Despite rigorously ripping up the conventions of werewolf lore, Mamoru Hosoda’s anime fantasy unfolds with an elegance that seems effortless.
Kicking off as a fairytale romance between a girl and her lycanthrope suitor, it segues into an engrossing story of a single mum struggling to raise her mixed-species brood in a manner befitting both their heritages.
The euphoric score only heightens the exhilarating scenes of the kids running (literally) wild. But it’s the skilful animation that brings home their anguish as they wrestle with their instincts and yearn for acceptance.
Enchanting.
