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Giving this a 9 out of 10 only because I don't see myself rewatching it any time soon. Sorry for the messy review as I wrote this while watching and discussing with a friend (don't want to rewrite everything I said all over again lol). I mentioned this anime in passing and that convinced them to watch it, and me having forgotten what it was about and why I was so bitter about it, I had to give it a deserving rewatch and re-evaluation.
This is surely one of those memorable stories I won't forget. I think I get why I was so upset about princess tutu when I first saw it. It's not the same as every other magical girl anime out there where the magic is a main plot driver & is often used. And it's just that since everything is part of a story, it feels as though even if the story supposedly has no ending, it's a futile attempt for the characters like Princess Tutu and Fakir trying to do their roles just the same as every character in the story. Like everything is drawn out for Drosselmeyer's amusement that it feels so cruel and out of the character's hands even though it feels like they can change the story. Like why is Drosselmeyer still there even though he's already passed away before the story ended.
Is he going to go away when the story ends? (yes) Is he planning on dragging out the story as much as possible for his amusement? (yes) Everyone seems like a mere puppet just like Edel-san (yes). The world breaking in princess tutu I think feels more tamer as there is a constant reminder and awareness that they are in a story.. As far as I have seen Drosselmeyer also controls how much the characters can express themselves. Ahiru being the most free to do what they wish since Drosselmeyer is using her to move the plot forward by making her Princess Tutu & make the story more interesting. Since the real & unreal merge in their world, it's like the world breaking is just part of the everyday oopsies and is a necessary occurrence when they fight against Drosselmeyer's will. It feels hopeless though.. The roles of the characters are made in such a way that they do as they are made to do. It seems that only Ahiru and Rue know of Drosselmeyer's existence (that he is still an entity that can interact with them) and has interacted with him.
It's understandable though since the whole point is being in a story of inevitable fate. Even so, Drosselmeyer is treated as the one with the upperhand or a position of power. It doesn't matter that the world is just a part of a story and that they're characters with their fates partially predetermined: "I may be a character but I will get what I want despite the world being this way". I think that's how Rue sees it somehow because she is written as a villain when in her perspective she's been written to not succeed because she's an "antagonist". She's "unlovable", "cannot be friends with Ahiru", and "will never be loved by the prince". At the same time, she's just a random person that got pulled into the story like Ahiru. I'm glad I gave this a rewatch because I wouldn't be able to change my mind and find how wonderful the story is... That ended well and better than i remembered. I really teared up when Ahiru tried her best dancing at the end.
When I was in high school, I used to not like Ahiru's love being unrequited with Prince Siegfried but to be honest, Fakir had more substance. All the characters are actually written well with Rue's backstory reveal being the most satisfying. I wanna say that my favorite character is Fakir. Out of all the characters, his development stood out the most as he tried his best to fulfill his supposed role and the fact that he faced his trauma in order to use the power he has in order to fight back better. Not with a sword, but with a pen. I love how Fakir has used his own power to drive the story into a different direction but, I feel they could've used his power better like creating a different story where they can all live peacefully. But then again, that's just taking the easy way out right? Everyone has their happy endings.
