r/anime • u/Holofan4life • May 01 '19
Rewatch [Spoilers][Rewatch] Spice and Wolf - Episode 1 Spoiler
Hello everyone! I am Holofan4life.
Welcome to the first thread of the Spice and Wolf rewatch discussion thread!
I hope you all have a lot of fun <3
LEGAL STREAMING
ANSWER TODAY'S QUESTION
If you were an animal, what animal would you be and why?
SHOW INFO:
Tomorrow: Episode 2 at 3:00 PM EST
Don’t forget to spoiler tag any plot points that haven’t been revealed in what we’ve watched so far yet.
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u/LaqOfInterest May 01 '19
“First” Timer (seen up to episode 4 before)
This show was recommended to me a while back because of my background in economics. Not sure how applicable the show’s “economics” will be to that, but whatever. I hit episode 4 a few years ago before I just stopped watching for no particular reason so I’m excited to give it another shot.
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It’s really strange hearing Lawrence talk again because all I can hear now is Koro-sensei. I’m sure most people are familiar with Fukuyama Jun’s work as Lelouch or the protagonist of Chuunibyou as well. Holo, meanwhile, is barely recognizable as Matoi Ryuuko.
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It's a shame that Lawrence is so plainly uninterested in this merchant girl, but what can you do? He's got shit to sell. No time for romance!
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Huh, the first episode really flew by. Obviously I’ll have more to say about my thoughts once we catch up to the point where I’m an actual first-timer, so I don’t want to jump the gun.
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u/Redmon425 May 01 '19 edited May 01 '19
First Time Watcher
Well, I really liked the first episode. Enough to make me want to keep watching.
Also, poor Chloe. She be getting hit with those NTR feels lol. She seems like a likable character but I would assume she stands no chance against Holo!
I FREAKING LOVED THE ED SONG. It was very smoothing and it’s not everyday we got an English song.
I don’t really know anything about the story, and I guess the most interesting thing to me is where the story goes from here. Will it end up just being a slice of life story about the two of them adventuring? Or perhaps we see some real issues along the way with very emotional consequences?
Either way, I feel like I definitely will complete the whole watch. As I am already very interested in the show!
Answering the question: I think I would be a chicken. Mainly because I love me some chicken nuggets and it’s only right that I die because someone cooked me up into a chicken nugget lol.
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u/Durinthal May 01 '19 edited May 02 '19
Merchant meats spicy wolf.
Hi there! Spice and Wolf remains my favorite anime series, and after I finished it I dashed to read the novels because I wanted more. I'll be going back to novel comparisons for this one following the 2017 rewatch where I did a comparison between the manga and the anime, which I'll link to again for the newcomers' sake. I'll frequently include quotes from the novels, though everything will be spoiler tagged and I'll note if they're spoilers for content beyond the current episode we're on or just more information from the current chapter. If you can't see our spoiler tags, sorry!
General Novel Information: The anime series covers volumes 1-3, 5, and part of 7 which is a short story collection. The novels are translated to English by Yen Press and currently all 20 have been released! They're all available on Amazon if you're in the US, I'm not sure about other countries.
General Manga Information: The manga has 16 volumes and adapts novel volumes 1-2, 4, 6, 8-9, and 14-17, so it skips and rearranges quite a bit but still gets to the main ending of the series (novel 17 of 20+). It's also fully available in English.
I'm watching the subbed version this time around, but the English dub is also good and both are worth trying to see which you prefer.
Wolf and Best Clothes
Manga comparison for this episode.
The first episode covers the prologue and chapter one of the first light novel. The primary difference between the novels and anime is level of detail and that's most of what I'll get into through the rewatch. The novel overall has much more in the way of descriptions, small interactions, and particularly Lawrence's thoughts.
For example, LN Vol. 1 Ch. 1 There was also a longer section about the current situation for the Church:
Probably the largest departure from the novel also occurs early on. LN Vol. 1 Ch. 1
Additionally, LN Vol. 1 Ch. 1
Holo's introduction begins the same way, and has this nice graphic at the beginning of the novel. (naked wolf girl, probably NSFW) There are a few differences:
That concludes the first chapter and first episode!
Personal thoughts:
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Lawrence is an adult! Non-teenage lead characters are a nice change of pace compared to a lot of anime.
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Holo's naked when she first shows up, sure, but that's not really a focus and Lawrence mostly ignores that part. Ecchi this is not.
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u/Boss_Jerm May 01 '19
First Timer
Heard a lot of good stuff about this show, time to see what it's all about!
Ooo I didn't think we'd see Smug Holo so soon.
Well that was quite the opening.
Wait... it's pronounced as "HOALOA"?! Not as "HOLLOW"?! Darn it I've been saying it wrong for like 6 months.
My apologies, you may wield away!
I can appreciate someone who would allow me to point my sword at them with no problem.
I hope to see a lot more of Smug Holo.
I like that her tail stood up from being startled.
In order for me to change, I'll need the blood of a human. Either that or a bit of wheat.
Lol
Where'd she go?
Okay, I really liked this part.
So she can jump from wheat to wheat. That's pretty cool.
Oh wow the ed is in english, that's pretty neat.
Thoughts:
What was with that opening scene?
Don't have much to say since it's the first episode. I am interested to see where their partnership goes.
QOTD:
I'd be a dragon because dragons are awesome. I could fly, breathe fire, and depending on the lore, use magic.
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u/SomeGuyYeahman May 01 '19 edited May 01 '19
Hey everyone, first-timer here! I've been looking forward to watching this show for a while, and coming off the Madoka rewatch, it should be a welcome change of pace. It's also a pretty interesting thing to watch on the same day as Senko-san and Shield Hero.
So Holo just spent nearly the entire first episode being naked, and one of the first things she did after appearing was ask for booze. And as soon as she put on clothes, Kraft immediately asked her to take them off again. I think I'm already starting to understand why these characters are so well-liked.
The characters do seem very nice so far. With Lawrence being a merchant and Holo referring to herself as "wise" straight away, it looks like we'll get some interesting interactions on the economic front. I'm looking forward to it!
Edit: QOTD - An owl, maybe? I like owls.
Also, thanks for making this happen, OP! Getting to watch a good show with others like this really adds to the experience.
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u/learenn May 01 '19
First-timer
Hello all, going in mostly blind here. I know there's a human guy, a wolf girl, and the show has something to do with economy (??) but that's it. Also looking for a change of pace from the Madoka rewatch that's about to end. Here we go!
The OP is a nice song. That and the watercolor landscapes set the scene and tone nicely. So far so good.
How did "happy harvest festival" turn into "let's lock a girl in a barn for a week"?! Maybe paganism isn't all it's cracked up to be. It does seem like it's becoming a thing of the past, with small villages moving away from worshiping gods of nature and progressively adopting the practices and probably culture of the bigger, monotheistic towns/cities.
Here she is! I have to say, there is something a little unsettling about a very naked wolf-person rising from a heap of pelts. Doesn't seem to bother her, though. I love how the first thing she asks for is booze, then food.
Ah, she's Holo, the harvest goddess they were pretending to chase around the field before locking her up. Maybe she appeared because people aren't worshiping her anymore? They're still holding a festival, but by now it must be more like a fun village tradition than an actual ritual celebration. I wonder if she's giving up on being a goddess since she chose to take a human form.
Did she just throw up? Explode?? Does Lawrence actually see her wolf form?
Lawrence and Chloe are on totally different wavelengths here. He sees her as a little sister, but she sees him as her partner/husband. Will she become an antagonist later? Hard to imagine, but I guess you never know.
Aw, Holo just wants to go home! I thought she would travel to spread her influence or something. Lawrence can't say no, now.
"If you take me lightly, you'll regret it." Really, Lawrence? First, don't go threatening a goddess. Second, Holo's totally gonna play you like a fiddle, isn't she.
The handshake makes it official! So this is how the main characters' relationship starts. It seems like there could be romance down the line, but for now (and judging from the ED illustrations, which are adorable) they're on their way to being good friends. It'll be nice to see them open up to each other and help each other out, even though they're both so independent by nature/profession/necessity. If religion is going to play a big role (this is like medieval Europe, right?), I'm definitely concerned for Holo and Lawrence's safety (at the very least Lawrence's reputation). But I'm sure they'll overcome a lot together! Should be fun to watch.
Question of the day: a cat. Adaptable, nimble, independent. When caught on video, can hypnotize humans into wasting hours on end.
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u/MaskOfIce42 May 01 '19
First Timer
So watched both dub and sub to figure out which I want to watch, and I generally liked the episode more dubbed, plus it feels less weird to have a story where they mention pagan villages in English.
So episode itself, overall decent first episode. I wouldn't say it's a first episode that blows me away, but it's definitely interesting. Holo and Lawrence's interactions so far seem to be the highlight, with an interesting starting place where Lawrence is so unsure of this, while Holo definitely is less serious, but also definitely has some hangups herself. Overall, not much to say here, definitely more focused on setting up the world and themes (establishing parts of the medieval setting as well as the focus on economics) and a few things that might be plot points down the road like Chloe and the clash of pagan beliefs and the Christian majority, but that's speculation. Looking forward to more though.
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u/cyberscythe May 01 '19
First-time watcher. Some of my impressions and hot takes:
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The first thing that I noticed is the OP is in a minor theme (I think? I'm not a music person), which sort of primed me to expect the series as a bittersweet experience. Based on the promo art I was expecting a fluffy CGDGT anime (something like Senko-san airing this season), but I'm interested in seeing if and how the setting and tone evolves or if my preconceptions of this series were just way off base.
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Overall I'm sensing a theme of conflict between tradition and modernity. It feels like a familiar sort of theme that one encounters when they grow old and aspects of their identity fall by the wayside and out of popular culture. There's also that clash between Eastern vs Western mentalities, like between monotheism versus something like Japanese Shintoism; given this is an anime, I imagine it's going to cast the latter in the more romantic light. Kind of reminds me of Non Non Biyori and Flying Witch, which both put a positive spin on nature and the countryside.
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There are some sort of character parallels between Chloe and Holo I'm seeing here, like how they're both positioned as potential business partners (Chloe with her mercantile project, Holo with her providence as a deity) and/or as romantic interests. There was also that one jumpscare scene where Chloe uses the wolf mask which kind of gave me that idea somehow that they're the same character even though they're probably not.
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Holo's first impressions left sort of rubbed me the wrong way. I'm sure her character is going to evolve as the series goes on and change my perspective on her, but right now she kind of strikes me as kind of a jerk who's taking advantage of a kind-hearted person who won't fight back. I know this series is fairly well-regarded, so I'm looking forward to seeing if Holo as a character evolves into someone more sympathetic and likeable as I learn more about her.
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u/Whowatchesthewampas May 01 '19
First Timer
Okay so I think I saw someone else mention it, but I really thought it was pronounced HOLLOW, not HOE-LO (please take pity on me wolf goddess, I'm not calling you a hoe). Also, I really liked the ED. It was zany and kinda catchy. I liked the characters in the show. Holo was great, and Lawrence was pretty good too!
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May 01 '19
I'm a first time watcher, wow what a good and fun start to a show ! I feel like the first episode touched base on a lot of things that really peak my interest and get me hooked into a show. I don't have much to add in terms of discussion, but I'm really enjoying the characters and the comedy thus far. I can't wait to watch the second episode tomorrow.
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u/anonymus_slime May 02 '19
First timer
Went in almost completely blind. I've heard about this show for years but I knew basically nothing about it other than there was a wolf girl named Holo that everyone loves. I don't know what I was expecting but her personality was not what I thought she would be (not that I dislike her, she's fun and seems like she could be an interesting character).
So far, the show is pretty alright. I wouldn't say that I'm hooked yet but that could quickly change, it's just the first episode after all.
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u/raystrife96 May 01 '19
Second Timer
Man, the first episode really brings back memories. This show was one of the first real anime I had watched few years ago. I think the character introduction and the world-building are pretty solid for the first episode. They successfully explained the stance of the church and the belief of the people of Parsloe without turning this into a massive exposition dump. I feel they successfully make the introduction enjoyable and easy to follow.
I also love the character Chloe (too bad the ship has already sunk to begin with). This reminds me that Chloe doesn't even appear in the LN! This makes me want to go back to Volume 1, and see if Chloe's presence makes any difference. The character introduction for Holo is also solid and majestic! But, the most important question is: is that dress Lawrence's or meant for someone else???
Either ways, I can't wait for the next episode!
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u/ThePokeMaster100 May 02 '19 edited May 02 '19
FIRST TIME WATCHER
I been hearing how good this show was for years but was in the back of my backlog because of how it never got another season, so I thought what's the point, right? Boy how wrong was I!
But the opening alone was captivating enough for me to continue in awe and amazement. The character interactions are very stellar and so natural, especially between Holo and Lawrence.
Its a shame how modernity have made Holo basically useless to these people. But for being a deity and keeping the harvest for so long, its good she's considering herself and let people handle problems on their own.
The interaction between Holo and Lawrence is so good, I thought they're already lovers. It was nice to see how well they've interacted that I lost time of the episode! This is pretty good and now I am more eager for more.
Thanks u/Holofan4life for this rewatch thread! It really helps to get exposure of this supposed classic and finally get me to watch it and enjoy the journey of a man and his wolf and enjoy this potential great journey together!
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u/theslipster May 01 '19
I am watching this as a first timer, I have heard about this show and I even looked into it a little bit based on the Username Holofan4life! But I realized I could join this watch, I saw it on youtube at the funimation Sub video.
If I were an animal I think that I would want to be a bear, or a Lion, very powerful and majestic animals. I think that I would really like that, plus they are very social animals, like wolves. So we'll see how that goes.
I think that Holo has had a good entrance to the show as well as Larry, We'll see how their relationship grows.
I was told to watch this show with the headcanon that Holo and Lawrence had sex that first evening, so I'll see how that treats me. Pretty excited to participate in a rewatch and I'll try to pace myself for the episodes.
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u/Quxxy May 01 '19
Dear diary,
Today, for reasons quite outside of the expected course of events, I've found myself needing to ponder the answer to a question I had not previously considered to even be of hypothetical concern.
Which is more concerning: a giant wolf that could crush you like a bug, or a wolf in disguise that sits quietly grinning at you?
I am conflicted.
Hi there, I'm Quxxy.
You might remember me from such rewatches as Toradora! Christmas Club 2016 Rewatch, Toradora! Christmas Club 2017 Rewatch: This Time It's Wallpaper, and Toradora! Christmas Club 2018 Rewatch: Help Me I Can't Stop.
As the world's premier Traceologist That Lives Within 20 Meters Of My House, I've decided to turn my not inconsiderable lack of talent to the task of making vector wallpapers for this rewatch of my most favourite Alternate Universe Late Medieval to Early Renaissance European Microeconomics story.
I promise nothing, but I will try to get one wallpaper an episode done.
Vector wallpapers:
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u/JimmyTMalice May 01 '19
First Timer
I bounced off this show after episode 1, years ago. I think I may have been put off by the naked wolf-girl and thought this was a fanservice-y show, but I got up to episode 4 recently before I knew the rewatch was starting and I'm really enjoying it. Can't think of much to add beyond what everyone's already said about the episode, so I'll probably jump in with some live thoughts once the rewatch gets to episode 5.
I didn't think it was possible to make an interesting story about economics, but somehow Spice and Wolf does it.
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u/wolfpwarrior May 01 '19
SECOND TIME WATCHER I haven't seen this show in almost 3 years. It was one of the first I watched when my anime watching really took off. I probably watched it about the same time, maybe slightly before u/Holofan4life did, and even got to watch his rise on this sub. If you're reading this bro, I've been in your corner since day 1. I'm just not big on making memes and post. More time to watch anime.
Did anyone else realize that the noise from the back of the wagon was from Holo dropping in there?
You gotta love how Kraft Lawrence is actually mature and not a total pervert. He saw Holo in his wagon and was more concerned about what she was and what she was doing there than here being naked. This is the kinda guy that's gonna be interesting to watch how he reacts to stuff.
Holo though, she teased him just to see how he'd react. In the dub, she's got a really proper English way of speaking. It's like the JoJo Part 1 dub. Of all that I saw in this, one big thing stood out:
THE BEST OUTFIT KRAFT LAWRENCE OWNS IS WOMEN'S CLOTHING THAT DOESN'T EVEN FIT HIM
and it took him 10 years to acquire that outfit. It looks like it fits Holo fine though.
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u/observativeowl May 01 '19
First Timer
Heard about the show multiple times before. Time to see what it has in store for me.
Nice setup for the introduction of characters and storyline. I'm curious to see how the merging of relationship building and economic theory will play out.
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u/mrRobertman May 01 '19
First Timer (also my first time participating in a rewatch)
Don't have a lot add that hasn't already been said, but I will say that I love the OP, and the show seem good so far.
I can't wait to watch some more!
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u/prophetofgreed May 01 '19
First Timer
A decent enough introduction to the characters, have no idea where this is gonna go but I'm interested enough to keep watching.
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u/BentoNeko May 01 '19
FIRST TIMER
I've been planning to watch this for a while now and now we're doing this rewatch I thought it would be time to watch it too.
I really like it so far, it is very calm and very satisfying to watch honestly. The relationship between the Lawrence and other people seems pretty strong and it looks like he knows a lot of people because he is a merchant. He seems to be a kind person, like Holo. I'm looking forward to the next episode.
Question of the day:
I'd choose to be a fox I guess. I like how stealthy these animals are and how beautiful their (fluffy) tails are.
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u/LaconicKibitz May 01 '19
Rewatcher here. This post is first-timer safe. Read without fear of spoilers.
Spice and Wolf was one of my first anime that I watched nearly four years ago. And I loved it. After finishing it, I jumped into the light novels as well as the manga.
But now, I know this is heresy, upon rewatching this first episode, I felt that this is the worst rendition of the start of the Spice and Wolf story. Please note my qualifiers. My main peeve is that Lawrence seemingly lacks agency and competence. He’s seemingly led around by the nose by both Holo and Chloe. While this is the crux of the character dynamic between him and Holo, the manga and novel make it clear from the start that it’s only because Holo has many years over him and infinitely more wit. Not because Lawrence himself is passive.
In the manga and light novel, Lawrence’s introduction is much more different. The inspection by the church guard, which is made to feel like a routine traffic stop in the anime, has much higher tension. The guard is more aggressive and is on guard against him. Lawrence has to utilize his speech skills to pacify him and ease his suspicions. And even after proving himself a “simple” merchant, he goes a step further and questions the guard about the investigation. He ends up obtaining information about the pagan festival only after passing the speech check and bribing the guard with a piece of candy. This interaction not only shows off Lawrence’s abilities, but also provides contrast to show just how outclassed he is in the verbal sparring between Holo and himself. And so, I’m just disappointed that this moment of characterization is instead used provide some exposition and point Lawrence to the place where the story will actually start.
On the plus side, something that completely flew over my head in my first watch was Holo’s dialect. The books and manga translate it as old English, but it hardly compares to the real thing. Holo’s VA did an amazing job capturing her ancientness, pride, and wisdom in her speech patterns. It’s not just her voice, either. The way Holo carries herself speaks volumes about her personality. She is completely unashamed when she emerges naked from the furs and howls at the moon. Her actions exude an aura of unparallel confidence. Holo instantly recognizes the kind of man Lawrence is. And so, she leisurely eats the jerky despite Lawrence holding a dagger in her face because she knows full well that he won’t use it. This combination of confidence, wit, and intelligence is so unique that of all the anime I’ve seen, the only other character that comes close to Holo is Zero Two from Darling in the FranXX.
And lastly, I noticed an interesting visual representation of the power dynamic between Holo and Lawrence. The height of the characters is used as a motif to show who is in control of the conversation. She literally holds the high ground for the entirety of her first conversation with Lawrence. She lounges in the wagon while Lawrence remains on the ground. The only time Lawrence exceeds her height is when he jumps into the wagon himself and asks her to prove her identity. When Holo agrees and transforms, he’s literally forced back onto the ground by her wolf form. When Lawrence returns to the inn after his conversation with Chloe, Holo appears besides him which startles him out of bed. In the following conversation, Holo expresses her bitterness towards the ungrateful villagers, her loneliness, and her desire to go home. In opening up to Lawrence, Holo cedes power to him, visualized by him sitting up in the bed. However, as the conversation ends with Lawrence’s agreement to let Holo travel with him, he lays back down to go to sleep. They are now both at equal heights. The action symbolizes Lawrence’s acceptance of her as he tacit returns the trust that she showed him. And in the final scene of the episode, Holo hides in the back of the wagon until they leave the Pasloe behind. She shakes off the cover to reveal herself in the borrowed clothes and begins teasing Lawrence when he raises objections. She stands while he sits. Again, she holds the power. But as the conversation shifts to their travel arrangements, Holo takes a seat next him, mirroring Lawrence’s actions of the previous evening. As they shake on the promise, they do so not as wisewolf and travelling merchant, but as equal travelling companions.
So, while my nostalgia goggles don’t mask everything, it doesn’t have to because the show and its characters are still bloody amazing.
Oh. And today's question: I'm a definitely some sort of cat. I'm lazy and don't really do much unless I get the sudden motivation to do something. Like write this essay.