Forum - View topicSpice & Wolf: merchant meets the wise wolf (TV).
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Eilavel
Posts: 136 |
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They skipped an episode compared to the last adaptation- E7 was previously devoted to buying clothes. It wasn't a particularly insightful trade and makes sense to skip. Will this be the only skip, allowing these 25 episodes to end where the previous 26 did, or will there be more and we actually get some new material?
Otherwise, a fine episode leaning more into the economics before we open the next arc. |
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Darkmagick
 SubscriberPosts: 471 |
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That particular episode was actually an OVA, which was released later (on the home video release, I believe). It's always included as "episode 7" in the episode order now, but it wasn't actually part of what aired on TV. So it could be said from that point of view they didn't "skip" anything.
(I quite liked that episode, for the record. Sometimes it's okay to have an episode that's all economics lessons and flirting and no plot.) |
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Eilavel
Posts: 136 |
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Ah, fair enough. I probably inserted in timeline in my last rewatch which is now too distant for me to remember those details. If they skip the other that would give them 20 minutes to play with I guess.
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Harleyquin
Posts: 2984 |
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#8
Nora Adent makes her debut, and she's an interesting contrast with Kraft Lawrence as she's also ambitious and open to taking risks if it means achieving her dream job. Seeing Holo get jealous over Nora is just as amusing as it was previously. I don't actually remember the part about her having to rest early so that she can stay awake all night to guard her flock; being a lone shepherd back then was tough especially when she has the reputation of being a witch because of her superlative handling skills keeping regular wolves at bay. The hard stare from the church official when she brought the flock in indicates not all is well with her relationship with the Church despite her knowledge of the usual rituals. As for Lawrence, he hasn't suspected anything despite the uncommon reactions from the customs officials. He's already been told he made a good choice paying his tariff in kind, while the odd look given when he said he'd imported the armour from the previous town wasn't caught on. The second part of the episode title mentions the unwelcome news; that is actually given at the end of the episode. Lawrence will have to find out for himself just how bitter the armour is. Rowen trading house is Kraft Lawrence's guild (and also the name of choice for this adaptation's production committee). Just as well he has allies to turn to in the city when there's trouble. The master there taught Lawrence all he knows about business, so he'll have something to say once the bad news reaches Lawrence. The setup for this arc is nearly done, all that remains is the execution which I'm keen to see to the end. |
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zfunk
Posts: 322 |
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When this arc was originally made in light novel, was it before the 2008 anime, if so they knew a woman character was going to come into the story, so why Yarei with Chloe, a female character is coming, why in such a rush to have another female character you have to change the story in the first arc. Than it becomes contrived that we keep running into woman arc after arc.
Anyway that is the other anime, I am interested to see if they tone down Holo's jealousy and resentment towards Norah. Girls being catty because of a guy that is just something that is so cliche. |
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Hiroki not Takuya
 Posts: 2697 |
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Not having watched the original or this until just last week, the very reason I didn't was that several reviewers characterized it that way and I concluded it "wasn't for me". I also started wondering why I avoided it those years ago and seeing what was airing alongside it gave the answer...Clannad, Naruto, Bleach, True Tears among several now-classics... I have been comparing the original and new versions as I find myself liking this show and I almost thought the VA for Holo was a new actress until I checked and was surprised to see it was the same Brinna Palencia! She has gotten much better over these 16 years.... |
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DuskyPredator
 Posts: 15580 Location: Brisbane, Australia |
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Since the original, always dread what happens next, all after Lawrence was so happy about his smart moves, and yet you can feel dread. The deal he risked his life for, followed by catching a rat trying to cheat him, and now he keeps getting funny looks.
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Harleyquin
Posts: 2984 |
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#9
The hammer falls, and Lawrence learns firsthand what a black swan event feels like. Greed really does blind even the most conservative merchants into taking too much risk without the cover or hedge required to minimise losses if the unexpected occurs. Lawrence is not exactly lying when he says Holo is his business partner, but the problem is perception. Like his trading master says, the first thing which comes to mind to strangers is he is begging for loans not to service his crushing debt which is now public knowledge, but to maintain her living expenses even when the first thing he should do which his master recommended was to ditch her. Given what they've gone through, Lawrence can't do that. Although he's shown how wide his own network is, it hasn't helped him ironically because Holo insisted she tag along not knowing how that affects perceptions of him. This week's economics (and social history) lessons should be quite obvious: the dangers of going into unsecured debt, the enforcement of contracts in a decentralised legal framework and long standing prejudice against itinerant merchants who aren't single. Lawrence is very much backed into a corner now, yet he has forgotten the most recent investment he made and has not asked for her help. There is one venture he has not yet considered either as he wouldn't touch it under normal circumstances. Having hit rock bottom now, he has the rest of the quarter to bring himself back from the brink. How this is approached in the new adaptation should be interesting for me as I remember the outcome but not the negotiating process. |
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Harleyquin
Posts: 2984 |
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#10
Although Holo left to return to the inn, the damage was already done when they were seen together in the streets. He may have lost a few connections, but he did quite well to beg 10% of the debt. Now he has to stake it all on his most recent investment in a high risk high return venture with his life and many others on the line. Holo remembered the conversation about gold smuggling, so naturally she proposed it as a means to repay the debt in a manner befitting a merchant. It needed the cooperation of the debtor and Nora, but circumstances and Lawrence's skills at negotiation/conning did the rest. His read on Nora wasn't wrong, and it's clear by this episode that she's very angry with her treatment by her current employer yet has no way to get even. Lawrence provides the opportunity, albeit with stakes higher than anything she's ever faced. Smuggling gold using sheep wool is possible, and it takes advantage of Nora's familiarity with the guards. So long as nothing silly such as bars dropping out off the wool happens, the guards don't search her nor her flock as it would never occur to them. If they get to the gates unscathed the venture is successful. Getting to that point is most of the challenge. Smuggling is an old profession, and it would not surprise me the author used a real-life example for this story arc. The rest of the arc will be on the execution. My favourite part of the previous adaptation, I'm hoping just as good a job is done this time round. |
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Harleyquin
Posts: 2984 |
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#11
I didn't think there would be any difference between the original airing and this episode, but I'm proven wrong almost immediately. Even if the outcome is the same, the process by which viewers get there is going to be a different experience for each airing. That alone makes it worthwhile for the rewatch. It's not surprising the Remerio company sent a representative to join Lawrence and company on the journey to Lamtra. Lawrence is not trusted enough nor well connected enough to negotiate any kind of deal for gold, so someone with backing was a necessity. Unsurprisingly he is unaware of how shepherds do their work, but he is professional enough to listen to advice and make the most of any opportunities given without emotion factoring in. Nora hasn't realised who Holo really is, and the confusion on her face when Holo teases her during their conversation bears that out. Her dog Enek however is going to be the MVD of this expedition as without him Holo could not have bought enough time for her to negotiate with the master of the woods. That encounter might also be different this time round, but it could go either way. Merchants always look out for their self interests, doubly so for companies risking ruin and aware they have every opportunity to break contracts if they can get away with it. The Remerio company thinks it has come out on top with their actions, with the only saving grace for Lawrence being they are not so mercenary they would not hesitate to do the deed themselves. If next week's title is any indication, they will have cause to regret their "insurance". |
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Harleyquin
Posts: 2984 |
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#12
This episode more or less went accordingly to how I remember it. I'm not agreeable with at least one point in this episode (how Lawrence managed to pinpoint the runaway stash so quickly), but everything else was fine. Animation this time round is obviously better with modern techniques and a more varied colour palette, but it's not an action franchise and the focus remains on how merchants get even with each other when there is a breach of contract. Remerio trading took the trouble to hide the true amount of gold obtained during the negotiations, so Lawrence overestimated just how big their emergency stash was for discretionary purposes. Since betrayal was always on the cards, Nora and him were basically doomed without Holo's assistance. Despite the size of the new debt contract, Lawrence saying he only ended up breaking even (not counting the peaches he owes Holo as a reward) indicates the scale of the armour marker crash and how much money he was squeezed for in his greed. Nora's character was tested, but she also knew how important it was to get the smuggled gold into Ruvinheigen to increase its value so chose to keep her word. It's not explicitly stated, but Nora took a liking to Lawrence and Holo having travelled and talked together and with the contract honoured she could quit being a shepherd with her future prospects secured. I had thought this would be the last episode, but there is one more next week to properly bring this arc to a close. Of the two arcs in the original quarter I always liked this one more because of Nora and the way Lawrence and Holo have to go all out to get out of a mess of Lawrence's making. I do not know if the remake will extend to the original second season, so I'm just going to enjoy what I can. |
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Piglet the Grate
 Posts: 799 Location: North America |
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This was Episode 12 of 25 planned episodes, so the show will extend to at least the end of the summer season (beyond that TBD). |
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zfunk
Posts: 322 |
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At least we know Lawrence is not a liar, he said he is dense when it comes to things, and moments later he is so dense bring up the whole sheepherder thing and think that was Holo's problem with Nora, when obvious it was about him and the attention he was giving her.
Still a nice cool down, it is nice to see Holo and Nora have cut their tension by laughing at Lawrence. I wonder if at season end, we will see the faces of the narrator and the person she is telling the story to. Obvious I know who it is, but for the anime only I won't say. |
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Harleyquin
Posts: 2984 |
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#13
As a bridge to the second quarter, this episode serves to close off the gold smuggling arc as well as Nora and Enek. Although a charming episode, some parts of it are jarring because they are too much of a stretch to put aside with suspension of disbelief. The sheep torture Lawrence spoke of isn't the best talking point to raise during meal conversations, but it's appropriate because the shepherd would be able to verify whether it was just a tall tale. Although Holo being jealous is a main theme of the episode, the way Enek was portrayed suggests it already knew Holo's true nature despite facing off last week. The dog did absolutely nothing this week, even when seeing Holo's wolf features at the end. Likewise, Nora does not seem surprised when she sees Holo in bed unguarded. This point should be explained next week, as it contradicts the caution the main pairing exhibit when around other people. Lawrence is clearly educated enough to read medical texts, so his guild certainly trained him well. His medical knowledge is based on the ancient Greek medical universe, so a lot of it is outdated when viewed from today's lens. Also, he's treating Holo as if she was a human, which doesn't really work when she's really a wolf adopting human appearance. If anything, giving her lots of meat might have helped her recover faster by letting the wolf metabolism take over. The next arc if I remember correctly was one of the hardest of the original airing to understand with regards to economic concepts. If they're retelling that one, I'm keen to see if I receive it better now than I did many years ago. |
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Eilavel
Posts: 136 |
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Nora has seen Holo as a giant wolf. Why would they still be cautious? Thats a bigger secret than all their others put together, they are all in on Nora now so theres no point sneaking. The dog is presumably simply well trained, and theres no need to try and build "will they figure Holo is a wolf tension" so its all cool now. Unlike economics talk, I find the medical talk dull... either disinterest or simply because its neither plot relevant nor true. However, Holos dreams are great and the repartee between the two is, as always, on point. If only more romance shows, of any type, could consistently maintain this level of chemistry between the two leads. Thanks to that, Spice and Wolf is always enjoyable. |
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