Waifu Wednesday: Blue (Wolf’s Rain)

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Lilia Hellal
May 24, 2023
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Wolf’s Rain is a show I watched when I was much younger, and one that has stuck around in my mind ever since, due to it being heavy on the animal-focused content. We all know just how much I like my animals here, so I ended up being particularly affected by Wolf’s Rain as it came to a close.

Blue is one of the most memorable characters from Wolf’s Rain, a show I am yet to mention here at Rice Digital. While I am only familiar with the anime adaptation, which deviates a little from the manga that released alongside it, Wolf’s Rain would leave me in agonising pain and sorrow. Thanks to screenplay writer Keiko Nobumoto (of Cowboy Bepop notoriety), Yoko Kanno on its soundtrack and its broody and dark art-style, Wolf’s Rain is a hard-hitting, tragic dark fantasy adventure — one that deserves a lot more attention, so here goes.

Who is Blue?

As the sole action-oriented female character of Wolf’s Rain, Blue is initially introduced as an antagonist. Since Blue is driven to rid the world of all wolves, this core goal of hers pits her up against the main group of the show’s central characters: Kiba and his pack. Her motivations are more than understandable once her backstory is hinted at: it seems that she was abandoned as a pup and taken in by humans, only for said humans to be killed by wolves. Supposedly, anyway.

Only that’s not the actual picture. Blue’s journey is a much more personal one, unlike many of the other characters in the show, so let’s get into why that is now that we have introduced her to you.

Why you will love her

As one of the very few female characters who are not only named but also see some actual development across the show, Blue was always one of the more interesting supporting roles in Wolf’s Rain due to her background and subsequent character growth. But even when taking her at face value, we have a female character who is in complete opposition to the show’s other females – a tomboy with a edge who goes completely against the grain. It’s extremely refreshing due to her particular traits being fierce, loyal, empathetic and fearless as she jumps straight into any action.

But going any deeper into her character shows how she ends up living to correct her wrongdoings, discover who she really is and learn to ultimately live for herself, regardless of how little time she really ends up getting to appreciate that.

Why we love her (spoilers)

If it was not obvious enough already then we will say this once again – Wolf’s Rain is an extremely melancholic and tragic show. But Blue’s character may very well be the most depressing character overall. Blue clearly struggles with abandonment issues due to her past, and while she got some closure with the eventual demise and accompanying final words of her father figure who validates their bond, this would merely be the calm before the storm.

Blue would meet her own demise shortly thereafter, dying in the arms of her lover. Having just previously been able to find her true calling in joining Kiba’s group after she realises she is part-wolf herself thanks to Cheza, and ultimately finding her reason to live being by Hige’s side, this is all so tragically short lived.

The emotional gravity of it all is fully realised by Blue herself, who doubts that she would be welcome into Paradise, the land which Kiba is continuously seeking out, due to all the wolf slaying she has taken part in before she meets her fated end. Blue deserved so much more and despite the show always delivering such ruthless and fatal ends to its characters and subsequent plotlines it does not make it any less of a soul crushing watch.

You should brave watching the anime if you have not already over on Crunchyroll.

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