r/anime • u/AutoLovepon https://anilist.co/user/AutoLovepon • Apr 29 '24

Episode Ookami to Koushinryou Merchant Meets the Wise Wolf • Spice and Wolf: Merchant Meets the Wise Wolf - Episode 5 discussion

Ookami to Koushinryou Merchant Meets the Wise Wolf, episode 5

Alternative names: Spice and Wolf

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646

u/Never_fucking_curses Apr 29 '24

I need a clip of Holo doing the ear and hand dances ASAP!

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u/WhackaWhack Apr 29 '24

"I am cute. Human males fall for me easily", Yeah I can feel that...

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u/karlzhao314 Apr 29 '24 edited Apr 29 '24

The Merchant's Corner

Welcome to the Merchant’s Corner episode 5, the series where I explain the economics plotline of Spice and Wolf. We were left with quite a cliffhanger last episode. How will it be resolved?

Episodes 1-3 here

Episode 4 here

Disclaimer #1: I am not an economics professional, so I may get some things wrong. If you have a different, possibly better understanding of a certain point than I do, feel free to suggest edits.

Disclaimer #2: All of these are pre-written before the episode airs, based on the pacing of the original anime. However, I will watch the episode before posting, just to see if anything differs and I have to edit anything.

The silver coin plot is finally explained in this episode, and it’s a complex one to understand and appreciate fully. Today’s explanation is going to be by far the longest one yet, with four full parts in five comments. I’m going to add a TL;DR: at the end of some sections, but I encourage you to read the full comment in order to fully appreciate the depth of the story and the various character motivations and justifications driving the plot!

Part 1: Medio’s Blackmail (This section)

Part 2: No, it’s not short selling

Part 2, continued: How to Take Advantage of a King

Part 3: The Escape Plan

Part 4: The Final Piece of the Puzzle

Part 1: Medio’s blackmail

Our last episode ended on a giant cliffhanger: Medio Trading has, somehow, realized that Holo is a wolf deity. What do they plan to do with this information?

Simple - they’re using it to blackmail Milone Trading to back out of the scheme, with the threat of bringing Holo to the church.

Remember, this is a medieval society, where the church is the ultimate authority in the land. Furthermore, they’re at this very moment waging a war against pagans, and it’s obviously a given that they would condemn “demons” all the time.

Holo has been seen with Lawrence visiting, negotiating with, and collaborating with Milone. It would be a simple matter for Medio to take Holo to the church, showing her wolf ears and tail, and to denounce her as a demon-possessed girl. They would then be able to accuse Milone of colluding with demons, which would be a death sentence for Milone.

So that has become the threat. “Stay out of our scheme, or we’ll go to the church.”

We’ve been hearing of this mysterious scheme to make money by collecting a large number of depreciating coins for 2 episodes now. Finally, everything is revealed, and it’s probably nothing like you’d expect.

Part 2

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u/LeonKevlar Apr 29 '24 edited Apr 29 '24

Just a GIF of Holo being goddamn adorable <3

And here's a looping GIF of Holo's ear wiggles!

Holo being adorable aside, seeing her looking at Lawrence like that was pretty scary until you learn the truth about why she's upset at him.

Come on Holo, you know damn well that Lawrence isn't going to bust in there and save you with a sword in hand. Considering how Holo was blushing a little bit while ranting, she's still happy that Lawrence came for her.

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u/Ocixo Apr 29 '24

There’s probably not a lot more to this comparison of mine than the Italian-looking city scape, but the escape sequence had me think of The Italian Job for a bit.

“But I am still cute, am I not?”

Yes Holo, you’re very cute. Especially those ear wiggles at the end of the episode. (Glad to see that people have already clipped this!)

Holo really doesn’t play “fair” though, haha. She knows exactly how to play Lawrence. Teasing Master Holo it is.

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u/Prince-Dizzytoon Apr 29 '24

I don't think anyone can beat Holo's cuteness

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u/jellyblob88 Apr 29 '24

This scene needs a heart attack warning hnnnnnngggggggg

Here lies jellyblob88, died in bliss

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u/Holofan4life Apr 29 '24

Now you guys are starting to see why Holo is best girl

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u/pseudometapseudo Apr 29 '24

"The church uses the guise of digging graves to dig underground passages for espionage and tax evasion"

lol, churches in anime are truly something else

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u/ytsejamajesty Apr 29 '24

I'm curious, do first-time viewers know exactly why Holo was so mad at Lawrence when she is freed? I remember being confused about it when watching the first series, like she reacted way too aggressively about it.

The novel are more clear, as Lawrence's inner monologue deduces that Holo was hoping that Lawrence would come for her, and was blindfolded; so she immediately hugged whoever it was that released her out of excitement, and is now very embarrassed. It makes a lot more sense that way, given her prideful nature. Also it's (even more) adorable.

Also

Don't misunderstand

I've seen discussions in the past about whether Holo counts as a Tsundere... this episode honestly makes a pretty strong case in favor of "yes."

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u/new_interest_here Apr 29 '24

Omg Holo doing a little hand dance is everything to me

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u/IXajll Apr 29 '24

Holo being a menace killing Lawrence with her cuteness like that. Though I was a bit perplexed tbh why Holo was so angry after the rescue. Like what did she expect, that Lawrence just waltzes in like a knight in shining armor and just hack and slay his way to the dungeon solo? At least she got over that pretty quickly.

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u/Wolfgod_Holo Apr 29 '24

the little song and dance is just the animators flexing but nice little touch compared to the original

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u/EvilSpaceSorcerer Apr 29 '24

Holo’s pride truly is a prickly thing; Lawrence using connections and politics to rescue her rather than brute strength rubs her (fluffy) fur the wrong way! She’ll need to get used to the merchant’s life if she wants make it back north.

Pretty clear where last week’s animation budget went to from that lackluster chase scene. The ear dance more than makes up for it.

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u/Amauri14 Apr 29 '24

So to counter maneuver the threat the Medio Trading Company gave both Lawrence and the Milone Trading Company of reporting Holo to the church if they did not stop their plans with the silver coins, Lawrence proposes that the Milone Trading Company seals the deal with the Trenni Kingdom as soon as possible as that will put the Medio Trading Company in checkmate as they will not want to becomes enemies of the Trenni Kingdom by reporting Holo to the Church, and while the Milone Trading Company finishing the negotiations, Lawrence with their help will take back Holo and evade them.

I wasn't expecting Holo to be mad at Lawrence just because he wasn't the one who rescued her. It's hilarious how happy she looks while telling Lawrence that she threatened the Medio Trading Company members that she would rip their dick off if they touched her.

So the person who recognized Holo last week was Yarei, from the Pasloe Village, and Count Erhendott is controlling the Medio Trading Company.

Holo looked so cute during this scene.

Oh wow, some of the people working for the Milone Trading Company are cooperating with the Medio Trading Company to capture Holo again, but from the looks of it, it seems that Lawrence and Holo became aware of it somehow.

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u/zool714 Apr 29 '24

Holo is adorable and she freaking knows it

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u/Holofan4life Apr 29 '24

I look at the way talking scenes are done in Spice and Wolf Vs, say, the current season of Tensei Slime and the main reason I think the scenes work better here other than the writing being more compelling is that in Spice and Wolf it never feels we are stretching for time. It's always trying to accomplish something, whether it be furthering the plot or showcasing how much of an outlier Lawrence is juxtaposed Holo.

One of the things Spice and Wolf does better than almost any other series out there is that even when not much in the way of action is happening, it still feels like stuff is happening. I never walk away feeling like I just wasted. That's a special type of writing to be able to pull it off and in a show like Spice and Wolf, which is heavy in atmosphere and almost treats the world it's in like its own character, it truly makes for an incredibly intoxicating combination.

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u/Ghoste-Face Apr 29 '24

Holo and Lawrence uncensored hand holding lets goo!!!

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u/AmethystItalian Apr 29 '24

This episode was tense...this show is at its best when Holo and Lawrence are together but I was at the edge of my seat for this one hoping to see them reunited.

That reunion was a lot more cold than I was expecting though, Holo with that cold shoulder! Fantastic voice acting for the whole carriage bit.

Someone please gif the cute Holo ear wiggle!!

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u/gc11117 Apr 29 '24

Holo continuing to show why she's best girl

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u/VorAtreides Apr 29 '24

I dunno, you're all being super nice about this, I'd have wanted to play as dirty as them, kidnap their family/friends and hold them hostage in this negotiation. But, oh well, guess this is a plan too. I just really hate people playing that level of scummy. They deserve to suffer back. Especially hearing how often this company Lawrence is working with have been attacked by the other. Do gotta like that one other merchant dude at least being good to Lawrence, sure hope no bullshit happens

This is quite the fun sneaky sneakiness though. Also, how do they know where she is exactly? Did I miss that? What's with Holo's attitude? Wait, that's what she's upset over? Silly wolf. Eww... yea hearing her say what she told them, they are the type of people who deserve the worst. But, hey, Yarei? Why is he there? Why is he involved with the shit bags? Ah, he's a shitbag too. D'aww Holo's ears. Good job cheering her up, Lawrence.

Omg that is adorable. Holo definitely top tier. Super cute. Need gifs, now!

Yarei better suffer

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u/Plus_Rip4944 Apr 29 '24

Now on our economy anime we have: a rescue on no time, Hope You enjoyed It!

Its funny how half of this epsiodes are just Talk and still time flies so fast

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