After the skyrocketing success of Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End, most anime begin following its footprints to claim success in fantasy tropes. Spice and Wolf: Merchant Meets the Wise Wolf is the latest anime adaptation of a light novel by Isuna Hasekura.
This fantasy show was originally set to premiere in February 2022, but it began broadcasting on April 1, 2024. It was produced by Passione Studios, which has a solid reputation in the romantic and fantasy genres.
With its first episode, it has won the hearts of fans and seems to be doing justice to a long-term reschedule. Fans can smell Spice and Wolf following Frieren’s steps to making an impact.
Using Long Journey Element To Set Up The Plot
Even though the idea of using characters for a long journey exploration is not very original, it perfectly blends with the fantasy trope. The idea of a long journey helps this fantasy show gain the trust of the audience that they will be getting uncompromised fantasy exploration. Recently, Frieren anime has achieved remarkable success doing something similar, so we can expect many upcoming projects to mimic this element.
Unpredictable Plot Pique Fan’s Interest
The genre tags combined, like fantasy, romance, adventure, and drama, are enough to let audiences predict what they’re getting. And when anime itself reveals the plot in the introduction, it makes the storyline very predictable and kind of less anticipating.
The recently released action shonen anime Solo Leveling is its perfect example. It fails to make the desired impact even with established hype, all because of a very predictable plot.
Thankfully, Spice and Wolf seems distant from its assigned genres. It reveals the plot smoothly while hooking fans to predict the plot. Fans know it’s a combined adventure of lovely characters but aren’t aware of the hardships they’ll face during this adventure.
Binge-Worthy Smooth Art Style
Nowadays, anime studios have understood pretty well that moving slide shows aren’t going to impress fans anymore. They have to put in the required effort to remain in the competition. And for the fantasy trope, a binge-worthy art style with soothing animation is the key to success.
After witnessing the smoothness of animation and art style in the first episode of Spice and Wolf, fans are thankful that the animation studio has chosen the right thing while rescheduling the anime.
The episode opens with wheat fields swinging with the breeze and moving characters, giving fans hope for a magnificent fantasy adventure. The finest aspect is that the quality of the show remains consistent throughout. The facial expressions of the main cast blending with the atmosphere are a marvelous experience.
Weebs Can’t Resist Waifus, Can they?
Females or males, teenagers or adults, fans just can’t resist admiring the lovely waifu. As a whole, the waifu character is a signature element of Japanese anime and a reason why fans prefer Japanese anime over other regional animes.
The main female lead of the Spice and Wolf anime “Holo” is a lovely waifu with a striking appearance and quirky nature. She’s thousands of years old, and her moments of throwing quotes with smug faces steal fans’ hearts.
Spice Of Fan Service
The unnecessary fanservice shuns the greatness of the show. However, keeping it minimalist is a wise idea to make the show watchable and great.
The same step Spice and Wolf: Merchant Meets the Wise Wolf follows includes hot scenes of the main female lead.
25 Episodes Are Enough To Maintain The Pace
While most romance fantasy series have 12 episodes or 24 episodes split into two parts, Spice and Wolf: Merchant Meets the Wise Wolf was announced all at once with a total of 24 episodes.
Obviously, a longer screen time helps characters establish themselves better, as seen in the first two episodes of Spice and Wolf. On top of that, long duration encourages anime to cover more while maintaining the storyline pace.
With such characteristics and first comments on the Spice And Wolf anime, we can fairly anticipate that it will continue to impress viewers throughout the series.
