Spice and Wolf Merchant Meets the Wise Wolf Episode 1 Review: The first episode of the brand-new remake of Spice and Wolf is finally here. Let us see, how the first episode went.
Spice and Wolf Merchant Meets the Wise Wolf Episode 1 Overview
The talented author Isuna Hasekura has written this remarkable series as a light novel, which is beautifully illustrated by Jū Ayakura. The story is directed by Takahashi Takeo and Sanpei Hijiri, and it follows the life of a travelling merchant who, one day, finds a young, naked woman sleeping in his carriage.
The anime series features the musical contributions of ClariS and Hope Hana for the theme songs, and Penkin Kevin for the overall score. The series has received official licensing from Crunchyroll, whereas TV Tokyo and AT-X are the original providers of the broadcast.
Episode 1 of Spice and Wolf Merchant Meets the Wise Wolf can also be called the 1st episode of Ōkami to Kōshinryō (狼と香辛料).
I have tried my best to keep the review as spoiler-free as possible, but there are certain elements that I had to mention to give proper feedback.
– Spice and Wolf Merchant Meets the Wise Wolf Episode 1 Review Contains Minor Spoilers –
Spice and Wolf Merchant Meets the Wise Wolf Episode 1 Review and Recap – Lawrence And Holo
The reboot that no one expected is finally here and as someone who has barely seen the original adaptation, this one felt pretty nice. The episode starts with two girls having a discussion where one is asking the other to tell her tales. We do not see their faces, but I am sure one of them is Holo, the protagonist of the story.
When the other girl is unsatisfied with Holo’s stories, Holo switches to narrating a story from her distant past. This is where we become spectators to the journey of Holo, the wise wolf who is also the guardian deity of a village, and Lawrence, a travelling merchant.
Just to write the review, I went to watch the first episode of the original anime and the biggest difference to the original, is the absence of Chloe. Chloe was an anime-only character and though many fans might not like it, here you actually get Yarei, in her place, who is the true price negotiator from the novel and manga. This means, unlike the previous adaptation, this one plans to follow its source material faithfully and that is something that I prefer.
When it comes to animation, things get complicated, as there is a significant difference between both adaptations. I liked the new one more as at times, it almost looked like a moving painting. It is not the best thing ever, but it is still captivating, and I do believe Passione Studio has done a decent job here. But it is also totally understandable if someone does not like it, as the colour scheme used here, did feel new to me.
But, personally, the highlight of the episode was definitely the breathtaking music that followed every scene. Kevin Penkin who is also famous for his music in Made in Abyss, went off with his creation and made something absolutely beautiful. You instantly get transported to Holo and Lawrence’s medieval world and feel surreal.
The pacing of the anime also felt decent and once the episode gets over, you find yourself asking what will happen next.
Verdict
If you are new to Spice and Wolf like me, I will suggest give this anime a chance and see for yourself if you like it or not. The story is really nice, with some very realistic characters and their worldviews, making this a good watch. I loved how we see the perspective of a higher being who just wishes to move on from her duties as she knows she is not needed anymore. She can finally be free and go on a new journey and we will be able to witness that along with her.
The main hurdle to conquer regarding the animation studio will be Lawrence’s internal monologue (which wasn’t in the first version) since that gives a whole other experience and context about his mindset and more importantly, the subtle evolution it has in each and every event about his vision and conception of Holo, the world and himself.
That’s an interesting info. I will keep the monologue part in mind!
The main hurdle to conque will be Lawrence’s monologue (absent almost completely in the first adaptation).
Those inner dialogue gives way more context of Lawrence’s mindset, and his subtle yet concrete evolution regarding Holo’ the world, and himself (even re-contextualizing some behavior).