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Shit, where do I start, man. Well, here's the thing: I've been watching anime for over five years, which means that I've seen several romance/harem series (everything from Maison Ikkoku to Love Hina). Most of them have the same traits, but in order to poke out a bit from each other, they'll have to be in different settings. The question is if it's different and well enough executed in a fashion that captivates the viewer. And I'll let it out straightaway: Princess Lover fails epicly at that. By looking at the title, you know that you're already fucked:
Uh, so the main character, Arima is going to succeed Arima Group Corporation, and by the sounds of it, it looks like it's like the biggest company in the world. And who's gonna take over it in near future? A teenager that knows shit about business. Who in the world would give away such a big responsibility to a relative they barely knew just like that? I can go on and on about this plot convenience, but hey, I'll spare you for that.
Because succeeding the corporation is just a lame excuse to enter a rich girls' school (okey, there are also boys there, but we barely get to see them). And of course, who do we meet there? It's the pink-haired girl whom he saved and his fiancee. And to answer your question straightaway: Yes, they do have big breasts. And yes, the pink-haired girl hugs Arima all the time with her gonzanga breasts. She's your typical cheery girl with a cheery voice with a hand that likes to wave awfully a lot. And the fiancee? She's your typical, somewhat-shy girl who speaks little. And when she does speak, she speaks kinda without emotions. She has coincidentally fencing as a hobby, which coincidentally matches with Arima's kendo, so they have by chance some common ground, I guess. With other words, we've seen these type of personalities before. A lot. So what personality are we missing now? Tsundere? And yes, there is a tsundere girl in the series. You'll know it straightaway when she pops up for the first time (hint: she has a slightly annoying/whiny voice, which all tsunderes have, so I guess that's alright). Did I mention that we also have a big-breasted maid? The anime industry sure knows what we like. And Arima Teppei is your average male main character.
And that's not the best part yet (and by that, I mean the worst). The thing is with harem series, is that the plot can't be all fluffy and boobilicious all the time; it also needs some drama. Without telling too much: It's fucking ridiculous when you get to it. If you by any chance come to episode 7 or 8 (I don't quite remember which one), you're gonna have a fuckin' laugh. I swear, the plot progression from there might be the most retarded one in harem anime history. It's clearly not to be taken seriously. I don't know, but I sure facepalmed a lot during that particular episode. And by of what I've heard; the series is based off of an H-game, so that kind of sucky plot is expected, I guess.
Is there anything good in Princess Lover? The art is decent and not ugly to look at. The animation is standard, but not bad. And if you're looking for ecchi-ness, you've found it. A lot of booooobies. *coughEDcough* The music is not memorable at all; it's just generic. Visually speaking, the opening was pleasing to look at. In fact, I remember the breasts more than the music itself. And btw, Arima Isshin's voice is so badass (Wakamoto Norio is badass after all).
So unless you enjoy torturing yourself or your friends, avoid Princess Lover at all cost. I fuckin' used 160 minutes of my life saving your eyes. At least the show wasn't as bad as Koi Koi Seven. If you wanna see only big breasts and ecchi-ness, then there's actually better shows for that, like "He is my Master!". If you're looking for a good romance/harem anime, then go watch "Ichigo 100%" (the manga is better, though), "True Tears", "Lovely Complex" or "ef - a tale of memories".
YOU OWE ME YOUR LIFE.
