spice and wolf anime

Anime Like Spice and Wolf

For generations, Holo was a revered wolf deity that helped the local wheat harvest in exchange for tribute. However, as the villagers become more self-sufficient, they no longer need or even believe in her anymore.

During her annual festival, she sneaks into the cart of Kraft, a visiting merchant, hoping he will let her hitch a ride home.

Nothing bonds two people more than a journey and lengthy diatribes on medieval economics. If you are looking for more anime recommendations like Spice and Wolf, head on down below.

Anime Like Spice and Wolf

For Fans of Being On a Journey

Frieren anime

Frieren – Beyond Journey’s End

After the Demon King’s defeat, the victorious hero’s party returns home. After disbanding, the elven mage Frieren continues journeying to indulge her hobby of collecting spells. However, being a long-living elf, fifty years pass in the blink of an eye for her. Now, she finds her old companions and friends slowly passing away from age one by one.

Before his death, Heiter the cleric manages to foist his young ward, Fern, onto Frieren as her apprentice mage. Together, they travel to collect spells, but after visiting many locations that Frieren had once visited with the hero’s party, she begins to ponder the missed opportunity to form deeper bonds with her now-dead comrades and cherish the new opportunities she has with her current ones.

Similarities Between Spice and Wolf and Frieren

  • Both series follow long-living, human-adjacent main characters
  • The series frame their plot as that of a long journey with a somewhat vague destination
  • Each new stop holds a new adventure for the characters
  • Both are lower action fantasy anime with detailed world-building

Differences Between Spice and Wolf and Frieren

  • Spice and Wolf is about a slow burning romance blossoming while traveling together, Frieren merely baits romance for some
  • Frieren goes long periods between action, but does have some battles unlike Spice and Wolf which has it very rarely
  • Frieren is an elven mage, not a deity like Holo in Spice and Wolf
anime series like katanagatari

Katanagatari

In Edo era Japan, Shichika Yasuri practices one of the most unique sword styles among a culture of unique sword styles, a technique that uses his own body as a blade. As the seventh head of the style’s school, he lives in exile with his sister Nanami until the ambitious Togame barges into his life.

Togame tries to recruit him on her mission to collect the twelve unique swords known as the Deviant Blades for the shogunate. Interested by the girl more so than her mission, Yasuri accepts, only to later find the challenge in collecting these swords is defeating the legendary swordsmen that wield them.

Similarities Between Spice and Wolf and Katanagatari

  • Both series feature a straightforward man and a mysterious girl on a journey
  • Deep, absorbing, occasionally fun dialogue and banter between the main couple
  • Both series feature a slow burning romance
  • Both are visually lovely stories in fantasy worlds

Differences Between Spice and Wolf and Katanagatari

  • Katanagatari is Feudal Japan-inspired while Spice and Wolf is Medieval Europe-inspired
  • Spice and Wolf offers more economics than you ever wanted while Katanagatari is a more action-focused show about collecting swords
  • Togame in Katanagatari is more mysterious, which is used to add more depth to the pretty basic plot
jinto and lafiel from crest of the stars

Crest of the Stars

The story follows Jinto, whose world was taken over by the largest empire in the galaxy – the Abh. Jinto’s father, the planet’s prime minister, handed their world over to the Abh in exchange for a standing in the Abh Empire.

As a result, Jinto became a noble and was shipped off for an Abh education. While traveling to this new school, he meets a princess of the Abh Empire, Lafiel, whom he quickly befriends despite her cold exterior.

However, when their transport is caught in a battle between the Abh and the Alliance that resists them, it flings the pair on a journey that will span the galaxy.

Similarities Between Spice and Wolf and Crest of the Stars

  • Both series feature a normal guy and a non-human girl on a journey together
  • Both main characters grow closer to each other romantically over time
  • The plot of both series is essentially the main characters traveling to a place and then getting caught up in the intrigue that is going on there
  • The female main characters face discrimination due to their race

Differences Between Spice and Wolf and Crest of the Stars

  • Crest of the Stars is a sci-fi space journey while Spice and Wolf is a medieval fantasy journey
  • Crest of the Stars is to exposition on intergalactic politics as Spice and Wolf is to exposition on economics
  • Crest of the Stars, as it takes place in a universe of upheaval, has more action
kino's journey anime

Kino’s Journey

Accompanied by her talking motorcycle, Hermes, Kino travels through her mysterious world, spending only three days and two nights in each town. The idea is that three days is enough to learn almost everything about a place. This is the story of her journey.

Similarities Between Spice and Wolf and Kino’s Journey

  • The plot is the journey and the things that go on in each new place
  • Both series are prone to waxing philosophical
  • Both explore diverse location-based stories in a vast-feeling world

Differences Between Spice and Wolf and Kino’s Journey

  • Kino’s Journey is just one girl traveling, so there is more inner monologue than found in the back and forth banter in Spice and Wolf
  • Kino’s Journey features shorter arcs to pack in more stories
  • There is no romance in Kino’s Journey and there are less happy moments as well
Elaina from The Journey of Elaina anime adjusting her witch aht

Wandering Witch – The Journey of Elaina

Ever since she was a child, Elaina has been enamored by the stories in her favorite book. It tells the tale of Nike, a famous witch who enjoyed many great adventures around the world.

After becoming a fully-fledged witch herself, she departs, becoming entangled in a number of stories of those she meets around the world.

Similarities Between Spice and Wolf and Wandering Witch

  • Both series feature supernatural girls on a journey
  • The shorter story arcs in both range from wholesome and cute to pretty dark and deep
  • Interesting, well-built medieval fantasy worlds with some supernatural elements
  • Both series offer pretty minimal action

Differences Between Spice and Wolf and Wandering Witch

  • Wandering Witch is about a single girl traveling by herself
  • There is no romance in Wandering Witch unlike Spice and Wolf
  • The main character in Wandering Witch can be occasionally hard to like
  • Wandering Witch features more supernatural in the world compared to Spice and Wolf which is a world where the magic is fading from memory

For Fans of Detail-Dense Fantasy Romance

sugar apple fairy tale anime

Sugar Apple Fairy Tale

Fairies once lived free alongside humanity until humans discovered that stripping a wing from a fairy means literally holding their life in your hands. Now, fairies are enslaved to humans.

Ann is a young girl aspiring to become a Silver Sugar Master like her late mother was. To further this goal, she sets out to the royal capital, and on this dangerous journey she purchases a warrior fairy named Challe Fen Challe to protect her.

As Ann believes in the freedom and equality of faeries, she buys him and offers to give his wing back when she reaches her destination. However, as they travel, their bond together grows.

Similarities Between Spice and Wolf and Sugar Apple Fairy Tale

  • Both series follow a journey between a human and their supernatural companion
  • The journey is motivated by the human character’s profession
  • Both series are slow burning fantasy romance anime
  • Both series offer medieval fantasy worlds with some supernatural, but solid original world-building
  • Both series feature the main duo often just walking face-first into trouble everywhere they go

Differences Between Spice and Wolf and Sugar Apple Fairy Tale

  • The female main character is the human in Sugar Apple Fairy Tale and her male bodyguard is a fairy
  • Spice and Wolf enjoys long, deep dialogue while Sugar Apple Fairy Tale has more shoujo romance sensibilities (like saving each other from peril)
gosick anime

Gosick

Kujou Kazuya is a transfer student to the elite Saint Marguerite Academy in the Southern European country of Sauville. However, because of his Japanese descent, he is shunned by the other students.

One day in the library of the school, he ends up following a long blonde hair to a beautiful doll-like girl call Victorique de Blois who can predict the future, including their own currently entwined one.

Together, the pair begin to solve the mysteries that are beginning to plague their surroundings.

Similarities Between Spice and Wolf and Gosick

  • Both series feature a male and female split main character role
  • The main characters are slowly building up a romantic relationship
  • The duos often travel together and solve (or cause) problems in new places
  • The female main character is eccentric, the male main character tries to temper her
  • Both series are prone to long moments of, surprisingly enthralling, exposition

Differences Between Spice and Wolf and Gosick

  • Gosick takes place in a fictionalized Post-WW2 world compared to Spice and Wolf’s fantasy medieval Europe-inspired setting
  • Gosick is about a lady detective and her new assistant investigating supernatural-seeming cases
Saint Cecilia and Pastor Lawrence anime

Saint Cecilia and Pastor Lawrence

On the outskirts of a small town, Lawrence serves as pastor for the town’s church. There, he is also responsible for guiding and caring for the Saint – a lady that is closer to God than others. Saints are rare, but they serve to guide parishioners with their struggles and provide them with advice.

In Lawrence’s church, the Saint Cecilia is a kind girl who sincerely does her very best, but is easily exhausted by her duties. This leads her to act a little more relaxed when it is just Lawrence and herself.

After forming a strong friendship, Lawrence takes good care of her while she makes sure he is kept safe and healthy from the spirits that seem unnaturally attracted to him.

Similarities Between Spice and Wolf and Saint Cecilia and Pastor Lawrence

  • Both series feature a normal male main character and a deified female main character
  • Both series explore a slow burning fantasy romance between the two main characters, emphasis on “slow”
  • Low action fantasy anime

Differences Between Spice and Wolf and Saint Cecilia and Pastor Lawrence

  • Saint Cecilia and Pastor Lawrence is wholesome slice of life fantasy romance while Spice and Wolf is a journey-focused one
  • Cecilia lacks the general mind for mischief that Holo enjoys
  • Saint Cecilia and Pastor Lawrence is low on fantasy, but big on christian inspirations

For Fans of Politics and Economics

The Hero looking on as the Demon Queen bows from the Maoyu anime

Maoyu – Archenemy and Hero

After fifteen years of warfare with the demon world, the Hero is unsatisfied with their advance and rushes forward to the Demon Queen’s Castle. There, he not only finds a beautiful woman that is the queen, but she needs his help.

To his surprise, she offers a way to not only help his country, but hers as well. Together, they join forces to make that dream a reality.

Similarities Between Spice and Wolf and Maoyu

  • Both feature a fantasy romance between a human man and a non-human woman
  • Both offer a lot more exposition on economics than you ever expected
  • Romance takes a backseat to world-building and economic policy
  • Both series can have surprisingly gripping moments of drama

Differences Between Spice and Wolf and Maoyu

  • Maoyu is more about improving the political, economical, and commercial success and stability of various kingdoms to end the war that has been propping those areas up compared to the trade-based journey of Spice and Wolf
  • Maoyu has a bit more action than Spice and Wolf
ascendance of a bookworm anime

Ascendance of a Bookworm

Motosu Urano loves books. She recently got her librarian certification and was about to enter her dream job when an earthquake caused her to be crushed by her collection of books.

She is reincarnated into a new world as the five year old daughter of a soldier. Unfortunately, in this world, books are reserved for the elite nobility.

What do you do when your station in life does not afford you access to books? Make your own.

Similarities Between Spice and Wolf and Ascendance of a Bookworm

  • Both series are centered around a main character working a specific profession
  • They go into impressive detail about the process of these professions
  • Both series feature long, exposition-dense moments
  • Low action fantasy anime

Differences Between Spice and Wolf and Ascendance of a Bookworm

  • Ascendance of a Bookworm is an isekai with a sole female main character
  • There is no romance in Ascendance of a Bookworm
  • Ascendance of a Bookworm is about making books, and making them so they are accessible to poorer people, which is a bit different from the trade Lawrence is doing
  • Ascendance of a Bookworm follows a younger main character who doesn’t get into quite as many shenanigans like Holo and Lawrence
How a Realist Hero Rebuilt the Kingdom

How a Realist Hero Rebuilt the Kingdom

Kazuya Souma is summoned to another world rife with adventure. There, the king cedes his throne to the young hero and Souma finds himself saddled with a kingdom in decline.

Now, he shows the true might of his heroism by rehabilitating the country, not through adventure or war, but through rigorous economic administration.

Similarities Between Spice and Wolf and How a Realist Hero Rebuilt The Kingdom

  • Both are fantasy anime with a focus on economics instead of action
  • The male main characters have a lot of experience in economics
  • Both are fantasy romance anime

Differences Between Spice and Wolf and How a Realist Hero Rebuilt The Kingdom

  • How a Realist Hero Rebuilt The Kingdom is an isekai anime rather than just standard fantasy like Spice and Wolf
  • How a Realist Hero Rebuilt The Kingdom is, unfortunately, a harem anime as it goes on
  • How a Realist Hero Rebuilt The Kingdom goes into less depth of detail on economics
  • How a Realist Hero Rebuilt The Kingdom is about saving a floundering kingdom he now rules through realm administration rather than the journey-based adventures found in Spice and Wolf

For Fans of Humans Romancing Kemonomimi

irina vampire cosmonaut anime

Irina – The Vampire Cosmonaut

In 1957, the world witnessed the Federal Republic of Zirnitra’s achievement of sending a living creature, a dog, into space. Since then, they have been in a race to send humanity to the stars with the United Kingdom of Arnack.

However, deemed that a dog’s physiology is too different from a human’s, the Federal Republic has decided to perform their next experimental launch with the cursed race of vampires.

Despite being taken by force from her home in the mountains, vampire Irina Luminesk is determined to reach from the stars.

Similarities Between Spice and Wolf and Irina

  • Both series feature normal human men that are slowly falling in love with non-human women
  • Both women have a goal in mind that they are moving towards
  • Both series offer fantasy romance in a rather low fantasy setting

Differences Between Spice and Wolf and Irina

  • Spice and Wolf is a fantasy tale in a medieval Europe-inspired fantasy world while Irina is a fantasy spin on a Cold War Era Space Race
  • Irina, as it focuses on a single plot, is the more focused plot with linear progression
  • Irina, the character, is much less friendly than Holo and takes time to warm up
Sacrificial Princess and the King of Beasts anime

The Sacrificial Bride and The King of Beasts

After hundreds of years of war between the kingdom of beasts and the neighboring human kingdom, a peace treaty was signed. The conditions of this treaty say that humans must offer a sacrifice to be devoured by the King of Beasts every year on a particular night.

Sariphi is the latest sacrifice to be sent, adopted by her parents to specifically protect their true-born daughter. Despondent after learning that truth and feeling like she has no home to return back to anyway, Sariphi is fine with dying and unafraid of the King of Beasts.

Intrigued by her lack of fear, the King of Beasts begins to grow closer to her, and when the day of sacrifice comes, he defies his advisors and decides to takes this interesting girl as his wife.

Similarities Between Spice and Wolf and The Sacrificial Bride

  • Both series are fantasy romance anime between a human and a non-human
  • The romance is rather drama-free, but the story is still full of it

Differences Between Spice and Wolf and The Sacrificial Bride

  • The human is the female main character in Sacrificial Bride while the non-human is the Beast King
  • Sacrificial Princess has more shoujo sensibilities, which means solving everyone’s problems and more of a focus on romance
anime like the ancient magus bride

The Ancient Magus’ Bride

After being abandoned by her family, Chise Hatori is a 16-year-old teenager without hope.

In order to not have to worry about herself, she sells herself to slavers, only to be purchased by Magus Elias Ainsworth.

There, she is told she will become his apprentice and, in the future, his bride. Together, they work to build a relationship and work to control her own magus powers that will eventually result in her early death.

Similarities Between Spice and Wolf and The Ancient Magus’ Bride

  • Both series feature the slow romance between a human and a non-human
  • Both series are among the pinnacle of fantasy romance anime
  • Detailed, dense world-building early, often, and throughout
  • Both series depict a fantasy version of Europe
  • Thoughtful, not always terribly cliched dialogue to enjoy

Differences Between Spice and Wolf and The Ancient Magus’ Bride

  • Spice and Wolf is about a journey, The Ancient Magus’ Bride is more about stationary personal growth
  • The Ancient Magus’ Bride’s arcs usually have at least some action to them
  • Spice and Wolf is more Medieval Europe-inspired while The Ancient Magus’ Bride is modern, but feels more whimsical Post-War

Do you have more anime recommendations like Spice and Wolf? Let fans know in the comments section below.

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