Season 1 |
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Episode Guide
Episode 1: The Harvest Festival and the Crowded Driver’s Box -|Review Score – 4/5
Episode 2: Mischievous Wold and No Laughing Matter -|Review Score – 4/5
Episode 3: Port Town and Sweet Temptation -|Review Score – 4/5
Episode 4: Romantic Merchant and Moonlit Farewell -|Review Score – 4/5
Episode 5: Wolf Incarnate and Obedient Lamb -|Review Score – 3.5/5
Episode 6: Merchant and Unreasonable God -|Review Score – 3.5/5
Episode 7: Scale of God and Sorcerer of the Grasslands -|Review Score – 3.5/5
Episode 8: Fellow Traveler and Foreboding News -|Review Score – 3.5/5
Episode 9: Sweet Honey and Bitter Armor -|Review Score – 4/5
Episode 10: Wisdom of a Wolf and Smooth Talk of a Merchant -|Review Score – 4/5
Episode 11: Forest of Wolves and Frigid Rain -|Review Score – 3.5/5
Episode 12: Price of Betrayal and Price of Gold -|Review Score – 3/5
Episode 13: Supper of Three and Afternoon of Two -|Review Score – 4/5
Episode 14: New Town and Nostalgic Feeling -|Review Score – 4/5
Episode 15: Bird Feather and Mysterious Ore -|Review Score – 3.5/5
Episode 16: Night of the Festival and Misaligned Gear -|Review Score – 3.5/5
Episode 17: Traveling Merchant’s Shallow Thinking and Town Merchant’s Signboard -|Review Score – 3.5/5
Episode 18: Goods of Intent and Negotiation of Resolve -|Review Score – 3.5/5
Episode 19: God’s Unseen Hand and Wolf’s Unseen Heart -|Review Score – 3.5/5
Episode 20: Church Girl and Miller Boy -|Review Score – 3.5/5
Episode 21: Pagan Village and Priests Contrast -|Review Score – 3.5/5
Episode 22: Church Teachings and Memories of Father -|Review Score – 4/5
Episode 23: Orchestrated Catastrophe and Appropriate Retribution -|Review Score – 3.5/5
Episode 24: Path of the Snake God and Answer of the Wise Wolf -|Review Score – 3/5
Episode 25: Miracle’s Path and Journey’s Continuation -|Review Score – 4/5
Anime remakes are starting to become common in the 2020s. From Urusei Yatsura (2022) to releases like Spice and Wolf: Merchant Meets The Wise Wolf (Spice and Wolf), fans may wonder what other relics from the past will receive similar treatment. On that note, Spice and Wolf fans deserved a continuation or remake of this series.
The original 2008 anime didn’t cover the source material in its entirety. This problem plagued many anime adaptations in the past like Fullmetal Alchemist (2003) and infamously The Promised Neverland Season 2. While the Spice and Wolf 2024 remake gives retro and modern anime fans a wonderful experience, it’s not without error.
Spice and Wolf follows Lawrence. Lawrence is a traveling merchant who visits several towns for business purposes. During Lawrence’s travels, he encounters a woman with wolf ears and a tail named Holo. He learns Holo’s a pagan wolf god who wants to return to her home, Yoitsu.
The two forge a deal and we see how their quest unfolds from there. Spice and Wolf’s storyline delves into multiple subjects. However, upon close inspection, this anime favors romance and economics. Holo and Lawrence’s casual discussions throughout the anime’s airing are a great example of the former.
Seeing these characters discuss their dreams, insecurities, and passions for mundane objects and activities will captivate many audiences. The anime throws in genuine obstacles to test Holo and Lawrence’s bond with each other. From pesky rich teens to talented shepherds, Season 1’s events and supporting characters put Holo and Lawrence’s relationship to the test.
On that note, the story segments that examined our wolf and merchant duo were wonderfully tense. The author achieved this by placing Lawrence and Holo in tight predicaments. The story arc involving Amati’s marriage proposal to Holo in Kumerson Town was a great example.
From Lawrence’s struggles with earning cash to Lawrence withholding crucial details about Yoitsu from Holo, Lawrence felt the pressure during that story arc. The economic story beats were enticing. The series’s creator, Isuna Hasekura, did a decent job of giving audiences insight into Lawrence’s merchant affairs.
The situations Lawrence found himself in with Medio Trading, Amati, and later, Tereo Village, were entertaining to a degree. Additionally, the anime offers fine world-building. From Trenni Silver Coins to Moon-Hunting Bears, the economical and supernatural world lore will appeal to most anime fans.
Coupled with decent twists and nice nods to the source material’s future affairs, many anime fans will find Spice and Wolf’s tale interesting (so far). While this anime is a classic, it’s by no means, perfect. First and foremost, the anime’s pacing wasn’t all that great (at times).
This mostly involves the anime’s business-savvy discussions between Lawrence and fellow business dealers. To that end, sometimes the monetary-centric circumstances were difficult to grasp. Unless audiences watch a certain episode numerous times, it’ll be challenging for casual anime viewers to understand what’s being shared within the tale.
Anime fans may want to point their attention to the source material. Source material fans will argue most of the anime’s business-heavy events were better explained through Spice and Wolf’s original light novel. Next, Spice and Wolf’s narrative contains some repetitive ideas.
The idea of Lawrence and Holo running into shady merchants is one such example. While the idea of shady business dealers is a great concept, some fans may not like how the narrative consistently brings that notion up through sequential arcs. It lessens the surprise factor behind some story twists.
Additionally, the anime’s fantastical aspects aren’t tackled hard enough. The tidbits we receive of Yoitsu, Holo’s powers, and other godly figures are fantastic. However, many may argue the story doesn’t tackle those topics hard enough. This ties back into the storyline leaning more into the economic sphere than offering audiences a nice balance.
In Season 2, it’d be fantastic for this story to dedicate equal time to its economic, romantic, and otherworldly aspects. On top of featuring some instances of plot convenience and missed opportunities, Spice and Wolf’s narrative isn’t magnificent.
Spice and Wolf’s characters were a fascinating bunch. Holo and Lawrence were an incredible duo. Though fans will find many, if not, all of Holo’s scenes more appealing than Lawrence’s, one can argue you can’t have one without the other. Holo may look like a cute wolf girl, but this pagan god knows her way around tough situations.
Many will find Holo’s fear of loneliness relatable and gripping. No one wants to feel alone, especially in a world as vast and rich as hers. Holo’s internal issues make her a phenomenally rounded protagonist in this story. Lawrence isn’t too off from Holo either. His business wisdom will appeal to folks in monetary fields.
Lawrence’s minuscule acts of kindness with folks like Nora, Evan, and others will persuade others to root for him. His mistakes throughout the anime also add another layer to his character. While Lawrence is a capable merchant and considerate human, folks will love knowing he isn’t flawless.
The supporting characters were admirable. From Marco to Elsa, the supporting cast was semi-memorable. Marco is the best out of the batch. He comes through for Lawrence many times throughout Season 1. Whether through relationship advice or business tips, Marco represents what a true friend should be.
In addition to having decent antagonists like Amati, fans will find most of Spice and Wolf’s characters to their standards. Spice and Wolf’s visuals and animation were fair. Passione Studios have worked on “remakes” in the past, like Higurashi: When They Cry Gou, so they have experience bringing classic anime to life.
While most moments look astonishing, Spice and Wolf’s imagery isn’t breathtaking. Some fans won’t adore the remake’s soft color palette and character designs. This anime’s action isn’t solid, especially during scenes when Holo is fighting enemy humans or creatures in her “wolf” form.
The series also uses CGI in some areas. It’s not frequent but some CGI-rendered humans and objects may ruin some fans’ immersion. The visuals aren’t all subpar though. The genuine and saddening moments between Holo, Lawrence, and others carry weight. However, not all scenes will hit fans as hard as they anticipate.
Musically, this anime’s soundtrack was wonderful. Kevin Penkin, a well-established name in the anime sphere, brought his A-game with this remake’s music. From Holo and Lawrence’s casual strolls through town to moments of sheer heartbreak, Spice and Wolf’s music enhances scenes of this nature tenfold.
While not all music tracks are stellar, the sound team deserves kudos for their effort with this one. The same can be said for the anime’s voice acting. Most of the original Japanese and English cast returned for the remake. They wonderfully recapture the character’s quirks here and deserve equal praise.
Spice and Wolf: Merchant Meets The Wise Wolf is a satisfying remake. Although its tale won’t appeal to every anime enthusiast, most of the material presented will strike audiences’ interest. For fans of money, love, and fantasy, this furry anime is one you shouldn’t miss!
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Verdict - - 7.5/10
7.5/10