8BitKid: Living Bit by Bit

“Wolf’s Rain” takes place in a dystopian world ravaged by war where the last remnants of the human race are scattered about the globe in city-states. These cities are the last safe enclaves for mankind, and are ruled by a near-mythical echelon known as “The Nobles”. Intermingled with these city-dwellers are the final descendents of the thought-to-be-extinct race of wolves. The wolves possess the ability to shift their shape between their animal form and that of a person, and it is through this device that they are able to remain undetected as they too scrounge through life trying to make ends meet.

The story revolves around a pack of wolves that come across each other and are led by a mysterious new-comer to the city, Kiba. Kiba is on a quest for the mythical “paradise”, and is driven by his determination that there is this heaven-on-earth that holds the secret to salvation for all wolves. Others join him in this search, and the plot that unfolds details the adventures of the pack as they go out in search of their promised land.

The show features an excellent score by Yoko Kanno, who has done work on other memorable series such as “Cowboy Bebop” and “Ghost in the Shell: Stand-Alone Complex”. I am not generally a fan of buying soundtracks, but her works always strike a chord with me, and the music on “Wolf’s Rain” is no exception.

The animation is excellent, but the real joy of the series is how the narrative’s complexity and the mythology of the alternate world progresses with each episode. Aside for a four-episode recap that starts the second season, I found every minute riveting. I don’t want to give too much away, but will say that I anxiously awaited each successive delivery from Netflix to see if the discovery of paradise would bring about the end of the world.

“Wolf’s Rain” winds up being a series about cycles. The wolves themselves find power in the moon, and at a larger level, it poses questions about the nature of rebirth, and the need to return to equilibrium. It crafts a story through compelling characters that share a common bond in their desire to belong and to find greater meaning. They each go about it in different ways, and sometimes this leads them astray or down a dark path. This is not a story overcrowded with characters, and instead gives the viewer the opportunity to grow attached to the personalities and takes the time to add dimension to their traits. I would highly recommend this series to anyone who is looking for a cerebral exploration and enjoys a tale with a clear story arc. It sometimes may be a bit of a downer, but its understated beauty left me with nothing but a smile on my face when the final credits rolled.