The Winter 2023 season has given viewers a pleasant romance/fantasy anime titled Sugar Apple Fairy Story, primarily based on the sunshine novels by Miri Mikawa and illustrated by Aki. The sequence stars Ann Halford, who has goals of turning into a Silver Sugar Grasp like her mom. Ann travels to the capital to meet her dream and is accompanied by Shall Fen Shall, a warrior fairy she bought as a bodyguard.
There have not been many fairy-based anime in manufacturing currently, however followers of the Winter 2023 gem will doubtless additionally get pleasure from 2008’s The Earl and the Fairy. The latter is about in Victorian Britain and focuses on the adventures of Lydia Carlton and Edgar J.C. Ashenbert, also called the “Legendary Blue Knight Earl”. Lydia aids Edgar in his quest to seek out his beloved household’s heirloom, a sword stated to be handed down from era to era. This is why The Earl and the Fairy is the proper subsequent anime for Sugar Apple Fairy Story viewers.
Sugar Apple Fairy Story and The Earl and the Fairy share a darkish perspective on fairies. Western folklore typically has them characterised as mischievous, nature-loving and lighthearted. Nonetheless, these two anime highlight them as “property”, handled poorly by people regardless of having mystical powers. Regardless of being a mighty warrior fairy, Sugar Apple Fairy Story’s Shall is taken into account inferior to people. As a fairy, he can not sit on the desk along with his grasp Ann, however she doesn’t thoughts his presence though others discover it offensive.
In The Earl and the Fairy, Raven — Edgar’s servant — is belittled by others round him attributable to having a sprite residing inside him. These anime forged a darkish shadow over fairies, breaking traditional stereotypes by displaying discrete discrimination towards them regardless of being masked in a female and visually pleasing aesthetic.
Each sequence floor themselves in a world the place people and supernatural entities exist, introducing viewers to a wide range of western legendary creatures. But in The Earl and the Fairy, Edgar and Lydia journey to completely different worlds and work together with different supernatural creatures. Nonetheless, they’re handled as inferior and should abide by the supernatural realm’s guidelines — an inversion of the traditional state of affairs the place non-human characters are pressured to abide by people’ social guidelines. As these dynamics play out, it sends a message to followers that, human or fairy, it is necessary to all the time deal with others in a form and respectful method.
The Earl and the Fairy’s leads even have comparable traits to these in Sugar Apple Fairy Story. Each feminine protagonists are fairy lovers and continuously attempt to assist these at risk. In Sugar Apple, though Ann bought Shall as “property” and may use the wing she possesses to regulate him, she treats him as an equal. Somewhat than making calls for, Ann politely makes requests of Shall and offers him the liberty to do as he pleases, even when society appears down on it. Likewise, Lydia treats fairies and different supernatural entities with respect. She is usually the mediator between them and people, as the 2 species typically don’t get alongside.
Moreover, Ann and Lydia are each career-oriented, impartial girls whose moms impressed them to pursue their goals. Ann needs to be a Silver Sugar Grasp and achieve acknowledgment from fairies and society as a sugar confectioner. Lydia, in the meantime, goals to be a “fairy physician” who may also help supernatural entities. Each characters’ profession objectives contain the well-being of fairies, which is seemed down upon by society since many people both don’t imagine in fairies’ existence or view them as inferior. Even so, Ann and Lydia’s love for fairies characterizes them as compassionate people who present nice empathy towards these in want.
As for the male protagonists, Sugar Apple Fairy Story’s Shall and The Earl and the Fairy’s Edgar have glamorized the mysterious and “unhealthy boy” male persona. Edgar is a womanizer and continuously tries to pursue Lydia romantically; although Shall could not appear to look after Ann’s well-being, he all the time protects her in the long run. These males are the definition of chivalry as they shield their feminine counterparts when at risk. Their personalities are a spotlight of their respective sequence, attracting a robust feminine viewers. Thus, anime followers who’re having fun with Shall in Winter 2023’s Sugar Apple Fairy Story will likewise get pleasure from Edgar J.C. Ashenbert in The Earl and the Fairy.
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