Ask John: What’s John’s Opinion of Wolf & Spice?

Question:
I’ve heard about a new series called “Wolf and Spice.” What can you tell me about it, and what did you think about it? He tells me it’s a really romance anime about a merchant and a wolf; he tells me that the characterization is really well done, so I guess I’m asking what are your 2 cents.

Answer:
Despite them not being related to each other in any meaningful way, I can’t resist comparing Ookami to Koshinryo (“Wolf & Spice”) and Moyashimon for a particular reason. The Moyashimon television series was ending as Wolf & Spice was announced. Both programs deal with natural themes, and both programs promised viewers an emphasis on a unique theme uncommon in anime. Moyashimon’s gimmick was illustrating the microbiotic organisims that exist all around us. Wolf & Spice promised to concentrate on business and mercantile dealings. While Moyashimon, I think, failed to fully deliver on its promise, Wolf & Spice did actually fulfill its promise to viewers. However, despite its unique approach, Wolf & Spice still suffers from some shortcomings.

Wolf & Spice is the story of a young traveling merchant that gains an immortal wolf in the shape of a human woman as a traveling companion during a fantasy medeval age. Lawrence, the merchant, travels from city to city, buying and selling goods including wheat, salt, animal pelts, and armor. Horo, the female wolf, is a cunning, insightful, selfish, and also world weary ancient forest spirit who feels out of place in the world that’s changing around her. The pair promise to remain together on a long, arduous journey back to the land of Horo’s birth. Along the way the pair risk persecution from the all-powerful church, threats to their livlihood and very lives by unscrupulous fellow merchants, and begin to develop a trust, friendship, and teasing hints of love between each other.

In its favor, Wolf & Spice benefits from the engaging personalities of its protagonists and a convincing illustration of the feudal society that they live in. Lawrence has a believable character. He’s kind and generous, but not above considering his own interests. He’s an outgoing and ambitious man that does his best, although his best is frequently ineffective or less than fully effective. Horo is instantly absorbing because she’s eminently self-confident, wise, mysterious, playful, and also faintly emotionally vulnerable. Horo represents an ideal female because she’s wise enough to guide a man, but also feminine enough to succumb to courtship and romance. Finally, as mentioned, the show does indeed concentrate on depicting the nuances of bargaining, bartering, and currency exchange.

Unfortunately, the series is limited by by its short length. The series’ television broadcast recently ended and one episode remains for the forthcoming Japanese DVD release, but the unbroadcast episode is set chronologically prior to the series’ final episode. While the anime series is based around Lawrence and Horo’s long journey, viewers are privy to only the first few days of their trip. Viewers see the beginning of Lawrence and Horo’s relationship, but the series ends before the relationship has time to develop. Furthermore, Lawrence seems to fall victim to tragedy, economic loss, and danger startlingly often. In fact, Lawrence falling upon hard times seems to happen so often and so frequently that his plight quickly begins to lose some of its impact on viewers because it seems too common and familiar.

The 2008 anime TV season is still rather early, so I’m hesitant to make nominations for the year’s best anime. Without knowing yet what the rest of this year will offer, my inclination is to believe that Wolf & Spice will, or hopefully will, just fall short of being one of this year’s best television anime. In other words, while Wolf & Spice is quite good, I’m hope that this year will deliver titles that are even better. Wolf & Spice is, in fact, one of the best anime of 2008 so far. The series delivers strong characters, an intriguing setting and atmosphere, and a unique narrative theme, by anime standards. But the series’ brevity works against it by limiting the series ability to breath and develop a gradual, evolving and affecting journey.