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.
Alternative Titles
Synonyms: Hakushaku to Yosei, Count and Fairy
Japanese: 伯爵と妖精
More titlesInformation
Type:
TV
Episodes:
12
Status:
Finished Airing
Aired:
Sep 29, 2008 to Dec 24, 2008
Premiered:
Fall 2008
Broadcast:
Unknown
Producers:
None found, add some
Licensors:
Discotek Media
Studios:
Artland
Source:
Light novel
Demographic:
Shoujo
Duration:
25 min. per ep.
Rating:
PG-13 - Teens 13 or older
Statistics
Ranked:
#33252
2
based on the top anime page. Please note that 'Not yet aired' and 'R18+' titles are excluded.
Popularity:
#1753
Members:
126,069
Favorites:
571
Available AtResourcesStreaming Platforms | Reviews
Filtered Results: 31 / 31
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Your Feelings Categories Jan 6, 2009
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 ... Jan 6, 2009
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 based only on a few volumes of the 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.
The characters are beautifully drawn and the designs, in fact, are slightly better than in the manga. The music, on the other hand, ... Dec 26, 2008
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 ... Jan 28, 2009
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 ... Oct 13, 2019
Earl and Fairy is an adventure where a doctor and a prince are going on a journey to find an heirloom of fairy origin. But since it is also a shoujo, the doctor is your typical silly girl with a good heart that can see mythological creatures and the prince is your typical mysterious hairless chest bad boy hunk. YEAAAAH here comes the cheese.
Animation is done by Artland, a studio which has produced nothing but mediocrities with the exception being the highly acclaimed Mushishi. Other than that, they never had high budgets and thus this show looks rather run down. Direction is done by a ... Apr 12, 2010
-INTRODUCTION-
I decided to watch this anime as soon as I saw the news about it. Romance, Victorian-like style, and yes, a cat wearing what looked like butler attire. All those factors and the overall feeling the promotional images and the trailer gave off got me attracted to this charming fairy tale. -STORY- 8/10 My only big disappointment was the ending. The story itself was quite exciting and adventurous, and was building up nicely toward its grand conclusion. Except that conclusion never came. The viewers were left with more questions than answers, and the issue that seemed to be the main focus of the plot, was never resolved. ... Nov 23, 2008
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 ... Oct 3, 2009
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 ... Sep 4, 2009
Animation- As though it were a portrait of the countryside(to me), it has such soft nostalgic feeling. Yet, there are times in the episode where Raven's eye/fairies/hounds have an opposite effect with its glowing effects and vivid colors- bringing out enthusiasm from the viewer. Animation and artwork are beautiful and in detail. It does give the feel of a "fairy tale" story.
Storyline- The series was rather quick (but quickly addictive), but it didn't confuse me with the current plot the characters were facing. Although, it did leave a few questions, and the last episode was open-ended. The series has some good humorous scenes -I ... Jan 1, 2011
The story for this anime is simple and easy to understand.
The art is beyond amazing. There was a lot of time and effort being put into the art. All of the characters were absolutely hypnotizing. Each character did not resemble others, they were their own, that was what made this anime series very unique. I enjoyed watching this anime series SO much. I didn't want it to end. 12 episodes were pretty short. Time flys by when you're watching a good anime. As you watch this anime, you can tell right off the bat that this isn't an anime like any other. I give Hakushaku ... Nov 4, 2015
So, Earl and fairy's plot was pretty creative and unique. I really like how you can tell the characters apart from their personalities.
Sometimes, I feel confused by male lead's feelings towards the female lead's feelings, and wonder - How did it even end up like this? XD. Sure, i like a lot of chemistry and romance but I feel like it was slowly progressing but then it was just rushed at the end. I like to see the progression but not that slow and I get confused when things get rushed. The story plot, art, voice characters and characters were great. I just wish that there ... Sep 8, 2016
I came in with expectations before watching this because I had finished reading the two-volume manga a week before. Both the anime and manga are based on the light novel, but it seems the anime took things a little further and didn’t include what was in the second volume of the manga.
Anyway, I know this anime was probably quite popular back in the day with young girls. There’s a beautiful young lady who’s misunderstood and finds comfort in a mysterious and devilishly handsome man who is in need of her fairy services. She can see fairies! He sparkles so much when he saves her life! ... Oct 19, 2014
Short review:
Having read the first volume of the manga, I was very excited to find out there was an anime adaptation of this. However, the story was paced a little too quickly, and often times felt disjointed. I also found it a bit difficult to get attached to the characters. Art and animation are kept to a minimum, like with most shojo anime. The voice acting was okay, and the music didn't really stand out to me. Overall, I don't think this anime can stand alone, meaning you wold have to get the original source material to fully enjoy this anime. Loooooooong review: Story and Characters: Now, ... Oct 14, 2012
Like:
1. character background story, 2. action scenes choreography, 3. concept of mystical world. No like: 1. Character design. Faces are too deformed even for anime, bodies look as if everyone in this country suffers from severe anorexia, 2. plain 100% predictable plot. At the same time it lacks logic a bit. Should circumstances of this anime be real, people wouldn't act this way, 3. mixed style and mismatched clothes, furniture and other objects. Series' designer didn't put effort into actually representing XIX century Great Brittain, 4. Ending. It leaves impression that authors were creating slow-paced narration for 10 series and then rushed to the end like "there's no tomorrow". Ending episodes look ... Feb 23, 2017
I watched this whole bloody thing bloody thing because it was only 12 episodes and I was hoping it would get better.
I began watching because literally, I liked the look of the character I was after a nice romantic storyline, which there... sort of... was? I felt like there was no natural progression and there wasn't a clear difference between when the characters first met and how they felt at the end. I had to ask google to explain to me the storyline because it was very choppy and seemed to miss out some essential information that probably would have made it flow better. I have a ... Feb 22, 2013
I enjoyed this anime alot. I actually gotten into it because I had read a little bit of the manga in this magezine I looked at. I don't remember which magezine it was nor do I know where it has disappeared to XD But it had been quite a while since I last saw this title. It was by chance that I found it again.
I had only thought it was a manga but it turned out to be an anime as well, so that was a delight. And so, I have watched it and I have finished it, so on to a review of ... Dec 29, 2009
At twelve episodes, it doesn't really advance as much as one hopes it would. It moved very quickly and fluidly, which I liked, but by the end of the series, the relationship between Edgar and Lydia is very much the same. I did enjoy the romance during the series, though, and I think it was quite cute.
I liked how the manipulated all this myths and legends to fit the story. They really made them look quite different from what I imagined. Of course, it has something to do with anime's superficial nature. Some of the creatures they mentioned I never expected to have human form, ... Sep 6, 2012
Hakushaku to Yousei (Earl and Fairy) was a surprisingly fun and addictive watch. It takes awhile to get into the series, but after several episodes I was hooked. It wasn't the story that got me. To be honest, the plot wasn't what made the show for me. My enjoyment was much more character driven. The art was pretty good, I thought the style fit the characters and the story well. Lydia's hair was a bit out of hand, though. I'm not sure she brushed it very much :) The characters were fun. Edgar was undoubtedly my favorite, but Kelpie and Raven were fun, too.
...
Aug 4, 2014
Anime: Hakushaku to Yousei, also known as Earl and Fairy.
- I would strongly recommend reading the manga before watching this anime. You would be confused otherwise.- Through my understandings of this anime, Earl and Fairy is about a girl, named Lydia Carlton, who is a Fairy Doctor. Like her mother, Fairy Doctors can see what others can't. One day Lydia received an invite to go to London to visit her father, then her whole world changed. Pros- - It has mythical creatures in it, like fairies, selkies, and merrows. - I believe the anime is longer than the manga, which is always good I guess. ... Mar 12, 2014
Hakushaku to Yousei is an anime I have now watched twice, and thoroughly enjoyed both times. The story is set in Victorian Britain, and includes action/adventure, romance and fantasy-a strong starting point.
The main reason I enjoyed this anime was due to the fact it was relatively original, fast-paced, and has an interesting story-line. One of my favorite elements of this anime is the fairy doctor the story follows: Lydia. In most animes I watch the female protagonist is either sweet, week and does not do much or on the other hand, arrogant, loud and annoying. Thankfully Lydia is neither. Though she is feminine and ... |