"Kiku-chan to Okami" is a tale that takes inspiration from Akiyuki Nosaka's "Toshi-Oi Mesu-Okami to Onna no Ko no Hanashi," the same author behind "Grave of the Fireflies." It is set in Manchuria during World War II and tells the story of a girl and her guardian who happens to be a wolf that subsequently exhibits maternal behavior towards her.