The 2012 series One Stormy Night: Secret Friends (Arashi no Yoru ni: Himitsu no Tomodachi) follows a forbidden friendship between a goat named Mei and a wolf named Gabu. Enemies by nature, the pair secretly team up for adventures while hiding their bond from their strict respective clans. [1, 2, 3]

Key Plot Details

• The Inciting Meeting: During a terrible storm, Mei and Gabu take shelter in an abandoned, pitch-black barn. Unable to see or smell each other, they huddle together and bond over shared hardships. They agree to meet the next day, using the password "One Stormy Night" to recognize each other. [1, 2]

• The Revelation: When they meet the next day, they discover they are a natural predator (wolf) and prey (goat). Despite this revelation and the threat of their kind, they choose to maintain their friendship in secret. [1, 2]

• The Conflict: Throughout the 26-episode series, both Mei's herd and Gabu's wolf pack discover the forbidden relationship. Both clans attempt to manipulate the duo into spying on each other. [1, 2]

• The Escape: Refusing to be bound by the unjust rules of their tribes, the two companions continuously outsmart their enemies, defending their bond and seeking a mythical "Emerald Forest" where they can live in peace. [1]

Characters

• Gabu (ガブ, Gabu), a wolf from the Bakubaku Valley.

• Mei (メイ, Mei), a goat from the Sawasawa Mountains. While the gender is unmentioned in the original books, Mei is depicted as a female goat in the TV series.

• Giro (ギロ, Giro), the boss of the Bakubaku Valley wolves and a best friend of Gabu's father. In the show, Gabu's father was leader of the clan before vanishing under unseen circumstances involving a rivalry with an invading pack; Giro, being the second-in-command, took over as Alpha and even took to raising Gabu as a pup

• Barry (バリー, Barī), a red-haired wolf and Giro's right-hand man. In the show, Barry is blue-furred and has a complicated relation with Gabu; often belittling him yet sometimes holding high expectations for him, has a sister named Lala who fancies the young wolf.

• Beach (ビッチ, Bicchi) and Zack (ザク, Zaku), a pair of twin wolves who love to fight and eat.

• Tap (タプ, Tapu), an overweight goat who acts as an older brother figure to Mei. In the show, he is more fit and has an open crush on Mei yet has a near impossible time making her aware of it; each time he tries to confess his feelings to her, he is constantly interrupted by circumstances beyond his control.

• Mii (ミイ), a pink-colored goat and a friend of Mei. She does not appear in the book series. In the show, she is much younger and looks up to Mei as a big sister figure; never losing faith in her as a friend, even at the end.

• Elder Goat (長老, Chouro), the leader of the goats of the Sawasawa Mountains.

• Mei's Mother (メイの母, Mei no Haha), who attempted to save Mei from a group of wolves when he was a child, managing to bite off Giro's ear before being eaten. Though she is mentioned, she does not physically appear in the book series. In the show, she only bites off a piece of Giro's ear instead of the whole ear before being killed by the wolves.

• Mei's Grandmother (メイの祖母, Mei no Soba), who raised Mei after his mother was killed, and is later shocked when Mei befriends Gabu. She does not appear in the book series.

• Gabu's Mother (ガブの母, Gabu no Haha), she is mentioned. In both the movie and show, she is seen in Gabu's flashbacks.

• Garuru (ガルル, Garuru), Gabu's father. In the movie, he is only mentioned as being Giro's best friend. In the show he is given the name Garuru, he was also Giro's best friend while also being the original leader of the clan; disappearing under unknown circumstances, leaving Giro to take over the pack and raise Gabu in his stead.

• Boro (ボロ, Boro), a wolf pup. He is a student of Barry's, learning how to be a tracker. He does not appear in the book series. He idolizes Gabu, viewing him as a big brother and trying to emulate him whenever he can. Even after Gabu's secret friendship is revealed, although shocked, he does not lose his faith in Gabu.

• Lala (ララ, Rara), sister of Barry. She does not appear in the book series. She knew Gabu when he was a pup and sympathized with him, finding herself fond of his growing courage growing up. It is heavily implied she is in love with him now.

• Moro (ボロ, Moro), friend of Mei and Tap. He does not appear in the book series. He is an overweight goat who loves to eat, acting as a big brother figure to Tap and Mii. He is normally easygoing and uncaring of most troubles, more concerned with what he eats most of the time.