Guest Author - Monica Flink
In this world of cynicism and gritty action films, it’s hard to believe that there is a manga out there that dares to be different. Dares to be special. Dares to be…cute. But A Tiny Snow Fairy Sugar, (also known as A Little Snow Fairy Sugar) by Haruka Aoi is exactly that, and does it so well that adult readers can overlook the cute material and enjoy the real story at hand. A set of four manga and an anime series encompasses this sweet tale of a girl and her fairy friends in the midst of growing up, learning that the world is exactly what you make of it, and that life can have as much magic in it as you’d hope.
A Tiny Snow Fairy Sugar is the story of eleven year old Saga Bergmann, a young girl who works, attends school, and lives in a small German town. She lives with her grandmother, as her mother passed away when she was younger, and the plot revolves around her finding magic in the ordinary while working to buy the piano of her mother’s that had to be sold when she died. The story also revolves around a fledgling snow fairy named Sugar, who, with her fairy friends Pepper and Salt, attempt to find “Twinkle” or an appreciation of all life before they can become true season fairies.
The story is simple enough, the two plots intertwining so easily that they seem to belong together. There are no evil demons or monsters to fight, simply the innocent joys of growing up mixed with the true sorrows of real life. The plot is told simply but elegantly, and there are no mean spirited characters to be found. Even Greta, Saga’s “nemesis” is, at heart, a good person, and does her best to help console Saga after a particularly harrowing and heart-breaking time in her life. Saga’s characterization is different from that of many shoujo manga heroines. She is neat and well ordered, mannerly and does not even indulge in the simple sins of overeating or doing poorly in school.
Any problems with A Tiny Snow Fairy Sugar are hidden behind it’s endearing qualities, leaving the reader feeling good at the end of the compact series. A heroine that seems too good to be true is written as such because she’s hiding a pain inside that most people can’t even imagine, and the flawed fairy of the title turns out to have the warmest heart of all. A Tiny Snow Fairy Sugar dares to be innocent and sweet in a time when the world is always looking for the next big thing, be it violent ninjas with magical powers or half demon heroes. This series does it well, and is perfect for any age group that might be interested in learning about manga by reading something short and sweet, just like Sugar.
