Ookami to Koushinryou

It's probably because it's older, but I don't consider this show to be "good":

- The pacing is slow

- There is a lot of dialogue, but very little worldbuilding in it

- By episode 5 nothing has happened

- Holo always has to remind everyone that she's "Holo the wise wolf" even if it is not important at all

...
No seriously. There are 10 minutes of Dialogue in every episode that have no real substance. If you want to show that Holo is attractive and how to change coins you could do that in 2 sentences and draw holo more attractive, and not have 12 Min of one episode invested in those two infos. There are some things, that I think are supposed to be jokes, but it doesn't really deliver.

I've seen filler in anime that had more substance than this. No idea why it's rated 8.3 - Y'all furries?

Ookami To Koushinryou, also known as Spice And Wolf. Medieval culture, medieval economy, medieval legends, and a wolf, this is what Spice And Wolf is all about. An immortal wolf. An adorable, funny, sad, Wise wolf who loves apples and who loves to tease her companion. You will hardly forget of such wolf, and the more you'll know about her, the more you'll want to know about her.

Story: 9
I rated the story of this series 9 but... There is actually no story. The plot is about a medieval merchant, Craft Lawrence, who one night stumbles upon Holo The Wise Wolf. She seems to be a ... normal girl, despite having a "Wonderful Tail" and wolf years on her head, but she's actually a kind of goddess. Her will is to return to her homeland, to the north, and Lawrence is supposed to fulfill her wish. That's it, as far as the plot only is concerned.
What happens in the episodes then, you ask? In each and every episode we'll have Lawrence simply making his job. He's a travelling merchant, so he travels from town to town trying to make convenient deals and make profit. Be prepared to see a lot of PURE medieval economics.
So the "Story" if you want to call it like that, is divided in two big parts: the first one is the economics one, in which we simply follow Lawrence's deals; the second one is the relationship between the two protagonists, and that's the main event of the whole anime. But I will get to that later.

Art: 9
I'm not a huge expert as far as Art is concerned, but I can say that I liked pretty much everything in the show.

Sound: 9
The opening, Tabi No Tochuu, is by far the best one I've ever heard so far. The 1 minute and 20 seconds edit we hear in the show gives even more pathos than the original song, in my opinion, because such beginning with a soft piano and the beautiful voice of the then 18-year-old Kiyoura Natsumi is magical, mysterious and extraordinarily fitting with the atmosphere of the anime. I was literally chilled the first time I heard it and for the first time I was actually sad that an anime opening ended so fast. The ending is just funny.
The soundtrack of the anime itself is very very nice and it perfectly fits with the medieval setting of the show. There are no particular tracks to quote, but all of them are good.

Characters: 10
Here we go. This is the real reason why Spice And Wolf should be a MUST. As I said before, one whole half of the story focuses on the relationship of the two main characters Lawrence and Holo.
Lawrence is just a merchant. He's not any kind of "The Best Merchant Of The Lands!" or "A merchant of incomparable ability!" or some other epic guy who's gonna take over the world with his trades. No. He's a simple travelling merchant who simply does his job and lives like that. His job requires ability and luck as well. So if he's not good enough or lucky enough, he's gonna pay for that, and you WILL actually see him in desperate conditions, during the show.
He's an open person, who enjoys talking, exchanging information, he's quite the solar guy. He's just a little slow with women, which makes his relationship with Holo way more awkward than it should be, sometimes, and quite funny other times. His best quality, though, is his generosity. He doesn't turn down Holo's request of taking her back to the north, and he's even ready to put aside his own future goals for her sake.

But the shining gem of this show is Holo. She is, so far, the best character I've ever seen in anime, and with no doubts my favorite one. What about her?
As I said, she's some sort of Wolf-Goddess, but she introduces herself as "Just Holo, nothing more, nothing less". During the show we will see almost every kind of her personality. We will happen to see a teasing Holo, a drunk Holo, an apple-loving Holo, a funny Holo, an angry Holo or even a heartbreaking sad Holo. We will be surprised of how much human a WOLF-GODDESS is. We will notice how her immortality is an actual burden to her, and how sometimes she genuinely wishes to be mortal. The depth of this character will catch you in every possible way and as I said in the very beginning: the more you'll know about Holo, the more you'll WANT to know about her. There can be no filler episodes in Spice And Wolf, because whatever we know more about Holo, that's like gold to us.
I'll just make an example and share my own thought about Holo. There is a saying, that "People die only when they are forgotten". Holo is immortal, so in other words, she can't die. On the other hand, all the people she's met in her life were all mortals, and soon or later, they all died. But since Holo is alive and has memories of all of them, they still "aren't dead", as we refer to that saying... But is Holo really alive, having nobody to remember HER? The beautiful, cruel and very delicate contrast in this is that Holo, in some ways, isn't actually immortal, but she grants immortality to everyone she meets. She's really alive only for small periods of her life, and Spice And Wolf is set during one of them, while she's making room in Lawrence's memories.

Enjoyment: 9
This rating is an average of two other ratings, one for each half of the show. I rated 8 all the economics parts, since even though I didn't really understand everything, it was quite interesting to see how things worked back then, what is actually a travelling merchant and so on. I won't give more than 8 because I have to say it, in certain moments I really got bored and was tempted to skip parts of the episodes, which I fortunately didn't.
The other half, the relationship between the two protagonists, gets a 10/10 hands down. It's natural, you actually feel like you're with them, their third companion, and you are actually able to share their thoughts and feelings. I really loved to see how the two behaved during difficult or critical situations, as well as their psychological development. You'll always want to see more from them, even about their most stupid or less important aspects, such as drunk Holo.

Overall: 9
The show itself is awesome, and I really really loved it. It isn't a full 10/10 simply because of the whole economics half which is great, but if someone isn't specifically into it, it's hard to follow and it might lower the expectations of the show. So you should better avoid it if you aren't ready for a lot of talking about hard stuff. But if you love well-made romance, with really awesome characters, then I'm sure that all of the economics won't be a huge burden to bear.

Ookami to Koushinryou, or Spice and Wolf as it is called in English,and as I will call it from here on out in this review,is a very interesting experience that I would recommend to anyone.

Story 7/10

Okay,Spice and Wolf is not a very story heavy show.

Travelling merchant Kraft Lawrence,while passing by a town that worships the goddess of the harvest Holo,awakens one night to see a girl with wolf ears and tail in his cart. This girl is Holo,who sees no purpose in helping the town with its harvest,since they now have the expertise to care for the crops themselves. She wishes to go to her ... home in the North,and has chosen Lawrence to be the one that takes her there.

And,that's it. The series is essentially their journey through the land,and all the interesting characters they meet along the way. Like I said,not a story heavy show,but that's not what makes it enjoyable. It's more about the characters than anything else.

Art 9/10

Spice and Wolf is a gorgeous show to look at. All the characters have wonderful facial animations,the backgrounds are perfect,and the designs are nice. Why give it a 9? Well...there's the occasional instance of "Not showing legs while walking to save animation money" which is very noticeable,but not a deal breaker.

Sound 10/10

Spice and Wolf's soundtrack is a pleasure to the ears. It fits the setting of middle age Europe that the show is going for,and knows exactly how to set the mood.

Also in the case of sound is the voice acting,I watched it dubbed (Please don't kill me.) and it sounded great,there was never a character that sounded "off" at any point.

Characters 9/10

The characters are what carry this show.

Holo and Lawrence have some of the best chemistry I've seen in a show. They FEEL like real people. The acting,writing,animation culminates together to form these wonderful characters.

The people they meet are also very interesting. You'll find yourself incredibly interested in a new character's issues and problems,and actually care about what happens to them,even though you only see them for a few episodes.

Overall:9/10

Spice and Wolf is a show in which the rather weak story is made up for the characters and the art and music. I'd recommend this to anyone who just wants to take a breath,relax,and see your favorite characters get out of their new predicament.

"Understandably overrated"
“Lazy and arrogant adaptation of much better source material”
“Perhaps written by Lawrence himself, since it values potential profit over good writing”

It seems that, in art, there are certain works or artists that are viewed with such overwhelming and universal positivity and affection that speaking out against the said work automatically means one has bad taste. For example, it's okay for anyone to bash Justin Bieber, but the moment you say one thing negative about the Beatles, you are instantly branded a bratty teenager with terrible taste in music; people may even accuse you of being a Bieber-lover.

Spice and Wolf no doubt holds a ... similar position among anime fans, being one of the most universally beloved works in the genre. So I risk my very credibility as an anime-reviewer in writing this less-than-glaring review of Spice and Wolf.



The way I see it, there are 4 ways Spice and Wolf could have turned out:

1. Amazing/Ideal: An impeccable and consciously-written work that is at once a quality romantic comedy AND a fascinating economical thriller. (I place the original light novel at this tier)

2. Great: A highly unique piece of anime art that incorporates economical themes into an engaging storyline, while providing a decent romantic comedy on the side.

3. Good/Okay: A solid romantic comedy that sets itself apart from others by including some economical themes.

4. Bad/Terrible: A complete failure of an anime that fails to deliver on both fronts.


After having run through both seasons, I am inclined to place the series at number 3: a decent romantic comedy with a likeable character that tries to weave in some mercantile intrigue. I shall henceforth discuss why I came to adopt this viewpoint.

First of all, there is no denying the fact that Spice and Wolf has an adorable romance line. There is great chemistry between the two leads. Speaking of leads, Horo is SUCH a breakout character for this show. She is the reason this show exists, the reason it works to the degree that it does, and most likely the sole reason for its popularity. What is there to not love about this adorable fox-girl. Yeah, yeah I know she’s WOLF, but for all intents and purposes she is the typical kitsune fox-girl commonly seen in the genre, with FOX ears and FOX tails and FOX personality. She is visually cute, both to the viewers and the characters in-universe, as repeatedly noted. Her personality is delightfully tsundere, coy and playful. In short, Horo is a memorable character… but that’s about it for this show.

Take a look at Lawrence. His entire character and pertaining story arcs can be summed up in one sentence: a mild-mannered and hard-working merchant. That’s it. He has no intriguing backstory, no hints of hidden depths, no moments of personal triumph, and no character development. Lawrence, as a character, was obviously slated to be an intelligence-type hero, one who, like Odysseus from Greek Mythology, triumphs through guile and wit. Yet, never once in the series does he solve a serious conflict through his own acumen. It’s always some deus ex machina (usually in the form of Horo) that swoops in to save the day after everything he tries has failed. There is definitely potential for interesting character flaws, such as his greed often popping up, and the fact that he values profit over morality. Such developments, however, are presented in such lazy writing that they may as well not have been hinted in the first place. In the parts where he gets himself in trouble because of his greed, it is never clearly foreshadowed that he was being overly greedy until the world has already come tumbling down around him a few episodes later, then it is mentioned that this was because of his greed in the previous story arc. Basically, when he successfully makes profit, it is retrospectively thanks to his ambition and balls, and when he gets into trouble, it is retrospectively because he was “greedy.” Another interesting character flaw that could have potentially set him apart from many other straightlaced protagonists--that he values profit over doing the right thing--is only mentioned off-handedly during one of his many banters with Horo. Never does this turn into character development of him realizing that money isn’t everything, etc. In short, the character Lawrence exists only to further highlight how adorable Horo is. He is awkward and dorky just so Horo can coyly tease him, and be ADORABLE in the process. Other times, he is suddenly and inexplicably savvy and teasing, just so Horo can be flustered and pout, and be ADORABLE in the process.

When the main protagonist was written this lazily, it goes without saying that the story-arc specific characters, such as Nora and Amarty, are completely flat, predictable, and unchanging. It was repeatedly hinted that Nora might hide some dark side behind her sweet facade, but no, she was the sweet, innocent, and helpless shepherd to the very end. Amarty was heavily hinted to also hide a darker side behind his likeable exterior, but no, he remained to the very end a young and starstruck hotshot. Etc, etc, I rest my case on the characters.

With such uninspired characters (with the exception of Horo), it is only natural that the storyline is also flat and predictable. Basically every story arc follows the same pattern:

1. A new town is introduced with some pretty obvious “good” characters and equally obvious “shady” characters.
2. Lawrence gets tricked by the shady character into a dire situation.
3. Lawrence tried to do something, but effectively gets nothing done.
4. Horo, along with the “good” characters, saves the day.
5. Horo gets mad at Lawrence for “not trusting her enough” or “being too nice to her.”
6. Horo and Lawrence embrace. Horo blushes. Everything is A-OK. Awwww

Do you see where I am going with all of this? It was painfully obvious to me, as a reviewer of anime and other works AND as an amateur writer myself, that the writing staff freely used Horo as deus ex machina to both write themselves out of conflicts AND to sugarcoat otherwise poorly-written story arc. I was almost insulted as a viewer by the lazy attitude of: “well we really stumbled through THAT storyline. Whatever, now watch Horo being adorable.”

Really, I have the utmost respect for artists and creators, so I hate to single people out, but there is just no euphemism: the director and adaptation-screenwriters for the anime adaptation were straight up lazy and unprofessional. Just to confirm this before actually writing my review, I looked up the original light novel and read a few chapters. COMPLETELY different experience. The characters had hidden personalities, desires, worries, insecurities, and redeeming qualities that were not at all portrayed in the anime adaptation. The story arcs were well-paced with great balance between the cutesy romance and economical intrigue.

Speaking of economical intrigue, that was really the nail on the coffin for me. This could’ve been such a UNIQUE anime that makes an engaging and nail-biting story out of the unexpected and boring topic of economics, but this goldmine is brushed aside in the adaptation for sake of MOAR HORO TIME. The economical battle-of-wits between the characters that took up pages in the light novel are dumbed down to a few frames of dialogue in the anime. It’s like “okay so we got the boring econ stuff out of the way. Now for the actual reason people would watch this.” This decision I can somewhat sympathize with: if you’re on the board of investors for the show, what do you think will bring in better sales? Discussion of economics and mercantilism, or CUTE FOX GIRL? (Again, I get that she’s supposed to be a wolf) But again, it boils down to laziness in writing. Other greater works have shown that even the most mundane topics can make for nail-biting storyline. Look at Shokugeki no Soma and tell me cooking is boring. Watch Dagashi Kashi and tell me cheap candies aren’t fun to watch. It is this taking the easy way out attitude, the heavy reliance on deus ex machina of ADORABLE HORO that really led me to condemn the anime adaptation as lazily written. Again, I would perhaps be a bit more understanding of this “creative decision” had I not seen other works that “could have” let one attractive character carry the show, but turned into much deeper and varied experience by the virtue of meticulous writing. For example, Bakemongatari is a show that is often compared to Spice and Wolf, at least in terms of the chemistry between the two leads, and the overwhelming attractiveness of its female lead. However, Bakemonogatari was brave enough to completely sidebench Senjougahara for the majority of the story because, as fascinating as that one character is, the show had plenty more to offer in terms of other smartly-written characters and dialogue. On the other hand, there is Spice and Wolf, basically a one-character anime. I even daresay that the reason for such overwhelming positivity regarding this series is similar in effect to when a pretty girl talks to you, and you completely overlook her less-savory nature because you are so struck by her beauty and blinded by your infatuation. I tried repeated to give Spice and Wolf the benefit of a doubt, but each subsequent lazy and poorly-paced story arc only further cemented my disappointment with the writing staff of the anime adaptation.

Just look at one dialogue in Season 2. Horo has just discovered a devastating truth and completely loses it, tearfully lashing out at Lawrence. Nothing Lawrence says can calm her down, until she suddenly goes dark and cold. She flatly says “sorry” and turns away from Lawrence. She’s clearly not in the mood to talk anymore, and, Lawrence, realizing this, walked out to leave her alone. She doesn’t stop him. THEN, many episodes later, after the conflict has been resolved, it’s revealed that her suddenly turning cold and saying “sorry” was actually her CALMING DOWN and being ready for a more rational talk; Lawrence only had to talk to her at that point. I am sorry, but that is just terrible and lazy writing. You simply don’t do that in writing anime dialogue, or dialogue in any genre, for that matter. That’s a direct insult to the viewers, and, frankly, shows the lack of effort and consideration the writers and the director put into animating this pivotal scene.

That said, the original light novel, at least the few parts I’ve read before writing this review, is VERY intelligently-written and well paced. I can only hope that there will be a third season or a new series altogether that does its source material better justice.

(This has been adapted from my reddit thread)

One of the strangest feelings that people often experience is yearning. Wanting to see one more time your late mother, hoping to get that perfect job, wishing to experience what the world has to offer; everyone has dreams and aspirations. And what's amazing is that they come in all shapes and sizes. Spice and Wolf Season One is a story filled with such yearning, yearning for money, for home, and especially for each other, and is a wonderful beginning to a memorable tale.

STORY

S&W1 stars Lawrence, a traveling merchant who, one night, comes upon a wolf-girl named Holo. She ... dreams of visiting her homeland in the north. Helping each other along the way, Lawrence and Holo begin their journey to the snowy land.

When you talk about anime, Spice and Wolf is always brought up. And along with its mention is the talk about economics. After viewing the first season myself, they were certainly right. Something that the show does well is its take on the financial side of dealings and what it all entails. Meaning, besides just showing off gold and silver coins, the show takes considerable time to explain the money deals involved to not only provide interesting schemes but to also demonstrate the rougher side of the business. Lawrence and Holo are good at what they do, and for the most part, they succeed. However, the difficulties encountered are realistic and trying. "Trying" in this case means affecting both their wallets and their mental fortitude.

In tandem with the economics, season one also establishes the relationship between Lawrence and Holo. Being a "Romance" anime, such a development should be mandatory. Thankfully, it is handled quite well. Their personalities, despite being completely different, work nicely in unison. They understand each other on a deeper level, often resorting to teasing and jokes (some of which can go too far!), which further helps to showcase how close the two become. Being the first season, it's understandable that huge progress isn't made. But it is clear from their interactions and the dynamic they share that they truly care for one another beyond just peddler and dog.

Looking at it a bit more analytically, season one is an expression of what it means to trust another person. Trust is fickle, so its worth is entirely dependent on the person it is given to. As such, Lawrence especially, but Holo as well, gets to experience its many convoluted sides. The types of trust dealt with include: earning it, having it betrayed, losing it, finding it, using it, and most important of all, knowing that it is there already. The latter is heavily tied in with Lawrence's and Holo's relationship, and plays large roles throughout the season. By nature, "trust is earned and not given." And by the end of the season, this idea is firmly brought to light.

Channeling even more of my inner "wise wolf," the show also takes a rather interesting stab at a very touchy topic: religion. The outside force usually at work in S&W1 is the church. They bring the taxes, require donations, and oversee their town's item handling. While they may seem honest and trustworthy on the outside, their word is law. A lot of the trouble our duo encounters is in some way related to the house of God. Perhaps ironically, the solutions to such problems are always aided by a God, Holo. In this way, the first season is more or less a "battle of the Gods." This idea can be interpreted in quite a few ways: God is "wrong," having differing beliefs is entirely correct, etc. While I don't think that S&W's true aim was something so deep as insinuating religious doubt, I think there is enough evidence at play to believe that this train of thought is not out of the question.

ANIMATION

I think the best way to put it when it comes to the art style for S&W is "right for all the wrong reasons." The show takes place in what I would call a 1500's (give or take a few hundred) era. In this time period, coins are king, market trading is prevalent, and the church has its hands in all aspects of life. As such, the towns our couple visit are filled with people, the bustling of trading, and the clamoring of carts as they move down the road. The atmosphere provided fits very well with the art itself; the houses appear "old-time-y" and the clothes are appropriate. I say "wrong reasons" for everything because the show's old looking vibe doesn't really fit the time it was made. In other words, it looks older than when it was produced, but that actually helps itself out.

In terms of actual animation, S&W is actually about average. The show is heavy on the dialogue and for good reason. As such, there is a lot of sitting in taverns, riding on carts, and resting on beds. So for the most part, there is no character movement. However, there are things such as Lawrence's mannerisms and Holo's ears and tails that do see animation from time to time, but they are pretty natural so they never really stand out.

One final note, I loved Holo's character design. Both of her outfits, her eyes, her facial expressions, her smile; it just screams "Holo" for some strange reason.

CHARACTERS

This is a story about Mr. Spice and Mrs. Wolf. So, while there is usually one important side character for the about three arcs in this first season, the main focus is understandably on Lawrence and Holo.

Lawrence is a peddler by day and a business man by night. Smart, thoughtful, and good-natured (as Holo would have you know), he is a man who stays true to his convictions and the contracts that he establishes. Early on, he cares mostly about how to profit from the situations that he is in. But as time passes being with Holo, it becomes less about the gains and more about not losing what he already has. He is defined by his unrelenting will to see a "job" all the way through, and his ease of handling Holo in all situations is a testament to his understanding of her.

Now to perhaps what many of you have been wading through to read! Holo, or to many, many people, "best girl," is in actuality a wolf-god of harvest. She is extremely playful, terribly prideful, and downright powerful when she needs to be. She adores teasing Lawrence whenever she gets the chance and both hates and loves to be pampered by him. As she describes herself, she is wise when it comes to dealing with decisions and with people. On top of all of this, she is incredibly cute, very pretty, and has a good sense of humor.

For Holo, one of her most important defining characteristics is also one of the most human. That is her feeling of loneliness. Being a God, she was used to having "company," people believing in her. But when peoples' faith began to waver, the only one who would stretch out his/her hand was Lawrence. Holo absolutely despises being left alone, especially being away from Lawrence. Now, one could argue that this behavior is precisely because he is the only one to have given her any attention. However, this isn't the case at all due to the many different ways in which they help one another over the course of the first half of their journey. From Lawrence protecting Holo's robe to Holo guarding Lawrence until the right people arrived, their commitment towards one another goes beyond simple travel companions.

As I've said already, this is the first "season," so I'm being a bit more lenient. The characters have been introduced, characterized, and given at least some direction. Next season I do expect more growth from them both, both individually and between the two of them, but for what was presented, it was definitely done well.

SOUND

The OP for S&W1 is, in one word, beautiful. It starts off serene and eerie, but the halfway point introduces the male singer in conjunction with the female singer, and their voices work in harmony with the country guitar and drums to provide a stunning arrangement. And the final note from the vocalist is strong and emotional. Coupled with the visuals, it is wonderfully crafted.

The ED has become one of my favorites. Like Holo herself, it's quite playful, fun, and joyful. Also quite unique to it is that it's the only all-English lyrics for a song in an anime that I've heard. At this point, I've listened to it enough times to know the lyrics, and now often find myself "whistling around the world."

The soundtrack is also quite good. Two of my favorite pieces are the ocarina/flute playing that accompanies Holo or Lawrence teasing one another and the other is the guitar piece that usually plays during the explanations of the schemes or plans ahead.

Voice acting-wise, there were no stand-out performances. However, Lawrence's and Holo's voices match their characters perfectly, which are probably the most important to have down pat.

ENJOYMENT

Spice and Wolf is notorious for two things: economics and the main couple.

For the former, I actually found myself re-watching many of the explanations so I could understand everything exactly as it was meant to be understood. This was me really wanting to get what they were talking about because I enjoyed the conversations about silver Trenni coins, buying armor on credit, and using indirect means to lower prices.

The latter is something I cherish in all anime, no matter how small. While the romance between Lawrence and Holo isn't at the forefront, it is definitely there amid the playfulness, the conversations, and the way they act towards one another. As a viewer, you know it is on each of their minds during certain segments, so when it isn't directly stated or when it is skirted around, it is frustrating but in the teasing, good way.

Many shows need time to fully create the world they want to present, flesh out the characters they want to show, and craft the narrative they wish to tell. For Spice and Wolf Season One, they created a very strong stepping stone that gives the second season a big head start.

SUMMARY

Story: Great, money, love, trust, and religion

Animation: Good, art style somehow works but animation is average

Characters: Great, Holo really is best girl

Sound: Great, among the best OPs and EDs, good soundtrack, fine VA work

Enjoyment: Good, scales are accurately balanced between economics and romance

Final Score: 9/10

Spice and Wolf is a wonderful tale that about the relationship and adventures of a merchant and a wolf-goddess. It is very well written, set in a very interesting time-period, and has great meaning to it. The story is a good one, with just the right twists and turns, and all the right developments a story needs to turn into something you will enjoy or at least be slightly intrigued by.


Story 10/10- The story is one you have heard of several times,perhaps even in your bedtime stories. A normal person meeting a wolf-girl. But this story is different from most stories told like this, and ... its original. The story goes into great depth about everything. The world and how it works, the characters and thier feelings, the people around them, how they live, and human and (in this case) wolf behavior. And in terms of human behavior and wolf behavior, i mean how,where,when, and why people and wolves do the things they do and how they are different.

The story does have some action in it, but not too much or to little. Just enough to keep everything going. Don''t expect lots of sword-slashing or lots and lots of blood like Bleach or Death Note, but you can expect that the characters will be endangered by outside forces....or possibly worse. It also has adventure, though like i said, not a lot of fighting or anything. Later in the story, you can see a little romance, not any of lovey-dovey stuff, but it is hinted every so often so you know somethings going on, but not enough so that it annoys you. For the most part, it is a pretty realistic story, except for the wolf-girl factor.



Art- 10/10

The Art for the Series is AWESOME. You can see almost every detail about everything single thing. Their are also a lot of colors for everything, so nothing will look dull and you'll never get bored. It is truly beautiful. And it is done is such a way so that it looks great, but doesn't try and stand out too much. This is important because if you like the setting and background for the world, the world becomes a lot more believable and then so do the characters.


Sound- 10/10

The Sound was also done very nicely. Everything from the sound of a carthorse trotting by, to a bird twittering, to the sound of Holo howling in the moonlight, is realistic and sounds great. The music for the series was also done very nicely, with perfect themes for all the characters and for all the different situations and feelings that arise. The OP theme sung by Natsumi Kiyoura is a perfect way to start the series, starting nice and slow and ending with a great emotional climax which leaves you wanting to know what happens next. The ED theme done by ROCKY CHACK, was also good. I personally didn't think it was the best, but it was pretty good all the same. Overall, the sound and music for Spice and Wolf was AWESOME.


Character 10/10

The Characters for Spice and Wolf are GREAT. Even the side-characters are all likable in some way or another. Holo is the one that stands out mostly for this series. She is in no way weak in any way. She is Strong, Wise, Crafty, and Amusing all at the same time. She can be happy one second and then angry another, she is cunning at in both words and action, and she is very smart when it comes to things such as Craft Laurence's business and the ways people's minds work. She also shows great development in the beginning and throughout the story. She is overall a great character who's original, fun and interesting to watch, and nice to relate to.

But that doesn't mean she's the only reason why you should watch this. Craft Lawrence, the merchant in the story, is also a great character in many ways. Most male characters in these types of stories do not often have much spot-light or they do not develop well enough. Craft Lawrence is a exception ( I also like Tomoya Okazaki from Clannad). He is done just about as well as Holo. He is very smart when i comes to business,people, and what they are thinking and doing (almost as well as Holo,making him pretty smart). He is also very considerate to others, helping Holo with her woe's and concerns and vice-versa. Of course, his character also develops more as the story goes, in a way that keeps you interested, and after a while, lets you accept the character (and vice-versa with Holo). He is an original character and an interesting character as well, and as a person i would like to meet if i had the chance(Same with Holo).

That is the thing that really keeps this series going. The relationship between Craft Lawrence and Holo. It is interesting most of the time, and funny at others. It is indeed unique, and one that grows over time, so that they become more and more dependent on each other. Their relationship starts out simple and slow, but quickly turns into a close friendship...maybe even more. It is one that does not drag itself or push itself too much. It is a wonderful thing, with both pros and cons. One with many different circumstances to test thier bond between them, some that even change thier choices and disitions(sorry if i spelled that wrong)), and possibly almost break their bond( this is actually more prominent in the second season). Both have everything to lose and everything to gain.

The side characters also contribute to the story well. They do not drag the story down in any way, and sometimes even make the story more interesting or funny to watch. Most of them are actually important at times, unlike a lot of side-characters in stories.Some might even leave the same impact on you that Craft or Holo might leave. Overall, every character is worth watching.

Enjoyment 10/10

- So far, i have enjoyed Spice and Wolf very very much. Everything about it fascinates me, including the Renaissance-Europe setting, which for some reason is a time in history i've been fascinated with for a long time. I enjoy watching Craft and Holo's relationship grow, along with the many conflicts that come their way and they conquer.

Overall 10/10

Overall- This is a great anime(it is originally a bunch of light-novels, and now a manga, and its on-going), and i look forward to watching the second season very soon and eventually more. I highly recommend it to anyone who's interested in this genre or just wants to watch an anime thats original...or just to anyone who's interested.Just to let you know, the series does have a dub, and its GREAT. Unlike most dubs,each voice for each character fits perfectly and does not ruin the anime. Even if your someone who only watches subs, try it out. You will not be dissapointed.

Spice and Wolf is a curious little piece of fictional work because it makes you think and that's not something one would expect from a romance themed series. It touches upon a wide variety of topics - currency, business, animism and even the attitudes and base, primal, desires of human beings. Moreover it does so with surprising grace. Not once did I think that the plot presented here was superficial or lacking in substance. That said however, Spice and Wolf is not a masterpiece as there are a few blemishes on its otherwise well thought-out plot.

In short, the story follows a young man named ... Kraft Lawrence on his adventures throughout the medieval world as he moves from village to village selling various goods to people. One day, while out and about he discovers Holo - a wolf-like deity in human form (this here would be the animist part). They decide to form a bond based on a number of conditions (which I shall omit from this review to keep it spoiler free) and set out across the medieval land to barter their way to fortune... and eat apples.

You see for all its intellectual rambling, picturesque locations and deep drama, Spice and Wolf still maintains a healthy balance and manages to squeeze some comedic moments in which is something that I enjoyed tremendously in this anime. Despite of all these strengths however I feel that the story is ironically the weakest component of Spice and Wolf and that's merely down to a single flaw - the romance.

It's not that it's not there, oh it is there. But no, the problem is that it is way too intellectual and based upon witty exchanges that the male lead and his female companion throw at each other, a bit like in Bakemonogatari. It's not even that it's not earnest as it seemed genuine for most part but the problem is that you can't invest yourself emotionally in this type of romance. While you're trying to project yourself into their situation or feel for them, they're discussing the purity of a silver coin, inflation, role of the church in feudal systems etc. (btw, this is how they show affection for each other, for the most part) and so your brain is completely engaged on an intellectual level while your limbic system is screaming to get a piece of the action - which never happens.

Granted, there were a few emotionally exclusive moments where my lizard brain became partially aroused (Especially in the second half of the show) but it was majorly let down as there was much more room for passion without making the story seem trite. As such the romance is very tame, sheepish... immature even. Very much reminiscent of the relationship between Keiichi and Belldandy from Ah! My Goddess.

Despite these few shortcomings however, I still thoroughly enjoyed the story and consider Spice and Wolf to be an interesting and most importantly - novel experience. I have watched quite a few romance themed animes, but I must say that this would be the first time where so many intriguing topics have been combined together so well.

Moving on, the visual and auditory aspect of Spice and Wolf is something else altogether. I'm a sucker for classical music or music that even vaguely resembles something that might have been made by a classical composer. Spice and Wolf delivers majorly. The OST made me want to strap on conquistador armour, hop on a boat and sail through the Atlantic to re-enact the battle at Tenochtitlan.

The visuals are fairly good, but not flawless. Characters might look a little bit odd in distance shots but I never place that much importance upon it because such is the case with most anime series. The designs on the other hand is where Spice and Wolf's visual strengths lie. Each character is unique and not just because of different hair colour. The environment looks stunning and the way the wheat fields are animated in this anime is sure to pleasure the eyes of even the most scrupulous connoisseurs.

Altogether, Spice and Wolf is a must watch for any business management undergraduate, and a recommended watch for the average anime watcher. The main and really only problem was that the romance here was lackluster in the way that you couldn't really FEEL it. It was certainly there (with plenty of flirting to boot) but not once did it engage me on an emotional level and as such every episode feels like you're watching a married couple give you a sleep-inducing lecture on economics and micromanagement. That however should not keep you, the reader, from watching Spice and Wolf ( or re-watching if you've seen it already) as it has plenty to offer. It is, all in all, a very good anime.

A solid 8 points.

Spice and Wolf review: By John Kim

Prerequisite: There is nothing I love more than being pleasantly surprised by anime, and Spice and Wolf delivers on all fronts, even managing to excel in some areas. Spice and Wolf certainly has captured my heart, and with a collection of memorable characters, charming and witty dialogue, and beautifully detailed scenarios, Spice and Wolf is a definite step ahead of most anime and deserves to go down in the books as a classic, if not a genre breaking show.

Story: Ah, the world of merchants and business. Set in a medieval-type world, Spice and Wolf, doesn’t have the most ... exciting premise, but all the same, that’s what makes it so great. The fact is, that anime today has been devolved into a mesh of guns, explosions, senseless action, and stereotypical settings, with story being placed as second priority. Spice and Wolf delivers a sophisticated and extremely well crafted and balanced world that is truly a shining gem is a sea of redundant and overused stories. Moving on to the events, and the main plot itself, Spice and Wolf features many conflicts and moments that normally would never be entertaining, in fact, many of the events in Spice and Wolf are normal everyday bland happenings, but this is again where the show shines. The two characters, Lawrence, and Horo, truly make this show a captivating experience. The everyday normal happenings of a traveling merchant may not be the most exciting thing in the world, but the chemistry between Lawrence and Horo gives us some of the most well acted dialogue I’ve ever heard of in an anime. The show deals quite largely on several themes, but are all relevant. Human nature is put into question many times throughout the story, and many moral questions about trade and business ethics will be put into question. I would rather not ruin the story of Spice and Wolf because unlike most anime, it’s best to witness first hand a brilliant story in motion.

Character: Skipping ahead here. In my honest belief, the characters in Spice and Wolf, most notably Horo and Lawrence, are what truly makes this show a step above the rest. Spice and Wolf is wise to feature a strong cast of side characters, but never taking the spotlight off Lawrence and Horo. As I have said before, this show has something most anime, nay, most any form of media lacks. And that is chemistry between characters. Watching to interaction between Horo and Lawrence has been one of the very few joys I have found in watching anime. These two characters aren’t merely a collage of archetypes, and stereotypes. Horo and Lawrence are believable, real, and most importantly genuinely charming characters that have soul. Horo and Lawrence aren’t cookie cutter characters that are a collection of other past characters from other anime. They are truly alive, and that kind of dynamic translates itself onto the viewer. Just for an example, there are times when Horo and Lawrence are merely talking about something as redundant as the value of certain currency in contrast to others. But because, these two characters have so much chemistry, the scene becomes memorable and the plot expands and grows. It’s not often a story rests on the shoulders of the characters to advance the narrative, but Spice and Wolf is a rare example that works. Horo’s charm, and Lawrence’s, indecisive “softy” behavior, are both small facets of their multi layered personalities. Just like real people, the viewer will never be able to completely comprehend these characters, and such sophisticated and complex characters, warrants a high degree of praise. Witty and clever dialogue, tense moments of silence, moments of fond laughter, is just the tip of the iceberg of what to expect from Horo and Lawrence’s travels.

Animation: It’s superb. What else can I say? In all due honesty, half way through the show I no longer cared whether the animation was top notch or not, I was too dazzled and enamored by the dynamics between Horo and Lawrence, that I just simply ceased to notice. Need good art, to enjoy a show? Don’t worry, you won’t be deterred if you are hell-bent on jaw dropping visuals, Spice and Wolf won’t let you down, take my word for it.

Sound: I’m going on a limb and assuming voice acting is a given in this category, which warrants it an automatic ten. The voice acting is nothing short of brilliant, and I would argue, that the voice acting in this show rivals the acting skills of acting legends. We are talking about some of the most amazing chemistry between characters I have ever seen in an anime, and it was through the voice acting that much if this chemistry was established. Expect nothing short of perfection, the complexity in the lines delivered have so many nuances that you will be spinning in your chair. The music also heightens the atmosphere and only adds to the show’s success. The opening and ending are both fitting themes, admittedly, the ending was the weaker of the two. Nevertheless, all your senses will be on a ride from start to finish, your ears included. So don’t worry about the sound, Spice and Wolf has it covered.

Enjoyment & Overall: Spice and Wolf, looking at it now, deserves more acclaim and praise than it has received. A classic? Perhaps not, but an amazing work of art that not only stirs the human soul, but also captivates our hearts and minds: that is what Spice and Wolf is. The show may not be for everyone, and in a sense, the show isn’t for most people, but for those who are sick of your day to day, bland, and monotonous anime outings, prepare to be surprised. Spice and Wolf is truly a rare gem, and deserves to be recognized as such. It is not very often a show delivers something new and refreshing, and it’s even more rare for a show to actually moves the heart of it’s viewer. Spice and Wolf is an anime that may go unremembered, but for what its worth, Spice and Wolf is the culmination of the last bit of originality, creativity, and beautiful character driven story-telling, left in the anime industry.

Well, I think it is time for me to write my first English review.

When you imagine a medieval fantasy anime, you think of knight, dragon, mage and Legolas. Well, Spice and Wolf don't has those. In fact, Spice and Wolf approach the ''med fantasy'' with a very unique direction: economics. Instead of war, fight and magic, the action of Spice and Wolf revolve around trade and currency. So, expect many dialogue. Especially since romance is very important here.

Story:
Lawrence Kraft is a travelling pedlar who come back in the village of Pasloe. Unfortunately for him, the village is in the middle of a pagan ... festival, making him unable to stay there. This festival is in honour for Holo, the wolf god of good harvest. While quitting the village, he will find a little (naked) girl in is cart who pretend to be Holo. In fact, she is really Holo, and this is the beginning of their journey to the north.

The story is, maybe, the flaw of the series. It's not bad, far from that. But, it's quite simple: small arch revolving around a trade one after the other. There is a main plot (to return to the north), but it's really vague and not much developed in the anime (except in season 2).

In fact, the main plot is marginal: the heart of the series is the relationship between Lawrence and Holo.

Art:
The art is quite good. Even if the movement aren't that fluid, the characters, their expression and the background are perfectly done. Unfortunately, I don't have a Bluray of the first season... But, I got it for the second, and it's really something.

Sound:
This is very good. It's not the soundtrack that you will listen in your IPod (except if you like medieval music), but this is a perfect soundtrack for this series. Far better than ''We will Rock you'' in a certain medieval movie of Ledger ;) . The OP have one of the better music of the industry and the seiyuu are perfect. For the dub, I must say that I love the work of the voice actor. Maybe, even more then the japanese one. For the ending, it's simply funny.

Character:
The best point of the series. Lawrence is far better than the average main male character of the industry. He got some wits, personality and he can make mistake. He's development is well as well, even if the series touch only to the first half of the light novel series.

But, he looks pale in comparison to Holo. She is simply one of the best developed character of japanimation. Somewhere between the tsundere, the kid, the sage and the fragile, she's more human that the vast majority of lead female character.

And, she got a tail et wolf ears. It's important ;) .

Enjoyment:
It's my favourite series so my review might be biased. The romantic comedy between Holo and Lawrence is a real pleasure for the mind, even if it's kinda slow. The economic part is well build and give to the anime a unique complexity.

So, if you love only action brain-less anime, don't wath it. If not, try Spice and Wolf. Maybe your life will be a little more spicy after :p .

Spice and Wolf is an interesting series to say the least. Despite being a romantic comedy, a genre that typically inspires audible groans whenever I am subjected to it, this series actually manages to avoid many of the annoying pitfalls found in this genre. The tale of Lawrence and Holo, our protagonists is one that took me by surprise and showed me that this genre still has life.

Firstly, the art and animation in this series is fairly adequate. Particularly, the backgrounds are done very well done and definitely do well in breathing life into the world. You can also tell that this is ... a very eastern European inspired world because of the art. The characters themselves are drawn nicely aswell. The animation itself is nothing special, but doesn’t need to be to begin with, as the majority of the show consists of talking. There are a few action sequences here and there however, and they’re animated consistently with the art. One thing in particular I want to draw notice to is Holo, the main heroine’s design, in particular her eyes. They’re very expressive and show her mischievous nature which is a very important part of what makes her character work. You can tell they took great care in how they came up with her design as it mirrors her personality perfectly. Overall though, I have to say that this is a show that is pleasant to look at. It’s not amazing by any means, but still fairly above average.

The music in this anime is also fairly good. I especially enjoyed the opening and ending themes of the first seasons, although I didn’t care for the new ones in the second season. Otherwise, the music that plays during the actual show is done well and applies itself accordingly to what’s on screen. A lot of the music in it had this folk kind of feel to it, which I think perfectly fits the show. Now I have not listened to the Japanese dub but I can safely say that the English dub is a great one especially because of Brina Palencia who doesthe voice of Holo. She brings a sense of mischief, yet regal-ness to her character that is simply perfect. Michael Tatum as Lawrence is also done very well. Since Lawrence is kind of the straight man to Holo, he does a good job having a slight annoyance to his voice when putting up with Holo’s antics. Besides our protagonists the rest of the cast perform their roles well.

Spice and Wolf is primarily about Kraft Lawrence who is a traveling merchant whose goal is to make enough money to open up his own shop and Holo, a 600 year old wolf spirit who wants to go back to her home in Yoits. After the two meet for the first time Lawrence agrees to take her back to her home and the majority of the show is them traveling. What makes this show really work is the chemistry between these two. Unlike other shows like Inuyasha, where the interactions feel needlessly drawn out or unnatural, Lawrence and Holo honestly feel like they’re real people and just sound like they truly enjoy each other’s company. Holo, like I’ve mentioned before is a fairly mischievous character and she loves to toy with Lawrence. Lawrence becomes easily flustered with her due to his inexperience with women. This does change however. Throughout the two seasons of the show, the relationship these two have goes through a gradual development that feels very real. Lawrence becomes more quick witted and starts to retort Holo’s jokes. However the show isn’t simply watching them having fun together as there are conflicts the two endure during the course of their journey. Given that Holo is a wolf spirit, this often causes problems in more than one occasion and even Lawrence himself makes mistakes that get them into trouble. The show does a good job of keeping your interest for the most part; however I feel it sometimes gets too convoluted in one area in particular. A main point of the show is Lawrence being a merchant. A lot of the talk in the show deals with mercantilism and it can be hard to follow. Some of the things that happened in the second season for example went right over my head and I usually never have that sort of an issue. Still I have to admit that this is a small complaint in what is largely a very enjoyable story.

In the end Spice and Wolf is a show that I highly recommend. With decent art, great music, and a simply wonderful duo of protagonists, Spice and Wolf is a joy to watch. Granted, this is not a show for everyone but to those that it does appeal to, I find it hard to believe that you won’t enjoy it and hey maybe you’re like me and this normally isn’t the kind of show you like and it will impress you as much as it impressed me.

This is a somewhat spoiler review which I will mention when I get to the section, so my short, spoiler-free opinion is that, if you want to see a well-written female character, not just in anime but in every type of visual medium, try it.

By far the best thing about this anime is Holo the wise wolf. In fact, I enjoyed the character so much I had to coin a new name: a 4-D tsundere. Her character and aura revolves around mischievousness--and it's genuinely exciting to watch. Why? because, even as a watcher, sometimes you don't actually know if she has an ulterior motive or ... an underhanded meaning behind what she says or does. For example, it may SEEM ironic at first how she calls herself "wise" despite falling into human tropes like jealousy and sensitivity yet the way she immediately presents herself as so self aware of this interactions makes you rethink whether if she is actually falling for them. The way she initiates romance with may SEEM typical-tsundere-esque, but it's unique in that she still comes off confident with no self-defeat which presents her as not just adorable, but admirable. To parallel a merchant's dialogue, it seemed as if she's always getting the "better deal" and I couldn't help but me amused.

Because of Holo's sheer presence, Lawrence is the complementary character, but not forgettable. They both outwit each other, teach each other, and i'ts not always about "do you like me or not" dialogue. This made me feel that there was a genuine friendship there as opposed to their wagon being the slowwww vehicle that would end in romantic love. A golden example of their dialogue is this:

SPOILER BEGIN

"you listen. There are times when you want to hear something even it's a lie. There are times when you feel like hitting the person until his face swells up if he takes too long to say it. which do you think it is now?...from now on, please be upset. I appreciate you being considerate, but sometimes, problems can be solved quicker if we both get upset and argue...[from episode 11]"

SPOILER END

You can see why I'd call her "4-D." She is cleverly being meta but not just for the sake of it--it makes sense in the story and doesn't betray her character.
I can only appreciate that she is calling out not only Lawrence, but also basically every shounen/shoujo conflict out there. People can't read each other's minds. So why not blow off some steam and move on? At the end, both will understand each other better. Not only is this a mature dialogue, this exemplifies how Lawrence and Holo treat each other: respect and no bullshit. From now on, when someone asks me what is a "true feminist?" I will think of Holo.
Be it a romantic or plot issue, it's almost as if Holo embodied a harsh studio editor who would say "This conflict is dragging the pace. let's chop chop chop and move on."

Interaction with Lawrence certainly brings out heavy dialogue, to which I disagree with it being "boring." This ultimately lies in personal taste and age of the viewer so I can't "argue" why the dialogue matters, but imo, I just found it enjoyable and logical that he would explain his thought process which stem from the culture of a merchant's life. Even though some were shoehorned in, I found most of the virtues that he admires to which he believes to be a pivotal part of merchant identity make sense. The point is, it's clear that whoever was responsible for this world building actually cared about what mattered at that time and I appreciate that dedication.

SPOILER BEGIN

A problem I had with the plot was its repetitiveness--specially, betrayal being the only MAIN driving factor that moved the story. Because betrayal is such an easily predictable problem in the business world, I was bored and kinda rolling my eyes. While Lawerence seemed to be a master at his craft in the beginning, being a victim to this trap repetitively made him seem like an optimistic fool, which albeit he admits, but doesn't justify that he seems awfully naive in a world that clearly portrays this merchant cultures as quite dubious. By the conclusion, It just seemed like he didn't actually learn much from his experience but was more conveniently saved by his mischievous companion and friends. This doesn't champion the idea of "may good be rewarded" either. I personally think there were plenty of other areas they could've used to move the plot such as delving more into the stereotypes about women in that time, confrontation with the Church's values, his relationship with Chloe or perhaps with his family, more about Holo's past ( seriously,...). I understand these were all mentioned but not nearly as I'd hoped. In all major conflicts, betrayal was clearly the poster boy and I found it boring.

SPOILER END

Soundtrack was forgettable, but understandably I guess. I do love the OP though.

In conclusion, the show itself was its own worst enemy because other characters and the world building just didn't' seem as good compared to Holo who I thought was truly impressive. I want to give sincere praise to whoever designed this character because this is a feat that other entertainment industries have a hard time executing as well.

"Loneliness is disease that could lead to death, they might as well be the same thing."-Holo

When I first heard of Spice and Wolf, I didn't really have much to expect from the show. The people who watched the show were praising the crap out of it. So I was expecting at least a watchable show. When I sat down to fully watch it, I was amazed how attached I was to the show. It got me like a tornado and attached like glue. This show just knew what genres I loved, mainly romance, drama, and fantasy and made them even better then the average show. ... Even though I love the genres that Spice and Wolf present to us, it can still be watched by any gender and fans of any genre out there. I've seen males watch this and love it and basically anyone out there. I haven't found a single person who didn't at least like one aspect of this. I think the main reason people got caught in the tornado like me is the character, Holo. I'll talk about her more in depth as the review goes on, but here's my rant of why people love her for now. Holo just adds this, I guess you could say, "flavor" to the show. What I mean by this is she gives the audience some smiles and laughs, and when the heavy stuff hits and she changes from what she usually is, we feel for her as she tries to cope with it. She was defiantly a great character and one of the best parts of this anime. Well, that's my mini rant, let's get to the calming, charming, and beautiful world of Spice and Wolf.

Story 8/10:

Plot Description:

"Kraft Lawrence, a traveling merchant searching for profit, finds a naked girl with the ears and tail of a wolf asleep in his cart. Her name is Holo – a harvest goddess with an untamed beast lurking inside who longs to return to her beloved northern home. Armed with his street smarts and her animal instincts, a simple peddler and a forgotten deity begin a journey through the wild countryside. Along their path, the riches of happiness shall be reaped, even as the bankruptcy which dwells in the human heart is exposed."-MyAnimeList plot description

Pros:

This show just loves to switch from comical to emotional, and it really works. You just get sucked into the dilemmas the characters have to get through and the fights they have to win. Take example the relationship of Holo and Lawrence, it's not just one of those, "Everything will always work out" types of relationships. You actually get a flip between the two and it makes it so much more real. That's probably why so many people love Spice and Wolf, it feels so much more real then most anime tend to be. It gave me unexplained and happy attachment towards the show itself. I bet that's what a lot of people have towards this show. I just love those shows that can flip between emotional and comical and not feel forced. I feel that's one of the strong points that anyone going into Spice and Wolf can feel.

Cons:

My major con with the story is that I don't really give two craps about the economics the show keeps bringing up. It really got on my nerves and what gave the story an eight. There was like this one episode were they were trying to rescue one of the characters and gave this really boring exposition for like half the episode. I was basically half asleep during that whole thing. That's not a feeling I want from a show, I want an exciting feeling and not a boring one.

My other con is the ending to the first season. Yes, I know that there's a second season that I'll get around to reviewing one day, but I felt it was a bit too average for Spice and Wolf standards, and leaves a lot of things unanswered for the time. Like, "Did they ever find Yoitsu?" or "What happens to Holo and Lawrence?"

My last con is the story can get a bit slow for people who don't want to feel bored. It's not fast paced and quick visual kind of show, it's more like one of those, "Just wanna sit down and watch TV and have some snacks after a long day of work/school." types of feelings. Nothing too crazy or exciting, just normal and calming in a good way. So don't go into this anime expecting something, "Oh my gosh, that was amazing dude!" worthy. Instead expect, "That was a really sweet moment. I really love the main duo."

Art and Animation 9/10

Pros:

First of all, I really loved the backgrounds of the show. They felt very lively and fit the show so perfectly. It really did feel like they were in a very calming environment the show presented to us. They put a lot of detail into those that I just wanted to be in the world Holo and Lawrence were in. I don't really have much to say in this department.

The character designs to me are simple but effective. They're very recognizable out of context and fit the show 100%. They give the character's very unique and distinguishable features that stands out instead of the same character but different hair and eye color. Holo has her long and graceful hair with wolf ears and a soft and long tail. Lawrence has his down-to-earth look to him. So plus in that type of place.

Cons:

The animation can get a little slow at times. Like they'll have a character talk and they'll only have their mouth move. Sometimes they have an expression on their face to go along with it. So they'll cut corners by moving the camera different angles. This is only sometimes so it's not really a major con. I don't really have a lot of cons in this part.

Sound 8/10

Pros:

First of all, thank you Funimation for this wonderful dub. When I listen to the dub, I feel as though these are actual characters talking and not actors talking behind a microphone. The dub gave Holo her own flair and fit her character so well. Brina Palecia, great job on making the character your own instead trying to imitate the Japanese Holo. We don't stop there, we get J. Michael Tatum as Lawrence. Of course he'd play the part well, he played Okabe from Steins;Gate and Scar from FMA. If you don't want to read a bunch of subtitles, please check out the dub.

Another pro is the beautiful opening. They could have gone with a J-Pop band, but nope, they gave us a beautiful song with great vocals and calming instrumentals. It fit the calm universe of the show super well. I could listen to this opening all day and never get tired of it. It's one of those openings to listen to if you just want to kick back and relax. I just love those types of openings that you can just listen to and not skip past it.

Cons:

The soundtrack is recognizable but not a certain track I'd like to point out. That really sucks because this show has a lot to like about it's sound. I would like to just listen to just one part of the soundtrack on it's own. That's really all I have to say about this part.

Characters 9.5/10

Lawrence:

"Kraft Lawrence, who chiefly goes by his surname, is a twenty-five-year-old traveling peddler who goes from town to town buying and selling various things in order to make a living. When he was twelve, he became an apprentice to a merchant relative, and set out on his own at eighteen. His goal in life is to gather enough money to start his own shop, and he has already been traveling for seven years while gaining experience in the trade. He meets Holo one night and eventually agrees to her traveling with him. She helps him by providing her wisdom which helps to increase his profits and get him out of jams.

Lawrence usually goes by his surname, only some who have known him for a long time, like Jakob Tarantino, the master of his guild, call him by his first name Kraft in the novel."-MyAnimeList character description

Words I'd use to describe Lawrence is down-to-earth and very calm. He's the voice of reason to a conflict that arises when him and Holo are traveling. He's not the most energetic and lively, but does get very happy whenever him and Holo are together. If he didn't have Holo around to spice up his life, he'd probably just be a very average type of traveler.

What I like the most about Lawrence is the development he get's throughout the story. He starts out as just an average traveler just going from place to place. When he then meets Holo, he starts to be lively and protective around her. He will protect the ones he loves and if not, he does get depressed. It's just a ton of fun to see him interact to Holo. They sometimes get in a fight, but not a huge cat fight, just more playful. These two make a good duo and couple, I'm glad he was in this story because he does add his own "flavor" to it.

Holo:

"Holo is a wolf harvest deity originally from a land in the north known as Yoitsu. She made a promise with men from a town called Pasloe where she would ensure the town would have good wheat harvests year after year. However, as time went on, the townspeople slowly started to forsake Holo and did not rely on her as they once did. As such, Holo escapes from town in Lawrence's wagon and started traveling with him to see how much the world has changed since she has been in Pasloe. Holo has chosen the form of a girl younger than Lawrence, though she still retains her large white-tipped wolf tail, and ears. Her true form is that of a very large wolf which many people revered and feared.

She refers to herself as the "Wise Wolf of Yoitsu" (ヨイツの賢狼). She is typically very haughty and self-sufficient, though due to her isolation for hundreds of years in Pasloe, she gradually feels very lonely, and sometimes shows a more fragile side of herself. She relies on Lawrence for company as she fears loneliness, which is something that Lawrence is very aware of and tries to comfort her in his own way. Holo is also very aware of the different time spans that she and Lawrence have, as a human lifespan is like a blink of an eye for her kind. Holo is quite scared of that fact, but hides it with jokes. She has a peculiar way of speaking, modeled after that of the oiran high-class courtesans. She is fond of delicious food and alcohol, but especially loves apples. She takes pride in her tail and takes special care of it, constantly combing and maintaining it."-MyAnimeList character description

Words I'd use to describe Holo is stubborn, not easy to please, childish, and wise as her name, "Holo the wise wolf" implies. She tends to say things she regrets later and tends to win a lot of arguments. She tends to get people to do as she wishes. Holo hates to be alone and that's why she hangs onto Lawrence so dearly. She had been alone for such a long time before she met Lawrence and is petrified of even thinking of being alone. As the quote at the top of my review implies, she thinks loneliness and death give you the same feeling.

What I love about Holo is despite all of her flaws, she still remains a lovable and identifiable character. Why you may be asking to yourself right now, well I'll do my best to explain why. Her interactions to Lawrence just give this anime it's flavor to the soup. Those scenes made her such a fun character. We've all at some point have been alone and we can all relate to Holo's dilemma and fears. It just made her feel so much more human and it's nice to know she has flaws, positive traits, fears, and things she loves. She is defiantly a great character and what you think of when you hear the words, "Spice and Wolf."

You're probably wondering why I didn't give the characters a ten, well I do have some flaws to point out in the character department, the supporting cast is quit forgettable. The show just has a habit of introducing characters, then forgetting about them. Like the character, Chole. She was only there for the first episode then forgotten about until the halfway point, then she never appears ever again. I would've like to see more from her and her background. This is just me trying to grasp for straws here, the show is still great as it is.

Enjoyment 9/10

I haven't met a person who hates Spice and Wolf and I hope you never find any either. You'll love the interactions between the main characters, the balance of drama and comedy, the art style, the opening, and the dub. I know you'll enjoy something about Spice and Wolf.

Overall 9/10

If you're looking for something enjoyable with a great main cast to go along with that, this is a great show to check out. If you're looking for something dark, suspenseful, and action-packed, you should probably look in a different direction. It's one of my favorites for a reason. Well that's it for me, I hope you enjoyed the review!

(read before marking help full or unhelpful)
(this show has dub suggestion by me over sub. Dub has better dialog translation and Holo sounds older than 15, as she should)


A wise man once said that it is not the destination, but the journey that defines us. The journey of life if you will. And no other show I have watch has shown me this more than Spice and Wolf. Spice and wolf is the story of a travelling merchant named Lawrence during what appears to be the enlightenment era in Europe. This Merchant one day finds a naked women in his cart(hair censored ftw). Who ... then in turn reveals herself as a wolf spirit named Holo. Holo who had been worshiped as a god of harvest in the town he just traded in; has left because the people have stopped praying to her and pray only to the "one god"(allot of gawd talk in this anime as is for the period). The Merchant then agrees to take the goddess back north to her homeland. This enlightenment Merchant being some what god raised (as was for period) is somewhat disturbed by taking a "pagan goddess", but soon gets over it and their journey begins.

Now that the introductions of plot and main characters are out of the way shall i discuses what it did well and wrong? And whether you as the reader should or shouldn't watch it due to your tastes?

Story 9/10: Now why 9/10? I probably would normally give an 8/10 for this story and was debating as such, but I leaned to 9/10. This is due the story being of a certain taste. Spice and wolf is extremely dialog heavy. There is barely any action what so ever. The interesting part though is the characters and their journeys through the lands. This is accompanied not by roving bands of bandits, but business deals and carefully calculated economics. Its the betrayals and deals via business and the ways our "wise wolf" goddess and our "experience" merchant handle every situation. This is basically the entire story. If you want some over arching plot with action everywhere go back to the shonnens . But, if you want a well crafted episodic journey with witty dialog and surprisingly interesting economics then you should press on.

Art:7/10 Nothing special ok for its time, was done by a new animation company and had a somewhat low budget. Yet, is not bad by any standards.

Sound:8/10 Some medieval jaunts and other tunes in osts. Yet, the Opening is completely divine. It is sung by the voices of the main characters and sets the tone so well it scares me. Yet, no other songs stick out. Thus only +1 from average(ratting scale on profile)

Character:10/10 OK the dialog is the show. The two main protagonist are the show. Spic and wolf is told by the perspective of both of the mains, and follows which ever when the times calls for it. Though it follows the perspective of mainly Lawrence the merchant. The interaction is amazing, its right on par with Steins;Gate and if you thought that was good you'll like Spice and wolf's characters. Let us start with Holo, she i s wolf goddess that has been in a filed of wheat for 700 years and is some what depressed and rarely shows it as she is peppy and witty most of the time. After being stuck in a field for 700 years and has not seen anything outside the old village. She then enjoys all the new sights and tastes on her journey. As she discovers each thing, you also feel that you discover it. Lawrence though is an Honest peddler and goes from place to place. He is overly good nature d, yet extremely shrew when it comes to his work. In Spice and Wolf many Characters are introduced, but it never goes to their perspective, though each in unique and adds their own flair to the plot. Thus flawless in character.

Enjoyment:10/10 I loved this show, was very good watch for my tastes especially. The Nature of the plot and the interactions of the characters work in near harmony. Yet, for some this show may be too slow paced and monotonous. Yet, Spice and Wolf teaches us that sometimes one needs to slow down, smell the roses and enjoy the journey of life. Thus Spice and Wolf gets a 9/10

It is by all means the worst anime i have ever watched.There were many moments in anime in which our 2 main characters just don't wanna do what they can to save themselves its like they just forget about it until they reach a dead end or an emergency.For eg. or Female main character says in a scene that she had forgot something important and that she wanted to tell it to the main character and later when that thing actually starts happening that is some men were standing at their damn door. Now our main characters have to jump out of the window and ... run for their lives.Female main get caught and the other one saves her.later they ran into underground and run until the very end of it, mind me our Female main can turn herself into a giant wolf and take every one down but she do not do it for some reason and when our main characters have no where to go she turns into a wolf and massacre all of the men she could have done that way before but she did not for some reason only god knows or ever he may not.
Story-the story don't actually progress much

Characters- Worst part of the anime, they are not characters they are idiots

Sound effect- Trust me most of the anime is basically talking, talking and talking and guess what the sound effect makes them more boring which were supposed to make it interesting

Art- The main character seem like a 50 year old man while our female main seems to be 16 year old. The visuals are well boring you only see a farm growing wheat and thats all like literaly

Overall- Please do not see this anime you will regret it, I know that there are tons of reviews which says that this anime is a masterpiece but it is actually a piece of garbage

PROVE ME WRONG IF YOU DISAGREE

I now remember how I got to know the name Spice and Wolf, I think I was looking around for another anime's sequel or something when I stumbled on it's name, and then again I saw it's name. Seeing it like this and good words after it I decided to pick up the series and begin watching, what I found was one of my favorite anime of all time.


The story is wonderful, it deals with economics that can sometimes be hard to follow, romance, comedy, being alone, relationships, politics, drama, and other things as well. The story holds you tight as you sink deeper ... and deeper into it. The idea of them traveling is also a great as they visit new cities and see and face new people and challenges. I was also able to pick up on many quotes throughout my watching of the series and then again in my re-watch, as there is much dialog between the characters.


The Characters are wonderful, they are unique and funny, lovable, and so many more things. Holo and Lawrence are two of my favorite characters in anime, and the relationship they share is also wonderful, as it develops and as it moves, how they interact. It's wonderful. Not to mention characters that come up later in the series. Character development is also wonderful, it's great to see how they move and develop on the journey. Other characters don't see as much development as Lawrence and Holo, but there is still some for 'em.


The music is some of the best I have encountered in anime, the opening is one of my favorite as it is an amazing song. I even used it as a ringtone of mine for quite a while. While the opening theme is more serious and such the ending theme is much less serious and much more fun, and is amazing as well. Rarely, actually I don't think I ever skipped the opening and maybe only skipped the ending once if that. Both the opening and the ending are also both rememberable. Not to mention that the soundtrack is great as well, maybe not as memorable but still done it's job.


The Animation for the series is also well done and is really beautiful and nice to the eye, it was well done. The English voice acting was also very well done as I though each voice really fit the part and the character, I really didn't think about it too much as they started to meld into one, which happens a lot granted. I do normally have little complaint about voice acting, but this was well done.


The ending in the first season is okay, as I know that it had a second season that I quickly jumped to.


The enjoyment of this series is immense and deep, I've re-watched it before and wouldn't even mind re-watching it again. I've also bought a wall large wall scroll last year at an anime convention with Holo on it and just recently was able to hang it up and this year I also bought a button with Holo on it as well. In fact I have on my desk a jar with smelly stuff in it, you know, with sticks coming out of it, that produces a wonderful scent and whenever I smell it one of the many things I think it brings to mind is Spice and Wolf, so as It starts to vanish, I am in need of a replacement.


Overall it is one of my favorite anime, with great stuff all round, it will always hold a special place in me. You might not like it as much as me, but I truly think that you will like this series and I'd ask you to just give it one episode or just the opening and I'm sure that it might just grab you.


This was my first review, I'm not sure how you'll like it so clicking a helpful or a not helpful will help. Thanks and I hope you liked it.

Craft Lawrence was an ordinary merchant until he came across the pagan wolf deity Horo, disguised as a cute wolf-girl. In exchange for assisting him in his work Horo asks that he take her with him to see the world and to go home. Lawrence has no idea what he's gotten himself into, but accepts his fate to travel with her in search of himself and their fortune together.

Story & Characters (8/10)
Set in the fictional renasanse world, the story follows a girl Horo who is a sage wolf and a guy who is a merchant named Lawrence.
These are some of the good aspects of the ... anime. The story itself mostly focuses on those two characters and their traveling. The world that the story is set in, is very nicely and best put to actually explain how the world at that time functioned and the people that lived there. Mostly these two characters. What is special about them is that both are different in their own personality. One is human, other is wolf. Both of them are met by a strong bond and set on a wide journey.
You will find it interesting how Horo is always the smart one and always get them out of the situation, while the Lawrence is more experienced one though in most cases he doesn’t act like that so he gets help from Horo, while actually both of them are pendent of each other.
One thing that may lack here is how the story slowly and fast progresses. This may sound weird, but it is just because it is. The story itself may sound confusing at first, but as you more watch you will begin to understand. What may take you for that are some of the historical knowledge, especially from that era. How classes were formed, beliefs, faiths, currency and such. But that all may prove it to be even more confusing to most audience, because later when you just figure one thing from there, another comes which takes whole episode of explaining and you might just end more and more confused. Until later you actually find out what really happened. When I wrote this review I first watched few episodes and to be honest I was a little disappointed on how the story progress. Later though I became liking it more and more. It truly is something special and different. No, better to say unique. What most might hold you is the suspense when Lawrence needs to do something. There are always challenges, always something behind the angle that you might miss, but that might later come. The suspense will keep you for actually looking at the screen and just waiting and waiting impatiently what will happen next. It is something not seen in many anime, but presented here. That all is build even more by good detailed camera angles and music that covers that all up. The only bad thing is that all this might be the result that would keep someone away from watching and enduring it, but few of them would actually stand up after getting caught in one of these scenes. Other thing I have to mention is that many characters become easily forgotten, even the ones that you might think might get more screen time. There are always new characters by each town they visit and always new adventures. Then again, there is a good thing behind it that it leaves more space for the main character and their strong personalities, but it is just matter of taste.

Art (7/10)
The overall graphics in this anime, to get it out at the beginning, are on an average level. Both the animations and the drawings are like that. There are not many chances in the beginning where you can actually see some changes with animation, since they are mostly just walking to one spot to another and talking and so on. Now this anime has some interesting habit. It gets better from episode to episode in terms of the overall quality that it is made. While it also gets more confusing with that, but that’s for something else.
Even if the drawings are average and not something special unlike many other animes, there are some things that I should praise. Those are the color blending and the classic-ness that is presented here. The colors are very nicely done. You can notice that by all the periods that change, as well by the nature and the details of surroundings and even the characters too, though in their cases they are more sharp, but that is normal.
When I mentioned that this anime has classic drawings, I didn’t meant overly classic. When I see it, I see a combination of the style that is used in 90-is combined with the style of the newest animes. It gives a good impression of the overall anime and it is one of the best styles that could be used for this type of it. Though there is one thing that I have to mention about graphics and that is cuteness. Yes, they are quite cute, especially with all the actions that Horo does. Some may think that it comes from the presentation section, but it is the animations actually that make that possible.

Sound (7/10)
Now this is the part that might be different for different viewers. And that is the overall OST. You will feel almost not even noticing it through the whole episodes. You might, but actually thinking about it would not get too much attention, only later though. Only later you will remember all these nice little songs that very with it, but they are still on the average side. On the other hand this also has some interesting things behind it. And that is the opening and ending song. While to some it may be a little slow and not suited for this anime, I think that it is actually very well done for this short anime. Especially the ending song, you will always stay wanting to hear it till the end, because it really gives the impression like it was made just for this anime.
Now there is another aspect why the OST may not be so needed. It is the sound effects. They are very well done here and you will even notice some small like horse riding to those of wolf cry (or song or whatever you want to call it). Even the voice acting is tried to be done the best it could be to match the people from that age. And by that I mean Europeans, because the overall surrounding looks like it is set in renesanse Central Europe. And yes, that’s what’s really good. Not only outstanding voice acting, but also music that accompanies that. To some poor, but actually it gives a good medieval effect around it. Though this is not really the medieval age, it could be said that it is the late one and still it gives a nice touch to it. Sound effect are also on a good level, from carts moving, horses, running and all other things. You will find all that maybe not that noticeable, but very enjoyable.

Overall (8/10)
A fun, entertaining, romantic, yet serious anime set in the history of real world combined with the folklore tales... If that is the anime that you are looking for, the look no further, you just found one. The overall presentation of it is something that should be praised. Mostly because of their characters, their deep personalities and the world that is surrounded by them. Now we get here some negative things behind it. This anime may be confusing to some and boring at first. But even then, it only requires some basic history knowledge for you to actually understand it. You can try to portrait yourself where the world is set, how the church works there, what are these heretics, what is the main purpose of the merchants and the system in which they work, how the currencies change and so on and so on...
One of the other things which could be noticed by many viewers is the actual approach of the characters. Characters at first develop too fast and too sudden for some, but actually everyone, take a closer look after a few episodes. What is the relation between Horo and Lawrence? Can anyone say? Well you can guess, but not give the true answer, because you are not sure yourself. But that what you know is somewhat nice resting in you. You know in what will become, but when always there is a situation to show that it just skips. To some it may be annoying, but just give it time. Give it time, later everything comes on it’s place and for fast paced growing storyline it actually falls on a careful and calm one. And soon you will noticed what Horo actually is and her feelings and personality. Yes, that’s what it is good here. Not many characters, no no. But definitely it is given a lot attention to those are there, especially two main ones. You will at one moment even feel like you are in that fable, you will quite enjoy it.
When I mentioned historical knowledge, I really meant that. You have to understand the world that it is set it. It is much realistic and a good presentation of the real medieval world. That might become boring, because just when you think that something might happen, everything goes calmly. Here action doesn’t take place with swords, powers and magic. Here… it takes place with economy, swiftness, logic and mind. Can you enter that mind? Well it is your choice to find out!

Spice and Wolf was originally a series of light novels written by Hasekura Isuna. The original novel won him the silver prize, or third place, for the Dengeki novel prize. The novels ran for seventeen volumes and the series quickly got manga, anime and video game adaptations. The first anime was done by Imagin, the studio responsible for Strawberry Panic among others. Spice and Wolf is really popular, but is it good? Let's take a look at the anime and find out.

The main story begins with an ordinary merchant named Craft Lawrence. He's going through a small village that's holding a festival when he finds ... a naked woman with lupine ears and a tail napping in his cart. She identifies herself as Horo the wise wolf, about a half a dozen times, and claims to be the deity that the villagers used to worship. She's grown weary of dealing with the people of the village and wants to return to the north. Lawrence agrees to take her. The series follows their journey as they go through several villages trying to make a profit. Let's dive right into the issues. The biggest issue is that there are a lot of moments that just drag on and get boring. Particularly the moments where Lawrence exposits about the economy of their fantasy world. They could have easily lost two or three episodes worth of content by cutting these speeches and lost nothing of value to the narrative. Really, it reminds me of the long descriptions that Victorian era literature included. The main difference is that this is worse since it's only thirteen episodes and the time could have easily been put to better use. The chemistry between Horo and Lawrence is really hit and miss. Some moments work others just come off as forced. That being said, there are some interesting ideas and I did really like what they did with the church in this. While there are some boring moments, there are also some really good, tense moments. Unfortunately, those moments tend to get resolved far too quickly and have no apparent impact beyond the immediate. That might be fixed in the second season, but it is an issue with this one.

Let's move on to the characters. Most of the characters are pretty one-dimensional and under-developed. A lot of them even share the same vague motivation, making profit. Lawrence himself is a pretty stock character with very little personality or development. That being said, I loved the character of Horo. Horo gets some great dialogue, she's very interesting and she shows a lot of great development as a character. Spice and Wolf might be worth watching just for Horo. That's how awesome she is.

The art is really well done. I can certainly see the visual similarities to Strawberry Panic. The various villages are lively and the backgrounds are very well done. The only real issue I had with the art is that the action scenes are kind of boring. They tend to end very quickly with Horo just kind of barreling through everyone. I know that action scenes with wolves can work, I saw Wolf's Rain, they just don't in this. You probably expected me to complain about Horo being shown naked so frequently, but there actually are valid story and character reasons for it, and they refrain from using them for mindless fan-service, mostly, so I didn't really have a problem with it.

The voice acting is a little bland, but that's probably due largely to the character issues. Most of the characters just don't have any good dialogue so it's not surprising that the voice actors couldn't give their best performances. The only exception is Koshimuzu Ami who gives a very strong performance as Horo. The music is weak, especially the Engrish closing theme.

The yuri factor is a 1/10. There are all of three important female characters and they don't interact that much with each other.

My final rating for Spice and Wolf is a 6/10. It's a decent anime that could have been much better. While there are some good ideas, the writing is weakened by a lot of padding and stilted dialogue. Horo is the only character worth mentioning. Although she is a spectacular character, she can't carry the entire anime by herself.

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.

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.

I was told to watch this anime from a friend, because they told me it was "so good" and one one of their favourites.

After watching the first season, I've personally dubbed this "Generic: The Anime". The characters have about as much life in them as cardboard cutouts. The dialogue, of which there is a LOT (it makes sense being that it's about merchant trading and finances) is clunky and feels forced a good chunk of the time. There have only been about three moments where I've actively KIND OF wanted to know what was going to happen, and likewise those are about the only three ... moments I even remember.

I want to focus more on the characters. Lawrence has zero personality beyond "that merchant guy who gets in trouble". He's not funny, he's not really likeable, actually he's the worst sort of anime idiot, in my perspective. Holo, the "great female lead" people have told me about, is downright insufferable. She comes across as snotty and superior, but talks way more about how amazing and so wise she is than she ever actually demonstrates her defining character trait. She's arrogant, demanding, and...She just gets on my nerves. None of the other characters are worth mentioning, they're as uninteresting as the leads.

Everyone speaks very monotone in the dub, which makes boring financial dialogue even more boring. Is there background music? If there is I don't even remember. The opening is pretty bland and the ending is something I skip everytime, so nothing in the sound department stands out or impresses me at all.

Art wise, everything but the backgrounds look very generic, including Holo and especially Lawrence. The backgrounds, at least, look like there was real effort to make them look nice and soft. But medieval trading isn't going to give you any really visually stunning backgrounds...Again, they DO look really nice for what they are.

Overall, do I think this anime is particularly bad? Despite my abysmal scores of it, not really. I just find it so, so tedious, with a lead I personally can't stand, and nothing of interest really happening. I do, however, hope others can enjoy it as much as others I've talked to seem to, and as much as the other reviews here do too. This one's just not for me, and if financial dialogue doesn't do much for you, I most certainly cannot recommend this anime.