Sugar Apple Fairy Tale

Episode 11

Challe got it right – rotten apprentices come from rotten masters. He was also right when he said that history is conveniently modified to suit the needs of those in power. This episode of Sugar Apple Fairy Tale hits all the right notes after struggling with some of its thematic elements in earlier episodes. It seemed as if it took all the stumbling blocks to get to this arc (which adapts the third light novel) to highlight Miri Mikawa's brilliance as an author.

This episode revealed the truth about the precarious relationship between humans and fairies that the church has been more than aware of, among other things. Building from last week's revelation, a visit to the church in Lewiston reveals recorded history on the church's ceiling in a language only scholars and priests could understand. Anne understands it because Challe reads it for her. Between that and the brush-off she got from the local priest, it seems reasonable to assume that this information was kept from everyone else. It simply will not clue in on the founding king's attempt to abolish the practice with fairy slavery's major market force, would it? That may have been why the royal family went along with the church's suppression of the information, although I suppose they may have been kept in the dark too. Maybe.

We don't need more proof that Highland's culture is corrupt, but we sure did get it. The system to repress women and fairies is firmly rooted, leading to Sammy's behavior that we can see this week. He justified his attempt to burn Anne's hands beyond usefulness (serious burns are no joke) with the excuse that “Kieth is worried,” and the implication that he, as a man, deserved the title of Silver Sugar Master more than a mere girl like Anne. (Sammy strikes me as the sort of person who would call a sixty-year-old woman a “girl.”) It's the same sort of attitude that causes Bridget to beg Elliot to buy Challe for her or steal his wing. Challe, like Anne, is less-than, and Bridget's contention that she deserves Challe more than Anne speaks of her belief that he's an object, and her higher social status makes her more worthy of him. None of this is unique to the show. This episode's willingness to engage with those issues is grounding, especially given the earlier episodes' ability to skim over difficult topics.

It's worth considering, however, that Bridget may not be trying to get Elliot to procure Challe for her, by hook or by crook. We hear that explanation from one of the guys, and the bits of conversation we overhear sound more like Bridget wants to be allowed to learn sugar arts – she mentions Anne being allowed to do something. I don't doubt that she wants Challe, because she's made that very clear, but I also don't think that she's a shallow character. It's worth noting that her raised voice was brushed-off as "hysteria," an old-fashioned way to imply female irrationality stemming from her reproductive system. Even Jonas has a degree of depth. He doesn't hate Anne because he dislikes her or is jealous; he was raised to believe in his perfection. She forces him to realize his weaknesses, and it makes him uncomfortable. He may not stop Sammy because he cares (he did try to kill her once or twice himself), but that he does may indicate that he's at least learned a little bit along the way.

With one episode left, the world is not likely to be fixed. But Anne has voiced her concerns about Bridget to Challe (your turn, buddy), Anne's hands have been saved, and I daresay Kat and Kieth will have something to say about her being unceremoniously booted from Radcliffe Workshop. Hugh may not stand by either, though I'm less sure there. So long as no one tries to destroy her entry piece, the best conclusion we can hope for is that she beats the boys in the best way possible: proving to them that no matter what they try to do to her, she will not back down.

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Sugar Apple Fairy Tale is currently streaming on Crunchyroll.