Wolf's Rain: Complete Collection II

As Nobles begin to fall under Lady Jaguarar's might grip, the Wolves continue their search for the kidnapped Cheza. Little do they know that Paradise is about to be opened. But whose will it be? Lady Jaguara has gained all the necessary components for her own ritual to paradise; but despite her power, there are those willing to stand against her, including the Wolves. And once the final battle is over, the wolves must still face a deranged Darcia, who intends to open his own way into paradise. Is it the end for the wolves, or is it just the beginning? Animation by Studio Bones, Music by legendary Yoko Kanno. Character designs by Toshihiro Kawamoto. Genre: Action/Adventure/Sci-fi.

An End To The Journey And A Heart-Wrenching Cost

I explained most of what I thought with the first box set to this classic series this is mostly to do with what happens after the pack reaches its destination to paradise. If you have seen the series from start to finish I'm sure you have just as I have grown to truly care what happens to Kiba and the rest like Tsume, Toboe, Hige, Blue, and some of the other characters of the series. The few episodes to the finale are some of the most heart-aching scenes to watch and made me want to punch some of the people who decided this finale for the series. I don't want to give to much away for first time viewers of the series but I can tell you that even watching the final episodes over again you'll still shed a tear for what happens. That said the series regardless would be a great collection to any anime fans library and for the price well worth it... October 5, 2008

Beautiful

Wolfs Rain is truly one of the few beautiful Animes. It will make you laugh and cry. It also pulls you into the show and makes you feel attached to each of the characters and hope the best for them. The ending is amazing and devastating at the same time it truly holds you there long after the last minuts this is something that any one should watch anime fan or not September 10, 2008

AMAZING!

I personally just LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this anime series for so many reasons. The main one being its about wolves! Either way I personally think its worth buying this set. Not going to lie though, it is kind of depressing but I HIGHLY recommend it! September 10, 2008

So Amazing!

Bandai has been releasing its series in Boxed Sets, but half series for the longer ones (50 episode) in two boxes sold separately. This is for the second half of the series.

The first time I saw the finale (NO SPOILERS!) I almost threw the DVD across the room. Upon viewing this series a second time I come to understand the deep and meaningful message of this show: Good cannot exist without Evil and vice versa.

Without giving away the plot or spoilers, this show continues to excel well into the second half. The final three episodes are heart wrenching but the ending will still give you a lift (second time for me though!)

This is surely one of the better series produced in recent history and the animation, story, and acting are all top quality. Yoko Kanno wrote the soundtrack which, like all of her work, fits the story perfectly.

Dai Sato is one of the best anime creators and screenwriters. He has so far been one of the better writers in this style and genre.

If you like this, also check out Ergo Proxy (though the animation suffers in that show, damn Korean outsourcing), Last Exile (freaking amazing series), or Witch Hunter Robin. DO NOT be fooled into watching Gilgamesh, it steals so obviously from this plot, just without the wolves...

Pros: Animation, acting, story, one of the creepiest villains EVER
Cons: Disgustingly sad ending

Viewing Preference: English Dub (though it was a close one) April 4, 2008

Wolf's Rain - Quest for Paradise

I love Wolf's Rain! I usually only rent DVDs. I had to buy this series! (Warning - if you are not buying the "Limited Edition Collection" in the unique designer box, you will need to buy both "Complete Collection 1" and "Complete Collection 2" - or all 30 episodes (minus the "Recollections" episodes) to really get the full story. Unlike many Anime series, this truly is a serialized novel with a beginning, middle and end.
You can certainly enjoy Wolf's Rain without diving below the surface, or looking for deeper meanings, and if you are happy with that fine! Enjoy! This series has a compelling storyline, endearing characters, beautiful art work and a truly great soundtrack.
However, some people who watch this series complain about the end. I think that those viewers haven't realized that, as engrossing as Wolf's Rain is as a standard Quest Fantasy story, at its heart it is an allegory. It is symbolic of each person's spiritual quest.
Each of the characters represents a different aspect of the spiritual seeker. The events that they experience are symbolic of the stages of spiritual growth that spiritual seekers go through, and the choices a spiritual seeker needs to make - with their consequences.
I have studied comparative religions for many years. There are aspects of a spiritual journey that are portrayed in Wolf's Rain that are found in Judeo-Christian-Islamic traditions (especially Sufism), in North American Shamanism, in Hinduism, and in modern psychology. However, the spiritual journey portrayed in Wolf's Rain is most deeply informed by Vajrayana Buddhism. If you understand the basic world view of Vajrayana Buddhism, you will understand the ending.
If you want to learn more about the type of spiritual quest described in Wolf's Rain, or if you just want to understand what the series' creators were trying to say, I'd like to recommend a few easy to read, easy to find books "The Dark Side of Light Chasers" by Debbie Ford; "Open to Desire - Embracing a Lust for Life" by Mark Epstein, MD; and "Entering the Stream - An Introduction to The Buddha and His Teachings" Edited by Samuel Bercholz and Sherab Chodzin Kohn (Especially look at Chapter 21 - The Oxherding Pictures and Part 4 on Tantric Teachings.)
If you really want to dive deep, I would also recommend, "Man and His Symbols" by Carl Jung; and "The Archetypes and the Collective Unconscious" by Carl Jung.
March 27, 2008

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