There are two options when the idiot prince in your area demands you become their concubine: accept with glee (or with anger) or run away. For Shirayuki, the choice was obvious — leaving was the only thing she could do as being chosen by the prince would’ve ended her desire to become a court herbalist.
But on her escape, she ends up running into a boy and his aides, which normally wouldn’t be cause for news — except that boy, Zen, is the second prince of Clarines. For this red-haired girl, her path is sure to change now that she’s met him…
Sorata Akiduki mentions that chapter 1 was a one-shot that (clearly) is inspired by Snow White, but with the twist that Shirayuki’s red hair (based off the apple) is a particular boon and also thorn for her, since that catches the eye of Prince Raj, a.k.a. the idiot prince whom Shirayuki describes as a man “who learned his manners in brothels and eats with gold cutlery.” And that’s a brief summary of how the story kicks off in Snow White with the Red Hair, which takes a good amount of turns in this debut volume. Her desire to become a herbalist is excellent; she’s very knowledgeable in that area and that shines throughout much of volume 1.
The problem is society itself is structured to make Shirayuki fail despite her talents, and her having red hair exasperates her troubles. It’s obvious in the first chapter why this is a problem for her, but future chapters — from getting kidnapped by a third son of a noble family to being threatened by a high figure in authority — prove it will be a longstanding issue for her.
This is where Zen and his retainers Kiki and Mitsuhide come in — and also Shirayuki’s incredible resourcefulness. From meeting Zen her path changes considerably, and how the manga shows off her personality, alongside showcasing her aims, made this a great read. For a story that involves her becoming a court herbalist, it can’t call itself boring. Now whether it ends up sticking that way, only future volumes will tell. But, as I have watched the anime for Snow White and the Red Hair, I can only eagerly look forward to making time to read more stories involving these characters.
This volume included Akiduki’s second one-shot (drawn in 2003), Colorful Seasons of August. Created in 2003, the story’s fairly simple — young girl meets a guy and his friends at a particular beach, they bond, and one thing pops up that threatens if they’ll remember each other. The ending did actually catch me by surprise, but overall the story was ok, nothing memorable.
Snow White with the Red Hair combines the Snow White story with a determined young girl, a prince who’s had to deal with threats to his life, and many political structures that can undermine many within it. With great designs and a likeable cast, I’m very much looking forward to reading in manga form how these characters, alongside the many others who will appear, deal with the upcoming challenges moving forward.