Monday, March 5, 2012

Manga Review: Spice & Wolf, Vol. 1 by Isuna Hasekura Illustrated by Keito Koume

 
Manga Monday was turned into a meme by the awesome Alison Can Read!
*I warn you now there may be spoilers…It’s hard with manga.
 

Title: Spice and Wolf, Volume 1
Author: Isuna Hasekura
Paperback: 192 pages
Publisher: Yen Press
Release Date: April 20, 2010
ISBN-10: 0316073393
ISBN-13: 978-0316073394
Source: Borrowed

With his carthorse as his only companion, the young merchant Kraft Lawrence slowly wends his way through dusty back roads in search of profitable trade. But this monotony screeches to a halt when, one night, he encounters a harvest goddess in the guise of a beautiful young girl . . . with wolf ears and a tail Longing for the northern lands of her birth, Holo the Wisewolf joins Lawrence as he follows the ebb and flow of trade through the countryside. And when the two come across a compelling but suspicious opportunity for profit, will Lawrence with his mercantile chops and Holo with her ancient instincts be able to separate the truth from the lies - and make some coin while they're at it?

This manga adaptation of Isuna Hasekura's acclaimed Spice and Wolf novel series, also available from Yen Press, is an investment that promises the greatest of entertainment returns. (Goodreads)

Review

I was actually told about the anime series Spice and Wolf about a year ago. A friend of mine recommended it because they thought it was something I would enjoy. I never got around to watching the show, but did stumble upon the manga recently. I had no idea that the manga and the anime series are based off of light novels. My friend was right, I did enjoy this volume and will be going after the anime soon:)

When Lawrence goes to get some rest in his cart after a long day he discovers a very naked Holo. when he asks what she is doing in his cart Holo tells Lawrence her story. I enjoyed the conversational style writing in this manga. The story line was very clear.

At first Lawrence does not believe Holo’s story of being a wolf demon and thinks she is just some disfigured runaway, so Holo has to bring out the big guns and give him a little bit of a show… Well, lets just say she proves who she is and Lawrence learns not to doubt her.

I really enjoyed learning the folklore surrounding Holo’s existence. How she is connected to the land, the wheat is amazing. It seams that Lawrence and Holo will be able to help one another as they are now traveling together. Lawrence helping Holo blend in, she does have wolf ears and tail to learn to hide. I can see Holo becoming a great asset to Lawrence in his merchant business as she can tell when people lie.

I loved the artwork in Spice and Wolf. It was detailed and beautiful. I can’t wait to learn more about these characters and see what happens next.

Happy Reading,
Signature

Awesome! Reread worthy.

Recommended For
Older teen and up: For nudity.       

1 comment:

  1. Oooh... Love this concept! Okay, I might love the white hair guy. That's a theme with me... I love boys with white hair. I think I might have to check this!

    ReplyDelete

Thanks so much for the comment love!