Ranked #1806

Princess Arete

Princess Arete is not your typical princess anime, and the princess herself is not your typical princess.

In an interesting twist, instead of seeing a traditional princess flick where the noble maiden awaits her prince or knight to rescue her from impending doom or to whisk her away, Princess Arete goes against the grain of this notion. It's almost a feminist take, if you may, on the whole idea. Arete does not want to fall in love--she wants to learn. She desires knowledge and experience more than anything else. Confined like any other princess in her tower, locked away from the world, she does not act like any other damsel and wait for someone to save her. She takes things into her own hands. The story is a very unique take on the topic.

Also, I have to warn you, if you're looking for an epic, perilous tale of medieval sword fights and magic, you won't find it here. The pacing of the entire anime is rather slow, and there is not much action. We're not given a princess who is out to save the world--we're given a princess who is out to see the world. Princess Arete doesn't have a plot that revolves around the grand scale of things, but the smaller aspects of it.

As for the art, it was probably the best thing about this anime. The character design is very simplistic, reminiscent of artwork from decades earlier; there are soft features and a distinct lack of detail in this aspect. However, the background and landscape art is gorgeous, from the castles, towns to the forests and deserted land. There was a lot of detail in these. Also, the animation was excellent. The entire anime was well-animated.

The sound mixes a variety of traditional sounds, such as sweeping violin and piano pieces, and even has acoustic sounds interspersed throughout. It really did sound like music from the medieval period, and it suited the anime.

Characters in Princess Arete were all likeable. The protagonist Arete is one of the best younger characters I have ever seen. She is not like your usual, helpless princess and she is rather mature for someone her age. There is a sense of world-weariness about her from being denied so many simple pleasures in life. She's a rather strong-willed young girl, and she makes an excellent lead.

Even the background characters are interesting. The immature elderly sorcerer and the hardworking peasant who befriends Arete are great. Even the minor characters, such as the ridiculous, pompous, foolish knights who try to woo her are all developed interestingly.

I loved Princess Arete. However, I doubt that many others will.

It has a very, very slow pacing. For those who prefer more active or action-filled anime, then this certainly won't suit you. You'd grow impatient as the plot unfolds. Also, it may be too simplistic for some others. This isn't heavy material to sink your teeth into. In fact, I would say that this is definitely geared towards a younger audience or an older audience who will appreciate the quirky twist of an old tale. So if you want to see a simple, beautifully animated anime about a smart princess who is unlike any other you have ever seen, then I strongly recommend this.

I know Princess Arete has set a new standard to me of what makes a true princess. read more

Arete Hime initially seems like a typical modern iteration of a fairy tale, ala Disney, with a captive princess who desires to see the world and empathize with its denizens. Eventually, it shapes into a multi-segmented journey of self discovery more akin to "Siddhartha" than "Rapunzel."

When looking back at the entire Journey our main character, Arete undergoes, it's quite epic. This in no way changes the fact that some stretches are completely starved for plot development, using the time instead to flash some scenic shots and play with Arete's diatribes on her predicaments. Which brings me to one of the biggest problems with this film: it is dead focused on Arete. She will continuously feed you her dispositions and her albeit, genuinely pitiful perspective. She`s a free bird trapped in a cage for most of the movie and she longs for human contact. That`s the gist of basically every line she says, and she has many, many lines. While a philosophical and spiritual journey with a poorly paced, and overall uneventful plot may still be a decent read, it`s not particularly satisfying as a film.

Arete is at once adorable and inspiring, in that fairy tale heroine manner, so all is not lost with this movie. Lectures on philosophy are one of my greatest peeves, and she throws a couple out there, but thankfully, most of her character development focuses on her perspective. Arete is not only starved of human contact, but also just the general gratification of being able to live. Her yearning for things so gosh darned basic, things as simple as friends or everyday emotions, illustrates the degree to which she is sheltered and makes her pitiful in a heart wrenching way. She`s even more affecting because she doesn`t just cry and accept the pity. Instead of lamenting her own misfortune, she always keeps her hope and her wits about her through tough situations to get the freedom which she so desires. Arete`s mild mannerisms are a break from the utter exaggerations of most Anime characters, and is a benefit to her cause for sympathy. Emotional understatement is much more effective than rampant bawling. Her rounded personality makes her more complete, more nuanced. Her timid demeanor and slight build serve to contrast and highlight her internal fortitude. When all is said and done, Arete stands side by side with the best animated heroines targeted towards children in any feature, Japanese or otherwise.

It`s too bad that Arete`s character development didn`t come with a richer plot, but at the very least, the focus she commands makes the blandness in the rest of the cast forgivable. Arete is a completely fleshed out, admirable yet pitiable, and altogether believable character who also happens to be adorable. Watching her adventure in Princess Arete is worth suffering the disjointed and hollow plot. read more