--- STORY ---
Princess Tutu in a nutshell is a story of a story. Once upon a time a man wrote a story of a prince who fought against an evil raven. During their battle the two managed to literally come out of the story and into real life. Eventually the prince prevailed and managed to lock the evil raven away forever. However, in the process he had to shatter his own heart in order to do so. Thus leaving him emotionless. Skip ahead to the present and we find that all the characters of the story now reside peacefully in a small town where they all attend a ballet school. This is where our main protagonist comes in. Ahiru. Who’s name literally translates to “duck” Which makes sense since she herself is in fact a duck who through the power of a pendent is able to take on the form of a human girl and it is her role in the story to collect and return the shattered fragments of the prince’s heart. At the same time our main antagonist Princess Kraehe attempts to prevent the prince from regaining his heart while also trying to free her father the raven.
This is definitely one of the more unique stories I have heard among fairy tales and while it may sound like just another typical fairy tale, the story’s execution is fantastic and it tells itself in a very realistic way and there were never any moments that felt too sappy, cheesy, or sugar coated. The story is exceptionally well written and contains a perfect blend of comedy, romance, drama, and even some dark epic moments.
--- CHARACTERS ---
The characters were definitely the highlight of this show for me. I immediately fell in love with ALL of the characters and I was only 2 episodes in when I just HAD to add Ahiru to my favorite characters list.
This show focuses mostly on five main characters.
Ahiru/Princess Tutu – Our goofy, kind and caring protagonist who’s only real desire is to restore the prince’s heart as she wants nothing more than simply to see him smile.
Mytho – The prince of the story who having lost his heart is left with no emotions or even any understanding of emotions.
Fakir – The knight of the story dedicated to protecting Mytho and doing what he believes is best for him though at times he comes off as very controlling.
Rue/Princess Kraehe – The primary antagonist of the story. Also in love with Mytho, she hopes to prevent Mytho from regaining his heart and is constantly getting between him and Ahiru.
Drosselmeyer – The writer of the story of "The Prince and The Raven". Having died after both his hands were severed, he now resides in another dimension where he watches over his tale as it unfolds before him.
The characters all act and feel very believable and they each have a good amount of depth and focus in the story. There is also great character development with not just the protagonist but with all the characters. As the story progresses and we learn more about the characters, some of them turn out to be quite different from who we originally thought they were and they develop very naturally throughout the course of the show. Even the villain goes through some growth. Every character is great and even the minor characters like Neko-sensei are very memorable. Because if you don’t do well in Neko-sensei’s class… He will have you marry him!
--- ART ---
Princess Tutu is a fairly old anime dating back to 2002 and as such it has the art style you would expect from an older show. Despite this, the art is quite good for its time. It is very suitable to the show and has a real charm to it that makes it quite pleasant to look at.
--- SOUND ---
Big fan of classical music? You’ll love this show. The majority of the soundtrack consists of popular classical tunes. Mainly those from the Nutcracker and if there was ever an anime that used classical music well, it’s Princess Tutu. The intro also has a very classical feel to it and goes great with the show. Same goes for the outro.
As for the sub or dub debate, Princess Tutu has one of the better dubs I’ve seen. None of the voices sounded bad and Luci Christian was an excellent choice to play the role of Ahiru (or as she’s called in the dub “Duck”) The original version is also spectacular and is worth watching as well. Want to watch the Japanese version? Every voice fits PERFECTLY. Want to watch the dub? The voices still fit perfectly. So watch whichever version suits your tastes. Or if you have time, watch both!
--- VERDICT ---
Princess Tutu is a highly under appreciated show that deserves far more attention than it gets. If you haven’t seen it yet, I highly recommend it. Definitely one of if not the best magical girl anime out there.
Thanks for reading
