Wolf Children (2012) is an anime film about a mother who is left alone to take care of half-human and half-wolf children after their wolf father passes away. The film is a unique combination of a coming-of-age story with magic realism, all from the perspective of a self-sacrificing mother. It is a film that easily can stir up emotions.
While there are no other films exactly like Wolf Children, there are definitely films that it can be compared to in its themes and animation style. These themes range from female protagonists, family drama, shapeshifting, motherhood, and finding a place where you truly belong, between the world of the wild and the world of man.
Princess Mononoke (1997)
If you picked up Wolf Children because you love wolves, then it is likely you have already seen Princess Mononoke. It is one of the most famous anime films out there. Like Wolf Children, there is this theme of straddling between the world of man and the world of wolves and one of the central characters has this inner struggle due to being a human raised by wolves.
There aren't any themes of motherhood and shapeshifting, but there is plenty of content for fans of magical realism, strong female characters, and of course, wolves.
The Boy And The Beast (2015)
This action-adventure-fantasy story has animation that is quite familiar to Wolf Children. Part of this is because it was directed by the same man, Mamoru Hosoda.
The story is about a young boy who goes to the Beast Kingdom, a land of anthropomorphic beasts, and becomes a disciple of one of the beast-men, Kumatetsu. Like Wolf Children, this is a coming-of-age story. The protagonist is a human character, but he grows up in the Beast Kingdom and has the inner struggle of navigating between the world of man and the world of beasts. While motherhood isn't involved, the family-like bond between him and Kumatetsu is very entertaining.
My Neighbor Totoro (1988)
My Neighbor Totoro is a famous 80s anime film that was directed by the same man as Princess Mononoke, Hayao Miyazaki. It is aimed a little bit towards a younger audience, as it mostly focuses on two little kids and how they interact with nature and their rural household.
They meet the spirits of the forest, and they are adorable. In terms of similar themes as Wolf Children, it delves into the bond between siblings and the whimsy of living in a rural area.
Song Of The Sea (2014)
Stepping away from Japanese productions, the Song of the Sea is a beautifully animated film that shares a lot of themes with Wolf Children. The focus is on a sister and brother whose mother is a selkie that abandoned the family years ago. The sister finds that she is far more of a selkie-inclined than her brother and is lured into the world of Irish lore and magic.
The brother tags along and they bond along the way. In the end, the sister has to decide whether she wants to live her life as a selkie with her mother, or as a human with the rest of the family.
Pom Poko (1994)
If you love shape-shifting animals, then Pom Poko is for you. The main cast is raccoon-dogs and they go to war with humans to try to save the forest that they live in from development.
While the film has a ton of humor, it also has sobering moments, with the message of protecting the environment. It is one of Studio Ghibli's hidden gems, as they marketed it far less internationally since it has a lot of Japanese culture and Shinto folklore mixed into the story.
Maquia: When The Promised Flower Blooms (2018)
This fantasy film shares the theme of motherhood with Wolf Children and the premise is also similar. It is about a single mom who is raising children in a world that won't accept them as they are.
It also deals with pride but also the sorrow of letting go of children once they grow up. Also, like Wolf Children, it has fantasy elements that create unique challenges in the child's upbringing.
The Forest Of Firefly Lights (2011)
If you were a fan of the magical realism and coming-of-age themes in Wolf Children, this film also delves into those topics. The female main character meets a boy who is a spirit. They play and spend a lot of time together over the years as she grows into a teenager. As a teenager, she wishes to be closer to him. However, if she touches him, he will disappear.
This is another hidden gem anime film, as it also isn't very well known internationally due to its strong themes of Japanese culture.
The Cat Returns (2002)
Do you prefer cats to wolves? Luckily, there are a ton of anime films that get into cats. One such film is The Cat Returns. The fantasy film follows a young girl who can talk to cats. She saves a cat who turns out to be a prince of the Cat Kingdom. As a reward, she is offered to marry him and her mixed reply is taken as a "yes."
Like Wolf Children, there is a theme of two-worlds between humans and animals, that a female protagonist gets mixed up in. Shapeshifting does happen too, as the girl slowly begins to turn into a cat, at one point.
Mirai (2018)
Mirai is another anime that has the same director as Wolf Children, Mamoru Hosoda. It is a coming-of-age story with elements of magical realism. The main character is a little boy who has to deal with change as his mom brings home his newborn baby sister.
Besides the obvious similarity in animation, there a pet dog that shapeshifts into a human for certain scenes and it's adorable.
A Whisker Away (2020)
Yet another anime film for cat lovers. A Whisker Away actually deals with a teenage girl that shapeshifts into a cat in order to spend intimate time with a boy she has a crush on. However, it turns out her ability to shapeshift came from a pretty shady deal that has unforeseen consequences.
The animation is gorgeous and the story is charming. Like Wolf Children, there is magical realism and the idea of two worlds, with one being for humans and the other being for animals (cats in this case).