A Good Thing Just Gets Better!
D. Allen | Sparks, Nv USA | 07/21/2004
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Hands down, this is probably the finest and enguaging fantasy / science fiction fairy tale ever spun since J.R.R. Tolken penned "The Hobbit / Lord of the Rings"...once you see a couple episodes, you are instantly hooked! Here comes the next 5 episodes! From the first 5, you know who Kiba, Tsume, Hige and Toboe (the wolf pack) are, and are aware of their personalites, but now you finally get to meet Cheza, the flower maiden! Not only that, but you begin to find out who Lord Darsha is and his true quest.
If you are like myself, and have become captivated by this series,each show draws you closer into the stories and charactors. If you are a fan of Cowboy Bebop, this series is produced by the same team, and they continue to out-do themselves every outing. The charactor developement is top notch (Each charactor has a distinctive personality; you become involved with each of them and their individual plights), the animation is as good as if not better than any top notch anime, the dubbing is phenominal (if you select the subtitles, you will notice very few changes if at all to the original Japanese dialoug), and the sound track out of the ball park. If you haven't yet begun collecting this series, I highly suggest you buy the fist disk in the Limited Edition box set, which includes a cd with 90% of the sound track. In my humble opinion, this is probably the finest anime series yet created. If you are a fan of animation of any kind, this series will become the keystone of your collection. To you parents out there...this is not for young viewers. Though seldom lude or explicidly violent, the contents are aimed more toward adults, and some scenes in some of the episodes are very intense.
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Amazing Series
Chris Kinder | Conyers, GA USA | 07/02/2004
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Wolfs Rain would have to be one of my favorite animes ever. It has a wonderful soundtrack by Yoko Kanno, the best anime music composer out there, it is a beutiful show to look at, the animation is movie quality. The characters are also nicely done, everyone has their own distinct personality, and the way the characters interact are well done, the personalitys of them really shine. This show is like no other. It has everything you are looking for in a series. top notch animation, great music, good characters, and it also tells a great story. This show is worth every penny, and you should invest on buying every dvd as they come out."
Basking in the Moonlight
Marc Ruby? | Warren, MI USA | 02/05/2005
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Part of the surprise for me in this series is how easy it was for me to write it off as yet another bishonen fantasy anime based on the previews. Even if you do class it as an example of anime's cult of the beautiful, it stretches the definition of that genre just as Saiyuki does. Stretching it to the point where defining it by the good looks of its main characters is folly. Now that I've seen ten episodes I'm not sure if this is a 'genre' series at all, but it's certainly one of the best I've looked at in a while.
In a world similar to, but different from our own, wolves are nearly extinct, and the environment has degenerated to the point where humanity exists in isolated enclaves with a great deal of desolate territory lies in between. Mankind is divided into those that are nobles, those that serve them, and those that barely make it from day to day. The wolves, hunted and feared, have learned a new trick - they hide in our midst, masquerading as humans.
Led by Kiba four such have fled the city and now slip across the barrens, seeking for a lost paradise. A place where the world has been reborn, a wolf can be free, and the scent of moonflowers lingers in the air. A noble captures Cheza, the last sleeping flower maiden. When she slips from his grasp, she falls in with Kiba, Tsume, Hige, and Toboe and joins their quest. Everyone seems to be chasing them. Military, noble, scientist, or vengeful hunter - all want either the wolves of Cheza.
There are only moments of rest in these episodes, mostly when the pack is in hiding, capturing precious moments of rest. From small town to deadly forest and haunted castles Kiba leads them on a quest with only his heart to guide them. Cheza also seems to have some sense of the way. She is a tragic figure, a waif who combines innocence and wisdom. Like the flowers she has been mde from, she will be short lived, but all the wolves sense that somehow, in the little time she has, Cheza may change the world.
Along with a strong story, art and music combine to make this an exquisite series. Even the ugly and fearsome contains a level of elegance. Characterization is multi-tiered. Even Quent the hunter, who is by far the darkest character has sympathetic moments when you can't help but understand his anger at the wolves. And even the heroes have lapses. Well worth the watching."