English Dub Review: Spice and Wolf: MERCHANT MEETS THE WISE WOLF “The Harvest Festival and The Crowded Driver’s Box”

Overview

Based on the Japanese light novel series written by Isuna Hasekura and illustrated by Jū Ayakura. The story takes place in a village far, far away… where a wolf goddess brought bountiful harvests of wheat for an exceedingly long time, until memories of the wolf became antiquated stories. What then, was left for the wolf to do?


Our Take

Kraft Lawrence, a wandering merchant trading goods from his horse-drawn cart, arrives in the village of Pasloe during preparations for the upcoming harvest festival. His aim: to barter wheat. However, he finds that the negotiator he sought, Holo, the deity of abundant harvests, is restricted due to a local custom. Disappointed, Lawrence leaves the village. That night, a mysterious girl with animal ears and a tail sneaks into his cart, claiming to be Holo, the same name as the village’s deity.

Skeptical, Lawrence asks for proof, leading the girl to partially transform into her wolf form before disappearing. Troubled by the encounter, Lawrence returns to Pasloe to spend the night. Later, he encounters Holo again, who reveals she fled Pasloe to return to her homeland of Yoitsu in the distant north. Despite his doubts, Lawrence agrees to let her join him on his travels, hoping her presence will bring him prosperity in business.

Overall, this was quite a pleasant start for this rebooted series. In a Sea of Reboots and updated retellings of pre-existing stories. It seems anime likes to get it right more than Hollywood in the past several years. And here it’s no different but in a good way. Much in the same way Hellsing Ultimate, Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood and the recently rebooted Fruits Basket and Ruroni Kenshin, with many of it’s original English Dub cast from their past shows, are back reprising their roles along with a new animation team at the helm called ” Passione” who’s recent work was The Demon Sword Master of Excalibur Academy. Let’s hope they keep this momentum going as so far I’m left with intrigue in terms of what this new retelling has to offer.