Wolf's Rain (anime)

Wolf's Rain

Information
Japanese:	ウルフズ・レイン
Romaji:	Urufuzu Rein
Genre(s):	Dark fantasy, Dystopian, Post-apocalyptic
Director:	Tensai Okamura
Producer(s):	Masahiko Minami Minoru Takanashi Go Haruna
Writer(s):	Keiko Nobumoto
Composer(s):	Yoko Kanno
Studio:	Bones Inc.
Licensor(s):	Bandai Visual^(JP) Funimation^(NA) Madman Entertainment^(AUS) Anime Limited^(UK)
Original Network:	Fuji TV
English Network(s):	Adult Swim^(US) Rapture TV^(UK) AnimeCentral, Vice on TV Animax^(IN) Animax^(SEA) Animax^(ZA)
Original Run:	January 6 — July 29, 2003
# of Episodes:	30

Wolf's Rain (ウルフズ・レイン , Urufuzu Rein) is a Japanese anime series created by writer Keiko Nobumoto and produced by studio Bones Inc..

It was directed by Tensai Okamura and featured character designs by Toshihiro Kawamoto, along with a soundtrack produced and arranged by Yoko Kanno.

It focuses on the journey of four lone wolves who cross paths while following the scent of the Lunar Flower, and their search for Paradise.

A two volume manga adaptation under the same name was later released.

For information on the manga, see Wolf's Rain (manga).

Broadcast[]

The Wolf's Rain anime was broadcast in several countries throughout the world. Some picking up the anime almost a decade later.


Country	Networks	Airdate(s)
Japan	Fuji TV	January 6 — July 29, 2003
United States	Adult Swim	April 24 — October 16, 2004
Canada	Razer	TBA
United Kingdom	Rapture TV AnimeCentral Vice on TV	November 14, 2005 — July 6, 2006 November 4, 2007 March 11, 2019
Indonesia	Animax	TBA
Southeast Asia	Animax	TBA
South Africa	Animax SABC 1	TBA
Italy	MTV (Italia) Man-Ga	December 21, 2004 — June 14, 2005 April, 2013
Germany	MTV Germany ProSieben Maxx Animax Germany	February 25 — September 23, 2007 February 7, 2014 TBA
France	Mangas NT1 AB1 Nolife	January 5 — February 9, 2005 April 2, 2005 August 29, 2005 September 21, 2015
Spain	LaSexta Buzz	TBA TBA
Latin America	Animax	July 31, 2005 — November, 2006 January — April 29, 2007 (Re-broadcast)
Poland	Canal+ HBO Hyper	TBA TBA TBA
Brazil	Animax Brazil	TBA

Story[]

According to an old legend, when the end of the world comes, a place known as Paradise will appear. However, only wolves will know how to find it. Although wolves are believed to have been hunted to extinction nearly two hundred years ago, they still exist; surviving by casting illusions over themselves to make them appear human.

Freeze City is a northern human city in a world where the majority of people live in poverty and hardship. Kiba, an injured white wolf, goes to Freeze City, following the scent of the Lunar Flower —the key to opening Paradise. There, he encounters Tsume, Hige and Toboe; three other wolves who were drawn to Freeze City by the scent of the Lunar Flower and took up residence in the city.

The wolves encounter Quent Yaiden and his dog, Blue. Quent is a self-proclaimed former-sheriff of Kyrios who is obsessed with hunting down wolves.

Cheza, the Flower Maiden who is destined to lead the wolves to Paradise, is being studied at a laboratory under the care of Cher Degré. Cheza is awakened by the smell of wolf's blood. As Kiba and Hige approach the lab to find her, she is kidnapped by Lord Darcia the Third, whose ancestors created Cheza.

Despite some initial misgivings and suspicions, they decide to stay together and follow Kiba in his search for the Flower Maiden and Paradise. As they pursue Cheza, the wolves travel through various cities and the remnants of former habitations; meeting other people and animals from various walks of life.

Episode List[]

#	Title	Original JP Airdate	US Airdate
1	"City of Howls" "Hōkō no Machikado" (咆哮の街角)	January 6, 2003	April 24, 2004
2	"Toboe, Who Doesn't Howl" "Nakanai Tōboe" (哭かない遠吠え)	January 13, 2003	May 1, 2004
3	"Bad Fellow"	January 20, 2003	May 8, 2004
4	"Scars in the Wasteland" "Kōya no Kizuato" (荒野の傷跡)	January 27, 2003	May 15, 2004
5	"Fallen Wolves" "Ochita Ōkami" (堕ちた狼)	February 3, 2003	May 22, 2004
6	"The Successors" "Uketsugu Mono" (受け継ぐもの)	February 24, 2003	May 29, 2004
7	"The Flower Maiden" "Hana no Shōjo" (花の少女)	March 3, 2003	June 5, 2004
8	"Song of Sleep" "Nemuri no Uta" (眠りの歌)	March 10, 2003	June 12, 2004
9	"Misgivings" "Giwaku" (疑惑)	March 17, 2003	June 19, 2004
10	"Moon's Doom"	April 7, 2003	June 26, 2004
11	"Vanishing Point" "Shōshitsuten" (消失点)	April 14, 2003	July 3, 2004
12	"Don't Make Me Blue"	April 21, 2003	July 10, 2004
13	"Men's Lament" "Otokotachi no Aika" (男たちの哀歌)	April 28, 2003	July 17, 2004
14	"The Fallen Keep" "Botsuraku no Shiro" (没落の城)	May 5, 2003	July 24, 2004
15	"Grey Wolf" "Haiiroōkami" (灰色狼)	May 12, 2003	unaired
16	"Dream Journey" "Yume no Tabiji" (夢の旅路)	May 19, 2003	unaired
17	"Scent of a Flower, Blood of a Wolf" "Hana no Kaori, Ōkami no Chi" (花の香り, 狼の血)	May 26, 2003	unaired
18	"Men, Wolves, and the Book of the Moon" "Hito Ōkami Tsuki no Sho" (人·狼·月の書)	June 2, 2003	unaired
19	"A Dream of an Oasis" "Oasis no Yume" (オアシスの夢)	June 9, 2003	July 31, 2004
20	"Consciously"	June 16, 2003	August 7, 2004
21	"Battle's Red Glare" "Tatakai no Noroshi" (戦いの狼煙)	June 23, 2003	August 14, 2004
22	"Pieces of a Shooting Star" "Ryūsei no Hahen" (流星の破片)	June 30, 2003	August 21, 2004
23	"Heartbeat of the Black City" "Kuroi Machi no Kodō" (黒い街の鼓動)	July 7, 2003	August 28, 2004
24	"Scent of a Trap" "Wana no Nioi" (罠の匂い)	July 14, 2003	September 4, 2004
25	"False Memories" "Ayamachi no Kioku" (過ちの記憶)	July 21, 2003	September 11, 2004
26	"Moonlight Crucible" "Gekkōro" (月光炉)	July 28, 2003	September 18, 2004
27	"Where the Soul Goes" "Tamashii no Yukue" (魂の行方)	OVA	September 25, 2004
28	"Gunshot of Remorse" "Kaikon no Jūsei" (悔恨の銃声)	OVA	October 2, 2004
29	"High Tide, High Time"	OVA	October 9, 2004
30	"Wolf's Rain"	OVA	October 16, 2004

Cast[]

Character	Japanese	English
Kiba	Mamoru Miyano	Johnny Young Bosch
Hige	Akio Suyama	Joshua Seth
Toboe	Hiroki Shimowada	Mona Marshall
Tsume	Kenta Miyake	Crispin Freeman
Cheza	Arisa Ogasawara	Sherry Lynn
Cher Degré	Kaho Koda	Kari Wahlgren
Hubb Lebowski	Mitsuru Miyamoto	Robert Buchholz
Blue	Mayumi Asano	Jessica Straus
Quent Yaiden	Unsho Ishizuka	Tom Wyner
Lord Darcia III	Takaya Kurado	Steve Blum
Lady Hamona	Maaya Sakamoto	Peggy O'Neal
Lady Jaguara	Atsuko Tanaka	Mary Elizabeth McGlynn

For a full list of characters, see Category:Characters.

Gallery[]

Trivia[]

Some of the episodes' original Japanese titles were already in English. These titles remained unchanged when the series was dubbed in English.
The last 4 episodes were treated as OVAs in Japan; only viewable by DVD.
The last 4 episodes/OVAs aired on Adult Swim in the United States.
The anime series was given articles in many magazines, debuting first in Japan in Newtype monthly.
- Known Newtype USA issues include:
  - January 2003, Vol.2 #1
  - February 2003, Vol.2 #2
  - March 2003, Vol.2 #3
  - July 2004, Vol.3 #7
  - August 2004, Vol.3 #8
  - December 2004, Vol.3 #12
The series' settei was featured in the August of 2003 issue of Animage.