Spice and Wolf

“Life is either a great adventure or nothing.” ― Helen Keller.

Having a goal in your life is, perhaps, the only way to keep going; otherwise it might be too difficult for one to continue. But, at the same time, finding your aim in life is also not that easy. Kraft Lawrence, the main protagonist of Spice and Wolf, never gives up: he knows what he does and he is not afraid of any difficulties. He is a 25-year-old travelling merchant, who is trying to gather enough money to stop travelling and to start his own shop. One day, at the town of Pasloe, Kraft finds in his wagon a wolf-deity named Horo. She introduces herself as the town’s Goddess of harvest, who has kept the lands of Pasloe blessed with good harvest for many years. However, the Pasloe people have forgotten the caring Goddess and now she wants to return to her homeland. The Goddess persuades the series’ protagonist Lawrence to take her with him and the two start a new journey. What awaits our duo and will they be able to reach the homeland of Horo unharmed? Find out the answer by watching Spice and Wolf now.

Adventure has always been one of the most interesting genres; however, it is also very difficult to make a good one. The main problem here is that it might become boring too fast. Spice and Wolf is truly one of the best series in this genre: you will not be able to predict anything, on the contrary, Spice and Wolf will make you relax and then it will dumbfound you. And you know that feeling is amazing, watching a show, where you do not know what might happen in the next episode is truly pleasant. With that being said, I guarantee you that the story of Spice of Wolf is on the level and you will surely like it, but I would not recommend you to marathon this series, to be honest. I also find it important to mention the fact that the anime is unfinished and to know the ending, you will either have to read the novel, or wait for the anime’s continuation, which has not been announced yet. If it does not scare you, you will not have any problems with the story-line.

The animation captures the medieval setting perfectly. Although the anime was made in 2008, I can say that even for 2016 the animation is still beautiful. Everything: fields, market squares, towns, characters’ outfits, and character designs are very beautiful. And it is because of the fact that this anime pays attention to all colors and this alone makes this series that beautiful. But not only the animation, but also the series’ OST helps you to dive into the atmosphere of Spice and Wolf.

The music in Spice and Wolf is simply splendid. No words will ever describe how beautiful it is. I have never heard an OST that will be as beautiful as in Spice and Wolf, it is something you should listen to, or perhaps get a copy somewhere. The OST does its job and it helps you to appreciate this anime even more. Moreover, the voice actors that took part in this anime did one hell of a job voicing their respective characters. I would recommend you to watch this anime in Japanese, but if you are a big fan of English voice actors, you are free to watch it in English, it is also good, but not as good as the Japanese version.

As for the characters, Spice and Wolf has also many things to offer. Yes, I will not try to hide the fact that this series has weak supporting characters. But in this series there are only two characters, Horo and Lawrence, Spice and Wolf is only about two characters and all other characters do not mean anything. They exist only to complement Horo and Lawrence. That said, let us discuss Horo and Lawrence. Horo is the incarnation of every guy's dream girl: she's strong, confident, and smart, but, at the same time, very charming, weak, and feminine. Her character is unique, because in most anime romances, females either depend on men in everything, or are just too independent. Horo is independent, but she also looks like a weak creature that you want to protect. I find it also important to mention that Horo does not deny that she loves Lawrence. Her main goal is, of course, to return to her homeland, but she is ready to give up on what she needs because of the fact that she likes Lawrence.

Kraft Lawrence, at first, looks like a merchant that only thinks about profit. But after a little while, the viewer understands that Lawrence is an extremely caring individual, who sometimes sacrifices too much. Horo hates it about him, but she also finds his chivalrous conduct attractive. Although, he relies on Horo in terms of protection and sometimes he cannot express his feelings, later on he shows that he is not only ready to protect what is important for him, but also that he is not afraid of showing his true feelings. Lawrence is not just some emotionally numb idiot: he is both strong and able to express his feelings. All in all, Horo’s and Lawrence’s duo is amazing! It is never annoying, it is never boring, you just want them to stay together forever.

Anyway, Spice and Wolf is a very enjoyable series. Everything about it is enjoyable and you just want it to never end: from extremely well-written story-line, to very interesting characters. As I have already mentioned it, Spice and Wolf is not just some boring romance, yes, it is there, but this series tells a story of two lonely people and there is also a grain of reality in it: one should fight for what they love and want to achieve. And believe me, in Spice and Wolf, both Horo and Lawrence will have to fight for what is precious for them.

All in all, I would recommend this series to any person that likes anime. I simply cannot imagine even one reason for you to not watch Spice and Wolf. Yes, there is one reason, but even if do not have a desire to read the novel, you can always find spoilers on the internet, which I would not recommend you to do, to be honest, but it is up to you, of course.

I hope that you will enjoy both seasons of Spice and Wolf, its amazing OST, and perhaps you will also read the novel.