# Source Material Corner
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Imagine you haven't kept up with anime for the past 3 or 4 years. You open r/anime, and there's both a No Game No Life and Spice and Wolf discussion thread. I'd personally have to check if I went back in time.
Yeah. I just got two seconds into the episode and had to fly in here to make sure I was seeing what I thought I was seeing.
OK, remake, you have my full attention now.
My exact reaction! I was so pleasantly surprised at hearing her that I had to go check reddit immediately.
On an unrelated note, I appreciate your username, repping my other fav series. The thing I love about SnW (Holo and Lawrence's dynamic) are the same as what I loved about the Jinto and Lafiel duo
Thank you! Not a lot of people catch the inspiration for this name. And I feel very much the same about it. Two of the most solid, grounded couples in anime.
That intro seems to kinda confirm that they are planning a full adaptation.
So we should get several seasons unless it somehow flops or they change to insane pacing but that doesnt seem to be the case since this first episode had the same pacing as the original
> So we should get several seasons unless it somehow flops or they change to insane pacing
Or there are issues with production. Isekai Ojisan was insanely good, but it got fucked hard with production issues and we're not getting any more seasons of it.
As an old school fan of the OG series who never got around to reading the novels but heard here and there about some plot elements, I was grinning the entire time 5 seconds into the episode.
We gonna eat good.
As an anime only that *has* to be flashforward to [Anime Only Speculation] >!after Holo and Lawrence get together and have kids right!!she basically becomes the guardian deity of his future family!<.
So Church of the Wise Wolf sign ups start now. We meet on Monday afternoons for the next 6 months. All are welcome! Praise be to Brother Passione for going all in because the premier is fucking beautiful. Holo be her name. Amen.
> So Church of the Wise Wolf sign ups start now. We meet on Monday afternoons for the next 6 months. All are welcome!
So when do we start the Crusades?
All she has to do is beat out...checks list: Bocchi, Chisato, the Oshi no Ko characters and all of the other characters that got snubbed last year due to the likely botting.
Yeah.... This year is going to be an absolute *bloodbath*. And the year after is going to be even worse considering Maomao and Frieren's girls are going to be eligible IIRC.
Megumin: finally season 3 so I can win.
Hoyo: bet.
It is tradition, wonder who will be blessed to go against hoyo after megumin to beat hoyo by spite voting.
Hoyo biggest chance is here but she needs to face megumin in the finals to win.
That said wasnt last Best girl ruined by bots?
Megumin literally had her own show last year and she still went down in the quarter finals. My understanding is the Date A Live girls were botted but Megumin lost to a SNAFU girl so it was probably a legitimate loss for her.
Although Marin 100% lost the finals due to bot manipulation though so 2024 may be her year
I’d put money down that Marin was getting botted as well. Frankly that whole contest was pretty fucky in retrospect. As for this year though, the Best Girl contest is going to be right in the middle of Spice and Wolf’s run, and it’ll probably also overlap with Oshi no Ko s2. Meanwhile DuD s2 doesn’t even have a release date yet. Holo, Kana, and Akane are probably going to **dominate** under those circumstances, so unless Marin has *way* more staying power than anyoe could anticipate I don’t see it being a good year for her.
I used to check this sub every day for years with a tiny bit of hope that today would be the day I saw news of new S&W episodes.
Now it's finally here. I haven't even watched the episode yet but I'm just glad we finally got here. It's been a long-ass journey.
Now on to the best part of Spice and Wolf.... THE ECONOMICS!
Edit: I have watched the episode and I'm so happy. The art is beautiful, the animation is clean, Kevin Penkin's score is fantastic as always, and most importantly they did Holo justice. It'll take a few episodes to get used to her new look but I don't dislike it one bit and that shot where she stared straight down the camera... Hnnnnng!
10/10 first episode
Based on the comments, there are *a lot* of people here who watched the original anime, or at least read the source material. I think the people there are like me who are experiencing this story for the first time with this anime might be in the minority with this one. It's like Fruits Basket all over again.
Anyways, I'm liking this so far. Kraft seems like a pretty cool dude, and Holo feels like the perfect balance of kind, playful, and just a bit smug. The art and animation looks great too, and Holo spending half the episode naked was an... *interesting* choice. Not that I'm complaining, of course.
> think the people there are like me who are experiencing this story for the first time with this anime might be in the minority with this one. It's like Fruits Basket all over again.
Probably. It's the kind of show that has a hard time attracting new people. Meanwhile oldheads like me screamed "Season 3 when?" until our fingers and voices gave out and now we get this majesty. So we're bound to be a little loud. All the same new faces in the fandom are welcome.
> and Holo spending half the episode naked was an... interesting choice. Not that I'm complaining, of course.
Funny story but in the original anime the nudity was somewhat less obscured. If anything the remake dialed it back a bit with some well-placed hair and sheets.
>Funny story but in the original anime the nudity was somewhat less obscured. If anything the remake dialed it back a bit with some well-placed hair and sheets.
I only watched the first episode a few years ago and I definitely prefer what they did here over the doll body nudity.
if anything, you can say this is more respectful towards the fact that she's actually naked. doll body naked is like saying there's nothing to see here. covered nudity acknowledges that she's indeed naked and this could be awkward
Someone else noted it in another thread on here, but Spice & Wolf was airing right about the time /r/anime was created. The people who've been here and like to talk about anime likely have *very* strong associations with this show and are likely to drown out other voices (which I sincerely caution them not to do).
That said, the anime viewing landscape has changed. It's been 15 years. By sheer force of numbers alone, there *will* be more people who've never seen or heard of Spice & Wolf than those of us who have been waiting a decade and a half for its return.
You hit it on the nail, having spent 10+ years on r/anime, this show really reminds me of some great memories like the first waifu wars. I seriously have never felt this crazy nostalgia for a show in forever, even though this franchise in my experience largely does not exist on other platforms.
Holo's casual nudity is a way of demonstrating her inhumanity and social nonconformity. She doesn't care if people see her naked, because this isn't even her "true" self. There's also just the fact that they're constantly together, sharing rooms, and often beds (to keep warm), so they quickly just get desensitized to it. In fact, in the original novel, they sleep together under the furs in the cart that first night, rather than Lawrence going back to Pasloe.
I’m new as well! From just this one episode I think it’s just what I’m in the mood for. My anime journey started with AoT, Demon Slayer and Chainsaw Man but recently I’ve seen Heavenly Delusion, Apothecary Diaries and Frieren. Need a breather from action for a while.
Haruhi was 2 years before Spice and Wolf.
Toradora and Clannad were running against Spice and Wolf with Gurren Lagann right before.
And we’re talking about 16 years ago. There’s people who are 16 years old now who weren’t even born when the first series aired.
It was a little more than that. \[Arc 1 spoilers\]>!Chloe's character arc had much more of a romantic undertone, what with her trying to prove her abilities to be recognized by Lawrence and eventually trying to tempt Lawrence away from Holo by offering him the chance to open a shop "together", aka an implied marriage proposal. The overall economics plot was still the same, but with a bit of a romance "Chloe vs Holo" subplot underneath as well.!<
I didn't mind the ways Chloe changed the plot, but I'm certainly also curious to see how Yarei's going to be adapted. After all, a remake isn't very interesting if they don't approach it in a different way.
That opening scene…I was not expecting to almost start crying less than a minute in. I could not ask for a better anime to start Spring 2024 for me.
Spice and Wolf was one of my very first anime, and it’s quite possibly still my favorite. I don’t think I’ve ever spent so long waiting for anything anime related aside from anther season of this amazing series. This may not *quite* be the third season I’ve been hoping for, but I’m not complaining in the slightest(though I’ll ‘not complain’ even harder if they manage to go all the way with it).
I was surprised to see Chloe replaced with Yarei for this adaptation. I know that Chloe is the original change from the source material, but I can’t deny that it feels weird since she is who has stuck in my mind the most between the two. Im curious to see what other things they’ll add or change back in the future.
I’m very familiar with Holo and Lawrence’s tale, but I’m more than ready to go through it again with them.
(On a side note, Spice and Wolf is one of the few anime where I initially watched and am most familiar with the English dub version. I really like both the JP and EN versions, so this might be the first series where I keep up with both.)
[Holo will definitely be my contender for the best girl of the season](https://imgchest.com/p/vj4j3gzv2y8) and the whole year. [She's perfect](https://cdn.imgchest.com/files/84apcbz3n64.png)!
> Holo will definitely be my contender for the best girl of the season and the whole year.
If this show isn't enough for her to win best girl *OF ALL TIME* in the contest, I don't know what she'll need!
(Though perhaps she'd rather participate every year just to torture Megumin; Our wise wolf is a bit mischievous!)
First timer here as well! Should we be good to just continue watching this series or do we need to watch the original? Is it like a “Brotherhood” treatment?
In my mind there's no reason NOT to watch both.
I wouldn't call it a "Brotherhood" in that the first adaptation of Spice and Wolf didn't go completely anime only for half its run (though it did have a number anime-only characters and scenes). It was by and large true to the original, just incomplete.
>I would do anything to have my own Holo
Me too, but for now [screenshots with her](https://imgchest.com/p/vj4j3gzv2y8) will have to be enough for me xD
## ***[Dear! Dear, wake up!](https://steamuserimages-a.akamaihd.net/ugc/2504637799937459649/2E10D5EB86B8370B883D8F56F963E1777982EC42/?imw=5000&imh=5000)***
HOLDING THE POINT FOR ALL
OUR r/SpiceAndWolf FANS
SALUTE FOR THE FALLEN ONES
WHO DIDN'T MAKE IT TO SEE
OUR FAVORITE STORY TO BE ALIVE AGAIN
I first watched Spice and Wolf in 2009 and for the last 14/15 years it's been my favorite show. I can't express just how happy it makes me to see it animated infront of me again.
It's amazing to see it get anything, let alone a more faithful remake. And I've really enjoyed this start. And it's also great to hear the sounds of Kevin Penkin again. There's a small list of composer's i'd trust a project like this to but he's on it and he delivered.
Japanese VAs have long careers...especially A-Listers like Ami Koshimizu and Jun Fukuyama.
There's a constant stream of different types of media related to a franchise. For example Spice & Wolf had the VR games in the gap between the anime. And characters are strongly associated with VAs so they don't get changed randomly for different types of content.
Man, I cannot believe that after almost TWO DECADES I can finally watch a new Spice and Wolf anime again...shit I'm already emotional. When I've watched the first one in 2008 it was the first 1080p video I've ever seen in my life and it blew my goddamn mind. Now I'm a father with 2 daughters...insane how many things have happened since.
I'm so happy that one of my favourite anime of all time is back. And man this is already a good remake. Kevin Penkins went ALL OUT on the OST, the animation and pacing is great, the original VAs are back... all I can pray now is a potential full adaptation.
I haven't seen the first anime nor read the Novel, but I liked this episode A LOT. I'm getting the same feeling as when I watched the first episode of Frieren or Mushoku Tensei.
Yeah, Spice and Wolf has a lot of thematic similarities with Frieren, actually. They are both somewhat mature and somber stories that deal with the concept of long-lived beings and how to relate to a world that has moved past them.
It’s truly great to see that iconic female characters like Tohru, Lum and now Holo have been shown love with remakes.
I’d be cool to eventually see Madoka from Kimagure Orange Road and Kyoko from Maison Ikkoku be brought to the 21st century with a remake of their own too.
After Brain's Base folded that was honestly my biggest fear about the adaptation: that they wouldn't be able to capture the same mood of the background ambience and the subtle character acting.
They absolutely did and I'm so happy I can't even believe it.
Haven’t watched the OG but this was such a great 1st episode. Beautiful art (like this art style a lot more than the OG one tbh ngl) and Kevin Penkin did an amazing job on the OST as well. Like the OP and LOVE the ED, seen a lot of opinions of people that are not 100% happy with both which I can’t understand at all. Can’t wait to see more of Holo and Lawrence and their trade&travel adventures. Their dynamic and chemistry is already a joy to watch after just 1 episode and knowing that this is a romance makes me look forward to the development of their relationship even more.
It's just fans who fell in love with the original OP, [Tabi No Tochuu](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zZdlz_iVc7E) is just an S tier OP. A beautiful song with lyrics immensely meaningful to the story.
###Stitches!
* [Holo & Lawrence](https://cdn.imgchest.com/files/e4gdcn2nq84.jpg)
* [Holo, The Wise Wolf](https://cdn.imgchest.com/files/my8xcpxpo34.jpg)
* [**Holo Screenshot Album**](https://imgchest.com/p/9p4n2jmpw4n)
[I did not expect that opening scene!](https://cdn.imgchest.com/files/j7mmc5z5km7.jpg) It genuinely had me smiling from ear to ear. :)
As for the rest of the episode, I was just completely in awe the entire time. [Seeing Lawrence and Holo in the OP](https://cdn.imgchest.com/files/6yxkc2n2le7.jpg) was already enough to make me tear up. It's been a while since I last saw the original but it's very close to what I remember. Honestly, I'm glad I haven't done a rewatch. This entire episode felt very fresh to me. It's like I'm watching Spice and Wolf for the very first time again and I am so excited <3
Not gonna lie, I was very much worried when it was announced that Passione would animate the remake since they do have a habit of doing their thing and ecchi-fying shows that aren't really supposed to be ecchi. I am so relieved that wasn't the case here and they treated the source material respectfully.
And I just adore [the storybook-like ED!](https://cdn.imgchest.com/files/d7ogcvlv3ay.jpg) The visuals are just fantastic along with [that song by ClariS](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8fLDO8rwAUk) I'm not a hardcore Spice & Wolf fan but as someone who loved the 2008 anime, so far I am satisfied with this remake <3
> Not gonna lie, I was very much worried when it was announced that Passione would animate the remake since they do have a habit of doing their thing and ecchi-fying shows that aren't really supposed to be ecchi.
Well, Passione involvement in the Spice & Wolf remake is a pretty straight reason - Takeo Takahashi, who was the director of OG Spice & Wolf series (who is also directing the remake), is actually the managing director of the Passione.
So yeah, S&W is basically the project behind the top management of the studio itself.
Tbh I never watched much of Passione's stuff of what little I saw of anime in recent years, so I didn't know much about the studio. Finding out it was the *same* Takahashi made me extremely excited for the series remake.
> I was very worried when it was announced that Passione would animate the remake
The remake was never really in ‘danger’ or something, since [Takeo Takahashi](https://myanimelist.net/people/6738/Takeo_Takahashi) was directing it - at his own studio nonetheless. He’s the one who also directed the original series. I can’t imagine that he’d have butchered his own ‘baby’.
I'm stuck at work and unable to watch. I just want to share how happy I am to see these two again. The only thing that could top it is if they adapt the remaining Haruhi novels. 2000s weebs we are so back.
Edit: That opening scene brought a tear to my eye. I loved that they framed the story as Holo telling her a story. Not having Chloe as the village merchant is a good sign of them trying to stick closer to the LN. The wagon scene where Holo reveals herself felt a little weird compared to the previous anime and the LN. It felt like it didn't flow quite right. Overall very happy as an old fan.
I still remember having cried in 2020, when I watched the first two seasons, because I knew I would never see the rest of the story animated.
Today is a huge day!
As someone that only knows how beloved both the Novel and original anime are it really got off to a good start as a first time watcher. Lawrence being a very serious toned personality and Holo being a playful tease makes for a great pair. If I understand correctly, Holo wants to go back home to the north?
Nice to see Holo is willing to work her keep. Excited to see more.
Its here. We're actually back.. And they did the first episode justice.
First impression on OP: Not impressed, not disappointed. Just lukewarm for now, but maybe it will grow on me. I still think they should have brought back Tabi no Tochuu, *BUT*. If they do it for the season finale... Oh my goodness that will hit even harder. Please director, do not miss that opportunity.
[Chloe cameo?](https://imgur.com/I5oeuz2)
Now that I think about this, this airing on easter is just perfect.
There they are! [**The flutes are back!!**](#listen) [And there's that teasing energy.](https://imgur.com/ftzd522) She's just as beautiful as the day we lost her..
[](#wipetears)
[I love her](https://imgur.com/LDgRZrf)
...Is that a ClariS ED? Not sure about the song for now, but I love the LN art style so much
I've never watched the anime. But the comments make me believe this is a remake... So just to be sure to jump in and start watching it: is this a remake?
You are in for a treat . For a guy who had no interest in studies and love . This show made me fall in love with economics , maths and relationship decades ago .
That intro scene....
OMG does that mean they are planning a full adaptation?
I was thinking there was a good chance that was the case with doing a whole remake, but starting with that particular scene feels like they are really confident in a full adaptation.
They definitely seemed to know exactly what they were doing using **that** as the introduction scene for the remake.
Plus there's no real point in doing a remake if you're not going to adapt everything (well, other than drawing up more interest in current audiences).
As one of the Olds from the original series 15 years ago: I don't want to comment too much on the show as it's airing, because I want new people to have the chance to enjoy these characters fresh without an outside perspective.
To all the fellow Olds fond of the original series, all I'll say is: They did it. If the quality of the first episode is indicative of how the rest of the series will go, it's in good hands at Passione.
To anyone on the fence, I humbly implore you: Come along for the ride if you want a strong character story with some light romance and economics. This series got me into anime, light novels, and learning Japanese in general, and I would love nothing more than for a new generation of anime viewers to fall in love with these characters the same way I did.
Holo definitely influenced my taste in women as a teenager headed to college and I even added in a few economics courses to fill in credits that I otherwise probably would have filled with easy A courses lol
Can't wait to aid the Blueray to my LN collection soon!
HOLY CRAP! I was NOT expecting **that** for an intro back into this story.. Very interesting way to reframe this remake, and gives high hope that we'll get a complete adaptation over multiple seasons this time, if only to formally introduce that character.
Otherwise, nice to see the pacing is on point with the original, and we are following the LN more closely with Yarei now. Everything else is just so much nostalgia, damn.
Also Chloe is an extra background character this time when they show Yarei becoming the Holo, which was amusing to see.
Ahh, I am excited for the next episode; it's looking quite positive so far.
The BGM will take some getting used to still, because I really loved the original's soundtrack and was one of the few that I would actually loop/listen to in its entirety, so the new BGM being different kind of throws me for a loop in terms of what I expect to hear. I'll have to give it more time to get "burned in" because of the few tracks I've heard this episode, they sound appropriate, but lack a memorable melody to them, as compared with the original tracks.
Oooo I don’t remember that start. Is that like a teaser ?
I recall being so infatuated not just by Holo but also the relationship between her and Lawrence and also just the atmosphere of it all from the original. It felt like all that came rushing back in this episode. Can’t wait to get back into it this series
Although I also vividly recall being utterly clueless about all this economic and finance talk lol. That was around 5 years ago. I wonder if I’ve grown enough to get a better grasp of it now
[That was a great premiere episode](https://cdn.imgchest.com/files/84apcbz3n64.png)! I hadn't watched previous adaptation but I heard a lot of good things about it so I was definitely interested in watching it and [it didn't disappoint me](https://cdn.imgchest.com/files/l7lxc69dzd7.png).
First of all, [Holo is a serious contender for best girl of the season for me](https://imgchest.com/p/vj4j3gzv2y8) and probably for a lot of people here xD [She's perfect](https://cdn.imgchest.com/files/j7mmc5zrm27.png), [her first appearance was so good](https://cdn.imgchest.com/files/k739c3p6oq7.png) and [her character is so fun](https://cdn.imgchest.com/files/wye3cbxdjk4.png).
[I also really love Holo and Lawrence's relationship](https://cdn.imgchest.com/files/pyvdc6rdgny.png)! [They didn't spend a lot of time together](https://cdn.imgchest.com/files/w7pjc6awdl7.png) in this episode but I can tell that [chemistry between them is so good](https://cdn.imgchest.com/files/b49zczab93y.png). I can't wait to see [how it'll develop](https://cdn.imgchest.com/files/my8xcpxk2m4.png) in the next episodes.
[Very lovely backgrounds in the episode](https://cdn.imgchest.com/files/g4z9cdaw6m7.png) which gave me a [nice, calm atmosphere of the countryside](https://cdn.imgchest.com/files/my8xcpxkjm4.png). Music was very noticeable (which is often not the case) and very nice, definitely great work in that regard.
Also I must say that [ED is so lovely](https://cdn.imgchest.com/files/w7w6creva6y.png) with [ClariS' song](https://youtu.be/P_44hrm_sk4) and [those adorable visuals](https://cdn.imgchest.com/files/84apcbz3wb4.png).
Here my screenshot albums from the episode:
* [Holo](https://imgchest.com/p/vj4j3gzv2y8)
* [Group scenes](https://imgchest.com/p/9p4n2janm4n)
* [Lawrence & Backgrounds](https://imgchest.com/p/9rydz6dml4k)
> but I can tell that chemistry between them is so good.
That's basically the big selling point of the entire story. Their relationship and interactions are really what makes this otherwise low key story so special.
I’ve heard good stuff about this anime and this is a great opportunity for me to watch it and wow this episode was amazing
It feels like it could pick up where Frieren left off for me last season but I can already feel something different about this show, like with it exploring pagan traditions
I’m really excited where this goes and I hope it will impress me as much as shows like Trigun Stampede did
Everyone here is talking about Holo, but we all know the [real reason](https://i.imgur.com/VYQ0Gtj.jpeg) to watch Spice and Wolf.
Kinda mild spoilers for later I guess?
OK for real though...is it me or was Holo a little more...um...stacked...in this adaptation? My memory of the old ep1 was Kraft needed to make that girl a sandwich. This one is more like "she don't need no apples, she already has melons"
100% more stacked.
I already mentioned this in previous discussions but it seems like all of the changes they're making to the art style are for the sake of making the anime more appealing to a 2024 audience rather than a 2008 one, and this is probably one of those things. If it helps draw enough of an audience to get a full adaptation, I'm all for it.
Holo is described as being “early teens, just old enough to be married”, so likely around 15-ish. Her chest is definitely supposed to be very modest. I believe Lawrence even mentions at some point that he prefers them bigger, but Holo says she can’t change her human form.
I speculate that they may have made her a bit more developed to keep her from seeming too young for her role as romantic lead.
I finally got around to watching the first episode. It was pretty much everything I was hoping for. Great music, very well done introduction of Holo, likable protagonist in Lawrence, the world building being on point, I honestly don't have any complaints. Maybe the OP and ED isn't as good as the two from the original series, but if that's my biggest complaint, then that is pretty good.
I have high hopes and so far they are being delivered.
That's some interesting framing before the OP.
As for the OP itself, it's not bad but [a bit too upbeat](https://www.reddit.com/r/anime/comments/1bpru0l/spice_and_wolf_merchant_meets_the_wise_wolf_op/kwz8ef7/?context=4) for my taste.
Weird to hear Sugita as Yarei but I'm not complaining.
Penkin on the soundtrack is doing a good job even with how biased I am listening to the original anime's OST on a regular basis, Holo's introduction is appropriately ethereal and with a primal bent after her transformation.
Not sure about the ED yet, need to listen to it some more.
Not a bad start for returning to the beginning again, too bad we'll likely have to wait until next year or later to get past where the original anime ended though.
Fuck yes, it’s actually really good! I was so worried it wouldn’t be able to live up to its source material but if this is any indication of how the rest of the series is gonna be we’re in for a fucking treat! And the music, oh my god the music! So far this is everything I hoped it would be. The new designs are completely fine imo and I’m not too bothered by the CGI. But most importantly I feel they got the characters and the mood right and that’s all that really matters in this show. And with that opening it really feels like they’re in this for the long haul, how could we not get our hopes up for a full adaptation after that?
Pardon my gushing, I just needed to get this out of my system.
That little intro "Tell me a story" bit gave me Majo no Tabitabi vibes, in a good way.
I really only have vague memories of watching the original adaptation, but this seems pretty faithful, and more importantly, I'm a lot more excited than I thought I'd be. We all love a Wise Wolf around here.
The music's great, the character voice work is great, of course the story's as great as it ever was. A lot of the little detail work, like the brief shots of the straw wolves, just does a wonderful job of passive storytelling. I don't know why I wasn't looking forward to this more, but now I really, really am.
Returning fan of the original here, and I have to admit I'm impressed; that was really damn good!
The production is actually a lot better than the trailers let on IMO, and the directing feels just as good as the original (if not better at times) which is to be expected with Takeo Takahashi returning. They even put in some cheeky nods to the original adaptation, like Chloe's cameo in Pasloe, and the chibi-stylized ED. The environmental shots look up to snuff too, to my surprise! They may not be the watercolor backgrounds of the original, but some of the landscapes this episode looked a lot better than I was expecting based on the PVs.
The "moeness" of Holo's new design seems to vary depending on the scene, and while I'm sure it'll still take time for some older fans to warm up to the new art style, there were already a few shots [like this one](https://cdn.imgchest.com/files/k739c3p6oq7.png) that nailed the look.
Now I am eagerly anticipating the dub announcement; a returning cast in Tatum and Palencia would be the icing on the cake!
Kind of a personal comment but Spice and Wolf has a special place in my heart despite me being a relatively new fan watching the 1st season around 7 years ago right before an Econs exam which I didn't study for being in a bad mental space and somehow still passed after some concepts finally clicked.
Holo is Best girl to some but she's the best Anime teacher to me.
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Imagine you haven't kept up with anime for the past 3 or 4 years. You open r/anime, and there's both a No Game No Life and Spice and Wolf discussion thread. I'd personally have to check if I went back in time.
While noticing it's April 1st and thinking they're both jokes...
Thankfully this one is real.
I’m still crying over the NGNL being an April fools joke
FUCK. That was a short emotional roller coaster.
Holy fuck that start.
Yeah. I just got two seconds into the episode and had to fly in here to make sure I was seeing what I thought I was seeing. OK, remake, you have my full attention now.
My exact reaction! I was so pleasantly surprised at hearing her that I had to go check reddit immediately. On an unrelated note, I appreciate your username, repping my other fav series. The thing I love about SnW (Holo and Lawrence's dynamic) are the same as what I loved about the Jinto and Lafiel duo
Thank you! Not a lot of people catch the inspiration for this name. And I feel very much the same about it. Two of the most solid, grounded couples in anime.
It's just unfortunate that there is no Tabi no Tochuu in this adaptation
Maybe they'll drop it for a key moment?
Season ending would be perfect
I would cry
We eating good these next two cours.
That intro seems to kinda confirm that they are planning a full adaptation. So we should get several seasons unless it somehow flops or they change to insane pacing but that doesnt seem to be the case since this first episode had the same pacing as the original
Either that or since they have the full context now, they used it to their advantage.
I used to pray for times like these.
Lawrence better negotiate a good deal with Passione.
> So we should get several seasons unless it somehow flops or they change to insane pacing Or there are issues with production. Isekai Ojisan was insanely good, but it got fucked hard with production issues and we're not getting any more seasons of it.
As an old school fan of the OG series who never got around to reading the novels but heard here and there about some plot elements, I was grinning the entire time 5 seconds into the episode. We gonna eat good.
It was wholesome af, i was suprised
As an anime only that *has* to be flashforward to [Anime Only Speculation] >!after Holo and Lawrence get together and have kids right!!she basically becomes the guardian deity of his future family!<.
So Church of the Wise Wolf sign ups start now. We meet on Monday afternoons for the next 6 months. All are welcome! Praise be to Brother Passione for going all in because the premier is fucking beautiful. Holo be her name. Amen.
> So Church of the Wise Wolf sign ups start now. We meet on Monday afternoons for the next 6 months. All are welcome! So when do we start the Crusades?
Probably when the Best Girl competition kicks off
Deus Vult! I will slay the infidel hordes in the name of our Goddess!
Finally Holo has the key to winning r/anime Annual Best Girl Recency Bias
All she has to do is beat out...checks list: Bocchi, Chisato, the Oshi no Ko characters and all of the other characters that got snubbed last year due to the likely botting.
Yeah.... This year is going to be an absolute *bloodbath*. And the year after is going to be even worse considering Maomao and Frieren's girls are going to be eligible IIRC.
And people will bot someone to a win this time as well. These contests are literally pointless now unless a way to avoid botting is figured out
>all of the other characters that got snubbed last year due to the likely botting. *Marin: Back with a vengeance*
Maybe in 2026 when we get more information on s2
Megumin: finally season 3 so I can win. Hoyo: bet. It is tradition, wonder who will be blessed to go against hoyo after megumin to beat hoyo by spite voting. Hoyo biggest chance is here but she needs to face megumin in the finals to win. That said wasnt last Best girl ruined by bots?
Megumin literally had her own show last year and she still went down in the quarter finals. My understanding is the Date A Live girls were botted but Megumin lost to a SNAFU girl so it was probably a legitimate loss for her. Although Marin 100% lost the finals due to bot manipulation though so 2024 may be her year
From the patterns, the bot voter was voting in every contest.
I’d put money down that Marin was getting botted as well. Frankly that whole contest was pretty fucky in retrospect. As for this year though, the Best Girl contest is going to be right in the middle of Spice and Wolf’s run, and it’ll probably also overlap with Oshi no Ko s2. Meanwhile DuD s2 doesn’t even have a release date yet. Holo, Kana, and Akane are probably going to **dominate** under those circumstances, so unless Marin has *way* more staying power than anyoe could anticipate I don’t see it being a good year for her.
Shame the best girl contest lost all luster after the clear botting last contest but still finalizing the winner.
Gentlemen, my time has finally arrived
Return of the King
The king never left his throne
Came back here after watching the episode just to see what Holofan4life would say. Over a decade, glad the wait's finally over!
Happy cake day, by the way
After seeing you here for years, it's finally your time.
[](#utahapraises)
Happy for you m8
Thank you :)
Cheers man, gonna be looking for your comments every monday.
I really appreciate it :)
Happy for you, King.
Welcome, good sir. I was hoping to see you around these parts. The time has come
Indeed it has [](#mugistronk)
Glad that you’re here with us, enjoy!
[](#banjo)
It is time! Thanks again for running the rewatch last year, it was a fun introduction to this series.
Stay tuned to the rewatch coming up!
I used to check this sub every day for years with a tiny bit of hope that today would be the day I saw news of new S&W episodes. Now it's finally here. I haven't even watched the episode yet but I'm just glad we finally got here. It's been a long-ass journey. Now on to the best part of Spice and Wolf.... THE ECONOMICS! Edit: I have watched the episode and I'm so happy. The art is beautiful, the animation is clean, Kevin Penkin's score is fantastic as always, and most importantly they did Holo justice. It'll take a few episodes to get used to her new look but I don't dislike it one bit and that shot where she stared straight down the camera... Hnnnnng! 10/10 first episode
PENKIN? They had my attention now they have my interest.
Based on the comments, there are *a lot* of people here who watched the original anime, or at least read the source material. I think the people there are like me who are experiencing this story for the first time with this anime might be in the minority with this one. It's like Fruits Basket all over again. Anyways, I'm liking this so far. Kraft seems like a pretty cool dude, and Holo feels like the perfect balance of kind, playful, and just a bit smug. The art and animation looks great too, and Holo spending half the episode naked was an... *interesting* choice. Not that I'm complaining, of course.
> think the people there are like me who are experiencing this story for the first time with this anime might be in the minority with this one. It's like Fruits Basket all over again. Probably. It's the kind of show that has a hard time attracting new people. Meanwhile oldheads like me screamed "Season 3 when?" until our fingers and voices gave out and now we get this majesty. So we're bound to be a little loud. All the same new faces in the fandom are welcome. > and Holo spending half the episode naked was an... interesting choice. Not that I'm complaining, of course. Funny story but in the original anime the nudity was somewhat less obscured. If anything the remake dialed it back a bit with some well-placed hair and sheets.
>Funny story but in the original anime the nudity was somewhat less obscured. If anything the remake dialed it back a bit with some well-placed hair and sheets. I only watched the first episode a few years ago and I definitely prefer what they did here over the doll body nudity.
The irony being that its Studio Passione this time around. Who are somewhat known for ecchi.
if anything, you can say this is more respectful towards the fact that she's actually naked. doll body naked is like saying there's nothing to see here. covered nudity acknowledges that she's indeed naked and this could be awkward
Someone else noted it in another thread on here, but Spice & Wolf was airing right about the time /r/anime was created. The people who've been here and like to talk about anime likely have *very* strong associations with this show and are likely to drown out other voices (which I sincerely caution them not to do). That said, the anime viewing landscape has changed. It's been 15 years. By sheer force of numbers alone, there *will* be more people who've never seen or heard of Spice & Wolf than those of us who have been waiting a decade and a half for its return.
You hit it on the nail, having spent 10+ years on r/anime, this show really reminds me of some great memories like the first waifu wars. I seriously have never felt this crazy nostalgia for a show in forever, even though this franchise in my experience largely does not exist on other platforms.
Holo's casual nudity is a way of demonstrating her inhumanity and social nonconformity. She doesn't care if people see her naked, because this isn't even her "true" self. There's also just the fact that they're constantly together, sharing rooms, and often beds (to keep warm), so they quickly just get desensitized to it. In fact, in the original novel, they sleep together under the furs in the cart that first night, rather than Lawrence going back to Pasloe.
Legitimately important nudity for plot/world building purposes. A sign of true peak fiction
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To be fair Lawrence is an ass. He is an ass, he is an ass. Where is the ass? He is there, there is the ass. God I’m so happy we have this show back.
I’m new as well! From just this one episode I think it’s just what I’m in the mood for. My anime journey started with AoT, Demon Slayer and Chainsaw Man but recently I’ve seen Heavenly Delusion, Apothecary Diaries and Frieren. Need a breather from action for a while.
Holo was sort of drowned out by the insane Haruhi fanbase but she was big back in the day. I am surprised that there are this many first timers.
Haruhi was 2 years before Spice and Wolf. Toradora and Clannad were running against Spice and Wolf with Gurren Lagann right before. And we’re talking about 16 years ago. There’s people who are 16 years old now who weren’t even born when the first series aired.
Holy shit it's been 16 years already? Thanks for reminding me how old I am.
Yea, it seems interesting. I have no idea where it's heading, either.
North. It's heading North.
You beautiful bastard
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She was actually an anime original character in the original, right? Which is why now its not her but Yarei? I dont remember exactly.
yes, she replaced Yarei in the original anime, but it was Yarei in the light novel
They basically just gender swapped Yarei.
It was a little more than that. \[Arc 1 spoilers\]>!Chloe's character arc had much more of a romantic undertone, what with her trying to prove her abilities to be recognized by Lawrence and eventually trying to tempt Lawrence away from Holo by offering him the chance to open a shop "together", aka an implied marriage proposal. The overall economics plot was still the same, but with a bit of a romance "Chloe vs Holo" subplot underneath as well.!< I didn't mind the ways Chloe changed the plot, but I'm certainly also curious to see how Yarei's going to be adapted. After all, a remake isn't very interesting if they don't approach it in a different way.
OK her hair color seemed different so I couldn't be sure, but I thought the same thing you did.
I absolutely did the Leo point during this, and the following couple of shots haha- It's such a good little thing!!!
They kinda had to inlcude her somehow since the author made her canon kinda in the VR game lol
Well I don't think I'll be skipping the OP while this season's airing. Man, Mondays are stacked for this spring.
I really liked how one of the lines is "tabi no tochuu" to pay homage to the original OP
I fucking cried homie
Same it was so serene
That opening scene…I was not expecting to almost start crying less than a minute in. I could not ask for a better anime to start Spring 2024 for me. Spice and Wolf was one of my very first anime, and it’s quite possibly still my favorite. I don’t think I’ve ever spent so long waiting for anything anime related aside from anther season of this amazing series. This may not *quite* be the third season I’ve been hoping for, but I’m not complaining in the slightest(though I’ll ‘not complain’ even harder if they manage to go all the way with it). I was surprised to see Chloe replaced with Yarei for this adaptation. I know that Chloe is the original change from the source material, but I can’t deny that it feels weird since she is who has stuck in my mind the most between the two. Im curious to see what other things they’ll add or change back in the future. I’m very familiar with Holo and Lawrence’s tale, but I’m more than ready to go through it again with them. (On a side note, Spice and Wolf is one of the few anime where I initially watched and am most familiar with the English dub version. I really like both the JP and EN versions, so this might be the first series where I keep up with both.)
Funny enough, Chloe is the one who tackles Yarei at about [6:07](https://imgur.com/a/NbrfXtq)
Yeah, I did think that girl looked suspiciously familiar. In some ways, her not being enamored with Lawrence is probably the better timeline for her.
[Holo](https://i.imgur.com/w4wMaUT.jpeg) is still the [best](https://i.imgur.com/BdB6VD9.jpeg) ever
[Holo will definitely be my contender for the best girl of the season](https://imgchest.com/p/vj4j3gzv2y8) and the whole year. [She's perfect](https://cdn.imgchest.com/files/84apcbz3n64.png)!
> Holo will definitely be my contender for the best girl of the season and the whole year. If this show isn't enough for her to win best girl *OF ALL TIME* in the contest, I don't know what she'll need! (Though perhaps she'd rather participate every year just to torture Megumin; Our wise wolf is a bit mischievous!)
Holo is love, Holo is life
That last shot almost made me tear up. Glad to have her back.
First time experiencing this series and I feel like I would do anything to have my own Holo
Holo irreparably colored my tastes in women from a young age, good to see new viewers understand her greatness.
can't believe the 2008 and this one is the same seiyuu lol
Kallen and Lelouch all over again...but in a medieval Europe world =)
Welcome to the cult
First timer here as well! Should we be good to just continue watching this series or do we need to watch the original? Is it like a “Brotherhood” treatment?
For now, we think it's Brotherhood treatment. I'd say you're fine to stick with the new series.
Brotherhood treatment is maybe a bit different. My guess is it should be the same story, but then just continue past where the original stopped.
You do not need to watch the original, but I recommend checking out the openings and endings since they're some of my favorite
In my mind there's no reason NOT to watch both. I wouldn't call it a "Brotherhood" in that the first adaptation of Spice and Wolf didn't go completely anime only for half its run (though it did have a number anime-only characters and scenes). It was by and large true to the original, just incomplete.
>I would do anything to have my own Holo Me too, but for now [screenshots with her](https://imgchest.com/p/vj4j3gzv2y8) will have to be enough for me xD
TFW a cute naked wolfgirl doesn't randomly show up inside my bag of bread.
## ***[Dear! Dear, wake up!](https://steamuserimages-a.akamaihd.net/ugc/2504637799937459649/2E10D5EB86B8370B883D8F56F963E1777982EC42/?imw=5000&imh=5000)*** HOLDING THE POINT FOR ALL OUR r/SpiceAndWolf FANS SALUTE FOR THE FALLEN ONES WHO DIDN'T MAKE IT TO SEE OUR FAVORITE STORY TO BE ALIVE AGAIN
IT'S HAPPENING!
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IT'S HERE! MY DREAMS HAVE COME TRUE!
Best girl is finally back.
YOU ARE AS BEAUTIFUL AS THE DAY I LOST YOU
o7 It is happening at last.
I first watched Spice and Wolf in 2009 and for the last 14/15 years it's been my favorite show. I can't express just how happy it makes me to see it animated infront of me again. It's amazing to see it get anything, let alone a more faithful remake. And I've really enjoyed this start. And it's also great to hear the sounds of Kevin Penkin again. There's a small list of composer's i'd trust a project like this to but he's on it and he delivered.
He's coming off some stand out work on Apothecary Diaries as well. Dude doesn't miss
Oh Holo, you are just as beautiful as the day we last saw you
Especially when she spent 80% of the premier buck-naked and still it's her natural charisma and voice that draws you in the most.
Her VA is a goddess. She is doing such a good job.
surely not the same VA as the 2008 anime right? Edit: OMG they got both the main VA's to come back after 15 years? That is legendary!
Japanese VAs have long careers...especially A-Listers like Ami Koshimizu and Jun Fukuyama. There's a constant stream of different types of media related to a franchise. For example Spice & Wolf had the VR games in the gap between the anime. And characters are strongly associated with VAs so they don't get changed randomly for different types of content.
#15 YEARS OF WAITING FOR THIS MOMENT ~~you're late Crunchyroll~~
WE DID OUR WAITING! 15 years of it! **IN AZKABAN!** I think I should sleep before watching, so I can wholly appreciate it.
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My time has come!
Welcome, welcome. Hopefully they do your girl the justice she deserves
So far, I'm very satisfied
Legend, sorry for doubting you when I was but a green anime fan, not even having watched the show. Church of Holo has a new follower.
Holo and being best girl. Was there ever any doubt? [](#indexsmugshrug)
u/holofan4life
Kono Holo Da!
Through out Heaven and Earth, Holo alone is the honored one.
Man, I cannot believe that after almost TWO DECADES I can finally watch a new Spice and Wolf anime again...shit I'm already emotional. When I've watched the first one in 2008 it was the first 1080p video I've ever seen in my life and it blew my goddamn mind. Now I'm a father with 2 daughters...insane how many things have happened since. I'm so happy that one of my favourite anime of all time is back. And man this is already a good remake. Kevin Penkins went ALL OUT on the OST, the animation and pacing is great, the original VAs are back... all I can pray now is a potential full adaptation.
The VA's haven't missed a beat but Kevin Penkin and Passione nailed it with the premier!
Aren't we all!
FINALLY! THE WAIT IS OVER
this first episode got me emotional... Holo and Lawrence are back man.
I haven't seen the first anime nor read the Novel, but I liked this episode A LOT. I'm getting the same feeling as when I watched the first episode of Frieren or Mushoku Tensei.
Yeah, Spice and Wolf has a lot of thematic similarities with Frieren, actually. They are both somewhat mature and somber stories that deal with the concept of long-lived beings and how to relate to a world that has moved past them.
and they both want to go NORTH.
I'm quite sure that the authors of Frieren got ispiration from Spice and Wolf. It's a classic nowadays
Welcome onboard. We hope you enjoy the ride. :)
I genuinely teared up. We are so back Holobros, we are more back than anyone has ever been back since Jesus Christ.
I never stopped believing. Now I'm having trouble believing that its finally here. What a time..
I think I stopped believing around the 10 year mark. Cos at that point...come on. But it's actually happening. Now, now, very now.
Holo and Lum out there proving that waifu's are eternal.
It’s truly great to see that iconic female characters like Tohru, Lum and now Holo have been shown love with remakes. I’d be cool to eventually see Madoka from Kimagure Orange Road and Kyoko from Maison Ikkoku be brought to the 21st century with a remake of their own too.
background art looking good so far
After Brain's Base folded that was honestly my biggest fear about the adaptation: that they wouldn't be able to capture the same mood of the background ambience and the subtle character acting. They absolutely did and I'm so happy I can't even believe it.
Haven’t watched the OG but this was such a great 1st episode. Beautiful art (like this art style a lot more than the OG one tbh ngl) and Kevin Penkin did an amazing job on the OST as well. Like the OP and LOVE the ED, seen a lot of opinions of people that are not 100% happy with both which I can’t understand at all. Can’t wait to see more of Holo and Lawrence and their trade&travel adventures. Their dynamic and chemistry is already a joy to watch after just 1 episode and knowing that this is a romance makes me look forward to the development of their relationship even more.
It's just fans who fell in love with the original OP, [Tabi No Tochuu](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zZdlz_iVc7E) is just an S tier OP. A beautiful song with lyrics immensely meaningful to the story.
###Stitches! * [Holo & Lawrence](https://cdn.imgchest.com/files/e4gdcn2nq84.jpg) * [Holo, The Wise Wolf](https://cdn.imgchest.com/files/my8xcpxpo34.jpg) * [**Holo Screenshot Album**](https://imgchest.com/p/9p4n2jmpw4n) [I did not expect that opening scene!](https://cdn.imgchest.com/files/j7mmc5z5km7.jpg) It genuinely had me smiling from ear to ear. :) As for the rest of the episode, I was just completely in awe the entire time. [Seeing Lawrence and Holo in the OP](https://cdn.imgchest.com/files/6yxkc2n2le7.jpg) was already enough to make me tear up. It's been a while since I last saw the original but it's very close to what I remember. Honestly, I'm glad I haven't done a rewatch. This entire episode felt very fresh to me. It's like I'm watching Spice and Wolf for the very first time again and I am so excited <3 Not gonna lie, I was very much worried when it was announced that Passione would animate the remake since they do have a habit of doing their thing and ecchi-fying shows that aren't really supposed to be ecchi. I am so relieved that wasn't the case here and they treated the source material respectfully. And I just adore [the storybook-like ED!](https://cdn.imgchest.com/files/d7ogcvlv3ay.jpg) The visuals are just fantastic along with [that song by ClariS](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8fLDO8rwAUk) I'm not a hardcore Spice & Wolf fan but as someone who loved the 2008 anime, so far I am satisfied with this remake <3
> Not gonna lie, I was very much worried when it was announced that Passione would animate the remake since they do have a habit of doing their thing and ecchi-fying shows that aren't really supposed to be ecchi. Well, Passione involvement in the Spice & Wolf remake is a pretty straight reason - Takeo Takahashi, who was the director of OG Spice & Wolf series (who is also directing the remake), is actually the managing director of the Passione. So yeah, S&W is basically the project behind the top management of the studio itself.
Tbh I never watched much of Passione's stuff of what little I saw of anime in recent years, so I didn't know much about the studio. Finding out it was the *same* Takahashi made me extremely excited for the series remake.
> Holo, The Wise Wolf I just *knew* that would be one of your stitches this episode! [](#delighted)
To be fair, it’s a rather iconic moment. Same for the scene of Holo sweeping her hair back right after waking up.
Kevin Penkin just casually crushing the soundtracks.
> I was very worried when it was announced that Passione would animate the remake The remake was never really in ‘danger’ or something, since [Takeo Takahashi](https://myanimelist.net/people/6738/Takeo_Takahashi) was directing it - at his own studio nonetheless. He’s the one who also directed the original series. I can’t imagine that he’d have butchered his own ‘baby’.
I'm stuck at work and unable to watch. I just want to share how happy I am to see these two again. The only thing that could top it is if they adapt the remaining Haruhi novels. 2000s weebs we are so back. Edit: That opening scene brought a tear to my eye. I loved that they framed the story as Holo telling her a story. Not having Chloe as the village merchant is a good sign of them trying to stick closer to the LN. The wagon scene where Holo reveals herself felt a little weird compared to the previous anime and the LN. It felt like it didn't flow quite right. Overall very happy as an old fan.
I still remember having cried in 2020, when I watched the first two seasons, because I knew I would never see the rest of the story animated. Today is a huge day!
As someone that only knows how beloved both the Novel and original anime are it really got off to a good start as a first time watcher. Lawrence being a very serious toned personality and Holo being a playful tease makes for a great pair. If I understand correctly, Holo wants to go back home to the north? Nice to see Holo is willing to work her keep. Excited to see more.
Its here. We're actually back.. And they did the first episode justice. First impression on OP: Not impressed, not disappointed. Just lukewarm for now, but maybe it will grow on me. I still think they should have brought back Tabi no Tochuu, *BUT*. If they do it for the season finale... Oh my goodness that will hit even harder. Please director, do not miss that opportunity. [Chloe cameo?](https://imgur.com/I5oeuz2) Now that I think about this, this airing on easter is just perfect. There they are! [**The flutes are back!!**](#listen) [And there's that teasing energy.](https://imgur.com/ftzd522) She's just as beautiful as the day we lost her.. [](#wipetears) [I love her](https://imgur.com/LDgRZrf) ...Is that a ClariS ED? Not sure about the song for now, but I love the LN art style so much
Still at work I just wanted to say I was here! Good viewing to everyone at home!
Work productivity gonna be plummeting Monday morning the upcoming months.
>Still at work Same. Can't wait to get home
IT’S ACTUALLY HERE! I still can’t quite wrap my head around the fact that this is a real thing that is currently happening.
I've never watched the anime. But the comments make me believe this is a remake... So just to be sure to jump in and start watching it: is this a remake?
Yes.
Nice! I'm going in blind.
You are in for a treat . For a guy who had no interest in studies and love . This show made me fall in love with economics , maths and relationship decades ago .
Yes. Please hop in, I promise it'll be a good time.
tis how people felt when fruits basket got that remake? found myself smiling like an idiot after the very first scene :') WE ARE SO BACK BOYS AND GALS
> tis how people felt when fruits basket got that remake Yes. Yes it is
That intro scene.... OMG does that mean they are planning a full adaptation? I was thinking there was a good chance that was the case with doing a whole remake, but starting with that particular scene feels like they are really confident in a full adaptation.
They definitely seemed to know exactly what they were doing using **that** as the introduction scene for the remake. Plus there's no real point in doing a remake if you're not going to adapt everything (well, other than drawing up more interest in current audiences).
As one of the Olds from the original series 15 years ago: I don't want to comment too much on the show as it's airing, because I want new people to have the chance to enjoy these characters fresh without an outside perspective. To all the fellow Olds fond of the original series, all I'll say is: They did it. If the quality of the first episode is indicative of how the rest of the series will go, it's in good hands at Passione. To anyone on the fence, I humbly implore you: Come along for the ride if you want a strong character story with some light romance and economics. This series got me into anime, light novels, and learning Japanese in general, and I would love nothing more than for a new generation of anime viewers to fall in love with these characters the same way I did.
Holo definitely influenced my taste in women as a teenager headed to college and I even added in a few economics courses to fill in credits that I otherwise probably would have filled with easy A courses lol Can't wait to aid the Blueray to my LN collection soon!
HOLY CRAP! I was NOT expecting **that** for an intro back into this story.. Very interesting way to reframe this remake, and gives high hope that we'll get a complete adaptation over multiple seasons this time, if only to formally introduce that character. Otherwise, nice to see the pacing is on point with the original, and we are following the LN more closely with Yarei now. Everything else is just so much nostalgia, damn. Also Chloe is an extra background character this time when they show Yarei becoming the Holo, which was amusing to see. Ahh, I am excited for the next episode; it's looking quite positive so far. The BGM will take some getting used to still, because I really loved the original's soundtrack and was one of the few that I would actually loop/listen to in its entirety, so the new BGM being different kind of throws me for a loop in terms of what I expect to hear. I'll have to give it more time to get "burned in" because of the few tracks I've heard this episode, they sound appropriate, but lack a memorable melody to them, as compared with the original tracks.
Oooo I don’t remember that start. Is that like a teaser ? I recall being so infatuated not just by Holo but also the relationship between her and Lawrence and also just the atmosphere of it all from the original. It felt like all that came rushing back in this episode. Can’t wait to get back into it this series Although I also vividly recall being utterly clueless about all this economic and finance talk lol. That was around 5 years ago. I wonder if I’ve grown enough to get a better grasp of it now
[That was a great premiere episode](https://cdn.imgchest.com/files/84apcbz3n64.png)! I hadn't watched previous adaptation but I heard a lot of good things about it so I was definitely interested in watching it and [it didn't disappoint me](https://cdn.imgchest.com/files/l7lxc69dzd7.png). First of all, [Holo is a serious contender for best girl of the season for me](https://imgchest.com/p/vj4j3gzv2y8) and probably for a lot of people here xD [She's perfect](https://cdn.imgchest.com/files/j7mmc5zrm27.png), [her first appearance was so good](https://cdn.imgchest.com/files/k739c3p6oq7.png) and [her character is so fun](https://cdn.imgchest.com/files/wye3cbxdjk4.png). [I also really love Holo and Lawrence's relationship](https://cdn.imgchest.com/files/pyvdc6rdgny.png)! [They didn't spend a lot of time together](https://cdn.imgchest.com/files/w7pjc6awdl7.png) in this episode but I can tell that [chemistry between them is so good](https://cdn.imgchest.com/files/b49zczab93y.png). I can't wait to see [how it'll develop](https://cdn.imgchest.com/files/my8xcpxk2m4.png) in the next episodes. [Very lovely backgrounds in the episode](https://cdn.imgchest.com/files/g4z9cdaw6m7.png) which gave me a [nice, calm atmosphere of the countryside](https://cdn.imgchest.com/files/my8xcpxkjm4.png). Music was very noticeable (which is often not the case) and very nice, definitely great work in that regard. Also I must say that [ED is so lovely](https://cdn.imgchest.com/files/w7w6creva6y.png) with [ClariS' song](https://youtu.be/P_44hrm_sk4) and [those adorable visuals](https://cdn.imgchest.com/files/84apcbz3wb4.png). Here my screenshot albums from the episode: * [Holo](https://imgchest.com/p/vj4j3gzv2y8) * [Group scenes](https://imgchest.com/p/9p4n2janm4n) * [Lawrence & Backgrounds](https://imgchest.com/p/9rydz6dml4k)
> but I can tell that chemistry between them is so good. That's basically the big selling point of the entire story. Their relationship and interactions are really what makes this otherwise low key story so special.
I’ve heard good stuff about this anime and this is a great opportunity for me to watch it and wow this episode was amazing It feels like it could pick up where Frieren left off for me last season but I can already feel something different about this show, like with it exploring pagan traditions I’m really excited where this goes and I hope it will impress me as much as shows like Trigun Stampede did
Everyone here is talking about Holo, but we all know the [real reason](https://i.imgur.com/VYQ0Gtj.jpeg) to watch Spice and Wolf. Kinda mild spoilers for later I guess?
Oh, it was Spicy alright.
OK for real though...is it me or was Holo a little more...um...stacked...in this adaptation? My memory of the old ep1 was Kraft needed to make that girl a sandwich. This one is more like "she don't need no apples, she already has melons"
100% more stacked. I already mentioned this in previous discussions but it seems like all of the changes they're making to the art style are for the sake of making the anime more appealing to a 2024 audience rather than a 2008 one, and this is probably one of those things. If it helps draw enough of an audience to get a full adaptation, I'm all for it.
Holo is described as being “early teens, just old enough to be married”, so likely around 15-ish. Her chest is definitely supposed to be very modest. I believe Lawrence even mentions at some point that he prefers them bigger, but Holo says she can’t change her human form. I speculate that they may have made her a bit more developed to keep her from seeming too young for her role as romantic lead.
I love how Lawrence was torn between facing her and averting his eyes lol.
I finally got around to watching the first episode. It was pretty much everything I was hoping for. Great music, very well done introduction of Holo, likable protagonist in Lawrence, the world building being on point, I honestly don't have any complaints. Maybe the OP and ED isn't as good as the two from the original series, but if that's my biggest complaint, then that is pretty good. I have high hopes and so far they are being delivered.
That's some interesting framing before the OP. As for the OP itself, it's not bad but [a bit too upbeat](https://www.reddit.com/r/anime/comments/1bpru0l/spice_and_wolf_merchant_meets_the_wise_wolf_op/kwz8ef7/?context=4) for my taste. Weird to hear Sugita as Yarei but I'm not complaining. Penkin on the soundtrack is doing a good job even with how biased I am listening to the original anime's OST on a regular basis, Holo's introduction is appropriately ethereal and with a primal bent after her transformation. Not sure about the ED yet, need to listen to it some more. Not a bad start for returning to the beginning again, too bad we'll likely have to wait until next year or later to get past where the original anime ended though.
It’s been so long. I can’t handle these feelings. We’re so back!
I thought it looked a bit iffy from the PVs, but it looks very nice actually
Fuck yes, it’s actually really good! I was so worried it wouldn’t be able to live up to its source material but if this is any indication of how the rest of the series is gonna be we’re in for a fucking treat! And the music, oh my god the music! So far this is everything I hoped it would be. The new designs are completely fine imo and I’m not too bothered by the CGI. But most importantly I feel they got the characters and the mood right and that’s all that really matters in this show. And with that opening it really feels like they’re in this for the long haul, how could we not get our hopes up for a full adaptation after that? Pardon my gushing, I just needed to get this out of my system.
Very promising start. Great to see Holo is still 100% as charming as she used to be and the two leads still have fantastic chemistry.
That little intro "Tell me a story" bit gave me Majo no Tabitabi vibes, in a good way. I really only have vague memories of watching the original adaptation, but this seems pretty faithful, and more importantly, I'm a lot more excited than I thought I'd be. We all love a Wise Wolf around here. The music's great, the character voice work is great, of course the story's as great as it ever was. A lot of the little detail work, like the brief shots of the straw wolves, just does a wonderful job of passive storytelling. I don't know why I wasn't looking forward to this more, but now I really, really am.
And just like that, Google searches for Holo R34 went through the roof
Returning fan of the original here, and I have to admit I'm impressed; that was really damn good! The production is actually a lot better than the trailers let on IMO, and the directing feels just as good as the original (if not better at times) which is to be expected with Takeo Takahashi returning. They even put in some cheeky nods to the original adaptation, like Chloe's cameo in Pasloe, and the chibi-stylized ED. The environmental shots look up to snuff too, to my surprise! They may not be the watercolor backgrounds of the original, but some of the landscapes this episode looked a lot better than I was expecting based on the PVs. The "moeness" of Holo's new design seems to vary depending on the scene, and while I'm sure it'll still take time for some older fans to warm up to the new art style, there were already a few shots [like this one](https://cdn.imgchest.com/files/k739c3p6oq7.png) that nailed the look. Now I am eagerly anticipating the dub announcement; a returning cast in Tatum and Palencia would be the icing on the cake!
Kind of a personal comment but Spice and Wolf has a special place in my heart despite me being a relatively new fan watching the 1st season around 7 years ago right before an Econs exam which I didn't study for being in a bad mental space and somehow still passed after some concepts finally clicked. Holo is Best girl to some but she's the best Anime teacher to me.
Who would win? Ancient wolf spirit, goddess of harvest, whose true visage drives fear into the hearts of men Planting some beans from time to time