Ranked #649

Hakushaku to Yousei

The one thing that always impresses me about anime and manga is the attention to detail that the japanese creators of individual stories have, especially when they utilise culture, history, folklore, etc, from other parts of the world as integral parts of their tales.

Hakushaku to Yousei (or Earl and Fairy in english), began life as a series of light novels written by Tani Mizue, which were serialised in Cobalt magazine. The novels proved to be popular given the japanese love of western folklore and mythology, allowing the novels to be adapted for two drama CDs and a manga which is currently serialised in The Margaret magazine.

Before I go any further, I should point out that the story is most definitely unfinished, so expect a second, and maybe a third season at some point. That said, this initial series was rather well done on the whole.

The story is set in Victorian England and follow the adventures of 17 year old Lydia Carlton, a "Fairy Doctor". She has the ability to see and communicate with supernatural creatures like fairies, pixies, brownies, and other members of the Seelie Court, and for this reason she is chosen to help one Edgar J. C. Ashenbert in his quest to become the legendary Blue Knight Earl, the human ruler of the fairy nation. He is accompanied by his servant, a boy of around Lydia's age simply known as Raven, whilst Lydia is accompanied by a talking cat called Nico.

The story doesn't follow a straightforward path though, as Edgar's quest is borne from a desire for vengeance, and he has some extremely deadly enemies to contend with, as well as dealing with fey creatures who can twist the meaning of words and promises to suit their needs. It's for this reason that he desperately requires Lydia's help, especially as he can neither see nor talk to fairies.

The art and animation for this series is very well done, especially if you like bishies. The animation is generally very smooth, however my one gripe with the character designs was that Victorian England had a lot more plain looking people than the anime portrays (it would have been nice to see this, but it doesn't really affect the story). The characters that are in the show are all well designed though, especially Tomkins, whose features hint at his ancestry as one of the Merrow (merfolk). The fairy creatures are also well designed on the whole, and the members of the Unseelie Court all possess a suitably ominous appearance.

The music throughout the series is actually rather well done, and generally matches the time period. However, there are moments when the music definitely spoils the mood of the scene, especially with the more tension filled moments where a more ominous piece of something classical would have served better than the J-rock/pop track from the OP. The VAs are generally very good, however there is sometimes a slightly one dimesnional note to the main characters because of a lack of emotion being projected through the voice.

On the whole the characters were fairly solid. I found Lydia to be quite likeable, although this may be because she reminded me of Kou Shuurei from Saiunkoku Monogatari. Edgar was also quite likeable, however I found the supposed lack of emotion to be odd, especially given his feelings for Lydia. This is something that, unfortunately, carries over to many of the other characters, especially the males. For some reason they all seem to be protrayed as cool, icy, bishounens, when it would have served the story better if they let loose once in a while. It could be argued that this is in keeping with the Victorian setting, but it's more likely to be because this is most definitely a shoujo anime.

I found this to be surprisingly enjoyable though, especially given it's flaws. I think that my enjoyment though, mainly comes from the fact that folklore is a hobby of mine, and I found that the numerous fey creatures and references were more closely related to what is in folklore than most people would believe (in other words, the old fairy tales where there's lots of blood, as opposed to the more modern version - the bedtime story). It shows that Tani Mizue actually referenced a fair amount of material during the writing of the light novels, and has used the information to good effect.

This isn't really a series that will appeal to everyone. It's not complete enough to be a true shoujo anime, however it does highlight the fact that fey creatures aren't nice on the whole. It won't appeal to action or sports junkies, and probabaly won't be liked by mecha and combat fans. Horror buffs may like it for it's portrayal of fairies and the like, but the ones who will probably enjoy watching it the most are fans of Angelique, Saiunkoku Monogatari, Gakuen Alice, etc, especially given the romance aspect between Edgar and Lydia.

If you do happen to like this because of the fairies though, then you may want to check out the following books:

"Faerie Tale" by Raymond E Feist
"Lords & Ladies" and "The Wee Free Men" by Terry Pratchett. read more

Hakushaku to Yosei is a delightful romantic shoujo fantasy. However, for one to enjoy it, expectations have to be set. The 12-episode anime is not based on the entire light novel series. Therefore, do not be surprised that at the end of the anime, there are still a lot of questions left unanswered. It is because the story still continues in the novels. Perhaps the producers are still planning or are leaving the door open for a second season.

Although the tale is about the adventures of an earl and a girl who sees fairies, it actually focuses more on the relationship between the two, so don’t expect a mind-blowing, plot-driven storyline. It is also intended for female audiences, so guys who are looking for hardcore fantasy-adventure are set up for disappointment. If you already know what to expect from the series, you can really appreciate the story. For a shoujo anime, it is actually good and interesting.

The characters are beautifully drawn and the designs, in fact, are slightly better than in the manga. The music, on the other hand, is average. The opening theme is an upbeat rock song that is tolerable enough to listen to, but not very appropriate to the Victorian theme. The closing soundtrack is a tritely sentimental love song that fits the mawkish ending sequence well. This gratuitous scene that features the male characters lying in bed half naked is likely conceived in an effort to pander to young female audiences. They even made Edgar’s seiyuu sing it, even though his singing voice isn't as pleasant to hear as his speaking voice.

The two main characters of this anime are quite endearing. Lydia isn't exactly an extraordinary character but she is enchanting, graceful and kind-hearted, unlike the stereotypical shoujo heroines who are plain looking, dumb, clumsy, shameless, and whose only merit is their genkiness. She is a female protagonist who has self-respect and will not immediately throw herself to the guy she likes.

Edgar is an intriguing character. While his bearing is not mysterious because of his rather pompous personality, everything about him is a mystery: his past and identity. But despite his shadiness, he is a sympathetic character. The others (including the villains), unfortunately, are somewhat boring and forgettable. They are incredibly generic and we get to know very little about them.

If the other guys weren’t so flat, the romance would have been a lot more exciting and complex. Unfortunately, it is so obvious who Lydia will end up with even though she is surrounded by hot guys who are all interested in her. Raven is too loyal to Edgar to be his rival. Paul is such a dull character and too passive to challenge Edgar. Kelpie, on the other hand, though quite aggressive, is rather charmless. You won’t really sympathize with him no matter how many times he saves Lydia. But it seems the question this story is trying to answer isn’t who Lydia is going to choose, but how Edgar is going to gain her trust and love.

Although this is definitely not one of the best anime I’ve seen, I truly enjoyed watching this series. It is a good romance anime: charming and entertaining enough to engage shoujo fans.
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I have to admit that this anime had failed to impress. I was expecting much more from the plot and the characters, but to my misfortune I had only ended up disappointed. Once I finished viewing the entire series, I was not satisfied with the overall outcome of the characters' journey.

Story: [6]
There is still so many questions the anime has left unanswered. The viewer knows little of the Blue Knight Earl. The plot itself is mainly concentrated on Edgar's need to bear a name with a powerful presence, as well as to fight for his love for Lydia whilst others are after her. There was still much to be told of the fairy world, but due to the focused romance between Lydia and Edgar, all other information of the anime becomes lost. Hence the reason why the anime became more choppy rather than bearing the fluent motion that other wonderful animes had.

Art: [7]
The art could've been done better. A fairy world is meant to be magical and enthralling. Matter of fact, if the creators had done their art in an inconspicuous way as to make the viewer imagine they are in a fairy world indirectly [similar artistic appeal to EF - Tale Of Memories and 5 Centimetres Per Second], then they would've received a higher grade. I do praise the art done in O'Neill's paintings though. It almost suits the time setting of the story.

Sound: [7]
I bestow a 7 upon the sound because not only does some music pieces relate to the specific time period of the story, but even the suspense scenes can allow the viewer to understand that there is critical observation involved between characters [e.g. Nico helping Paul search for Banshee, Lydia and Edgar figuring out Ulysses' motive, etc]. Thus, the sound was not too bad. Allow me to point out, if you will, how the theme song sounded like a Japanese version of Yellowcard?

Character: [4]
Indeed a 4 does seem pretty low, but I do have my reasons. Firstly, Edgar. The ash mauve eyes gave him a mysterious appeal. Yet his eyes implied nothing extravagant about his persona. Throughout the progression of the series, it felt to me that Edgar was a phony. The sincerity of his character was questionable. Was he a killer? Is he playing Lydia? What's going on? He didn't seem truthful enough. I had assumed he was only playing smooth as to win Lydia's trust in order to help him obtain the marrow sword. But as the plot proceeded, I wasn't too sure. Furthermore, his reactions are downright dull. When he saw Ermine for the first time, it was as though he either kept on the smooth facade or was expecting her. What? Wasn't she dead? Wasn't he mourning her absence of some sort? It was ridiculous. Not to mention the cheesy romantic remarks made towards Lydia that further aggravated his reputation.

I did take interest in Raven's mysterious, composed aura. Though I was left dissatisfied when he only mentioned his personal character in less than 2 episodes. I was craving for answers to the truth behind his sprite species, like what they were like and how it could be more of a disadvantage aside from the fact that possessing a sprite spirit caused him to kill on impulse. It's too bad though. Especially when he and Lydia shared their similarities, I was expecting the similarities to be elaborated. Oh well.

As for Lydia, we know more of her profession than we do of her personal character. It's understandable on how she is a fairy doctor, which is good for the series. But how do we know how she was able to become a fairy doctor aside from the fact that she inherited the gift through her mother's genes? What did she have to go through? Was it difficult to be a fairy doctor at first aside from others believing you have crossed the brink of insanity? And what was the mother like in order to win the heart of a human professor? Her emotions are also puzzling. We understand that her heart was meddled with by mischievous boys as a child. Still, is she insecure? Is she afraid? Even Edgar asks those questions and yet she has failed to answer them. But overall, Lydia is rather cute [more in nature than in appearance] and has great knowledge of different worlds. But that is only one slice of the cake. If she were to show her personal side a little more, the viewer would have the whole cake and eat it too.

Enjoyment: [5]
I am not much of a fan of Shoujo animation. Nonetheless, I have encountered with Shoujo material that has caught my interest. Unfortunately for Hakushaku to Yousei, it failed to do justice. The corny romantic remarks made me laugh to a point where I questioned the seriousness. I am still sitting here questioning about over matters the series has not covered. The only thing good about the anime was its comedic nature. Truth be told, there isn't really anything unique about this anime. We've seen young, cute, silly girls attracting the attention of the dashing higherups. We've already seen supernatural matters that have brought two people together in holy matrimony. We've seen talking animals and non-human creatures causing trouble. At first glance, an Earl and a Fairy Doctor does sound different amongst the array of stereotypical Shoujo animes. But once peering through the depths, there isn't as much difference as I had initially perceived.

Overall: [6]
Keep in mind, if you will, how I am not bashing the series at all. I have seen worst. But I can admit that this anime wasn't as good as I had expected. I am giving the series a "fair" 6. It did leave me wondering, as most animes should. If this series could've done better in the growth and development of both the characters and the plot, the anime would have done justice to all. It did not. C'est la vie. read more

This show starts out with a decent premise: a Victorian romance with a touch of Celtic Twilight mythology. The heroine is a "fairy doctor," and throughout the show she demonstrates a touch of folklore, plus the useful ability to see fairies that are invisible to ordinary people.

However, the folklore and mythology references, which could have carried the show, are under-used. They are sprinkled over the top of a story which plainly is trying to drag itself out into the maximum number of episodes. Unlike better stories (such as, say, Tweeny Witches, or Magical Shopping District Abenobashi) the mythology and folklore doesn't seem internally consistent. Thus the setting seems painfully generic.

The character designs are decent; the scenery has a lot of eye candy for folks who like the visual trappings of Victorian mansions.

The animation is painfully sparse; pan-and-scan tricks are over-used. I give it a 6/10 for design but a 4/10 for animation, thus a 5/10 for overall art. I enjoyed the initial three or four episodes, but I started to notice flaws by the middle, and by the last third I was painfully bored and waiting for a plot resolution that failed to arrive. The ending seems to indicate that the producers would like to make a second season, but I don't know how much of the audience would stick around to watch it, were that second season to appear. read more

When it comes to soujo anime, I'm always a little wary about watching them. Many rely on the overused character personas, sigh-worthy romance, and drop-dead gorgous men to sell the show. And let me tell you, Hakushaku to Yousei (aka, Earl and Fairy) does have these things. But at the same time, there's something really stand-out about this show that made me watch it in one sitting.

Plot/Story: This is the anime's strongest point. The plot follows a teenage fairy doctor named Lydia, who suddenly finds herself employed by a mysterious earl, who is in search of a mystical sword that is held by the ruler of the merrow.

The story is left incomplete and mostly unexplained. I mean, with only twelve episodes, it's not possible for them to wrap this plot up. But, what they do cover is done very well; there's a fair balance of romance, and well as action. The "Victorian Era" element is nicely handled as well (but then, I am a sucker for Victorian and steampunk anime). Overall, I was pleased!

Sound/Music: This varied with me. The voicework was perfect; every characters' voice suited them greatly and the actors did a fabulous job.

The music, on the other hand, is odd. Sometimes it's worked into the scene wonderfully, but other times it feels out of place (this happens a lot in fight scenes). Same thing goes with the OP and ED; they kinda fit, but it's an odd fit.

But if you're paying attention to the voicework, the music becomes ignorable.

Characters: This is another strong-suit of Earl and Fairy. Though somewhat clichéd, its characters are cleverly-written and quite easy to fall in love with.

Lydia is by far, my favorite character. Her kind but strong personality shines as you watch her grow over the twelve episodes, and I really came to like her. She's the first "typical shojo" girl to win for full approval!

Edgar is so much (almost too much) like Ouran High School Host Club's Tamaki Souh, that it's scary. But I think that's what I liked about him. His quirky playboy additude, mixed with his darker, more criminal acts, serious past, and attempts to redeem himself of this past, make him the show's most interesting character. I just couldn't get enough of him!

The other main characters (Raven, Kelpie, Paul, etc.) all prove to be wonderfully interesting characters as well! Their roles are not overshadowed by Edgar too seriously, so you are given time to get to know them. No complaints with the characters.

Animation: This could be considered the show's weak point. The animation in the show isn't very impressive; it lacks a lot of detail and relies a little heavily on pan-shots. The fight scenes are actually quite good though, so that makes up for some things.

Overall:

Though a very typical shojo, the magical elements and fasinating plot make up for any clichés they may play to. Heck, the clichés are enjoyable too! Here's hoping there's a second season on the horizon.

It's a short, sweet, and worth giving a chance! I'm glad I did! read more

10/10

Summary of Story:
Based on the light novel series by Mizue Tani.

Set in 19th century England this is the story of the 17-year old "fairy doctor" Lydia Carlton. Her life gets thrown into confusion after meeting Edgar, the count of the Blue Knights. She agrees to help him search for the precious sword that is his family heirloom.

Animation:
The animation for Earl and Fairy wasn't all that impressive. I mean, the coloring and backgrounds where beautiful, but the rest was just like any other shoujo anime. The movements where clean and the art style was pretty, and the background matched the setting very well. 8/10

Sound:
I loved the ost of this, even if half the time the music did NOT match the situation. Too much sparkly noise, especially in the scenes where Raven fought and killed people. There was great music to match the comedic scenes though, so it made up for it. Now, the opening was a great song. The vocals of AciD FLavoR where wonderful, but a different song should have been used. Again, it did NOT match the show's theme. The ending song, however, matched great. It was sung by Edgar Ashenbert's seiyuu Hikaru Midorikawa, and it was about Lydia. But... The vocals were awful. I mean. I like Hikaru'svoice an all, but it doesn't sound like he tried to hard in this one. 6/10

Story:
I found the story to be very original, since I had yet to see an anime about fairies and Fae. Though, the story does get thrown off track and instead of finding the sword and all, it gets into the romance bits. Basically, it was more of Edgar trying to figure out a way to show Lydia that he truly loved her and Kelpi advancing more on Lydia trying to get her into the fairy world. I loved the story line, except the part where the anime ended long before it should have, meaning I hope there is a second and third season. 9/10

Character:
The characters are very widely based in this anime. First you have Edgar, a playboy Earl, who is also very arrogant. Lydia, a kind hearted but strong fairy doctor. Nico, Lydia's drunken, speaking, snotty cat partner. Raven, an emotionless servant of Edgar. Ulysses, the antagonist. Kelpie, a fairy with no more motive other than to marry Lydia. And lots of other fun characters. Without them all, the anime would be boring and not as fun as it was. I specifically liked Raven, and hoped for more time for him. 10/10

Value/Enjoyment:
Step into the unknown with Earl and Fairy. With its genre being shoujo and romance, there isnt a thing in it other than that. The action is amazing, the story line keeps you hooked, and Im sure Kelpie will give you a laugh or two. (Especially when he eats a liver. LOL) 10/10 read more

First of all i must say that i do not like this anime, and i'm making a review because it seems that people only write reviews of the stuff they like so everything tends to be rated with a 10 or a 9 and that is frustrating.

-Short review
Story: 6-7 It's not that it's a bad concept but it's poorly written and developed.
Art: 8 Plain but beautiful, especially the protagonists.
Sound: 6 The seiyus exaggerate the emotions, the background music is ridiculous.
Character: 6 Extremely poorly written and "unbelievable" personas.
Enjoyment: 7 I like the era and it has a pleasant feeling.
Overall:6- 7 You could ignore it, you won't lose anything by not watching this but it's not hideous. If you are a sucker for romance (like i tend to be) you will most likely watch it 'till the last episode.

-The long one
Will be added after i watch a few more episodes.


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( POLISH VERSION )

Lydia Carlton jest wróżkowym doktorem, czyli łącznikiem między światem ludzi i wróżek. Wiedzie spokojne życie, mieszkając w domku na obrzeżach Szkocji. Wszystko jest dobrze do czasu, kiedy spotyka pewnego przystojnego mężczyznę, który okazuje się być hrabią. Do tego wszystkiego, poszukiwanym i niebezpiecznym hrabią.
Porywa on Lydię na swój statek i wynajmuje do pomocy.
Pragnie bowiem odnaleźć święty miecz Błękitnego Rycerza, miecz który daje władzę nad królestwem wróżek.
Jak się okazuje miecz jest obiektem bardzo pożądanym, gdyż chce go również zdobyć sam książe.
Rozpoczyna się wyścig z czasem, gdzie oprócz pragnienia zwycięstwa rozwinie się też prawdziwa miłość.
Tak w skrócie przedstawia się fabuła Hakushaku.

Kreska jest dobra ale nie wybitna. Uczucia miałem bardzo mieszane. Hrabia Edgar rysowany jest starannie ale Lydia przypominała mi raczej postać z roku 2002 niż 2009. Ładnie przedstawiona jest stara XIX wieczna Anglia, a i różne rodzaje wróżek potrafią przyciągnąć swoim własnym stylem.

Dźwięk bardzo dobry. Muzyka i dialogi są wykonane starannie i wyraźnie.
Godny polecenia jest opening i ending. Nie są super ale da się ich posłuchać z przyjemnością.

Postacie to chyba najlepsza strona serii. Mają ciekawe osobowości, a ze względu na to że mamy tu różne rodzaje wróżek, każda postać jest wyjątkowa. Wodny koń, zmieniający się w człowieka, banshee zwiastująca śmierć za pomocą łez bursztynu, gadający kot dżentelmen, krasnolud czy ponurak to tylko niektóre z barwnego korowodu wierzeń europejskich.

Mimo wszystko opowieść nie wciągnęła mnie. Zmarnowany został potencjał, a huśtawki nastrojów głównej bohaterki i jej melancholijne rozterki były powodem mojej frustracji i nudy.
Pierwszy odcinek ciekawy, lecz w miarę rozwoju akcji chciałem jak najszybciej zobaczyć koniec.
I w końcu zobaczyłem. Po raz kolejny trafił mnie szlag, gdy patrzyłem jak twórcy zostawiają wolną furtkę aby móc rozpocząć kolejną serię.

Podsumowując. Anime bardziej dla damskiej części publiczności. Wątek romantyczny przeciągnięty zbyt mocno ale dla większości pań pewnie byłby znośny. Miłośnikom akcji nie polecam, ale zachęcam do obejrzenia wszystkich którzy lubią XIX wieczne opowieści i legendy. Kilka ciekawych smaczków da się z nich wyłuskać.
Mi, po doświadczeniach z Hakushaku, pozostało tylko odstresować się jakimś dobrym anime akcji, bez zbędnych bishonenów.

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Hakushaku to Yousei...or as they call earl and fairy. the story revolves around Lydia Carlton, a fairy doctor who can see, hear and talk to fairies. while going to a ship towards london she meets the handsome, smooth-talker Edgar J.C Ashenbert. Edgar asks for Lydia's help to search for the sword of merrow to gain the title of earl of the blue knights. with Lydia's fairy abilities they can easily track the sword but its not as easy as it looks like. encountering different characters which will make their journey long. plus, edgar's romance advances to lydia making their journey enjoyable.

this anime maybe a typical shoujo anime but it has some great story plot which makes you want to watch it even more. this is a definite anime for a true-blue otaku. :D read more

First of all, the story is great.It has elements of fantasy and romance. I think they should do a season 2. I want more! After watching the ending, "Is that it?", I thought. The art is unquestionably outstanding. The sound is also great. I love the opening song! I gave the character segment an 8. I didn't really get some of the characters in the story, especially Edgar. Does he really love Lydia? Then why is she thinking of Ermine? My favorite character is Lydia. She's kind and the fairy doctor stuff is really cool! Enjoyment, I gave it a 9. It's really worth watching. But again, I want more! SEASON 2!!! read more