First Impressions / Spice and Wolf

Summary:

In a tavern, Lawrence and Horo find themselves hearing about a magician who’s supposedly attacking travelers by summoning wolves on a detour road to the city of Rubinhaigen. Horo prays that this magician isn’t a woman because she knows that Lawrence is easily deceived by them. A short while later, the two are forced to leave the tavern because it’s closing, and that pisses off Horo because it’s too early. Lawrence explains that it’s due to the town they’re in being under management of the church, and he thinks that things will be better in Rubinhaigen. Horo is excited at the prospect of a large city because that means they might have apples, and Lawrence telling her about various fruits being preserved with honey makes her drool. After getting him to promise to buy her some, she insists that they hurry up and sell the pepper so that they can leave for Rubinhaigen. The next morning, the two visit a merchant who starts the trading session off by asking if they brought a scale. Lawrence didn’t, but he knowingly says that he believes in God, causing the merchant to choose a scale from his own shelf and bring it to the trading table.

Before they weigh the pepper, Horo tells Lawrence that she’s thirsty, and although Lawrence tells her to endure without it, the merchant gets her some water. Lawrence and the merchant continue on with the trading as Horo drinks, and the merchant ends up offering Lawrence 32 and 5/6 silver coins for the pepper. Right as Lawrence is about to accept the deal, Horo starts pretending that she’s feeling dizzy. She makes it a point to say that things look tilted to her, and she then pretends to stumble so that she can spill her water on the trading table. This serves two purposes. First, Horo is able to show that the merchant gave her wine to drink instead of water, meaning that he wanted the person he was trading with to get drunk. Second, the liquid is flowing towards the opposite end the table, signifying that the table is not level. Lawrence uses all of this to blackmail the merchant into giving him some high-grade armor, and he and Horo laugh about it afterwards. Horo is proud of herself for what she did, though she then lectures Lawrence about how experience gives birth to overconfidence, and overconfidence can sometimes be fatal – that’s something she thinks that he should have learned from what happened with Chloe.

That night, Horo asks Lawrence to buy her some oil in the next town so that she can maintain her tail. Lawrence initially balks at the idea because of how much money she’s already cost him – 140 silver coins by his calculations – but when she implies that she’d leave him and be alone again if she paid him back, he relents by saying that it’d be okay as long as she repaid by the time they reach the northern forest. Horo is happy with this decision and claims that she was even going to add interest in when she paid him back. This means that the more she borrows, the more she’ll pay back, and this argument convinces Lawrence to promise to buy her the oil. Departing town the next morning, the pair spend the first leg of their trip discussing trade items that can turn a profit such as armor, spice, and jewels, but Lawrence notes that high tariffs are problematic for many of those. Gold in particular has a huge tariff for those importing it, though this doesn’t apply to some of the merchants who are in league with the church. Lawrence also explains that smuggling comes with potentially severe consequences if discovered, including the chopping off of a person’s dominant arm.

The two eventually encounter a caravan whose members warn Lawrence to be careful about a mercenary group from the north. Because of this, Lawrence decides to take the detour route to Rubinhaigen, and he’s reminded of the rumors about the magician. There turns out to be nothing along the route though, and Horo decides to sleep since she’s bored. Because Lawrence worries about being able to tell if wolves are coming while she’s asleep, Horo reveals that there’s no difference whether she’s awake or asleep in terms of her senses. Lawrence uses this chance to tease her about snoring, causing her to get angry, but she suddenly notices senses something. Horo says that it’s the kind of human that she hates and is on edge as the wagon approaches a flock of sheep in the middle of the road. With the sheep is a cloaked shepherd that Lawrence thinks could be the alleged magician, however he becomes less suspicious after this person demonstrates that he or she knows the correct shepherd greeting. After Lawrence introduces himself, the shepherd reveals herself to be a girl, and Horo remains unhappy with how Lawrence is surprised.

 
 
 

First things first: if you’re wondering about episode 07, it’s DVD only. Spice and Wolf is 13 episodes total, 12 of which are to be broadcast on TV. That one unaired episode will be included with the third DVD due out on May 30th, 2008.

As for the episode, it was fairly slow compared to last week’s, and I daresay the second half was even a little boring. Action isn’t everything, but sitting around talking about profits and tariffs isn’t horribly engaging or entertaining either, at least not for me. The first half was a slight bit better in that regard because there was more of a suspense element as Horo was exposing the merchant’s tricks, though I’m probably most interested in the magician rumors. The hints point at it being this new Nora girl they met at the end of the episode, but because they’ve made her out to be so mysterious right from the beginning, I’m inclined to believe that she’s not actually evil or anything. Still, Horo seems not to like her very much, so there might be a lot of tension. In the case of this series though, more tension is not a bad thing.

50 Comments

  3. Hmm, given the fact that I’ve never read the novels, I was expecting for them to at least explain the silver coin trade plot point, but it seems they’ve dropped that and skipped to an altogether new book.

    Myssa Rei
    Reply

  14. OMG kill the dvd producers…..they are starting to reach a point that even a poor bastard that helped produce the anime( seyiuus, mangakas and singers) that, doesn´t eat healthly anymore, are getting more and more sick DON´T EVEN HAVE THE MONEY TO BUY THEIR OWN CREATIONS…THE DVD ;D(HERE´S THE JOKE)

    THEIS PLEASURE MOMMENT WAS PRESENTED BY TENSAI OTAKU!!
    FROM CNN BRAZIL……OSHIMAI!!

    Tensai Otaku
    Reply

  15. episode 7 ???? on dvd???? that must be the naughty episode. .. LICK DAT TAIL GIRL!!! LICK IT!!!!! OHH YEAH and @ OBAMA THE NEGRO… DUDE!? it’s 2008.. , not sure if ur implying racisim, but DUDE!?

    BROOKLYN otaku
    Reply

  23. Lol why so many people thought it was ‘that way’, why dont you all try watching the raw or thought of it something else it’s just her demanding Lawrance to buy her another item for her tail with her attitude being cute like a dog lol.

    setsuke
    Reply

  31. https://randomc.net/image/Spice%20and%20Wolf/Spice%20and%20Wolf%20-%2008%20-%20Large%2015.jpg
    Hey, wanna do something dirty?

    https://randomc.net/image/Spice%20and%20Wolf/Spice%20and%20Wolf%20-%2008%20-%20Large%2014.jpg
    Sure I do!

    https://randomc.net/image/Spice%20and%20Wolf/Spice%20and%20Wolf%20-%2008%20-%20Large%2017.jpg
    Are you sure fangs are OK?

    https://randomc.net/image/Spice%20and%20Wolf/Spice%20and%20Wolf%20-%2008%20-%20Large%2016.jpg
    https://randomc.net/image/Spice%20and%20Wolf/Spice%20and%20Wolf%20-%2008%20-%20Large%2018.jpg

    @aran: “If you’re wondering about episode 07, it’s DVD only. Spice and Wolf is 13 episodes total, 12 of which are to be broadcast on TV.” Reading doesn’t hurt…

    someone
    Reply

  33. This is a combination of fortuitous screencaps and the animators probably having a good time pulling the chains of the more easily captivated by such things. The doujinshi people will no doubt put this to use…

    The episode itself is quite entertaining and sets up our next adventure from the light novel series. I strongly suspect the “missing ep” will be an “on the road comedy” bit of some kind that will involve shameless flirting and apples…

    vexx
    Reply

  41. Well that’s going to test how many minds are in the gutter :). If you don’t have the context it could be hard to get out of there.

    No wonder Horo is angry at seeing this new girl. After all wolves and shepherds are hardly on good terms. Lawrence’s reaction only increases that ‘mortal enemy’ feeling.

    The whole magician using wolves to attack travelers should be interesting. Depends on how powerful the ability is and if any effect will be had on Horo. Having to stop the wolves from being used of course, and hopefully Horo not having to fight other wolves.

    FlareKnight
    Reply

  45. Episode 7 is a DVD-only release and probably going to be an “inbetween” on-the-road short story. The remainder of the anime series will probably cover volume 2 from the light novel series. It was interesting in episode eight watching both Horo and Lawrence’s verbal jousting — reminded me of some classic Audrey Hepburn and Cary Grant moments. Anyone who remembers the anime series REC will recall its homage to the classic Hepburn/Grant romantic comedies of the 1950s and 60s.

    The “wacky shack” antics of the first merchant (slanting tables, rigged scales) were quite amusing as was the face-saving method Lawrence came up with to “keep the trade smooth”.
    Everyone in the room dancing around the truth while all know everyone knows the truth 🙂
    All-in-all a nice episode to pull out as an example to interest someone in the series.

    vexx
    Reply

  46. I enjoyed this episode. One of my favorite parts was when Horo was getting all excited when Lawrence was talking about honey and peach/pear preservations. Horo’s flirting is insane though… How Lawrence still hasn’t jumped her yet is almost beyond me, although he almost did in episode 5… too bad someone interrupted.

    Draconus
    Reply

  48. That Nora girl in the next episode is way better looking than Horo, and no wonder she gave him the “jealous” look. I am in agreement with 1 poster here…with all the Horo flirting EVEN when Horo was drunk, yet Lawrence has the steel discipline of a priest NOT to bang Horo. Came close in 1 episode, but that was just probably a node by the producers to he obvious fantasies we have of those 2.

    dx
    Reply

  49. I love this series! It’s light, cute and fun. Its been a while since i have seen a series that includes characters i feel attached to. Just goes to show that you can get people to like weird animes provided they have certain characteristics and is done well 😉

    Typer
    Reply

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