Option 1
This is a show whose heart and soul centers around character interaction. The actual plot is a simple and straightforward one, and the same go to all it's story arcs, not possessing that much in terms of depth, or complexity or even all that many twists. Now, this is far from a problem, as the actual story of Spice & Wolf is very well directed, paced and well written that it doesn't matter much in the end, it's still good. The economics part of the show can be overwhelming to some, specially those who have lower attention spans or just don't get this sort of thing, but it never becomes to complex to the point of melting your brain cells, and...well, it never felt boring to me, even if I did not understand it all, it still felt interesting
Another thing that is worth mentioning, is how alive the world of Spice & Wolf feels, it may not like it because of the simple, almost slice of life approach the show takes, but the world is blooming with detail, we learn about the culture and religious beliefs, we see many festivals and and to a certain extent, the influence the economy has on the lives of the people.
The soundtrack is also worth mentioning, being very memorable due to how unique it is in the end. It feels like something that would be played by a bard in a medieval tavern, which perfectly matches the tone and world of Spice & Wolf. The animation is also another thing that is good, with a art style that while clearly animesque, is realistic enough to allow for the immersion the show gives to continue to flow.
But why am I giving so much thought into all of that? What makes Spice & Wolf great is it's two main characters and the interactions they have with one another. They have what is pretty much the greatest chemistry I've seen in any anime duo, their personalities are unique, extremely well developed and contrast well with one another, the writing of the show, as mentioned before, is excellent, and the two character's voice acting is great, which further improves the greatness. Doesn't matter if they are having a calm chat about some seemingly useless subject, throwing sarcasm and witty remarks at one another, having a heated argument with one another, or comforting each other in a more emotional scene, the relationship betwen Holo and Lawrance feels real, more than the vast majority of relationships I've seen in anime, and in many novels and movies to for that matter.
In the end, I consider Spice & Wolf a very well crafted show (get it? Because Lawrance Craft, oh Matt, u a genius), that while only good or pretty good in most of it's aspects, has such a phenomenal main duo, that it deserves to stay on the enlightening position. |