It’s about Holo letting go of her past.
Summary:
- The first arc of Spice and Wolf is deeper than many fans realize.
- It’s not just Holo helping Lawrence to do his business affairs.
- In fact, the arc is a new beginning for Holo.
As the first arc of the Spice and Wolf (Ookami to Koushinryou) remake is over, fans have actually come to a consensus over the new series. It’s considered to be just as good as the original, and the pacing is largely the same.
Still, the anime is praised for having witty and realistic dialogue and a slow, natural relationship development, but it’s actually even better than many give it credit for. The first arc alone has quite a lot of depth to it that’s not easy to spot at the first glance.
Yes, This Is Lawrence’s Start of New Journey, but It’s More Than That
The first arc is essentially the start of a journey for Holo and Lawrence together. It shows how they accept each other as partners (not necessarily romantic partners at first) and support each other in need, and it’s more equal than you might think at first.
While it does seem that Lawrence, despite being an experienced merchant, gets constantly helped out by Holo with his business affairs, it’s not just about her helping him. In fact, the first arc shows quite the opposite perspective if you look at it from Holo’s point of view.
How This Arc Looks from Holo’s Point of View
Holo’s relationship with Lawrence is pretty complicated. While she sees him as “just a human” at first, he’s more than that — he is willing to accept her for who she is. That alone is very important for Holo.
As she is a goddess of harvest, Holo is very reasonably upset at the townspeople for forgetting her — she’s relegated to being a symbol of the festival, nothing more. Spice and Wolf shows how medieval towns move from agriculture-based society, with deities dedicated to harvest becoming less and less relevant over time.
For Holo herself, this is not something she accepts easily. At first, despite putting on an air of confidence, she thinks it is her own fault, which we see in her breakdown in Episode 4. Only after spending some time with Lawrence she accepts it as just a natural change of things — and stops blaming herself because of that.
In the end, the arc is simply about Holo letting go of the past, which was weighing her down. Instead of simply being forgotten, she becomes Lawrence’s partner — and Lawrence truly cares about her. This is a new beginning for her, which also parallels the idea that from here, the journey of them together starts.