Review: Snow White with the Red Hair (2015-2016)

Snow White With the Red Hair ~ Akagami no Shirayuki-hime ~ (2015-2016) is a Japanese anime series that takes place in an alternate medieval period. The series contains 24 episodes plus one special OVA in Japanese with English subtitles.

Shirayuki, whose name means "snow white," is a cheerful herbalist (apothecary) living in the kingdom of Tanbarun. She diligently operates her own herbal shop tending to the health needs of the citizens. However, she has one unique feature: her beautiful red hair. Due to her unusual hair color, Shirayuki was raised to always be careful of her hair in new surroundings. However, her hair gets her noticed by Prince Raji, who orders her to become his concubine. Unwilling to give her freedom, Shirayuki cuts her long hair and leaves it behind as part of what he wanted. Her life changes drastically when she escapes into the forest to the neighboring kingdom of Clarines.

She meets and befriends Zen Wistalia and his two aides, Mitsuhide and Kiki. When Zen is poisoned by an apple meant for Shirayuki gifted by Prince Raji, Shirayuki returns to Tanbarun to retrieve the antidote. Upon her arrival, she discovers unexpectedly that Zen is the second prince of Clarines. Hoping to repay her debt to Zen, she decides to accompany the trio to Clarines. Shortly thereafter, Shirayuki passes an exam for a position to train as a court herbalist. Meanwhile, Zen becomes determined to become a prince worthy of his title. Over the course of the story, Zen and Shirayuki learn to support each other as they pursue their own paths and begin to fall in love with each other, in spite of opposition due to their difference in social status.

Snow White with the Red Hair was an adorable PG-friendly anime for families. While there were several romantic scenes, they were relatively tamed as the storyline places a lot of emphasis on Shirayuki's independence, resilience, and compassion for others. Unlike the traditional adaptation of Snow White, Shirayuki is determined to become a career woman-- in this case, a very talented court herbalist. This determination is due to her social status as a non-aristocrat and her willingness to pursue her own destiny. Despite the dangers lurking in her new environment, Shirayuki refuses to yield to societal norms of (aristocratic) women. I was curious to see how her relationship with Zen would turn out: would Shirayuki give up her freedom to become a princess or pursue her own passion? Zen falls in love with Shirayuki for this very reason -- her cheerful yet independent personality is her strength, and even encourages him to take his royal duties seriously. Despite their growing romantic feelings for each other, they also learn to respect each other paths. The audiences will not receive the typical happily-ever-after finale, but it will satisfy those who appreciate a self-determined protagonist in this adaptation of the classic tale.


Opening Theme: ""Yasashii Kibō" (Gentle Hope) by Saori Hayami


Ending Theme: "Akagami no shirayukihime" (Placing on Bonds) by eyelis

Review: Dark Wine at Midnight and Dark Wine at Sunrise (A Hill Vampire series, Books #1-2)

A seductive spy. An alpha vampire. A deadly assassin after them both...

This post focuses on the first two novels in A Hill Vampire series by Jenna Barwin: Dark Wine at Midnight and Dark Wine at Sunrise.

Dark Wine at Midnight is the first novel in A Hill Vampire series. Research scientist Cerissa Patel is given her first field assignment to go undercover as an envoy for another vampire. Her mission is to acquire investors at the Hill, a vampire-controlled town in California. She is finding the field assignment more difficult than she expected. An assassin is trying to kill the town's co-founders, and everyone is a suspect--including herself. She has to protect humanity from the vampires and becomes an unlikely ally to the town co-founders. Because she is also working as a double agent for her own undercover agency.

However, Cerissa has a growing attraction to the town's vampire co-founder, Henry Bautista. He's rich, dangerous, and as complex as the wines he makes. And Henry will do anything to stop her from hurting the community he built. With Henry watching her every move, she must uncover who's behind the rogue vampires and stop the assassin before Henry discovers that she's not human at all...

Dark Wine at Sunrise is the second novel in A Hill Vampire series. Research scientist Cerissa Patel has been assigned to investigate the vampire town, The Hill, to determine if the leaders are planning to return to the old ways and rule over mankind. When vampire Henry Bautista is injured from a surprised attack, Cerissa investigates who is targeting the town co-founders. As their sexual attraction intensifies, Cerissa desires to become Henry's bloodmate. Eventually, their romantic relationship becomes public but not without opposition. Since their relationship violates a century-old law, the town council wants her banished from the Sierra Escondido community.

With the unknown assassins still on the loose, tensions are brewing between vampires and humans. Meanwhile, the Lux are growing increasingly impatient with Cerissa's lack of information and indifference to their goals. With the walls closing in, Cerissa must track down the vampires behind a ruthless movement to enslave mortals. And she must find a way to bond with Henry, who holds her heart, and do so without paying the ultimate price – the loss of her wings forever...

A Hill Vampire series is seductive, compelling, and full of action. I discovered this series through a recommendation on Amazon. Since Barwin was a new author, the plot intrigued me enough to give this series a chance. I became instantly hooked just on what was going to happen next, who is beyond the murders, and whether Cerissa would truly find love. For nearly two centuries, Cerissa's life has been mission-driven to appease her superiors (especially the Lux community, an alien race who serve as protectors of humanity on Earth), but The Hill investigation begins to challenge those long-held beliefs. For the first time, she decides to follow her heart's desire, which uncovers new things about herself both emotionally and sexually. The mysterious attacks constrain Cerissa to reveal her true identity at a cost. Overall, I look forward to more mysteries (and romantic moments) between Cerissa and Henry. If you enjoy the worlds of Deborah Harkness, Charlaine Harris, or Jeaniene Frost, then you will love this new series by Jenna Barwin. Stay tuned for my review on the next two installments in the Hill Vampire series, Dark Wine at Dusk and Dark Wine at Death.