Himesama "Goumon" no Jikan desu

"Tis Time for Torture, Princess" is one of the most fun shows we have this season of Winter 2024.

First off, I will have to share one 50/50 thought: the comedy is subjective as always. If you enjoy the over the top commentary and dramatic animation to describe what the princess is saying (simmilar to Bocchi The Rock), then this will be right up your ally. Otherwise, you might find the humor cringe.

The show has amazing animation, and just like Bocchi The Rock, followed the original source (the manga) but made it even better and took it to a whole ... another level. The simple plot is what makes it easy to follow along, with a tag line to let you know shit's about to go down. The characters are lovable, from the Princess, to Tortura, and even the Demon King, with their own personal charms that are just enjoyable to watch. AND WE CAN'T FORGET ABOUT THE MUSIC! THAT OPENING AND ENDING IS A BOP! (subjective of course) This show is one of those things you're not suppose to take seriously, and that's got to be due to its fluffy, wholesome fun. It also parodies horrible takes people argue about commonly. (like what part of ramen do you eat first (in the show) and what part of the chicken is more taster: wing, drum or thigh, cereal and milk (in the manga))

Anyway, this show gets my recomendation for a fun, wholesome show to watch and deserves more praises than downplay. (freakin tryhard otakus)

(if you're actually judging the show because it's not serious enough, you need to go outside, touch grass, and make some friends, i'm kidding)

EDIT: JUST FINISHED IT, MY OPINION AND REVIEWS STILL STANDS! THIS SHOWS ROCKS!!!

Tis Time for Torture Princess is an unexpectedly delightful anime that turns the traditional concept of torture on its head. The Princess, Commander of the Imperial Third Legion, finds herself subjected to the most unconventional forms of torture by the demon lord's army. From gourmet meals to spa days and the company of adorable animals, each episode is an inventive and humorous take on what constitutes true suffering. The princess is then coerced into divulging the kingdom's most trivial secrets.

The anime shines with a diverse cast of characters, each bringing their unique form of torture to the table, enriching the story with their backgrounds and ... quirky personalities. The demon lord is depicted with an innocent charm that belies his fearsome title, portraying him in a light-hearted, almost endearing manner. The princess’s sword, Excalibur, is fully loaded with witty commentary and humorous observations that provide a constant stream of laughter, making it hard to catch your breath between his clever quips and sarcastic remarks.

The voice acting and soundtrack brilliantly complement the show's comedic tone, with Excalibur's witty banter being a highlight.

Its animation is crafted with attention to detail and a clear affection for the genre, making use of exaggerated expressions and visual gags to amplify the humor.

What sets this anime apart is its heartwarming core; despite the premise, it's a story about finding joy and adventure in unexpected places. The princess, with the ability to escape yet choosing to stay, and the demon lord's unnecessary quest for a secret, both reflect a deeper commentary on freedom and strength. Overall, it is a breath of fresh air, perfect for viewers looking for a lighthearted, comedic anime that doesn't take itself too seriously but is crafted with a lot of care and love.

SAAAAAAAAAAABBBBBBBBBBBBEEEEEEEEEEERRRRRRRRR.

Ahem, now I've gotta that out the way, though can you really not see anything else within the first few moments, anything different? But in context, this anime is so much more than a simple gag.

Story and characters: 7
There is a mix here, and it's mixed together really well. Like this gives me Konosuba vibes in the sense of having a serious setting, a serious looking world, but then you fill it with nothing but humor and gags for the most part. While there are elements of seriousness laid within the show itself. Its real characteristic touch is more through it's many fun gags, which ... is does well, and makes for an entertaining watch from start to finish. Imagine having a world, where things come off as serious, and you're expecting the worst whenever torture is involved....Only for that to be turned on it's head, in light hearted, and hilarious fashion. From serious to goofy in a matter of moments. Lovely stuff.

To touch on the cast, it blends together so well. If anything, from the character's performance, one giant thing to keep up with this anime for, is to see where they'd take it next? Or how long is going to go on for, before the next breakthrough happens? After all, a joke can only run on for so long, before it gets tiring. Something Sleepy Princess managed to overcome, and we'll see if this one can do it as well.

You really get the feeling there is going to be something more with this anime. If not, then it'll more likely wind up like Sleepy Princess a while back. A good solid show, that is enjoyable.


Art and sound: 8
There is a lot of quality here. I've mainly said in previous reviews, that it does sound like there is fun in this. From the voice actors, to those who produced such. But can you really blame me? As with this show, how it blends a more gritter tone when it's trying to show more serious, with excellent bright touches throughout to really set the mood and scene. Only for then the other side, being bright,happy and wholesome.

A solid sow to be entertained by for sure, through it's gags,and fun writing. I'd give it a watch.

"Tis Time for Torture, Princess"
It's seriously one of the most unexpectedly delightful shows I've stumbled upon this winter.

So get this: it's about a princess who gets captured by the Demon Lord's army, right? But instead of your typical grim and dark story, they flip it on its head. Instead of the usual torture, they treat her to all sorts of crazy stuff like gourmet meals, spa days, and even playdates with cute animals. I mean, how hilarious is that?

But it's not just the premise that's great. The characters are so lovable and quirky, from the princess herself to her witty sword companion, Excalibur. And let ... me tell you, the voice acting and soundtrack are spot-on. They really nail the comedic tone of the show.

Visually, it's stunning too. The animation is so well-done, with all these expressive visuals and clever gags that keep you laughing the whole time.

But what I love most about it is the heart behind it all. Yeah, it's funny and all, but there's this genuine warmth to the story that just draws you in. You can't help but root for these characters and their crazy adventures.

Honestly, if you're looking for something light-hearted and fun to watch this season, "Tis Time for Torture, Princess" is definitely worth checking out. Trust me, you won't regret it.

Between this and Do it Yourself, it's clear that Studio Pine Jam is the group to beat in the slice of life genre. This has a lot of the same aspects I liked about DIY, the fun, memorable characters, the clean vibrant animation (there's not as much sakuga in this one as in DIY but it's still gorgeous), and the genuinely soothing atmosphere. The show rides an incredibly fine line between sticking to a forumula and keeping things fresh. There's just enough structure and repetition to create the rhythms that allow running gags and character development to work, but every segment feels like a creative ... spin on the basiuc concept, and it's always fun to see what the activity will be or how they goad the Princess into giving up a secret (not that she needs much encouragement after a certain point). While the princess is the lead, it's really a good ensemble series and every character gets at least a little arc of their own, and sometimes the show takes a detour to show us a day in one of the demon's life and the kind of things they deal with. There's a great finesse to how the show doles out background information about the characters and world without really stopping for exposition. They just kind of let you infer things, like how the Demon World is on the tech level of modern Japan, but the Human World is medieval. Stuff like that is fun and rewards paying attention.

This is a great series and anyone who enjoys Slice of Life should make this one a priority, the fact that it got confirmed so quickly for a second season by the end of its first should be pretty telling that they've hit on gold and it's definitely one of my most anticipated shows now.

I can't believe I was initially hesitant on watching this, thinking it'd be another repeat of what Dungeon Meshi is trying to do, and me not being a huge fan of food/gluttony shows. I'm glad to say that the food bits (which I still think are the weakest parts of each episode) aren't a major focus despite what the poster may lead you to think, and that Goumon is the most wholesome show across this whole season.

If anything, the main theme of the show is on appreciating the mundane luxuries in life. Things like walking at night to the convenience store with a friend, an ... amusement park date, popping bubbles on a bubble wrap, or even ordering the same food from the same place every day, are all incredibly mundane, but the show excels in making them super comfy and highlights the importance on appreciating your regular day to day life.

It also helps that the show is really funny. Surprisingly despite its main joke of "Princess giving in too easily to 'torture'", it does twist it in enough ways to make each occurrence of this joke feel fresh. Plus, I just love its nonsense setting of "medieval fantasy, but actually just Tokyo (they even flatout name dropped Tokyo) where Maou lives in an apartment". The characters are all immensely likable, but special shoutout to Maou who is the best boss/husband/father you will never have, and the MaoMao episodes are the closest thing to actual torture in the show because she is the perfect daughter you will never have.

As with all the best comedies out there, my favorite parts of the show are when the show just slows its pace and tones down the comedy to just have a super relaxing atmospheric episode where nothing is actually happening, but what's onscreen is just so comfy to watch. The oyakodon scene with Torture is peak comfy.

Goumon is a fantastic show, especially seeing as it airs on a Monday which does bring the usual Monday blues down for me. I'm glad the show is being renewed for a second season (or if it had been planned in the first place). I think the closest point of comparison would be the Sleepy Chino show from a few years back, but if Hime-sama was not a genocidal maniac (though the Hime in this show does kill a fair amount of demons in the backstory).


On a side note, I do like how all three of my favorite shows, this, Bravern, and MahoAko, have the same joke of having the Opening/Insert Song play and other characters commenting on the absurdity of it.

8/10

Any form of act that forces someone to spill the beans regardless of the method is Torture. Himesama "Goumon" no Jikan desu, might be one of the hidden gems this season, notably because of its own unique genre. This anime contains plenty of genre and blends them to create this show, which I believe is a strong point of this anime. It's a mix of modernity with fantasy, gourmet, light-hearted interactions and most of all the comedy. I really love how this anime creates a genuine laugh without forcing it to be funny, it's straight up comedy and I believe most of the viewers will ... find this feature of the anime to be amusing. In addition, this anime doesn't have a plot direction as it only focuses on the Torture of Hime and her interactions of the cast within the Demon-Lord's domain. That being said, this is not a bad thing because every episode brings a sense of anticipation as to what form of torture will Hime be experiencing next. Lastly, the character designs of this Anime, every character design is it's own masterpiece as it evokes different form of vibe that's dependent with their personality and character, in addition their design speaks as to who and what their role is without needing a background check, right from the get go you will have a correct guess as to what kind of character they are. Overall, Himesama "Goumon" no Jikan desu is an anime that's good for a change of pace as it creates a breathe of fresh air to the fantasy genre of anime industry because of it's unique utilization of the said genre, and this is one of those anime wherein if you want to watch you are in for a treat and if you don't it's ok either.

'Tis Time for "Torture," Princess - Yikes to torture, Welcome to comedy (is subjective)!

Every season, we get too many shows delving into the serious space, and it feels that there aren't as many shows that are of the KonoSuba variety: a pure fantasy comedy that can allow breathing space of fun and excitement, just for the sake of comedy. And it's even MORE rare from a series that comes straight from the juggernauts of the Shonen genre: Shueisha themselves. Introducing to you, from said publisher's Shonen Jump+ (FYI, where the currently most popular series of Masaoki Shindo's Ruri Dragon is seralizing in): mangaka Robinson Haruhara's ... Hime-sama "Goumon" no Jikan desu a.k.a 'Tis Time for "Torture," Princess.

The story foretells of the old-age treachery between good and evil, and that involves humans and demons. From the human side, it's represented by the commander, the Third Order of the Imperial Army of the Human World's kingdom,the Princess a.k.a Hime-sama herself. She has a trusty companion of her legendary holy sword named Excalibur (or even nicknamed Ex) that together, gained widespread recognition for her duties of dealing with their enemy, the Hell-horde demons. But one day, she, along with Ex, got captured by the demons and have been taken prisoners of war by them, and with it, comes torture...but not in the way that you expect. Since there's a treaty between both humans and demons regarding torturing POWs, her main captor, the Hell-horde's Grand Inquisitor Torture Tortura, has to "torture" her in unusual ways, usually in terms of food and snacks that pique her interest into fighting against her temptations, only to give in and leak secrets about their kingdom, in the hopes that their leader, the Hell-Lord, would use that information against the humans...which he does not take that opportunity to do so.

First of all, let us remind ourselves that while this is pure fantasy, it's also a comedy show first and foremost. The relationship between Hime and Ex is quite the nonchalant comedy of back-and-forth antics, and if you've got the keen eye in you, look no further than the VAs behind their characters. Both Haruka Shiraishi and Chikahiro Kobayashi have actually performed their roles together in another very notable series, and if knowledge serves you best, they are also MCs in Golden Kamuy as both the Ainu girl Asirpa and the Immortal Commander Saichi Sugimoto. So for those of you who've watched the series, you'd already know that comedy is part-and-parcel of Golden Kamuy with the never-ending insanity of its comedic shticks. While both VAs have their comedic roles exchanged for the anime, they embraced it with all of the source material's many ways of enduring "torture", and it's one of the reasons why this show works so wonderfully as a comedy, hook, line and sinker.

As for the demons:
- Torture Tortura is Hime's main interrogator, the highest-ranking chief Inquisitor. She who looks stoic to assert her position, specializes in food-type torture, and will boast on her abilities to keep Hime invested and tempted in revealing all of the human kingdom's secrets through her careless word-of-mouth confessions through appetizing and irresistable aspects of food and snacks. She has her assistant Datama to help out with her dealings to Hime.
- The Oni sisters of Youki and Inki, holding the rank of Lieutorments, the intermediate-level torturers. They specialize in friendship-bonding "torture" and build bonds while "pretending" (but genuinely) wanting to be friends with Hime.
- The Beast Tamer Krall, a top combatant and senior torturer, she specializes in zoo-type "torture", employing many ferocious beasts and cute type animals in her possessions.
- Vanilla Peschutz, holding the rank of Harm-Marshal, the advanced-level torturers. A prideful, yet immature young noble vampire of her family, she boasts a lot in her ego, though like Youki and Inki, is touched by Hime in the friendship-bonding aspects as well.

But none can be as fearsome as the main group of Hell-hordes: the Hell-Lord himself, who prides in being an evil, devilish character who wishes to subjugate and conquer the human world with Hime's endless interrogations to prep his army for possible invasions. And as the saying goes: "Don't judge a book by its cover", the Hell-horde leader...is a very respectable villain (just like Kyuujitsu no Warumono-san's Warumono) who also prides himself in being a demon of culture in all things Japanese, as well as a family man, alongside his lovable, mature and beautiful wife Lulune (who also serves as the queen of Hell-holm) and their only daughter Mao-Mao, the cute and pure young daughter who subjugates Hime with her innocent and childish "torture" that it sends her flying into her arms each and every time thanks to her adorableness. I love families like the Hell-Lord, which adds to the already comfortable feeling of warmth, especially from a character who's supposed to be the image of evil.

The only person useless in the help for Hime's escape is Louch Brittan (a play on the Code Geass MC's name of Lelouch). Him being a holy white knight to save her from the Hellhorde's captivity, as capable as he is a powerful combatant, his unattractive looks as a fatso and an otaku only makes the save worse each and every time, so much that Hime feels right at home in the Hell-horde's 4 walls of her prison room, ready for whatever "tortures" she will be facing next.

For a comedy series, studio Pine Jam really hit it out of the park, both in execution and "intention". The reason for the air quotes is that they don't necessarily need to produce that greatly, but thanks to debut director Youko Kanamori, whose works claim from storyboarding to episode directorial duties for major high-profile series such asn Mob Psycho 100 and Mahoutsukai no Yome a.k.a The Ancient Magus Bride, the manga is given the extra length to be adapted further from his vision down to his staff team, perfectly executing what it means to be a comedy as the main objective. From unnecessary bombastic to the cutest and charming moments ever, this is one show where love and care is given the priority, and I feel that the staff team went above and beyond to deliver the tingles on the heartstrings.

The music is great and complements the show as a whole. Also, this too is also the areas of the J-Pop Anisong debuts: While shallm's catchy and sanguine OP song just speaks and fits the series to a T that I find myself just bopping and dancing to its tunes in joy, LEEVELLES's ED song...is just alright, being the stereotype of usual band-like rock songs that only sounds good, and nothing more.

If there's a torture session I would like to be in, it's this show and its approach to the "torture" content, even if the same gags are repetitive by large. Regardless, if you love comedy, you should not miss out this underappreciated show.

Now go, and make friends, demons or otherwise!

Probably an acquired taste. The whole thing seems like trolling. I can understand people disliking this. It resembles the "Endless Eight" episodes from Haruhi Suzumiya. That one I enjoyed. It's like one enormous joke on fans and I'm game for things like that.

Maybe it doesn't reach the indie heights of Éric Rohmer or Jim Jarmusch or John Cage, but this is the anime equivalent of their movies or Cage's 4'33, a sort of game of chicken played with their audience. I'm also amazed by the quality of the animation. Should people be devoting so much good animation on something that will not appeal to ... the ADHD generation?

Anyway, that's another reason why this appeals to me. I doubt this series will be a commecial success, so I doubt there will be another season.

I only found this because it was recommended, and it's been one of my favorites this season. Yea, it's cute and food related, but it's full of surprises and a demon lord who's a better boss than 95% of the ones in the real world. Torture and her sidekick are original and hilarious, and the cast of supporting characters provide the princess with everything she's been missing in her life. And she returns the favor. It's a "feel good" anime that's fine for kids and adults and one I'm glad there's a season 2 announced.

Yes, most of the characters are kids and most of ... the adults act like kids, but that's part of the charm. I found myself cheering on the "bad guys" over the good guys because they were simply better in all ways. Animation, sound effects and voice active were all great, and the plots were pretty unpredictable. Plus Ex - the sword - was the perfect straight man for the princess' antics.

Here is my review of this anime in 2024!

Story (10)
The story is about a princess that got imprisoned and tortured inside the Demon King Castle. But the torture is different from what we imagine. The torture here is meant as a pleasure such as eating delicious food, playing games, going to an amusement park, bathing, etc. You're going to find a lot of comedy scenes in this anime!

Art (10)
The art in this anime is excellence! I like the color, glow, and shadow they used for this anime. I love how they anime for every action smoothly.

Sound (10)
All the sounds that they used were suitable and ... adjusted to the animation.

Character (10)
The main and supporter characters are very memorable since they have their unique personality.

Enjoyment (10)
It's very enjoyable to watch this movie in 2024.

Overall (10)
It's recommended to those who love action, comedy, fantasy, and slice-of-life anime.

This was my hands down favorite anime of its cour mostly because not only is this one of my favorite manga of all time but the anime did such a great job with the material. While there are gags, the greatest strength of the comedy aspect of this series is that it is first and foremost absurd. Sometimes things are play so straight I giggle giggle giggle and other times they're so over the top I'm howling. Yet, comedy isn't the only strength of the story. It also has a lot of heartfelt moments like a slice of life anime might have. That's part of ... what puts this story for me over the top. I really care about these characters and their adventures. I really enjoy when they make me laugh but also that they make me feel for them at times too. It's a great balance. To be honest the only reason I always give this franchise a 9 is because of a knight character that occasionally shows up and just kills to mood every single time, but luckily his appearances lessen as the story progresses.

If you enjoy silly comedies that also have emotion to them then I think you'll like this anime. It's a combination of workplace comedy, slice of life, fantasy, and food. The key to enjoying it is to go in without assuming what it's going to be and just enjoy the absurdity and fun of it all. I can't wait for season 2. I'm so happy they announced it today.

This is a very funny, charming, and heartwarming anime centered around a specific gag. The "torture" scenes are very cute and every single character is incredibly likable. The show manages to span many different topics but is generally about being kind to each other (and yourself) and finding new family and friends in seemingly unlikely places.

It's perfect as a pick-me-up anime and as a binge show. Some people might get tired of the repetition of the central gag (that the princess always caves under torture and gives up a secret) but I think each torture scene is varied enough to be entertaining. Later episodes also ... buck the formula for more slice-of-life style situations where the princess is just having fun with her new demon friends (even though we always return to her dungeon cell for more torture).

This show takes its namesake and flips it on its head.

First of all, I will say, that the running gag of every episode, being "I will not submit, I'm the Commander of the Legion" does get a bit old quite quickly, especially when it's easy to guess how each episode will play out after having watched a couple.
However! That is about the only negative of this show that I can think of.

The story here is that the Human Princess is kidnapped by the Demon army to be tortured for information and secrets that could help them out, however what ends up happening is ... that the Princess develops friendships with the various Demons, revealing that she never really had the opportunity for this sort of relationship due to her upbringing.

There is no actual torture here, just wholesome interactions, completely destroying any notion that the Demon Lord and his army must inherently be evil. In fact, if anything, the Human nation is shown to be more "evil" than anything the Demon Lord and his minions do.
It's also quite amusing that the Human nation is shown to still be quite medieval, while the Demon nation is basically modern-day Japan.

In addition to the genuine comedy that is present in every episode with the interactions, there's also (minor spoiler) a hilarious rip-off of an Isekai story in the final episode, that mocks the genre to the extreme and gave me the most laughs out of the entire series.

The animation and art-style is also incredible for such a series, between the over-the-top facial expressions and then the insane quality of the food and especially the eating of said food. The voice-actors also do an incredible job here and really sell the series as a whole.

Overall, this was a hidden gem of the anime season and I would definitely recommend watching it.
I wouldn't say that it's a masterpiece, as each episode does play out very similarly to one another, but still a very good series.

This anime is one of those you can watch while you're doing something else, is not bad not at all is quite funny and i liked a lot of the jokes even if i didn't laugh, it just has that kind of innocent comedy that makes you smile and like the characters despite it all
I like that the main character is not annoying as other comedy anime like this do, she's just sweet and very hungry for food all the time

However is nothing that stands out after the season it aired in is finished, is just your average anime to watch after a long ... day and smile a bit, i quite like the character designs tho they're quite simple but they stand out on their own

Also the food looks delicious 10/10