Pretear Review: A New Legend of Snow White Where the Prince Needs the Princess to Save the World
by Kaori Naruse
Read the first volume. If it doesn't hook you, put it down. It'll hook you.
Buy Pretear: New Legend of Snow White on Amazon →*Affiliate link — I earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.
Quick Take
- A Snow White retelling where the magical girl concept is built into the fairy tale structure — Himeno's ability to merge with the Leafe Knights to use their powers is the series' distinctive mechanic
- The dark fantasy elements — the Princess of Disaster's origin — give the series more emotional weight than the premise suggests
- 4 volumes complete; short complete magical girl fantasy with fairy tale underpinning
Who Is This Manga For?
- Readers who want fairy tale retelling combined with magical girl romance
- Anyone interested in elemental power fusion as combat mechanic
- Fans of darker magical girl fantasy with genuine emotional stakes
- Readers looking for very short complete magical girl fantasy
Content Warnings & Age Rating
Age Rating: T (Teen) Content Warnings: Magical transformation and battle content; romance between Himeno and older Leafe Knights; the Princess of Disaster arc has genuine dark emotional content
T rating — magical girl fantasy within teen standards.
Yu's Rating
| Category | Score |
|---|---|
| Story Depth | ★★★★☆ |
| Art Style | ★★★★☆ |
| Character Development | ★★★★☆ |
| Accessibility for Non-Japanese Readers | ★★★★☆ |
| Reread Value | ★★★☆☆ |
Story Overview
Himeno Awayuki's family situation is complicated — her father remarried a wealthy woman, Himeno has stepsisters who are genuinely kind, and she is trying to navigate a new social position. Into this comes Hayate, leader of the Leafe Knights, who tells her she is the Pretear.
The Pretear can merge with a Leafe Knight — become one being temporarily — and use that knight's elemental power. Fire, ice, plant, sound, light, water, wind: the seven knights each have an element. The merged form is how the Pretear fights the Princess of Disaster's minions.
The Princess of Disaster has a history connected to the Leafe Knights that the series reveals across four volumes — and that revelation is the series' emotional core. Why she became what she is, and what her existence means for Himeno, is where Pretear exceeds its premise.
Characters
Himeno Awayuki — A protagonist who is specifically not the gentle princess type — she is loud, tomboyish, and affectionate in a forward way that surprises the formal Leafe Knights. Her energy is the series' primary positive force.
Hayate — The tsundere Leafe Knight leader whose initial hostility toward Himeno and gradual thaw is the series' main romance arc.
The Princess of Disaster — An antagonist whose origin is the series' darkest and most emotionally important content; she is not simply evil.
Art Style
Naruse's art suits the fairy tale magical girl aesthetic — transformation sequences with visual elaborateness, Leafe Knight designs that distinguish seven different elemental personalities, and expressive faces for the comedy and the romance. The art serves both the light and dark registers.
Cultural Context
Pretear is an original manga by Kaori Naruse with story direction from animation producer Junichi Sato (Sailor Moon, Aria). The Snow White parallel is structural — the Leafe Knights echo the seven dwarves — but the series uses the parallel to ask what the "princess" in the fairy tale would actually have to do to earn the role. Himeno fights; she is not simply awakened.
What I Love About It
The Princess of Disaster's origin. In a magical girl series where the villain is usually defined by opposition to the hero, Pretear takes the time to explain why the Princess became what she is — and that explanation is specific enough and sad enough that it changes how Himeno's role feels. She's not just fighting a monster. She's dealing with a precedent.
What English-Speaking Fans Say
Western readers describe Pretear as a short gem of magical girl fantasy — specifically noted for the Princess of Disaster's arc having genuine emotional weight, for Himeno being a more active and energetic protagonist than typical, and for the four-volume format being complete rather than truncated. Recommended for fairy tale retelling fans.
Memorable Scene ⚠️ Spoiler Warning
The revelation of the Princess of Disaster's identity and her connection to the Leafe Knights — and what it means for the cycle Himeno is now part of — is the series' most emotionally complete moment.
Similar Manga
- Magic Knight Rayearth — Fantasy world where girls are summoned to fight with elemental companions
- Fushigi Yugi — Girl summoned to fantasy world with guardian figures
- Saint Tail — Magical girl romance with similar Nakayoshi-adjacent aesthetic
- Full Moon — Magical transformation romance with dark emotional underpinning
Reading Order / Where to Start
Volume 1 — Himeno's situation, the Leafe Knights' introduction, and the first Pretear fusion establish the premise.
Official English Translation Status
ADV Manga published the complete English series. All 4 volumes available (may require secondhand purchase as ADV Manga is defunct).
Pros & Cons
Pros
- Princess of Disaster arc has genuine emotional depth
- Himeno is an unusually energetic magical girl protagonist
- Complete in 4 volumes
- Snow White framework used meaningfully
Cons
- ADV Manga volumes may require secondhand purchase
- Four volumes limits character development for the full cast
- Romance feels slightly rushed
Format Comparison
| Format | Notes |
|---|---|
| Individual Volumes | ADV Manga; complete series (secondhand) |
| Digital | Limited availability |
Where to Buy
Read the first volume. If it doesn't hook you, put it down. It'll hook you.
This post contains affiliate links. If you purchase through these links, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
*Affiliate link — I earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.
More Manga You Might Like
Fantasy
Kobato.
Yu's review of Kobato. — Kobato Hanato has arrived in the human world with a mission: fill a bottle with the pain she heals from people's wounded hearts; the bottle will grant a wish she cannot yet remember; CLAMP's manga about an innocent girl who helps people while slowly uncovering who she is and what she wants.
Fantasy / Romance
I'm the Villainess, So I'm Taming the Final Boss
Yu's review of I'm the Villainess, So I'm Taming the Final Boss — Aileen reincarnates as the villainess of an otome game; instead of trying to avoid the bad ending passively, she decides the best strategy is to capture the demon lord Claude — the game's final boss — and make him her ally.
Fantasy / Romance
Sacrificial Princess and the King of Beasts
Yu's review of Sacrificial Princess and the King of Beasts — Sariphi is a human girl offered as a sacrifice to the Beast King Leonhart, who is expected to devour her; instead of pleading for her life, she asks to spend the remaining time as his companion; Leonhart, bewildered by her response, agrees.
Fantasy / Romance
Otome Youkai Zakuro
Yu's review of Otome Youkai Zakuro — in Meiji-era Japan, the Ministry of Spirit Affairs pairs human military officers with half-youkai girls to handle supernatural cases; Agemaki Kei, who is afraid of youkai, is paired with the sharp-tongued Zakuro; their partnership generates the series' central romance.
Fantasy / Romance
The Water Dragon's Bride
Yu's review of The Water Dragon's Bride — Asahi falls into a well as a child and emerges in an ancient world where a water god takes her as his bride offering; the god is powerful and cold, viewing her as a necessary sacrifice; what develops across years of her life in this world is the series' central transformation.
Fantasy / Romance
Oh My Goddess!
Yu's review of Oh My Goddess! — Keiichi Morisato misdials a goddess helpline and Belldandy appears in his dorm room; she grants him one wish and he wishes for her to stay with him; she does, and the series follows their life together as other goddesses and demons complicate their quiet romance.
Written by
Yu
Manga Enthusiast from Japan
I grew up in Japan and manga literally saved me during a tough time in elementary school. My English isn't perfect, but my love for manga is real — and I want to share it with you.
Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you.