13 episodes (only season 1) | 2008 | 8/10 | PG - 13 (for casual nudity, I suppose)
There is only one thing I need to say before I start; J. Michael Tatum and Brina Palencia. They are two of my favorite voice actors of all time. J. Michael Tatum because of his soothing and wonderfully distinct voice, and Brina Palencia because of all the different roles she is able to play. But perhaps the biggest reason for my loving them... is Black Butler. Yes, do you not recognize Sebastian and Ciel? Oh how wonderful to have them both acting together again! And in such different roles from before!
Alright, now that that is out of the way, on to the review!
...after a plot once over.
Holo is a wolf god who looks after the wheat in a small town to bring them good fortune. One day, she decides that she is no longer needed in the town, and she wishes to return to her home in the north. However, she cannot do this alone. After turning into her human form, she enlists the help of Kraft Lawrence, a traveling merchant, and so their journey begins.
There is danger and uncertainty, and surprisingly a lot of information about the coinage of the century, but overall as the show continues, you see the great bond that forms between these two very different people.
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Voice Actors: (10/10) As you can tell from the first paragraph, I am absolutely in love with the voice actors that they have chosen. Holo (Palencia) speaks so eloquently and fits the role perfectly, and Lawrence (Tatum) has a kind and soothing voice, perfect for the role that he is supposed to be playing. Everyone's voice in the show fit's their characters so perfectly, Norah's voice is high and young - just as it should be, and really I couldn't think of anything they need to fix. The only problem I had is that apparently Lawrence is supposed to be 25 and Holo 15... um... I don't think so.
Story: (7/10) I'll admit, this isn't the greatest story that I've ever seen, but I will give it credit for being quite original! To be perfectly honest, I had watched the first two episodes last year, but the show seemed so stupid to me - Japanese animation should take place in Japan, duh! But I was a stupid, naive, and judgmental child back then, not yet experienced in anime. Haha. Anyways, this time around I decided to give it a second chance and the story works really well, even in historical Europe. Also, fantasies usually aren't my genre of choice, but I wouldn't even classify this anime as really all that fantasy-like. Sure, there is a girl who can turn into a wolf and what-not, but that is the only fantastical thing about the show. Everything else is surprisingly realistic.
Art: (9/10) Once again, these are your standard run-of-the-mill character drawings, but I'd be a fool to expect anything else. After all, this is animation. The show makes up for it in landscape and historical accuracies. Beautiful windy grass and magnificent cobbled churches and buildings. There is not a single thing out of place in this series, making it wonderfully believable. My favorite drawing though are the apples. They look so delicious! (Which must be why Holo is obsessed with them...)
Music: (10/10) To be entirely honest, I didn't pay much attention to the music during the show. On the other hand, I love the title and ending scene! The opening has a wonderful song that captures the serious side of the series, but then the ending has an entirely too catching song that I am in love with (not to mention that is sung in English by a Japanese person. I love that! And the accent! ^.^).
Overall: (8/10) I wouldn't recommend this show to everyone, I don't think. But I will say this, if you are looking to watch a show that you will actually learn a few things from (whether they are useful or not), then you will love this. However, even if you don't really want to, the story will get you through to the end, along with help from some suspense scenes. I enjoyed this show very much because of the two main characters, but I can't say that I see why other people like it so much. I guess I'll leave that decision up to you then!
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Yay! I actually got a review up! Woo! (And 2 posts in 1 day!)
P.S. I've noticed that all of the anime I've reviewed have gotten such high ratings. I think it's because I don't actually finish the bad anime. Maybe I should, just to do a satiric review. Oh well... no one will want to read about the bad ones anyways.
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