You lot are making me feel old.

My anime timeline goes back IIRC to 1977/1978 with Marine Boy and Battle of the Planets and Uchu Senkan Yamato in Japanese with Chinese Subtitles.

They were pretty much the only SF on Hong Kong TV channels other than endless repeats of Battlestar Galactica.

You ARE old.

lol, it's really interesting though...if we're still this interested in the artful world of anime when we're fifty, I wonder what kinds of things we'll be able to tell people, and what kinds of things they 'kids of the future' will think about and say....

"Spice and Wolf", what's that? Never heard of that anime...the best show airing now is "Full Blown Apart Battle Rocket Bots!"

or something like that...lol.

Ask Vexx, I think he is "Qualified" to give you an answer to that question.:heh:

Usually I just mutter something about Speed Racer, Astroboy, Gigantor, and .... Ultraman ('60s). Then there's a long dark period (wasn't paying attention) and then my young kids had me getting mixed up in Pokemon (early '90s). Another long dark period (more not paying attention) and then I started reading Megatokyo in Fall 2000, whose author enlightened me that anime included a lot more than just explosions, shouting, and posturing. Been trapped ever since....

The problem one runs into the longer one lives is that unless you've got a terrible attention span or spotty memory -- you notice when the entertainment people are just recycling stuff. You also quickly note "dumbing down" problems (which have been accelerating, my wife and I absolutely cringe at some of the idiotic dialog that passes for adult prime time drama anymore - it makes the few that do a good job look godly).
This goes for anime -- I'll still give "harem" anime a probationary looksee but unless they're actually executing tropes markedly better I'll drop them faster. I've got a collection of decently executed series - why waste the time? Once in a while a series does actually dislodge another (e.g. old Kanon booted by new Kanon). I'm more inclined to be favorable to couple romances (or the occasional triangle) but then I also still love going to Shakespeare plays I've seen several times -- its the execution and style that matters.

It makes it interesting when I spot something actually a bit unusual (e.g. Toradora!, Spice&Wolf) and harder to categorize -- and watch people trip all over themselves trying to force it in "easy-label" categories.

Megatokyo was what pointed me to Spice and Wolf to begin with! I still read it, too. It's a great (albeit painfully slow) webcomic.

Edit: Ah, here we are. He didn't have much to say about it, but I thought the picture was interesting. (And what can I say? It was moe.)

So sick of Megatokyo, it's become progressively worse and worse since the first few months. I can't even imagine what it's like now. :S

Perhaps, perhaps not. It's not really the thread for that kind of discussion however.

I'm looking forward to the new season of Spice and Wolf. The original felt too short, so it's great to see more. ^^

Heh, I was wondering when someone was going to say something...

Wait so are there going to be more episodes than there were last season?

I do not think its totally a dumbing down problem, it more of what held your attention more when younger than what you like now. I too came from watching Gigantor, astroboy (I liked Ivy), eight man,...

There is also the problem of those that are now making / writing the current stuff, they also grew up watching that same stuff and it will “flavor” what they produce now. They are also under pressure to produce something, its a product to be sold.

The truly imaginative people tend to work outside the normal business environment and tend to be distrustful of it. As one example is the Earthsea Trilogy, Ghibli got to do a small part from the book. The author, Ursula K. Le Guin, was really looking forward to what they could do since Ghibli had a good reputation; she was not pleased with the result and will most likely not let someone else touch her works again. This results in some of the good stuff from being seen as productions.

After a small rambling I think you are partially there, its the entertainment people doing unwise things to a good thing and also our ever increasing bar on what we expect.

I might have to come back and edit this, still having my first cup of coffee and I most likely said something stupid.

I really wonder how much of the novel will cover the whole season 2 ... who knows maybe we might get multiple season covering 2 volumes each :9

I am perplexed.
Although the additional cast was released today, Abe is in it.
Abe appears from Vol.5 in the novel.
Amati appears in Vol.3.
The past director's comment shows that Vol.4 is not taken up by Spice and Wolf II.

http://forums.animesuki.com/showpost...&postcount=110

[The story of the first half is a story on which Lawrence reflects. There are few appearances of Horo.]
-> Probably, these mean Vol.3.
[Series is summarized in six episode of the first half.]
-> As for this, I mistook the meaning.
Probably, the episode 6 means being filler episode.

Therefore, Episode 1 - Episode 5 will be Vol.3, Episode 6 is filler episode, and Episode 7 - Episode 12 will be Vol.5.
Vol.5 is the beginning of the Abe part which continues until Vol.9.
That is, it is promised that series continues to Spice and Wolf III and IV.
Probably, Vol.4 is OVA.

The cast which was added:
Diana Rubens: Akeno Watanabe (To Love-Ru/Rito Yūki, Liz Thompson/Soul Eater, Code Geass/Viletta Nu)
Mark Cole: Rikiya Koyama (Utawarerumono/Hakuoro, Soul Eater/Shinigami-sama, Kamen no Maid Guy/Kogarashi)
Eu Lant: Kaoru Sasajima (Happy Lesson/Satsuki Gokajo, Major/Ryouta Sawamura, Lime-iro Senkitan/Asa Kato)
Abe Bolan: Romi Paku (Fullmetal Alchemist/Edward Elric, NANA/Nana Osaki, Major/Taiga Shimizu)

The character design picture of Abe:

http://news.dengeki.com/elem/000/000/151/151964/

Who is she?
Wasn't the image of Abe eagle-eyed wolf?

Not that I'm aware of. I was speaking from a sentimental perspective - who wouldn't want more of Horo? ;)

Wasn't Abe the Narwhal? Wasn't Abe...male? I guess I had looked at her/him completely wrong, lol. Silly me. Easily confused. :p

Anyhow, this seems like good news! We'll get a lot more novels and content covered than I expected!

More content doesnt mean it is good, Look at ZnT - they cover quite a bit novels in just a few episodes, but i doubt any fan would wish their beloved series to turn into such rushed crap that ZnT animation is.

That's pretty harsh. Although I completely agree.

Since it covers 2 volumes with 12 episode, it is the same pace compared with a first season.
Although Vol.4 is skipped, since it is the separated episode, I think that it is suitable for OVA.

The picture from Episode 0

http://img9.imageshack.us/img9/6049/img090b.th.jpg

While thats not always the case I can't help but agree. With most anime I've watched where they have tried to cram a lot it just didn't turn out working well for the show. However since they are going with a slow pace on SPice and Wolf that leaves open the possibilty that they will not produce enough seasons to cover all the novels, as there is always the possiblity that new seasons will not be produced for varying reasons.

Thx again for the Info regarding the upcoming season 2. :]

What a shame. I was really looking forward to the animated version of Volume 4.

@judgement26
Would you be so kind and translate Volume 5 until the new season starts? I thank you in advance. :D
Remember: Reality is boring. Who needs sleep and food and secular university education if one can translate S&W novels? *jokingly* :eyespin: