More Than a Fairytale: 'Akagami no Shirayukihime' (Season 1) Review

First of all, I want to say that I am not a fan of the manga. I tried reading Sorata Akizuki’s Akagami no Shirayukihime (Snow White with the Red Hair) prior to watching the anime, but I just couldn’t get into it. I was pretty hesitant on watching the anime too, but many critics praised Akagami no Shirayukihime, so I gave it a shot and I wasn’t that disappointed.

Shirayuki is a herbalist with beautiful long red hair. One day, the Prince of Tanburn, Raji, orders her to be his concubine. She refuses, cuts her long red hair and runs away to the neighboring kingdom, Clarines. She then befriends the Prince of Clarines, Zen Wistalia, and he helps her get out of the concubine situation with Raji. In season one, Shirayuki is studying to become a court herbalist at Clarines. Along the way, she befriends many of the palace workers and slowly develops feelings for Zen.

Story:

Maybe the reason why I didn’t enjoy this manga is the fact that it is based on the fairytale, Snow White. I am not a fan of that fairytale or the Disney movie despite the fact that I think I can cosplay as Snow White. She never appealed to me as a great princess, but that’s my personal opinion—others can think differently.

When I first saw the title, Akagami no Shirayukihime, I was expecting a full-on adaptation of the fairytale, Snow White, but this manga and anime is a lot different from what I expected. In episode one, we do see the poison apple allusion, but there were no dwarfs and Shirayuki didn’t need a true love’s kiss to save her. I thought it was an interesting turn of events, but it made me question why does she need to be named Shirayuki, which is translated into Snow White in English. I think we could have had the same fairytale atmosphere without having it to be a loose adaptation of Snow White.

As for the story, what I think made me dread the manga is the dull pacing, which is also shown in the anime. In season one, nothing really happens. There isn’t much of a big antagonist, instead, we just see Zen and Shirayuki interacting and solving daily “castle” life problems. I can only hope that in season two, we get a little dilemma because these mini-episodic moments can only go so far with me.

Characters:

We are introduced to the main female protagonist, Shirayuki as a woman who has her own hopes and dreams, which is different from what we normally would gather in a fairytale. Usually, we get female protagonists that are shy and submissive. However, Shirayuki isn’t like that, but rather, she is intelligent, kind, and very courageous, breaking that typical “princess” stereotype in fairytales.

In actuality, there isn’t really a character I found annoying in this series. I mean, at first, I was skeptical to trust Zen’s older brother, Izana Wistalia because he acts so cold towards Shirayuki. However, when Zen tells the story of how his brother solved the crisis between the Sui and Rid kingdoms, I gained much respect for his abilities as a solid and compassionate king.

While for Zen Wistalia, he really does portray the ideal prince. As second in line for the throne, he does his best to assist his brother, his court officials, and his townspeople. However, we do get some depth in his character when Mitsuhide recalls the first time he met Zen. In that episode, we see Zen’s struggle with being royalty and his desire to just be a normal boy.

Overall, I enjoyed how Zen and his court officials are dedicated to their work. There’s something very admirable about how much passion they have to their duties that you can just tell they are all good people.

Music & Art:

The music didn’t leave a lasting impression so there isn’t much I want to say about it.

As for the art, it’s amazing. The landscape scenery, as well as the castle and town settings, are dazzling and it really gives off this medieval, fairytale vibe.

Unique Anime Factors:

Social status plays a huge role in the lives of all these characters, especially Zen and Shirayuki. Throughout the first season, Shirayuki is the center of attention towards all the castle gossip because she has a close relationship with Zen. Their relationship is put into question, especially by Izana because Zen is a prince and Shirayuki is just a working-class herbalist.

Should You Watch It?

I may not be a fan of the manga, but I will definitely check out season two of Akagami no Shirayukihime. It is indeed a cute fairytale and I’m curious about what the fate of Zen and Shirayuki’s relationship will be.

You can watch season one and two of Akagami no Shirayukihime on Hulu.