WOLF CHILDREN (Mamoru Hosoda, Japan). 117 minutes. Subtitled. Saturday (November 10), 8:15 pm, Royal.
TORONTO REEL ASIAN INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL to November 11 in Toronto November 16 and 17 in Richmond Hill. Various venues. $10-$20. See Indie & Rep Film. reelasian.com. Rating: NNNN
The director of The Girl Who Leapt Through Time returns with another heartfelt, almost casually charming anime feature – this one about Hana, a Tokyo college student who falls in love with a werewolf and bears him a daughter, Yuki, and a son, Ame.
There are no horror elements in Wolf Children its werewolves are a misunderstood but peaceful race. The movie builds its tensions out of the choice Yuki and Ame will someday have to make – whether to stay with their mother in the human world or run into the wilderness to live as wolves. Mamoru Hosoda’s script, co-written with Satoko Okudera, adds a supernatural twist to the usual challenges of parenthood. But even so, it’s delightfully practical when toddler Yuki gets sick, Hana wonders whether she should take her to a pediatrician or a vet.
Given the minimal theatrical distribution of anime, this is likely to be your only chance to see Wolf Children on a big screen, so don’t miss out.
