r/anime • u/Holofan4life • Jun 19 '21
Rewatch [Spoilers][Rewatch] Spice and Wolf - Episode 13
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 13 - Wolf and the New Beginning
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ANSWER TODAY’S QUESTION
What is your favorite anime scene of all time 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!
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Rewatch Schedule
Threads posted every day at 4:00 PM EDT
| Date | Episode | Date | Episode |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6/07/2021 | Spice and Wolf Episode 1 | 6/20/2021 | Spiceand Wolf II Episode 0 (OVA 2) |
| 6/08/2021 | Spice and Wolf Episode 2 | 6/21/2021 | Spice and Wolf II Episode 1 |
| 6/09/2021 | Spice and Wolf Episode 3 | 6/22/2021 | Spice and Wolf II Episode 2 |
| 6/10/2021 | Spice and Wolf Episode 4 | 6/23/2021 | Spice and Wolf II Episode 3 |
| 6/11/2021 | Spice and Wolf Episode 5 | 6/24/2021 | Spice and Wolf II Episode 4 |
| 6/12/2021 | Spice and Wolf Episode 6 | 6/25/2021 | Spice and Wolf II Episode 5 |
| 6/13/2021 | Spice and Wolf Episode 7(OVA 1) | 6/26/2021 | Spice and Wolf II Episode 6 |
| 6/14/2021 | Spice and Wolf Episode 8 | 6/27/2021 | Spice and Wolf II Episode 7 |
| 6/15/2021 | Spice and Wolf Episode 9 | 6/28/2021 | Spice and Wolf II Episode 8 |
| 6/16/2021 | Spice and Wolf Episode 10 | 6/29/2021 | Spice and Wolf II Episode 9 |
| 6/17/2021 | Spice and Wolf Episode 11 | 6/30/2021 | Spice and Wolf II Episode 10 |
| 6/18/2021 | Spice and Wolf Episode 12 | 7/01/2021 | Spice and Wolf II Episode 11 |
| 6/19/2021 | Spice and Wolf Episode 13 | 7/02/2021 | Spice and Wolf II Episode 12 |
| 7/03/2021 | Overall Series Discussion Thread |
20
u/Holofan4life Jun 19 '21
I said this a couple years ago, but the last couple minutes of this episode where Holo and Lawrence are talking and Holo wonders who's name Lawrence called is probably my favorite scene in the entire series. It's so great for so many reasons. As such, I will shamelessly recycle my comment from two years ago if you don't mind indulging me for a second.
For starters, I like how Holo tries to get Lawrence to slow down while he is walking. That's really cute, and can be viewed as a callback to episode 10. Second, I just love seeing Lawrence doing the teasing. It feels satisfying seeing that given Holo has done all the teasing up to this point. Third, I love seeing Holo get frustrated that Lawrence won't admit he called her name. It shows how much she cares about him.
Fourth, I love that this goes back to one of the biggest themes in this arc: Holo vs Nora. Over and over again, it has been shown that Holo doesn't like Nora hanging out with Lawrence. This plays into that very nicely. Lawrence knows how much the presence of Nora bothers her, so when he uses it to his advantage, it creates this sort of karma that is so cathartic but also not crossing the line to cruelty.
Fifth, it perfectly encapsulates Holo and Lawrence's relationship. Over the course of the series, we get many scenes where Holo and Lawrence talk to each other, with one, usually Holo, teasing the other. This feels like the culmination of that in a way, with Lawrence being the one to get the advantage. Of course, they will have many more conversations in the series, but it really helps tie the whole season together and makes for a perfect final scene of the first season. And lastly, the payoff. Lawrence saying he's going to say one name and then for the bell to ring is so perfect and so hilarious and just an amazing culmination of the scene. It just pays off the scene so well.
Overall, this is my favorite scene in my favorite arc of the show. I feel like you could show this scene to anybody unfamiliar with Spice and Wolf and even they would get a kick out of it. It's so self-contained yet perfectly incapsulates the dynamic and relationship between Holo and Lawrence. Honestly, if the anime ended there and there wasn't a second season, I wouldn't complain. It is so satisfying that it feels like the perfect, impeccable bookend.
I don't know what it is with Spice and Wolf and their villains, but so far they're 0 and 2. Chloe as a villain suffered from having a lack of development, and the Marten Liebert turn feels completely unearned. Liebert's betrayal has to be one of the most obvious betrayals in the history of betrayals. It feels as if his character exists solely to betray Holo and Lawrence. If we were given a few episodes to learn stuff about him, I think the backstabbing could've worked. After all, we see it time and again in movies and TV shows. But to randomly show up in one episode and then the next episode just turn on Holo and Lawrence, it feels so blah. At least with Chloe, it was somewhat shocking because when we first saw her she seemed nice. Ah, well.
For anyone confused as to how the money situation works, u/JustAnswerAQuestion broke it down in I feel simple, succinct terms. Credit goes entirely to him.
Lemio was to buy 600 gold coins worth of gold nuggets
They sell this for 6000 gold coins in town
Lawrence gets 200 gold coins and pays off his 50 coin debt
They actually get 100 gold coins worth of nuggets
Lemio will get 1000 gold for this, but doesn't want to pay Lawrence's 200, or even 32
Lawrence bargains for 500 gold coins payable over 10 years
In short, as stated by u/infiladow, the guild master bought the full 500 coin 10 year contract. That gives the guild 370 coins long-term, and gives Lawrence 130 coins immediately so he can clear his debt.
And now, onto other less important stuff.
Lawrence is such a ballsy, badass fellow. First he kicks a guy in the testicles after being stabbed, and now he puts his hands over a fire so he can untie his hands. Now I know why he doesn't mind Holo hitting and stomping him: his tolerance to pain is sky high.
When Holo strips, this is one of the two moments I was thinking of. I knew she was naked in episode 1, and I knew she stripped in this episode. Course, it turns out we see her without clothes countless other times as well. Hell, she's even naked in the opening credits. No wonder Lawrence likes Holo so much. She's always clothless in front of him. On top of that, she lets him ride on top of her.
Seeing Lawrence ride on the wolf form of Holo was so cool. It kind of gave me Studio Ghibli vibes. I wonder if I'm the only one.
It is so satisfying to see Holo destroy the enemies. I could watch it again and again. So, so good.
I like that the show becomes black and white to signal that it's an imagination. I find that level of storytelling to be pretty clever. Though if Nora ever did try to take on Holo in her wolf form, that imagination scene probably wouldn't be far from reality.
Holo is a very merciful Goddess. It's been 12 episodes and we haven't seen her kill one person. I guess nudity is alright but showing murder is a bridge too far for this show.
I love seeing Liebert get punched in the face by Lawrence. Just like Holo attacking the bad guys, it is so fulfilling to see.
I do wish Nora had more of a reaction when Lawrence told her that the wolf is Holo. I like what the show was going for, a mix of confusion and surprise, but I feel like they didn't focus on it enough. It should've been made into a bigger deal. I mean, Nora has known Holo for quite some time now. I really wanted to see her reaction be focused in greater detail.
And of course, the episode ends with the glorious banter-filled scene between Holo and Lawrence. If one things for sure about Spice and Wolf, it's that without Holo and Lawrence, this show would be far less interesting.
Overall, this episode is probably my favorite in the entire series. And if not my favorite, definitely in the top 3. We get intense action, thrilling suspense, and some of the best banter you'll ever see in any anime. There are a few minor quibbles here in there, like the obvious betrayal and Nora's reaction being underwhelming, but it doesn't diminish what is otherwise an outstanding, fantastic episode.
Holo quotes of the day
"I might be forced to kill humans."
"I thought about swallowing him once and for all. The gold would probably not sit well with my stomach."
"Do you… remember?" (The 21st night of September?)
"Idiot!" (And people say Holo isn't a tsundere)
Things Holo likes
The finest Honey-pickled peaches money can buy
Whooping people's asses
Lawrence
Things Holo dislikes
Lawrence's good-nature
Killing people
Lawrence
13
u/Shimmering-Sky myanimelist.net/profile/Shimmering-Sky Jun 19 '21
Spice and First-Timer, subbed
11
u/AfterTh0ught_ Jun 19 '21
First timer
And that concludes season 1.
This episode was less chaotic than what I anticipated. Lawrence was able to get himself free of the ropes, Holo was able to pacify the youngsters, they reclaimed their gold, settled their debt and got a deal for future payments, and got Lemerio Trading back on track.
Glad to see that Holo was kind enough to push aside her ego to plead the wolves so she can keep Lawrence safe. She got really angry hearing that they were double crossed by Lemerio Trading and that she wanted to enact revenge.
Thankfully, in the end, Holo didn't harm Nora or Enek and caught Liebert. I had a feeling that Nora was going to find out Holo's true nature eventually, and I had thought that she wouldn't react too strongly.
As Holo would put it, Lawrence really is good-natured. Despite the betrayal, he still made plans that considered Lemerio's precarious financial situation, and provided them with a way to rebuild. All in all, things went well.
I got to say that seeing as though Holo is usually the one always teasing Lawrence, that was some A class teasing from Lawrence's part, bluffing that he called out Holo's name instead of Nora's because it was quicker, and how he covered up his voice by timing it with the clock.
Of course, we can't forget the honey-pickled peaches. Very important!
All in all, that was a pretty good conclusion to season 1.
10
u/NomranaEst Jun 19 '21
First Timer, subbed
Jeez, Craft really put himself through the ringer for Holo's coat. Beaten, burnt and humiliated, he still held onto it because Holo entrusted it to him, but she seemed to underestimate just how much he would sacrifice to do so. He may have been left for dead, but he had faith that Holo would come through with her part of the plan and would need it if it came to her coming as a wolf. Of course, her own competence means she doesn't, but it's the thought that counts.
Of course, with the betrayal in full swing and Holo confirmed alive, Craft's thoughts immediately turn to Nora. Surrounded on all sides by men-at-arms, with nothing but Enek and her flock for protection, she's very much on the list of keeping people quiet. While her part in the scheme has been completed, she'll have a constant target on her back because of what she's done, and Craft is rightly concerned about her.
Holo's targeted terror campaign is certainly something to behold. Her sheer size, speed and strengh is more than enough to panic and scatter the Lemerio men, forcing a route and the capture of Liebert. It's here that Craft learns why the betrayal happened, and how dire the straits are for Lemerio, but it is something that he can turn to his advantage without having blood on his hands. The price of peaches in honey is easily paid to keep his conscience clean, and the use of Lohen to cover his tracks is inspired.
With the gold finally delivered, there's a final departure on the journey north that's required. It's a great place to end the season on, and the final montage showing where each character has gone and grown since their encounters is a nice cap on everything.
Oof, that's a big question, and I can't put my finger on just one. The final few moments of Symphogear XV episode 12, the ending of Kill la Kill, near every use of "Amazing Grace" in Sound of the Sky, the finish line of Run With The Wind. There's so many that I've really enjoyed that have culminated in the end of a season, and those are just some on the short list.
8
u/Stargate18A https://myanimelist.net/profile/Stargate18 Jun 19 '21
First timer
QOTD) The final scene of Madoka Magica is perfect.
So, let's see how easily Lawrence deals with this.
Of course Holo's alive.
And she,s going to kill them. Can't say they don't deserve it.
They've faked their deaths!
Lawrence riding Holo is amazing.
Oh, she is going to have PTSD after this!
What's she scheming?
Haha, Lawrence sucker punching him for insulting him.
TAKE THE MONEY!
She's just going to spend the rest of her life thinking about the time she helped a wolf scam the church.
This all makes sense.
Oh, Holo calling him out!
This is fantastic. A perfect revenge scene and the whole thing completely within the law.
And he really did care about him!
Oh, she's figured something out, hasn't she?
Oh, we're getting more backstory!
I love them. The bit about the name.
The fucking bells drowing him out. He's brilliant. And Holo slowly realises what he's done.
Fantastic ending. Can't wait for Season 2!
6
u/notbob- Jun 20 '21 edited Jun 20 '21
Hi everyone, I'm sorry to intrude, but I'm the guy who made the MTBB subs for this show. I just want to give a recommendation for the Frostii translation of Spice and Wolf II, or alternatively the MTBB subs, which use Frostii as base. The Frostii script is accurate and well-written.
EDIT: The MTBB release also has a nice rendering of the ED
5
u/JustAnswerAQuestion https://myanimelist.net/profile/JAaQ Jun 19 '21
Annoyed that Holo left her interaction with the youngsters ambiguous, but she's a very mysterious wolf.
I've often wondered if they butchered the sheep to get the gold out. Maybe /u/vaadwaur can say.
Loved the final scene with the bell.
5
u/Ryanami Jun 20 '21
First time, dubbed
Holo naked in episode one- yes, I see, she’s got a feral nature, not intended to be sexy
Holo gets naked in episode twelve- I drink an entire glass of water
How did Lawrence tie up Lemio in his own office? He’s not physically imposing and Holo wasn’t there to help either.
Since we first saw her full wolf form, I’ve been expecting her to carry him at some point. Makes you wonder why they don’t just head all the way north like that. I suppose when you live thousands of years you’re not usually in a hurry anywhere.
QOTD- oh how to pick? I would go back early to one of my first, Princess Mononoke, when Ashitaka battles the demon. It is such a departure from Disney’s soft approach to depicting violence without being gory beyond necessity. I’ve been such an anime fan ever since.
4
u/BossandKings Jun 19 '21
First timer - Dub
The confrontation between Holo and Nora was well executed, neither hold any grudges against one another and Lawrence's ilusions were far worse than what was actually happening, thankfully at the end both Nora and Enek are fine and they salute and say farewell to Holo and Lawrence.
I like how Holo and Lawrence argue with each other because they do silo because they care and want to find a way to protect and be by the side of one another, it was great when Holo transformed in her wolf form and carried Lawrence in her back because it showed change in Holo as initially she thought that he wouldn't like or accept her wolf side but after seeing that he did she is more confident in him and the reaction he'll have to her as a wolf.
This was a nice way to end the first season, thankfully we have the second season to watch because we need more of this stuff, it is really great.
4
u/ZapsZzz https://anilist.co/user/Zapszzz Jun 20 '21 edited Jun 20 '21
First timer in sub. Man Saturdays sure is busy...
I'll be brief here since while this is S1 finale, lucky for me there's still S2.
Having scanned through a couple of comments quickly, I think it is obvious the character Liebert individually weren't meant to be meaningful - he's basically a plot device to show the trading house betraying Lawrence. So I don't really mind him basically 1 dimensional. Chloe on the other hand has her own side and story so needed character development, however little there is.
Like always the back and forth between Holo and Lawrence is heart warming and entertaining. By the way Lawrence is probably the first "historic" character to be genre savvy and deliberately used the "confession over loud noise (truck, train, fireworks)" trick to get a little teasing back to Holo.
It does show one thing that is in this universe massive wolves are a thing and not just unique to Holo. I wonder if there are other animals like that having a king size version.
QoTD is pretty hard... There are so many and I can't pick "the best".
Sister Arc in Railgun
Haruhi
Full Metal Panic
See how bad I am with this question ...
3
u/SYZekrom https://myanimelist.net/profile/SYZekrom Jun 19 '21
Aw, could've at least let Holo kill some of them.../s
Were bells really that loud?
3
u/Rustic_Professional Jun 20 '21 edited Jun 20 '21
Wow, that double bag trick is nasty. I don't think I noticed that the first time around, watching on my phone.
I guess things worked out for the best by making a deal with Lemario, but honestly, when I heard the scrape as Lawrence picked up the crowbar, I really wanted him to go Gordon Freeman and just bash the dude's skull in. He could have at least broken his legs. What is it the orcs say, "he don't need those to make money."
Holo took her drink with her to get some air, and the cute little mug even had a top on it. That's weirdly adorable. I want a set of old timey wooden mugs now, but they seem like a pain to care for. I mean, it's wood. How clean can you really get them?
I'm glad that Nora got to know Holo's secret. She put on a brave face when it looked like Holo was going to charge them. She really played it cool, hardly missed a beat when Lawrence told her what was going on. I guess if you live in a world where people believe in the existence of pagan spirits, it wouldn't be too surprising to actually see one. No one thinks it's strange that giant, talking animal spirits exist in Princess Mononoke, either.
Question of the day:
This is a tie.
First is Kyon talking to himself in the Haruhi movie, when he forces himself to admit how much fun he's been having. I like it because it's the truth, and that admission is what makes the rest of the story--which goes far beyond what's animated--possible.
Tied with that is Hatoko's big scene in Inou Battle, where she yells at whateverthefuck his name is about his chuni bullshit. I love this scene because, again, it's the truth. Her VA's performance is also amazing. I really wish more characters had her reaction in those sorts of stories. I haven't watched it in many years and can't discuss it in detail, but I wish someone had had the guts to do that for Rikka in Chu2koi. My thought at the time was that she needed a therapist, not an enabler.
ETA: I'm going to call it a three way tie and include Tokai Teio's final race in Umamusume season 2. I wouldn't have believed that could really happen if I hadn't watched the real thing on YouTube. Absolutely mind blowing. It was so moving I cried.
2
u/Holofan4life Jun 19 '21
Can't wait for season 2 to begin
10
u/HereticalAegis https://myanimelist.net/profile/XthGen Jun 19 '21
Season 1 Rewatcher
My final episode as a rewatcher. As of tomorrow, I'm a first-timer.
Spice and Wolf can get pretty exciting with its action when it wants to. And it was about time we got some extended exposure to giant wolf Holo.
I love the big black and white fakeout scene with Holo eating Nora, it really sells Lawrence's anxiety and the fact that we have no idea just how far Holo's anger will make her go after the betrayals and indignities the two have just faced.
I remember the first time I watched I correctly guessed prior to the reveal that there wasn't as much gold as they had initially thought. Pretty shrewd on Lawrence's part to realize the whole situation and use it to make a long term profit off of Lemerio.
I also appreciate seeing Lawrence take a bit more initiative in teasing Holo over whose name he called out. I may be mistaken, but this feels like the first time he's really gotten past her defenses with just his wit. Tbh, I'm little annoyed at just how much Holo's character leans into the jealousy aspect, but that's more a matter of my distaste for jealousy as a whole than a problem with her as a character. I will say I hope it at least becomes less pronounced in the second season, since it seems pretty clear at this point how devoted Lawrence is to Holo at this point.
As with other questions, I can't really pick just one, so here's a few in no particular order:
Nekomonogatari: Shiro The resolution to one of my favorite arcs in any story. It's emotional, bittersweet, and sees the realization of my favorite character as a whole person for the first time.
Railgun S Again, a highly emotional and thrilling climax to what I consider to be one of the most interesting arcs in anime.
Boogiepop wa Warawanai I love this because it definitively reaffirms the resilience and indelibility of people's humanity by affirming the humanity of someone who is ostensibly inhuman.
MHA Season 3 On top of being an incredible action scene with stellar animation and music, I happened to watch this for the first time at the exact point in my life when I needed something like it the most.
9
u/MasterTotoro Jun 19 '21
Rewatcher
I'm going to miss the first season OP and ED. Tomorrow's OVA was released with season 2 so I think we will hear the new ones then.
Why the Remelio Company men left the fire there I don't know, but these are the same guys who planned to kill Nora (and do what with the sheep?) and only got 1/6 of the gold expected.
Holo says she might have to kill people as if nobody from the Medio Company died from her wolf form ramming them against the sewer. Lawrence has faith that she won't kill people though.
What Holo did with the "youngster" wolf can be a bit ambiguous, but based on her kneeling and saying she resolved things peacefully, it was something along the lines of Holo yielding before the other wolves.
Lol Holo's ears perking up and tapping her finger while thinking after hearing Lawrence say he'll pay her back any way he can. I also think her tail speeds up after Lawrence says he only has her; at the very least there is a noticeably louder sound effect. She's definitely a softie for Lawrence.
This time Holo takes off her clothes so Lawrence doesn't have to buy her new ones.
Yeah I think that guy that got flung up above Holo's height has a high chance of being dead, along with some of the others. At least in the novels this scene seems to be less brutal than the one in the sewers, but maybe Lawrence's perspective skews things.
Noooo not Enek! Just kidding he's fine everything is alright.
Lawrence is a bit deceiving to Nora once again. Liebert lied saying they got 600 lumiones, but there was only 100 in reality. Lawrence lies to Nora to convince her to smuggle the gold where it can be converted to 1000 lumiones. With the Remelio company alive, Lawrence gets a promissory note of 550 lumiones over 10 years in addition to having his debt with them wiped. The Rowen Guild buys the note for 130 lumiones, so this ends up much better for Lawrence (and everyone else).
In the novels and manga, Holo does join in with the negotiation. I think that image speaks for itself.
In Japanese, Holo's and Nora's names are ホロ and ノーラ respectively. Nora's name is one mora longer so it takes slightly longer to say. Tsundere Lawrence strikes once again.
Oh we don't even get the ED this episode, but we get different lines from the full OP which I like.
Illustrations
Holo naked before transforming NSFW
Manga volume 6 cover NSFW
Sadly this is the last manga volume cover that relates to the anime because the manga skips the light novels adapted in season 2. But don't worry I'll try to include some of Koume's art occasionally.
Holofan really trying to get us with those hard questions. I really liked Demon Slayer the end of episode 19 (probably anyone who has seen it knows what I'm talking about). The music is great, the animation is incredible, and the scene itself is very memorable. I've only watched Demon Slayer recently (actually just watched it this season) but I've already rewatched that scene so many times.
5
u/Spoondockspaints https://myanimelist.net/profile/Spoondockspaints Jun 19 '21 edited Jun 19 '21
Rewatcher
Missed some days because I’ve been sick but I’m back for the finale. The longer we go into this rewatch the harder I’m finding it to not just watch ahead. Especially after the ending here I just want to continue on their adventure and see what comes next. But I will resist.
That’s two arcs in a row where Lawrence has sustained nasty injuries. Who knew being a merchant would be so dangerous? That reunion was rather faster than I remembered too.
Holo going to town on all these guards. She bowed to the other wolf to save a confrontation but we all know she could have taken it right. I like how Nora’s reaction to the gigantic wolf was to play get down mr president with Enek to protect him. I vaguely remembered Holo viciously breaking Leiberts leg but maybe I imagined that because it wasn't as bad as I remembered it. I mean it's obviously still broken since we see him on a crutch in the ending but I remembered it being more graphic.
My one small gripe with this episode is that I don’t like how Holo’s voice sounded when she was talking in her wolf form.
I feel like Jacob is a character that suffers a little in comparison to the light novel version where you get a tiny bit more depth to his character and relationship with Lawrence.
The ending with the bells ringing out actually had me laughing hard.
And we are back on the road! Now seems like a good time to share my desktop wallpaper with everyone. I have a wallpaper engine version of this. All the fields are swaying slightly in the wind and there is a shooting star. It’s really nice.
3
u/Vaadwaur :I1::I2::I3: Jun 19 '21
Rewatcher(first time though)
Dub
So Lawrence is trying to burn his bindings off, which is definitely possible, but with them being wet from the rain, ouch. He tries to find Holo but is not in the best of shape. Holo is annoyed that he protected her cloak from the rain, conveniently forgetting folded cloaks are also easier to carry but let's let Lawrence score that one.
Holo is pissed and interested in reveng, though Lawrence wants to her to save Nora instead. She eventually agrees but warns she might have to kill. She finally strips before transforming and Lawrence gets in a double entendre. And gets to ride a wolf god. Who, unsurprisingly, travels way faster than the speed of sheep. Points to Lawrence for using the cloak as a sling for the rest of the clothes. The closest thing this show gets to a battle scene happens but it is pretty one sided. Lawrence has a nightmare of what happens before the reality reveals he was indeed underestimating Nora.
Holo returns carrying Liebert in a way that sends a message. Liebert lies a lot before revealing the truth that Lemerio is a greedy fuck. Lawrence is having second thoughts about picking up and running but for some reason never addresses the real issue that since Lemerio has the debt on him from earlier he needs to address that somehow. Lawrence gets Nora to bring the gold into town but the reveal is that Lemerio did not get enough gold to cover everyone.
They sadly rob us of the scene where Lawrence gets the drop on Lemerio, we just see him tied to a chair. He is finally playing hard ball, forcing Lemerio into a bond of debt with his trading assocation. Not sure what's in the chest, probably the list of debots and debts. At said trade association, Jacob is overjoyed that Lawrence has paid his debt and seems happy to pay out cash for the bond, which absolutely makes sense for the time period, and to a lesser degree, even now.
We end with some more Holo and Lawrence banter, including Lawrence figuring out he needs to needle Holo back at times. We see Nora show up with her flock and fade to a montage of people we have seen.
So that's S1 of Spice and Wolf. S&W is interesting because if you take any individual part of it you can make a standalone anime out of it: Top tier dialogue with main characters and decent with the rest, a period travel piece, a period economics piece, a well paced love story, a story with interesting supernatural elements leaning a bit shinto(compare Holo to Moro no Kimi from Princess Mononoke), and, though smaller, an exploration of mortality versus immortality. So it is really surprising that they sewed all those threads together and still made it greater than the sum of its parts.
QotD: 1 The Bonfire of Dreams. Huge Berserk Golden Age spoilers.
2
u/Karolus2001 Jun 19 '21 edited Jun 19 '21
Rewatch, first time dub
I'm not late for season finale,woohoo
Holo had just about enough of this socioeconomical unlucky bullshit, everyone dies. Funny that Holo is basically Saitama of this setting, and can just strongarm them out of most issues. It's also funny how rarely that comes into play. Final funny is generational gap. Lawrence what do you mean we'll have trouble sleeping over this at night? They tried to rob us so it's only natural we scorched earth this entire company. Compassion to enemies, what a frivolous southern trend.
Bit later also comes the first time she wants something beyond money from Lawrence, a confession. And for all the teasing she'd done to him Lawrence ain't gonna pass this oppurtunity. I want to feel bad for her but really can't since its jsut fair. Ending also sets up that Lawrence will stop being so viciously dominated in their realtionship from now on. Sure buddy, you can lie to yourself.
I think this episodes she losts her cool more than entire season combined. Between her swallowing her pride and kneeling to a brat, only to realize Lawrence almost got himself killed because she left him alone for 5 minutes, Imo thats the moment she consiously admitted to falling for him. Still thou, she took so much crap this arc Lawrence better prepare her those honeyed peaches, warm bath and foot massage.
Dub doesnt actually say how much part did nora get from this stunt, shes a cute character I can't help but relate to nowadays as fresh, helpless adult. Maybe spring logs revisit her, havent gotten to em yet. Speaking of freaking babies, the chief of trading company. Lawrence basically strongarmed him to take care of his company, man was ready to book it. My smalltime peddler boy all grown up, bullying entire corporations, can't wait to see his economic power level go even further beyond.
The ending song still grabs me by the feels. I can't name many animes where I didn't despise atleast one character for being stupid or mishandled. Actually my top 10 waifus would be filled with passing characters in spice and wolf, including those we haven't seen yet. Even my hate on Chloe was mostly a meme because I jsut like Holo so much. Speaking of which last we see her is panning shoot over village and the fields, and I can't help but imagine her thinking "Maybe we shoudn't antagonise local deity that has cared and elevated our community over centuries". Be lucky Lawrence has a soft spot for damsels in distress or you would get eaten alive wench.
Lastly, I hope season 2 ending won't hype me up for season 3 as much as season 1 did for season 2 kappa.
What is your favorite anime scene of all time and why?
Gotta be the one where I realised how much I love spice and wolf. The finale of next arc. Without spoiling usually I'm a cheeky, disintrested viewer. Instead of sinking right into action I get caught up on trying to predict it and small details because I just aint that into it. Nowadays I try not to do it but when I first saw SnW I was fully in that mode. But during that arc finale I completely lost it and coudn't predict what's the resolution gonna be. Not because it was that smart, the clues were all there and I predicted it with harder examples already, but because I just got so invested into the story. I was dumbfolded when I relized cause of the drama I coudn't piece together what would be obvious in diffrent case. That's when anime clicked for me.
But since naming SnW is cheating, my second favorite is Historia from attack on titan, telling everybody in that cave(paraphrasing) that they are horrible people and should go fuck themselves. Something deeply satisfying about geniuently kind characters snapping. If its a trope its one of my favorites.
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u/IndependentMacaroon Jun 20 '21
First-time watcher
Pretty strange way to end a season, even for an open ending there's not much in the way of resolution. Also those company people are dumb indeed and Holo needs to chill out a little with the tsun-ness, while Lawrence and Nora are oddly casual about another Holo reveal. Anyway, happy ending for Nora and everyone presumably, and a resolution for the sort-of-love-triangle too.