A couple years ago, there was a story book series called, "Arashi No Yoru Ni (One Stormy Night)". It was the story about a goat named, Mei, who becomes friends with a Wolf named, Gabu. But soon, they have trouble trying to stay friends because Gabu's Wolf pack eats Goats.In 2005, Japan released an anime adaptation of the story books and it became very popular in Japan.The film has a nice story and it kinda reminds me of Pocahontas except with no kissing nor love connections and it has animals. The animation is also lovely because it combines hand-drawn animation with water-colored backgrounds and some CG. The film also has some good voice acting mostly because it had Shido Nakamura (The guy that did the voice of Ryuk in the Japanese version of, Death Note, and he played Lieutenant Ito in, Letters from Iwo Jima) as the voice of Gabu."Arashi No Yoru Ni (One Stormy Night)", is a great anime film that's filled with emotion and heart.

There is so much to say about how amazing this movie is, I'm not sure how best to begin.The basic theme of the movie is that true friendship exists between those willing to sacrifice anything and everything for each other. It's quite simplistic but it works very well.Lets start with the story. A goat and a wolf meet on a stormy night, they exchange words regarding a few things about themselves. When they finally meet each other on a normal day they see the other for what they really are. They manage to look past their physical differences because of the bond between them, but the fact that they are natural enemies puts a heavy burden on their friendship. I won't say much more than that because I don't want to spoil it for anyone who wants to see.The main characters, Gabu (wolf) & Mei (goat), are very well developed, you can really feel how much they care for each other and you as the viewer would want nothing more then to see them live happily ever after as best friends. The supporting characters are Gabu's pack and Mei herd, they are there to fuel the conflict of the movie, they are the biggest obstacle when it comes to their friendship along with the laws of nature about predators and prey.The animation is wonderful, the environments are lush, colorful and detailed, the characters are well drawn, they can emote all kinds of expressions without coming off as overly cartoony but not all that realistic either. The animation is just a joy to look at.The music is also very good, it always fits the situation occurring and is nice to listen to.Overall it's a must see for anyone of all ages, it teaches the viewer how important friendship is no matter who you are. It just melts your heart and uplifts you. I only regret that this movie is not receiving the recognition it deserves, so do the creators of this movie a favor and spread the word.

It's been a long time since a movie made me cry. It feels good to feel again^^ With all the soulless crap that Disney has been putting out lately, it was so refreshing to watch something that truly made me believe in the power of animation again. There were NO musical numbers, no pop culture references, no breaking of the fourth wall, no sarcastic 2-dimensional protagonist, and no fart jokes. However, there WAS a truly scary villain, incredible animation, lush backgrounds, great music, tear jerking drama, and two protagonists that that will stay in my memory forever. There was one point during this film when I thought my favorite character (Gabu) had met his unfortunate end. I then found myself clutching my computer screen yelling, "No no no!" as if trying to change his fate. If you can get to the end of this movie without caring deeply for one of these characters, then there might be something wrong with you. Some people say that the level of friendship between the two main characters borders on homosexual. (Even I was thinking it) I think it's safe to say that Mei and Gabu love each other, but not in a sexual way. They have each just found someone that they simply cannot do without. This love is actually the film's most striking and beautiful feature.

This movie is something of a real rarity at the time of this review being made. There really hasn't been a movie like this that can capture the hearts of those who watch it so easily and yet almost 5 years after release it still hasn't been seen by most of the world officially outside of Asia.But when the time comes where the movie will be officially available worldwide, I'm certain this will be a new children's classic for generation to generation. You may think I'm over-exaggerating these words to get more people to see it, but I couldn't be more honest even if I tried."Arashi No Yuru Ni", or "One Stormy Night", is by far and beyond the best non-franchise, non-Ghibli anime movie you could possibly see. Released in 2005 and based on the phenomenally successful Japanese children's book of the same name, the story is about a goat and a wolf who accidentally met each other in a barn during a heavy thunderstorm. It was too dark for them to see each other at the time and they couldn't even smell each other to know what creature they are because they started suffering pretty bad colds. The next day, they decide to meet each other and from then on, after knowing what they are and accepting who they are, they end up having to make unbelievable sacrifices in order to remain friends.There is way, way more to this story but the story is so well weaved- together and so intelligently-written that it would be cruel to say anything more about it to those who haven't seen it. Nothing of the story feels lacking in anything but at the same time nothing seems like it's going for too much. The entire plot evolves naturally, but is such an incredible story that you very easily emote to the main characters as if they are living, breathing creatures and that whatever happens, you'll be on the edge of your seat hoping for the best for both Gabu (the wolf) and Mei (the goat).The animation is beautiful, it's similar to that of "The Snowman" in that it captures storybook art so well but coupled with such a great story it really immerses you into the world of the movie quite well. At the same time, it's an art style that'll appeal to everybody. Nothing is absolute cliché-anime but it's also not terrifyingly-realistic neither. Music is beautiful as well, definitely mirrors the beauty of the movie really well but also compliments the most emotional of scenes without being too over-the-top.Some of the lines are overly-simplistic and repetitive in some certain scenes, but it really doesn't get in the way of the enjoyment of this movie too much and it's only a very minor complaint.This really is the perfect animated movie for families to watch. And it's one of the very rare movies I've seen recently that legitimately almost made me cry and I can safely say that if no one who sees this movie and emotes with the characters so much cries in the last few scenes, I pity them. Any opportunity you can, please check this out. You really won't regret it!Eric.9/10