I’ve made no secret of the fact that the summer anime 2015 line-up doesn’t hold much of interest for me. When it comes to the summer anime 2015 line-up, there’s just not a lot of exciting, unique new shows for me to look forward to. Worse, the state of the industry is leading to animation problems everywhere. Dragon Ball Super is having Sailor Moon Crystal levels of animation fuckery. Even Gangsta, which I love, had a shockingly poor showing animation-wise in the last few episodes, with animation so choppy and off-model I was in despair for ever having praised it.

So Snow White With The Red Hair is a breath of relief, having not only achieved watchability and charm in its first few episodes, but sustained it. The plot is at its heart a romance, but Snow White With The Red Hair takes pains to develop its romantic leads, along with a handful of sympathetic and amusing characters around them. So is it worth a watch? Yes, and here’s why I’m enjoying it.

The art and music achieve a simple, clean cuteness.

There’s something almost Disney-like about Snow White With The Red Hair. Obviously, there’s the title, but beyond the passing reference to a fairy tale, there’s an elegant and classical feel to almost everything you see, from the costumes to the background architecture. Like a cross between the art direction of Beauty and the Beast and The Little Mermaid, there’s filigree everywhere, swords and adventurer’s boots, airy and spacious columns, thick forests and solid forts. The music also adds to this feeling, managing to sound light and whimsical or sweetly foreboding by turns.

As for the character design of Snow White With The Red Hair, it’s deceptively simple. At first I wasn’t very impressed by everyone’s lithe slenderness and wide eyes, with only the length and color of their hair to differentiate them. But the clean lines of everyone’s design grew on me, and while their silhouettes aren't remotely varied, I do appreciate the consistency of the art and animation. The studio behind Ouran High School Host Club has a look; it works for them.

The romantic leads are sympathetic and appealing.

Zen and Shirayuki each have strong, stubborn personalities, but they each have a lot to learn. Zen, a headstrong and independent prince, has to learn what it means to be the prince of his nation from both a personal and political perspective. He faces assassination, betrayal, and disapproval. Though his virtues and strengths are many, we see him stumble, make mistakes, and weep for them.

Then there’s the titular Snow White With The Red Hair. Shirayuki, intelligent and highly competent, must maneuver a court filled with people who don’t want her there in order to pursue the future she’s chosen in a new country. She’s an herbalist who resides in the castle not only because Zen is there, not only because the plot needs her to be there, but because it makes sense: she wants to walk forward towards a future of her making, therefore she earns a position as court herbalist through her demonstrated skill, which Snow White With The Red Hair takes screentime to show us. Inasmuch as it can be avoided, Shirayuki stands on her own two feet without leaning on Zen’s position as a prince.

As for their relationship, Shirayuki and Zen have affection and chemistry with one another from the start. Not only are they refreshingly candid with each other, they meet often as friends, and their relationship feels natural and authentic. While it’s obvious that each of them harbors feelings for the other, the show builds them up at a gentle and deliberate pace.

The side characters do not tax the viewer.

Occasionally, you’ll run into side characters that are taxing. Either they’re tiresome, or they were funny at first but they overstay their welcome, or they’re so interesting and have such complicated stories of their own that they draw focus from the show’s intended main storyline.

Snow White With The Red Hair doesn’t fumble here. The side characters might blur together sometimes, honestly, but they all serve their purpose and then leave the spotlight. I love Zen’s relationship with his seemingly-glib, sly and intelligent big brother, the First Prince; I love that Zen is a little brother instead of an only child. (Oh Van Fanel, you could have had it all.)

Prince Raj of Shirayuki’s home country is a pain in the ass, but he makes the appearances he needs to make, provides humor that doesn’t grow grating because his appearances are kept short, and then leaves. Mitsuhide, Prince Zen’s attendant, is given more development than many shows would allow for the role of Loyal Attendant. Then there’s Obi, whose countrified manner of speaking and casual manner help differentiate him from the rest of the characters surrounding Zen and Shirayuki.

All of these characters serve their purpose without taxing the viewer by being annoying, or pointless, or stupid, or complicated. The viewer’s attention can remain on the compelling situations unfolding around (and between) Shirayuki and Zen without being yanked unwillingly in other directions.

In short: should you watch Snow White With The Red Hair?

Yes. In the benighted desert of this summer’s offerings and the scorching heat of terrible animation on all sides, Snow White With The Red Hair stands as an unpretentious return to something very simple: a good story about good people who are learning to be better people as they draw together. For lack of a better word, this anime feels wholesome. It’s well worth a watch.

Snow White With The Red Hair airs on Funimation, with new simulcast episodes Monday at 12:00 PM EST.