Anime Review: Princess Principal

Princess Principal (UK Rating: 15)

Anime can live and die on the first few episodes. There are so many very different shows released every season that many fans try the first couple of episodes and then drop a show. Princess Principal would easily capture the attention of viewers. The series plays its episodes outside of chronological order and the first dives straight into the action, with a scientist from the Kingdom of Albion planning to try to defect to the Commonwealth. To do so, the Commonwealth sends its finest spies - a group of young girls, posing as students from an esteemed girl's school. This is not one of the typical cute schoolgirls playing out a specific setup, though, as this story is dark and regularly shocking - the art and tone belying the sudden shifts that regularly occur.

This first episode is the perfect example of this. Spoilers here for the very first episode… The scientist is actually a double agent, being used to lure the spies out and have them killed. He has a good reason, as his little sister is suffering from poisoning from the Cavorite that fuels the Empire and it will cost a fortune to cure it. The girls are forced to kill him, smiling all the while. It's the first of many episodes that suddenly pivot into some shockingly dark moments.

The first people to join this duo are their initial targets: Princess Charlotte, fourth in line to the throne, and her attendant Beatrice. Ange is an uncanny doppelganger to the Princess and the Commonwealth plot to replace her in a mission entitled "Changeling" kicks off. This story thread runs through the mostly standalone episodes, up to its stunning conclusion in the final three episodes. Like the chronology here, though, that's getting ahead of things. Princess Charlotte realises the truth to the spies and offers to join them. Should they help her become queen, she will assist the spies. Having a princess on-board grants them chances they would never usually be able to obtain. Charlotte is happy to join them, too, revelling in their friendship and the missions. Her attendant is less excited with the prospect, though - at least, at first. The attendant's name is Beatrice, who at first has no interest in joining the Commonwealth or becoming a spy, but due to her fierce loyalty to her mistress, she gives them a chance, only to find true friendship waiting there. Beatrice is the daughter of what could be considered a mad scientist. While experimenting on his daughter, he removed her voice box and replaced it with an artificial mechanical one - giving her the ability to mimic voices, a trait that proves useful as the group progresses on its spy missions. Finally, there is Chise - a diminutive assassin from Japan who originally travelled to Albion to track down a famous murderer from her home.

The choice to alter the chronological order works fantastically, mostly thanks to the standalone nature of most of the episodes. One of the best is the Chise episode - not her introduction episode, an episode that shows how she's adapting to living in Albion, struggling with Western customs. It turns what should be a simple, one-dimensional, cliché character into a loveable urchin. It's one of many stand-out episodes.

There are 12 episodes making up this season, but there are a few extra stories included, also. There are six "Picture Dramas." Each of the short episodes played out doujinshi style, with some charming art of the ladies present while the VAs act out a scene. These are usually available only in Japanese, but here they are available in both languages.

7/10

Very Good - Bronze Award

Princess Principal is a real hidden gem, one that seems to have slipped past the notice of many fans since its run in 2017. Quite unlike anything else out there, and while the overarching story occasionally gets convoluted, the individual tales more than make up for it. It's landing at the perfect time too, as soon a series of six follow up films will be released in Japan. Hopefully, MVM will get these into the hands of UK fans soon.