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. Let’s get started with Spice and Wolf episode 10.
Episode 10: Wisdom of a Wolf and Smooth Talk of a Merchant
Spice and Wolf episode 10 opens with a dejected Lawrence returning to the inn. He attempts to leave Holo with the money he’s gathered under the assumption that their journey together had come to end, but she rebukes him. She lashes out with confused feelings, but Lawrence takes it in stride, to which Holo calls him too “good-natured.” She then shares an idea to help Lawrence settle his debt; gold smuggling. Lawrence takes this proposal back to Remerio Trading. Knowing how far in the red the company has fallen, Lawrence pressures the master to accept his terms. Lawrence and Holo then approach Norah. They explain their plan, to purchase gold from the city of Lamtra and smuggle it into Ruvinheigen using Norah’s sheep. Lawrence uses her dissatisfaction with the church and her dream of becoming a dressmaker to persuade her to agree.
Gold smuggling and why it’s so risky was actually brought up back in episode 7. For context, the city of Ruvinheigen is dominated by the Church’s ideologies and policies. Every aspect of life is monitored by the Church, and that includes imported goods. According to the world of Spice and Wolf, the Church has imposed high tariffs on gold imports. In essence, anyone wanting to bring gold into the city must pay a very expensive fee. This, in turn, hikes up the price of gold. It can be a lucrative business, but the tariffs make it so only a select few merchants can even turn a profit; that is to say, only merchants with good connections with the Church. (For more on tariffs, read this article from investopedia.com.)
Lawrence and Holo’s plan hinges on the nearby city of Lamtra, which has remained free from the Church’s influence. Gold is significantly cheaper there, so if they’re able to bring gold into Ruvinheigen under the Church’s nose, they could bypass the tariffs and take advantage of the demand. The danger lies in not only making sure the Church doesn’t find out, but also in the journey there and back. As stated in previous episodes, the road to Lamtra is more dangerous than it seems.
Review of Spice and Wolf Episode 10
One area that anime can struggle with, especially if it’s adapted from a light novel, is the pacing. In written form, a story can take as long as it needs to explain the situation, the character’s feelings, the environment, etc. In animated form, however, the story needs to take into account how long it can reasonably dwell on the details. There is only so much time in a standard episode. Actions and visuals usually speak for themselves. Dialogue and exposition are a bit trickier. For example, the first ten minutes of Spice and Wolf episode 10 felt clumsy. Maybe it’s the performance, maybe it’s the writing, but something about it felt hollow. It felt as if Lawrence and Holo didn’t really mean anything they said.
There is no narrator to inform the audience about their emotions, so we have to rely on their dialogue and expressions, the latter of which still feels stiff. Another example of different pacing is Norah. In the manga, we’re given a lot more time to see how Norah is treated and where her dissatisfaction for the Church comes from. The moment when she makes the decision to accept Lawrence’s plan is very powerful. Some of that impact is lost in the anime because we weren’t shown her struggles. Like with any adaptation, things need to be cut for time, but, when telling a story, there is more to consider than just what fits in the time slot.
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