Wolf Children

In an anime world dominated by giant robots and buxom schoolgirls, it’s refreshing to watch a movie that tells a story without resorting to any of the usual anime extravaganzas. Instead, it takes a fantastic tale – the story of a man/wolf who falls in love with a human woman and fathers two human/wolf children – and tells it in a realistic way that makes the story all the more magical for it. Directed by Mamoru Hosoda (Summer Wars), the film explores the concept of nature vs. nurture as the two young kids/cubs try to decide if they want to live their lives as a human or as a wild animal. The mother, after her mate dies, doesn’t have a clue how to raise her offspring, but the audience always feels the love she has for them, which is the key to making the magic of the story work. On top of all that, it’s absolutely gorgeous to look at.