Wolf's Rain (stylized in all caps) is a Japanese anime television series created by writer Keiko Nobumoto and produced by Bones.

It was directed by Tensai Okamura and featured character designs by Toshihiro Kawamoto with a soundtrack produced and arranged by Yoko Kanno.

It focuses on the journey of four lone wolves who cross paths while following the scent of the Lunar Flower and seeking Paradise.

Although wolves are believed to have been hunted to extinction nearly two hundred years ago, they still exist, surviving by casting illusions over themselves to make them appear human.

Kiba, an injured lone white wolf, goes to Freeze City following the scent of the Lunar Flower, which is the key to opening Paradise.

Cheza, the Flower Maiden who is destined to lead the wolves to Paradise, is being studied at a laboratory under the care of Cher Degré.

When Blue eventually encounters Cheza, it awakens her wolf blood from dormancy and causes her to leave Quent and take on her human form.

Tsume and Toboe are thrown into a dungeon with Hubb while Jaguara attempts to use Kiba's blood to force Paradise to open.

Darcia battles Jaguara along with Kiba and finally slays her as the keep begins to collapse, ending the anime's original 26-episode run.

As the original video animation (OVA) episodes begin, the wolves and the humans escape Jaguara's city, which has fallen into chaos.

Dying, Kiba concludes that his quest has failed, but rain begins to fall and Cheza's seeds grow into thousands of lunar flowers.

As he dies, Kiba falls into the water's depths but sees the blood-red moon turning back to its normal color.

[5] In particular, the second volume tells an almost completely different story, with Darcia recruiting Blue to help him open the door to Paradise with her blood.

The wolves must go to Darcia's keep, rather than Jaguara's, to free Cheza, with Kiba missing but appearing at the end to make the final rescue effort.

Except for the four recap episodes, the entire Wolf's Rain anime series aired in the United States as part of Cartoon Network's Adult Swim lineup in 2004.

Bandai also released the thirty episodes in a complete series box set and in a two-part "Anime Legends" collection.

[19] The vocal songs are performed by various artists, including Maaya Sakamoto, Raj Ramayya, Ilaria Graziano, Steve Conte and Joyce, and they were recorded around the world, including Japan, Poland, Brazil, the United States, and Italy to offer a diverse range of music and give the soundtrack an international flavor.

[20] Two CD soundtracks, produced by Yoko Kanno, Toshiaki Ota, and Shiro Sasaki, were released in Japan by Victor Entertainment.

It contains an additional 23 tracks, including the closing theme for the final episode of the main series "Tell Me What the Rain Knows", sung by Maaya Sakamoto and with lyrics by Chris Mosdell.

[29][30] Carlo Santos of Anime News Network praised the visuals of the series, noting that they "showcase Studio BONES at their most imaginative, with beautiful backgrounds that depict settings from high-tech mysticism to urban decay to open wilderness.

[30][31][32] Other critics have complained that while the show had an original and innovative storyline with beautiful visuals and appealing characters, the episodes themselves were poorly paced, undeveloped, and plagued with plot holes.

They praised the series' soundtrack, feeling it supported "the atmosphere and character development", and felt the "moody, dark, and understated" art was attractive.

"[20] Kanno's work in the series was nominated for an Annie Award in the "Music in an Animated Television Production" category in 2006.

[34] The Wolf's Rain manga adaptation has also enjoyed success in the North American market, with the second volume being the ninth best-selling graphic novel on the Nielsen BookScan list for February 13, 2007.

[36] Anime News Network's Liann Cooper praised its artwork, but also felt its short length and rushed storyline made it hard to connect to the characters.

[37] Carlo Santos, also of Anime News Network, praised the "snappy pacing" while also considering it the primary downfall of the series.