mDuo13

For the second part of my anime review bonanza, I'm hitting a series I actually enjoyed: Firefox 2.0 anime Spice and Wolf II, the continuation of the surprisingly good 2008 medieval economics fantasy plus wolf-girl romance series.

Picking up roughly where the last season left off, Lawrence and Horo travel north, looking for Horo's hometown and profitable schemes along the way. This season's 12 episodes are produced by up-and-coming but sometimes dubious studio Brains Base (responsible for such gems as Natsume Yuujinchou and Kamichu! as well as such stinkers as Kishin Taisen Gigantic Formula, not to mention the brilliantly bad Akikan!) instead of total nobody studio IMAGIN, though much of the staff and cast remain the same.

Plot & Characters: In large part, this remains unchanged from before. Intelligent though not always astounding writing manages to make intrigue out of things you wouldn't have thought interesting: whether it be the silver content in medieval coins, or the dark secrets of church-and-city politics, both unimaginable rewards and harsh punishments lie in wait for the cast; and meanwhile, the flirtatious yet shaky relationship between Lawrence and Horo is supplemented by Horo's apparent inability to keep her clothes on in promo art and flashbacks. At least she has the good sense not to randomly undress in public, though as of late she seems to have become downright alcoholic instead. As for this season's supporting characters - setting aside the one-off OVA "episode 0" - they don't include my personal favorite, shepardess Nora, but the colorful side cast in this season is by no means uninteresting. Notable characters range from a heathen storyteller and archivist, to a cutthroat woman-merchant, to a knight-like young trader, to Lawrence's old friend. Like the previous series, this one does not rush too much, covering another 2 novels though curiously skipping #4 in the 12-novels-long-thus-far series. As always, the economic intrigue, while fascinating, is sometimes hard to follow, especially in fan-translation.

Art & Animation: Though the character designs are said to have slightly changed in the transition from studio to studio, the only difference from the first series that struck me was the sudden preponderance of CG furniture. Certainly, the animation quality has increased since the previous season, though without comparing directly it's not so apparent; in retrospect, the old series actually had a lot of really dubious animation. As before, Ayakara Juu's designs are appealing, though the charms of his art style are somewhat lost in the animation itself. Overall, quite nice and a refreshing improvement, though one wonders how much they really saved by 3Difying every bed, chair, and table.

Music & Sound: The soundtrack, once again by Yoshino Yuuji, mixes a number of tracks from the first season in with new music, providing a very pleasant familiarity. I'm actually quite a fan of the original soundtrack, which one could say is so traditional that it is unusual. It gives the impression of being something that could authentically be made in the medieval setting of the show, relying heavily on various strings (both those plucked and bowed) as well as flute, choir and lively horns of various sorts. The percussion seems to be entirely made of instruments that are played by hand like bongos and tambourines (played with an expertise that threatens to undo the bad name given to the instrument), rather than drums that would be played with mallets or drumsticks. The ED is again upbeat Rocky Chack, though with significantly less Engrish this time (some may count that as a marked improvement). The OP this time is the well-established singer-songwriter Arai Akino, whose mellow-upbeat style fits perfectly with the show. I don't think it has quite the magic that Kiyoura Natsumi's Tabi no Tochuu had for the first season, but it is nonetheless a great song worth looping in its own right.

Humor: The various antics of Horo, Lawrence, and sultry barmaids can draw a smile, perhaps even a chuckle from time to time, but Spice and Wolf II keeps its lighthearted side at merely that. That's fine with me; it provides enough variance to support the show's ample serious side, and nothing unnecessary.

Viewing Considerations: Spice and Wolf II is pretty much on par with its first season in terms of viewing considerations. As I mentioned earlier, the nudity quotient, while slightly lowered from before, is supplemented by flashbacks to the first season and the art for the ED, which is almost innocuous in nature but could still trigger some people's warning alarms. Likewise already mentioned is the significantly increased role of alcohol, with Horo drinking herself into a stupor on a regular basis - at least Lawrence drinks a bit more responsibly. And, of course, in order to get the most out of the series, it also demands a certain patience to listen and understand the subtle dynamics of economic power struggles, which are certainly not as easily graspable as traditional good-versus-evil fantasy.

Overall: If you've seen Spice and Wolf's first season, you should already know whether you like the series; this second installment provides neither a major decline in the series' quality nor a major improvement, but merely some mild shuffling of value and a continuation of what came before. One last warning, however: neither the first Spice and Wolf series nor this one puts a definitive cap on the franchise. If non-endings bother you, consider this your warning. At least here (unlike Saki) we can be reasonably assured that another anime series will be made.