~ Story~ 8/10
Let's start with one of Princess Tutu's flaws, yes I know, I praised Princess Tutu but that certainly doesn't mean that it's flawless. The creators didn't seem to know how old the target audience was, sometimes there was childish comedy that only preteens could enjoy and sometimes the story turned really interesting and a lot darker. It feels kinda weird if characters are making stupid jokes about ducks and ten minutes later we hear that someone cut off his hands to write with his blood. And now and then the comedy just wasn't funny and ruined the more dramatic moments.
The actual story begins when Drosselmeyer gives Ahiru (Japanese for duck), who is an actual duck (yes the main character is a duck, deal with it) the chance to become a human girl. Drosselmeyer died while writing a story about a prince who shattered his heart to defeat an evil raven. Now, every character from this unfinished book lives in the human world and it is up to Ahiru to restore the prince's heart and give the characters and herself a happy ending. Sounds easy, right? Well, it isn't. Ahiru gets ballet-super-powers when she transforms into Princess Tutu, but she's not the only one and everyone is getting in her way. Also, Drosselmeyer seems a little bit too lively for a corpse and his ideas about creating the perfect tragic ending are very creepy.
This show mixed ballet with fairy tales, supernatural occurrences and talking animals, the result is amazing and there are many surprising plot twists that keep the viewers at the edge of their seats. But again, it is not perfect, the middle half is not as good as the first and the last episodes and at some points it's even boring and repetitive. And like I said before, the show is a bit childish at times and the comedy is not always funny.
[CONCLUSION]
An interesting story with a great ending. But it's not perfect, sometimes it's just immature and the middle part is weaker than the first and the last episodes. But the mix of fairy tales, ballet and a beautiful story is amazing. And the ending is heartwarming, but it's not a corny 'and they lived happily ever after'-ending.
~ Animation~ 7/10
The art style is not very special but it looked stunning during the ballet scenes and it fits the show. The animation is great and I personally thought that the somewhat girly art style supported the fairy tale-like atmosphere of the anime. The character designs were also very original, but too cute in some cases.
[CONCLUSION]
The animation is good and the art is (though a little bit too cute and girly) very fitting. And the ballet scenes are so gorgeous, the animators did an amazing job. But sadly enough, the art style made the anime seem less mature than it in reality was.
~ Sound~ 9/10
Both the opening and the ending song were slow and simple. This is certainly not bad, it fits the show. Also the background music was great. The great music combined with the stunning visuals made the ballet scenes beautiful. And the (Japanese) voice acting was great, the voices really fitted the characters. Especially Myuuto, the character started off as an emotionless doll and gained more and more feelings as the story progressed, the voice actor did this in a great way. At first his voice was plain, but as the story progressed his voice became less monotone. This was really fitting.
[CONCLUSION]
Great voice acting and awesome music! The sound was almost perfect, I really think that it was the best part of the anime (this is a compliment for the sound, not an insult for the anime). Also, I loves the opening song, it was very simple but also very charming.
~ Characters~ 8/10
Most characters were interesting and likeable. Ahiru starts off as your average cute, stupid girl who is in love with a boy, but by the end of the show she has become so much more. Myuuto is literally emotionless, but just like Ahiru he develops into an interesting individual. Fakir is probably the most likeable character from this show and it is intriguing to see that he slowly comes to terms with his place in the world. Rue is not as interesting as the other three main character but still a very likable and misunderstood character. Drosselmeyer is...... a total creep and Neko-sama is the weirdest talking and ballet dancing cat I've ever seen (and the only one), but after the fifth time his 'marry me'-joke became annoying, speaking about annoying, there are two characters who annoyed me so damn much. Lilie and Pique are Ahiru's stupid and almost sadistic friends who gave me a headache with their high pitched voices and stupidity. They were like the Jar Jar of Princess Tutu.
[CONCLUSION]
The most characters were likable, well-developed and interesting. And the supporting cast served their purpose. I liked pretty much every character aside from two annoying brats (you know who I'm talking about). The cast was great and main characters were quite memorable.
~ Enjoyment~ 8/10
I hate ballet and talking animals. And guess what? I still enjoyed this show. This show is really enjoyable and even funny now and then. It starts off as your average 'girl is in love with boy and tries to get his attention' but it turns into something that is so much more than your average shoujo show. It is heartwarming, beautiful and enjoyable. But again, it's not perfect. Some episodes were repetitive and some characters brought the word annoying to a whole new level (I'm looking at you, Lilie and Pique) but overall, it was an enjoyable ride.
[CONCLUSION]
This anime may seem boring and girly, but don't be fooled. It is a great story about finding your own identity and fighting destiny. Just give it a chance and don't turn it down because of the name. Peace!
