In short, they like it.
Spoilers ahead!
Summary:
- Spice and Wolf had its first 4 episodes prescreened in Japan.
- Fans praise the story for staying true to the light novels.
- The music is great, but the animation could be better — although it isn’t bad.
- A certain scene makes fans think the anime will fully adapt the main story.
The Spice and Wolf (Ookami to Koushinryou) remake has been one of the most highly anticipated anime projects in recent times. As such, there have been many speculations of what to expect, as well as arguments if it was going to be good or not — and if it was even needed in the first place.
Fans can’t wait to finally watch the anime. It premieres in Japan on April 1 (April 2, technically, since it airs past midnight), and in the West, it’s licensed by Crunchyroll. Sub releases on the same day, and the anime will be dubbed as well.
However, the first 4 episodes have already been prescreened in Japan — and fans’ impressions are generally positive.
The story is still great
The most important thing about this remake — and one that concerned fans the most — is actually staying true to the story. Fortunately, the remake is actually very good in that regard: it stays true to the light novels and doesn’t change much.
Those mostly familiar with the anime who have never read the light novels might be somewhat confused by the absence of Chloe in the new adaptation.
However, Chloe was actually an original character in the 2008 anime — she doesn’t exist in the novels, the manga and the new anime. She is replaced by Yarei, who was a character in the novels who had a similar role.
The story remains more or less the same as in the original anime and the light novels. The pacing — which was a huge concern for the fans — seems to be the same as it was in the first adaptation.
At least that’s what can be seen from the first 4 episodes: the fourth episode of the remake ends around where the fourth episode of the original series ended — with Holo and Lawrence separating.
Music and voice acting
The music and the voice acting are on point as well. The original opening, “Tabi no Tochuu” by Natsumi Kiyoura, is one of the most iconic opening themes of all time. Fans felt that nothing could have replaced it, but the new opening, “Tabi no Yukue” by Hana Hope, is also great and suits the series well.
Kevin Penkin’s soundtrack for Spice and Wolf is also great. While it has a different vibe from the original OST at many points, it has been praised by fans for fitting the atmosphere very well.
The decision to return Ami Koshimizu and Jun Fukuyama as the seiyuu for Holo and Lawrence respectively has already been praised by the fans. Those who watched the prescreening confirm they are still perfect for these two characters.
Production and animation: is it good enough?
The visuals, however, were somewhat more divisive. Fans already had concerns over the visual quality of the anime because of the previously revealed trailers, and the prescreening did nothing to dispel these concerns.
Some fans had concerns over the character designs in the remake. Thankfully, the new character designs look far better in the anime than fans expected them to be. The new designs are actually closer to those of the light novels than ones from the original adaptation, and even if they might seem jarring at first, you quickly get used to them.
What fans didn’t like about the remake prescreening, however, was the use of CGI. Fans have already spotted some sloppy CGI models of horses and the cart — and the anime seems to rely on that too much.
CGI isn’t even the only issue, either. The textures overall feel very flat and bland, with the backgrounds not having enough detail. That said, the new anime handles the lightning pretty well, at least, and looks decent in general — but it still is a downgrade from the first adaptation visually.
An unexpected scene which excited the light novel fans
At the very start of the anime, fans were shown a flashforward to a scene which no one actually expected to see. The scene showed Myuri — the daughter of Holo and Lawrence and the main heroine of the sequel/spin-off series, Wolf & Parchment.
This basically confirms the future of Holo and Lawrence for the anime-only viewers, and they were very happy about it. That said, this scene happens in the far future from the actual events of the novel.
This scene being shown actually makes fans speculate even more. Perhaps a full adaptation of Spice and Wolf isn’t as unlikely as people initially thought. While the light novels are still ongoing, fans hope for the anime to catch up to them eventually.
There’s also a chance the studio will adapt Wolf & Parchment, as it was initially released after Volume 17 of the original Spice & Wolf novels. If anything, Volume 17 would be a perfect point to stop in the anime, as it ends the original story of the series.