Snow White with the Red Hair: Volume 6 manga review

Snow White with the Red Hair Graphic Novel Volume 6 cover image

Into Tanbarun Kingdom is born a baby girl with beautiful hair that is as red as apples.  When she grows into young womanhood, Shirayuki's red hair earns her the unwanted attention of Prince Raj of Tanbarun.  Prince Zen Wisteria, the second prince of the neighboring Clarines Kingdom, rescues Shirayuki and brings her to Wistal, Clarines' capital.  Zen moves her into Wistal Palace, where Shirayuki hones her skills as an herbalist, and thus, a love story begins.

As Snow White with the Red Hair, Vol. 6 (Chapters 22 to 25) opens, Shirayuki is still in Tanbarun Kingdom, having returned at the invitation of Prince Raj.  It was Raj's actions towards her that forced Shirayuki to flee her home to find shelter in Clarines Kingdom.  Shirayuki's return, however, has forced Raj to take a hard look at himself, and slowly he starts to mature.

While Shirayuki prepares for the royal banquet, the mysterious pretty boy who tried to kidnap her is back, having pinpointed her current location.  When Prince Zen discovers this, he rides for Tanbarun, against his older brother, Prince Izana's wishes.  Will Zen reach Shirayuki before danger strikes?

[This volume includes three bonus manga pages.]

THE LOWDOWN:  The Snow White with the Red Hair manga is a fantasy and shojo romance that seems to take place in a time and place that could have existed in the Middle Ages.  The series is not all frills and lace and sword-fighting and horse-riding, however.

Snow White with the Red Hair Graphic Novel Volume 6 probably contains the most dramatic and most intense action to date.  Creator Sorata Akiduki previously presented the idea that the danger to Shirayuki mostly came in the form of palace intrigue at Wistal Palace, as personified by Prince Izana.

In recent volumes, Akiduki introduces the larger and perhaps, more perilous world of Snow White with the Red Hair, and because of that, the series has changed.  The narrative was a shojo romance, but now it is also a romantic adventure.  Caleb Cook's translation conveys the larger sense of danger and intrigue, and Brandon Bovia's lettering has started capturing the cacophony of breathless adventure.  Yes, dear readers, it is a good time to start reading Snow White with the Red Hair.

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS:   Fans of fantasy-themed shojo will want to try the Shojo Beat title, Snow White with the Red Hair.

A
8 out of 10