Akagami no Shirayukihime - Anime

Fairy tales are something that always tend to pull at the heartstrings and not just because they tend to be filled with true love and magic but because they basically come from many people’s childhood. So it’s safe to say there exists a tiny taste of nostalgia in those stories that were either read to us lucky few or found in dusty old libraries, or in these days in the apps built for children. A recent anime that scratched at this nostalgia is proving to be quite the sweet viewing experience as it recreates the age old story of snow white and the seven dwarves with more than a few twists here and there.

Akagami no Shirayukihime is something of a cute anime that strikes me as an effortless show that doesn’t want to attack you with its surprise twists and turns but lets you enjoy the story as it flows slowly along while it follows its own storyline, even though you know where its inspiration comes from.

The story follows its main protagonist, Shirayuki, a skilled herbalist who is driven out of her hometown for various reasons and while on her journey to the next town she unexpectedly runs into a certain prince by the name of Zen. 

Ironically their initial meeting leads to an interesting twist that has our Prince eating a poisoned apple that was meant for Shirayuki. However, the incident doesn’t result in his death or him falling into any deep sleep but it does result in showing the prince and his attendants Shirayuki’s sincere determination and quirky personality. Here is where we see an interesting twist that the fairy tales don’t necessarily show us as the prince begins to fall for Shirayuki.

But the twists don’t end there as the show turns its focus on Shirayuki and her determination to be independent and capable of standing on her own as she supports the Prince with her skills, being as useful as possible.

The overall story is very sweet and endearing as you watch the innocent love story of the Prince and the herbalist. Though some aspects seem a bit over emphasised, for example Shirayuki’s determination sometimes seems too repetitive as if the creator thinks the viewer has forgotten this is not just some love story, but a true love story. One where love doesn’t end with just finding each other and running off into the sunset but about getting to know each other and supporting each other to the best of your abilities. But I guess it doesn’t hurt to point that out every now and then.

In the end, it’s a good anime. Sweet and innocent, just like the fairy tales it draws its inspiration from, or at least the version we read to children anyway.