Spice and Wolf: animal deities and currency speculation

[blkmage]

Spice and Wolf is an ongoing light novel series that has spawned an anime series, the first season of which aired in winter of 2008, with the second season currently airing.

Spice and Wolf is set in a medieval European setting and follows the travels of Kraft Lawrence, a 25 year-old traveling merchant. One night, while making a stop at a village, he finds a girl with wolf ears and a tail sleeping in the back of his cart. She is Horo the Wise Wolf, the village's pagan deity of the harvest and has been providing good harvests for hundreds of years. She wants Lawrence to take her back to her hometown of Yoitsu in the north. Spice and Wolf is about their journey there.

What does Spice and Wolf have to offer?

Medieval Europe. Here, we have an anime set in a medieval European setting without crazy magic or lands overrun with war. Instead, we have villages, people going about their lives in those villages, a look at some local customs and festivals, and a look at how society operated.

Economics 101. Lawrence is not a talented mage or aspiring knight. He's a merchant and he solves his problems using the power of mercantilism. As he tries to get out of some sticky situations, he makes use of his merchant's guile and occasionally treats us to some basic economics lessons. You'll be a bit more complete in your knowledge of trading commodities and currency speculation once you're done here.

Awesome characters. As much as Spice and Wolf has a reputation for being the economics animu, the real draw of it is the incredibly charming interactions and dialogue between Lawrence and Horo. These two are among the best characters I've seen in anime. The theme of loneliness is central to the characters, with Lawrence being a traveling merchant (a very solitary job) and Horo being along for hundreds of years. Lawrence is voiced by Jun Fukuyama and Horo is voiced by Ami Koishimizu.

Interested?

The first season of the anime, produced by Imagin, covers the first two volumes of the light novels and is licensed but there doesn't appear to be any release date set. The second season, produced by (the superior) Brains Base, is currently airing, going through material from the third volume and has had an episode 00 OVA released months before. The light novels have been licensed by Yen Press and first volume is due to be out in December of this year.

Basically, what I'm trying to say is you should watch/read Spice and Wolf and talk about how great it is in this thread.

[CrimsonRyu17]

I love Spice and Wolf. I started watching it after hearing how great the characters are and how different it is. At first, I thought it was going to be another typical love story which I don't care for. Did it prove me wrong. I ended up falling in love with it.

Awesome characters, agreed. The most thing I enjoy is the interaction between Horo and Lawrence. They're certainly not cardboard cut-outs and actually feel like characters. Especially Horo, as she's teasy yet wise. You could easily quote a lot of her little sayings.

Then there's the church's activities that challenges us and gives us an idea to think about. I thought that was very interesting.

I've seen the first season, the OVA, and the first 3 eps to the second season. I could not stop watching when I got into it. Plan on getting the light novel when it comes out too.

[hey]

I watched the first few episodes of Spice and Wolf and really liked the setting and characters. I did get the impression that it could have a negative tone regarding God. Is this something I should be concerned with?

[blkmage]

Spice and Wolf is set in a fictional medieval European setting. Any opinion on the God and the Church that's presented in Spice and Wolf has to be taken in understanding the layperson's impressions of God and the Church during that period in history and the fact that the Church in medieval Europe was not the nicest institution. The Church dominated life in medieval Europe and it abused its authority. Average people are very aware of this fact and aren't exactly pleased with that. The Church is more of a political institution in Spice and Wolf and God and religion are used by the Church (like it did in historical medieval Europe) to bludgeon people into submission and their thoughts on God reflect this.

tl;dr - The Church does bad things and is corrupt and peoples' opinions on God are (rightly) affected by this fact. If you don't like this, you might not want to take a look at church history.

[Etoh*the*Greato]

I'll second Blkmage on the Church in the middle ages. A study of Church history led me to an opinion in college that made me quite unpopular with the rest of the students: Christians shouldn't be in power. We are at our worst when we are, but we do our best work when we're not.

All historical tangents aside, I love the time period. I'll be very keen on checking this one out!

[hey]

OK great! Thanks for the quick replies. I am open to criticism of christians and the church. I'm not a fan of people criticizing God, and I get a bit sensitive about that. I wasn't sure which the show was going to be doing. In the past I've seen shows that sound like they are going to do only the first, but later I get burned when they end up doing both.

I just enjoyed the first two episodes too much to do that to myself again with this one.

[ChristianKitsune]

ooh this show looks awesome! I might check it out 8D

[blkmage]

So you know how they're translating the light novels for North America? I was pretty excited that the first volume is going to be out by the end of the year. But then I saw their official cover.

Now, I'm not unreasonable and I didn't expect them to use the original cover. But this doesn't exactly convey what Spice and Wolf is all about. And it looks terrible. This looks pretty trashy, and as we all know Spice and Wolf is not. It's classy relationship and character development with a heap of economics.

It's unfortunate, because I found their Haruhi cover redesigns to be pretty good. I guess I could buy it and rip the cover off or something. （　´_ゝ`）

[Etoh*the*Greato]

Having worked in a book store, I don't take much stock in book cover designs. Remember, this is the world where on bodice rippers any native american man is just a tanned caucaisan dude who spends his days working out in the gym and covered in vegetable oil.

[CrimsonRyu17]

But then I saw their official cover.

..... That. Is an ugly fricking cover. If I wasn't a manga fan and saw that cover, I would still think it was ugly and wouldn't pick it up. Way to go, YP. I don't believe in judging a book by its cover BUT that... I don't even.

Japanese books are way smaller and the smaller, the better for me. I'll just read some translations and buy those if YP doesn't change it. Guess it'd also be showing my support directly to the makers in Japan anyway. A shame, I was looking forward to buying YP's for a good translation and show support but I'm not supporting that. I may sound harsh, but I am a diehard fan of Spice and Wolf.

[ChristianKitsune]

8D I've seen the first 7 episodes and I'm LOVING this show! 8D Its so great! ^_^

the ending theme is adorable!

and... I think the cover is gorgeous... >_>

[blkmage]

Seven apples on the witch's tree~

[ChristianKitsune]

Seven apples on the witch's tree~

With Seven seeds to plant inside of me!

my favorite line:
"I look at the world through apple eyes, and slice me a piece of sunshine pie."

SO HAPPY!

But why do you guys think the cover is ugly? I really think it's true to the series (from what I've seen so far...) I mean the little bag around her neck is awesome, especially what it represents and I love the tail...

the only think I'm not sure I .like is the creepy smile...but Holo is a little creepy like that so it kind of fits...and I like the painterly/photographic mix...

^^]Pretty strikingly non-manga, huh?

We think this design really captures Holo’s playful spirit in a way that will appeal to fantasy audiences. At the same time, though, we certainly know that some of the existing SPICE AND WOLF fans out there might have a harder time embracing this new direction. What we hope, though, is that those fans understand our reasons for making these changes and will turn out to support this property that they know and love and in turn support the success of light novels in general in this market so that one day — hopefully! — we’ll be in a very different place where we can confidently and successfully utilize the original cover art for these books. What I’d really like to see come to pass is the day where light novels are actually bringing new readers into the manga community!

And for those hardcore fans who just can’t live without the gorgeous art gracing the original covers (a sentiment that we certainly understand), we’re doing something a bit special that we’ve never tried before. In the December issue of our Yen Plus magazine, we’re going to be offering a special gift — a limited edition slip jacket fitted to the novel’s trim size:[/QUOTE]

[blkmage]

Their rationale is correct, but their style is totally off. The cover is technically accurate in that their representation of Horo is correct. However, it doesn't convey the themes and atmosphere of the story very well. The story isn't just about Horo. The world that the story is set in is just as interesting as the characters themselves. Even then, it's more about the relationship between Lawrence and Horo than on the fact that Horo is a wolf-deity.

I feel like a more subtle and subdued cover would have fit the novel better than a naked wolf-girl. Personally, my cover design would have been a watercolour of the place they were visiting in each volume (a field of wheat for volume 1, the city for volume 2, etc.) with them riding on the cart off in the distance.

[ChristianKitsune]

Their rationale is correct, but their style is totally off. The cover is technically accurate in that their representation of Horo is correct. However, it doesn't convey the themes and atmosphere of the story very well. The story isn't just about Horo. The world that the story is set in is just as interesting as the characters themselves. Even then, it's more about the relationship between Lawrence and Horo than on the fact that Horo is a wolf-deity.

I feel like a more subtle and subdued cover would have fit the novel better than a naked wolf-girl. Personally, my cover design would have been a watercolour of the place they were visiting in each volume (a field of wheat for volume 1, the city for volume 2, etc.) with them riding on the cart off in the distance.

Well keep in mind this is only volume one. How many novels are there?

[blkmage]

I think there are about 11 or 12 in Japan so far. That actually brings up another one of my criticisms of the cover (which stems from my hobby in typography and identity design), in that the design they've chosen doesn't appear to be easily generalized into a style that can be kept consistent among each volume. Look at the US covers for the Haruhi light novels for an example of this. The style is consistent with each volume: bright solid colour with the title in the same style and a silhouette of Haruhi.

Also look at the light novel covers for the Japanese versions of Spice and Wolf. The covers are Horo against a fairly simple background, with the title set in a standard serif typeface. Ignoring the fact that Horo is drawn anime style, the other elements of the cover have a very different style and gives off a very different feel from the US cover. The US cover feels like some sort of high fantasy book, while what takes place in Spice and Wolf is generally much, much more subtle than that.

[ChristianKitsune]

I think there are about 11 or 12 in Japan so far. That actually brings up another one of my criticisms of the cover (which stems from my hobby in typography and identity design), in that the design they've chosen doesn't appear to be easily generalized into a style that can be kept consistent among each volume. Look at the US covers for the Haruhi light novels for an example of this. The style is consistent with each volume: bright solid colour with the title in the same style and a silhouette of Haruhi.

Also look at the light novel covers for the Japanese versions of Spice and Wolf. The covers are Horo against a fairly simple background, with the title set in a standard serif typeface. Ignoring the fact that Horo is drawn anime style, the other elements of the cover have a very different style and gives off a very different feel from the US cover. The US cover feels like some sort of high fantasy book, while what takes place in Spice and Wolf is generally much, much more subtle than that.

ehhh Its just a cover XD I don't know why everyone is so upset about it...

Never judge a book by its cover 8D

[Nate]

My only real complaint about the cover is that the artist apparently needs to take a few more anatomy classes. See, that is clearly a MAN'S chest. It's like he started to draw a breast but then thought "Oh I'm just going to shade over it so there's no point in making an outline, because clearly in real life a shaded breast wouldn't have any shape as well!" The shoulder also looks kinda off too.

The bigger problem I think is that the original Japanese cover looks nice, and you wouldn't mind reading it on a bus or in a break room, but the American cover makes it look like smut, and I can't imagine anyone reading it in public with a cover like that.

[hey]

Their rationale is correct, but their style is totally off. The cover is technically accurate in that their representation of Horo is correct. However, it doesn't convey the themes and atmosphere of the story very well.

Ahhhh. OK, that makes sense. When I saw people bashing the cover I thought about responding saying "What's wrong with the cover?" but I'm new to the forums, so I thought I'd keep my mouth shut. I think what you're getting at makes sense. I'm especially in no position to talk because I've only been able to watched the first two episodes. I keep failing to find it.

[hey]

Look at the US covers for the Haruhi light novels for an example of this.

I've been hearing the term light novel since I've first looked into Spice & Wolf. Mind if I ask what is a light novel?

[blkmage]

"Light novel" is a Japanese term (ライトノベル) for novels that typically target teens. Light novels are different from regular novels in that they also include some illustrations (like character designs and such) and are often serialized like manga before being collected into volumes.

Recently, light novels have become another medium (along with visual novels, manga, and video games) from which anime adaptations are derived. A lot of notable anime began as light novels, like Spice and Wolf, Haruhi, Kure-nai, Kara no Kyoukai, Bakemonogatari, Zero no Tsukaima, Shakugan no Shana, and Toradora!. Many of these are still being published. Much like manga, it seems like being even mildly popular is enough to warrant an anime adaptation of the work.

Because it's a lot harder to translate something that's entirely text, there are a lot fewer light novels available outside of Japan as compared to manga.

The bigger problem I think is that the original Japanese cover looks nice, and you wouldn't mind reading it on a bus or in a break room, but the American cover makes it look like smut, and I can't imagine anyone reading it in public with a cover like that.

Pretty much this.

[hey]

Thanks for the info on light novels. I think I saw one in a book store the other day, but it was more of an alternate earth steam punk called Leviathan. I was interested in reading it until I got the impression it was targeted at kids. Perhaps I judged it too quickly.

[MasterDias]

Due to the costs involved in translating/editing/etc. them, light novels have a much higher break-even point than manga, which has caused even popular franchises like the Full Metal Panic! novels to be unsuccessful.
Yen Press is trying to market their novels to the general YA market at large instead of just anime/manga fans, so I guess we'll see if they succeed.

The bigger problem I think is that the original Japanese cover looks nice, and you wouldn't mind reading it on a bus or in a break room, but the American cover makes it look like smut, and I can't imagine anyone reading it in public with a cover like that.

Apparently, they are trying to follow trends in the YA fantasy novel market.
However, I do have trouble believing that there are all these teen books with nude women on the covers or something. But it's not like I've been keeping up with trends though...so what do I know?

[mechana2015]

I think there are about 11 or 12 in Japan so far. That actually brings up another one of my criticisms of the cover (which stems from my hobby in typography and identity design), in that the design they've chosen doesn't appear to be easily generalized into a style that can be kept consistent among each volume. Look at the US covers for the Haruhi light novels for an example of this. The style is consistent with each volume: bright solid colour with the title in the same style and a silhouette of Haruhi.

Also look at the light novel covers for the Japanese versions of Spice and Wolf. The covers are Horo against a fairly simple background, with the title set in a standard serif typeface. Ignoring the fact that Horo is drawn anime style, the other elements of the cover have a very different style and gives off a very different feel from the US cover. The US cover feels like some sort of high fantasy book, while what takes place in Spice and Wolf is generally much, much more subtle than that.

I can see what you're saying about the cover not matching the content, at least from what I've heard about the series. This is a common problem in cover art in general, so I accept that analyses, and actually would go further to say that it applies to the original cover as well (random wolf girl in a field?) but I do have some issues with your other comments.

You say that the cover style can't be maintained as a brand, and I thoroughly disagree. So long as they keep the same illustrator for the background images and a similar motif, the Spice and Wolf typography will keep the series identifiable through as many books as are necessary, and even allows for color changes of the main type to compensate for different background shades and colors to keep appropriate contrast.

Other than that, books will be easily differentiated by the cover illustration, type color if they change it, and the 'Volume 1 (2, 3 etc.)' that can be matched to the other type color, but will still keep the sense of the series. A great example of this handling is the cover design for the Dresden files novels, (http://www.jim-butcher.com/books/dresden/ <<most of the covers) where each book is separate, yet clearly from the same series.

I would say to be more concerned about brand coherency if they started changing cover artists for every volume or messed with the typography for every volume.

[ChristianKitsune]

Upon further investigation Mech and I found some odd flaws in this cover...

take it away, buddy!

[mechana2015]

My only real complaint about the cover is that the artist apparently needs to take a few more anatomy classes. See, that is clearly a MAN'S chest. It's like he started to draw a breast but then thought "Oh I'm just going to shade over it so there's no point in making an outline, because clearly in real life a shaded breast wouldn't have any shape as well!" The shoulder also looks kinda off too.

After some further checking and a little photoshop analyses, all of the shading is actually pretty lazy, as is the photomanipulation (check out the line between the neck and the torso).

The anatomy is a wreck and the chest isn't really... any chest.. there's some bumps and ridges that don't exist on any chest, unless you have horribly broken bones. The breast is also completely wrong, since the shading looks like the sternum is blocking a lot of light and there's a highlight in a really odd place for the actual anatomy of a female chest... or any chest for that matter.

I did a little look over in PS thats on photobucket including a reshading of the torso, but it's a bit detailed, so if you want to see it PM me.

[hey]

Yeah after checking out the image under those conditions you can see why they darkened it so much.

I guess that's one advantage of a simple art style. You don't have to worry about the uncanny valley.

[Yamamaya]

Sounds very interesting. It's not often you get an anime/manga/light novel that's set in medieval europe. I'm happy to hear that this one is actually somewhat historically accurate.

That cover art is absolutely riduculous. It makes it look like one of those dime a dozen sexed up fantasy books.

[DeusVult]

Spice and Wolf became an instant favorite of mine. The original I placed at #6 and the sequel at #2 in my collection. I just really liked the medevil setting and the bantering between the two main leads. The character develop in this story was incredible, and I love the soundtrack music to the show too.

I see that THRSI has the 1st part of season 1 for Pre-Ordering now. YAY!
I already have the soundtrack.

[Elycien]

I adore Spice and Wolf! I haven't seen the second season yet, but I've got the episodes ready to watch when I get time. ^___^ (which ... won't be for a while *facepalm* Oh, NaNo...) Can't wait for the first season to be released here, though, I'm totally buying it.

Anyone watching the second season? Is it as good as the first?

Thanks for the info on light novels. I think I saw one in a book store the other day, but it was more of an alternate earth steam punk called Leviathan. I was interested in reading it until I got the impression it was targeted at kids. Perhaps I judged it too quickly.

Incidentally, you totally did. I'm reading it right now and it's really awesome. [/off-topic]

Leviathan isn't really what I'd call a light novel, though... it's just illustrated. Text-wise it's longer and it's also released in hardcover. Light novel releases (in Japan, anyway) are generally just paperback. (Please, anyone who knows more than I do about this is free to correct me. XD)