[Image Credits: crunchyroll.com]

Alternative Title: Okami Shoujo to Kuro Ouji
Number of Episodes: 12
[Warning: Contains spoilers.]

Series Synopsis:

Characters:
Other than Erika and Kyoya, there are only a few other characters.

Takeru – Kyoya’s best friend who helped him realize his feelings for Erika (but failed countless times)
Kamiya – Red-haired bishie who shared the same traits as Kyoya (princely and overly popular with girls) and was so hell-bent on making Kyoya get back to his old ways (being a womanizer and not settling for just one girl)
Reika – Kyoya’s sister who very much enjoyed bullying him. At first, she was not convinced that Kyoya had changed his ways and settled to having a serious relationship with Erika. Later, Erika proved her wrong.
Kyoya’s mom – The latter part of the series focused on her broken relationship with Kyoya. Erika played a big part on mending it.
Sanda – Erika’s best friend.
Kusakabe – The clumsy and pessimistic introvert who caught Erika’s eye. He was the third wheel who got in between Erika and Kyoya. After dating him for a while, she realized that no one else can replace Kyoya in her heart.
Marin and Aki – Erika’s classmates who were so obsessed about their boyfriends. Their characters became less prominent after their first year, as the group got in the same class as Sanda and Kyoya.

Review:

For a while I had only been watching and reading titles with a heavy, mostly dystopian setting (Shingeki no Kyojin, Psycho Pass, Divergent series) and I thought to myself, “Why not go for a lighter theme this time?” I stumbled upon this series, and was not disappointed.

Stretching for only 12 episodes long, Wolf Girl and Black Prince is a delightful mix of comedy and romance. The original manga was written by Ayuko Hatta. The series began airing on October 5, 2014, and ended on December 21 in the same year.

Despite the annoying tendencies of the characters in the beginning, they slowly transformed by the end, and I must say that the character development (for Kyoya and Kamiya) is effective and emotional. I like how the flashbacks of Kyoya’s childhood memory of a destroyed snowman served as his motivation on staying unattached to people, knowing that they might leave him one day. The pacing of the series is pretty good and kept me glued to my seat as I watched one episode after another.

While the character development for Kyoya is good, I felt like Erika’s was lacking. She started off as an annoying character who got into a lot of trouble for lying just to be able to fit in, and my feelings for her character only slightly changed as the series concluded. I wish she had a back story that would at least explain why she acts that way, why she’s so afraid of not making friends and failing to fit in.

The series lost a bit of spark and slowed its pace after Erika and Kyoya finally got together (which is the climax of the series). There were still hilarious moments, but the only main conflicts remaining were: “Will Kyoya give in to Kamiya’s traps?” and “Will Kyoya reconcile with his mom?” which are interesting plot devices, but not quite at par with the earlier episodes in my opinion.

Overall, I would recommend it. The 12 episodes is enough to distract you off the stress of real life and remind you of that bittersweet, unrequited love you had back in your teenage years. Give it a shot and it will surely give you a good time and leave a smile on your face.

Rating:
8 out of 10 snowmen 🙂