Snow White With the Red Hair (Anime)

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Name: Snow White With the Red Hair
Alternate Name: Akagami no Shirayuki-hime
Type: Anime

Official Rating: PG-13

Director: Various

Seasons: 2
Genre: Adventure, romantic comedy, fantasy, drama
Age Rating: 13+

Review:
Shiriyuki is an herbologist with unnatural red hair. When she catches the eye of Prince Raj, he orders her to become his concubine, but she flees the kingdom and meets Prince Zen. Together, Shiriyuki and Zen help each other as they try to find their place in the world.

I really liked the characters; they were all developed very well, and the backstories made sense and were interesting and added to the overall story. The animation is absolutely gorgeous--with colorful and detailed scenes. This show is well-worth watching just for that, if not the amazing overarching plot. While it isn't solely focused on romance between Zen and Shiriyuki, it is a large part of what the show is about. However, there are no inappropriate scenes and the characters' relationships develop slowly and politely. Though it is fluffy at times, it isn't so slow or unnecessarily gushy so boys can enjoy watching this show as well.

The show's concepts are thought-provoking and non-offensive. Shirayuki is a serious herboligist, and keeps up on her studies. Throughout the show, the balance between studying, work, and free-time is constantly adjusted, which I think can be a really practical lesson for kids who study too hard and forget to take care of themselves. The main characters are also very helpful to one another, and don't act inappropriately towards others. Another highlight is the fact that many of the villains are taught a lesson and many are compelled to change.

Another element that I appreciated was the morals upheld in the show. For example, it is repeatedly suggested that doing the right thing even if no one else agrees or roots for you, is always what you should do. The friendships in the show were real and genuine, and it was implied that we should see deeper into a person rather than taking them at face values such as looks, wealth, or fancy titles.

We never learn too much about any individual character's backgrounds, but their development is crucial in the show, and all of the characters are different in the end than in the beginning. Prince Raj becomes less arrogant and starts taking his role as prince seriously, Kiki opens up more, and Shiriyuki herself undergoes some serious transformations. Not only a spin on the fairy tales Little Red Riding Hood and Beauty and the Beast, Snow White With the Red Hair is a coming-of-age story with a satisfying ending and beautifully drawn characters.

Mature Content:

• Profanity- "Damn" and "Hell" and "Bitch"
• Sexual References- Prince Raj wants Shiriyuki to be his concubine in the beginning
• Violence- Some fighting scenes (no blood is shown) 
• Shiriyuki is kidnapped several times
• Umihebi slaps her prisoners and has Kadzuki held forceably under the water to make him talk

Personal Note: 
I think Obi and Raj are absolutely hilarious; they're actually probably my favorite characters. And Kiki and Mitsuhide should get together.