Welcome to the weekly review of Spice and Wolf (2024)! In the Spice and Wolf finale, Lawrence and crew find a way to save Tereo from persecution by Enberch’s church officials. This may be the end of season 1, but more adventures and business opportunities await. Let’s wrap up episode 25.
Episode 25: Miracle’s Path and Journey’s Continuation
Lawrence, Holo, Elsa and Evan implement their plan to save Tereo. The Bishop has come to denounce Tereo as a paganistic town while Riendott the merchant has come to claim reparations for the poisoned wheat. Elsa interrupts the proceedings claiming a messenger of the True God will perform a miracle to guide the townsfolk onto the righteous path.
With Evan as proxy, Holo causes the wheat in the caravan to grow and ripen, save for one wagon where the wheat rots and dies. Unable to deny what he sees, the Bishop retracts his claims and endorses Tereo’s faith. Meanwhile, Lawrence negotiates with Riendott to create a more favorable business arrangement and kickstart a burgeoning cookie industry in Tereo. After a few days, Lawrence and Holo depart with fond farewells.
Business Negotiations Explained
It wouldn’t be Spice and Wolf without one final business negotiation from Lawrence. Riendott had intentionally mixed poisoned wheat into Tereo’s harvest as a means to claim reparations from the townsfolk according to the agreement set by Father Franz. Because his hoax was exposed, Lawrence was able to strongarm a lower return fee. However, even with that concession, it’s still too much for the townsfolk to pay all at once. Lawrence then springs his trap. He proposes that in exchange for dissolving Father Franz’s arrangement, he would have Tereo sell its wheat under the Bishop’s name with Riendott’s support. He instructs the townsfolk on how to make cookies which are a rare delicacy in this part of the world.
The goal is threefold:
- Even in times of surplus, Tereo’s wheat and flour would still be in demand if it’s used for baking cookies.
- The additional cash flow will help Tereo fulfill the return fee and offer huge profits to make up for dissolving Father’s Franz’s arrangement.
- With the Bishop and Riendott’s backing, any damage to Tereo’s reputation from the poisoned wheat debacle could be quietly swept away.
Review of the "Spice and Wolf" Finale
Episode 25 was a nice send-off for Spice and Wolf 2024. From Holo demonstrating her powers to Lawrence flaunting his business acumen, it highlighted everything that makes this series unique. Seeing our heroes outwit and corner their antagonists was very satisfying. The Bishop and Riendott, while not necessarily evil, played their roles perfectly as obstacles for Lawrence and Elas to overcome. The wheat growing sequence was also very poignant thanks to the setup from episode 24. It’s refreshing to see such a unanimous victory for the protagonists. The added details about cookies vs bread and regional differences in food is a perfect example of how alive the world feels. That’s one of the main draws of the story.
The series as a whole has surprisingly withstood the test of time. Even now, it stands out amongst the myriad of romance and slice-of-life anime that rely on fan service and repeated tropes. Admittedly, there is a lot of subtle dialogue and the economics discussions will fly over many a-head. In taking the time to decipher the banter and understand what drives the decisions behind the economics, one discovers a grounded, well-written, character-driven story about finding your place in the world.
According to the official Spice and Wolf social media, season 2 has been approved! With this announcement, it’s very likely the anime will adapt through the end of the story. Stream all of season 1 on Crunchyroll.
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