A thorough review of the second season of Spice and Wolf II: Beyond expectations and character development

The appeal and depth of Spice and Wolf II: A fusion of medieval fantasy and economic activity

"Spice and Wolf II" is a TV anime series based on the light novel by Hasekura Isuna, which aired from July 9 to September 24, 2009. This work is loved by many fans as a new type of story that skillfully combines fantasy and economic activity. Below, we will introduce the appeal and detailed information of this work and delve deeper into its appeal.

story

Spice and Wolf II is the story of the journey of traveling merchant Kraft Lawrence and the wolf god Holo. Lawrence meets Holo, the wolf god who governs bountiful wheat harvests, in the village of Pasloe while trading wheat, and together they set off on a journey to Holo's hometown of Yoitsu. After adventures in the port town of Pazio and the church city of Rübinheigen, the two come to understand each other and deepen their bond, and head for Kummersun, a town where someone may hold records of Holo's hometown. New encounters and challenges await the two in the town bustling with festivals.

Commentary

Spice and Wolf won the Silver Prize at the 12th Dengeki Novel Prize (held in 2005). Characterized by Hasekura Isuna's light-hearted writing and Ayakura Ju's delicate illustrations, the series has sold over 4 million copies since the first volume was released in February 2006. Although it is a fantasy novel, this work is praised for its new style of fantasy, as it does not feature "swords and magic" and focuses on the economic activities that take place in a medieval European worldview.

cast

The voice actors for the main characters are as follows:

• Lawrence: Jun Fukuyama
• Holo: Koshimizu Ami
• Amati: Chiba Saeko
• Mark: Rikiya Koyama
• Diana: Akino Watanabe
• Runt: Kahoru Sasajima
• Battle: Susumu Akagi
• Adele: Mayumi Yanagisawa
• Abe: Romi Park
• Aroldo: Yukio Hirota
• Helena: Sara Nakayama
• Rigoro: Yuya Uchida
• King ginger: Shigeru Ushiyama
• Melta: Aki Toyosaki
• Kus: Kotaro Namura

Main Staff

The following staff members were involved in the production of Spice and Wolf II:

• Original work: Isuna Hasekura (ASCII Media Works/Dengeki Bunko)
• Character design: Juu Fumikura
• Planning: Yoko Furukawa, Kazutomo Suzuki, Tsutomu Tsuchikawa, Naohiro Otobu, Shiro Sasaki
• Screenplay: Toshihisa Arakawa
• Character design and chief animation director: Toshimitsu Kobayashi
• Color design: Hitomi Sano
• Art Director: Toshihiro Kohama (Studio Biho)
• Art setting: Yoshinori Shiozawa (Studio Biho)
• Director of photography: Shinichiro Tate
• Edited by: Megumi Uchida (Seyama Editorial Office)
• Art: Studio Biho
• Art assistant: Yukiko Ono
• Digital Manager: Masaaki Nanbu
• Plugin cooperation: Kengo Watanabe
• Assistant editors: Seyama Editorial Office, Keiko Kadokawa, Hiromi Sasaki
• Editorial assistance: Brain'sBase Digital, Yasutaka Ikeda
• Video editing: Q-Tech, Michihiro Ichihara, Takahiro Fujimoto
• Video editing desk: Takayuki Tabata
• Sound adjustment: Hiroyuki Suzuki
• Sound effects: Masami Kitakata (Fizz Sound)
• Adjustment assistant: Nozomi Mashita
• Sound studio: Delphi Sound
• Sound Production: Atsushi Nagashima
• Publicity: Sadakazu Kikuchi, Yuki Takahashi, Masao Ito, Teppei Nojima, Akina Kikuchi, Megumi Mashiko, Takashi Watanabe
• Website production cooperation: Dengeki.com
• Planning cooperation: Quaras, Yoshimi Nakajima, Shigekaoru Sato
• Cooperation: ASCII Media Works, Dengeki Bunko Editorial Department, Dengeki Bunko MAGAZINE Editorial Department, Dengeki Maoh Editorial Department
• Production manager: Jiro Saito
• Setting production: Aki Harada
• Sound Director: Hajime Takakuwa
• Sound Production: Jinnan Studio
• Music: Yuji Yoshino
• Music producer: Yukako Inoue
• Music Production: FlyingDog
• Producers: Tatsuya Ishiguro, Naomi Tokuda, Tomoko Suzuki, Tomohiro Fujita
• Assistant producers: Hitomi Araki, Yohei Hayashi
• Executive Producers: Kazuyoshi Fukuba, Naoko Koyama
• Animation producers: Tatsuyo Kobayashi, Masayoshi Ohno
• Animation: Brain's Base, Marvie Jack
• Director: Takeo Takahashi
• Produced by: "Spice and Wolf II" Production Committee (Pony Canyon, ASCII Media Works, Kadokawa Pictures, Movic, FlyingDog)

Main Characters

The details of the main characters are as follows:

• Holo: A pretty young girl with wolf ears and a white-tipped tail. She calls herself the "Wise Wolf of Yoitsu" and was once worshipped as the "God of Harvest" who resides in wheat.
• Lawrence: A young traveling merchant who dreams of having his own shop. He meets Holo and secretly develops feelings for her.
• Amati: A fish merchant who Holo and Lawrence met in Kummersun. Although young, he is enthusiastic about business and falls in love with Holo at first sight, quickly becoming close to her.
• Mark: A street vendor who sells wheat at the Kummersund market. He and Lawrence are long-time business associates and have a friendly relationship.
• Lant: A disciple of Mark. Although he is still in training, he has a strong will and has often saved Lawrence from difficult situations.
• Diana: A female alchemist and chronicler. She collects and writes about pagan tales. She may know information about Yoitsu, Holo's hometown.
• Abe: A merchant whom Lawrence and his friends met at the inn in Lenos. He offers Lawrence a big profit opportunity.
• Rigoro: A merchant who belongs to the Loen Merchant Association. He has information about Diana.

subtitle

The subtitles for each episode are as follows:

• Act 1: The Wolf and the Sudden Crack (2009/07/08)
• Act 2: The Wolf and the Calm Before the Storm (2009/07/15)
• Act 3: The Wolf and the Unbridgeable Gap (2009/07/22)
• Act 4: The fate of the wolf and the shallow mind (2009/07/29)
• Act 5: Wolves, Hope and Despair (2009/08/05)
• Act 6: The Wolf and the Faithful God (2009/08/12)
• Act 7: Days of Playing with Wolves (2009/08/19)
• Act 8: The Wolf and the Seductive Traveler (2009/08/26)
• Act 9: The Wolf and the Reckless Business Deal (2009/09/02)
• Act 10: The Wolf and the Lonely Smile (2009/09/09)
• Act 11: Decision to part ways with the wolf (2009/09/16)
• Act 12: The Wolf and the Incessant Tears (2009/09/23)

Related Titles

The following works are related to "Spice and Wolf II".

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

Theme songs and music

The opening and ending themes are as follows:

• OP1: Dawn of Honey
• Lyricist: Akino Arai
• Composer: Akino Arai
• Vocals: Akino Arai
• ED1: Perfect World
• Lyricist: Yuho Iwasato
• Composer: Taro Yamashita & noe
• Sung by: ROCKY CHACK

Broadcast information

"Spice and Wolf II" was broadcast on the following stations:

• tvk: July 8, 2009 to September 23, 2009 (Episodes 1-12) Every Wednesday 25:15-25:45
• TV Aichi: July 8, 2009 to September 23, 2009 (Episodes 1 to 12) Every Wednesday 26:28 to 26:58
• Chiba TV: July 9, 2009 to September 24, 2009 (Episodes 1 to 12) Every Thursday 25:00 to 25:30
• Sun TV: July 9, 2009 to September 24, 2009 (Episodes 1 to 12) Every Thursday 26:10 to 26:40
• KBS Kyoto: July 10, 2009 to September 25, 2009 (Episodes 1 to 12) Every Friday 25:00 to 25:30
• Teletama: July 10, 2009 to September 25, 2009 (episodes 1 to 12) Every Friday 25:30 to 26:00
• TOKYO MX: July 10, 2009 to September 25, 2009 (Episodes 1-12) Every Friday 25:30-26:00
• AT-X: July 20, 2009 to October 5, 2009 (Episodes 1 to 12) Every Monday 9:30 to 10:00
• Kids Station: November 1, 2011 to February 14, 2012 (1st to 13th episodes) Every Tuesday 24:30 to 25:00*
• Tochigi TV: January 6, 2012 to March 23, 2012 (Episodes 1 to 12) Every Friday 23:30 to 24:00

*Kids Station will broadcast "Episode 0" at the time of broadcast.

Evaluation and Appeal

"Spice and Wolf II" has captivated many fans with its unique worldview and deep story development. Below, we will explain in detail what makes it so appealing.

1. A new type of fantasy depicting economic activity

Although "Spice and Wolf II" is a fantasy work, it is characterized by a storyline centered on economic activity. Through the business of the traveling merchant Lawrence, the value of currency, bargaining, market trends, and more are depicted realistically. This allows viewers to learn not just about an adventure story, but also about the mechanisms of the economy and the difficulties of business. In particular, the scene in which Lawrence makes his business a success with the help of Holo's wisdom deeply moves viewers.

2. Character growth and bonds

The relationship between Lawrence and Holo is one of the great attractions of this series. The two initially distrust each other, but as they continue their journey, they grow to trust each other, and the process by which they eventually form a deep bond is heartwarming to the viewers. Also not to be missed are Holo's wisdom as a wise wolf and Lawrence's growth. In particular, Holo's feelings for her hometown of Yoitsu and Lawrence's efforts to make his dream come true will resonate with the viewers.

3. Beautiful visuals and music

The visuals of Spice and Wolf II are beautifully animated by character designer Ju Ayakura and character designer Toshimitsu Kobayashi, and the chief animation director. In particular, the movement of Holo's wolf ears and tail, as well as the detailed art settings in the backgrounds, draw the viewer into the world of medieval Europe. The music by Yuji Yoshino also adds to the atmosphere of the work and stirs the emotions of the viewer. The opening theme "Honey's Dawn" and the ending theme "Perfect World" are beautiful pieces that symbolize the theme of the story.

4. Deep themes and messages

"Spice and Wolf II" is more than just entertainment; it contains deep themes and messages. It explores a variety of themes, including trust and betrayal, hope and despair, and human desires and ethics. In particular, the importance of "trust" and "bonds" depicted through the relationship between Lawrence and Holo deeply moves viewers. Additionally, the difference between "value" and "price" depicted through economic activity is also an element that gets viewers thinking.

Recommended points

Spice and Wolf II can be recommended for the following reasons:

1. Fantasy meets economic activity

Although it is a fantasy work, the storyline that centers on economic activity has a fresh appeal not found in other works. In particular, the scenes that realistically depict business negotiations and market trends leave a deep impression on viewers.

2. Character growth and bonds

The relationship between Lawrence and Holo is one of the great attractions of this work. The two initially distrust each other, but as they travel, they develop trust and eventually form a deep bond, a process that warms the hearts of viewers. Also, Holo's wisdom as a wise wolf and Lawrence's growth are not to be missed.

3. Beautiful visuals and music

The visuals of Spice and Wolf II are beautifully animated by character designer Ju Ayakura and Toshimitsu Kobayashi, the chief animation director. In particular, the movement of Holo's wolf ears and tail, as well as the detailed art setting of the backgrounds, draw the viewer into the world of medieval Europe. In addition, the music by Yuji Yoshino also adds to the atmosphere of the work and stirs the viewer's emotions.

4. Deep themes and messages

"Spice and Wolf II" is more than just entertainment; it contains deep themes and messages. It explores a variety of themes, including trust and betrayal, hope and despair, and human desires and ethics. In particular, the importance of "trust" and "bonds" depicted through the relationship between Lawrence and Holo deeply moves viewers. Additionally, the difference between "value" and "price" depicted through economic activity is also an element that gets viewers thinking.

Conclusion

"Spice and Wolf II" is a new type of story that skillfully combines fantasy and economic activity. The trust and bonds depicted through Lawrence and Holo's journey, as well as the profound themes and messages, deeply move viewers. The beautiful visuals and music also enhance the appeal of the work. Please watch this work and feel its charm and depth.