Introduction I am a newbie anime watcher. I started watching anime in 2017 and I have gotten through less than fifty shows at the time of me writing this review. The first two shows I remember watching were Jojo's Bizarre Adventure (up to Season 1 of Stardust Crusaders) and Ganketsuou, an action heavy show and a heavy drama show based off my favorite piece of literature respectively. Upon completing both, I wanted to watch a lighter show for my third show, a romance or a comedy, that would break up the super heavy drama and action that I was used to at this point.

I don't know why I was drawn to Akagami no Shirayuki-hime (I'm just gonna call it Akagami from now on), but for some reason it interested me. I asked a buddy of mine if it was good, and he gave me a resounding "yes" for an answer, making me want to watch it more. So I did...

Two days later I had completed both seasons. This was the first show that I really binged hard on. The reason why was because it was fantastic. It hit every good feeling I could have from a show, and it helped define what kind of shows I really liked. It was wholesome, it wasn't over-dramatic, it didn't have cliches driving it along. It had a great cast of characters, a great couple-dynamic, and a great plot. It, in other words, became my #1 anime, and it still reigns on my list as my #1.

This show is fantastic, and I highly recommend it to anyone looking for a stellar romantic anime.

A Wholesome Plot The plot of Akagami is, and some aspects, similar to that of a Disney movie. It has a smooth development and doesn't let cliche things bog it down for the sake of filler. The characters of the show and their relationship with each other makes the story very enjoyable to watch unfold. The plot though is not really one united “arc” per-say in Season 1 (though this does change in Season 2), its more-so a bunch of different stories combined together to make the plot progress, with the main thing unifying all of them being the relationships between the characters developing over time, especially in regards to the two main leads. The plot isn’t really a major focus of the show however, it’s more there to develop the characters along. Yet, it’s still enjoyable to watch unfold.A Stellar Female Lead What is there to say about the red-headed protagonist of this show?

Shirayuki, the red-haired medieval pharmacist and lead of the show, is a prime example of how to do a strong female lead in a shoujo series. She is a kind soul, intelligent, and gets along well with basically everyone she comes in contact with. Now, in most shows with a character like this, the “cute face that cannot do wrong” character type tends to usually become a rug that everyone walks over with no regard. They are kind characters and are very likable, but they aren’t strong and tend to be pushed aside/around quite easily. Worse, if that character ends up being the female lead of a romance show, they usually always have to get bailed out by the male lead when in trouble. Shirayuki though is in the category of “likeable” characters that don’t take crap from people, and are very independent and strong on their own. She is a “get stuff done” kind of character, with many of the problems she encounters in the plot being tackled by her directly and head-on instead of floundering about waiting for the man to come in and take care of it. In-fact, when Zen actually does have to bail her out, it’s because of the fact she exhausted all options and avenues prior to the fact, and it’s more of a “You need a hand?” then a “Don’t you worry your head, I will take care of it all!” deal.

In short, Shirayuki is a female lead who has both a great personality and a very independent mindset when it comes to problem-solving, much more-so than many other female leads in other romance shows

A Great Cast of Characters There are a lot of characters in this show, and their relationships and interactions with each other propel the story forward. In-fact, the characters of this show and their relationships is one of its strongest points. I can go into depth about all the characters, but I just want to focus on two.

Let’s start with Zen, the main male in this show. He’s royalty, second-in line to the throne, noble up-bringing, etc. Yet, from his first introduction he’s a bit of a rebel and more lax about his duties. He cares more about meeting the people in his country than the essential task of bureaucracy that comes with his role. He kind of starts off with his relaxed state being taken for a “smug prick” personality. Though, he is quickly exposed as the kind of noble who actually gives two craps about the people on his land, and isn’t just a lax arrogant noble. Shirayuki also positively impacts him by getting him to actual go in and tackle the more boring aspects of his job (seeing how she tackles her job) and actually work to be a respectful person in her eyes. Self-improvement for the sake of another is a very common theme in this show, and one that I will gladly support in this media.

Then we have the bestest medieval ninja boy, Obi. Besides being one of my favorite characters in an entertainment medium (not just in anime), Obi is what I describe as the quintessential “wing-man” character. I won’t go into much detail to avoid spoilers since Obi doesn’t appear right away, but Obi is basically a great supporting character. He is humorous and relaxed 90% of the time, but when push comes to shove, he is there to back up his pals, like any great buddy would. If you want to see how that plays out, all I can say at this point is watch the show

I can go further on with the other characters too. I can talk about Mitsuhide, the closest thing to a father-figure in this show. I can talk about Ryu and the mentor-student relationship he has with Shirayuki despite being a little kid. I can talk about Zen and the relationship he has with his brother and how both are contrasted and compared throughout the show. Yet alas, I have a limited word-count and I would be here for a long-time talking about that.

Conclusion So yes, this show is a great romantic anime. The plot is nice and enjoyable, the relationships are realistic and grow over time, the characters and their interactions are some of the best I have personally seen, and the female lead is one of the better ones in anime.

I skipped out on talking about the romantic parts of this show to avoid spoilers, but I will say that it is well worth watching the show for, and super adorable.

I give this show a “Highly Recommend” and encourage you all to watch it.