Spice and Wolf Remake EP2 Improves on Some Flaws of the Premiere

Summary:

• The Spice and Wolf remake EP2 improved production values compared to EP1.
• Both the music and animation are better.
• Surprisingly, there is a lot of fanservice.

While the first episode of the Spice and Wolf (Ookami to Koushinryou) remake was generally well-received, there was still a lot of room for improvement.

Most importantly, fans had issues with the production values, and while they are not quite there yet, they have improved since the premiere.

Visuals Are Better Now

The arguments about which Spice and Wolf adaptation is better — the new one or the old one — have been going on since the remake started airing. While the new one is more faithful to the light novels, the old one had better production values.

The biggest difference is definitely in the background art. While the old anime didn’t have the best production, it still looked good enough — and that’s because of the gorgeous backgrounds.

The backgrounds in the first episode of the remake were really lacking. In the second episode, they were still not at the level of the original adaptation, but there were also some good shots.

Similarly, the amount of CGI in the second episode was significantly less than in the first one. In part, that was because the episode avoided showing the CGI horses in close shots, as they stood out the most. Arguably, we can go back to seeing janky CGI later on, though.

The Music Direction Improved Too

Moreover, the anime improved its use of music. While music in the first episode wasn’t bad at all, its use was sparse, and the results were somewhat jarring. In the second episode, this wasn’t an issue.

The music direction is very distinctive now, and it fits the anime very well — and fans hope this tendency continues.

What Do Fans Think?

While overall, the presentation is still not as good as that of the original anime, the Spice and Wolf remake proved that it definitely works well on its own. This is definitely one of the cases where the remake is good, and the fact that many new fans are getting into the anime proves that.

Interestingly enough, both new and old fans were surprised by the amount of fanservice in the second episode. It didn’t really upset anyone, as the scenes fit well and are entirely in-character for Holo.

Still, older fans feel the new anime is more focused on fanservice — and it makes sense, considering the studio working on it is Passione. They are known for series like Interspecies Reviewers (Ishuzoku Reviewers) and Citrus.