REVIEW: Spice and Wolf (Anime)

I think it's fair to say that a lot of the anime series I end up watching are "shounen", meaning that they're usually a teenage cast of characters fighting in big robots/with big swords/ lots of action and emotions running high. However, I also really enjoy more family friendly affairs like the films of Studio Ghibli (who doesn't!?), and I even have a soft spot for a love story or two. This brings me nicely to my review of an anime series I've only *just* finished watching today, but which I felt was so good I had to come and write a review about it. Spice and Wolf is a series adapted not from manga, as it the norm, but from a series of "light novels" each clocking in at about 300 pages of text and artwork, and ostensibly deals with a blossoming romance... set in a medieval light-fantasy setting with a heavy emphasis on trading and economics!! Suffice to say, this is pretty different from almost everything else out there and such a unique series ran the risk of turning out badly; thankfully it didn't and Spice and Wolf is wonderful in every way.

The main protagonist of Spice and Wolf is a merchant peddler named "Craft" Lawrence, who travels across the fantasy country buying, selling and trading, trying to make a fortune for himself so that he can settle down in a town running his own shop. One day whilst visiting a pagan wheat-growing community he awakens in the night to find that a naked girl has stowed away on his cart; she has blood-red eyes, pointy animal ears, fangs and a large bushy tail. This turns out to be a pagan deity called Holo, the "Great Wise Wolf", who in older times was appeased by the local townspeople to make the harvest more plentiful but who has now been forgotten due to modern agriculture taking the place of superstition. Since she is no longer needed, and feels alone/outcast, Holo wishes to return to her ancestral home in the north. Lawrence agrees to take her, initially because her unique supernatural skills will help his business, but the two develop a close and romantic relationship during the show's two seasons travelling together. This forms the basic premise of Spice and Wolf, and while the show is light on physical action (especially the superior second season), there are lots of trials and tribulations that our two heroes must overcome, usually to save their relationship and fortunes.

These trials usually take the form of some sort of economic dilemma, as one of Lawrence's shady deals goes wrong, or the pair are double-crossed by various unions and trade associations, but sometimes they're put in genuine peril and have to fight their way out. The first series makes more use of Holo's wolf-deity powers, and there are more action sequences and set pieces, whilst the second series drops this largely to focus solely on the characters and their personal troubles. Oddly, for someone who usually likes action-packed anime (see Attack on Titan), my main enjoyment from this series came from just how well written the main characters are, and the expertly written dialogue between them; which if you are fluent in Japanese apparently has even greater resonance as Holo speaks a sort of ancient dialect. The love story between Lawrence and Holo is a believable slow-burn, and you get a real sense of their psychology; especially Holo, who after hundreds of years being lonely is desperate for connection and to be loved but afraid to commit to someone who she will outlive, have to watch die, and ultimately be alone again. It's compelling character drama.

Being such a focused character piece though, the animation is suitably subtle, and there is nothing too flashy or impressive of note except some gorgeous backgrounds and well realised locales. The characters themselves are wonderfully drawn and very emotive; it's also refreshing to have main characters who are older than usual, with Lawrence being in his mid-thirties and Holo being hundreds of years old - despite being very cute. The two series of Spice and Wolf were animated by different studios, and while they fit together flawlessly, the first series has a more muted colour palette than the second, which is more vibrant and lively. Special mention must also go to the music, as while there are a few repeated pieces, it is all very authentic sounding and really fits the medieval setting without resorting to 'Greensleeves' and the like. The opening songs, one for each series, are absolutely beautiful and very moody/evocative, whilst the closing songs are more upbeat and along with the animated vignettes remind me of Ghibli film credits.

In summary, whilst the heavy emphasis on economics and market trading for the "action" should make it a hard recommendation, the character drama between Lawrence and Holo is just too damn good to pass up! Whilst Spice and Wolf certainly won't appeal to everyone, its different enough that everyone should at least check it out. Personally, I absolutely *loved it*!!