Snow White with the Red Hair

Episode 8

This week Snow White with the Red Hair takes us on a journey to the past. Zen's past, that is. After the hoopla surrounding his relationship with Shirayuki (thanks so much, Raj), he's nervous about her safety, so when Obi returns from parts unknown, he gets assigned to be Shirayuki's bodyguard. With typical Obi tact, he asks Shirayuki if she's ever wished that Zen wasn't a prince, which sends Mitsuhide and Zen off on a flashback about when Mitsuhide first became Zen's bodyguard. Basically what we get is the story of a much younger, less comfortable Zen who is very much in his brother's shadow. This Zen, who looks to be somewhere between ten and twelve, is a bit stuck on the social implications of the fact that he's a prince...but emotionally he really doesn't want to be. He's befriended a new archer at the castle, Atri, who's around his age, and while he really likes the other boy, a piece of him still thinks that he has to keep the relationship secret. It is Atri who voices the sentiment that it seems like Zen is repressing, that it might have been better had he not been born a prince, and you get the feeling that those words can still sting today.

Although the episode is sort of billed as being about Mitsuhide's past with Zen, what it's really more about is how Zen used to be. Some of the young man we know from the past seven episodes is still recognizably there, such as his fondness for running around and need to occasionally escape (remember, the mansion where he first meets Shirayuki is essentially his refuge from court life), but he's clumsier and tries harder to hide his emotions. He seems torn between being just like Izana – or perhaps like Izana wants him to be – and being who he is comfortable being, which is someone much less stiff and formal. We know that the traumatic events of this episode will play a part in his decision to be Zen and not Izana 2.0, and there is some implication that Mitsuhide is going to be a significant influence in that, but it's largely left out of the actual episode. The closest we really get is when Mitsuhide tells Zen to get off his high horse in terms of their relationship. Yes, Zen may be a prince while Mitsuhide is his attendant, but that doesn't mean that they both aren't people, something which Zen either hadn't considered before or was afraid of acknowledging. That's about as far as we see Mitsuhide influencing Zen, but it is a significant moment, as is Izana's display of ruthlessness in the end. While what he does makes perfect sense, it also may mark the moment when Zen realizes that he doesn't really want to be like his older brother.

Sadly the Shirayuki/Obi storyline that begins the episode doesn't feel like it serves much purpose, although it almost certainly will prove otherwise next week. In terms of this week, however, it feels rather like a throw-away and sort of drags the episode down – not a lot, but just enough so you notice. Luckily the animation is beautiful, with sweeping sword slashes along with quieter scenes of sitting on a wall and just generally fluid movement overall. It also has a very funny scene where little Zen jumps from a window and wobbles for about thirty seconds before falling over backwards, which is a nice way to show that he's not quite as accomplished as he will be...you know, when he's not surprised mid-leap by pretty redheads.

It looks as if next week is going to bring us back to warm and fuzzy land, and I daresay this flashback will have a positive impact on that. And even if this episode didn't flow quite as well as it could have, it still helps us to get to know both Zen and Mitsuhide better, which can only improve the story going forward.

Rating: B+

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

Rebecca Silverman is ANN's senior manga critic.