The day has continued very nicely, and I’m settled in for the evening now, pets snuggled up around me. I realized a few minutes ago that I have the “Waltz of the Flowers” from The Nutcracker in my head, and then I realized why. Hee. Lately, we’ve been watching an anime series from, I think, 2002 called Princess Tutu. I love Princess Tutu. I feel quite foolish saying those words, “I love Princess Tutu,” but that is really the truth. This series manages to be ridiculous, pretty, profound, whimsical, and tragic all at once. Oh, and there’s a duck. I really love the duck.
Princess Tutu is a magical girl anime in which the real world and the world of a fairy-tale called “The Prince and the Raven” have begun to blend together, in the manner of one universe breaking into the other, sort of Buffy the Vampire Slayer-style. The person pulling all the strings is a dead storyteller named Drosselmeyer who manages to still manipulate events from beyond. The prince from his story escaped into this world (pursuing the raven), but to defeat him, had to shatter his own heart, and was left with nothing. A little duck who admired the prince from afar is granted the power (by Drosselmeyer) to turn into a human girl, Ahiru (Duck), who wears a magical pendant that allows her to become Princess Tutu whenever one of the missing shards of the prince’s heart appears, so that she can return them to him.
I know, I know, it sounds totally ridiculous, but oh, it is just the greatest thing. Ahiru turns back into a duck anytime she accidentally quacks (she becomes human again by coming into contact with water), and she is possibly the most charming character ever written. She is a student at the same ballet school as the prince (whose name is Mytho), and when she becomes Princess Tutu, she fights for the heart shards by dancing a pas de deux with her foes to help them get in touch with their real feelings, and realize that they no longer need the artificially enhanced emotions they are clinging to by way of the heart shards.
Up to this point you’re thinking, “Ballet school and fairy tales, what are you ten?” but here’s the real thing: the heart shards? AWFUL. So far, the ones Mytho has gotten back are disappointment, loneliness, sorrow, affection, and fear. So basically at this point in the series he is pretty much the most miserable person on earth, as the only emotions he is able to feel (with the exception of affection) are incredibly painful. It is only after he receives “fear” that Ahiru starts to realize that she may be causing her prince terrible pain, and the sixth episode ends with her realization of this horror, as Drosselmeyer laughs in the background. It’s really a very painful series so far, but the characters have grown on me so much, I couldn’t possibly give it up. It is even richer if you are familiar with the stories of classic ballets, as there are elements taken from these (though this knowledge is not necessary by any means), and the soundtrack is full of ballet music as well, which is lovely.
I’ve rarely seen anything that is able to look so fluffy on the outside, without actually being so at all. And yet, it’s not like the show is all misery and pain. Did I mention that Ahiru’s ballet teacher is a cat? I can’t really explain this, it’s all a part of the universe, but randomly, certain characters are animals, which seems to be a side-effect of the crossing over of the real and fairy-tale universes. In episode six, a visiting ballet company realizes that their manager and electrician has become an electric eel, though they seem to take it in stride. There really is just nothing quite as quirky, twisted, and charming as this series. I can’t wait to watch more!
There was a manga adaptation of the series, in just two volumes, but I admit I’m sketchy about reading it, as I believe some of the elements I enjoy the most here (the random animals, for instance) were removed. I may look into it, though, once I’ve finished the anime.
swanjun@livejournal says
August 24, 2008 at 10:17 pmI love this anime, too. I’ve read the manga, and it’s not really anything special. I liked it okay, but ultimately prefer the anime.
Melinda says
August 25, 2008 at 7:03 amI’ve been reading similar thoughts from the internet in general. Ah, well. I do love to read, but it sounds like there’s really no point with this one.
Estara says
August 30, 2008 at 6:40 pmAnyone who has any discernement in his/her shoujo viewing ought to love Princes Tutu *is snob*
http://dearauthor.com/wordpress/2007/12/11/mangaanime-a-great-present-for-kids-of-all-ages-princess-tutu/
There are a few anime out there that actually are better than their manga, mostly the ones that first were an anime.
A few that can stand on their own, just like their manga (Fruits Basket and Love*Com come to mind, although I hear that the Furuba mangaka hated the anime) – I think Someday’s Dreamers might be part of that, too. Although I liked the second manga series set in the same world better.
I also believe the Twelve Kingdoms animation made a very good attempt at bringing across the light novels, now that I can read the English translation.
Melinda says
August 30, 2008 at 7:50 pmHa, thanks for linking to that article! I definitely won’t waste my time with the manga, though it breaks my heart. I so prefer manga over anime just as a medium, but I agree, I haven’t been happy with a lot of manga that was based on anime (as opposed to the other way around).
I actually have trouble finding shoujo series that I love (though when I find them, I *really* love them). Do you have recommendations?
Estara says
August 31, 2008 at 4:32 amAre you asking for anime or manga shoujo series recommendations?
I’ll just go through both, but this post is for anime.
Anime:
– Fruits Basket (always remember though that the anime was made after volume 6 had come out, so a lot of the revelations couldn’t be included, but I believe it stands on it’s own two feet, so I made a fan page with in-depth analysis of episode 1 – 6 http://furuba.bookish.net/
– Saikunkoku Monogatari (Tale of Saiunkoku) – first two volumes came out from Geneon, now Funimation has taken up the license, so we shall see more of that one. Based on Light Novels, with a very strong heroine who basically wants to do her best for her country and become a civil servant to do so. For the eye candy it is all set in a fantasy ancient sort-of-Chinese kingdom and she’s surrounded by beautiful men, but the emphasis is less on the fantasy and more on the political machinations and the character situations that do not allow for free choice – not even the emperor… I have rarely seen such a mature female protagonist (in her attitude, not in her age). Great for a 41-year-old female like me. First season is 39 episodes and there’s a second season out in Japan.
– Twelve Kingdoms: All out on DVD now, 37 episodes, I believe… or was it 46? Anyway there are already value packs of it. This is a fantasy epic, also based on light novels, with a more varied cast, but the main protagonist for the frame of the storyline is a girl who has to realise she is one of twelve “kings” of a magical world, put there by the gods to make sure the people have a good life. She was raised on our Earth and when she gets back she’s attacked by political enemies and has to learn to adapt real fast. They also show the situations in different kingdoms, depending on whether the ruler is a good one or not, and show some other female characters from that world in their own situations. No real love story either.
– Super Gals for a fun look at teenager life in Shibuya. Not a lot of real romance for the main protagonist lady but she has two female sidekicks and they have enough romantic drama. But mostly it’s just fun and growing-up in Shibuya. (2 seasons = 52 episodes, all out already)
– Kamichu: a 14-year-old girl wakes up in her small Japanese town one morning and realises she has become a Shinto God. She’s still a schoolgirl, though, and has to adapt to her role as a god and maybe win the love of the oblivious guy at school, who only has eyes for calligraphy? (16 episodes, all out already)
– Cardcaptor Sakura – only the subbed version, which is as good, even the filler episodes as the Clamp manga (since you’re going with Xxxholic and I bet Tsubasa Chronicle at some point, why not watch the original), however it remains a school girl mahou shoujo series with drama and happy end. It’s not aimed at adults, really.
If you don’t mind fansubs, I have some recommendations of works that will probably never be released because they’re too old or too niche for the West:
Touch (sports, family drama), Fushigiboshi no Futagohime (mahou shoujo), Cosmic Baton-Girl Comet-San ( http://www.bookish.net/2004/11/27/43/ ), Ojamajo Doremi (mahou shoujo)
Melinda says
August 31, 2008 at 10:31 amAh, this is great! I was thinking of manga primarily when I asked (I’m more of a reader than a watcher), but I do watch quite a bit, and I only know of about half of these (and haven’t watched any of them), so thank you!
I’ve planned to read Cardcaptor Sakura, is the anime much different from the manga?
Also, I’ve never been interested trying Fruits Basket, though it is so popular, but I’ll go read your fan page and let you sell me on it. :)
Estara says
August 31, 2008 at 12:33 pmHeh, since I did get into great detail with quotes and lots of screenshots – of the fansubs at the time, though – you will get a fairly close look and can then decide. By the way the music is from the same artist as the Princess Tutu music (what wasn’t taken from classical originals of course), Ritsuko Okazaki – who unfortunately died from blood poisoning a few years back. If you click on my music button on that page you can listen to some bits of it.
I just lost the time to do this stuff in so much detail, but I really thought it was the best shoujo anime ever at the time.
Estara says
August 31, 2008 at 4:48 amManga shoujo series:
– Basara:
http://dearauthor.com/wordpress/2008/01/15/review-manga-review-epic-adventure-and-romance-basara/
http://shaenon.livejournal.com/12938.html#cutid1
– From Far Away:
http://dearauthor.com/wordpress/2008/03/03/review-manga-romance-with-a-capital-r-from-far-away-by-kyoko-hikawa/
http://www.bookish.net/2006/07/12/189/
– Fruits Basket I don’t think I have to introduce, or do I?
– High School Debut: about a tomboy who finally wants to get a boyfriend in High School. Very strong ensemble work, and the main characters are so fun.
– Emma – A Victorian Romance, comes from a Seinen magazine, so it’s aimed at adults. I believe the Anime is also quite true to the manga, but the manga is better
http://dearauthor.com/wordpress/2007/02/22/manga-review-emma-a-victorian-romance-by-kaoru-mori/
– Slice of Life Manga: Aria (and the predecessor Aqua) and Yotsuba& – very different in tone, but beautiful.
– Swan – for the incredible 70ies manga ballet drawing
http://shaenon.livejournal.com/28663.html#cutid1
http://dearauthor.com/wordpress/2008/04/24/first-impressions-4-honey-and-clover-and-swan/
– Land of the Blindfolded – school shoujo with a bit of a esp touch, but mostly character
work.
http://dearauthor.com/wordpress/2008/04/14/manga-first-impressions-3-land-of-the-blindfolded-ion-sand-chronicles/
As a matter of fact, really good reviews and recommendations with lots of scans of the art are generally in Shaenon Garrity’s Overlooked Manga Festival (all sorts of manga, she used to be an editor for VIZ)
http://shaenon.livejournal.com/60625.html
…there will be spelling mistakes in both posts, please forgive them… and me…
Melinda says
August 31, 2008 at 10:34 amAnd this is a wonderful list, thank you! I do enjoy Basara, though I’ve been slow buying the volumes, so I’ll step it up a bit.
And it’s true, as you’ve noticed, that I am a fan of the Overlooked Manga Festival, but I came into it late, and I haven’t necessarily read all of them, so it’s very helpful to have some pointed out to me. Some of these I’ve picked up in stores and flipped through, and they haven’t immediately grabbed me, but I will give them a closer look.
Thank you so much!
Estara says
August 31, 2008 at 12:36 pm^^ Very welcome. I’m into the habit now since meganbmoore on lj regularly asks for reading recommendations and discusses her book and manga reviews.
Hana says
February 20, 2010 at 5:43 pmThis is truly a wonderful anime! The darker second half and the development of Fakir’s character is what really drew me head-long into this series. The bittersweet ending also really got me and cemented this as one of my favorite anime series.
As for good Shojo Manga, Fruits Basket is definitely one to look at, and Tsubasa as well. Chibi Vampire is another one to consider, though it can be a bit slow at some points.
meepmiester says
December 1, 2010 at 5:48 pmi love this book