Saturday, February 8, 2014

Anime Review: Princess Tutu

PRINCESS TUTU: Don’t let the girly themes put you off



            The story follows Ahiru, a duck who has been given the power to transform into Princess Tutu. She is tasked to collect the Prince’s heart shards, which are scattered among the townsfolk of Gold Crown Town.

            First, take note that this is under the Mahou Shoujo sub-genre, so it does have the necessary formula for a Mahou Shoujo story -- a magical girl, a prince charming, and of course a villain. But don’t let these feminine sensibilities turn you off. If anything, these themes add flavour to the show’s treatment, especially for those who are not very into Mahou Shoujo.

            The ballet theme is an interesting incorporation to the treatment. It has given room for the anime to utilize renditions of famous ballet soundtracks such as Swan Lake. It has also given the impression of a musical drama. Really, the show feels like a theatrical play. It is very artistically done.

            The story is also worth noting. It interweaves elements from fairytales and realist stories, and it has a good reason for doing so (will not be mentioned here to avoid major spoilers). When these elements are interwoven with the ballet theme and its theatrical impressions, the show appears to be very feminine, but not in the way that is irritating and off-putting, but in a way that is very interesting and engaging.

            There are, however, problems in the storytelling. The storytelling has the tendency to be monotonous, particularly in the first halves of both seasons. The episodes herein almost appear episodic because they have unique stories to tell. But these unique stories advance the overall story, so they are not technically episodic; they just appear that way because of the formulaic storytelling.

            To be fair to the first halves of both seasons, they do trigger emotional responses, primarily because of the underlying messages contained in them.

            The second halves of both seasons completely destroy the monotony of their respective seasons. They have their own twists and turns, often surprising and tragic.

            Speaking of tragedies, Princess Tutu has an interesting pool of characters, because their backgrounds are tragic in one way or another. It is also important to note that Princess Tutu has a small pool of characters, so the prominent characters have balanced screen-times. The background characters, even though they do not share the same amount of screen-time, are not dull.

            If there is anything negative I could say about the characterization, that would be the blandness of the Prince. Yes, I understand that the pieces of his heart are missing, that is why he is void of emotion. But I think the creators overdid it.


            Overall, Princess Tutu is an interesting watch. The story, even though it has the tendency to be repetitive, is a story worthy to be told. This is because of the underlying messages that primarily concern fate and the power to change it. This story is presented in a manner that is both artistic and feminine, and it is surprisingly appealing. The characterization is carried primarily by Princess Tutu herself, and I admit that she is an interesting perspective in the story the creators want to tell.


8 comments:

  1. My friend's sister recommended Princess Tutu to me, but since she is a fan of the Mahou Shoujo genre, I was certainly skeptical. But, considering that both you and Arkada recommend the series, I think that I might actually watch this after Serial Experiments Lain. Other than Madoka, I have not seen any Mahou Shoujo anime, but this seems like a good to try since I have heard it is darker than the norm, but still fun.

    -James

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    1. I actually watched Princess Tutu because of Arkada's recommendation video. And I think when it comes to deconstructing the Mahou Shoujo sub-genre, Tutu takes the cake over Madoka Magica. I think this is a series you will not particularly enjoy though.

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  2. Oh...
    she's pretty, if i have a chance i want to watch it. ^^

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    1. Yes, she is pretty, especially in her Princess Tutu form. You should watch it!

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  3. Despite some major reservations and heavy skepticism, I decided to just give it a shot and watch the first season, and I have to say that I found Princess Tutu surprising enjoyable.

    *Spoiler*

    I really enjoyed the meta-fiction way of telling a story within a story. But I definitely agree, the first half was slow and dragged on a bit in places. It was still entertaining to a degree, but some the shojo elements were a little annoying. Around the time Kraehe was introduced and Ahiru gave the Prince the fear heart shard is when the story started to interest me more, which I think was at the half way mark. Also, I found the character design for Kraehe very well done and it stood out to me much more than the rest.

    While the series has obviously not been the best thing I have ever seen, it was not a waste of time and it was fun to try something out of my comfort zone and broaden my knowledge of the different anime genres. I will definitely watch the second season.

    -James

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    1. Personally, the shoujo elements weren't really a turn off for me. I find them to be very interesting actually. And yes, I agree with you that Kraehe is a well-designed character -- so beautiful yet has a sinister air into her. She develops more in the second season.

      Speaking of the second season, I think it is way better than the first one. That's the season where stuff really goes down. If you like the first season, I'm sure that you'll enjoy the second season more!

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  4. Just finished season two of Princess Tutu, and it was very good. It was much better than the first season, which was still good. As a whole, I agree with you on most points about the series.
    *Spoiler*

    I am glad that the series did have a truly happy ending with Ahiru still being a duck at the end. Also, the use of meta-fiction was even more effective in the second season. I am glad that you and Arkada convinced me to watch the series, it was, like you said, an interesting watch.

    -James

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  5. Yes, the second season was way better, particularly the second half. Though I admit that I was expecting a more tragic ending, the ending wasn't a disappointment and it was good. It was indeed an interesting watch! It used the typical mahou shoujo elements and portrayed them in a unique way.

    I'm glad you liked it! Really, I thought this was a series you won't particularly enjoy. Good thing I was wrong.

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