Story:Wolf's Rain takes place in a post-apocalyptic time when much of the world has been ecologically devastated in a form of fimbulwinter and most people live in poverty. The location is not specified, but many pieces of writing, such as road signs, food labels, and computer monitors, use the cyrillic alphabet. A legend is told in the Book of the Moon that wolves are mystical beings who came to the world from a place called Rakuen (楽園, Rakuen? Paradise), at the dawn of time and will one day find a way to return to paradise. They must first seek out the Flower Maiden (花の少女, Hana no Shōjo?) (a being created from the essence of lunar flowers) to guide them to paradise. This legend is nearly forgotten because wolves were thought to have been hunted to extinction nearly two hundred years earlier. Some wolves, however, have found a way to survive by coexisting with humans and blending into society,appearing human themselves.
Characters:Wolves
The story follows a pack of young wolves: Kiba, Tsume, Hige, and Toboe. Each name is the Japanese word for a "part" of a wolf.
Kiba (キバ (牙), Kiba? lit. "Fang")
http://www.quizilla.com/user_images/C/chichan/1050663705_sktopkiba1.jpgVoiced by: Mamoru Miyano (Japanese), Johnny Yong Bosch (English)
The (more or less) leader of the "pack", Kiba is a wolf who follows his instincts towards Paradise. When he was young, his pack and family were slaughtered when the forest where he lived was burned to the ground by Jaguara's troops. He was then raised by a shaman who told him that he had a purpose, explaining why the forest had sheltered him from the flames. The shaman told him that he would have a great journey ahead of him, and that journey was to find Paradise. Kiba begins his quest for Paradise in the hope that there he will finally find peace. It is revealed later in the series that he is in fact the chosen one who is destined to find and open Paradise.
He tends to be distrustful toward humans, and in the early episodes his pride as a wolf makes him reluctant to disguise himself as a human. He also has an attraction to Cheza, though it is unclear whether this is romantic attraction or if it is only because she can lead him to Paradise.
Tsume (ツメ (爪), Tsume? lit. "Claw")
http://www.quizilla.com/user_images/C/chichan/1050664008_sktoptume1.jpgVoiced by: Kenta Miyake (Japanese), Crispin Freeman (English)
Tsume is a rough, self-reliant wolf. In the past, he was part of a pack. However, one day his pack was attacked by Jaguara's troops and many of his comrades were killed. During the fight, Tsume attempted to flee, leaving all of his dead and dying brethren behind. Because of this, the rest of the pack cast him out, and the leader attacked him, leaving him with a large X-shaped scar across his chest. Filled with shame, Tsume did not assosciate with other wolves for many years, and became the leader of a group of human thieves. However, he eventually meets Toboe, who at first seems to annoy him. However, Tsume later feels sympathy and compassion for Toboe, who is the one who eventually convinces him to come with the rest of the "pack" to Paradise. Initially, he does not believe the stories of Paradise, and claims he only follows the others out of boredom of his original home. He often finds himself in conflict with Kiba, finding his single minded devotion to be irritating. However, he does eventually become a believer and enjoys the company of his pack mates. After Kiba, he is the best fighter among the wolves and is more analytical and observant.
Hige (ヒゲ (髯), Hige? lit. "Whisker")
http://www.programwitch.com/images/1050663895_sktophige1.jpgVoiced by: Akio Suyama (Japanese), Joshua Seth (English)
Hige seems to know how to function the best in human society, even wearing a dog collar, although the true meaning behind his collar is revealed later in the series. He tends to use his intuition more than the others, but only when he is not thinking with his stomach instead. Hige is something of a womanizer and is always on the look-out for a female companion. He starts off as a laid back joker, though he matures as the series goes on.
Toboe (トオボエ (遠吠え), Toboe? lit. "Howling")
http://dayedreamer.files.wordpress.com/2008/05/toboe.jpgVoiced by: Hiroki Shimowada (Japanese), Mona Marshall (English)
Toboe is the youngest of the group, often acting more like a puppy than a wolf. Toboe was raised as a pet by an elderly woman, whom he accidentally killed in an unrestrained act of playfulness. The silver bracelets are all he has left of her. Toboe maintains an affection for humans that none of the other wolves can understand (with the exception of Blue). Toboe looks up to Tsume and usually follows him when the group splits up. He also seems to have the best hearing out of all of them. He often is more shy than bold, although when the pack is in dire threat his rage can stand beyond his timid nature and propel him ravenously into battle.
Blue (ブルー, Burū?)
http://images.absoluteanime.com/wolfs_rain/blue.jpgVoiced by: Mayumi Asano (Japanese), Jessica Straus (English)
A wolfdog who was pet to the family of Quent Yaiden. After the destruction of her home and family in the village of Kyrios (Curious), she travels with Quent hunting wolves under the belief that they were responsible for the tragedy. She lives her life as a pet dog, unaware of her wolf bloodline. Upon meeting Cheza, the wolf in her is awakened. Unable to continue hunting her own kind, she leaves Quent to travel with the pack to Paradise. She grows especially close to Hige.
Oakum; the man who originally kidnapped Cheza from Darcia.
Other Characters:Cheza (チェザ, Cheza?) (pronounced chez-ah)
http://www.quizilla.com/user_images/C/chichan/1050665389_ktopcheza1.jpgVoiced by: Arisa Ogasawara (Japanese), Sherry Lynn (English)
The Flower Maiden (花の少女, Hana no Shōjo?), a girl who is artificially created from a lunar flower by the noble Darcia the First using the lost art of alchemy. She was in a state of suspended animation in a scientific research lab, and was awoken by the presence of Kiba. She shares a special bond with the wolves and is the key to finding Paradise. It is said by Darcia the Third that she is blind.
Cher Degré (シェール・ドゥグレ, Shēru Dugure?)
http://www.geocities.com/sunlitdaydreams/cher_s1.gifVoiced by: Kaho Koda (Japanese), Kari Wahlgren (English)
A scientist involved in studying Cheza. She is fascinated by Cheza and desires to understand her and her purpose. She and Hubb were once married, but divorced after her work with Cheza became more important than her marriage.
Hamona (ハモナ, Hamona?) (pronounced ha-moh-nah)
http://img.tchatcheblog.com/articleimage.ashx?id=8405051&w=400&h=400Voiced by: Maaya Sakamoto (Japanese), Peggy O'Neal (English)
Younger twin sister of Jaguara. She is the beautiful wife of Darcia until she falls ill with 'Paradise Sickness', part of a curse that is passed down in the Darcia family from the curse that was placed upon Darcia the First. She serves as a reason for Darcia's actions, until she dies during Jaguara's attack on Darcia's keep.
Hubb Lebowski (ハブ・リボウスキー, Habu Ribōsukī?)
http://www.absoluteanime.com/wolfs_rain/hubb.gifVoiced by: Mitsuru Miyamoto (Japanese), Bob Buchholz (English)
A police detective and ex-husband of Cher Degré. He is still very much in love with Cher and seeks to protect her, often half-jokingly asking if they still have a chance together. After Quent had shot Kiba, he was detained and questioned by the police, at which point he said that the animal he had shot was no mere dog, but a wolf. After hearing this he began to obsess himself over the matter, and once he was given a copy of the banned "Book of the Moon" by Cher after she leaves to hunt Cheza with a commander of the army employed by Lord Orchum, he became completely and utterly enthralled with them, teaming up with Quent as he continued his search for Cher.
Lady Jaguara (ジャガラ卿, Jagara-kyō?)
http://images.absoluteanime.com/wolfs_rain/jagara.jpgVoiced by: Atsuko Tanaka (Japanese), Mary Elizabeth McGlynn (English)
One of the three feuding Nobles who fell in love with Darcia to the point of obsession but was rejected by him for her sister, something which she never forgave Hamona for. She began to set up an ancient spell used by Lord Darcia the First to create a 'Noble's Paradise' to please and lure Darcia to her, adbucting Cheza from Darcia's Keep. In the process, she ordered the attack that destroyed Hamona's lifesupport and soon struck out to eliminate the wolves, who were heading to her domain.
Quent Yaiden (クエント・ヤイデン, Kuento Yaiden?)
http://www.quizilla.com/user_images/C/chichan/1050663855_ktopquent1.jpgVoiced by: Unshou Ishizuka (Japanese), Tom Wyner (English)
An ex-sheriff from the town of Kyrios. The destruction of his village and the killing of his family by who he thinks was a pack of wolves have led to his deep and abiding hatred for wolves, which is rivaled only by his perpetual desire for a stiff drink. He lives a life on the go with only Blue to keep him company and aid him in his pursuit of wolves to kill. After Blue discovers her relations to the wolves, Quent soon finds out, and as he still struggles with his hatred for wolves, he decides that she is not his dog anymore. Darcia, the true murderer of his family, also says that Quent was a wolf-turned-human who forgot his life as a wolf and therefore, cannot turn into his wolf form ever again.
Lord Darcia the Third (ダルシア, Darushia?)
http://www.freewebs.com/xxwolfsrainxx/darcia123.jpgVoiced by: Takaya Kuroda (Japanese), Steven Blum (English)
Third generation of the Darcia family of Nobles, who were said to be cursed after Darcia the First disappeared into "Paradise". Due to his grandfather's curse, Darcia is now plagued with an eye that resembles that of a wolf's. He seeks to use Cheza to somehow revive his lover Hamona, who has been stricken with "Paradise sickness", in which her soul is "taken by Paradise", causing her to fall into a coma. But Hamona's death changes that plan, with Darcia mysteriously disappearing after the destruction of his keep until he resurfaces at Jaguara's city. The loss of Hamona and the poison from Jaguara's dagger drive Darcia mad. Eventually after that, he discards his love for Hamona, saying that "she is nowhere now", and assumes the form of human.
Terminology:Wolf (狼, Ōkami?)
Wolves are thought to have been hunted to extinction two hundred years prior to the beginning of the series. It is said in the Book of the Moon that they are mystical beings, having descended to Earth from Paradise, and that in the future, they will find it, with the help of the Flower Maiden.
Paradise (楽園, Rakuen?)
The object of the wolves' quest. It is said in the Book of the Moon that the wolves will be guided to Paradise with the help of the Flower Maiden and the scent of the Lunar Flowers. It can be thought of as a heaven-like realm.
Lunar Flower (月の花, Tsuki no Hana?)
Mystical flowers, which bloom and bask in the presence of moonlight. Their aroma and scent will lead the way for the wolves to reach Paradise.
More Character Information Here and here
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