Posted by Episode 23
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Episode 24
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「仕組まれた災禍としかるべき報い/蛇神の道と賢狼の答え」 (Shikumareta Saika to Shikarubeki Mukui/Hebigami no Michi to Kenrou no Kotae)
“Orchestrated Catastrophe and Appropriate Retribution/Path of the Snake God and Answer of the Wise Wolf”
Ridiculous amounts of work and upcoming preview release (fall is stupidly large this year) often make for a sad Pancakes in terms of blogging, but knowing Spice and Wolf is around always helps warm the heart and keeping me satisfied. Even if we only have one episode left at this point, the nature of this adaptation and the absolute treat of this arc have helped ensure that sequel announcement or not the choice to do this remake was the right one. Even if I’m still hoping for that announcement nonetheless!
Much like previous arcs in Spice and Wolf the main driver of conflict here isn’t some grand design or battle of higher powers – it’s greed and politics of simple men. Thanks to the efforts and sway of Father Franz Tereo lucked out with a sweetheart deal, a deal that was never going to stand the test of time once its father (heh) inevitably went away. Someone poisoning the wheat supply to Enberch was simply the excuse to unleash such a change, something Kraft quickly honed in on as the ultimate goal at play. Paganism and false gods? Simply excuses to further tighten the screws. In the end it always comes down to power and Enberch saw means to exercise it.
Such powerplays of course always have collateral damage and this is where Kraft and Holo got caught up in the festivities. The true irony is that both have absolutely nothing to do with the tug of war transpiring, yet because Kraft appeared when he did and with wheat on top of it he naturally becomes a suitable scapegoat to take out frustrations upon. It shows just how far the guy has come however that the course of events isn’t overtly worrying him; he and Holo are on the same page, both trust each other openly and implicitly, and there’s no question of putting survival ahead of any hotheaded theatrics. Doesn’t preclude the two from helping Elsa and Evan mind you, but that somewhat proves the point. For Kraft especially it’s all about weighing the scales, and since he knows exactly how to measure Holo he has plenty of room left to consider more unknown factors. Plus hey, a bit of empathy and relatability doesn’t hurt things either.
That last bit though is the big thing at play because it’s arguably the most important part (outside of married couple cuteness) of this arc. Kraft’s growing understanding of Holo’s emotions towards her past and increasing intimacy with her have solidified an incredibly strong bond between the two, one that in this moment has Kraft reach out to help a village for the sake of helping Holo not regret the past. Arguably overkill (why not just run?), yet a choice reinforcing the strength of self. Much like Elsa settled on returning to keep the goals of Franz going strong the main duo is assisting because Holo has the power to effect change in a way she missed out on before. In the end it’s a reflection of staying true to yourself, and one which ensures the relationship between Kraft and Holo only blooms further.
Oh how I hope next week really isn’t the end of the ride for this remake.
Preview
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