Ookami to Koushinryou: Merchant Meets the Wise Wolf 狼と香辛料 MERCHANT MEETS THE WISE WOLF

2024 spring | Episodes: 25 | Score: 8.1 (72517)

Updated every Tuesdays at 01:30 | Status: Finished Airing

Type: TV

Streaming: Crunchyroll | Netflix | Aniplus TV

Synopsis

With a cartload of fur pelts in tow, traveling merchant Kraft Lawrence stops by the village of Pasloe. According to local folklore, centuries ago, one of the villagers made a promise with the wolf deity Holo, who swore to bless Pasloe with bountiful harvests of wheat. Yet, as time passed, such stories became little more than relics of the past. After quickly finishing his business in the village, Lawrence sets out to his next destination. His journey, however, takes an unexpected turn when he discovers a nude, animal-eared girl sleeping among his pelts. Even more surprisingly, the youthful-looking woman claims to be Holo—the wolf of legend. Holo wishes to return to her hometown in the north, and though their first encounter is rocky, she convinces Lawrence to accompany her on her travels. In return, she vows to earn her keep, using her quick wits and lifetime of experience to help her newfound companion in his dealings. As they continue their journey, Lawrence and Holo take advantage of whatever economic opportunities they come across, often landing in situations that put both their business skills and their relationship to the test. [Written by MAL Rewrite]

Voice Actors

Koshimizu, Ami

Fukuyama, Jun

News

Reviews

cantdance
01/28/2025, 08:35 PM
Alright. Let's be real here. Anything about this anime is amazing. I accidentally watched this anime instead of the 2008 version, but I DID NOT regret it. Everything about this anime is good. The plot, the visuals, the voice acting, and even the pacing that you might think is a little bit slow, but it's what makes this anime good, especially adventure-type anime. If you are a romance fan like me and trying to find a good romance in this anime, I would recommend it! the anime romance isn't too rushed where the main characters kiss in the first 3 episodes, but you won't bedisappointed every time the anime shows their romance scenes. In most of the arcs in this anime, I find some of them a little bit boring, but I assume it is what a generic adventure-type of anime is like. Of course, this is not the first adventure anime I watched, so I understand the adventure genre a little. Maybe the most unique thing about this is that the producer decide to make the "exciting" arcs before the ending arc so the viewer won't be edged waiting for the next season to air. Anyway, as a romance fan, I am greatly looking forward for the next season to air, and I'll be the first to watch!
PrivateJoe
01/15/2025, 10:05 AM
I've never watched the original anime, so I'm unsure which version is better. All I know is that this version is more faithful to the light novels. You can summarize this anime as a romance drama with a plot focused on economics, trading, and peddling. Whether or not that's interesting is up to you. I thought it was boring up until over halfway in the series. It wasn't until the romance between Lawrence and Holo began growing that I found the series interesting. Now does personally thinking that a series is boring make it bad? No, it doesn't. This anime's target audience is not aimed atshounen fans or someone like myself who enjoys action and comedy animes. There's almost no action or goofiness besides Holo's occasional antics. If you're not interested in a slow-paced romance, then you won't like Spice and Wolf. It sets out to tell the story it wants to tell and does it well. It's just aimed at a niche audience. My only critique of the show is that Lawrence's white hair design makes him appear fifty years old when he's actually twenty-five years old. It makes it hard for me to view him as a young man.
Playbahnosh
11/24/2024, 05:24 AM
The first thing that popped into my head when I saw this is "why?". There was absolutely no need to remake this anime, as we already have the 2008 rendition, which still stands the test of time to this day. The art and design is beautiful, the animation is great, and since this is not some edgy action anime, frame rate and CGI doesn't play here. The VO and localization team is the same as well, and bring about the same quality. What [b]did[/b] change is the characters themselves. In the original, Holo is a dignified albeit fickle goddess with surprising bouts of vulnerability hiding underher austere and beguiling nature. While Lawrence is an experienced and shrewd merchant who wouldn't take her shit, but is also mesmerized by her often playful nature and incredible insight. Holo is intrigued as to how Lawrence could treat her as an equal and wouldn't just succumb to her godlike power and feminine charm, and Lawrence's empathy and compassion instinctively wants to protect the fragile heart hiding in her hard shell of animalistic pride and ancient wisdom. It's this delicate power dynamic that makes their relationship so interesting and fun. In this new version, however, everything goes out the window. Holo is presented as an angsty, hormonal teenager throwing tantrums, while Lawrence comes off as a total pushover. Gone is the amazing banter, the masterfully crafted back-and-forth between the unstoppable force and the immovable object. The depth and charm of their characters are replaced by awful caricatures. Holo the unstable tsundere and Lawrence the simp. Even the upgrade in art and animation doesn't trade for killing the soul of what made this anime great. My suggestion is, stick with the original 2008 rendition of Spice & Wolf.
SuspiciousScout
11/04/2024, 03:07 PM
I feel this is important to mention: For the sake of context, I have not watched the original Spice & Wolf anime, or consumed any of the original source material. My opinion and perspective will be from a newbie's and comparison won't be made. Spice & Wolf is nothing short of fantastic. It's a unique, heartfelt story full of climactic drama and insanely good world-building. Since the protagonist Kraft Lawrence is a traveling merchant, you get to travel this fantasy world through the unique lens of a merchant trying to make ends meet and profit by selling his wares. Holo the Wise Wolf is, of course,the unique hook of the show that will initially draw you in, and for good reason. The chemistry between her and Lawrence is incredible as the show's writing makes even the most mundane of conversations extremely engaging to draw you in on what they're talking about. Since Holo is a goddess that doesn't participate amongst normal human activities, she also serves as an excellent audience surrogate getting to not only learn about the world, but learn what it means to be a good merchant and knowing the ins and outs of the world's economy because of Lawrence's expertise. It makes the various scenes of explanations a lot more natural and real since Lawrence would need to explain this stuff to Holo since they're going to be travelling together for a long time. The aforementioned economics aspect of the show really surprised me by how much I was engaged with learning about it. This is what leads to the great world building, because you end up with a very vivid picture of each town you visit by learning it's economy. You know how it functions, whether it's rich or poor, what the religious situation is there, and so on. I'd dare say it's genius how much they were able to cram world details in like that just from hearing Lawrence yap about it's economy and how he plans to profit from it. By the end of the season, you feel like you know this world like the back of your hand despite not visiting it yourself. It also has a great overall structure since the show begins in the southern regions, and the end goal is to escort Holo to the north to visit her hometown. Now, I wanna circle back to Holo and Lawrence's relationship. I said before that it's amazing, and that's because of the writing and dialog. They bounce off each other absurdly well, and that makes you very invested into their blooming relationship and feelings for each other. At first, you might think that might be dumb for a merchant and a wolf goddess to be able to achieve that, but it's true. Holo is very prideful and stubborn at times, but Lawrence is calm and collected with a plethora of experience, so their constant back-and-forths are not only entertaining, but very endearing as well. They did a great job not making Holo unlikeable as well. She is stubborn and full of herself for, well, being a god and all. However, she knows when she is uneducated in a certain area, and does not make irrational decisions based on her own ego. She might be a little demanding of getting to eat some delicious food here and there, but she's very smart and observant; she knows when to let Lawrence take the reigns. I think it's hard to write a character like that and have them be THIS charming, but they nailed it. One last thing I'd like to touch on is the more emotional/dramatic scenes. Some of these scenes are the highest highs of the show. Because of the aforementioned blooming relationship between Holo and Lawrence, you end up extremely invested into their feelings, and the more dramatic parts where something bad happens will make you tug at your heartstrings, waiting with baited breath to see them get through any trouble. I haven't felt so moved by an anime like this in some time, so I think these climactic moments really bring out the best in the show, and your eyes will be glued to the screen. So all in all, I can absolutely recommend Spice & Wolf to practically anyone. It doesn't matter if you're not a fan of Fantasy or slower-paced shows, I believe the execution of everything it does will make you want to watch it from start to finish. I wholeheartedly recommend it.
Rudiculous_07
10/29/2024, 07:20 AM
This love story is a slow burn, it's an important subplot that nurture their chemistry together, don't expect excitement or comedy. This more of a mature story of man and women traveling together and to overcome predicaments they get into revolving currency and their tsunder tendency of accepting their love . Its gradual and evident where they rely upon each other. This story capture the manga well. Even though the story was told differently which is an improvement, their was some missing depth that was added in the old version. However the story felt more fluid and enjoyable. The beginning of the Mid part kinda feltlacking, it seemed they didn't miss any important parts from the story which huge step up. The scenery and the atmosphere felt more realistic and lively compared to the old version. The characters appearance seemed better in the old version specifically speaking about holo since she seemed more mature but this new version is growing on me didn't expect much facial expression but theirs expression where great. The pace of the story was handled better for sure than the old version. The chemistry has been slow but enjoyable which way better not as rushed as before and the fan service increase Abit but not to much. As for the studio did a great job .
Aechgal
10/14/2024, 05:35 PM
The Great Wise Wolf Holo became i high tiered favorite of all characters i really like. I really dont care about the economics of the anime, but they dont bother me at all. It was my pleasure to travel with Holo and Lawrence, to see their relationship evolving, to see the great holo just being the great holo, an amazing and charismatic person. So strong and so fragile at the same time. Also so lovely and stubborn. And hell of a great couple that she and Lawrence make. Spice and Wolf was the one i kept waiting every week, one of my favorites of the seasonand one i will remember when i look behind to the year of 2024. If there is one thing for sure, is that i recommend this anime.
MedusaAG
10/11/2024, 10:43 AM
I would always see this show's original show in my top recommendations, and always skipped over it. The story never appealed to me... Or so I thought. After watching 70% of the romantic anime out there, I decided to give this a shot. This show is definitely on my list of favorites, I keep wondering why I always skipped over it. The dynamics between our two MCs, the suspense the creators were able to create to keep us on our toes, the slow-burning and developing romance between our MCs, the mild drama. Everything about it was just so perfect and wholesome, including the complimentary musicto add depth/emotion to some scenes. Character depth was incredible, not only for MCs but for everyone in the show. Everyone was dynamic and we were introduced to everyone fairly well; nobody bland in this show. Very well executed and thought out from visuals, characters, to audio, voices, and music. If you want to experience comedy, drama, romance, adventure, suspense, sweetness and excitement I highly recommend this show. Can't wait for the next season - they better make one! SO WHOLESOME.
mimiouka
10/09/2024, 12:44 PM
Being a merchant is tough—balancing trade deals, trying to make a profit, and oh, occasionally traveling with a centuries-old wolf goddess who outsmarts you at every turn. Spice and Wolf throws you right into the mix, where Lawrence, a merchant just trying to get by, ends up with Holo, a sharp-tongued wolf deity who turns every business deal into a battle of wits. Welcome to Spice and Wolf, where the economics are complex, the banter is gold, and Holo is always two steps ahead of poor Lawrence, who’s just trying to keep his business (and sanity) intact. Holo is basically the queen of sass. What canbe better than having a cute goddess around you all the time. She flirts, teases, and still manages to give Lawrence business advice that he probably didn’t ask for but definitely needs. Her voice acting? Absolutely perfect. It’s like the show went, “What if a wolf goddess had the personality of that one friend who’s too clever for their own good?” And it works. You can’t help but fall for her charm while also feeling a little bad for Lawrence, who’s just trying to make an honest living. Sometimes it feel like this man is carefree, which is of course not true! Now, the economics. Yeah, it gets technical!! Very Technical—like, “Let’s talk about silver coins and commodity trading”. And yet, even when I had zero idea what was happening in these deals, it was still fun to watch. Even knowing how much my grasp at economics sucks it was fun. Holo and Lawrence’s banter keeps everything flowing, so even if you’re lost in the math, you’re still entertained. And can we talk about the side characters? Usually, they’re just background noise, but here they actually have personalities! They add a lot to the world, making it feel alive and giving Lawrence and Holo some interesting people to interact with. It was like playing a game with multiple chapters but one goal in mind! Then there’s the romance. It’s not over-the-top or filled with dramatic confessions. Which somehow makes their relation feel purer and more elegant to the audience. So of course, it’s a slow burn, “Let’s just subtly flirt for a while” kind of thing. It’s oddly refreshing, especially since it’s between a human merchant and a wolf goddess (that's the most beautiful thing about this anime). A bit of love, a bit of business, and a lot of great moments in between. In short, Spice and Wolf is about a merchant who tries to make money and a wolf goddess who keeps him on his toes. It’s smart, it’s funny, and it’s surprisingly heartfelt. Plus, who knew business negotiations could be this fun?
patkarunungan
10/09/2024, 07:40 AM
'Spice and Wolf: Merchant Meets the Wise Wolf' is the new adaptation of the Spice and Wolf light novel series. The previous adaptation was incomplete. § Overview The merchant Kraft Lawrence one day meets Holo the Wise Wolf in a certain town. Afterwards, they went on a journey in search of Holo's hometown of Yoitsu. § Differences between the original adaptation and this new adaptation The original adaptation skipped volume 4 of the light novels, and the second season adapted some parts of volume 5.This adaptation includes volume 4, so we haven't reached where the original ended. Also, instead of Yarei, the original replaced him with an anime original character Chloe. With the way Chloe resembles Elsa, I think Chloe's character design is based on Elsa. Some complain about the direction of this new adaptation, but I see some improvement. For one, whenever they discuss the Church, which seems to be an invisible enemy, we see shots over a cathedral and/or some priest. As much as I complained that the animation sucked in the original, the character designs in the original are generally better. Norah Arendt is so lovely in the original while she's just okay in this adaptation. The original has its charm, but it is an imperfect and incomplete adaptation. I recommend watching at least the first season and the OVA. The second season sucked so bad. The episode in this adaptation that corresponds to the original's OVA sucked in comparison. I love Holo's facial expressions of jealousy in the original OVA. This one is likely the first of many seasons that would completely adapt all Spice and Wolf LN volumes, which is why even if you prefer the original, there's a good case for watching it if you want to see many if possibly all volumes of Spice and Wolf be adapted. § Potential con of watching this if you've already seen the original 1. You will nitpick like I did the similarities and differences between the two adaptations. Given some aspects you may dislike about this adaptation, you may fail to notice and appreciate stuff about it that actually improves over the original. 2. Potential boredom because you know what will happen next. It's an almost carbon copy of the original, except for the final 6 episodes, covering volume 4 of the light novels. The way this adaptation ended the volume 4 arc is a bang. So this aspect may be worth putting up with. § Conclusion Whether you've seen the original or not, 'Spice and Wolf: Merchant Meets the Wise Wolf' is worth watching. It remains to be seen how their romance will unfold, which is a slow burn, but their discussions of œconomics are interesting enough.
OkiChris
10/07/2024, 08:38 PM
MUST WATCH IN DUBBED. Great adaptation! Extremely close to source material, especially compared to the first anime. Tried switching subbed to dubbed multiple times throughout the series. Holo is a completely different character in comparison between the two and much more closesly resembles the personality within the light novel in the dubbed. Sounds cute and charming in subbed but doesn't convey the same sense of matureness, sarcasm, and fierceness that Holo is supposed to have. Subbed VA is amazing but does not fit the character nearly as well. Completely different watch; trust me (coming from a 99% subbed watcher). So taken aback by the performancehere, especially in the more crucial scenes for Holo and Lawrence; they were so impactful, bravo! Only small things I could complain about are how some of the 3d scenes looked janky, but from what I was expecting from Studio Passione from their history; the animation/art blew me out the water. Skipping over some of the important inner dialogue of characters within the light novel; although they did a much better job than I'd have expected getting the most important information out. I wish there were little graphics that popped up on screen that would help out with the explanation of some of the economic/trade/business concepts that were explained throughout the show instead of panning in on the characters with mostly still frames explaining said concept.
spicewo
09/29/2024, 06:25 AM
A medieval fantasy anime that is out of the ordinary, with a female character with character and charisma, a protagonist who never abandons his goals and a unique romance full of nuances, an anime that entertains and teaches you. On a technical level it is not at the level of large productions but that does not mean that the work does not have heart, the direction and music are incredible. It also has a great world construction that explores it in detail, seeing how the protagonists are involved in the difficulties of each location and always in an ingenious way, without resorting to violence, theyresolve the conflict that is presented to them and at the same time brings them closer together. our couple in love. Animation: 8/10 OST: 10/10 Characters: 9/10 HOLO: 20/10
jesus061
09/27/2024, 10:04 AM
Wonderful adaptation and remake of this unique story, you may or may not like it but you have to admit that it is a spectacular and very interesting premise. Points to highlight are the OST that makes the story immersive, Holo as a character is spectacular, she has a lot of nuances and she is not the typical heroine that we always see in animes with this type of medieval setting that tend to be more than anything isekais. The construction of the world is fascinating and the best of all is that they are explored in their experiences and customs, the theme of religion without belittlingany belief is wonderful. TREMENDOUS MASTERPIECE and the best thing is that we will have a season 2.
XOArama
09/24/2024, 04:48 PM
I had heard of the original anime before this but never really paid it much mind, but with it getting a remake this season I thought why not give it a shot. There is definitely a reason that Holo is one of the og waifus, she's got a great personality that's really unique to her character and is a byproduct of her unique backstory. The actual story side of this is quite good as well, Holo traveling back to her home village and Kraft with his merchant duties makes for a nice contrast. I see some people find the merchant stuff to be boring whichI couldn't disagree with more, I found it to be pretty refreshing and it was always satisfying seeing Kraft's plans come to fruition. I was pleased by how this season turned out, while I felt at some points that the animation itself was a little lackluster, it was a good product altogether and I'll be waiting eagerly for season 2!
Chuy_diazz
09/23/2024, 10:29 PM
I think I can understand a little bit why this anime has such a classic status. I started watching this anime out of curiosity to understand why people considered it a classic. At first glance it seems like a romance between an adult man and a furry girl. Little by little the story gives you information about the world and the characters to understand that this goes beyond a simple romance. The protagonist is a merchant and not just in name, he knows his stuff and we constantly see him talk about economic concepts that some are understandable and others not. The furry girl is afurry goddess where they use her image to implement religious and theological themes within the work. The anime can be very interesting or very heavy, it all depends on how well versed you are in economic-theological matters. The work takes many risks when implementing these complex and difficult to understand themes, in fact the first arc is heavy for me because they speak to you with a lot of technical language that is easy to confuse. In later plots, the same story understands that it cannot speak in a language that few understand and begins to digest the story in order to explain it in a simple way to the viewer. As for religious themes, it has quite interesting discourses such as the search for the existence of God, pagan Gods and the loving relationships between a God and a human. All these themes fall more into a philosophical area that basically will take a different form depending on the person who sees it and their relationship with religion or with God. As for romance, I understand why it won a place among the public in its 2008 version. We have a romance that is a little more adult or mature, of course we will have drama because there would be no love without drama, but it is not the typical teenage drama but one more focused on adult life. The fear of loneliness, the decision between love and comfort, the conflicts of couples that can lead to trying to meet someone else. With such a different theme from the teenage romance, it is understandable that it has won the affection of people who were looking for a different story a couple of years ago. The work is aimed at an adult demographic, it is not that teenagers cannot understand it but I do think that these are themes that they do not mind exploring at that early stage of life. I cannot say that it became one of my favorite romances, I cannot even say that it is a story that I would like to repeat. I can only say that I can understand why it is a story that has captivated a large group of people over the years and with good reason.
joemaamah
09/23/2024, 05:46 PM
I held off on this review to check the new content, and wasn't disappointed at all. For all the lame producers out there that want to reboot beloved franchises, this is your study in how to do it right. The artwork was splendid. Even the original background work didn't compare to this. The animation was better than I suspected it would be, They managed to blend hand drawn, 2D and a light touch of 3D CGI about as perfectly as I have ever seen done. The characters are what made the original so special. I must say that this rendition improves on all the characters.I like what they did with the MCs. They made Lawrence more assertive, and less clueless about non-business things. Holo still retains her cute capriciousness, but shows a more serious side, as well as being a touch more sassy and flirtatious; wonderful improvements. The writers also helped flesh out some of the side characters as well. The characters in the new arc are super well done. Elsa deserves a spin-off of her own, I thought the narrative writing improved as well. A touch of fat was trimmed from the original, which helped pacing tremendously. And the final arc was done so well. It makes our journey, the character designs, and the world building so much stronger in the long run. Again, the entire VA crew does an exemplary job. I especially was impressed with Holo's VA, who seemed to find ways to broaden the character simply with her inflection and tone of voice. The director used the cast to great effect, as he did animation and the nicely appropriate sound track. Kudos to you all! Holo may be a Wise Wolf, but she's awfully foxy. Lawrence has more than a little weasel in him. If I could grade these animals, I would have to jump past my grade from the original production, and shoot this up to 98/100 for one mighty fine A. You only hurt yourself by not giving this rendition of the series your best regards.
PhoenixItachi
09/23/2024, 05:34 PM
As a huge enjoyer of the original, and especially the story, I'm happy to say that the remake is a very welcomed addition. Don't get me wrong, is not the most awe inspring, jaw dropping thing in world of anime, but it's still Spice and Wolf, a story that moved so many readers/watchers. At it's core, the remake captures what the story is, and I'm grateful it exists, and that it gives us hope we'll see a full telling of the story. STORY: 9/10 It follows the original's story bit by bit, except for the addition of the missing arc that the original didn't adapt (volume 4),and the remake ends one arc earlier then the second season of the original, meaning that season 2 will start more than likely with the end of the original. Aside from that, it's still Spice and Wolf, the thought out stories and economy schemes are still here, with the same impact as before, which is what we've all hoped. The only downside for some is that it's pacing is on the slow side which may be off putting. CHARACTERS: 10/10 You can't talk about Spice and Wolf without mentioning the two main protagonists. They're the focal point of the entire story, and the dynamic is still as entertaining and endearing to watch as ever, the pair rivaling the best of the best in the industry. If you crave for bantering, flirting, joking and all in all a duo that plays off each other masterfully, than you came to the right place. ANIMATION: 7.5/10 The animation is what I was expecting from the studio. Some really great scenes, but on the other hand, many others where you can easily see the cut corners. Overall, this is one of the better works the studio's done, but still I was hoping maybe for that little bit more, that would elevate the final product to new heights. Compared to the original, the remake has higher highs, but at the same times lower lows. MUSIC: 8/10 What we've got is really good, but it can get a little repetitive, and is not as cohesive as it was in the original, which had the OST mesh wonderfully with the kind of story, tone and period the anime takes place in. Both the openings are standalone good pieces, less so the endings, and the rest of the soundtrack has some really good tracks, but is reused a bit to excessively throughout the season. ENJOYMENT: 10/10 This section as the title suggest is heavily biased, because I adored the old version, and I still got the same vibes, and for me clicked as hard as the first time. So it gets full marks, and I'll eagerly wait for season 2 to come around and see new adventures that the original did get to show us. OVERALL: 9/10 The story is not for everyone, as is the case for any series, but if this kind of story clicks with you, it will click really hard, and you'll get a new gem to add to you collection. The strong aspects overpowers the rest and carries the whole to an higher overall verdict than the sums of it's parts, and it's worth at least the time to watch the first few episodes and see if you enjoy it or not. And here I'm hoping that we'll get the whole story this time around, and that the entire series will rise even higher. One can only hope...
Flacion
09/23/2024, 10:40 AM
A merchant accidentally meets a wolf deity and ends up traveling with her, which turns out to be a very beautiful journey through the land. In Spice and Wolf we follow Lawrence and Holo on a trip through the land, its a trip with both a goal and trip for trading, since Lawrence is a traveling merchant. This gives a story that has a steady cast of our two main characters, but also with a steady flow of new characters as they travel. The plot throughout the show very much centers around it being low fantasy in a medieval setting. Which results in a lot of plotrevolving around common problems that happened in that time, which our two main characters somehow get involved with. We then see how the wisdom of Holo and trade skills from Lawrence is used to solve their situation and in it deepen their relationship. For the characters in the show, our focus is on Holo and Lawrence and everyone around them is just there to help keeping plot running, and support the two of them. This gives a structure where Holo and Lawrence have a continuous development, in both good and bad. While the side characters are mostly there in one arc, where we see them grow and affect the story and main characters before the show moves on. This gives a very nice structure of how the story has major points, where plot and character progression can be put into certain arcs. The animation is nice and smooth, but also has a more toned down feel to it. This very much feels right for the setting of the show, and helps make the show feel more grounded and connected to common problems. But things are animated with attention to detail, where characters clearly express their emotions and their actions are smooth and easy to follow. For the romance aspect is it a slow burner, not in the way of nothing happening. But more in the way that they start out as strangers, and have to build up a relationship up from scratch, which feels very natural. Overall a great show, if you like romance in a low fantasy setting. Would i definitely recommend watching this show
Marinate1016
09/23/2024, 10:12 AM
As someone that’s never seen the original Spice and Wolf but seen tons of Holo memes and hype over the last decade, all I can say after watching this remake is “I get it”. She lived up to the hype as a waifu, but more importantly, this lived up to the hype as a fantasy story about two people who couldn’t be further apart coming together and changing one another for the better. Lawrence and Holo’s relationship is a breath of fresh air in a world full of shallow ones. This show exudes the magic of the early 2000s and even at nearly 20 yearsold, is still better than most fantasy anime. I just love the trope of an immortal being journeying with a human and learning what makes humans special. Coming off the high of Frieren recently, spice and wolf kind of stepped in and filled that gap for me. While it may not have Madhouse production values, still found this to be a very emotionally engaging story. Holo and Lawrence’s romance blossoming through numerous obstacles was a joy to see. I know there’s the whole economic and trading aspect of the story, but let’s be real. The big draw here is seeing how cute Holo is and how well she and Lawrence get on. While at times they argue like an old married couple, it’s the vulnerable moments the two share that take this story to the next level for me. That’s not to say that the trading stuff was bad, there were some genuinely good storylines with that and it definitely forced Lawrence to grow as a person with all the times he gets ripped off in this show. But at times I found all the economic stuff to be a little convoluted and got lost in a couple episodes. But you know what, I’ll always prefer an author putting too much detail in a story rather than too little. I just wish it could’ve been conveyed a little better without overwhelming me at times. Again though, that’s minor because even when I was feeling overwhelmed with details in the story, they’d have some great moment later in the episode with Holo saving Lawrence’s ass during a bad business exchange and it’d make me forget anything else. Plot wise, other than the trade negotiations, economics and Lawrence constantly almost going bankrupt, I thought the church storyline was really cool. It started off slowly before really ramping up in the second half when we learn more about the church’s relationship with Holo’s fellow deities and everything that’s going on with her hometown. I very much preferred the last third of the season because of how much world building we got and how we went into the mythos of this world’s deities. But even with that, it feels like we only scratched the surface of what this world offers. I mean, we end on volume 4 or so of a series with 20 volumes so clearly there’s a lot more to unpack here. I hope in a potential 2nd season we get to see more of the lore expanded upon since it was touched on at several points throughout the season as Holo searches for information on her hometown. But you know, it’s very much a show that just uses everything else as a plot device to bring the two leads closer and I’m ok with that. Holo shines as the star of the show and Lawrence is a worthy support for her. They complement each other’s strengths and bolster each other’s weaknesses. A match made in heaven. Production wise the show is solid. After the disaster that was Seikengakuin, this one looks really good. They updated all the characters’ designs to the modern age and as someone who prefers modern anime art styles, I think they look great. The action sequences are passable and the Kevin Penkin OST only makes every emotional moment between Holo and Lawrence that much better. Spice and Wolf is a slow, but rewarding burn that I’ve enjoyed watching these last 3 months. There’s no sudden jump into a relationship, but we do see two people who enjoy one another’s company slowly grow to find each other irreplaceable. It’s a must watch for any romance or fantasy fan. Spice and Wolf gets 9, out of 10.
Stark700
09/23/2024, 10:11 AM
If someone told me a few years ago that Spice and Wolf is getting a new anime to air in 2024, I would've laughed it off and called them crazy. Looking backto 2022 from the announcement and here we are. Holo, the wise wolf makes her grand return on the television screen, her first time in well over a decade. Back in 2008, the first Spice and Wolf anime holds a special place for me and I'm sure it's a special anime for many fans. It's the first fantasy anime that I watched that didn't revolve around swords, magic, or some sort of plot about savingthe world. Spice and Wolf ventures into an unique category that deals with economics and business. For a franchise like this, Spice and Wolf was ahead of its time. Rather than adapting a direct sequel, Spice and Wolf: Merchant Meets The Wise Wolf serves as a remake, retelling the story of 25-year old Lawrence Kraft and his traveling companion Holo. However, the remake goes far deeper into their story, relationship, and adds more into their world lore. Watching this season reminded me the nostalgia of enjoying a fantasy-adventure classic. Spice and Wolf's first episode begins with the season of the harvest festival but immediately introduces the self-proclaimed Wise Wolf, Holo. According to story lore, people worshipped her as a God-like entity far before the main timeline story began. Holo is aware of this and holds pride in her status. Meeting with someone like Lawrence is a new experience as she has never build a relationship so close to a human before. It's between the two that we truly experience their story. Even after 15 years, it felt like yesterday when we met Holo and Lawrence. The voice actors played an outstanding job at performing their roles, in particular Holo. Her haughty, sarcastic, flitartious voice tone adds countless moments for the audience to see. Accompanied by her superior confidence, Holo is truly prideful of her existence and what she presents. Although some might interpret it as arrogance, Holo never has malicious intents to gain what she wants. Her love for food and alcochol also shows her humanity. Even though she is a wolf entity, Holo displays many traits that is perceived as human. In fact, she isn't that different from Lawrence thoughout their journey together. It's noticable from the start that both characters contain insecurities about themselves. Holo's greatest fear is being alone while Lawrence rely on himself so much that he realizes not everything can be accomplished by himself alone. As a remake, this season follows mostly in tone with the original season. The storytelling maintains a balance of dealing with business while developing the relationship between our two main protagonists. Holo and Lawrence together accompanies each other skills. With Holo's wit and Lawrence's intelligence, they're able to get through many obstacles and obtain their win of the share. In their business dealings, it's easy to see what can go wrong if neither of them help each other. The show makes it clear that Lawrence's experience is invaluable. Meanwhile, Holo's playful personality and persuasive nature gets them by through bargaining and other essential deals. One of the main selling factors for the original and this remake is the expanding relationship between Holo and Lawrence. It's very important to realize that the two rely on each for comfort and escape lonliness. They only have each other as judging by their journey, they don't come across any close friends, family, or allies. We actually don't see much of either characters' family at all, whether in the present timeline or the past. As such, Holo and Lawrence always depend on each other to survive. This is made so important that Holo suffers a case of monophobia, where anxiety surfaces and she expresses them in extreme ways in later episodes. It's a sensitive topic that can relate to any relationship and this anime is able to explore that in its own unique way. Kicking into the story, Holo and Lawrence comes across many interesting individuals ranging from the shepherd Nora Arendt, finsmonger Fermi, and church manager Else Schtingheim. Each of these individuals introduces business and emotional elements for the pair. For instance, Nora ignites a feeling of jealousy for Holo while also serves as a foil character because she is a shepherd. Fermi's fascination for Holo causes him to fight Lawrence for her ownership. And finally, Else gives us a deeper glance at the complex system of the church in their world. Let me just say that while these supporting characters do not become permanent traveling companions, they test the feelings of our two main stars. Spice and Wolf truly wants us to show how Holo and Lawrence interact with others in unusual circumstances and face life together in ways they've never realized before. Passione's long track record of adapting various fantasy based media has a role for Spice and Wolf. Among their most prominent work includes Rokka no Yuusha, with the environmental art style feeling familiar with this show. Adapting into this series over a half and decade later, the character designs look cleaner and sharper. Nonetheless, the overall asthetic is still similar including its world fiction. The most noticable character traits are Holo's wolf features and more prominently, her real form. When transformed, she displays fierceness and animalistic features of a mature wolf. In such form, she grows several times her size and sheds her human form completely although maintaining much of the same personality. The fan service of her being nude should not be misinterrpted as it's her natural form. The show contrasts her human and animal form in such magnficient ways that it looks surreal and atone to classic fantasy. Watching Spice and Wolf after all these years made me realize that these remakes brings so much more than just nostalgia. It's a celebration of the author's works and gives both returning and the new audience to experience such a wonderful adventure.
KANLen09
09/23/2024, 10:10 AM
Spice and Wolf: Merchant Meets the Wise Wolf - A return to form for the remake of a beloved and classic franchise that is the gateway to Economics 101? It'd better be good, and it delivered. The current trend of anime nowadays is getting too predictable, being Isekai or fantasy series all the seasons over, and something must be done to break that trend. So...how about bringing back classic IPs and giving them reboots, remakes, and the like? This is certainly the upcoming trend for the AniManga industry's scope as it is today, since Japanese corporations like to cash in on existing IPs that have madethe mark in the past decade or further. And in the past year or so, we have series ranging from the remake of Rurouni Kenshin (which is coming back for Season 2 of the Kyoto Disturbance arc next season in Fall) to cult-favourites like last season's reboot of Bartender: Glass of God (which is more of a re-telling). Heck, even the entire Fruits Basket franchise, which started its remake back in 2019, which was just a thing of beauty. Of course, the diamond in that once-flourishing jewel has to be novelist Isuna Hasekura's Ookami to Koushinryou a.k.a Spice and Wolf, itself claiming the 2nd place in the 12th Dengeki Novel Prize all the way back in 2005, and has since then become his most critically acclaimed and influential work to date that has spawned many mixed-media adaptations ever since, and for a very good reason. To many (and especially for those who are Millennials like me), Spice and Wolf can be considered one of the very first anime that we have ever watched, and it still remains a legend to have seen such a show that was so far beyond its time back in 2008 and 2009 with its 2 prior seasons and OVAs. And as part of the LN's 15th anniversary, it was definitely a surprise for the franchise to not continue where the OG Season 2 left off, but instead to retrace back to its roots for a proper adaptation that the OG had missed off 15 years prior, under the leadership of series director Takeo Takahashi, and most certainly its 2 returning VAs of Jun Fukuyama and Ami Koshimizu voicing as the iconic Spice and Wolf MC duo of Kraft Lawrence and Holo. So, as is with every series reboot, is it really worth spending extra time going back to the 2008-2009 OG series, or could you make do with the remake that is presented here? Truthfully, there's pros and cons to this. First off, I have to preface that the legend of the Spice and Wolf meme nowadays, always stems from the furry side, because Holo is just that powerful of a wolf Waifu with wolf ears so furry that she can dominate just about anyone who goes against her will, even if that person is Lawrence, her accompanying confidante merchant. All jokes aside, what a feeling it really is to once again see the classic franchise in a new form that's remade with a lot of care retracing the story of the wolf: the pagan god that brought great yearly harvests of wheat, only to have people reciprocate with scorn and disdain to the point of forsaking, to thereby escape out of the home that was once regarded as her solace, to join a travelling merchant who goes from town to town purchasing and selling things for a living. That's the timeless story of how the typical normal human meets the Wise Wolf of Yoitsu, and therein starts the journey of a lifetime for the dynamic duo with their oh-so-mesmerizing interactions that steep forth from the business side of economics to the personal side of the never-ending teases that bring forth countless trials and tribulations to test their unbreakable bond. All of this not only progresses Lawrence and Holo's relationship, but also improves their self-awareness and trust in gut intuitions when circumstances call for the worst. And believe me, you come to the series for one of two reasons: to learn about religion, economics, and politics, or just sniffle at the big, wolf-sized Waifu energy that Holo possesses as one of the classic and iconic female MCs who exudes class and the no-nonsense critique that's backed up by confidence on the basis that all things will prevail by her hand. It goes without saying that a story by its own will crash and burn if not composed properly, and you need standout characters to shine your story, and this is where Isuna Hasekura struck anime platinum with Lawrence and Holo's characters. You might be thinking: "Why does an ordinary average Joe like Lawrence, who is just one person in the sea of many, get chosen by the sole pagan god who senses something within him enough that she'll only travel with him and no one else?" That, my friends, IS the beauty of why the Spice and Wolf title name makes a lot of sense, because while Holo is the acclaimed wolf in this regard, Lawrence, as a merchant, prideful as he is being the 25-year-old, despite gaining a significant amount of years of experience being in the trade, still can't outmatch nor outwit what Holo designated for him, which undoubtedly brought both into heaps of trouble with endless plot twists and turns, hence the Spice to her wolvely realm. From the get-go, Lawrence and Holo were just made for each other, where the former will offer his economical business tactics, and the latter chunking down the offerings that the former gives to her, as well as being the decisive factor in circumstances beyond his control, even if it meant that she doesn't want him to be indebted to her for all their lives, and vice versa. That's the charismatic approach to a foundational relationship with a story so grand and setting its characters for even greater as the journey continues down to Yoitsu, made even better by the two returning OG VAs that just brings back all sorts of nostalgia. Both Jun Fukuyama and (especially) Ami Koshimizu are the representatives of the series when it comes to the characters' voices, and they reprised the remake the same (or even better) than the original, keeping it justice with the memorable character chemistry that leads to a legendary romance down the line. Classics are remembered for one reason or another, and Spice and Wolf stands out not just for the impeccable deep story, but also for its compelling characters who are just as potent, effective, and influential across AniManga hailing towards the late 2000s and into the 2010s. The part that unfortunately will get a lot of people talking, is the animation and production values. Look, within the 15-year gap between the OG and remake, in my opinion, the OG still stands out more, not just because of nostalgic values, but anime back in the period of the late 2000s always had animation that was somewhat original and unique, so not every show in production morale looked similar to each other. Sadly, translating this to 2024 standards with Passione at the helm, only gave the upgrade towards digitalized art and bright colours, something that the OG lacked with anime standards of its time. As much as the modern lustre that the remake had (that honestly can look like the part of just about any anime today), which I'm actually fine with watching the franchise in a new skin, I'd argue that the rough, unfiltered look of the OG still edges it out for me. But maybe that isn't a problem for you in the first place. However, what ekes me out more is the direction that the remake took to get in-line proper with the re-adaptation of the series. I know this is a pet peeve to the minority, but aside from the great setup following the LN very closely to the faithful re-telling of what the OG should've done back 15 years prior with the first handful of episodes (i.e. the first quarter), the rest thereafter...just really didn't grip with me as much as the OG does. Sure, it's rehashed content to excite the new fans and foretell why the series is a legend to begin with, but as someone who've seen the OG series, I just had to put both versions side-by-side for a close comparison. And despite both the story and characters holding the remake strong, the lingering feeling of revisiting past events again was almost nonexistent, as if the anime was just going with the flow wherever the story goes. Needless to say, the remake did lose a fair bit of the charm and soul that makes the OG what it is, but thanks to chief director Takeo Takahashi, who clearly still understands his heavy-handed assignment 15 years later, the remake did redeem itself into becoming its own version of the classic franchise in its own right, which again, I'm totally fine with, aside from the nit-picking. This is especially when the adaptation aspect matters most, since the OG series skipped Volume 4 of the LN, which was actually thought thereafter to be the most critical piece of the story's puzzle, hence giving rise to the reasoning for the remake, which is its first anime adaptation in more than a decade. As for the music, you just simply cannot do a comparison between the OG and the remake. As much as the OST in the OG series was great for its time, the OST in the remake, however, is leaps and bounds better than what I could've anticipated for a classic franchise. It should be no surprise when one of AniManga's most prized music composers steps up to the plate to deliver a stellar performance, and boy, oh boy, Kevin Penkin did an outstanding job refining and re-tuning the music that the remake now stands as the best that the franchise has up to date. The 2-cour sets of OP/ED theme songs for the remake also do a knockout job respecting its earlier cousins, though seemingly equal in their effectiveness. If anything, Hana Hope's 1st Cour OP song just simply captures the essence of the remake so well that it actually sets great expectations to come, and it's my favourite song out of the batch of 4, though Aimer's 2nd Cour OP carries the new legacy forward. ClariS's 1st Cour and NeRiAme's 2nd Cour EDs are upbet and cute, but that's it. What can I really say, when a classic comes around to be remade the way that it should be, and Spice and Wolf definitely has the Full Metal Alchemist: Brotherhood treatment enough for the modern series to become its own masterpiece in the making. There will inevitably be pet peeves to be had if you've seen the original, but for what it's worth, while I would recommend you watch the original, the 2024 remake, in all its glory, is a solid series in its own skin and flavour. Honestly, having to compare both the OG and the remake versions almost doesn't matter in the big scheme of things, even if it's by personal preference of the small and fine details that either version you think is better or worse at. Either way, this timeless tale that's for the ages, Spice and Wolf: The Merchant Meets the Wise Wolf, is a bona-fide classic, and will continue to harness its classical magic today and beyond the years to come.

Ookami to Koushinryou: Merchant Meets the Wise Wolf 狼と香辛料 MERCHANT MEETS THE WISE WOLF

2024 spring | Episodes: 25 | Score: 8.1 (72517)

Updated every Tuesdays at 01:30 | Status: Finished Airing

Type: TV

Streaming: Crunchyroll | Netflix | Aniplus TV

Synopsis

Voice Actors

Koshimizu, Ami

Fukuyama, Jun

News

Reviews

cantdance
01/28/2025, 08:35 PM
Alright. Let's be real here. Anything about this anime is amazing. I accidentally watched this anime instead of the 2008 version, but I DID NOT regret it. Everything about this anime is good. The plot, the visuals, the voice acting, and even the pacing that you might think is a little bit slow, but it's what makes this anime good, especially adventure-type anime. If you are a romance fan like me and trying to find a good romance in this anime, I would recommend it! the anime romance isn't too rushed where the main characters kiss in the first 3 episodes, but you won't bedisappointed every time the anime shows their romance scenes. In most of the arcs in this anime, I find some of them a little bit boring, but I assume it is what a generic adventure-type of anime is like. Of course, this is not the first adventure anime I watched, so I understand the adventure genre a little. Maybe the most unique thing about this is that the producer decide to make the "exciting" arcs before the ending arc so the viewer won't be edged waiting for the next season to air. Anyway, as a romance fan, I am greatly looking forward for the next season to air, and I'll be the first to watch!
PrivateJoe
01/15/2025, 10:05 AM
I've never watched the original anime, so I'm unsure which version is better. All I know is that this version is more faithful to the light novels. You can summarize this anime as a romance drama with a plot focused on economics, trading, and peddling. Whether or not that's interesting is up to you. I thought it was boring up until over halfway in the series. It wasn't until the romance between Lawrence and Holo began growing that I found the series interesting. Now does personally thinking that a series is boring make it bad? No, it doesn't. This anime's target audience is not aimed atshounen fans or someone like myself who enjoys action and comedy animes. There's almost no action or goofiness besides Holo's occasional antics. If you're not interested in a slow-paced romance, then you won't like Spice and Wolf. It sets out to tell the story it wants to tell and does it well. It's just aimed at a niche audience. My only critique of the show is that Lawrence's white hair design makes him appear fifty years old when he's actually twenty-five years old. It makes it hard for me to view him as a young man.
Playbahnosh
11/24/2024, 05:24 AM
The first thing that popped into my head when I saw this is "why?". There was absolutely no need to remake this anime, as we already have the 2008 rendition, which still stands the test of time to this day. The art and design is beautiful, the animation is great, and since this is not some edgy action anime, frame rate and CGI doesn't play here. The VO and localization team is the same as well, and bring about the same quality. What [b]did[/b] change is the characters themselves. In the original, Holo is a dignified albeit fickle goddess with surprising bouts of vulnerability hiding underher austere and beguiling nature. While Lawrence is an experienced and shrewd merchant who wouldn't take her shit, but is also mesmerized by her often playful nature and incredible insight. Holo is intrigued as to how Lawrence could treat her as an equal and wouldn't just succumb to her godlike power and feminine charm, and Lawrence's empathy and compassion instinctively wants to protect the fragile heart hiding in her hard shell of animalistic pride and ancient wisdom. It's this delicate power dynamic that makes their relationship so interesting and fun. In this new version, however, everything goes out the window. Holo is presented as an angsty, hormonal teenager throwing tantrums, while Lawrence comes off as a total pushover. Gone is the amazing banter, the masterfully crafted back-and-forth between the unstoppable force and the immovable object. The depth and charm of their characters are replaced by awful caricatures. Holo the unstable tsundere and Lawrence the simp. Even the upgrade in art and animation doesn't trade for killing the soul of what made this anime great. My suggestion is, stick with the original 2008 rendition of Spice & Wolf.
SuspiciousScout
11/04/2024, 03:07 PM
I feel this is important to mention: For the sake of context, I have not watched the original Spice & Wolf anime, or consumed any of the original source material. My opinion and perspective will be from a newbie's and comparison won't be made. Spice & Wolf is nothing short of fantastic. It's a unique, heartfelt story full of climactic drama and insanely good world-building. Since the protagonist Kraft Lawrence is a traveling merchant, you get to travel this fantasy world through the unique lens of a merchant trying to make ends meet and profit by selling his wares. Holo the Wise Wolf is, of course,the unique hook of the show that will initially draw you in, and for good reason. The chemistry between her and Lawrence is incredible as the show's writing makes even the most mundane of conversations extremely engaging to draw you in on what they're talking about. Since Holo is a goddess that doesn't participate amongst normal human activities, she also serves as an excellent audience surrogate getting to not only learn about the world, but learn what it means to be a good merchant and knowing the ins and outs of the world's economy because of Lawrence's expertise. It makes the various scenes of explanations a lot more natural and real since Lawrence would need to explain this stuff to Holo since they're going to be travelling together for a long time. The aforementioned economics aspect of the show really surprised me by how much I was engaged with learning about it. This is what leads to the great world building, because you end up with a very vivid picture of each town you visit by learning it's economy. You know how it functions, whether it's rich or poor, what the religious situation is there, and so on. I'd dare say it's genius how much they were able to cram world details in like that just from hearing Lawrence yap about it's economy and how he plans to profit from it. By the end of the season, you feel like you know this world like the back of your hand despite not visiting it yourself. It also has a great overall structure since the show begins in the southern regions, and the end goal is to escort Holo to the north to visit her hometown. Now, I wanna circle back to Holo and Lawrence's relationship. I said before that it's amazing, and that's because of the writing and dialog. They bounce off each other absurdly well, and that makes you very invested into their blooming relationship and feelings for each other. At first, you might think that might be dumb for a merchant and a wolf goddess to be able to achieve that, but it's true. Holo is very prideful and stubborn at times, but Lawrence is calm and collected with a plethora of experience, so their constant back-and-forths are not only entertaining, but very endearing as well. They did a great job not making Holo unlikeable as well. She is stubborn and full of herself for, well, being a god and all. However, she knows when she is uneducated in a certain area, and does not make irrational decisions based on her own ego. She might be a little demanding of getting to eat some delicious food here and there, but she's very smart and observant; she knows when to let Lawrence take the reigns. I think it's hard to write a character like that and have them be THIS charming, but they nailed it. One last thing I'd like to touch on is the more emotional/dramatic scenes. Some of these scenes are the highest highs of the show. Because of the aforementioned blooming relationship between Holo and Lawrence, you end up extremely invested into their feelings, and the more dramatic parts where something bad happens will make you tug at your heartstrings, waiting with baited breath to see them get through any trouble. I haven't felt so moved by an anime like this in some time, so I think these climactic moments really bring out the best in the show, and your eyes will be glued to the screen. So all in all, I can absolutely recommend Spice & Wolf to practically anyone. It doesn't matter if you're not a fan of Fantasy or slower-paced shows, I believe the execution of everything it does will make you want to watch it from start to finish. I wholeheartedly recommend it.
Rudiculous_07
10/29/2024, 07:20 AM
This love story is a slow burn, it's an important subplot that nurture their chemistry together, don't expect excitement or comedy. This more of a mature story of man and women traveling together and to overcome predicaments they get into revolving currency and their tsunder tendency of accepting their love . Its gradual and evident where they rely upon each other. This story capture the manga well. Even though the story was told differently which is an improvement, their was some missing depth that was added in the old version. However the story felt more fluid and enjoyable. The beginning of the Mid part kinda feltlacking, it seemed they didn't miss any important parts from the story which huge step up. The scenery and the atmosphere felt more realistic and lively compared to the old version. The characters appearance seemed better in the old version specifically speaking about holo since she seemed more mature but this new version is growing on me didn't expect much facial expression but theirs expression where great. The pace of the story was handled better for sure than the old version. The chemistry has been slow but enjoyable which way better not as rushed as before and the fan service increase Abit but not to much. As for the studio did a great job .
Aechgal
10/14/2024, 05:35 PM
The Great Wise Wolf Holo became i high tiered favorite of all characters i really like. I really dont care about the economics of the anime, but they dont bother me at all. It was my pleasure to travel with Holo and Lawrence, to see their relationship evolving, to see the great holo just being the great holo, an amazing and charismatic person. So strong and so fragile at the same time. Also so lovely and stubborn. And hell of a great couple that she and Lawrence make. Spice and Wolf was the one i kept waiting every week, one of my favorites of the seasonand one i will remember when i look behind to the year of 2024. If there is one thing for sure, is that i recommend this anime.
MedusaAG
10/11/2024, 10:43 AM
I would always see this show's original show in my top recommendations, and always skipped over it. The story never appealed to me... Or so I thought. After watching 70% of the romantic anime out there, I decided to give this a shot. This show is definitely on my list of favorites, I keep wondering why I always skipped over it. The dynamics between our two MCs, the suspense the creators were able to create to keep us on our toes, the slow-burning and developing romance between our MCs, the mild drama. Everything about it was just so perfect and wholesome, including the complimentary musicto add depth/emotion to some scenes. Character depth was incredible, not only for MCs but for everyone in the show. Everyone was dynamic and we were introduced to everyone fairly well; nobody bland in this show. Very well executed and thought out from visuals, characters, to audio, voices, and music. If you want to experience comedy, drama, romance, adventure, suspense, sweetness and excitement I highly recommend this show. Can't wait for the next season - they better make one! SO WHOLESOME.
mimiouka
10/09/2024, 12:44 PM
Being a merchant is tough—balancing trade deals, trying to make a profit, and oh, occasionally traveling with a centuries-old wolf goddess who outsmarts you at every turn. Spice and Wolf throws you right into the mix, where Lawrence, a merchant just trying to get by, ends up with Holo, a sharp-tongued wolf deity who turns every business deal into a battle of wits. Welcome to Spice and Wolf, where the economics are complex, the banter is gold, and Holo is always two steps ahead of poor Lawrence, who’s just trying to keep his business (and sanity) intact. Holo is basically the queen of sass. What canbe better than having a cute goddess around you all the time. She flirts, teases, and still manages to give Lawrence business advice that he probably didn’t ask for but definitely needs. Her voice acting? Absolutely perfect. It’s like the show went, “What if a wolf goddess had the personality of that one friend who’s too clever for their own good?” And it works. You can’t help but fall for her charm while also feeling a little bad for Lawrence, who’s just trying to make an honest living. Sometimes it feel like this man is carefree, which is of course not true! Now, the economics. Yeah, it gets technical!! Very Technical—like, “Let’s talk about silver coins and commodity trading”. And yet, even when I had zero idea what was happening in these deals, it was still fun to watch. Even knowing how much my grasp at economics sucks it was fun. Holo and Lawrence’s banter keeps everything flowing, so even if you’re lost in the math, you’re still entertained. And can we talk about the side characters? Usually, they’re just background noise, but here they actually have personalities! They add a lot to the world, making it feel alive and giving Lawrence and Holo some interesting people to interact with. It was like playing a game with multiple chapters but one goal in mind! Then there’s the romance. It’s not over-the-top or filled with dramatic confessions. Which somehow makes their relation feel purer and more elegant to the audience. So of course, it’s a slow burn, “Let’s just subtly flirt for a while” kind of thing. It’s oddly refreshing, especially since it’s between a human merchant and a wolf goddess (that's the most beautiful thing about this anime). A bit of love, a bit of business, and a lot of great moments in between. In short, Spice and Wolf is about a merchant who tries to make money and a wolf goddess who keeps him on his toes. It’s smart, it’s funny, and it’s surprisingly heartfelt. Plus, who knew business negotiations could be this fun?
patkarunungan
10/09/2024, 07:40 AM
'Spice and Wolf: Merchant Meets the Wise Wolf' is the new adaptation of the Spice and Wolf light novel series. The previous adaptation was incomplete. § Overview The merchant Kraft Lawrence one day meets Holo the Wise Wolf in a certain town. Afterwards, they went on a journey in search of Holo's hometown of Yoitsu. § Differences between the original adaptation and this new adaptation The original adaptation skipped volume 4 of the light novels, and the second season adapted some parts of volume 5.This adaptation includes volume 4, so we haven't reached where the original ended. Also, instead of Yarei, the original replaced him with an anime original character Chloe. With the way Chloe resembles Elsa, I think Chloe's character design is based on Elsa. Some complain about the direction of this new adaptation, but I see some improvement. For one, whenever they discuss the Church, which seems to be an invisible enemy, we see shots over a cathedral and/or some priest. As much as I complained that the animation sucked in the original, the character designs in the original are generally better. Norah Arendt is so lovely in the original while she's just okay in this adaptation. The original has its charm, but it is an imperfect and incomplete adaptation. I recommend watching at least the first season and the OVA. The second season sucked so bad. The episode in this adaptation that corresponds to the original's OVA sucked in comparison. I love Holo's facial expressions of jealousy in the original OVA. This one is likely the first of many seasons that would completely adapt all Spice and Wolf LN volumes, which is why even if you prefer the original, there's a good case for watching it if you want to see many if possibly all volumes of Spice and Wolf be adapted. § Potential con of watching this if you've already seen the original 1. You will nitpick like I did the similarities and differences between the two adaptations. Given some aspects you may dislike about this adaptation, you may fail to notice and appreciate stuff about it that actually improves over the original. 2. Potential boredom because you know what will happen next. It's an almost carbon copy of the original, except for the final 6 episodes, covering volume 4 of the light novels. The way this adaptation ended the volume 4 arc is a bang. So this aspect may be worth putting up with. § Conclusion Whether you've seen the original or not, 'Spice and Wolf: Merchant Meets the Wise Wolf' is worth watching. It remains to be seen how their romance will unfold, which is a slow burn, but their discussions of œconomics are interesting enough.
OkiChris
10/07/2024, 08:38 PM
MUST WATCH IN DUBBED. Great adaptation! Extremely close to source material, especially compared to the first anime. Tried switching subbed to dubbed multiple times throughout the series. Holo is a completely different character in comparison between the two and much more closesly resembles the personality within the light novel in the dubbed. Sounds cute and charming in subbed but doesn't convey the same sense of matureness, sarcasm, and fierceness that Holo is supposed to have. Subbed VA is amazing but does not fit the character nearly as well. Completely different watch; trust me (coming from a 99% subbed watcher). So taken aback by the performancehere, especially in the more crucial scenes for Holo and Lawrence; they were so impactful, bravo! Only small things I could complain about are how some of the 3d scenes looked janky, but from what I was expecting from Studio Passione from their history; the animation/art blew me out the water. Skipping over some of the important inner dialogue of characters within the light novel; although they did a much better job than I'd have expected getting the most important information out. I wish there were little graphics that popped up on screen that would help out with the explanation of some of the economic/trade/business concepts that were explained throughout the show instead of panning in on the characters with mostly still frames explaining said concept.
spicewo
09/29/2024, 06:25 AM
A medieval fantasy anime that is out of the ordinary, with a female character with character and charisma, a protagonist who never abandons his goals and a unique romance full of nuances, an anime that entertains and teaches you. On a technical level it is not at the level of large productions but that does not mean that the work does not have heart, the direction and music are incredible. It also has a great world construction that explores it in detail, seeing how the protagonists are involved in the difficulties of each location and always in an ingenious way, without resorting to violence, theyresolve the conflict that is presented to them and at the same time brings them closer together. our couple in love. Animation: 8/10 OST: 10/10 Characters: 9/10 HOLO: 20/10
jesus061
09/27/2024, 10:04 AM
Wonderful adaptation and remake of this unique story, you may or may not like it but you have to admit that it is a spectacular and very interesting premise. Points to highlight are the OST that makes the story immersive, Holo as a character is spectacular, she has a lot of nuances and she is not the typical heroine that we always see in animes with this type of medieval setting that tend to be more than anything isekais. The construction of the world is fascinating and the best of all is that they are explored in their experiences and customs, the theme of religion without belittlingany belief is wonderful. TREMENDOUS MASTERPIECE and the best thing is that we will have a season 2.
XOArama
09/24/2024, 04:48 PM
I had heard of the original anime before this but never really paid it much mind, but with it getting a remake this season I thought why not give it a shot. There is definitely a reason that Holo is one of the og waifus, she's got a great personality that's really unique to her character and is a byproduct of her unique backstory. The actual story side of this is quite good as well, Holo traveling back to her home village and Kraft with his merchant duties makes for a nice contrast. I see some people find the merchant stuff to be boring whichI couldn't disagree with more, I found it to be pretty refreshing and it was always satisfying seeing Kraft's plans come to fruition. I was pleased by how this season turned out, while I felt at some points that the animation itself was a little lackluster, it was a good product altogether and I'll be waiting eagerly for season 2!
Chuy_diazz
09/23/2024, 10:29 PM
I think I can understand a little bit why this anime has such a classic status. I started watching this anime out of curiosity to understand why people considered it a classic. At first glance it seems like a romance between an adult man and a furry girl. Little by little the story gives you information about the world and the characters to understand that this goes beyond a simple romance. The protagonist is a merchant and not just in name, he knows his stuff and we constantly see him talk about economic concepts that some are understandable and others not. The furry girl is afurry goddess where they use her image to implement religious and theological themes within the work. The anime can be very interesting or very heavy, it all depends on how well versed you are in economic-theological matters. The work takes many risks when implementing these complex and difficult to understand themes, in fact the first arc is heavy for me because they speak to you with a lot of technical language that is easy to confuse. In later plots, the same story understands that it cannot speak in a language that few understand and begins to digest the story in order to explain it in a simple way to the viewer. As for religious themes, it has quite interesting discourses such as the search for the existence of God, pagan Gods and the loving relationships between a God and a human. All these themes fall more into a philosophical area that basically will take a different form depending on the person who sees it and their relationship with religion or with God. As for romance, I understand why it won a place among the public in its 2008 version. We have a romance that is a little more adult or mature, of course we will have drama because there would be no love without drama, but it is not the typical teenage drama but one more focused on adult life. The fear of loneliness, the decision between love and comfort, the conflicts of couples that can lead to trying to meet someone else. With such a different theme from the teenage romance, it is understandable that it has won the affection of people who were looking for a different story a couple of years ago. The work is aimed at an adult demographic, it is not that teenagers cannot understand it but I do think that these are themes that they do not mind exploring at that early stage of life. I cannot say that it became one of my favorite romances, I cannot even say that it is a story that I would like to repeat. I can only say that I can understand why it is a story that has captivated a large group of people over the years and with good reason.
joemaamah
09/23/2024, 05:46 PM
I held off on this review to check the new content, and wasn't disappointed at all. For all the lame producers out there that want to reboot beloved franchises, this is your study in how to do it right. The artwork was splendid. Even the original background work didn't compare to this. The animation was better than I suspected it would be, They managed to blend hand drawn, 2D and a light touch of 3D CGI about as perfectly as I have ever seen done. The characters are what made the original so special. I must say that this rendition improves on all the characters.I like what they did with the MCs. They made Lawrence more assertive, and less clueless about non-business things. Holo still retains her cute capriciousness, but shows a more serious side, as well as being a touch more sassy and flirtatious; wonderful improvements. The writers also helped flesh out some of the side characters as well. The characters in the new arc are super well done. Elsa deserves a spin-off of her own, I thought the narrative writing improved as well. A touch of fat was trimmed from the original, which helped pacing tremendously. And the final arc was done so well. It makes our journey, the character designs, and the world building so much stronger in the long run. Again, the entire VA crew does an exemplary job. I especially was impressed with Holo's VA, who seemed to find ways to broaden the character simply with her inflection and tone of voice. The director used the cast to great effect, as he did animation and the nicely appropriate sound track. Kudos to you all! Holo may be a Wise Wolf, but she's awfully foxy. Lawrence has more than a little weasel in him. If I could grade these animals, I would have to jump past my grade from the original production, and shoot this up to 98/100 for one mighty fine A. You only hurt yourself by not giving this rendition of the series your best regards.
PhoenixItachi
09/23/2024, 05:34 PM
As a huge enjoyer of the original, and especially the story, I'm happy to say that the remake is a very welcomed addition. Don't get me wrong, is not the most awe inspring, jaw dropping thing in world of anime, but it's still Spice and Wolf, a story that moved so many readers/watchers. At it's core, the remake captures what the story is, and I'm grateful it exists, and that it gives us hope we'll see a full telling of the story. STORY: 9/10 It follows the original's story bit by bit, except for the addition of the missing arc that the original didn't adapt (volume 4),and the remake ends one arc earlier then the second season of the original, meaning that season 2 will start more than likely with the end of the original. Aside from that, it's still Spice and Wolf, the thought out stories and economy schemes are still here, with the same impact as before, which is what we've all hoped. The only downside for some is that it's pacing is on the slow side which may be off putting. CHARACTERS: 10/10 You can't talk about Spice and Wolf without mentioning the two main protagonists. They're the focal point of the entire story, and the dynamic is still as entertaining and endearing to watch as ever, the pair rivaling the best of the best in the industry. If you crave for bantering, flirting, joking and all in all a duo that plays off each other masterfully, than you came to the right place. ANIMATION: 7.5/10 The animation is what I was expecting from the studio. Some really great scenes, but on the other hand, many others where you can easily see the cut corners. Overall, this is one of the better works the studio's done, but still I was hoping maybe for that little bit more, that would elevate the final product to new heights. Compared to the original, the remake has higher highs, but at the same times lower lows. MUSIC: 8/10 What we've got is really good, but it can get a little repetitive, and is not as cohesive as it was in the original, which had the OST mesh wonderfully with the kind of story, tone and period the anime takes place in. Both the openings are standalone good pieces, less so the endings, and the rest of the soundtrack has some really good tracks, but is reused a bit to excessively throughout the season. ENJOYMENT: 10/10 This section as the title suggest is heavily biased, because I adored the old version, and I still got the same vibes, and for me clicked as hard as the first time. So it gets full marks, and I'll eagerly wait for season 2 to come around and see new adventures that the original did get to show us. OVERALL: 9/10 The story is not for everyone, as is the case for any series, but if this kind of story clicks with you, it will click really hard, and you'll get a new gem to add to you collection. The strong aspects overpowers the rest and carries the whole to an higher overall verdict than the sums of it's parts, and it's worth at least the time to watch the first few episodes and see if you enjoy it or not. And here I'm hoping that we'll get the whole story this time around, and that the entire series will rise even higher. One can only hope...
Flacion
09/23/2024, 10:40 AM
A merchant accidentally meets a wolf deity and ends up traveling with her, which turns out to be a very beautiful journey through the land. In Spice and Wolf we follow Lawrence and Holo on a trip through the land, its a trip with both a goal and trip for trading, since Lawrence is a traveling merchant. This gives a story that has a steady cast of our two main characters, but also with a steady flow of new characters as they travel. The plot throughout the show very much centers around it being low fantasy in a medieval setting. Which results in a lot of plotrevolving around common problems that happened in that time, which our two main characters somehow get involved with. We then see how the wisdom of Holo and trade skills from Lawrence is used to solve their situation and in it deepen their relationship. For the characters in the show, our focus is on Holo and Lawrence and everyone around them is just there to help keeping plot running, and support the two of them. This gives a structure where Holo and Lawrence have a continuous development, in both good and bad. While the side characters are mostly there in one arc, where we see them grow and affect the story and main characters before the show moves on. This gives a very nice structure of how the story has major points, where plot and character progression can be put into certain arcs. The animation is nice and smooth, but also has a more toned down feel to it. This very much feels right for the setting of the show, and helps make the show feel more grounded and connected to common problems. But things are animated with attention to detail, where characters clearly express their emotions and their actions are smooth and easy to follow. For the romance aspect is it a slow burner, not in the way of nothing happening. But more in the way that they start out as strangers, and have to build up a relationship up from scratch, which feels very natural. Overall a great show, if you like romance in a low fantasy setting. Would i definitely recommend watching this show
Marinate1016
09/23/2024, 10:12 AM
As someone that’s never seen the original Spice and Wolf but seen tons of Holo memes and hype over the last decade, all I can say after watching this remake is “I get it”. She lived up to the hype as a waifu, but more importantly, this lived up to the hype as a fantasy story about two people who couldn’t be further apart coming together and changing one another for the better. Lawrence and Holo’s relationship is a breath of fresh air in a world full of shallow ones. This show exudes the magic of the early 2000s and even at nearly 20 yearsold, is still better than most fantasy anime. I just love the trope of an immortal being journeying with a human and learning what makes humans special. Coming off the high of Frieren recently, spice and wolf kind of stepped in and filled that gap for me. While it may not have Madhouse production values, still found this to be a very emotionally engaging story. Holo and Lawrence’s romance blossoming through numerous obstacles was a joy to see. I know there’s the whole economic and trading aspect of the story, but let’s be real. The big draw here is seeing how cute Holo is and how well she and Lawrence get on. While at times they argue like an old married couple, it’s the vulnerable moments the two share that take this story to the next level for me. That’s not to say that the trading stuff was bad, there were some genuinely good storylines with that and it definitely forced Lawrence to grow as a person with all the times he gets ripped off in this show. But at times I found all the economic stuff to be a little convoluted and got lost in a couple episodes. But you know what, I’ll always prefer an author putting too much detail in a story rather than too little. I just wish it could’ve been conveyed a little better without overwhelming me at times. Again though, that’s minor because even when I was feeling overwhelmed with details in the story, they’d have some great moment later in the episode with Holo saving Lawrence’s ass during a bad business exchange and it’d make me forget anything else. Plot wise, other than the trade negotiations, economics and Lawrence constantly almost going bankrupt, I thought the church storyline was really cool. It started off slowly before really ramping up in the second half when we learn more about the church’s relationship with Holo’s fellow deities and everything that’s going on with her hometown. I very much preferred the last third of the season because of how much world building we got and how we went into the mythos of this world’s deities. But even with that, it feels like we only scratched the surface of what this world offers. I mean, we end on volume 4 or so of a series with 20 volumes so clearly there’s a lot more to unpack here. I hope in a potential 2nd season we get to see more of the lore expanded upon since it was touched on at several points throughout the season as Holo searches for information on her hometown. But you know, it’s very much a show that just uses everything else as a plot device to bring the two leads closer and I’m ok with that. Holo shines as the star of the show and Lawrence is a worthy support for her. They complement each other’s strengths and bolster each other’s weaknesses. A match made in heaven. Production wise the show is solid. After the disaster that was Seikengakuin, this one looks really good. They updated all the characters’ designs to the modern age and as someone who prefers modern anime art styles, I think they look great. The action sequences are passable and the Kevin Penkin OST only makes every emotional moment between Holo and Lawrence that much better. Spice and Wolf is a slow, but rewarding burn that I’ve enjoyed watching these last 3 months. There’s no sudden jump into a relationship, but we do see two people who enjoy one another’s company slowly grow to find each other irreplaceable. It’s a must watch for any romance or fantasy fan. Spice and Wolf gets 9, out of 10.
Stark700
09/23/2024, 10:11 AM
If someone told me a few years ago that Spice and Wolf is getting a new anime to air in 2024, I would've laughed it off and called them crazy. Looking backto 2022 from the announcement and here we are. Holo, the wise wolf makes her grand return on the television screen, her first time in well over a decade. Back in 2008, the first Spice and Wolf anime holds a special place for me and I'm sure it's a special anime for many fans. It's the first fantasy anime that I watched that didn't revolve around swords, magic, or some sort of plot about savingthe world. Spice and Wolf ventures into an unique category that deals with economics and business. For a franchise like this, Spice and Wolf was ahead of its time. Rather than adapting a direct sequel, Spice and Wolf: Merchant Meets The Wise Wolf serves as a remake, retelling the story of 25-year old Lawrence Kraft and his traveling companion Holo. However, the remake goes far deeper into their story, relationship, and adds more into their world lore. Watching this season reminded me the nostalgia of enjoying a fantasy-adventure classic. Spice and Wolf's first episode begins with the season of the harvest festival but immediately introduces the self-proclaimed Wise Wolf, Holo. According to story lore, people worshipped her as a God-like entity far before the main timeline story began. Holo is aware of this and holds pride in her status. Meeting with someone like Lawrence is a new experience as she has never build a relationship so close to a human before. It's between the two that we truly experience their story. Even after 15 years, it felt like yesterday when we met Holo and Lawrence. The voice actors played an outstanding job at performing their roles, in particular Holo. Her haughty, sarcastic, flitartious voice tone adds countless moments for the audience to see. Accompanied by her superior confidence, Holo is truly prideful of her existence and what she presents. Although some might interpret it as arrogance, Holo never has malicious intents to gain what she wants. Her love for food and alcochol also shows her humanity. Even though she is a wolf entity, Holo displays many traits that is perceived as human. In fact, she isn't that different from Lawrence thoughout their journey together. It's noticable from the start that both characters contain insecurities about themselves. Holo's greatest fear is being alone while Lawrence rely on himself so much that he realizes not everything can be accomplished by himself alone. As a remake, this season follows mostly in tone with the original season. The storytelling maintains a balance of dealing with business while developing the relationship between our two main protagonists. Holo and Lawrence together accompanies each other skills. With Holo's wit and Lawrence's intelligence, they're able to get through many obstacles and obtain their win of the share. In their business dealings, it's easy to see what can go wrong if neither of them help each other. The show makes it clear that Lawrence's experience is invaluable. Meanwhile, Holo's playful personality and persuasive nature gets them by through bargaining and other essential deals. One of the main selling factors for the original and this remake is the expanding relationship between Holo and Lawrence. It's very important to realize that the two rely on each for comfort and escape lonliness. They only have each other as judging by their journey, they don't come across any close friends, family, or allies. We actually don't see much of either characters' family at all, whether in the present timeline or the past. As such, Holo and Lawrence always depend on each other to survive. This is made so important that Holo suffers a case of monophobia, where anxiety surfaces and she expresses them in extreme ways in later episodes. It's a sensitive topic that can relate to any relationship and this anime is able to explore that in its own unique way. Kicking into the story, Holo and Lawrence comes across many interesting individuals ranging from the shepherd Nora Arendt, finsmonger Fermi, and church manager Else Schtingheim. Each of these individuals introduces business and emotional elements for the pair. For instance, Nora ignites a feeling of jealousy for Holo while also serves as a foil character because she is a shepherd. Fermi's fascination for Holo causes him to fight Lawrence for her ownership. And finally, Else gives us a deeper glance at the complex system of the church in their world. Let me just say that while these supporting characters do not become permanent traveling companions, they test the feelings of our two main stars. Spice and Wolf truly wants us to show how Holo and Lawrence interact with others in unusual circumstances and face life together in ways they've never realized before. Passione's long track record of adapting various fantasy based media has a role for Spice and Wolf. Among their most prominent work includes Rokka no Yuusha, with the environmental art style feeling familiar with this show. Adapting into this series over a half and decade later, the character designs look cleaner and sharper. Nonetheless, the overall asthetic is still similar including its world fiction. The most noticable character traits are Holo's wolf features and more prominently, her real form. When transformed, she displays fierceness and animalistic features of a mature wolf. In such form, she grows several times her size and sheds her human form completely although maintaining much of the same personality. The fan service of her being nude should not be misinterrpted as it's her natural form. The show contrasts her human and animal form in such magnficient ways that it looks surreal and atone to classic fantasy. Watching Spice and Wolf after all these years made me realize that these remakes brings so much more than just nostalgia. It's a celebration of the author's works and gives both returning and the new audience to experience such a wonderful adventure.
KANLen09
09/23/2024, 10:10 AM
Spice and Wolf: Merchant Meets the Wise Wolf - A return to form for the remake of a beloved and classic franchise that is the gateway to Economics 101? It'd better be good, and it delivered. The current trend of anime nowadays is getting too predictable, being Isekai or fantasy series all the seasons over, and something must be done to break that trend. So...how about bringing back classic IPs and giving them reboots, remakes, and the like? This is certainly the upcoming trend for the AniManga industry's scope as it is today, since Japanese corporations like to cash in on existing IPs that have madethe mark in the past decade or further. And in the past year or so, we have series ranging from the remake of Rurouni Kenshin (which is coming back for Season 2 of the Kyoto Disturbance arc next season in Fall) to cult-favourites like last season's reboot of Bartender: Glass of God (which is more of a re-telling). Heck, even the entire Fruits Basket franchise, which started its remake back in 2019, which was just a thing of beauty. Of course, the diamond in that once-flourishing jewel has to be novelist Isuna Hasekura's Ookami to Koushinryou a.k.a Spice and Wolf, itself claiming the 2nd place in the 12th Dengeki Novel Prize all the way back in 2005, and has since then become his most critically acclaimed and influential work to date that has spawned many mixed-media adaptations ever since, and for a very good reason. To many (and especially for those who are Millennials like me), Spice and Wolf can be considered one of the very first anime that we have ever watched, and it still remains a legend to have seen such a show that was so far beyond its time back in 2008 and 2009 with its 2 prior seasons and OVAs. And as part of the LN's 15th anniversary, it was definitely a surprise for the franchise to not continue where the OG Season 2 left off, but instead to retrace back to its roots for a proper adaptation that the OG had missed off 15 years prior, under the leadership of series director Takeo Takahashi, and most certainly its 2 returning VAs of Jun Fukuyama and Ami Koshimizu voicing as the iconic Spice and Wolf MC duo of Kraft Lawrence and Holo. So, as is with every series reboot, is it really worth spending extra time going back to the 2008-2009 OG series, or could you make do with the remake that is presented here? Truthfully, there's pros and cons to this. First off, I have to preface that the legend of the Spice and Wolf meme nowadays, always stems from the furry side, because Holo is just that powerful of a wolf Waifu with wolf ears so furry that she can dominate just about anyone who goes against her will, even if that person is Lawrence, her accompanying confidante merchant. All jokes aside, what a feeling it really is to once again see the classic franchise in a new form that's remade with a lot of care retracing the story of the wolf: the pagan god that brought great yearly harvests of wheat, only to have people reciprocate with scorn and disdain to the point of forsaking, to thereby escape out of the home that was once regarded as her solace, to join a travelling merchant who goes from town to town purchasing and selling things for a living. That's the timeless story of how the typical normal human meets the Wise Wolf of Yoitsu, and therein starts the journey of a lifetime for the dynamic duo with their oh-so-mesmerizing interactions that steep forth from the business side of economics to the personal side of the never-ending teases that bring forth countless trials and tribulations to test their unbreakable bond. All of this not only progresses Lawrence and Holo's relationship, but also improves their self-awareness and trust in gut intuitions when circumstances call for the worst. And believe me, you come to the series for one of two reasons: to learn about religion, economics, and politics, or just sniffle at the big, wolf-sized Waifu energy that Holo possesses as one of the classic and iconic female MCs who exudes class and the no-nonsense critique that's backed up by confidence on the basis that all things will prevail by her hand. It goes without saying that a story by its own will crash and burn if not composed properly, and you need standout characters to shine your story, and this is where Isuna Hasekura struck anime platinum with Lawrence and Holo's characters. You might be thinking: "Why does an ordinary average Joe like Lawrence, who is just one person in the sea of many, get chosen by the sole pagan god who senses something within him enough that she'll only travel with him and no one else?" That, my friends, IS the beauty of why the Spice and Wolf title name makes a lot of sense, because while Holo is the acclaimed wolf in this regard, Lawrence, as a merchant, prideful as he is being the 25-year-old, despite gaining a significant amount of years of experience being in the trade, still can't outmatch nor outwit what Holo designated for him, which undoubtedly brought both into heaps of trouble with endless plot twists and turns, hence the Spice to her wolvely realm. From the get-go, Lawrence and Holo were just made for each other, where the former will offer his economical business tactics, and the latter chunking down the offerings that the former gives to her, as well as being the decisive factor in circumstances beyond his control, even if it meant that she doesn't want him to be indebted to her for all their lives, and vice versa. That's the charismatic approach to a foundational relationship with a story so grand and setting its characters for even greater as the journey continues down to Yoitsu, made even better by the two returning OG VAs that just brings back all sorts of nostalgia. Both Jun Fukuyama and (especially) Ami Koshimizu are the representatives of the series when it comes to the characters' voices, and they reprised the remake the same (or even better) than the original, keeping it justice with the memorable character chemistry that leads to a legendary romance down the line. Classics are remembered for one reason or another, and Spice and Wolf stands out not just for the impeccable deep story, but also for its compelling characters who are just as potent, effective, and influential across AniManga hailing towards the late 2000s and into the 2010s. The part that unfortunately will get a lot of people talking, is the animation and production values. Look, within the 15-year gap between the OG and remake, in my opinion, the OG still stands out more, not just because of nostalgic values, but anime back in the period of the late 2000s always had animation that was somewhat original and unique, so not every show in production morale looked similar to each other. Sadly, translating this to 2024 standards with Passione at the helm, only gave the upgrade towards digitalized art and bright colours, something that the OG lacked with anime standards of its time. As much as the modern lustre that the remake had (that honestly can look like the part of just about any anime today), which I'm actually fine with watching the franchise in a new skin, I'd argue that the rough, unfiltered look of the OG still edges it out for me. But maybe that isn't a problem for you in the first place. However, what ekes me out more is the direction that the remake took to get in-line proper with the re-adaptation of the series. I know this is a pet peeve to the minority, but aside from the great setup following the LN very closely to the faithful re-telling of what the OG should've done back 15 years prior with the first handful of episodes (i.e. the first quarter), the rest thereafter...just really didn't grip with me as much as the OG does. Sure, it's rehashed content to excite the new fans and foretell why the series is a legend to begin with, but as someone who've seen the OG series, I just had to put both versions side-by-side for a close comparison. And despite both the story and characters holding the remake strong, the lingering feeling of revisiting past events again was almost nonexistent, as if the anime was just going with the flow wherever the story goes. Needless to say, the remake did lose a fair bit of the charm and soul that makes the OG what it is, but thanks to chief director Takeo Takahashi, who clearly still understands his heavy-handed assignment 15 years later, the remake did redeem itself into becoming its own version of the classic franchise in its own right, which again, I'm totally fine with, aside from the nit-picking. This is especially when the adaptation aspect matters most, since the OG series skipped Volume 4 of the LN, which was actually thought thereafter to be the most critical piece of the story's puzzle, hence giving rise to the reasoning for the remake, which is its first anime adaptation in more than a decade. As for the music, you just simply cannot do a comparison between the OG and the remake. As much as the OST in the OG series was great for its time, the OST in the remake, however, is leaps and bounds better than what I could've anticipated for a classic franchise. It should be no surprise when one of AniManga's most prized music composers steps up to the plate to deliver a stellar performance, and boy, oh boy, Kevin Penkin did an outstanding job refining and re-tuning the music that the remake now stands as the best that the franchise has up to date. The 2-cour sets of OP/ED theme songs for the remake also do a knockout job respecting its earlier cousins, though seemingly equal in their effectiveness. If anything, Hana Hope's 1st Cour OP song just simply captures the essence of the remake so well that it actually sets great expectations to come, and it's my favourite song out of the batch of 4, though Aimer's 2nd Cour OP carries the new legacy forward. ClariS's 1st Cour and NeRiAme's 2nd Cour EDs are upbet and cute, but that's it. What can I really say, when a classic comes around to be remade the way that it should be, and Spice and Wolf definitely has the Full Metal Alchemist: Brotherhood treatment enough for the modern series to become its own masterpiece in the making. There will inevitably be pet peeves to be had if you've seen the original, but for what it's worth, while I would recommend you watch the original, the 2024 remake, in all its glory, is a solid series in its own skin and flavour. Honestly, having to compare both the OG and the remake versions almost doesn't matter in the big scheme of things, even if it's by personal preference of the small and fine details that either version you think is better or worse at. Either way, this timeless tale that's for the ages, Spice and Wolf: The Merchant Meets the Wise Wolf, is a bona-fide classic, and will continue to harness its classical magic today and beyond the years to come.

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Ookami to Koushinryou: Merchant Meets the Wise Wolf 狼と香辛料 MERCHANT MEETS THE WISE WOLF

'Ookami to Koushinryou: Merchant Meets the Wise Wolf' 2nd Season in Production

'Ookami to Koushinryou: Merchant Meets the Wise Wolf' Announces Pair of Additional Cast

Spring 2024 Simulcast List [Update 6/10]

Spring 2024 Preview

'Ookami to Koushinryou: Merchant Meets the Wise Wolf' Reveals Additional Cast, Staff, Third Promo

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