*Contains spoilers

Alternative Titles: Taishou Otome Otogibanashi, Taishou Maiden Fairytale, 大正処女御伽話
Released: 2021
Genres: Comedy, Drama, Historical, Romance, Slice of Life
Studios: SynergySP
Episodes: 12

Taisho Otome Fairy Tale was one of the few romance anime aside from Komi Can’t Communicate that I decided to watch during the 2021 Fall Season. It looked like a sweet and lovely story, so I added it to my to-watch anime list.

Here I bring a brief review of Taisho Otome Fairy Tale!

Taisho Otome Fairy Tale’s Plot

The series follows the story of Tamahiko, the heir of the wealthy Shima Family. Tamahiko’s life drastically changed when he had an accident where he lost his mother and the mobility of his right arm. Due to that, his father didn’t consider him a worthy heir, therefore, he sent Tamahiko to the remote province of Chima to be out of his sight.

Tamahiko secluded himself in his new home with bitterness, thinking he was destined to die there. Yet, one day, a charming girl named Yuzuki arrived at his home, claiming that she would become his wife.

Yuzuki was sold to Tamahiko’s father to repay her family’s debts. But she still maintained her warm nature, declaring that she’d do her best to be a good wife. She enters Tamahiko’s life as a ray of sunshine, but can she change his new husband’s life perspective?

Story

Taisho Otome Fairy Tale shows us an adorable romantic story that focuses on the characters’ self-growth with enticing pacing and cute interactions. Although sometimes it can give you diabetes because its plot takes a sugary sweet tone.

The story doesn’t delve in-depth into matters of arranged marriages or even in the fact that Yuzuki was sold to repay debts. I tried to not pay attention to that aspect of the story because I didn’t like how it sounded. Still, even if I didn’t want to think about it, that was a common thing in the 1920s. Unfortunately, there may be people that still experience that fate in this century, even though now that’s an unthinkable situation considering our current principles.

Yet, Taisho Otome Fairy Tale takes a path where it shows us something charming to alleviate the bitter flavour that the words “sold to repay debts” leave. While Tamahiko is a negative guy who no longer looks for the bright side of life, Yuzuki appears like a gust of fresh air to cleanse his depressive atmosphere. It was like a way to prove to us that sometimes, having someone next to you can help you to change positively.

The story is well-executed and doesn’t overwhelm the viewers with unnecessary drama. The way it portrayed its romantic side was conservative. There weren’t over-the-top romance scenes but rather delicate interactions between the characters. This proved how much they cared and adored each other, to the point where I could almost see the butterflies fluttering in their stomachs. Little by little, all the experiences and challenges Yuzu and Tamahiko faced together strengthened their bond beautifully.

It also covers some sensitive subjects subtly, like the trauma and depression that Tamahiko suffered. But we also get to see a great development in him thanks to Yuzu. In the end, Tamahiko grew a lot as a person and finally accepted that he could still continue to move forward even if he couldn’t use his right arm.

The supporting characters were likeable and also got their time to shine. Luckily the story focused a bit on developing these characters and their backstories, which is something that made me understand them better.

The anime premise may look pretty simple, well, it is, but that doesn’t ruin anything. In fact, it made the series deliver a satisfactory feeling while watching it.

I couldn’t help but smile at the small and affectionate gestures where the protagonists showed their true feelings. I must say in this Taisho Otome Fairy Tale review that the anime was an enjoyable experience that any fan of romantic stories should watch.

Characters

Yuzuki Tachibana

Yuzuki overshadowed everyone with her bright nature. I think she could be represented as an angel who saved most of the characters from falling into a void of sadness.

Yuzuki may not have lived the best life when she was younger, but she had a caring family and good friends next to her. That helped her to always see the good side of everything. Thus, when she realised she would be the wife of a stranger, she tried to see the positive side of the situation. I’m surprised though, I could never see the bright side in that situation…

Yuzuki is cheerful and optimistic by nature, but she also feels sad or can get hurt even though she tries to hide those emotions behind a smile.

Tamahiko Shima

If Yuzuki was the light of the anime, maybe Tamahiko could be portrayed as the darkness due to his pessimism. It’s understandable though… He didn’t grow up in a caring family but in one where no one paid attention to him.

Tamahiko wanted to be recognised, but his father shattered all the hope he had. Tamahiko’s father literally declared that his son was dead only because his right arm was disabled. How was Tamahiko not supposed to develop depressive issues like that?

Fortunately, when Tamahiko was at his lowest point, where he gave up everything, Yuzuki appeared in front of him. Thanks to her, Tamahiko had a splendid character development where he could shine the way he deserved.

Tamako Shima

Tamahiko’s younger sister, Tamako, is another poor soul who suffered the cold attitude of his family. She, like Tamahiko, just wanted to get attention and put great efforts into trying to get recognised, yet all was in vain.

Growing up in a wealthy family, Tamako had everything she wanted and developed a horrible personality. Although that was just a façade because, in reality, she felt very lonely.

It’s not that Tamako lacked empathy, but considering how her family treated her, she thought that being empathetic was a weakness.

Tamako mistreated Tamahiko as their whole family did at first. But thanks to Yuzu (aka the saviour), Tamako realised she could trust her older brother. Tamako also realised she wanted to be of help to people and that she could have dreams on her own. Therefore, she decided to become a doctor, even without her family’s support.

Art and animation

The art and animation quality is good, nothing out of ordinary, but it works well with the anime setting. The anime captured the aesthetics of the Taisho-era well, with simple details and nothing too extravagant. I liked the colour palette used in the character designs and sceneries, I think it was cute and eye-catching.

The animation was fluid, but nothing really stood out. The scenes were merely based on the characters’ interactions and reactions. The characters’ movements and designs became a bit sloppy at times, but overall it was good.

Soundtrack

The soundtrack of Taisho Otome Fairy Tale was mainly composed of serene melodies that blended smoothly with the scenes. They worked great with the anime premise and it provided a magic touch to the charming story.

The OP “Otome no Kokoroe” by GARNiDELiA and the ED “Magokoro ni Kanade” by Shunichi Toki have catchy rhythms and are enjoyable to listen to. Their melodies fit splendidly with the anime vibes, but still, I don’t consider them memorable.

The voice acting was great and I really liked the melodies that Yuzuki sang because it felt really pleasing to the ears as well as the songs played by the musician, Kotori.

Final Score

Taisho Otome Fairy Tale was a refreshing and charming anime for me, even though it may not become my favourite romantic series, it was worth watching , so before finishing this review I’ll give it a 7/10!

In the beginning, I considered it a bit questionable due to how Yuzuki was sold… Well, arranged marriages were common in an era where women didn’t have the right to decide, they were only considered “property”. But somehow, Taisho Otome Fairy Tale managed to make me forget that side of the story faster than I thought.

Have you watched Taisho Otome Fairy Tale?