Calling those fans who objected to its decision to scrap Horo in favour of a buck-toothed fantasy maiden “opinionated,” English Spice and Wolf publisher Yen Press has partly relented and now offers proper original covers to online retailers who choose to include them, though bookshop shelves will still be graced by something suitably generic.
Yen Press describe their solution to the problem of placating irate Horo fans whilst ignoring their demands and going ahead with their original plan unmolested:
It’s taken some time, but I wanted to thank everyone who bore with us while we worked through the approvals and notifications necessary to put our plan into action. I’m very happy to report that the behind-the-scenes machinations have been resolved, and we can now fill you in on what we’ve come up with!
In order to provide fans with an option to obtain the Spice and Wolf novels with the original light novel cover art, we have decided to do a special limited print run dust jacket (already under way) that we will offer for free to our online retailers.
Those online retailers who choose to participate in this offer will be shipped the flat (uncreased) jackets to make them available at no additional charge to anyone ordering copies of the novel through their sites.
This is strictly a voluntary offer being communicated now to our online retail partners, so be sure to verify participation with your retailer of choice when placing your orders if you are interested in receiving the jacket, the design for which you can see here:
How difficult it must have been to include the original cover.
He goes on to attempt to placate the unreasonable souls who wanted Horo on the cover:
As we’ve said in the past, our customers are truly important to us. We do listen to your feedback and make every possible effort to insure that you are happy with our offerings.
While I am quite certain that not everyone will be satisfied with this solution for one reason or another, we are pleased to have been able to make these additional efforts on behalf of our Spice and Wolf fans, and we do not doubt for an instant that you will enjoy the book.
But not important enough for them to change the cover back to the overwhelmingly preferred original, it seems…
Spice and Wolf Vol. 1 is available for pre-order now, with release in mid-December.
Ugh i wish they stop changing the covers of manga to make it look like some typical holly-wood steroid movie.
I own all the current Japanese novels because I collect and I like the art. I’ve already read all of them so I will not buy this for the sake of being a fan of Ayakura Ju.
I grew up with an Asian family but in a western community, so I pronounce both kinds of words accordingly. Holo and Horo going by western pronounciations are both wrong, so seeing either won’t bother me too much.
Also, I’m pretty sure light novels don’t do that well in the west because they aren’t a great number of widely available translated material. Japanese style manga nowadays sell better than Western style comic books, so won’t keeping the original covers be a better business choice?
I’d like the 3D-cover if 2 issues were fixed:
1) Teeth, please close your mouth
2) Wear a real little sack, not a badly photoshopped one
How difficult it must have been to include original cover?
this is “why” USA sucks
I dont mind them changing the cover art for spice and wolf but that art is tarabol and missreprasents the story anyone that looked at it wood think oh god this is just another over sexulaized manga/novel and pass it over or pike up and deside its crap when horos not on her back in the firt five minits