Continuing on the story from the first season, Spice and Wolf II is basically more of the same and that is a good thing. It will please fans of the series but won't change the opinions of those who didn't like it. At first glance, the plot seems rather original but boring, and sometimes episodes have to be rewatched in order to fully understand the talks about economics. It's about a travelling merchant and a wolf goddess, and their journey to return the latter to her home in the north. Along the way the merchant, Lawrence, makes business dealings with others while his companion, Holo, helps him to make more profit. However, the business talks are actually quite fascinating, and Holo's nature as a wolf in human form as well as Lawrence's risk-taking tend to get them into dangerous situations.
The plot though, plays second fiddle to the characters. The two main leads and their interaction with each other is, in my opinion, the main highlight of both seasons, effortlessly carrying the series by themselves. I would say that Lawrence and Holo complement each other perfectly, with contrasting personalities that have multiple layers to them. Lawrence usually has a business face on when dealing with others while Holo is prideful of being wise and self-sufficient. However, underneath that they both have a lonely side, especially Holo, who has been in isolation for hundreds of years. The supporting cast aren't bad at all, as they have interesting encounters with the main duo, and play a big part in strengthening the plot, but they pale in camparison to Lawrence and Holo. The light-hearted dialogue between the two is always witty and entertaining, and more often than not verbal battles between them finish with Holo comfortably outsmarting him; as a merchant Lawrence is proud of his speaking ability, but Holo isn't known as the "Wise Wolf of Yoitsu" for nothing. As their journey progresses, a growing affection develops between them and they both start to fear the day when they must separate.
The animation is decent. The medieval-ish world in which the story takes place in is well presented, the characters have distinct appearances and their facial expressions are excellent at portraying emotions. The background music is solid if unspectacular, while the opening and endings song are soothing and fit the theme of the anime. On the other hand, the voice acting is great, particularly those of the two main leads. Jun Fukuyama sounds confident as Lawrence, whereas Ami Koshimizu is wonderful at voicing Holo by having a playful and cheeky tone which matches with her personality.
Overall, I found Spice and Wolf II to be an enjoyable watch, even if it is a little light on action, as the drama and dialogue make up for it. The twelve episodes are divided into two story arcs, but the extended absence of Holo in a few of the episodes does ruin it for me a little; it just proves how crucial it is for both Lawrence and Holo to be a part of the show, otherwise it wouldn't even be half as good. The anime is adapted from novels, which are still ongoing, so I am looking forward to a third season in the future.
