▪	RELEASED BY:		FUNIMATION ENTERTAINMENT
		▪	ASPECT RATIO:		16:9 ANAMORPHIC WIDESCREEN
		▪	AUDIO:		ENGLISH DD 5.1 AND JAPANESE DD 2.0
		▪	RUNNING TIME:		312 MIN
		▪	RATING:		TV 14
		▪	RELEASE DATE:		11/03/2009
		▪	REVIEW DATE:		01/24/2010
		▪	REVIEWED BY:		HOLLY ELLINGWOOD

Contains the complete 13 episodes of the entire first season on 2 discs in a slim thinpack box set.

REVIEW:
Spice and Wolf is a lovely and endearing tale that is different and special from anything else in anime. Based on the beloved novel series by Izuna Hasekura that featured illustrations by artist Yuu Ayakura, it is the story of a well intentioned and modest merchant who peddles his wares from town to town. One day his life is utterly changed when a forsaken wolf deity named Holo the Wise Wolf appears to him as a beautiful young woman with the ears and tail of a wolf and demands to be taken away to her home in the north. Their travels together will change them both exponentially and form a bond that cannot fail to touch the heart and lighten the spirit.

The main thing that makes this anime series so different is the world it so intricately portrays – economics. As a merchant he is part of a guild and as he tries to mete out a living, Lawrence is seen making doubtful deals, risky ventures, and savvy strategies in order to serve his interests as well as his clients’ to his best ability.  Holo quickly proves her prowess for wheeling and dealing when she helps him out time after time to make a tidier profit than he would have on his own. However it isn’t smooth sailing for these two as they slowly travel northward. Misunderstandings occur quickly as they discuss wolf attacks (he fears them, she understands them as she is one) and there are times when her presence causes him losses and even puts him in danger. Nevertheless, as they travel together and despite their teasing and bickering, the two form an indelible bond that will be put to the test before the first season is done.

Their first sign of trouble occurs when Lawrence is drawn into a scam by a double dealing character named Zheren.  He quickly comes up with a strategy to get out of the mess but the company Zheren worked for ambushes Lawrence and end up taking Holo hostage!  Lawrence risks a trip into the sewers and dealing with the enemy to get her back, but a friendly face from his past has become the direst of enemies in the present.  A reunion with a rejected lady spells big trouble for Holo when Chloe threatens to take her to the church where the deity will surely be killed as a sacrilege presence. When Holo transforms to save a wounded Lawrence, it is only his words that stop her from committing an act he may not be able to forgive her for, yet it still drives a wedge between them. Their reconciliation occurs in part because she has no one else to go to ,but also because there is something that ties these two individuals together.

In the second half of the show, trouble is seen anew when Lawrence is swindled and left in dire debt. His guild will force him into bankruptcy and permanently out of business if he doesn’t recoup the loss in two days. His attempts to borrow money are thwarted due to Holo’s presence. Tempers flare and the two travelling companions separate.  When they reunite it is under a fragile understanding. She attempts to assist him in saving his career. But it comes with danger everywhere. They attempt to smuggle gold (highly illegal) with the help of Nora the shepherdess and company men. However a treacherous double cross and the possible involvement of a young wolf deity separate Holo and finds Lawrence bound and left for the wolves to kill. The two join to save Nora if they can before the traitors seal her fate and cover their tracks.

Spice and Wolf is a highly enjoyable and engaging animation. Lawrence is a likeable and practical fellow with a kind heart. Holo is enigmatic, yet as a deity she shows herself to often be vain and gives an air of superiority while also displaying a subtler and deeper loneliness that moves Lawrence.  Their bickering is the teasing of two people not yet able to express their true feelings yet those feelings are deepening before our eyes in a softly evolving manner. Although normally I lean towards the original Japanese language as a preference, Brina Palencia does such a wonderful job giving Holo depth, maturity, and vulnerability that it is effortless to fall in love with the character.

The anime has many sweet moments, some cute, many that are endearing. Visually the production is splendid, done by Imagin studios, it renders lush and detailed backgrounds and wonderful character designs. The backgrounds have a great deal of diversity, from forests to inns to guild houses to sewers and gambling houses. Imagin studios has done work on respected and well known anime such as Eureka Seven, Mushishi, and Strawberry Panic! Simply put: the animation is gorgeous.

The music is wonderful as well. The ending theme song “Ringo biyori” sung by ROCKY CHACK is cute and the animation sequence for it is just as charming with its chibi rendition of the characters. The opening theme song is breathtaking. “Tabi no tochuu” is a song haunting in its underlying melancholy and is sung to perfection by Natsumi Kiyura.

EXTRAS:
Bonus features include reverse cover art, trailers of other titles, clean opening and ending animation.

IN SUMMARY:
Exquisitely charming!