First let's say a bit about myself. I like anime with story and good characters. I will spot these things out quickly. Prince-sama does not have a good story, but characters popped out. But back to me- I do not get influenced by "handsome" men dancing and singing. As much as the guys were attractive to me; I can push that aside and focus on everything else.
Story: Not really much to see here. You have the main girl, Haruka Nanami, a young teen looking to be a composer. She wants to become a composer- something that a lot of background characters in Uta-Pri didn't seem to want to do. Haruka is naturally talented at picking up music and playing it, but she can't read music. This takes us to the horrible bullying that takes us to Otoya Ittoki's "arc".
During this arc, you see a bit more of Otoya in this. But the story of the arc wasn't much. We continue on throughout this anime through the guys and how they got that way and so on and so on.
By the end- she has to pick a partner for the Graduation Audition. This was brought up in the very beginning; so it makes sense that this can be counted as the main plot for this anime. Sure it isn't original and you can find this anywhere. But the pacing done for this and how it was handled "realistically" was perfectly good. They went through it as a team and at the end of the day- Uta-Pri is about friendship and music; which is what was shown by the end. Only other problem with the story is that it did seem like the people were a bit high on music- which is totally fine since music does power the soul.
Story is good, but nothing special. 7/10.
Art: The art was one of the best parts of Uta no Prince-sama. The guys and girls and minor characters were all done right. Even the background characters had faces which some anime lazily drops out. The art goes through different changes from bright to dark to even a bit choppy. The choppy is the only fault in the art. The choppy is only on the dancing which isn't shown much- but it does bring it one score down. But besides that-
The art was really great! The character designs are really good and you don't see it much. Otoya has a similar appearance to Avan Hardins in Valkyira Chronicles 2, but even then- Otoya is more bishie. The design of the men were obviously done to show that they are the main characters. They have weird hair color and stand out from most of the other "generic" guys in the show. They also have pretty boy appearances which we all know- most anime has.
Haruka Nanami and Tomochika Shibuya are really good design wise. Tomochika, Haruka's friend, is really unique looking. Her poofy red hair with lipstick hasn't been done quite often. Adding her magenta eyes to the mix- and you got on unique girl. Haruka, the main girl, is stunning in appearance. Her eyes are seen 'creepy' by many, but I think they are beautiful. It shows the mysteries the girl does hold into her heart. From her eyes to hair to face shape and all the way to her body- the girl is unique and very well drawn.
I give art 9/10.
Sound: The sound was another key point in this anime. What would a singing anime be without the sound? The music was heaven in your ears. The voice acting done by the guys in the singing area was done really well. I'm not a fan of japanese voices since I usually watch mine in english, but I did enjoy Uta-Pri's voices since I thought the singing was done really well.
The background noises like rain and footsteps were done flawlessly. You could hear every little details from the noises to the music that sent chills through your spine. I'm not a big sound person so...
Sound gets a 10/10
Character: Characters is a big part of Uta-Pri. Most shoujo anime and/or manga don't really have good characters. Ouran Highschool Host Club's characters are a bit flat compared to Prince-sama's. Uta no Prince-sama's characters were very good, and here is why.
Haruka Nanami is your 'mary-sue' main girl. She doesn't seem to have much going on with her at first glance and her character seems as shallow as a kid's pool. But once you get to the end, you realize that she is actually pretty good for a main lead. She has a background story which has been use many a times, but gives it a nice twist with her natural ear for music. She is on her way to 'mary-sue' but I don't think she is one. She is that "flawless" girl, but when you look at Nanami- she has a lot of issues. The girl may have a talent that not much people have (even though I know a lot of people who do in real life) , but she is a kind-hearted girl with deep issues. The anime doesn't get much into depth with her, but she was frail and her personality is quite cheerful. She isn't flawless though because a lot of the gossiping teens in that school like to talk smack about her. Haruka's relationship with each of the characters is touching as well.
Tokiya Ichinose is the main guy. He is this stoic douchebag in the beginning that I honestly couldn't stand. He thought he was so cool and thought that he can beat everyone. He didn't even give Haruka the time of the day and completely ignored some of the others. Tokiya is my favorite character due to the fact that he is the most developed. He goes from a guy I want to punch to a 'changed man'. He didn't do a complete 180 and change everything about himself. He still is a bit 'mean' but is actually very kind. He messes with the others and smiles after all this time, and he develops at a nice pace for 13 episodes. Just like the other reverse harem, Tokiya falls for Haruka. Tokiya and Haruka's relationship is sweet since you was the meanest to her. He didn't like her and it took awhile until she was the reason for him to open up. Haruka loves Hayato-sama and actually almost picked Tokiya for the mere reason that he was Hayato. Soon realized, Haruka falls for him(friend way) as who he is and decides that even if Hayato saved her life, it was really Tokiya who did.
Otoya Ittoki is your 'genki' guy. He is outgoing and a bit messy as seen from his room. He is light-hearted and full of spirit. He isn't actually that well written since he doesn't change much. He's cheerful as hell in the beginning, but by the end; he's slightly less. He's still cheerful as hell which is why Otoya isn't that well of a character. His personality though is different from usual happy males. He is a bit shy, but outgoing. His personality is hard to describe without it seeming like he is indeed a generic 'genki' boy. His relationship with Haruka was by far the sweetest. He made sure to tell people off and even stand up for her. All he wanted was to sing her songs and make her happy. Which he ended up doing; making him extremely close with her.
Ren Jinguuji isn't your typical flirty male. From the beginning you thought he was- Especially did I. Ren is actually really developed- even Masato points out that he has changed. He was another douche in the beginning almost all the way until the end, but only difference from him, Tokiya, and Syo is that he is a flirt. Ren was the second best character due to he changed a lot. He was harsh and cold by the end, but changed for the better. He wasn't going to be bossed by his family for too long, especially since his mom and Haruka were the only reasons he attended the school. Haruka and Ren's relationship are close friends, but like the others- Ren likes her.
Natsuki Shinomiya and Syo Kurusu are two teens that get along well- on Natsuki's side that is. Natsuki is a 'kawaii' lover who enjoys all things 'kawaii'. He is really outgoing, annoying, and a bit of a weird teen. When his glasses come off, Satsuki is now in control. Satsuki is another douche if he counts- making it a grand total of 6 males in Uta-Pri that are this way. Natsuki seems to enjoy Haruka's company, but I assume that's all it is, maybe not love quite yet. Natsuki is the third best character since he is developed. He goes from outgoing to a lot serious and actually takes time to think instead of cute things everywhere. Syo is one of the 6 males that are douchey. Syo is the bishie blond who enjoys having time alone while looking up to his idol. He has a fear of heights from a traumatizing experience involving him and Natsuki when they were younger. Syo gets a lot nicer by the end is actually really sweet. Haruka and Syo have another great friendship. Syo clearly enjoys Haruka's company and has a crush on her, even thinking that she was the main heroine for his own story involving his idol.
Masato Hijirikawa is the last main character of this cast. Masato is a serious traditional man. He has the generic strict done in which he somehow gets his father to say yes for letting him go to the academy. His type reminds me a lot of Kyoya Ootori- just not a douche. Masato and Haruka's relationship is really touching. He probably loves her the 3rd most right after Otoya and Tokiya. Haruka is really grateful since he helped her get past the bullying and do what she loves.
Minor characters like Tomo, Ringo, Hyuuga, Shining, and Cecil were all important in their own way. They all served a purpose even if they didn't have much to them. They did help the main cast in getting as far as they did.
Want more of a background story with these characters? Play the game. Characters are very good so they get a 8/10.
Enjoyment: I loved this show and that's all I have to say. We all have different opinions and minds. You guys may not like it or you may do, either way- we all have a different reason for liking or hating it. So MY enjoyment for this amazing anime was a 9/10...
Overall: Overall this show was very good with art, sound, and characters. The rounds this all about to a 8/10.
This was my first review so I hope it was decent enough~
