Spice and Wolf, A Review

The peddler Lawrence Craft spends his days traveling the world, buying and selling goods and dreaming of one day settling down and opening his own shop. One day, he meets a girl with a wolf's ears and tail. The girl, Holo, claims to be a goddess of the harvest whom humans no longer need, and wants to return to her ancient homeland in the north. Lawrence and Holo form a partnership and set out on a journey, evading an unfriendly church and trying to make a profit along the way.

When Spice and Wolf was first previewed in 2008, hopes were not high. The plot synopsis sounded nothing but awkward, the idea of a fantasy series about a traveling salesman seemed more than a little silly, and the naked girl with animal ears hinted ominously at incoming pandering. Everybody knew exactly what to expect: “furry” fan service with an oddball premise. It took a lot of people by surprise when Spice and Wolf aired and turned out to be a surprisingly mature and intelligent series with minimal fan service. It's generally excellent, and has one of the best romances in anime.

There's Nothing Quite Like It

First of all, Spice and Wolf deserves a commendation for the originality of its premise. It defies typical genre conventions in both the East and the West and brings us a fresh, unique take on fantasy – if you want to label it fantasy at all. Really, considering how mild the supernatural elements are, and the effort taken to portray a realistic medieval world, the series could almost pass for a historical drama. Ideas aren't everything though, and Spice and Wolf's real success lies in the execution.

The two seasons are divided into four six-episode arcs (with one extra episode per season), each one showing a different adventure in a different town. This is a format that could quite easily have gotten formulaic, but thankfully didn't. Both of the second season's story arcs play out quite differently than the first's. The second season, on the whole, is more relationship-oriented, more refined, moodier and generally better. The first couple of episodes are probably the weakest, but once the series picks up steam, it just doesn't stop.

"I Watch It for the Economics"

A fair warning: the show is about economic misadventures and a gradually developing romance, so it's paced quite slowly. This is an important point to consider. It's not only character-driven, but also very much dialogue-driven. The story's conflicts are not limited to economics – there are moments of physical danger, as well as plenty of relationship drama – but it is the basis of the plots. You also have to realize that this is all complicated stuff for anyone without a relevant degree. The show doesn't leave you hanging and explains itself well, but quite a bit of the exposition about currency, short-selling and and buying on credit went over my head the first time I watched it. In short, the stories are complex and require your attention – though there's also a fair bit of back-stabbing and trickery going on that keep things interesting.

I personally found the business intrigue fascinating, but this a matter on which your mileage may vary. Some people regard it as a gimmicky draw; “I watch it for the economics” was a minor league meme while the series was airing. There's also viewers who find the economics boring, but still like the series because the romance is just that good.

Romance and the Fine Art of Conversation

I don't usually like to make absolute statements or engage too much in hyperbole, but this is something that needs to be said: Holo and Lawrence might just have the best chemistry in anime. Saying that character interaction is Spice and Wolf's strength would be underselling things quite a bit. A large part of the series' run time is spent on conversations between them, and this time could not have been used better. Even dialogue involving secondary characters is often interesting and amusing, but Holo and Lawrence are pure magic together. The playful banter between them is incredible, both highly entertaining and subtle. The viewer really has to pay attention to keep abreast of the subtext and what's really going on between them. They spend most of their time engaged in a sort of battle of wits based on trying to keep their relationship professional and massive amounts of flirtation. Even when they start sorting out their feelings, they are determined not to go anywhere with it, since neither of them thinks it would work – an understandable concern when one of them is immortal and the other isn't. At first, Holo dominates every conversation, but over time, Lawrence learns to give as good as he gets. There are few scenes between them that fail to leave me grinning like an idiot as I watch.

The dialogue also benefits greatly from excellent direction. A poor director would have doomed the series to be an endless parade of talking heads, but Takeo Takahashi's fine hand makes sure that the narrative is visually interesting, which is kind of a must when you're watching two characters sit in a bedroom and talk for ten minutes straight. Characters are always lively, always busy with something during conversations, always showing their emotions through their body language (especially Holo, with her ears and tail). It all comes off as very natural.

Another great thing about all this interaction is that really helps sell them as a couple. Some anime relationships are so inexplicable and strained that the viewer is given no reason to actually want the characters to get together. Spice and Wolf spends a lot of time just showing Holo and Lawrence together in comfort, getting to know each other. Their relationship is a complex mix of physical attraction, emotional dependence, affection, mutual respect – and it's all wrapped up in commitment anxiety and mind-games. It's appreciable both intellectually and emotionally, and evolves visibly over the course of each of the four arcs.

There's a Way to Do It Right

Lawrence is a far more accomplished example of an everyman than typical romance anime protagonists (aka. the tabula rasa loser). The basic elements are there – he's socially awkward and sexually passive, for instance – but he's also the kind of guy to embezzle money from his master's business in his youth to visit a whorehouse. While Holo is clearly the "star" of Spice and Wolf, it's also clear that Lawrence isn't a vacuous sideshow; he has a unique identity. In fact, the series is driven much more by Lawrence's development rather than Holo's. His dilemma between personal ambitions and his feelings for Holo is of central importance. The writing is confident enough in his character that it strands him alone without his partner for two and a half episodes in the second season, and his personal conflicts are more than enough to carry the story for this period.

If there's a problem with Lawrence's character, it's that the serialized structure of the show doesn't allow him to succeed as much as he should. All four plotlines so far have featured him screwing up to some extent, and although he has moments of cleverness to make up for his failures, this does paint him as rather less competent than perhaps intended. It's usually Holo that gets to shine in his stead.

Who Doesn't Like Holo?

Holo herself is a fantastic character, and I don't use that word lightly. She has depth, and all her major features – from her intellectual superiority, pride and flirtiness to her immortality blues, emotional vulnerability and cynicism regarding relationships – are all drawn strongly and believably. She's quirky, larger-than-life at times, and nevertheless very human. She's fun. Best of all, there's space for her to grow, and you can see her slowly moving to fill the void.

Holo's very cute, but she's not a caricature. She has some tsundere traits, but she's not defined by an archetype. She's attractive, but she's attractive largely by the virtue of her extremely likable personality rather than because of fan service, of which there is very little. (There are only a few episodes where Holo spends any amount of time naked, and even those instances don't particularly emphasize her sexuality. The opening animations are pretty much false advertisement.) I wish there were more female characters like her – characters defined by their intelligence and proactivity rather than mood swings. Holo is pretty much a perfect mix of femininity and strength.

And as a matter of fact, that's a worrisome word: 'perfect.' My biggest fear regarding Holo was that she would turn out to be more of an idol than a character, someone so perfect she'd come across as artificial. Actually, no. Holo does have flaws: she's high-maintenance, arrogant and vain, and actually pretty damn manipulative. The scene that really defined her for me took place in the second episode. Holo accidentally hurts Lawrence's feelings by broaching a touchy subject, and then baits him into seemingly hurting her feelings in turn to put them on even ground. Holo is a trickster goddess, and she occasionally does things that aren't nice. I like that a lot, but it's also responsible for my biggest nitpick regarding her:

The big problem Holo and Lawrence face in the third arc is caused as much by Holo's lies and games as anything else, but in the end, it's still Lawrence that ends up taking the blame for the miscommunication between them. She seems to get away with a lot, including occasionally hitting Lawrence, and this is something that annoys me a little. This is, however, all incredibly understated compared to other anime, and the show actually dwells somewhat on Lawrence's embarrassment and frustration on occasion, when she one-ups him somehow, so her behavior isn't quite played for comedy, but more as a sign of her capriciousness. Nevertheless, I wish there were more consequences for her messing around.

As for the supporting cast – since the protagonists are always on the move, none of the secondary characters sticks around for more than one arc and are therefore not developed much. All of them are interesting and fill their roles well, and some of them are striking enough that it's a pity we don't see more of them, but it's clear that Holo and Lawrence run the show, and that's well and good.

Art and Animation

I was going to make some comment here about Spice and Wolf looking rather snappy despite its small budget, but then I realized that I don't actually know how big its budget was. It looks good enough that I honestly can't tell. The characters are animate, the backgrounds beautiful – there's nothing to complain about. Season 2 is especially good-looking – the series changed studios, and the result was more polished character designs and very convincingly rustic locations. The art design clearly favored earth tones, and the result was a very believable-looking, atmospheric medieval world that somehow manages to look vibrant despite generally being dark.

Music

Spice and Wolf's soundtrack also shines. The composer was Yuuji Yoshino, whose only notable previous credit was .hack//Legend of the Twilight, which was enjoyable in a quirky sort of way, but far from impressive. His work on S&W is of a different caliber entirely, and even shows a noticeable evolution between seasons. The second season's OST has fewer distinct tunes, but more stand-out tracks. The moody and ancient-sounding “Nin to Ikyou no Kamikami” and the celebratory “Matsuri wa Owari, Tabi wa Tsuzuki” are particular favorites of mine. The music is especially noteworthy for how appropriate it is to the series. It uses a lot of actual medieval instruments – things like crumhorns and mandolins, as well as fiddles and bagpipes – which does a lot for the show's period flavor.

The first OP, “Tabi no Tochuu,” is excellent and in fact one of my favorite anime songs. It's very, very pretty, and the second opening is in the same league. The first ED is pure nonsensical Engrish, and is as charming as it is silly. The second one is a more earnest effort by the same band, and still very enjoyable.

Sub or Dub?

You'd be fine watching Spice and Wolf in Japanese or English. There are no bad performances, but it really comes down to the main players.

In Japanese, Ami Koshimizu's Holo is effortlessly brilliant and one of my all-time favorite voice-acting performances in anime. Koshimizu had a lot of contradictory emotional variance to deal with, and she is nothing if not memorable. She also maintained an oiran dialect in her role, giving Holo one of the most distinctive and attractive voices I've had the pleasure of hearing. Jun Fukuyama's Lawrence isn't as notable, but still competent as usual. He does, however, sound rather like Lelouche from Code Geass, which can be distracting for some people.

In English, Brina Palencia does an excellent job as Holo, though her performance emphasizes haughtiness rather than cuteness like Koshimizu's. She doesn't sound as layered, but she does sell Holo's age and wisdom a bit better. J. Michael Tatum is an expert at brainy characters and is thus a very good match for Lawrence. He doesn't sound as youthful as Fukuyama, but more distinguished and mature. This means he works perhaps a little better as a straight man to Holo.

Favorable Comparisons

If you'll recall my review of Toradora, you might remember that I had a bit of a problem with the series spoon-feeding the viewer like an idiot child. Well, in case you couldn't tell already, Spice and Wolf is pretty much the antithesis of Toradora.

One of my favorite scenes in the series takes place in episode 11 of season 2. After a bittersweet conversation with his partner, Lawrence finds himself quietly admiring an acquaintance's garden and speaking briefly with someone about the effort it takes to tend to plants in wintertime. After a while, you start to realize that all this relates directly to his current dilemma with Holo. It's a neat metaphor – nothing brilliant, nothing anyone with half a brain would have trouble picking up on. A more pedestrian series would have botched it all with requisite narration. "This garden is just like my relationship with Holo..." Spice and Wolf doesn't insult my intelligence by explaining, and I'm very grateful for it.

Something to Keep in Mind

Only four out of sixteen light novels have been adapted. Chances of the whole story being animated are pretty much nil, and even a third season is looking increasingly unlikely. In effect, the anime does not have a proper conclusion. Unless you want to get into the novels, you'll be left hanging.

Tl;dr

Spice and Wolf's writing is unambiguously fantastic, but it might not suit everyone's tastes.