Spice and Wolf II - Episode 2 Discussion / Poll

[Spazthemax]

I liked this episode a lot, especially the legend that fit Horo so well.

Spoiler for I've read the novel:

So I'm kind of looking forward to the moments in the later chapters that made my chest pound in anticipation, and yet at the same time I don't want that to happen again :P

[oompa loompa]

Another great episode.. As always, calm mood, I cant even say much happens.. but I liked it a lot.. I have no idea what it is this time around, it wasnt like this the first season.. but I just cant get enough of this anime .. 9/10

[Deathkillz]

Originally Posted by Ashlotte

Yea I figured she might peak your interest DKZ cause she sure did mine...Show certainly knows how to do good female characters from the endearing to the mysterious (And well Horo who seems to be able to embody any quality at will).

Mature, mysterious and long black hair. Yep, seems like my type of woman

Spoiler:

*Nods furiously*



Horo's "yoi yoi yoi" here takes the cake XD

[Lostdreams]

Originally Posted by Shiroth

Waiting a week to find out why Lawrence was running in such a panic is going to be tough.

I bet it has something to do with Horo and either the witch or Amati.

[Shiroth]

Originally Posted by Deathkillz

Mature, mysterious and long black hair. Yep, seems like my type of woman

She's the kind of woman i'd want reading me bedtime stories.

Do hope she has another appearance in the story, because it'll be a shame if that was it for her.

Originally Posted by Lostdreams

I bet it has something to do with Horo and either the witch or Amati.

Well seeing as it was the boy that told Lawrence something was up, it probably has something to do with his merchant friend. Does anyone know what his full name is by the way? Hopefully it's mentioned in the novel.

[MeoTwister5]

Holy shit Horo can't read? I don't know if that's either sad or awesome.

The first definite thing I can tell is that the atmosphere is getting really heavy as of late, so I'm assuming it's supposed to be an eventual setup for something major and possibly bad for the future.

Damn Lawrence needs to start getting jealous if he knows what's good for him. He's still a tad bit too complacent and dense for his own good, but it's sort of expected for a guy who does nothing but travel and trade all his life. I guess the ending is a major and is an obvious setup for the next big event.

I liked the first episode of the season better than this though, mostly because there's not enough talk between Horo and Lawrence.

8/10.

[Vexx]

Actually, *reading* was a fairly uncommon skill even in the middle ages. I'd expect Horo to be unable to read. Just no reason to.
1) no place to keep books
2) no one to teach her
3) knowledge and intelligence is gotten by eating brainz (oops, shush).

[SwiftStrike]

lol great ep. it'l get more and more complicated....as long as it follows the novel

shes a wise wolf though

Spoiler for ummm, Deana...:

feathers?? its funny...I noticed in ep 1 (II of course) Horo was given 3 feathers by Lawrence, thought she would wear em later on

[Revenger1589]

Just watched the first two episodes and I have to say, it's as good as I remember. I was a little worried about the change of studio, even though Brains Base is generally better than Imagine, but they are doing a great job.

Something I have noticed is that there seems to be more characters this time around, this episode had Lawrence interacting with a lot of different people, and given that most appear on the OP they are probably recurring characters.

Waiting for the next episode is going to be hard, damn cliffhanger.

[Justin Kim]

Originally Posted by Vexx

Actually, *reading* was a fairly uncommon skill even in the middle ages. I'd expect Horo to be unable to read. Just no reason to.
1) no place to keep books
2) no one to teach her
3) knowledge and intelligence is gotten by eating brainz (oops, shush).

Vexx is right, during the middle ages - reading was usually reserved for nobles, and peasants/laborers rarely got the chance to have an actual education.

I am a bit disappointed at the length time for each episode so far. I wish it would be the usual 24minutes in broadcast time, so we get at least another minute of Spice and Wolf II. Bah, can't help it though, that is the Japanese anime industry after all.

[greenskye]

Originally Posted by Deathkillz

Spoiler:

Horo's "yoi yoi yoi" here takes the cake XD

I love it when Horo does that with her tail... so cute!

[Revenger1589]

Originally Posted by Justin Kim

I am a bit disappointed at the length time for each episode so far. I wish it would be the usual 24minutes in broadcast time, so we get at least another minute of Spice and Wolf II. Bah, can't help it though, that is the Japanese anime industry after all.

It is 23:59 with the OP and ED which is normal for a TV anime, they very rarely go over 24 minutes.

[Darknemo2000]

Originally Posted by MeoTwister5

Holy shit Horo can't read? I don't know if that's either sad or awesome.

How about 'realistic'?

She did not live with humans that long and lets say 700 years ago those who could write or read were even less than at present time not to mention that languages do change as well.

Plus she did not have anyone to teach her. Learning to read or write is not something you can learn with age. Its something that needs to be tought and if you do not have someone to teach you wou will never learn that, and reading is supposed to be a rarity - only nobles and churchmen could do that and not all nobles to that as well.

Not to mention that women in general where counted as lower beings to men, thus a woman able to read or write would be even more extreme rarity.

Gave this episode an 8 - its good but lack of Lawrence/Horo moments do not make it as enjoyable as the first ep was.

[typhonsentra]

Lawrence's little fit of jealousy at the end was fun. He was so confident, letting Amati have her for the day and a single word from his friend through him through a loop.

[judgment26]

Ha, I knew someone was gonna jump out and say it sooner or later...xD

[Justin Kim]

Originally Posted by Darknemo2000

How about 'realistic'?

She did not live with humans that long and lets say 700 years ago those who could write or read were even less than at present time not to mention that languages do change as well.

Plus she did not have anyone to teach her. Learning to read or write is not something you can learn with age. Its something that needs to be tought and if you do not have someone to teach you wou will never learn that, and reading is supposed to be a rarity - only nobles and churchmen could do that and not all nobles to that as well.

Not to mention that women in general where counted as lower beings to men, thus a woman able to read or write would be even more extreme rarity.

Gave this episode an 8 - its good but lack of Lawrence/Horo moments do not make it as enjoyable as the first ep was.

Referencing to my earlier post, simply if you wanted to learn reading, you had to either travel gathering information little-by-little, or join the church - then become literate in reading the bible. In Horo's case, she probably would have declined both options. Especially the church.

[Darknemo2000]

You have to take the Horo's age into account - remember that she was surprised that church was so powerful? Meaning she never was in society where church played big role before.

Which means that when she could have taken option of the church it would have been useless since probably only a very few monastery's (the prime sources of writing) where available by the last time she was in contact with the Church (besides they would not teach her, as she was woman and Church up till around 800 years counted woman as being without a soul, until the Pope released bulle that woman could actually posses a soul, but is still unequal being to a man). So from that time when she remembers Church only very few of clergymen could read.

'Travel gathering information little-by-little' doesn't work either since the majority of people are not able to read or write either and those who can you will not meet on streets or common places.

[fish eric]

Originally Posted by Darknemo2000

You have to take the Horo's age into account - remember that she was surprised that church was so powerful? Meaning she never was in society where church played big role before.

Which means that when she could have taken option of the church it would have been useless since probably only a very few monastery's (the prime sources of writing) where available by the last time she was in contact with the Church (besides they would not teach her, as she was woman and Church up till around 800 years counted woman as being without a soul, until the Pope released bulle that woman could actually posses a soul, but is still unequal being to a man). So from that time when she remembers Church only very few of clergymen could read.

'Travel gathering information little-by-little' doesn't work either since the majority of people are not able to read or write either and those who can you will not meet on streets or common places.

Wow, is that all true?

[Darknemo2000]

Yes of course. Woman where counted as unequal beings by the church for a long time. There were long disputes if they have souls at first. At first they were counted as bit higher beings than dogs or chickens but still not really humans (only men were true humans with souls).

Its bit weird such negative position towards woman as actually the most active followers of the Christian church upon its beginning were actually women.

Well at least pope decided to make them beings with soul eventually... but their unequal status to the man still remained.

Almost no one on streets could read thats why heralds were needed to tell people about rulers orders and new laws, because leaving a written announcement would have zero effect.

[fish eric]

I wonder why they thought that women didn't have souls. Did they have some evidence to go on or did someone claim it arbitrarily? Modern men at least tend to behave logically. We need evidence before we make outrageous claims (i know im overgeneralizing and there are many many exceptions).

Its funny that they though of them as dogs or chickens and we still do today. People call women bitches, chicks etc.