Taishou Maiden Fairytale

Just like a fairy-tale Taishou Otome Fairytale concludes its stories with our characters having learned and groan from their ordeals and smiles and romance all around. Well you can’t say the title of this anime didn’t warn you that they were going for the sweet resolution rather than the tragic one.

Episode 11 sees Tamahiko and Ryou walking to Tokyo in search of both Yuzuki and Ryou’s brother who moved to Tokyo for work earlier in the season. However on arriving in Tokyo both are taken back by the sheer scale of the wreckage caused by the earthquake. Prepare for your heart to be wrenched as you watch Tamahiko’s frantic search for Yuzuki.

The ending Taishou Otome Fairytale needed.

I’ve mentioned before that Taishou Otome Fairytale is at its absolute best when Tamahiko and Yuzuki are together so splitting them for the entirety of episode 11 may have been seen as a risky move. However, it is one that pays off big time emotionally as the full extent of Tamahiko’s growth as a character is on full display and more than that, his honest emotional reaction to the situation and his separation from Yuzuki is more than enough to carry this story now.

Affiliate Link

Horizon Forbidden West T-Shirt Black

Even before setting out, his decision to open his house to the villagers whose homes were destroyed was quite unlike the old Tamahiko and one that some would have thought twice about given the treatment he’s received from people in the village.

When Tamahiko became a character I cared about individually and outside of his relationship with Yuzuki I’m not really sure but I do know that watching him insist that Yuzuki was alive and that he would find her and watching his earnest efforts to do just that certainly caused me to tear up.

While it is certainly convenient that Taishou Otome Fairytale brings back Tamahiko’s uncle, younger sister, Kotori and her brother who all end up assisting in the search in some way, it really does give the reunion the emotional touch it deserves. Tamahiko and Yuzuki have touched so many lives.

Episode 12 of Taishou Otome Faiytale flips the perspective and Yuzuki’s journey is finally revealed though not just in Tokyo. Through flashbacks we see her growing affection for Tamahiko as well as her desire to return to him. While at times she has seemed too nice, too compliant, it was really lovely to see that she has chosen to cherish Tamahiko and not just because she was bought as a bride for him.

The one note that kind of missed the mark in these final two episodes was the brief confrontation with Tamahiko’s father. Largely handled by the uncle, and good on him for standing his ground, Tamahiko really didn’t get the chance to confront his father or really deal with the poor relationship they have (not that I imagine it would have gone well either way). Instead he merely gets to say he’s glad his father wasn’t injured, though honestly Tamahiko’s father getting buried in an earthquake probably would have felt justified given how he treats even members of his own family.

However, given the nature of the story, Taishou Otome Fairytale ends with the sweetest of fairy-tale endings and the characters return to their peaceful lives in the village that is slowly rebuilding and Tamahiko has realised he’s no longer alone. It might be a little saccharine but sometimes that is exactly the mood you are in so it definitely serves a purpose.

I’ll get to the full season review shortly of this sweet delight.

Images from: Taishou Otome Fairytale. Dir. J Hatori. SynergySP. 2021

Thank-you for reading 100 Word Anime.
Join the discussion in the comments.
Karandi James

Taishou Otome Fairytale continues to be the most ridiculously sweet anime of 2021 and takes the sweetness to near cavity inducing in episodes 9 and 10. As folksinger, Kotori, stays with Yuzuki and Tamahiko to learn about love and Tamahiko starts to get closer with his classmates it kind of seems like everything is finally going well for the pair.

Then episode 10 happens and honestly the two are still super sweet but Yuzuki goes to Tokyo to visit a friend and on the day she’s due to return an Earthquake strikes.

Now, I’m pretty sure this isn’t the kind of anime that goes for a tragic ending but it might and we really have no way of knowing until we get into the next episodes.

Taishou Otome Fairytale knew exactly how to escalate its tension for the final episodes.

While Taishou Otome Fairytale isn’t the most exciting anime to watch, it really does show some understanding of when to build up tension and when to let your characters take a breath and it balances the sweet moments with bitterness in an almost perfect mix to leave you feeling that the story never really gets too dull but you walk away feeling happy and relaxed.

Even Ryou’s return and gentle teasing of Yuzuki after she’s asked to help Tamahiko with food while Yuzuki is away isn’t enough to spoil the overall mood. Admittedly, that character is a lot less annoying in her current form then she was after she was first introduced.

Affiliate Link

Live a Live – RPG Game

Episode 9 of Taishou Otome Fairtyale continues to develop Tamhiko’s friendship with Hikaru and Tamahiko is actually surprisingly perceptive for once, realising that Hikaru was avoiding visiting his house while his sister Kotori was there. The reason why doesn’t make a huge amount of sense but Tamahiko and Yuzuki weave their sweet magic and by the end of the episode everything is fine.

Kotori meanwhile takes over Tamahiko’s tutorial with the village kids and we get a sing-song moment that drags on a little too long but fits in with the general sweetness of the story.

Likewise, by the end of the episode we have both Tamahiko and Yuzuki really considering where they are in their relationship and the final shot with the two on the bike is just super adorable.

But in order to not let things get too cutesy, episode 10 has Yuzuki receive a letter notifying her that one of her friends is now pregnant and going to move to her partner’s home town. Given the era and difficulty travelling, Yuzuki is worried she won’t see her again but also doesn’t want to leave Tamahiko.

And Tamahiko, demonstrating just how much he’s grown from those first few episodes, encourages her to go and even takes her to a local shrine and buys a charm for Yuzuki’s friend.

The farewell scene at the train station is yet another cavity causing moment but honestly this anime is really built on those so we’ll go with it and realistically I love this couple so much even if the anime itself is only so-so.

But Taishou Otome Fairytale is aware we are coming to the end of the season, and also that things are going way too smoothly for out main characters, and so disaster strikes in the form of an earthquake. Pre-mobile phone era Tamahiko has no way to contact Yuzuki to ask if she is okay or even where she is (given she was meant to be returning) and so he is about to set out to look for her.

The one thing I was a bit miffed about with Taishou Otome Fairytale was when Tamahiko tried to help the rescue efforts in the village and was more or less shoved aside. Seriously, you are in the middle of a crisis and you are going to chase away help? It would have made more sense to send Tamahiko to a job he could do rather than telling him to go away.

Anyway, looking forward to the final two episodes.

Images from: Taishou Otome Fairytale. Dir. J Hatori. SynergySP. 2021

Thank-you for reading 100 Word Anime.
Join the discussion in the comments.
Karandi James

Taishou Otome Fairytale decides to reward Tamahiko’s determination, rather than kicking him while he is down for once, and after his father ignores repeated requests to allow him to return to school the uncle who offered Tamako a pathway toward her future also extend a supportive hand to Tamahiko. It was nice not only seeing Tamahiko ask for help but his genuine gratitude and acceptance when someone from his fairly cold family reached out to him.

Now if a meteor could just land on his father’s head.

Taishou Otome Fairytale always mixes the bitter with sweet.

Tamahiko’s return to formal education after his year or so of living as though he was dead isn’t without difficulty. Sure he’s done the study to catch up on missed information but the challenges of day to day school, including interactions with peers and changing clothes, all make it a little overwhelming and hard to deal with.

For Tamahiko who only really started interacting with anyone outside of Yuzuki again in episode 7 of Taishou Otome Fairytale when he began tutoring the local kids this is kind of a bridge too far.

Harder also when another new student joined the class at the same time who isn’t just confident in his introduction, he’s the twin brother of a celebrity.

Yeah, Taishou Otome Fairytale has thrown in another girl and this one is the singer that Yuzuki and most of the locals are a little obsessed with. For some reason she put on a show at the local train station and they all went to watch at the start of the episode. By episode end the brother brings her around to the house so successful introduction of yet another girl into this mix.

Affiliate Link

Mondo: The Art of Soundtracks (hardcover)

On that note, I wasn’t particularly sold on her music at the start though I guess given the era any entertainment should be appreciated.

But while we’re talking about other girls, let’s talk about Yuzuki’s shining moment this episode. Sure she’s supportive of Tamahiko and listens as he tells her about his day and serves tea to his guest, but honestly, her best moment comes when Ryou turns up at the house for whatever reason and Yuzuki actually acts genuinely frustrated at her being there.

Finally it seems like Yuzuki is comfortable enough to actually express herself and not just be the happy little wife who politely complies with everything going on around her. That was kind of a nice change of pace for Taishou Otome Fairytale.

While I don’t need Yuzuki to become some overconfident cow who tells people off just for breathing, it is nice that she can express her own frustrations and annoyances without feeling like she’s someone letting down her image of being the perfect Shima bride.

I kind of hope Taishou Otome Faiytale continues to let Yuzuki relax and be herself. I also hope that the friendship Tamahiko seems to be striking up with Hikaru ends up being genuine because Tamahiko still has a long way to go to get back to being in the world.

Actually what I really want by the end of this series, and I doubt there’s enough episodes to get that far, but what I really want is Tamahiko to confront his father and point out what an unbelievable jerk he has been through all of this.

Then again, until Tamahiko can support himself and Yuzuki, he’s unlikely to rock the boat and upset the person who could technically turn them both out of the house they are living in considering technically Tamahiko was declared dead.

I’m not sure what Kotori’s role will be in the next episode but I’m low-key looking forward to more from this series. Taishou Otome Fairytale hasn’t been amazing, but it has been consistent, and sometimes that is enough.

Images from: Taishou Otome Fairytale. Dir. J Hatori. SynergySP. 2021

Thank-you for reading 100 Word Anime.
Join the discussion in the comments.
Karandi James

Anime romances are pretty notorious for barely getting to the confession stage. It is almost a miracle when a sweet teen couple share even a kiss. Needless to say, with the glacial pace Taishou Otome Fairytale was moving, not to mention both protagonists suffering from excessive blushing at the best of times, I wasn’t expecting much in the way of romantic development.

So I was quite surprised when they have an honest conversation about marriage now that Yuzuki has turned 15 and then casually, and without much fanfare, share a kiss.

Definitely less surprising was the explosively red blush that nearly blew both their heads off after the kiss.

I mean, Taishou Otome Fairytale is still an anime afterall.

Taishou Otome Fairytale is at its best with Yuzuki and Tamahiko.

Weirdly though, Yuzuki and Tamahiko have kind of acclimatised to one another in this episode. Sure, more seasons have passed and the two are now working in pretty good sync with Tamahiko also helping with some of the household chores, those he’s able to with his arm, and Yuzuki seems to have learned to take breaks and not over-tax herself.

It’s a sweet rhythm they are in and with Tamahiko finally looking toward a future you could almost see Taishou Otome Fairytale ending on a happy note. Except that he threw in the famous words of awaiting a response from his father. Does anyone honestly believe Tamahiko is going to get a response from his father that doesn’t send him back into soul crushing despair?

Affiliate Link

Horizon Forbidden West T-Shirt Black

Anyway, the majority of this episode isn’t actually about the central couple. Its actually about the kids in the town who, led by Atsumi’s brothers, have all decided that Tamhiko is a pretty good teacher and they are rocking up to his house quite frequently for lessons.

As Tamahiko observes after the first few lessons, the kids actually multiply as the days go by.

On the one hand, that’s kind of awesome that after a year or so of living in the village Tamahiko is finally getting to know people and contributing something to the community. On the other hand he’s got a whole bunch of kids who have more or less taken up residence in his home during the day. As usual, it is hard to tell if he’s pleased by this development or just too shy to tell them to go away.

Naturally, Taishou Otome Fairytale has also brought Atsumi back around. While she takes a small (very small) step toward kind of maybe making up for her behaviour in the last episode, I still don’t like this character much so found it hard to get behind her drama this week as she frantically searched for her brother in the final act of the episode. Not that I wanted anything to happen to her brother, I just didn’t really feel bad that Atsumi was upset.

That’s the problem when you make a character behave in a fairly unforgiveable manner. it is difficult later on to really empathise with them when things go wrong for them.

Also, the overall solution presented to the crisis in Taishou Otome Fairytale this week very much seemed far too simplistic. The younger brother had some genuine concerns about moving away for work and even Tamahiko admitted he’d never actually done that but more or less painted a very rosy picture of the best possible outcome for him.

Though this anime took much the same approach with Tamako’s issues.

As much as Taishou Otome Fairytale is identifying some real social concerns in the era as well as persona dramas for the characters, it doesn’t want to deal with the serious subject matter all that seriously beause that would definitely break the romantic slice-of-lie feel it has going.

Still, episode 7 has Tamahiko and Yuzuki kiss. They are so adorable when they are honest with each other and are super cute together. Now if we can just get some ore of the drama out of the way and just let them be.

Images from: Taishou Otome Fairytale. Dir. J Hatori. SynergySP. 2021

Thank-you for reading 100 Word Anime.
Join the discussion in the comments.
Karandi James

Taishou Otome Fairytale really isn’t quite hitting the spot I wanted it to this season. I was very much just looking for a sleepy romance, and to be fair when Tamahiko and Yuzuki are given the opportunity just to be at home together that is more or less what we get, however it keeps getting interrupted by other things.

Things like Atsumi, our thief from episode 5.

Now it was quite apparent that they were going to give her some angsty back-story as to why she was stealing from Tamahiko, because Taishou Otome Fairytale is just that kind of story. however, after delivering it, having our protagonist spend time with Atsumi and her brothers and almost making her a likeable (ish) character, they then undermine it all by the stunt she pulls when she goes to Tamahiko’s house.

Honestly, there’s no coming back from that one. Atsumi is a nasty piece of work who is miserable with her own life and seems to enjoy making those she perceives as luckier or better off than her equally miserable. She needs to be able to laugh at them from above as they crumble to make herself feel better and to be honest that makes her pretty repulsive.

It also makes her a pretty believable character given I’m sure everyone has met someone like Atsumi in real life. The person who when you get a windfall of any sort just has to find a way to knock you down a couple of pegs.

Taishou Otome Fairytale may not have created a likeable character but they sure created a believable one.

Affiliate Link

Haikyu Kotaro Bokuto (Re-Run)

Where this will be a problem for Taishou Otome Fairytale is it seems kind of clear that this character is going to hang around and I really don’t like her. I don’t want to see her intruding on the slow creeping happiness of Tamahiko and Yuzuki and honestly her very existence on screen will probably be enough to sour any sequence she is in.

That they’ll probably continue to find ways to ‘heal’ her with the power of Yuzuki’s sweetness is beside the point. I don’t want her to hang around long enough for that. You know test audiences kill characters in movies all the time and if I was in the test audience for this anime, I’d happily see Atsumi suffer some tragedy off-screen and have her vanish from the story. Her brothers can come stay at the house with Yuzuki and Tamahiko and they’ll all live happily ever after.

Okay, rather than rewriting this anime or plotting the downfall of someone whose only real crime is being a nasty piece of work, let’s look at the positive from this episode.

Tamahiko acknowledges how important Yuzuki is to him.

Okay, not to Yuzuki. Taishou Otome Fairytale isn’t ready to skip that far ahead in this relationship yet. But while explaining why he needs the bookmark back to Atsumi, he talks about it being irreplaceable but the image he sees isn’t of the bookmark, it is of Yuzuki. I mean, come on, that is just too sweet.

For once Yuzuki comes across as the less honest one as she deals with her frustrations about the whole situation by destroying the bookmark on its return. And yes, it is justified, however this is probably the most callous thing Taishou Otome Fairytale has allowed this character to do yet. And the impact it has on the tone of the rest of the episode is enormous.

Fortunately, Yuzuki and Tamahiko do actually have a conversation before the end of the episode and while I won’t say everything is perfectly restored given even after gluing the bookmark back together the damage is still quite visible, I suspect Yuzuki and Tamahiko will both grow from what is essentially their first real fight.

So yeah, Taishou Otome Fairytale: More Tamahiko and Yuzuki moments, ditch Atsumi, and can we please see these two get a happy ending?

Images from: Taishou Otome Fairytale. Dir. J Hatori. SynergySP. 2021

Thank-you for reading 100 Word Anime.
Join the discussion in the comments.
Karandi James

Taishou Otome Fairytale just kind of happened this week. The opening act is taken up with Tamako’s departure after her shock announcement in episode 4 and lots of sweet reminiscence between brother and sister before she leaves. We then get to watch Yuzuki and Tamahiko blush at one another before a random girl breaks into their house.

I didn’t find this episode of Taishou Otome Fairytale charming and it kind of just felt empty.

In the absence of its usual charm and sweet nothingness, Taishou Otome Fairytale kind of struggled to connect this week. Tamako’s farewell seemed needlessly drawn out with a discussion about why she wants to be a doctor, a sleep over and then a farewell at the train station. It just kind of stretches what feels like an already established plot point and I’m not sure there’s enough payoff to make all that screen time worthwhile.

The middle of the episode this week feels like a mishmash of events until we move on to the next actual pertinent point in the story. Such was the feeling of nothing really happening I took a screen cap of this cutie because to be honest this was the most interesting thing going on in the scene.

I was kind of left wondering why we have another anime cat named Haru. Is this a popular cat name in Japan? Honestly it just made me think about My Roommate is a Cat, which incidentally was a fun enough slice of life, and largely that just distracted me from caring much about what was happening in Taishou Otome Fairytale. Not a great sign for my current level of engagement with this story given it apparently has 12 episodes and we’re not quite at the half-way mark.

Affiliate Link

Haikyu Kotaro Bokuto (Re-Run)

Though I did pay enough attention to see that Tamahiko, still upset by the doctor’s words from last week, does go to the market with Yuzuki and we get one of those cute and fluffy moments where the background kind of disappears and everything gets real pink. Granted it didn’t feel particularly like enough happened to warrant this but I’ll be honest, this episode needed every lift it could get.

We aren’t getting through a whole episode of Taishou Otome Fairytale without Tamahiko throwing himself a pity party though. And while this one was in the past (no-one-remembered-my-birthday-wail) it at least helped set the scene about a sudden huge attachment to a simple bookmark Yuzuki gave him. Which was important because otherwise the next scene wouldn’t work at all.

Basically, a girl saw them in the market and decided that the best course of action was to break into their house and then steal Tamahiko’s wallet and also the bookmark while she’s there. I don’t much like what little we’ve seen of her. She didn’t click as an interesting character at all. And honestly if she hadn’t taken the bookmark it would have been good-riddance when she left the scene.

The real tragedy here is we end with this set-up unresolved which means whether we like this girl or not she will be in the next episode.

I was kind of hoping with Tamako leaving that we’d get some time for Yuzuki and Tamahiko to really work on their lives together but instead we’re kind of plunged headlong into the next plot (such as it is) and honestly, it’s just not working for me and this is most definitely my least favourite episode so far.

All I really want is a cute romance from the leads. I’ll happily say goodbye to all the clutter.

Images from: Taishou Otome Fairytale. Dir. J Hatori. SynergySP. 2021

Thank-you for reading 100 Word Anime.
Join the discussion in the comments.
Karandi James

Taishou Otome Fairytale returned this week for episode 4 with a pleasant enough episode with the standard scenario of main girl gets sick and then the nursing and recovery complete with fever talking and embarrassing moments.

Taishou Otome Fairytale makes it hard to tell if the characters are moving forward or just moving in a really slow circle.

Tamahiko struggles this week as he realises that despite his new-found kind of contentment brought about Yuzuki’s presence over the last six months he’s still the same boy who lost the use of his hand and was deemed worthless by his family. That he has to remind himself to be pessimistic is a little annoying given if he’s already starting to feel more positive clearly it is time for him to move forward and he’s just deliberately holding himself back.

Though, that isn’t to say he doesn’t have some real struggles this week in Taishou Otome Fairytale. His attempts at assisting in Yuzuki’s nursing are either dismissed by Tamako or ineffective (such as his attempt to bring in water to cool her head – and can we point out there were several obvious solutions to his problem such as using a different container).

He’s further run-down when the doctor gives him an unprofessional and opinionated serve that more or less makes a whole bunch of assumptions about Tamahiko’s family (which may be grounded in reality) but also about Tamahiko and Yuzuki.

Affiliate Link

Live a Live – RPG Game

That Tamahiko doesn’t put the doctor straight irritates Tamako who actually gives Tamahiko a bit of a pep-talk showing that she at least is moving forward in Taishou Otome Fairytale. That forward movement is further clarified by her announcement at the end of the episode.

But let’s talk about Yuzuki.

The girl has literally worked herself to exhaustion and honestly this is the definite down-side of her ‘super-happy I can do it mode’ that seems to be her standard. It would be great if she learned from this experience and dialled it down a notch but somehow I doubt she will.

Let’s be honest: Tamahiko hasn’t asked much of Yuzuki. That she cooks and cleans diligently is lovely but no-one is stopping her from taking it easy. That the doctor assumes Tamahiko is taking advantage of her and working her to the bone is not only wrong, it is just cruel to Tamahiko who didn’t ask for Yuzuki to be dragged from her family to become a future bride and hasn’t asked Yuzuki to work herself so hard. When he’s already feeling bad about Yuzuki being with him this was just kicking him while he was down.

More importantly, it doesn’t address the problem of Yuzuki herself not actually looking after herself.

Even if Tamahiko told her to rest she probably wouldn’t. It is definitely something Yuzuki is going to have to address or she’ll definitely end up right back in bed exhausted again.

Not only did the doctor talk down to the wrong character if his goal was to protect Yuzuki, nobody actually told Yuzuki straight to take it easier. Not Tamahiko nor Tamako and certainly not the doctor.

It leaves the smiling resolution of this episode of Taishou Otome Fairytale a little sour because honestly it doesn’t feel like anyone actually addressed the central problem here.

However, at the start of the episode we do get to the see the super adorable Yuzuki with her hair in pigtails instead of braids and that in and of itself makes the episode worth watching.

I am enjoying this anime as Taishou Otome Fairytale is continuing to move through the day to day of these characters and the various roadblocks they encounter. It isn’t super thrilling but it is very watchable and it will be interesting to see where these characters end up.

Images from: Taishou Otome Fairytale. Dir. J Hatori. SynergySP. 2021

Thank-you for reading 100 Word Anime.
Join the discussion in the comments.
Karandi James

There’s a few character archetypes that I usually quite dislike and Taishou Otome Fairytale now has three of them all piled in together in this third episode. Weirdly enough, the combination works even if I wouldn’t actually say I like any of the characters (though Yuzuki is kind of adorable but she’s also pretty forgettable as she really is just the sweet girl who has decided to be happy regardless of anything else).

So we have the traditional Japanese girl who is going to make look after her house and husband to be and is going to be happy about it in Yuzuki. We also have the sullen and determined to be miserable Tamahiko who keeps failing in his own resolve to shut out the world because Yuzuki’s sheer shining happiness is more powerful than his cloud of doom he’s carrying around with him. Then episode three brings us the younger sister who says awful things to people but then wants to mope about nobody loving or even liking her.

Go figure.

Taishou Otome Fairytale works because of Yuzuki.

I mentioned in my review of episode two of Taishou Otome Fairytale that Yuzuki was the best thing that could have happened to Tamahiko and is what the story needed and I stand by that. While on her own, Yuzuki is a pretty ordinary character we’ve seen a million times before, paired with the deeply flawed brother and sister of the Shima family she manages to bring out the best in them and prevents episode three from feeling like a chore to watch.

The episode opens with what is your fairly standard future-sister-in-law verbal smack down as Tamako talks down to the adorable Yuzuki but immediately after Yuzuki is happily going about the process of settling her into her room.

On realising the impact Tamako’s presence has had on Tamahiko when he refused breakfast and is more or less determined to once again lay in his futon, Yuzuki is there to suggest a walk up the mountain which gives us some refreshing and adorable moments.

Actually, it gives us the best moment in this episode of Taishou Otome Fairytale. While the whole drinking water out of Yuzuki’s hands is one of those cute moments between characters and the blush they both get afterwards really sells the scene, the best moment goes to the flower field as Tamahiko realises not only has spring come literally to the world but Yuzuki has been his spring drawing him out of his own self-imposed winter.

I’m kind of hoping he holds onto this revelation and doesn’t just go back to hiding in his futon in episode 4.

Affiliate Link

Haikyu Kotaro Bokuto (Re-Run)

With one of the Shima siblings suitably emotionally buffed, Yuzuki is then tasked with somehow making Tamako a palatable character going forward, not an easy ask given her introduction to the story.

This is where I’m less sold on the approach taken by Taishou Otome Fairytale. Not only do we have yet another Japanese girl terrified of thunder and lightning (think Haruhi from Ouran High School Host Club or Serena from Sailor Moon or literally dozens of other characters near petrified by a fairly natural and frequent phenomenon) the episode also has her have an accident on the way to the bathroom leaving her looking like the scared and vulnerable twelve year old she is.

While this is affective at repositioning the audience in how they view Tamako I sort of feel that better writing may have been able to set this up without actually having the girl need to soil her bed-clothes.

Yuzuki as usual isn’t put off and goes about repairing the situation and thus wins over Tamako leading to a final happy cooking scene.

Basically, Taishou Otome Fairytale remains fluffy and light and as long as you don’t think about it too much its just kind of easy watching with standard characters and scenarios all currently held together by the fact that Yuzuki is pretty adorable. There’s not a lot else to this so far. Mileage may very for viewers though depending on how much Yuzuki grows on them.

Images from: Taishou Otome Fairytale. Dir. J Hatori. SynergySP. 2021

Thank-you for reading 100 Word Anime.
Join the discussion in the comments.
Karandi James

Yuzuki and Tamahiko continue to learn how to live together in episode 2 of Taishou Otome Fairytale. Of course, because this is anime, that does mean that Tamahiko is going to walk in on Yuzuki bathing and somehow that leads to her apologising to him, but then the episode kind of settles down a bit and delivers some sad moments as well as some super sweet ones.

Taishou Otome Fairytale – Two ways to deal with a bad situation.

Tamahiko is the kind of character who is left alone could become quite irritating to watch. He constantly reminds himself he’s a pessimist and on receiving a letter from his father essentially shuts himself off from the world before plotting how to die (we’ll discuss the letter contents and why his father is perhaps my candidate for worst anime dad of 2021 in just a moment).

Fortunately, Taishou Otome Fairytale isn’t willing to either let Tamahiko continue to mope nor is it willing to leave his response stand as the only way to deal with misfortune. While Yuzuki’s circumstances are different from Tamahiko’s, she’s still been sent to the isolated mountain villa to live with someone she never met and has had to leave friends and family behind. While her positive outlook may be a little too cloying at times, it perfectly off-sets Tamahiko’s rampant negativity and is enough of a jolt to get him thinking about things a little differently.

Affiliate Link

Mondo: The Art of Soundtracks (hardcover)

Yuzuki may very well be the best thing that could have ever happened to someone like Tamahiko and she is exactly what this story need to stop it spiralling down into depressing and keeps things light and sweet.

But I should get back to Tamahiko’s father. Possibly with a butcher’s knife. I mean terrible anime father’s is pretty much a trope that we’re all familiar with. Evangelion certainly set the bar high with Gendo. And while Tamahiko’s father hasn’t set a secret plan in motion that will destroy all humanity, he certainly doesn’t exactly have any humanity.

First his response to his wife dying and on getting injured is to call the son a disgrace and an embarrassment and to send him away (episode 1). Secondly, Taishou Otome Fairytale wouldn’t actually exist except that you used another families debt to then send their underage daughter to your son to become his ‘wife’ in the future and to look after him in the meantime. And then to top it all off you decide it isn’t in anyone’s interest that they remember the crippled son so you declare him dead and inform him of this in a letter.

As much as Tamhiko’s emo side is annoying, when you consider the parenting he received it is hard to imagine he could have been anymore emotionally capable of dealing with hardship than he is.

All things considered, this episode of Taishou Otome Fairytale could have been a bit of a downer but instead Tamahiko himself, once he recovers, realises he owes Yuzuki and so suggests a trip to Tokyo where he takes her shopping to replace a kimono that was stained while she cared for him after he got sick. This is the perfect mood-lightening segment and Yuzuki’s sheer delight at the expedition makes it hard not to smile along with her.

That and I think I just found my new favourite anime reaction.

Honestly, Taishou Otome Fairytale isn’t an amazing show. It’s a little on the slow side and heavy on emotional manipulation. But at its core the relationship between the two main characters has so far been sweet to watch develop and I think they bring out the best in one another. Whether that’s enough to sustain the series and whether the introduction of the sister into the villa is a good idea or just going for added drama we’ll find out soon enough I’d imagine.

Images from: Taishou Otome Fairytale. Dir. J Hatori. SynergySP. 2021

Thank-you for reading 100 Word Anime.
Join the discussion in the comments.
Karandi James