Fans of the original Spice and Wolf (2008) anime were delighted with the opening scene of the 2024 remake.
As some viewers pointed out, it wasn't a strictly necessary scene, but real fans know.
Warning: To unpack Spice and Wolf's opening scene, we discuss spoilers about the end of the manga, so proceed with caution.
Original Fans Loved the Remake's Opening Scene
The Spice and Wolf remake starts with a frame narrative, featuring a woman whom fans recognize as Holo, the titular wolf spirit and the series' deuteragonist.
In this opening scene, a young girl whose characteristics are concealed by a curtain asks Holo for a story.
Holo's suggestions don't please her as they're all stories she has heard before.
Eventually, Holo starts telling a story about a wolf spirit who brought bountiful harvests. However, humans eventually forgot the spirit that helped them.
The young girl asks what happened to the wolf, at which point the narration is cut by the opening theme, before shifting to Kraft Lawrence and the day he met the wolf deity Holo.
Why Is The Spice and Wolf Remake's Opening Scene Important to Original Fans?
Those who loved the original anime and have even read the Spice and Wolf manga or light novel found the remake's first scene delightful for a number of reasons.
In the original anime, Holo and Lawrence's relationship had a strong Will They or Won't They element – in short, they were the type of couple we're clearly meant to ship although they kept dancing around the point.
The romantic tension between them was clear but their feelings were only implied in suggestive ways, without them explicitly becoming a couple.
In the manga and light novel, however, Holo and Lawrence end up together and they have a daughter, Miyuri.
While she only appears at the very end of the story, Miyuri later gets her own light novel series titled Wolf & Parchment: New Theory Spice & Wolf.
The opening scene of the Spice and Wolf remake cleverly conceals Miyuri's features but original fans easily recognized her due to her white hair, and the fact that she and Holo have a mother-daughter bond.
As a fan explains, this scene moves the story from a Will They or Won't They Romance to a How I Met Your Father story.
On one hand, this removes the speculation as to whether Kraft and Holo end up together.
On the other hand, original fans know that already, and new fans don't know who Miyuri is.
In that sense, Spice and Wolf (2024) starts in a way that acknowledges its existing fans, and, possibly, hints at a full adaptation this time.
Are you watching the Spice and Wolf remake and did you watch the original? Share your thoughts on the new adaptation in the comments!