That does sound like a bold statement to make, but, while some of the first part of the film is rather rushed and the ending is inconclusive and literally begging for a few minutes longer, Wolf Children is as good a film as that. The best assets were the animation and the way the story is handled. The animation is absolutely fantastic, always have liked the anime style and Wolf Children is one of the best recent examples. The colours are both atmospheric and beautifully gentle, never bold or in your face but intimate-looking without being too twee-looking, while the backgrounds are exquisitely detailed and the characters move expressively.
The story may sound simple and twee reading the plot-line but is actually none of those things. It fills the running time almost perfectly and uses some very mature and relatable themes dealing with them in a way that's sensitive and beyond its years while also making it accessible for a wider audience(a quite difficult thing to do and Wolf Children does this better than most animated films). Not only this, but it is very emotionally powerful as well, plenty of scenes are cute but a lot of it is either charming or heart-wrenching without making it too dark. The script is pretty much the same, it doesn't ever sound childish nor does it sound over-complicated or preachy(considering the themes tackled these were and are very easy traps), none of it is enough to completely go over children's heads neither is any of it dumbed-down-sounding to adults.
I always look out for good music in a film, as a very keen musician and as someone studying classical singing. Wolf Children does have a good music score, no, a great music score, gentle and ethereal mostly but also with some rhythmically driven parts too, matching what's going on nuance for nuance. The characters are adorable but not in a sickly way while also engaging and distinct in personality, they are flawed but also easy to identify with. The voice work is beautifully delivered too and fit the characters and their personalities very well. Overall, a beautiful film that is almost as good as the best of Studio Ghibli. 9/10 Bethany Cox
The story may sound simple and twee reading the plot-line but is actually none of those things. It fills the running time almost perfectly and uses some very mature and relatable themes dealing with them in a way that's sensitive and beyond its years while also making it accessible for a wider audience(a quite difficult thing to do and Wolf Children does this better than most animated films). Not only this, but it is very emotionally powerful as well, plenty of scenes are cute but a lot of it is either charming or heart-wrenching without making it too dark. The script is pretty much the same, it doesn't ever sound childish nor does it sound over-complicated or preachy(considering the themes tackled these were and are very easy traps), none of it is enough to completely go over children's heads neither is any of it dumbed-down-sounding to adults.
I always look out for good music in a film, as a very keen musician and as someone studying classical singing. Wolf Children does have a good music score, no, a great music score, gentle and ethereal mostly but also with some rhythmically driven parts too, matching what's going on nuance for nuance. The characters are adorable but not in a sickly way while also engaging and distinct in personality, they are flawed but also easy to identify with. The voice work is beautifully delivered too and fit the characters and their personalities very well. Overall, a beautiful film that is almost as good as the best of Studio Ghibli. 9/10 Bethany Cox