Ranked #80

Spice and Wolf II

*A surprisingly successful sequel with emphasis on the romance between a man and a (cute) wolf.*

As foreshadowed by the prequel OVA, Spice and Wolf II focus heavily on the romance aspect between our protagonists. By and large, this second adaptation has been regarded as equally successful as its predecessor (if not more successful). In terms of the light novels adaptation, it has been widely accepted for its accurate following of the “actual” story, unlike most anime adaptation. While previous knowledge of the series is not absolutely required to enjoy the show, it is highly recommended for viewers to watch the first season as well as the OVA, which act as the prelude, before watching Spice and Wolf II. For those who wish to try this series with no previous background, here is a little summary of what to expect. Wordy. To be precise, the show is filled with dialogues from start to end, from episode one to episode twelve.

One common question people tend to have for this series often relates to the balance between romance and (merchant) trading. While there are still a decent dose of merchant-like business talks that may confuse viewers from time to time, the spotlight for this sequel seems to land on the character developments over anything else. Hence Horo and Lawrence fans will most likely enjoy the show much more than those who seek for nothing but story content (ie. business trades in medieval times).

The world of Spice and Wolf can often serve as a history textbook (that focuses on the medieval era in Europe). This is once again proven in the second season as viewers are exposed to the corrupted nature of the slave markets and the power of churches at the time. Although the inspiration of merchant trade has been greatly diminished, the believable surroundings of the medieval setting make this anime still interesting to watch even for those who are not too into the romance aspect of the show.

The character department, without doubt, is the selling point this season. Lawrence, for once, no longer seems like an undefeatable merchant. While viewers may remember him as a successful businessman, particularly when it comes to negotiation during trade, in season one. Many of us will be surprised to see that Lawrence, ultimately, is still a human being and thus he must also have his illogical and “stupid” moments especially when it comes to something he has no experience with. Something called love.

The animation this season is by Brains Base (as oppose to IMAGIN which was responsible for the previous season). There are some very minor changes in the character facial expressions and sometimes their looks at various angles, but overall the quality is similar to the first season and there is no reason for one to be disappointed with it. Re-using a quote from my review on the OVA, “For the most part, one can safely say Brains Base did a great job in taking over the series”.

Seiyu are the same as before with Jun Fukuyama being Kraft Lawrence and the lovely Ami Koshimizu acting as the equally lovable Horo (can’t get enough of that thick “Horo-only” accent). Other notable great seiyu that took part in this season include Romi Paku, and Saeko Chiba. In terms of music, the OP and ED are quite enjoyable and the BGM generally suit the particular scene in the question reasonably well. On the whole, this anime is still unique just like its predecessor. However, the big twist this season is the more intense character relationship developments rather than the merchant trading. In hindsight, there seems to be a certain lack of cleverness in plot development. But then again, the various Horo x Lawrence moments are enough to make up for that. read more

Spice and Wolf was one of the best animes I have ever seen in my life. Every second was amazing, every episode had me dying to watch the next, until it was over. For a while I have yearned for more, and then I heard about a sequel, and I was happier than a priest in an unsupervised daycare in the mountains. Now usually with sequels the magic that you first felt when you saw it, isn't there, but not with Spice and Wolf II, so far it has been just as stimulating, if not more, as season one.

Story:
The story is about the life a merchant named Lawrence, and his companion Holo who happens to be a wolf goddess. Together they venture towards Holo's home town while making trades along the way. The story has just the right amount of romance to make you want to want more. It is very cleverly written and does an excellent job of building anticipation without wasting a second like some other shows do.
Art:
Beautiful, the colors compliment the feelings which the scenes are trying to convey, and the character's design is superb as it was in the first season. The characters look more like real people then in other animes, giving off the element of realism but keep that mystical charm that could only be found in a medieval world with pagan gods running about. The animation is crisp and smooth without many awkward moments. The expressions are not too exaggerated and the background characters all have a distinctive look about them.
Sound:
Wow, the voice actors. Holo's seiyuu is one of the best, she can convey her emotions excellently and has a cute little catch phrase. Lawrence's actor has a serious voice which suites him well. The soundtrack is great at heightening the feeling trying to be expressed, the only thing that put this down to an 8 is that the opening and ending sequence. They are not my cup of tea so to speak. But they suit the show well.
Character:
Holo and Lawrence still keep that charm from the first season, admittedly they don't have the deepest back story. Little is known about Lawrence and Holo is an equal mystery, but this element adds a certain charm to the show, and perhaps more will be told about Horo and Lawrence later on, but even if they choose not to tell us their story, the characters are still well developed. Lawrence growth through the time spent with Holo is evident in the second season. The lack of archetypes is refreshing considering all the twin tailed tsundere bullshit out there. And that's what makes these characters memorable, instead of the cliche characters we get characters with a humanistic feeling to them.
Overall:
My mediocre vocabulary can't assign an adjective to this show worthy of it's greatness, this is an absolute must watch for everyone. read more