Wolf Children

"One mother, two worlds, endless sacrifice..."

2012 1h 57m JA

🙌

8.2

BANGER

★8.2TMDB · 2,554

AnimationFamilyDramaFantasy

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

After her werewolf lover unexpectedly dies in an accident, a woman must find a way to raise the son and daughter that she had with him. However, their inheritance of their father's traits prove to be a challenge for her.

“One mother, two worlds, endless sacrifice...”

WhatsApp X Facebook Telegram

Where to watch · US

HBO Max Amazon ChannelSubscription

HBO MaxSubscription

Amazon VideoRent

Apple TV StoreRent

Google Play MoviesRent

Google Play MoviesBuy

YouTubeBuy

Fandango At HomeBuy

Cast

Aoi Miyazaki
Hana (voice)
Takao Osawa
Wolf Man (voice)
Haru Kuroki
Yuki (voice)
Yukito Nishii
Ame (voice)
Momoka Ohno
Yuki as a Child (voice)
Amon Kabe
Ame as a Child (voice)
Takuma Hiraoka
Sohei (voice)
Megumi Hayashibara
Sohei's Mother (voice)

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Mamoru Hosoda
Writers: Satoko Okudera, Mamoru Hosoda, Mamoru Hosoda
Languages: Japanese
Countries: Japan

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

ERA

Did you know

Released 14 years ago.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

CAST

Did you know

218+ people credited in cast and crew — a small city's worth of labour.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Mamoru Hosoda, shot by Ryo Horibe. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Masakatsu Takagi. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Shigeru Nishiyama shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Aoi Miyazaki and Takao Osawa and Haru Kuroki carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "One mother, two worlds, endless sacrifice...".

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt2140203 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Mamoru Hosoda directs. Ryo Horibe behind the camera. Masakatsu Takagi scores. Shigeru Nishiyama cuts. Produced in Japan. Dialogue in Japanese.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Released 14 years ago.
2218+ people credited in cast and crew — a small city's worth of labour.
3Directed by Mamoru Hosoda, shot by Ryo Horibe. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
4Original score by Masakatsu Takagi. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
5Editor Shigeru Nishiyama shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
6Aoi Miyazaki and Takao Osawa and Haru Kuroki carry the top of the cast.
7Marketing tagline: "One mother, two worlds, endless sacrifice...".
8IMDB entry: tt2140203 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
9Classified under 15 themes, including "wolf", "forest", "death of father", "growing up".
10Released under 11 different titles around the world.

The technical file

Cinematography: Ryo Horibe
Original score: Masakatsu Takagi
Editing: Shigeru Nishiyama
Costume design: Daisuke Iga
Runtime: 117 min · 1h 57m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Box office: $55,262,158
Original language: JA
Certification (US): PG
IMDB: Wolf Children (2012)

Awards

NYICFF Audience Award
Japan Media Arts Festival Animation Division Excellence Award
Mainichi Film Award for Best Animation Film
Japan Academy Prize for Animation of the Year

Individual records documented via Wikidata; the summary above may count more.

Also by

Mamoru Hosoda

Stills · wallpapers

Selected frames

Full-resolution frames — open one to save it as a wallpaper.

Wallpaper

Trailers & featurettes

Watch the pieces

Community reviews

What people are saying

ba10202014-05-22
★ 9.5/10
The movie is beautifully animated and an emotional Rollercoaster ride. Topped only by the excellent Soundtrack by Takagi Masakatsu.
Andres Gomez2016-03-29
★ 7/10
A modern approach to the myth of the wolverine in the wolf extincted Japan. The animation is really fantastic, specially the background staging. The story is interesting and is quite touching the struggle of the mother to raise her children but at some point it becomes a bit boring for lack of rythm.
CinemaSerf2025-08-21
★ 7/10
“Hana” is one of those kindly people who wants to help out, so when she encounters a quiet young man who seems to be gatecrashing their lectures, she offers to share her books with him and pretty soon they are an item, living together and have two children “Yuki” and “Ame”. She (and we) know that he has quite an unique secret that comes in handy when they needed a nice pheasant for dinner, but when he is found dead in a storm drain, not only must she bring up the two children on her meagre savings, but move to somewhere where her children - who have inherited their father’s quirk - can be more relaxed than they can be in a city full of scrutinising eyes. She finds them a remote and ramshackle house which they have fun renovating and as the kids grow up, “Yuki” finds it easier to relate to her school friends whilst “Abe” suddenly turns a maturity corner and begins to yearn for a wilder life in the mountains. Money is still very tight and so “Hana” must rely on her own toil in their fields as well as help from the kindly neighbours - bit all whilst still keeping her children’s dual identity as under wraps as possible. An altercation at school sees “Yuki” lose the plot with new pupil “Sôhei” and that changes the family’s dynamic and with “Abe” becoming less and less interested in his human persona, “Hana” faces some visceral maternal choices that challenge the very essence of nature and nurture, true love and dedication. The animation is entertainingly and finely drawn with plenty of playful mischief throughout and the story is powerfully imbued with three characters who exude something really quite enigmatic. There is a darkness to the latter stages of the plot, but even that is a natural evolution that epitomises the powers of instinct - even when they seemingly are pitched against each other, or when it causes conflict amongst people who care deeply for each other. The fear of the unknown, of the rumour-mongers, the superstitious and the value of trust are all explored a little here, too, and the conclusion is heart-rending but somehow a symbol of progress for them all.