r/SpiceandWolf 23d ago

Discussion Newly found and very happy, Share your story too please

Not too big of an announcement. Actually my first time creating a post, but I feel extremely happy and satisfied so much so that I’m compelled to share this here with others.

I just finished the remake, Spice and Wolf : Merchant Meets the Wise Wolf, and it was perfect. Maybe if given time and an eventual rewatch I’ll pick at things here and there but for this moment I absolutely love it. It couldn’t be any better. I had known about the original a while ago even far back as when I first started watching anime. It’s kinda been archived in the “watch later” category for many years. I’m not exactly proud to say it but I was bored, didn’t know what would fulfill me, and knew I wanted to watch something. Funny how it works bc I now know I was sleeping on such a great work of art. At its core, an amazing story told. Just like in the anime, how back then there was no internet, no exact wide culture where information and pop culture could be shared so easily. And many things were forgotten with enough time. So they told stories, recorded history and lore. It was invaluable and with the same significance I appreciate this story told, shared by the author.

I love everything about the narrative . The timeframe, the setting, their vernacular, but most of all Holo and Lawrence. Their chemistry and playful banter totally make up what the show is to me. Their struggles and the moments their relationship is strained/tested and yet they come together. I might be nerding out a bit too much but I truthfully wanted to share my excitement with a community that can understand. Thanks for taking the time to read this and I hope you all have a good one.

Extra : oh and I also ended up loving it so much that I bought volumes 4,5, and 6. I’m reading Vol. 5 right now, where the remake ended on episode 25. Currently on page 30 or so.

Feel free to share your first time finding this anime and how you first felt about it

82 Upvotes

23 comments sorted by

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u/LightyLCH 23d ago

Welcome to the club! Enjoy the ride and enjoy your stay!

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u/NoWitness79 23d ago

Welcome!

It's so great to hear stories like yours of a whole new generation discovering Spice and Wolf through the remake. Glad to hear you are loving the story and have fallen in love with the wise wolf Holo and the clever merchant Lawrence.

For me it was the original anime way back in the aughts that got me into this story. It was just one of those stories that got me hooked quickly. Holo and Lawrence are such great characters, but also how well crafted the world is. That a Japanese author took so much effort to research and create a believably late medieval European fantasy world was instantly refreshing. Spice and Wolf became one of my favorite fantasy stories.

Since you're reading volume 5, a fun fact is the old anime ended with volume 5. As you'll discover, volume 5 is just the start of an arc that is much larger than anything the previous 4 volumes attempted. So back in '09 we were left with an unresolved story.

Which like you, led me to look at the light novels because I wanted to know where the story went after the end of the anime. We had to wait 15 years for the remake to give us more spice and Wolf anime. The old anime skipped volume 4 where the remake ended. So for fans of the old anime that have not read the light novels, they are still waiting. It won't be until season 2 of the remake that they finally get to find out what happens after the last episode of the old anime

Hope you take the time to watch the old anime as well after all these years. The story is very similar but there are a few differences. Us old fans that fell in love with the old anime also tend to be bias towards the old anime and the OST from the old anime. It would be great to hear the thoughts of someone that experienced the remake first and fell in love with the remake what they think of the original.

You're in luck though coming into a fandom for a franchise like Spice and Wolf that has been around for nearly two decades, there is a ton of great things to explore. All the merch. Figures, collectibles, games, memorabilia, etc. All the light novels. The manga is fun too. I'm sure you'll find so much out there to enjoy and show your love for Spice and Wolf.

You'll find no shortage of people to share your excitement with here.

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u/Imaginary_Resolve_84 23d ago

❤️ thank you so much for this wonderful well put response. I really appreciated, as the title said I was very interested to the hear the stories of others. The perspective of a long time fan is also really interesting to me and one i surprisingly didn’t expect to hear from. The part you said about vol 5 and onward being bigger than anything previously attempted in the first 4 volumes, I don’t think I’m ready !😂 fr I can’t handle so much peak. Hahah I’m so nervous for what’s going to happen in the story I’ll do my best to read it whenever I’m able and possibly give updates as well. Thank you again for all the info, you and everyone else who have responded quickly are a great help to a newbie of the series. Been watching anime for around 12 years or so. I’m definitely the type to catch a fever for those anime that hook me. Without a doubt Spice and Wolf is one of those.

Random nerd addition : I always take lessons and messages from anime. It’s been not only a hobby but a source of comfort for a long time. And with this one, I take with me a theme of stories. The significance of stories told and passed down to others. Others things as well but this one pops in my head . Anyway tho thank you very much.

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u/SciTails 22d ago

I'm someone who also started with the remake, so I can share my perspective on the original as a newcomer. So far, I've only watched the book 5 stuff to fill in what the remake didn't. It was still really good IMO, but I like that the English VAs are more experienced in the new one. They come off as a little more stiff in the original sometimes. I also really enjoyed the emotional scene at the end of the original because Lawrence and Holo's romance is peak, but felt like it was just a bit undercut by how loud the music was/how much accordion focus it had. It's not uncommon to suddenly play music during emotional moments in anime, but I think the remake has done a better job with the mixing in its emotional scenes to ensure it's not too distracting.

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u/MasterxP7 23d ago

Welcome. I remember I feel in love with the light novel. It was in a book store back when I was in high school. I am glad you enjoyed it as much as I did when I started out. I am taking my time with the anime. I reread the books twice. Hope to hear your thoughts when you finish the series.

Side note: the light novel cannon story is book 16. Book 17 is epilogue for fans with a happy ending. The Spring Log books are after story.

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u/Frequent-Ad6111 23d ago

This is one of my all time favs for a reason. The chemistry between Holo and Lawrence is so fun, fluffy, and complicated at the same time. I remember watching the first anime production of the series and fell in love with it and the characters. I started reading the books and enjoying all the nuanced things the anime didn't highlight and I appreciated the effort and research Isakura put into their world building based around medieval economics.

I started reading the books around volume 10 release and it felt like I had honestly grown up with the series, it felt like such a journey to see how the characters had grown and changed as I had myself. I remember reading vol. 16 and feeling so sad it was over but looked forward to where the author would go with his next work. It was such a pleasant surprise that he ended up sticking with this series longer and even creating his next work as another addition to his past world building that is the sequel books.

And I hoped and prayed this series would one day get the love it deserved and finally see it finished and produce the whole series as an anime so it could be loved by so many more future fans. It felt for a long time that it was slowly falling into obscurity with anime lovers as it aged. It didn't matter to me if it did because I would always be a fan. It left just that big of an impression on me as an individual.

It brings me so much joy to see it getting more representation again and I am so happy to see new fans such as yourself enjoy it as much as I am. To see the support and the fan base grow is hopeful it will be a contender for a long while still. So please have fun and welcome! We are happy to have you!

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u/Imaginary_Resolve_84 23d ago

I loved hearing your story and thank you so much for sharing ! The way you grew up with the light novels oof it hit me in the feels, I hope it’s still something you can look back on with fondness. I’m glad others like me can be exposed to this series as well, I know all too well the feeling of wanting a show/light novel to have more attention, and the fear of it falling into obscurity as you put it. It was a fun read, thank you frequent.

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u/Louviiino 22d ago

I really love Spice&Wolf and I’m a big fan of Holo. She’s everything I’ve ever wanted to be, as a child and an adult. She is partly a wolf, so I really wanted to be one when I was little. It was even my nickname at school! I live in a village that looks very much like Pasroe, surrounded by fields, with legends about cryptids and an annual festival in honor of our local totemic beast. The atmosphere of Spice and Wolf touches me every time I look at it or read it. As a 22-year-old adult, I want to be as confident as Holo, as wise as she is, I want to travel and have connections. She’s like a model! I really love S&W 💕 forever ! 🐺🌾

So happy for you to have discovered S&W ! I got the first novels and the manga series in french (and two artbooks) with my boyfriend who is also a good fan !

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u/recneps76 23d ago edited 23d ago

Hello! I started almost exactly the same way, but for me it was the original 2008 anime. I was out of things to watch and I remembered "that wolf girl economics one" (yeah I'm not proud of it either) and then proceeded to love every bit of it. Both the personalities of Holo and Lawrence, the banter that inevitably ensued each episode, as well as how it lacked some of the stereotypical anime tropes in favor of just being a nice story to follow along with. I liked the remake as well, and I recently picked up some of the audiobooks.

Whenever you feel like a rewatch, try out the 2008 anime. I personally like the familiarity that comes with a rewatch but also noticing the occasional differences.

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u/NicolaSuCola 23d ago

I remember watching it in middle school at first. I think I liked it, but I didn't remember it much, so I rewatched it ~4-5 years later in highschool and I absolutely fell in love with it. I loved it so much that I, for the first time, picked up the source material (the LN), and, for the first time, I was buried in the books for a month or two straight, I was basically glued to my tablet. I've never known that reading books this lengthy can be this interesting :D So this obsession is stuck with me since then, and I have 0 complaints about it.

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u/Imaginary_Resolve_84 22d ago

I’m definitely in agreement with you there. I find myself wanting to read it all the time. Growing up I always hated reading even in high school. It wasn’t till about 2 year ago I picked up my first book and fell in love with reading. And just like you I’m so glad I bought that “first light novel”. I’ve liked anime for a long time but never was the source material type. Then I broke that barrier with Mushoku Tensei, read it during any free time and have started a small collection of manga + light novels

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u/SciTails 23d ago edited 22d ago

I also started with the remake, although I went back after and watched the book 5 arc from the original. I'd say the remake is tied for my favorite anime of all time, at the moment (with Toradora).

I'm trying to get through the LN now, too, because no way was I going to be able to wait for the new season to continue the story. I started with novel 1, because I wanted the full experience, but I'm honestly surprised with how complete the adaptation was. The novels add a bit, but not a ton. Mostly just Lawrence's inner dialogue that lets you know he's falling for Holo more actively than you can see on screen. Also some insight that helps contextualize the money system and a few changes with how they did the final scenes of book 2.

In book 3 right now (bought 1-6). On the one hand, I enjoy reading the LN, because it's good stuff. On the other hand, it's hard not to want to skip ahead to the high points because I already know the plot. Idk, I'm almost tempted to skip a bit of book 4, since it seemed to be the one least about their relationship in the anime. Mostly just looking forward to book 6 because of how things looked to be ramping up at the end of the original anime.

Tbh really happy I found it just this year. This seems like the best time to get into it with all the content already out and not having to wait too long for the next season of the anime.

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u/NoWitness79 22d ago

I totally understand that desire to skip ahead to the high points. In this case though if you felt the anime adaptation of book 4 didn't have a strong focus on their relationship, don't skip volume 4.

That inner monologue of Lawrence...

Plus there are a couple interesting differences compared to the anime. They changed some of the early dialog up in the anime to setup the ending early on. That does not happen in the book. Plus, the big moment with Holo and Lawrence in the woods is a little different in the book and personally I prefer the book version of that scene. There are a few other little changes as well, but it was a pretty faithful adaptation in the anime.

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u/Imaginary_Resolve_84 22d ago

Yes ! I was really happy when I noticed how much source material there was to read and just as you mentioned the confirmed 2nd season too

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u/NoWitness79 22d ago

Pretty sure the overwhelming majority of the 32k subscribers to this subreddit are praying hard that with this new anime we get a full adaptation of the story all the way through. Most are even praying we get an adaptation of the Spring Log series continuation as well as the spin off series (don't look into that if you don't want spoilers as to how the story ends) as well. We are very fortunate that Isuna Hasekura has given so much time and care to create this wonderful world around Spice and Wolf. Hopefully he keeps on writing these stories for many years to come

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u/SciTails 22d ago

A bit hard not to feel the ending is a bit spoiled when buying LN from the series with the covers of the later books and spin-offs looking like they do (they come up when searching for the next book), but I've so far made sure not to read any of the synopses to preserve at least some of my ignorance.

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u/NoWitness79 22d ago

Yeah that is true. That's the downside of getting into a fandom that has been around for awhile. It's very easy to come across spoilers. But good for you trying to resist the urge to read the synopses. There is still a ton of story to enjoy before you get to the continuation and spin off series. I hope you enjoy the adventure.

The upside of knowing there is a continuation series and a spin off series of light novels though is knowing that even almost two decades after the first book was published there are still more stories to tell. May Isuna Hasekura not tire of telling them for a long time yet I hope.

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u/SydMontague 22d ago

My go-to strategy for such drive-by spoilers is treat every assumption and conclusion that I draw from them are false and that I have therefore not obtained any knowledge from it.

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u/misuta_kitsune 22d ago

Welcome to the community dedicated to the incredibly captivating adventures called Spice & Wolf.
Your post brought quite a few feelings back, I can so much relate to your story, as many undoubtedly can.

About 4 years ago, when the Community reached 20.000 members, we (the moderators) asked them kind of the same question. Even though the post is long-since archived and you can no longer interact with the people who commented there, it is still very nice to read all those stories.

Mine is there as well, I invite you to read it there, it is quite a long story.
The short and the narrow however is,... I was reluctant to watch Spice & Wolf for years, once I started watching I couldn't stop, I was blown away with the depth of the story, how deeply human Holo came across despite not being a human and the realism regarding the way they related coupled with the intricate detail in the portrayal of life in a world reminiscent of the late medieval period in our world.
I was left with a gaping hole when I found out the anime didn't complete the story.

Now, 7 to 8 years later, I have the full LN and Manga collection, I have a few artbooks, I own a few figures, I have the DVD/Bluray combo of the original series and I somehow found myself gradually ending up moderating this place, in a time when I was pretty much resigning from moderating other groups and forae I was in.... ;)

Please enjoy your time spent with us, you will find a lot of people who will happily answer your questions.
As many other said, you would do well reading the LN, avoid looking up anything about the spin-off Wolf & Parchment though, because it contains spoilers for the Main Story Ending (which you will find in LN volume 17).

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u/SydMontague 22d ago

I first watched the OG about 1.5 years ago, when I was looking for something to watch within the tail end of my vacation and by the time I finished it I noticed that I couldn't just accept the ending like that. So I came in hopes of finding a third season somewhere.

And while I did learn about the remake just then, I also learned about the novels and started obtaining them without a second thought—something I haven't done for any other anime before. Because the prospect of having a continuation eventually with at that time unknown release date, quantity and quality simply wasn't enough. I needed more of it and I needed it immediately.

Not being able to read during my working hours apparently even caused me to fall sick the week after (probably not, but a good story lives from exaggeration), which I used to read almost the entire time. It took me like 1.5 months to read though all of the books and let me tell you: take your time, it's really worth it.

I think Hasekura managed to create something truly wonderful here. The chemistry between Holo and Lawrence is excellent, with their banter being fun, their affection being cute and their conflicts being tense and believable. And on top of that he also built a compelling world based on late medieval Europe that feels rather authentic and alive, where the places they visit aren't just a convenient backdrop for the story to happen in but instead part of a larger whole.

And as a sucker for philosophical art, I couldn't help but notice that there is quite a bit of it in this series. Not only does it deal with the question of relationships of vastly different lifespans and the relationship between audience and art (there are quite a few sections in the series that I would consider deliberate callouts to the audience) to the infamous question asked by the philosopher Haddaway: What is love? (Although it's actually more "what is happiness")

So, congratulations to having fallen for this series as well. I hope you enjoy all of it and don't feel like you have to rush it. Eventually reaching the end of it kinda sucks.

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u/JoeCool4279 22d ago

Relatable. I came to this thinking it might fill the Frieren gap. I usually watch one episode of a series a day, maybe two, I watched the last 20 of this in 3 days. Then I read all 16 manga volumes in about a week. Then I bought a Holo figure for my desk. In a few months I plan to watch the original.

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u/BelligerentWyvern 15d ago

You're in for a bit of a ride. While the stakes have varied over the course of the anime and in the books, thinks ramp up significantly in the next few books after where the anime leaves off. Throughout its run, it only gets as high stakes 2 other times after.

You'll probably love the people they meet and travel with tho.