Say hello to Kraft Lawrence, our witty protagonist in medieval times. Lawrence is a traveling merchant who sells a variety of things, and he’s quite skilled in his…er…craft. Upon reaching the village Pasroe, he finds hidden in his carriage Holo. Holo introduces herself as the wise wolf deity who looks after the village to ensure that their wheat harvest is successful each year. Yet as time went on, the village began to resent her, and now Holo asks Lawrence to travel with him until she reaches her original home. Eventually, after poor Lawrence getting quite the scare once he sees Holo’s true form, Lawrence agrees and the two set off from the village.
The characters are all well written and they work well together, however Holo steals the show with her wondrous charm and ability to play off Lawrence’s character. She is a god, and in every way superior to Lawrence or at least that is what her personality would lead you to believe. Kind yet haughty Holo isn’t afraid to boast about her higher status or how wonderful her tail is and….
Yes, her actual tail you pervert.
Of course she doesn’t call herself the “wise wolf” for nothing and numerous times she is able to help out Lawrence in the economic half of the show.
Oh yes, economy plays a big part in Spice and Wolf, as most of the premise is based on Lawrence and how he can either outwit or find a way out of financial struggles. Don’t let the premise of economics scare you away just yet. While a good amount of the show is based on economy, it does a good job of attempting to explain the jargon and the how and why of it so even a simpleton should be able to get the gist of the plot if they pay attention. However, they do need to pay attention, as this is also the huge bump in the road that could alienate many viewers.
To call Spice and Wolf’s visuals impressive would be an understatement. The color palette is rich, and the environments are an absolute joy to look at. The music is no slouch either, as period instruments are to say the least charming. The soundtrack is vaguely Celtic and fits the slow portions well, but is able to speed up well when the situation calls for it. As for the dub all of it is good, but once again Holo (or in this case her voice actress Brina Palencia) outshines everyone else.
What could be said for the first season can more or less be said for the second season, although a dub is not available just yet (it has been licensed though). However, if the first season could be surmised as 70% economics, 30% romance then the second season could be surmised as 60% romance, 40% economics. It's still as good as the first season, though.
Is Spice and Wolf for everyone? Of course not, as the show is very slow moving and even if that doesn’t turn the viewer off the economic jargon might. However, to those who do venture into this anime they will find rich characters, wonderful art and music, and clever story plots.
