The upcoming remake of Spice and Wolf is yet another project playing with our feeling of nostalgia.
The anime needed a remake because it skipped a crucial part of its source material.
While fans are happy about the staff involved in the production, they are still concerned about the visuals and the pacing of the new series.
A remake of Spice and Wolf (Ookami to Koushinryou) is probably not something people had expected just a few years ago. Yet somehow, this project is going to air next season — but is it even worth watching? Let's look at the facts we know right now and consider the perspectives of different fans.
An era of nostalgia
This remake is obviously a part of the nostalgia trend we have been experiencing recently. Between bringing up beloved franchises from 00s and 10s for more sequels, like Blue Exorcist (Ao no Exorcist) and Black Butler (Kuroshitsuji), there have also been remakes of older anime here and there. Rurouni Kenshin and Urusei Yatsura are among long series that received multi-season remakes — but Spice and Wolf is much newer than these two and also shorter.
The issue with Urusei Yatsura and Rurouni Kenshin was simple — they strayed too far from the original source material, and while the original adaptations were well-received, that doesn't change the fact that they had a lot of filler.
This is clearly not the case with the original Spice and Wolf adaptation. With only 2 1-cour seasons released in the late 00s, the anime was also extremely well-received, and mostly followed the light novels — with one notable exception.
Why did we need a remake?
The first anime adaptation for Spice and Wolf skipped the fourth volume of the light novel. While it wasn't as important as the moment, that storyline ended up mattering for later content, and the anime couldn't really receive sequels past S2.
The new anime promises to adapt the skipped volume, which makes fans happy. Moreover, it brings some staff from the original adaptation, including the director (although it seems that he is going to take the position of chief director this time, which is basically overseeing the general production).
The seiyuu from the original series will also return to their roles. Fans are glad the new anime is in good hands, and those unfamiliar with the series see it as a reason to get into it finally.
Potential issues
That said, there are multiple concerns about the remake. The visuals in the currently released PVs, while decent, were nowhere near as good as in the original series. That is especially noticeable when you compare the background art between the two adaptations.
Some fans also feel that while the new anime will adapt the skipped volume, it will be way more rushed than the original series was. The first adaptation had 2 volumes per cour, and now, the norm is between 3 and 4. The pacing of the original was perfect, and we really don't want to see it ruined.
They are mostly cautiously optimistic.
Summary:
The upcoming remake of Spice and Wolf is yet another project playing with our feeling of nostalgia.
The anime needed a remake because it skipped a crucial part of its source material.
While fans are happy about the staff involved in the production, they are still concerned about the visuals and the pacing of the new series.
A remake of Spice and Wolf (Ookami to Koushinryou) is probably not something people had expected just a few years ago. Yet somehow, this project is going to air next season — but is it even worth watching? Let's look at the facts we know right now and consider the perspectives of different fans.
An era of nostalgia
This remake is obviously a part of the nostalgia trend we have been experiencing recently. Between bringing up beloved franchises from 00s and 10s for more sequels, like Blue Exorcist (Ao no Exorcist) and Black Butler (Kuroshitsuji), there have also been remakes of older anime here and there. Rurouni Kenshin and Urusei Yatsura are among long series that received multi-season remakes — but Spice and Wolf is much newer than these two and also shorter.
The issue with Urusei Yatsura and Rurouni Kenshin was simple — they strayed too far from the original source material, and while the original adaptations were well-received, that doesn't change the fact that they had a lot of filler.
This is clearly not the case with the original Spice and Wolf adaptation. With only 2 1-cour seasons released in the late 00s, the anime was also extremely well-received, and mostly followed the light novels — with one notable exception.
Why did we need a remake?
The first anime adaptation for Spice and Wolf skipped the fourth volume of the light novel. While it wasn't as important as the moment, that storyline ended up mattering for later content, and the anime couldn't really receive sequels past S2.
The new anime promises to adapt the skipped volume, which makes fans happy. Moreover, it brings some staff from the original adaptation, including the director (although it seems that he is going to take the position of chief director this time, which is basically overseeing the general production).
The seiyuu from the original series will also return to their roles. Fans are glad the new anime is in good hands, and those unfamiliar with the series see it as a reason to get into it finally.
Potential issues
That said, there are multiple concerns about the remake. The visuals in the currently released PVs, while decent, were nowhere near as good as in the original series. That is especially noticeable when you compare the background art between the two adaptations.
Some fans also feel that while the new anime will adapt the skipped volume, it will be way more rushed than the original series was. The first adaptation had 2 volumes per cour, and now, the norm is between 3 and 4. The pacing of the original was perfect, and we really don't want to see it ruined.
