10 Other Incredible Family-Oriented Content!
Wolf Children is an emotional film that tackles issues single parents face on a daily basis. Unfortunately, our protagonist Hana is in a tighter predicament. She fell in love with a werewolf and gave birth to two wolf children. After her spouse passes away, Hana takes her kids and moves to the countryside to avoid conflict. Little does she know, her underlying issues will accompany her to their new household. From funny banter to emotional trauma, this is a film everyone should watch at least once.
Fear not if you’re having trouble finding anime similar to Wolf Children! We’ve discovered 10 alternate shows that’ll give you a similar experience as Wolf Children.
Additionally, for each anime we’ve reviewed, we’ve included a link that allows you to view our full thoughts about the series to see if it’s worth your time.
So without further ado, we present 10 TV shows that should whet your appetite when you’ve finished streaming Wolf Children!
My Neighbor Totoro
Similarities – Fantasy & Themes
My Neighbor Totoro is another well-known work from Studio Ghibli. You’d often see its merchandise pop up in multiple entertainment-themed stores because of its sheer popularity. With its likable characters and familial themes, it’s a perfect anime to transition to after you’ve completed your viewing of Wolf Children.
It takes place in the mid-1900s and revolves around a father and his two daughters Satsuki and Mei. Like Hana’s family, they relocate to the countryside and the two girls get roped into some fantastical adventures with magical creatures. Where Wolf Children offers viewers a peek into the struggles of single parenthood, My Neighbor Totoro allows viewers to peer into the mind of a child.
From the giant Catbus to the smaller woodland critters, this world feels like an imaginative environment any human would want to explore. Satsuki and Mei don’t take a backseat to Totoro and his mystical friends. Everyone adds some level of charm to this world. Give this a watch if you’re looking for some lighthearted content.
The Boy and The Beast
Similarities – Themes
This anime will remind many folks of Disney’s The Jungle Book. It’s another that delves into the relationship between humans and wild creatures. The characters are well-rounded with sparking personalities and incredible martial art talent. While this film feels more action-centric than Wolf Children, it tackles similar themes of growing up and the importance of choosing your own path.
At the same time, The Boy and The Beast contains emotionally-heavy scenes between our protagonists. You’ll find yourself shedding a tear at times. From its focus on the student-teacher relationship of its main stars to its beautiful surroundings, The Boy and The Beast is an impressive and wholesome work of art.
It follows Ren, a nine-year-old who receives no love from his family. He flees to the streets and meets an anthropomorphic bear named Kumatetsy, who leads him to the Shibuten beast dimension. To replace Shibuten’s Lord, Kumatetsu takes Ren on as his apprentice despite Ren having different goals. Therefore, you’ll peer into these two’s daily lives and witness their relationship blossom into something grand.
Clannad: After Story
Similarities – Family Tear-Jerker
If you found Wolf Children’s take on single parenthood compelling, then you’re in for a wild ride with Clannad: After Story. This is the series’s second season as it’s known for containing the most heartbreaking and wholesome content. This one focuses on our protagonist Tomoya and showcases his and his friends’ handling of adulthood.
The scenarios will hit close to home with focus as Tomoya and the others will struggle the whole way through. He’ll encounter issues concerning finding work, parenting, and maintaining his healthy relationship with his spouse. The other side characters deal with problems of a similar magnitude to Tomoya’s.
This helps the anime maintain a level of realism and fairness. The second season is also when animation and art are at their best. You’ll find yourself entranced by the show’s stunning visuals from facial expressions to its jaw-dropping landscapes. The show offers some semblance of supernatural elements too. Give this show a shot if you’re looking for an emotional viewing experience.
The Girl Who Leapt Through Time
Similarities – Atmosphere & Supernatural
The Girl Who Leapt Through Time is a heartwarming romance story about a girl named Makoto Konno. She can’t seem to find a place in life and doesn’t know what her future holds. She finds herself in a life-changing accident after colliding with an oncoming vehicle. Afterward, Makoto gains the ability to time travel.
While she adores playing with time, she’ll realize the consequences that come along with it. Like Wolf Children, this is another incredible anime that shows how love can triumph over anything supernatural. Both anime contain a peaceful tone with pinches of dramatic elements told throughout to keep the plot engaging.
The supernatural aspects play a vital role in moving the story forward and helping our characters grow and bond. If you’re looking for another sensational anime with great characters and a fun plot, check out The Girl Who Leapt Through Time.
Your Name
Similarities – Themes & Story
No one wants to feel lonely. Your Name is an incredible anime that showcases the beauty behind bonding with unfamiliar scenery and people. Although our protagonists stem from different backgrounds, they’ll learn that they’re not too different from each other emotionally and physically.
Our story follows two characters named Taki and Mitsuha. They wind up in each other’s bodies for some unknown reason. While trapped, our protagonists must accomplish several tasks while researching ways of fixing their dilemma. To make matters worse, the story introduces a vital sub-plot that’ll put one of their worlds in serious danger.
This anime brilliantly fleshes out the relationship between our protagonists. Like Hana and her kids, you’ll grow attached to Taki and Mitsuha’s characters and the people they interact with. Both anime have stunning animation to help you stay immersed in their plot and world. Your Name leans into romance a bit more than Wolf Children, but those looking for a beautifully-written tale will adore what this anime delivers.
Only Yesterday
Similarities – Themes & Story
Only Yesterday is a fabulous film that flew under the radar. It has incredible characters, a well-written story, and a beautiful world to explore. After viewing it, you’ll wish other people had checked it out. It follows an independent 27-year-old named Taeko. She travels to the countryside to visit her family and vows to assist them by harvesting crops.
Upon arriving, she meets a young farmer named Toshio. While living life on this farmland, Taeko will develop strong bonds with new people and rekindle the dormant memories she once had as a schoolgirl. Like Wolf Children, Only Yesterday places a character in a territory she must adapt to. Taeko will struggle to adapt to her environment but will improve her understanding of it over time.
This anime will subvert many’s expectations and implement heavy-hitting sequences that’ll make viewers cry. This anime does a phenomenal job showcasing Taeko’s blindness to rural life and displaying how difficult farming can be. This is a thought-provoking anime that everyone needs to watch!
Spice & Wolf
Similarities – Characters
Spice & Wolf is an intriguing romance anime. While it features a strong connection between man and human nature, it delves into other areas concerning politics and agriculture. Its protagonists Holo and Lawrence come from different walks of life like Hana and her kids. Despite their differing appearances and views, fans will adore seeing them come together to triumph over obstacles.
This anime offers scenery that’s on par with what you’d find in Wolf Children. Everything from the wood applied to the buildings to the cobblestone that resides near the show’s lakes looks gorgeous. It captures the show’s medieval aspects well, allowing viewers to immerse themselves in the world our characters venture through.
The show can be dialogue-centric though. If you’re into shows with excellent commentary and beautiful scenery, give this one a shot.
Princess Mononoke
Similarities – Humans Clashing With Nature
Princess Mononoke is an excellent fantasy film from Studio Ghibli. It’s up there with Spirited Away and My Neighbor Totoro as all-time classics from the studio. That said, this film’s more violent than Wolf Children. However, it offers similar animal and human character dynamics and enough drama to keep you glued to your screens.
This anime takes place during a battle between a demonic boar and the Emishi village. At the center of this bout is Prince Ashitaka. He’s willing to do whatever it takes to defend his tribe. The boar implants a curse on his arm, granting him demonic powers. Emishi’s citizens witness this exchange and force Ahshitaka to travel to Tatara to find a cure.
Upon arriving, Ahistaka gets involved in a quarrel between Tatara’s Lady Eboshi and Princess San. The former promotes deforestation while the latter disapproves. Ashitaka vows to establish peace between both factions, by defeating the inner demon that resides in himself. This anime offers deep messages concerning life and why it’s something many should cherish. If you’re looking for a deeper film with more action, watch Princess Mononoke.
Grave of the Fireflies
Similarities – Story & Characters
Grave of the Fireflies is one of Hayao Miyazaki’s deeper works. It has compelling characters, mature themes, and disturbing imagery. This will emotionally damage many people and isn’t as harmonious as his other projects. It shares a chilling depiction of war and how it gravely impacts everyone involved in it.
Our story takes place near the end of World War II. Japan’s suffering from the widespread chaos caused by American bombings. From people losing their lives and struggling to find shelter, viewers will find nothing happy in this one. At the center of it, all lies our protagonists Seita and Setsuko, whose lives are ruined by this war.
They’ve lost their parents and home. Now orphaned and homeless, Seita and Setsuko drift across the countryside and meet new people hoping to lend them a hand. Viewers should go into this film expecting nothing but the worst for our protagonists. Your blood will boil from the cruelties and lack of empathy people give to Seita and Setsuko. If you go into this film with that mindset, you’ll walk away a satisfied camper.
Summer Wars
Similarities – Family Values
Summer Wars is a more upbeat work like Wolf Children. It offers lovable characters, excellent humor, and an appealing world. It touches upon the significance of establishing healthy relationships with friends and family. Everyone plays a role in saving the world and it’s the cast’s team effort that’ll make viewers smile proudly.
In it, we follow Kenji, a math wiz and part-timer moderator for OZ. OZ is a virtual world where people can partake in activities from shopping to playing sports. Society entrusts its lives to this program because of its substantial security system. Meanwhile, Kenji meets his crush Natsuki, who offers him a chance to attend a summer trip if he acts as her fiancé.
On the trip, someone sends Kenji a mysterious challenge request on his cell phone. Upon cracking the code, Kenji unleashes a great danger on Earth. Therefore, he must discover a way to return everything to normal. Summer Wars provides viewers with a moderately paced plot that highlights the dangers of social networking. It has a similar art style to Wolf Children but contains more action. Give it a watch if you want a fun family film to watch.
So there we have it, our 10 anime/TV show alternatives to watch when you’ve caught up with Wolf Children!
What do you think of our picks? Do you agree? Are there any notable omissions? Let us know in the comments below!