What Wolf's Rain Is REALLY About - Spoiler Discussion
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- Опубликовано: 11 сен 2024
- Hey Everybody, I decided to make a video on the ideas I noticed in Wolf's Rain. Tell me what you think. sorry for the bad video in certian spots youtube was really picky with copyright on this one
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/ @themarshmedia
I haven't watched Wolf's Rain in a long time but the thing I remember most about it was a feeling of constant melancholy. Something about the tone, the presentation, the writing, and (as you point out) the Mythology of the world made it feel uniquely.... what's the word.... Doomed? But maybe they all found their paradise in the next world simply by getting to live a normal life as friends.
The way I see it, I think that the wolves represent this idea of constantly searching and constantly moving, and since they are these divine beings (referring to their viewpoint as gods in Japanese mythos, but also in the series how they manage to get injured a lot but also find themselves a lot less fragile than humans, they heal quite quickly) in a way that take on human form, but they also manage to encounter all sorts of people and inspire them to keep moving. I think of the old couple they meet being a good example of this. The nobles seek a level of stagnation, which is why their paradise is a false paradise (Hakaru's analysis on the series talks about this), and Kiba's false paradise is similar: it's giving people what they wish to see, but it's stagnation, they aren't moving, they are more or less dreaming. Darcia, on the other hand, it's kind of this phantom figure cursed by his bloodline. When Darcia can no longer save Hamona, he just becomes this person who has lost everything and just seeks revenge and destruction (in particular he wishes for Kiba to lose everything as well). You'll see a lot of interpretations have Darcia's eye be this poison to the world, and I agree with this interpretation. It's kind of the yin and yang dynamic to it. Darcia the I is more so a specter of what has been, trying to open Paradise and failing, thus becoming an owl, and he just roams around as an observer.
With regards to the conclusion, it ends on Kiba running, once again, showcasing that life relies on this constant search for something. Though there is a bit of hope what with the lunar flowers growing in this world naturally, as opposed to artificially, the hope that the world now is even slightly better than it was before.
The part that has always confused me, and will continue to be something I do not think I'll ever get an answer for, is the mystery surrounding Darcia's relationship with Quent. Quent initially thinks it's the wolves attacking his village, but then it is revealed near the end of the TV series to have been the nobles that burnt the village down. Then in the OVA, Quent claims Darcia was at the scene of his village being destroyed, in wolf form. But the problem with that is Darcia wouldn't have been able to turn into a wolf yet, as he is only able to become a wolf after obtaining the Moonlight Crucible from Jaguara's hideout (which was previously used alongside Kiba's blood in an attempt to open Paradise from the Nobles). The other thing is, Quent is a bit of an unreliable narrator at this point, since he is suffering from shock. Darcia's eye, the curse of his house, also has powers, as you can see from it causing the people around Jaguara's hideout to faint. So I'm not necessarily sure if we are to take this as another one of his abilities or Quent's head trauma. The other interpretation I've seen is that the wolf is actually Darcia the II, since he is conveniently never mentioned in the series by name, and the time frame would line up. But I'm not sure about this.
In general Wolf's Rain's world operates on these levels of contradiction. The landscapes that the wolves travel on are always changing (snow to desert). Darcia is a man alive, yet dead, and he has a habit of appearing when least expected. The nobles are neither human nor wolf. It makes the story surrounded in a level of mysticism common in a lot of Bones original works that at times can be kind of hard to comprehend. However, there's something that draws me to it and keeps me thinking of the mysteries, while also receiving a level of satisfaction from all of these discoveries and interpretations.
Either way, thank you for the video. I'm sorry this comment was rather long winded, I've spent a lot of time thinking about this series.
Long winded but I love the passion
I haven't seen Wolf's Rain content in so long so it was a pleasant surprise.
I like how you broke down all their beliefs and how they fit in.
You hit it on the head. I see it as a tragedy and their reincarnation as a second chance, but it's hard to tell if they all had any fulfilling character arc besides finding people to share life with before death.
In the 28 years I've been alive, I've already watched a LOT of anime, but Wolf's Rain is (imo) a highly underrated anime as well as my #1 Favorite Anime. I remember watching it when it first aired. The story's confusing at first, but you catch on quickly. The characters are written so well and though it can come off as very subtle, there's a lot of character development in everyone. Especially Hige and Tsume. To top it off, the music in the show is just awesome. It ranges from very soft and heavenly to tense and badass while working so well with each particular scene.
All in all, Wolf's Rain is a 10/10, in my books.
Same here brother just got the blue ray with he soundtrack on it,if you haven't gotten it yet I implore you to do so
The ending is completely stupid
Man great video, good to see people talking about this show. This anime has on of if not the best soundtracks in anime.
it's about wolves going to paradise
Indeed 🤔
We're still trying
Fr
Never cried so hard in my life watching Toboe go. Literally brings me to tears just thinking about it now. I watched this show back in the summer of 2004. Think about it at least once a month. Maybe more. Yutaka Nakamura also was an illustrator for this show. ❤
A few thoughts, though I haven't watched Wolf's Rain in quite a while now, so I might be fuzzy on the details.
I think it's fair to call it a comment on Buddhism and Abrahamic religions (we see elements of both throughout the series), especially since the creators would have been mostly Buddhist. Calling it a critique of Hinduism, imo, is a big stretch, because there's way too much there for any critique to apply to all of it (there are atheist sects of Hinduism, for example).
But really, I think it's mostly about Buddhism. If you've listened carefully to the lyrics of some of the songs, you'll see why. Heaven's Not Enough is a really good example of this, as it's all about rejecting the idea of heaven in favour of the loved ones you'd leave behind.
I definitely agree with the whole thing about hope (see also: Gravity and Strangers) and especially the found family stuff. I've been specifically following Yoko Kanno, Maaya Sakamoto and Steve Conte's careers, and those themes come up time and again with those three. Rejecting the expected path as well, which we also see with the idea of paradise in Wolf's Rain.
Anyway, I'm rambling, but I loved hearing your thoughts and hope this gives you a bit more to consider.
I've actually been running a cyberpunk red campaign that retells the story of Wolf's Rain - their paradise is getting a bounty lifted, but they're gradually being killed off en route because they're still concerned with making it to their goal instead of focusing on each other. When they reach the guy who can clear their names, he'll only be able to clear one by throwing all the others under the bus.
"Heaven's not enough|
If when I get there I don't remember you"
Thank you for the comment it was very insightful.
At least when I was researching this video I have never done a breakdown before so I wanted to come in fresh not reading into anything else and give what I thought so I was afraid to reach other stuff and let it flavor my opinion. Afterwards I starting looking into it more and I definitely see your point on a lot of the topics. :)
In japanese culture wolves were seen as kami ( hence the japanese word for wolf is okami) of the unknown perils of the wilderness and during the meji era the japanese wolf was hunted to extinction
I liked your perspective of the symbolism of the show but it reminds me again how euro and abrahamic religion centric westerners perception of the world is. Like yes, theres religious and spiritual themes in the show but if you looked into the history of japan and the connection between the ainu and the wolves it goes even deeper. I always thought of this series being a commentary on our path to destruction the more land we destroy and animals that go extinct because of it.
Underrated classic.
Happy 20th anniversary Wolf Rain
Still my number #1 anime of all time ALL TIME
I finished watching it today and I didn't understand by myself, I had to search RUclips videos lol, I actually was as blind as Kiba, wanting so bad to see him reaching paradise I kinda became numb after Toboe's death, still cried a lot for Tsume and Cheza's death lol but in the end it becomes so natural, and I was hoping Kiba could meet them in paradise, just to have everything reseted at the end, it's tragic especially with your theory that doesn't help my feelings :'), because it actually makes sense, unfortunately as someone that believes in god myself and live in a christian country I think the author wanted to criticize negatively religion (or not tbh) because at the same time Kiba doesn't see a life for him to live if it's not seeking paradise he is unhealthily stuck to something, he goes all the way in hope to find something, a contrast to the previous critique, if he had decided to live comfortably with his friend they wouldn't have died and he'd have a good but unfulfilling life, but maybe he wouldn't be contented until he found the truth, this show is really something
Very good review sir.
Hey I have a recommendation, To your Eternity.
If you watch it, I would like to know your thoughts on the differences of Kiba's role in the grand scheme of things and the other character's in "To your eternity."
I started watching it a while back and got a few episodes in. I need to go back and finish it !
@@TheMarshMedia I would highly suggest finishing it! I really think it might make you rethink a little about this series and potentially any endings of anime with reincarnation. Still really glad you shared your opinions over wolf's rain and your interpretation of some of the meanings you took from the show.
Mokuba kaiba
Have you given Natsume's yuujinchou a try? I'd love to hear your thoughts on it
I haven't but I'll note it down for sure! I recently just finished filming a sonny boy video I just need to edit it all together and get it out
Man bro...trim your low frequency... it's unbearable...
This isn't a religious plot. It's about death and re-birth. Most of the themes of religion are based on what the characters are going through. Not the events taking place around them.