Half a year later, the car stopped here: the end Wolf and Spice: Businessman Meets Clever Wolf. at present. I wasn’t too surprised that they immediately announced they were going ahead with filming, but I was encouraged by it. While this re-adaptation sometimes compares unfavorably to the original animation, these rough edges will become smoother with the confirmation that they indeed intend to take on the entire story. Overall, I’d say this work falls firmly in the “good enough” quadrant in terms of adaptation quality. The acting and writing sufficiently lift the austere and occasionally uninspired visuals. if Businessman meets smart wolf If I can hold on, I can endure more. Gee, I’m looking forward to it.
As for this week’s finale, it was pretty good. The season ends on a wry but fitting note, with Hollow adding a bit of magical spice and Lawrence unleashing his inner wolf. It’s a smart ending to this storyline, one that appropriately highlights the cunningness of our two heroes, as well as their power when working together. In that respect, it’s the most satisfying climax yet. The first two arcs were too forward in action, and the previous one made Lawrence think he was fighting against Holo most of the time. This time, they must rely entirely on each other (and their new friends) to pull off a high-stakes con that feels better suited to their wits and the strength of their bond.
Elsa’s storyline is particularly exciting. She initially secludes herself in the church and is disrespected by the townspeople and clergy. Now, she stands in front of the entire town to protect it. Her bravery is worthy of praise, as is her nuanced view of faith. She eschewed strict adherence to religious dogma and instead prioritized the lives and livelihoods of the people of Tereo. In this respect, she eventually became Father Franz’s true heir. He seeks evidence of pagan gods to bolster his theological defense of God’s existence, and Elsa similarly believes in Hero. While she also came to the same conclusion as Lawrence about Franz’s intentions, I think it was more important that she didn’t let religion stop her from doing the right thing.
The play contrasts Elsa’s steadfast morality with the deceit and opulence displayed by the Bishop’s gang. In fact, their plan cleverly uses the public spectacle to combat these agitators. Whole towns and caravans witnessed Hero’s “miracle” and they tricked the bishop into accepting its legitimacy. The Holy Grail strategy is the cherry on top because it leaves him choosing between giving up influence and dying from poisonous wheat. I mean, there’s really no choice, but it’s fun to watch him squirm and learn a little humility. Also, if you’ll allow me to go on a tangent, the church’s real-world inspiration, Catholicism, incorporated quite a few pagan practices during its expansion into Europe, so it wasn’t necessarily a loss for them. Canonizing Trouillet as a saint is just another means of religious hegemony. wolf and spice To be fair, I didn’t delve into this topic in depth, but I thought it was interesting.
Lawrence naturally left the religious negotiations to Elsa and focused instead on completing the work on the trust. His conversation with Riandot was basically the equivalent of a heavyweight boxer beating up a featherweight boxer. Through words alone, Lawrence forced him to sign sustainable contracts with Traeo and Embechi, and he clearly loved every minute of it. I also like that he’s not shy about using this manufactured crisis against Embechi. The concentration of poisonous wheat on a cart all but confirmed that it had been planted there on purpose, and Riandot knew Lawrence could point it out at any time. Happily, though, the arc ends with everyone enjoying the cookies. I think the correct academic term is “win-win.”
Evan’s arc is the only part that’s a little flat. After confirming his love/loyalty to Elsa last week, he doesn’t have much to do here. Sure, Lawrence set him up to be a key piece in the new deal, but it wasn’t exactly compelling character development. However, that’s my only major quibble with this excellent send-off. While Hero and Lawrence’s journey is far from over, it’s a good place to pause before season 2 airs, anytime. Lawrence says travelers leave behind memories, not regrets, and that’s how I feel about this iteration wolf and spice. It managed to reignite my feelings for this series and these characters, and I’ll be here when their car rolls back into town.
grade:
Wolf and Spice: Businessman Meets Clever Wolf Currently streaming on Crunchyroll.
Steve is online twitter While it lasts. He still knows “Wolf Whistle Song” by heart. You can also see him talking about trash and treasure in Anime of the Week.
Disclosure: Kadokawa World Entertainment (KWE) is a wholly owned subsidiary of Kadokawa Corporation and the majority shareholder of Anime News Network, LLC. One or more companies mentioned in this article are part of the Kadokawa Group of Companies.