Once upon a time, Lawrence the Peddler was about to leave a small town to resume his travels. When who did he find sleeping in his wagon? A naked girl! With a tail and furry ears! She is Holo the Wise Wolf, and so begins our tale of Spice and Wolf.
OK, what about Holo? She is a wolf spirit who generations ago made a bargain with a small village to care for their wheat crop. Though in some years, she let the wheat come in poorly in order not to wear out the land. Overall the town prospered, but now it has outgrown the old legend. Holo then hitches a ride with Lawrence to return to her home in the north.
What we get is a very entertaining road buddy story, though there is obviously an underlining attraction between Holo and Lawrance which goes beyond being buddies. They are not a perfect match, but they do develop bonds. And yes, Holo eventually wears clothes, though it is never questioned why a wolf spirit would have a giant fox tail and ears. I guess fox tails look better.
The series is somewhat reminiscent of Kino’s Journey, although with more of a story and not as boring. Along the way, there are adventures, old friends, new friends, and betrayal. It is a dangerous, risky world for an ambitious traveler.
The characterizations are very good. Lawrence is basically a nice guy, though not ashamed to get the advantage of a deal, including smuggling gold. Holo likes to act tough, but can’t keep her true caring nature to come through. She does not hold back when striking at enemies, but will not let her animal instincts take full control and kill at will.
The artwork is great with a fine use of color schemes. The animation is also very good, by TV standards. Yes, there are some obvious cost cutting shortcuts, but we see those in every series.
I would like to see season 2, but Netflix does not have it. YouTube does, but the video quality is awful, and the episodes seem chopped up. I could see it on Hulu and elsewhere, but it would involve buying another subscription. Right now, my YouTube DVD and streaming are enough.
There is non-sexual nudity. Quite a bit of non-sexual nudity. The violence is rare and not extreme. Spice and Wolf is suitable for young teens and up, and for adults. I liked it!
Bookmarks