Synopsis
Drawing from Hans Christian Andersen’s classic tale, Gerda and Kai are childhood neighbors and inseparable friends, with Gerda being eleven and Kai twelve. Their idyllic existence is shattered when the Snow Queen’s enchanted mirror shatters, scattering shards of malice across the globe. These fragments can freeze a person’s heart if they enter their eye, and indeed, a shard pierces Kai’s eye, turning him cold and unfeeling toward those he cares about. The Snow Queen eventually arrives in her carriage and kidnaps Kai, transporting him to her icy fortress at the world’s northernmost edge. While the villagers assume Kai perished in the frozen lake, Gerda refuses to accept this fate after dreaming of his abduction. A drunken witness confirms her vision, prompting Gerda to pack her bags and embark on a perilous quest to rescue Kai and return him home.
Background
Yuki no Joou was created in celebration of 200 years since Hans Christian Andersen's birth. Apart from "The Snow Queen", it adapts a number of his other tales, such as "The Red Shoes", "The Little Match Girl", and "The Little Mermaid".