Spice and Wolf Season 1 Review: A fascinating mix of fantasy and economics

Spice and Wolf Season 1 Review and All-Round Information

■Overview of the work

Spice and Wolf is a TV anime series based on the light novel by Isuna Hasekura, which aired from January 9 to March 25, 2008. The story begins with the encounter between traveling merchant Kraft Lawrence and Holo, the goddess of harvest, and follows the two as they travel together, using their various business skills to overcome obstacles. The anime is made up of 12 episodes and was produced by IMAGIN.

■ Story

Craft Lawrence is a traveling merchant who travels around the country in a horse-drawn carriage, trading goods. On the way from the village of Pasloe, which is bustling with the harvest festival, he finds a girl sleeping buried in the wheat piled up in the carriage. The girl has a beautiful face with wolf ears and a tail, and introduces herself as "Holo", the goddess of harvest. Holo skillfully manipulates Lawrence with her cunning oratory skills, but although he doubts whether Holo is really the wolf goddess of fertility, he is touched by her words that she wants to return to her hometown in the north and agrees to travel with her. On their journey, an unexpected profitable opportunity is offered, and Lawrence becomes embroiled in an incident in order to find out the mechanism behind it.

■ Characters

Holo

She is a pretty girl with wolf ears and a tail, and a cunning way of speaking. She calls herself the "Wise Wolf of Yoitsu" and is worshipped as the "God of Harvest" in the village of Pasloe. Her true nature is that of a giant wolf, and she has the power to bring about fertility. As she travels with Lawrence, Holo learns his business wisdom, and the two of them overcome various difficulties together.

Kraft Lawrence

Lawrence is a young traveling merchant who travels from place to place. In Pasloe Village, he meets a girl named Holo who calls herself the "Wise Wolf of Yoitsu." Although he is skeptical of Holo's true identity, he decides to travel north with her. Using his business wisdom, Lawrence solves various cases together with Holo.

Chloe

She is a girl who is in charge of wheat trading in the village of Pasloe. She learned the basics of business from Lawrence, who has known her since her father's generation. She respects Lawrence as her business mentor and relies on his advice.

Nora

She is a shepherd girl who lives in Rübinheigen. She has an excellent sheepdog named Enek and is a skilled shepherd. She is entrusted with a mission by Lawrence and struggles to complete it.

■ Production staff

Spice and Wolf was made by a talented team of people. It was directed by Takahashi Takeo, written by Arakawa Toshihisa, and character designed and supervised by Kuroda Kazuya. It also features music by Yoshino Yuji and sound direction by Takakuwa Hajime. Animation was done by IMAGIN, and the film was produced by the Spice and Wolf Production Committee (Pony Canyon, MediaWorks, Kadokawa Pictures, Movic, IMAGIN, JVC Entertainment).

■Broadcast information

"Spice and Wolf" was broadcast from January 9th to March 25th, 2008. It was broadcast on CTC, UHF, AT-X, and GyaO!, and the broadcast times for each station are as follows:

• Teletama: January 8, 2008 to March 25, 2008, every Tuesday from 25:30 to 26:00
• Chiba TV: January 8, 2008 to March 25, 2008, every Tuesday from 25:30 to 26:00
• TV Aichi: January 8, 2008 to March 25, 2008, every Tuesday from 27:28 to 27:58
• tvk: January 9, 2008 to March 26, 2008, every Wednesday from 25:15 to 25:45
• KBS Kyoto: January 10, 2008 to March 27, 2008, every Thursday from 25:30 to 26:00
• Sun Television: January 10, 2008 to March 27, 2008, every Thursday from 26:10 to 26:40
• TOKYO MX: January 11, 2008 to March 28, 2008, every Friday from 25:30 to 26:00
• AT-X: January 24, 2008 to April 10, 2008, every Thursday from 11:00 to 11:30

It was also streamed online, with updates on Gyao every Friday at 12:00 from February 8 to April 25, 2008.

■ Episode

"Spice and Wolf" consists of 12 episodes, each with its own subtitle:

• Act 1: The Wolf and His Best Clothes (2008/01/08)
• Act 2: The Wolf and the Distant Past (2008/01/15)
• Act 3: The Wolf and the Business Acumen (2008/01/22)
• Act 4: The Wolf and His Helpless Partner (2008/01/29)
• Act 5: A Love Quarrel with a Wolf (2008/02/05)
• Act 6: Silent Farewell to the Wolf (2008/02/12)
• Act 8: The Wolf and the Right Balance (2008/02/19)
• Act 9: The Wolf and the Shepherd's Lamb (2008/02/26)
• Act 10: The Wolf and the Swirling Conspiracy (2008/03/04)
• Act 11: The Wolf and the Greatest Secret (2008/03/11)
• Act 12: The Wolf and the Monk's Pack (2008/03/18)
• Act 13: Wolf and a New Journey (2008/03/25)

■Theme song

The opening and ending themes for "Spice and Wolf" are as follows:

Opening Theme

• Song Name: On the Road
• Lyricist: Kimiko Komine
• Composer: Tomohiko Kira
• Arrangement: Tomohiko Kira
• Vocals: Natsumi Kiyura

Ending Theme

• Song name: Ringobiyori The Wolf Whistling Song
• Lyricist: Chris Mosdell
• Composer: Taro Yamashita & noe
• Arrangement: Hisaaki Hokari
• Sung by: ROCKY CHACK

■ Related works

Spice and Wolf has the following related works:

• Spice and Wolf Unaired Episodes
• Spice and Wolf II
• Spice and Wolf II Act 0
• Spice and Wolf II Holo Short Anime

■Review

"Spice and Wolf" is an appealing work with a unique worldview that combines fantasy and economics. The story is set in a world reminiscent of medieval Europe, and depicts the wisdom of business and the subtleties of human relationships through the journey of traveling merchant Kraft Lawrence and Holo, the goddess of harvest. The character of Holo in particular draws viewers in as a pretty girl with wolf ears and a tail, but also a cunning speaker and the power of fertility.

The anime was produced by IMAGIN, and features beautiful visuals with attention to detail, including character designs and background art. The music by Yuji Yoshino also adds to the atmosphere of the story and stirs the emotions of the viewer. The opening theme "Tabi no Tochuu" and the ending theme "Ringo Biyori - The Wolf Whistling Song" also match the worldview of the work, making them memorable songs for viewers.

The story begins with Holo and Lawrence meeting, and the highlight is seeing the two of them get caught up in various incidents as they travel together. In particular, the scenes where they overcome difficulties by using their business wisdom are educating and moving to viewers. The relationship between Holo and Lawrence also deepens, and the bond between the two is depicted as getting stronger as the story progresses.

"Spice and Wolf" is loved by many fans as a work of a new genre that combines fantasy and economics. The original novel is also popular, and its appeal has spread even further by being made into an anime. A sequel, "Spice and Wolf II," has also been produced, and Holo and Lawrence's journey continues. If you are interested in fantasy and economics, be sure to watch this work.

■Recommendation

"Spice and Wolf" is an appealing work with a unique worldview that combines fantasy and economics. In particular, the relationship between Holo and Lawrence and the scenes in which they overcome difficulties by using their business wisdom will leave viewers feeling moved and informed. If you are interested in fantasy and economics, be sure to watch this work. The original novel is also popular, and its appeal has been further broadened by its anime adaptation. A sequel, "Spice and Wolf II," has also been produced, in which Holo and Lawrence's journey continues, so be sure to check that out as well.