Worth the journey...

Written by stevodevo on December 14, 2012 at 9:48 AM

They actually had this anime series at my local library so I'd heard of it many moons ago but I'd never sat down and watched it until now.

My only regret is that I didn't watch this series sooner!

I've just finished watching season 2 so I'm still trying to sort out my emotional reactions but Spice and Wolf is definitely a must watch anime. While it's still just a fantasy, it has many ties to real world concepts in it's presentation and handling of trade and economics. I really felt like I was learning something while I was also enjoying excellent entertainment.

Although there wasn't a ton of action per se, the level of tension throughout the series was quite high which really kept me on the edge of my seat and made it hard to stop watching. And not just situational or external tension, but the relational and emotional tension between Horo and Lawrence was explosive at times also. I wouldn't plant this series firmly in the romantic camp but it definitely became more romantic as the series progressed. What begins as casual flirtation through the first half of the series grows more serious throughout the second season. Personally I would've liked to have seen more initiative on the part of Lawrence in that respect. To me that was a slight detraction in that the ending wasn't completely tied-up and gift wrapped for me but this show is more about the journey than the destination and we're left with the notion that the journey will continue... hopefully into a 3rd season? But if not, this is one of the 'cleverest' series I've watched in a long time.

A few last words and then I'll wrap up. Dialog-wise this series is really, I mean REALLY well done. The banter back and forth between Holo and Lawrence is amazing. So witty and humorous with a lot of sparring going on under the surface. And the VA for Holo really pulls off a masterpiece with her ability to switch personalities on the fly. Sorry but I couldn't get over how kawaii she sounded adding 'ja' to everything!

Finally, the OP and ED for the first season were both great. Perhaps not keepers but I found myself listening through them more often than not.

Overall, Spice and Wolf was a wonderful series for me and I look forward to watching it again!

Highly recommended!