Spice and Wolf: Does It Hold Up?

In the modern anime landscape, the age of "Season 3 Never" is no more! Join Ember Reviews as we take a look back at the original Spice and Wolf anime as we anxiously await what the recently announced new season has in store.

One of the more recent trends in anime production has been a desire to look back into the past to see what popular franchises have been left unfinished for years on end, and there are plenty to look forward to in this upcoming year alone, but perhaps the biggest pull from the pile of “Season 3 Never” is Spice and Wolf, which was recently announced to have a new anime project in development, and so what better time than now to take a look back at the first two seasons to see how they hold up.

The story follows Kraft Lawrence, a traveling merchant, and Holo, a wolf goddess whose spirit dwells within wheat. After striking up an unlikely friendship, Lawrence agrees to escort Holo to her hometown in the north. Along the way, the two get into a series of mercantile hijinks as they explore a variety of fascinating locations and economies.

Which brings us to the first main appeal of Spice and Wolf: economics. Yes, really. Each arc of the series exposes Lawrence and Holo to a different sampling of economic concepts that they must navigate in order to succeed financially, and these elements form the backbone of the plot's momentum. Currency manipulation, debt and credit, stock exchanges, tariffs, the breadth of ideas explored in just two seasons is shockingly wide and goes as deep as it can with each concept without completely derailing the story. These are relatively complex topics, however, and it does have a tendency to cram a lot of information into small amounts of dialogue, so you may end up losing the thread of discussion like I did several times during the longer bouts of economic jargon if you aren't completely zeroed in on what the characters are saying.

That said, Spice and Wolf excels at rewarding viewers who do pay close attention. Concepts that are mentioned almost offhandedly in casual conversations often come back around deep in the middle of a given arc, and this level of complexity in crafting the story's scenarios is prevalent throughout the series, be it on the micro or macro level. For example, the cancellation of a major expedition in the first season is revealed to have far-reaching economic implications that are constantly brought up throughout the rest of the series, making this world feel truly interconnected and real.

It also does a great job at setting up the exact stakes of the deals that Lawrence makes, clearly showing how much he could gain or how much trouble he could get into. Bankruptcy is a very real fear in this series, as are the consequences that come with it in a late Medieval-era setting, and seeing Lawrence either deftly or just barely avoid complete financial ruin becomes surprisingly captivating. The dialogue spoken in each situation is adept at setting the tone for each encounter, conveying whether or not Lawrence holds the advantage in a given negotiation, and how he's able to work his way out of disadvantage if he needs to.

And it's in the characters speaking all of this dialogue that we find the second half of Spice and Wolf's core strengths, especially with our main duo. Holo and Lawrence are easily two of the most lovable and engaging characters I've come across in this medium. Holo steals the show almost immediately upon her entrance with her quick wits and playful charm, and the balance she maintains across the series between strong, independent wolf goddess and vulnerable, lonely deity with unresolved anxieties is immensely engrossing. Lawrence isn't one to scoff at either, with his more economically-minded personality allowing for the more plot-relevant dialogue to feel natural in its delivery, and his desires being split between trying to be a decent person and still coming out ahead in profits makes him the perfect protagonist for this series. While these two are solid on their own, it's when they're together that this script truly comes to life. The way they banter, bicker, and collaborate conveys some of the smoothest dialogue exchanges I've seen from a leading pair, and this perfect chemistry allows said dialogue to be extremely flexible in its purpose. It can end up being plot-driven with the two playing off each other with ease in order to facilitate a monetary transaction, with Holo's boldness accentuating Lawrence's experience, or it can be more focused on characterization and how these two draw out different elements of their personalities, with the long cart rides down empty roads being filled with wonderful, often poignant exchanges that flesh out the finer details of who these characters are.

The two of them have just the right amount of give to easily hit it off without too much strife, while still maintaining a sense of tension in the early episodes, and once they fully start to understand each other, their wits and clever insights into each other's personalities feel effortless in execution and had me completely wrapped around their fingers. This is especially true when their dialogue turns more romantic. Once they start to click on a deeper level, their feelings for each other become pretty obvious, and the strong balance between playful teasing and genuine emotional connections allow these romantic encounters to soar. To put it more plainly, these two are just insanely cute together.

If I absolutely had to offer a critique, however, it would be that the “will they/won't they” aspect of this romance does get a tiny bit frustrating at times. There are several moments throughout the series where it feels like they finally settle on having entered into a real, concrete relationship, only for them to fall back on evaluating what exactly their relationship is once again. Granted there are plenty of acceptable reasons for each regression and it never stops being entertaining as a result, but the frustration definitely remains. Fortunately, the last episode does seem to give a complete and final answer, so you don't have to leave the series with that as a loose end.

While Lawrence and Holo certainly are the stars, that's not to say that they completely smother the supporting cast, as they also do a stellar job at adding more depth to both the worldbuilding and to our main duo's relationship. A shy shepherd trapped in a stagnant way of life, a young noble seeking to make a name for himself, a mysterious merchant with a hidden past; the many curious characters that Lawrence and Holo meet along the way all act as strong reinforcements to whatever economic concept an arc is currently focusing on, as well as pushing these two into confronting another aspect of their companionship and what exactly they want their relationship to be, while still being engaging characters in their own rights that feel like true narrative extensions of this world.

In regards to its visual presentation, I must admit that there are some elements that don't quite hold up under scrutiny. The actual animation in particular can get a bit melty at times, especially in season 1, and the digital effects for fires are just flat-out not good. However, I would still say that Spice and Wolf is a good-looking show overall because of how it makes up for these faults. While the characters aren't that good at staying on-model, the models themselves are incredibly solid and attractive, with the costume design in particular breathing a unique style into this story. The series is also aided by a strong sense for shot composition; not in ways that are flashy or ambitious, but just through sheer competency and a solid understanding of framing and flow to keep the foundations of each shot as solid as possible.

Season 2 also gives us a notable step up in quality across the board, with the project having moved from Studio IMAGIN over to Brains Base, only keeping the director, color designer, and art director the same for its core staff. Facial features have been tightened up, there are more small movements that add a certain dynamism to the character acting, and the shots feel a bit more ambitious in their scope. Season 2 is quite the upgrade in pretty much every aspect, though I must admit I do have some fond feelings for the roughness of Holo's original design.

As for why season 1 was able to stay visually appealing prior to season 2's upgrade, my suspicions lie with director Takeo Takahashi. He's not a particularly well-known director, with his other notable directorial works being MAOYU and Citrus, but a deep dive into his history as an animator and storyboard artist immediately reveals that Takahashi was practically raised on ecchi anime and even full-on hentai, and if there's one thing I trust a veteran ecchi director to do, it's keeping my eyes on-screen at all times, and I would definitely attribute the translating of Holo's design to animation to this background. That said, in regards to fan service, Spice and Wolf feels rather restrained most of the time, something I might almost describe as tasteful, and knowing just how far to push that envelope without impeding the more serious nature of the plot is a difficult line to walk.

On the inverse of that, an area that shows nary a sign of restraint at all would be the soundtrack, which is both a boon and a bust. The music makes heavy use of period-appropriate instrumentation like recorders and lutes, ushering you back to the era that this story takes place in, and each track is so distinctive in its melody and tone that daresay at least a few of them could be considered iconic. That said, the implementation of this soundtrack feels a bit rough at times, with some of the louder tracks practically breaking down the front door with no warning during a scene that didn't seem particularly tense prior to said track's entrance. It's not an especially grievous fault, but it does stick out when compared to how solid the whole package of Spice and Wolf is.

Despite some minor misgivings here and there, Spice and Wolf stands as an incredibly fascinating and captivating work. Whether it's rambling about economics for minutes on end or Holo and Lawrence engaging in romantic banter, this anime is an absolute delight that's almost impossible to put down once started. To be honest, it's difficult for me to fully elaborate my thoughts on certain aspects of this series without gushing abstractly about the emotions it invokes. This was one of the first anime I watched when I started my deep dive into this medium, and it was one of the first 10/10s I ever gave. This series and what it presents to the viewer are so ingrained into my personal anime ideology that, after watching it again for the first time in almost a decade, I'm kinda stunned at just how little my taste has changed in certain areas. So many things I value about anime from character dynamics to worldbuilding to visual presentation are ever-present here, even if I didn't recognize them on my first watch, and while it's not the masterpiece 10/10 I remember it being, it's still a very comfortable favorite and one that I have no problem recommending to pretty much any anime fan. I just hope the new installment lives up to what is, admittedly, more hype than is possible to meet. Yet, my hype remains, and even if this new installment falls flat, I still have two incredible seasons I can rewatch if I ever want to slip back into something truly special.

Thanks to all of you for watching. If you enjoyed this video, be sure to like and subscribe and follow Anime News Network on Twitter for more great anime content, and if you wanna see more from me you can check me out at Ember Reviews on YouTube and Twitter.