Spice and Wolf – Episode 13 Review

「三人の晩餐と二人の午後」 (Sannin no Bansan to Futari no Gogo)
“Supper of Three and Afternoon of Two”

With it being the interim week until the new anime season fires up in full force it makes some sense for Spice and Wolf to finally lay back and enjoy the moment. And in this case quite literally. When it comes to warm and wholesome right now few have this show beat.

Much as I’ve gone on about before one of the big (and most enjoyable) things in Spice and Wolf is the gradual, organic evolution of Kraft’s and Holo’s relationship over time. They start off strangers, yet through circumstance, wit, and complementary personalities come to see each other as, lo and behold, more than friends. Holo’s sickness here after all is simply the driver for bringing it all out into the open, a moment of weakness which lets her see both just where she’s come from and exactly what Kraft has given her. Even for venerable beings like herself there are points and people who make the time feel less like a blur and more a vivid memory. Kraft is simply the one who’s managed to fully unlock that sense of happiness in a long time because he’s offered her both companionship and adventure.

Part of the enjoyment of this episode too comes from the major step up in how Holo now openly perceives Kraft. I doubt few missed the sly yet very obvious admission of love from the girl, nor Holo’s actions – and jealousy – giving away how she sees the guy. None of this is enough to yield a proper pairing of the two yet mind you (in part because Kraft remains dense for the moment), but it’s the sort of movement ensuring there will be things of consequence regarding it in the not-too-distant future. Another chunk too comes from Holo firmly liking the experience; she’s perfectly content letting the development simmer because each moment in of itself is its own little chunk of adventure. After all why rush when every day is already overflowing with new and interesting moments? Why push Kraft into something when the act of getting him to see the forest for the trees (and embrace his own internal thoughts) is as fun as finally getting to acknowledge the obvious?

The road for this duo still has a way to go, though don’t fret about it taking forever. Given the teasing already firmly in place, rest assured the outcome for this series will never be in doubt.

Preview