Akagami no Shirayuki-hime 2nd Season 赤髪の白雪姫

2016 winter | Episodes: 12 | Score: 8.0 (209063)

Updated every Tuesdays at 00:00 | Status: Finished Airing

Type: TV

Streaming: Crunchyroll

Synopsis

Shirayuki and Zen Wistalia have finally confirmed their romantic feelings for each other, and everyone has resumed their daily lives. Shirayuki remains an apprentice court herbalist at the royal palace of Clarines, and Zen continues his duties alongside his aides. However, their daily routines are disrupted when Crown Prince Izana, Zen’s older brother, receives an invitation from Raji Shenazard, the prince of Tanbarun. The herbalist finds herself ordered to go to Tanbarun for seven days, to build a new friendship with the formerly selfish and haughty ruler who once ordered Shirayuki to become his concubine. Along the way, Shirayuki is bound to run into trouble once again, as she is sought by a mysterious boy named Kazuki, someone she has never met. [Written by MAL Rewrite]

Voice Actors

Okamoto, Nobuhiko

Umehara, Yuuichirou

Nazuka, Kaori

Hayami, Saori

Oosaka, Ryouta

News

Reviews

EmiPyon
04/29/2024, 02:54 AM
I re-rated this, I was wondering what's the point of having Shirayuki in this series? Because of her red hair? Because she can influenced others of the way she speaks? People don't changed by just talking to them especially if that certain person is full of themselves honestly. The mangaka is literally either hypocrite or someone who is shut in. I finds this series lame. Maybe I should read the manga but nah I don't want to waste my precious time reading a moderate storyline there are 25000 anime and coming more. This anime is lame, it's lame and boring for the season 1 andno different for season 2.
_Moxley_
01/08/2024, 06:50 AM
I Really enjoyed this show. There are so many lovable charachters and also one of my favourite charachters of all time Obi. Of course there are many better romance anime than this, but I feel like snowhite with red hair was a really calming and nice show to watch. Although the ending is not the best I really liked both seasons and I feel like it was most deferently worth watching, and I deferently recommend this show. The art style is also great, there is a lot more they could've done but this show will still have a place in my heart. I feel likejust the charachter Obi made this show 100 times better to watch. The charachters weren't too overpowered and the fighting scenes were great. So this is a deferently good show to watch if you like good romance and drama.
frostiepie
12/29/2022, 07:42 PM
I love this show (both seasons) because of it's emphasis on independence and forging your own path. When I started watching I was expecting a very cookie cutter romance anime, however this turned out to be a story that focused on Shirayuki's life and development. I think it illustrates a healthy dynamic between Shirayuki and Zen, which is what I love. Rather than being co-dependent like in some romance anime, their relationship takes a backseat to their character and career development. They compliment each other while still prioritizing their own goals. There's also a noticeable lack of the nonsensical drama you often see inromance anime, usually caused by unnecessary poor communication. The show does fall into some pretty familiar character tropes (i.e. pretty nice girl woos every guy she meets and changes their lives forever), but the side characters are also loveable and interesting so it makes up for it in my opinion. This anime is nothing groundbreaking, but it is very simple and comforting.
cassandrale179
05/16/2021, 10:42 AM
I'm a little bit surprised by all the raves for the second season of Snow White with the Red Hair, but to me it was such a chore to watch through. A lot of the positives in the first season - Shirayuki being kidnapped and escaped her own home, fought back against her captors, try to enter the castle on her own talent..etc. kinda lost in this season. Instead, Season 2 devolved into exploring the side characters more (not bad in itself) but the role of damsel-in-distress from Shirayuki get worse here. Where is my capable heroine? All Shiruyaki did this season was drinkingtea, lecturing Raj, got herself captured by some evil pirate lady, and conveniently rescued by Zen. The only positive episode that I truly enjoyed was Mitsuhide's loss memory arc, which was hilarious, and his backstory with Kiki. Even Obi shine here in this season. As for Shirayuki, I don't know, if we replace her with a lamp, I feel like the story wouldn't change much. She continued to feel happiness in her relationship with Zen, reunite with her father, and be in good companies of her friends. It's hard to care about her when I'm not exactly sure what's the conflict in the story for her character is anymore, and the lack of portraying a shojo heroine with more negative emotions - anger, hatred, pain, kind of make it less relatable to follow through. I guess maybe I'm a little bit too old and jaded for some feel-good shojo romance. What a shame, beacuse the 1st season of Snow White with the Red Hair was pretty decent.
CrochetAndAnime
03/09/2021, 02:52 AM
Adorable. Cute and wholesome and simply adorable. If you're looking for something with an intricate plot and a lot of drama, you're not gonna find it here. But let's face it. If you're watching this, you're not watching it for the plot. You're watching it for the relationships. It's a plain and simple love story, no more, no less. Even side side characters get relationships and they're super cute, too. (Actually, some of them are almost better than the mains.) If heartwarming fairy tale romance without a lot of drama is what you're looking for... you can't get much more on point than this.
AvaFernandes
11/06/2020, 03:41 PM
:･ﾟ✧>>This is one of the cutest romance animes I know, its not too old but it came out it in mid 2015 as a fantasy romance anime and when it came out, it didn’t have much hype around it but still to this day it's an amazing anime. I remember from the first episode itself, loving the main character Shirayuki cause not only is she so adorable, Shirayuki is everything we look for in a girl protagonist, she’s strong, brave and independent. :･ﾟ✧>>Shirayuki wants to become an herbalist which I thought was so unique and cool about her as a character, Shirayuki’s love interest ZenWisteria is utterly amazing, I couldn’t get enough of his slick smooth personality and his feelings towards Shirayuki is so cute, he loves her so much; I absolutely couldn’t with them, I literally get butterflies watching them, it’s an amazing love story with so much pure wholesome love. :･ﾟ✧>>But no only them, but other characters like Kiki or Mitsuhide, who take care of Prince Zen are completely great additions to the story. There are so many scenes that I would replay in my mind over and over again, scenes that would make my heart pound, and moments that would make me want to jump and scream because of how happy I am, I would tell anyone to watch this anime.
anime2160
06/21/2020, 11:07 AM
If I could describe this anime in one word it would be: pure. It's such a cute and innocent anime, and one thing I always complain about is when there are a lack of romantic moments in the series, but this one had just the right amount! I REALLY love Zen, his personality, his charisma, his looks. Literally everything about his character is so nice. He's confident in any situation, unlike the prince of Tanbarun, and he just oozes charisma and charm. His character was very nicely done. I also like how each main character got their own story and we saw a bit of historyfor them. A lot of times, the other main/side characters (Mitsuhide and Kiki and Obi) would just be there for the purpose of "bettering" the MAIN characters (Zen and Shirayuki), but they had their own stories and I loved that. I really enjoyed watching it, it was so cute and pure that I couldn't help NOT enjoying. I definitely preferred this season to the first, but the first was also well done.
Puhapoci
05/21/2020, 03:03 PM
Akagami no Shirayuki-hime Story: This is a great anime, but not because of the story. Very simple and nothing really extraordinary about it. However, it never bored me even once. It builds around the characters so it feels like the story is just fine as it is. I enjoyed much more this 2nd season than the 1st. More action involved and we learn much more about our heroes. 7/10 Art: It's very very beautiful. The characters, the clothes that they wear and really everything look impressive. I especially loved Obi's look. 10/10 Sound: Sound and music is always a hard nut to crack. I was happy withall the voice actors. I'm always amazed by how well they do there job. I can't say anything bad about music, but it wasn't exceptional so I will give a strong 7/10. Characters: Prince Zen and Shirayuki is a cute couple and they are really the best people for each other. However, Obi some reason was way more interesting than any other character in the whole season. I started looking forward to any scene that he is in and luckily there are plenty of them. He nearly has the same amount of parts as Zen and Shirayuki. As you may suspect now, he was my most favorite character all along. He is very straight forward and the most relaxed person in the show, but he leaves a bittersweet taste to my mouth. He is surrounded by this heavy, nearly painful atmosphere. He is often has a cheeky smile on his face and he really likes teasing people around him. I could say lots of other things from him, but all in all, he is a great guy. I loved his character and his look. I liked everyone, but next to Obi I have to mention Ranji too. He is the only person who massively changes through the season. I don't think the characters are amazing or very deep, but they are all so lovable. They made me forget about logic or story or anything that I would look for in other animes. The whole thing just clicks so well. I give 8/10 because of Obi and Ranji. Enjoyment: I really liked it! I liked it so much that I decided to read the manga. It's calm and relaxing. It was a very nice experience to watch it. 9/10 Overall: I don't normally watch fantasy genre animes, but this was great and it was really a heartwarming experience. 9/10
hanamori7
03/22/2020, 05:12 PM
Kyaaaannnn!!! This was such a good continuation!!! From the dangers, to the resolution, to the character development and even the way it wrapped up! Loved loved loved it!! Too bad it was just 12 episodes!! I would have wanted more!! But I appreciate them for not wrapping it up in any way that would deviate from the main story. After all the manga is still publishing! I absolutely hate it when animators destroy the main story just to wrap up an anime! So I appreciate the ending and I will of course go on to read the manga!! Love this story way too much tostop here!! Absolutely recommend this to anyone looking for a lovely story about love, royal obligations, rising to meet and overcome challenges, and working hard to make the dreams of the ones you care for come true! It was lovely!!
ichigago
01/01/2020, 10:11 PM
A prince and a commoner romance story - a classic genre with a fairy tale inspired title to boot. Both MC's also enrich and help the other grow, which is very endearing. As well, I'm not sure if other reviewers have noticed or have commented on, the prince is a jealous type as well. I can relate very well with that trait, which he exhibited several times in the story. The female MC is very like-able; and has a distinctive art / look I have not seen in other anime, which is a plus. The supporting cast to the prince is also very commendable and inparticular, I appreciated the teases/flickers of romance between the 2 main attendants to the prince. ***SPOILER*** Sorry, but I need to express the following important sentiment: Positive ending but IMO, it was incomplete/un-satisfying to me with regards to the relationship of the 2 MC's. Again, positive ending, yes, however I wanted a full-er confession or similar I guess that the 2 MC's would clearly be together with each other. Please watch it and perhaps you'll see what I mean.
Theusnew
07/06/2018, 09:40 PM
ENG: the second season is still good and with the same technical qualities of the first season. However, the main storyline becomes more monotonous and without major challenges to be overcome by the main characters of the anime. The supporting characters continue to be charismatic, but there are no major developments that have already been seen in the first season. At least the romance and the drama around the protagonists remains very cool. Unfortunately, the anime ends with a season without great emotions (compared to the first season), besides that, the ending leaves half-open plot to continuations. PORT: a segunda temporada se mantém no geral boae com as mesmas qualidades técnicas da primeira temporada. Entretando, a história principal passa a ser mais monótona e sem grandes desafios a serem vencidos pelos personagens principais do anime. Os personagens coadjuvante continuam sendo carismáticos, mas não há grandes evoluções do que já foram vistas na primeira temporada. Pelo menos o romance e o drama ao redor dos protagonistas continua sendo bem legal. Infelizmente, o anime termina com uma temporada sem grandes emoções ( comparando com a primeira temporada), além disso, seu final deixa a trama meio aberta a continuações.
DesolatePsyche
04/15/2018, 02:00 AM
First things first. My "reviews" system is explained on a blog entry. Which can be found through my profile. ------ Reviewing it weeks after watching.. sort of couldn't get around. So will review as my memory lets me. Also this review makes me wonder If I should ever bother adding voice acting general gist as well into reviews..Hmm, not sure if can be bothered. But if anything utterly noticeable regarding VA I hear/see. I will add in Sound section comments regarding it. ✦Story So, village girls ends up working at royal family. In sense to prove herself and others. And the anime is about her daily activities as well aboutother character stories. Adding the whole superb romance element makes this Anime absolutely sweet, cute and fun. Cannot say much without spoiling, but I can say that much that things got a bit more dramatic and dangerous this time around. It had quite some moments and in general I felt story had fine progression, development and as well intrigue. I do not remember S1, but apparently I enjoyed this one a lot. So story'wise, cannot complaint. ✦Art & Sound It's fitting, simple and pretty. Lot of great scenery. Art is quite good, but nothing too amazing. It's fitting for its style. As for sound. There were a lot of noticeable OST and quite satisfying songs. Can't say much else. ✦Character Well, a lot of characters, lot of interesting stereotypes. Some fun backstories and progression. And Shirayuki is adorable with her man. Point being, I did really enjoy the characters in this series. A lot of them intrigued me and even grew onto them. Some villains also their purpose of being hated. ✦Enjoyment & Overall Long story short. A very sweet romance Anime with satisfying herbal/rpg theme to it.
nekonekonekochat
08/24/2017, 06:46 PM
A really good sequel that expands upon the characters in the first show. As always, I love the dynamics between Shirayuki and the men in her life. They all fall for her a little, and she ultimately changes the people she meets for the better and builds lasting friendships. I enjoyed seeing Raj and Zen grow up in this show. Of course Zen was always nice, but I really feel like in this show he demonstrates the maturity that he needs to be able to keep up with Shirayuki. This show is funny in that almost every villain (with the exception of Madame Sea-Snake) ends upbeing influenced by Zen and Shirayuki and changing their ways. It's really quite heartwarming. Case in point: Raj. In trying to earn Shirayuki's respect, he ends up earning the respect of the others around him and learning to be a better prince and person. (His randoms snaps are still hella annoying, though) Just a nitpicky thing: with all the time Shirayuki spends around trained soldiers, you'd think one of them could teacher her some self-defense!
saoki
07/18/2017, 07:47 AM
I did not like the second season very much. In the second season Shirayuki gets to dress pretty, have tea with her agressor (which, granted, happens to be one of the best characters in this season), get kidnapped, get kidnapped again and cry. There is a whole lot of crying. It's like she isn't even the same character anymore. Once I noticed how little agency* this new version of Shirayuki had, I also noticed that there wasn't a single thing that had happened because of her. It's not only that she could be substituted by a pretty red lamp and the story would be thesame, it's that she wasn't important enough in her own series to even merit being the reason plot happens. Things happened because people were trying to do something else and she happened to be there. Motivations for characters were reused. It's just bad storytelling in general. The break from slice of life into badly written adventure, for instance, felt like something done just to have Zen going all fairy tale prince. There are no consequences for the main characters: nothing is gained or lost from that action. A secondary character does gets to find himself, but he's the only one impacted by half the season. There are, still, a few good things: Raj's and Obi's character archs were great, as was that Mitsuhide episode (though he and Kiki get no character development). * No biggie, it's just she's the MC. You kinds expect the main character to actually DO THINGS instead of having things done to them. And then cry. While mumbling the name of their lover. ¬¬
BanjoTheBear
05/29/2017, 01:13 PM
(This review has been adapted from my blog/reddit thread. Spoilers ahead!) I’ve never liked apples. Sure, their outer casing is both shiny and biodegradable. But it’s a literal chore to completely peel the skin off (if one does not have a utensil or does not like the taste). Plus, they hurt my teeth. The acidity has always ruined any chances of me eating anything more after consuming these “toxic” fruits. Akagami no Shirayuki-hime 2nd Season features an apple of sorts. But, thankfully, it is an apple that is far from toxic. STORY Akagami returns for the continuation to its split-cour. To be expected, Shirayuki, Zen, and many others return aswell for more fairy-tale happenings. Looking at Akagami’s narrative as a whole reveals an interesting direction. Two-thirds of the season are dedicated to a single, long-lasting conflict. The last one-third is comprised of episodic, slice-of-life events one right after another. The decision to split up the season in this fashion holds both positives and negatives. On the positive side, the season gets all of its tension out of the way early to make way for lighthearted fun and frivolity. Plus, by keeping the two halves separate, the major conflict remains focused as opposed to lost amongst the laughs and gaffs. On the negative side, ending the season with arguably pointless material makes the narrative come off as aimless, possibly lost. Also, the shift from heavy drama to almost no drama makes said heavy drama lose weight. Nevertheless, the narrative’s structure holds a different purpose: it matches the tone of the anime itself. Shirayuki is “forced” to go back to Tanbarun and away from Clarines, the place she (now) calls home. So it makes sense that, as she struggles with leaving behind both her work and more importantly Zen, she encounters more troubles abroad. Practicing being a proper lady. Finding herself lost in an underground labyrinth. Getting kidnapped from her kidnappers. In other words, where the first season brought balance, this second season brings imbalance. It is not until Zen, Kiki, and the others arrive, and subsequently the whole gang gets back together again, that she feels safe. That she feels at home. And so the events from then on reflect her comfortability. Obi being reacquainted with an old friend. Mitsuhide acting goofy. Zen treating Shirayuki as the love of his life. Balance. Not all of the events manage to maintain execution, however. The stopwatch that Zen gave to Shirayuki meant next to nothing narratively despite earning some importance. An argument for it breaking and its time stopping has some nice symbolism to it (her “time ended,” both for going home and possibly her life), but the watch does not actually serve a grander purpose. Also, the whole Shirayuki’s-father idea almost comes out of nowhere and has little impact on the events after the revelation (since it comes at the end of the long conflict that goes right into the laidback events). It does continue with the anime’s theme on home and leads to Kazuki kidnapping Shirayuki (by misunderstanding her situation), but it is still a weak inclusion. And it was a bit too convenient that the one dude just happened to have family that did business with the Claw of the Sea which led to them invading their hideout. Yet the worst problem, a problem inherent with the given structure, is the separation of Zen and Shirayuki. Technically speaking, Akagami is meant to be a tale about Shirayuki and Zen. Not Shirayuki and Raj. Not Shirayuki and Obi. Shirayuki and Zen. To be fair, the forced separation does have purpose. Shirayuki does nothing romantically with the other two, solidifying her feelings. The direction helps those two men rather than Shirayuki herself (more later). And their time away from one another allows them to understand that what they miss most is each other. But when Shirayuki is away from Zen and vice versa, it disrupts what the anime is supposed to be about. I.e., Shirayuki and Zen. The long conflict is not without its happy or funny asides. The slice-of-life episodes are not without their own conflicts. And Shirayuki and Zen do share a lot of moments together regardless of the separation. Meaning, overall, the narrative rests on middle ground. ANIMATION As to be expected of the second half to the split-cour, the art and animation levels remain as high in quality as they were with the first half. Coloring in particular is vibrant once again. The landscapes are painted with greens, blues, and purples to get back to that fairytale feel. Lighting also contributes to this feeling – sunsets, nighttime moonlight, and sparkles galore fill many sections of the show. The animation levels are back, too. During fights, characters jump, swing, and dodge against their opponents. Choreography also makes the fights more fun to follow. When fighting is not going on, the characters’ hair, eyes, and clothing likewise see fluid movements that keep the show from being static. And the character designs do not change too – a clear positive. Shirayuki herself gets a few extra outfits, like the one she wears to the ball and the one she wears when Prince Izana summons her to receive her reward from Tanbarun. Zen, Mitsuhide, and Kiki’s designs return as well, and, similar to Shirayuki, Kiki gets an extra one during the fake marriage interview with Zen that perfectly captures her beauty. (Thinking more on the coloring of their hair, these couplings hold weight. Red and white are colors that complement one another well. Much like Shirayuki and Zen do. Similar thoughts can be written about yellow and blue for Kiki and Mitsuhide respectively.) New characters receive nice designs as well. Umihebi, the leader of the Claw of the Sea, looks intimidating with her yellow-green eyes, ponytail, and multiple pieces of clothing. Mukaze, the leader of the Lions of the Mountain, probably gave Shirayuki some of his hair genes (but not his sense of clothing), considering his faded, brownish-red hair. And Torou dons the femme fatale look with her long brown hair, nice figure, large earrings, long skirt, and white boots. Admittedly, there are a few hiccups. The rocking of the characters in the boats during the whirlpool pursuit was not handled with care. And Shirayuki’s smile as she spins in the opening track’s visuals makes her look more goofy than cute. But the rest of the art and animation make up for these small grievances. CHARACTERS Interestingly, the anime does not place too much focus on Shirayuki’s and Zen’s characters. Instead, most of the attention goes to two other people: Raj and Obi. Raj was the prince from the first season who initially tried to steal Shirayuki back after she ran away from his snobby eyes. When he later visited Clarines, he was scared out of his mind given his promise to Zen to never see Shirayuki again. These characteristics, snobbishness and courage, are what the anime targets for this season as well. But rather than inflating them further, the goal is to reduce them. To this end, Raj invites Shirayuki to Tanbarun. Part of it is a test for Shirayuki and Zen on Izana’s behalf – to see if Shirayuki can successfully prove her worth and hence her (in Izana’s eyes) compatibility with Zen. Part of it is to see Shirayuki’s compatibility with Raj. And the biggest part is Raj wanting to mend his relationship with Shirayuki regardless of the feelings involved. Thus they learn more about each other during their time together. Shirayuki learns of Raj’s violin skills as well as willingness to better himself. In turn, Raj learns of Shirayuki’s trust of others and of her thoughtfulness which she uses with everybody. Raj’s younger siblings have kindhearted intentions with their meddling, but Shirayuki and Raj both understand that they do not love the other as lovers but rather as friends. Where their relationship was once in a rocky spot, it is now exactly where they want it to be. The culmination of their time together was originally supposed to be their dance at the ball, but, when Shirayuki gets kidnapped, Raj finds himself needing to test whether or not he has left behind his snobby and fearful days of old. That is, he needs to prove whether or not Shirayuki has left a lasting impression on him. And prove he does. He opts to join the horseback chase after the Lions of the Mountains. He makes a personal appearance before his people, pleading for their aid in his time of need. He leads the charge after the Claw of the Sea, declares his friendship with Shirayuki for all to hear, and courageously carries his men through the raging whirlpools. All choices that demonstrate Raj has changed for the better. Afterwards, he and Shirayuki finally do have that dance (with the music Shirayuki had pointed out at an earlier point), but, to reiterate, this send-off is not the highlight. Instead, it comes with the necklace and official decree of her new title: “Friend of the Crown.” The letter Raj writes for Shirayuki is kind, reflective, and sincere, indicating without a doubt that Raj is finally the kind of prince, the kind of person, that Shirayuki always knew he could be. Next to Raj, Obi is the other prominent character. The first half of the split-cour initially had him as an enemy of Shirayuki and Zen. Very quickly, he finds himself working for his new master Zen, and he also finds that he has some feelings for Shirayuki himself. Near the start of this second half of the split-cour, Obi is still in the same spot. When Shirayuki must go to Tanbarun to prove herself, he duels Zen for the honor of accompanying her. Obi surprisingly wins – giving him the chance to also prove his worth to Shirayuki. Obi has generally looked over Shirayuki from afar, but this opportunity allows him to look over her while afar. He behaves the same, too. He guards her, tracks her whereabouts, and escorts her when necessary. Yet when she needed him most, he fails. The (first set of) kidnappers arrive with impeccable timing, defeating Obi and stealing Shirayuki. He did not prove his worth. Whether it was because of his feelings for her or because of his pride, it does not matter. All that matters is that a switch flicks on within Obi – and anger brims forth. He finds one of the kidnappers, the glower on his face indicating easily enough his current mindset. When Zen finds him, though, he gets scolded by Zen. Not for losing Shirayuki but for making Zen worried about him, too. This small interaction sets the seed for his eventual weening. For that’s a major motif of Obi’s character during this season of Akagami: weening away his deeper feelings for the red-headed girl. Zen’s trust in Obi affects Obi since it is something he is not used to. Shirayuki (after being rescued) asks him to continue helping her, simultaneously easing his mind about his failure and indicating the kind of relationship they share (i.e., a friendly one, not a romantic one). And the episode afterwards, where his friend from the past reappears, allows him to understand that he likes the friends he has in the present and does not want to lose in the future. The culmination of his character comes when he gets Zen away from Mitsuhide’s overprotection. He encounters Shirayuki but leaves her to get Zen, indicating his newfound outlook on himself and the group he cares for. Both Raj and Obi highlight a specific theme among the characters: understanding one’s self and where one wants to be personally. The story targets something similar – the idea of one’s home – but that is more physical. This theme is more mental. Raj confronts his shortcomings. Obi learns about what he truly cares for. Shirayuki and Zen know they want nothing else but each other. Even Mitsuhide and Kiki learn about themselves – Mitsuhide and Kiki care for their prince and, more than implied, one another. Speaking of Shirayuki and Zen, they feel the negative effects once again of not holding the spotlight. Shirayuki does grow in terms of proper ladyship, but she has always been confident and determined, so the change is more minor than major. Plus, the longer conflict has her (once again) getting dragged along against her will. She has to wait for everyone else to rescue her rather than her rescuing herself – a lost opportunity. Zen gets it even worse. Obi takes his spot for the major conflict, and, once back home, his biggest change is not averting his older brother’s gaze. Weak. At the minimum, his actions and words make it more than known that he loves Shirayuki. Even if their relationship is not as official as it could be. The other side characters are a toss-up. Kazuki’s defection does not have much exploration but his role as homewrecker works. Prince Izana only commands and laughs, but he forces the characters to act. And both Mitsuhide and Kiki do not have their own romance blossom, but it was appreciated that they got some attention after almost two whole seasons of nothing. Altogether, the cast is filled with positives and negatives that ultimately balance one another out. SOUND The opening track is leveled in its approach. The start is slow with the singer and instruments working at a methodical pace. The halfway point builds up the emotion, giving way to a second half that is slightly faster and slightly loftier. Not a lot; just a tad. Weirdly, the piece comes off as simultaneously grandiose yet not-quite-so, leaving it in a less-than-ideal spot. No matter how fairytale-esque it may be. The ending track somewhat follows in the footsteps of the OP, but it picks up the pace a bit earlier. It still has the same leveled tone, but the ED is more of a happy piece than it is a fairytale one. The final held note from the vocalist proves her strength, but the entire track leading up to the end lacks emotion and power – details that a single strong note could not hold up. Sandwiched between the OP and the ED is the rest of the original soundtrack. Luckily, it contains the same lovely tracks from the first half of the split-cour. Dainty tunes, magical ensembles, and romantic arrangements come together to make Shirayuki’s second tale feel like a fantastical story once more. As for the voice acting, it sits somewhere around average once again. Saori Hayami as Shirayuki and Jun Fukuyama as Raj deserve the only shout-outs. Ms. Hayami’s soft way of speaking and Mr. Fukuyama’s frazzled yet determined voice help to make the characters stronger than they would be otherwise. ENJOYMENT Like many anime for me, this one was somewhere in the middle. Those first seven or so episodes, while containing spurts of romance or other such happiness, were not the most entertaining. Relegating Shirayuki and Zen to more of a side role, and thereby reducing the amount of overall time they spent together, was not favorable. The action was not all that impressive. Umihebi and Kazuki were not interesting characters regardless of their respective affiliations. Raj and his younger siblings were thankfully around to make these duller parts more entertaining. I also was not a fan of the anime (still) thinking about the Obi route. Not that he did anything overt. Just the long bout of subtleness – the way he looked at her or the words he said – before he made up his mind to back off had me somewhat frustrated. The last four episodes, however, were a major delight. I laughed extremely hard at Shirayuki’s dad yelling immediately after Zen declared his feelings of love for her. I half expected a response of that nature, but the quickness and loudness of his response made me laugh uncontrollably. Mitsuhide’s specific episode was a lot of fun, too. Especially when he accidentally knocked Kiki over. He grabs her waist and hand as he speaks gentle words in her direction. But it was Kiki’s absolutely disgusted response (“Huh?”) and expression that had me laughing hard. Obi’s own stifled laughter was a bonus. Mitsuhide getting visibly angry (in a comedic way) when Obi brought up Kiki getting approached by other men. Zen’s intimate moment with Shirayuki in the garden and up atop the tower. Kiki not denying Obi’s (incorrect) recount of what Mitsuhide said (about her being the most beautiful woman in the world) while he was delirious. All funny and likable moments. I am talking about Kiki and Mitsuhide so much because I wish the anime would have made their more-than-obvious romantic pairing more definitive. But I suppose that will have to wait for another season sometime soon. Akagami no Shirayuki-hime 2nd Season is not an amazing anime, but it does do a lot right. Character development for a couple of the members of the cast. A purposeful narrative structure. Nice comedy, art, and music too. Unfortunately, the forced separation of Shirayuki and Zen has a ripple effect across the entire show. They say an apple a day keeps the doctor away. Or one can just use this anime as a supplement instead. Maybe. SUMMARY Story: Fine, a quirky narrative structure, a theme on home, and other problems (inherent or not) balance everything out in the end Animation: Great, colorful artistic direction, above average actual animation, and nice character designs Characters: Fine, Raj is great, Obi is good, and the rest either serve their role or needed more but never got it Sound: Fine, okay OP, bad ED, great OST, okay VA performances Enjoyment: Fine, a less-than-fun first two-thirds gives way to a more-than-fun last one-third Final Score: 6/10
kokuborou
05/10/2017, 05:51 AM
Akagami no Shirayuki Hime review The story is simple and follows a slow and natural pace in developing a romance story between Shirayuki and Zen. The anime focuses on aspects like bonds, trust and the encounter with different people and how those encounters change us and the world around us.This is all done with the help of the characters which the show manages to use them properly to execute its plot and story. The romance story in this anime is not rushed at all , the development is done at a steady and natural pace . At first we are shown how thebond between two people is founded with the help of the red string called fate. It’s the meeting between our two main characters Zen and Shirayuki who are brought together by the red string (fate). After that the show focuses on enforcing that bond , everything is done naturally giving proper reasons why those two care and fall for each other. Finally to put a strong mark on their bond and romance everything is settled with a kiss which is the strongest proof of their love for each other. The main purpose of the story is to tell the viewer about the importance of the encounter with different people and how it influences them and the world around us. This is done with the help of our heroine Shirayuki , which along her long path to become a royal court herbalist she encounters different people and obstacles. She overcomes those obstacles with her own strength , and her different encounters leave a strong mark on people. She finds pieces of puzzle of her identity through each encounter learning about her weaknesses and strong points. The anime portrays the value of bonds and trust between humans and delivers a strong message to the viewer with the help of Zen and his trusty retainers. The anime takes his time and shows the characterization of Zen’s retainers and the strong bond that it’s formed between them. It’s a unique and mysterious and can’t be described by words , silly and simple and defies logic , it’s something that you can’t buy with money, yes we all know and experienced it daily it’s called TRUST. Another strong point for the anime is how it uses the simple details for the execution of the plot and characterization. Those simple details are used to craft the details and personalities of the characters and to portray their emotional state and mindset across the encounters they have with each other. The characters are the firm foundation for the anime. They are well written and all the themes and plot revolve around their encounters and influence across the story.The way the anime handles the minor characters and their development for the purpose of the progression for the story and plot is marvelous done. Each detail and aspects is not missed and used to enforce the atmosphere and emotional state for the story and characters.Also the characters portray a strong message for the viewer and a motivating one too like pursuing your dream, hardworking, relying on friends, overcoming the struggles that life brings us, trust, the importance of bonds and encounter. The anime has one of the most beautiful ost and stunning peisage that captivates the mind and soul of the viewer. The beautiful music and atmosphere crafted with the most subtle details draws you inside of the story and helps you relax your mind and soul after a hard day. In conclusion the anime portrays the value and importance of encounter, the mysterious and red string called fate, the bond of trust between people, the goal and purpose of a dream and how hard you need to work to achieve it all in a beautifull and yet simple romance story with stunning, captivating ost and peisage. Overall 8/10
PlaceFantasy
08/13/2016, 07:21 PM
"Red is the colour of Fate" It is very rare that when I start watching a show that by the time I finish both seasons I find myself thinking, "that ended perfectly and I honestly hope for no more seasons". Akagami no Shirayuki-hime was one of those shows that sticks with you like a hot glue gun sticking to your skin. Except a lot less painful, as you would actually enjoy watching this show. I hope you understood my metaphor. TL;DR - this show sticks with you The story continues from the last season (obviously) and is executed well--if not better than the first season--making itenjoyable to watch. The art is phenomenal (as is the sound) resulting in a very calming show to sit down and watch on a lazy weekend. The characters stay much the same, as is mentioned multiple times by the characters as to show that not much has changed. The only exception to this would be Raji, who gets his own character arc for a while in this season, making him one of the main characters. The show easily gets a recommendation from me and is one of my favourite romance animes, making it a real shame that I originally dropped Akagami no Shirayuki-hime after episode 3 when it was first airing due to how slow it originally felt. I'm glad I picked up this title again because I would've severely missed out if I'd not continued watching it.
Momori66
08/11/2016, 10:01 AM
*I watch both seaons* As a girl I really enjoy this Shoujo romance anime. It's sweet,innocent, motivating ,love story between a prince(Zen) and a commoner girl(Shirayuki). Zen also has loyal friends who aid him in tough times and have fun. Story wise is nothing too extraordinary, but is relaxing, the slice of life part is good and funny. I love how the other male characters have good feelings towards Shirayuki, but as a friend or maybe not? but I was hoping there will be some quarrel because things is just too good to be true, is a fairytale like story after all.
Dracosine
04/03/2016, 05:21 AM
Akagami no Shirayukihime or Snow White with the Red Hair in English is a beautiful Romance/Slice of life anime based in a Fantasy setting. The second season in my opinion didn't have as much of an impact on me as the first season however has it's beautiful and tear jerking moments, some surpassing season 1. The art style is perfect for the anime and the animation quality is top notch. However the story lacks a bit in my opinion as not a whole lot happens in terms of events, but you do learn a lot more about the supporting casts and Shirakyuki herself. The anime focuses on Shirayukiand Prince Zen and their struggles due to the difference in their social statuses. There is a wide range of supporting cast whom are all likeable from the female knight Kiki who is the cool headed badass to the loyal Mitsuhide whom worries over Zen 24/7. Much to my surprise one of the supporting cast from season 1 becomes an integral part of season 2 and even potentially part of the main cast, he is favourite male in the anime and totally deserves it. If you enjoyed season 1 or are looking for a romance anime then this is definitely one to watch! This review is simply my own personal opinion so do not take it at complete face value.
HidamariSeashore
03/28/2016, 01:19 PM
A new chapter in a story.... that's what a sequel is. That new chapter may improve the story, or it may make it worse. However, there's also the possibility that you may enjoy the sequel as much as the story that came before it; for me, that was the case with Snow White with the Red Hair. I had actually watched the first season (and reviewed it), and I really adored it; since I reviewed the first season, I decided that I would review the second season when it was done airing. That's proving to be a difficult task; I mean, what is there tobe said about this season that I already said about the first season? In case you are not familiar with this series, Snow White with the Red Hair follows a girl named Shirayuki, who is an herbalist known for her unusual, apple-colored hair. When the prince of her country of Tanbarun, Raj, tries to make her his concubine, she cuts her red hair and escapes to the neighboring country of Clarines. On the way there, she meets Prince Zen and his two aides, Mitsuhide and Kiki, who help her when she's in a real pinch involving Prince Raj. Upon arrival to the castle in Clarines, Shirayuki aims to become a court herbalist, working diligently toward her goal. Oh, and should I mention the blossoming romance between Shirayuki and Zen? The art in this anime is as beautiful as ever; Bones really does a great job in this department. The ending theme, "Page ~Kimi to Tsuzuru Monogatari" by eyelis, is also quite a beautiful song, and I honestly liked it more than the ending theme for the first season. As for the opening theme, "Sono Koe ga Chizu ni Naru" by Saori Hayami..... well, it can never be better than the opening theme for the first season, but it's still a very nice song! Unlike the first season, which I watched the English dub of, I watched the Japanese version of the second season. I must say, these seiyuus really nailed their roles, especially Saori Hayami as Shirayuki! (Maybe I'm just being a Saori Hayami fangirl when I say that, but still!) The story is still kind of easygoing, but there is one arc in particular that may really leave you on the edge of your seats. As for the characters, along with the great character development for the characters already in this anime, there are even more likable characters introduced in this season, especially Raj's younger siblings; they just put a smile on my face! Speaking of Raj, I never thought I'd come to like him, but believe it or not, I did; his character developed into one that was less....selfish, to say the least. The romance between Shirayuki and Zen was as sweet as ever, too, and it never failed to bring a smile to my face in this season. Overall, season two of Snow White with the Red Hair is as great as season one. If you watched season one of Snow White with the Red Hair and liked it, I recommend for you to watch season two. Now that I've finished the anime, I've either got to read the manga or wait for a third season of this anime about a romance between a girl with hair the color of apples and a prince of the country she arrived in!

Akagami no Shirayuki-hime 2nd Season 赤髪の白雪姫

2016 winter | Episodes: 12 | Score: 8.0 (209063)

Updated every Tuesdays at 00:00 | Status: Finished Airing

Type: TV

Streaming: Crunchyroll

Synopsis

Voice Actors

Okamoto, Nobuhiko

Umehara, Yuuichirou

Nazuka, Kaori

Hayami, Saori

Oosaka, Ryouta

News

Reviews

EmiPyon
04/29/2024, 02:54 AM
I re-rated this, I was wondering what's the point of having Shirayuki in this series? Because of her red hair? Because she can influenced others of the way she speaks? People don't changed by just talking to them especially if that certain person is full of themselves honestly. The mangaka is literally either hypocrite or someone who is shut in. I finds this series lame. Maybe I should read the manga but nah I don't want to waste my precious time reading a moderate storyline there are 25000 anime and coming more. This anime is lame, it's lame and boring for the season 1 andno different for season 2.
_Moxley_
01/08/2024, 06:50 AM
I Really enjoyed this show. There are so many lovable charachters and also one of my favourite charachters of all time Obi. Of course there are many better romance anime than this, but I feel like snowhite with red hair was a really calming and nice show to watch. Although the ending is not the best I really liked both seasons and I feel like it was most deferently worth watching, and I deferently recommend this show. The art style is also great, there is a lot more they could've done but this show will still have a place in my heart. I feel likejust the charachter Obi made this show 100 times better to watch. The charachters weren't too overpowered and the fighting scenes were great. So this is a deferently good show to watch if you like good romance and drama.
frostiepie
12/29/2022, 07:42 PM
I love this show (both seasons) because of it's emphasis on independence and forging your own path. When I started watching I was expecting a very cookie cutter romance anime, however this turned out to be a story that focused on Shirayuki's life and development. I think it illustrates a healthy dynamic between Shirayuki and Zen, which is what I love. Rather than being co-dependent like in some romance anime, their relationship takes a backseat to their character and career development. They compliment each other while still prioritizing their own goals. There's also a noticeable lack of the nonsensical drama you often see inromance anime, usually caused by unnecessary poor communication. The show does fall into some pretty familiar character tropes (i.e. pretty nice girl woos every guy she meets and changes their lives forever), but the side characters are also loveable and interesting so it makes up for it in my opinion. This anime is nothing groundbreaking, but it is very simple and comforting.
cassandrale179
05/16/2021, 10:42 AM
I'm a little bit surprised by all the raves for the second season of Snow White with the Red Hair, but to me it was such a chore to watch through. A lot of the positives in the first season - Shirayuki being kidnapped and escaped her own home, fought back against her captors, try to enter the castle on her own talent..etc. kinda lost in this season. Instead, Season 2 devolved into exploring the side characters more (not bad in itself) but the role of damsel-in-distress from Shirayuki get worse here. Where is my capable heroine? All Shiruyaki did this season was drinkingtea, lecturing Raj, got herself captured by some evil pirate lady, and conveniently rescued by Zen. The only positive episode that I truly enjoyed was Mitsuhide's loss memory arc, which was hilarious, and his backstory with Kiki. Even Obi shine here in this season. As for Shirayuki, I don't know, if we replace her with a lamp, I feel like the story wouldn't change much. She continued to feel happiness in her relationship with Zen, reunite with her father, and be in good companies of her friends. It's hard to care about her when I'm not exactly sure what's the conflict in the story for her character is anymore, and the lack of portraying a shojo heroine with more negative emotions - anger, hatred, pain, kind of make it less relatable to follow through. I guess maybe I'm a little bit too old and jaded for some feel-good shojo romance. What a shame, beacuse the 1st season of Snow White with the Red Hair was pretty decent.
CrochetAndAnime
03/09/2021, 02:52 AM
Adorable. Cute and wholesome and simply adorable. If you're looking for something with an intricate plot and a lot of drama, you're not gonna find it here. But let's face it. If you're watching this, you're not watching it for the plot. You're watching it for the relationships. It's a plain and simple love story, no more, no less. Even side side characters get relationships and they're super cute, too. (Actually, some of them are almost better than the mains.) If heartwarming fairy tale romance without a lot of drama is what you're looking for... you can't get much more on point than this.
AvaFernandes
11/06/2020, 03:41 PM
:･ﾟ✧>>This is one of the cutest romance animes I know, its not too old but it came out it in mid 2015 as a fantasy romance anime and when it came out, it didn’t have much hype around it but still to this day it's an amazing anime. I remember from the first episode itself, loving the main character Shirayuki cause not only is she so adorable, Shirayuki is everything we look for in a girl protagonist, she’s strong, brave and independent. :･ﾟ✧>>Shirayuki wants to become an herbalist which I thought was so unique and cool about her as a character, Shirayuki’s love interest ZenWisteria is utterly amazing, I couldn’t get enough of his slick smooth personality and his feelings towards Shirayuki is so cute, he loves her so much; I absolutely couldn’t with them, I literally get butterflies watching them, it’s an amazing love story with so much pure wholesome love. :･ﾟ✧>>But no only them, but other characters like Kiki or Mitsuhide, who take care of Prince Zen are completely great additions to the story. There are so many scenes that I would replay in my mind over and over again, scenes that would make my heart pound, and moments that would make me want to jump and scream because of how happy I am, I would tell anyone to watch this anime.
anime2160
06/21/2020, 11:07 AM
If I could describe this anime in one word it would be: pure. It's such a cute and innocent anime, and one thing I always complain about is when there are a lack of romantic moments in the series, but this one had just the right amount! I REALLY love Zen, his personality, his charisma, his looks. Literally everything about his character is so nice. He's confident in any situation, unlike the prince of Tanbarun, and he just oozes charisma and charm. His character was very nicely done. I also like how each main character got their own story and we saw a bit of historyfor them. A lot of times, the other main/side characters (Mitsuhide and Kiki and Obi) would just be there for the purpose of "bettering" the MAIN characters (Zen and Shirayuki), but they had their own stories and I loved that. I really enjoyed watching it, it was so cute and pure that I couldn't help NOT enjoying. I definitely preferred this season to the first, but the first was also well done.
Puhapoci
05/21/2020, 03:03 PM
Akagami no Shirayuki-hime Story: This is a great anime, but not because of the story. Very simple and nothing really extraordinary about it. However, it never bored me even once. It builds around the characters so it feels like the story is just fine as it is. I enjoyed much more this 2nd season than the 1st. More action involved and we learn much more about our heroes. 7/10 Art: It's very very beautiful. The characters, the clothes that they wear and really everything look impressive. I especially loved Obi's look. 10/10 Sound: Sound and music is always a hard nut to crack. I was happy withall the voice actors. I'm always amazed by how well they do there job. I can't say anything bad about music, but it wasn't exceptional so I will give a strong 7/10. Characters: Prince Zen and Shirayuki is a cute couple and they are really the best people for each other. However, Obi some reason was way more interesting than any other character in the whole season. I started looking forward to any scene that he is in and luckily there are plenty of them. He nearly has the same amount of parts as Zen and Shirayuki. As you may suspect now, he was my most favorite character all along. He is very straight forward and the most relaxed person in the show, but he leaves a bittersweet taste to my mouth. He is surrounded by this heavy, nearly painful atmosphere. He is often has a cheeky smile on his face and he really likes teasing people around him. I could say lots of other things from him, but all in all, he is a great guy. I loved his character and his look. I liked everyone, but next to Obi I have to mention Ranji too. He is the only person who massively changes through the season. I don't think the characters are amazing or very deep, but they are all so lovable. They made me forget about logic or story or anything that I would look for in other animes. The whole thing just clicks so well. I give 8/10 because of Obi and Ranji. Enjoyment: I really liked it! I liked it so much that I decided to read the manga. It's calm and relaxing. It was a very nice experience to watch it. 9/10 Overall: I don't normally watch fantasy genre animes, but this was great and it was really a heartwarming experience. 9/10
hanamori7
03/22/2020, 05:12 PM
Kyaaaannnn!!! This was such a good continuation!!! From the dangers, to the resolution, to the character development and even the way it wrapped up! Loved loved loved it!! Too bad it was just 12 episodes!! I would have wanted more!! But I appreciate them for not wrapping it up in any way that would deviate from the main story. After all the manga is still publishing! I absolutely hate it when animators destroy the main story just to wrap up an anime! So I appreciate the ending and I will of course go on to read the manga!! Love this story way too much tostop here!! Absolutely recommend this to anyone looking for a lovely story about love, royal obligations, rising to meet and overcome challenges, and working hard to make the dreams of the ones you care for come true! It was lovely!!
ichigago
01/01/2020, 10:11 PM
A prince and a commoner romance story - a classic genre with a fairy tale inspired title to boot. Both MC's also enrich and help the other grow, which is very endearing. As well, I'm not sure if other reviewers have noticed or have commented on, the prince is a jealous type as well. I can relate very well with that trait, which he exhibited several times in the story. The female MC is very like-able; and has a distinctive art / look I have not seen in other anime, which is a plus. The supporting cast to the prince is also very commendable and inparticular, I appreciated the teases/flickers of romance between the 2 main attendants to the prince. ***SPOILER*** Sorry, but I need to express the following important sentiment: Positive ending but IMO, it was incomplete/un-satisfying to me with regards to the relationship of the 2 MC's. Again, positive ending, yes, however I wanted a full-er confession or similar I guess that the 2 MC's would clearly be together with each other. Please watch it and perhaps you'll see what I mean.
Theusnew
07/06/2018, 09:40 PM
ENG: the second season is still good and with the same technical qualities of the first season. However, the main storyline becomes more monotonous and without major challenges to be overcome by the main characters of the anime. The supporting characters continue to be charismatic, but there are no major developments that have already been seen in the first season. At least the romance and the drama around the protagonists remains very cool. Unfortunately, the anime ends with a season without great emotions (compared to the first season), besides that, the ending leaves half-open plot to continuations. PORT: a segunda temporada se mantém no geral boae com as mesmas qualidades técnicas da primeira temporada. Entretando, a história principal passa a ser mais monótona e sem grandes desafios a serem vencidos pelos personagens principais do anime. Os personagens coadjuvante continuam sendo carismáticos, mas não há grandes evoluções do que já foram vistas na primeira temporada. Pelo menos o romance e o drama ao redor dos protagonistas continua sendo bem legal. Infelizmente, o anime termina com uma temporada sem grandes emoções ( comparando com a primeira temporada), além disso, seu final deixa a trama meio aberta a continuações.
DesolatePsyche
04/15/2018, 02:00 AM
First things first. My "reviews" system is explained on a blog entry. Which can be found through my profile. ------ Reviewing it weeks after watching.. sort of couldn't get around. So will review as my memory lets me. Also this review makes me wonder If I should ever bother adding voice acting general gist as well into reviews..Hmm, not sure if can be bothered. But if anything utterly noticeable regarding VA I hear/see. I will add in Sound section comments regarding it. ✦Story So, village girls ends up working at royal family. In sense to prove herself and others. And the anime is about her daily activities as well aboutother character stories. Adding the whole superb romance element makes this Anime absolutely sweet, cute and fun. Cannot say much without spoiling, but I can say that much that things got a bit more dramatic and dangerous this time around. It had quite some moments and in general I felt story had fine progression, development and as well intrigue. I do not remember S1, but apparently I enjoyed this one a lot. So story'wise, cannot complaint. ✦Art & Sound It's fitting, simple and pretty. Lot of great scenery. Art is quite good, but nothing too amazing. It's fitting for its style. As for sound. There were a lot of noticeable OST and quite satisfying songs. Can't say much else. ✦Character Well, a lot of characters, lot of interesting stereotypes. Some fun backstories and progression. And Shirayuki is adorable with her man. Point being, I did really enjoy the characters in this series. A lot of them intrigued me and even grew onto them. Some villains also their purpose of being hated. ✦Enjoyment & Overall Long story short. A very sweet romance Anime with satisfying herbal/rpg theme to it.
nekonekonekochat
08/24/2017, 06:46 PM
A really good sequel that expands upon the characters in the first show. As always, I love the dynamics between Shirayuki and the men in her life. They all fall for her a little, and she ultimately changes the people she meets for the better and builds lasting friendships. I enjoyed seeing Raj and Zen grow up in this show. Of course Zen was always nice, but I really feel like in this show he demonstrates the maturity that he needs to be able to keep up with Shirayuki. This show is funny in that almost every villain (with the exception of Madame Sea-Snake) ends upbeing influenced by Zen and Shirayuki and changing their ways. It's really quite heartwarming. Case in point: Raj. In trying to earn Shirayuki's respect, he ends up earning the respect of the others around him and learning to be a better prince and person. (His randoms snaps are still hella annoying, though) Just a nitpicky thing: with all the time Shirayuki spends around trained soldiers, you'd think one of them could teacher her some self-defense!
saoki
07/18/2017, 07:47 AM
I did not like the second season very much. In the second season Shirayuki gets to dress pretty, have tea with her agressor (which, granted, happens to be one of the best characters in this season), get kidnapped, get kidnapped again and cry. There is a whole lot of crying. It's like she isn't even the same character anymore. Once I noticed how little agency* this new version of Shirayuki had, I also noticed that there wasn't a single thing that had happened because of her. It's not only that she could be substituted by a pretty red lamp and the story would be thesame, it's that she wasn't important enough in her own series to even merit being the reason plot happens. Things happened because people were trying to do something else and she happened to be there. Motivations for characters were reused. It's just bad storytelling in general. The break from slice of life into badly written adventure, for instance, felt like something done just to have Zen going all fairy tale prince. There are no consequences for the main characters: nothing is gained or lost from that action. A secondary character does gets to find himself, but he's the only one impacted by half the season. There are, still, a few good things: Raj's and Obi's character archs were great, as was that Mitsuhide episode (though he and Kiki get no character development). * No biggie, it's just she's the MC. You kinds expect the main character to actually DO THINGS instead of having things done to them. And then cry. While mumbling the name of their lover. ¬¬
BanjoTheBear
05/29/2017, 01:13 PM
(This review has been adapted from my blog/reddit thread. Spoilers ahead!) I’ve never liked apples. Sure, their outer casing is both shiny and biodegradable. But it’s a literal chore to completely peel the skin off (if one does not have a utensil or does not like the taste). Plus, they hurt my teeth. The acidity has always ruined any chances of me eating anything more after consuming these “toxic” fruits. Akagami no Shirayuki-hime 2nd Season features an apple of sorts. But, thankfully, it is an apple that is far from toxic. STORY Akagami returns for the continuation to its split-cour. To be expected, Shirayuki, Zen, and many others return aswell for more fairy-tale happenings. Looking at Akagami’s narrative as a whole reveals an interesting direction. Two-thirds of the season are dedicated to a single, long-lasting conflict. The last one-third is comprised of episodic, slice-of-life events one right after another. The decision to split up the season in this fashion holds both positives and negatives. On the positive side, the season gets all of its tension out of the way early to make way for lighthearted fun and frivolity. Plus, by keeping the two halves separate, the major conflict remains focused as opposed to lost amongst the laughs and gaffs. On the negative side, ending the season with arguably pointless material makes the narrative come off as aimless, possibly lost. Also, the shift from heavy drama to almost no drama makes said heavy drama lose weight. Nevertheless, the narrative’s structure holds a different purpose: it matches the tone of the anime itself. Shirayuki is “forced” to go back to Tanbarun and away from Clarines, the place she (now) calls home. So it makes sense that, as she struggles with leaving behind both her work and more importantly Zen, she encounters more troubles abroad. Practicing being a proper lady. Finding herself lost in an underground labyrinth. Getting kidnapped from her kidnappers. In other words, where the first season brought balance, this second season brings imbalance. It is not until Zen, Kiki, and the others arrive, and subsequently the whole gang gets back together again, that she feels safe. That she feels at home. And so the events from then on reflect her comfortability. Obi being reacquainted with an old friend. Mitsuhide acting goofy. Zen treating Shirayuki as the love of his life. Balance. Not all of the events manage to maintain execution, however. The stopwatch that Zen gave to Shirayuki meant next to nothing narratively despite earning some importance. An argument for it breaking and its time stopping has some nice symbolism to it (her “time ended,” both for going home and possibly her life), but the watch does not actually serve a grander purpose. Also, the whole Shirayuki’s-father idea almost comes out of nowhere and has little impact on the events after the revelation (since it comes at the end of the long conflict that goes right into the laidback events). It does continue with the anime’s theme on home and leads to Kazuki kidnapping Shirayuki (by misunderstanding her situation), but it is still a weak inclusion. And it was a bit too convenient that the one dude just happened to have family that did business with the Claw of the Sea which led to them invading their hideout. Yet the worst problem, a problem inherent with the given structure, is the separation of Zen and Shirayuki. Technically speaking, Akagami is meant to be a tale about Shirayuki and Zen. Not Shirayuki and Raj. Not Shirayuki and Obi. Shirayuki and Zen. To be fair, the forced separation does have purpose. Shirayuki does nothing romantically with the other two, solidifying her feelings. The direction helps those two men rather than Shirayuki herself (more later). And their time away from one another allows them to understand that what they miss most is each other. But when Shirayuki is away from Zen and vice versa, it disrupts what the anime is supposed to be about. I.e., Shirayuki and Zen. The long conflict is not without its happy or funny asides. The slice-of-life episodes are not without their own conflicts. And Shirayuki and Zen do share a lot of moments together regardless of the separation. Meaning, overall, the narrative rests on middle ground. ANIMATION As to be expected of the second half to the split-cour, the art and animation levels remain as high in quality as they were with the first half. Coloring in particular is vibrant once again. The landscapes are painted with greens, blues, and purples to get back to that fairytale feel. Lighting also contributes to this feeling – sunsets, nighttime moonlight, and sparkles galore fill many sections of the show. The animation levels are back, too. During fights, characters jump, swing, and dodge against their opponents. Choreography also makes the fights more fun to follow. When fighting is not going on, the characters’ hair, eyes, and clothing likewise see fluid movements that keep the show from being static. And the character designs do not change too – a clear positive. Shirayuki herself gets a few extra outfits, like the one she wears to the ball and the one she wears when Prince Izana summons her to receive her reward from Tanbarun. Zen, Mitsuhide, and Kiki’s designs return as well, and, similar to Shirayuki, Kiki gets an extra one during the fake marriage interview with Zen that perfectly captures her beauty. (Thinking more on the coloring of their hair, these couplings hold weight. Red and white are colors that complement one another well. Much like Shirayuki and Zen do. Similar thoughts can be written about yellow and blue for Kiki and Mitsuhide respectively.) New characters receive nice designs as well. Umihebi, the leader of the Claw of the Sea, looks intimidating with her yellow-green eyes, ponytail, and multiple pieces of clothing. Mukaze, the leader of the Lions of the Mountain, probably gave Shirayuki some of his hair genes (but not his sense of clothing), considering his faded, brownish-red hair. And Torou dons the femme fatale look with her long brown hair, nice figure, large earrings, long skirt, and white boots. Admittedly, there are a few hiccups. The rocking of the characters in the boats during the whirlpool pursuit was not handled with care. And Shirayuki’s smile as she spins in the opening track’s visuals makes her look more goofy than cute. But the rest of the art and animation make up for these small grievances. CHARACTERS Interestingly, the anime does not place too much focus on Shirayuki’s and Zen’s characters. Instead, most of the attention goes to two other people: Raj and Obi. Raj was the prince from the first season who initially tried to steal Shirayuki back after she ran away from his snobby eyes. When he later visited Clarines, he was scared out of his mind given his promise to Zen to never see Shirayuki again. These characteristics, snobbishness and courage, are what the anime targets for this season as well. But rather than inflating them further, the goal is to reduce them. To this end, Raj invites Shirayuki to Tanbarun. Part of it is a test for Shirayuki and Zen on Izana’s behalf – to see if Shirayuki can successfully prove her worth and hence her (in Izana’s eyes) compatibility with Zen. Part of it is to see Shirayuki’s compatibility with Raj. And the biggest part is Raj wanting to mend his relationship with Shirayuki regardless of the feelings involved. Thus they learn more about each other during their time together. Shirayuki learns of Raj’s violin skills as well as willingness to better himself. In turn, Raj learns of Shirayuki’s trust of others and of her thoughtfulness which she uses with everybody. Raj’s younger siblings have kindhearted intentions with their meddling, but Shirayuki and Raj both understand that they do not love the other as lovers but rather as friends. Where their relationship was once in a rocky spot, it is now exactly where they want it to be. The culmination of their time together was originally supposed to be their dance at the ball, but, when Shirayuki gets kidnapped, Raj finds himself needing to test whether or not he has left behind his snobby and fearful days of old. That is, he needs to prove whether or not Shirayuki has left a lasting impression on him. And prove he does. He opts to join the horseback chase after the Lions of the Mountains. He makes a personal appearance before his people, pleading for their aid in his time of need. He leads the charge after the Claw of the Sea, declares his friendship with Shirayuki for all to hear, and courageously carries his men through the raging whirlpools. All choices that demonstrate Raj has changed for the better. Afterwards, he and Shirayuki finally do have that dance (with the music Shirayuki had pointed out at an earlier point), but, to reiterate, this send-off is not the highlight. Instead, it comes with the necklace and official decree of her new title: “Friend of the Crown.” The letter Raj writes for Shirayuki is kind, reflective, and sincere, indicating without a doubt that Raj is finally the kind of prince, the kind of person, that Shirayuki always knew he could be. Next to Raj, Obi is the other prominent character. The first half of the split-cour initially had him as an enemy of Shirayuki and Zen. Very quickly, he finds himself working for his new master Zen, and he also finds that he has some feelings for Shirayuki himself. Near the start of this second half of the split-cour, Obi is still in the same spot. When Shirayuki must go to Tanbarun to prove herself, he duels Zen for the honor of accompanying her. Obi surprisingly wins – giving him the chance to also prove his worth to Shirayuki. Obi has generally looked over Shirayuki from afar, but this opportunity allows him to look over her while afar. He behaves the same, too. He guards her, tracks her whereabouts, and escorts her when necessary. Yet when she needed him most, he fails. The (first set of) kidnappers arrive with impeccable timing, defeating Obi and stealing Shirayuki. He did not prove his worth. Whether it was because of his feelings for her or because of his pride, it does not matter. All that matters is that a switch flicks on within Obi – and anger brims forth. He finds one of the kidnappers, the glower on his face indicating easily enough his current mindset. When Zen finds him, though, he gets scolded by Zen. Not for losing Shirayuki but for making Zen worried about him, too. This small interaction sets the seed for his eventual weening. For that’s a major motif of Obi’s character during this season of Akagami: weening away his deeper feelings for the red-headed girl. Zen’s trust in Obi affects Obi since it is something he is not used to. Shirayuki (after being rescued) asks him to continue helping her, simultaneously easing his mind about his failure and indicating the kind of relationship they share (i.e., a friendly one, not a romantic one). And the episode afterwards, where his friend from the past reappears, allows him to understand that he likes the friends he has in the present and does not want to lose in the future. The culmination of his character comes when he gets Zen away from Mitsuhide’s overprotection. He encounters Shirayuki but leaves her to get Zen, indicating his newfound outlook on himself and the group he cares for. Both Raj and Obi highlight a specific theme among the characters: understanding one’s self and where one wants to be personally. The story targets something similar – the idea of one’s home – but that is more physical. This theme is more mental. Raj confronts his shortcomings. Obi learns about what he truly cares for. Shirayuki and Zen know they want nothing else but each other. Even Mitsuhide and Kiki learn about themselves – Mitsuhide and Kiki care for their prince and, more than implied, one another. Speaking of Shirayuki and Zen, they feel the negative effects once again of not holding the spotlight. Shirayuki does grow in terms of proper ladyship, but she has always been confident and determined, so the change is more minor than major. Plus, the longer conflict has her (once again) getting dragged along against her will. She has to wait for everyone else to rescue her rather than her rescuing herself – a lost opportunity. Zen gets it even worse. Obi takes his spot for the major conflict, and, once back home, his biggest change is not averting his older brother’s gaze. Weak. At the minimum, his actions and words make it more than known that he loves Shirayuki. Even if their relationship is not as official as it could be. The other side characters are a toss-up. Kazuki’s defection does not have much exploration but his role as homewrecker works. Prince Izana only commands and laughs, but he forces the characters to act. And both Mitsuhide and Kiki do not have their own romance blossom, but it was appreciated that they got some attention after almost two whole seasons of nothing. Altogether, the cast is filled with positives and negatives that ultimately balance one another out. SOUND The opening track is leveled in its approach. The start is slow with the singer and instruments working at a methodical pace. The halfway point builds up the emotion, giving way to a second half that is slightly faster and slightly loftier. Not a lot; just a tad. Weirdly, the piece comes off as simultaneously grandiose yet not-quite-so, leaving it in a less-than-ideal spot. No matter how fairytale-esque it may be. The ending track somewhat follows in the footsteps of the OP, but it picks up the pace a bit earlier. It still has the same leveled tone, but the ED is more of a happy piece than it is a fairytale one. The final held note from the vocalist proves her strength, but the entire track leading up to the end lacks emotion and power – details that a single strong note could not hold up. Sandwiched between the OP and the ED is the rest of the original soundtrack. Luckily, it contains the same lovely tracks from the first half of the split-cour. Dainty tunes, magical ensembles, and romantic arrangements come together to make Shirayuki’s second tale feel like a fantastical story once more. As for the voice acting, it sits somewhere around average once again. Saori Hayami as Shirayuki and Jun Fukuyama as Raj deserve the only shout-outs. Ms. Hayami’s soft way of speaking and Mr. Fukuyama’s frazzled yet determined voice help to make the characters stronger than they would be otherwise. ENJOYMENT Like many anime for me, this one was somewhere in the middle. Those first seven or so episodes, while containing spurts of romance or other such happiness, were not the most entertaining. Relegating Shirayuki and Zen to more of a side role, and thereby reducing the amount of overall time they spent together, was not favorable. The action was not all that impressive. Umihebi and Kazuki were not interesting characters regardless of their respective affiliations. Raj and his younger siblings were thankfully around to make these duller parts more entertaining. I also was not a fan of the anime (still) thinking about the Obi route. Not that he did anything overt. Just the long bout of subtleness – the way he looked at her or the words he said – before he made up his mind to back off had me somewhat frustrated. The last four episodes, however, were a major delight. I laughed extremely hard at Shirayuki’s dad yelling immediately after Zen declared his feelings of love for her. I half expected a response of that nature, but the quickness and loudness of his response made me laugh uncontrollably. Mitsuhide’s specific episode was a lot of fun, too. Especially when he accidentally knocked Kiki over. He grabs her waist and hand as he speaks gentle words in her direction. But it was Kiki’s absolutely disgusted response (“Huh?”) and expression that had me laughing hard. Obi’s own stifled laughter was a bonus. Mitsuhide getting visibly angry (in a comedic way) when Obi brought up Kiki getting approached by other men. Zen’s intimate moment with Shirayuki in the garden and up atop the tower. Kiki not denying Obi’s (incorrect) recount of what Mitsuhide said (about her being the most beautiful woman in the world) while he was delirious. All funny and likable moments. I am talking about Kiki and Mitsuhide so much because I wish the anime would have made their more-than-obvious romantic pairing more definitive. But I suppose that will have to wait for another season sometime soon. Akagami no Shirayuki-hime 2nd Season is not an amazing anime, but it does do a lot right. Character development for a couple of the members of the cast. A purposeful narrative structure. Nice comedy, art, and music too. Unfortunately, the forced separation of Shirayuki and Zen has a ripple effect across the entire show. They say an apple a day keeps the doctor away. Or one can just use this anime as a supplement instead. Maybe. SUMMARY Story: Fine, a quirky narrative structure, a theme on home, and other problems (inherent or not) balance everything out in the end Animation: Great, colorful artistic direction, above average actual animation, and nice character designs Characters: Fine, Raj is great, Obi is good, and the rest either serve their role or needed more but never got it Sound: Fine, okay OP, bad ED, great OST, okay VA performances Enjoyment: Fine, a less-than-fun first two-thirds gives way to a more-than-fun last one-third Final Score: 6/10
kokuborou
05/10/2017, 05:51 AM
Akagami no Shirayuki Hime review The story is simple and follows a slow and natural pace in developing a romance story between Shirayuki and Zen. The anime focuses on aspects like bonds, trust and the encounter with different people and how those encounters change us and the world around us.This is all done with the help of the characters which the show manages to use them properly to execute its plot and story. The romance story in this anime is not rushed at all , the development is done at a steady and natural pace . At first we are shown how thebond between two people is founded with the help of the red string called fate. It’s the meeting between our two main characters Zen and Shirayuki who are brought together by the red string (fate). After that the show focuses on enforcing that bond , everything is done naturally giving proper reasons why those two care and fall for each other. Finally to put a strong mark on their bond and romance everything is settled with a kiss which is the strongest proof of their love for each other. The main purpose of the story is to tell the viewer about the importance of the encounter with different people and how it influences them and the world around us. This is done with the help of our heroine Shirayuki , which along her long path to become a royal court herbalist she encounters different people and obstacles. She overcomes those obstacles with her own strength , and her different encounters leave a strong mark on people. She finds pieces of puzzle of her identity through each encounter learning about her weaknesses and strong points. The anime portrays the value of bonds and trust between humans and delivers a strong message to the viewer with the help of Zen and his trusty retainers. The anime takes his time and shows the characterization of Zen’s retainers and the strong bond that it’s formed between them. It’s a unique and mysterious and can’t be described by words , silly and simple and defies logic , it’s something that you can’t buy with money, yes we all know and experienced it daily it’s called TRUST. Another strong point for the anime is how it uses the simple details for the execution of the plot and characterization. Those simple details are used to craft the details and personalities of the characters and to portray their emotional state and mindset across the encounters they have with each other. The characters are the firm foundation for the anime. They are well written and all the themes and plot revolve around their encounters and influence across the story.The way the anime handles the minor characters and their development for the purpose of the progression for the story and plot is marvelous done. Each detail and aspects is not missed and used to enforce the atmosphere and emotional state for the story and characters.Also the characters portray a strong message for the viewer and a motivating one too like pursuing your dream, hardworking, relying on friends, overcoming the struggles that life brings us, trust, the importance of bonds and encounter. The anime has one of the most beautiful ost and stunning peisage that captivates the mind and soul of the viewer. The beautiful music and atmosphere crafted with the most subtle details draws you inside of the story and helps you relax your mind and soul after a hard day. In conclusion the anime portrays the value and importance of encounter, the mysterious and red string called fate, the bond of trust between people, the goal and purpose of a dream and how hard you need to work to achieve it all in a beautifull and yet simple romance story with stunning, captivating ost and peisage. Overall 8/10
PlaceFantasy
08/13/2016, 07:21 PM
"Red is the colour of Fate" It is very rare that when I start watching a show that by the time I finish both seasons I find myself thinking, "that ended perfectly and I honestly hope for no more seasons". Akagami no Shirayuki-hime was one of those shows that sticks with you like a hot glue gun sticking to your skin. Except a lot less painful, as you would actually enjoy watching this show. I hope you understood my metaphor. TL;DR - this show sticks with you The story continues from the last season (obviously) and is executed well--if not better than the first season--making itenjoyable to watch. The art is phenomenal (as is the sound) resulting in a very calming show to sit down and watch on a lazy weekend. The characters stay much the same, as is mentioned multiple times by the characters as to show that not much has changed. The only exception to this would be Raji, who gets his own character arc for a while in this season, making him one of the main characters. The show easily gets a recommendation from me and is one of my favourite romance animes, making it a real shame that I originally dropped Akagami no Shirayuki-hime after episode 3 when it was first airing due to how slow it originally felt. I'm glad I picked up this title again because I would've severely missed out if I'd not continued watching it.
Momori66
08/11/2016, 10:01 AM
*I watch both seaons* As a girl I really enjoy this Shoujo romance anime. It's sweet,innocent, motivating ,love story between a prince(Zen) and a commoner girl(Shirayuki). Zen also has loyal friends who aid him in tough times and have fun. Story wise is nothing too extraordinary, but is relaxing, the slice of life part is good and funny. I love how the other male characters have good feelings towards Shirayuki, but as a friend or maybe not? but I was hoping there will be some quarrel because things is just too good to be true, is a fairytale like story after all.
Dracosine
04/03/2016, 05:21 AM
Akagami no Shirayukihime or Snow White with the Red Hair in English is a beautiful Romance/Slice of life anime based in a Fantasy setting. The second season in my opinion didn't have as much of an impact on me as the first season however has it's beautiful and tear jerking moments, some surpassing season 1. The art style is perfect for the anime and the animation quality is top notch. However the story lacks a bit in my opinion as not a whole lot happens in terms of events, but you do learn a lot more about the supporting casts and Shirakyuki herself. The anime focuses on Shirayukiand Prince Zen and their struggles due to the difference in their social statuses. There is a wide range of supporting cast whom are all likeable from the female knight Kiki who is the cool headed badass to the loyal Mitsuhide whom worries over Zen 24/7. Much to my surprise one of the supporting cast from season 1 becomes an integral part of season 2 and even potentially part of the main cast, he is favourite male in the anime and totally deserves it. If you enjoyed season 1 or are looking for a romance anime then this is definitely one to watch! This review is simply my own personal opinion so do not take it at complete face value.
HidamariSeashore
03/28/2016, 01:19 PM
A new chapter in a story.... that's what a sequel is. That new chapter may improve the story, or it may make it worse. However, there's also the possibility that you may enjoy the sequel as much as the story that came before it; for me, that was the case with Snow White with the Red Hair. I had actually watched the first season (and reviewed it), and I really adored it; since I reviewed the first season, I decided that I would review the second season when it was done airing. That's proving to be a difficult task; I mean, what is there tobe said about this season that I already said about the first season? In case you are not familiar with this series, Snow White with the Red Hair follows a girl named Shirayuki, who is an herbalist known for her unusual, apple-colored hair. When the prince of her country of Tanbarun, Raj, tries to make her his concubine, she cuts her red hair and escapes to the neighboring country of Clarines. On the way there, she meets Prince Zen and his two aides, Mitsuhide and Kiki, who help her when she's in a real pinch involving Prince Raj. Upon arrival to the castle in Clarines, Shirayuki aims to become a court herbalist, working diligently toward her goal. Oh, and should I mention the blossoming romance between Shirayuki and Zen? The art in this anime is as beautiful as ever; Bones really does a great job in this department. The ending theme, "Page ~Kimi to Tsuzuru Monogatari" by eyelis, is also quite a beautiful song, and I honestly liked it more than the ending theme for the first season. As for the opening theme, "Sono Koe ga Chizu ni Naru" by Saori Hayami..... well, it can never be better than the opening theme for the first season, but it's still a very nice song! Unlike the first season, which I watched the English dub of, I watched the Japanese version of the second season. I must say, these seiyuus really nailed their roles, especially Saori Hayami as Shirayuki! (Maybe I'm just being a Saori Hayami fangirl when I say that, but still!) The story is still kind of easygoing, but there is one arc in particular that may really leave you on the edge of your seats. As for the characters, along with the great character development for the characters already in this anime, there are even more likable characters introduced in this season, especially Raj's younger siblings; they just put a smile on my face! Speaking of Raj, I never thought I'd come to like him, but believe it or not, I did; his character developed into one that was less....selfish, to say the least. The romance between Shirayuki and Zen was as sweet as ever, too, and it never failed to bring a smile to my face in this season. Overall, season two of Snow White with the Red Hair is as great as season one. If you watched season one of Snow White with the Red Hair and liked it, I recommend for you to watch season two. Now that I've finished the anime, I've either got to read the manga or wait for a third season of this anime about a romance between a girl with hair the color of apples and a prince of the country she arrived in!

Akagami no Shirayuki-hime 2nd Season 赤髪の白雪姫

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Second Season of 'Akagami no Shirayuki-hime' Reveals Key Visual, Adds Cast

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Akagami no Shirayuki-hime 2nd Season 赤髪の白雪姫

North American Anime & Manga Releases for December

North American Anime & Manga Releases for October

North American Anime & Manga Releases for April

Winter 2016 Simulcast List [Update 3/4]

Winter 2016 Preview

PV Collection for Dec 7 - 13

Second Season of 'Akagami no Shirayuki-hime' Reveals Key Visual, Adds Cast

'Akagami no Shirayuki-hime' Announced to Air in Split Cours