Reviews for Sugar Apple Fairy Tale

I have arrived in defense of one of my favorite releases of the season. Sugar Apple Fairy Tale is dramatic, angsty, beautiful and SO shoujo. As someone who is a massive shoujo consumer, be it in manga or anime form, I can with confidence say that it has been a while since we got a shoujo adaptation that had a big budget and where the studio didn't seem to give up on it halfway through the season. This is a massive plus in my book because shoujo deserves GOOD adaptations as much the shounen and seinen demographic (don't even get me started on josei because welive in the trenches).

The story of Sugar Apple Fairy Tale is very dramatic but at the same time also very slice of life. Personally, I think that they balanced these two very well. There are some extremely annoying characters in this (Bridget, I hate you so bad), but also some very lovely characters. Our MC Ann is a flawed protagonist; she's a hypocrite at times, she's idealistic and she's very stubborn. These characteristics, however, are what make her interesting and multidimensional. We still have a lot to learn about Shall, as of now he's mostly a mystery to both the audience and Ann. I'm excited to see more of him in July. The side characters are less developed, but they all have their own quirks and motivations that we slowly see throughout the season. Mythrill Lid Pod might have been my favorite character of this series, his presence is delightful, and he brings lots of happiness to the show.

The art and color palette are beautiful. The animation is smooth, and it is one of the best we have had for shoujo in recent years, J.C. Staff did an excellent job.

Certain aspects of this show, such the slavery, are for sure problematic. Nevertheless, there's also commentary on these topics and they aren't just brushed off and never brought up again. Most characters are very flawed and the villains are sometimes just too corny. I do like how the story touches on e.g. sexism and misogyny, even if it is a fantasy setting.

[SPOILERS FOR EP 12] The finale was definitely bittersweet, I may or may not have shed a few tears. This just shows that I have grown to really love Ann and Shall these past few months. I'm going to be honest, if this show didn't receive a 2nd cour it would have affected my opinions on it a lot. For now, I'm hopeful and look forward to their reunion. Based on what we have seen from Ann we can definitely expect her to not give up on Shall!

Overall: I can 100% recommend this to fellow shoujo & josei fans and if you are new to the demographic, I hope you can watch this without bias. I'm so happy that the shoujo demographic has received a worthy adaptation, and I can't wait for the return of this show!

This honestly feels like quite an up and coming adventure, that I can only see getting more sweet as it goes along. Even if it packs a good number of punches to boot. Story and characters: 7 Lets put it this way. What if Shield Hero was more light and colourful, then you've got Sugar Fairy. While also still having some heavy elements, and badass moments through out. But what really makes things shine, is the relationship of the characters that is within the show.It's the glue that holds the whole story together. Even ones that are more loud, really add more to the whole atmosphere, soit doesn't come off as a bore fest at all. As if the active direction and chemistry, really pushes it forward. It's very smart, and well done.

You've got Ann, a girl who is very determined in her goals, and is very sweet. You've also got Shall, whom is very stand offish, all coming from his natural warrior spirit, and dislike for the current system. Only leading to him getting ahead on Ann. A connection and relationship, that'll keep you wondering if they will ever fully get along. Or even further, if the series goes in that direction.

It's why I stated it feels like a really good up and company adventure,like one you'd play in a RPG. Where you see your party grow, and develop. They bond with each other, even if it takes a long while in order to achieve such. It really makes you want to see what happens next. Will Ann finally achieve her dreams, that we now root for. Will Shall finally accept her properly. Or is a further twist in store. It's the kind of writing for our characters, and story progression, that really ticks things along. If you're looking for a good adventure anime with a sweet goal in mind, then you're in the right place.

Art and sound:9

The biggest highlight for me when it comes to the show, is the incredible art design, and quality of how it looks.The fairy wings just look so well animated and pretty.Not to mention the mix of sounds and looks when it comes to more intense scenes, night scenes, the works. A lot of care of detail that has gone into the whole product. Even the look of the characters looks really well detailed, and colourful. Great to look at.

Sugar Apple Fairy is as sweet as it sounds. With a bit of salt through in for good measure. I'd watch it.

To say that the ending ruined the whole show is an understatement... This is a show of suffering. It should be called Sugar Apple Fairy Hell The show sells itself as quite a laid back and feel good anime, but at the end, I feel everything but this. I'm writing the review because it was a bitter ending, not sweet in the slightest, nor warranted. To start, characters who had committed irreperable deeds had been kept relevant throughout the show. There were constant feelings throughout of revenge and vengeance, but by the very people who were the perpetrators. Even the MC, who had suffered throughout the show,never showed signs of revenge, and if they were even slightly sane, probably a few annoying characters might be dead or in jail.

The main character is extremely spineless when it comes to others, she battles to save them from simple situations, yet when she is in peril herself, overcomes insane feats, (maybe because she has the support of many and can't do anything alone)

Anyways, the show has some nice points throughout, but one would expect it to mainly leave people feeling bitter

I wasn't going to do a prelim review of this yet, but after reading claims that it glorifies slave owning...I had to chime in to hype this story up. Let me tell you, as someone who has actually read the released light novels and has been following this story closely, you are in for a treat!! Is it anything revolutionary? No. Is it still a wholesome story of growth, resilience, grief, friendship, love, survival...yes!! Also...does it glorify slave owning? Absolutely not. From the first episode/chapter Anne has numerous conversations with others and herself on the reality of the world - humans have enslaved fairies. She alwaysvoices her discontentment of this, and has always come to bat for fairies when no one else would...risking her safety in the process. She does purchase Challe, a fairy, though is firm on giving him his freedom once he escorts her to the city. Even so, she does not treat him as a slave, and in later parts of the story Challe reassures readers that he never felt as such while working for her. Still, Anne detests that she had to employ Challe. I just wanted to clear that up. This story is everything BUT a glorification of slavery.

STORY

Anyway...while the story has some darker themes to it, I would consider it pretty light & fluffy for the most part. I don't think the author ever intended to create something super complex or melodramatic. This is important going into it, and why certain things may not receive the fleshing out that you would like. In the light novels the plot goes by pretty quickly, and the anime is following suit.

It is pretty heartwarming and wholesome. I have enjoyed all the bits I've read/seen so far. I will say the anime follows it decently, with some tweaks here and there (so far). I definitely recommend picking up the novels though, because you get to see more of what Anne and Challe are thinking in certain situations - swapping POVs at times.

Upon first glance, an anime about making candy seems pretty boring but I found the candy making aspect of it to be interesting! I can't say I've seen anything that has the same concept as this one.

CHARACTERS

Love love love!!! Anne is super cute, independent, reliable, hardworking, strong, intelligent, everything I love in a MC. Challe is your typical, "black hair stoic and stone cold" type but it's always fun to see that trope warm up as the story progresses. His personality also makes sense once you learn more of his backstory, and the reality of fairies in this world. Mithril would normally be sorta annoying in other stories, but I love him!!

ART

The art is pretty good! The animation isn't anything amazing, but it still respects the original artwork and is exactly how I pictured it to be.

I can't say much else because the anime isn't finished yet and I'm unsure how far into the novels they will cover for season 1, but I really do recommend this one. Especially if you love fantasy romance. I will edit this review once season 1 finishes.

This show was a colourful and vibrant fantasy that had some good ideas, but also showed us another shoujo series where the romance just isn’t all that interesting. Sure, I could go for the low-hanging fruit and criticize the slavery themes, or the age gap in the romance, but I’m not going to focus on that. Instead, I want to highlight how modern shoujo anime follow a very similar formula that just isn’t all that engaging. Granted, I’m not very familiar with shoujo anime, so if you disagree with what I say, feel free to enlighten me on the subject, but from the ones I haveseen, there’s always a somewhat ditzy female protagonist, who ends up liking a “pretty-looking” male protagonist. Now, I get the aim of shoujo anime is to get us to “squee” when there’s a bit of fan service, but sometimes, I feel that the fan service is quite over-done, to the point where it just detracts from the fantasy elements and world building that the time could have been used to do instead.

Another problem that it has is incredibly shallow villains, whose very existence is just to trip the protagonist up with no real substantial reason whatsoever. For example, in this show, for anyone who has watched it, knows that Jonas is a very hated character by many. The reason why he became the antagonist was so dumb and shallow, which only made it worse. The other villains just don’t have motives other than being discriminatory or rude for no apparent reason other than sexism.

The other problem I find with modern shoujo anime is the contrived misunderstandings, as many of times, the “drama” revolves around the protagonist seeing their love interest in an “out-of-context” situation, and get down in the dumps because of that, even though they have no idea what is going on. It just doesn’t feel like drama that goes anywhere, rather, it gets solved quickly, and doesn’t feel fulfilling when it inevitably gets solved. This show has these issues as well.

With the problems out of the way, I also found this show to be quite rich in world-building and creative in some ways, with building sugar confections as the main theme. Ann Halford, the main protagonist, strives to be a silver sugar master, like her late mother, and seeing her improve her craft and believe in herself while facing hurdles was nice to see. The backgrounds and colour palettes really give a sense of a fantasy atmosphere, and it had some beautiful shots. Some of the animation was a bit limited, but it didn’t take away from the plot. Overall, the production was not bad at all. I do wish the soundtrack was a bit more noticeable though.

There were some questionable themes around slavery that I must mention, but I won’t dwell on it. In this kingdom, for many years, humans enslaved fairies by keeping one of their wings. The other main protagonist, Shall Fen Shall, is a warrior fairy, and gets bought by Ann to be her bodyguard. As you can expect, there were some romantic developments as well. I’m glad the slavery aspect became less of a theme as we went along, and it was more of a fantasy/adventure show more than anything else.

Overall, there were some highs and lows, with the animation and world building being the highs, and the characters being a bit of a weak part, especially the antagonists. It’s as sweet as its namesake, but my only wish is that future shoujo anime get a little more creative with how the drama unfolds.

I’m not really good at writing reviews, so I made a little list of factors, which made me fell in love with this anime: - interesting and deeply developed world - you want to keep learning more about fairies and the art of silver sugar - also the anime explains everything you might want to know - main character, Ann Halford, is very likeable and watching her makes you cross your fingers whenever she faces difficult challenges - character designs are pretty, especially main characters - beautiful art style, fitting fantasy vibe – sometimes there are lower quality drawings/anatomy proportions moments, but it happens in majority of anime series and I don’t feel bugged by this - immersive fantasyatmosphere

-you’re not bored, but also not overwhelmed by the plot – good relaxation option

You may want to watch it, if you liked: Akagami no Shirayuki-hime. They are similar in some way and I love both of them.

I wanted to give my full opinion about Sugar Apple Fairy Tale, after I watch all of the episodes, but I just couldn’t resist. Sorry ^^’. This is just too good :D

Lately there aren't many fantasy romance anime that really interest me, I think romance fantasy stories these days are very predictable, mostly it's just the looks that are good, not the story, like sometimes ml/fl forget their goal and instead create a harem, mc who has been overpowered since childhood or something like that. it really bored me. But Sugar Apple Fairy Tale is different! I really like this, I'm at a loss to express it in words, I like the story and the music which is relaxing and calming. Obviously, I recommend it!!! I really hope there will be a season 2 >w

I feel really bad for shoujo manga and light novel fans. They hardly get any decent adaptations of recent properties and really have to either get into manga or settle for less then stellar works. But SAFT is really bad, to the point of being indefensible. Yes, Im talking about the slavery shit. Its an unwritten rule in these types of fantasy shows that if for some reason there is slavery its very downplayed or the slavery feels nothing like real world slavery. However, SAFT goes out of its way to present slavery in a very realistic way with the fairies being an underclass, the propertyvalue that's assigned to it, the violence inflected against them, the way in which even decent humans can end up embodying the society's privileges when certain situations arise... Its uncomfortable. In a better show this would be fleshed upon and make for an interesting fantasy show about prejudices and societal hierarches. But here its played dead fucking straight with no meaningful commentary. To the point they just end up treating the situation as mundane, and inadvertency condones slavery through its carelessness.

While this show is not going to being back slavery, this is the kind of show that alienates communities and ethnicities that still feel the effects of slavery, specifically black anime fans. Yes, the fairies are not a one to one analogy for black slaves in the US but how are black fans supposed to feel safe and welcome when this show just shits on the system that they still feel the echo's of in their everyday life?

In conclusion, the anime community needs to be harsher on these kind of shows. This kind of explicit depiction of slavery while not challenging the system it presents shouldn't be expected. And for the anime industry, we deserve better shoujo then this. There is no shortage of great fantasy shoujo out there, and the market is ready for it. But do better.

2/10

I needed something for noise while I worked and this anime did the trick but I didn't enjoy much of it. The constantly comments made by Shell about Ann's appearance that's going to change and morph into a beautiful woman. The romance didn't feel organic to me and it felt rushed and awkward. I think the problem with Shoujo is you definitely age out of it. Teenage me would've been chomping at the bit to eat this up but with adult eyes and no nostalgia behind it, this anime struggles to be memorable amongst a sea of similar shoujo's. Not horrible just not my thing.The age gap, slavery themes, lack of genuine plot.. I give is a 5 with hopes the issue is I'm just not the right target audience anymore like I once was.

This is a charming and cozy anime, I love the relationship between Anne and challe and how it develops throughout the series. The art style of this anime is beautiful and it really fits the story, the designs of the sugar confections and fairy wings are a highlight for me especially. I love all the outfits the characters wear it really adds to the fantasy aspect of the storym I think Anne is a really interesting protagonist, she's not perfect but she always tries to do the right thing. I like how she actually has a goal and isn't just another passive character. But challefen challe is a real standout character, I like how his relationship with Anne evolves as the series goes on how he starts off disliking her but by the end wants to protect her.

It's so nice to finally have another shoujo anime, I feel like we haven't had any in so long and I have absolutely adored every episode of this and I think anyone who enjoys a classic shoujo anime will enjoy this show and the world it is set in.

I’ll admit, at first, I was skeptical about jumping into a series with such a cliche title, but chose to anyway out of curiosity. Right from the first episode, I was proven wrong in the best way possible! Although not as dark, this story has some Madoka-esque mature twists to it, with the title of “Fairy Tale” honestly being a little misleading. Without spoiling anything, alongside the main storyline, there is some rather deep commentary on the relationships between the Humans and the Fairies of this world, as well as some surprisingly hard-hitting backstories for a couple of our main characters. Not one scene so farhas felt forced, and even if the overall story isn’t the most original thing I’ve seen, the characters and artwork in this show are more than enough to make up for its weaker points.

Even with just 6 episodes out as of now, I can tell that Sugar Apple Fairy Tale will become one of my favourites from 2023. I will update this review once it has finished airing, but for now, I just wanted to share how wonderful and underrated this seasonal anime is!

I knew I wanted to watch Sugar Apple Fairy Tale the moment I saw the key visual. The coloring is gorgeous, the fantasy aesthetic is immaculate, and the promise of a healthy dose of drama simmers underneath. Romance! Fairies! Candy making! Surely a winning formula. However, this deceptively pretty candy apple is laced with some less-than-sweet flavors. Do they enhance the flavor, or make the dessert unbearably bitter? The answer is ultimately personal and not one-size-fits-all(-tastebuds). Story: 3/10 It took me several tries over a few seasonal cours to make it to the end of Sugar Apple Fairy Tale's scant 12-episode run, because the protagonist never catches abreak. And I mean never: every instance of Ann finally attaining her goals is immediately countered by a biting setback. Before long, I found myself wincing with every instance gone right, because it meant something else just went horribly wrong.

Some viewers eat up this kind of melodrama, but I find it very difficult to continue watching when there is no emotional catharsis. Ann is never allowed to celebrate in her successes, and it becomes a painful watch when failure is waiting around every corner with a sledgehammer.

It's unbelievable how dead-set the world is on making Ann's (and Shall's and Mythrill's) life miserable, from obvious plot beats to contrivances, right down to the gradually-revealed world building of the tradition of silver sugar makers. There's a word for this kind of story: misery porn.

Despite this, pacing is fine.

I'd also be remiss not to mention the slave-to-lover trope present in this story. It is an ick to many, and something the audience deserves to be informed of.

Art: 9/10

I was right about one thing in my initial assessment: the art never did disappoint. The characters have gorgeous colors, and the backgrounds even moreso. And the sugar confectioneries! One point knocked off for lack of sakuga (the animation is never particularly brilliant), but the consistency of the show is nevertheless impressive.

Sound: 7/10

The opening is everything I wanted from this show and more. The ending is a bit more generic. I didn't make much note of the in-show background music. The voice acting is well-casted.

Character: 5/10

This show goes out of its way to make you despise much of the supporting cast. The world of silver sugar confectioneries is ruthless, and so too are characters not above doing absolutely anything in the name of getting ahead of the pack. This specifically means fucking over Ann and her companions 90% of the time, but honestly? I respect it. I respect the commitment to writing characters who are willing to get their hands dirty, characters willing to weaponize any tool, characters who are full of vile intent and willing to be horrible people to get their way. They are infuriating, but they make the show happen.

Unfortunately, Ann herself has little going for her. Outside her primary goal of becoming a silver sugar master like her late mother, she herself is quite bland once you take away the endless setback parade. I feel like I know more about Shall's personality than Ann's, and he's the resident mysterious guy of few words.

I would have liked to see more time spent on Ann and Shall (either together or separately) outside the constant melodrama.

Enjoyment: 4/10

This was a deceptively difficult watch. The production value is good, but each episode is an emotionally infuriating affair. There is no catharsis. The ending felt on-point to me as a microcosm of the show as a whole: bittersweet, with resolution in name only (though there is a season two that I have not yet watched; are you feeling lucky enough to watch 12 more episodes for a chance at resolution roulette?).

Who should watch <i>Sugar Apple Fairy Tale</i>?

If this review hasn't put you off the show yet, you're likely to find more deliciousness in this sugar apple than sourness.

If you like the tropes I've outlined so far, you'll love this show.

If you're only here for the shoujo vibes, this show is going to emotionally drag you across the ground like a sack of bruised apples.

Overall, 6/10.

Right so watch this before season 2 at your own risk. The existence of the upcoming season 2 here in a couple months is the only reason why I'm giving this show a 9 and not giving this show a 1. The reason for this is that the last episode p much ends in the worst way possible without outright just killing all the main characters. It's too jarring and too forced a breakpoint. I don't have so referred to as "PADS" after watching this, I feel like finding a pitchfork. Everything else is a roller coaster of ups and downs. People you thought were one waycompletely turning inside out. Many times. It goes both ways at least.

I enjoyed watching the mc overcome adversity that unfortunately comes her way constantly the entire show. I love how MC stays true to herself despite it all and never gives up.

The artwork and backstory are fantastic. The flow is not vey fast paced, but there are short time skips between episode events which was decently done. Some things you will guess where it leads and other times you will be surprised.

Again enjoy at your own risk, I wish there was a review like this before I watched it so I would have waited until the second season came out.

--end rant.

Sometimes a sweet little fantasy is needed. Although not dynamic and action-packed, it has its moments. It has depth, although it seems soft and fluffy. I wouldn't expect anything too crazy deep or original. So far, ep.8, there are a lot of cliches in the conflicts that have taken place, but I still find myself interested in where it will go. The art is really pretty. The animation isn't top-notch. It's pretty simple (sometimes noticeably lacking), but the focus on art in other areas makes up for it. The light and colorful character designs are beautiful. Each character feels unique and has its own color scheme.The sugar confections are also so pretty and a pleasure to look at. A lot of work has gone into the appearance of the characters/sugar confections.

The world is interesting, and I like how they handle fairies and their ownership. I'd really love to keep learning about the world, and I'm not sure how deep this show will go into it. The different types of fairies and the different relationships between humans and fairies it's not always the most original, but it's pleasant nonetheless.

Overall this show so far is childlike in a comforting way and would be best watched without high expectations. Rather watch it with the intent of going along for a little ride.

A lot of people really like to rag on shoujo for being formulaic, boring, or whatever buzzwords they come up with to justify hating everything the genre produces. There are certainly parts of the series I'm not the biggest fan of (age gap, slavery, some non-consensual themes), but overall, Sugar Apple delivers exactly what it promises: A charming story about a sugar artisan and her beloved fairy. If you don't have shounen brain damage and are looking for something with an element of fantasy that isn't just another vaguely fantasy isekai, PLEASE watch SAFT. Ann is genuinely one of my favourite protagonists I've seen ina shoujo in a very, very long time. She's not a doormat, and even better, she's not a "strong female character" archetype— she's sweet, feminine, and caring, but at the same time, she's incredibly passionate, reckless, and foolhardy. It plays off remarkably well with Challe, who perhaps plays a bit more into genre stereotypes but has his own charm to him regardless. Even the secondary characters who only appear in one or two episodes are engaging enough that I want to know more about them and their relationships, without ever undermining Ann and Challe's focus as the main characters. (Lord Mithril Lid Pod best character.)

The anime itself is also incredibly pretty. They really put a lot of work into the visual aspects, and you don't have to suspend your disbelief to believe that yes, these sugar sculptures, these fairy's wings, all of these things are beautiful. There's a lot of realism to how they work as well, if anyone's ever watched a real life sugar sculptor, although perhaps without all the heat blisters. If not for the plot, just watch for some visual stimulation.

I usually don't write prelim reviews, or reviews at all for that matter, but I absolutely love Sugar Apple Fairy Tale, and I highly recommend it to anyone who has been feeling starved for shoujo fantasy, which frankly is something we have been rarely getting lately. I have been hyped for this show ever since I heard about it last year, and it did not disappoint, it's easily my highlight of every week and I get so excited to see the newest episode every Friday. So why do I think this show is so awesome? Well, a few reasons~ Art/Animation: An absolute 10/10 for me. Iwas a bit worried at first when I heard that JC Staff was animating this since they're kind of a shit studio but they really knocked it out of the park here, the colors are bright and vibrant, and the character designs are all great, plenty of pretty guys and girls to look at, and the backgrounds look very painting-like, it reminds me of something from a storybook or fairytale, which is very fitting with the theme of the show.

Story: I am familiar with this story somewhat because I have read the manga, and so far it hits all the beats perfectly and brings the story to life very well. It's a simple plot, nothing exactly mind-blowing, but it keeps me interested and every new episode has me excited for the next. The idea of candy making might sound boring to most, but the adventure and fantastical elements helps keep it enjoyable to watch. I love the mix of cute and sparkly with a darker and deeper layer of more complex themes beneath, because I enjoy shoujo with a little bit of bite.

Characters: Anne is a cinnamon roll, Shall is a badass, Jonas is an incel that deserves to burn in hell. Going beyond that, all of the characters are good and serve their roles well. The dynamic between Anne and Shall is great, and I'm very much looking forward to seeing how their current relationship will evolve into a closer friendship, and eventually romance~

Also I want to address one of the stupid criticisms I see a lot, that being that this anime glorifies slavery. How on earth did that conclusion happen? Did we even watch the same show? It's incredibly obvious that glorifying slavery is far from what the anime is trying to do with the way it is portrayed. Anne treats Shall as an equal despite everyone else's pushes to the contrary, and while she is a bit idealist, it's obvious that she doesn't view the fairies as slaves, and wants them to be considered equals with humans. So yeah, anyone claiming how this anime "glorifies slavery" is just plain ass stupid imo. Besides, no one seemed to have an issue with the slavery themes in Shield Hero which was handled a lot worse, so I don't see why this all of all things is suddenly a problem. Shoujo anime are allowed to tell darker stories and show darker themes, not every female-targeted anime has to be uwu fluffy high school romance.

In conclusion, I fell in love with this show from the start and I strongly recommend it to fellow shoujo lovers, fantasy and romance enjoyers, or those who are looking for something different from the usual seasonal bloat of battle shounen, isekai, and school rom-coms.

The animation for this series never missed and so is the amount of love I feel for Anne, Challe, and Mythril. They are all lovely characters who doesn't feel like caricatures. Anne, the protagonist, was too kind to a fault (sometimes it annoys me because I want her to just snap at someone) but it is her very kindness be which allowed me to stay endeared. Challe Fen Challe, on the other hand, has a quiet character with subtle character development that is not forced. The series gives a feel comfort BUT the antagonists are definitely one of the best I encountered this anime season. The frustration,anger, and hate I feel towards Jonas, Sammy, and Bridget are far too complex for me to explain. I have encountered people like these three evil characters—thank god I'm not as kind as Anne or as patient as Challe.

I thought it was a charming "classic" kind of shoujo that id been missing as of late, an enjoyable pass time. Id love to give it a higher rating, I especially enjoyed little mythril lid pods character, but the general characterization of the characters and particularly the antagonists was really flat, they were all frustrating to watch and repetitive in the obstacles they'd bring Anne. and somehow despite encountering very similar scenarios repeatedly, and building trust between the main duo, falling for the tricks, miscommunication and doubt rang true whenever a problem occurred lol. I DID say it was classically shoujo, so technically that problemis part of that as you see these tropes and writing tics in a lot of works.

The opening song was very cute and put me in a good mood to start new episodes.

I liked the concept of sugar confectionary fairy tale, it kind of reminded me of akagami no shirayukihime in its themes of following a main characters craft to becoming an established person in the field and the fairy tale esque tone. I enjoyed shirayukis writing a lot more though. Which is funny to say because it does include some of those common ticks, it just wasnt portrayed in a way that got on my nerves i guess.

Im a big fan of faeries, which is one reason i looked into the series, and i liked my experience, but I don't know if id recommend it often with how many personal ticks I have. I will be continuing the next seasons though. Its a charming, cute and easy watch.

Overall:

the art was simple but effective, it was cute stylistically and the color usage was fitting to the series, i really liked seeing all the different sugar confections they were a highlight of the show.

character is where my mid score comes from, i liked the main dynamic of the duo, and what they were going for but i feel like it couldve been done better if it wasnt leaning on tropes and surface level development that you see in a lot of shows but as i watch a variety of things like that and accept them anyway, i forgive it and just had fun lol.

sound: like i said i liked the opening song, i wouldnt say the ost has anything im running to youtube to re-listen to but it was fitting to the vibe of the show.

If i had to say, it reminded me of stories like shirayuki with some hints of little women, very classic. if you like that and dont mind 1 dimensional villains, for sure ! i like a fun series like that sometimes. if youre looking for something with a little more depth and nuance i dont recommend it though.

The whole fairy-slavery thing is weird. I liked the art style but the storyline could have been better, i feel like every episode Ann’s sugar crafting work was being sabotaged, first by Jonas and then by Sammy. So each time Ann was crafting some sugar it gave me stress and i had a feeling it would be sabotaged again… And what a horrible ending! Bridget was acting so spoiled i didn’t like her. I expected a 13th episode where Shall and Ann would be reunited but that didn’t happen. So i hated the ending. If you hate sad endings i would not recommend this anime.

something i liked about this series was that the romance didn't feel totally one sided. like in my personal opinion, challe showed more interest in anne in one season of this show than tomoe did in nanami throughout the entirety of kamisama hajimemashita. sorry to randomly drag kamisama kiss for no reason, but that's an example of a shoujo that's wildly popular, and like, even though i enjoyed it, i really wasn't convinced that tomoe had any romantic feelings for nanami at all. like ?? it was lowkey frustrating to read/watch. as opposed to this show, i felt like challe started seeing anne in aromantic light before anne even started seeing him that way. which is objectively better, because like girl GET UP. in fact i'd probs prefer an obsessive male lead over an unaffected one. i'm not saying challe is like that in this show. he's obviously not. i'm just saying it's nice to see some interest from the ML early on for once. i think it was by like, the third episode, challe is given the choice to leave anne and go do his own thing and forget anything ever happened. he has total free will but he's like nah i like this girl i'm gonna stay with her. and i appreciate how protective he is because it's not just a possessiveness thing (ahem INUYASHA, also tomoe kinda). like challe's not jealous really he just genuinely wants to like sweep her off her feet every opportunity and be like aRe YoU oKaY MiLaDy (not literally) but you get the idea. anyway the dynamic was nice i appreciated that. story was good but i felt like poor anne was getting her ass beat again and again for no reason. also the ending had me crying and throwing up and banging my head on the wall so that was uncool. but i guess we're getting another season ? so that doesn't fix things at all but like it gives them the opportunity to fix it .. so the production team better get on that. anyway give her a watch she's fab.