Well, this anime a little more my style than Devil May Cry was. I think my main problem with DMC was that it was so short there wasn’t really time to build a story line. However, Wolf’s Rain had a fabulous plot. It’s set in the future, and wolves are believed to be extinct by a lot of people. However, what the humans don’t know is that wolves have the ability to change into humans. The main character, Kiba, is a large white wolf who’s one purpose in life is to find Paradise. Paradise is a place where wolves reign supreme, and it can only be opened by a wolf. Kiba isn’t exactly sure why he needs to find Paradise so bad, but his instincts tell him where to go and what to do, and he trusts them completely. He meets up with a few other wolves and they go to find Paradise together, forming a pack of sorts.
Kiba: He’s the main character, and his one goal in life it to find and open Paradise. He doesn’t know what it is or how to get to it, but he trusts his instincts and follows them where ever they lead. He exhibits this quite a few times when he suddenly changes course, or when he can sense Cheza’s presence (more about her later). Ultimately, Kiba is ready and willing to do whatever it takes to reach Paradise. Oh, and random trivia: his name means Fang in Japanese.
Cheza: Cheza is a creature called a Flower Maiden. She was created using alchemy from the lunar flower, which is said to lead the way to Paradise. We first meet her in the lab of Dr. Cher Degre. She is stolen from that lab by Darcia, and Kiba realizes how crucial she is to opening Paradise and so much of the show is devoted to rescuing her and keeping her safe. In this show, all the animals can talk to each other regardless of species, but she can talk to both plants and animals. She has healing powers, but her blood is poison.
Tsume: He is a large gray wolf with a very rough personality, a strong fighter instinct. He carries a scar in the shape of an x on his chest. In the beginning of the show, he doesn’t believe in Paradise, but he joins up with Kiba because he has nowhere else to go. He’s one of those people who never shows emotion, never shows fear, never shows pain. However, he does begin to show signs of attachment to the others of the pack after a while. His name means Claw.
Hige: He’s a very laid back tan wolf, and he’s always hungry. He meets up with Kiba and decides to follow him out of curiosity. He believes in Paradise as well, but he’s not nearly as committed as Kiba. He has the best sense of smell out of the four wolves. He’s also a little girl crazy. He wears a collar although he claims to never have been a pet. He doesn’t like fighting as much as Tsume or Kiba, but he can fight if it’s needed. His name means “Whiskers.”
Toboe: He’s the youngest of the pack, and he gets picked on a lot for being small. However, this red wolf has a huge heart. He was brought up as a pet by “Granny” who gave him four silver bracelets to wear on his paw. Because he was raised by a human, he has a love for all humans. Tsume dislikes him for this reason. Toboe doesn’t have a mean bone in his body, though. He is willing to go the extra mile to help someone, no matter if they’re human or wolf. He has the best hearing of the pack. His name means “Howling.”
There are other really important characters like Dr. Cher, Hubb, and Blue, but I didn’t want this to become so long no one wanted to read it, so I just outlined the five biggest characters. For more information on the other characters, you can visit: http://www.absoluteanime.com/wolfs_rain/index.htm I wonder if it’s a coincidence that this show was created by the people who did my favorite anime yet, Cowboy Bebop. I personally loved Wolf’s Rain, and the ending was phenominal! I know that a lot of anime fanatics say that subtitled is the way to go, but I still prefer hearing it in English. I watched it at http://www.metacafe.com/watch/yt-lgiLvBc3fkA/wolfs_rain_episode_1_part_1_english/ That’s the first part of the first episode. The episodes are divided into three parts on this site, and there are 30 episodes. The problem is that sometimes the parts don’t end and begin at the same place so you lose little pieces of the show. If you’d rather watch it with subtitles, I’d use www.animefreak.tv. However, it’s not letting me put a link in there for you.
