Spice and Wolf

As I was browsing through the anime lineup for Spring 2024 and saw all the promotional materials for the upcoming remake, I suddenly felt an incredible urge to re-watch this series I once loved so much, even though it's been over 15 years since its release. Revisiting the series seemed like a good idea, especially for comparison. I must say, the first season of Spice and Wolf was an absolute delight. The series remains as amazing as I remember it. It's a charming, cleverly written, and highly entertaining show, with a constant chemistry between the central duo. Their teasing, mixed with moments of genuine honesty towards each other, still resonates deeply with me. It's not just the romance and characters that captivated me, but also the intricate world of trading, testing the purity of silver in various coins, smuggling gold, and the shrewdness of merchants, all portrayed realistically and believably. The animation, especially considering it's from 2008, holds up well, and the musical accompaniment is excellent. The use of flutes and violins in the simple yet effective musical motifs perfectly complements each scene. In short, the upcoming Spice and Wolf: Merchant Meets the Wise Wolf will have quite a challenge to live up to because this original version is excellent. The first season still easily earns a 9/10 from me. (03/07/2024)

The second series felt weaker to me compared to the first, lacking the same level of entertainment and intrigue. While the first half with the romantic triangle, cat gold, and stock market was quite interesting, I found watching Lawrence's confusion at times to be rather painful. I missed the overall lightness and fun that the first season had. The second half, particularly the fur trade, only started to catch my interest in the last two episodes. Until then, it felt like not much was really happening, and what did unfold seemed disjointed. Characters' moods changed abruptly within a single scene, which didn't work well for me. Additionally, I also felt that the ending was somewhat undeserved. Despite these criticisms, the series still boasts cool animation, excellent music, and occasionally brilliantly written dialogues. The chemistry between the central duo when they tease each other remains a highlight. However, this time around, I didn't completely fall under the spell of Spice and Wolf, so I can't give it more than a 7.5/10. (03/07/2024)