There is a fairly accurate fandom nickname of "Guitar Ninjas" for this show. I don't like the name, now that I've seen PT, because it threw off my expections wildly. I expected Code Geass or Evaneglion, and instead, I got the best fairy tale anyone's ever told. It's not Guitar Ninjas. Nothing comes out and punches you in the face. Rather it sneaks up on you, and before you know it, it's got hold of your heart and you're crying right along with Duck, Rue, Fakir, and Mytho.
The basic plot is simple enough. A duck wants to dance with the princely young man. A young teenage girl wants to be a ballerina. A magical girl wants to restore the broken pieces of the prince's heart. They all just happen to be the same person. Duck is literally a duck, but with the help of a mysterious man named Drosselmeyer, she becomes a human girl. The pendant that allows her to be a girl also has the power to transform her into Princess Tutu, legendary minor character in the fictional fairy tale, "The Prince and the Raven". In the story, Princess Tutu does something small, confesses her love to the prince, and turns into a speck of light because of it. That's it. Duck does not realize her character's part in the old story till a few episodes in, nor Tutu's tragic destiny. Because how can she be the very same character? She's herself, not part of the story written a thousand years ago. Stories within stories within stories that crossover with other stories and reference other stories doesn't even cover how complicated Princess Tutu gets. And yet, the most essential parts of the plot are quite straightforward. The audience's confusion typically mirrors the characters' own confusion, and by the end of the series, everything wraps up nicely.
Speaking of characters, they're all quite well-written. I must admit that I don't like all of the designs (see: Fakir's hair) but Tutu and Krahe's costumes make up for any other shortcomings. Mytho is the weakest character, since the plot point is that he has no emotions whatsoever. But even emotionless Mytho develops over time (well, the other plot point is that he is slowly regaining his emotions...) and Duck, Fakir, and Rue develop three times more than your average anime, movie, book, or any fictional story with character development, and that is the series strongest point. With only 4 main characters, it better be a strong character series. Even the rest of the supporting cast only consists of Drosslemeyer, Edel, Mr. Cat, [insert spoiler here] villain of season 2, and Duck's useless friends. There's a couple more, but for the most part, episodes focus on characters that appear for only their episode. Despite this episodic plot, each episode is carefully written to further the story, and no episode is extraneous. Princess Tutu is truly an achievement in storytelling.
The art's not too bad, either. The animation uses all of the usual anime shortcuts--long shots with no more movement than blinking, but besides these occasional static shots, the animation is quite good, especially in regards to expressions and ballet movements. The design is where the art really shines. Gold Crown Town is straight out of a Grimm Brothers story. I really wish there were more town scenes just so we could see it. The magical Princess Tutu dancing backgrounds are interesting and all, but usually not that detailed. The streets or buildings are usually far more interesting than the empty landscapes that magically appear every now and then during a climatic dance. For Princess Tutu doesn't exactly fight, she dances with people and this lets them realize their true feelings. Since the battle is to regain a piece of a heart shard that has latched onto an unsuspecting victim, this method isn't as stupid as it sounds. The fact that the show is steeped in ballet, ballet, and more ballet makes it all the more believable.
The ballet references are most obvious in the score, almost all of which is taken straight from classical ballet. The rest is just classical ballet music in new arrangements. For example, the series uses many variations on the prologue to The Nutcracker, Duck's theme. Tchaikovsky is the dominant composer, and The Nutcracker and Swan Lake are the two most referenced ballets, so even those of us with little ballet knowledge (see: me) can understand and appreciate the series. And boy, do I appreciate it. It is one of my top five favorite series of all time, and probably the best thing I've seen since Cowboy Bebop. I watched Trigun the week after Princess Tutu and I was bored. Vash is great and all, but he can't hold a candle to Duck, Fakir, Rue, or even Mytho. Poor, emotionless Mytho. (pronoucned "Miu-toh", not "myth-o")
The English dub is very good, and I agree with ADV's decision to translate Ahiru's name into English. Duck is Duck, and she wouldn't be Duck without her silly name. Jessica Boone is my favorite, but that's probably because Rue is my favorite. If I attempted to be unbiased, then Luci Christian as Duck is probably the most solid performance, and with a look at her resume, it's no wonder why. She makes Duck likable and sympathetic, and keeps her from devolving into just annoying, which could easily have happened. Oh, and I should cover the opening theme, though there's not much more to say than it exists, it introduces the characters, and it's cute. The quiet waltzing 3-count is quite appropriate for the series, but not all that memorable. Solid, but not special for the opening theme. The ending theme is so average, I probably only ever watched it once all the way through. Don't even bother with that one.
Overall, a fantastic series, and one I recommend to any fans of entertainment, but especially to anime fans and anyone with any knowledge of ballet. The series is currently available on youtube, but when I went to link to the page for the entire series, it told me "show is not available". Here's episode 1, but watch it now--it might go away. Or you could just buy the whole thing for only $25! Believe me, that's a steal, and well worth the money. You will want to rewatch it and share it.
- Pacing can be a little slow at first before you realize it's all necessary. Character designs get to be a little silly. Talking animals?? Mr. Cat is creepy. Pique and Lillie exist only for stupid comic relief and occasional exposition, and in the second season, Lillie is just downright creepy.
+ Character development is phenomenal. Art is appealing, colorful, and great ballet animation. Tutu and Krahe costumes (and anything to do with the Raven) are all very well designed. Plot is interesting and complicated, but resolves. Music is all taken from ballets. Ending is heartwarming and surprising, and a little hit-or-miss, but I love it all the same.
Rating: A
Speaking of characters, they're all quite well-written. I must admit that I don't like all of the designs (see: Fakir's hair) but Tutu and Krahe's costumes make up for any other shortcomings. Mytho is the weakest character, since the plot point is that he has no emotions whatsoever. But even emotionless Mytho develops over time (well, the other plot point is that he is slowly regaining his emotions...) and Duck, Fakir, and Rue develop three times more than your average anime, movie, book, or any fictional story with character development, and that is the series strongest point. With only 4 main characters, it better be a strong character series. Even the rest of the supporting cast only consists of Drosslemeyer, Edel, Mr. Cat, [insert spoiler here] villain of season 2, and Duck's useless friends. There's a couple more, but for the most part, episodes focus on characters that appear for only their episode. Despite this episodic plot, each episode is carefully written to further the story, and no episode is extraneous. Princess Tutu is truly an achievement in storytelling.
The art's not too bad, either. The animation uses all of the usual anime shortcuts--long shots with no more movement than blinking, but besides these occasional static shots, the animation is quite good, especially in regards to expressions and ballet movements. The design is where the art really shines. Gold Crown Town is straight out of a Grimm Brothers story. I really wish there were more town scenes just so we could see it. The magical Princess Tutu dancing backgrounds are interesting and all, but usually not that detailed. The streets or buildings are usually far more interesting than the empty landscapes that magically appear every now and then during a climatic dance. For Princess Tutu doesn't exactly fight, she dances with people and this lets them realize their true feelings. Since the battle is to regain a piece of a heart shard that has latched onto an unsuspecting victim, this method isn't as stupid as it sounds. The fact that the show is steeped in ballet, ballet, and more ballet makes it all the more believable.
The ballet references are most obvious in the score, almost all of which is taken straight from classical ballet. The rest is just classical ballet music in new arrangements. For example, the series uses many variations on the prologue to The Nutcracker, Duck's theme. Tchaikovsky is the dominant composer, and The Nutcracker and Swan Lake are the two most referenced ballets, so even those of us with little ballet knowledge (see: me) can understand and appreciate the series. And boy, do I appreciate it. It is one of my top five favorite series of all time, and probably the best thing I've seen since Cowboy Bebop. I watched Trigun the week after Princess Tutu and I was bored. Vash is great and all, but he can't hold a candle to Duck, Fakir, Rue, or even Mytho. Poor, emotionless Mytho. (pronoucned "Miu-toh", not "myth-o")
The English dub is very good, and I agree with ADV's decision to translate Ahiru's name into English. Duck is Duck, and she wouldn't be Duck without her silly name. Jessica Boone is my favorite, but that's probably because Rue is my favorite. If I attempted to be unbiased, then Luci Christian as Duck is probably the most solid performance, and with a look at her resume, it's no wonder why. She makes Duck likable and sympathetic, and keeps her from devolving into just annoying, which could easily have happened. Oh, and I should cover the opening theme, though there's not much more to say than it exists, it introduces the characters, and it's cute. The quiet waltzing 3-count is quite appropriate for the series, but not all that memorable. Solid, but not special for the opening theme. The ending theme is so average, I probably only ever watched it once all the way through. Don't even bother with that one.
Overall, a fantastic series, and one I recommend to any fans of entertainment, but especially to anime fans and anyone with any knowledge of ballet. The series is currently available on youtube, but when I went to link to the page for the entire series, it told me "show is not available". Here's episode 1, but watch it now--it might go away. Or you could just buy the whole thing for only $25! Believe me, that's a steal, and well worth the money. You will want to rewatch it and share it.
- Pacing can be a little slow at first before you realize it's all necessary. Character designs get to be a little silly. Talking animals?? Mr. Cat is creepy. Pique and Lillie exist only for stupid comic relief and occasional exposition, and in the second season, Lillie is just downright creepy.
+ Character development is phenomenal. Art is appealing, colorful, and great ballet animation. Tutu and Krahe costumes (and anything to do with the Raven) are all very well designed. Plot is interesting and complicated, but resolves. Music is all taken from ballets. Ending is heartwarming and surprising, and a little hit-or-miss, but I love it all the same.
Rating: A
