Spice and Wolf: MERCHANT MEETS THE WISE WOLF

#Spice And Wolf (2024) Review. ____ ___ As the first season of the new adaptation comes to a close it becomes time to ponder on we have experienced. Over the last three and a half months we watched and discussed what we thought about it. Many questions have been long since asked and answered, but one still remains: Was it worth it?

I'd say so.

I'll admit, it's been a while since I watched the original series. However, I do fondly remember it as one of my favorite animated series of the 2000's. From the world building and to the foil between the two leads, The 2008 adaptation very quickly became a cult classic. However, the cliffhanger ending at the end of the second season left many watchers (your truly included) wanting for more. When the new project was announced I believe we all were excited to see the journey we loved continue. Coming from this, I was a little scared when it was announced that this was going to be a different adaptation of the light novels, and became even more so when it was revealed that Studio Passione (of high school DXD 2018 and Higurashi: Gou infamy) would be leading the reigns.

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However, I was pleasantly surprised. This show, though maybe not at exactly on the level of the first adaptation, was still perfectly enjoyable in its own right. The story followed the original Light Novels very closely, sticking even more accurately to the books than the originals. This not only kept the story from veering off into stupidity, but also sets up for future seasons better than how the originals (With their changed continuity) did. Along with preserving the story the same, the characters also kept their wonderful foil that made them so enjoyable, and with the Original VA's coming back they feel nearly identical to their first roles.

One big change that the series had was the hiring of Kevin Penkin as the score composer. Kevin, if you did not know, was the composer for both Made in Abyss and The Rising of The Shield Hero, along with co-writing the soundtrack for The Apothecary Diaries. Through his works, he has won several awards and is regarded as one of the best composers in the Anime Industry, and with this series he bring his A game. Though the original soundtrack was amazing in its own right, no-one can beat Kevin.

___ ___ However, I will day that the opening and ending of this season (though perfectly serviceable in their own rights) pale In comparison to Tabi no Tochuu and Jitsu no Yoake. Though I like the new ones, a part of me wishes that they just did a cover of the originals due to how freaking good they are. This is a pretty small issue overall, but still kind of irks me.

Last thing I want to talk about is the animation and artwork style. Despite my worries, I feel like Studio Passione did a serviceable job updating the original works to a modern style. Being perfectly honest, the animation of the original was not one of its strong suits, especially given that Studio imagin was a small and irrelevant studio that immediately went belly up after finishing season 2. Studio Passione also successfully made the art style more faithful to the original novels, which I believe is generally a good thing. However, as to be expected, the art style (in my personal opinion) was significantly less passionate compared to the original, and had a glossy and corporate feel that many Passione projects have. Additionally, the increased use of CGI in some scenes broke my immersion a little. Overall, though it did pass my approval (For what little that's worth) it did not leave me wowed.

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To sum up, I think this project was a good attempt at adapting the original VN's. Though I may not have liked as much as the originals in some aspects, I think it was a good Anime regardless. Overall, I am quite happy with this and I can't wait for season 2.

#84/100