Product Details

• Actors: Steve Blum, Bob Buchholz, Liam O'Brien, Arisa Ogasawara, Unshô Ishizuka
• Directors: Tensai Okamura
• Writers: Keiko Nobumoto
• Producers: Go Haruna, Masahiko Minami, Minoru Takanashi
• Format: Animated, Box set, Color, DVD, Subtitled, NTSC
• Language: English, Japanese
• Subtitles: English
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
• Number of discs: 4
• Rated: Unrated
• Studio: Bandai
• DVD Release Date: July 25, 2006
• Run Time: 450 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (25 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B000FBFUHM
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #103,765 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)
• For more information about "Wolf's Rain: Anime Legends Complete Collection Vol. 1" visit the Internet Movie Database (IMDb)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Although wolves are supposed to have died out more than 200 years earlier, a quartet of lycanthropes prowl the ruined world of this post-apocalyptic fantasy. The shape-shifters include Tsume, a cynical criminal; eager, naïve Toboe; perpetually hungry Hige; and charismatic Kiba, who's seeking "Rakuen," the prophesied wolf-paradise. Tied to his search are the Moon Flowers, and Cheza, a girl somehow created from those blossoms. But the wolf-boys aren't the only ones interested in the flower-girl. Scientist Cher Degré wants to continue studying Cheza in her laboratory, so she enlists the aid of detective Hubb. The fallen Noble Darcia and Lord Orkham and his minions are after Cheza, and she's somehow linked to Quent, a hunter bent on exterminating the wolf-humans.

The world of high-tech machinery and the world of curses, prophecies, alchemy and shape-shifters would seem to be at odds, yet the filmmakers manage to integrate the two in this often intriguing fantasy-adventure. The dark palate, angular designs, alienated characters, and dramatic camera angles will appeal to fans of Blood: the Last Vampire, and "Rakuen," the paradise Kiba seeks, remains a tantalizing promise. But the plot of Wolf's Rain is complicated with secondary stories and minor characters the filmmakers fail to develop in the first half of the series. Episodes #15-18 consist almost entirely of flashbacks with only an occasional new scene or line of dialogue, which make the story feel both padded and underdeveloped. (Rated 13 and older: violence, brief nudity, alcohol and tobacco use) --Charles Solomon

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

36 of 36 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars THIS IS NOT THE ENTIRE SERIES!, September 11, 2006

By 

David Roth - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Wolf's Rain: Anime Legends Complete Collection Vol. 1 (DVD)

I just figured I'd get that out of the way. This is not the entire series as it seems most people are assuming. This is the Complete Collection Part 1. I'm really not sure why it was done this way, but it is so I just want to make sure to avoid any confusion since there seems to be quite a bit.

Wolf's Rain is my single favorite anime to this day and I still watch it as much as anything else in my collection. It is the story of Keba, Hige, Toboe, and Tsume. They are wolves, a creature thought to have been hunted to extinction by humans 200 years ago. There is a legend that when mankind comes to an end, a paradise will decend upon the Earth that only wolves will be able to attain. This is the background for the show as Keba and the others meet and begin a long journey to find paradise. There are a lot of side stories thrown in to keep the viewer on edge including the wolf hunter tracking our heroes, two human scientists who eventually become caught up in the legend of wolves, and an evil empire that wants to open up paradise for their own evil intentions. Eventually everything intertwines and creates the setting for one of the most powerful endings to any show I have ever seen. But in order to see the entire thing, you will either have to wait until the second half of this collection is released or buy the actual box set that does contain the entire series. Either way you choose to do it, you can't go wrong with Wolf's Rain.

16 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The pros outweigh the cons, September 13, 2006

By 

Kephbren - See all my reviews

This review is from: Wolf's Rain: Anime Legends Complete Collection Vol. 1 (DVD)

First, the cons.
1. It isn't the complete series.
2. It is an older anime style with no computer animations (as in no eye-candy)

Next, the pros.
1. The story is very well developed and solid through the series
2. I would rate it PG personally. Definitely watch it through first before showing it to any kids to make up your own mind though.
3. The American voice-overs are incredibly well done. I watched this first collection through in English and Japanese and it is one of a very short list of series I actually prefer in English.

Synopsis:
The story takes place in a post apocalyptic world. Most wild animals are extinct outside of man-made domed cities. One day, a wolf shows up in one of the domes when everyone thinks they have been extinct for thousands of years. The wolf falls into the hands of the local authorities with one detective becoming very interested after hearing a man tell tales of how wolves can lead people to paradise and appear as humans so they can live safely. In another part of the city a genetically engineered maiden exists who responds to the presence of wolves being near her. The wolves and maiden become the keys to paradise. The story follows wolves, maiden and many other individuals as they search for paradise and answers.

Notes:
I was very leery of the collection when I first picked it up and was disappointed that it wasn't the whole series. Then as I watched it I completely forgot about all of that. The story is so well developed and compelling that I will be buying the next set when it is released and have been showing it to my friends. It isn't the definitive anime series, but it definitely is a classic and more than worth the purchase for people who enjoy anime.

11 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Still my favorite anime after all this time, June 28, 2006

By 

Hannah Givi "~Waitin for my miracle~" - See all my reviews

This review is from: Wolf's Rain: Anime Legends Complete Collection Vol. 1 (DVD)

This anime was what got me hooked on anime years ago when it first came out on cartoon network, and now is definetly considered a classic alongside Cowboy Bebop and others. This is truly a wonderful series that reaches somewhere inside you and pulls you into the very souls of the characters and you feel like you know these people. Yoko Kanno is my favorite music director and the music is absolutely perfect. It's so beautiful and fits the story so well. The overtone is semi dark with those special times where the mood is happy and cheerful.

As for the languages and region, while I wouldn't know yet for this particular box set, I would assume it is just like the individual DVDs they put out with Japanese and English language and English subtitles. And I don't know where to look for the region of the DVD, but I think it might be region 1, whatever it means. I do know that I haven't had any troubles playing it on any of our DVD players.

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