I mean, they show him being dragged out of a canal, already dead. Did he drown? Was he hit by a car?
shareI figured he fell into the canal whilst chasing after a bird. Ame does this too, later in the film and nearly dies falling into the river whilst chasing a bird. However, for the Dad, the canal had very little water in it and was too much of a drop and died from the fall.
shareYou know, I was seriously wondering the same thing, but after reading the theory by kolaxanthe, I think I agree with it:
I figured he fell into the canal whilst chasing after a bird. Ame does this too, later in the film and nearly dies falling into the river whilst chasing a bird. However, for the Dad, the canal had very little water in it and was too much of a drop and died from the fall.
That's a really neat idea. I agree with it too.
Just another reason to love this film.
Purple monkey dishwasher
It was actually one of the problems I had with the film. It's hard to sympathize with him as a human being because the cause of his death was his animal instinct. As a human, it's actually pretty *beep* stupid how he died.
Chasing birds to feed your children? Seriously? Go to the *beep* supermarket you jackass. You know what it's like to live as a human, why irresponsibly put yourself in harm's way and risk making your wife a widow? Oh, you can't control you animal instincts? Then this relationship and family were doomed from the very start. Whether or not the director/writer intended that to be apparent to the audience, I have no idea.
Well, not even full blooded humans get that right.
How many thrill seekers have died climbing mountains, jumping out of airplanes, ect?
Straightedge means I'm better than you.
Bad comparison. Mountain climbers, sky-divers, thrillseekers, etc take numerous safety measures, and of the number of which that take these measures, you'll find the mortality rate is actually quite low.
Plus, they're doing it for the sole purpose of seeking THRILLS, and most new fathers don't decide to go thrillseeking directly after having children because they realize they have responsibilities now.
This *beep* wolfman just went out to find dinner for his newborn children, and decided it'd be a good idea to chase a wild animal in the pouring rain and get his ass killed instead of just walking to the flippin supermarket like a reasonable, responsible adult and providing for his children how he should've.
Oh no, you can't? Because of your animal instinct? Well *beep* couldn't you have waited for the day you bring home some fresh human meat instead and then get arrested for a murder you couldn't control because of your [animal instincts]?
What a *beep* joke of a film.
Maybe I'm overthinking this, and maybe a movie like this requires viewers to turn their brains off, but if a significant part of the film is going to have to rely on my sympathy for this grieving family, I shouldn't be able to pick *beep* like this apart and then witness as no one in the film recognizes the errors of the father and the inevitable self-destructive nature of this wolfhuman family.
That's a great comparison because not every mountain climber or thrill seeker does take precautions. Most new fathers aren't half wolf either. But even if they aren't, you'd be surprised how many fathers don't realize they have responsibilities now. Why do you think there are so many single mothers? Not every father puts their children's needs above his own.
You are definitely overthinking this. Applying real world norms to a world were wolf people exist.
Yes, the father messed up. He's not the first fictional character to do that, and he won't be the last.
You don't have to feel sympathy for the father if you don't want to.
Straightedge means I'm better than you.
If I am indeed overthinking this, I'll make sure to approach the next Hosoda film with the same amount of attention I give to Michael Bay films. Otherwise, I might jeopardize my enjoyment of these brainless films and regret having wasted my time.
shareIt's quite simple, really. We don't know exactly how the father died ... as neither does Hana. We have no way of finding out ... just like Hana. If the father had died as a human there would have been an inquest ... but instead he is just dumped in a garbage truck. We are left just as much in the dark as Hana, so we get to empathise with her exact situation much more succinctly.
shareI agree with JackRubysDog. Not knowing exactly how the father dies irks us just enough to be sad, confused, angry... hopeless, just like Hana. And how the city workers deal with this dead wolf just adds to the fear Ame has early on about how wolves are treated by humans.
Completely amazing film.
I was under the impression that the father hunted for his family because money was tight. Catching your own game is free.
shareEnjoy your Michael Bay films.
Straightedge means I'm better than you.
But even when "walking to the flippin supermarket like a reasonable, responsible adult" people have lost there lives. Pure and simple, accidents happen. Nobody expects to die doing something they've done their whole life, but it does happen, even walking to the supermarket. The father has probably hunted birds his whole life, without even the tiniest of problems. Five minutes earlier, the film showed Hana really enjoying the meal that he made from his prey, so he obviously thought he would treat her to her favourite meal. Have you never done anything special for the one you love? Whether the accident is your own fault or somebody else's, we can always say "Well, in hindsight...blah, blah, blah...", but that doesn't change the fact that an accident has occurred and somebody is dead. This happens in the real world all the time.
shareHe actually does go to the supermarket. Before Hana goes out and sees his body being carried away, she finds some bags of shopping left at their front door, along with the Wolfman's wallet. The implication is that he DID go grocery shopping for his family like a normal human being, but felt that it wasn't enough and his animal instincts drove him to go out and hunt to provide for his new family - like a wolf would.
I think I liked it better when he just said "Annyong".
I liked this movie.
but I found the reasoning behind the dad's death a cop out, too. Maybe the English translation sucked and they said something better in Japanese? I had the same thought. Like really, now, all of a sudden, he loses control over his instincts? He's managed to go his whole life without being caught and then, suddenly can't control it so then he's dead.
So yeah, should have come up with something else. I mean...maybe he was in human form and just got hit by a car and then turned into a wolf as a corpse...I'd take that over the "the wolf instincts took over as he had to forage for food" or whatever the hell lol. I know he had "pups" so maybe his instincts were out of whack...but all in all I agree, that stood out sorely as a cop out to me.
And the scene was overall confusing...we don't know what exactly happened. I even rewound it to see...did I miss blood? Was there a car? I'd assumed he'd gotten struck by a car. Then I thought...no, shot by someone? But no blood. Maybe drowned? I'm sticking with hit by a car but who actually knows...
That's not what cop out means.
And the scene was overall confusing...we don't know what exactly happened. I even rewound it to see...did I miss blood? Was there a car? I'd assumed he'd gotten struck by a car. Then I thought...no, shot by someone? But no blood. Maybe drowned? I'm sticking with hit by a car but who actually knows...
To me it did seem like a cop out. It didn't seem well thought-out, thus, the easy way out just so they could have the plot element that the dad died.
Again overall I liked the movie, mostly the development of Ame, but I found the father's death a weak point. Not the fact that he died, but the reasoning around it.
Again, that's not what a cop out is. And it's intentionally left ambiguous. We're not supposed to know because it's not important. All that matters is that he died. The "how" is irrelevant.
Can't stop the signal.
One of the meanings of cop out is taking the easy way out of something instead of investing the energy/time/thought/action/whatever that would require it being done well. That's how I'm using it.
"cop–out
noun \ˈkäp-ˌau̇t\
: an excuse for not doing something
: something that avoids dealing with a problem in an appropriate way"
So for me, the "problem" is coming up with a good reason for him dying so they can have that plot element introduced, as it is essential to the story.
And, so, I can agree with your point that what matters is the fact he died. That was important to the plot ... that's what was needed.
If they wanted to go the 100% ambiguous route instead of coming up with an actual reason for his death, I wish then they had taken out that stupid line about his instincts suddenly kicking in so he goes and...does whatever the hell he does. Because that just rang false to me. I can appreciate that the mystery of his death and callousness of the dump trunk added to her sadness and being alone. But that line should have been taken out. Just leave it as the mom never knowing what exactly happened to him, etc. Not "maybe his instincts for his children came out" lol
I wish then they had taken out that stupid line about his instincts suddenly kicking in so he goes and...does whatever the hell he does. Because that just rang false to me.
Chasing birds to feed your children? Seriously? Go to the *beep* supermarket you jackass.
Growing up in an environment where this was not unusual, and saw this with my own eyes, I assumed he was struck by a vehicle that sent him into the canal. He could have drowned in a flash flood in the canal, but it's difficult to say.
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Super late to the party but whatever. Putting my reply at the very bottom so it isn't directed a the person I'm replying to.
I think that some people in this thread didn't bother to think about why the father felt the need to hunt for more food.
He was only working a Moving Job
The mother wasn't working
They were a family of four living in the city.
The father was most likely saving up everything he could and was cutting corners by hunting for some of their food. The fact that he brought home only two bags of groceries to feed a family of four was telling of their financial situation. The only reason she was able to take the kids to the country was due to the savings he had left them.
I don't know how he died though. There was no blood so I assume he drowned while hunting.
The thing I don't get about the animal instincts thing is that he mentioned having to learn to hide and surpress his wolf side for many years due to living with his humab family members. So, you would thinm that he would be able to control it if that was true. His death just seemed odd...
shareLot's of people have slip ups.
Let's be bad guys.