Akiduki, Volume 26 Cover, Akagami no Shirayukihime, Hana to Yume, Hakusensha.
Snow White With the Red Hair – Information
Author of Story: Sorata Akiduki
Chapter Count: 26 Volumes, 132 chapters + extras
Status: Ongoing
Content Warnings
These content warnings do not reflect the contents of the review below; only the literary work itself.
- Blood
- Violence, weapons
- Mature concepts (kidnapping, drugs, alcohol, etc).
Spoiler Disclaimer
This recommendation post may contain small plot spoilers for review purposes. Any major spoilers are hidden by default and are able to be revealed via click or tap.
Snow White With the Red Hair – Plot Summary
Snow White With the Red Hair (also known Akagami no Shirayukihime in Japanese) is an adventurous tale about a girl named Shirayuki (which can be translated to Snow White in Japanese, hence the title). Shirayuki is a young, red-haired girl living in the country of Tanbarun.
Having this unique and beautiful feature made her a person of interest to the prince of her country, known as Raj. Therefore, he demands she become his concubine. Shirayuki, refusing to let another person decide how she lives her life, runs away to the neighboring kingdom of Clarines.
During her escape, she runs into a boy named Zen, and two others with him. She quickly proves herself trustworthy to this trio by treating one of their injuries. They all become fast friends—Zen and Shirayuki especially have a great chemistry!
After forming this bond, the three new friends decide to help Shirayuki flee her unideal situation and help her finish her journey into Clarines. However, they have an unexpected run-in with prince Raj and Zen steps in, revealing himself as the second prince of Clarines!
After this rescue mission, Shirayuki decides that she wants to continue being by Zen’s side. Therefore, she works to become a court herbalist so that she will be able to not only enter the palace, but will do so by her own efforts. This is only the start of the many adventures you’ll find in Snow White With the Red Hair.
Akiduki, Volume 20 Cover, Snow White With the Red Hair, Viz Media.
Why I Enjoyed Snow White With the Red Hair
Snow White With the Red Hair is a lovely, fairy-tale like fantasy tale that has a natural and sweet romance that occurs amongst some fun adventure! I really love the romance in this story. The relationship is formed early, so you get to enjoy the strengthening of the relationship for most of the plot.
It doesn’t feel rushed, but it also isn’t a super slow-burn. This romance is delightfully filled with respect, trust, dedication, and longing. It’s a healthy relationship that I enjoyed seeing grow stronger!
Thankfully in this manga, there’s no annoying tropes of long-winded embarrassment that lasts for chapters on end, and very little hesitation overall. It’s fantastic, and very fulfilling. The author keeps things fun, interesting, and romantic without wasting time on filler before a relationship is formed.
We do see separation of the main duo often in the actual story, but it gives some character depth for both characters in the relationship; as well as for some important supporting characters!
Romance isn’t the only enjoyable aspect of Snow White With the Red Hair, though! The main romance does stay as a major plot point in the background of the entire manga so far, but there is much, much more story to enjoy alongside it. The plot quickly becomes fun and adventurous.
It’s got the common tropes or plot points you typically find in this fantasy genre, but I never get tired of this sort of action-and-adventure plots. If you’re also into these fantasy genres, check out Yona of the Dawn, too!
There is lots of swordsmanship and action in this story; suitable for a setting involving princes and knights. We see talented, strong, and skillful characters, but they aren’t made to be perfectly unbeatable.
These characters struggle and don’t always emerge from battles unscathed, although we still see the usage of plot armor. However, these battles are still very fun to read as they involve the coordination and skill of many characters working together!
There is another aspect of Snow White With the Red Hair that I really enjoyed. Although it doesn’t have to do with romance, I love nerdy stuff and reading the author’s fantastical explanations and imaginative creations in Shirayuki’s herbalist line of work was very enjoyable. There is such fun and amazing world-building in this story!
Then, there’s the art and design of this manga. The art of this series is by no means bad. It starts out with a style featuring early 2000’s manga design, which I have always held a special place in my heart for (but I know it’s not for everyone).
However, because this manga is still ongoing today, the style has noticeably changed to a much more modern and minimalistic style. The backgrounds and details are still present and very gorgeous!
In Snow White With the Red Hair, there are many beautifully drawn outfits and interesting landscapes to enjoy, and the action scenes are well done and portrayed in a way that’s not difficult to understand.
I will say though that the characters designs were just a little plain (the main duo are two simple cuties), but the art style is not boring. I do love when artists can incorporate a wide variety of hairstyles, outfits, and environments into their story; as this author has done.
This manga is not only very fantasy-like with knights, palaces, formal balls, princes, and the like; but it also has some cute ties to its fairy tale reference of Snow White. Besides the difference in appearance, of course, the main character still meets many trials (even a poison apple), makes allies along the way, defeats “villains,” and even meets her prince.
However, Shirayuki is not a damsel in need of saving, but a strong and intelligent lady with a career of her own making. And, the overall plot itself becomes widely different. The author does include some cute art within the story that references other fairy tales, too!
As you can see, there is plenty to like about this story. While it does have a lot of fantasy themes or events that aren’t exactly unique to Snow White With the Red Hair, the author still kept the story interesting and different somehow. I loved the romance elements, and can’t wait to see how this engaging adventure ends.
Akiduki, Volume 13 Cover, Snow White With the Red Hair, Viz Media.
Any Cons?
Readers who are looking for a story that is primarily romance may become impatient with Snow White With the Red Hair. There is a very lovely romance present, but a large portion of this manga is not romance-focused. If you’d prefer a more romance-focused fantasy story, check out I Thought My Time Was Up!
More In-Depth Review (Warning: Spoilers!)
There is plenty to enjoy about this manga. The characters’ personalities however, were the most enjoyable part of their designs!
Firstly, Shirayuki is a lovely, hardworking FL. I was so excited to see a strong-willed, determined lead in Snow White With the Red Hair that wasn’t a knight or fighter of some sort.
Instead, she was intelligent and open to learning. She was very self-sufficient even from the first chapter, but was also great at working with others and making friends. Perfect for a character named after Snow White!
Zen is also an interesting character, especially with his role as prince. I feel like prince characters are either made to be overpowered, pompous characters, or are like Zen: caring, hardworking, and unexpectedly normal. Glad the author went with this version!
I especially love his attitude towards Shirayuki; he treats her with respect and has full trust in her ability to do things on her own. He lets her shine!
Then there are side characters with important connections to the main duo who have a big impact on the story, such as Zen’s trusted knights.
One of my favorite characters to see grow throughout the series was Ryu, a young herbalist who works alongside Shirayuki. I really liked his character’s growth, and personally would love to see a spin-off series about him, showcasing his future endeavors becoming an expert herbalist (unlikely, but one can dream).
Izana, Zen’s brother, is also an interesting character and one I actually really liked from Snow White With the Red Hair. Even though he doesn’t want his brother to be with Shirayuki, and sort of forces her to prove her worth to him.
At first his character seems like a clever, cunning trickster who’s kind of a jerk, but you can tell he’s actually smart, calculating, and has his own reasons for the choices he makes. For some reason I always like the characters who have hidden motives (good or bad) underneath a strange personality, haha. They’re just a little more interesting in my opinion.
I also love the way the author took a previously disliked character, Raj, and gave him a decent redemption arc. The role this character played typically stays as a hated-character role in this genre, but this story took a different approach. He even becomes a source of occasional comedic relief.
Overall, all the characters in the Snow White With the Red Hair manga series had their own unique charm and were all very likable in their own way!
Final Thoughts
Snow White With the Red Hair is an engaging series that is still ongoing, but already has plenty of plot to enjoy currently. There is a lovely romance between main characters alongside an exciting and adventurous fantasy story. If you love action, world-building, and character growth alongside a light romance, this manga will be a great pick for you!
Disclaimer: Any images used for this blog are for illustrative purposes only, are not owned by me, and are under ownership of the artist or publisher.
Images Credit: Akiduki, Sorata. Snow White With the Red Hair, Viz Media, 2019. Akagami no Shirayukihime, Hana to Yume, Hakusensha, 2007.
