Review: Ookami Kodomo no Ame to Yuki

Yeahhhh I have a lot of pending reviews but this one deserves to be reviewed now, before I forget all the feels cos the movie is so damn awesome.

Studio: Madhouse, Studio Chizu

The trailer shows the basic stuff, like a girl falling in love with a werewolf (why does this sound so familiar) and have a couple of children with him. What the trailer DID NOT show is how totally different it is from the typical werewolf romance and shoujo shit the story is all about. Which is why you really HAVE to check this out even if it's not your preferred genre.

So you have the usual girl meets boy story, and the girl is attracted to the boy because he seem different. Familiar again? But good thing it wasn't set in a freakin' high school and the girl isn't a Mary Sue although she is kind of ordinary. At least there aren't any intervening characters that drags the whole story into some love triangle/reverse harem crap. It's free from soap opera and illogical happenings (okay except for the werewolf part). The girl isn't freaked out when the guy reveals who he really is, much like a certain empty shell who has the hots for a certain sparkly undead. That aside, the best thing about their relationship is that everything went naturally from just friends to lovers. There wasn't a need for either of them to try too hard to impress one another, those pointless blushings, the in denial scenes and what not. The guy may come off as cold at first but good thing he isn't like Uchiha Sasuke.

And the wolf guy is so sweet that I think I'm diagnosed with diabetes right now.

cooking for his pregnant wife = perfect husband

The art may be simple, yet the animation is pleasant. No one looks as though they're wearing special costume for a fetish-themed AV. The backgrounds deserved the details more than the character designs do.

Now allow me to rant out what I analyzed from the show. So prepare for possible spoilers.

Stories about a single parent is common in anime nowadays but this time it's a single mom who had to raise a pair of supernatural being. I'm amazed at how strong she is dealing with her loss and the burden she had to carry all alone. Deep down I expected her to snap and dump her wolf kids and moved on with her life. But she didn't. She fukken dealt with it. She knew that the children carries their father's abnormal genes that she even studied really hard on how to specifically raise them. So basically the story is about how to raise weird kids if you wanna compare it real life. And it had never crossed her mind to find a new lover/husband just to ease her burden. Rather than blaming her children for being that way, she made a drastic decision that prioritize what is CONVENIENT for the kids. She's patient and works hard all the way, never complaining.

Seriously, are all Japanese moms like that?

Now let's talk about the kids. I think there's a really strong message behind their character developments.

Being born 'special' has its advantages, and at the same time it has a drawback. Yuki (the elder sister) and Ame (the younger brother) both have the dilemma of being born as not normal, but each with their own way. Each of the siblings have their own stories to tell. Yuki was proud to be a wolf at first, but as she grew she felt more connected to the human side. Ame on the other hand was upset that wolves are often portrayed as the bad guy causing him to hate who he is, but the opposite happened. Ame and Yuki had a conflict on 'which is the right way for them to live?'; as a human or as a wolf?

The strong message here is, who are you to say which is the right path and which is not? One may think that the 'normal life' is the best way to live, the other may think that the 'road not taken' is what is best for him. But did it really matter? If you think the path makes you happy, then go on with it. Parents should really take note of this. I'm sure you'd be happier if your kid picks the stable choice (of occupation or degree), but don't turn a blind eye to the one who wants to do something different. Just support him, even if shit happens to him don't go all "told you so!".

I'm proud of both Yuki and Ame. Yuki, for putting a lot of effort to adapt with the normal life. Ame, for choosing the path as a lone wolf. Either way is a courageous thing to do.

Moral of the story, mothers and future mothers should take a leaf out of Hana's book :D

Last but not least, the OST!! The OST!!! By Takagi Masakatsu (not someone from anime industry world apparently). Here's the track I love most (I think it's the one where the wolf boy runs around the mountain with his 'sensei')