Hi Tavern,

Apologies for my absence...

This week the most amazing thing happened! Mamoru Hosoda, director of the Girl who Leapt through Time and Summer Wars, came in person to my university to show his new film, Wolf Children Rain and Snow, or おおかみこどもの雨と雪. It doesn't seem to have been released yet outside of Japan but it probably will be soon.

Beforehand, Hosoda introduced the film (speaking through a translator). He said that he had mainly created the film for parents, with the intention that they would watch it and think of their children, but that as we were young students who probably don't have children, we should watch it and think of our parents.

Watching the film was a very moving emotional experience for me. I cried several times and I could hear other members of the audience crying too. It is an extremely beautiful film, visually and sentimentally. In some scenes it bears resemblance to My Neighbour Totoro and similar Ghibli films, and I wanted to ask Hosoda whether this was deliberate or coincidental, but I had to leave before my turn at the mike. But while Totoro is a through-and-through feel good story, Wolf Children waxes both sad and joyful. I think it will appeal to everyone here, but most especially those who like Totoro, Kiki's Delivery Service, and Only Yesterday.

In terms of animation, I found that the backgrounds and scenery were very richly drawn, sometimes verging on photorealistic and other times just beautiful. The characters however were very sparse and understated, with little shading or detail. Sometimes this worked very well, but sometimes the contrast between the understated characters on detailed backgrounds was a little bit jarring. The animation was very smooth though, especially when it came to character facial expressions.

I'll now give a brief plot summary with a minimum of spoilers. Hana, a young woman attending university, falls in love with a mysterious man in one of her classes. He isn't a student; in fact he's homeless. But it turns out this man isn't entirely human. He's actually part wolf, the last descendant of the (otherwise extinct) Japanese Wolf, and able to morph between the guise of human and wolf. But she loves him anyway.

She takes him into her home and together they have two children: Yuki (snow), and Ame (rain), named after the weather. They unpredictably change between human and wolf and so, out of fear that they'll be misunderstood by society, Hana keeps them out of sight, and eventually moves out of Tokyo for the countryside where she can raise them in peace.

Taken on their own, the story elements are mostly familiar, with the exception of the wolf-transformation bit, which creates the main dramatic conflicts of the story. But the film isn't about resolving novel dramatic plots. It's more about painting the familiar emotional relationship that parents and childen go through: Hana's struggle to relate to her children even though she can't entirely share in their experiences, her unconditional love and fierce determination to protect them; also Ame's and Yuki's struggle to find their own places in society and life despite being different from other people. The fact that they're werewolves is touched so light-handedly that it won't keep anybody from relating to the characters.



One thing that really sets this movie apart from most is the sheer span of time covered. Altogether it takes place over a span of perhaps 13 or 14 years, from the time the children are born to them becoming more independent, and so you watch them grow up and change.

Wolf Children portrays a very romantic image of life in rural Japan, which Hosoda said drew on his upbringing, as he was raised in a small farming community. He said that he basically put his own hometown on the screen. And that he created this movie while he and his wife were watching their friends raise children. They now have a child of their own. (The audience gave a round of applause).

__________________

Ah yes, Wolf Children was shown here a few months ago as part of an anime festival! I think it was a European premiere or something. By the time I got round to buying tickets for that season I think it had sold out though. :/ From what you've said, it sounds very good, so I must try and get another chance to see it.

__________________

Oo this does sound good, I'll eagerly be waiting for the English release of this if they make one.

__________________

I think this just came out on DVD where I'm at, so I'll have to rent it!

What university are you attending, Mush?

__________________
I like tea!

It was AWESOME.

And very typical of Oshii's straight-faced humour (I lol'ed at the vet scene). But I have to say that the ending twist was really well done, especially Ame's growth development.

__________________
I am me.
I am who I am.
I am Roarkiller.
No one else is me.

Roarkiller.net
Isakaya High RPG Site

quote:

---

Originally posted by fenkashi
Screw your opinions, they are not relevant ^^.

---

Those are two different directors, Mamoru Hosoda and Mamoru Oshii. Both already have made an impressive set of films. I have watched Hosoda's Summer Wars and The Girl Who Leap Through Time, both were quite excellent movies.

quote:

---

Wolf Children portrays a very romantic image of life in rural Japan, which Hosoda said drew on his upbringing, as he was raised in a small farming community. He said that he basically put his own hometown on the screen. And that he created this movie while he and his wife were watching their friends raise children. They now have a child of their own. (The audience gave a round of applause).

---

quote:

---

A very good movie overall. Slighly worse than Ghibli's top tier films...

---

__________________
Hernán (Argentina)
My Ghibli guitar covers with tabs -My Ghibli page

Yestrday I watched this movie and it's so nice and beautiful...It seems to be one of my favorite!

I saw both Summer wars and The Girl Who Leapt Through Time, both were the first Anime films I saw. I loved both of them, can't wait to see Wolf Children.

__________________
"A loving heart is the beginning of all knowledge

Got my DVD from Amazon.

Just bumping this thread now that this has officially been released in North America.

__________________

Hosada is what could have been or will be the next key director in ghibli.

His summer wars was fantastic and the girl who leapt through time was good enough.

I am looking forward to seeing it.

__________________
Watch everything but only take the good things from it

Ask, think and learn. Because the more we know the more we grow.

Watching the wrong to happen is the same as commiting the wrong.

If it looks like things are forcing you to be creative, Then be creative.

its a uniquely Miyazaki film, one only he could make and its uniqueness places it beyond being easily critiqued.[About Porco Rosso]
taken from a quote of Saddletank and Orphic Okapi

quote:

---

Originally posted by saviour2012
His summer wars was good enough and the girl who leapt through time was fantastic.

---

__________________
Isakaya High School Roleplaying Info

"An old man like me stands no chance fighting against a high school girl in her underwear" - Oshino Meme, Nekomonogatari (Kuro)

quote:

---

Originally posted by Saddletank

quote:

---

Originally posted by saviour2012
His summer wars was good enough and the girl who leapt through time was fantastic.

---

Fixed that for you.

---

__________________
Watch everything but only take the good things from it

Ask, think and learn. Because the more we know the more we grow.

Watching the wrong to happen is the same as commiting the wrong.

If it looks like things are forcing you to be creative, Then be creative.

its a uniquely Miyazaki film, one only he could make and its uniqueness places it beyond being easily critiqued.[About Porco Rosso]
taken from a quote of Saddletank and Orphic Okapi

It's not a case of liking one thing more than another and both films were soft sci-fi romances in case you hadn't noticed. "Girl Who Leaped" was simply the better film by far. Characters, plot twists, setting, outcome, directing, pacing, artwork. Summer Wars was a very very simple and bland story overwhelmed by some rather silly CGI. Summer Wars probably has a bigger appeal because of its subject matter (online games).

Anyway, lets continue this if you want in another thread.

__________________
Isakaya High School Roleplaying Info

"An old man like me stands no chance fighting against a high school girl in her underwear" - Oshino Meme, Nekomonogatari (Kuro)

Yes please, because Wolf Children is better than both. XD

__________________

I've seen both "Summer Wars" and "The Girl who Leapt Thru Time". I now have "Wolf Children" and will be watching it very shortly... From the posts, I am very much looking forward to it.

__________________

Finally got to watch the film and 2nd-disc 'specials'...

First of all, I recommend the movie to those who haven't seen it yet. I enjoyed it very much. The artwork was good, the storyline was good and the voices were good... I am not an art critic so I can't comment any further on that other than it was good. The art in the background was animated in some cases as well.

There is so much I want to say about it, but I don't want to give anything away.

Just go see it...

__________________

I think the most memorable part about the film for me was how Yuki and Ame grew up totally different than how I imagined they would. I personally thought Ame would go Yuki's route and vice versa. It's funny how your life changes after but a single brief catalyst.

__________________
I am me.
I am who I am.
I am Roarkiller.
No one else is me.

Roarkiller.net
Isakaya High RPG Site

quote:

---

Originally posted by fenkashi
Screw your opinions, they are not relevant ^^.

---

I personally liked the snow part....

__________________