Forum - View topicEP. REVIEW: Snow White with the Red Hair
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Gina Szanboti
Posts: 11354 |
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I'm really loving this series, but they do need to back off the, "I must move forward with my own power" dialog. She must have said some iteration of that half a dozen times this episode, and it was getting old the first time (in this episode, i.e.). We get her motivation by now, so they could start just showing us she's still acting on it, instead of keep having her tell us and anyone who'll listen.
I like both of the new characters though, even if Haruka was a bit of a cliche from his first appearance. And the relationship between Zen and his aides is always a treat. |
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Agent355
 Posts: 5113 Location: Crackberry in hand, thumbs at the ready... |
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If I were Haruka, Shirayuki's determination would make me feel even more suspicious about her motivations, not less. Nothing she or Zen said to him directly was particularly convincing, either. Without all the knowledge we have about her character through her inner monologues and one-on-one talks with Zen, she could easily be mistaken as a particularly stubborn gold digger.
Still liking the show well enough, but I agree that it lacks conflict and plot development. |
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mandisaw
 Posts: 140 |
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Saw this recommended by folks I recognized from the Yona thread, and finally got around to watching it. I'm so glad I did! It definitely fits a niche somewhere between the realpolitik of Yona, and the whimsy of World is Still Beautiful, with just enough of Shuurei's (Saiunkoku) practicality to keep it grounded.
I also like that Zen joins the ranks of "Royals who actually do things", which I have come to feel is a good litmus for whether a story is wish-fulfillment fluff or something you can sink your teeth into. As for the action and/or plot, I get the feeling that like Saiunkoku, this is mostly going to be a "let's see *how* they achieve their goals" story, rather than *will* they. Haven't read the manga yet, but the credits and pacing seem to point in that direction. I already have Ushio & Tora to roll around in nostalgia-fueled action, and Yona & Noragami manga for all the gutpunch drama I can handle, so Akagami is like a refreshing glass of sweet tea. Besides, I'm just about done with Rokka/Six Braves' quick-quick-slow pace, so by comparison this is just-right. |
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Angel M Cazares
 Posts: 5424 Location: Iscandar |
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I liked episode 4 a lot. After a strong episode 1, I feel that episodes 2 and 3 were kind of repetitive and relied on over used shoujo elements that made the story dull and boring.
But episode 4 returned to the things I hope this show does that allow it to be a shoujo story that is not afraid to experiment with elements that are not typical or heavily emphasized by that genre. I will wait for episode 5 with some expectations. |
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CeaseActivity
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I feel like episode 4 is when the story really gets on its feet, as if it was at this point the mangaka realized what kind of story she wanted this to be. The interactions felt smoother and more realistic and I like that Shirayuki gets to interact with someone other than Zen or kidnappers. We also get to see a more vulnerable side of Shirayuki that really helps making her more sympathetic.
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mandisaw
Posts: 140 |
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I enjoyed episode 4 a lot as well, but as I saw it, it was rolling in shoujo tropes, at least as much as eps 2 & 3. It doesn't detract from the interesting new chars or episode plot (Tropes are Not Bad, after all), but still, I don't quite understand the distinction being made.
Mainly I liked the glimpse into Zen's background, and that he was okay with Shirayuki seeing/learning about that aspect of his life. If she's going to throw around lines like "I'll be his strength", best that she knows what she's getting into. One more in a long line of totally reasonable actions on this show 
Maybe this is a manga question, but have they clarified the duties of State Apothecaries, aka court herbalists? Are they palace doctors only, or is it more like a proto-teaching-hospital? The latter was not unheard of in medieval Africa & Asia, and I'm trying to cobble together a better notion of how this world works / what Shirayuki's role in it might be. |
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lys
 Posts: 1008 Location: mitten-state |
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@mandisaw, the manga does (and anime should also) continue to show the court herbalists at work, so you'll be able to get a better sense of their duties as you watch. (very general info from the manga) spoiler[I read the series in Japanese (and my comprehension could be better) so I don't have all the details, but research and the benefit of the kingdom as a whole seem to be part of their focus, in addition to addressing the daily needs of people within the court.]
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Shirobakooo
Posts: 1 |
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It might be just me, but I think the kid herbalist may have a high functioning autism? Certain moments, such as him not being able to look at Zen's servants in the eye, or him not being very good at understanding others (he even outright says this) like when he thinks Shirayuki is mad at him, or him going to Zen to tell him she's crying, or the fact that he's a child prodigy, I think hint at this. He's a pretty nice character, definitely my second favorite after Shirayuki so far, and it'd be pretty great if he had a form of autism; they're almost never represented in media, let alone anime.
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mandisaw
Posts: 140 |
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@lys, Thanks, that helps, I'll just keep an eye out as it develops.
I got that same feeling about him - maybe not even all that high-functioning, honestly. He really has a lot of markers, and underage prodigies have a higher than average incidence of having emotional issues (incl autism spectrum disorders). I guess that giant sheet of paper /research notes on the floor is their idea of a whiteboard? LOL |
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Pidgeot18
 Posts: 101 |
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I don't think it's autism. Autism is marked in large part by impairment in social interactions (particularly inability to detect nonverbal cues) and repetitive, obsessive actions. Ryuu does not have either of those characteristics in significant detail. Instead, he looks more to be a like an extreme but classic <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/INTJ>INTJ personality--comfortable in known social environments, but completely shutting down when faced with an unknown one (caused by a fear of failure with, usually, such a strong bias towards rational thinking that emotional motivation is genuinely incomprehensible). |
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zensunni
 Posts: 1293 |
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I could see him as having Asperger's syndrome, which, when I looked up the spelling I found has been removed from the diagnostic manuals and placed into the "Autism Spectrum" instead. So I guess that it is now high functioning Autism... Fantastic episode! I found the test to be a bit transparent, but well done, none the less. Shirayuki's solution for it was interesting, in that it was unexpected and kind of "above and beyond". The head herbalists acknowledgement that Shirayuki could have been placed into the position she is seeking, or one higher than that one would presume, with one simple command from Prince Zen was interesting. I do love the fact that Zen then tells her that he knows that if he tried that he would most likely lose her, though he doesn't word it like that and he doesn't "have" her at this point, though it seems clear to everyone around that he is wrapped around her little finger and that she is equally fond of him. I realize the class difference thing was brought up in episode 3 to some extent, but I do wonder how the story will deal with that aspect when their relationship becomes one that forces the powers that be to deal with the fact that a prince of the realm seems far too attached to a commoner... I also enjoy the calm, cool demeanor of Shirayuki, but what I am seriously looking forward to is when that demeanor breaks (beyond her moment of sorrow over Zen's medical records). I expect that to be when Zen gets "serious" and stops pussy-footing around about where their relationship is headed. Given her unflappable nature, it will be delightful to see her flustered... Maybe I'm a bit of a sadist? |
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mandisaw
Posts: 140 |
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I liked the chief herbalist right from that moment - it seems like she has that, "I dare you to pull rank on me," attitude. It tells me that she was probably prouder of Zen for *not* pulling a move like that, and maybe intrigued by Shirayuki not making the obvious request. Also, the same scene just highlights that Zen is way more emotionally-aware of Shirayuki than she is of him. Makes sense, aside from personality differences, he lives in a world where people rarely speak their mind to him, and he has to intuit the truth. If anything, I'm a bit worried for Shirayuki in the palace - she's straightforward, and expects others to be the same (even if they are hostile). Not sure how she'd deal with someone truly adept at being two-faced. As for the class difference, I'm paying close attention to two aspects there: Zen's rank as "Second Prince", implying that he's the 'spare heir' and thus may have slightly more leeway, and Shirayuki's career as a court herbalist may carry opportunities to raise her status. |
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Pidgeot18
Posts: 101 |
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As of the current place in the manga, spoiler[Shirayuki does have a (very minor--think "Sir") title. It's also stated that it wouldn't raise any eyebrows for her to be adopted into the nobility, which suggests another possible resolution.] It also seems to be the case that Zen is somewhat known for being much friendlier with lower classes. As far as almost anyone is aware, Zen is no closer to Shirayuki than he is to Kiki or Mitsuhide. |
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zensunni
Posts: 1293 |
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Well, the romance in episode 5 was wonderful, but then they just had to introduce Zen's older brother, who appears to be a first class jerkwad, at least from his initial appearance. I expect he will do something to totally piss off Zen, probably something involving Shirayuki, if not something directly done to Shirayuki. If this wasn't so sweet of a story so far I would worry that we were about to see something really nasty, like what that other prince wanted to do with Shirayuki... (Having his own brother demand that Shirayuki become his concubine would probably drive Zen to something close to fratricide and result in him becoming some sort of Robin Hood like character...)
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sunflower
 Posts: 1080 |
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The thing about a manga like this that's subverting expectations is that when you think you know what will happen because you've read so much shoujo, you're probably wrong. I LOVE Zen's older brother. He and Obi are my favorite characters, even more than Shirayuki and Zen.
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