Spice and Wolf Light Novel Discussion

[Vexx]

Asian literature seems compelled to end on bittersweet or tragic notes... so I'm not really expecting a "happily ever after". The 'happy' was in the journey....

[poleno]

Originally Posted by Rajura

Ok...

thanks for it!

[Kamonichan]

Originally Posted by Vexx

Asian literature seems compelled to end on bittersweet or tragic notes... so I'm not really expecting a "happily ever after". The 'happy' was in the journey....

From what I've read of Asian literature, that's true, but I'm wondering if light novels are different. People have always discriminated between the two, so maybe the trends are different?

[Rajura]

Originally Posted by Kamonichan

From what I've read of Asian literature, that's true, but I'm wondering if light novels are different. People have always discriminated between the two, so maybe the trends are different?

I know I said this before, but if Hasekura makes Holo cry (sad-type) in the story, I will have to fly to Japan just give him a swift kick in the butt!

[woxx]

I hope for happy ending... and for anime season 3 after it... and for faster novel translation ofc.

[Mr. Anime]

Originally Posted by Rajura

I know I said this before, but if Hasekura makes Holo cry (sad-type) in the story, I will have to fly to Japan just give him a swift kick in the butt!

if that happens, call me and we go together, but i ll kick his balls. there are faaaar too many sad or useless endings in anime. i am still not over katanagatari and if SaW ends sadly (and that includes everything except for horo and lawrence to be together, if possible i d like the life spans problem to be solved in a good way too, maybe horo can use her ability to not only give life to wheat but to humans as well *fingers crossed*) ..... NOOO i dont wanna think about the possibility

[Shadow5YA]

I can see a bittersweet ending, since there's no way Yoitsu can be a paradise they come back. Or, if it's the same as before, Holo may be the last of her kind, and she'll have to choose between leaving Lawrence to stay on Yoitsu or leaving her home behind for good.

I can't imagine a completely tragic ending without undermining everything Lawrence and Holo experienced together on their travels.

[taichi-kun]

Thanks Rajura^^

I'm sure there will be a Side Colors IV

PD: I'll buy the novels so that I can read stories 4 and 5, but first of course I have to learn how to buy things online

PD2:

Spoiler for Wolf and character limitation:

「狼と文字制限」

ロレンスが手紙を書いていると、ホロが覗きこんでくる。
「む、汚い字じゃな」
「汚いんじゃない。省略文字だ」
「む？」
「紙は高いからな。『おはよう』とかの決まった言葉は記号にして文字を減らすんだ」
「ほう、確かに決まりきったやり取りは省略するべきじゃ」
「……酒か」
「正解♪」


Wolf and character limitation

When Lawrence is writing a letter, Holo looks into it.
"Mm, your handwriting is poor."
"It's not poor. It's an abbreviation character."
"Mm?"
"Paper is expensive. So, I make stereotyped words, such as "good morning", into a symbol, and I reduce the number of characters."
"Oh, ho, surely we should omit the stereotyped give-and-take."
".... alcohol?"
"Correct answer ♪"

Wow number 6 is really too short..are you sure this is all..?

[JThree]

Ah. . . . Guys, I've always been curious to how fans would feel about the favorite fantasy/fiction series if the saga ends differently from how they wanted.

If Spice and Wolf ends badly, with some tragic, bittersweet moment where the two have to part forever (or one dies), how will you deal with it? Is there a part of you that would wish that you never read the series if it ends so sorrowfully?

Will you write a strong letter, expressing your disapproval to the author, indicating your displeasure in rather pointed language? And after than, let it go. There was an editor of the SFX Magazine, who wrote a four page letter, telling about upset he was about the ending of Lost .

Why subject yourself to more pain (especially if it's not real) when there's enough heartache in life?

Mind you, I'm not condemning or judging anyone, but I find it a bit ironically that fans would subject themselves where their fantasy adventures end up totally opposite from what they wanted.

Any comments?

JThree

[shagzy]

yes, i thought too about writing to the author. it seems worth a try i suppose would much rather want the happy ever after scenario, opposed to common bittersweet or tragic ending...

[Rajura]

Originally Posted by taichi-kun

Wow number 6 is really too short..are you sure this is all..?

Yep... that's all. It was done in twitter-type format along with other Dengeki titles.



I trust Hasekura... really.

I mean does anything ever end EXACTLY as you want.

If he ends it in a "bad" way, I'll just say well, here's how I would have done it... and leave it at that. And then when I read these to my kids, I'll just end it as I want it to end it. I have a couple of years to think of a better ending if it comes to that.

[Kamonichan]

If S&W ended badly, then I'd do what I did with all the other anime/manga that don't end "my way": pout for a bit, complain a lot, and then say, "Well, even if the end was bad, the journey was surely worth it." Mind you, the amount of pouting and complaining will be proportional to how much it didn't end "my way," which could be weeks, months, or even years.

[Vexx]

I wasn't happy with the ending to 'Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon', "Stalingrad", "Das Boot", or even the "Book of Eli" that much... but they're still fairly compelling pieces of entertainment.

But yeah, there's something unfair about the idea that Holo and Lawrence might not get to just exist quietly running a shop together to end the story with.

[shagzy]

Because of the fact Horo makes it obvious she doesn't want to be alone, it kind of foreshadows that she is more likely to end up being together with Lawrence one way or another, at least I would like to think so... maybe im just hopelessly optimistic, but, I'll hope none the less.

[poleno]

If it has bad end (they are not together), this story will turn from good, clean, honest, fairy something into a nonstandard advantage for me. It's not bad. But sad.

Little confusing sentence about some confusing thoughts.

[tyranuus]

Really want to catch up on this thread but out of time before work Will read the last couple of pages that have sprung up after work

Anyway, what I came on to say is that its virtually confirmed the 21st IS the official release date of the 3rd volume.

Several UK sites are still listing the 7th ( I have a preorder in just incase they get early stock - for example Amazon/Waterstones) but several other stockists, importers and also Rightstuf are all now saying 21st, which I've had confirmed in email as being up to date (from some of the others, not RS).

Stupidly close to Xmas so Im just hoping I'll see my copy this year, as the christmas-new years period is NOT good for post in the UK!

[Kamonichan]

My pre-order from RightStuf (I'm in the US) has said the 21st for a while. I'm hoping it'll come a little earlier, though, because I got the third manga volume a while before the posted Nov. 30th release date. Here's to hoping.

[Shadow5YA]

Originally Posted by Vexx

I wasn't happy with the ending to 'Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon', "Stalingrad", "Das Boot", or even the "Book of Eli" that much... but they're still fairly compelling pieces of entertainment.

But yeah, there's something unfair about the idea that Holo and Lawrence might not get to just exist quietly running a shop together to end the story with.

Maybe, maybe not.

The only thing I'm certain about is that Lawrence and Holo can't stay together in Yoitsu. Remember early on when Holo said the difference between dogs and wolves was that wolves were hunted and could not live together with humans? There's no way the forest of Yoitsu, the former home for wolves, could be habitable for a human like Lawrence.

Either Holo makes peace with her past and leaves behind Yoitsu for good, or Lawrence and Holo will have to part ways. There is no way Lawrence can live in Yoitsu.

[Kamonichan]

Originally Posted by Shadow5YA

Maybe, maybe not.

The only thing I'm certain about is that Lawrence and Holo can't stay together in Yoitsu. Remember early on when Holo said the difference between dogs and wolves was that wolves were hunted and could not live together with humans? There's no way the forest of Yoitsu, the former home for wolves, could be habitable for a human like Lawrence.

Either Holo makes peace with her past and leaves behind Yoitsu for good, or Lawrence and Holo will have to part ways. There is no way Lawrence can live in Yoitsu.

Interesting, but Holo follows up that anecdote by saying the wolves are always wondering, "When humans come into the forest, how should we act?" She wasn't saying they couldn't live with humans, just that they're not used to it. Holo would just need to make sure her friends are used to the idea, make sure they know Lawrence isn't coming into the forest to hunt them like the other humans do. That, or Holo lives in Yoitsu, Lawerence lives in a nearby human town/city, and she visits him often. Kind of like commuting to and from work.

[FFavatar]

Anyone else, hoping for little horo's running around by the end of the light novels lol? Hopefully Lawrence will have a huge income from his town store to supplement all the drinking and food the horde of Holo / mini holo's will devour =D.

I can see it now...Volume 17...Spice and Wolf: Chibi Horos Attack!