Shin Shirayuki Hime Densetsu Pretear is what do you get when you cross your not-so-typical fairytale with anime eyecandy and magical girl transformations.

A good friend of mine reccomended this anime to me and on a whim I gave it a try. From the moment I viewed the rather almost Angelique- esque premise, I knew I was in for a real treat. I had the same feeling about "Fushigi Yuugi," and that turned out to be the best anime series I'd ever seen. Pretear is no exception.

Pretear is the story of a teenage girl named Awayuki Himeno. Himeno's mother died when she was very young. Her father remarries an ultra- wealthy woman some years later, which results in a totally new lifestyle for both father and daughter. Unlike Cinderella however, Himeno's stepmom treats her like a real daughter and her two stepsisters don't really abuse her. Mayune is content pulling pranks on Himeno to show off her superiority, while the quiet Mawata mostly keeps to herself.

Himeno finds her purpose in life when she is approached by seven mystical bishonen of varying ages who call themselves Leafe Knights. It is the Leafe Knights' duty to protect and safeguard Leafe, which is the essence of all life. But, in order to do so, they need the help of a Pretear -- a special young woman who can "merge" with the Leafe Knights and gain the neccessary powers needed to dispel various evils that threaten the Leafe. Himeno turns out to be their needed Pretear. Thus, our heroine spends her days practicing and training to be a Pretear. The knights warn her that eventually she will be facing off with the Disaster Queen Fenrir, who wants to drain all the Leafe the world possesses to bring about the end of everything. It's not as simple as it seems though, for there are many more secrets that Himeno must unearth. What's more, Himeno finds herself gradually falling for the Leafe Knight of wind Hayate.

The art and animation are consistently lovely. Attractive character designs, exciting battles, and just enough random comedic fun. It's also the first time I actually looked forward to watching transformation sequences, because Himeno gets a new look and new set of powers every time she merges with a different Leafe Knight. For example, if Himeno merges with the Leafe Knight of ice, she gets a cool fur-trimmed winter style costume and ice-based attack powers and weapons. The songs are also worth mentioning, I especially liked the enthralling and tingly opening theme.

Spanning thirteen episodes, Pretear is an enchanting, exhilarating, and romantic series. It made me laugh, and even cry a little... There's even an epilogue that shows what happens to the characters after everything is over.

This series has already been picked up for a US release, but at the moment the only available DVDs are the original Japanese and the English subtitled Asian release(s).