Interestingly enough I initially had a negative opinion about Snow White with the Red Hair. I watched it when I was thirteen and wanted to watch battle shounen to be cool. This was before I officially fell in love with shoujo because while I liked Sailor Moon and Fruits Basket at the time I didnt really have much of a grasp on what it was. I was also for some reason expecting an actionadventure series instead of a sliceoflife so I was caught off guard. I think when I finally finished the anime I was maybe 16 I was a certified shoujo fan and I had a deeper appreciation for slower more emotional series. When I finished it I had fallen in love with it enough to try the manga. I bought the first few volumes and I really liked them but it never really was a priority. Then my library got the whole series and I had no excuse to not read it and I remembered why I loved this manga so much in the first place. Its one of those series that has had a profound impact on me especially since Shirayuki herself is a character I have a deep admiration for. Shirayuki of Tanbarun is a renowned herbalist but it isnt her medicinal skills that shes known for. Its her unusual bright red hair thats caught the eye of Prince Raj who wants to make her his concubine. Shirayuki isnt exactly a fan of the prince or the idea of being a concubine so she decides to flee to the neighboring kingdom of Clarines. Along the way she meets Prince Zen Wisteria who practically sweeps her off her feet. Once theyre able to outmaneuver Raj Shirayuki decides she wants to start a new life as a court herbalist but her status as a commoner might get in the way if her friendship with Zen turns into something more. One thing I will say is that this series is very very slow and currently its gotten a bit sidetracked. The story we have at the beginning is very different from the current direction its been taking. When we start the story its mostly about Zen and Shirayukis relationship as well as their focus on their respective careers as a prince and herbalist. Shirayuki is learning all she can while Zen is working to support his brother who will become king. This part of the series also had a lot more focus on their relationship development. Theres a lot of buildup and after Izanas coronation and discussion of marriage you sort of expect Zen and Shirayukis engagement to be imminent. However life has other plans. Shirayuki and Zen enter a twoyear separation arc which I think is realistic and true to life. Shirayuki has been reassigned to learn in another part of Clarines that specializes in herbal knowledge and she gets the chance to forge her own path away from her mentors. This part of the series feels true to life. Shirayukis career is very important to her and I think it makes sense that shed want to improve in her field. I think it was really cool that she and Zen are entering a longdistance relationship and thats not something you often see in shoujo. Theyve been together for a long time and they can maintain a healthy relationship even if they cant be together as much as they want to. It makes sense. In real life people get transferred or must move apart from their significant other for a variety of reasons. This also allowed for some indepth focus on the side characters. When I was watching the anime I had gripes about how Zens aides didnt really have much done with them. The separation allowed for character depth and worldbuilding that the previous storyline hadnt allowed for. We get to see a lot of Kiki. She even gets her own arc. We get to watch the young court herbalist Ryu grow up. It started off strong but there were a handful of arcs where I was like I dont care. The rock arc was boring and the perfume arc was confusing but I was also falling asleep during that one so that didnt help. Its just not focused which makes sense since the original focus of the story is taking the backseat for individual character growth. I wonder how things will change when our couple is reunited. I had a major Im not like the other girls phase. I was homeschooled back in middle school and the only kids I really got to hang out with were boys who I went to church with. I only wanted action girls since I had this idea that only characters who could fight were as tough as the boys were valued cool and strong. Now that I am older and wiser the character of Shirayuki means so much to me. Shes not a combatant. Shes not a badass action girl. But shes strong. Shes kind compassionate and intelligent and those are her strengths. She may not fight but shes stubborn and wont back down. Her abilities lie with how smart she is her desire to heal people and the way she inspires others. Shes honestly the kind of person I want to be and I admire her. She was a character who even when I was younger I instantly thought of when I learned that action girls arent the only ones who are cool. Plus she was a more attainable role model for me since I know that I could never be super tough in the way the action girls were and that kindness and inspiring others is what I excel in and that doesnt make me any lesser. Zen is a lovely person. Hes the kind of prince who ventures around disguised so that he can observe the people he might someday rule. He doesnt prescribe to the idea that he must be distant from the common people and never mingle with them. His relationship with Shirayuki may cause a few scandals but he wont back down and leave her behind. He doesnt believe that something like social class should keep him from the people he cares about. Hes stubborn perhaps the most stubborn character in the series and hes prone to doing what he wants and what he thinks is right. While he can get easily annoyed he cares about all those around him and hes such a positive presence. Obi is a former... I dont know what but it was something shady. Until he met Zen and Shirayuki he never really felt tied down anywhere. With his newfound family he now has a place he belongs and he has an unwavering devotion towards them. Hes very lighthearted and cheerful prone to teasing the other characters. He has his own emotional struggles dealing with his romantic feelings towards Shirayuki but being unable to act on them out of respect and loyalty. I wish his past was discussed more since we know virtually nothing about his background but I suppose Obi might want to keep it that way since his present means more to him than his past ever did. Kiki and Mitsuhide are Zens guards joined at the hip. Kiki is very stoic and sarcastic and she makes nice little jabs that I appreciate as much as Obis teasing. She has her own goals and ambitions outside of her deep loyalty to Zen. Shes the heir to her family and shell one day accept a marriage proposal. However she wants to do it on her own terms once her obligations towards her friends are fulfilled. She has a strong will and shell be sure to try and win against every challenge she faces though she does have a loss when it comes to her romantic life one which shattered my ship. Mitsuhide on the other hand is wholeheartedly devoted to Zen to the point where Zen gets a little angry with him at times. Hes singleminded and oblivious making him not the sharpest tool in the shed. He cares for everyone in his life though Kiki and Zen are particularly precious to him. Raj is the final character Ill discuss. While hes very important initially I havent seen him since I cleared anime territory with the manga. He starts off as a vain selfcentered and childish brat. Hes just very annoying expressive and shallow but Shirayuki turns him around. She told him exactly what he needed to hear: basically to get his shit together. The way I put it was much meaner but that was the general idea. He starts to slowly but surely atone for his actions and build a genuine friendship with Shirayuki determined to become the king that Tanbarun needs. The art evolution of this manga is insane. The early art was nice and all but it was simple and bold with detailed fashions. However as the story goes on the art becomes so complex. Its like illustrations from a fairy tale. Even the color illustrations become so much more beautiful with warmer color pallets. I screenshotted so many of the later chapter illustrations because they were just that pretty. Just compare this early picture of Shirayuki and Zen to this more recent one. The evolution is undeniable and I love seeing improvements like these in long series. https://bloomreviewsblog.files.wordpress.com/2018/05/snowwhitewiththeredhairwallpapers261124385404.jpg https://pbs.tw.com/media/FOFh2srXEAgcwRb?format=jpgname=medium This series just means so much to me and it makes me feel like Im in a fairy tale. That said I am a bit worried about the direction its taking. Its just such an important series for me since I connect it to my growth as a person and I appreciate it so much for that. It might not be perfect but Snow White with the Red Hair was capable of touching my heart and thats what matters to me.
100 /100
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