🎬

Wolf Children (2012)

おおかみこどもの雨と雪

One mother, two worlds, endless sacrifice...

2012-07-21 · Animation, Drama, Family, Fantasy · 117 min

★ 8.2 (2574 votes)

Directed by Mamoru Hosoda

Overview

After her werewolf lover unexpectedly dies in an accident, a woman must find a way to raise the son and daughter that she had with him. However, their inheritance of their father's traits prove to be a challenge for her.

Cast

  • Aoi Miyazaki Aoi Miyazaki Hana (voice)
  • Takao Osawa Takao Osawa Wolf Man (voice)
  • Haru Kuroki Haru Kuroki Yuki (voice)
  • Yukito Nishii Yukito Nishii Ame (voice)
  • Momoka Ohno Momoka Ohno Yuki as a Child (voice)
  • Amon Kabe Amon Kabe Ame as a Child (voice)
  • Takuma Hiraoka Takuma Hiraoka Sohei (voice)
  • Megumi Hayashibara Megumi Hayashibara Sohei's Mother (voice)
  • Mone Kamishiraishi Mone Kamishiraishi Keno (voice)
  • Tadashi Nakamura Tadashi Nakamura Hosokawa (voice)
  • Tamio Ohki Tamio Ohki Yamaoka (voice)
  • Tomie Kataoka Tomie Kataoka Mrs. Nirasaki (voice)
  • Hajime Inoue Hajime Inoue Tendo (voice)
  • Shota Sometani Shota Sometani Mr. Tanabe (voice)
  • Taichi Masu Taichi Masu Radio Announcer (voice)
  • Kumiko Aso Kumiko Aso Mrs. Hotta (voice)
  • Bunta Sugawara Bunta Sugawara Nirasaki (voice)
  • Takashi Kobayashi Takashi Kobayashi Mr. Nirasaki (voice)
  • Mitsuki Tanimura Mitsuki Tanimura Mrs. Doi (voice)
  • Yasuko Egawa Yasuko Egawa Landlord (voice)

Crew

Director
Mamoru Hosoda
Director of Photography
Ryo Horibe
Editor
Shigeru Nishiyama
Original Music Composer
Masakatsu Takagi
Producer
Yuichiro Saito
Producer
Justin Cook
Producer
Takuya Ito
Producer
Takashi Watanabe
Screenplay
Mamoru Hosoda
Screenplay
Satoko Okudera

Details

Revenue
$55,262,158
Homepage
https://gkids.com/films/wolf-children
IMDb
tt2140203
TMDB
110420

Keywords

  • adult animation
  • anime
  • brother sister relationship
  • death of father
  • farming
  • farming community
  • forest
  • growing up
  • mother daughter relationship
  • mother son relationship
  • rural area
  • single mother
  • werewolf
  • werewolf child
  • wolf

Videos

Reviews

CinemaSerf · ★ 7 · 2025-08-21

“Hana” is one of those kindly people who wants to help out, so when she encounters a quiet young man who seems to be gatecrashing their lectures, she offers to share her books with him and pretty soon they are an item, living together and have two children “Yuki” and “Ame”. She (and we) know that he has quite an unique secret that comes in handy when they needed a nice pheasant for dinner, but when he is found dead in a storm drain, not only must she bring up the two children on her meagre savings, but move to somewhere where her children - who have inherited their father’s quirk - can be more relaxed than they can be in a city full of scrutinising eyes. She finds them a remote and ramshackle house which they have fun renovating and as the kids grow up, “Yuki” finds it easier to relate to her school friends whilst “Abe” suddenly turns a maturity corner and begins to yearn for a wilder life in the mountains. Money is still very tight and so “Hana” must rely on her own toil in their fields as well as help from the kindly neighbours - bit all whilst still keeping her children’s dual identity as under wraps as possible. An altercation at school sees “Yuki” lose the plot with new pupil “Sôhei” and that changes the family’s dynamic and with “Abe” becoming less and less interested in his human persona, “Hana” faces some visceral maternal choices that challenge the very essence of nature and nurture, true love and dedication. The animation is entertainingly and finely drawn with plenty of playful mischief throughout and the story is powerfully imbued with three characters who exude something really quite enigmatic. There is a darkness to the latter stages of the plot, but even that is a natural evolution that epitomises the powers of instinct - even when they seemingly are pitched against each other, or when it causes conflict amongst people who care deeply for each other. The fear of the unknown, of the rumour-mongers, the superstitious and the value of trust are all explored a little here, too, and the conclusion is heart-rending but somehow a symbol of progress for them all.

Andres Gomez · ★ 7 · 2016-03-29

A modern approach to the myth of the wolverine in the wolf extincted Japan. The animation is really fantastic, specially the background staging. The story is interesting and is quite touching the struggle of the mother to raise her children but at some point it becomes a bit boring for lack of rythm.

ba1020 · ★ 9.5 · 2014-05-22

The movie is beautifully animated and an emotional Rollercoaster ride. Topped only by the excellent Soundtrack by Takagi Masakatsu.

Similar movies

  • God's Top 10 (2002)
  • Doraemon: Nobita's Great Adventure in the Antarctic Kachi Kochi (2017)
  • Severed (2005)
  • The Golden Boy (2025)
  • Charlotte (2022)
  • Gridiron Gang (2006)
  • A Woman Deceived (2017)
  • A Good Year (2006)
  • Werner and the Wizard of Booze (1990)
  • Black Angel (1980)
  • NO LITTERING (2013)
  • How to Train Your Dragon (2010)