Akagami no Shirayuki-hime

TL;DR: This show is well made and some people will like it. Objectively though, the characters lack growth due to the writers' refusal to introduce any real threats. From when the characters are introduced they are already as good as they are going to get. Give it a go, if you don't like the first few episodes, it's probably not worth your time. Snow White with the Red Hair, is a fairly competently made series but that isall it really has going in it's favour. It is okay at almost every level, no more and no less (Which, to be fair, already puts it above a lot of other similar series.). This series has a some good ideas and I can't deny that I liked a lot of the main cast and their relationships with one another. The bond between the two main characters is sweet to watch and served as the main draw for me continuing my watch through. The art, writing and music is fine, like I said, nothing special but it get's the job done. While Snow White with the Red Hair could stand to improve in more ways, the main issue this series (or at least season 1) has, is that nothing really happens and there is little to no actual development. From the first episode, when we are introduced to the two main characters of the show, they are already (for lack of a better word)flawless people, and they are basically into each other from go. The rest of the season seems to be about having them spend enough time together to justify their relationship. All of the conflict is external and caused by someone else, and that someone else is almost invariably some generic antagonist stereotype. The one antagonist of the whole season that I found really interesting was Zen's brother, who was built up well, had a complex character and had real power over the protagonists. However his influence on the story was basically nonexistent beyond an episode or two, which is a real waste. In the end it feels like the story is trying to avoid introducing any real threat preventing the characters from reaching their goals and as a result, they never really have to struggle, and without struggle, there cannot be any growth.

All these years that I have been watching anime (about 10 years thereabout) I 100 always thought that this anime in particular was just shoujo cliches thrown into a story with well-drawn characters in order to just excite shoujo manga lovers. So I steered clear of it like the plague! haha I am here to pleasantly report that that was 100% far from the truth!!! And boy am I so glad I WAS WRONG and more so that I have watched it now when I am more mature in age and mind and so can truly appreciate it for what it truly is!! A love story between 2 people from different sides of society who have the same passions and would do anything to help each other achieve those goals and be better people beyond what their positions in society dictate!! Basically what any healthy love relationship should be! So good! In regards to the visuals, the animation was done by Bones so do we really need to say any more? It was absolutely breath taking!! The scenery was so beautiful and healing it still calms me just thinking about it! That alone is reason enough to watch this anime. The characters were such a lovely driving force for this anime. We see them change and grow beautifully even as we get glimpses into the pasts that shape them into who they are today. It truly makes you look forward to who they will be as the story progresses in the sequel and of course in the manga (you know you gotta read the manga to get all the juice beyond the little that can be shown in just two 12 episode seasons). Final thoughts... My goodness I am just shook at how good this anime actually is! It truly came out of left field for me and struck me in such a wonderful way!! So glad I finally unearthed it out of the anime archives and gave it a watch. Akagami no Shirayuki Hime has a new fan in me!

There isn't much of a story here but following Shirayuki throughout her days and sometimes somewhat interesting things happen. That's really it. You can hop onto any episode and at least get a basic grasp on what is happening. It was relaxing but easily dropped into a boring ratio for me. I haven't seen very many slice of life type of anime, so I'm woefully ignorant of how this compares to others but this is what I would expect from one. I might have gotten bored with the lack of a plot except this show is beautiful, although it is the common type of beautiful that we come to expect from shows. I can name several shows that all have the same type of beautiful but it doesn't degrade the fact that it is a very wonderful show to look at. The colors look amazing and create a beautiful fantasy atmosphere. The scenes flow well into each other. I adore the character designs and that is really what made me decide I wanted to watch this. The sound isn't nearly as beautiful but does its job. There were some pretty violin pieces but that's really all I noticed from the soundtrack. The voice actors were well-chosen for the characters they portray. The characters were basically what I expected, nothing special but enjoyable enough that they certainly don't drag the show downward in my opinion. I would have liked to see characters that developed and changed into something greater and stronger then they were at the start but it wasn't a huge deal if that didn't happen. I would have liked to see the relationship between the two leads slowly grow stronger and into something more but I did suspect from the start that it wasn't going to happen. What you get out of it mostly depends on what you are looking for. If you want to watch a fluffy romance story, you'll probably like this just fine. If you want something that will make you sit on the edge of your chair, look elsewhere. You will be disappointed if that's what you want. I wanted a pretty animation across my screen. I definitely got that and thus I'm satisfied.

Welcome to Robert's Too Late Reviews! We're not stepping far back on this one, as it's a 2015 title, but hey, can't help but (sort of) keep with the changing times! As per my usual shtick I'm working from the dubbed version. I really don't mind subs, but I do find it's easier to focus sometimes with the dub versions, so that is why I tend to favor them. I understand many of you believe in subbed only, but I want to be a voice for the dubs where I can be. Snow White is an enjoyable ride, albeit with a few caveats. Let's look at the red and white of it all! An interesting discussion has popped up lately that I've seen, in regards to what is important to readers as part of a proper review. I'm going to try my best to take as many suggestions as I can to heart, hopefully to the benefit of each reader. In that spirit, I will say that I tend towards a heavy bias in favor of romantic based stories. I absolutely adored Your Lie in April, Say I Love You, Ao Haru Ride, Anohana, and even Nagi no Asu kara. That is where my tastes run, so you can adjust your weight of my review accordingly! Story: 7 This is a darling of a show, though it does walk some very familiar paths. I've said before and I will go to my grave saying that something familiar isn't always bad. Even though we know clearly by the end of episode one what is going to happen, it still does not change the enjoyment I got from the ride itself. Now I do lower the score a little on this, purely because it is predictable, but a seven is in no way a condemnation at all. Just reading the title you know full well our Snow White will get her prince in the end, and that romance will blossom over. It's not the ending of this anime that makes the story enjoyable, its seeing how the relationship faces adversity and comes to bloom that makes it worthy of calling 'good' in my eyes. It is not, however, without flaws. The earlier goings, and even into the middle-ish parts of the story are a little slow to develop. Even though we know the romance is coming, it felt a little drawn out before getting there. Along with being slightly long in the tooth, it also at times felt overly stiff and bordering on silly-sappy, not sweet-sappy. And this is coming from a guy that loved YLIA's cheesy internal monologues! If you have a little patience with the earlier storylines, it pays off fairly well in the endgame. That, to me, is what is compelling about a good romance, that is to say the endgame. The last few episodes should either make you cry your eyes out, or should make you smile and say 'awww' a lot. Snow White doesn't play the heartstrings like a lot of the romances try to, but it does put admirable effort into the 'aww thats so sweet' moments, and for the most part pulls them off without stumbling too much. As far as romances go, this isn't a 'stop the presses!' kind of show, but it's a sweet series nonetheless. Art: 8 I really liked the way this one looked. The animation seems very pleasing to the eye, and the characters, while clean and not overly detailed, are still distinctive enough to immediately identify and keep track of. Snow White herself looks especially charming, and the gimmick of her exclusively having red hair works really well. She's very well drawn, and I noticed the art does pay attention to some finer details, for example when she blushes, often the tops of her ears are also reddened, a nice touch that while small, adds to the overall charm to be had in the art. The other characters look good, although I would say the prince's older brother, who serves a somewhat antagonistic role at times, does appear a little more sinister in looks as compared to his nature in the story. He looks kind of evil at times, even when he's not really a 'bad guy' so to speak. This is very much a subjective thing, but something about the vibes he put off, the way his eyes and face were presented made me more distrustful of his character than what the story actually assigns to him. The castle and backgrounds look appropriate, and the world is understandable through the visuals and is pleasing, especially if you like the lush, green look of forests and the like. Overall somewhat a little more 'simple' (the term 'clean' may be a better descriptor) than compared to other titles, but done well enough to carry the label 'very good'. Sound: 8 If not for the stiffness in character found in the middle going, and that can sometimes plague the male cast, the sound would rate even higher for me. The dub voices are well cast, though I think the prince is not as familiar with the straight-played, romantic lead kind of role. Speaking of the prince, there are moments where the humor comes out, and he plays it very well. A lot of the time in these roles when a joke is made, I find the male characters overact those situations. Its why we end up with overly loud, shout-y like responses that seem to feel so forced. The prince does not do that, while he has the appropriate tone and feel, he doesn't try to oversell it at all, which is a nice change. Snow White herself is brilliantly cast in the dub, and delivers her lines with clarity and distinctiveness. I really enjoyed her voice as she sounds innocent enough to be believable, but not so much to seem foolish. She's strong sounding, but not bitchy. Just all around I think the VA did a wonderful job. She is even darling when she stutters and feels shy around the romantic parts, again, without overselling it. To me, as a fan, I think a notable mention should go to Jamie Marchi's supporting role, as she's a VA with a very distinct style and delivery yet she was able to mold her voice around this role extremely well. Her portrayals often carry a lot of sass and humor, and she often is a standout voice-wise, but yet this time she is soft, almost demure. Her role calls for this though, and she does well in her performance. At least when she spoke the first time I didn't have that 'hey it's Rias from DxD' thought like I usually do (yall know how it goes with the fairly limited dub VAs) but instead didn't even notice until later who the actress was versus what the character was actually saying. The themes are pretty, though well done, not so outstanding to warrant any backflips over. The background music and sound effects are appropriately done, and nothing really came over as odd or off in any of those departments. Character: 7 I would rank characters higher, but again I recall some of the stiffness and wooden feelings given off for a good part of the series. Another knock is that the characters are almost at times too straightforward. There isn't much going on with them besides what we see onscreen. That can be fine, it just makes the characters a small bit 'flatter' feeling when they don't have more fleshed out roles. For the most part, the bodyguards are just bodyguards, for instance. We do see that they take their duties seriously, and the story does try to set them up as being slightly deeper in showing their devotion, and a small bit of how they came across it, but overall it's not an overarching theme in the series. The prince himself seems almost too earnest at times, and borders on too good to be true. He's constantly in that state that makes him, how do you say, a romantic dreamer, but instead of using this as a primary failing, and thereby a motivation for internal and external conflict, they just immediately show him understanding his place in all things, and being very well grounded in his view on life as a noble and his duties to the people. The story could have used his being a bit idealistic and attached to Snow White as a propellant for the plot versus, say, his older brother, but alas our prince comes down from the clouds with little prompting. This cuts out a pretty big chance for the older prince, who is shown as a very shrewd leader, to flex a bit of antagonism towards our couple. It is hinted that he's not too terribly fond of his little brother's rela…

the first season is realtivly strong with it's only majour weakness being that a couple of characters feel underutilised. the romance is done realativly well and isn't rushed giving time for development and isn't dragged out to within an inch of it's life like many other romance anime. the action scenes are few and far between but when they are done they're done well. the animation is really good and i'm glad that there are still some studios maiking well done 2D anime. it's a bit of slow ride but it's a good ride. I will say i wasn't expecting to enjoy this anime as much as i did, so i suppose that is also a bonus

This anime scratched the itch I had for a romance anime. It hits all the marks; Slow burn, fantasy setting, no weird filler, no harem, realistic characters. The story between Shirayuki and Zen progresses at a pace that is not only enjoyable but natural, and doesn’t force anything on the other character, which I feel a lot of romance anime tends to do. Aside from the overarching romance, the other characters are well fleshed out and the world building is really good without taking away from the story to build it. Everything in the show felt very well balanced. My only complaint is the show feels like it ends prematurely, and after reading the manga I’m holding out hope they’ll bring it back for more seasons.

Not nearly as bad as I thought it would be. I will say that the shining point of this show is easily the art and sound. Both are excellent and fit the show perfectly. As per always, I watched the dub for it, and it's decent. Not terrible, but not great. I find Brina Palencia to be a bit wishy-washy, and while she generally does a good job here, there are a few lines (mostly when Shirayuki is thinking to herself) that are kind of iffy. It's nothing too terrible, and all the other characters are fine, but it can be noticeable. The plot is focused more on Shirayukis slow discovery of her feelings for Zen more than anything else. Again, I felt it didn't do a terrible job in that department, but it also wasn't spectacular. It made me smile at times, but it certainly wasn't anything that could really tug at my heartstrings. What I found to be a bit of a shame was how the show eventually put Shirayukis role as an herbalist to the back burner. I honestly found the times when Shirayuki was dealing with issues in this manner to be really interesting, and felt there was a lot of potential there. Unfortunately, these times only happen around the first half of the show and kind of peter out in the latter half. What I did like a lot, however, was that rather than making her a damsel in distress, they made Shirayuki a pretty strong, independent character. Most of the predicaments she finds herself in, she takes care of herself with Zen typically only showing up to ensure she is okay. Despite this strength, she still has a cute and innocent side to her that I also like. This quite easily made Shirayuki the best part of the show for me, and it's pretty evident that was the intention...the show is named after her, after all. The whole "she's special because of THAT HAIR" thing does get over-used, however. They made sure the general population of the show had brown or black hair (and blonde and white for nobility) to make her hair stand out, but even so, the problem for me was that they really couldn't convince me her hair is anything special in a medium where characters have naturally hot pink hair just by repeatedly saying it is for no other reason than it just is. She is pretty, for sure, but the incessant harping on her hair color really just felt kind of silly. Overall, I did enjoy the show. It's nothing I would write home about, but it was entertaining, and has a really good lead in Shirayuki. If you like strong female leads, it's worth a look, and while it has its flaws, it is a serviceable romance as well. If you've gone through the bigger romances out there and are looking for something to stave off boredom, give this one a shot.

Who doesn't stick up their nose at the idea of a mary sue? Any anime or media analytic knows to discourage them. But you know what, we can go have our worlds which don't revolve around one character and eat them. All of us can. A year ago, I lost faith in this show on account of it disregarding a trope which I'd come to expect in my other watchings at the time - the only characters with any right to having the world revolve around them, are those who have their fingers in every pie, and Shirayuki herself definitely doesn't. But what I didn't understand back then was that this was never that kind of show. You need the rose-tinted glasses, you need the idealistic approach, you need to accept that some aspects just won’t be true to life with this one. It's a fairytale, not a political drama. And whilst there is political drama, if it's what you're watching for, you’ll quickly find yourself tearing your hair out at how blasé and tunnel-visioned an apparent prince and governor can be around one endearing redheaded commoner. Not to say Shirayuki isn't anything but lovely, diligent and gutsy. However her initial progression is very much based on fortunate circumstance, and makes me wonder how far her skill and hair colour alone would've gotten her if Zen had not bumped into her and subsequently been enamoured enough to piggy-back her past the recognition phase that any other herbalist in the nation would've first had to labour through to get into the royal palace. And yes, people do cite this setup as hypocritical of Shirayuki's pro-personal choice and hard-working mentality. Had Shirayuki been shown working for her keep and gaining a reputation enough with the common folk to reach Zen's ear, it might've yielded more positive acclaim. So, disgusted by both of these immersion breaks, I dropped it. But a year went by, and I was still hearing good things said about this story. So I picked up where I'd left off, with a fresh perspective and no other anime of interest to watch. And I quickly found myself settling, very happily, into the otherwise very thoughtful juggle between romance and social standing that Shirayuki's love story is actually about, all the while thinking that everything in the show looked positively immaculate. Hence, the reaffirmed 7/10, where once I'd given it a 4/10.

Short and sweet review. Do you know what to expect from romance anime and are tired of people pointing out the "genre stereotypes" and then judging the anime only around that? Just want to know the important stuff and if you should watch it? I've got you covered. Note: This is a review of the entire 24 episode series. I put off watching this one because of the "Snow White" title. I assumed it had something to do with the classic story. But I was wrong. It literally has almost nothing to do with it. A girl with uncommon red hair is forced to flee her home country after being pursued by an arrogant prince. She winds up meeting the prince of a neighboring country while fleeing her pursuers and goes with him and his entourage back to the neighboring country. The story focuses on her as she strives to make a name for herself as a court herbalist and overcome people's skepticism about her as she grows closer to the prince in the country she escaped to. I absolutely loved this show, until the end. The pacing, the characters, the art, the music. It was all great. I enjoyed every episode and flew through it because of how good it was. I hate romances that don't progress, and this one moved at a nice pace. I have no complaints about the show as a whole. It had a nice balance of action, drama, romance, and plot twists, which made it satisfying to watch. The problem is the ending. This is another show that ended before it was complete. They try to give us the standard "Oh no we needed like another 24-48 episodes to properly deliver the ending of the story so here is an ambiguous shot of the characters together to give the impression their story continues and they stay together" ending. And I hate when romance anime do that. Most genres can get away with series cliffhangers where there is no real resolution. But romances that do this ruin it. I was so invested in this story, and then it just ends. No resolution, no finding out what happens to them, just over. And yes, I realize there is a manga I could read if I wanted a complete story arc. But I'm tired of that being the easy out for these anime that refuse to give us a resolution to the story we get invested in. I shouldn't have to change the type of media I am consuming just to have a resolution to the story. It's crap, and studios that do this just piss me off. It's hard to recommend this show given that the ending is just non-existent, but everything else was so good that I think it is still worth it. HIGHLIGHTS: Everything except the ending, great characters, pacing, and story (tried and true plot, but it's still entertaining) DISAPPOINTMENTS: Oh my god, why make a romance anime without an ending? WHHYYYYYY?!?!?!

Akagami no Shirayuki-hime or Snow White with Red Hair is a nice change from the typical shoujo genre. In the past while watching or reading other shoujo works, a common point is to have the main heroine and her love interest go through some kind of strife in their relationship. This device can easily take up a majority of the plot over the course of many episodes, and really affects the delivery of the story. Thankful this show tries to act smarter than this and overall tries to avoids anything of the sort. If you are hesitant to give this show a watch over such drama, then fear not. Moving onwards, the characters are fairly typical, you have the lead and her love interest, and a few side characters in the background to move the plot along. To give the show credit, it tries to give them at least some characterization, so that they aren't fictional nobodies by the end of the story, though as you would expect from a shoujo, a lot of effort goes towards the advancing of the relationship between the two leads. Up next is the sound, and to be honest it's fairly bland, you have your sad background music when there's a sad scene, and the bubbly happy stuff if the scene is comedic or happy. The opening and ending songs aren't much better and overall they're really forgettable. Overall I myself had a pleasant experience with this piece, and I would recommend this to people who enjoy the genre.

Akagami no shirayukihime is one of those anime's which just makes you smile like a huge idiot. It's refreshing and is recommended for those who want an anime which they will just smile whilst watching it. Story: The story is about a girl with exceptionally red hair, who leaves her home country because the Prince of her country orders her to be his concubine. Not wanting to loose her freedom she cuts her hair and runs away. She then soon meets Zen who accompanies her to the path she wants to take to her own story,too her own life... Right off the bat this story has some elements of a typical shoujo anime where the female lead meets a Prince. However, this story breaks a few conventions of shoujo and makes the female lead actually fend for herself sometimes and not rely on the male lead to save her sweet ass. Other anime do this as well but the one thing I love about this show is that she is very smart and dependable and the characters contrast together well. Art: I never really focused on the art style of anime but I tried looking at how the art work was in this anime. I liked the look of the characters they looked aesthetically pleasing to me especially the eyes. The backgrounds were also very crisp and had a good look to them. Sound: At first I didn't really like the sound track because I'm not really that into light hearted music. However after some episodes without skipping the opening or ending I got into it. The ending was my favourite out of all the songs. Characters: Shirayuki: A smart girl who can defend for herself but she has a hard time asking for help. She can be a bit stubborn but she means well. This is what I mainly like about her, even she has a side that she wants to fix about herself,the stubbornness. Zen: Zen is also stubborn as well. He loves his country and the people who support him. He likes acting on things and doesn't like sitting back doing nothing. But of course he sometimes can't do most things like he wants to because of his social status but he finds a way to around it. Shirayuki and Zen's relationship is something I wish for myself in the future to be honest. They are naturally romantic with each other even when they started off as friends. It just came naturally and you can see the friendship and strong bond they have. This was the key thing that made me fall in love with this show. Enjoyment: I watched this a few times before I even had a MAL account and I still would. I still remember the the first time I watched it when it was airing and every time after school i would come home from a stressful day at school and watch it. It took my mind of things that were going on in real life and just made me really happy. Even now it still makes me happy. Overall: I would recommend to those who want to watch something that will make them smile and also to those who want something that doesn't fit the conventions of normal shoujo anime's (not like there is anything wrong with them but they can get a bit boring at times) It might not be for people who aren't really into the whole romance thing and more into shounen and the likes but it's a good experience.

A wholesome fairytale shoujo to cleanse your mind of all the gore and psychological horror (that I love so dearly). The show is nothing new or groundbreaking, and the premise is a little flimsy, but the characters are all pretty solid. The only flaw is that most of the characters have no flaws. Shirayuki is kind, hardworking, and a talented herbalist. I can see why everyone who meets her likes her--she's just one of those people who can brighten your day. She also has a solid level of sass and cleverness that always takes people by surprise. She's not intimidated by riches or rank, but has none of the recklessness that we usually associate with that attitude. Even though her romance with Prince Zen is completely obvious from the beginning, I do like their dynamic and the way they build mutual respect before they even approach the romance angle. I want to shout out to the animators for their masterful use of lighting in this show. Not just the traditional shoujo sparkles, each landscape scene (especially the ones at sunrise) is absolutely beautiful.

Please be aware that "Art" rating stands for anime ambience and "Sound" stand for "Lore". Enjoyment : 10 / 10 Akagami no Shirayuki-hime is an anime i watched in less than 12 hours, which is really fast for that kind of shoujo anime. I started to watch it because i was bored and it really helped me that day. Thank you Shirayuki. Story : 6 / 10 There is not much to say about its story. The first episode goes really fast, Shirayuki leaves here city and randomly meets the prince. After some diverse adventures that really shows how brave is Shirayuki, she starts to work to stay with the prince just by herself and i think that part of the anime was the most interesting. Once she's set in the castle, some random twists pops out and the anime slowly goes toward its end. The love between Shirayuki and the prince grows at the same time (despite the first prince pressure) and they end up both together. Yay ! Happy end. The story sometimes lack "credibility" (can't find another word) so, alas!, i can't rate it highter than a fair 6. Ambiance : 7 / 10 As a huge OST fan, i often listen to incredibly intense soundtracks and i must say i'm not frustrated at all by Akagami no Shirayuki-hime's. The OSTs and sound effects are really light but fit the anime action pretty well. However, i didn't even fully listen to the opening even the first time because of how BORING it was. For the graphic part, the anime, without having an outstanding animation and chara design, is pretty good and is a pleasure to watch. Lore : 5 / 10 I believe Shirayuki lives in a paper-made world. It has almost no story nor specificities when it's not about herbs. I guess this lack of information participate in the anime simplicity but it's simple really sad we don't know a single thing about the place our heroin lives. Characters : 9 / 10 I loved almost every character of the anime. The story may be straight forward, it doesn't mean the characters are all stereotypes. Shirayuki is not the weak and reliant little girl that she could have been. She fights enemies and life with incredible courage and strengh, never gives anything up and always stays straightforward and sincere in any situation. And she is lovely. Zen one of the kindest character i've ever seen in anime and even with his entourage's pressure, i never renounce to Shirayuki. Special mention to Obi which totally reminds me Izaya Orihara in his sneaky ways.

It seems that every year, I grow to appreciate the art of animation every year, by growing fonder of different studios, actors, techniques, narrative styles, and directors and the conclusion I have come to is that without Japanese animation, I would not harbor the appreciation for storytelling that I possess now. It takes a special kind of show to remind me of that to the point that I am left breathless by what has transpired. Akagami no Shirayuki-hime, or Snow White with the Red Hair, is that show. In the kingdom of Tanbarun lives a beautiful young woman with beautiful hair, bright and red as an apple, a trait said to be unusual in this world. Her name is Shirayuki, and she is a herbalist. But one day, the mischievous Prince Raj hears of her and demands that she become his concubine. Not wanting any part of his wicked plans, she spends all night concocting medicine for every one of her clients in town, packs up her things, and cuts her long hair short, leaving the remainder on the window sill for the devious prince who craved it so. As she leaves she meets Zen, the prince of Clarines, and together, they chart a path to Zen's homeland so that Shirayuki may follow her dreams, not stopping for anyone or anything. And so begins a young woman's journey of discovery, adventure, and love. Akagami is just as much a story of empowerment as it is a story of love. Shirayuki is the single greatest female character in anime and I am aware of the weight of such a claim. She constantly faces danger head on using her wits rather than resorting to combat to solve her disputes and her willingness to stand up to those who think less of her for her social class is an inspiring sight that deserves to be seen. She is the type of character I will tell stories about to my future children, especially if I have a daughter. When she meets Zen, the male lead and love interest of the show, they certainly make for great friends and perhaps she is attracted to him, but her motivations for going to his country with him are not to pursue him but to achieve her own dreams. She wants to be a court herbalist in his kingdom because herbology is a passion of hers. It is an extension of her desire to help people. Yet despite this, the show doesn't ever judge her for also having real feelings for Zen and neither should it. She proves time and time again through the show that she is entirely in control of her destiny, and when that control is taken away, she fights using her knowledge rather than brawn as it would go against her character to do otherwise. Zen is likewise a phenomenal character. His romance with Shirayuki is handled beautifully and the two talk with one another in a way that breaks down the barriers of their social classes, establishing each other as equals. When Shirayuki's life is in danger, Zen scolds her for acting rashly in order to prove that someone is after her, but Shirayuki confidently affirms that she is aware of the dangers and doesn't need to be scolded. And Zen compromises with her. The two are a paragon of trust and friendship, which makes the romantic development so much sweeter in the long run. His protective nature is inspiring but he doesn't overdo it and fully trusts Shirayuki. That being said, the rest of the cast is delightful as well, from Zen's two attendants, Mitsuhide and Kiki, to the mischievous Obi, to the Chief herbalist, to Shirayuki's young partner Ryuu, the cast is beaming with personality and charm. Even Raj, despite being an antagonist at first, grows to be likable, if a bit of a goof. Aiding in the character department is the acting. Funimation's dub for Akagami is the best dub I have heard from them in a while, with the honorable mentions being Brina Palencia as Shirayuki, Josh Grelle as Zen, and Rachel Robinson as Garack Gazelt. If you are going to watch this show, watch it dubbed. It is worth it, trust me. If I had to describe this show in one phrase, it would be "Ghibli-esque." The visuals, vocal performances, and music all come together to make a show that captures the wonder and beauty that captivated me about movies such as Spirited Away, Castle in the Sky, or the Cat Returns. The animation is done by Studio Bones, who I praised in my review of Kekkai Sensen as being the best animation studio in the world. This show is no different in terms of visual quality. It is beautiful and I can't imagine any other studio creating the same environments nearly as well. The show is directed by Masahiro Ando, who's resume speaks for itself. He directed Sword of the Stranger, a truly phenomenal hidden gem of the late 2000's and he also was the choreographer for the Cowboy Bebop movie and a key animator on some of the most critically acclaimed anime of all time. The guy might not get as much recognition as other big directors in the industry, but he is more than worthy of the respect. The music is composed by Michiru Oshima, who has previously worked on the original Fullmetal Alchemist, Little Witch Academia, and Rokka no Yuusha, among many others. Her music works best for bright and colorful fantasy shows such as this. The feeling of joy that one receives by listening to her tracks almost makes her music easily identifiable. Without even knowing her name or knowing her involvement with other shows, I could tell she was that I was listening to her music just by listening to it when I watched Rokka no Yuusha a few months back. When I rewatched the first season of Akagami with my sister in preparation for this review, she didn't quite understand after the first couple of episodes why I held the show in such high regard. She was captivated and wanted to continue because she enjoyed it, but she hadn't quite yet understood why I loved it so much. Seeing the characters grow stronger and closer together made it clear, and rewatching it strengthened my resolve in concluding that Akagami no Shirayuki-hime is a happy, beautiful, romantic masterpiece. This show shows me the reason I watch Anime: To let my mind wander and to immerse myself in the machinations of creators who love to let their imaginations run wild just like me and who want to leave an impression on my mind, and my heart. I wish there was more I could do to thank them. WHERE TO WATCH IT: Akagami no Shirayuki-hime is available for legal streaming through Funimation Now and available on Blu-ray and DVD. Season 2 will be released on DVD on April 25th, 2017. Expect a review or at least a recommendation for that season as well after I have rewatched it.

~Story~ 8 This story is about young Shirayuki. She runs from her kingdom because due to her rare hair color, Shirayuki gets a proposal to be a concubine of the foolish but famous prince Raji. While traveling, she meets a boy named Zen, who accidentally gets injured, and she boldly cures his wounds. They become friends, and she finds out than Zen is actually a prince and he saves her from being taken by Raji. They later go to his palace, where she applies for the job as the court herbalist to be able to go freely to the castle where Zen is. ~Art~ 8 The art is fluent and the characters look stunning, mind you it's not just the characters that look absolutely amazing it's also the backgrounds that make me watch with awe. It is truly a skill to be able to make such art. ~Sound~ 8 The opening song was beautiful and catchy, same with the ending although it was more sweet then beautiful. I enjoyed the voice actors for the English dub, but seeing how I did not watch the sub I cannot give my personal opinion on the voice acting on that side, but I'm sure it too was lovely. ~Character~ 9 I loved the characters in this anime. They were funny and sweet and truly amusing to watch. Shirayuki defies the traits of a typical shoujo lead. She is socially capable, strong-willed, is not afraid to speak her mind and has actually has a brain which knows her limits. Shirayuki holds her own and yearns to seek position for her to see Zen as her equal. she is very rational and thinks before she acts. Zen, on the other hand, might err at times to your typical male shoujo character but a closer examination reveals that he is not. While he is kind, his past (a very painful one, mind you) reveals what made him like he is as portrayed. He might be likable and composed but his aversion to his much lord brother is palpable. He also narrowly avoided the sparkly main lead syndrome by toning down some of his traits and by not giving him a chick magnet role. All other recurring characters were also given ample time to get some development. Mitsuhide and Izana benefited from Zen's flashback of his past so much that it can be also viewed that certain story was theirs and not Zen's. They were also elevated from plot device to actual characters which interact with the leads (and contribute to their future paths) without the feeling of emotional manipulation. Obi, on the other hand, is a very interesting oddball which complemented Zen's calm nature. He is quite perceptive and throws statements which drive the series to a positive direction. ~enjoyment~ 10 I really enjoyed this anime. Although it may seem silly but I actually really admire Shirayuki, she is strong willed, intelligent, and she has my dream job. I loved watching how everyone interacted and how all their relationships progressed. ~overall~ 9 I highly recommend this anime to everyone. No it does not have magic powers and different dimensions, but it has a sweet love story. Plus it is set in a more old time fashion, with princes and court herbalists.

It's normal romance story, at first 6 episodes it was good them it started get slow but if you already watched saint's magic is omnipotent them it will mostly feel like a same story with different characters.but saint's magic omnipotent has more story and romance compared to this . I feel like if they focused on the plot it would have been great.you can try if you are into slow rom with fantasy theme.the characters stories are well explained except the FL. So if you are into some fantasy themed romance anime , then it's for you , but if you want the story them it's not . You can read the manga if you want it has 110+ chapters something,if you wanna continue.

I can give this one a pass because I like the way the main girl Shiriyuki, when faced with being forced to do something she did not want to do, she stuck to her resolve every time. Granted my expectations were low since there was a "princess" in the title, being associated with the soft spoken snow white, I was pleasantly surprised when she voiced her opinions to not take crap without a fight. That being said, she needed help...a lot. She never really got herself out of trouble but she tried I guess? She always seemed to have a friend who had the exact skills she needed in that moment coincidentally. So shes not a badass in anyway, just a charmer, in that "Oh I guess im pretty and smart but i never noticed because im so humble about it" kind of way, which i can see why that would turn a lot of people off of this one. Someone called her a mary sue, and yea i can see that. She could have done with another flaw or two but she was a damsel in distress in a story titled after another famous damsel in distress waiting on a prince to provide a happy ending so you can connect the dots and sort of see where this anime is going. The rest of the characters are just as predictable, still likable, but predictable so if your looking for something new you shouldnt look here for much. So if you go in with high expectations youll not like it, but if your the type that doesn't care and just like to see anime with romance in a regal kingdom setting, this is your time passer. Just turn off your brain and itll be aright.

It's one of my comfort animes and I personally really enjoyed it. The characters were likable and overall kept me entertained, and its light-hearted atmosphere is nice. I also enjoyed it a lot more than the manga, I thought the pacing was way better. Some people say they don't understand the hype or popularity but I think the appeal of it is just the romance is good and well-thought characters. I also like how non-toxic the characters are, and how they don't completely depend on each other for everything. Shirayuki's independent and reliable personality is nice and makes them a good protagonist.

I think people sometimes miss the actual tie-ins with the old fairy tale Snow White but I feel like recognizing that helps to appreciate the meld of Eastern and Western sensibilities. We see the fairy tale elements of a young girl facing powerful nobility and having to take refuge in the woods. We have the prince charming. We even have the poisoned apples. The one fault that could possibly hold water is how long it really takes to really get to something meaty. Characters: The characters are almost too good. I do actually mean that as a slight criticism. A little too perfect, even in their shortcomings, and a little too unrealistic. But, despite that, they're easy to fall in love with. Our main character takes a while to flesh out as she comes across a little too two dimensional in the beginning and it's not until we see her face difficulties within herself that she really begins to feel real. The male lead and side characters are easy to love almost from the get-go and the interactions between the group show a very healthy and wonderful dynamic that helps to keep the story propped up well. Overall: This anime may not be for everyone. If you want a lot of action or high levels of drama you won't find it here. This isn't an anime to get your adrenaline pumping or keep you in suspense. This is, however, a very sweet story with solid characters. It's good for a bolstering of the heart -Rin-

This anime seemed cute and so many people were praising it so I decided to give it a try. But I didn't really enjoy it. The beginning was promising but then it was quite flat. The interaction between Zen and Shirayuki was weird and the feelings between then didn't really feel earned. They immediately like each other and there is no real development or growth. My least favorite character is Shirayuki. I don't care too much if a character is not relatable but everything was too easy for her. Everyone liked her and was impressed with her from the beginning. Even those that weren't, started to like her 5 minutes after they've talked to her. So what's the point then? She was so boring to watch. The artwork is beautiful (not extraordinary) but that doesn't mean much for me if it's not backed by a good story. I don't think I'll ever go back and rewatch this anime. There's nothing exciting about it. There are anime that you can watch over and over again and they're still interesting but this one is not one of those. It's a bit sad because I'm a sucker for romance anime and in these recent years there haven't been that many adaptations for this genre.