Reviews Princess Tutu (Anime Review)

Princess Tutu (Anime Review)

Licensed by: ADV Films
Number of eps.: 26 (13 full episodes, 26 half-episodes)
Recommended viewing audience: Ages 10+ (violence, language, mild implied tasteful nudity)
Genre: Fantasy

What it is:
Duck is a ballet student in Gold Crown Town, under the tutelage of Mr. Cat. She's a terrible dancer and a worse student, frustrating the teacher to no end. Even his threats of marital commitment seem to have little effect on her effort. Nothing at all like Rue, the best student in the dance school. And even less like Mytho, the object of her daydreams; he and Rue can dance a pas de deux to make the most stoic observer weep in adoration. Yet, somehow, Mytho doesn't seem to put his heart into the dance. In fact, he seems fairly emotionless most of the time. Duck interprets this as sad, and would do anything to help him.

Enter Drosselmeyer. He's a ghost author who "just happened to hear" Duck's plea. Turns out, he happens to know that Mytho is indeed a prince, just like in all of Duck's dreams, and that he sacrificed his heart to seal away a monster raven. Through his magic, he transforms her into Princess Tutu, the Prima Donna with dance skills to make Rue jealous. Her entire purpose of existance is to return the prince's heart to him.

Is that really such a good idea, though? Wouldn't a being be happier not knowing any emotion than knowing sadness, unfulfilled affection, and fear? How will Mytho react to getting his heart back? And what exactly do Rue, Mytho's "girlfriend", and Fakir, Mytho's roommate-by-choice and only childhood friend, know about all this? What are their roles in this tale? Will Duck ever become the great dancer she always dreamed she would be? And throughout all this, who is truly pulling the strings?

Rating: 10 (out of 10)
Explanation of rating:
Simply put, this is my favorite show ever. Don't let the name fool you; this is a very dark story, rich with character development. Every character has their own problems, and most of them have had these problems since they were children. In fact, I would compare the character development to that of Neon Genesis Evangelion, and would even say it's better, as they go deeper than simple Freudian assumptions. Emotion too plays an obviously huge role, considering it's a large chunk of the story.

Music and individual episode plots are all derived from ballets (except for one episode, where the theme is actually a waltz), adding to the fairy-tale feel this series radiates. All original music was composed specifically for the show as opposed to most other modern anime, where a J-Pop group was seemingly chosen at random to play some song of theirs; this adds indefinitely to the individuality of the show.

This show has something for everyone, from the anime otaku to the beginner. It's a great way to get into the medium or to renew a lost love for it.