A great Anime!
An even better Manga
Wolf's Rain (ウルフズ・レイン, Wolf's Rain?) is a Japanese anime and manga series, created by Keiko Nobumoto and BONES, which was adapted into a manga series. The story was originally created by Keiko Nobumoto, a writer and story editor (well known for her work on the popular anime series Cowboy Bebop), who also simultaneously published a manga version of the story. The series is available on DVD in the United States, having been licensed for US distribution by Bandai Entertainment. The complete Wolf's Rain series is 30 episodes long. Wolf's Rain was adapted into a manga, with art by Toshitsugu Iida, which was originally serialized in Japan across Kodansha's Magazine Z manga magazine since April 2003 and spanned a total of 2-tankobon(Japanese term for a "compilation volume" of a particular series(phone-book-sized) volumes. It has been licensed for North American distribution by VIZ, LLC, starting November 3, 2004. It is 2 volumes long and is an alternate telling of Wolf's Rain.
Wolf's Rain takes place in a post-apocalyptic time when much of the world has been ecologically devastated in a form of fimbulwinter and most people live in poverty. A legend is told in the "Book of the Moon" that wolves are mystical beings who came to the world from a place called Rakuen (Paradise), at the dawn of time. It is also said that, in the future, wolves will, with the help of a mysterious woman called the "Flower Maiden", a being created from the essence of lunar flowers, find a way to return to paradise and in doing so, bring about the end of the world. This legend is difficult for most to believe, though, because wolves were thought to have been hunted to extinction nearly 200 years before. Some wolves have survived, though, and have been coexisting with humans right under their noses. The wolves have a way of presenting themselves as being human to other humans, thus they can blend into human society with relatively little notice. This ability is in no way shapeshifting; it is a mental trick, an illusion.
The wolves
The story follows a pack of young wolves: Kiba, Tsume, Hige, and Toboe. Each name is the Japanese word for a "part" of a wolf.
Kiba (キバ (牙), Kiba? lit. "Fang")
Voiced by: Mamoru Miyano (Japanese), Johnny Yong Bosch (English)
The leader of the "pack", Kiba follows his instincts towards Paradise. When he was young, his pack and family was killed when the forest where he lived was burned to the ground by Jaguara's troops. He was then raised by a native who told him that he had a purpose, explaining why the forest spared his life. This native told him that he would have a great journey ahead of him, and that journey was to find paradise. Kiba begins his quest for paradise in the hope that there he will finally find peace. It is revealed later in the series that he is, in fact, the chosen one who is destined to find and open paradise. He tends to be distrustful of humans, and in the early episodes is reluctant to take a human form, even when it's more convenient. He also has a 'love' for Cheza, which may only be due to the fact that she can lead them to paradise. Kiba seems to be an arctic wolf in the series.
Tsume (ツメ (爪), Tsume? lit. "Claw")
Voiced by: Kenta Miyake (Japanese), Crispin Freeman (English)
Tsume is a rough, self-reliant wolf. In the past, he was part of a pack. However, one day his pack was attacked by Jaguara's troops and many of his friends were killed. During the fight, Tsume attempted to flee, leaving all of his dead and dying brethren behind. Because of this, the rest of his group disowned him and the leader attacked him, leaving him with a large X-shaped scar across his chest. He was filled with shame, and for many years after didn't associate with any other packs. However, he eventually meets Toboe, who at first seems to annoy him. But, deep down, Tsume feels sympathy and compassion for Toboe, who is the one who eventually convinces him to come with the rest of the "pack" to Paradise. He initially doesn't believe the stories of Paradise, and only follows the others out of an instinct to protect them and stay part of a pack. He often fights with Kiba. However, he does eventually become a believer and enjoy the company of his pack mates. He seems to be the best fighter among all the wolves. Tsume seems to be a Eurasian wolf or tundra wolf in the anime series.
Hige (ヒゲ (髯), Hige? lit. "Whisker")
Voiced by: Akio Suyama (Japanese), Joshua Seth (English)
Hige seems to know how to function the best in human society, even wearing a dog collar, although the true meaning behind his collar is revealed later in the series. He tends to use his intuition more than the others, but only when he's not thinking with his stomach instead. Hige is quite the ladies' man and is always on the look-out for a nice girl. He has the best sense of smell between the others. Hige seems to be a timber wolf in the series.
Toboe (トオボエ (遠吠え), Toboe? lit. "Howling")
Voiced by: Hiroki Shimowada (Japanese), Mona Marshall (English)
Toboe is 2 years old as a wolf and 14 years old as a human, making him the youngest of the group, Toboe was raised by an elderly woman as a pet. Because of this, he is more like a puppy than a wolf. He has an affection for humans that none of the other wolves can understand - except for Blue. Toboe looks up to Tsume and usually follows him when the group splits up. He also seems to have the best hearing out of all of them. Toboe seems to be a red wolf or an Arabian Wolf in the series.
Blue (ブルー, Burū?)
Voiced by: Mayumi Asano (Japanese), Jessica Straus (English)
A wolfdog who was pet to the family of Quent Yaiden. After the destruction of her home, Kyrios, and most of her family, she travels with Quent hunting wolves. She lives her life as a pet dog, unaware of her wolf bloodlines. Upon meeting Cheza, the wolf in her is awakened. Unable to continue hunting her own kind, she leaves Quent to travel with the pack to Paradise. She grows especially close to Hige. Blue is part wolf and looks to be either part German Shepherd or part Siberian Husky (this is the most probable due to her eyes).
Other characters
Cheza
Voiced by: Arisa Ogasawara (Japanese), Sherry Lynn (English)
The "Flower Maiden" - a girl who is artificially created from a 'Lunar Flower' by the Noble Darcia using the lost art of alchemy. She shares a special bond with the wolves and is the key to finding Paradise. It is said by Darcia that she is blind.
Cher Degré
Voiced by: Kaho Koda (Japanese), Kari Wahlgren (English)
A scientist involved in studying Cheza. She is fascinated by Cheza and desires to understand her and her purpose. Cheza seems to awaken some of her maternal instincts as the series progresses. She and Hubb were once married but divorced after Cheza took over most of Cher's life.
Hamona
Younger twin sister of Jagura. She is the beautiful and passive wife of Darcia until she falls ill with 'Paradise Sickness' and falls into a coma. For most of the anime she served as a reason for Darcia's actions, until she died indirectly by Jagura's attack on Darcia's kept. Eventually, after avenging his wife's death, Darcia forgets her completely and only dreams of Paradise.
Hubb Lebowski
Voiced by: Mitsuru Miyamoto (Japanese), Bob Buchholz (English)
A police detective and ex-husband of Cher Degre. He is still very much in love with Cher and seeks to protect her, often half-jokingly asking if they still have a chance together.
Jagura
Voiced by: Atsuko Tanaka (Japanese), Mary Elizabeth McGlynn (English)
One of the three main feuding Nobles who fell in love with Darcia to the point of obbession but was rejected by him for her sister, something which she never forgave Harmona for. She began to set up an ancient spell used by Lord Darcia the First to create a 'Noble's Paradise' to please and lure Darcia to her. In the process, she ordered the attacked that destoryed Harmona's lifesupport, struck out to eliminate all wolves, and find the chosen one to open Paradise for her. This is also why she is driven to acquire Cheza, for she is the other key part of the spell.
Quent Yaiden
Voiced by: Unshou Ishizuka (Japanese), Tom Wyner (English)
An ex-sheriff from the town of Kyrios. The destruction of his village and the killing of his family by who he thinks was a pack of wolves have led to his deep and abiding hatred for wolves, which is rivaled only by his perpetual desire for a stiff drink. He lives a life on the go with only Blue to keep him company and aid him in his pursuit of wolves to kill. After Blue discovers her relations to the wolves he struggles with his hatred for wolves, and decides that she isn't his dog anymore. Darcia also says that Quent was a wolf-turned-human who forgot his life as a wolf and therefore, cannot turn into his wolf form.
Lord Darcia the Third
Voiced by: Takaya Kuroda (Japanese), Steve Blum (English)
Third generation of the Darcia family of Nobles, who were said to be cursed after Darcia the First disappeared into "Paradise". Due to his grandfather's curse, Darcia is now plagued with an eye that resembles that of a wolf's. He seeks to use Cheza to somehow revive his lover Hamona, who has been stricken with "Paradise sickness", in which her soul is "taken by Paradise", causing her to fall into a coma. But Harmona's death changed that plan, with Darcia mysteriously gone after the destruction of his keep until he resurfaced at Jagara's city where he killed her. Eventually after that, he discards his love for Hamona, saying that "she is nowhere now", and assumed the wolf form of his past life using a stone.
The wolves travel through many obstacles and grow in one way or another. Toboe reaches maturity, Tsume wrestles with his bitter past, Hige battles with his emotions, Blue tries to choose between Quent and Hige, and Kiba struggles to protect Cheza from harm. The story folds in a violent climax where all of the wolves (besides Kiba), Quent, and Cheza are slain by Darcia. Darcia is close to killing Kiba, but instead he tries to open Pardise. It rejects him and he is killed. Kiba wanders around until he cannot walk any further. Suddenly, the ice from under him melts and he drowns as he watches the moon become ivory again - the world has started over once more. It is also important to note that in the legend, wolves were set upon the land by Mother Earth to help human beings, because humans were once lowly creatures that were prey for the demons and monsters that plagued the world at the dawn of time. Once the wolves and humans defeated the monsters, they created humanity (human society, not human beings) from a part of themselves, and taught them basically everything they know. The wolves then kept watch over the humans from afar, and didn't become involved in their affairs.
Because of time constraints, Cartoon Network had to make some edits to Wolf's Rain. There was no content deemed objectionable for broadcast on the TV block, but among these edits:
--The opening introduction sequence was completely cut, as well as the next episode preview. (Which often happens with most anime on Adult Swim) --The ending credits were condensed. (See above) --In the beginning of episodes 25 and 26, there was some footage cut out that was very vital to the plot.
