Wolf's Rain Volume 6: Paradise and Poison (DVD) - Anime Reviews


	Number of Episodes 4 Language Options English/Japanese/English Subtitles Released by Bandai Entertainment Extras - Textless Ending Collection
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Wolf's Rain Volume 6: Paradise and Poison (DVD)

The End is at hand.

Lady Jaguara now has everything she needs to achieve her goal to open paradise. As the groups of humans and wolves arrive at Jaguara’s city, they discover that they must find a way to get into the keep. Some have it easier than others.

Kiba is now obsessed with saving Cheza from her fate. Tsume, too, is resigned to help and even Toboe is showing fighting spirit. But something is wrong with Hige. He’s behaving strangely, and the others start to worry.

Meanwhile, Lady Jaguara prepares for her ritual which will open paradise. But despite all of her power and influence, there are still those who would stand against her. And when the final battle lines are drawn, she will have to face a betrayed noble, a furious pack of wolves, and some very confused humans. The world will end – or perhaps begin – on this night.

All roads lead to Jaguara’s place, well, at least that is where everyone is heading. With all the groups looking to converge at the main base of Jaguara’s forces it looks as though a big fight is looming.

Episode 23: Heartbeat of the Black City

The teams have started arriving in the Black City and all are starting their investigation of the base. The wolves have broken into two pairs, while Kiba and Tsume search for a way into the keep, Toboe follows Hige while they forage and search for information. But the information gathering seems to be a moot point as, Toboe seems to know his way around the city rather well and is subconsciously slipping through the crowds with ease. Hige leads Toboe all the way into the upper levels of the city but when Toboe questions how he can lead them this far, he becomes upset and runs ahead. Meanwhile, Kiba and Tsume come across some local hoods and “convince” them to show them a path into the keep and they show the local power lines which lead into the secure areas.

Cher and Blue have arrived, but have come across a typical problem, they lack any sort of identification that allows them access to the higher levels of the city. So, the girls are focusing on trying to acquire some ID that will let them into the keep. After some effort, the girls manage to “entice” a guard into giving up his two ID tags (severe beatings by Blue will do that) and now have a path to the upper levels.

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In a surprise, the hunter has managed to catch up to everyone else and when he is entering the city through traditional paths, he is segregated from the usual masses and brought to a higher level thanks to the passcard that he’s been wearing around his neck. He is surprised to learn that the chain was actually intended for and is impressed with the view from the upper echelon. While interacting with the locals, the hunter comes across the members of the wolf hunting team who claim to have finished off all of the wolves, but the hunter steadfastly believes that they haven’t succeeded.

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Lady Jaguara, waits in her keep and she is informed that #23 has returned to the city and so she sends out a team to capture it. Except, #23 turns out to be Hige and he is suffering from severe headaches and is unable to defend himself, but the team of soldiers do nothing else than confirm his presence and leave him.

Episode 24: Scent of a Trap

Nothing like a team filled with grandstanders – Hige is suffering from inside and his headaches and paranoia are leaving him a quivering pile. Toboe continues to be lost in the upper levels; the lack of scents messes with his sense of direction and his continues to travel in circles, unable to find the way back While traveling through the power station, Kiba and Tsume get separated and cannot link up, so they both continue on the paths in front of them.

Cher and Blue manage to get into the upper levels and they are surprised by what they have found – a completely ordered society in which people have almost no knowledge of their surroundings. After finding an ally in a house-cat, they talk with her master and get a map of the level and begin searching for a path into the keep. However, they come across a team of soldiers while walking in the pack alleys and when they are pressed for their home city and so Blue lists her hometown. The soldiers are surprised as they state that the city was burned to the ground some time ago for housing a pack of wolves – Blue is enraged and she mercilessly attacks the soldiers. Cher slinks away, and Blue runs away once the numbers turn. While retreating, she finds Hige on the ground and once she helps him up, he insists that they should leave the city and he tries to get them out. During their run out, they hear Toboe scream for help and arrive to see a group of soldiers around his unconscious body.

Tsume continues into the depths of the power plant, and he comes across a disturbing room – a series of wolves preserved in glass storage who have the same collar as Hige. Kiba on the other hand has found the path to Cheeza and enters a room of armored soldiers that he has to fight his way through. Now seriously injured, Kiba limps up towards Cheeza.

Episode 25: False Memories

Things aren’t going well. Tsume has been captured, and is now incarcerated in the same prison area as the old woman and Hubb. The old woman explains to Tsume that she was a part of a pack that was caught due to a traitor, one who joined the pack with a collar and eventually lead to the tower where they were all captured. Joining them quickly is Toboe, but as he’s brought in the old woman is knocked out by the guards and dragged away but as a wolf. Hubb now realizes that Toboe and Tsume are wolves and the quickly share information between each other.

Kiba has made it to Cheeza, but once at the top he is met by Jaguara who is able to knock him out and they intend to use him as part of the ceremony to open Paradise. He is tied up to the power supply for the city and Cheeza is forced to sing for him. The singing reaches the ears of Toboe and Tsume, who now redouble their efforts to escape from prison. In the city, all of the citizens are being evacuated to the keep for their expected chance to head to heaven. The hunter is appalled by the naiveté of the masses and tries to convince people to think for themselves, but he is seen as an obnoxious drunk by the police and beaten up. Cher runs into Darcia who is traveling through the bowels of the city, and when she asks for help, Cher is bidden to follow into the ceremony.

Toboe is still struggling through the headaches, but he’s decided to try and help his pack from the disaster that his presence has caused. With Blue’s help, he is able to remove his collar and he asks Blue to wait for him while he runs into the keep to try and save his friends.

Episode 26: Moonlight Crucible

The ceremony to open Paradise has moved into gear, and Cheeza has started to bloom. Darcia and Cher have finally arrived to the same area as Jaguara, Cheeza, and the prone Kiba. In the prison area, Toboe and Tsume are still trying desperately to escape but their bars hold strong. With the ceremony’s power drain, the security systems begin to fail and the pair are able to force their bars open. As Tsume is able to get free, Hige finally arrives to free them, but Tsume believes him to be a traitor. After Hige offers his life, Tsume doesn’t kill him and Hige runs further into the keep towards Kiba. As a parting gift, Tsume frees Hubb as he and Toboe run after Hige. Kiba is still tied down, but the pain that Cheeza is experiencing gives him a second wind and he is able to break free his restraints and heads off towards Jaguara. With the loss of general power, the ventilation system has stopped, and so Blue is now able to find the Hunter. Approaching as a human, she tries to help and relate the truth that their village was attacked by Jaguara’s forces searching for wolves. He refuses to believe her, but once she transforms back into her wolf form, the Hunter is ecstatic and hugs Blue.

Jaguara is enamored with Darcia, and she claims that she was trying to open Paradise so that she could spend eternity with the man that she loves. However, Darcia does not love her and in the pseudo-Paradise, he transforms into a wolf and bites her. Now attacking him with a poisoned dagger, he collapses from the wound but not before Hige manages to land a blow on her. Her attention drawn to Hige now, she pins his to the ground with her sword but is quickly drawn towards Kiba who has also entered. Jaguara focuses her powers on Kiba, but Hige manages to get up from his serious wound and attack Jaguara a second time. Now stunned, Kiba is able to bite her throat and as she stumbles around Darcia arises and runs her through.

Kiba interrogates Darcia, asking what he is – he’s not a wolf, nor a noble. Darcia avoids the question, but mentions that the wolves aren’t the only group being called towards Paradise and he leaves.

This volume brought about the final arc of Jaguara, but I certainly was left less than impressed with the rather abrupt manner in which her motivations were explored. It left me with a “that’s it?” feeling and was rather disappointed. This disc helps move along the main story, but I was not happy with the handling of this major villain.

- Tazman

(August 20, 2005)

"Blah me."

- Count Blah (Greg the Bunny)