*Plot: 6.7/10-* Chaika's plot is relatively simple, at least in the first season, and the beginning of the second.
For the first 14 episodes or so, it s a character driven story with the MacGuffin being the Emperor's remains. What makes this premise work is that story progresses because of the characters actions. On their journey, the characters encounter different parts of the world, and try to take back the Emperor's remains. Along the way, some plot twists are thrown in, which makes you question the original goal. Season two gets off to a strong as it unravels the mystery behind Chaika's origins and forgotten past. Unfortunately, by the halfway mark, the series shifts to a plot driven narrative as it charges towards the rushed finale. As far as rushed finales go, Chaika's is far from the worst, but its lack of focus on the characters is disappointing considering that the characters are the best aspect. Due to said ending, it really soured my initially positive opinion of the series.
*Characterization: 8.0/10-* What makes The Coffin Princess so much fun are the characters. Chaika is an adorable young girl, who does not know why she must find her father's remains, but is nevertheless driven to give him a proper burial. She also talks in adorably broken Japanese, and she has an innocence about her that you cannot help but love. However, she is given enough character development to prevent her from being a moe-blob, and she is almost never used for fanservice.
*Season 1: 8.0/10_Season 2: 7.3/110 = Overall: 7.7/10-* Ultimately, Chaika - The Coffin Princess is a tale of two seasons. Season one is a fun fantasy adventure with the type of lovable characters and fantasy adventure that is reminiscent of Bones' past work. On the other hand, season two is an unfortunately rushed conclusion to the story, even though it still contains a few of the highlights of the first season.
