Welcome back to Manga Unmasked! In this series, we take a deep dive into the various manga series available in our collection. So, whether you're already a fan of manga or just a curious reader, we hope you might learn a little about your next potential reading obsession. In this edition, a young mother struggles with a smile to raise her two half-wolf, half-human children in Wolf Children: Ame and Yuki.
Check out the previous manga explored with the Manga Unmasked series—My Hero Academia, Spy x Family, and Sailor Moon.
Film Things First
Unlike previous manga titles in this series, the Wolf Children: Ame & Yuki manga came out after the film, Wolf Children.
Wolf Children, on the page and screen, is a slice-of-life* drama. The film was directed and co-written by Mamoru Hosoda, premiered in France on June 25, 2012, and was released in Japan on July 21, 2012.
* A slice-of-life story focuses on the daily—and often mundane—events of the characters' lives including moments cooking, cleaning, farming, going to school, and the interactions the characters have with family, friends, and neighbors.
Wolf Children went on to win the 2012 Mainichi Film Award for Best Animation, the 2013 Japan Academy Prize for Animation of the Year, and the 2013 Animation of the Year award at Toyko International Anime Fair. It also won two awards during the Oslo Films from the South Festival, an Audience Award at the 2013 New York International Children's Film Festival, and the 2014 Best Anime Disc award from Home Media Magazine.
The film was then turned into a light novel and a manga written by Mamoru Hosoda and illustrated by Yū. The light novel was published in Japanese in June 2012 and in English in May 2019. The manga was published in Japanese in July 2012 and in English in March 2014.
At the 2015 Eisner Awards, the English-translated manga was nominated for the "Best U.S. Edition of International Material—Asia" category.
The Paths Life Takes
When Hana started college, she probably didn't expect to soon meet the love of her life—or that he would reveal himself to be a Wolfman. Yet she falls for all of him, wolf and man, and they start a happy life together. They have a daughter, Yuki, and a son, Ame, who are both adorable half-wolf, half-human children. Then, Hana's partner and father of her unique children tragically dies, leaving her a single mother.
There is no set rulebook for raising children that freely shift from wolf-pup to human toddlers on a whim. From teething and puppy bites on furniture to having to choose between an emergency pediatrician or emergency vet, it's hard enough just keeping their secret safe.
With no one left to help raise her half-wolf children, Hana must find a place she can raise her children. Somewhere close to nature where they can grow as both children and wolves and eventually make their own way.
A Mother and Children
Hana
Mother
Voiced by Aoi Miyazaki (Japanese), Colleen Clinkenbeard (English)
Hana is a bright, cheerful young woman who has seen her share of hardship. She was attending university after her father's death when she met the love of her life, a man never named but referred to as "Wolfman" (see right image).
Even after becoming a single mother, Hana perseveres to create a safe and happy environment for her children. She moves to a rural town, takes up farming, and begins a new job as a nature conservationist. She works hard to keep their half-wolf secret safe while venturing out into the wilderness with her children to allow them to explore.
Yuki
Daughter
Voiced by Momoka Ono (child) and Haru Kuroki (Japanese), Lara Woodhull (child) and Jad Saxton (English)
Yuki is an energetic, happy-go-lucky child with a penchant for getting into mischief and catching animals. As a young pup, she had a tendency to chew and get into things she shouldn't. As a young wolf, she is adventurous and brave.
She adjusts quickly to the move from the city to their rural home. As she grows and starts school, she shows more interest in getting along with her schoolmates and actively participates in her studies and school activities.
Ame
Son
Voiced by Amon Kabe (child) and Yukito Nishii (Japanese), Alison Viktorin (child) and Micah Solusod (English)
Ame is a cautious and anxious child who prefers spending his time at home with his mother. As a pup, he's more timid than his sister.
He has a harder time with the move from the city and their new school. He struggles with bullies and so tends to skip school to go with his mother to the nature conservancy or into the woods. As a young wolf, he grows to enjoy the nature around them and the animals in the woods.
Read the Book, Watch the Movie
Whether you prefer taking this story on the go or sitting in with some popcorn (and some tissues), we have Wolf Children on the page and on DVD.
Wolf Children: Ame & Yuki by Mamoru Hosoda, illustrated by Yū
When Hana falls in love with a young interloper she encounters in her college class, the last thing she expects to learn is that he is part wolf.
Instead of rejecting her lover upon learning his secret, she accepts him with open arms. Soon, the couple is expecting their first child and a cozy picture of family life unfolds. But after what seems like a mere moment of bliss to Hana, the father of her children is tragically taken from her.
Life as a single mother is hard in any situation, but when your children walk a fine line between man and beast, the rules of parenting all but go out the window.
With no one to turn to, how will Hana survive?
Wolf Children (Film)
Hana was a student before she was a mother. She was bright and pretty, and her future held endless possibilities. Then she met a man, who turned out to be a wolf, and together they built a family. Hana loved her partner fiercely, but fate took him from her, leaving her alone with two unusual kids she didn’t know how to raise.
Frightened of being discovered, Hana and her wolf children fled to the countryside to build a new life. Raising her little wild things was an adventure. It left Hana bruised, scratched, exhausted, and joyously overwhelmed as her pups grew stronger and wandered further every day.
This is a mother’s journey. Teach your children to chase their dreams – and smile through the tears as they disappear into the world in search of who they will become. Hana wasn’t always a mother, but it was always what she was meant to be.
Staff Reviews
Charissa: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
This movie is a tear-jerker and so beautiful. It's a story of love and loss, family and motherhood, growing up, and letting go. Having watched the film, it's beautifully animated with a wonderful music score to accompany it. Definitely watch with something to hug and a box of tissues nearby, you won't get through to the end with dry eyes. (Although, maybe I'm just a wimp when it comes to movies like this.)