Wolf's Rain (2003–2004)
10/10
The best anime around.
18 December 2004
Warning: Spoilers
Following the success of Cowboy Bebop and Rah-Xephon, BONES created this 30-part anime about four wolves on their search for Rakuen (Paradise) . . . And it's terrific! Both the Japanese and English cast is great, making the characters come alive, but the animation itself seems to be an homage to "old-school" animes like Lupin the 3rd and Case Closed.

The soundtrack is great, as well. Yoko Kano (who also composed for Cowboy Bebop and Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex) works her magic in this show, blending melodic tunes with enchanting lyrics and rock melodies with singers such as Steve Conte, Maaya Sakamoto, and Ilaria Graziano.

The characters, although mostly that of the canine variety, are very believable and, at times, quite lovable. You can feel Quent's grief, Toboe's happiness, and Kiba's determination to find Rakuen (Paradise).

As for the plot . . . either it takes place on a futuristic Earth or a different planet altogether (the creators don't really go in-depth about that). Anyways, a wolf wanders into Freeze City and eventually, over the course of the first three episodes, pairs-up with three other wolves to find Paradise.

My only problem with it is the ending, where the creators took the easy way out and killed-off all of the characters, seemingly following in the steps of Cowboy Bebop (where they killed-off the main character, Spike).

But I digress: Wolf's Rain contains one of, if not, the best storyline in anime history, and it has given me something that I could watch over-and-over-again. 10 out of 10.
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