Kira Bakst

IFS2100-01
Charles Brewer
27 April 2016
Music and the Story: A Study of Music in Film
Ever since the release of the worlds first feature-length animated feature Walt Disneys
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs on January 13, 1938, animated movies have grown to become a
staple presence in theater box offices around the United States. As time has passed and styles
cinematic, musical, and social have changed, animated films have bounced in and out of
popularity, but have largely proven that they will be part of the film industry for the foreseeable
future. In 1989 with the advent of the Disney Renaissance in animation, studios around the world
began producing animated feature films at an astonishing rate. Across the globe in the small island
nation of Japan, a number of studios entered the fray for the title of best animation studio. Among
these, Studio Ghibli under the direction of Hayao Miyazaki seemed to be making a run for the lead,
but in recent years the number of productions have definitively fallen (though popularity for existing
films remains strong). Seeing the opportunity, two of Ghiblis rival studios, Studio Chizu and
Madhouse Inc., came together under the direction of Mamoru Hosada to produce the film Wolf
Children: Ame and Yuki in 2012.
As an animation, Wolf Children: Ame and Yuki (hereafter known as Wolf Children) relies
greatly on sound and music to guide the audience through the storyline. Though the characters of
this film (the ever-smiling Hana, the rambunctious life-loving Yuki, and the quiet always thinking
Ame) are certainly adept at portraying their own emotions and ideas, much of the films plot is in

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fact told through the combination of moving image and music without the use of dialogue. It is in
this way that the music makes itself almost another character in the movie, as it is the places where it
is either present (or not) that the most dramatic moments occur. Composer Takagi Masakatsus
soundtrack uses elegiac piano with guitars, mandolin, skittering percussion and subtle
orchestration to tell the tale of this small but loving family in such a way that would be impossible
to replicate in any other way (All Music). By reviewing the film from beginning to end, one can
analyze and understand the truth behind this claim, and thus the power that music holds within the
realm of animated film as a whole. For the purpose of maintaining the original emotions felt when I
first watched this film the version used for this paper is in the original Japanese, though an English
dubbed version is available for both purchase and online viewing today.
The film opens with a black screen and a voiceover by Hanas daughter Yuki. Yuki states
that some people may not believe the story shes about to tell that it may sound too much like a
fairytale to be considered true. As she finishes speaking the screen fades into a close up of a few
flowers that are clearly part of a larger field. There is a moment of silence, and then the films music
begins to play. Entitled (in English) First Echo, this piece immediately establishes the mystic
quality of the film through its soft vocals and light piano. As soon as the piece begins the animation
takes on a dream-like glow, and faint particles of light can be seen drifting across the screen.
Everything about this scene works together to emphasize the enchanted quality that this story
possesses, and even the title of the song shows that this is only the beginning of everything that will
occur. This pattern of music cuing visual effects is one that is repeated throughout the film, further
developing the idea that it is the music that is the true force behind this films plot. As the song
continues, the film shows Hana laying in this field of flowers. She opens her eyes and sits up to see
the hazy figure of a wolf moving towards her. As she watches, astounded, the figure turns into the
figure of a man. The musics vocals and piano duet continue set a mood reminiscent of a fairytale,

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and gets slightly softer as Yukis voice takes over once more to state that this is the true story of my
mother (1:27~1:32). This softening of the music backs up Yukis words by indicating that the
scenes to follow, though they have mystifying qualities (hinted at by the continued presence of the
music), are in fact true. After this, the music disappears briefly, and Yuki narrates the film as the
sound effects of city life play in the background. However, the soundtrack begins again with the
second song, (meguri), which translates as circulation in English but is actually part of
the verb (meguriau), which translates to to meet by chance, once Hana lays eyes on
her future love interest (whose name we are never given) (2:32). This song begins with the gentle
ascent of what sounds like a violin, which is almost immediately accompanied by the piano. This
combination of instruments and their slow tempo indicate that this is a classic love theme while
Yukis narration points out that this is the man that would be her father. However, even as she
describes him and the film shows Hanas surprised face watching him from the other side of the
room, it is the music rather than the dialogue or animation that tells the viewer that this is an
instance of love at first sight. It is a piece filled to the brim with hope for the future and blooming
feelings. Hana and the man exchange their first words while the music plays, and the man says that
he will stop coming to school if it is a bother. The piano takes on a vaguely somber tone as he leaves
and the viewer watches Hanas hopeful stance deflate, but as she follows the piano builds and takes
on a tone that implies a static mood. Hana watches with bated breath as the man walks through the
doors to leave the school, but stops to help a young child who has tripped and fallen. Hana smiles,
and the violins again ascend briefly before fading out, signifying that her hope has been restored
after that short period of waiting and wondering. After this point the film jumps ahead a little bit,
showing a series of scenes that depict the growth of Hanas relationship from nothing into
something.

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The entirety of this next part of the movie is almost completely without dialogue. The
movements of Hana and the man throughout the day are shown and backed by the same soft vocals
and piano that played during the films introduction. That is, the music is again used to depict the
characters in a dream-like state as they go about their individual days. Both characters repeatedly
look off into space, and are suggested by the wistful tone of the underscored piece to be thinking of
the other. They eventually come together once he arrives at school, and afterwards it is suggested
that the time they spend together after class is their first date. The music is gentle and romantic, and
is dominated by a slow-tempo piano and set of string instruments. It is this specific instrumentation
that gives us these background details, as the dialogue is minimal and at the very most simply there
to show what the characters are discussing at the moment. Again it is the music that subtly moves
the plot forward by emphasizing the actions of the characters; dialogue is simply used to add finer
details to the scene. The instrument takes on a sadder mood and gets quieter as Hana describes the
reasoning behind her name, but the happy, amorous mood returns once her monologue ends. The
softening of the music directs the reader to her speech momentarily, subconsciously drawing the
viewers attention to it in order to make sure they retain the information, but after she stops talking
the music picks up in volume as Hana and the man alone stand on an otherwise white screen. This is
one of the few instances in which words are used to foreshadow the films plot, but even in this case
it is the music that leads the viewer into understanding what the hint is saying. Hana says that her
father named her after the smiling flowers that were blooming in the backyard when she was born.
She says that he wanted her to always smile like the flowers did, even in times of stress and hardship.
The somber tone that underscores this explanation foreshadows the fact that this is a struggle that
she will come to face later on in the film. However, by returning to a more upbeat tone afterwards
the music signals that, in the end, everything will work out and Hana will be able to continue
smiling. It is about a minute later, when the man begins to speak about his own dreams for the

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future, that the first instance of dialogue without underscoring occurs. Even in this case, though, it is
the lack of music rather than the dialogue that brings attention to the drama of the scene. The man
is centered on the screen, passionately talking about how he wants to have a house of his own one
day. This monologue is powerful by itself, but it is through the lack of music that his feelings are
truly shown. He feels strongly enough that the music, which has been near constant up until this
point, stops, almost as if it were listening to him itself. Hana then says that she would welcome him
into that home if he wanted, and his stance immediately turns tense. This clear declaration of her
feelings should have cued another round of the love theme from earlier, but instead the music
remains silent. The mood grows even tenser when he says he has to tell Hana something, and then
backtracks and says that hell tell her tomorrow before walking away. It is clear that he is running
from something, and the silence of the film further proliferates the strangled, anxious mood that has
blanketed the man. He is terrified that someone cares for him, and so instead of telling his own
secret in return he buries it deep within him. This is a clear contrast point for the remainder of the
time that the love interest plays a part in the film: where Hana wears her feelings on her sleeves, the
music always plays to cue the audience into them, but with the man his feelings are much deeper
inside him and so the lack of music represents the apparent lack of emotion that he outwardly
displays.
After this there is a jump in time that takes place in the film. The season has changed from
late summer to Christmas time, and it is suggested through dialogue that the man disappeared after
that night and only now is returning to Hana to apologize and explain himself. There is still no
music playing, and the meaning of the silence in the previous scene is confirmed when the man says,
Ive never told anyone before. I was scared, (11:00~11:03). However, the soundtrack soon returns
when the man reveals his secret: he is actually a wolf-man, and can transition between wolf and
human at will. The moment Hana realizes what she is seeing: a man she loves turning into a wolf

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before her very eyes, the music begins to play. The piano again dominates; three light, airy notes
playing in repetition (highest to lowest in pitch) as his transformation begins, almost as if magic dust
notes were falling around him. The strings quickly come in to accompany the piano, and the rich
harmonies between them elicit in the viewer a waterfall of feelings that is dominated by awe: this
magical yet seemingly impossible thing is happening, but its true he really is part wolf. Without the
music backing the emotions of this scene, the viewer would be unsure if Hana is experiencing shock
and fear or merely wonder her facial expression could indicate either, and so it is the underscoring
that truly gives meaning to the moment. It is her love for the man before her, her overwhelming
feelings, that allow her to overcome her surprise and accept him for who he is, and thus the body of
the movie begins.
The two move in together and a montage of domestic scenes is shown, underscored by a
song very similar to the love theme that played on their first date. The passing of time and changing
of seasons is evident, and it is soon after the beginning of summer that we learn Hana is pregnant.
For a moment the music sounds a little bit stressed, reflecting Hanas nervousness as she realizes
why she has been feeling sick, but it almost immediately returns to its original joyful tone. The tone
slips from joyous to calm, with a tinge of discomfort being suggested by the harsh string notes that
are occasionally played. After all, having a child is meant to be a happy occasion even if it has its
downsides. Throughout these scenes there is absolutely no dialogue and no sound effects other than
the soundtrack. The emotions of the characters and development of the plot is done completely
through the combination of animation and music. It is not until the child, Yuki, is born that anyone
speaks and even then it is only the narrator, providing a few finer details that help to explain the
story to come. Without music this montage would not be nearly so powerful; the audience would
only be able to assume how the couple feels, and even if there were dialogue it still wouldnt move
the audiences emotions to the extent that the music is able to. It is because the tone of the music

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and the love that it carries is constant that the audience knows just how happy the couple is together
and how hopeful they are for the future. That is, the music informs the viewer that the couples
feelings are constant over what is said to be a long period of time, and using chopped up
conversations to try and give the same feeling just wouldnt work. Hana and the gentleman quietly
discuss what they want for their new daughter at the end of this series of scenes, and the man says,
Lets watch over her until she grows up, (18:20). Hana agrees and the dialogue ends, and it is at
this point that the viewer realizes that the music has also ceased. This is another way in which music
rather than dialogue is used to fuel the plot of the film. Though the viewers focus was on the words
being spoken, it is the cessation of the music that lets them know what is really about to happen.
Despite the couples optimistic words, the hopeful background music has been replaced by silence.
This literal loss of hope signifies that the future holds something very dark that only the viewer
knows about at the time, even if they dont know exactly what will happen. Following this moment
the only sound that plays is diegetic sound effects: the sounds of the familys footsteps through the
park, the noises of Yuki (now a one year old baby), and the sound of rain. The narrator describes the
scene as the day her brother, Ame, was born. She says that it was raining on that day, and that her
father was nowhere to be found. Hana goes out to look for him, both children strapped to her, and
for the next thirty-seconds or so the sound of falling rain becomes louder and louder until it
becomes almost akin to the sound of white-noise the sound you hear when you see something
shocking and all the blood rushes to your head. At this moment, she looks down to see several waste
disposal workers surrounding something in a shallow canal. She drops her umbrella, and all sound
stops as if time were frozen; the workers are surrounding a dead wolf that Hana recognizes
immediately as her love. We hear a small gasp, and then a short dialogue by the narrator, and then
the sound effects resume. Hana runs through the rain to try and stop the workers from taking the
animal away, and when she cannot she falls to her knees in anguish. Still, no music plays, and no

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character speaks. It is solely through the interaction of the lack of music and the actions of the
characters that the gravity of the situation is made apparent. The musics silence is representative of
the void that now exists in Hanas life, even though the sound effects of the world around her are
indicating that the Earth itself will continue as always. Shown looking at the mans drivers license
back at the apartment, the same three light piano notes from earlier are played over and over, but in
reverse order (lowest to highest pitch) and with an indescribably sorrowful tone. The notes are
reminiscent of both the rain drops outside the window and the tear drops that Hana is holding in.
They taper off, and the time jumps about a year ahead Yuki is now two, Ame is now one, and
though they are all happy Hana is struggling to raise her children because she doesnt know how to
raise them should she be bringing up children? Or wolves? The kids can easily switch between
their human and animal forms at this point, though they do not have full control over when it
happens. For the sake of this paper, I will now skip ahead several scenes. In order to escape the
peering eyes of neighbors and childcare officials, Hana decides to move her family out to the
country to where she believes her children will be able to freely choose whether to live as wolf or
human. It is now spring once more, and Hana has just rented a completely dilapidated house. The
next few scenes are made up of Hana and the kids fixing up the old home, and it is here that my
analysis will continue.
The restoration project is initiated through the combination of sound effects (such as Hanas
sweeping and hammering, and Ames cries for help when he sees a lizard) and the next track on the
soundtrack. Like a few other songs in the movie this one features vocals, but they are mostly present
to mirror the upbeat tone of the piano and the mandolin that plays in the background. This is a song
whose mood runs contrary to the images on-screen, but this effect was incredibly calculated and
perfectly executed. Despite the films display of the trouble that Hana is going through, the music
reflects the playfulness that is Yuki is nearly constantly exhibiting, whether it is through messing

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with her brother or just going around the property and exploring in wolf form. Rather than focus on
the hardships of Hana and Ames rather negative outlook on the whole situation, the music is telling
the viewer to do exactly what Hana is doing: focus on the positive. The tune of the song is almost
like one that would be in a childrens game; it makes the viewer want to dance and play along, which
is just what Hana wants for her children. Regardless of her own self, she needs her children to be
happy, and this old ramshackle home is what is going to make that future a possibility. There is very
little dialogue in this sequence the only voice is that of Yuki as she calls out to her mother and
brother to come and see what she has found and when the dialogue picks up again once the house
is complete the music slowly fades to an end. Even in this case though, the dialogue is adding little
to the story, and the absence of music is really as if the film is simply giving the characters a chance
to speak for themselves rather than being spoken for. Jumping ahead again, the next scene with
music shows Hana and the kids attempting to plant their own garden even though they were told by
the realtor that the land was not conducive for growing food. The tone of the piece, played with
only the piano, is reminiscent of the sounds of old American Western films. Like those films from
over fifty years prior, this scene depicts the characters are working hard to build a new life based on
their own morals. Even though their crops keep failing, the little family refuses to give up, and that
stubborn idealism that characterized the American west runs through the veins of both the musical
motifs to follow and the actions of Hana and her children. With the help of a cantankerous old man
who lives nearby, Hana is able to build her garden to twice the original size, and to have a successful
potato harvest despite all of the odds against her and her family. It is after this that Hana begins
interacting with the other members of the small mountain village, and though those interactions will
not be the focus of this paper it is important to note that it is through the help of others that Hanas
little family is able to make survive through the tough times they will come to face. Moving forward,
the seasons begin to change from summer to autumn (all underscored by an easy-going strings tune

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played on what sounds like a mandolin, reminiscent of the calm albeit tough way of life to which
Hana has now become accustomed). The music ends as the season shifts from autumn to winter
with Hana entering into a short monologue about the irony of leaving the city to escape prying eyes
only to end up in the care of the villagers. Presumably a few days pass (due to the build-up of snow
and ice outside), and it is to the next major musical track that this analysis will now turn.
Entering while the small family is huddled in a fit of laughter, this next song does more than
any dialogue could to express the characters happiness and wonder at the frozen wonderland that
their home and life has now become. It is a textured song, dominated by uplifting strings and filled
out with a rapid and light-hearted piano, that just oozes the excitement and amazement that the
characters are experiencing before the viewer can even see them on screen. Once Yuki and Ame
enter, happily racing through the snow-covered forests, the strings and piano come together and
equally balance each other in volume, just as the kids (usually fighting due to their opposites in
personalities) have come together to enjoy their first real winter. The music mirrors the ups and
downs of the hills they are running across, and wind instruments enter periodically to mirror their
leaps, trips, and fumbles and they tumble through the woods, first as children and then as wolves. As
Hana enters the scene joyfully chasing after her kids, some percussion enters the sound, causing the
tune to become reminiscent of a nature documentary featuring the grandeur of the worlds greatest
landscapes. This is done to reflect the pride and exhilaration Hana feels at being able to watch her
kids (now in wolf form) run freely as part of the natural environment to which they half belong. The
deeper string sounds of the cello play at a fast tempo to reflect the high speed at which the family is
running, and soon they enter a clearing where all that is visible is the clear sky around them. At this,
the music dims slightly to briefly allow a single brass instrument to be heard above all else, reflecting
the triumph of reaching this point in their lives. Ame, Yuki, and Hana all run down the large hill
they have emerged upon together, with the children sliding down the hill on their paws and doing

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aerial flips with ease, clearly laughing as Hana trips and tumbles down beside them. The music here
remains incredibly light, with wind instruments mirroring the characters jumps and cymbals
emphasizing the explosions of snow that fly up whenever someone lands. The family comes to a
halt about halfway down the hill, Yuki and Ame howling to the sky and Hana yelling with them as
they all collapse to lay in the snow laughing. At this all of the instruments except for the highpitched piano ceases, and even the piano that remains noticeably decreases in tempo, fading until all
that can be heard is the familys laughter and breathing as they lay together. Throughout this entire
sequence the dialogue used is incredibly minimal, and is essentially limited to exclamations of joy by
the children. The music fills the scene, completely engrossing the viewer in the action and guiding
their emotions throughout it. There is no speech to indicate what the characters are feeling; only
music is used to reflect those emotions and tell the audience what to feel in return. Though the idea
has been present throughout the film until this point, this is the scene where it truly becomes
apparent that the fourth main character of the film is the music, that this is a film the viewer is
almost meant to listen to more than watch. It is almost as if the animation is being used to tell the
story of the soundtrack rather than the other way around. The section of the film that follows is
incredibly dramatic in nature, but surprisingly uses no underscoring to highlight that fact. Ame, still
in wolf form, attempts to catch and kill a bird beside a small creek near where they were playing.
However, he trips over his scarf and ends up falling into the water. The only sounds used in this
scene are those one would expect to hear the calls of Ame and Yuki calling for their mothers help,
the sound of the bird flying away, the sound of the water as it rushes over Ames ears and pulls him
under all of which are stressed by the surrounding silence of the forest. Even without
underscoring, it is the precise lack of music that is used to tell the emotional story of this scene.
There is no music to reflect the emotions of the characters, because all that the characters can feel is
the pressure of time running out to save Ame. Similarly, while the distress of the characters is

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palpable to the audience through the cries of Ame, Yuki, and Hana, it is the pressure felt as a result
of the uncharacteristic relative silence of the scene that truly impresses the drama of the scenario
upon the audience. That is, it is again the soundtrack (or lack of it) that tells the story, rather than
the characters dialogue or actions. In the end, despite the absolute panic experienced by Yuki and
Hana (and the audience), Ame survives the experience and actually ends up growing a great deal as a
result. It is as a result of this experience the rush he felt almost catching the bird that Ame
changes his previous outlook on life. He slowly becomes much more comfortable being wolf than
human while Yuki (who has up until this point been the much more free-spirited sibling) slowly
decides that she would much rather be human than wolf. This conflict becomes central to the
movies overall plot, and it is through the use of a few very specific pieces of the soundtrack that this
conflict is brought to light and overcome over the course of the remaining hour of the film. Of
course, these few pieces are also perfect examples of how music is used in the film to tell the story.
The first of these pieces is entitled (subete no atatakai michi), which
translates as all the warm lives. It begins to play just over an hour into the film, just after Yuki
confides in her mother that she wishes to be just like all of the other young girls in her first grade
class.
Hana sits to sew Yuki a new dress, the action highlighted by a peaceful sounding mid-tone
piano tune. Yukis narration enters again, describing how happy she was that her mother made her a
new dress to wear, and both Hanas quiet kindness and Yukis quiet nervousness are made clear
thanks to the melody. Hana, though she laughs at Yukis predicament at first, clearly just wants her
daughter to be happy, and Yukis desperation to be seen as normal is apparent though both her
tense facial expression and the softness of the song. Yuki to this point has been an incredibly loud
and excitable character, and her sudden change in temperament is reflected more by this music track
than by any of the dialogue she provides. The overlaying narration thanks the new dress for allowing

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her to make friends with the other girls in her class, but the underscoring reflects the child-Yukis
anxiety over fitting in even as she is being accepted. For the rest of the film this anxiety is apparent
whenever Yuki is the focus of a scene not because of her actions or speech, but because of the
music that is in play. The same track continues to play even as the film jumps ahead one year and
Ames first day of school arrives. The narration states that getting Ame to school was difficult, and
his desire to remain at home on the mountain is obvious through his body language as Yuki leads
him to the bus stop. At this point, the songs tension becomes even more apparent even though
nothing about its instrumentation, tempo, or pitch changes. The dichotomy between Yukis desire to
be human and Ames desire to be with nature becomes central to the film at this point. There is very
little dialogue for the remainder of the time the song plays, and it covers several years of the
childrens lives. The music quietly underscores those years, the animation showing how Yuki
continually strives to be active with her friends while Ame continually is bullied by the other kids
and constantly daydreaming or otherwise not participating in class. The music becomes vaguely
louder as it takes over the narration for the rest of the scene, with certain beats being noticeably
more pronounced than others. Those beats always take place when Yuki is trying to get Ame to fit
in, or when the music is trying to get the audience to key into how different the siblings act in similar
social situations. Those harsher beats emphasize both Yukis distress that Ame is preventing her
from fitting in, and Ames frustration with the fact that hes being forced to be in a place that he
feels he inherently does not belong. As such, those beats also serve to foreshadow the physical
conflict that the two will get into later in the film over their differences in feelings, mimicking the
musical idea of having louder tones underscore physical contact between two characters. By the end
of the song Yuki is nine years old and Ame is eight, and Ame has stopped attending school
altogether. As stated previously, there is no dialogue used in the scene to describe those feelings of
distress and anxiety. The musics presence is the only thing that tells the audience what sort of

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underlying emotional conflict is happening between the characters. The next track that belies the
conflict between human and animal focuses on Yuki and a new transfer student who desperately
wants to talk to her. However, when they first met he made a remark that she smells like animals,
and so Yuki becomes terrified that her carefully constructed faade is not as opaque as she thought.
She begins to avoid him, but he eventually attempts to chase her down to find out why she does not
like him. This chase is highlighted by an incredibly anxious-sounding violin. The pitch borders on
being dissonant, and as the transfer student closes in on her the tempo increases rapidly. Her words
make it clear that she is stressed, but it is the underscoring that tells the audience exactly how tense
she is actually feeling, as well as cluing them in to the fact that something awful is about to happen.
The two children get into a minor physical struggle, with brass instruments highlighting their back
and forth movements. In the end, a loud, singular brass note and a very highly pitched violin note
play as one as Yukis mask breaks and she lashes out as a wolf to try and get him away from her. She
scratches his ear and blood is drawn, and the music ends abruptly with Yuki staring at the boy on
the ground breathing heavily as she realizes what she has done. This indicates that, for Yuki, the
inner struggle between animal and human has finally come to a head. Just like the conflict between
her and her classmate, the two conflicting instincts have come to blows, and out of guilt and fear for
not being able to maintain an equilibrium Yuki decides then and there that she will never again
consider herself anything more than a human. She never says anything about making that decision
out loud, but through the music the audience can hear the decision simultaneously as it is being
made. At the same time, Ame is undergoing a similar, yet opposite revelation about his own life.
While Yuki has been attending school and assimilating into a human world, Ame has been
spending his days as a wolf, learning about the ecosystem of the mountain they live on from an old
fox who is apparently the master of the entire areas wildlife. He brings Hana to meet his teacher
one day, and once she thanks the fox for taking care of her son both the fox and Ame (in wolf

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form) take off to explore the mountain, giving us a glimpse of the life Ame has been living all this
time. The scene is underscored by a very light sounding tune that fades in from the surrounding
forest sound effects. Played at first by only wind instruments, the music at first mirrors the sound of
wind howling through trees. As a sound generally associated with the power of nature, the effect of
this sound is to establish the setting as a place apart from the rest of the world. Another wind
instrument is used to mimic the sounds of cicadas and other bugs that one might hear in the forest,
playing as Ame looks back at his mother one last time before following his teacher into the forest.
This is done in an attempt to bridge Ames leap from the human world to the natural one: the sound
of bugs in spring and summer is one that people all over the world are used to hearing, not a sound
exclusively experienced in wild untamed landscapes. After this point no dialogue is heard for the
rest of the scene (after all, it is focusing on the lives of the mountains wildlife, which doesnt exactly
have a voice of its own). Brass beats are used to punctuate Ame and the foxs movements across the
rough terrain, and a chorus of voices is used to hum along with the melody to give the tune a
whimsical, child-like feel. For Ame, this is where life truly happens, it is where he is happiest and
where he feels most alive. The upbeat mood of this piece, appropriately titled A Boy and a
Mountain, embraces this concept and portrays it to the audience effortlessly. Without words, the
music is used to tell how free Ame feels while living amongst nature and learning about the status
quo of the land around him. The music slowly builds as the pair climbs the mountain, short wind
movements playing as Ame witnesses various scenes of life on the mountain, peaking as they reach
the mountains top and Ame views the valley below. The animated scene is beautiful, but it is the
music that truly gets the audience to realize the power of the scene before them. Ame is welcoming
this new life more and more every day, constantly amazed by the sights he sees around him even
though he does not say a word. It is the music that details all of his feelings over the course of the
day, and it is the triumphant tone that plays as he looks down upon the valley that tells the viewer

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that, contrary to Yuki, Ame has decided that this is how he wants to spend his life, among the flora
and fauna of the mountain where he has come to feel most at home.
Another year passes and it is summer once more as the movie begins to come to a close.
Yuki is 11 and in her final year of elementary school. For middle school, because their town is so far
in the country, she will have to move and be a boarding student if she wishes to continue her
education. Ame is now 10, the age at which wolves are considered to have reached adulthood. These
two have at this point already had their fight over whether it is better to be human or wolf, and at
this point in the film the conflict turns over to Hana and whether or not she will be able to accept
her childrens choices. Unsurprisingly, from this point until the films final climax and following
resolution there is almost wall-to-wall music. As Ame leaves during a huge summer storm to go take
care of the mountain, Hana calls after and subsequently chases after him desperately. This is
underscored by a piano that plays slowly, at first mimicking the sound of the falling rain and then
picking up a much more distressed sound as Hana searches frantically for her son. It is a tune laced
with the feeling of stagnation: Hana is unsuccessfully searching to bring her son home, Ame is
running to make sure he can keep what he cares about safe, and Yuki is nervously waiting at school
for her mother, at first, and then for her friend (the transfer student). Each of these characters is
holding a burden on their shoulders, anxiously waiting to see what the outcome will be. But that is
all they are doing waiting. Though there is dialogue during this track, just like the music it is simply
filler speech. The characters do not actually say much with their words, just like the music implies
that there is something more of the story yet to come. The piano beat is reminiscent of the regular
ticking of a clock as time passes, ceasing only when Hana own movements halt after being startled
by a bear.

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The final tracks of the movie all come together to complete the films story, bringing each of
the characters feelings to a full resolution. They are each filled with lament sadness over
opportunities lost and chances not taken but also with hope. Yukis final song plays as she tells the
transfer student her secret about being part wolf, and her struggle with accepting that piece of
herself. The tone of the song is incredibly moving, reflecting her torn feelings and then the repair of
those feelings as her friend accepts her for who she is, pushing her to accept herself as well. As that
track ends with a feeling of hope for the future, the next opens with those same feelings of grateful
acceptance that Yuki experiences as a result of her friend. Ame saves his mother from the mountain,
and then, turning into a wolf for a final time, moves to leave and begin his life on the mountain for
good. The tune reflects both his determination to follow his decision, and Hanas aching heart as she
watches him go. Though there is dialogue explaining her feelings, the music far more effectively
pushes those feelings of absolute sadness and then acceptance onto the audience. The music, so sad
sounding before, builds to a triumphant brass conclusion highlighted both by the rising sun and
Ames howl to the sky. Hana comes to accept his decision, and the music comes to a quiet
conclusion. It is happy in that Hana remains smiling as she has always been told to, and yet her
sadness at losing both of her children one to the wild, and one to the normal human world is
still apparent. However, they are loses she has come to accept, and she knows that she did her best
to raise her children and that that is what truly matters. Even in the end, it is not the dialogue or the
narrator that tells this aspect of the conclusion, but the feelings and sounds of the music itself.
From the first time I saw this film it quite literally moved me to tears. However, thinking
back it is a fact that the reason this films story impacted me so greatly was because the music was
the one telling it. Regardless of the fact that this is a film featuring drawn characters living in a
country across the globe from myself, the music spoke in a language that I could clearly understand.
Even now, years and countless viewings later, the music in this film continues to move me just as it

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did the very first time. The musics significance comes from the fact that its characteristics so clearly
reflect human emotions across spectrum. From the excitement of racing through the snow to the
devastation of being unable to keep a promise, sometimes there are no real words to express how
one truly feels. To get around this, Wolf Children: Ame and Yuki uses underscoring to an absurdly
astounding degree to reach the audiences hearts in every way possible. By having the music both
narrate the story and guide the audiences emotions, this film truly exemplifies how music can and
should be used with film. Through wild violin crescendos and soft piano melodies this movie guides
the audience through the lives of the members of this small family, showing us that just because the
characters of a film may not be real, or the story may seem like a fairytale, there is no reason why an
audience cannot relate to it, and no reason for viewers to be unable to overcome their own
seemingly unsurmountable struggles either.

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Works Cited
Robey, Tim. "Wolf Children, Review." The Telegraph. Telegraph Media Group, 24 Oct.
2013. Web. 07 Apr. 2016.
Wolf Children: Ame and Yuki. Dir. Mamoru Hosada. Toho, 2012. MP4.