Welcome to the weekly review of Spice and Wolf (2024). Here, we’ll recap what happened in the latest episode, break down some of the economic talk, and discuss the differences between the anime, manga, and light novel. So let’s get started with episode 8 of Spice and Wolf.
"Fellow Traveler and Foreboding News"
Episode 8 of Spice and Wolf opens with the shepherdess, Norah Arendt, offering a prayer for Lawrence. Then, she asks him if he would like to hire her to escort them to Ruvinheigen given her skill of warding off wolves. Lawrence agrees, much to Holo’s chagrin, and the trio set off. As they travel, they discuss Norah’s skill as a shepherdess, her employment to the church, and her dream of becoming a tailor. Lawrence and Holo share some light banter, and the next day they arrive in Ruvinheigien. The duo part ways with Norah and enjoy life in the city before making their way to the Rowen Merchant Association. There, Lawrence reconnects with his mentor and father figure Jacob Tarantino. At the end of the episode, we get a foreboding glimpse at Remerio Trading Company and what lies in Lawrence’s future.
There wasn’t a whole lot of business talk in this episode. However, it’s important to review what Lawrence’s intentions are to better understand what happens next. In Poroson, Lawrence had called out the pepper trader and bought twenty sets of armor on margin. This means he did not pay full price at the time. He was given the armor anyway under the promise that he would repay the company at a later date. Lawrence intends to take advantage of the demand for armor in Ruvinheigen to make a hefty profit. At the gate inspection, however, he gets some odd reactions, as if they were surprised to see a merchant with armor. That, combined with the mysterious message waiting for Lawrence at Remerio Trading, means something is about to happen to our intrepid merchant.
Review of Episode 8 of Spice and Wolf
One thing that Spice and Wolf (2024) struggles with is offering a unique identity. Any anime adapted from a previous work struggles with this, but Spice and Wolf (2024) has the extra wrinkle of the 2008 version. So far, with a few exceptions, the 2024 anime has had the exact same pacing, layouts, and story beats as the 2008 anime. Granted, when adapting from a light novel, a lot of exposition and moments need to be cut for time, so perhaps the animation thought it easier to use the 2008 anime as a template. But that decision implies there was little research done to fully understand the light novel and manga.
No effort was made to include specific moments to breathe new life into the anime. For example, in the manga, when Lawrence and Holo first meet Norah, she’s barefoot. Later, Lawrence offers her shoes, but she refuses to take them for free, instead wanting to buy them. If this moment had been in the anime, it would have greatly informed the audience about Norah’s poverty, her obligation to the Church, and Lawrence’s good-natured business acumen. Perhaps more substantial changes are still to come.
Stream Spice and Wolf on Crunchyroll.
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