sooooooo... i finished watching princess tutu... woohooo... and what do i think about it?.... it gud... it interesting... probably my most memorable magical girl show... it has a place in my heart.. and so im gonna talk about it... btw this is just a rant not like a real "review" i am no such thing as a "reviewer" because im pretty bias and blabbery about... everything...but ill try not to spoil anything and keep everything vague so you guys can still enjoy reading it without context...
also a bit of context... i have known about this anime since i was a kid... this was around while i was watching a lot of japanese cartoon shows in indonesian dub on tv... and princess tutu was one of them... ive seen it on ads but never actually watched it... thou it had interested me back then... but ended up just forgotten about it... so now im watching it and finished it in 2025...
so.. lets talk about the opening first because i think the opening really sets the whole mood of the show and its osts... and let me say...this had to be one of the slowest op ive ever seen... not in term of time... its still around one two minute op... but just the pacing and the visual... it starts with droplets of water synchronizing with the key of the piano and then a slow (and i mean slow slow) reveal of the main title... but then it finally ramps up... but even then... the op music is very mellow and slow... compare to your modern anime op like bling bang bang born... this shit is the whole 180... at first i was kind of put off by it... but then as the series goes on... i kinda like it... i actively listens too it... more often not skipping it because it really...really suits the tone of the anime and i would not have it any other way.... a good op is the one that opens and imerse the watcher to the anime... and the op really nails it... it really feels like you are watching an opening to a ballet...owhh speaking of ballet...
one of the more interesting fact is that the ost is using actual real ballet tracks... this is one of two instances ive watch an anime using actual real music theme then the classic anime ost... one of them being girls und panzer... it really puts you off sometimes because i feel like anime ost is one of those things that tells you that you are watching an anime... you are not watching an anime if theres no goofy fast track running of the mc accidently watches the heroine being half naked.... but just like girls und panzer... it gud ....me like... ugah ugah... it suits the tone... its beautiful... they used it in absolutly appropriate and amazing places... the dramatic one runs the dramatic ost... the sad one runs the sad ost... do you like my descriptive... i can english... it really feels like watching an anime ballet... not an anime about ballet... but just ballet but anime...
i also like the theme around the story... "may those who follow their fate be granted happiness, may those who defy it be granted glory"... its the classic not accepting their fate but defying it... i thought the whole theme is easy and simple enough by the execution of the story... but... act 2 changes a lot of it now that i think about it... act 1 is very simple in nature in my opinion ...even thou it surprises me when i thought the story was gonna be finding the shard through different cookie characters... like monster of the day thing... but turns out i was wrong... it keeps on giving mystery and makes the watcher questions whats going to happen or what it all means... and i think thats very cool... but when i thought the story in act 1 feels like an ending... the whole act 2 feels like a melancholy tragedy...i love it...things get complicated... the characters are starting to think for themself rather then having an actual in story device to move the story (which thinking about it now was a pretty cool execution)... they start to question and having doubts and anxiety... they experience pain and hardship... and the sentence "may those who follow their fate be granted happiness, may those who defy it be granted glory" can be felt in act 2... also i like the whole act 1 and act 2 thing because its a ballet thing as well...nice detail... and commitment by the anime creator
the character is fun... i like ahiru and how unique the voice acting is... in japanese of course... all anime voices can be sound samey sometimes but ahiru is the exception... and i think thats really nice... not gonna lie i like the first act better because it feels a lot light hearted... also neko sensei is best character ever... i never thought a gag about a cat threatning children to mary him would be a funny and endearing thing to me... it adds character to the anime... neko sensei shall live happlly married with three kittens... i like all the characters in fact... the main one like ahiru, rue, mytho, fakir are complex and melancholy i love it... ahiru in particular is very fun... i like... her on her duck form... shes very cute..
the art style is very unique...in my opinion... everything is very hazy.. a lot of stuff are inspired by those old fairy tale books but still keeping the anime asthetic... the character style is also very round...almost non anime in fact... we dont get those sharp chin and pointy nose... but a lot of the character design almost feel non anime... from drosselmayer, the lady that cooks and neko sensei... its unique and makes me appreciate the art and the direction...
so yeah thats it i guess... actually after writing these up i think i might like the anime more than i initially thought... i really liked it and enjoyed watching it... i put the school bells as a ringtone for my phone... so thats nice... what do you guys think?... whoever have watched it let me know your opinion about the anime... i wanna know.. and if you havent watched... i highly recommend it... i wouldnt even clasify this as magical girls because it really feels different... so it good for everyone because how unique it is... so uhhh... yeahh...
h-happy duck day everyone~
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