I had the pleasure to watch Wolf Children with my nephew and my niece, who were eager to watch it on TV when it came out on HBO Family. They were very excited because they had liked previous japanese animated films such as Summer Wars and Your Name.
I had the surprise of finding out that this was a film about motherhood and what it means to be a mother, as well as letting your children grow up and make their own decisions. This is an amazing and beautiful film.
This movie was directed and written by Mamoru Hosoda, also having the name of Ookami Kodomo no Ame to Yuki.
This film is about a woman who falls in love with a werewolf. The two start dating and they have two children, Ame and Yuki, of course, the children are also werewolves. However, one day everything turns for the worst as the father dies in an accident while hunting for food for their children.
This turn of events changes everything for their little family, as the protagonist has now to raise two children by her own, not only that, but they are werewolves and she has to make sure to protect them and hide their true identity, as well as trying to make them fit this duality of being both human and wolf.
This film is beautiful, it's especially touching for single mothers and people who were raised by a single parent. Watching the struggles of this young mother who tries her best to raise their children while also grieving the lost of her husband is amazing.
There is a lot of joy that can be found in being a parent and this movie perfectly captures it.
As the children grow, they experience an identity crisis, as the older daughter wants to connect with humans while the older son feels the need to connect with wolves and the forest. This duality truly mirrors those people that feel like they are from two different worlds, like for example, those who were raised with two different cultures and languages (people raised by immigrants or have parents of different nationalities).
Watching these teenagers fight and worry while the mother desperately tries to hold on to them, trying to find the right path while honoring both of their heritages is truly beautiful.
The animation is gorgeous, Mamoru Hosoda makes beautiful films and this is my favorite of his!
Wolf Children is a beautiful movie, I admit that I cried a bit while watching it. My nephew and my niece also loved it! It's a film that is perfect for the whole family to watch, it's very touching for both children and adults, an amazing movie that you have to watch!
