Ookami to Koushinryou

A friend of mine once told me that a show lives or dies on its characters, and while this statement may seem rather self explanatory, it’s shame to see just how often such a fundamental part of a show can be left in the dust to make way for other aspects to receive more polish. While I do appreciate and admire said other aspects reviving polish, it goes without saying but regardless as to how much time is spent making some action sequence the most eye poppingly vibrant array of colours to ever be put into film, I generally won’t find them all that interesting ... if I don’t give a damn about anyone involved, regardless as to if I like or dislike them.

Spice and wolf is a show that realises that it can’t try to be the jack of all trades, but it’s quite happy being the master of one.

S&W begins following the travels of a merchant called Laurence through what can only be described as a mild fantasy version of medieval Europe, whilst stopping by in a local town, Laurence accidentally picks up our other main character, a Pagan wolf-god in human form (abit with wolf ear’s and a tail) who goes by the name Holo. She wishes to be aided to travel to her home up north and from there on out, S&W focuses less on the destination and more on the journey.

Simply put, the two characters of Laurence and Holo are both wonderfully realised and their interactions with one another are a joy to watch. Part of this charm extends from the fact that their characters are rooted in reality, Laurence himself is just a ordinary guy who just happens to be in extra-ordinary circumstances and similarly Holo, despite being a wolf, is a rather human character, flaw’s and all. This isn’t a show about action sequences and nor is it one about forced relationships, instead S&W get’s by on solid writing and acting alone.

Initially in the opening few episodes conversations had a tendency to flow un-naturally every now and then but as time goes on it becomes quite clear that Laurence and Holo become more relaxed with one another and both the writing and the acting reflect this subtle change over time. Though it’s well worth mentioning that more then just this change is captured well; Brina Palencia gives a sense of playful regality to Holo which perfectly reflects her character as one to not act without thought nor having not thought out what to do when acting, even in the most serious of situations. Though her mannerisms also play a welcome role in defining Holo’s character, flicks of a tail and ear flops speak more then words ever could and this is carried over to other elements to. Even Holo’s posture, pose and language seek to reflect her status as a wolf at times and it really is a splendid use of the medium.

Holo isn’t the only one standing in the spot light though and Laurence thankfully get’s a similar treatment. J. Michael Tatum employs a cautious and collected tone to Laurence, which given his current occupation go rather well in hand with another more curious tone as he consistently seeks to find a new way of making profit via an opening in a new market or at the suggestions of others.

Together, the two of them are constantly poking fun at each another and making snarky remarks at the expense of one another. None of the interaction feel’s forced and never does the show stoop to include risqué scenarios to appease fan service. The relationship between Laurence and Holo feel’s natural as it develops over time and it is by far the best thing the show has going for it.

Unfortunately though, S&W doesn’t just have character interaction on its plate as is suffers from doing a number of other things fairly well, but not really all that well in comparison to the aforementioned interaction.

The first of these is what actually happens in each episode, throughout its length, S&W encompasses a small number of story arch’s that play out in a way that I could only really describe as finance battles, with great focus spent of detailing how the economy works in the world of S&W, and just as much time spent talking about how to take advantage of it for the sake of profit. And while I can applaud the decision to try and stem high risk scenarios from a source other then gratuitous violence, I can’t deny the fact that generally, I just found the proceeding’s of these stories dull. Their pacing is more at home on the medium that S&W was originally written for but in a TV show spread out over a number of episodes they loose their appeal.

To an extent, these stories do serve a purpose quite well because they allow us to see more from the main characters. Seeing the otherwise calm Laurence loose himself over his current situation and subsequently seeing how Holo reacts to this new side of her friend does continue to aid their development as characters, and in that regard the show still holds its appeal throughout these sequences.

Or at least it would do if it wasn’t common for the two main characters to be separated for what ever reason in such sequences leaving us with the small selection of side characters that populate S&W’s roster. None of these characters are massively deep in any way and nor are they voiced in a way to write home about, and it’s unfortunate to say it, but even for a world that holds quite a bit of potential, it doesn’t really have anyone else to show for that fact, and it’s a real downer considering how well things are handled else were.

Another problem with said finance battles is that they primarily take place in city’s and the art work for the city’s is a place were the budget of S&W is quite present, for the most part, the streets are rather empty giving an almost convenient lack of life to the environments. This is excusable given how much time it takes to animate a crowd, but the problem really stems from the streets themselves. If you go into any urban environment you will immediately notice a lack of coherence between structures, building heights and widths vary here and there and each architect’s own style can be seen adorning each building with love. S&W doesn't really capture this not nearly well enough to give the cities a sense of vibrancy in amongst the chaos of urban living, the repeated vanishing point perspectives and rather dull straight edges that are pretty common give the setting an almost sterile feel to them that really doesn't lend its self well to the setting or show considering the length of time that is spent in said cities.

It’s worth noting though that the country side backgrounds are generally an exception to the rule and do remain pleasing enough to the eye throughout the show’s duration.

Animation is unfortunately another area where the show suffers from it’s budget, while expressions look nice enough most of the time, and the aforementioned mannerisms are lovely, for the most part the character art and the character animation is below par and rather choppy. This is excusable given the rare need of smooth animation, but it’s a shame to be honest, and I would love to have seen it a bit smoother, or at least weightier at times.

To summarise, Spice and Wolf isn’t the jack of all trades, nor is it a masterpiece, but it does what it does well and deserves credit for being a lovely and rather slow experience. If you’re at all interested by all means give it a punt, because with any luck you might just like it more then you though you might.

Okay... I am going to receive hatred. I just know I will. But please, before sending me death threats, please read why I give this show such a relatively low score.

Spice and Wolf is a show I initially started when I was all new to anime, I didn't know much about what were the most beloved shows aside from those big shonens like SNK everyone talks about. Consequently I didn't know anything about Spice and Wolf. I found it very randomly and thought the opening was incredibly charming, which made me want to try it.
I really liked the first episode. I didn't find ... it to be amazing but it had a big charm and made me want to see the rest. Then I watched the second episode and was left a bit disappointed. Due to having other shows to watch, I put it on hold and forgot about it, that is until I came here and realized how much the anime fandom loves this show. It made me want to try it again, hoping the last episode I saw was just a weak one and that the rest would prove itself to be worthy of the hype.
I gave a chance for it to impress me episode after episode, until I reached the last one and finished it with a disappointed face. Spice and Wolf didn't impress me. Neither the story, nor the characters managed to reach me.
And I'll try to explain why.

Story : What can I even say about the story... Basically, it is about a merchant and a wolf goddess going on a road trip in order to help the wolf goddess go back to her homeland. Among the way, the two companions will sell things and talk about ecomomics. That's pretty much it.
I am certain that if you have an interest in economics, you will love this show no matter what because it is very good in that domain. But if you are like me, if you don't have any interest in that and don't even manage to understand what the characters are talking about, you might end up with a headache. And along with the headache, you will end up with a feeling of boredom, because the show is primarily about that. Economics. Aside from its wolf waifu's relationship with the merchant, this is supposed to be its main appeal. So if you're not into economics, don't expect a truly compelling story.

Art : The character designs aren't the best ones out there. They aren't ugly, but they don't stand out, with the exception of Holo's design that really fits her character, full of personality. The backgrounds are also very bland most of the time. The show is apparently supposed to take place in medieval Europe, which is a setting that really appeals to me, but except in the first episode, I didn't feel the charm that generally comes from it because in this show, it doesn't feel lively at all. There are background characters that allow the cities not to look empty, but they aren't often there and when they are, they don't do enough to make the place seem alive. When you think about a medieval city, you obviously think about markets, street artists, lively crowds, dark taverns, etc. Here, nothing. The streets, the buildings, the houses don't look ugly at all, but no life is deriving from them which, if you're sensitive to atmosphere, can be very distracting. The scenes taking place in the plains the forest are generally no better, with the exception of a few scenes taking place during the night where I found the atmosphere to be very charming.
As for the animation, it is quite average. It isn't bad but it isn't stunning either.

Sound : I watched it with the japanese dub and I have quite mixed feelings about it. Most of the characters don't have memorable voices though that's probably due to the characters themselves being forgettable ones to start with.
Lawrence, the main character, is voiced by Jun Fukuyama who is one of my favorite seiyuus, but in this show I didn't find his performance to be anything amazing, I didn't even recognize him at first due to how little his acting stands out compared to usual.
However, I have to say that I love Ami Koshimizu as Holo. She has a very wide range that she perfectly knows how to use in order to bring this peculiar character to life. I never found her performance to be lacking, which is saying something since this Holo seems to be quite a difficult one to play.
About the soundtrack, aside from one specific ost, I never found it to be memorable in the show, however listening to it outside of it made me realize that it is actually a great one. I don't know why I didn't notice it while watching, maybe I was too busy trying to understand the whole money thing.

Characters : First, I want to talk about the characters outside of Lawrence and Holo. Those characters are the very definition of one-dimensional and stereotypical. You won't find anything interesting in them. So don't even try to hope for something that could make them memorable, you won't have it. The only character I found to be a little bit interesting was a young sheperd the duo encounters in the last arc, but unfortunately her character has never been sufficiently developed. The show, through Holo, told me multiple times that this young girl isn't what she seems, but it really failed to show it.
Now about Lawrence. There is something interesting about him. It is unusual to have a merchant as a main, and even more unusual to have this merchant struggle the way real life people struggle with money. It makes for some interesting development that I really liked to see. However Lawrence himself isn't an actually compelling character because he is seriously lacking a real personality. Aside from his job, he doesn't much to him because even his discussions with Holo often have money as the main subject. Would I say that Lawrence is boring ? No I wouldn't go as far, but he isn't a memorable character.
And now, finally, I'll talk about Holo. Holo is THE reason so many people watch and love this show and she is the main reason I decided to give this show another chance. I wasn't very fond of her character in the first episodes (though it probably had something to do with her voice since I watched them in my country's dub), but I always found her intriguing and I really hoped she would grow on me. And she did, a lot actually. And at the beginning I really thought she would make it to my favorites by the end because she just seemed to be that great.
As you can probably tell, she didn't. Because in the first 6 or so episodes, I was waiting for that one scene that would make her truly memorable to me and gave her a chance because I knew I still had many episodes left. But the closer I got to the end, the more I came to understand that it wouldn't happen.
Unfortunately, Holo suffers from being way too often relegated to the role of the observant, she observes but doesn't do anything until she is certain she can do something. The thing is that those moments when she actually does something are very rare. More often than not, she is just sitting or standing next to Lawrence, listening to him negotiating, and she only discusses that with him once it is over. The issue is that it takes away a lot of chances for her to considerably develop. And maybe most people weren't bothered by it which is totally fine, but all those missed opportunities to make Holo shine really bothered me. I am not saying that she actually could've done something when she didn't, because as far as I could tell it wasn't the case, but that those scenes where she couldn't do anything were far too numerous.
It shows one of the other issues with this show actually : it doesn't balance economics and character development well.
But to go further with Holo, one of the things that frustrated me the most is how during the few moments where she shows a vulnerable side, this is where her character truly shines. Unfortunately, those moments don't last long because she very quickly reverts back to her usual self and what happened before is never mentionned again. I always feel like the show is restraining itself from going in depths and providing Holo that one scene that would make her absolutely amazing, and this is so frustrating.
It is even more frustrating since Holo symbolizes some very important themes such as loneliness. I wanted to see that being explored to its fullest, but it really left disappointed.
One last thing is how the show always reminds me how Holo is "the wise wolf". So Holo is supposed to be wise. But when I started truly paying attention, I came to understand that Holo isn't particularly wise, she is indeed smart, crafty, and very lucid when it comes to understand people's inner selves, but she didn't strike me as being wise which is a shame since it is supposed to be her main trait.
But for all my criticisms, Holo remains a very good character and I understand why people love her so much. I simply was expecting more from her, especially because she had the potential to be more. But she is still worth it and if you're planning to watch this show just for her, you'll still have a very good time even if you might regret her lack of screentime from time to time.

Overall : Spice and Wolf is a flawed show. It had a huge potential, it could've been amazing, but unfortunately it always felt like it was almost afraid to use said potential to its fullest. But it is still a good show that deserves to be seen. Between Holo's character, the beautiful soundtracks, the economics if you're interested in that, and the interactions between our two mains, I don't think you can even truly dislike this show. But don't raise your expectations too high, like this you'll be pleasantly surprised if it turns out to be to your liking and you won't be disappointed if you're hoping to find a bit more in a show or if you don't know anything and don't care all that much aboit merchandising.

Spice and Wolf is a series that I didn't expect much from. Little did I know, this would become one of my all-time favorites.

I think most of the reviews are spot on when they say this is a story about the characters. Although the plot line of economics and spice trading may seem dull, the characters and development are true masterpieces.

Holo is a character that you won't find in any other series and makes this series a masterpiece. Words cannot describe how brilliant her character development is. The interactions and progression of her feelings are on a different level, where the two MCs ... really understand each other beyond words. There isn't the constant need to say "I love you" or kiss in every scene. In fact, the satisfaction in their relationship stems from how they deal with each conflict and ultimately grow closer with each obstacle. Holo's personality is an amalgam of being wise, stubborn, and caring rolled into one. And I might be forever flagged as an Otaku for saying this, but she really makes you wish you could meet someone as interesting, mysterious, and loving at the same time (wouldn't hurt to be a wolf god either).

I need to reiterate that it truly is amazing that there are very few scenes where the MCs openly announce their affection for one another. You don't see them kiss constantly or tell each other "I love you". The plot itself shows their affection and bond with one another on a deeper, more human level.

Having watched the series a few weeks ago, I was disappointed to find that there really isn't a single series that even comes close to Spice and Wolf. This will forever remain a classic that I truly enjoyed every second of.

Brief Vote Breakdown:

Story 10/10
- Spice and Wolf is one of the few stories where you'll find a combination of fantasy, economics, comedy, and tear-jerking romance. These themes are not only unique, but also incredibly well balanced. Each episode flies by and leaves you wanting more.

Art 10/10
- I thoroughly enjoyed the art. I thought the attention-to-detail was amazing and you can tell the artists really understood the time period they were working with.

Sound 10/10
- I went so far as to download all the sounds in the series. Like everything else about this series, they're really unique and remind me of the most heart-wrenching scenes.

Character 100/10
- Yes, there's an extra 0. The character development is nothing short of a masterpiece. There's a lot of subtext, where the characters grow and understand each other through actions, tears, and laughter. It truly feels amazing when at the end of the series, you can tell the characters understand each other beyond words.

Enjoyment 10/10
- This show was incredibly enjoyable to watch. I would finish an entire episode and realize my mouth was sore from smiling the entire time. Same goes for the heart-rending scenes.

Conclusion:
There aren't a whole lot of shows that stay in your mind long after watching them and make you think deeply about the characters and their interactions. Spice and Wolf is a classic that will take you on ups and downs, leaving you feeling fuzzy inside or as if someone yanked your heart out. It truly is a one-of-a-kind masterpiece.

Spice and wolf review.
Spoilers may be in this review
Spice and Wolf is a show which isn't impressive on any front. It isn't bad, it isn't good, it just is. It exists and that is all there is to the show, story and characters. Existence and that is. Whilst I say it’s so unimpressive that it deserves no more than 6/10.
The graphics aren't terribly impressive, the art style is typical the sound is okay and the voice acting was fine. But it’s so so. It won’t leave a bad taste but just a slightly sweet taste.
I’d probably be inclined to give it ... more if it had finished the story. Some people like the whole just existing thing, and I can understand the satisfaction in that, but if there is no end you find no closure.

Story
What can I say, the story is unique in terms of settings and occupation of the characters, but other than that it was bland. The most engaging thing about the show as all the talk about economics.
The romance and drama was so predictable that I didn't find allot of enjoyment in it. The story is so boring, but the setting, characters, and economic talk and it’s relation to politics made up for it for me a bit. Because of that I wasn't bored and did enjoy the show somewhat.

Tech
Nothing much to say, it’s so average it hurts. There wasn't anything really impressive about this except for the background art. This links to why the setting was so interesting. But there really isn't anything more to say. Music was fine, art was fine, and animation was fine everything was fine. Nothing to complain about only one thing to praise. It’s kind of depressing.

Characters
Lawrence was an interesting character to me. Holo started interesting and fun but then in the second season descended into a spoiled Princess, but regained some of her former self towards the end.
Lawrence was too good willed for Holo’s own good. Other than this there were other characters which were interesting on the way, don't expect me to remember their names. The woman who was a bird was a good character, she seemed charming.

Conclusion
It was an anime which is just there. Not impressive but not a disappointment. Even though it’s just that I think it’s still worth a bit of a watch. I am kind of regretful that there wasn't an ending, but kind of happy that they didn't continue producing it. After this point I think the show would have ended up repeating itself. I think maybe an epilogue movie would be in order just to give it a good ending.

Before I do anything I feel that I need to address something. Yes. The first two or so episodes have a naked Holo in them. However, the artists did not add any “girly parts” to these scenes so Holo has the body of a Barbie doll. Also, these scenes are done so tastefully that it isn’t exactly fanservice. Now that that’s out of the way…

Say hello to Kraft Lawrence, our witty protagonist in medieval times. Lawrence is a traveling merchant who sells a variety of things, and he’s quite skilled in his…er…craft. Upon reaching the village Pasroe, he finds hidden in his carriage Holo. Holo ... introduces herself as the wise wolf deity who looks after the village to ensure that their wheat harvest is successful each year. Yet as time went on, the village began to resent her, and now Holo asks Lawrence to travel with him until she reaches her original home. Eventually, after poor Lawrence getting quite the scare once he sees Holo’s true form, Lawrence agrees and the two set off from the village.

The characters are all well written and they work well together, however Holo steals the show with her wondrous charm and ability to play off Lawrence’s character. She is a god, and in every way superior to Lawrence or at least that is what her personality would lead you to believe. Kind yet haughty Holo isn’t afraid to boast about her higher status or how wonderful her tail is and….

Yes, her actual tail you pervert.

Of course she doesn’t call herself the “wise wolf” for nothing and numerous times she is able to help out Lawrence in the economic half of the show.

Oh yes, economy plays a big part in Spice and Wolf, as most of the premise is based on Lawrence and how he can either outwit or find a way out of financial struggles. Don’t let the premise of economics scare you away just yet. While a good amount of the show is based on economy, it does a good job of attempting to explain the jargon and the how and why of it so even a simpleton should be able to get the gist of the plot if they pay attention. However, they do need to pay attention, as this is also the huge bump in the road that could alienate many viewers.

To call Spice and Wolf’s visuals impressive would be an understatement. The color palette is rich, and the environments are an absolute joy to look at. The music is no slouch either, as period instruments are to say the least charming. The soundtrack is vaguely Celtic and fits the slow portions well, but is able to speed up well when the situation calls for it. As for the dub all of it is good, but once again Holo (or in this case her voice actress Brina Palencia) outshines everyone else.

What could be said for the first season can more or less be said for the second season, although a dub is not available just yet (it has been licensed though). However, if the first season could be surmised as 70% economics, 30% romance then the second season could be surmised as 60% romance, 40% economics. It's still as good as the first season, though.

Is Spice and Wolf for everyone? Of course not, as the show is very slow moving and even if that doesn’t turn the viewer off the economic jargon might. However, to those who do venture into this anime they will find rich characters, wonderful art and music, and clever story plots.

this anime surprised me , when i first saw the screenshots and the reviews around the internet i thought it's another anime about a guy who meets a girl who has superpowrs by a coincidence and then they travel together and all that stuff that we usually see, but it isn't like that , instead goes for depth and tries to keep the world as real as possible. Holo has special powers but she only uses them a few times to avoid being spotted by the church. the whole series is about craft Lawrence and Holo traveling and doing business together. their relationship starts ... off being like business partners and then friends and even beyond that.lawrence is a smart and a very good merchant but holo seems to do better at times taking advantage of her looks and tricking other merchants. even if it starts off with nudity you shouldn't worry about them because it isn't like fanservice and it starts to disappear after the first episode, "spice and wolf" is one of best fantasy series I have ever seen and the part about the business world was really fun.

This review is based on both seasons of Spice and Wolf.

For such a shameless furfag as myself, it certainly took a long time before I got to watching Spice and Wolf; an anime where one of the two protagonists is a cute wolf girl complete with bushy tail and pointy ears. Ending the procrastination paid off, for besides indulging a geeky fetish Spice and Wolf (or Wolf and Spice, ha ha) offered some semi-educational dialogue, intriguing characters and interaction and, perhaps most importantly of all, plenty of heartwarming and easy-going entertainment.

To start off, folks who've usually preferred cyberpunk-, scifi-, or any such anime with modern ... milieu will find themselves challenged in case they decide to pick up Spice n Wolf, for a tower clock and a simple scale are among the most hi-tech inventions you'll see in this show. Set in a rural world where church is the highest authority and deities the trusted insurance for good harvest, most of the shows atmosphere indeed leans on the classic feel attached to any tale set in the past times. How well would've Horo's charm fared had she dressed in a miniskirt and a top instead of the archaic and more concealing attires she wore? Or hid her ears with a flipped baseball cap instead of the granny scarf and hood? What would've become of the shows emphasis on hers and Lawrence's long and time-consuming travels together had they been done with a sports car instead of a horse cart? To fully appreciate the overall languid nature of the show is to either like the type already or bite the bullet and see if you can stomach it. My place is in the former category, so no need to guess whether I consider the slice-of-life-ishness good or bad.

Those of you who enjoyed works such as Death Note, Eden, and FMA because of their fascinating storylines will have to prepare yourselves to try and find something else enjoyable in Spice and Wolf. As most of you propably deduced from the previous paragraph, S&W is yet another one of those shows that just doesn't have a single storyline that'd last throughout the whole show, unless you'd like to count wolf girl's and Lawrence's constant traveling as such. The two of them travel to one place, deal with whatever conflict they encounter there, move someplace else and repeat. It's as simple as that, and if this kind of plotline (story arcs following one another) hasn't appealed to you before, it likely won't do so this time either and vice versa.

So, with the show clearly not trying to make too much of an impression through plot or an exciting genre, it is only natural that the series's main spice should lie in the characters. Namely, Horo and Lawrence. Even more namely, the chemistry between the two. The towns that they visit change, the people they meet on their journey change, the only constant is their interaction. Be it friendly bickering over matters more or less trivial, bitter arguments when differing opinions collide more drastically, or, on the rare case, completely serious discussions ranging from pure business to deeply personal issues. Whatever it is, the two are always going at one another (though sadly not in the more physical sense), and ever so slowly, unsuspectingly under their very noses, their relationship begins to deepen. It does so through hints subtle at first yet obvious later on, resulting in no sexual encounters nor outright confessions, for better or for worse, that is left for the viewer to decide. Personally I found myself missing some romance past the awkward fumblings and perhaps some sort of continuation after the discovery of their mutual feelings. Perhaps the original light novels, manga, or possible future anime projects may offer gratification on this issue; it is left for those interested to find out.

The aforementioned "semi-intellectual dialogue" steps into play in the aforementioned rare cases of serious business talk. I doubt any PhD level economic science is discussed (though I can't be sure since I'm no professional), but Lawrence's occupation as a merchant and the resulting trade thematics in the show are not to be downplayed. Rarely an episode passes without the viewer witnessing at least one in-depth analysis of a specific trade technique, the importance of good relations, the gravity of knowing currencies and their values and the foul play associated with them and anything else trade related and...well you get the point. Some might find these little lessons fascinating, others will be bored to tears. I stood somewhere in the middle ground, though generally the longer the talk, the less I focused.

A bit of a checklist at the end. Slice of life? Check. Story centered around two main characters and their interaction? Check. LOTS of dialogue? Check. Crapton of action a la Black Lagoon and Gurren Lagann? Sure Horo and Lawrence stumble upon conflicts that escalate beyond a little disagreement between bestest buddies, but otherwise, no. Drama rivaling that of top ten western soap operas combined? Sure they have their small quarrels with even some love triangle thrown in at times, but beyond that, no. What Spice and Wolf is essentially about is two people slowly finding one another through time and talk, and that's that.

Oh, and perhaps most importantly of all, a cute furry girl with a wicked attitude? CHECK! ;)

I wonder, what does it feel like to be able to travel all over the world and sit under the blue sky while making countless friends and acquaintances, and having a beautiful companion to witness all of it with you? Now, what exactly is Spice and wolf and how does this question relate to it? Spice and Wolf is an anime that depicts the life of Craft Lawrence and his fateful encounter with Holo, a wolf deity who takes the form of a young, beautiful woman. Together, they travel across the land as traveling merchants with their goal being to be able to reach ... Holo’s hometown, Yoitsu. So, what exactly is so special about this anime then? Well, to put it simply, Spice and Wolf is one of those rare gems that come along every couple of years or so. It is different from other animes in a way that it is of the romance genre, yet it shows it in a way that is quite different from others. That, along with a wonderfully written plot makes it a very unique anime that can both pique your interest and minds and at the same time give you the vibes that romance animes usually have.

You see, the plot is, as simple as it sounds like, is actually one of the most complex and unpredictable plots I’ve ever seen. The anime is subdivided into several arcs that each have their own separate story. Now, each of these arcs are seemingly simple and straightforward, but in reality, they can task your mind just by thinking about how things will end up. Each story has more twist and turns than a slum, like in one moment they are happy and smiling then suddenly one simple mistake and their entire situation turns upside down. it still manages to tie up everything perfectly though and is the way they solve these problems is what makes Spice and Wolf interesting. It makes use of economic principles(whether they are applicable in real life or just made up is beyond me) that can either amaze you or confuse you. Also, along with these events are the messages that make Spice and Wolf into the anime it is. These messages are subtle implications about things like how money corrupts men, how untrustworthy people become when faced with certain opportunities and other things which may sound a bit philosophical. Then there’s the romantic aspect of Spice and Wolf. I find it really entertaining yet very infuriating to watch the two main characters flirt with each other but their relationship seems to remain platonic. Sure, after a few episodes or so they start holding hands or so but other than that there really isn’t anything else. This kind of flirting though does have a certain charm that makes me crave for more.

Speaking of craving more, I just can never get enough of Holo. She is one unique character that never fails to amuse; a beautiful, wise and quick-witted woman who has a distinct love for alcohol and apples. Then there’s the traveling merchant Craft Lawrence, a bona fide gentleman who has a great way with words and is Holo’s love interest. Every time these two are on screen alone, you can just be sure that a wonderful exchange of words is about to ensue. Along with these two characters are a bunch of other side characters that they meet in every arc then leave as they venture out. Unfortunately though, since only Holo and Lawrence are given enough screen time, only they are the ones with solid and unique personalities. Don’t get me wrong though, the side characters are not entirely dull and boring or anything of the likes, you just can’t really grow to love them as they don’t really stick around for long. This kind of character development does kind of fit the story though as Lawrence and Holo are both traveling merchants so meeting a multitude of other characters does benefit the plot in some way or another.

Then throw in a bit of wonderful music and sceneries and you’ve got exactly what Spice and wolf looks like. The opening of this series, Tabi no Tochuu, is one of the most beautiful and emotional song I’ve heard from an anime. Then there’s also the ending, Ringo hiyori, which has a happy and energetic beat to it, and not to mention, it’s in English, something you don’t see everyday. The scenery is somewhat plain yet fitting to the theme of the storysSince the story of Spice and Wolf usually occur within cities. As such, most of the things you can expect to see are large brick buildings and markets cluttered by stalls with cloth roofs. When the occasion calls for it though, Spice and Wolf can surprise you with views ranging from vast wheat fields and rural sceneries that are based off medieval Europe to foggy, foreboding forests and quiet paths along the countryside.

All in all, Spice and Wolf has done a great job being unique and staying true to its concept. It never strayed from the story and had a very intricate and mind-boggling plot. Along with the romance going on between Holo and Lawrence, Spice and Wolf truly delivers type of entertainment that hasn’t been shown in any other anime. it tries to both tease the mind by putting the characters into complicated yet conceivable situations and charm the heart by slowly developing the relationship between Holo and Lawrence. It has been a fun watch for me and for everyone who is looking for an anime that has a well constructed plot and a sweet, mature love story, look no further because I am sure that Spice and Wolf will deliver.

Btw, don’t you just love apples?

~First and foremost, thanks for reading my review. If you have any comments regarding my review or just want to have a discussion, then leave a comment at my page. I will greatly appreciate it. =)~

Spice and Wolf is one of those series I heard everyone and their mother talking about, and honestly, it didn't look that appealing to me. I finally decided to watch it, to be honest, to have something to write a bad review about to balance out good/bad reviews. After I started watching it though, and getting into the story and characters, I quickly fell in love with this series, even though it's one of those shows I usually wouldn't like or enjoy.

Story:The story revolves around Craft Lawrence, a traveling merchant going from town to town selling and trading various goods. After leaving a town, he ... stumbles upon Horo, a wolf in human form who was considered a "God" by the local villagers, sleeping in his wagon on his furs. After listening to Horo's story, Lawrence decides to accompany her back north to her homeland. Though the story is overall great, there are a few minor things I had a problem with. Mainly the constant explanation of how the economy works, it tends to wear out it's welcome after hearing it several times. The suspense was the main point of the story that hooked me though. It might get slow at a few points, but for the majority of the series I was on the edge of my seat wondering what would happen next.

Animation and Sound: There really isn't much to say about the animation other then it was simply beautiful. Even the smallest detail like the faces on coins or the small rust spots on signs are draw with utmost care and attention to detail. The sound is equally impressive. Horo's howl gave me chills every time I heard it.

Character: My personal favorite aspect of the series. Jun Fukuyama as Lawrence and Ami Koshimizu as Horo make the series their own with their outstanding performances. Add together a very good and well-rounded cast of supporting characters and it's any anime fans dream. Though I do feel some characters weren't as fleshed out and developed as they could of been, mainly Chloe and Norah. Norah did have a fairly big role, but I still feel there was so much more potential with her character. Chloe I though and hoped would have a fairly large role, but has no screen time at all for the entire second half of the series.

Enjoyment: Honestly, I didn't have high hopes of enjoying this series when I started it, but I was very pleasantly surprised. I was sucked in from the moment the opening started (which is one of my top openings now) until the ending credits (which was somewhat of a letdown, unless theres a second season) Overall, would I recommend this series? Yes. It was very good and highly enjoyable, and thats coming from someone who usually dislikes series like this. Here's hoping there's a season 2.

This is the greatest anime ever created, ever. Look at my profile, I have more than enough experience under my belt to say that. My point is Spice and Wolf is perfect in every way possible.


Story:
Most anime's have some point in them where there's a lull in the story, or something annoying, basically anything to break the chain of events. This never happens! Everything in spice and wolf is relevant to the plot, so the spacing is great, which is crucial for a story like this one. Secondly, there is a romantic sub-plot in there, but unlike most animes it doesn't interfere with the ... story, nor does it get annoying! I don't know what else to say.

Sound:
The music in this amazing, even though there really isn't all that much. However, the way it's used is kind of similar to how it's used in Ico or Shadow Of the Colossus, in that what IS there, and when it IS used, because of it's rareness, enhances the music's overall effect and contributes to the mood. Voice acting rocks too ^_^

Character:
Horo is the greatest ever.

Enjoyment:
Yeah, it's fun! It's probably one of the most original things I've seen, and there's never anything that doesn't keep you interested. Hell I've watched this thing 5 times over already.

Overall:
It rox my sox.

Well, im simply saying this to strengthen my next sentence, but i have watched nearly 500 anime series... And this is by far the best romance anime among them and one of the best among all genres. Even though the Light Novels ended and even fully translated by now, they should animate all of Light Novels,not for the profit from it or to advertise Light Novels, but to leave an example of pinnacle for all japanese animation made from Light Novels and the pinnacle for Light Novels alike. It would not be far fetched to say that this is the pinnacle of them all, by ... overall story, by overall character development, by overall execution of the story and by execution of light novels into anime while story staying intact. P.S. : 2 seasons only consist 2 books,1st to 5th 4th being excluded. And whole book series have 17 books, leaving are much more books to animate... This is what a "Masterpiece" is.

Ookami to Koushinryou is one of those shows that fall under the category of more complex/focused shows like Death note and Code Geass, where one really needs to focus on what is going on in a sense, in order to fully understand. While personally, I could care less about that stuff due to my simple nature, I will say that I fully enjoyed this series to its fullest.

Story (9/10): Spice and wolf, as this series is known in English, has, on one hand a rather simple plot. The actual 12 episode anime is split into 2 arcs, where each of them correspond to ... a different problem that the 2 main characters, Lawerence and Holo, must overcome. The reason why I say this plot is simple is for one reason only; its exposition. The exposition and the meeting of the 2 leads is very easy to understand and done very simply and beautifully. The majority of this series is done in this simple concept, and executes it very well with an easygoing plot line and its wonderful, glorious, banter.

On the other hand, Spice and wolf has another side to its simple traveling style, explained in the form of medieval economics. Yes, the complicated part I was talking about at the beginning of this review, is reflected like this. Because the series has a merchant for its main lead, the characters face economic situations and problems which...confuse me. Personally, I hate it. While watching it, I was always confused about what was going on when the economics part was occurring, to the point that I paused the show and read the subtitles, and still didn't get it. The economics goes very deep, and to one who doesn't have any knowledge of economics, it can be a bit of a turn off.

Overall, the story of Spice and wolf definitely has a solid plot that isn't too difficult to understand, (minus the economics), and doesn't at all feel droned out or carried out. It picks up when it wants to, and slows down when it needs to. It didn't feel boring at all, and I enjoyed all of it.

Character (9/10): I just want to get one thing straight. I...Love...Holo. The wolf deity of the north is by far, one of the best female leads in all of anime history. The reasons for this is because of just how awesome and wonderful she is. She's flirty, mischievous, smart, etc. Overall, she's a very complex character that cannot be put under the normal troupes for female characters that we all know. She's an individual character that stands out so much, that she is by far, one of my favorite characters of all time. Adding to her complexity is the fact that she has a hidden side to her, that just makes her all the more awesome and adorable, not to mention, more realistic in terms of an actual person. I just cannot put into words just how awesome of a character she is.

The series's male counterpart, Lawrence is quite awesome in his own way. As a traveling merchant, he has innate knowledge of economics and plays the part as the one who sets up the plot for the series. I find however, that most of his character is defined with Holo. It's because of her that we get to see more of Lawrence, developing his character more, and allowing us to see sides we've never seen before. The series focuses on the relationship between these 2, which makes them so much better, and adds so much good quality and merit to it.

Side characters are arcic. (I made that up.) Meaning, similar to the word episodic, is that they all pertain to a certain arc. Any character other than the main two, you will never see beyond the arc that they're in. It's a bit strange that they just drop off of the face of the earth, but it's perfectly fine considering that they're not the main people that drive the story.

Art and Sound (8/10 and 9/10): The art for spice and wolf has a very rustic feel to it. It features quite a bit of dull colors, reminiscing the olden european age of the renaissance age with wooden buildings, marketplaces, and oh so beautiful scenery. The characters themselves are fairly simple in terms of clothing design, and fit very well with how this anime displays and shows itself. The animation is very fluid, and overall, looks really nice. It really sets itself apart from a large majority of animes, considering that the setting is in a completely diferent area. Although, the animation can get a bit strange sometimes. (there's a horse that derps around. It was hilarious!)

The music. Oh my god!!! Personally, I think that Spice and wolf has one of the best soundtracks in anime history. Its opening Tabi no Tochu is one of the most gorgeous things I have heard. It's incredibly soft and soothing, with a bit of a depressed tone as well as some pick-ups, that works so well for this anime. It fits incredibly well, and I love it. Its ED is also very interesting and fun. It's a short little song that contrasts its OP companion, with a fun little song that is sung in english. It's very different and very fun to listen to as it has a very upbeat beat, and some pretty fun lyrics. It's background music is awesome as well. (To me, when background music in the anime sounds really good, you know the soundtrack is awesome.) To compliment its medieval europe feel, the background tracks are split into 2 categories. One, is a track with light and airy wind instruments for when the plot isn't serious, and a more string heavy song for when the anime picks up. All in all, the music is gorgeous and I applaud the people who made and played them.

The voice acting for both english and Japanese versions are wonderful as well. Spice and wolf has a pretty good dubbed version of itself. But personally, I would recommend the sub, only if either you're like me and prefer subs, or you really want to understand the economics of this anime. Since it provides words that you read off over and over again when paused.

Personal Enjoyment (9/10): While no, I'm not a big fan of economics, thus repeatedly getting confused with the whole financial situation, I found Spice and wolf to be a rather fun and good series to watch. Spice and wolf hosted a pretty good and interesting plot, which I always love seeing, as well as how original it actually was compared to what we have these days. There's a nice hint of romance which I can secretly ship, and overall, just wonderful, wonderful characters. (Holo in particular.) I would highly recommend this show to anyone who would love an original and semi-serious plot line, filled with banter and golden conversations, and the occasional drunk goddess. After watching this series, my only wish, is that I could have someone like Holo in my life. Seriously, that would make life so much more interesting.

Overall Score: 8.92

P.S. Yes, I have watched the second season, and will write a review about it in the future.

At first i glance i thought this was going to be a boring, shallow series that was a typical magical girl snooze fest. I COULD NOT HAVE BEEN MORE WRONG!

The plot of this show is seemingly too simple, there is no evil mastermind taking over the world or apocalypse that only the hero can prevent, but that isnt what this show is about.

The real beauty comes though in the character interactions, witty dialoge and subtle romance between lawrence and holo, its mature and doesnt pander to the audience.

Although story progression can be slow at times, its hard to get bored watching this, so even ... if romance isnt your thing, definitely give it a go, BECAUSE IT IS AWESOME!!

Spice and Wolf, one I started a long, long time ago, dropped it thinking nothing good would happen and then later found out the good stuff came the episode after I dropped it. What I found was that there a much different kind of action in this anime than what you might think, and I can't tell if I'm disappointed or not.

Story - 8/10
Basically you're following the partnership of Lawrence the merchant and Holo the wolf goddess. You'd think you're in for a whole world of magic and action and cleverness, right? WRONG. The story instead take a route where the main premise of the ... anime is Lawrence's activities as a merchant and a peddler. Basically, it's episode after episode of him and his cohorts explaining the many facets of the economy and different methods of money making, while Holo sits around and only does anything when a convenient way out is needed. In some ways, it's a bit of a let down, however, concerning the money matters, it's not half bad if you're good at sitting back and listening. Unless you've spent years studying what Lawrence knows, you're in for a ton of different turns and twists in the plot, and some of the problems and instances of problem solving are pretty clever.
As well, the series does a good job of managing time and ending it in such a way that you're satisfied, and I believe it's a good transition into the second season. All in all, the story is decent, unique even, but not completely enrapturing.

Art - 4/10
The art is pretty painful to look at, given the characters are mostly drawn like the first product of someone who just got a How to Draw Manga book. Big eyes, sloppy shadows, awkward age lines on the older characters. The background is nothing special either, so nothing to give a gold star to there.

Sound - 6/10
The opening song really does a good job of suiting the anime it's introducing; it has the same feel as the show, even if it gives off a bit of a gloomy vibe. It's a nice change from the erratic j-pop that usually accompanies what I've been watching lately. Additionally, the ending is catchy as hell, and maybe it's because it's English and easy to sing along. Not too peppy, but still a nice tune to it. During the show, sometimes the shift from one bit of music to another is a bit rough; it usually happens suddenly like in a video game where if you get close to the boss the battle music suddenly starts and you know what's coming. It's tolerable, but a bit irritating at times.

Character - 7/10
I think what's most refreshing is how the main guy is actually smart and useful as opposed to being a forgettable nuisance that gets dragged around by the love interest. The love interest herself is another story; while she's clever and interesting to watch, she sort of comes off as a great big mary sue. There is never a single fault to anything she does, and she's basically capable of escaping any situation without a scratch, while remaining smart, snarky and attractive. It reminds me of those OC's thirteen year old girls write about, and her performance comes off as uncomfortable given her utter lack of flaw. The supporting cast is pretty forgettable, but it's understandable given the whole anime has been worked around to make Holo the mary sue the center of the universe.

Enjoyment - 7/10
I basically watched it to clear up part of my On Hold list, but I didn't mind finishing it up. As long as you don't mind a big bit of reading, episode-to-episode isn't such a bad experience--just don't look away or you'll miss a chunk of technical jargon you'll probably need to get what's going on.

Overall, it's not a bad anime, but it comes off as someone's middle school try at a novel, where the characters are catered to a bit too much and the accompanying drawings are amateurish at best. It's a good beginner anime for people who want to getting into more complicated stuff that requires you to think about, or just a beginner anime in general. There is romance, but it's not obnoxious, and the easy going way it's handled is pretty refreshing. Don't get your hopes up if you thinks it's going to go big on the supernatural end though, you're in for a big disappointment there.

If you have a short attention span or find economics unbearably boring, this show might not be for you. However, even if you have only the slightest interest in economics, please enjoy.

Spice and Wolf is a more slowly paced anime than what I'm used to. There's a little action; but its not action heavy. There's a little romance; but its not sickeningly saccharine. Its really just a good anime about a traveling merchant and a wolf spirit who was once revered as a local God. It's so sweetly simple.

What interests me most about this show is that the characters, both individually and ... as a pair, are incredibly fleshed out. As individuals, both characters have interesting goals that motivate them and distinct personalities. As a pair, they are even more interesting. The two make a dynamic duo who's interactions are genuinely fun to watch.
It seems like the creator of the anime wrote about people with with lives rather than a story with characters. That is SO REFRESHING, you have no idea.
The best compliment I can give Spice and wolf is that its just a good story, which is high praise in my book.

I was actually looking for something a less intense for what I'm usually used to. Spice and Wolf is one of those animes I find hard for anyone to actually hate unless your doing it on purpose or you really don't like settings placed in medieval periods.

Story 8/10
The story seems very generic to me but I like the point of view they put the whole thing into. Its not set into your typical Knight in Shining Armor or peasant who just gets wrapped up in all of the mess. No its just told from an ordinary traveling merchant who decides to take matters into his ... own hands. Its plot revolves around Holo trying to get home and Kraft promises to get her there. Well the only thing I really dislike about this idea is the subplot they add in there to add some development. However they do still keep your attention through all of it which some animes aren't very good at.

Art 9/10
The art is actually very beautiful and fits nicely with the tone of this anime. Though it seems very common in animes of the decade so really it wasn't unexpected to have a style as such.

Sound 7/10
As for our music I really didn't like the ED. Just the sound reminds me of Christmas Carolers and pushes it. However I do quite enjoy the OP its really beautiful.

Character 8/10
The characters in Spice and Wolf become very developed by the end of the season. I find it difficult to hate anyone in this anime unless you just don't like furries. However, it is pretty interesting to hear about merchants trade or wolf life every now and then. They really portray medieval periods well.

Overall 8/10
This anime was quite something. Its not really an intense thing to watch so if your an action junkie this may not be for you. However its story and character development work out really nicely so if your in it for any of these or the adventure give it a watch, you won't be disappointed.

Spice and Wolf is truly a superb anime. Featuring a strong female character, Holo the Wise Wolf, and a charming merchant, Kraft Lawrence, this anime explores the nature of self-discovery through travel and trade. Being sure to tie in many references to the practices of medieval money dealings, any person who watches this will be sure to learn a great deal about basic economics, and may even apply some of the tricks learned in this anime to their every day negotiations. Regardless, the romance between the two characters is pure and certainly not shallow like many others. If you watch this anime, be prepared to ... be captivated by these two incredibly designed characters, and you'll be left hungering for more.

SPOILERS AHEAD

After about 10 years of hearing about Spice and Wolf, I finally decided to finish the first season. I distinctly remember this guy on /r/animemes with a profile dedicated to Holo, and the references of "if you like economics, you'll love Spice and Wolf!"

It is not an 8/10. I had to choose between giving it a 6 or a 7, and I would've given it a 6.5, but I'm not rounding up.

It is NOT a show about modern economics in any sense. It is basically a pseudointellectual medieval slice of life show that doesn’t care about any realities of medieval Europe (I’m thinking 400-1600 ... AD), that exposits 99% of the “details” of the world.

The landscapes/backgrounds have basically nothing to do with the show, with the exception of maybe 2 chase sequences, a forest chase scene in ep 12(?), and the sewer chase in ep 4(?). Basically every town has the standard mortar/wood beam/brick facades with the italian ceramic styled or wood roofs, despite different languages NEVER being mentioned, and it would’ve been impossible for towns to afford to be clad in literally 300+ different years of architectural stylings like it appears in the show. I think basically whoever was the art director of a particular episode just winged whatever they wanted to do for the building design for that episode/town, and nobody cared about accuracy/consistency between time periods/medieval dress.

It is a show that is confusingly paced, with confusing subplots that turn into arcs? Either this anime was not adapted properly (apparently Akame ga Kill had an anime only ending, and this being before 2013, I would not be surprised if this was the case, apparently “make it and ship it, screw the source material” was the way anime was made before SAO or something, I dunno), or the anime adapter/author didn’t know what to do and just threw things together.

It is a show, in order of appearance, about basic bartering, currency minting with respect to silver purity, currency speculation, guilds working with the Church, the (implied Catholic church) implying (but never stating) that Holo is a demon and therefore her traveling companion, Lawrence, the main character, should never be trusted when they go to the final town of the show, and there's a shoehorned in section about transferring debt and essentially debt collectors that comes out of nowhere.

Among the random subplots that never go anywhere, you've got the pepper weighing, Holo can turn into a 20 foot tall wolf, the Holo festival from like episode 1-3, Chloe somehow working(?) for the Church, the sewers in the random town in ep 4 through 6 that are all relatively well lit and literally 20+ people go running around in them, the 3+ guilds that all either backstab or sell out Lawrence and Holo to the church, the entire Nora subplot, the random ass giant 20+ wolf that Holo might know in the forest, the gold smuggling for Church stamp/tax reasons, the countries/counties that get mentioned, etc.

Oh and around ep 9/10/11 (I forget, and I don’t reall care), there’s the last town of the show where apparently everyone is a religious crank and Lawrence, whose trading advantage over the other mostly idiotic merchants that you meet (usually briefly for most of the rando 3 minute characters) is that he trades via debt/contracts over delivery of goods instead of actually moving goods back and forth. In a poorly explained conversation, we “find out” that because this random shady guy just HAPPENS to SOMEHOW “buy” the debt that Lawrence was going to sell before Lawrence could sell the associated goods, that Lawrence has to pay up within 2 days (because apparently this new debt owner is an asshole, and arbitrary as hell), and then that starts the last arc(?) of the show. This is where the author has Lawrence begging for money for an entire day, then hatches a plan to smuggle gold INTO the town from another random town, all so that Lawrence won’t be sold into indentured servitude/physically have limbs/execution (it’s never explicitly stated what the punishment for the “stealing” would be), and after finding out that the associate sent along with them from said debt owner had betrayed them, Holo pulls a Deus Ex Machina and just scares the guy into fainting/breaking his cheekbones/something, Lawrence ends up tying the guy that cheated him most recently (which never happened before, he’s never forced a person to do anything by physical compulsion so far in 12 episodes), forcing him to sign a new contract (again, never happened before, Lawrence is a ridiculously patient pacifist) and the show ends. Oh, and it’s never explicitly stated that Holo ate people, because reasons?

It is essentially a slice of life show that takes a crappton of medieval "trading" tropes and throws them together with some genuinely cute interactions from Holo somewhere around episode 9/10, but the rest of Holo's interaction with Lawrence is "my senses/women's intuition/powers/coat/tail are fantastic", "you don't understand women/trade/people", "I NEED THIS SPECIFIC FOOD" or "you're too nice/naive/trusting". If it was a drinking game, you'd be dead. It is atrociously bad and repeated dialogue, it’s like watching Shakugan no Shana. There are also no jokes/funny moments except at Lawrence’s expense, and Lawrence never gets laid because 2000s anime logic.

Despite Holo being a wolfgirl, she spends most of her time showing off her tail and petting/grooming it, and I was honestly surprised how LITTLE of her ears are shown off. I get that they spend 16+ hours a day sitting in a horsecart, but like there are only 13 episodes and I swear you don't get to see her ears every episode, but you DO get the tail. Senko-san was clearly based off of Holo, and Senko-san is CLEARLY more about cute girls doing slice of life, and frankly I empathize more with the male character, but as a programmer working 10+ hour days before (in the show he’s working like 16+), I just don’t empathize with a dude sitting for 16 hours in a horsecart. The marketing shows off the ears, and yet in the show there was like a personal vendetta against them. As a lover of Cat Planet Cuties, I firmly believe this was a mistake.

Oh, and the show was made in 2008 for might as well have been PG-10, so no nipples, you get butt maybe once, and hair covering booba. No kissing, there's a few jokes about Holo wanting to hold hands, and nobody does ANYTHING.

NOW HERE’S WHERE WE GET TO MY ACTUAL PROBLEMS WITH THE ECONOMICS

If the show was pitched to me by the Internet as “a medieval trading slice of life with cute tsundere wolfgirl show”, I’d say this does the job, and I’d give it a 7/10 for it. However, because apparently most people on the internet hear the words “coinage”, “transfer of debt”, “bartering”, “haggling”, etc. they IMMEDIATELY think “economics”, which this isn’t. It is a passable bartering show.

Why isn’t it economics? Because it’s not even basic medieval economics, and there’s no mention of institutionalized/commodified credit, governments competing/warring with each other, let alone marketing/commodity alternatives or even 1800s level technology. Dr. Stone has a better understanding of supply and demand than this show, but considering how the author of Dr. Stone not only made their show 7+ years after Spice and Wolf released, and is ridiculously detailed focused on chemical/mechanical construction techniques, it honestly seems like Spice and Wolf is just economics bait.

Now for the details:

There are NO kings that do stuff meaningfully in the show, just passing mentions of them as “minting coins”. No wars are explicitly brought up (despite medieval Europe being FULL of them). There are no ruined villages/survivors of wars/tales of war. Bubonic plague causing the death of the guilds and inspiring the first modern scientists? None of those three things are mentioned or even hinted at ALL. No human gets killed by a human, arrested/tried for normal crimes and killed or executed. There’s no marketing by fliers or banners or slogans from passersby, no songs from jesters or traveling circuses/entertainers. The church is brought up as being a background big bad, but doesn’t DO anything explicitly besides being the thing that people want to “turn Holo over to”. There are no guns or cannons anywhere in the show, which implies before the 1300s in medieval europe. There are also never shown any bows or crossbows as far as I remember. There are also very few soldiers, which doesn’t make any sense at all. Lawrence’s credit idea is probably based on the first bank notes which apparently, IRL, come from the 600s in China and were brought to the west and used by monks going to Jerusalem (I want to say somewhere in the 800-1100 AD range). There are no gangs, no shakedowns, no muggers, no thieves, no bandits, just implied hired goons from a rival guild during the episode 4ish sewer chase series that goes on for 3ish episodes, and LOTS of political backstabbing/cheating. Every town is a cookie cutter walled European fortress town with houses that today would cost $500,000+ USD equivalent in 2021 dollars in Europe today, oh and in ALL of these towns, there are NO houses outside the walls, just fields or grassy hills or water, no forests. The forests have no wildlife in them except for wolves, and maybe there are birds in the sky sometimes? There are no poor people shown anywhere. There are very few people shown in the towns, and there are never any orphans shown younger than 16, no pregnant women anywhere and no old people anywhere. It reminds me of Madoka talking about “if the witch blows up the city, everyone will die” and I had to pause it to laugh because I literally had seen maybe 10 people outside of the school in 7+ episodes, and it’s supposed to be Tokyo, a city of apparently 18 million people IRL. There are no bakeries, no forges, no mints, no glassblowing or brickmaking shops, nothing that produces smoke anywhere in the show. For a show that talks about trade, there are basically no scenes with people actually making stuff. The only time you see people actually doing physical labor is during the first 3 episodes when Lawrence is busy rejecting Chloe’s “bruh literally marry me and put a kid in me” thinly veiled business proposal in the first village/town. In the towns, there are basically 5 locations - the walls/the open courtyard past the gate, the tavern, the food market, the inn and the guild hall. That’s where 70% of the show takes place, with the three exceptions being the sewer chase scene, the forest chase scene and traveling on the nondescript empty roads.

For a show going for realism, it is ridiculously unrealistic.


I was going to write a whole other three paragraphs explaining how I understand modern economics, and I have decided not to actually finish writing those, and instead will finish with this:

There are VERY few shows in existence, across all forms of English translated or natively English made, that talk about the actual realities of medieval Europe in terms of how money and governments actually worked in real life. This is not one of them. It is a dated, mid to late 2000s style medieval slice of life show with relatively standard tsundere dialogue, excellent visuals and good Holo character design, and forgettable dialogue and scenarios. I swear looking at the animation that sometimes I thought I was watching KuroInu.

The show is usually beautiful, Holo is fantastically drawn in her full human form glory, and sometimes her dialogue is good, like maybe 15% of the time. Otherwise I would’ve dropped this around ep 5 in the sewers.

When you hear the two words "Merchant" and "Business" what do you think of? I think of boring. However, Ookami to Koushinryou was a show that influenced me to think of those two are entertaining. Spice and Wolf is a really thrilling anime that can pretty much be summed up as "Merchant". The story is about a merchant travelling around and doing business with other people with his partner, a woman that is actually a wolf.

Despite the fact that the story can be easily summed up. The show is full of entertainment and no matter how much they talk about business, it's still fun. ... I've only not gotten just fun from this anime, but also knowledge. This show could even be seen as educational.

I could hardly see any problems with the show due to its perfectness. So I can't really criticize, so I think that the only issue about this anime is the fact that the episodes feel so short even if you never skip the OP nor the ED. Seriously, why's there not more episodes?

This is probably the most educational anime I've enjoyed in my entire life. I'm glad I found this anime. I recommend this to everyone. Thanks.

( NOTE : At first, I hesitated to start this anime because the protagonist looks kind of ugly. No offense. But I came to regret what I thought later on because it wasn't that bad. )

Spice & Wolf is in essence, a fairly simple story. It’s about a travelling merchant called Lawrence who one day while visiting a town comes across a young girl sleeping in his cart. He soon finds out that this is no ordinary girl. This is Holo the wise wolf, a pagan god who ensures good harvest for the village. Due to the spread of the new church (very similar to the Catholic Church) pagan beliefs are dying out and Holo has found there is no longer any need for her to be there. Lawrence reluctantly agrees for her to travel with him as she heads ... north and back to her homeland.

One of the main aspects of the story is the development of the characters Lawrence & Holo, how their relationship evolves and how they deal with the challenges that face them. The story also comes with a dose of economics and in many ways you think this shouldn’t work, but it really does. Lawrence takes calculated risks which don’t always pay off and along with Holo they must find a way out without it costing their lives or leading to something worse (for a merchant) - bankruptcy. Holo is a complex character who is both wise and cunning but very stubborn.

The story is slow paced with alot of talking, if you looking for action then look elsewhere. One of the joys of the series is the vocal sparing between Holo and Lawrence. You can see them becoming closer as the series develops and you find yourself rooting for them when they are up against it. The story also follows the books quite closely which is always a good thing.

Holo has the ability to transform into her wolf form if needed but thankfully there are only a couple on instances where this is needed which only adds to the drama and tension as Lawrence’s money making schemes go sour.

The animation is very good and the character designs are excellent. A special mention needs to go to the English dub which is one of the best I’ve ever heard. The music is pretty good and compliments the medieval environment the story is set in.

Spice & Wolf is perfect example of a character driven story. The second series focuses more on the romance side and is even better than the first. Holo is one of the strongest female characters in any anime I’ve seen and Lawrence is a competent and intelligent character too. If you’re after a great romance with strong characters and gripping story then you won’t get any better than this. Both series are an absolute joy. The only issue is that they only made two series, we need more. If you want to continue the stories after the anime the books are great as well. I would recommend picking it up from Volume 6.
In conclusion this is one of the best amine’s I’ve seen and is just fantastic from start to finish.