Of course, this focus is there for good reason, as Lawrence looks to swing the plans outlined last episode into action - This firstly means talking to Bartose, whom he wins over with honesty and, above all, patience. This in turn allows him to put forward his required offer to buy pyrite from the town's alchemists, but has he been beaten to the punch? He certainly isn't the first to come forward with an offer, that much is for sure.
So, as the episode continues, we see both Lawrence's fortunes and his confidence in his own situation wax and wane, which makes for a wonderfully tense viewing experience as we're dragged along on that rollercoaster with him - One moment we sit back and smile, safe in the assumed knowledge that Horo wouldn't choose Amati over Lawrence, then the next we find ourselves pushed over a precipice into an almost unbearably fast downward slope, convincing ourselves that maybe Amati does hold all of the cards in what is all but a merchant's equivalent of Russian roulette after all.
That aside, Lawrence finally begins to understand his own position emotionally in regard to Horo - If you thought that he was just being shy when asked by Horo what he thought of her, think again, as it very much seems that only during this episode does he actually realise the truth about what she means to him thanks to a number of progressive moments of clarity.
As feathers seem to be the name of the game thematically for this episode, so Spice and Wolf II itself seems determined to add another feather to its cap, keeping us at arm's length from all that sparkling dialogue of past episodes and instead forcing us to run the gamut of nerves and tension that come from the scenario that is panning out. I, for one, have finished this episode feeling at least as nervous and unsure of what will come next as Lawrence, so I guess that's mission accomplished for this story arc at present. As much as I miss that great chemistry and dialogue, this is proving to be gripping stuff in a very different fashion.
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Looks like Horo is the other buyer of pyrite from the alchemists and I bet she was in the room during his conversation. She probably knows his true feelings now and is just poking fun at him making him sweat when she will hopefully help Lawrence crash the market. Or then again, it could all blow up, but doubt that will happen. Cant wait till episode 6!!
Yep, I'm almost certain that Horo is the other buyer and that she knows exactly what's going on... Somehow that doesn't make the way the scenario is being built up any less tense though!
Wait so is being the other buyer a good thing for Lawrence? I mean does it have more benefits than negatives...i don't follow the economics that well, so =P.
The other buyer will mean Lawrence will lose more money than he expected, but he did expect to lose money on this. The other buyer may be helpful and sell in the rush lawrence hopes to create, or the buyer may not be helpful, by selling early or by not selling. Also, the other buyer may not even have bought anything since it is just a might buy, this would be very helpful to lawrence because the market would get panicky if a large amount of pyrite were being talked about. Based on the show I have a feeling it will be a good thing for lawrence.
What I don't get though is what the currency exchange meant, I wonder if Amanti may have significantly more money than he even told horo, it really makes me nervous that he would spend the time and money to covert his currency. Alternatively though, he could have just been being a good guy.
Lately Lawrence acts like a poor loser, who always thinks he figured out a nifty plan, but then gets owned by little boys like Amarti. He sometimes appears to me to have no clue what's really going on in his buisness.
@anon
agrees with anon above
i see him as somewhat weak
Lawrence isn't weak at all, he's facing ridiculous odds in a chance to keep with Horo, he doesn't care what it cost him financally. He's a really likable character and what he's doing is a "nifty plan" only the show is playing with us making us worry for him. His plan is clever only it looks like it might not work. However i agree with the above i can see this ending with Horo being the other buyer and having played Amarti and tested Lawrence. Don't quote me on that mind.
I love your blog by the way Hanner.
I laughed so hard when I read the fifth comment by Anonymous, My opionion is that the only reason why we viewers see "nifty plans" as being "nifty" is because of the external interference of other events, if a plan overcomes the odds and still succeeds, or works in synergy with another incidence then we see them as nifty. This also shows us the complexity of the plot which is one of the reasons why animes like this are so damn good. Lawrence is definitely not "getting owned by little boys" and evidence is shown in the comment above by Alan, very well put.
if you watch near the end of the episode you see Horo whispering things to Amarti, anyone care to think maybe Horo is giving misinformation to Amarti? it is possible, but again Horo or a friend of Horo's buying all the pyrite seems a more likely route
This episode left my heart breaking and my ego empathetically in pain. I don't understand the financial aspects of this series; I have never understood most of what has been said about money herein. But I am very keen to the romantic drama that's been unfolding. Part of me wants to scream at Lawrence for being so oblivious to the fact that his situation with Horo isn't about money; it's about love, something with which he's only now beginning to become intimately acquainted. Horo wants a heartfelt confession, and she wants it now. I suspect that, while her feelings of hurt and frustration are sincere, her openness to that other little twerp and, indeed, this entire financial mess, is just her way of forcing him to way her against his very livelihood. It seems that it has worked. But, frankly, if I didn't know that this series had several more episodes, and that Lawrence and Horo would go on to have another series, I would seriously consider stop watching this series, so hopeless does a happy ending seem right now.
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