Wolf Children

2012 1h 57m Japanese 8.1

Action, Animation, Drama, Family, Fantasy

Hana, a young woman in a large, busy city, attends a university while also working part-time at a dry cleaner. One day, while at the university, she meets a tall, young man who doesn't attend the university. After conversing with him in multiple conversations, they begin dating. Eventually, at night, the man reveals that he can transform into a wolf at will, something he worried would scare Hana off. It is revealed that the man is the last of his kind. In Hana's apartment, the two have sex. Hana becomes pregnant, and she gives birth to Yuki, a girl, in their own apartment, delivered by Hana and the man. Hana becomes pregnant again and gives birth to a baby boy, whose name is Ame, on a rainy day in spring. That same day, the father mysteriously leaves and is found dead in a river while trying to hunt food for the babies. Hana attempts raising the two children with the little savings left behind by the wolf man, but this becomes a problem when Yuki cannot control switching between her human and wolf form. Hana also attempts to conceal their wolf forms from the people in the city, but, with Yuki, this is also a problem. Yuki becomes very lively while Ame stays by his mother at all times. After social workers try to check on the children (as they have never had vaccinations), Hana decides she has had enough and moves to the countryside away from prying neighbors. Life in the countryside is difficult at first with plants dying within just days after being planted, with the little savings left and with the house in need of repairs. Yuki and Ame have adventures around the forest, chasing animals and playing around while Hana repairs the house. With Nirasaki's help, the plants begin to grow into potatoes. Due to the large harvest, the people around exchange much-needed items for potatoes. Neighbors begin to visit and wonder why Hana's field grew crops successfully as all the other crops were destroyed by a boar. In the winter, Yuki and Ame explore the terrain with Hana slowly following. Ame attempts catching a kingfisher before falling into a river. Yuki rescues him shortly after as Hana then sees Ame, lying there, motionless. Hana then hugs him as Ame then says that she's holding him too tight. Yuki finally begins school at age 5 by following every direction Hana gives her, including a promise that Yuki doesn't transform into a wolf. Yuki is nervous at first but becomes less so as the day goes on. Yuki eventually passes up school, making friends. Eventually, they freak out due to the odd, frightening things Yuki collects, such as bones and dried reptiles. Yuki vows to be more graceful and ladylike to get along with her friends, including a blue dress Hana makes for her to wear to school. Ame also attends but doesn't last long in school as he is bullied. Hana becomes a nature conservationist but is paid little which is no problem to her. Ame accompanies her, visiting the old timber wolf and occasionally transforming into a wolf in front of her. Years pass until Yuki is in the 4th grade. A transfer student whose name is Sohei figures out that something is up with Yuki. One day, while being continuously followed by Sohei, Yuki becomes angry, transforms into her wolf form and cuts his ear. Her class suspect that Yuki attacked him, and Yuki becomes upset by this. Yuki doesn't attend school for many days while Sohei visits daily, giving her homework and food he gathers. Yuki refuses to see him. Meanwhile, Sohei says that a wolf attacked him, letting Yuki go of the blame. After a few more visits, they become friends, and Yuki attends. Ame begins to travel into the mountains frequently, visiting a fox that is the leader of the forest which Ame calls Sensei. After a heated argument between Yuki and Ame over whether they are human or wolf. They fight each other in wolf form, causing quite a bit of destruction to the house as Hana tries to stop them. She realizes they are going on separate paths from each other. A large amount of storms occur which makes Ame worried that something bad will happen to the forest. Ame begins visiting the mountains more frequently. When he returns, Ame reveals Sensei's leg is hurt, he might die and Ame might take over Sensei's responsibilities. Hana pleads him to stay home. She does this again when Yuki leaves for school. Due to a very large storm passing by, the children get out of classes early and wait for their parents to pick them. One by one, they are picked up except for four kids, two of which are Yuki and Sohei. While searching for cards, Sohei falls asleep in class and Yuki tries to find him. The two others are left behind and then are picked up by the principal in the school car. Ame leaves Hana at the house, and Hana tries finding him with no success, falling into puddles and sliding down hills. Meanwhile, Sohei and Yuki hide in a classroom. Sohei reveals that his mom got married and that she is pregnant. He says that once it's born, he wouldn't be needed anymore and that he would run away from home, becoming a boxer or wrestler. Yuki also reveals to Sohei something: that she was the wolf who attacked him. Sohei already knew this, however and told no one. He keeps his promise to not tell anyone, and Yuki thanks him. Hana is sleeping in the forest. She has a dream that she visits her wolf man in a field filled with flowers. He tells her that she has raised the children well and that Ame is an adult. In the real world, Ame is carrying Hana to an abandoned parking lot, and it is still raining. Ame sets her down, and Hana wakes up. Hana pleads for him to come back, but Ame refuses, transforming into a wolf. The wolf runs off as Hana watches. It reaches the highest point on a mountain side and howls for a long time. Because of this, the sun begins to re-emerge. Ame stops howling and runs off while Hana says goodbye. Two years later and shown in photos, Yuki leaves the house for the dorms in junior high school. It is revealed that Hana is still living in the house in the countryside. She is shown dipping a kebab of meat in a sauce then putting it in a small bowl next to the driver's license of the man she had had dated all those years ago.