashbacks way before they could possibly have used it. Other plot holes have some characters appear in places where it makes no sense for them to be. The plot holes, when you think about it, are glaringly obvious, and also easily fixed upon a rewrite, so it’s as if the series is working with a first draft.
The characters are fine, in general: they each have their own personality and while none of them are insufferable, some of them might be considered bland. What did annoy me, however, is that character motivations overall (there are one or two exceptions) seemed very fickle. For the main cast, this manifests itself as multiple characters getting their own one-episode turn of ‘not feeling like going to paradise after all’.Then, without those feelings getting visibly resolved, they change their mind and want to go to paradise again.
In any case, the weakest point, character-wise, is the villains. Most of them are bland and generic, with an exception of the main villain. However, the main villain has the same ‘motivation’ problem. We are informed of his core motivation, but once that motivation is removed, the villain for some reason continues to be the villain anyway. As a matter of fact, the villain is just acting as if he never had a core motivation in the first place. What started out as an at least somewhat interesting -albeit cliched- villain archetype, turned into just downright bland and generically evil character who’s just evil for the sake of being evil.
There’s no doubt about it: the visuals in Wolf’s rain are very nice. The character designs are unique and fun (I 100% get why Hige is into Blue). The setting is beautiful, and there’s a lot of subtle visual storytelling and foreshadowing going on. The first episode uses amazing show-don’t-tell exposition to inform the audience that not too long ago, the world fell to ruin after the occurrence of a large-scale war with advanced tech and military robots. It’s a gritty setting but never becomes edgy to the point of cringe.
The voice acting in this series is fine, in general, although one main character (Toboe) sounded overly whiney. I have to admit, though, that I am madly in love with the voice acting for the owl -voiced by the legend who is responsible for the ‘I wish I were a bird’ Azumanga dayoh meme. I guess he finally got his wish fulfilled and became a bird.
The OST has a few unique and therefore memorable tracks in it, which I like. In my opinion, though, most other tracks were forgettable. The intro song is memorable, and the outro is fine, I guess. Not much to complain about.
Wolf’s rain's overall story takes clear inspiration from Go Nagai’s Devilman. It sets up a story about a world that’s slowly falling to ruin and a cast of main characters that journey on in the face of seemingly inescapable doom. Sadly, its messaging is less powerful and clear than it is in Devilman. Not many people know about Wolf's rain, but it has left enough of an impact for some to still recommed it even after almost 20 years since its air-date.
Wolf’s rain is one of the unfortunate cases of a story that is promising and unique, but ultimately couldn’t deliver. Due to the many plot holes, it comes across as if it’s a first draft of a great story that was turned into an anime prematurely. As it stands, I can only describe it as ‘inferior Devilman’. Wolf’s rain is a perfect example of ‘wasted potential’. Such a shame.
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