Art/Animation: An absolute 10/10 for me. I was 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.
