Akagami no Shirayukihime (2016)

Right back into where S1 left off. So far, so good. However, I do have one issue. I have this strange feeling that the blonde guy is actually a girl. LOL

So the only reason the other prince was freaking out is cause he's fallen for her?

By "blonde guy", do you mean the mysterious person who is asking about Shirayuki? Since we only saw this person through Mihaya's report, it's hard to be certain that he/she exists, let alone determine gender.

It seems pretty clear what Prince Izana's motives are with this assignment for Shirayuki. He isn't a fan of hers, but he's willing to give her a trial by fire.
Does she have the drive to learn all the courtly manners (dancing and deportment) required of a worthy consort, and does she have the grace and finesse to handle the attentions of an admirer when a mis-step will mean a diplomatic incident?
He doesn't have much to lose ... if Shirayuki disgraces herself, he can disclaim responsibility and use this as ammunition to tell Zen to look elsewhere.
But I think it shows that he's least considering the possibility that Zen is serious and that Shirayuki may prove ... well, acceptable at the least.

I think Prince Raj's consternation was because whatever his current feelings, he's rightly afraid that Zen will gut him if he makes a move. Perhaps the official invitation was sent either under pressure from Prince Izana or actually counterfeited by somebody (a court secretary, perhaps) that Izana bribed. Depending on how it was done, it may have been intended by Izana as a guaranteed failure, but I'd like to believe he's giving her a fair challenge.

Hmm... She was born in the mountains and was taken in by ppl and later raised by her "grandparents". She then states she wants to find the ppl that took her in. Now Kazuki, a mysterious blonder person, wants to find her?

What I had speculated before seems to be making more sense now. She's from some royal family and the blonde is there to take her back. Let's see how this goes.

Mmmkay. I just finished this episode. I'm still a bit skeptical about Kazuki being a boy. I'm saying maybe a tomboy. BUT, the bigger thing was the very end. It proves that my theory of her being a princess may be true.

I think it can go one of two ways. The Romeo and Juliet version where both sides hate each other or the one where she is needed to raise her kingdom and can' be with him anymore until the decide to marry and merge the two kingdoms.

Well, Prince Izana confirmed my speculation directly: he's testing Shirayuki, and Zen as well. I still think he's enough of a strategist to be deliberately throwing in some My Fair Lady deportment lessons, but in context he seemed to only be saying he would test their seriousness about each other by separating them and giving them each responsibilities to fulfill.
Good enough for now.

It seems Prince Raj is indeed uncomfortable, but more because he desperately wants to regain her good opinion. It helps to know he was widely recognized as a cad even by his own devoted staff and little sister and brother, and even more that they see Shirayuki as a force for positive change. Getting lost for hours was a bit contrived but allowed some space for talking things out a bit. Clearly Raj will be all reformed in no time.

Teophan's speculation that Red is truly royal does make sense - why else would there be such emphasis on the reported mission of Kazuki to take her to a "more appropriate" place? But I will be very disappointed if that's the twist. Why does a gifted person have to be of noble birth? I like the original representation of Shirayuki's story as a self-made woman from humble origins.

Well, we'll find out eventually.

my use of the word "grandparents" and the fact that she wants to find the people that took her in when she lived in the mountains are the biggest red flag.

Let's look at how things went so far:
-she lives in the forest with people that took her in
-She was raised by her grandparents
-She lives alone and was on the very becoming a princes concubine
-She was rescued by and befriended a prince
- She lives in the castle with the royal family


The first two are the red flags.
-She was taking in by a group of people in the woods
-she was raised by her grandparents

What was she doing in the forest and how old was she? How did she go from living in the forest to living with her grandparents? Who were her grandparents and how did she know that's what they were?

It seems to me that this anime may take one of the following routes:

Romeo & Juliet:
We later find out she is a princess and is the enemy of the kingdom that took her in. Yada yada yada, fighting, crying, almost deaths, love wins in the end and everyone is happy.

You are the last of your bloodline A
She is the last of the royal bloodline and her kingdom needs her back to bring it to its former glory. She sadly agrees but after a crap ton of stuff she and the prince marry and the two kingdoms unite

You are the last of your bloodline B
Her kingdom was taken over by another and her entire family was killed. Using the Superman route, they safely transport her to a far away land so she won't get killed. Because of the crazy adventures that she has been through, word has traveled that a mysterious girl with apple red hair lives in the castle with the royal family. The ppl that took over the kingdom see this as a threat that should have been killed off and send forces (the blonde person and its merry crew) to capture her. If successful, they force her to marry the current ruling party and kill her off after producing an heir.

You can see where option B would end up. She's eventually captured, a big as war breaks out, her kingdom is saved and the older prince announces that the younger prince should marry her and both should rule her kingdom together.

Yes, no?

Well, now I'm starting to get a small reverse harem feel from this.

What happened now:
- The prince finds outs that there is more than one person after her (duh)
- They make their way to the other castle (how did they find out?)
- The other prince of Tan-whatever may have feelings for her and the siblings are messing it all up
- Prince tells older prince that he want's to go cause he wants to marry her (YAY!!!!!!)
- older prince says that if he has to act then she can never return
- Oh, some pirate chick
- The kidnapping dynamic duo finally show up
- the young prince heads off....a day late and a dollar short

Well, based on the next preview, she will get kidnapped and meet the pirate chick. It appears there is more than one party involved if the pirate gang isn't a part of the two wanting to kidnap her (granted they showed up on a boat). I'm still convinced she's of royal bloodline, BUT,

we did get more info on the mountain ppl. They appear to be "justice warriors" not affiliated with the Tan-blah-blah castle. Hint?

It looks like my theory may be right. The mountain ppl are looking for her and it seems me may still be of royal lineage and her long lost family is looking for her.

a legacy of noble, even royal birth for Shirayuki. I still would rather she were a self-made commoner who proves herself worthy of being a match for anyone due to her character and ability.

They finally allowed Raj to be good at something (the violin), and he's making a lot of progress, but the ending makes it look as if Shirayuki's gonna miss the ball.
Best part was Zen standing up to his brother, saying he had to go because Shirayuki was the one he wants to marry. I think Izana was waiting for him to prove he wasn't just infatuated.

Now the "pretty-boy" captor Kazuki has been taken along with Shirayuki by the pirate queen ... who appears to be representing Claw of the Sea as the big bad?
I'm now 90% convinced Kazuki will turn out to be a girl, and "her" scary big brother will join forces with the princes to assist in the rescue from the pirates. Kazuki and big brother did take on a kidnapping commission, but I guess their crime will be whitewashed because they were hired by Shirayuki's real family, or at least the kingdom/principality/tribe that she's supposed to inherit? (Kidnapping is still never cool - people could have easily been killed - but it's a fantasy so they will gloss over that.)

Finally we get an appearance by a king, Raj's father - it was strange how for 16 episodes we kept meeting princes without any grownups. However, the king's disparagement of Raj gives some insight into why Raj turned out to be such a brat (sounds as if he was a hyper-demanding father who never gave approval.) Still, Raj has made giant strides, and I give him props for going along on the rescue despite his fear and lack of experience in any kind of rough-and-tumble action. He was very nervous about facing Zen, too, but faced him like a man.

Yes, there's a bit of reverse harem, in which Obi must also be included and maybe even Ryu, but I think all will gracefully and platonically accept Shirayuki's choice (Zen), which was obvious by the middle of s1.

Did you forget that Prince Raj said that the mountain had inhabitants that acts in a some what "on behalf of the kingdom" fashion. They did all these Robin Hood type acts. Shirayuki was "found by them" and raised by her "grandparents".

Then you add in that the blonde kid came from the mountains.

Guess I was reacting to the several times she's been called "princess" (by Kazuki and I think some others) ... Heiress to a Robin Hood-type chieftain would be better than being an heiress to a noble's estate, certainly.

an estate that was taken over by some other group. Oh....dear....god. What if she was kidnapped as a baby and the family finally found her. You know, the fairy tale one. God I hope not.

I love how the two princes have come together, I hated Raj in his first appearances but it's obvious now he was just misunderstood and now we're seeing the real him. Zen still out does him on a serious level, but he's pretty cool when he does get serious, and it's good that it's happening more and more often.

It was a bit irksome that the show is still depending on the damsel in distress thing to push the plot.........I don't know how things were in the old days but now, being ginger doesn't get EVERYONE interested in you, including two princes.

But once again, even using that angle, the tension and character development is progressing nicely. I'm especially digging Obi this season and his struggles to come to terms with perhaps being in love with Shirayuki while at the same time loyally following Zen.

Looks like the last episode kind of put a holt to the royal background theory, they did give what seems to be a solid non royal story for why they were interested in her, Though I guess the leader of the claw might still know something that nobody else does..............I think unlikely by this point though.

They cut her face in the next episode. Zen's going to go super saiyan.

However, I think there is more to the mountain clan that meets the eye. Also, I'm pretty sure the leader of the claw doesn't know who she is and just sees her as a rare find and good source of income. Unless she knows about some reward for a girl with red hair in some other land.

Best part was Kiki going undercover at the end. And as she volunteers, Mitsuhide tries to object ... maybe he'll finally admit what he feels before the end? But he can't stand between her and her duty, which is fine (although of course very risky.)

A lot of chasing around and they meet up and are suddenly instant allies.
I understand expedience, but I felt it was OOC for Zen to just shake hands on "OK, we'll rescue her together." He could have at least said "We'll work together, but you must agree to answer to Shirayuki for laying hands on her and her friend when this is over." Obviously he might lose the guy's cooperation and have to fight or arrest him, but you can't pretend it's all OK when this violent act is what put Shirayuki in peril in the first place.

Raj and Zen working together is pretty good. I think Raj will do something very creditable before the end.

Well, I was partially right. If what she says is true, then that is her father and she is a part of the mountain ppl. However, it doesn't explain why she was raised in town....yet. I'm still set that her and her family were a royal family at one time and lost everything for reasons.

Raj's growth continues nicely.

Shiriyuki's dad reminds me of Itami from gate with that expression...............So he just wanted to see his daughter? COuldn't he have just requested a visit? Hse doesn't appear to be holding a grudge on him or anything.....................not that she's the type to hold a grudge on anyone...........

Guess there is more to be explained.

After the reveal, was anyone else expecting the cliché collective "eeehhhh".......that never came?