king.ashly - 2017-06-22 19:49:36

Akagami no Shirayukihime (AKA Snow White with the Red Hair)

This review will cover the first two seasons with as few spoilers as possible.

This show has two main components: romance and drama. Thankfully, it has a lot more going for it as well; otherwise, it probably would bore me. Light comedy, political intrigue, smart characters that mesh together, and a well-woven story make this show was it is. So, to begin, a quick synopsis: our titular protagonist Shirayuki runs away from her home country after a hot-headed prince named Raj forces her to become one of his concubines. Needless to say, she wants none of that. Shirayuki ends up in a neighboring country and coincidentally befriends another prince–Zen. Here is where the show really begins.

There are five main characters: Shirayuki (our fair red-haired maiden), Zen (the confident, handsome 2nd prince of Clarines), Mitsuhide and Kiki (Zen’s childhood friends/bodyguards), and Obi (the castle’s resident ninja–or the closest thing that comes to it in a fantasy setting). The fact that I can remember all their names means that these characters are anything but cookie-cutter archetypes. Each character has their own quirks and idiosyncrasies, and nothing about them feels like an unnecessary add-on in order to fit into any preconceived character mold. The main cast’s chemistry is electric. No dialogue ever feels forced between them. Because of that, the series’ flow feels organic and not derived from trope-filled situations that every anime supposedly “has.”

One could argue that the show’s “perfectness” could be detrimental, too much like the prototypical fantasy. After all, prince charming always saves the damsel in distress, just like in the fairy tales of yore. The art style looks like a pastel rendition of Renaissance art come to life. This lightness can make tension-filled scenes all the more off-putting. However, there’s more nuance to this show. Shirayuki may be no fighter, but she is smart and adept at her job as an herbalist. Throughout the show, she uses her brain to get herself and others out of harm’s way (though she does not always succeed, and that’s where Zen or one of his entourage comes in). Instead of constantly relying on Zen, she uses her abilities to prove that she is worthy of companionship with someone of such high rank. The art style and character design accompany these ordeals with finesse, changing up color palettes to fit with darker scenes and brightening back up to showcase levity in the action.

All in all, the plot is pretty straightforward: girl meets boy, both gain an interest in each other, other things happened, trials ensue and trials are overcome. In the first season, the main trials are the abovementioned Prince Raj’s attempts to recapture Shirayuki and Shirayuki’s court herbalist exams. Both trials are focused on what Shirayuki wants for her life. In the second season, it becomes increasingly obvious that these outside forces are too much for one girl to handle, so it is up to Zen to provide strength when Shirayuki needs it the most. This comes together to provide the backbone of the entire series: do you passively accept the rules that your family, your friends, or your society places on you? Or do you do go out of your way to claim what you believe to be yours? Do you protect the people, places, and ideals you cherish? Life is not a fairy tale unless you make it one, and Shirayuki’s story makes this apparent to all.

abe57 - 2017-02-26 05:00:50

Cliche fantasy, Charming prince and cute red hair herbalist girl falls in love

lupe.nolan - 2017-01-22 21:50:37

Really sweet and simple love story ^^
The characters aren’t overly dramatic and there is some real plot progression in this series. Overall a very nice watch.
I would definitely recommend! [Romance / Medieval]

cummerata.travis - 2016-11-23 17:56:07

Una linda historia romántica, con sus puntos de gracia y que en ningún momento se vuelve pesada.

fkirlin - 2016-08-19 21:25:07

Take a step out of your ordinary life and walk into a new one with princes and princesses, castles and moats, and most importantly, Zen and Shirayuki. This is a wonderful little series whose characters will charm you instantly. In a word it is adorable. My only complaint is the episodic nature of the series. There is no real conflict either, but you don't need it. When you watch the show you are just in love with everything. 

jana.howell - 2015-12-01 04:05:22

Akagami no Shirayuki-hime follows Shirayuki a beautiful red head girl who lives in a town called Tanbarun was she was raised and grew up living. In this town she worked in a herb shop where she made medicines and remedies. Until one day the king of Tanbarun was looking for a beautiful bride the most beautiful girl in his kingdom and one of his guards mention a women with red hair which is very rare in there country. So him being the king and wanting to have a item that most people don't have he sends his guard off to snatch her up she gets away and cuts her hair leaving it and her old life behind to start a new one. She ventures away from her hometown for the first time and after going far away from this place she starts walking through a forest as it starts to get late she is tired and hungry and finds a house she goes up to this house but no one answers she falls asleep on the front lawn of this house. The next day she is woken up by people running through the forest one of these people is Zen the second prince of Clarines. They obviously don't trust her Zen gets a cut and she tells him she is a herbalist and can help him. Obviously him being the prince he does not believe her so she puts this ointment on herself to show it is not poison. This is how they meet and throughout this story there friendship becomes something more with him bringing her to the castle and a lot of hardships a long the way she becomes a herbalist for the kings court, and later on the two of them fall in love obviously it is very hard on them coming from completely different worlds but they will try to make it work. Wow this series was incredible I had to watch through the whole thing at once I couldn't help myself I fell in love with this series from the first episode. With the amazing story, fantastic beautiful artwork, and characters to die for this is a must watch!

tpollich - 2015-11-23 23:26:33

This anime is literally amazing. It's not like your typical romance anime, The main characters have such amazing characteristics.The plot is flawless, its very unique and I highly recommend it

rocky.dare - 2015-09-09 23:04:06

This is the epitome of what true romance should be. Romance should make you love the characters, their interactions, and make your heart melt so much that you have to hug yourself. And this anime does just that. Everything about this is perfect. I highly recommend the manga too!

Free of romance cliches, harems, love triangles, and stupid dramatic inconveniences, this anime should be the flagship of the romance genre. A romance story that will make you love anime all over again ♥

ldubuque - 2015-07-31 10:36:02

So exciting and simply beautiful. The story flows perfectly and the structure is fitted together extensively well. An Anime for most people, even if you are the bloody and gory type. Give it a go!

wmacejkovic - 2015-07-15 17:16:13

With a VERY VERY good animation, background, sound, and desing characters here comes Shirayuki-hime. A romantic anime where the protagonist is not a shitty girl who just say "No..." "Ah...". She thinks by herself.
But the anime (even the manga) is too slow, [SPOILER] even Shirayuki didn't realize yet that she's in love with the prince.
It's a very good anime if you want to relax seeing 2 persons walking toguether to found their way.
Its a pretty good adaptation of the manga, you should watch it.