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Snow White with the Red Hair
Episode 4

by Rebecca Silverman,

How would you rate episode 4 of
Snow White with the Red Hair ?
Community score: 4.5

A lot of people forget (or don't know) that there are two separate Snow Whites in German folklore – the one who eats the poisoned apple and another who lives close to nature with her mother and her sister, Rose Red. This second Snow White is much more like the heroine of Snow White with the Red Hair – a girl who is kind to others (she performs a series of good deeds despite the mean nature of the one she helps) and has a connection to the natural world. Both of these are attributes Shirayuki shows in this episode, which covers her exam to become a court herbalist.

Fortunately for our viewing experience, the test isn't a written one: Shirayuki (and the other contenders) must tend an herb garden for two days and write a report on their discoveries and experiences. For Shirayuki, this means sleeping as little as possible so she can do the best job possible and not miss a minute of her time in the best garden she's ever experienced. When Zen notices that there's a light on in one of the greenhouses, he goes to investigate, only to find himself locked in with her. True to form, Shirayuki doesn't allow this to fluster her and carries on, even putting Zen to work.

This no-nonsense quality of hers is simultaneously one of her best and worst traits as a character. I love her practicality and the way she avoids panic when she's around plants and most people; no fainting and shrieking for this pseudo-medieval maiden. The down side is that her measured reactions aren't always exciting to watch, she gets serious rather than panicked, which is admirable but not the stuff of tense storytelling. Fortunately we have Zen to balance her reactions out. The more emotional of the two, Zen is much more likely to make a funny face, stutter his way through an awkward conversation, or charge into the fray. The two of them are well-suited to each other – and I think at this point she knows that, but is maintaining her usual reserve – and watching them together is generally enjoyable. This is especially true at the end of the episode, when Ryu, the child herbalist we've seen a couple of times before, comes running to Zen when he finds Shirayuki crying. This is one of the rare moments where we see Shirayuki express sadness, and Zen's reaction to the reason, and her sobs, is one of the sweetest moments we've had in the show so far. It's understated – part of it even happens slightly off-screen – and that's part of what makes it so lovely.

Ryu himself is tempting to compare to the surly dwarf in the “Snow White and Rose Red” story, but more importantly he's a character who helps us to see Shirayuki's caring side in a different way. Ryu is very much aware of the fact that he's a child in an adult world, and he's not entirely comfortable with it. A part of him really just wants to be a kid, or at least to be treated like one, and Shirayuki and Zen both seem to understand that. Zen makes sense, since he's been around Ryu for a while; Shirayuki has to be a little more intuitive and figure him out. He puts on a brusque front, but that's just because he doesn't know how else to act, but emotionally, he's very much a child. (This doesn't stop Zen from seeing him as a rival for Shirayuki's affections, though...)

The animation this episode has a few noticeable issues, the main one being that for some reason Shirayuki's legs move very stiffly. She seems to be the only one suffering from this issue, and while her slow walk down the greenhouse stairs could be taken just as her being careful, there's no reason why the rest of her walking and running should also look stiff. There are also a couple of shots where Zen's face looks a bit off; these are much more fleeting.

Snow White with the Red Hair is best when it lets the character interactions tell the bulk of the story. While it's fun to watch Shirayuki best the bad guys, it's actually smoother storytelling when the focus is quieter and emotions take the fore. Given the preview, it looks like that may be an every other episode occurrence. What's important is that this week, the episode works very nicely, getting the story where it needs to go but allowing the characters to be the ones to move the plot along.

Rating: A-

Snow White with the Red Hair is currently streaming on Funimation.

Rebecca Silverman is ANN's senior manga critic.


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