Wolf Children

Story

When Tokyo college student Hana falls in love with an enigmatic man little does she know he can transform into a wolf. The couple settle down to a happy life and have two half-human, half-wolf children. When the father is tragically killed in an accident Hana moves her young family to the remote countryside in the hope her children will live more freely and be able to hide their wolf identities – but for how long? A powerful story about how a single mother navigates an unforgiving world, raising her children to love both sides of their nature and to ultimately find their own path in life.

Why we chose it

The film’s unusual blend of photo-realist animation and a sensitively told story of a single mother raising her wolf children won wide praise from critics and audiences from around the world.

Where it came from

After the success of The Girl Who Leapt Through Time (a novel adaptation) and Summer Wars (partly inspired by Digimon) Wolf Children is considered to be director Mamoru Hosoda first original feature film. The inspiration for the story came from talking to family members about parenting and raising children.

Where it went next

Wolf Children was the second-highest-grossing film in Japan on its debut weekend of 21–22 July 2012, beating Pixar’s animation Brave which opened in Japan on the same weekend. It was the fifth highest grossing film in Japan in 2012. The film won numerous awards including the 2012 Japan Academy Prize, The Audience Award at 2013 New York International Children’s Festival and the, Animation of the Year at the Tokyo International Anime Fair 2014.

Associated stories

A novel by Mamoru Hosoda, Wolf Children: Ame & Yuk, was published in 2012.