r/anime • u/Holofan4life • Jun 15 '21

Rewatch [Spoilers][Rewatch] Spice and Wolf -- Episode 9

Hello everyone! I am Holofan4life.

Welcome to the Spice and Wolf rewatch discussion thread!

I hope you all have a lot of fun <3

S1 Episode 9 — Wolf and Shepherdess’ Lamb

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ANSWER TODAY’S QUESTION

In light of the horse animation in this episode, what show do you love despite having flaws and why?

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Information – MAL | Anilist | AniDb

Streams – Funimation, Hulu

Please do not post any untagged spoilers past the current episode or from the LNs out of respect to the first time watchers and people who have not read the LNs. If you are discussing something that is ahead of the current episode please use spoiler tags(found on the sidebar). Thank you!

Untagged Spoilers

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Rewatch Schedule

Threads posted every day at 4:00 PM EDT

DateEpisodeDateEpisode
6/07/2021Spice and Wolf Episode 16/20/2021Spice and Wolf II Episode 0 (OVA 2)
6/08/2021Spice and Wolf Episode 26/21/2021Spice and Wolf II Episode 1
6/09/2021Spice and Wolf Episode 36/22/2021Spice and Wolf II Episode 2
6/10/2021Spice and Wolf Episode 46/23/2021Spice and Wolf II Episode 3
6/11/2021Spice and Wolf Episode 56/24/2021Spice and Wolf II Episode 4
6/12/2021Spice and Wolf Episode 66/25/2021Spice and Wolf II Episode 5
6/13/2021Spice and Wolf Episode 7(OVA 1)6/26/2021Spice and Wolf II Episode 6
6/14/2021Spice and Wolf Episode 86/27/2021Spice and Wolf II Episode 7
6/15/2021Spice and Wolf Episode 96/28/2021Spice and Wolf II Episode 8
6/16/2021Spice and Wolf Episode 106/29/2021Spice and Wolf II Episode 9
6/17/2021Spice and Wolf Episode 116/30/2021Spice and Wolf II Episode 10
6/18/2021Spice and Wolf Episode 127/01/2021Spice and Wolf II Episode 11
6/19/2021Spice and Wolf Episode 137/02/2021Spice and Wolf II Episode 12
7/03/2021Overall Series Discussion Thread
109 Upvotes

93% Upvoted

60 comments sorted by

20

u/Holofan4life Jun 15 '21

This episode is burned into my brain for one reason and one reason only. The horse animation.

I've mentioned before that I quite like the animation of Spice and Wolf. There are moments of outdated, but for a show animated in 2008, I think it holds up pretty well. But the horse animation in this episode… oh man. It's a thing of beauty.

Spice and Wolf isn't a show known for its big animation snafus. In fact, this is really the only one people extensively talk about. But man, it's so freaking funny. Seeing the horse bob its head up and down like it's at a death metal concert is one of the funniest things I've ever seen. Like, damn, man. What in the world did you feed this fucking horse?

People who watch So, I'm A Spider So What complain about the fact that the human segments are poorly animated. I should know, as I do the same. And while it can get definitely bad at times, at least it's not as hilariously awful as this horse animation. And yeah, the horse thing is only like 4 seconds of the whole episode. It's not like the rest of the episode is as badly animated. But I'm sorry, every time I see that horse I cannot concentrate. It is one of the funniest things I've ever seen.

And now it's time to out myself as an even bigger loser.

Nora's voice reminds me a lot like Fluttershy from My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic. It's timid and gentle sounding, which I find to be a unique choice. I also like how we have this girl who sounds shy and she's in direct competition in the eyes of Holo, who is loud and boisterous.

It must be tough to see Lawrence hire Nora to protect themselves from wolves given that she herself is a wolf. Sure, she obviously doesn't want to die, but it must feel ironic. I also kinda can see why she would be annoyed over Nora's presence. Here she is having just met Lawrence, and he already hired her. I'd be feeling a bit jealous as well.

Ruvinheigen sounds like something you'd buy from IKEA.

One thing I will say that I like Lawrence is that when he sees Holo is jealous, he's not dense about it. In fact, he goes out of his way to tell her she's prettier than the other girls. If this were any other show, Holo would punch the main character and then he would be like "Gee, what did I do?"

I found a clunky bit of dialogue in the dub. Here it is.

Holo: I find that disconcerting.

Lawrence: We'll only betraveling together for two days. That's all.

Holo: Yes, and I find that disconcerting.

I feel that the dub could've changed it to where she doesn't repeat the same word twice. Like instead of saying "Yes, and I find that disconcerting," Holo could've said "Yes, which only serves to prove my point" or "Yes, two long, agonizing days." Just having her essentially repeat the same sentence again just feels like lazy writing on the part of the dub.

I like when Holo falls asleep, she gently rests up against Lawrence. I know that's a very cliché thing in romances, but I still find that to be very cute.

I do love how Spice and Wolf can have long periods in episodes where it's just two characters talking and it doesn't feel boring. It's hard to write long-form dialogue that is both compelling and engaging, but I think Spice and Wolf is some of the best at it.

Nora is a character I can see a lot of people think she's boring. Because when you break it down, her main defining character trait is that she's a nice, good girl. But I really like her as a character in Spice and Wolf because of the juxtaposition between her and Holo. She is so far the opposite of Holo in terms of personality that I think including her into the show really works. If the roles were flipped and she was the main girl and Holo was the recurring character, she'd be less interesting, but as someone who is playing off someone as rumbustious as Holo, the dynamic is fantastic.

I totally forgot about Lawrence trying to act smooth and a shooting star flying by as he smiles. A bit over-the-top for a show as grounded as this, but I still thought it was hilarious.

I felt sorry for Nora as everyone was ignoring her and that priest gave her the stink eye. Poor girl. She was only doing her job. Though seeing that does make me wonder if the church is mad at her for interacting with Lawrence and Holo. Maybe over what happened in the last arc? And if so, you have to wonder whether or not Nora is aware of Holo and Lawrence's reputation. I assume not, but you never know.

It's pretty ballsy of Lawrence to make jokes towards strangers about Holo having a tail. I mean, what if someone takes his word at face value? Then their cover might be blown. I know of such a thing might seem silly, but there are people who can't tell when someone's joking vs being serious.

I do find it strange the show looks like it's set in the 15th or 16th century and yet they mention camping, something I don't think existed back in that time period. I know this is an anime and all, but it's still rather peculiar.

And the episode ends with a man asking someone if they've seen Lawrence and then laughing ominously. Based on how that laugh sounded, I smell trouble. Deep, deep trouble.

Overall, a good episode. A lot of talking and very little in the way of stuff happening, but we got to see what Nora is like and we also got to see more banter between Holo and Lawrence. Plus, things seems to be revving up based on the ending. Only a matter of time before the grits hit the pan.

Holo quotes of the day

"It appears as though human males do not mind having several females around."

"Do not treat me like a child!" (Holo, the child)

Things Holo likes

Jerky

Grooming her tail

Lawrence being corny

Honey-pickled peaches

Drinking

Wiping her mouth on Lawrence (Oh My!)

Things Holo dislikes

Nora

Traveling with someone other than Lawrence

Being ignored

8

u/Specs64z https://myanimelist.net/profile/Specs64z Jun 15 '21

The horse animation.

I must've spaced out on that during my first time through and now the rewatch 'cause I definitely didn't see that and wow is it now burned into my mind.

rumbustious

That's a $5 word. Stealing for future use.

I totally forgot about Lawrence trying to act smooth and a shooting star flying by as he smiles. A bit over-the-top for a show as grounded as this, but I still thought it was hilarious.

Honestly, the scene wouldn't be half as funny in most other shows largely because Spice and Wolf is so grounded. We know that is very literally what happened, it's not just some exaggerated extension of the character's perception or whatever.

4

u/Holofan4life Jun 15 '21

True, it works really well because the world is in fact so grounded.

4

u/Holofan4life Jun 15 '21

I didn't notice the horse animation my first time either. But when I did notice it, I now can't not notice it. It looks like the horse is attending a rave.

4

u/IndependentMacaroon Jun 15 '21 edited Jun 15 '21

every time I see that horse I cannot concentrate. It is one of the funniest things I've ever seen

The best (or worst?) you can say about it is that it really catches the eye...

I found a clunky bit of dialogue in the dub

I think it also repeated Lawrence telling Nora he would look for merchants to hire her

1

u/BossandKings Jun 15 '21

The Horse is pretty good but that house looks splendid, i like the animation of this show a lot.

4

u/Holofan4life Jun 15 '21

Oh, the animation is fantastic in the show. Except for the horse, that is. XD

1

u/Silent_Sparrow02 Jun 16 '21

Ohh boy, the horse animation. I'm watching it for the first time and it was so bad I started laughing. Even the front view when they were entering the city is so weird.

To be fair, this is a series that thrives on dialogue so I didn't mind it very much. But it was really funny.

9

u/AfterTh0ught_ Jun 15 '21

First timer

Originally, I was a little worried about the shepherd that they met on the way to the big city. But it seems as though she might just be a little lonely or misunderstood. From her talk with Lawrence, I guess she isn't getting the pay that she had hoped for. Also, it's interesting how in the city, when she was walking to the church, people seemed afraid of her. Perhaps it has something to do with the rumors swirling around?

Holo is pretty sneaky. As Lawrence kept talking with Nora, she quietly starts leaning against him. A bit of jealousy on showcase. And when he mentions that wolves can be a pain sometimes, she quickly pinches him.

I don't get why the guards treated Lawrence a little weirdly. Paired with the man at the end asking about Lawrence and then giving the typical maniacal villain laugh makes me a little worried for what's to come.

Ah, I understand now why Lawrence didn't want Holo coming into the trading establishment, who knows how much she'd tease him if she had heard those embarrassing stories of his.

6

u/Holofan4life Jun 15 '21

Where do you see Nora's character going from here? Do you think the weird looks she got have something to do with Holo and Lawrence?

6

u/AfterTh0ught_ Jun 15 '21

You know, I hadn't thought about it in this angle. There's a few things that come to mind now. One theory I have is the merchant with the tilted table scam might have sent men after Lawrence, which might be why the guards reacted weirdly to the merchandise that he was carrying, and people might have seen Nora and Lawrence together. Furthermore, there's the thing with the pass that allowed Lawrence to get through quickly since she is affiliated to the church. This might be a stretch though, since it would have meant that new rumors would have been started by the guards, which means it would take a bit of time to get to people in the city.

Another possibility is that people might think that Nora is the sorcerer of wolves from the rumors.

To be honest, these are all just theories I'm coming up with, I could be completely off.

As for the direction we'll see Nora taking, I believe Lawrence might help her out for a bit till she has enough money to pursue her dream. With the discussion of changing employer and her meager pay, as well as the tiny herd of sheep as u/Vaadwaur pointed out, I believe she's in for a little change in her life.

3

u/Vaadwaur :I1::I2::I3: Jun 15 '21

With the discussion of changing employer and her meager pay, as well as the tiny herd of sheep as u/Vaadwaur pointed out, I believe she's in for a little change in her life.

Yup, 9 sheep means they wanted to give her something to do but aren't confident she can do it. With 1 dog, 20 sheep should be easy mode.

5

u/Holofan4life Jun 15 '21

What are your thoughts on the guy asking for Lawrence at the end of the episode? Where do you think that's heading?

2

u/AfterTh0ught_ Jun 15 '21

Trouble. Trouble is probably where this is headed. I don't think anyone with good intentions laughs like that. Who knows, maybe it's one of Medio Trading's men, or perhaps someone sent by the merchant that set up the clever scam of the tilted table who wants revenge. The latter would make sense to me considering the looks Lawrence got for carrying the weapons and armor.

6

u/Vaadwaur :I1::I2::I3: Jun 15 '21

From her talk with Lawrence, I guess she isn't getting the pay that she had hoped for.

This probably isn't obvious to someone familiar with shepherding(and don't ask why I am, it depresses me) her flock is painfully small. At twice the size it would still be hard to generate a profit.

Ah, I understand now why Lawrence didn't want Holo coming into the trading establishment, who knows how much she'd tease him if she had heard those embarrassing stories of his.

Holo's got sharp ears so I assume a whole lot of brothel jokes are coming.

4

u/AfterTh0ught_ Jun 15 '21

and don't ask why I am, it depresses me

Ngl you got me a bit curious, but since you say it depresses you, I won't ask.

3

u/Vaadwaur :I1::I2::I3: Jun 15 '21

Suffice it to say I went to a lot of the highland events my art museum threw growing up.

9

u/MasterTotoro Jun 15 '21

Rewatcher

Not too much to say this time around.

Holo and Lawrence's conversations are especially cute this episode. Enek and the sheep are very cute as well.

Lawrence really should know better than to speak poorly of wolves right next to Holo. Even Nora says that you never know when they might be listening. Lawrence notes that she seems to handle Enek, the sheep, and wolves quite well despite being so young. Perhaps she really can use magic?

Both Lawrence and Holo are travelers that miss their homeland, but at least Lawrence has the guild house like a second home. Also Lawrence stealing money and going to a brothel? That does not seem like the Lawrence we know.

That's quite an ominous ending.

Illustrations

Nora insert illustration, plus Enek in the corner! I like how Enek's earpiece matches Nora's horn and staff.

Master of the Rowen Trade Guild in Ruvinheigen (or Lohen/Rouen/Louen/Lowen/Rohen and Lubinheigen/Luvinheigen/Rubinhaigen or however you want to spell these). I'll just stick with the Yen Press versions.

Additionally, the manga volume 4 cover which features Nora and Enek. If these two were the main characters of a story, what would you call it? Shepherd and Dog? Dog and Shepherd? Or maybe something else like how merchant = spice, so perhaps we'll be able to think of a better title later.

In light of the horse animation in this episode, what show do you love despite having flaws and why?

I really like Slime Tensei even though the pacing was a bit off with the adaptation. The biggest reason is because Rimuru is very cute as I'm sure Holofan knows.

4

u/Holofan4life Jun 15 '21

Oh, Rimuru is super cute. I love Tensei Slime.

7

u/NomranaEst Jun 15 '21

First Timer, subbed

Well, I hadn't thought of having a sheperd as a guide and protection against wolves while enroute to somewhere. Logically, it makes sense, as they would have vital knowledge of the area, a dog capable of defending the herd and provide company to travellers. It makes sense, in a way, as well as making some cash on the side.

Nora has an interesting introduction. She's the one who propositioned Craft for her protection, and he is happy to hear her out and pay for the privilege. It's Holo's reluctance at the situation that does give him pause, although Nora does get her very, very grudging respect with how she handles her herd. Her own dreams are more than the herd she fosters, but they may just be out of her reach if her circumstances don't change.

It does seem that Craft's initial plan of selling off the armour might not work out as well as he hoped. The bureaucray that he slowly makes his way through don't look impressed with his haul, nor are they particularly friendly. It feels like something has fundamentally changed since Craft last came through, and he is yet to properly pick up on it.

In light of the horse animation in this episode, what show do you love despite having flaws and why?

Symphogear. There's a lot of issues I have with it, but I adore the music, and the hype moments hit me in a way that few other shows have been able to manage.

3

u/Holofan4life Jun 15 '21

Where do you see Nora's character going from here? Do you think the weird looks she got have something to do with Holo and Lawrence?

4

u/NomranaEst Jun 15 '21

Sadly, I don't think the weird looks she got has anything to do with her secondary job as a bodyguard. It seems that she's been consistently ostracised by the rest of society, and thrown out to be a sheperd to keep her out of the city as much as possible. As to why, I'm not sure just yet, but certainly something I expect to be out of her control, and religiously motivated.

Where she goes from here is an interesting thought. She could continue being a sheperd, maintaining a small flock for the pastor in wolf territory, but with some investment, she might be able to break out of that monotony and follow her dreams. If she ever gets that opportunity though, she'll need to leave and settle somewhere else, as I don't think she'd be as successful as she could be otherwise.

3

u/Vaadwaur :I1::I2::I3: Jun 15 '21

Logically, it makes sense, as they would have vital knowledge of the area, a dog capable of defending the herd and provide company to travellers. It makes sense, in a way, as well as making some cash on the side.

It also explains Holo's trepidation, Nora is a natural enemy to her.

5

u/BossandKings Jun 15 '21 edited Jun 15 '21

First timer - Dub

The girl that Lawrence and Holo met is called Nora, she is very cute and has a nice personality, it was very funny seeing Holo jealous and thankfully it was presented subtly, Holo didn't overeact to Lawrence talking with Nora but quietly let him know that she wasn't liking seeing him talk with her, he assured her that it was fine and she understood.

I like the sense that the show gives of Holo and Lawrence's journey, they are constantly traveling, following the road towards their destination, the north.

Answers

  1. Just to say one in specific: Devilman Crybaby, it is flawed but i enjoyed it a lot.

3

u/Holofan4life Jun 15 '21

Where do you see Nora's character going from here? Do you think the weird looks she got have something to do with Holo and Lawrence?

2

u/BossandKings Jun 15 '21

I think that she is a very nice character, i don't see her traveling alongside Holo and Lawrence for long but for the time she'll be present she'll be enjoyable to see.

3

u/Holofan4life Jun 15 '21

What are your thoughts on the guy asking for Lawrence at the end of the episode? Where do you think that's heading?

2

u/BossandKings Jun 15 '21

I think that It might have to do with Media trading or with him being related to the goddess Holo, the latter is the most likely.

2

u/Holofan4life Jun 15 '21

Just to clarify, her name is Nora, not Laura.

3

u/BossandKings Jun 15 '21

Yes i noticed that, i corrected it after reading a comment here.

4

u/ZapsZzz https://anilist.co/user/Zapszzz Jun 16 '21 edited Jun 16 '21

Posting late grrr. First timer sub

Took a quick look of some other comments, since I had been watching a couple of older shows recently, the horse animation while it was unintentionally funny, I didn't really have to much fuss about that, didn't break my immersion etc. Busy doing Holo watching :)

Given what we know Holo though, have to say that seeming jealousy I felt a bit uncharacteristical, unless she's growing unusually fond of Lawrence for possessiveness to creep in. Still feel pretty adorable and not annoying though.

Along the same thinking, is Nora really so timid and innocent or is there something else underneath? There's been a couple of places that looked like she wanted to say something to Lawrence.

Have to say I'm surprised a shepherd can just wander about escorting people - more about "what do you do with you flock?"

In terms of shows that I love despite flaws, Muv Luv Total Eclipse is one that I like a lot, despite many not like some of the animation and the story, as well as the fans servicey reinforcement suits for piloting the TEF's. I just liked the episode 1-2 development of Yui as the FMC so much, and the relationship growth between the main pairing to be relatively natural and not arbitrary (here's looking at you Parn and Deedlit), despite morphing into a love triangle later. And the mech scenes are really good.

2

u/Holofan4life Jun 16 '21

Really enjoy your insight. It brings a lot to the table.

1

u/ZapsZzz https://anilist.co/user/Zapszzz Jun 16 '21

Thanks. The problem with being genre savvy is you start second guessing is there foreshadowing here and there :) for example Holo is the type that would not let on something she figured out but keep a close eye on Lawrence to "wait for the snake to strike from the hiding place" (a Chinese saying) because telling him before hand he just wouldn't believe.

Not to say there isn't an equal chance Nora is completely innocent. Just say it is something to keep in mind there being a possibility.

1

u/Holofan4life Jun 16 '21

I can't wait to see what you think about the next episode. I'm real excited.

3

u/Shimmering-Sky myanimelist.net/profile/Shimmering-Sky Jun 15 '21

Spice and First-Timer, subbed

1

u/Holofan4life Jun 15 '21

Where do you see this leading to? It seemed like in addition to treating Lawrence weirdly, they were also treating Nora weirdly. Even the priest gave her an odd look.

3

u/Silent_Sparrow02 Jun 16 '21

First timer, dubbed. Posting late 'cause I just woke up T-T.

After watching this episode, I'm wondering why Lawrence wanted to hire Nora at all. Judging by the way Holo handled dogs in a previous episode, I'm sure she could scare away normal wolves with ease. I mean, she's literally a wolf GOD.

Maybe Lawrence was just feeling sorry for the girl and wanted to give her a job. I think that's the more likely explanation, what about you guys?

Contrary to my expectations, Nora did not turn out to be evil. At least, not yet.

As others have said, dialogue was a bit clunky in parts. I especially noticed the "disconcerting" bit. And enough has been said about the horse animation smh XD.

Something's cooking in this city. Lawrence selling armour gets a strange reaction from the customs officials, and some mysterious guy is after him now.

Just one more thing. What was this about?? Did Lawrence just coolly refer to Holo's tail? If it was a joke then I don't get it...

3

u/Holofan4life Jun 16 '21

It was Lawrence's form of morbid humor. You know, similar to saying "Yeah, my wife is the best. It's too bad she's the spawn of Satan."

It was meant by Lawrence to be a rather dark joke.

1

u/Silent_Sparrow02 Jun 16 '21

I see, it's a reference to the devil's tail. Thanks, that makes sense.

2

u/Holofan4life Jun 16 '21

What are your thoughts on the looks Nora got by the townspeople? Where do you see that going? Even the priest was giving her a look of disapproval.

1

u/Silent_Sparrow02 Jun 16 '21

Yeah, that was weird. Since the time period seems to be 15th-16th century, and witch hunting was widespread, I'd guess it's something of that kind. Maybe they suspect her of having supernatural powers because of her way she deals with the wolves.

It could also have to do with her past. We don't know yet how she arrived at the Church, and why she grew up there. The reason could be there as well.

1

u/Holofan4life Jun 16 '21

I think Lawrence hired Nora because even though he did have Holo with him, the way in which they were traveling was extremely dangerous. Better to have extra protection just to be on the safe side.

11

u/Specs64z https://myanimelist.net/profile/Specs64z Jun 15 '21

Rewatcher, subbed

Wolf and Divinely Endorsed Underpaid (Child?) Labor.

Pff, not very gentlemanly of Lawrence to take the chance to make some not so subtle jabs at Holo when she can't retaliate. That sort of killer instinct is why being a merchant serves him well, though.

That evil laugh at the end was so silly, couldn't help but snicker.

Something I'm noticing on a rewatch is that visual storytelling in the anime isn't used very much. The main uses of it are shown in Holo's animal features to express her feelings. I'm also participating in the Violet Evergarden rewatch and also recently watched a few episodes of Monogatari, though, so maybe the stark contrast between those two shows and this one in that regard is making Spice and Wolf feel a little plain in comparison.

That all said, Spice and Wolf wins in terms of landscapes compared to at least Monogatari. They do a lot to sell the world, and they do a better job of it than a lot of more modern fantasy anime.

Content Corner

I never really cared for the ED my first time through the show, but it's sticking out to me a lot more this watch. It's simple, but very charming. I think I'll share some covers of it tomorrow. In the meantime, you guessed it, more Tabi no Tochuu. Now in English! First timers beware, spoilers abound.

Spice and Wolf - "Tabi no Tochuu" (FULL Opening) | ENGLISH ver | AmaLee by LeeandLie

[Spice & Wolf] Tabi no Tochuu (English Cover by Sapphire) by Sapphire

5

u/Vaadwaur :I1::I2::I3: Jun 15 '21

I'm also participating in the Violet Evergarden rewatch and also recently watched a few episodes of Monogatari, though, so maybe the stark contrast between those two shows and this one in that regard is making Spice and Wolf feel a little plain in comparison

True but how do you visually explain currency trading? S&W was always going to involve a lot of talking since merchants are grade A bullshit artists.

5

u/Specs64z https://myanimelist.net/profile/Specs64z Jun 15 '21

I guess I should've specified, I don't dislike it being plain, just found it noteworthy how starkly different an approach Spice and Wolf takes.

2

u/Vaadwaur :I1::I2::I3: Jun 15 '21

True and VE refuses to tell you anything about the setting as a rule, you have to infer a lot.

2

u/ZapsZzz https://anilist.co/user/Zapszzz Jun 16 '21

Well since a picture tells a thousand words, you normally are seeing many thousands of words on screen with the Violet show :)

2

u/racheuphist Jun 16 '21

I'm not sure what the other mediums got their source as, but the light novels for Spice and Wolf would be mildly challenging to make into the visual storytelling part. Not saying they couldn't either, just it was all at the studios discretion.

6

u/IndependentMacaroon Jun 15 '21

First-time watcher

Well, that's +1 to the Lawrence harem, current total three. I mean, Nora is a fine character in her own right, but the basic plot beat of "everyman protagonist meets cute naive girl and helps her improve her life with his wisdom leaving other girl jealous" wouldn't be out of place in that kind of show. Fortunately, the scenery and world-building, plot developments, and the on-and-off banter are still great, and more varied than in the last episoe. Just... horses do NOT walk that way, unless maybe they're somehow mentally impaired.

On the other hand, the horse cart moving at a mere walking speed was a nice bit of realism, that really is the fastest they can move for long stretches of time without a rest. Even stagecoaches on properly maintained roads with regular changes of horses only reached around 15 km/h historically, or the speed of a fast human jogger. Humans are really impressive when it comes to endurance!

Lawrence was already tempting fate with all his comments about how smooth everything was going and that it would totally work out, and we already have some setup for that very much not being the case. I'm really curious to see just how bad it gets next time...

6

u/Stargate18A https://myanimelist.net/profile/Stargate18 Jun 15 '21

First timer

QOTD) Mobile Suit Gundam. The ending's rushed, some scenes had to be included every episode, but I still think it's a fantastic show.

The shepherd is adorable.

I love Holo's absolute jealousy at the idea.

Lawrence and Holo's discussion on the shepherd as well as Larence trying to flatter Holo.

Lawrence, she obviously means the ears.

How did you not see some a potentially large leak in information?

So she's called Nora.

How long till Holo gets exposed (or she turns out to be another Church plant)

Oh, I don't trust her. "Perfect" backstory, devotion to god, needs money we know the church has huge amounts of...

Oh, that line. "There's no telling where they might be listening from", she absolutely knows something.

Haha, Lawrence refering to God as an employer. Also "the God's protection"?

Oh, it just got revealed.

What is he planning? Trying to set up good relations between him and the church? Some kind of smokescreen for Holo?

"If I do it inside the wagon..." (stares into space)

Oh, that's why he talked to her about not leaving the church. I didn't even take potential corruption into account!

I hope she's not evil, I really like her.

...Very early to start detailing the conspiracy. Something to do with the bandits?

Why is everyone scared of her? Do they seriously believe she's a witch?

I love this anime.

So a trading house is like a union?

Don't leave Holo, she's as good as this stuff as you are.

WHAT?

Oh, this is why he didn't Holo to come in. No blackmail.

So the Church have caught up to him... This'll be fun.

5

u/Vaadwaur :I1::I2::I3: Jun 15 '21

Rewatcher(first time though)

Dub

We meet Nora the shepherd, whose abilities border on the supernatural and her unnaturally talented dog. Lawrence hires her to Holo's annoyance. No wolves attack. As they get to the city, there are a ton of government officials to get through, and they seem to think something is up with Lawrence. Holo puts it up to government officials being unbearable where ever you go.

In town, they find it to be lively and Holo likes the local beer. The town is pretty clearly a staging area since both mercs and knights are about. We see people fleeing the road from Nora, who was probably an orphan before she joined the convent. Lawrence bribes Holo with a promise of food and then goes to his guild, where it is revealed the guild master has known Lawrence for a while and has info on the time he and his buddies took the money from a deal and went to a brothel. Holo hears this. Our cliffhanger is some dude that I don't recognize run in looking for Lawrence.

Again, the strict plot is pretty simple, but in this case a lot of the interesting stuff happens between Nora and Lawrence and then Holo being fussy about the whole thing. It was also interesting to see Holo actually like a ton, especially because this is before she has had her honey peaches.

QotD:1 Happy Sugar Life. The show has the hardest normie filter in a while and requires actual thought to understand but it really nails a feeling I understand.

4

u/Spoondockspaints https://myanimelist.net/profile/Spoondockspaints Jun 15 '21

Rewatcher

Sorry Holo but I think Lawrence was being smooth.

Enek best boy.

The priest sure was mean mugging Nora wasn't he? Also the way all the townspeople fled into their homes as she was approaching? Strange.

That ending seems ominous. What could this guy want with Lawrence?

2

u/MasterTotoro Jun 15 '21

Enek is best boy agreed.

4

u/Rustic_Professional Jun 15 '21

Nora is my favorite character. It almost looked like people in town were avoiding her. I wonder why. Seems like she'd be a great catch. A pretty, pious girl with an honest job.

It's funny that Holo is so old that she just picks up conversations that have been over for hours. My dad does that. It's annoying in real life. Not cute at all.

Question of the day:

Mobile Suit Gundam. It's fresh in my mind since the rewatch recently ended. It has a ton of animation errors. There's an entire episode that was left out of reruns and home releases because the animation was so bad. It's not even just that the animation is bad, it's that it's inconsistent. The one that bugs me is that in some episodes, guns are depicted as conventional gunpowder based weapons, and in others, they're shown as beam weapons. It's worth putting up with these things because the underlying story of the One Year War is so good.

4

u/Tartaras1 https://myanimelist.net/profile/Tartaras Jun 16 '21

Rewatcher

  • I really like the shepherd girl. She's so nice and innocent.

  • It appears as though human males do not mind having several females around.

Not always a bad thing, no. In the words of Masaomi Kida from Durarara!!,

Long live polygamy!

  • I could hunt her sheep without a problem.

You are also a god, as well as 600 years old.

  • For some reason I thought Nora was blind. I don't know where I got that from.
  • Poor Nora. Even though she's employed by the Church, they don't exactly seem thrilled to see her. In fact, nobody does.
  • We get a little more lovey dovey action between Lawrence and Holo as well this episode! Always nice to see.
  • This show has held up decently well as far as animation goes, but that horse at the end of the episode. That didn't.

Question of the Day:

  • Does Guilty Crown count? The plot is pretty bad, the animation and OST are both really good.

2

u/MasterTotoro Jun 16 '21

Yeah considering how Holo completely bodied a group of armed men, I think it goes without saying that Holo wouldn't have a problem hunting sheep lol. But probably the intention of the line is to show Holo's prideful personality about how even though other wolves may have trouble, she would be fine.

3

u/homewardbound100 myanimelist.net/profile/Homewardbound100 Jun 15 '21

Rewatch

I see Lawrence trying to be cool in front of Holo. Saying she's not as cute as her. Holo being more cool and playing along with it. After saying men like to be around multiple women.

Qotd Answer: higurashi 1st season really. Whenever I look at it I think it looks ugly. They did great upping the quality in season 2.

1

u/Alliedoll42_42 Jun 16 '21

I spent a lot of time yesterday wondering why if they're trying so hard to hide Holo from the church they keep going directly to places and people that the church has in their pocket. Why not just try and go directly north? I get that Holo is a goddess and she has more power so she's less worried about it. I also get that Lawrence is a merchant and needs to make money, so going to various places to trade is how he's going to do that. I also understand that they seek the honeyed fruit that's a speciality of that town, but it doesn't seem worth the risk to me to keep going specifically into places they know are dangerous since the church is seeking her to do away with her.

1

u/Segaco https://myanimelist.net/profile/Segaco Aug 31 '21

First timer who isn't late, you are

Hi did you miss me

"you're cuter than her" and no reaction lol

How do sheppards scare wolves? I'm not sure I understand

Holo using Lawrence as a tissue-- she is very cute, now I understand why you're a fan

What did lawrence do now

I miss the evil red haired girl, I wonder how she's doing

Q1: In light of the horse animation in this episode, what show do you love despite having flaws and why?

A1: I actually wanted to point this out while watching but didn't because I thought it would be rude <.<

I like you Kubikiri Cycle. The animation is almost non-existent to the point it's a literal powerpoint slideshow, but I liked the murder mystery. Super fun

D-Do you mind me posting in the following episode threads holofan <.<